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Introduction
Hello, my name is Tracey Bretag. I am a 35 year old
Australian who has lived in Japan for one year. In Australia I teach a
course at Flinders University in Adelaide, called "Professional English
in Business", to First Year students. When I return to Australia I
will spend a year completing my Ph.D in English Literature. In my free
time I enjoy reading novels or writing short stories and literary criticism.
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| I have lived in numerous
countries including the U.S.A.,Canada, England, Portugal, the Caribbean,
and of course Australia and Japan. I have worked in a variety of occupations,
all of which have centered on the English language.
I love English because it can be a medium through which
you can explore, discover and ultimately express yourself. Mastering both
spoken and written English is profoundly more important than cramming for
an exam. It is the means by which you can open your mind and therefore
your world. It is the avenue through which you can interrogate and challenge
the status quo.
Interested? Then read the following guideline, and start
working. Good luck!
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Most adults in Japan have
studied English for at least six years, but very few can write creative
and fluent English. In fact, even native speakers find creative writing
difficult. To write English well requires more than good translation skills
or grammatical knowledge. First and foremost, the writer needs to think.
Good writing is only 10% inspiration and 90% hard work. The following guidelines
should be followed whenever writing.
1) Give yourself time to think about the topic.
- What does it mean?
- Do you have any personal experience or knowledge
of the topic?
- Do you know anyone who does?
- Look up a dictionary to check unfamiliar words.
- Is there a hidden meaning?
- Talk to family members or friends about the topic.
- If necessary, do some research at the library.
2) Make notes. It is almost impossible even for
a native speaker to write finished copy without notes.
- Notes can be as simple as a list of words, a graph
or even a picture.
- Don't worry about spelling or grammar at this stage.
Just jot down anything that comes to mind. You can always delete it later.
3) Using you notes, write an "Essay Plan".
Every essay or article needs an interesting introduction, a central argument
(with pro's and con's), and a convincing conclusion.
- This plan is very important, so spend time on it.
At this stage, you need not worry about spelling and grammar.
An example plan might look like this:
Topic: Should School Students Wear Uniforms? (taking
the negative position)
Introduction:
State definitely that students should not wear uniforms.
Include a quotation from an expert child psychologist on the negative effects
of enforced conformity.
Central Argument : (one paragraph per point)
- Recent psychological research.
- Statistics on bullying in schools (when students
don't conform to group standards).
- Quotes from students (positive and negative).
- Quotes from parents (positive and negative)
- Quotes from schools (positive and negative).
- Discuss financial costs.
- Discuss repression of individuality.
Conclusion:
Conclude with something very persuasive. Example: excerpt
from an interview with a student to "reinforce" your argument.
"Having to wear a uniform for 12 years of my life
has made me feel like a "sheep". A follower with no opinions,
ideas or thoughts of his own. I feel that I have never had a chance to
explore and express my individuality." (Tsutomo Inoue, aged 18)
4) Only when your plan is complete should you start
writing. Follow the plan and don't worry about spelling. At this stage
you should be thinking about grammar, sentence construction and interesting
vocabulary. Most importantly, your writing should express your own ideas.
5) Editing
After you have finished the first draft, go back over
the essay, checking spelling and grammar. Read the essay aloud to see if
it "sounds right". Rewrite certain sentences if necessary. Ask
a friend their opinion of the essay.
6) Proofreading (1)
At this stage (and only at this stage) perfection should
be your goal. Fix every mistake, spelling and punctuation error. Think
about presentation - use highlighting, underlining and italics where necessary.
Don't forget to number the pages.
7) Proofreading (2)
If possible, ask a fluent English speaker to proofread
your work, before you submit it. Do not ask them to edit it. Their job
is just to do the final check.
8) Submit your carefully thought-out,well-written
and perfectly presented essay to your teacher. Well done!
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