上級セミナー、秋学期、２０15－２０16
Ethics in the World Today
Outline
４月の英語セミナーオリエンテーションの際に、日本語で説明します。もし質問があれば、その時にどうぞ。
What is a 上級 Seminar?
A 上級 seminar is for students who enjoy English and wish to participate
actively in class. English is the only language used, and there is an emphasis
on developing speaking skills through discussion and debate. You should
expect to do more reading and writing than in a 中級 seminar. Students
in a 上級 Seminar need to have a good grasp of basic English grammar and
vocabulary. First-year students who are confident in their basic English
skills and wish to work hard in a challenging atmosphere should apply for
a 上級 seminar. Second-year students who got an A or B grade in Study Skills
or in a 中級 seminar should also do so.
Please note that if you have spent time in an English-speaking country
and already have good listening and speaking skills, you should consider
a 特別上級 seminar rather than 上級. If you were in the English-speaking
country at elementary-school level, or spent only one or two years there
at junior-high or high-school level, you should consider my spring-term
Bridging Course (instead of Study Skills).
What is the content of the course?
"Moral issues" are problems that involve making decisions about
whether something is "right" or "wrong". We will read
about, discuss, and debate issues such as the following:
The aims are to develop the ability to examine these types of questions
in English; to compare attitudes to them in the UK and Japan; and to see
how they are dealt with in a textbook written for schoolchildren in the
UK.
NEW! What is the textbook, and why did you choose it?
I have found a textbook: Bowie, Robert. (2009.) AQA Religious Studies A: Christianity: Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. It is written for students of around 15
or 16 who have decided to take religious studies as one of the subjects
for their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).
I have chosen the book because it covers issues which are controversial
in both the UK and Japan, such as euthanasia, issues that are more controversial
in the UK than in Japan, such as abortion, issues that are less controversial
in the UK than in Japan, such as homosexuality, and issues that tend to
be ignored in both countries, such as the wealth gap. By examining how
these issues are dealt with in a UK textbook, we will also be able to look
at differences in the educational approaches of the UK and Japan. The book
focusses on Christianity, but I hope that it will be possible for us to
look at the approaches of other religions to the moral issues raised in
the book.
Unfortunately, the book is quite expensive (£16.99). I will ask Seikyo
to order copies, but it might be cheaper for you to order used copies directly
from Amazon. Today (27 April), Amazon.jp has two used copies, and Amazon.uk
has eight. (Postage is cheaper if you order from Amazon.jp. If you order
from Amazon.uk, the postage charge may mean that you do not save any money.)
What will we do in class?
Class time will be spent mainly on group discussions, debates, and presentations
followed by question and answer sessions. Most reading and writing will
be done as homework. The atmosphere of the class will be as relaxed and
supportive as possible. However, please note that I am strict about absences,
lateness and preparing for classes. You will not be recorded as present
for a class unless you have prepared for it and actually participate.
What will I achieve (apart from gaining knowledge of moral issues and differences
between education in Japan and the UK)?
You will develop the reading, writing and speaking skills that were introduced
in Study Skills. You will be able to form opinions based on evidence, and
to explain and defend these opinions in English. You will develop your
ability to write a term paper in academic English.
What have students said about your English seminars in the past?
In their evaluations of my jokyu classes, students general say that they
enjoy the class and are willing to recommend it to other students. However,
they point out that there is a lot of homework!
How should I prepare for your seminar?
The only language used in class will be English, and it would be a good idea to practice thinking in English. Students will be expected to ask questions in English if they do not
understand, and to take an active part in discussions and debates. You
will therefore need to have good listening skills, and to be able to use the vocabulary that you know.
You will also need to be able to do your own research in order to find
materials for discussions and debates, and for your presentations and written
assignments. If you do not know how to use the Keio library effectively
and/or have never been taught how to search for reliable information on
the Internet, please work through Kitie, Keio's very own online course on information literacy.
If you want more advice about how to prepare, please do not hesitate to
talk to me at the guidance sessions at the beginning of April. Otherwise,
you can send me an e-mail asking for an appointment.
View the guidelines.
View the timetable.