July 8th

On July 8th, I would like to present a short lecture about how to study English. The lecture will be held in Room 1432. So, do not go to the computer room on that day; please go directly to Room 1432.

I will talk about what you have written on your blogs about studying English and what I have noticed about your study of English over the semester.

By the way, later that afternoon I will need to give a presentation in Yatsushiro so I will end the class earlier than usual.

Please write about your experience

We are rapidly approaching the end of the semester. Before the semester ends I would like you to write on your blog about your experience this semester. Here are some things you might write about:

• Do you feel you have made progress?
• Did you listen to what you read?
• Did you try using an English-English dictionary?
• Do you feel that you learned anything this semester about how to study English?
• What difficulties did you have?
• What would you like me to do differently next semester?
• How much time did you spend on this class this semester?

You do not need to write about all of these points. Please write about those aspects of your study this semester that interest you the most. If you have worked hard this semester but are concerned that I might not give you a high grade, be sure to explain how hard you have worked and how much time you have put into this class. I want to give everyone who have worked hard a high grade.

英語で書く方が望ましいと思いますが、日本語で書いてもいいです。

Song lyrics

Song lyrics can be difficult to understand. For that reason, studying song lyrics may not always be the best way to learn English. On the other hand, if you listen to certain English songs a lot, it's a good idea to learn the English you hear in those songs. In this short essay, I'd like to explain these two points.

In regard to why song lyrics are difficult, we need to understand that song lyrics are poetry. In poetry, meaning is often expressed indirectly or with very little context to help you understand the exact meaning. Written English that is not poetry (for example, stories, essays, news articles, letters, etc.) is called "prose". In prose, meaning is usually expressed more directly and in more detail. So, if you are looking for something to read that will be easy to understand, you should look for prose, not song lyrics or other kinds of poetry.

As I wrote above, however, if you are already listening to an English song, it's probably a good idea to learn the meaning of some of the expressions used in the song, particularly if it's a song that you really like and listen to frequently. When you come across a lyric that is difficult just ask me or another native speaker of English. Don't be surprised, however, if even a native speaker isn't sure of the meaning. Poetry can be very difficult!

Finally, if you listen to songs on an iPod, you can put the lyrics into the iPod so that you can read them as you listen. If you would like to know how to do this, please ask me.

Mid-semester evaluations

I have begun sending out mid-semester evaluations to each member of the this class by e-mail. I am sending these messages in Japanese with the following title: "外書講読の成績 (中間報告)". If you have not received this e-mail from me, please ask me.

If your grade is lower than you would like, one important way to raise is will be to convince me that you are studying outside of class as well as during class. If you are studying outside of class but I wrote that your blog did not indicate that, please write about when you studied and how long in your next posts.

If you feel that my evaluation is unfair or inaccurate, please contact by e-mail or talk to me during class.