TOEFL iBT, Independent Writing, The best way to travel is in a group led by a tour guide.

Writing Topic

Consider the following statement. The best way to travel is in a group led by a tour guide. Do you agree with this idea? Support your response by including specific reasons and examples.

☆Let’s Think

There are many topics in the TOEFL writing section that have the superlative―”best” in the case of this writing topic. Let’s be careful of the article before the superlative. Some topics have “the” before the superlative as in this case, others have nothing before it as follows: What invention do you think is most important in the last one hundred years? “The” and superlative as in “the best” means that the thing is on top of all the others and nothing else is comparable to it. “A” and superlative as in “a most important invention” means the thing is of its utmost level though there are others of the same level.

                                                                                            

☆Hints for Points

Agree:

1.    safer

2.    efficient…no bother for arrangements and booking, the guide knows good places to visit

3.    the more, the merrier

4.    inexpensive

Disagree:

1.    less free and flexible

2.    unnatural…places and things set aside exclusively for tourism

3.    less interaction with the locals

☆Essay Structure

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

【Introduction = Outline】　主張と理由の概略 

【Point 1】理由1の詳細 

【Point 2】理由2の詳細 

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

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】結論 

♦Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】

               

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

☆Essay for Ideas and Expressions

The traveler in one of Dave Mason’s beautiful songs, Mystic Traveler, does not seem to join a guided group tour because the lyrics go “He is an unraveler,” and “when he takes your heart, you are not alone.” He is not a consumer but the stranger the interaction with whom reveals the truth and merges the souls of those involved in eternity. Even though this song is about Jesus, there is more or less the kind of deep experience we expect in traveling. To me, saying that the best way to travel is in a group led by a tour guide is like saying that the best way to eat is in a group at a full-course dinner prepared by a well-seasoned chef. It must be a best, but may not be the best.

To travel is an action. People have traveled for many reasons since ancient times. We may travel to find something new, a new land, a new friend, or a new self. We may travel to see the world, to visit the places of our ancestors, or to test ourselves. We might also travel for fun. Traveling seems to mean much more to us than taking a sightseeing tour. When I hear the word traveler, I think of an explorer of reality seeking meaningful interactions with people or nature outside of the person’s daily life. The word travel seems to connote a dire need for something essential in spiritual life. Thus I think deciding how to travel is like deciding what to eat. It is a fundamental decision based on what you need from the action.

A guided group tour is an attraction which is a win-win product of the tour industry in the developed world. Tourists who want to enjoy themselves away from home and work, experience something special, and make some good memories choose a guided tour for convenience and safety, and they usually go in a group because of the spirit of “The more, the merrier.” The tourism follows the rule of the economy of scale. Booking for transportation, accommodation, and attractions such as local theaters and restaurants in large numbers lowers the costs. Tour guides will safely entertain and bring home the tourists. It is probably the most popular style of travel as a leisure activity, although it is not certain that people think it the best way to travel.

Perhaps I am too romantic, believing that people want more than a package tour out of traveling. However, traveling by and for yourself is in fact very popular. About half a century ago, Makoto Oda, a Japanese student from Tokyo University who was then at Harvard, traveled around the world alone with a return air ticket and 200 dollars, and wrote a travelogue, Nandemo Miteyaro, I’ll See Anything and Everything, which became the best-seller. With the best-selling travel guide series, Lonely Planet, a large number of people travel across the world every year. Travel agencies have started providing various kinds of tours to meet various demands of both experienced travelers who are fed up with package tours and people who are from the beginning interested in specific destinations which happen to be out of the network of the industry. For many people, a guided group tour is not the best choice.

The word travel encompasses a broad range of activities related, either directly or indirectly, to our existence, while a guided group tour is a relatively new activity for fun. The best way to travel efficiently for sport can be in a group led by a tour guide. However, the best way to travel varies depending on what the traveler is in search of, and I believe we want to be a mystic traveler deep in our heart when we say, “I’ve got to hit the road.”

早稲田AO、NAFTA-TPP

Timothy A. WiseJanuary 2, 2014 08:00

How beer explains 20 years of NAFTA’s devastating effects on Mexico

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/global-pulse/nafta-20-years-mexican-beer

TOEFL iBT, Independent Writing, Are humans damaging the Earth? -partly rewritten-

Writing Topic

If is often said that the Earth is being seriously damaged by humans. Others feel that the ecological damage of human activity has been exaggerated, and that humans are making the Earth a better place to live. Which opinion do you agree with?

☆Let’s Think

We hear things like the first statement every day. Most people seem to agree on the view that humankind is destructing the earth. Let’s take a look at the second one. It says that the idea of the first statement is an exaggeration and that we are “making the earth a better place to live.” For whom are we making the earth a better place to live? Is changing the environment into what humans want good for other species? Doesn’t doing harm to nature return to us humans in the end?

Usually, when one gets something there is another that loses it. When human society gains something involving nature (development), the environment loses something (destruction).

Human Activity ↙           ↘ Development of Society    ⇔   Destruction of the Environment

When we were cavemen, most of our activities were part of nature. Like other animals, we slept in our “nests,” and hunted and gathered what we needed to survive. We made a fire to cook, but it was not enough to cause global warming. Perhaps we collected pretty stones and shells for some reason, but the amount was not so much as to damage the environment.

Now, highly-developed technologies allow us to affect the environment on a large scale. We clear cut forests to make towns and fields, bulldoze mountains to get minerals, and drill rocks in the desert and ocean bottoms to get oil and gas. We also kill insects with chemicals to grow food, overfish to satisfy our palate, and wipe out some species for fashion and hobbies. We pollute the air, water, and soil for production and transportation. In addition, we have started global warming by releasing a large amount of greenhouse gases into the air.

By doing these things, we invade other animals’ natural habitats, deplete natural resources and destroy the environment. To survive, to expand our territories, and to enjoy ourselves, we are doing harm to nature. It is obvious that our activities are causing environmental strain. Our activities might make our lives better but affect nature.

The word “ecological damage” in the writing topic is about disturbing Mother Earth and causing decline or extinction of lives. It is predicted that about one-fourth of all plants and vertebrate animals may go extinct by 2050 due to global warming. Ecological damage seems to be no exaggeration.

Of course we cannot live like a caveman. We need energy. We need food. Development is good for us. However, it is usually bad for the environment, and in the end it is bad for us as well because humankind is part of nature.

☆Notes

1. It is important to clarify the connection between human activity and its negative/positive effects on the ecology when you write your essay on this topic.

e.g. cutting trees to build houses → fewer creatures → destruction of the eco-system

2. There is no need to become emotional. The topic requires you write about not your feelings but your judgment on the causal connection between our activity and ecological damage.

3. Global Warming Controversy: There are some people and scientists who are skeptical about global warming theory, but “there is a strong consensus that global surface temperatures have increased in recent decades and that the trend is caused mainly by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases. (Wikipedia)” Moreover, it has been reported that scientists who strongly deny global warming have received money from oil companies.

4. Climategate: In 2009, one of the global warming research centers was hacked and robbed of its emails, which were used to raise suspicions of “global warming conspiracy” or “climategate.” Based on some of the email messages, skeptics claimed that global warming was a hoax. However, rigorous investigations concluded that there was nothing wrong with what the researchers were doing and it was proved that global warming is not a hoax: “Over the course of the next year, six independent investigations looked into the allegations. None of the inquiries found evidence of fraud or scientific misconduct. (Wikipedia)”

5. An Inconvenient Truth: An Academy Award-winning documentary film about climate change, or global warming, presented by former United States Vice President Al Gore. Al Gore’s claim is that global warming is real and largely human-caused. (Wikipedia)

Essay for ideas and expressions

The following essay is taken from Writing for the TOEFL iBT, Barron’s:

 xxx

☆Essay Structure

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

【Introduction = Outline】　主張と理由の概略 

【Point 1】理由1の詳細 

【Point 2】理由2の詳細 

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

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】結論 

Note: A counterargument is an argument that points out a vulnerable part of your argument. Taking up a counterargument and rebutting it will make your essay more convincing. When there is a counterargument that most people seem to come up with, avoiding it will make your argument week. Thus, let’s take up counterarguments, deal with them logically, and get a high score.

☆Making the structure of your essay

Now let’s make the structure of your essay. Write down key words and expressions for the introduction, each paragraph of the body, and the conclusion. Making the structure first and then developing each part will make it easy to finish in time.

Your sample essay structure

【Introduction = Outline】　主張と理由の概略 

【Point 1】理由1の詳細 

【Point 2】理由2の詳細 

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

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】結論 

TOEFL iBT, Independent Writing, It is always good to have as much information as possible.

Writing Topic

Consider the following statement. It is always good to have as much information as possible. Do you agree with this idea? Support your response by including specific reasons and examples.

☆Let’s Think

Probably almost all people would agree if somebody said that it is always bad to have as little information as possible. Lack of information causes a lot of trouble. Prejudice is an example. You might have heard somebody say, “I had thought such and such people were stupid and mean, but after I made friends with Mary, who was intelligent and very kind, my image of those people changed.” The problem is that until gaining new information, a new friend who belongs to what the person calls such and such people, the person missed good communication and relationships with other members of the people. Stereotype is the child of lack of information, and stereotype is bad. Its big brothers are discrimination, bullying, conflicts and wars.

Intuitively, this writing topic seems to be easy to deal with because you can think of abundant examples of improvements made by the increase of the available information such as the group work, the Internet, or information disclosure. However, the statement this question requires us to deal with has the word “always”. Since there are not so many things that have no exceptions, it seems better to give it a thought whether there is an exception or not.

I remember a teacher saying that we would be confused if we had extra eyes on the back side of our heads. There would be too much information to process, making us at a loss of which way we should take, and we would end up being unable to move at all. Birds have a wide view, as we say a bird’s-eye-view, but even birds have a blind spot, a narrow area in their back. This spot, from the existence of which a bird knows which side is its back, could be a necessary anatomy, not just a weak point.

                                                                                            

☆Hints for Points

Agree:

1.    The more information there is, the better perception of the world you can have.

e.g.

1) Two heads are better than one: This saying shows partly the benefit of sharing information. School often uses group activities for projects to take advantage of this benefit.

2) Although there are many problems, it cannot be denied that the Internet contributes to the information sharing and benefit more people than before.

3) Information disclosure helps society progress. Patent information disclosure helps other inventors improve the invention. The government information disclosure enables citizens learn about facts about the past and present activities of the government.

2.    Having as many information sources as possible is desirable to make a good decision. It is sometimes seemingly difficult to make a decision when there is more information than can be processed, but the problem is not in the situation with abundant information but in the process such as lack of prioritization or determination. It is said that you have to think well before you decide, and to think well you need to have a lot of information.

Disagree:

1.    As the saying goes, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” Sometimes, it becomes difficult to make a decision when there is a large amount of information. A class teacher decides the amount of information provided to the students in class according to the levels and interests of the students. An organization usually has a leader or the management, to whom all the information is directed. For better or worse, the entity works best when a head commands the information.

2.    It is also said that ignorance is bliss and that curiosity killed a cat. It is often better to leave something unrevealed. A little child may be happy left believing that Santa Claus exists. Trying to know more than you are supposed to could put you in trouble.

3.    It is fundamentally good to have as much information as you can except for some cases in which there is something that should be protected from the exposure to the information.

e.g.

1)    There seems to be some stage of life at which information should be limited. A child may be confused if there are many kinds of information that are incompatible with each other. Without ability to process everything they are exposed to, they could have trouble assimilating all the information. For example, it is said that the number of languages a child can learn at the same time to be a real multilingual is limited, around 5 or 6.

2)    Many people defend the act of Wikileaks which disclosed hundreds of thousands of confidential documents and other records of the US government, insisting that it revealed a lot of information that the public should know such as war crimes or corruptions. However, they also think, like all the other people with common sense, to conceal some sensitive information related to diplomacy is necessary.

☆Essay Structure

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

【Introduction = Outline】　主張と理由の概略 

【Point 1】理由1の詳細 

【Point 2】理由2の詳細  

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

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】結論 

♦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】 (主張)

【Explanation】 (主張の説明)

【Detail / Example in general】 (一般的な例)

【More Specific Detail / Example】 (より具体的な例)

【Follow-up / Counterargument-treatment】 (補足または反論の処理)

【Conclusion】 (結論)

♦Sample Paragraph Development

【Main Idea】 (主張)

Having as many information sources as possible is desirable to make a good decision.

【Explanation】 (主張の説明)

The more information you have, the more wrong decisions you can avoid.

【Detail / Example in general】 (一般的な例)

For example, a decision on the school of your choice is one which involves a few important factors.

【More Specific Detail / Example】 (より具体的な例)

When you decide which university you should go to, you might consult the Internet or specialists for information so that you can find a school where you can learn exactly what you want to learn with the best faculty and facilities for the smallest expenses.

【Follow-up / Counterargument-treatment】 (補足または反論の処理)

If you choose a college that you happened to know without a deep thought, chances are high that you will get disappointed and lose interest. Even if it takes time to decide because of the large numbers of choices to compare, as long as you know what you want, you can find an answer and it will save time in the end because a lot of inquires help eliminate bad choices beforehand.

【Conclusion】 (結論)

You need to inquire as much as possible so as not to be sorry later. Excessive amount of information is just a luxury which is inherently a boon not a problem as long as dealt with wisely.

♦Your Sample Paragraph Development

【Main Idea】 (主張)

【Explanation】 (主張の説明)

【Detail / Example in general】 (一般的な例) 

【More Specific Detail / Example】 (より具体的な例)

【Follow-up / Counterargument-treatment】 (補足または反論の処理)

【Conclusion】 (結論)

TOEFL iBT, Independent Writing, Which would you choose: a high-paying job with long working hours or a lower-paying job with shorter working hours?

Wring Topic

Which would you choose: a high-paying job with long working hours or a lower-paying job with shorter working hours? Support your response by including specific reasons and examples.

 

 

 

☆Let’s think:

When you look around you and try to see which of these two working conditions most people choose, the answer seems to be easy. Most people want to be hired as a full-time worker because this type of employment system is better paid than part-time workers though the working hours are longer. Regular workers usually work at least 8 hours a day 5 or 6 days a week, although the actual working hours are often much longer because of overtime work, sometimes unpaid.

 

Students and housewives prefer part-time jobs to study or raise children respectively other than time for work. Jobs that they can find are usually not high-paying as the tasks do not require much responsibility.

 

Actually, other than the two types of the working conditions in this writing topic, there is another type of workers who are called the working poor. Their wages are so low that they have to work more than ten hours a day or work at two different places a day to make ends meet. This means that they work the same hours as or longer than full-time workers but make less. The number of this type of hiring practice is increasing as companies try to cut costs. Reality bites.

 

However, you do not have to deal with this problem here as this question is a two-alternative question―note that the second choice says a LOWER-paying job, not a LOW-paying job. Standing on the premises of subsistence guaranteed, it asks you which of the two you prioritize, money or time, and why.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

I choose a high-paying job with long working hours because …

1.    It seems that it is common sense to choose a job with regular working hours. I would like to be a respected citizen. I would like to wear a business suit and work from 9 to 5 on week days and enjoy leisure time spending some money on my favorite activities on weekends.

 

2.    I like working. I have some job I would like to land on when I graduate. If I find the job of my dream, I would spend as much time as I can to learn the job, increase my knowledge, and improve my skills.

 

3.    I need money. Some people might view my desire as materialistic, but I would like to live in a safe and comfortable place, wear decent clothes, and eat safe food as much as possible to live a long healthy life. I think this desire of mine is rather humble.

 

I choose a lower-paying job with shorter working hours because …

1.    I would like to continue my study over the next ten years. I would like to pass a few tests. I also would like to see the world.

 

2.    I just cannot work regularly. I am not inclined to long working hours. This does not mean that I am lazy. I have a strong power of concentration, while my body clock is just not attuned to the regular life pattern.

 

3.    Even if you have a lot of money, if you do not have time to spend it to make you feel you are alive, it is a waste.

 

 

☆Essay Structure

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

【Introduction = Outline】　主張と理由の概略 

【Point 1】理由1の詳細 

【Point 2】理由2の詳細 

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

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】結論 

 

♦Your Sample Essay Structure

Sample 1

【Introduction = Outline】

I would choose a high-paying job with long working hours because I would like to be wealthy.

【Point 1】

A respectable person makes a lot of money by working energetically.

【Point 2】

I have a hard-working nature.

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】

Although the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, I would like to enjoy a high standard of living.

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

Children play and adults work. I will work and enjoy life to the utmost when I graduate.

 

Sample 2

【Introduction = Outline】

I would choose a lower-paying job with shorter working hours because time is life as the author of Momo says.

【Point 1】

I do not want to be a cog in a machine.

【Point 2】

My lifestyle does not require a lot of money.

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】

Life of part-time workers is precarious, but the situation where regular workers are in is not so different from that of part-time workers. The company can go bankrupt or they can lose their job if they become seriously ill. Unless you become a millionaire, you cannot have a safe and secure life, and I have no will to join this jungle-law game, meaning it is better for me to be eaten than to eat someone else.

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

To stay as human as possible in this modern world of insanity, I would be happy to be less paid and have more leisure time.

 

 

☆Making the structure of your essay

Now let’s make the structure of your essay. Write down key words and expressions for the introduction, each paragraph of the body, and the conclusion. Making the structure first and then developing each part will make it easy to finish in time.

 

 

 

Sample

Introduction

a lower-paying job with shorter working hours Reasons: 1) freer  2) humble lifestyle  3) no worries about disasters

 

Body

Reason 1: I do not want to be a cog in a machine. e.g. the movie, Modern Times

 

Reason 2: My lifestyle does not require a lot of money. e.g. little interest in food, fashion, and goods

 

Reason 3: Both types of working conditions are precarious. e.g. bankruptcy, illness

 

Conclusion

To stay as human as possible in this modern world of insanity, I would be happy to be less paid and have more leisure time.

 

Note: What you write in the introduction and the conclusion are the same. Also, the reasons you provide in the introduction are the same that are dealt with in the body. Although you could use exactly the same words and expressions, using different words and expressions for the same idea is preferable. The body is the detail of the introduction. The conclusion is the sum-up of the body.　You could make a full introduction, which is complete with the hook, background, and the thesis, but sticking with writing at least the thesis is safe since you have only thirty minutes to finish the essay.

 

 

Your sample essay structure

Introduction

Your choice Reasons: 1) 　　　　　　　　　2) 　　　　　　　　　　3)

 

Body

About Reason 1)   e.g.

 

About Reason 2) e.g.

 

About Reason 3) e.g.

 

Conclusion

 

 

英文エッセイの書き方の基本

☆手順

1．Writing Topicの確認: 課題を正確に読みとり要求されている解答内容をイメージします。

2．Brainstorming: 課題に関して思いつくことを書き出します。（頭の中にある材料を頭の外に出して整理しやすくする作業です。）

3．構成: Brainstormingで書き出した材料を整理してエッセイの基本構造に合う形にします。（１）同じ事項に関するものは同じ段落に集めます。（２）段落を重要な順に並べ替えます。

4．書く: 構成でできた段落（本論）に導入と結論の段落をつけ、実際の文章にします。

5．見直し: 論旨の矛盾、説明不足、構文・つづり・句読点等のミスをチェックします。

 

☆構成

エッセイのTopicは様々ですが、英文エッセイの構造は基本的には同じです。ごく簡単に言うと【主張（～だと思う）→理由（なぜなら…だからだ）→結論（従って～だと言える）】という流れになります。

この流れの各部分は以下のようにintroduction (thesis), body, conclusionと呼ばれます。

 

英文エッセイの基本構造   主張＝introduction (thesis)　導入 理由＝body　本論 結論＝conclusion　結論

主張＝introductionでは意見と根拠の要旨を示します。エッセイの概略の段落です。

理由＝bodyでは根拠を列挙します。

結論＝conclusionでは本論から導き出せる結論を書きます。エッセイの総括の段落です。

 

 

Bodyでは示したい根拠の数だけ段落を作ります。例えば主張の理由が3つある場合、Bodyは3段落になります。

英文エッセイでは全体がこの流れになると同時に各段落もこの流れ（主張→理由→結論）にするのが基本です。

この基本構造に沿ったエッセイの構成を上記のWriting Topicを使って示すと例えば以下のようになります。

 

Introduction

a lower-paying job with shorter working hours Reasons: 1) freer  2) humble lifestyle  3) no worries about disasters

 

Body

Reason 1: I do not want to be a cog in a machine. e.g. the movie, Modern Times

 

Reason 2: My lifestyle does not require a lot of money. e.g. little interest in food, fashion, and goods

 

Reason 3: Both types of working conditions are precarious. e.g. bankruptcy, illness

 

Conclusion

To stay as human as possible in this modern world of insanity, I would be happy to be less paid and have more leisure time.

 

 

 

《よいエッセイを書くために》

TOEFL Essay Test Writingクラスでは実際にエッセイを書いて練習していますが、ここでは良い英文エッセイを書くために日頃やってみると良いことをいくつか挙げてみます。

                   

☆良い英文をたくさん習慣的に読み、英語のニュースやインタビュー番組を利用する:  文章の達人と言われる人たちが良い文章を書くコツを尋ねられて必ず言及するのが「良い文章をたくさん読む。」ということです。英会話でネイティブスピーカーの話をたくさん聞くと英語が口から出やすくなるのと同様、知的刺激のあるきちんとした文章を夢中になって読む習慣や英語のニュースやインタビュー番組およびそのPodcastなどを毎日聞く習慣があると、作文の際にふさわしい表現や内容の展開を思いつきやすくなります。覚えてやろうと思うのではなく感心し感動しながら読むことが大切です。

 

☆英文読後日記をつける:  英字新聞・雑誌の記事を読んだ後、要約・感想を各1~2文の英文にします。表現力がつくと共に書く材料集めにもなります。まず口で言って見て次に書いて確認をしましょう。Speakingの訓練にもなります。

 

☆話し言葉と書き言葉は違うということを意識する:  話し言葉と書き言葉は別物です。日本語でも話し言葉と書き言葉を区別するように英語でもwritten Englishというものがあります。きちんとした言葉使い（特に構文の正確さ）は重要です。また内容の展開の仕方も書き言葉は日常の言葉使いとは異なります。話し言葉は言葉以外の要素（ジェスチャー、表情、共通認識、人間関係など）を含めてコミュニケーションをとるので言葉足らずでも問題ない場合が多くあります。しかし文章を書く際は言葉だけを使って分かりやすく、誤解のないように説明しなければなりません。細かく説明すればするほど分かりやすく、誤解が少なくなります。これはエッセイを書くときに気をつけると同時に普段手紙や伝言、ブログを書く時などに意識すると効果があります。

 

☆きちんとした英語を書く訓練をする:  エッセイの評価項目の一番下（文法、つづり、句読点他）がweakまたはsatisfactoryの下のほうの人はきちんとした英文を書く訓練が必要です。

♦評価がweakの人は文構造が崩れてしまうことが多いので、構文のしっかりした文を書けるようにしましょう。５文型や接続詞、関係詞を「文構造」という観点から勉強しなおしてみてください。また、これらの基本例文の和訳をみてもとの英文を言ってかけるようにする訓練をしておくと一生の財産になります。

♦評価がsatisfactoryの下のほうの人は、構文はほぼできているのですが採点者のいう「明らかな文法ミス」が多数あります。これを無くすには文法の正誤問題（間違い探し問題）で典型的なミスをチェックする必要があります。また、不要なところに３単元のｓをつけるなど癖になっているミスは、授業以外でもできるだけ友達などにチェックしてもらいましょう。ミスは他人の目で見ると見つけやすいのです。

 

☆推敲を重ねる: 推敲を重ねるほど次に一度でよい文章を書くことができるようになります。返却された添削済み答案は、訂正されたところやアドバイスなどを参考にしながら書き直してください。文法やつづりミスは同じミスを繰り返さなくなるまで何度でも書き直しましょう。

 

☆手本の書写と要約:  文法・表現力の評価が３になることが多い人はテキストやBarron’sのWriting for the TOEFL iBT等のsample essayをタイプで書写してみられるのも良いと思います。意味単位ごとに写すと表現が身につきやすくなります。ただ写すのではなく内容を取りながら行ってください。最後に内容を要約します。最初は各段落のMain Ideaを抜き出し、次に自分の言葉で言い換えます。

 

 

--- チェックしておくと参考になる本・雑誌・新聞・番組・ホームページなど ---

全くの私の独断でinformationやinspirationを得る役に立つと思われるものをご紹介します。

（一番下の２つ以外はインターネットにサイトがあり全て無料で閲覧・ダウンロードできます。）

 

♦Democracy Now!とThe Real News: インディペンデント局。主流メディアでは聞けない重要課題を毎回取り上げます。

♦The Young Turks: YouTube上のニュース局。 頭脳明晰で人間的で面白い元弁護士Cenk氏がホストです。

♦National Public Radio : アメリカのラジオ局。All Things Consideredでは興味深い話が多数聞けます。

♦Voice of America: アメリカのラジオ局。HPでニュースを閲覧したりPodcastをダウンロードしたりできます。ニュースが簡潔にまとめられています。

♦Al Jazeeraの英語放送: 中東関連はこの局でチェックしましょう。CM無し。world newsもあります。

♦BBC のpodcast: ”World, Have Your Say”という視聴者参加討論番組がargumentの参考になります。聞き方のコツは共感する意見が出た時にその表現に注意して聞くことです。

♦NatureとScience のpodcast: 科学雑誌NatureとScienceのpodcast では一般の人にも分かる形で科学関連ニュースを発表しています。温暖化、食料・水危機、公害、幹細胞研究、宇宙探査、米政府の科学研究援助方針など地球・人類にとって重要な問題を多数取り上げています。Transcriptもあります。

♦Daily Yomiuri: 日本国内のニュースを英文で読んで表現の仕方を学びましょう。

♦In These Times:不正・不平等・人権問題等に関して一般の人々の視点からの取材を丁寧に行っています。

♦MICHAELMOORE.com: アカデミー賞、スタインベック賞などを受賞した映画監督のホームページです。政治・社会問題をユーモアを交えて取り上げています。言葉使いよりも内容を参考にしましょう。

♦High School Newspaper: 政治意識の強い高校生のための高校生によるWeb新聞です。

♦The New Yorker on the Web: 週代わりで現代作家の短編小説が掲載されます。

♦The Best American Essays: 前年に出版されたエッセイのベスト版です。編者が毎年変わります。

♦Writing for the TOEFL iBT, Barron’s: 実際のTOEFL Writing の課題を使ったsample essaysが100以上掲載されている参考書兼問題集。構成・内容・語彙の参考になります。