Writing Topic A
Suppose you had a chance to take
a two-week trip to a foreign country. What country would you most wish to
visit? Discuss your choice using specific details and reasons.
☆Let’s think
1. Name
possible foreign destinations for a one-year stay, a two-week trip, and a two-day
trip.
One-year stay:
Two-day trip:
2. Name
countries you could visit for a two-week trip and the purposes.
Examples:
-
English study: America, England, Canada, Australia, etc.
-
food: Italy, Spain, China, etc.
-
ancient history: Egypt, China, India, etc.
-
animals: Australia, Brazil, Kenya, etc.
-
familiarity: home stay, study abroad, lived there with your family for a few
years
3. Research
the history and the culture of the country you would like to visit and report
the result to your group members. Tell them what you would like to do there.
1. About the country that you
would like to visit
2. They reason of your visit and
what you want to do there.
☆Hints
for Points
1.
I
would like to visit one of English-speaking countries for English study.
2.
South
Africa or other emerging economies would be nice to visit so that I can see
vigorous societies.
3.
I
wish to go to a country that is not so popular as a tourist destination because
it is exciting to see a country that I do not know well and whose official
language I do not know at all. Therefore, I would choose North Macedonia.
4.
I
like ancient history. Therefore, I would definitely visit either Egypt, China,
Iraq (Mesopotamia), or Iran (Persia) if there is not a travel ban.
5.
I
am interested in biology, so either the Galάpagos Islands
or a country in the Sub-Saharan Africa would be my choice.
6.
I
would like to do some volunteering in countries like Afghanistan, Syria,
Somalia or Yemen, where people are starving to death due to war and disasters.
☆Sample Essay
A two-week trip in a foreign
country is too short to master something like the language or a culture, but
long enough for many visits to places and interactions with the people. If I
had two weeks to visit a foreign country, I would go to Indonesia because I would
like to use the Indonesian language I have learned and visit two places of my
interest.
I have
studied Indonesian for two years, and now I can have a basic conversation in
it. However, I have not used the language outside my class. There are few
Indonesians in my country. Thus, I would like to go to Indonesia to have
conversation with Indonesians other than my Indonesian teacher. I have also noticed
that people do not speak exactly in the same way as teachers do. They speak colloquial
Indonesian, and most people have accents. I would like to be exposed to them by
spending some time in Indonesia.
Indonesia
is an attractive country with many magnificent structures and diverse living
traditional cultures. Above all, I am interested in Borobudur and Balinese
dance. Although Indonesia is famous as the biggest Islamic country, it has been
influenced by many other religions. Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in
the world with some mysteries in its history. Balinese dance is related to
Hindi religion. Although tourism has modernized it, it is still a part of daily
life of the people in Bali. I would like to see both of them with my own eyes.
As
Japanese, I would not be a totally happy tourist in this country because Japan
occupied Indonesia in the past. There are still some old people who speak our
language and sing our songs. I cannot imagine how they feel about us, and I do
not know how I should behave when I meet such people. However, this issue may
make the visit all the more meaningful if I communicate with the local people
carefully and sincerely.
I would
like to deepen my understanding of the language and the culture of
Indonesia. Two weeks is not long enough to master the language and see all
the cultures, but I think I can get the feel of them from the stay.
☆Sample
Essay Structure
Sample A
【Introduction】
【Other Good Places for a Two-Week
Trip】
【Reason for Choice 1】
【Reason for Choice 2】
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】
Sample B
【Introduction】
【Point 1】
【Point 2】
【Negative Point and Why It Does
Not Matter】
【Conclusion】
Your Sample Essay Structure
【Introduction】
【 】
【 】
【 】
【Conclusion】
☆Speech
Time
Give a one-minute speech on this
topic.
☆Full
Introduction Writing
A full introduction of an essay
follows a form as follows.
【Hook】 A sentence to attract the
reader’s attention
【Background】 The explanation of the
hook
【Thesis】 What you want to say in
the essay
【Reason(s)】 The outline of the Reasons
of the thesis
Samples
【Hook】 Two years have passed
since I left the U.S. and I still miss the people there.
【Background】 I did a one-year homestay
and had a very good time there.
【Thesis】 Thus, I would like to stay
in the U.S. for two weeks.
【Reason(s)】I would see my host family and
friends there, and would like to do the sights with them.
【Hook】 For many, the word “Down
Under” has a negative connotation, but to me it sounds great.
【Background】 I have heard a lot of good
things about Australia from my mother who has been there.
【Thesis】 If I had a chance to take
a two-week trip to a foreign country, I would like to go to Australia.
【Reason(s)】 I would like to see the
unique wildlife, interact with the people, and learn about its history.
【Hook】Although I am Japanese, my
hometown is Jakarta, Indonesia.
【Background】 I spent my childhood in
this city near the equator.
【Thesis】 I would like to visit the
town I lived in there.
【Reason(s)】This is because I feel I miss
something and I think I remember it if I visit the house I lived in and talk to
the people there.
【Hook】Most people in Japan are not
interested in countries that are located on the other side of the globe, but I
am not one of them.
【Background】I have been to South American
countries such as Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador.
【Thesis】 Next, I would like to go
see Brazil if I had a two-week vacation.
【Reason(s)】I would like to see the country
for the language, the culture, and the Amazon Rainforest.
【Hook& Background &
Thesis】There are
many attractive countries in Europe such as France,
Italy, Spain, Germany, and
England, but I would like to go to Ireland if I had a chance to take a
two-week trip to a foreign
country.
【Reason(s)】The reason is that I love the
people and the society of the country.
Your Sample Full Introduction
【Hook】
【Background】
【Thesis】
【Reason(s)】
Comments or Suggestion from your
partner or group members
Writing Topic B
Suppose that you had the power
to change one thing about your hometown. What aspect of your hometown would you
like to change, and in what way? Support your ideas with specific details and
reasons.
☆Let’s
Think
1.
What
does the following proverb mean? Do you feel the same way? “Every bird thinks
its own nest charming.”
2.
Hints:
Here are some hints to think of what to change about your hometown.
1) Suppose you
were an outsider. What part of your town is embarrassing?
2) Remember
other towns and cities you know and compare them with yours. Is your
hometown as beautiful as they are, as convenient as they are, or as exciting as
they are?
3) Think of
your ideal town and find what your hometown lacks to be it.
3.
Here
are some things that can be the hint for the change you could write about:
1) facilities: hospital, community center,
library, swimming pool, streetlights, day-care center
2) system: events, neighborhood watch
group, disaster planning, scholarship, tuition-free college
3)environment: green, pollution, littering,
relationships, manners
4.
Now
make a presentation of your idea about what to change about your town to your
partner or group members. Ask each other questions or make suggestions about
the presentation.
Use the following procedure if you like.
1. Problem or
the present situation: What is wrong or what is going on?
e. g. Senior citizens do not have places to
get together. Some of them gather at local coffee shops but it is rather
expensive to do it every day
2. Goal: How
would you change it?
e. g. I would make all coffee shops in town
free to the elderly and also have them have nurses and counselors on call. The
expenses would be subsidized by the municipal office.
3. Expected
Benefits: How will it benefit my hometown?
e. g. All seniors in town will have chances
to enjoy themselves, their safety and health can be monitored easily, and the
fact that my town has places for the elderly is something to be proud of in
itself.
☆Sample Essay Structure
【Introduction】I would like to make my town more appealing to the young by making
streets more attractive.
【Point 1】Making the streets cleaner would make my town more likable.
【Point 2】I would also like new bulletin boards to be installed in some
corners for information exchange.
【Follow-up】Appearance is not everything, but the first impression counts
and streets are the face of the town. Also, this idea is more feasible in terms
of cost than other ideas like adding facilities.
【Conclusion】 I would like to make the streets of my hometown more
beautiful and exciting.
☆Sample Paragraph Development of Point 1 in
Sample Essay Structure
【Main Idea】Making the streets cleaner would
make my town more likable.
【Supporting
Detail (general)】Young
people, especially young women, are sensitive to unclean environment.
【Supporting
Detail (specific)】However,
there are some filthy backstreets that few people walk into even during the day
in my town. These back alleys are filled with cigarette butts and plastic bags.
【Follow-up】Regulations might not be
necessary. Posters with humor would do. Also, it is reported that a miniature
shrine gate placed in the site stops littering. My town should try the idea.
【Wrap-up】As the saying goes, cleanliness
is next to godliness, and many young people will visit my town if the streets
do not look like hell.
Your
Sample Paragraph Development
【Main Idea】
【Supporting Detail (general)】
【Supporting Detail (specific)】
【Follow-up】
【Wrap-up】
☆Note: To increase the volume of your essay,
find the shortest paragraph and …
1) Develop
the main idea well: If a paragraph has only one or two sentences, you have not
developed it well enough. Make sure that each paragraph has its main idea,
supporting details (examples), additional supporting details like
counter-argument treatment if necessary, and the conclusion of the paragraph.
2) Develop
each sentence well: A statement can have an exception or need a condition or
concession. Look for a sentence that you can add a reason, condition,
concession, or any other additional information, and add “except…”. “as long as…”.
“although…”, etc.
3) Describe
words well: Which of the following sentences gives a clear picture of someone’s
pet? A) I have a pet. B) I have a cute
cat. C) I have a little fluffy kitten. With two adjectives and
a specific noun, Sentence C) depicts an adorable pet well and it happens to be
the longest of the three. Also, use transitions such as First, Also, Moreover,
Finally, or Therefore, when necessary.
4) Discuss
other choice(s): Even if the Writing Topic does not say, “Discuss the two
views” or “Compare and contrast the choices,” you can write about other
choices. Doing so will make your essay more convincing and longer. Be careful
not to digress.
5) Take
up counterarguments: While you are writing, sometimes a counterargument, “Well,
but what about this case?” comes up to your mind. Then it is better not to
ignore it but take it up and give a counter-counterargument. It will make your
essay more convincing.
- The key to
remember is to try to put what you want to say into words as accurately as you
can. Then you cannot help adding some more words and sentences, and some
more... In the end, your essay will have many words.
