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Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology Education

Toyohashi University of Technology,
Institute for Global Network Innovation inTechnology Education

News from QC（Vol. 18 2015/12/14）

Reports

The common sense behind the logic of the English language
Jongdoc Park, National Institute of Technology, Oshima College
Living in New York is going to be over in a

Japanese is not rational language to transfer

month. We, FD members, have done our best tomeaning compared with English. Let’s say,

dream of becoming fluent English speakers“watasiwa / asita / anatato / issyoni / eigawo /someday, but we realized that we couldn’t

mi / tai (I want to watch a movie with you

master English so easily. Why do we feel that

tomorrow)”. If you want to understand theEnglish is so difficult all the time? What are thesentence, you need to listen to it until the end.

fundamental problems? Here, I do not mention

If Japanese has similarities of 90% to English

English pronunciation, but I would like to makelike German in word order, and if I said “I /note of general problems for Japanese people.

tomorrow / with you / a movie / watch / wantto”, and then everyone understood what I meant,

1. Difference in syntax

we might have an easier time learning English.

It is interesting to think about the similarities

We need to get the essence of the Japanesein the grammatical arrangement of words inphrase to make it into an English phrase.

sentences between English and other languages.
What are the similarities in word order between

2. Summary of thought – the secret of inference

English, German, Chinese and Japanese? For

For improving your English, you should get

example, what the sentence construction ofused to the sequence of thought of Americans

these languages is compared with English.

through practice in daily life. But, it is difficult

Based on my own perception, German wouldfor us who have been used to Japanese sentence

have a similarity to English of 90%, while

structure. I think the way to speak English is toChinese would have 50%, and Japanese, justexpress the factors (main point) first and then10%. A knowledge of the difference in syntax,

add the relevant words consecutively. It is likeor in other words, the difference in the thinking

a summary process to make a long story short.

process is the most important point to improve

Practice will make us perfect on how to draw

English. When we want to say “I love you” tothe idea and on how to infer the next story insomeone, there are many arrangements ofour mind quickly. There's a golden rule in every

words in Japanese (there are at least six ways).

language, which is subject + verb. Imagine:

In English, however, we must follow the rule ofafter you hear a long-winded love story, you try

syntax: it doesn’t make sense if we say, “I youto summarize it in a single phrase. Well, it canlove” or “Love you I”, etc. This makes

be eventually described as a factor like these:Japanese people have a hard time learning

Watasiga aisiteru (Japanese) – Wo ai (Chinese)

English. I have seen many Americans who-Ich libe (German) -I love (English). The rule tospeak Japanese well within just a year aftersummarize the idea is constant. English follows

they come to Japan. Japanese has particles (orthe golden rule. That’s the logic of the Englishpostposition) in basic parts of speech, so that

language. After that, you just arrange the words

people can speak well regardless of the wordthat are inferred following the factor. While aorder. Aside from that, it is thought that

sentence in Japanese cannot be understood if
5not heard until the end, English is not like that.

can master English in a short period of time.

I think the first step to understand the logic of

There are various purposes why many people

the English language is to get used to thein the world study English. It includes

sequence of Americans' thoughts.

travelling, making friends and just simply
speaking English. However, these are not the

3. Conclusion

primary purposes. People should study English

English, which most Japanese people think isto add prestige to their country in diplomaticdifficult, is not a law but a common sense.

strategy. For business, one could get the bestEnglish is just a means of expressing thought

deals for their company if they could speak

rather than a law (or rule) we must memorize

English fluently. Lastly, we should aim to speakdifficulty, and it is the logic of language or theEnglish for education-related activities. Withapplication

everyonethese primary purposes, English becomesunderstands. We could call this grammar (howessential in order to obtain substantial benefits

to speak). Moreover, if you overcome theto compete with English speakers. I think thisdifferences in syntax of the English language

recognition is the most important point.

ofcommonsenseand the sequence of Americans’ thoughts, you

Writing an essay
Tomoki Takezawa, National Institute of Technology, Maizuru College
There were lectures of writing/reading andspeaking/listening in the English class.

present our position on the theme clearly.

ForWeexample, we have to answer the question

often wrote essays in the lecture and the(theme) about “Is it a good idea to have only

examinations of writing. We have to write anone child?” with yes or no, even if we can’t

essay about given theme within the time limit

decide a position simply because we knowof 30 minutes in the examination.

advantages of both positions.

TheA “hook” which

examples of themes are as follows: “Should we

attracts readers might be included in theteach children to be a bilingual?,” “Which isintroduction.

The second and third are bodythe most important thing of a language, writing,paragraphs.

In the first body paragraph,reading, speaking, and listening?,” “Is it a good

supporting ideas based on the experiences oridea to have only one child?”

The themes

facts are written.

usually give us some choices.

I also wrote

shouldwrite

If we have siblings, weactual

personal

experiences

essays about my response to articles ofconcretely to explain our position concerningnewspaper.

the theme, “Is it a good idea to have only one

If we hope to receive a high evaluation inchild?”

In the second body paragraph, wethe examination of writing an essay, we have tohave to counter an opposing position.

write it in accordance with rules.

An essayhave to write a counterargument in anticipationconsists of four or five paragraphs whichof an argument of the people in an opposing

consist of several sentences.

The firstposition.

paragraph is for introduction.

We have to

Finally we write a conclusion infourth paragraph.
6We

We have to restate mainidea about theme and summarize supportingmisunderstood as inconsistent arguments.

ideas.

A reader can understand the outline ofthink that, under general rules, the “hook” isthe essay by reading only the concluding

needed to make a reader have interest in theparagraph.

theme, not arguments.

Although I didn’t know how toI

We should avoid

write standard essay, it seems that general rules

intricate arguments which are used to make aof writing an essay is well known in the United

reader have an interest and indirect expression

States.

which expect a reader to understand.

The grading of my essay by the instructor

I should have decided my position without

was very low because in addition to not being

careful thought because the position and thegood at English, I didn’t know most of the rules.

contents of the arguments are not evaluated to

Although I have kept the rule which requires

grade the essay.

me to express my position in the first paragraphconcentrate my attention on making anclearly, I have usually felt uncomfortable withassertion without consideration for opposing

the rule.

position to develop a simple, plain andI have thought that we can’t decide

It would be better for me toon my position clearly because we know thatconsistent argument.

all arguments from the varying viewpoints aretheme using simple and easy examples, notusually important.

unique and special examples which a reader

If the arguments of theI should have argued theessay are simple, plain and consistent, thedoesn’t expect.

grading will be high.

I was not able to decide

techniques with which we assert our idea to a

my position clearly, so my arguments werewide range of people is important in the lectureoften difficult to understand.

of writing an essay.

It seems thatI have felt that only theimplicit expression is not favorable and muchtolerance for an opposing position gets

Toyohashi University of Technology
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology Education
Center for International Education
1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
Tel: +81-532-81-5161
Mail: unireform@office.tut.ac.jp

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