General Mechanics of Writing

Use this as a guide to help you write your first paper!  If you have any additional questions, please ask.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wahqk1vf9n1pr0v/General%20Mechanics%20of%20Writing.docx

Global Collaboration Project-Week 2

EPals Global Collaboration Project

During week two, we will accomplish the following:

1.     Decide your group: decide who’s going to be in your group and submit your group member’s name to me.

2.     Decide your project: the fastest way to get connected would be to join an existing project but if your group would like to create your own project, please come and see me. 

3.     As a group, write an introduction of your group to initiate a contact with your project (class abroad).  Some information to include in the introduction can be: number of students, majors, interests, school name, method of collaboration such as e-mail, video conferencing, etc., how many times you’d like to correspond with them, individually or as a group, and so on.  The more detailed your introduction, the more they can see if both of you would be a good fit for each other.

4.     Once you join a project, your group will have some idea as to what to collaborate with your classroom abroad.   Discuss ideas and topics to collaborate each week and submit them to me by the end of second week.  You can even delegate as to who will initiate the contacts and for which topics. You guys decide as a group!

 For example: Cultural Exchange (This is just a sample!)

Week 2: Food

Week 3: Food (popular fusion style)

Week 4: K-Pop

Week 5: Fashion

Week 6: University life in Korea

Week 7: Social norms

Week 8: North Korea

Week 9: Dating in Korea

Week 10: Movies

Week 11: Cars

Week 12: Smart phone or Apps

Week 13: Pollution

Week 14: Social Pressures or peer pressures university students face

Week 15: Presentation Day!

This Global Collaboration project will be a learning experience for both you and I but I think it will be worth it in the end. Hang in there and if we face any obstacles, let’s try to problem solve together!  I’m hoping to learn more about this project as well as trying to incorporate technology into our classrooms so that learning can be fun and exciting!

Good luck you guys!

4000 Essential Vocabulary Words

Here's the link for your 4000 Essential Vocabulary Words!  Remember, we will only cover Units 1-15 during the Spring semester!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n0woe8egizmjsfe/4000_essential_english_words_5.pdf

Good luck!

Are you an international or exchange student?

Attention!

If you are an international student or an exchange student, please come see me!  Thank you for your attention in this matter!

Welcome back to school--Spring 2014!

Welcome back everyone!  I hope you had a relaxing break and got plenty of rest and sleep so that you can work hard again this semester.  Remember as the weather gets nice, dress warmly in layers so that you can take off layers of clothes if it gets too hot or cold.  It might be hot during the day but it does get cold when the sun goes down.  It's the perfect weather to get sick so eat well and try to balance rest and studying.

I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you!  I hope we can have a fantastic semester together!

Cosmetic Surgery Trend in Korea--what do you think?

Here's a recent essay a student wrote on prevalence of cosmetic surgeries in Korea which I thought I should bring to your attention.  Try to follow her argument and see if what she says is valid or invalid. Are people having plastic surgeries because they have a low self-esteem? Because you're not happy with who you are? These are some questions you should ask yourself before going under the knife for your double eyelid surgery. Who are you trying to look like? Why?

I find nothing more sexier in Korean men with their single eyelids!  A middle-aged man with a single eyelids speaks sophistication, like he's deep in thought. Oh my goodness, I never thought I'd be talking about eyelids like the way I am right now! kkk

Cosmetic Surgery Trend

Korea is called the empire of cosmetic surgery. Many people are willing to do cosmetic surgery for the purpose of beauty, and it is even becoming one of the “graduation presents.” It is natural that people want a beautiful appearance and want to overcome their appearance complex, but the trend of cosmetic surgery is getting worse in Korea. People are so imprudent to have the surgery without thinking why they really want to do it. Some people even think that cosmetic surgery will change their whole lives and dream of turning their lives around. This kind of blind faith in cosmetic surgery may come from the appearance-oriented Korean society, the effect of mass media, or a westernized standard of beauty. There might be other reasons behind people’s faith in cosmetic surgery’s ability to create beauty, but the one certain thing is cosmetic surgery is not the only option to choose.

According to the survey by Trend Monitor, one in five women in Seoul have surgery, and we have to notice why especially Koreans are crazy about cosmetic surgery. The first reason might be related to the characteristics of Korea. Korea is one of the appearance-oriented societies. That means appearance is competitive, and people cannot ignore the importance of looks. Other countries might show this trend too, but the degree of obsession with appearance is too much in Korea. Many Koreans suffer from an inferiority complex and feel compelled to be beautiful. This obsession with cosmetic surgery is sometimes seen as an indicator of poor-esteem. Koreans’ view of cosmetic surgery, such as “it’s not such a big deal anymore,” can be very dangerous.

Since the opening of the twentieth century, as mass media started to develop, media naturally started to affect people’s lives in various ways. We can say that the effect of mass media is the second reason for Korean’s craze of cosmetic surgery. The media shows many celebrities who have good appearances, and people naturally think that their appearance is the standard of beauty. This makes people follow them and have the surgery. Psychologists say that media can affect people’s body esteem “by becoming a reference point against which unfavourable body shape comparisons are made.” This shows that people might use images projected by the media as standards for comparison. It is so natural that people who are exposed to media’s standard form a stereotype of beauty. That is to say, media makes people form an ideal of standardized beauty and makes them think that it is the only beauty, so they can justify themselves to have the surgery.

This bad influence of mass media might form a westernized standard of beauty because celebrities who have the western look appear in the media and make people think that their look is the standard of beauty. This is the third reason of Koreans’ cosmetic surgery trend. Now, many Koreans consider big eyes, a prominent nose, white skin and a small face as components of beauty, and the combination of these components clearly show the western look. It is totally different from Korean traditional beauty. In Korea, the most common type of surgery is double-eyelid surgery, which creates an upper eyelid with a crease from an eyelid that is naturally without a crease. Not only does this surgery explain the inferiority complex of traditional Asians’ eyes, but also proves the desires to have big eyes like western people. The selection criteria of Miss Korea is another example of a westernized standard of beauty. There is no definite criteria for Miss Korea’s appearance, but the elected Miss Korea shows that big eyes, a prominent nose and white skin is the standard of beauty. It is a clear contradiction that Miss Korea, who represents Korean traditional beauty, has to resemble western beauty. However, every culture has their own ways of pursuing standardized beauty like “Chinese women’s bound lotus feet, Padaung women’s elongated necks and western women’s constricted waists.” It implys that other cultures also have standards of beauty and want to follow them. It is a sad reality because this shows Koreans are not the only people who lack confidence in their appearance and their identity.

These three factors show why Koreans are becoming crazy about cosmetic surgery. There might be other various reasons other than the characteristics of appearance-oriented Korean society, effect of mass media, or westernized standard of beauty. However, whatever the reason is, having surgery without a clear reason is definitely a wrong choice and will result in a lifetime of regret. Some might still argue that they have surgery to overcome their appearance complex and gain confidence, but that is just an excuse because it is quite clear that surgery is not the only way to get over the complex. Cosmetic surgery cannot change the person by itself; it just gives a little bit of change in a person’s appearance. That means inner change is the only way to overcome one’s complex and way more important than outward appearance change. It is not just a truism, but it is true. People just deny this truth because they don’t have that much confidence to change their inner self. However, the real and right way to get over the complex is the change of one’s own mind, and this way will be the first step to change Korean society.
(Posted by permission from the author)

 

 

Final Exam Grading Criteria

Hello everyone!

The final exam grading criteria is the same as the midterm. This time the questions will not be given in advance. In life, most of our thinking has to be done on our feet and be able to think critically and give instant feedback.  Well, let's start practicing now!

Speaking Practice Final Examination will test the students’ ability to express their thoughts and ideas in spoken English language.  The speaking exam will cover units 8-10 of Summit 1 textbook.  Students will also be tested on their knowledge and correct usage of vocabulary & in other words, organization, fluency, comprehension, and the ability to support and defend their position.  Students will have a choice to either do a video group presentation, dialogue, or one-on-one speaking examinations. 

 

If you choose to do a dialogue or a video, you must use 10 vocabulary and 10 grammar from units 8-10 and use them correctly.  There's no page limit on the dialogue but for a video, it must be at least 5 minutes long.  The dialogue and video will be graded on creativity, whether it was successful in drawing interest of the audience.

 

Students will have 7 minutes to answer a question. Remember that answers will need clear organization and structure using appropriate transition. Students need to support their answers with at least 3 supportive statements and/or examples to substantiate their answers. Exceeding the time limit will cost 2 points.

Students will be graded on the following criteria:

·         Organization-- Clear style& thought.  Usage of correct sentence structure and pattern of thought.

·         Usage of vocabulary-- Use and expression of vocabulary words in correct context and meaning.

·         Fluency-- Spoken smoothly and with ease: flowing speech that doesn’t hinder understanding.

·         Comprehension-- Understanding of the meaning of the question and language used.

·         Support/detail/reason-- Answers are supported with sufficient reasons and details to support the answer.

Good luck!!!