Essay 1-02b: University Life

There are a lot of interesting things at KGU; for example, classes, teachers, friends, club activities, facilities, and part-time jobs. Most KGU students like all of these things because these are extremely valuable and delightful! The students of KGU that entered last year as freshmen. And they were really nervous then. There are so many things to do at first. When they are freshmen, there are classes that are listening, reading, writing, speaking, and in addition to it, Spanish, the history of English, and so on!! These classes were very difficult, so some of the students couldn't get to earn these credits. It is really mournful, so they should go to class seriously and get to earn these credits absolutely. Now, they are second grade students and also enjoying university life at KGU. They want to study English more deeply. They study English everyday. Second year English classes more difficult than last year in English classes. They are trying hard to finish their homework. It is very important thing for students to finish their homework. It is difficult for them to spend time to study, because they have part-time job. For example, almost student has a part-time job after school. Usually, they work for four or five hours. It is hard for them to work after school. But they need to make money for clothes, lunch, play, and so on. This is why they have part-time job. What’s more, they might don’t want to repeat errors again. Therefore, they will do their best. However, there are too many assignments than the first year. They will be very busy for university homework. They don't like homework so much! They want to escape from homework. Also, Some students are not good at PC because they lack of sense of the machine. However, they are trying to do their homework because it is necessary to join the classes. It is very useful to improve their English writing skill, but It needs time to do. They sometimes couldn't do homework by deadline. They want more and more time. Homework is very important for university student to grow their English skill, so they should their homework hard better than now. They want to spend more time for study English, because they want to use English well. When they are the second grade students, they have to do English Central and get 40,000 points in the spring semester in speaking class. It is very hard to get those points because each video only gives about 100 points. It is not really quick enough. Also, students who take speaking class have to take surveys and tally that. And they make a poster and show it in front of other students. There is no time to make these things so they should put them to work as soon as possible. Also, they have to read an English newspaper in reading class and know the current news. It is not so hard to know current news in Japanese. However, The English newspapers are very difficult to read. They couldn't understand at first even what the headline says. However, there are some rules in its newspapers. Now, they can read these newspapers little by less than before. It is very easier to read than before. It makes them think this current news and figure out what happen all over the world. What's more, they have to write a lot of essays and book reviews every week. Also, there is Speed Typing homework and it is really valuable to write English faster. In addition, they have to manage to work on Google drive that they write. Managing these is really difficult. However, it is a good opportunity to come into connecting with English. They should make sure what they have to do and manage to their time. On the other hand, most of KGU students belong to clubs. KGU have many clubs. People who belonging to clubs are enjoy their club activity. For Example, there are traveling abroad society. This club travel twice a year. People whom this club members travel to Korea, Pusan. They go to Korea in the summer and spring vacation. They enjoyed shopping, sightseeing, and eating Korean food. Korea has many delicious foods.

Content for this joint essay came from previous blog posts:

Shioyama, Ai. (2014, 05 30). Essay 1-02a: University life [Web log post]. http://loovefish0113.blogspot.jp/2014/05/essay-1-02a-university-life.html

Inoue, Kurea. (2014, 05 22). Essay 1-02a: University Life [Web log post]. http://kurea93.blogspot.jp/2014/05/essay-1-02a-university-life.html

[757 words]

BR1-07: Frog and Toad are Friends (Lobel, 1970)

"No one has ever sent me a letter. Every day my mailbox is empty. Thai is why waiting for the mail is a sad time for me." (p. 55)

Toad has never get any mail. This is him sad time of day. It is the time when he waits for the mail to come. It always makes him very unhappy. Frog knew it. He felt sad, and he decided to write a letter for Toad. He finished writing a letter for Toad, and he ran out of his house. he saw a snail that he knew. He asked to snail to take this letter to Toad's house and put it in his mailbox. Toad and Frog waited the letter long time. They went out onto the front porch. But snail was very slowly. Four days later, the snail got to Toad's house and gave him the letter from Frog. 

I first met this story when I was a elementary school student. This story was ran in Japanese text book. When I found this book at KGU library, I felt dear. I am please to get the letter too. I want a letter from friends. I often get email a lot, but I little got letter these days. I'm going to write a letter for my friend. 

Reference

Arnold, Lobel.(1970). Frog andToad Are Friends. New York, America: Harper Trophy

[228 words]

BR1-06: Stories of Monsters (Punter, 2004)

"Luckily, no one but Ben had heard the tiny voice whispering the answers. Ben smiled to himself. mathematics is a lot easier when you have a monster in your pocket." (p. 17)

This story's character Ben Boggle is a boy who is not good at math. He often fall a sleep in math class. He was often scolded by his teacher. At school, Ben could hardly keep his eyes open. He couldn't sleep well at night, because as soon as he switched off his bedside light, the monster woke with a snort!! All though the night, the creature gurgle and growled in the shadows. One day, he decided to build a monster trap. He raided the chocolate chip cookie jar and took a net. He climbed into bed, switched off the light and waited. Then he heard  crunching, munching sound followed by a whoosh. His monster trap had worked. The smallest monster in the world was tangled in the net. This monster was so cute and tiny!

This monster is good at mathematics. He took the monster in his pocket when he go to school. His math grade was improve, his math teacher amazed. Ben became happy. Thanks for tiny monster. 

Reference

Russell, Punter. (2004). Stories of Monsters. America: Usborne Young Reading

[212 words]

My favorite movie

My favorite movie is LEON. I watched this movie many times. I love Natalie Portman so much! When she was 12 years old, she became a star of this movie. It is sad and love story. Natalie Portman who acts as the part of Matilda. She tried to revenge for her family. Her family was killed by killer. She became a pupil of Leon for revenge. She fell in love with Leon. This movie is sad story, but I like this movie, because Natalie Portman was so cute and I like fashion of this generation.

[95 words] 

Using the computer

My computer is iMac. I like my PC. My father bought me it, because I like Apple. I usually use PC to do my homework and watching YouTube. I think PC is very useful. I use it for Blogger and EnglishCentral. EnglishCentral is very fun to watch short movie. Actually, I am not good at use computer. I often face a trouble, because I cannot to understand how to use computer. It is difficult for me to use computer. But, computer is very important to work at office in the further. I want to be a great user of computer. I need more practice of it.

[106 words]

Essay 1-03a: My Language Learning Story and Plans

10 years ago when I was 9 years old. I had not learned English yet at school. I sometimes went to English conversation school with my brothers. I learned greeting and songs there. I enjoyed singing English songs. 5 years ago when I was 14 years old. I started learning English at junior high school. In there, read English textbooks, learning English grammar, and sometimes communicate with ALT who native English teacher. When I was a junior high school student, I wanted to learn English more. I was interested in English. In high school, English class became high level, and I went into a slump. I didn't like to take English classes, because I couldn't understand English words and grammar. My grades were getting worse. I was very shocked, and I made up my mind to study English. After that, I studied hard. I memorized English words and grammar every day. I could understand English step by step. Furthermore, I could keep up with English class. My grades improved slowly. I enjoyed studying. I thought that I want to be a good English speaker in the future, and I decided to major in English at university. Now, I major in English in University. I want to grow my English skills more. I study English at school and at home everyday. I am listening English music, writing a blog in English, reading books written in English. I enjoy studying English. I try to talk some students studying abroad. It is a little difficult for me to communicate with them, but I want to speak English well. I keep trying it. Also, I like to listen English radio on my iPhone. I often listen American rock channel. It is very interesting for me. After I graduate university, I want to get a job what uses English. So, I need to study English more. I want to grow speaking and listening skill. I think it is very important to communicate with foreigners. I want to teach English conversation to children in the future. It is my dream. I enjoy my life with English! I should to grow my skills more!

[357 words]

My Language Skills

• Past: 10 years ago (& 5 years ago)

10 years ago when I was 9 years old. I had not learned English yet in school. I couldn't understood English grammar. But, I sometimes went to English conversation school. I learned there greeting and songs. 

5 years ago when I was 14 years old. I started learning English in junior high school. I like English class, and I thought that I want to learn English more. I was interested in English.

• Present: Now

Now, I major in English in university. I want to grow my English skills more. I study English everyday. I listening English music, writing blog in English, read books written in English. I enjoying to study English. I try to talk some foreigner.  I like to listen English radio on my iPhone.  

• Future: 10 years from now (& 5 years from now)

I want to be a good English speaker in the future. I want to get a job what use English. I want to go foreign country.

[170 words]

BR1-05: Hansel & Gretel (Daynes, 2005)

This is the Grimm Brother's fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel was sibling. They were left in deep forest by their parents. They worked hard to back home. Their step mother didn't like them, but their father loved them very much. They wanted to see their father, so they tried to go back home from deep forest. Finally, they could go back home, and they met again their father.

In this story, Hansel and Gretel found the candy house. The house was made from cake, candy, cookie, and chocolate. The walls were made from chunks of cake and the roof was glinting chocolate.  I want to see a real candy house. I love sweets. If I see a real candy house, I want to eat it. These days, I sometimes see a kit of candy house. It can makes mini candy house. I want to try making it, and eat.

Reference

Katie Daynes. (2005). Hansel & Gretel. London, England: Usborne Young Reading

[161 words]

My family♡

I love my family. I'll talk about my family. I have parents and two brothers.

My father is an elementary school teacher. He likes baseball, so he is a manager of his school baseball club. He enjoys it. He sometimes plays baseball with my brothers. His hobby is running and shopping. About 3 years ago, he began running for his health. He took part in the Kumamoto Castle Marathon. He could finish the race. I cheered for him with my mother. He wants to take part in the marathon race in this year again. He runs everyday. He also likes shopping. He loves clothes, because he worked at clothe shop when he was young. He often go shopping, and he takes to me. I like to go shopping with him. He sometimes buy me clothes. He is very kind to me.

My mother is an office worker. Her office is near my university. She is good at cooking and making sweets. I like her sweets very much! She is quiet considerate for my family. I want to help her more. She and I often go to eat lunch. We enjoy talking very much. This is very fun time. I talk my mother everything about me. We talk about many kinds of things. We enjoy shopping too.

I have two brothers. One is 17 years old. He is the third of high school student. His name is Kou. Another one is 15years old. He is the first of huh school student. His name is You. They are belong to baseball club. They have belonged to baseball club since elementary school. My family like baseball very much! My mother and I often go their baseball game. It is very fun!! They also apply themselves to their studies. They are good at study. I respect for my brother.

[305 words]

BR1-04: Rapunzel (Kelly, 2005)

"Rapunzel" was first written down by two brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. I knew this title from Disney's movie. I love this movie, because it is very romantic and happy love story. I thought original story is also happy story, but it is very different from Disney's movie!! I was shocked.

I like Rapunzel's movie story more than original story. I don't like original story. In movie, Rapunzel had magic hair. Her hair was very long and beautiful. She was a princess. This story has romance. It was very romantic. I want to watch Rapunzel's movie. It likes musical movie. For example, She sing songs every time, and dancing. I want people to read this book, and to watch this movie. 

Reference

Alison Kelly. (2005). Rapunzel. London, England: Usborne Young Reading

[131 words]

My favorite place

I like to go hot spring. I often go with my friends. I'll introduce my favorite hot spring. I go to hot spring about twice a week. First, I like to go Ikkyu, because there is near my house. Next, I like Suisyun. This hot spring is very large and clean. Hot spring is very good for health. For example, it is good for skin, fatigue, and so on. I often go there after part-time job. It is very good for my tired body, and I feel relax. In holiday, I sometimes go JiokuOnsen, Aso. This is my luxury!

[99 words]

                                                                                                                                     

Ramen I like

I like ramen very much. I often go ramen with my friend Izumi. I and she went to ramen shop many times. Ramen has many kinds of soup. Kumamoto is famous for tonkotsu soup. I like it very much. It is a little heavy taste, but I like this taste. My favorite ramen shops are Soun, Sasanoha, Niboraya, Taishoken, Gyorai, and so on. I want to go many ramen shops. These days, I got driving license, so I can go far place with Izumi. I'm looking forward to it.

[89 words]

                                                                                                                                      

Foreign countries

I want to go foreign countries. For example, America, British, France, Italia, Sweden and so on. I have been to foreign country Korea. I went to Pusan one year ago. I went to there with my friends last summer. This was my first trip to foreign country. Korea is very near country, but there is very different from Japan. It was surprised for me, and I think that I want to go more and more foreign countries. When I go foreign countries, I want to know those country's culture, habit, language, fashion...

[92 words]

                                                                                                                                             

Got a Driving License

Last week, I got a driving license. I was very glad. In fact, I took driving paper test two times. After I graduated driving school, I went to license center to take paper test. But, it was difficult for me, so I couldn't pass the test. I was shocked it. I should take a test again. I went to Asahiya, because I am not good at driving paper test. Asahiya is school what to get driving license. It start at AM 2:00. I don't like vigil, so it was very hard for me.

After I went to Asahiya, I went to license center again. And I took a paper test again. I felt the strain so much. I wanted to pass the test! When I found that I passed the test. I felt relieved. Finally, I got a driving license!! I want to drive my car early. I am planning go for a drive to Aso. I'm looking forward to it very much.

[163 words]