Class blog for Sheffner's Writing Strategies and Research in English at DWC

Research in English (Linguistics) – Comments from two of this year’s (2011) students

Writing Strategies 2, session 14: January 20th, 2012

Today was the last class. Thank you to all students. I very much enjoyed listening to your final presentations.

What advice or comments or suggestions would you give to your 後輩, next year’s  Writing Strategies students?

Please leave your advice or suggestions below (in Japanese or English) or email it to me.

Also, please send me the data of your final paper AND your powerpoint presentation. I would like to use these for next year’s class. Thank you, and good luck to all of you.

Comments for next year’s students:

1. 以前は英語を書くことに苦手意識を持っていましたが、この授業を通してそれがだんだんとなくなりました。
   英語を読みながら、書きながら、そしてプレゼンもあったので、話す機会があったからでしょう。
   テーマもわかりやすく、毎回楽しみながら授業を受けることができると思います。
   先生のブログは、授業の補足があったり、いろいろな写真があったりと、読むと深いところまで知ろうという意欲がわいてくるのでとても参考になりました。

2. 私は、Writing Strategiesの授業でナルニアシリーズの原書を読み、英語を読む力がついたと思います。
   知らない単語は授業中にみんなで一緒に考えたりするので、原書を読むのはそんなに難しくなかったです。
   学期末のプレゼンテーションでは、一人で発表する力がついたと思います。
   先生のブログに、宿題のことや授業でやったことが書いてあるのも
   この授業をとって良かったと思うところです。

3. I enjoyed this class.
   At the start of this class, each home work was difficult for me, and I got nervous to writing and reading, but gradually,
   I became to be interesting to thinking about Narnia’s story and Christianity.
   and now, I’m glad to finish reading 2 English books. And in this class, I learned not only Narnia’s story but also C.S.Lewis through presentations.
   It was very good opportunity for me to study other various English Literature.And if I suggest for next students…
   I like autumn’s class work better than that of spring’s because spring’s text was little difficult and
   there was a large amount. But autumn’s class focused on writing summary, and questions Mr. Sheffner gave us were good to understand story.
   So it was good for us to grow up our writing skill, I think.
4. I could learn Christianity and English literature.I’m more interested in literature now.
   At first, I don’t believe kind of Christianity on the contrary, I was avoid to know religion.
   But through this class, I changed my mind.
   The religion is not forced me to believe, it’s just a suggestion for us to living good life.
   The most thing to learn from this class is “Good and Evil”.
   Good things and Bad things are not cross, but close.
   It makes me wonder what the mean. I haven’t found the answer.
   Then I touched C.S.Lewis’ Narnia stories, I knew what he thought and tell us to do.
   That’s the most important point for me.

   I’m so glad to meet this story and Mr. Sheffner!
   Thank you so so much!

5. I really enjoyed this class.
   This is my message for next year’s students.

   Narnia stories were easy to read and I enjoyed reading them.
   But if I read these books by myself, I would not notice the new points of view in this book. Through this class, I could learn about English manners and customs, and about Christianity and poetic justice. And since I wrote a large amount of English every class, I feel my writing skill has improved.
   You should read the book before the class, and enjoy listening to Mr.Sheffner in the class.
   If you missed a class, the blog will support you.
   I’m glad to meet these stories.

6. I enjoyed WSII class and reading Magician’s Nephew. Actually, some homework was difficult. However, through this class I could study and think deeply about Christianity, religion, British culture, and so on. I think writing summaries was good homework to grasp the story, to read without a Japanese translation and to write English correctly.
7. I learned about Narnia’s story and Christianity. It was a little difficult but I learned new information.
8. 約一年間、この授業を通してナルニアの物語について学びましたが、私はナルニアの作品について非常に理解を深めることが出来た上に、授業自体も楽しんで受けることが出来ました。これまで一つの作品をここまで読みこんだ経験がなく、登場人物の心情、作者の意図、宗教、さまざまな角度から分析していくことは新鮮かつ興味深かったです。また、最後のプレゼンはナルニア以外の物語を読む機会となり、新しい文学作品に触れ、その内容に自分なりの解釈を加えられたことは面白かったです。なので、今後この授業をとる人たちにも経験してもらいたいです。また私の場合、ギリギリになってから取り組んでいたので、早めにとりかかることをお勧めしたいです。
   　先生から与えられる課題は多いなと感じたこともありましたが、そのおかげで作品の深い内容まで読み解くことができました。時々、問題に対する解説が物足りないことがあったので、もう少し余裕をもってすすめられたらいいなと思いました。
   　先生の授業は本当に充実していて楽しかったです。一年間、ありがとうございました。
9. It’s little bit difficult for me to read two chapters a week, but I enjoyed the classes very much. Narnia is very interesting story. I’m going to study English harder this year.
10. 私は再履修でシェフナー先生のライティングの授業を受講しました。どの先生の授業を受けても同じだと考えていた私が間違っていました。授業の予習は少し大変でしたがライティングだけでなくリーディングや聖書の世界についても考えることができました。宿題も先生のチェックやコメントが入っていて授業に対するモチベーションも上がりました。1回生のときから先生の授業を受けていたらもう少し自分の英語力が上がっていたのではないかと思います。シェフナー先生本当にありがとうございました。
11. この授業を通して、英語を書くことに抵抗がなくなりました。
    私はナルニア国物語の映画が好きだったので、授業で詳しく学べてよかったです。授業の予習や課題は少し難しかったけれど、友人と協力して解いたり、授業でその部分を詳しくして「あ、こういう意味だったんだな」と発見できました。またキリスト教についても学べ、仏教とキリスト教の違いなど学べて良かったと思います。先生のブログとても助かりました。楽しかったです。
    一年間ありがとうございました。
12. 今まで自分で考えて英語で文章を書くことが少なかったのでこの授業を通して出来てよかったです。 また、親しみやすい本だったので読んでいても楽しかったし、深く物語について知ることが出来ました。

 

Writing Strategies Final Exam – Jan. 20th, 2012

Dear Writing Strategies students,

Details of next week's exam:

1) You can bring anything 持ち込み全て可. Please bring your textbook (Magician's Nephew) and your
notes and answers to questions that we discussed in class.
(E.g. click here and here and here and here.)
2) The exam will be
    a) a quiz about "The Magician's Nephew",
    b) some deeper questions about "The Magician's nephew" which you  must answer in English.
These questions are like the questions we have  done in class in the last few months.
You will have a choice of 7 questions. You must answer TWO questions.

When you read this message, please tell other Writing Strategies  students to check their emails
and/or to read this blog.
Ms. Kashiwa has not received the email I sent to everyone, so can someone please tell her about
this? Thank you.

In addition, some students have not yet given their presentations. They will give them next week.
After their presentations, we will start the exam.

Writing Strategies 2, session 12: December 16th, 2011

Important Update: Click here to see 2 useful uploads for writing your final paper. Click this if you do not have the book “A Guide to MLA Documentation”.

Please read about the final presentations. I have updated the information, and added a link to a list of children’s books for you to choose from.

Today, we

1. wrote a paragraph about one of the characters in “The Magician’s Nephew”; here are some sample paragraphs:
1. Polly Plummer is practical, sensible, loyal and friendly. She has a secret hideout in an attic, which leads into a tunnel. She is reasonably brave, but does not let her curiosity carry her away.
2. Andrew Ketterley (Uncle Andrew) is a slightly comical and slightly sinister magician in London, who is very self-centered and fond of a drop of brandy, especially in moments of stress. He hates and fears animals and uses them for experiments
3. Jadis is beautiful and evil. She brings destruction and violence wherever she goes. She has no interest in anything or anyone unless she can make use of them.
4. Aslan/Lion is the godlike being who creates Narnia and sends Digory on a quest to fetch a magical apple from the mountain garden.
5. Cabby/King Frank  is brave, pious, humble and down-to-earth. These qualities mean that he is chosen to be King of Narnia.
6. Strawberry/Fledge  has inherited a fiery nature from his father, who was in the cavalry. He is given wings and the gift of speech and reason by Aslan.
7. Helen/Queen Helen  is a sweet, shy country girl who lives in London with her husband until being summoned to Narnia while she is doing her laundry.
8. Digory’s Mother (Mabel Kirke)  gave Digory a strong moral background. She is terminally ill and is being cared for by her sister while her husband is in India.
9. Aunt Letty/ Miss Ketterley is a tough old lady who is patient and level-headed, which means she can take charge in moments of difficulty.
2. Then we discussed the last week’s homework. Here are the key points:
1. If the question is “How is Polly’s attitude different from Digory’s?”, then you must describe both Polly’s and Digory’s attitudes and actions, not just Polly’s.
2. If the question is “How do Digory’s actions show he is a good person?”, you need to give examples of Digory’s actions. “He is kind to his mother” is not an action, and so it is not a good enough answer.
3. I think that the action that most clearly shows that Digory is a good character, is his decision to take the apple to Aslan, instead of taking it straight to his mother: at that time, he does not know that Aslan will give him an apple to take to his mother, so he is making a big sacrifice. He does this because he feels responsible for bringing Jadis into Narnia: he wants to atone for it, and he is grateful to Aslan for giving him this chance.
3. I gave a short lecture on the setting, themes and style of “The Magician’s Nephew”. Key points were:
1. Setting.The Magician’s Nephew has four major settings: London, The Wood between the Worlds, Charn, and Narnia.
1. London is the London of the late 19th century, “when Sherlock Holmes was living in Baker Street”.
2. In Charn, the children find there is no life, only old, ruined buildings – no flowers, grass, no animals, birds or insects.
3. The Wood between the Worlds is a transition place from which the children can get to and from these other worlds, through pools of water and the magic Rings. It is warm, quiet, peaceful, bright – full of quiet, powerful life.
4. When Aslan creates Narnia, it is an open space, full of life and talking animals. In contrast to Charn and London, Narnia is peaceful and pleasant.
2. Themes.
1. Redemption (罪の贖い、贖罪).  After Digory brings evil into Asian’s beautiful new world, he is given a chance to redeem himself, and in so doing, he brings peace and freedom from evil to Narnia. This is echoed in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, in which the traitor Edmund is redeemed by Asian’s sacrifice. Each case mirrors God’s mercy and generosity, because in each case Asian (representing Christ) provides a way for people who have done evil to be forgiven and to have access to life beyond death.
2. Creation vs. Destruction. One of the central contrasts in the novel is between creation and destruction, or beginning and end. This contrast can be seen most effectively through the creation of Narnia and the destruction of Charn
3. Good vs. Evil. This story tells of how evil is brought into Narnia, creating a situation where good and evil will clash. This clash can also be seen in Charn, although evil has won, and in London, where people have not yet reached the evilness of Charn.
1. There is no great battle between good and evil in this story, but there is the struggle between Aslan and Jadis, like in the Bible where Satan struggles against God: Satan tries to tempt Eve to disobey God, just like Jadis tries to tempt Digory to disobey Aslan. In the Bible, Satan is successful and Adam and Eve are punished. In “The Magician’s Nephew”, Jadis fails, and Digory is rewarded by Aslan.
2. While Aslan is pure good, the Witch is pure evil, and neither acts or thinks in a way that disrupts this at any point in the novel. Other characters in the story fall between Aslan and the Witch on the continuum of good and evil. Uncle Andrew and Digory are also contrasted throughout the story. While Uncle Andrew is not as evil as the Witch, he is much closer to her in this regard than Digory, who is complex, but ultimately chooses the right path to follow. Most of the other characters, including Polly, Cabby, his wife, and the animals, are good characters, choosing kindness and love over selfishness or hate.
3. The struggle between good and evil can also be shown in the decisions that Digory makes throughout the story.
3. Style.
1. Point of view. In The Magician’s Nephew, the point of view is a third person omniscient narrator. The narrator is not a part of the story. This narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of Digory and Polly, in particular. The reader is able to especially see the sadness, hope, and temptations of Digory. By knowing Digory’s thoughts, one can recognize the motivations behind his actions, and also how he feels about the events in Narnia.The focus on the thoughts and feelings of Digory and Polly help to center the story on these characters and their adventures. A story that focused on Uncle Andrew or the Witch, for example, would be a very different story in tone, feel, and message.
2. Language and Meaning. Lewis uses relatively simple language in The Magician’s Nephew, because the book is for younger readers, and so does not include passages that are difficult. The book also does not include any strong or vulgar language. Violence is not present in the story. The story is told through a mixture of dialog and narrative.
3. Structure. The Magician’s Nephew  moves in a linear time frame. This book is the sixth book of seven in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, but the events in the book take place before the events in the other books. The last chapter is aptly titled, “The End of This Story and the Beginning of All the Others.”
4. Some questions to think about for your presentations and final papers:
1. Should we read “The Magician’s Nephew” or “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” first? Why?
2. What events in “The Magician’s Nephew” foreshadow (予兆となる) events in other Narnia stories?
3. The apple is important. What does it symbolize (何を象徴｛しょうちょう｝する)? What does it do?　（どんな役割ですか）
4. How is Aslan’s creation of the world different from the creation story in the book of Genesis? (see video below)

Writing Strategies 2, session 11: December 9th, 2011

Today, we answered some more short essay questions on “The Magician’s Nephew”.

1. Digory is a mixture of good and bad motives.
1. Describe some of his actions that come from good motives.
2. Describe some of his actions that come from bad motives.
3. What actions does he take that clearly shows him to be a good person?

Writing Strategies 2, session 10: December 2nd, 2011

Today, we read some sample short essay questions on “The Magician’s Nephew”, and wrote some of our own.

1. What things are prohibited in the garden?
   Climbing the wall is forbidden; those who come to the garden must enter through the golden gates. Stealing fruit, especially for your own
   use, is also forbidden – fruit can only be taken with permission and for another person rather than for the one who picks it.
2.  What arguments does the Witch use to try to persuade Digory to eat the apple himself or take it home to his mother? Give at
   least two for each.
   To persuade Digory to eat the apple himself, she uses the following arguments:
   * She has tasted the fruit and can feel that it has given her eternal youth and life – it works.
   * She suggests that Digory would be able to be King of the world (with her as his Queen) if he eats it.
   * She implies that she will be his wife or consort if he eats it – it has already been implied that she uses her beauty to manipulate people
   and that Digory considers her to be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.
   * She reminds Digory that one day he will be old and weak and dying and may regret not taking his chance at eternal life and youth.
   To persuade Digory to take the apple home to his mother, she uses the following arguments:
   * She tells him that his mother will be healed.
   * She tells him that his mother will be free from pain immediately and be able to sleep without sedation.
   * She tells him that his home will be happy again.
   * She says that he will be normal, like other boys, if his mother is healed.
   * She tells Digory that his mother would be upset if she knew that Digory could have healed her but didn’t.
   * She tells Digory that his father’s heart would be broken if Digory refuses to heal her with the apple.
   * She accuses Digory of being cruel and pitiless.
   * She tries to make the Lion appear as a selfish wild animal who treats Digory as his slave.
   * She says that it would be very easy for Digory to cover up the truth of where he got the apple and what he was supposed to do with it.
3.  In what way is the treatment of Uncle Andrew an example of poetic justice?
   In the past, Uncle Andrew has looked down on animals as things that are inferior to himself and he has felt justified in using them for cruel experiments, such as his experiments on guinea pigs when some of them exploded. Now the talking animals believe that he is an animal that cannot talk and treat him the way that a human would treat a non-talking animal, keeping him in a cage and naming him. However, their treatment of Uncle Andrew is much kinder than the treatment he has given animals – they all give him the type of food that they themselves would like to eat (the bear is especially generous) and they regard him with affection and concern (notice that they refer to him as “poor old Brandy” and hope that the food will “have done it some good”).

Homework

Answer question 1, and question 2 OR 3.

1. What will happen to the Witch now that she has eaten an apple?
   The Witch’s wish of eternal youth and strength like a goddess has come true even though she stole an apple. However, she will be
   miserable and unhappy for eternity, because her heart is evil and it will only grow more evil as the years pass – Aslan says she will grow
   stronger in dark Magic. This experience of misery and despair that came as a result of eating the apple means that the scent of the other
   apples now fill her with horror. This is possibly made worse by her usual reaction to life and wholesomeness – notice how she reacts in
   the Wood Between the Worlds.
   She has gone into the north of the world and will remain hidden there while she learns more magic.
2.  Name two things that make the apple tree planted by Digory different from other apple trees in our world.
   * The tree grows from a core to a seedling overnight.
   * The tree mysteriously moves even when no wind is blowing to explain or cause this.
   * The apples produced by it are very healthy, even if they cannot restore a dying person to full health.
   * The wood from the tree is magical and enables somebody to travel to Narnia.
3. What changes come to the Ketterley household once Digory’s mother is restored to full health?
   The house becomes a more pleasant place to live in, especially as more sunlight and fresh air are let into the house. Flowers are used as
   decorations and the quality of food improves – it is implied that these things are done at Mrs. Kirke’s request. The piano is tuned, and the
   house becomes filled with music as well as laughter. Lastly, after Mr. Kirke’s return from India, Uncle Andrew leaves the London house
   and Aunt Letty is freed from the responsibility of looking after the problems he causes, as well as being freed from nursing Digory’s
   mother.

(Makeup) Writing Strategies 2, session 7: November 4th, 2011

「正直いって泣きました。DVDが無いのが残念。発売を切にお願いします。 」　（アマゾンジャパンのカスタマーレヴュー）

(The above photo came from the website Awesome Stories, and according to this website the original photo belongs to Joy’s son, Douglas Gresham.

Today, we watched part of “Shadowlands” (click the link to read Japanese reviews of it), a movie about CS Lewis’ marriage to Joy Davidman. First, they married for convenience. CS Lewis married her so that she could stay in Britain. He did not want her and her children to have to go back to the United States and live with her sometimes violent, drunkard husband.

They kept the marriage a secret. Joy lived in London with her children, and Lewis continued to live in Oxford. Then Joy was diagnosed with cancer. CS Lewis had grown to love Joy, and asked a priest friend to marry them in the hospital.

That is as far as we watched. See the trailer here:

We watched the movie on VHS. Although there is a DVD, there is no Japanese version which can be played on Japanese DVD players.

Writing Strategies 2, session 9: November 25th, 2011

Please read about the final presentations. I have updated the information, and added a link to a list of children’s books for you to choose from.

Today,

we answered these questions about chapter 13:

1. Q: What is written on the golden gate?
1. A: “Come in by the gold gates or not at all, /Take my fruit for others or forbear,/For those who steal or those who climb my wall / Shall find their heart’s desire and find despair.”
2. Q: Digory wants to taste the silver apple. What arguments does he make to convince himself? What stops him?
1. A: Digory wonders if it would be wrong to taste one; the words on the gate “might only have been a piece of advice – and who cares about advice?” Digoro also wonders if, since he’s already obeyed the part about taking one “for others,” would it be wrong to take a second for himself? Digory is stopped because he sees a beautiful bird roosting in the tree, seemingly watching him. Had the bird not been watching, Digory might have done it.”
3. Q: Who does  Digory see leaving the garden? What is she doing? How has she changed?
1. The Witch. She is throwing away the core of the apple she has just eaten. She looks stronger and prouder, even triumphant, but also she looks deadly white.
4. Q: How does the witch try to turn Digory against Aslan?
1. A: She tells Digory that whoever eats one of the apples will never grow old or die. She also tells him that one bite of the apple will heal his mother. She asks him, “What has the Lion ever done for you that you should be his slave?” and “What can he do to you once you are back in your own world?” She says that Digory’s refusal to bring an apple to his mother shows that Aslan has made Digory heartless.
5. Q: How does Digory know he has made the right choice?
1. A: He remembers the tears in Aslan’s eyes. It means that Aslan also cares about Digory’s mother, and perhaps he will help.

Silver apples

CS Lewis probably knew the poem “Wandering Angus” by his fellow Irishman, W.B. Yeats. The last stanza contains these lines

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

What is the difference between an essay and a report?

Homework for week 10, Dec. 2nd

1. Read chapters 14 and 15.
2. Read John 10:1-30. What does Jesus say about those who do not come in by the gate?
3. Read Genesis 3. How did the serpent tempt Eve to eat the fruit?
4. Read Genesis 3:22. Why did God expel Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden?
5. Choose your topic for your final presentation and tell me as soon as possible. Start reading your chosen book.

Writing Strategies 2, session 8: November 11th, 2011

Nov. 11th is Remembrance Day in the UK and Europe. (Click here for more pictures.)

Announcements

1. Final presentations will be on Jan. 6th and 13th (sessions 13 and 14). Everyone, please be ready to give your presentation on Jan. 6th. I will select about half the students to present on that day at random.
1. see below for details of final presentations and final papers.
2. The final exam will be on Jan. 20th (session 15).
3. The make-up class will be on Nov. 25th, 5th period in the same classroom as usual. I will show a movie, “Shadowlands” which tells the story of Lewis’ short marriage to Joy Davidson.

Homework (for Nov. 25th, session 9)

1. summarise chapters 11 and 12
2. write 8 questions about chapters 11 and 12:
1. 5 quiz questions (the answers are in the story)
2. 3 non-quiz questions – things you don’t understand or want to know, and the answers are not in the story
3. Read 1 Corinthians 1:18, 19 and 2 Corinthians 2:15, 16 (write or print out the Japanese translation and bring to the next class)
1. For whom is the gospel “foolishness”?
2. For whom is the gospel “the power of God”?
4. Read John 10:1-30 (write or print out the Japanese translation and bring to the next class).
1. Who is the shepherd Jesus talks about?
2. Who are the sheep?

Final presentations

1. Students must
1. give a final presentation  and also hand in a written paper by January 13th, 2012.
2. Choose ONE from the list of topics below (if you want to do something that is not on the list, please email me or talk to me in class).
3. You can use
1. Powerpoint, or
2. make a poster or
3. make handouts.
4. The presentation should be 5  minutes.
5. The written paper should be about 2 pages of A4 (double-spaced, with a reference list 参照文献), and in English only.
2. For a C grade,
   1. Write a summary of the book.
   2. Write a review of the book in Japanese and post it on Amazon Japan.
3. For a B grade,
1. What does “The Magician’s Nephew” teach us about Christianity?
2. Book reports. Compare“The Magician’s Nephew” with
   1. another of the Narnia stories
   2. another story by C.S. Lewis
   3. a non-fiction book by C.S. Lewis
   4. another English children’s fantasy story (click here to see the list on Google Docs – no login necessary).
4. For an A grade,
1. Do both presentation AND final paper IN ENGLISH ONLY. BUT!
   1. When you do your presentation, remember you are talking to your CLASSMATES
   2. Look at their faces – do they understand you?
   3. If necessary, explain key or difficult English words IN JAPANESE, by
      1. verbal explanation 口頭の説明
      2. writing on the board
      3. prepare a handout beforehand with key or important or difficult English words explained in Japanese
   4. speak slowly and clearly
   5. look at your audience’s faces (eye-contact)

 

 

Writing Strategies 2, session 6: October 28th, 2011

Nov. 4th class cancelled. Next class is Nov. 11th.

Homework:

1. Summaries of chapters 10, 11 and 12. 8, 9 and 10 (very sorry!)
2. Find illustrations for 3 things in chapters 10-12. Useful illustrations, that help you and other students learn unfamiliar things, i.e. things that don’t exist in Japan or Japanese culture.
3.  C.S. Lewis meant for the creation of Narnia  to closely follow the creation of the Earth as recorded in the old Testament. For each of the verses in the table below, write down what part of creation is mentioned, and then write down the comparable event from The Magician’s Nephew. Some examples are shown:
4. …………………………..   Creation of our World             Creation of Narnia
1. Genesis 1:2
2. Genesis 1:11          God created all the Earth’s plants
3. Genesis 1:14 – 18
4. Genesis 1:20 – 25                                               Animals burst from the ground. Birds emerge from the trees.

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