Welcome to the most advanced level of English 2B. As with English 2A, the aims of this course include providing students with opportunities to (a) use oral English skills obtained prior to entering the university, (b) extend that knowledge through a variety of speaking and listening activities, and (c) gain confidence in their ability to function in English both inside and outside the academic community of the university.

The Basics ...

English 2B (advanced) syllabus (coming soon)

For those of you that had me as an instructor last year, you'll remember that I insist on polite email when you contact me. For those of you that are new to my classes, note that you must write to me in appropriately formal language. Lest you not know exactly what I want, please take a close look at how to write a polite e-mail.

As you will know from class, this term you and a partner will be required to make a mini-presentation about one aspect of one of our topics. The details of your mini-presentation are here for your reading pleasure.

Please hand in your reaction reports via this File Request. (updated November 18, 2023)

 Reading The New York Times 

This section includes random—yet somehow related—links from the units in our textbook, Reading The New York Times, by Hideki Watanabe and Yoshitaka Kozuka. Enjoy!

First, as you'll know from class, you are required to do some extra reading from the New York Times. Your first step would thus be to visit the NY Times website, where you'll be able to read up to 10 articles per month for free.

 Unit 6 — Hunting Whales  

 Week 1 — New Bid to Phase Out Whaling (September 22) 

In case you're not aware of this, I would like to introduce whaling briefly. This has a long history in many areas, one of which is Japan. On the other side of the world we have also witnessed a long history, part of which includes sailing ships like in the image to the right as well as those featured in Melville's 1851 seminal work, Moby Dick; or, The Whale.

Let's begin with Japan's decision to cancel its 2014 hunt and the more recent development in 2019: Japan's resumption of commercial whaling

Of course, at the heart of this debate we find several parties, including the International Whaling Commission as well as such environmental groups as Greenpeace and the folks from the organization that brings you high-speed boats that harass the Japanese whaling fleet and occasionally get squeezed between ships, too.

I wasn't aware of this until just recently, but apparently we have imported a considerable quantity of whale meat from Iceland in the interest of providing it for "consumers" here. I'd be interested in hearing what you think about the necessity of doing so ... think it over, Gentle Students.

Here we have a recent and quite unsympathetic story on Japan and its whaling industry.

Why whaling in Japan? (July 2019)

 Week 2 — Other Whale Hunts (September 29) 

One area in which whale hunting persists is in Alaska. Here we have a remarkable video about the Barrow whale hunt, courtesy of the New York Times.

A somewhat similar issue involving a protected animal also exists in the US. I am speaking of our national symbol, the bald eagle, and its cousin, the golden eagle. Both of these magnificent birds are protected under US law, meaning it is illegal to hunt, kill, capture, or even disturb them. However, Native Americans (i.e., Indians, First Nation People) are permitted to possess eagle feathers and other parts because of their use in traditional culture: Birds of a Feather: The Afterlives of America's Eagles . Again, this is not something I had ever thought about (we learn something new every day, don't we?), but where exactly do such people obtain eagle feathers and such? The answer is at the National Eagle Repository , of course.

For your reading pleasure, here is a piece by Alexander Gillespie that nicely states addresses some of the concerns about cultural uses of endangered species. As you'll read, this is about contemporary New Zealand, but the points raised are germaine to all contexts, I would suggest.

 Whaling Material: 

Here, my minions, we have more material on the roundtable. This is, of course, based on the Arthurian legend in which King A meets with his knights around a table, the shape of which was not square. Although the topic is different, here is a good example of a roundtable discussion in which President Barack Obama met with students to discuss the cost of education. I would also like you to read this page from The Busy Teacher about roundtable discussions.

 Week 3 — Roundtable Discussion on Hunting Whales (October 6) 

Gosh, people, we will have a roundtable discussion today (which you cleverly ascertained from the heading, I suspect).

 Unit 8 — The Meaning of Grades 

 Week 4 — Meaning of Grades (October 13) 

Harvard University, as you perhaps have heard, is considered one of the finest universities in the world. It draws students from around the world to study in its hallowed environment, but not so long ago it came under criticism for so-called grade inflation, which we will have talked about in class. As you will see in this opinion piece from the Harvard Crimson, the average GPA has climbed steadily to a very high level.

You might be wondering if if grade inflation is a worldwide trend. That is a valid question, of course, my minions.

Hmm, I happened on a website devoted solely to grade inflation. It is cleverly located at gradeinflation.com ... wow. At any rate, while a relatively unattractive page, it does contain quite a bit of information in addition to lots of figures — have a look and draw your own conclusion, Gentle Students.

Here we have an interesting argument for your consideration. These two slightly hair-challenged gents suggest that grade inflation has unrecognized benefits, which I'd ask you to ponder prior to reading the article. In what possible way could grade inflation be a positive thing?

Not everyone agrees, however, as you'll read in this article from The Atlantic in which the author writes in defense of grade inflation at Harvard.

 Class Material for today's class: 

 Week 5 — the History of Letter Grades (October 20)  

Let's begin with a story about the letter grading system and why it is likely to remain in place. (Quite frankly, I was surprised to learn that it is not really such an old system.)

Lest you think that this issue has escaped the attention of scholars, allow me to introduce a couple articles that address this issue. The first, Schneider and Hutt (2013) Abstract
This article provides a historical interpretation of one of the defining features of modern schooling: grades. As a central element of schools, grades-their origins, uses and evolution-provide a window into the tensions at the heart of building a national public school system in the United States. We argue that grades began as an intimate communication tool among teachers, parents, and students used largely to inform and instruct. But as reformers worked to develop a national school system in the late nineteenth century, they saw grades as useful tools in an organizational rather than pedagogical enterprise-tools that would facilitate movement, communication and coordination. Reformers placed a premium on readily interpretable and necessarily abstract grading systems. This shift in the importance of grades as an external rather than internal communication device required a concurrent shift in the meaning of grades-the meaning and nuance of the local context was traded for the uniformity and ñingibility of more portable forms.
(mouseover to read the abstract) looked at the evolution of grades from a pedagogical tool into an organizational one. In the second, Durm (1983) Abstract
"Is that information going to be on the test?" This question is one teachers often hear from students. When instructors hear this, they should realize those particular students probably consider grades a higher priority than learning. It seems, for some, that securing a higher grade point average takes precedence over knowledge, learning career-related skills, and other aspects needed to compete in today's world. This fact, coupled with the realization that many college students will, if given a choice, opt for the "easy teacher" rather than one from whom they may learn more, should make teachers reexamine the current system of grading.
, the author suggests that the priorities of our traditional grading system are need of reconsideration.

Contact me if you're interested in readng the articles.

Here you'll find a short but interesting video about grade inflation at Ivy League universities.

 Class Material: 

 Week 6 — Convince the Cynic (October 27)  

On this day your group will be meeting with me for a brief meeting (imagine 15-20 minutes) in which you will provide (a) an overview of your group's opinion about this issue and (b) a possible solution (or two). You will need to be prepared to answer questions, too. Be aware that your group will only need to attend class at your scheduled time.

Your homework: As mentioned in class today, because we will have no class on November 3, your homework to write a letter to someone with your opinion, recommendation(s), and so forth. You will find an example of the formal letter format that I would like you to use, and here is the explanation sheet for that letter. Please look at both of these files carefully. Let's hand in your letter via this File Request (grade letter). (Now an active link—8:00am, Nov 17th)

 Unit New — Global Water 

 Week 7 — The Coming Global Water Crisis (November 10) 

We perhaps tend to overlook this here in Japan, a country blessed with abundant water resources. However, it is quite easy to overlook the fact that many places are not so fortunate: some 2/3 of the world faces severe water shortages (from time to time). (Here is this article as a Word document.) Mentioned in the article is the late Professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra of the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

Let's begin with an article from The Atlantic on The Coming Global Water Crisis.

As you might know, among the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, Goal #6 is Clean Water and Sanitation. You will also find the UN's SDG6 Data Portal useful, I think.

Let's take this to a more personal level, folks. What is your "water lifestyle"? How much water do you use during an average day? A useful concept here is the water footprint; we'll find much more information at the Water Footprint Network.

 Class Material: 

 Week 8 — Out of Thin Air, Etc. (November 17)  

One promising solution—among several—is based on the idea of collecting water vapor in the desert. For starters, this webpage shows how to build a solar still, which is quite simple. If one could scale that idea and make use of more ambient desert air, the result might be something like you'll see here on the the Warka Water webpage; this is named after a particular tree native to Ethiopia (in the photo, folks).

An organization that is worth knowing more about is Water.org, which was co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. The Water.org webpage is here, and I especially encourage you to visit the "Our Solutions" menu under the About Us tab and the "Where We Work" section under the Our Impact tab.

In the midst of this discussion, you should note that not all efforts to address water issues involve technological solutions. As noted in class, these other efforts can include political, social, and even commercial.

 Class Material: 

 Week 9 — Country/Region Reports (November 24)  

Today we'll be enjoying group reports about a particular country or region with water issues.

 Unit New — Same-Sex Marriage 

 Week 10 — US Supreme Court Rules For Same-Sex Marriage (December 1) 

In a remarkable (and long, long overdue) decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a right for all US citizens across the country (If you would like to print the article, it is here as a Word document) Different states in the US had various laws regarding same-sex marriage, but this decision reduced those to a collective moot point. From that day forth, all marriages between two people—regardless of gender—were deemed legal and afforded the same protection and rights. As I noted, this is a remarkable and long-overdue step. Here is a report from ABC News on the Supreme Court decision .

On a personal note, I have known several gay people over the course of my life, and I am pleased that their respective relationships are now equal in the eyes of the law.

To better understand this development, we shall begin with a look at the movement that underpinned this momentous decision. The movement began a number of years ago, as detailed in this article from History.com.

Let us take a moment to review what the Declaration of Independence says:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

As you will certainly notice, the Declaration does not refer to only heterosexual people. While the wording is, of course, men, this has long been interpreted to mean people instead of only males.

 Class Material: 

 Week 11 — The Struggle for Rights in the US (December 8)  

Today we will peruse this issue in several other contexts. We'll begin with a look at a context closer to home.

As you might have realized from our reading last week, there is a parallel in US history in the civil rights movement.

An issue I had never pondered is in relation to American Indians (which I prefer to refer to as First Nation people) and the Supreme Court's decision. As noted here in First Nations on same-sex marriage, tribes in the United States do not fall under state or federal law; tribal law is enforced. Thus, the SCOTUS decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015, does not apply on the respective reservations.

Allow me to add one final note. This particular topic, as you are well aware, is about the exclusion of and subsequent efforts to return an individual or a group to the status enjoyed by a dominant group in society. The list of such oppressed groups is long and includes women, various ethnic groups, people of various sexual orientations, people of various religions, and so forth. Ironically, just two months after that historic Supreme Court ruling, a movie was released in the US that dealt with the issue of whether a talking, sentient being was entitled to the same rights as regular citizens.

Here is the list of resources we glanced at in last Friday's class.

You might wonder here about the actual status of same-sex marriage around the world. It is, as you'll see when you check in detail, rather uncommon for states (i.e., nations) to recognize same-sex marriage. You might have a look at this issue on the Pew Research Center website. On the other hand, quite a few countries not only do not recognize same-sex marriage, but they actually criminalize LGBT behavior.

 Class Material: 

 Week 12 — Court Preparation (December 15)  

This day will be devoted to preparation for the Supreme Court deliberation on January 12. As you are aware, you should have become quite knowledgeable about this issue, and today in class I would like to speak with each group and hear some about your preparation and lines of inquiry that you might pursue.

Another facet of this issue falls under the aegis of technology, my minions. As you are well aware, many people have an online presence via such apps as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (now X), and so forth. Such a presence is not entirely without risk, however, and in some areas this is particularly true (see Link #1 below). You might note the organization behind that webpage, incidentally. A second resource is Link #2, which offers an interesting look at the background of LGBTQ+ in the Muslim world

 Class Material: 

 Week 13 — English 2B Supreme Court (December 22)  

As you will know from our previous class, we will be holding a courtroom discussion concerning the issue of same-sex marriage. You will assume the parts normally extant in a courtroom: lawyers, judge(s), and witnesses.

 Week 14 — Final Project Presentation (January 12)  

In our final class, you will make an oral presentation about your final project. Because we will probably not have time for everyone's presentation, some people will need to visit my office during the final exam week to make their presentation.

 Your Final Project—  

As you'll know from class, you have two options for your final class, but no matter which option you choose, I would like you to dig deeply into either (a) some aspect from our textbook, or (b) some news topic (hint: look through the news links here on this page). You will need, of course, to indicate your sources.

The result of your project will be an oral report (on January 12) and a written report due by Friday, January 26). Please hand in your final report using this File Request (Final Report 2024.01).

Writing

As you know from class, I require polite email. Recall, too, that if you send me a file, the filename has a certain form.

Here's an example of the report style (gaslights paper) that you should use.

Miscellaneous

In a recent article Nancy McCormack (2010) addressed the question of whether "Are e-books making us stupid". Specifically, she looked closely at what might become of libraries as we move increasingly toward reading e-books instead of paper books. The abstract is here Abstract
In 2008, Nicholas Carr published a provocative article titled "Is Google making us stupid?" in which he ponders the effect of the internet and electronic sources generally on the brain. This paper discusses one source specifically, e-books, and explores whether libraries are acting wisely by moving from print to electronic book collections. The topic is considered from the vantage point of the library and from that of the patron. Specifically, the prospect of an all or largely all e-book future is considered and whether that future means an end to traditional library collections and services. The potential problems for 'deep reading' are also considered, and, specifically, whether e-books can serve as an adequate substitute for patrons who will no longer be able to use electronic collections in the way they once used print. In short, this paper explores whether e-books are making us librarians and patrons stupid.
(mouseover to read it); contact me if you're interested in readng the entire article.