Let's make a commercial (December 7~)

For the next several weeks, you will work in groups to make a TV commercial.

The basic plan is for you to write a script, practice the CM, shoot the video, edit the video, upload it to youtube and put it on a HP. We will begin today, December 7.

Here are the steps you should follow:

1. First, think of the product you want to use. It can be a product already on the market or you can make up a product you would like to advertise.
2. Write the script. The commercial should be 30~60 seconds long.
3. Prepare any props and costumes you need. You should definitely have the product in your CM.
If you want to show any writing, put it on a large piece of paper and show it in your video in the place where you want to have it.
4. Practice the commercial.
5. Bring your cameras to class. A smartphone will work and so will an iPad,  but a camera or a small video camera would be better.
6. Shoot the commercial
7. Edit the commercial - you have to do this by yourselves. You might be able to do it in your cameras. Or you can use Windows Movie Maker (it is installed in Chuo 502 and at keisanki-center) or iMovie. If you know other software, it is OK to use it.
8. The final video should be in a format that is uploadable to youtube: these should be OK -
     MPEG4
     MOV
     ,WMV
     ,FLV
9. Upload your video to youtube. If you need help, put the video on a USB stick and give it to me. I can upload your video to youtube. It would be better, though, if you can do it yourself. I think you need to make an account on youtube (or maybe use your gmail account) to do that. I have to find out the details. If someone already knows how to do it, please tell us.
10. Upload the youtube video to one of blogs and write a few paragraphs about it. Specifically, write a paragraph and introduce the members of your group, what your product is, why you chose it, and your idea for the script. You can write other things and put up photos related to the product or CM too.

OK, let's get started - brainstorm your ideas for the product and the script!

Here is the rough schedule:

12/7 - # 1 and # 2
HW for 12/14 - finish #2 and prepare what you need for #3, and bring the camera you will use.
12/14 - #4, #5, #6 - DO NOT FORGET ANYTHING - INCLUDING YOUR CAMERAS!
HW for 12/21 - start #7
12/21 - #7, #8, #9
HW for 1/11 - upload the video to youtube and bring it on a USB to class just in case.
1/11 - 発表！and writing comments on all of the commercials

We must finish our group work by 12/21 so please work hard so we can keep to the schedule!

Some free websites for learning English

NHKテレビ講座

「ニュースで英会話]（無料で英語が勉強できる）

アルク

英辞郎 オンライン辞書（日英どちらからでも調べられて便利）

ESL Podcast

ゆっくりでわかりやすいポッドキャストでもしっかりリスニング力がつきます

Breaking News English

わかりやすくておもしろい英語ニュース

CNN News

世界のニュースを英語で

BBC Learning English

イギリス英語を学びたい人向け

Culips

カナダに関心がある人にはカナダ英語のポッドキャスト

My Australia

オーストラリアに興味がある人（留学生やワーキングホリデイでオーストラリアで生活している若者たちのストーリー）

Unit 10: Principles of Journalism (p. 94)

Read these sentences and put the correct word (in red) in each blank to make them complete.

adequate    compiled     cover     ethic     multiple     objective     obligation     paradigm
profession   underlying

1. A(n)                                        principle of journalism is to tell the truth. It is a

basic                                                of the                                  .

2. Journalists have a(n)                                     to know what is going on.

3. The news story was                                  by two reporters.

4. There's a new                              in the field of journalism. Think about how reporters                      stories now.

5. Talking to only one person isn't                             . Journalists should use
                              sources for a news story.

6. Readers don't want opinions. They want                                information.

Presentation tips

Tips on how to make a good presentation

How to make a good presentation

Organize your presentation. Introduce the points clearly using the key words: First, next, then, finally, etc. If you are not clear and well organized, you will be confused and so will your audience.

Practice. In most presentations, the audience can tell who has practiced and who hasn't. Practice giving your presentation in front of your family or friends, or in front of the mirror. Work on what you're going to say and how you're going to say it. You'll feel a lot more confident

Smile at your audience. Be happy; you're about to teach your entire class something they didn't know before.

Feel confident of your presentation. When you give your class a presentation, your teacher is essentially having you take over their job for a little while. It's your job to make sure everyone understands what you're trying to tell them. Make sure you pay attention to how your teacher does this before your presentation, because teachers are expert presenters.

Make eye contact. Nothing is more boring than listening to a presenter who looks at the floor or at note-cards. Relax. Your audience is made up of your friends and you talk to them all the time; talk the same way now.

Speak with variation in your voice. Your goal is to engage your audience, not put them to sleep. Be animated about your topic. Talk about it as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Your classmates will thank you for it.

Speak slowly, clearly and loudly. When you are nervous, you naturally speed your talking up. Slow down, give pauses between ideas so your audience has time to think. Speak clearly and practice difficult words till you can say them easily or use simpler, easier to say words. If you are not using a microphone, speak loudly enough so everyone in the room can hear you. If you are using a microphone speak slowly enough so people can catch what you are saying. Don't put your mouth too close to the microphone or your voice will be distorted.

Stand up straight and face the audience. When you are showing your slides make sure to keep looking at your audience as you point to them. There is nothing more rude than showing your back to the audience. Besides that, we won't be able to hear you.

Use hand motions. Move your hands along as you talk, using them to emphasize points and keep the audience interested. It will also help you control your nervousness. BUT! Do not move too much or the audience will feel sick.

Have a good conclusion. You've probably heard the presentations that end in something like "that's all" or "thank you for listening." Don't do either. Your conclusion is your final impression on your audience, including your teacher. Make it exciting by introducing a final point, or come up with something creative to do at the end. Your conclusion can be anything so long as your audience knows you're finished.

Walk back to your seat with a smile. Keep in your mind that you just did something that many people would never be able to do. Leave the stage with confidence.

Don't talk too long. If you are running short of time, cut something so you can end on time, with enough time for questions. If you prepare and practice well, you should not go overtime.

Bottom line. You cannot prepare a presentation the night before. Start early, prepare and practice well, keep breathing during your presentation, and share what you have prepared confidently.

Two blogs for homework

Make two blog posts on your group blog page. Do not be late! Make them interesting and informative and in beautiful English.

Blog #9: Everyone should write it. It is due October 26 (Friday) at 17:00.
The topic is about advertising in Japan. You can write about anything you like, but please make it interesting and report some research.

Blog #10: Everyone should write it. It is due November 5 (Monday) at 17:00. Do not be late!
The topic is: Introduce an interesting TV commercial that you can find online. Include the link to it, and the following information:

1. the product name
2. the company who makes it
3. the story of the ad
4. the link to where we can watch it online
5. why you chose it
6. the interesting points about it
7. your evaluation of the ad - how successful is it? what is good and bad about it?
Consider these points - the story, the information given, the way it is made, the music, the scene, etc.

Write the above information in sentences. Include a photo of the product so we know what it is.

Comments for both blogs are due November 9 (Friday) at 17:00.

Do a good job!

Advertising Facts

Some interesting information and facts about advertising are the topic of this post.
http://www.magazineadvertisement.jp/magazineadvertisement_price.html

general prices

Explanation: from Magazine ad - http://magazine-ad.com/space.html

Lettuce Club

Weekly magazine

Circulation: 217,000

http://www.magazineadvertisement.jp/magazineadvertisement_price.html

「レタスクラブ」広告料金データ
【広告スペース】 【定価料金】
表四4C1P 3,000,000円
表二4C見開き 4,800,000円
4C1P         2,200,000円

Tokyo Walker

Bi-weekly magazine

Circulation: 41,000

http://magazine-ad.com/information/a0003.html

「東京ウォーカー」広告料金データ
【広告スペース】 【定価料金】
表四4C1P 950,000円
表三4C1P 800,000円
表二4C1P 1,000,000円
4C1P 850,000円

An article about ad revenue in the U.S. from The New York Times

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/new-york-times-supported-by-readers-not-advertisers.html

Some statistics from Neilsen from techcrunch.com

http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/10/nielsen-internet-ads-in-q1-grew-by-12-1-while-magazines-declined-1-4/

Unit 5: Lecture notes (sample)

Multiple Intelligences

Multiple intelligences - multiple = many
Intelligence = strength/strong abilities

Plan - theory and effect in classroom

IQ = intelligence quotient (130 = very smart; 100 = average)
Factors that affect scores: culture, education, test-taking ability

M.I. theory - we have all 9, but in relative strengths

1. Verbal - speaking/writing
2. Math - #s, diagrams, logic
3. Musical - feel sound
4. Artistic - drawing, painting, fashion --> creativity
5. Spatial - charts/maps/sense of direction
6. Kinesthetic - learn by doing
7. Interpersonal - get along with people
8. Intrapersonal - know yourself
9. Nature - connection with nature/environment

2 Impacts on Teaching:    1. how to teach
                                                 2. how to test

Example -

Teaching a  lesson on trees -

+ talks about trees
+ draws on the board
+ class takes a walk - touch/feel
+ ss draw picture

Testing this lesson -
Ss can choose - write, draw, paint, write a song

Bottom line - tests should evaluate Ss' understanding **

Standardized tests --> discrimination??

July 13 class: Social media

What is social media? Define it with your classmates and give some examples. Do you participate in social media?
Here is some information about social media from webtrends.about.com:

What is Social Media?

The best way to define social media is to break it down. Media is an instrument on communication, like a newspaper or a radio, so social media would be a social instrument of communication.

In Web 2.0 terms, this would be a website that doesn't just give you information, but interacts with you while giving you that information. This interaction can be as simple as asking for your comments or letting you vote on an article, or it can be as complex as Flixster recommending movies to you based on the ratings of other people with similar interests.

Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter.

Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too.

Now, let us discuss some examples of social media. The 2012 summer Olympic games is said to be the "socialympics." What ways could the Olympic games use social media?


Here are two more examples:

1. taskrabbit - a site where you can hire someone to do something for you.

2. CouchSurfing - find a place to stay overnight when you are traveling - for free!

There are mobile apps for some of these sites too, which makes them all the more attractive.

What examples can you think of?

July 20 speaking test, July 13 unit test, and Blog #6

Speaking test
You will have a 5-10 minute speaking test in pairs or threes on July 20. It will take place in the Communication room (Chuo 6F). I will ask you to speak with a partner about two or three of the sentences we studied in the vocabulary sections of Units 1, 4, and 8. You should prepare for a discussion on the contents and vocabulary of two or three of the following:

Unit 1 (p. 3)
1. Some parents admire famous athletes as strong role models, so they name their children after them.
5. Some parents are concerned about discrimination. They don't want their children treated unfairly because of their names.
7. Women in three generations of my family have had the name Sarah - my grandmother, my mother, and my sister.
8. When I hear the name Barbie, I see an image of a tall, blond girl.
10. A name can be a symbol of identity, especially for celebrities.

Unit 4 (p. 33)
2. There are many expenses in running a restaurant. An owner needs to balance his or her desire to make money with the customers's desire for good prices.
3. Delicious food and comfortable chairs are two components of a good dining experience.
4. There was a big contrast between the two restaurants. One had great food; the other's was awful.

Unit 8 (p. 73)
4. The intended use or purpose of a mall is a place to shop. A cafe's intended use is as a place to eat.
7. A building must serve the needs and purposes of the people who use it. If the building does this, then the architect has met the objective.
9. Frank Gehry's designs often use irregular angles. It's important to stress, however, that the designs are still structurally sound.
10. Frank Gehry was resourceful because he liked to utilize chain-link fence, plywood, sheet metal, and other building materials that were easily available to him.

We will decide your speaking partners and the test schedule on July 13. For the speaking test on July 20, you may not refer to any materials. I will prepare what you need during the test.

Unit 8 test
On July 13, we will have the unit test (listening test) for Unit 8. For the Unit 8 listening test, you may bring one page of handwritten notes to refer to as you are taking the test. No other materials will be allowed.

Blog #6
Choose from one of these topics to write your blog: Japanese culture (including pop culture), business, or food.
The blog deadline is July 23, 17:00 and the commenting deadline is August 6, 17:00. Do a good job of posting and commenting, and do not be late for either!

Refer to your blog schedule for Blogs #7 and #8 - you should do them during in August and September. The topics for these blogs are free. Do a good job!

A bet on the sun: sample summary

This article introduces a solar powered thermal plant called "Ivanpah" that is being built in a California desert and will be the biggest solar power plant in the world. It will cost $2.2 billion and provide electricity for 140,000 homes. It is a unique project, as there are only a few places in the world where such plants operate effectively. But there are supporters and opponents of such plants: the supporters think it is a good way to produce a lot of high-quality energy. The opponents think it is risky since some companies, such as Soyndra, have gone bankrupt, despite getting a loan from the U.S. government. Therefore, critics say that the costs are overwhelming for this technology to be successful.

Homework for July 6 class: Going green with solar power

Homework #1 to hand in: Read the article of June 13, 2012 from The New York Times called Betting on the Sun. Before you access the article, think for a minute about what the article might be about.
Then go ahead and print the article off and read it. Write a summary of the article in 3-4 sentences and then write a comment about the article. Make sure to paraphrase when you write your summary - do not copy from the article! Make your comment meaningful. Type your answers and hand in July 6.

Homework #2 for a Group Discussion and to hand in: Find another article from an English newspaper (not a blog or opinion page) on the topic of "going green." There are many articles about alternative energy these days, such as solar, wind, or geothermal power. Try to find an article about one of these.
Print your article in its original form. Prepare a summary of the article in which you begin by saying the title of the article, where it is from and the date it was published. Then say a few short sentences about the article - what is it about? Then ask your group members for their comments. Finally, give your own comment.

Type and print these two homework assignments on separate sheets of paper.
Do not be late for class because you were printing your homework.

solar panels on a rooftop

Blogs #4 and #5: Frank Gehry building

Choose one of Frank Gehry's buildings and introduce it in blogs #4 and #5. Remember to write a title and start by giving your name. Then, write your blog: tell us the building you have chosen, where it is, what it is used for, and when it was made. Give other background information about it too. After that, explain what you think of it and why. Be as detailed as you can. Add a photo, or a video and links about the building. For this homework you can use photos from the internet.
Blog #4 is due July 2 and blog #5 is due July 9.
**If you have already done this homework and used a building that was not designed by Frank Gehry, it is OK, but please make sure you have included all the above information. If you have not done this homework, please choose a Gehry building.Comments are due July 13. When you make your comment, try to include a question or give an opinion that the post writer and other members of the class (and Ms. MacGregor) can reply to. Let's try to make the posts and the comments more interactive so we can have a lively discussion online!

*** If there is absolutely no Frank Gehry building you want to introduce, then choose a different architect, but make sure to include some background information about him/her in addition to the above.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Besides the above blog homework, review the lecture for a unit test during the semester in July.
Here are two versions of the video lecture. The first one is just the lecture and the second one is the lecture with powerpoint notes.

Lecture only

Lecture + Powerpoint notes

And here is the student discussion (p. 78)

Unit 8: Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry

We will study about this famous American architect in Unit 8. He has designed several buildings in Japan, one of which is
Fishdance Restaurant in Kobe. 

Fishdance Restaurant, Kobe

We will watch part of a documentary movie about Frank Gehry called Sketches of Frank Gehry, directed by Sidney Pollack in class.

In the meantime, here are some more photos of his buildings. View a long list with photos here.

Two famous buildings are the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao Spain

and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, which I have visited many times.

AGO, Toronto

June 8 class

Today we will finish up Unit 4 on owning a successful restaurant. First we will take up Listen for main ideas (pp. 36-37) B: 1. b 2. c 3. c 4. b 5. c 6. a 7. b
and Listen for details: 1. lasts 2. independent 3. social 4. furniture 5. rules 6. typical 7. menu 8. house 9. tables, kitchen 10. flowed
We will do page 39 (Talk about the topic) together and then you can try Review your notes on page 40 with a partner.
After that, I will introduce page 41 and your homework assignment for June 15:
Do p. 41 C. I will assign one of the food professions on the following list. Research the responsibilities, training required and average salary for this job. Prepare a short presentation for a small group. Hand in your presentation materials - you should write in sentences and include the URLs for any sites you refer to in your presentation. You must research this in English.
Here is the assignment list, according to your group blogs:
Group A - restaurant reviewer for a blog or travel magazine
Group B - food photographer
Group C - graphic designer (for menus and advertisements)
Group D - inter ion designer (for dining area)
Group E - food stylist

Next week we will do the Unit test for Unit 4, so you should review your notes.
Reminder: Blog #3 is due on June 11. That means Group members #3, 4, and 5 need to do a blog. It is important to be on time for your blog posting. If you are late, your grade will be lowered.

April 27 class and HW for May 11

In today's class, I will return your brands homework from 4.20, then we will watch the video for the lecture and check your answers on pages 6-7. We will finish Unit 1 by doing page 8 in class, and then discuss about the way people are addressed in Japan. As a followup to this unit, read the article about Japanese forms of address here.

Homework for May 11: Choose two products and research the backgrounds of their names. These should be product names, not company names. Find out why the product was given its name.
Then, give your opinion about the name - do you think it is a good name? Why or why not?

Your homework should be four paragraphs long, 1.5-2 pages.
Paragraph 1: give an introduction of each of your products by saying what the product name is, what kind of product it is, what company makes it, and why you chose it.
***Make sure to write the product name in the format it is used (kanji, katakana, hiragana, English, or other language). If it is not an English name, write the original name and the English spelling for it. Make sure the spelling is correct!
Paragraph 2: report the results of your research on the backgrounds of these names.
Paragraph 3: give your opinion about the name.
Paragraph 4: write a short conclusion in which you state what you learned from this homework concerning the importance of names.

Type this homework if possible and print it double sided if you can. If you cannot, staple your pages together in the top left corner. Write your name, student #, and the date in the top right. Put at title at the top of the first page.

Contemporary Topics Unit 1 - Names

Homework for 4.27: Do pages 6-7 in your text by listening to the audio recording of the lecture. The file might take a minute or two to load, so be patient. This is a quicktime audio file (mp4). If you have trouble with it, contact me.

Takanashi Dairy Co. for Brand HW from 4.13

Jump here for Ms. MacGregor's introduction of a famous brand she likes.

HW for April 20 for Friday 1 class only

Click here for the brands homework.

Welcome to class, welcome to this blog

The school year has just begun. Are you back in the swing of things? It's spring, a beautiful season of renewal. What are you plans for this year? Goals you want to achieve? Things you want to do?
To set you in the mood to move, here is some classic music from the Beatles: Twist 'n Shout.

And a song from Canada called Easy come easy go, by the Great Lake Swimmers.