1) What are the most valuable things you learned in ARW winter?
ARW winter made me to think a lot!! I often thought "I don't want to think anymore!!!" However, looking back now, it was good practice for me to think about complex issue while expressing own position. I tend to evade my position when I have to consider complex issues, especially bioethical issues. I always avoid having responsibility of showing own position. So, it was good opportunity for me to overcome such tendency.
Before the winter term, I had thought that I was impossible for me to study such complex issues in English. Actually, I had a lot of difficulty to express own opinion. I often thought I wanted to use Japanese. lol There were a lot of things that I couldn't explain. However, it was not impossible, and this term was very valuable for me to improve English.
I think I also should mentioned about essay. I had never written essay such deeply. My argument was pointed out many times about not being persuasive. I had hard time to find out which evidences are effective and make argument reasonable. Also, still, I was not used to the format of essay.
Moreover, I had many things that I wanted to mention about, and I have hard time organizing and selecting content. However, Mark never gave up giving advices to me. lol So I think I could make effort to respond to expectation ;)
Anyway, this term was very valuable, because it gave a opportunity to think deeply in English and to work hard.
2) How do you want to continue to improve your reading, writing, and speaking skills?
About reading, I will try to read English books which I am interested in the content. About speaking skill, I would like to make opportunity to touch and think in English. For example, I love watching movies, so I can use them to be more used to hearing English. I want to hear English relaxed. I tend to construct sentences in my head and get into panic when I can't express in English, so I want to reduce tension of hearing and speaking English.
Also, I want to learn more idioms and phrases. They will be helpful for both writing and speaking. In essay, it will reduce to use same words many times and to make variety of sentence. Moreover, when I can't come up with the vocabulary of English (when I don't know how to say the particular word in English), variety of expression will helpful to explain that word in other words.
I think the best thing is not giving up expressing in English! ;)
This is a very nice learning blog and final reflection, Motomi.
返信削除I'm glad you learned some valuable things and found some goals for future improvement as well!
I agree that "not giving up" in communication is one of the most important things--not just in the ELP but in life.
Thanks for your great efforts in the ARW class.
Mark