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Professional Teaching Portfolio
1
PPPProfessionalrofessionalrofessionalrofessional
Teaching portfolioTeaching portfolioTeaching portfolioTeaching portfolio
Kyunghwa YuKyunghwa YuKyunghwa YuKyunghwa Yu
GGGGraduate School of TESOLraduate School of TESOLraduate School of TESOLraduate School of TESOL
Sookmyung WomenSookmyung WomenSookmyung WomenSookmyung Women’’’’s Universitys Universitys Universitys University
Professional Teaching Portfolio
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I. Introduction -------------------------- 3
II. Professional Background
1. Teaching philosophy -------------------------- 5
2. Resume -------------------------- 9
3. Certificates -------------------------- 12
III. Teaching practices
1. Overview of GEP -------------------------- 16
2. GEP teaching -------------------------- 33
A. Week 10 -------------------------- 33
B. Final exam for GEP class ------------------- 61
IV. Action research ------------------------- 74
V. Epilogue ------------------------ 117
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For two years, I have learned various theories and experienced practical
teaching in Sookmyung Women’s University MA TESOL program. I chose
this Practicum course to improve my teaching based on what I learned
throughout two years.
This portfolio is divided into five parts: introduction, my professional
background, teaching practices, action research and epilogue. It was helpful
in reflecting what I have done. Also, I hope this professional teaching
portfolio shows what I have learned and achieved in this course.
Finally, thank you to all the professors and classmates for being together
with a lot of support.
Yu, Kyunghwa
December, 2012
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Professional Professional Professional Professional
BackgroundBackgroundBackgroundBackground
� Teaching philosophyTeaching philosophyTeaching philosophyTeaching philosophy
� ResumeResumeResumeResume
� CCCCertificaertificaertificaertificatestestestes
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I started to learn English in middle school and my English teacher
was great. I tried to study English hard because of her, and I was good at
English in my school days. After I went to college, I went abroad for travel
several times and I was pleased to communicate with foreigners from
various countries. Later, I decided to become a teacher and I chose English
subject because I liked it. However, there were a lot more to do than I
expected as an English teacher and I had to develop myself continually.
Meanwhile my teaching philosophy matured gradually.
When I became a teacher at first, some students told me they didn’t
want to learn English because it was a language of America and they just
wanted that Korean would be a world language. There were some people
who told that they would not go abroad, so they didn’t need to learn
English. At that time, I didn’t have a concept of EIL (English as an
International Language), so I just told them English was important in Korea
for entering a college or getting a job. Later I got the idea of EIL at SMU
TESOL.
English is only spoken by one third the number of native speakers of
Mandarin. But English-speaking people are much more widespread than
Mandarin-speaking people (Mckay, 2003). According to Crystal (1997), no
other language has spread around the globe so extensively, making English
a truly international language. So English is not a language of some
countries but a language of the world (Mckay, 2003). We need to learn
English to communicate with people around the world.
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I think students learn by themselves and the role of a teacher is a
facilitator. Students construct their own knowledge and teachers should
become their guide instead of transmitting knowledge to them (Beck &
McKeown, 1999). So I try to check their understanding and give students a
chance to do something in class instead of just listening to me. I think
learning is an active and social process. Also, there should be dynamic
interaction among students as well as between a teacher and students. As
for beliefs about learning, sociocultural theory is the important foundation
in my teaching. According to Vygotsky, all learning is socially mediated
(Meskill, 2010). Dialogue, which is meaningful and instructional, is an
important tool of this process in the zone of proximal development. ZPD
refers to the distance or the cognitive gap between what learners can do
unaided and what they can do in collaboration with a more competent
other and learning occurs through assisted performance in ZPD (Gibbons,
2003). In ZPD, learners construct the new language through socially
mediated interaction. Learners are involved in the collaborative
interactions with the teacher and can acquire what they didn’t know from
the assisted scaffolding in the interactions. Learning occurs in the social
context and then it happens in their brain.
I have taught high school students who concentrate on KSAT that
mainly deals with reading comprehension. However, I try to provide a
chance for interaction as much as possible. For example, when I ask a
question, I let students think by themselves and then share their ideas with
their partners. After that, they share their ideas with the whole class. I want
my students to interact with a teacher and each other and learn in the
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interactions in my class. Peers as well as the teacher can provide effective
scaffolding for learning through dialogues.
According to Mercer (2007), the sociocultural perspective raises the
possibility that educational success may be explained by the quality of
educational dialogue. Teachers’ questions encourage learners to make
explicit their thoughts, reasons and knowledge and share them with others,
‘model’ useful ways of using language and provide opportunities for
learners to express their current state of understanding. So I try to ask ‘why’
questions to let students think themselves and ask them to elaborate their
ideas.
Having worked in academic high schools, I’ve more focused on
reading than other three skills, speaking, listening and writing because the
goal of students was to enter a college and they need to mainly improve
their reading skills. However, the importance of communicative
competence in English is being magnified these days. Especially, NEAT will
be introduced and the days of grammar-and-reading-only instruction will
be gone. To develop communicative competence, teachers need to use
various activities offering appropriate scaffolding to activate their ZPD and
I will try to meet the students’ needs based on my teaching philosophy,
learning and developing myself perpetually.
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References
Beck, I. L., & McKeown, M. G. (1999, November). Getting the discussion
started. Educational Leadership, 25-28.
Gibbons, P. (2003). Mediating language learning: Teacher interactions with
ESL students in a content-based classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 37, 247-273.
McKay, S.L. (2000). Teaching English as an international language:
Implications for cultural materials in the classroom. TESOL Journal, 9(4), 7-
11.
Mercer, N., & Littleton, K. (2007). Dialogue and the Development of Children’s
Thinking. New York, NY: Routledge.
Meskill, C., & Anthony, N. (2010). Teaching languages online. New York, NY:
Multilingual Matters.
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SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
� MA TESOL Sookmyung Women’s University (Expected graduation, Feb, 2013)
� Completion of MATE rater training course, a spoken and written English test developed by Sookmyung Women’s University
� 11 years of teaching experience in public high schools
EDUCATION
� Sookmyung Women’s University
MA in TESOL major Mar. 2011- Expected graduation, Feb. 2012
� Ewha Woman’s University
BA in Educational Technology Mar. 1997 –Feb. 2001
Minor in English education
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
School teacher, four high schools, Gyeonggi province, Korea.
� Bopyung High School, Seongnam city Mar. 2012- Present
Taught English reading class for 3rd graders for one year
� Imae High School, Seongnam city Mar. 2009- Feb. 2012
Taught 1st graders for two years focusing on 4 skills. Taught English reading class for 3rd graders for one year
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� Hansol High School, Seongnam city Mar. 2003- Feb. 2009
Taught 1st graders for one year, 2nd graders for two years and 3rd graders for three years
� Janggok High School, Ansan city Mar. 2001- Feb. 2003
Taught 1st graders for one year and 2nd graders for one year
RELATED EXPERIENCE
� International Graduate School of English
IGSE English teacher training course Mar. 2010 –Jul. 2010
Improved four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing and teaching skills in a 5-month teacher training course
� University of Hawaii
The seventieth Workshop for Asian-Pacific Teachers of English
Jul.2010- Aug. 2010
Listened to lectures of eminent professors in English education and experienced cultural differences
� San Diego State University
Teacher training program Jan. 2007- Feb. 2007
Developed 4 skills and learned various teaching methods
CERTIFICATE
� Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea
Certificate of MATE Rater Training Workshop (16 hours) Sep. 2012
� International Graduate School of English, Seoul, Korea
Certificate of TESOL Jul. 2010
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� San Diego State University, California, U.S.
TEFL/TESL Certificate Feb. 2007
� Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea
SMU TESOL Certificate May. 2006
� Gyeonggi Provincial office of Education, Suwon, Korea
1ST Degree English Teacher Aug. 2004
� Ewha Woman’s University, Seoul, Korea
2nd Degree English Teacher Feb. 2001
AWARDS
� Gyeonggi Provincial office of Education
1st prize, Contest of teaching class Dec. 2007
� Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development
3rd prize, Contest of teaching class Jan. 2008
SKILLS
� Language
Korean: Mother tongue
English: Proficient in productive and receptive skills
� Computer
Certification for Word processor by the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry 2000
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Teaching practicesTeaching practicesTeaching practicesTeaching practices
� Overview of GEPOverview of GEPOverview of GEPOverview of GEP
1.1.1.1. GEP SyllabusGEP SyllabusGEP SyllabusGEP Syllabus
2.2.2.2. SSSStudents tudents tudents tudents NNNNeeds eeds eeds eeds SSSSurveyurveyurveyurvey
� GEP teachingGEP teachingGEP teachingGEP teaching
1.1.1.1. Week 10Week 10Week 10Week 10
� Lesson planLesson planLesson planLesson plan
� RRRReadingeadingeadingeading AAAAssignmentssignmentssignmentssignment
� PPPPPT PT PT PT MMMMaterialsaterialsaterialsaterials
� ClassClassClassClass PPPPhotoshotoshotoshotos
� Reflections Reflections Reflections Reflections
2.2.2.2. Final exam for GEP classFinal exam for GEP classFinal exam for GEP classFinal exam for GEP class
� Reading Reading Reading Reading EEEExamxamxamxam
� Mock MATE Mock MATE Mock MATE Mock MATE WWWWriting riting riting riting
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1. GEP Syllabus Stephen van Vlack
Sookmyung Women’s University
Graduate School of TESOL/General English Program
English Writing and Reading (영어쓰기와읽기) Policy - Fall 2012
This a special class conducted together with the Graduate School of TESOL. Read below to find out just how special this class is.
Overview: This course meets once a week from 7:50 to 10:30 (approximately three hours). For the most part, the class will involve the students in a variety of reading, writing, and presentation related activities focused on meaning and purpose. These activities, as contained in the handouts and homework assignments provided each week, are generally arranged according to the requirements of the MATE. This class, however, should not be seen merely as a MATE development course, as we will be doing things that go well beyond the scope of the MATE. In general, the course should keep each student busy using English both in and out of the class. Students are going to need to be both energetic and positive in performing the prescribed tasks to the best of her ability.
The basic philosophy underlying the course is that meaningful practice generated in an environment of facilitative feedback is the most efficient way of developing students’ English skills. As a result, in this class, each student will be generating large amounts of meaningful, purposeful language which will be closely monitored. Each student will be given help and feedback on a continual basis.
Objectives: The primary objective of the Writing and Reading course is to give the students an opportunity to develop skills and strategies for global writing proficiency in English. This course, in effect, will also focus on developing the skills necessary for attaining an acceptable score on the GMATE Writing Test and will be linking reading with writing skills. All of these goals will be achieved through both in and out of class practice and development. The focus here will be on the skills of writing and reading, but it should be acknowledged that other skills will necessarily be used in the classroom and as part of the course. Students, therefore, should expect much of the in-class
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interaction to be based on reading, speaking, and listening skills which will, based on such exposure and practice, undoubtedly improve.
Texts and Materials
There is NO textbook for this class. Students will be given handouts each week from the ‘special’ teachers who are responsible for teaching during that week. Do not buy any
textbook. You must, however, buy a very good folder to hold all the papers which you will be getting during the course and there will be A LOT of handouts. You will need these handouts to review for the exams so make sure you hold onto them. In effect, all the handouts and the homeworks taken together will be our textbook.
Additional Materials: In addition to the handouts the students will also be supplied with additional reading materials each week. These reading materials will be posted up in the homework assignment board of a website specifically designed for this class. Students are expected to go to the website each week to download and printout the reading materials/homework assignments.
Methodology
English Only: Students are very strongly encouraged to conduct all course work in English. We endeavor to create a special environment in the classroom wherein students feel comfortable (despite the photographing and videotaping) to speak and generally use as much English as possible. Please take advantage of the special environment in this class and try to use English as much and as effectively as you can. Students’ L1 (Korean or Chinese, etc.) is a valuable tool for learning, however our focus here is to practice English, Therefore, unnecessary use of Korean will result in a lower participation grade.
Classroom: In this class we are going to use a task-based, flexible grouping approach. This means that students need to work together to perform a series of connected tasks during the course of each class session. Nobody does anything alone and nothing is
just over and done with. Everything we do in class leads into something else. This means that everyone needs to work with her ever-changing group members in order to get the assigned tasks done as well as possible. Your group members are relying on you just as you rely on them. Students in this class need to cooperate with others and work hard. We will not have very much lecturing or teacher-fronted activities here. Students in this class learn by doing. Be ready for that. You should be busy and engaged during the entire class session.
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Attendance: There is NO such thing as an excused absence. Students are expected to attend ALL scheduled classes. The nature of this class makes absences particularly problematic. When one student is missing her whole group suffers. Also, because in this class students learn by doing it is very hard to make up for missed in-class work. Two or more absences, therefore, will result in a significantly lowered final grade. Four absences result in automatic failure. If you are going to be absent and know it beforehand, make sure you contact the principle instructor as far in advance as possible so that the work can be made up.
Web Page: There is a special web page used only for this class. The purpose of the web page is primarily to introduce, explain and allow homework assignments to be given and managed. There are many different features of the web page and students should explore all of them. Students must check the web page on a regular basis to keep up with what is going on in the class and to get and work on the homework assignments. The web page address is: http://www.udveksling.com/practicumgep
Big Siblings: This class is very special because we have `big siblings` (big sisters and brothers) in the class who will both participate in the class as group leaders and take turns running the class. Starting in the second week, each student in the class will be given a big sibling from the TESOL MA Program who will take special care of her in providing feedback on and encouragement in her creation of English. Whenever possible, students will sit with their big siblings in groups and work with them. The big siblings are there to help. We hope that each GEP student will form a special bond with her big sister or brother. Have fun with them and let them help you.
Assignments: Each week there will be homework assignments. This semester the assignments will cover both reading and writing. There are three different types of homework assignments in this class: reading, writing, and the writing board. The reading assignments will be given to students one week before the class they are intended to be used. So, for example, the week 3 reading homework assignment will be posted into the homework assignment board the day after we have finished our week 2 class. The purpose of the reading assignment is to prepare students for the class to come. It is a preview of the writing forms, vocabulary, themes, etc. that we will be using in class. The writing homework is a MATE-styled formal writing assignment that follows the goals and objectives (activities) done in class. So, for example, the week 3 writing homework will appear in the homework assignment board the day after the week 3 class is over and will ask student to compose a formal piece of writing based on what was done in class. All formal writing assignments must be typed and handed in to the
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principal instructor n the day they are due. Additionally, there is a special writing on-line journal writing assignment which is explained below.
On-Line Writing Journal: An important part of the assignments for this class is for students to keep an on-line writing journal. The writing Journal will start after week 2, when students are assigned to groups. Each GEP II student is required to write to her group mates at least three (3) times per week via a special web board which can be accessed through the Practicum/GEP webpage or directly through the following URL (http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=30695&subForumID=55268). These writings should be informal, personal and should focus on basic communication in written form. The writing is expected to be informal and interesting. It is intended to be fun. Share your thoughts, feelings, and aspirations with your fellow students.
Sample Tests: In this class each student will be asked to take a sample MATE Writing Test in class three times. The first sample test (week 2) will be used to establish a base level for the student. Following that sample tests are to be given as part of both the midterm and final exams. Students grades will be determined based, in part, on how and how much their sample test scores change; that is, for the better. Thus, students who enter the course with a higher test score than others will not necessarily get a higher grade in the course.
Grades: Final grades will be based on performance in the following categories.
Class Participation 30%
Assignments 30%
Writing Journal 10%
Midterm Exam 10%
Final Exam 10%
Improvement (MATE) 10%
Instructor - Stephen P. van Vlack
Office - Haengpa Faculty Building 206
Tel. - 2077-7761
E-mail - [email protected]
Webpage - www.udveksling.com
Class page - http://www.udveksling.com/practicumgep
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<< Grading Policy for GEP Courses >>
Grade on a Curve Percentage:
Student Enrolled 20 & over:
A+, A0, A- : Maximum 35%
B+, B0, B- : Maximum 35%
C+, C0, C- & D+, D0, D- : Maximum 50%
F : As many as are necessary.
Student Enrolled 20 & under:
A+, A0, A- : Maximum 40%
B+, B0, B- : Maximum 50%
C+, C0, C- & D+, D0, D- : Maximum 50%
F : As many as are necessary.
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Stephen van Vlack Sookmyung Women’s University
Graduate School of TESOL/General English Program
English Writing and Reading (영어쓰기와읽기) Syllabus - Fall 2012
Week 1; September 4 Introduction to the course, persons and materials involved. *Group 1 teaches GEP - ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES In this the first week of class we are going to try to get to know each other through the medium of English and some basic reading and writing tasks. We are going to focus on the simple functions related to introductions and personal information embedded within the forms of highly formulaic presentations of information. This should allow people to get to know each other as well as introduce the students to the kind of class we will have. Fun is to be had by all.
Homework: Go to the Practicum/GEP website and checkout the site. Do the writing homework for week 1. This is posted on the homework assignment board.
Week 2; September 11 Student survey Sample Writing Test (Preliminary test) Student groups MATE - Task 1 *Group 2 teaches GEP – GROUP BONDING This week we do several important administrative tasks, such as making groups and taking the first mock MATE writing test. Students will also take a survey to determine what topics they like and what their needs might be. Having done all that, we focus on getting the students to make sentences to inform about themselves personally. The level of the writing will focus on meaningful listing and sentence creation. Homework: To be announced. Week 3; September 18 MATE Writing - Task 1 **Group 3 teaches GEP - 1st time- 1st Videotape For this week and the next few weeks we will be working on the basic component of composition - the paragraph. We do this first by working on basic paragraphs and their structure through the here and now. Students will be writing about concrete, here and now, topics of a highly personal nature. That is, they will be writing highly contextualized memos in order to make excuses and/or offer an explanation. Homework: To be announced.
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Week 4; September 25 MATE Writing - Task 2 *Group 4 teaches GEP – 1st time This week we take a quick look at writing about highly personal and familiar topics for the purpose of informing or giving advice in paragraphs in the form of an email. The level of formality is again, rather low, but the writing is expected to be more carefully structured and somewhat longer than that we did in the previous week. Homework: To be announced. Week 5; October 2 MATE Writing - Task 2 *Group 5 teaches GEP – 1st time – 1st Videotape This week we are going to focus on writing descriptive emails composed of essentially one main paragraph. Descriptive writing can entail descriptions of people, places, objects, or processes and as such form an important mode in many different and varied instances of writing.
Homework: To be announced. Week 6; October 9 MATE Writing - Task 2 **Group 1 teaches GEP – 1st time- 1st Videotape For the next two weeks we will be working on developing skills in writing narrative paragraphs, but with some elements of presentations thrown in. This week we will be working on familiar, personal topics in the narratives we will be writing. It is important to note that while few of us are ever going to be professional storywriters, narratives play an important role in many different types of writing. Homework: To be announced. Week 7; October 16 MATE Writing - Task 2
**Group 2 teaches GEP – 1st time - 1st VIDEOTAPE In the second week of linking essays and presentations through narratives we will try to work with topics that are less familiar and hence much more difficult. The trick here is to accurately describe while retaining comprehensibility and suitable accuracy and much of this is achieved through careful organization and detailing. Homework: Prepare diligently for the Midterm Exam. Week 8; October 23 *Group 3 teaches GEP - MIDTERM EXAM Midterm Exam
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After the midterm we will take some time after the exam to engage in a little review by doing some fun communicative writing practice. Homework: To be announced. Week 9; October 30 MATE Writing - Task 2 **Group 4 teaches GEP – 2nd time – 1st VIDEOTAPE This week, we turn to the writing of specific types of essays. We will also be moving away from more personal topics to those which are less familiar and personal and more content-based. This week we will focus on formal letter writing. The writing will, therefore, be situational but the situation will not be personal or familiar. Homework: To be announced. Week 10; November 6 MATE Writing - Task 2
**Group 5 teaches GEP – 2nd time – 2nd VIDEOTAPE While much of what we have been doing in this course to date involves dealing with familiar information of some sort, this week we start to work with more formal and abstract types of information. This week is therefore important as a transition to the abstract from the concrete and is also because it is stereotypical of task 2 of the MATE Writing test. We will focus on describing graphs and other kinds of visual representations of complex meaning. Homework: To be announced. Week 11; November 13 MATE Writing - Task 2/3 **Group 1 teaches GEP – 2nd time - 2nd VIDEOTAPE This week we jump into writing opinion essays, one of the most important genres for students taking the MATE. This week we will jump into this by looking at topics that are more personal and familiar. Homework: To be announced. Week 12; November 20 MATE Writing - Task 3/2 **Group 2 teaches GEP – 2nd time – 2nd VIDEOTAPE This week we look at writing effective comparison and/or contrast paragraphs/essays. The most important element here is in the organization of the information to be presented along parallel points and specific ordering practices. Homework: To be announced.
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Week 13; November 27 MATE Writing - Task 3/2 **Group 3 teaches GEP – 3rd time – 2nd VIDEOTAPE This week we take a look at writing about a well-structured opinion paragraph. The trick here is finding not only enough but the best type of possible support. The support is everything here thus the planning part is very important. This will give us an opportunity to go back and review a lot of what we did in the beginning of the course as relates to planning and gathering ideas. Homework: To be announced. Week 14; December 4 MATE Writing - Task 3 **Group 4 teaches GEP - 3rd time – 2nd VIDEOTAPE This week we are look at persuasive essays. This kind of writing can be a lot of fun but is also tricky. There is a fine line between what is persuasive and what is pushy. Doing this requires both the use of specific grammatical structures on the micro level as well as specific macro level structures. Homework: Study for the final. Week 15; December 11 Final Exam *Group 5 teaches GEP - FINAL EXAM Let’s have a little party or do something fun after the final exam. Week 16; December 18 Make-up day Good bye and have a great winter vacation - You deserve it!
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2. STUDENT NEEDS SURVEY
Major (전공전공전공전공): Year (학년학년학년학년): Age (나이나이나이나이): ____ 안녕하세요 밴블랙 교수님의 English Writing and Reading 학생여러분! 저희는 보다 효과적이고 만족스러운 수업을 준비하기 위하여, 여러분들의 요구조사를 실시하고자 합니다. 다음의 질문에 솔직하고 성실한 답변을 부탁드립니다. 조사결과는 수업활동과 자료를 구성하는 데에만 참고할 것입니다.
1. Which word below best describes your personality in general? 당신의 성격은 어느쪽에 가깝습니까? 가깝다고 생각하는 번호에 체크해주십시오.
Introverted ����-----1----------------2----------------3----------------4----------------5-------���� Extroverted
(내성적) 매우내성적 내성적인편 중간 외향적인편 매우외향적 (외향적)
2. Briefly describe your English learning experience. 자신의 영어학습 경험을 적어주세요.
In school (학교교육학교교육학교교육학교교육) How long? (기간기간기간기간)
Private tutoring (과외과외과외과외) How long? (기간기간기간기간)
Studying English in a language institute (영어학원경험영어학원경험영어학원경험영어학원경험) How long? (기간기간기간기간)
Living abroad (해외체류경험해외체류경험해외체류경험해외체류경험) Where? (장소장소장소장소) How long ?(기간기간기간기간)
Having foreign friends (외국인친구와의교제외국인친구와의교제외국인친구와의교제외국인친구와의교제) Describe (설명설명설명설명):
Other experience (기타경험기타경험기타경험기타경험):
3. What do you do with English? Where? 영어를 어디서 주로 어떤 용도로 사용합니까?(해당란에 표시하고 설명)
( ) studying where/ what/why
( ) chatting where /how
( ) working (아르바이트) where/how
( ) meeting people where/how
( ) club activity where/what/how
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Others
4. How many hours do you use English per week? 일주일에 몇 시간 정도 영어를 사용 하십니까?
( ) never ( ) less than 3 hours ( ) 3 - 6 hours ( ) 6 - 9 hours ( ) more than 10 hours
5. Have you ever taken any standardized exams? Indicate which one(s) and the
approximate score received. 정규시험을 보신 적이 있다면, 점수를 적어주세요.
MATE TOEIC TOEFL TEPS IELTS SEPT Other test: ( )
Score: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
6. Have you ever studied English? If you have, what kinds of skills have you studied? 영어회화 수업을 받아보신 적이 있습니까?
Listening: Yes No (circle one) If yes what skills did you learn? (Check the box)
□ Acknowledging □ Restating □ Reflecting
□ Interpreting □ Summarizing □ other ___________________
Speaking: Yes No (circle one) If yes what skills did you learn?
□ Turn Taking □ Pronunciation □ Fluency
□ Intonation □ Functions □ other ___________________
Reading: Yes No (circle one) If yes what skills did you learn?
□ Skimming □ Scanning □ Determining Purpose
□ Predicting □ Visualizing □ other ___________________
Writing: Yes No (circle one) If yes what skills did you learn?
□ Brainstorming □ Free Writing □ Peer Editing
□ Planning □ Paragraph Structuring □ other ___________________
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7. Which of these have you done in English? (Check all that apply) 다음 중 어떤 것을 영어로 해보셨나요? (해당 사항을 모두 체크해 주세요.)
Debating ___ Presentations ___ Role Play ___ Interviews ___ Narration ___
Online chatting ___ Writing Essays____ Writing Email_____
Other: ___________________________
8. What are your plans for the future? What job would you like? 졸업후의 계획은 무엇입니까? 어떤 직업을 갖고 싶습니까?
9. Why are you learning English? Please, list three reasons. 영어를 배우는 이유를 세가지 써주세요.
10. What parts of English do you have the most confidence in? Rank the following in order
(1=most confidence, 8=least confidence) 어떤 영어 영역에 가장 자신이 있습니까? 자신 있는 순서대로 (1=가장 자신 있음, 8=가장 자신 없음).
Vocabulary ( ) Grammar ( ) Reading ( ) Pronunciation ( )
Speaking ( ) Listening ( ) Writing ( ) Test preparation ( )
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11. What expectations do you have in the GEP class this semester?
이번 학기 GEP 수업에 기대하는 것은 무엇입니까? 구체적으로 생각해서 적어주세요.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
12. What are the things that you would like to do in this GEP class? Number them
according to your preference (e.g. 1 = most preferred)
GEP 수업에서 특별히 했으면 하는 것을 고르세요. 여러 개 골라도 좋습니다.
( ) grammar practice ( ) games/fun activities ( ) pronunciation drills
( ) role play/skits(역할극역할극역할극역할극) ( ) using audio tapes ( ) vocabulary activities
( ) watching videos or movie clips ( ) discussions ( ) using Internet materials
( ) story writing ( ) writing poetry ( ) writing emails
( ) writing essays ( ) writing a resume ( ) writing business
( ) others
13. What kinds of topics are you interested in? (order of importance) 관심 있는 주제를 골라보세요. (좋아하는 순서대로)
language learning ( ), study abroad ( ), jobs & career ( ), campus life ( ), travel ( ),
celebrities ( ), shopping ( ), leisure activities ( ), food(cooking) ( ), fashion ( ), friends ( ),
dating/relationships ( ), family ( ), sports ( ), holidays ( ), social issues ( ), games ( ),
technology ( ), movies ( ), cartoons ( ), art ( ), music ( ), others
14. Is English your friend or enemy? 영어는 당신의 친구입니까, 적입니까?
Friend ����-----1----------------2----------------3----------------4----------------5-------���� Enemy
15. I think I am good at English. 나는 영어를 잘한다고 생각한다.
(1=정말 그렇다, 5=전혀 그렇지 않다.)
1 (strongly agree)---------- 2 ------------- 3 ------------- 4 -----------5 (strongly disagree)
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16. How would you rate your English reading proficiency? 당신의 영어 독해 능력이 정도라고 생각하시나요? (e.g. rudimentary 하, moderate 중, commanding상)
_____________________________________________________
17. How would you rate your current English speaking proficiency? 당신의 영어 회화 실력이 어느정도라고 생각하시나요? (e.g. rudimentary 하, moderate 중, commanding상)
18. How would you rate your current English writing proficiency? 당신의 영어 쓰기 실력이 어느정도라고 생각하시나요? (e.g. rudimentary 하, moderate 중, commanding 상)
_____________________________________________________
19. Do you have any concerns about this class? 이 수업 담당 선생님께 하고 싶은 말, 수업에 대한 어떤 고민거리가 있으면 적어주세요.
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RESULT
1. Which word below best describes your personality in general?
Most students think that they are in the middle of introverted and extroverted, or that they are more
extroverted. Only one student answered she/he is introverted and only 2 students answered they are too extroverted.
2. Briefly describe your English learning experience.
Most students have learned English in school as a school subject, and some students also have learning experience in a language institute. Only 4 students answered they have lived abroad and had foreign friends.
3. What do you do with English? Where?
The majority of them (21) use English just for studying either to take a class in school or to get a job. Chatting, meeting people, working (part time job), and club activity are followed.
4. How many hours do you use English per week?
Most students spend less than 3 hours per week on studying English, and seven students answered that they never study English. Only 1 student answered that he/she usually spends more than 10 hours on studying English per week.
5. Have you ever taken? Indicate which one(s) and the approximate score received.
Most of them haven’t taken any standardized exams mentioned above
Only 8 students said they have taken TOEIC test and their scores vary ranging from 425 to 975, and usually around 700.
6. Have you ever studied English? If you have, what kinds of skills have you studied?
Listening: Yes 14 No 10 Speaking: Yes 15 No 9
Reading: Yes 15 No 10 Writing: Yes 10 No 11
7. Which of these have you done in English?
Most Students have done writing emails in English most. (16) 9 students have done writing essays in English. Interviews, online chatting, and presentation in English are the third most frequently done activity. (7)
8. What are your plans for the future? What job would you like?
Working related to the economy, working in multinational enterprise (company), Working in a foreign company, Studying abroad, Working in a publishing company, Working in a private institute, Going to graduate school, English teacher, Entering law school, Interpretation and translation related work,
9. Why are you learning English? Please, list three reasons.
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Students all know that developing English ability is necessary for various reasons. But, they seem to agree that having a good command of English helps them a lot in many ways such as getting a better job, making foreign friends, communicating with others from all over the world, Experiencing other
cultures, and watching movies. However, some students answered that they just like English.
10. What parts of English do you have the most confidence in? Rank the following in order
Most students answered that they have confidence in listening, reading and vocabulary. On the contrary, they answered they are poor at speaking and writing. There are some students having confidence in listening and speaking, and they all said that they don’t have confidence in test
preparation, grammar, and reading. Some students answered pronunciation and speaking are the most difficult.
11. What expectations do you have in the GEP class this semester?
Reading various kinds of reading materials, talking in English fluently, Improving writing ability, Having as many chances to use English as possible
12. What are the things that you would like to do in this GEP class? Number them according to your
preference Only top 5 from 1 to 5 were counted
Writing essays 14
Vocabulary activities 11
Games/ fun activities 10
Grammar practice / Writing emails 9
Watching videos or movie clips 8
Writing a resume / writing business documents 7
Discussions 6
Pronunciation drills 5
Story writing 4
Using internet 3
Role play/ skits 2
Others speaking 1
Using audio tapes materials / writing poetry 0
They really want to improve their ability
to write essays in English and
improve vocabulary.
Also they want to do some fun games
and activities, and grammar practice.
Most activities they want to do are
related to writing such as writing emails,
wiring business documents, and writing
a resume.
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13. What kinds of topics are you interested in? Only top 5 from 1 to 5 were counted.
Travel 15
Language learning 12
Campus life, jobs & career 11
Music 10
Movies 9
Study abroad, friends 6
Dating/relationship, shopping, food(cooking) 5
Fashion, sports, holidays, art 4
Games, technology, family, cartoons, leisure activities 2
Social issues 1
Celebrities 0
14. Is English your friend or enemy?
More than half answered English is their friend to them than the enemy. But, 7 students said the English is their enemy.
15. I think I am good at English.
More than half students said that their English is not good, and only five students said that they are good at English.
16. How would you rate your English reading proficiency? 9-rudimentary.14-moderate. None-commanding.
17. How would you rate your current English speaking proficiency? 9-rudimentary. 8-moderate 1-commanding.
18. How would you rate your current English writing proficiency? 10-rudimentary.11-moderate1-commanding.
19. Do you have any concerns about this class?
They want to graduate from the university, want to improve their English ability, get a good score in this class.
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1. Week 10
� Lesson plan for week 10
1. Theme: Shopping
2. Function: Describing Visual Aids
3. Objectives: Students will be able to describe visual aids using proper vocabulary and expressions.
Time Activity Interaction Material
7:50-8:00 Checking homework
8:00-8:15
(15min)
#1 Matching
with a graph
1. Students will be given 14 sentence strips and a worksheet which has different kinds of graphs on it. (Appendix 1)
2. Students read the sentence strips and identify which visual aid is the most proper for it.
-there may be more than one answer.
3. If they find proper descriptions, glue them beside the graph.
3. Check with the whole class.
4. The group which finishes early will be prized.
* Big sisters facilitate their little sisters’ work.
Worksheet
Sentence strips
Glue
Prize
8:15-8:35
(20min)
#2 Drawing
a graph
(Jigsaw)
1. Students are divided into A, B, C, and D.
2. Ss move to each group and they are given a strip in the new group. (Appendix 2)
3. Ss remember the main idea of the sentence in the strip and go back to their original group.
Big sisters will facilitate their little sisters’ work.
Sentence strips
Worksheet
Color marker
Graph Sheet
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4. Ss write down the sentence and share it.
5. Based on the information, they draw a graph.
6. Ss check the order of the description and graph all together.
8:35-9:05
(30min)
#3 Find out
missing
information
(information-
gap)
1. Ss make a pair; A and B / C and D ( if Ss number is odd, group leader will be paired with a S)
2. Ss are going to have worksheet (Appendix 3), and they are supposed not to show their worksheet to their pair.
3. Each student in a pair exchanges their information to complete their missing graph part.
4. After filling in missing parts, they complete the description of their graph together.
5. After writing a description, they change the worksheet with the other pair and do peer-editing.
Big sisters monitor their little sister’s language use.
Worksheet A and B
9:05-9:15 Break (10min)
9:15- 9:45
(30min)
#4 Survey
1. Each group will choose a certain topic about shopping. (time, money, frequency spent on shopping).
2. For 10 minutes, Ss are required to make survey questions according to their survey subject.
Try to make multiple-choice survey questions.
3. Each student will be given a survey worksheet and write their group’s questions on it. (Appendix 4)
Big sisters will participate in their survey work.
Survey at least 25-30 students
Various types of stickers Survey worksheet Color marker
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4. Group leaders hand in group stickers to each student. (Each group will be given different kind of stickers) After finishing one survey, a surveyor should put her group’s sticker to the person she surveyed.
5. Each student in a group is required to survey at least 5 people, so that they at least have 25-30 students’ survey result.
6. Every student stands up and starts to mingle to survey.
9:45-10:25
(40min)
#5 Making a
survey report
1. Ss are going to analyze their survey information
3. Each group will be given certain type of graph to draw.
4. Draw a graph for their survey information and write a description of it as a paragraph.
( 1. Introduction /2. general statement about the data
3. Detailed statements about the data/ 4. conclusion)
5. Each group present their graph in front of the class
#2>
4. Draw a graph for their survey information using their lap-top computer and write a description of it as a paragraph.
5. Each group present their graph in front of the class.
Bringing group leader’s own lap-top computer is recommended.
A2 size colored paper
Color marker
Visualizer
Compasses
Ruler
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� Writing homework:
You are a reporter of Sookmyung Magzine, and you did a survey recently to your university undergraduate students about online shopping. You are going to write about it describing the information shown below for a Sookmyung Magazine. You should write at least 150words. (150-200 words)
당신은 “숙명 매거진”의 기자로 활동하고 있으며, 최근에 대학 학부생을 대
상으로 온라인 쇼핑에 관한 설문을 실시하였습니다. 아래 그래프에 나타난
설문조사 결과에 대해 150자 내외로 설명하세요. (paragraph 형식에 맞춰서
쓸 것.)
0 10 20 30 40booksclothestheater ticketsgrocerieselectronicsetc.36291755 8
percentage
Which item haveWhich item haveWhich item haveWhich item have internet users ever purchased online?internet users ever purchased online?internet users ever purchased online?internet users ever purchased online?
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Appendix 1-a
F G H
C D
E
B
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Appendix 1-b
A. Customer numbers
fluctuated slightly.
H. Customer numbers soared.
B. Customer numbers erratic. I. Customer numbers
plunged.
C. Profits decreased sharply
then remained steady before
falling further.
J. There was a steady fall in
customer numbers.
D. There were fluctuations in
customer numbers.
K. Customers numbers
rocketed.
E. There were wild
fluctuations in customer
numbers.
L. There was a slight dip in
customer numbers.
F. Customer numbers
plummeted.
M. Customer numbers hit a
peak in the middle of the
year.
G. Profits hit rock bottom
before increasing sharply.
N. There was a downward
trend in customer numbers.
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Appendix 2
This bar graph shows the result of an observation on how many male and female
students went shopping on weekdays throughout a week. On Friday, a total of ten
students (six females and four males) went shopping, which was the highest number in
the week for both female and male students. On Monday and Thursday, the smallest
number of students went shopping: four students each.
(A) On a closer look, there were differences between males and females. Except on
Thursday, when the number of students was the same between male and female
students, more female students went shopping than male students through the week.
(B) The greatest number of female students went shopping on Friday, followed by
Tuesday, when there were five. On Wednesday, the number decreased to to four and on
Thursday, only two female students went shopping.
(C) On the other hand, on Monday, only one male student went shopping, while the
number increased to two on Tuesday and three on Wednesday.
(D) On Thursday, the number of male students went shopping was reduced to two. The
number was increased again to four on Friday, when the greatest number of students
who went shopping for the week was recorded.
01234567
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayFemaleMale
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Appendix 3-a
Student A
You only have “A” line graph on your worksheet.
By asking and exchanging information with your partner, complete anther “B” line
graph on your worksheet.
* Don’t show your worksheet to your partner.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student B
You only have “B” line graph on your worksheet.
By asking and exchanging information with your partner, complete anther “A” line
graph on your worksheet.
* Don’t show your worksheet to your partner.
$0$10$20$30$40$50$60$70$80$90$1002004 2010The trend of spending money on books and clothes
book
$0$10$20$30$40$50$60$70$80$90$1002006 2008
The trend of spending money on books and clothes
clothes
A
B
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Appendix 3-b
Complete a paragraph together using detail information of the graph.
* Try to compare below two line graphs as detail as possible *
The graph shows the fluctuation of students’ spending money on
books and clothes for the most recent school year. The money spent on books
85 77 85 7568 85 90 94$0$10$20$30$40$50$60$70$80$90$100
2004 2006 2008 2010
The trend of spending money on books and clothesbookclothes
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Appendix 4
Group name:Group name:Group name:Group name:
Survey Subject:Survey Subject:Survey Subject:Survey Subject:
Question #1. Question #1. Question #1. Question #1.
① Name:
② Name:
③ Name:
④ Name:
⑤ Name:
Answer SheetAnswer SheetAnswer SheetAnswer Sheet
Student 1Student 1Student 1Student 1 Student 2Student 2Student 2Student 2 Student 3Student 3Student 3Student 3 Student 4Student 4Student 4Student 4 Student 5Student 5Student 5Student 5
NameNameNameName
Q1.Q1.Q1.Q1.
Q2.Q2.Q2.Q2.
Q3.Q3.Q3.Q3.
Q4Q4Q4Q4
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� Reading Assignment
I. Various visual aids Exercise. Choose the right visual aid using given words in the box.
line chart diagram flow chart
bar chart table pie chart
1. A is a diagram showing the progress of material through the steps of a manufacturing process or the succession of operations in a complex activity.
2. A displays the size of each part as a percentage of a whole.
3. A (vertical or horizontal) is used to compare unlike (different) items.
4. A depicts changes over a period of time, showing data and trends.
5. A is a convenient way to show large amount of data in a small space.
6. A is a drawing showing arrangements and situations, such as networks, distribution or fluctuation.
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II. Vocabulary Exercise 1. Look up the meanings of the movements and categorize them.
to decrease to surge to go up to sink to rise
to stabilize to grow to fall to decline to drop
to plunge to peak to level out to soar to fluctuate to
remain stable(steady) to boom to climb to dip
to increase to shot up to plummet to rocket to slump
to reduce to plateau to stay constant to go down to reach a bottom
to maintain the same level to reach the highest level
Up Down No movement Etc.
to go up
Exercise 2. Using the adjectives, write the adverbs next to it.
A. Describing the degree of change
Adjectives Meaning Adverbs
dramatic dramatically sharp enormous steep substantial considerable significant marked moderate slight minimal
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B. Describing the speed of change
Adjectives Meaning Adverbs
rapid rapidly quick swift sudden steady gradual slow
Vocabulary Tips
� Don’t repeat verbs � Before you start to write, make a list of synonyms (words with the same meaning) � See how many ways you can rephrase the title of the graph. Use one in the introduction and
another in the conclusion with the same meaning � Be careful with prepositions. They can make a big difference in meaning. For example, “rose by”
is very different from “rose to.” Learn your verbs with the preposition that goes with them.
Vocabulary of numbers
There are some special words for numbers, fractions and percentages. Look at the following table which shows a number in different years (1990-1995) :
1990 1995
1200 1800
You could describe the above table using numbers, fractions or percentages:
� The number went up by 600, from 1200 to 800. (Number) � The number went up by half, from 1200 to 1800. (Fraction) � The figure went up by 50%, from 1200 to 1800. Percentage) � The figure went up 150%, to 1800. (Percentage)
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1992 1994 1996 1998
500 1000 3000 12000
Use “trebled,” “-fold,” and “times:”
� The number doubled between 1992 and 1994. � The number trebled between 1994 and 1996. � The figure quadrupled from 1996 to 1998 � There was a twofold increase between 1992 and 1994. � The figure went up sixfold between 1992 and 1996. � The figure in 1996 was three times the 1992 figure. � The figure in 1998 was four times the 1996 figure.
1992 1994 1996 1998
1000 800 400 100
Use Fractions:
� Between 1992 and 1994, the figure fell by one-fifth. � Between 1994 and 1996, the number dropped by a half. � The figure in 1998 was one-tenth the 1992 total.
Exercise 3. Match each sentence below with one of the following graphs.
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1. � The investment level rose suddenly.
2. � The sales of our products fell slightly in the final quarter.
3. � The Research and Development budget has stabilized over the past few years.
4. � At the end of the first year, sales stood at 50 per cent of the present level.
5. � The price reached a peak before falling a little and then maintaining the same level.
6. � There has been a steady increase in costs over several years.
7. � The sudden collapse in share prices has surprised everyone.
8. � The value of the shares has shown a steady decline.
Exercise 4. Look at the graph below, then complete the sentences with the given
letter.
The x axis of this graph shows the twelve months of the past year while our sales in millions of
dollars appear on the y axis. It may be seen clearly that sales ( r ) steadily in the first half
of the year (from January to May) and reached their ( p ) in June. Then they dropped off in
July and ( l ) out in August. After rising sharply during September, they suffered a
dramatic ( f ) in October but then made a significant recovery in November. However, the
year ended with a ( s ) downturn.
III. How to Write about Graphs
Before you Begin
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Underline key words. Write related words – turn nouns into verbs, verbs into nouns, adjectives into adverbs, etc. Write opposite words, similar words, synonyms, etc.
Circle and highlight the graph. Use arrows. Make notes. Circle the biggest, the smallest, stable or unchanging parts, sudden increases, etc.
Identify trends. A trend is the overall idea of the graph
� what is happening/what happened � the main change over time � the most noticeable thing about the graph � the pattern over time � the pattern for different places or groups or people.
While you Write: Layout
Introduction
� First sentence: Describe the graph. You can use some slightly different words or word forms from those on the question paper, but be careful to give the full information. Start “The graph shows/ outlines/represents…“
Paragraph
� Second sentence gives the trend or trends. Start with a sentence with no number. “City size increased sharply over the period.” “The most obvious trend in the graph is that women are having fewer babies.” “Oil production has increased slightly in all the countries in the graph”
� Give a main idea and group information using expressions related to graph description. (refer to the next part)
Main Idea
One of the most important things to do is get the main idea of the graph. First, identify the main features of the graph. What is happening? What are the biggest numbers? If it is a time graph, what are the biggest changes? What are the trends?
Grouping Information
Sometimes there is just too much information in a graph. You may need to group information. Grouping information means putting two or three similar or related things together. This makes it easier for the reader to understand. It is also less work for you,
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because you can put more than one piece of information in a sentence.
� Don’t have too much information � Don’t analyze or explain everything in the graph � Don’t go from left to right, explaining everything. Instead pick the main ideas. � Use the biggest and next biggest – don’t mention everything in between. � Don’t mention the small or unimportant stuff � Pick an idea and find information that supports it
Examples of circumstances
� Between 1995 and 2000 � From 1995 to 2000 � Over 10 years � Sales fell to 150 in March � During the past ten weeks � Since 2003
Conclusion
� Finish by repeating the main trends, or identify a second trend. Use different vocabulary. � Don’t have any numbers in the conclusion (you could use words like “most”, “the majority”
“a minority”, “a small number”). � Don’t give an opinion. � Expression: In summary we can see that… , To sum up …, In conclusion it can be seen
that…, Overall, the data shows/ indicates/suggests…,Overall, it appears that… �
While You Write: Some Don’ts
� Don’t write about everything on the graph. Pick the biggest, the smallest, the main points, the main trends. Group similar things together
� Don’t write about the line or the bar: “The line went up,” “The bar went down.” Instead, write about the idea. “The number of people going to work by train increased gradually.” “Oil production shot up in 1965”
� Make sure you write about the idea. Don’t use shorthand: “Men went up.” “Women went down.” Instead, write about the real data: “The number of men at university fell dramatically,” “The percentage of female students getting a degree rose suddenly.”
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Exercise 1. Fill the gaps using words from the following list.
The above pie chart shows the types of housing used by the US population in 1990.
Single-family houses were the most ( ) living arrangement, ( )ing
for 64 percent of the total number of all housing units. The ( ) largest type of
housing used was the category of 5 or more units in a building, which occupied a
( ) higher percentage than the category of 2 to 4 units in a building and the
category of mobile homes combined together. As you see, 28 percent of the US
population lived in buildings with 2 or more units. The percentage of mobile homes was
7 percent, which was the ( ) percentage of all housing types except for the
category of other. One percent of the US population, whose housing type was classified
as ‘other’ in the graph, lived in houseboats, railroad cars, campers, vans, and so forth.
account lowest slightly second common
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Exercise 2. Put them in right order.
(a) The busiest time of the day is in the morning. There is a sharp increase between 06:00 and 08:00, with 400 people using the station at 8 o’clock.
(b) The graph shows the fluctuation in the number of people at a London underground station over the course of a day.
(c) After this the numbers drop quickly to less than 200 at 10 o’clock.
(d) After 7 pm, numbers fall significantly, with only a slight increase again at 8pm, tailing off after 9 pm.
(e) There is then a rapid rise to a peak of 380 at 6pm.
(f) Overall, the graph shows that the station is most crowded in the early morning and early evening periods.
(g) Between 11 am and 3 pm the number rises, with a plateau of just under 300 people using the station.
(h) In the afternoon, numbers decline, with less than 100 using the station at 4 pm.
Answer: ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )-
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Exercise 3. Choose an appropriate word from the box and write it
down for each blank.
A.
The above graph shows the trend estimate of the underutilization rate (combining the
unemployment rate and underemployment rate into a single figure) for males in
Australia between November 2001 and November 2011. ① The underutilization rates
had been declining ( ) since 2001 and showed an ( ) trend starting
in 2008. ② In 2001, the underutilization rate was the ( ) of the years shown
in the graph. ③ In 2008, the underutilization rate was ( ) than in any other
year. ④ There was a sudden ( ) in 2009, rising from about 8 percent in
2008 to about 12 percent, and this was followed by a ( ) in 2010, returning to
the level of 2005. ⑤ The rate fell below 10 percent in 2010 before rising to about 11
percent in 2011.
increase highest steadily drop upward lower
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Exercise 4. Which statement is NOT true according to the graph?
Underline the part which is wrong and correct it.
The above graph shows the most important writing skills ranked by high school
teachers and college instructors. ① College instructors consider grammar and usage
skills to be the most important English writing skills, while high school teachers
consider them the least important. ② College instructors and high school teachers
agreed on sentence structure and punctuation; the former is ranked second and the
latter fifth. ③ High school teachers consider writing strategies to be the most important
factor, while college instructors consider them the third most important element. ④ As
far as organization skills are concerned, they are ranked third by high school teachers
and fifth by college instructors. ⑤ College instructors and high school teachers show
the second largest gap in the importance of both writing strategies and style.
( -> )
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IV. Survey & Graph
Survey questions
Q1. Do you go to a high school or a college?
Q2. How do you spend your holidays? Choose one from below.
a. Studying ( ) b. Watching TV ( )
c. Surfing the Internet ( ) d. Taking a rest ( )
e. Meeting friends ( ) f. Enjoying sports ( )
g. Going to movies ( ) h. Taking a trip ( )
i. Religion ( ) j. Others ( )
This graph shows how high school students and college students spend their holidays.
Two groups of students show similar but different ways in how they spend their
holidays. While high school students cite surfing the internet, watching television and
studying as their three favorite holiday activities, their counterparts at college substitute
meeting friends for studying. In both groups, surfing the internet ranked the highest.
0510152025 high school studentscollege students
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One remarkable difference between the two groups is shown in comparing studying and
meeting friends. Though meeting friends is ranked second by college students, it is
ranked fifth by the high school students. This may explain why going to the movies of
the college students ranked higher than that of high school students. This difference
suggests the different situations faced by the two groups of students.
� PPT Materials
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� Class photos
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� Reflections
This class was about describing visual aids and the theme was shopping. The
objective was that students will be able to describe visual aids using proper vocabulary
and expressions and Soyoung and I led this class. We expected this class to be a difficult
one, so we planned to make it interesting and emphasize that it was very important
class for students.
The first task was” matching with a graph”, in which there are 14 sentence strips
and 8 graphs. Students match a description with a graph and paste them on the
worksheet together. They could refer to their reading homework, so we worried if they
could finish it very early. However, it was not that easy for them, so timing was okay.
Also, it was a good warm task to start a class, through which they could remind the
vocabulary for describing a graph.
The second task was “drawing a graph”, which was a jigsaw activity. Group leaders
assigned little sisters A, B, C, and D. They moved to a new group and they were given a
strip there. It was a part of graph description. They had to remember the main idea and
were not supposed to bring the strip. When they went back to their original group, they
wrote down what they read. They shared it together and pasted them in a right order.
Based on the information, they drew a graph and then we checked the graph together.
This one was a little bit challenging, because they could draw a graph after they
collected all the information exactly. Some students missed information and they
sometimes didn’t look at the first part given which could be a hint. The text itself was
not that easy, so I should have explained more specifically.
The third task was to find out missing information, which was information-gap
activity. Little sisters made a pair and decided A and B. They were given a worksheet
which has a different graph and they were not supposed to share it. For 1 minute, they
were given to think about their graph and took notes. First, A students described their
own graph to their partner and B students drew a graph. Then they took turns and B
described their graph and A drew a graph. After filling in missing part, they wrote a
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description about the graph. I could see group leaders help their little sisters well and
this task could be done with their help. Finally, they changed their description with the
other pair in their group and did peer-editing. Group leaders read the checklist and little
sisters tried to give a meaningful feedback. Then we took a break.
The next task was to survey. Each group was given a topic and they made survey
questions for 15 minutes. Then they moved around to survey other people for 15
minutes. When they finished a survey, they put their group sticker to the person they
surveyed so that they could survey everyone, not overlapped. Surveying itself was fun
but the difficult part was to make questions. It was difficult to come up with good
multiple-choice questions to make a good graph which was not that simple. Also, there
could be only bar graph, not a line graph or pie chart due to the nature of the survey.
The final task was to analyze the data, draw a graph and describe the graph for
survey report for 40 minutes. They could either use a computer or draw on a big poster
paper. However, there were some groups that couldn’t finish the work because the
result of survey questions was difficult to describe. So two volunteer groups presented
in front of the class. We thought that these final tasks could be tricky, so we tried to
make it doable beforehand, but we couldn’t come up with a better idea.
On the whole, the class was done with ease with the help of group leaders. The class
was conducted from the controlled and easy task to free and challenging task and all of
them seemed to enjoy the class than I expected. However, I felt difficulty in helping the
group leaders because it was hard to see and come up with the ideas especially in the
final task. In addition, it would have been better if I had put the bar graph description
sample for students to refer to even though I put the bar graph exercise. Anyway, I feel
relieved after this last teaching and appreciate all the group leaders’ and students’ hard
working.
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2. Final exam for GEP class
� Final Exam – Fall 2012
Name: ___________________ Student Number: _________________
1. Read the following paragraphs. From the example box below, choose
the right title for each paragraph and write it
down in the blank. (12 points, 4 points each)
1) ________________________________
You want to learn new vocabulary, but you also want to understand what
you are reading. If you are looking up every word, the reading is too
difficult.
2) __________________________________
You can do this for almost any type of reading. Who is it about? What
happened? Why did it happen? Where did it take place? When did it take
place? This is very useful when you have no comprehension questions to
answer. You can write or speak your answers.
3) _________________________________
Talk about anything and everything. Do it in the privacy of your own home.
If you can’t do this at first, try reading our loud until you feel comfortable
hearing your own voice in English.
Read something every day.
Read at the appropriate level.
Always have an English-English dictionary.
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Talk to yourself.
Review Who, What, Where, When, Why for each story you read
Learn common idioms.
Make an English friend.
2. Match the right vocabulary for definition from the box. (15 points, 3
points each)
1) to announce the end of a communication : _______________________
2) what the author is trying to prove in the essay : ____________________
3) a word or phrase of greeting used to begin a letter or message :
_____________________
4) 1- page letter to provide additional information on your skills and
experience, especially why you are qualified for the job you are applying
for : ____________________
5) To make changes to something that is written in order to improve it or
make it more suitable for a particular purpose : ____________________
topic sentence thesis statement cover letter
salutation resume signing-off
opposing argument rebuttal revision
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3. Fill in the blanks with the verbs and verb phrases that can be used
to describe each line graph from the box below. (12 points, 2 points each)
1) rise, increase, __________ 2) fall, decline, ________, __________
3) stay the same, _____________, ___________ 4) peak, ________________
reach the peak, level off , drop, grow, plunge, reach the plateau
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4. Choose the sentence in each paragraph which is unrelated to the
rest of the sentences.
(12 points, 4 points each)
A) The way students learn differs from East to West. ⓐ For instance,
eastern education is mainly based on textbooks in addition to the old way
of dictating the e courses to students. ⓑ They focus on classics and exams.
ⓒ Students are often given assignments in the format of a report or project
and they have to do their own researches. ⓓ Teachers often have to rush
through the textbooks to meet the deadline of each examination. ⓔ
Therefore, students learn from memorizing without understanding the
courses given.
Answer: _______
B) The difference between direct and indirect communication can play a
big part in misunderstanding. ⓐ With direct communication is meant that
a person speaks out his intention with words. ⓑ People will say exactly
what they mean. ⓒ Direct communication is often used in Western, low
context cultures. ⓓ They show their real intention mostly only through
nonverbal communication. ⓔ Most westerners will speak openly with
honesty and are always to the point.
Answer: _______
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C) The second and third paragraphs in cover letter outline why you feel you
are qualified for the position by highlighting specific accomplishments and
experiences. ⓐThen they show how those accomplishments/experiences
are relevant to the position. ⓑ In other words, you are not simply
restating the information you have listed on your resume. ⓒ Instead, you
are showing the employer how you the ideal candidate for the position. ⓓ
You do so by citing specific, relevant examples from your background. ⓔ
The goal is to quickly catch the reader’s attention and make him or her
interested enough to read continue reading.
Answer: ________
5. The sentences below are in the wrong order. Put them into the right
order. (15 points, 5 points each)
A. Many people think that exercises and tests aren’t much fun.
_____ One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that
they give you a benchmark to compare your future results with.
______ However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really
improve your English.
_____ Therefore, start now by doing some of the many exercises and test
on this site, and return in a few days to see what you’ve learned.
_____ Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday
with one you took a month or six months age that you realize just
how much you have learned.
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B. If you want to improve your English skills, listen to native speakers as
much as possible.
_____ However, there are several reasons why many of the best schools
prefer to hire native English speakers.
_____ One of the reasons is that native speakers have a natural flow to
their speech that students of English should try to imitate.
_____ The closer ESL/EFL students can get to this rhythm or flow, the
more convincing and comfortable they will become.
_____ There are some good English teachers that have had to learn English
as a second language before they could teach it.
C. The improvement of output is another crucial factor to communicate
with foreigners.
_____They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look
stupid so they don’t talk at all.
_____The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is
their own fear, including myself.
_____First thing we have to remember is to speak without fear.
_____As language learners, we should know that practice is the fastest way
to prepare us to succeed.
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6. Choose the wrong statement among the choices (5 points) and then
correct it (5 point). (10 points)
This graph shows the proportion of people who met England’s physical
activity guidelines in 2006, by gender and age. ①Overall, a consistently
higher proportion of men than women in all age groups met these
guidelines. ②Over one-half of men aged 16 to 24 met these guidelines,
compared with 33 percent of women. ③The proportion of women
achieving the recommended level of physical activity was generally stable
for those aged between 16 and 54, after which it declined with age. ④The
biggest gap between the two genders can be seen in the age group of 16 to
24, while the smallest gap in the age group of 65 to 74. ⑤The proportion of
men meeting the guidelines in the age group of 55 to 64 is four times as
high as that of men meeting the guidelines in the age group of 75 and over.
Answer : ( ): _____________________________ -->
___________________________
7. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with a word or phrase from
the box below. (24 points, 2 points each)
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In recent years there has been a vast increase in the number of students choosing to
study abroad. This is partly A) ……….... people are more affluent and partly B)............. the
variety of grants and scholarships which are available for overseas students nowadays.
C)............... foreign study is not something which every student would choose, it is an
attractive option for many people.
Studying overseas has a number of advantages. D) ..................., it may give students
access to knowledge and facilities E)........... laboratories and libraries which are not
available in their home country. F).............., by looking abroad students may find a wider
range of courses than those offered in their country’s universities, and G)................ one
which fits more closely to their particular requirements.
H)……………., studying abroad has a number of drawbacks. These may be divided into
personal and professional. I).............. students have to leave their family and friends for a
long period. J)………... studying abroad is almost always more expensive that studying in
one’s local university. K).............., students often have to study in a foreign language,
which may limit their performance and mean they do not attain their true level.
L)...................., however, the disadvantages of studying abroad are usually temporary in
nature. Students who study abroad generally become proficient in the language quite
soon and they are only away from their family and friends for a year or two. What is
more, many of the benefits last students all their lives and make them highly desirable to
prospective employers.
although because finally in my opinion on the other hand
for example moreover secondly therefore due to such as firstly
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Mock MATE Writing
Name: ____________________ ID Number: ________________
Task 1.
You and your American Friend Michelle had shared a room together, but she went back to America a few weeks ago. You changed the room and Michelle was curious about it. Describe your room to Michelle with as much detail as possible. The picture below is your room. Please write an email to Michelle describing your room. (7 minutes)
당신과 당신의 미국인 친구 Michelle은 룸메이트였습니다. 하지만 몇 주전
Michelle이 미국으로 돌아간 후 당신은 당신의 방 구조를 바꾸었습니다. Michelle
은 어떻게 방이 바뀌었는지 궁금해합니다. 아래 사진을 이용하여 Michelle에게 당신의 방을 자세히 묘사하는 e-mail을 쓰세요.
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Task 2
You have been in Australia for one year. Your professor asks you to write a
report what those kids are doing as leisure activities in Australia. The graph
below gives information about the preferred leisure activities of Australian
children. Write a report for a professor describing the information in one
paragraph. (10 minutes)
당신은 1 년동안 Australia 에 있었습니다. 당신의 교수님이 당신에게
Australia 에서는 어린아이들이 여가시간에 어떤 종류의 활동을 하는지 보고서를
쓰라고 하였습니다. 아래 그래프는 Australian 어린이들의 선호하는 여가활동에
대한 내용입니다. 아래 그래프를 이용하여 교수님께 내는 보고서를 1
paragraph로 작성하세요.
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Task 3
You are asked to write an article for Modern Times and the topic is about the choice of going to university or getting a job. Many people say that the only way to guarantee getting a good job is to complete a course of university education. They say it can offer a lot more chances for a better job of high prestige. Others claim that it is better to start work after graduating high school and gain experience in the world of work. They say that people can succeed without educational background. How far do you agree or disagree with the above views? State your opinion with supporting details in 3~4 paragraphs.
당신은 Modern times 에 대학을 가야 하는지 아니면 졸업 후 바로 직업을 가져야
하는지에 대한 기사를 실을 예정입니다. 많은 사람들은 대학이 사회적으로 더
좋은 직업을 가질 수 있는 기회를 제공하기 때문에 대학을 졸업해야 한다고
생각합니다. 하지만 어떤 사람들은 성공하는 데 있어서 학력이 중요한 건 아니기
때문에 고등학교를 졸업한 후 현장에서 일하는 경험을 쌓는 것이 더 좋은
방법이라고 말하기도 합니다. 당신은 어느 의견에 동의하는지 3~4 paragraph 로
쓰세요.
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Action reseAction reseAction reseAction researcharcharcharch
1.1.1.1. Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction
2.2.2.2. LLLLiterature reviewiterature reviewiterature reviewiterature review
3.3.3.3. MMMMethodologyethodologyethodologyethodology
4.4.4.4. DDDData analysis and Discussionata analysis and Discussionata analysis and Discussionata analysis and Discussion
5.5.5.5. RRRRecommendationsecommendationsecommendationsecommendations
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The effectiveness of reading homework
in connection with in-class tasks
Ju-Eun Lee, Kyunghwa Yu, Jinhye Park
1. Introduction
This action research on the effectiveness of reading homework in connection with in-
class tasks was conducted by Ju-Eun Lee, Kyunghwa Yu and Jinhye Park, graduate students
in the practicum course at the Sookmyung Women’s University Graduate School of TESOL.
This class was called GEP (General English Program) and it was a writing class. The GEP
students were undergraduate students of Sookmyung Women’s University and there were 26
students of various majors. We teachers-in-training designed the class and facilitated students’
learning in class, playing a role of a class leader and a group leader. As a class leader, we
developed a lesson plan and taught students with the help of other group leaders. Also, as a
group leader, we helped the students complete in-class writing tasks. Students were required
to take the MATE (Media Assisted Test of English) for graduation and they should reach a
certain level according to their major and they can have a lot of chance to practice writing in
this class. The class was on Tuesday, from 7:50~10:30. Each week they were given reading
assignment each week which was related to the next class. Because there was no direct
explanations and the class was based on the TBLT (Task-based Language Teaching), students
had to prepare for the class in advance through the reading material. They could get to know
more about the topic and build their background knowledge for the class while they did their
reading homework. At the beginning of the semester, the reading assignment and the class
tasks were not connected very well. Therefore, we tried to make the reading assignment more
helpful for students to complete the tasks in class.
1.1. Area of Interest
The reading homework in GEP class was designed to make students build their
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background knowledge and facilitate their learning in class. In GEP class, class leaders were
not supposed to explain grammar, writing format or vocabulary. Instead, reading homework
played a significant role, providing reading comprehension exercises, vocabulary exercises
and background knowledge for the next week. Also, a format of various genres of writing
such as a graph description or an opinion essay was offered as well. However, our action
research group found that students had difficulty in completing the tasks in class, which can
mean the reading assignment was not utilized very well. In addition, the reading assignment
was usually over 10 pages, and students felt difficulty in doing their reading homework over
time. Therefore, we wondered how to make reading homework more meaningful for
completing the tasks in class and we wanted to know how to connect the reading homework
and class tasks effectively. Students should be able to apply what they learned through the
reading homework and refer to their reading material while doing the in-class tasks. In that
sense, we thought up some treatments focused on vocabulary, writing format and content and
devised several treatments for three weeks. We collected data from the group leader survey
and our observation about the treatments.
2. Literature Review
Cooper (1989) defined homework as any task assigned by teachers intended students
to carry out during nonschool hours (Cooper, 2006). According to Epstein and Van Voorhis
(2001), the purpose of homework can be practice, preparation, participation, personal
development, parent-child relations, parent-teacher communications, peer interactions, policy,
public relations and punishment. In this GEP class, the reading homework functions as a
preview and the main purpose can be preparation and participation. The reading homework
helps students build background knowledge about the content of the following lesson and
become familiar with the topic. Also, it can increase students’ involvement in their learning
and in class. In addition, Sullivan and Sequeira (1996) argued that homework provides an
opportunity to integrate and expand schooling learning and reinforces independent work-
study skills and self-discipline. The homework process begins with teachers who choose the
topics and content of homework to help students meet particular learning goals. Therefore,
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teachers should consider the purposes, formats and other elements of assignments that will
engage students and help them succeed when designing homework (Sullivan & Sequeira,
1996).
Othman and Vanathas (2004) argued that providing the learners with background
knowledge as well as systemic knowledge provides learners with the necessary information
to facilitate comprehension of an unfamiliar topic. In addition, the authors pointed out that
topic familiarity is an important aspect in listening comprehension because the background
knowledge that students bring with them helps them to perform the task more successfully.
Therefore, “this knowledge helps the learners to match new information with what they
already know about the topic” (p. 31). Also, Tuan and Loan (2010) argued that “second
language acquisition becomes easier and quicker in that schema-building stimulates listeners
to use what they already know and integrate the previously achieved knowledge into
acquiring new knowledge” (p. 59). Class leaders attempt to include various types of reading
passages and exercises in the reading homework to activate students’ schema and have
students ready to learn new knowledge.
In addition, the reading homework enables students to equip with vocabulary and/or
grammar that students can utilize while completing in-class tasks. Usually the vocabulary and
grammar sections provide exercises as pre-task for students to complete before the lesson.
According to Khatib and Nourzadeh (2011), the purpose of the pre-task phase is to prepare
learners to go about the process of reading a literary text and literary materials should be
presented to learners in a way that challenges them to go beyond their current proficiency in
the L2 and, at the same time, provide them with scaffolded assistance in understanding and
interpreting the text.
Furthermore, it is important for students to be engaged in class so that they can learn
actively in language learning. Fred Newmann, (as cited by Voke, 2002), in his book, Student
Achievement in American Secondary Schools, states that engaged students make a “….
psychological investment in learning. They try hard to learn what school offers. They take
pride not simply in earning the formal indicators of success, but in understanding the material
and incorporating or internalizing it in their lives” (p.2-3). As Newmann implies, students
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who are engaged are involved in their own learning. For a genuinely engaged learner, the
pleasure of learning inspires a persistence to accomplish the desired goals even though they
sometime have difficulty (Schlechty, 2001). Engaged students have the skills for working
with others and know how to shift knowledge to solve problems creatively (Jones, Valdez,
Nowakowski, & Rasmussen, 1994). As mentioned, reading assignments help students build
background knowledge about the content of the following lesson in GEP class. Through the
reading assignments, students can be engaged, be ready for the lesson and being motivated at
the same time. According to Wasserstein (1995), when educators equip students with the tools
to become self- motivated, real engagement in learning takes place. Self-motivation is caused
by their background knowledge which comes from the reading assignment as a pre-task. Self-
motivation comes from a desire to do something of interest or from the enjoyment of learning
to achieve aims.
3. Methodology
3.1. Treatments
We devised 3 treatments as the following schedule and each week we observed
students’ awareness of writing format with additional elements to examine the effectiveness
of reading homework in relation to in-class tasks.
Treatments
Descriptions Writing Format
Additional
Element
1
Week 9
October 30
Writing a cover
letter
Golden Bell
Quiz
In week 9, the reading homework was developed to
help students to learn the cover letter writing format.
Also, the information about cover letter writing in
the reading homework was formed as a golden bell
quiz in class to check students’ comprehension.
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2
Week 10
November 6
Describing
graphs
Vocabulary
In week 10, the reading homework introduced a
paragraph format of describing graphs. Additionally,
vocabulary list was provided in the reading
homework for students to use various words when
describing graphs.
3
Week 11
November 13
Writing an
opinion essay
Writing
Content
In week 11, the reading homework was designed to
introduce a five-paragraph essay writing format. In
addition, the content on the debate and essay writing
topic was provided in the reading homework to
build students’ background knowledge.
3.1.1. Week 9 – Writing format and the golden bell quiz
The language function of week 9 was to write a cover letter. In the reading homework,
the information on how to write a cover letter and its writing format were provided. This
week, we tried to examine how effectively the reading homework helped students to learn the
knowledge and writing format of cover letter.
The first task we focused on was the golden bell quiz which students were asked to
answer 10 questions regarding cover letter writing in order to check students’ comprehension
on the reading homework. During the golden bell quiz, students were allowed to find the
answers from the reading homework however group learners were not allowed to help them.
As the final task, students in pairs were asked to write a cover letter based on the action plan
that was created by the other pair. While writing students were told to refer to the reading
homework for the writing format.
3.1.2. Week 10 – Writing format and vocabulary
In week 10, the function of lesson was to describe graphs, and it was important that
students were equipped with various vocabulary items when writing about graphs. Therefore
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in the reading homework, the list of vocabulary was provided along with exercises. In
addition, information on how to write about graphs in a paragraph format was included in the
reading homework. This week we wanted to examine how effectively the reading homework
fostered students’ awareness of the writing format as well as vocabulary use during in-class
tasks.
The first task we focused was “matching with a graph”, in which there were 14
sentence strips and 8 graphs. Students in groups matched a description on the strip with a
graph. Vocabulary provided in the reading homework played an important role in this task.
Another task was an information gap, which students worked in pairs and tried to fill the gap
between their information. Students in each pair were given different line graphs with two
blanks on them. By describing their graphs orally, they drew their partner’s graph and filled
the blanks on their graph. After that, they had to write a paragraph that describes the graph.
The final task was to make a survey report, in which students had to analyze data from the
previous survey and then make a graph, and finally write a paragraph that describes the graph.
While writing students were told to refer to the reading homework for vocabulary items as
well as the writing format.
3.1.3. Week 11 – Writing format and the content for essay writing
The function of week 11 was to write a five-paragraph essay. This week the reading
homework covered all the class materials that students were going to do in class. First, this
week was the first week to introduce opinion essay writing, therefore the five-paragraph
essay format was included in the reading homework with detailed descriptions of each
element of the essay and ample examples. Also, students could practice finding thesis
statement, topic sentences, restatement of thesis, and transitions in sample essays. Second, the
content for the debate and essay was provided in the reading homework which was about the
positive and negative aspects of K-pop in order to build students’ background knowledge.
Finally, we provided class materials such as the revision checklist and the singing
performance rubric in the reading homework, which were going to be used during class and
gave them an opportunity to practice beforehand. Although the amount of reading homework
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was a lot more than usual, we wanted to examine how effectively the reading homework built
students’ background knowledge so that they could be much engaged in in-class tasks.
In class, students in groups had a debate with the same topic as the essay. Each group
of students was divided into two teams and one team argued for K-pop while the other team
argued against K-pop. Students referred to the reading homework for the topic to generate
their arguments for debate. Each group then wrote an essay based on the winning team’s
position from the debate. For essay writing, first students in groups were asked to outline
their essay using key words and key phrases on the essay outline worksheet. Then students in
each group were pair up and assigned paragraphs to write. One pair wrote the introductory,
first body and concluding paragraphs while the other pair wrote the second and third body
paragraphs. While writing, students were told to refer to the reading homework for the
content, essay format as well as useful transitions and expressions.
3.2. Data Collection
The data for this action research was collected systematically over a period of 3
weeks during the semester in 2012. Each week, the group leader survey has been conducted
among all of the group leaders in the GEP class, which consist of 12 group leaders. The data
was included both group leaders’ survey and teacher observations from the online reflective
journals. Furthermore, our observation during the lessons would be added apart from the
group leaders’ survey results. The survey questions asked for general opinions about reading
assignment such as students’ completion of the reading homework and the effectiveness of
the homework during the lessons. Especially the questions were focused on specific tasks for
the treatment each week.
The first treatment was mainly focused on the Golden Bell Quiz as well as writing a
cover letter (see Appendix A). Those allowed students to remind basic knowledge of a cover
letter format and its components from the reading assignment. We collected group leaders’
survey and referred to their online reflections which were closely related to the designated
tasks for the treatment. In fact, all of the survey questions were similar to some degree;
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however, there were some different questions for being focused on the different aspects of the
reading homework. When it comes to the similarities of the questions, each survey started
asking whether the students completed their reading homework or not, which was the most
basic question. Also, students’ awareness of a cover letter format, engagement, students’
background knowledge by doing their reading homework in advance. On the other hand, for
the second treatment, the survey questions were focused on not only graph description
writing format but also useful vocabulary for describing graphs (see Appendix B).
Furthermore, both the debate and essay contents added on the list of the survey questions for
the third treatment (see Appendix C). All of the answers and sources would be found in the
reading homework and the students’ background knowledge could come from the reading
homework.
4. Data Analysis and Discussion
4.1. Data Analysis
We analyzed data for each question from the survey and compared the three weeks. For the
yes/no questions, number of yes and no answers were counted and expressed as a percentage.
The questions with a 4-point likert scale were ranged from lowest (1) to highest (4) and the
answers from group leaders were averaged for each week and compared.
Q1. Did the student do their reading homework?
<Chart 1>
9 (75%) 9 (75%) 12 (100%)3 (25%) 3 (25%) 0024
681012
Week 9 Week 10 Week 11Number of Group Leaders YesNo
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In both week 9 and 10, 9 group leaders (75%) answered that the students completed the
reading homework, whereas all of them (100%) answered that the students completed the
reading homework in week 11.
Q2. How much did the students refer to the reading homework?
Never Not Much Pretty Much Very Much
Point 1 2 3 4
<Chart 2>
The average point was 3.0 in week 9 and then slighly dropped to 2.50 in week 10. Finally it
increased to 3.08 in week 11.
Q3. Week 10 – Are the students aware of vocabulary?
Week 11 – Was the debate/essay content in the reading homework helpful for
students to generate ideas?
3.0 2.50 3.080.01.02.03.04.0
Week 9 Week 10 Week 11Average
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<Chart 3>
In week 10, 9 group leaders (75%) answered that the students were aware of vocabulary for
describing graphs, while all of them (100%) answered that the students were aware of content
for opinion essay writing.
Q4. Are the students aware of the writing format?
<Chart 4>
In week 9, 8 group leaders (66.7%) answered that the students were aware of the writing
format and then it dropped to 50% in week 10. Finally, all of the group leaders (100%)
answered that the students were aware of the writing format.
9 (75%) 12 (100%)3 (25%) 0024
681012
Week 10 (Vocabulary) Week 11 (Content)Number of Grup Leaders YesNo
8 (66.7 %) 6 (50%) 12 (100%)4 (33.3%) 6 (50%) 0024681012Week 9 (Cover Letter) Week 10 (DecribingGraph) Week 11 (OpinionEssay)Number ot G
roup LeadersWriting Format
YesNo
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Q5. How helpful was the reading homework in terms of task completion?
Not at All Somewhat Helpful Fairly Helpful Very Helpful
Point 1 2 3 4
<Chart 5>
The average point was 3.17 in week 9, and then dropped to 2.58 in week 10. Finally it sharply
increased to 3.42 in week 11.
Q6. Do you think the reading homework helped the students build their background
knowledge?
3.17 2.58 3.4201234
Week 9 Week 10 Week 11Average
9 (75%) 10 (83.3%) 12 (100%)3 (25%) 2 (16.7%) 0024
681012
Week 9 Week 10 Week 11Number of Group Leaders YesNo
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<Chart 6>
Chart 6 shows a gradual improvement in relation between the reading homework and
building students’ background knowledge. In week 9, 9 group leaders (75%) answered that
the reading homework helped the students build their background knowledge, and then it
increased to 83.3% in week 10. Finally, it reached 100% in week 11.
Q7. If so, how much were the students engaged during the task?
Never Not Much Pretty Much Very Much
Point 1 2 3 4
<Chart 7>
Chart 7 shows a gradual improvement in student engagement during the task. The average
point started with 3.10 in week 9 and increased to 3.25 in week 10. Finally it reached 3.42 in
week 11, which was the highest average point among three weeks.
Q8. Please write your comments. (e.g. strengths, weaknesses, or suggestions)
We collected the comments from group leaders and categorize into negative comments and
positive comments.
3.10 3.25 3.420.001.002.003.004.00
Week 9 Week 10 Week 11Average
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<Table 1> Negative Comments
Week Comments
W.9 “They did not do their reading homework and they told they felt difficulty because they didn’t do
their homework.”
W.9 “The reading homework was a little difficult. I think they didn’t read it carefully.”
W.9 “Some of the students didn’t do their homework even though writing resume was essential to
write a cover letter (resume was a part of the writing homework).”
W.10 “It would have been better if there had been more writing samples for various graphs.”
W.10 “Just one time homework doesn’t seem to affect their performance in class.”
<Table 2> Positive Comments
Week Comments
W.9 “The reading homework provides good information on what to write for each section Overall, it
was well developed.”
W.10 “Reading homework provided various language components that are really helpful for
describing graphs.”
W.11 “Form of opinion essay writing. Especially lower level students were engaged by referring to the
reading homework as well as vocabulary.”
W.11 “The examples in the reading homework gave students a lot of help in completing their tasks.
They did not copy the things directly, rather they could build their ideas on that more easily.”
W.11 “Thinking about the positive and negative aspects of K-pop was not an easy topic for students
but the reading homework assignments gave them opportunities to come up with useful ideas
and very helpful to lead the class.”
4.2. Discussion
Chart 1 shows how many students do their reading homework. In week 9, students
didn’t do their homework much after the midterm exam. In week 10, they had some difficulty
in doing their homework because it was a little bit difficult (graph description). However,
during those two weeks, students felt the necessity of doing reading homework for in-class
activities and all students did their homework in week 11. Generally, the result of all the
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questions was higher than the other two weeks in week 11, which shows the importance of
doing the reading homework.
In chart 2, we can see how much students referred to their reading homework during
class. We gave each one a point such as 1 for never, 2 for not much, 3 for pretty much and 4
for very much. The average was o, 3.0, 2.5 and 3.08, respectively. In week 9, students referred
to their reading homework pretty much. However, it became lower in week 10, so we thought
about the reason. In week 9, students wrote a cover letter, so they referred to a sample cover
letter in the homework much. However, in week 10, students did a vocabulary matching
game, in which was not allowed to take a look at the reading homework. Also, in the task 3,
students had to describe their own graph and draw the partner’s graph. In the survey task, the
final one, they were busy in doing survey, analyzing the result and making a graph. They
didn’t have much time to refer to the homework in both activities. On the other hand, in week
11, students had a debate about the K-Pop and wrote an essay. They referred to useful
transitions, essay format, essay sample, and the essay content much.
Chart 3 indicates the percentage of the awareness the vocabulary and content. In
week 9, we didn’t deal with the vocabulary, so we put the vocabulary in week 10 and in week
11, we added content as well. In week 10, there were some vocabulary exercises. Students
had to categorize the verbs, adjectives and adverbs and fill in the blanks for the graph
description. In week 11, the content of positive and negative aspects of K-Pop was offered.
Most students were aware of the vocabulary and the content.
We asked a question related to a writing format in common all through the weeks and
chart 4 shows the result. In week 9, most students were aware of the writing format, but it
dropped to 50% in week 10. Finally, the students were aware of the writing format in week 11.
In week 9, there was a sample cover letter to refer to, however, in week 10, there was no
sample paragraph to recognize at a glance even though there were several exercise questions
and the explanation of how to describe a graph. When we put several exercise questions,
there was an intention to expose students to various kinds of graph descriptions, but it was
done covertly, so students weren’t aware of it much.
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In chart 5, we can see how helpful the reading homework was in terms of task
completion. The average point was 3.17 in week 9, and then dropped to 2.58 in week 10.
Finally it sharply increased to 3.42 in week 11. Students felt that the reading homework was
helpful in completing the task if the reading homework was closely linked to the task in class.
For example, in week 9, students could do well in Golden bell quiz if they had done their
homework well. Also, students wrote a cover letter as a final task. They were directly given
a sample from the reading homework. On the other hand, in week 10, the reading homework
was good for building students’ background knowledge but it was not directly related to the
in-class task. Students had to apply what they learned, but it takes time for them to sink in. In
week 11, all the components such as vocabulary, writing format, essay content were involved
and it made students complete the tasks successfully.
Chart 6 shows if the reading homework helped students to build their background
knowledge. It shows a gradual improvement from week 9 to 11. The reading homework plays
a role of preview and students can prepare for the class and participate in class with the help
of homework. Without the reading homework, it would be hard for students to follow the
class. Week by week, it was getting better in designing the homework and helping students to
build their background knowledge.
In chart 7, we can see how much students were engaged during the task and the
average increased steadily. As mentioned above, students can be easily engaged when the
homework was closely related to the in-class tasks and it was getting better from week 9 to 11.
It also can be related to question number 1, if students did their reading homework. When all
the students did their homework in week 11, students’ engagement ranked the highest.
5. Recommendations
This action research has been focused on the effectiveness of reading homework in
relation to in-class tasks. There were two main parts that this action research remarked;
engagement and background knowledge in relation to the reading homework. As mentioned
above, it was seen that all of these parts showed improvement over the three weeks. This
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means by encouraging students do their reading homework in advance as pre-assignment,
they could be engaged more by using their background knowledge. Here, the most
remarkable part was that the rate of the reading homework completion in week 11 which was
closely related to the other two parts, engagement and background knowledge. It means that
asking students the homework completion was the most basic question to get to know the
effectiveness of homework in-class tasks.
Before this action research started, the students tended to separate their reading
homework and in-class tasks. Even though they finished their reading homework, it was
hardly seen that they refer to it in the classroom. However, they started to notice the
importance of the reading homework as well as the close relationship between their reading
homework and in-class tasks. When it comes to the rate of the reading homework completion,
it was increased from week 9 to week 11 and it also influenced their engagement, building
and using their background knowledge when doing tasks in class. However, although the
number of students, who completed the reading homework, was increased, the degree of the
engagement and building and using their background knowledge showed all differently.
There can be two main factors which caused the differences; the type of the reading
homework, and target linguistic components.
When it comes to the type of the reading homework, the students tended to refer to
their reading homework often when there were specific examples provided in their reading
homework. By looking at the examples such as outline of writing a cover letter or contents
boxes which were including some useful expressions or words in it, students were easily refer
to them while completing tasks in the class. Since the lesson is ongoing situation, so students
do not have enough time for checking their homework carefully again, however, when there
were specific examples that they needed to find some particular information, they tended to
refer to it, finding information easily at the same time. For example, when comparing the
reading homework in week 9 and 10, even though there were enough useful words that they
needed to describe graphs, the students referred to the reading homework less in week 10
without examples in the homework. Instead of checking the reading homework, they tended
to use the same words that they already knew or referred to the ppt slides which showed some
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steps to describe graphs. Also, they asked help their group leaders’ help rather than referring
to the homework. Moreover, when it comes to the homework in week 11, students even more
actively referred to their homework for getting some ideas or writing an opinion essay. It was
because in week 11, there were enough examples so that the students could easily find the
information that they needed and wanted to. That is to say, when designing homework, it is
important to include new information sufficiently to build students’ background knowledge
by referring to their homework. However the more important thing seems that providing
enough examples for helping their better understanding as well as using the information from
the homework in the actual situations when it is needed.
Another possible factor is that focusing on the linguistic components. Language
learning is not separated, which means that vocabulary and grammar, for example, are not
separated from each other, but they are all linked. That is why teachers should put those
different components together when designing homework. Since this course was opened as a
writing class, providing proper writing outlines was mainly focused. However, to make
students produce output, interaction occurred all the time in the class. The students had to
interact with others to complete the tasks and reading homework provided them with the
guideline in advance what they were going to learn and do in the upcoming class. For
instance, in week 11, the students did debating based on the information provided in their
reading homework. There were enough examples, useful expressions, some ideas about the
main topic, mentioning that they were going to use them. Apart from writing, the students
could prepare for the debate by previewing the information in their reading homework. As a
result, in week 11, the students were engaged well with in-class tasks, referring to the reading
homework as well as used their background knowledge fairly well compared to the rest of the
weeks. It was common to regard homework as a tool to develop students’ writing skills by
doing vocabulary and sentence practices, however, speaking and listening can be developed
by using well-designed homework, just like language learning. When the homework is well
designed, containing all target linguistic components combined such as vocabulary, grammar,
contents as well as writing format, students can be engaged well in the class, use the built
background knowledge from the homework and also develop their speaking, listening,
reading and writing skills equally.
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References
Harris Cooper, Jorgianne C. Robinson, & Erika A. Patall. (2006). Does homework improve
academic achievement? A synthesis of research, 1987-2003. Review of Educational
Research, 76(1), 1-62.
Jones, B., Valdez, G., Nowakowski, J., & Rasmussen, C. (1994). Designing learning and
technology for educational reform. Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/engaged.htm
Joyce, L. Epstein, & Frances L. Van Voorhis. (2001). More than minutes: Teachers’ roles in
designing homework. Educational Psychology, 36(3), 181-193.
Khatib, M., & Nourzadeh, S. (2011). Some recommendations for integrating literature into
EFL/ESL classrooms. International Journal of English Linguistics, 1(2), 258-263.
Mary H. Sullivan, & Paul V. Sequeira. (1996). The impact of purposeful homework on
learning. The Clearing House, 69(6), 346-348.
Othman, J., & Vanathas, C. (2006). Topic familiarity and its influence on listening
comprehension. The English Teacher Journal, 34, 19-32.
Schlechty, P. C. (2001). Shaking up the schoolhouse. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tuan, L. T., & Loan, B. T. (2010). Schema-building and listening. Studies in Literature and
Language, 1(5), 53-64.
Voke, H. (2002, February). Motivating students to learn. ASCD Infobrief, 2(28). Retrieved
October 22, 2012, from
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/infobrief/200202_issue28.html
Wasserstein, P. (1995). What middle schoolers say about their schoolwork. Educational
Leadership, 53, 41-43.
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Appendix A – Week 9 Group Leader Survey
Treatment #1: Writing a Cover letter
Date: Oct. 30th
, 2012
1. Did the students do their reading homework? Y / N
2. How much did the students refer to the reading homework?
Never Not Much Pretty Much Very Much
3. Are the students aware of the (a cover letter) writing format? Y / N
4. How helpful was the reading homework in terms of task completion?
Not at All Somewhat Helpful Fairly Helpful Very Helpful
5. Do you think the reading homework helped the students build their background knowledge? Y / N
6. If so, how much were the students engaged during the task?
Never Not Much Pretty Much Very Much
7. Please write your comments. (e.g., strengths, weaknesses, or suggestions)
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Appendix B – Week 10 Group Leader Survey
Treatment #2: Describing a Graph (Matching description with the graph, writing a paragraph about a graph)
Date: Nov. 6th
, 2012
1. Did the students do their reading homework? Y / N
2. How much did the students refer to the reading homework?
Never Not Much Pretty Much Very Much
3. Are the students aware of the vocabulary? Y / N
4. Are the students aware of the (graph description) writing format? Y / N
5. How helpful was the reading homework in terms of task completion?
Not at All Somewhat Helpful Fairly Helpful Very Helpful
6. Do you think the reading homework helped the students build their background knowledge? Y / N
7. If so, how much were the students engaged during the task?
Never Not Much Pretty Much Very Much
8. Please write your comments. (e.g., strengths, weaknesses, or suggestions)
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Appendix C – Week 11 Group Leader Survey
Treatment #3: Writing an opinion essay
Date: Nov. 13th
, 2012
1. Did the students do their reading homework? Y / N
2. How much did the students refer to the reading homework?
Never Not Much Pretty Much Very Much
3. Was the debate/essay content (the positive and negative aspects of K-POP) in the reading homework helpful
for students to generate ideas? Y / N
4. Are the students aware of the (opinion essay) writing format? Y / N
5. How helpful was the reading homework in terms of task completion?
Not at All Somewhat Helpful Fairly Helpful Very Helpful
6. Do you think the reading homework helped the students build their background knowledge? Y / N
7. If so, how much were the students engaged during the task?
Never Not Much Pretty Much Very Much
9. Please write your comments. (e.g., strengths, weaknesses, or suggestions)
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Appendix D – Week 9 Reading assignment
Tips on How to Write a Cover Letter
What is a cover letter? A cover letter is 1-page letter sent with your resume to provide additional
information on your skills and experience. A cover letter typically provides detailed information
on why you are qualified for the job you are applying for. Effective cover letters explain the
reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or
experiences. A cover letter typically accompanies each resume you send out. It helps readers
know why and what you are applying for. Thus a cover letter should be written to get the
employer’s attention before checking your resume. Cover letters can be the deciding factor
between getting called for an interview or being passed up for another candidate who submitted
something better. To make sure your cover letter helps you land the interview, keep these do's
and don’ts in mind when you're writing:
• Do create a customized cover letter for every company and position so it specifically
relates your skills to the job you are applying for.
• Do take the time to find out the hiring manager's name, and open the letter with a
proper greeting.
• Do identify the position you're applying for, including the job code or reference number
(if there is one).
• Do maintain a confident, enthusiastic tone.
• Do proofread repeatedly (typos and grammatical mistakes are a huge turn-off)!
• Do ask someone you trust to critique and proofread your cover letter.
• Do indicate how you will follow-up, typically with a phone call or an email.
• Don't go beyond one page. In most cases, three or four paragraphs are enough to tell
your story.
• Don't try to be humorous. Humor is subjective; it can make you seem unprofessional
rather than personable.
• Don't resort to cliches, exaggerations, or false flattery.
• Don’t assume spell-check will catch all errors!
• Don't simply repeat claims you made in your resume. Instead, highlight the most
impressive accomplishments from your resume and describe the story behind them.
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More specifically, there are some cover letter basics. A cover letter should answer the
question – “Why should I hire you?” To do so, your cover letter (1) states your intent to
apply to a position or organization; (2) highlights why you are interested in the
position/organization; and (3) explains why you feel you are qualified based on your
experience. Here is some information to include in your cover letter.
Your Contact Information Name Address City, State, Zip Code Phone Number Email Address
Date
Employer Contact Information (if you have it) Name Title Company Address City, State, Zip Code
Salutation
Dear Mr./Ms. _______: (you should always try to address your letter to a specific person rather
than “To Whom It May Concern:”)
Body of Application Letter
The body of your application letter lets the employer know what position you are applying for,
why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you will follow-up.
First Paragraph
The first paragraph states why you are writing and to which position you are applying. In this
first paragraph, you should also include a general statement of why you are interested in the
position. This statement can range from past experience in the field, a desire to gain experience,
or how you feel your education or past experience will benefit the organization. The goal is to
quickly catch the reader’s attention and make him or her interested enough to continue reading.
Although many cover letters you see will begin with phrases like, “I am extremely interested…”
or “I am writing to express interest in…” that is oftentimes not the best approach. Instead, try to
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be creative and think of another way to start your cover letter.
Middle Paragraph(s) - Second/Third Paragraph:
The second and third paragraphs outline why you feel you are qualified for the position by
highlighting specific accomplishments and experiences and then showing how those
accomplishments/experiences are relevant to the position. In other words, you are not simply
restating the information you have listed on your resume. Instead, you are showing the
employer how you are the ideal candidate for the position – you do so by citing specific, relevant
examples from your background. Remember, these examples can be drawn from classes,
community service, activities and interests - along with your work experience.
Suggestions before you begin writing this part of your cover letter:
• Read through the job description and create a list of the specific skills or characteristics the
employer emphasizes. The employer may be looking for an applicant with strong computer
skills, research ability, analytical skills, leadership, initiative, dedication, or specific experiences.
Take the time to write down those skills so you have them in front of you as you begin to write.
• Next, look at your resume and write down 1-3 examples from your background that highlight
those skills you’ve just listed. These examples may be from your work/intern experience, but
can also include coursework, honors/achievements or extracurricular or community service
activities.
• By doing this small task before you begin writing, you ensure two things: One, that you
highlight those skills for which the employer is looking; and two, that you use the best examples
possible to illustrate how you are the ideal candidate for this position.
Final Paragraph + Complimentary Close
The last paragraph basically states: Enclosed is my resume (and any other requested
information).Conclude your application letter by thanking the employer for considering you for
the position. Include information on how you will follow-up.(e.g., I look forward to meeting with
you to discuss the position; Please contact me if you require further information; and Thank you
for your time and consideration.)
Sincerely,
Signature
A. Based on the given information, write ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ in the blanks.
1. You ________________write a perfect cover letter so that you can use it over and over.
2. You _______________identify all of the skills and experiences, even if they are not relevant.
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3. You ________________state where you learned of the position and the title of the position you are applying
for.
4. You ________________ explain the reasons for your interest to let the receivers know why you are interested
in the company.
5. You _______________ use some trite phrases and expressions to make your cover letter easy to read.
6. You ________________ indicate how you will follow-up, typically with a phone call or an email.
7. You _______________ include detailed information just like your resume.
B. Put the right order to complete this given cover letter based on the given format above.
I firmly believe that I will be a good fit in The ABC Consulting Group's collaborative, entrepreneurial, and intellectual culture. I am excited at the prospect of working for The ABC Consulting Group upon graduation and have enclosed my resume for your review. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Ian Cole 36 Dudnely Road, Mission Bay Auckland, New Zealand, 2022 64-123-4567 64-27-123-4567 [email protected]
1
I am a second-year Smith Business School student interested in interviewing for a full-time Consultant position with The ABC Consulting Group. I believe that The ABC Consulting Group has the ideal culture in which to pursue my goal of becoming a strategic business leader and thinker.
Mr. Johnson Full time consultant position The ABC Consulting Group 123, Remuera Road, New Market Auckland, New Zealand, 2022
Dear Mr. Johnson,
Ian Cole
My professional experience and Smith Business School education prepare me to be successful at The ABC Consulting Group. Leading a high-level project to develop a China entry and growth strategy in the "new media" industry for Television Networks Asia gave me invaluable global strategy experience. Furthermore, interviewing senior executives and entrepreneurs of top media and technology companies gave me the unique opportunity to engage in high level business discussions with leaders of industry. While at DEF Consulting as a consultant, managing
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global information security projects gave me experience in the consultative and client service approach. As a joint-degree student (MBA/MA International Studies), I have the flexibility in both language and culture to operate successfully in many different contexts. Finally, as a musician and producer of my own record, I have developed the capacity to think creatively and entrepreneurially.
October 30th, 2012
Sincerely,
Ian Cole
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Appendix E – Week 10 Reading assignment
I. Vocabulary
Exercise 1. Look up the meanings of the movements and categorize them.
to decrease to surge to go up to sink to rise
to stabilize to grow to fall to decline to drop
to plunge to peak to level out to soar to fluctuate to
remain stable(steady) to boom to climb to dip
to increase to shot up to plummet to rocket to slump
to reduce to plateau to stay constant to go down to reach a bottom
to maintain the same level to reach the highest level
Up Down No movement Etc.
to go up
Exercise 2. Using the adjectives, write the adverbs next to it.
A. Describing the degree of change
Adjectives Meaning Adverbs
dramatic dramatically sharp enormous steep substantial considerable significant marked moderate
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slight minimal
B. Describing the speed of change
Adjectives Meaning Adverbs
rapid rapidly quick swift sudden steady gradual slow
Exercise 3. Match each sentence below with one of the following graphs.
1. � The investment level rose suddenly.
2. � The sales of our products fell slightly in the final quarter.
3. � The Research and Development budget has stabilized over the past few years.
4. � At the end of the first year, sales stood at 50 per cent of the present level.
5. � The price reached a peak before falling a little and then maintaining the same level.
6. � There has been a steady increase in costs over several years.
7. � The sudden collapse in share prices has surprised everyone.
8. � The value of the shares has shown a steady decline.
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II. How to Write about Graphs
Before you Begin
Underline key words. Write related words – turn nouns into verbs, verbs into nouns, adjectives into adverbs, etc. Write opposite words, similar words, synonyms, etc.
Circle and highlight the graph. Use arrows. Make notes. Circle the biggest, the smallest, stable or unchanging parts, sudden increases, etc.
Identify trends. A trend is the overall idea of the graph
� what is happening/what happened � the main change over time � the most noticeable thing about the graph � the pattern over time � the pattern for different places or groups or people.
While you Write: Layout
Introduction
� First sentence: Describe the graph. You can use some slightly different words or word forms from those on the question paper, but be careful to give the full information. Start “The graph shows/ outlines/represents…“
Paragraph
� Second sentence gives the trend or trends. Start with a sentence with no number. “City size increased sharply over the period.” “The most obvious trend in the graph is that women are having fewer babies.” “Oil production has increased slightly in all the countries in the graph”
� Give a main idea and group information using expressions related to graph description. (refer to the next part)
Main Idea
One of the most important things to do is get the main idea of the graph. First, identify the main features of the graph. What is happening? What are the biggest numbers? If it is a
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time graph, what are the biggest changes? What are the trends?
Grouping Information
Sometimes there is just too much information in a graph. You may need to group information. Grouping information means putting two or three similar or related things together. This makes it easier for the reader to understand. It is also less work for you, because you can put more than one piece of information in a sentence.
� Don’t have too much information � Don’t analyze or explain everything in the graph � Don’t go from left to right, explaining everything. Instead pick the main ideas. � Use the biggest and next biggest – don’t mention everything in between. � Don’t mention the small or unimportant stuff � Pick an idea and find information that supports it
Examples of circumstances
� Between 1995 and 2000 � From 1995 to 2000 � Over 10 years � Sales fell to 150 in March � During the past ten weeks � Since 2003
Conclusion
� Finish by repeating the main trends, or identify a second trend. Use different vocabulary. � Don’t have any numbers in the conclusion (you could use words like “most”, “the majority”
“a minority”, “a small number”). � Don’t give an opinion. � Expression: In summary we can see that… , To sum up …, In conclusion it can be seen that…,
Overall, the data shows/ indicates/suggests…,Overall, it appears that…
While You Write: Some Don’ts
� Don’t write about everything on the graph. Pick the biggest, the smallest, the main points, the main trends. Group similar things together
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� Don’t write about the line or the bar: “The line went up,” “The bar went down.” Instead, write about the idea. “The number of people going to work by train increased gradually.” “Oil production shot up in 1965”
� Make sure you write about the idea. Don’t use shorthand: “Men went up.” “Women went down.” Instead, write about the real data: “The number of men at university fell dramatically,” “The percentage of female students getting a degree rose suddenly.”
Exercise 1. Fill the gaps using words from the following list.
The above pie chart shows the types of housing used by the US population in 1990. Single-family
houses were the most ( ) living arrangement, ( )ing for 64 percent of the
total number of all housing units. The ( ) largest type of housing used was the category
of 5 or more units in a building, which occupied a ( ) higher percentage than the
category of 2 to 4 units in a building and the category of mobile homes combined together. As
you see, 28 percent of the US population lived in buildings with 2 or more units. The percentage
of mobile homes was 7 percent, which was the ( ) percentage of all housing types
except for the category of other. One percent of the US population, whose housing type was
classified as ‘other’ in the graph, lived in houseboats, railroad cars, campers, vans, and so forth.
account lowest slightly second common
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Exercise 2. Put them in right order.
(a) The busiest time of the day is in the morning. There is a sharp increase between 06:00 and 08:00, with 400 people using the station at 8 o’clock.
(b) The graph shows the fluctuation in the number of people at a London underground station over the course of a day.
(c) After this the numbers drop quickly to less than 200 at 10 o’clock.
(d) After 7 pm, numbers fall significantly, with only a slight increase again at 8pm, tailing off after 9 pm.
(e) There is then a rapid rise to a peak of 380 at 6pm.
(f) Overall, the graph shows that the station is most crowded in the early morning and early evening periods.
(g) Between 11 am and 3 pm the number rises, with a plateau of just under 300 people using the station.
(h) In the afternoon, numbers decline, with less than 100 using the station at 4 pm.
Answer: ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )- ( )-
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Exercise 3. Which statement is NOT true according to the graph? Underline the part
which is wrong and correct it.
The above graph shows the most important writing skills ranked by high school teachers and
college instructors. ① College instructors consider grammar and usage skills to be the most
important English writing skills, while high school teachers consider them the least important.
② College instructors and high school teachers agreed on sentence structure and punctuation;
the former is ranked second and the latter fifth. ③ High school teachers consider writing
strategies to be the most important factor, while college instructors consider them the third
most important element. ④ As far as organization skills are concerned, they are ranked third by
high school teachers and fifth by college instructors. ⑤ College instructors and high school
teachers show the second largest gap in the importance of both writing strategies and style.
( -> )
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Appendix F – Week 11 Reading assignment
Section A – Opinion Essay Writing
Opinion essay is a formal piece of essay writing which presents the author’s point of view on
a particular subject supported by reasons and examples. The opposing viewpoint is also suggested, it
goes with arguments that show that it is unconvincing.
In the lesson, you will be asked to write a five-paragraph essay expressing your opinion on a
given topic. In this essay you need to develop your ideas and support them with clear examples or
other proof. To be successful, follow the practices of good writing which involves applying the
following three major strategies:
• Unity – how each paragraph/sentence is related to the next
• Coherence – how each idea progresses smoothly and logically
• Emphasis/Expression – how clearly each idea stands out Following are five steps to help you express your opinion clearly and coherently, with confidence.
1. Before Writing: Read the topic question over twice – do not begin to write as soon as you have read the question. Instead, brainstorm your ideas first, and then sort them into categories.
You will then need to draft your opinion into a five-paragraph essay format, consisting of an
introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.
2. Introductory Paragraph: Present your opinion (controlling idea/thesis) clearly in an
introductory paragraph. Do not start explaining your proof in the introduction, but indicate
how you will be supporting your opinion.
3. Body Paragraphs (3): Use a clear topic sentence for each body paragraph – make sure that it
connects directly with the controlling idea (your opinion). Each paragraph should deal with
only one aspect of your opinion. Develop your ideas in a logical progression (order of
importance, chronology/sequence, process, etc.). Support your opinion clearly with evidence,
proof or an example, and then finish each paragraph with a summarizing statement.
4. Concluding Paragraph: The concluding paragraph must relate back to the introduction – it
forms a mirror image of the introductory paragraph and should give a sense of completion.
5. Expression: Use a formal tone for your essay – avoid slang, casual language, jargon or vague
comments. Improve the coherence and unity of your essay through using transitional
(connecting) words and phrases between sentences and between paragraphs, or through
using pronouns and connectives (prepositions, conjunctions). And finally, remember to use a
consistent verb tense.
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Comprehension Check
1. What is an opinion essay?
___________________________________________________________________________
2. How many paragraphs does an opinion essay usually consist of? _____________
paragraphs
3. What are the names of paragraphs in an opinion essay?
�__________________ paragraph / three __________ paragraphs / _________________
paragraph
Section B – Opinions, how to give them Below are some phrases that you can use to help express opinions. Some of these phrases are more appropriate for written English such as giving your opinion in an essay whereas some can also be used in spoken English. Personal Point of View
We use these words and phrases to express a
personal point of view:
• In my experience…
• As far as I'm concerned…
• Speaking for myself…
• In my opinion…
• Personally, I think…
• I'd say that…
• I'd suggest that…
• I'd like to point out that…
• I believe that…
• What I mean is…
General Point of View
We use these words and phrases to express a
point of view that is generally thought by people:
• It is thought that...
• Some people say that...
• It is considered...
• It is generally accepted that...
Agreeing with an opinion
We use these words and phrases to agree with
someone else's point of view:
• Of course.
• You're absolutely right.
• Yes, I agree.
• I think so too.
• That's a good point.
• Exactly.
• I don't think so either.
Disagreeing with an opinion
We use these words and phrases to disagree with
someone else's point of view:
• That's different.
• I don't agree with you.
• However…
• That's not entirely true.
• On the contrary…
• I'm sorry to disagree with you, but…
• Yes, but don't you think…
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• So do I.
• I'd go along with that.
• That's true.
• Neither do I.
• I agree with you entirely.
• That's just what I was thinking.
• I couldn't agree more.
• That's not the same thing at all.
• I'm afraid I have to disagree.
• I'm not so sure about that.
• I must take issue with you on that.
• It's unjustifiable to say that...
Section C – Useful Transitions and Expressions
Introducing the topic:
• To begin with
• As an introduction
• To start with
e.g., To begin with/As an introduction/To start with,
music plays an essential role in our everyday life.
Giving your opinion:
• (Personally) I think
• I believe
• In my opinion
• From my point of view,
• As I see it
• As far as I’m concerned
• It is clear that
e.g., I think/I believe/In my opinion/From my point of
view/As I see it/As far as I’m concerned/It is clear that
music is the best way to release our feelings.
Introducing the main arguments:
• Firstly
• Secondly
• Finally
e.g., Firstly/Secondly/Finally, music often helps people to
cheer up.
Adding extra points to the arguments:
• In addition,
• Besides,
• Moreover,
• Furthermore,
• What is more,
• Also,
e.g., In addition/Besides/Moreover/Furthermore/What is
more/Also, music is an essential element in different
ceremonies.
Contrasting ideas:
• Whereas
• However
• Actually
• On the other hand
• In fact
e.g.1, However/Actually/On the other hand/In fact,
music is used to treat non-verbal patients.
e.g.2, Whereas music is usually used to entertain people,
it is sometimes used to treat non-verbal patients.
Expressing consequence:
• ,so
• Therefore
e.g., Therefore/As a consequence/As a result/That is why
music is important to humankind.
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• As a consequence
• As a result
• That is why
Giving examples:
• For example,
• For instance,
• , such as
• , like
e.g.1, For example/For instance, personalized music via
iPods is used to combat Alzheimer’s disease, which is
characterized as the inability to communicate how they
feel.
e.g.2, Recent technology such as (or like) iPods is used to
personalize music in treatment of Alzheimer’s.
Expressing conclusion:
• In conclusion,
• To sum up,
• To finish,
e.g., In conclusion/To sum up/To finish, music is a unique
language, which is understood by everyone all around
the world. Section D – Essay Format
A successful opinion essay usually consists of 5 paragraphs with following elements:
1) Introductory Paragraph ���� Hook, Thesis Statement
2) First Body Paragraph ���� Topic Sentence, Supporting Details
3) Second Body Paragraph (* for each body paragraph)
4) Third Body Paragraph
5) Concluding Paragraph ���� Restatement of Thesis, Final Thought
Elements of an essay
- Please read this part carefully. You will write a five-paragraph essay in class based on the format
below.
Introductory Paragraph
Hook
What is a Hook?
• A sentence you write in the beginning of the introductory paragraph to add interest to the
readers.
What to write?
• You can include background information, a fact or a quote.
Example: "A dog is man's best friend." That common saying may contain some truth, but dogs are not the only
animal friends whose companionship people enjoy. For many people, a cat is their best friend.
Thesis Statement
What is a Thesis Statement?
• A sentence that answers the topic question.
• It helps you to organize your thoughts before writing the essay.
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• It makes your essay clearer to the readers.
• It also includes a predictor. (A Predictor is a list of Topic Sentences.)
Example: Despite what dog lovers may believe, cats make excellent house pets as they are good companions,
they Thesis Statement
are civilized members of the household, and they are easy to care for.
Predictor
3 Body Paragraphs
Topic Sentence
What is a Topic Sentence?
• Shows the main idea of each body paragraph.
• Use Transitions to start Topic Sentences.
• Transitions show the relationship between ideas, and keep the ideas clear and organized.
Example:
Last, one of the most attractive features of cats as house pets is their ease of
care. Cats do not have
Transition Topic Sentence
to be walked. They get plenty of exercise in the house as they play, and they do their business in the
litter box. Cleaning a litter box is a quick, painless procedure. Cats also take care of their own
grooming. Bathing a cat is almost never necessary because under ordinary circumstances cats clean
themselves. Cats are more particular about personal cleanliness than people are. In addition, cats
can be left home alone for a few hours without fear. Unlike some pets, most cats will not destroy the
furnishings when left alone. They are content to go about their usual activities until their owners
return.
Supporting details
What are Supporting Details?
• Consists of major and minor details.
• The major detail supports the Topic Sentence.
• The minor detail supports the major detail.
• The supporting details should be equally developed as follows:
Topic Sentence > Major Detail > Minor Details > Major Detail > Minor
Detail
Example:
Last, one of the most attractive features of cats as house pets is their ease of
care. Cats do not have to be walked. They get plenty of exercise in the house as they play, and they
do their business in the litter box. Cleaning a litter box is a quick, painless procedure. Cats also take
care of their own grooming. Bathing a cat is almost never necessary because under ordinary
circumstances cats clean themselves. Cats are more particular about personal cleanliness than
people are. In addition, cats can be left home alone for a few hours without fear. Unlike some pets,
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most cats will not destroy the furnishings when left alone. They are content to go about their usual
activities until their owners return.
Concluding Paragraph
Restatement of the thesis statement
What a Restatement of Thesis?
• Summarizes the Topic Sentences of the essay
• Paraphrase the Thesis Statement from the Introductory Paragraph
• To remind readers of the main points for the last time
Common Transitions for Concluding paragraph
• In conclusion, To sum up, To conclude,
• On the whole, To summarize, In summary,
Example:
In conclusion, cats are great house pets as they are low maintenance, civilized companions.
Transition Restatement of Thesis
Final thought
What are Final Thoughts?
• A Final Thought at the end of your essay to leave a lasting impression
• To connect the topic with more general issues
• A Final Thought can be rhetorical or thought-provoking question, opinion, prediction or
suggestion.
Example:
People who have small living quarters or less time for pet care should appreciate these
characteristics of cats. However, many people who have plenty of space and time still opt to have a
cat because they love the cat personality. In many ways, cats are the ideal house pets.
Comprehension Check
Practice) Read the following essay and answer the questions.
The Right to Die
A difficult problem that is facing society is euthanasia, another word for mercy killing.
Thousands of young people are mortally ill because of incurable disease. They are all kept alive in
artificial ways. They have no chance to recover completely, but most of the legal systems do not
allow doctors to end their lives. However, fatally ill patients should be allowed to die for several
reasons.
First, medical costs are very high. The cost of a hospital room can be as much as a hundred
dollars per day and even more. The costs of medicines and medical tests are also high. The family of
the patient is responsible for these expenses. Consequently, they would be a terrible financial
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burden for them for a long time.
Second, the family suffers. The nurses can only give the terminally ill patient minimum care.
The family must spend time to care for the special needs of their loved one. They should talk, touch,
and hold the patient even though he or she may be in a coma. For example, Karen Quinlan’s parents
visited her every day even though she was unable to speak or to see. Also, it is very difficult to watch
a loved one in a coma because his or her condition does not improve.
Last, the patients have no chance of recovery. They can never lead normal lives and must be
kept alive by life – support machines. They may need a machine to breathe and a feeding tube to
take in food. They are more dead than alive and will never get better. For example, in 1975, Karen
Quinlan became unconscious after the she swallowed some drugs and drank alcohol. She was kept
alive by machines. Her parents knew that her body and brain would never be normal. Therefore,
they asked the court to allow their daughter to die. The judge agreed, and Karen’s breathing machine
was turned off. She was able to breathe on her own, but she died nine years later in June of 1985.
In conclusion, because terminally ill patients have no chance to live normal lives, they should
be allowed to die with dignity. Therefore, the family should have the right to ask to turn off the life-
support machines or to stop further medical treatment.
Answer the following questions.
1. Underline the thesis statement.
2. Underline the topic sentences that give reasons.
3. Underline the restatement of thesis.
4. Circle the transitions.
5. Which sentence expresses the writer’s opinion about the right to die?
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Section E – Debate / Essay Content (Positive and Negative aspects of K-POP)
- We are going to have a debate on the following topic and will later write an essay about it.
Therefore, please read the both sides of opinions carefully and try to think about positive and
negative aspects of K-POP.
� Recognition of Korea; promote Korean Culture K-POP is a valuable ambassador for Korean culture and helps to educate the rest of the World about life on the peninsula. While the singers are young their lyrics embody traditional values of family, friendship, and romantic love.
� Focus Placed on Personal Appearance With plastic surgeries on the rise, Korea has become a ridiculously image-conscious culture, and K-pop idols have helped to drive this trend. Image is the most essential quality of a performer while talent, music and creativity play only secondary roles.
� Stimulates Korean Economy According to BBC the K-POP industry contributes 3.4 billion dollars annually to the Korean Economy. Additionally, K-POP concerts in China are already very lucrative and no other country is in a better position to sell recorded music in China, an enormous market.
� Exploitation of Teenagers (Sexually) K-pop music videos have created fantasy worlds that lack morality. They contain sexually suggestive content, nightclub scenes, sexually charged choreography (usually among girl groups). It is known that K-pop sells images of the young, innocent, yet sexually charged girl archetype and a sexy beast-like man’s body.
� Development of Korean Music Industry � Misrepresents Korean Culture
Points For Points Against
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To those that would argue that K-POP is not real music, why are concerts selling out world-wide in minutes. It may seem like a fad but it’s grow has come via social media outlets like you-tube and shows no signs of slowing down. An industry this lucrative has enormous potential to fuel other genres of music as well.
How Korean is K-pop? K-pop industry has introduced young Koreans who grew up in New York, LA, and other Western cities. They are introduced by 3 most powerful music management companies (SM, YG, JYP) and trained to represent their companies. � Initiates New Korean Fashion Trends As much as K-POP is about the catchy lyrics, dancing moves and hip hop sound, another equally important component is the fashion. From JY Park to G-Dragon K-POP singers have had a huge impact on fashion and a very increasing impact on the youth market.
� Stifles Korean Music Creativity and Diversity K-pop idols are trained to represent their companies (SM, YG, JYP). K-pop artists don’t write their own music. It is known that it costs 2.5 US dollars to train an idol until his/her debut. S/he is trained to how to sing, dance, act, speak foreign languages, and carry themselves in interviews.
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EEEEpiloguepiloguepiloguepilogue
Looking back,
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Looking back, I have learned a lot in this MA course. I could back up my
teaching with theories and lay the groundwork through this course.
Especially, I had a lot of chance to teach and learn in practicum. Every week
we teachers-in–training shared ideas to design a lesson plan and ran
classes, taking turns. We collaborated all together and it was a great
experience. In GEP class, we tried to make language learning student-
centered and meaningful. Also, we got to know the importance of
homework through the action research.
I could see how effective TBLT was in person and I decided to apply it in my
teaching context. In addition, I will reflect on my teaching ever afterward.
Now I feel I have grown up professionally and will develop my teaching
career with this valuable experience.