TOEFL iBT, Independent Writing, What might a foreigner learn about your country from the TV programs that are made in your country? / Do you agree or disagree with the idea that reading is only beneficial when you read books that concern real people, actual events, and factual information? -partly rewritten-

Writing Topic A: TV programs can tell us a lot about the culture in which they were produced. What might a foreigner learn about your country from the TV programs that are made in your country?

 

☆Let’s think

The statement that TV programs can tell us a lot about the culture in which they were produced means you can regard TV programs as reflection (a mirror) of the culture in which they are produced. There might be some programs or some characteristics of some programs that cannot be found in other countries.

 

For example, there might be a joke that one thing that overseas students to Japan look forward to seeing there is those abundant original anime shows put on TV all day every day. Some may say that female anchors that mainly sit and smile while male anchors talk and discuss in Japanese news shows can show that Japan is still a strongly male-oriented society or its culture of women supporting men by making them look good while doing all the drudge by themselves.

 

e.g.

1. family dramas/animations --- typical family structure and life style

2. popular dramas --- main characters wear nice clothing, live in cool condominiums or good houses, and enjoy exciting city lives --- materialistic entertainment-pursuing culture 

3. makeover programs  renovation of houses by famous architects --- wealth, family-oriented culture

4. many kinds of quiz shows from trivia to entrance examination questions for famous junior high schools --- diligent, academic background-oriented society

5. shopping channels --- consumerism

 

List of Television Programs

News programs, Animated series, Dramas, Sitcoms, Soap operas, Comedies, Western shows or Samurai dramas, Talk shows/Chat shows, Satirical news programs, Children's television shows, Cooking shows, Game shows, Reality programs (Historical re-creation, Science, Dating, Law Enforcement/Military, Makeover, Lifestyle change, Fantasies fulfilled, Docusoaps starring celebrities, Hidden camera, Reality game shows, Talent Searches, Spoofs/Parodies)

 

☆Let’s prepare

1. Name a TV program typical of your country and describe it 

 

2. Point out the feature of the program that you think tells something about your country

 

3. Do the same with another TV program.

 

 

☆Essay Structure

♦Sample Essay Structure in the case that you have two or three reasons to support your argument

【Introduction = Outline】　主張と理由の概要

A lot of samurai dramas and anime shows on Japanese TV might show foreigners that Japanese culture is a really a high-tech, kawaii (cute)-loving, samurai culture.

【Point 1】理由1の詳細

Many samurai dramas show the traditional tendency of our culture.

【Point 2】理由2の詳細

Abundant original anime shows show our high-tech based, fantastic subculture.

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】理由3の詳細または反論の処理

There are programs, mainly news shows that are broadcast all day, that show Japanese are not just day-dreaming, conservative tech-lovers but are alert to current issues. However, the absence of political satire or comics radically dealing with the issues that play an important role in democracy such as Daily Show with Jon Stewart in the US indicates that there is some obstruction related to politics in this culture.

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】結論

Not only those are on but also those are not on Japanese TV hint, with some reservation, that we Japanese can be a group of neat and traditional boys and girls who will never take responsibility.

 

 

♦Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

 

【Point 1】

 

 

【Point 2】

 

 

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】

 

 

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

 

 

☆Paragraph development

A paragraph of the body of an essay often develops its main idea as follows:

【Main Idea】Many samurai features show the traditional tendency of our culture.

【Explanation】 The fact that there are many programs featuring samurai tell foreigners that Japanese can be still living by the samurai spirit.

【Detail / Example】 There are long-running samurai sequences and shows that often deal with famous warlords and soldiers.

【More Specific Detail / Example】The half-national TV station, NHK, has a one-year Sunday prime time sequence that features historical Japanese figures, most of whom are samurais. There had been samurai sequences that ran decades till recently, and there is a channel dedicated to samurai dramas. We also have quiz shows that try to learn from the past and they often deal with legendary deeds or characters in the feudal ears.

【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】

Termination of some famous samurai sequences might show the erosion of the culture, but we see Samurai Japan, the Japanese national succor team, in sports news shows every night.

【Conclusion】

Samurai culture and samurai spirit is one feature of our culture that manifests in our TV programs.

 

 

 

 

 

Your test paragraph development

Now let’s practice paragraph development. Choose one of the reasons you have come up with, make it the main idea, and develop it using the following form. As this is a tentative part of your real essay, use simple words and sentences for supporting details and focus on the logic and ideas.

 

【Main Idea】

 

 

【Explanation】

 

 

 

【Detail / Example in general】

 

 

 

【More Specific Detail / Example】

 

 

 

 

【Counterargument & Counter-counterargument】

 

 

 

 

【Conclusion】

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☆Writing Topic B: Do you agree or disagree with the idea that reading is only beneficial when you read books that concern real people, actual events, and factual information?

To disagree with the statement that only A is ---, you prove that something not A is also ---.

 

♦Hints for points

Reading fiction is also beneficial because …

1.    it teaches reality in a refined way. We can experience different times and different lives in a dramatic way.

 

2.    it conveys great thinker’s minds to us. We can be more thoughtful, better people through good novels.

 

3.    it develops our power of imagination, develops creativity, and contributes to build a new world. It is well known that many scientists and engineers attribute their passion for science to their childhood experience of treading science fiction novels. Good works of fiction give science visions to realize and direction to follow.

 

4.    Important as a piece of data: Even if the writer did not really live a respectable life, a piece of fiction itself is in itself a set of a raw data of a great mind and his time.

 

5.    Facts: If reading fiction is a mere entertainment, it would not be used in text books and Nobel Prize of fiction would not exist.

 

♦Dealing with a counterargument: It is true that fiction distorts or exaggerates reality. The world depicted or created in fiction is limited by the author’s values and perception of the world, or his or her background, but readers’ understanding of the world is usually inferior to those of novelists and thus fiction is useful enough for most people to comprehend the world. In fact, even when the reader and the writer share the same levels of intelligence, since no one is the same, the reader might still benefit from reading what is in the writer’s mind.

 

 

 

♦Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

 

【Point 1】

 

 

【Point 2】

 

 

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】

 

 

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】