Graduate Diploma Reading & Writing Spring Term Session 4 Assessment Information Compare and contrast essays Essay structure Analysis of model essay Language of comparison and contrast

Spring Term EAP Assignments in Reading & Writing Classes word essay 2.Class test (in week 25 – very similar format to Autumn term)

2500 word essay -a compare & contrast essay -an argument based on your reading (3 or 4 articles) -your choice of topic -deadline is week 24 -first draft submission in week 21 (for feedback and tutorials in week 23) -by the end of week 19 you should have confirmed which articles you will be using as source material -by the end of week 18 you should have confirmed your topic

Stem cell research Organ donation Corporal punishment Different approaches to parental discipline of children Approaches to dealing with stressful events Approaches to preventing / dealing with drug addiction Funding of higher education Home schooling vs traditional schooling Female religious leaders Organic food Euthanasia – Compare and contrast between eastern and western religions Two novels written by the same author Social development patterns of adolescent boys and girls User-friendliness of two software programs SUGGESTED TOPICS (if you don’t want to decide by yourself)

What do you think are the biggest differences between Japan and the United States? Are there any similarities?

Did you mention any of the following ? newness racial heterogeneity vast territory informality an ethic of individualism an ancient and homogenous society an ethic that emphasizes the importance of groups a tradition of formal behavior governing every aspect of daily living, a homogenous society of one nationality and a few underrepresented minority groups, a country with originally European roots liberal immigration policies have resulted in its becoming a heterogeneous society of many ethnicities – group interaction and sense of space. people pride themselves on individualism and informality, people value groups people admire and reward a person who rises above the crowd; their sense of size and scale developed out of the vastness of the continent, their genius lies in the diminutive and miniature.

How about these? has a “mother” society that has influenced the daughter in countless ways: the art of business and commerce beautiful, well-stocked department stores. love to shop are enthusiastic consumers of convenience products and fast foods. have always emphasized the importance of work, are paying penalties for their commitment to work people regularly put in twelve or more hours a day at their jobs, the normal workweek is six days, many people who want to get ahead voluntarily work on Saturday and / or Sunday in addition to their normal five-day workweek.

If you had to write an essay comparing and contrasting Japan and the United States, how would you organise it? Prepare a plan with your group and be prepared to present it to the rest of the class.

The following paragraph comes from a model essay on this topic. Where do you expect to find this paragraph within the essay?

Other areas of difference between Japan and the United States involve issues of group interaction and sense of space. Whereas people in the United States pride themselves on individualism and informality, Japanese value groups and formality. People in the United States admire and reward a person who rises above the crowd; in contrast, a Japanese proverb says, “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down”. In addition, while North Americans’ sense of size and scale developed out of the vastness of the continent, Japanese genius lies in the diminutive and miniature. For example, the United States builds airplanes, while Japan produces transistors.

Answer the same question about the following three paragraphs.

Japan and the United States: different, yet alike. Although the two societies differ in many areas such as racial heterogeneity versus racial homogeneity, individualism versus group cooperation, and informal versus formal forms of behavior, they share more than one common experience. Furthermore, their differences probably contribute as much as their similarities toward the mutual interest the two countries have in each other. It will be interesting to see where this reciprocal fascination leads in the future.

Both, for example, have transplanted cultures. Each nation has a “mother” society – China for Japan and Great Britain for the United States – that has influenced the daughter in countless ways: in language, religion, art, literature, social customs, and ways of thinking. Japan, of course, has had more time than the United States to work out its unique interpretation of the older Chinese culture, but both countries reflect their cultural ancestry.

In spite of these differences, these two apparently opposite cultures share several important experiences.

Now let’s look at the introduction. First, just the vocabulary. Can you see the structure of the introduction from looking at the vocabulary?

the culture of a place an integral part of its society a remote Indian village in Brazil a highly industrialized city in Western Europe. The culture of Japan fascinates people in the United States at first glance it seems so different. newness racial heterogeneity vast territory informality an ethic of individualism an ancient and homogenous society an ethic that emphasizes the importance of groups a tradition of formal behavior governing every aspect of daily living, on the surface U.S. and Japanese societies seem totally opposite.

The culture of a place is an integral part of its society whether that place is a remote Indian village in Brazil or a highly industrialized city in Western Europe. The culture of Japan fascinates people in the United States because, at first glance, it seems so different. Everything that characterized the United States – newness, racial heterogeneity, vast territory, informality, and an ethic of individualism – is absent in Japan. There, one finds an ancient and homogenous society, an ethic that emphasizes the importance of groups, and a tradition of formal behavior governing every aspect of daily living, from drinking tea to saying hello. On the surface at least, U.S. and Japanese societies seem totally opposite.