Category: Class 43

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43 – Trends (Unit 1)

Write a short paragraph answering ONE of the following questions (50 words):

    1. What do you like about social networking sites like Facebook? What do you not like about them?
      • Ex. I really how social networking sites make it easy to stay in touch with my friends, but I also think they can make me lazy about seeing them. I remember when I was 19, I would chat online with one of my old friends — sometimes for more than two hours each day. The problem is she lived only about 20 minutes away from me. Instead of chatting online, we could have spent that same time having lunch or coffee together. And she was pretty!
    2. Is it important that you like what your peers like? Is there something you enjoy that is not very popular?
      • Ex. Trying to be different can make you miss out on good things in life. When I was a teenager, my friends and I listened to punk rock bands like Bad Religion and NOFX while “everyone else” listened to bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. My friends and I didn’t like those other bands because they were too popular, everyone else was listening to them. Now that I’m older and have listened to those bands again, I realize that I was stupid to not give them a chance. Their music was also really good. I was just too immature and stubborn to appreciate it.
    3. Think about something that is or was popular.  Why do you think it became popular?
      • Ex. This a trend I’ve only read about, but it is the one Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat started after appearing in the successful John Woo movie, A Better Tomorrow. A handsome and emotional actor wearing Alain Delon sunglasses, Chow played his character like a really cool guy. Apparently, Hong Kong department stores sold out of the sunglasses because so many young men wanted to look like Chow Yun-Fat.
Chow Yun-Fat in A Better Tomorrow
Chow Yun-Fat in A Better Tomorrow

Make sure your paragraph has:

    • a clear topic sentence stating your main idea
    • supporting sentences explaining the main idea

Your paragraph is DUE THURS 19 MARCH, 11:59 p.m.
Your reply to your classmate is DUE FRI 20 MARCH, 11:59 p.m.

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43 – Introduce yourself

Class 43 – Tues (09:00) and Thurs (13:15)

Hi everyone,

Write a short introduction (about 50-75 words) about yourself. This will:

  • help you become comfortable with Brain Drain and
  • allow you and your classmates to get to know each other.

All of your writing assignments will have two parts:

  1. your main post (self-introduction)
    DUE FRI 14 MARCH, 11:59 pm
  2. a brief, but thoughtful reply to one or more of your classmates
    DUE SAT 15 MARCH, 11:59 pm

If you’re not sure what to write about, here are some things you can include:

  • where you grew up and went to school
  • what you like to do in your free time
  • favorites (food, books, musicians, TV shows, etc.)
  • bad habits
  • some goals this semester
  • what you would like to do someday

Here’s my introduction:

Hi, it’s nice to meet all of you. I’ve lived in Korea for about ten years and am beginning my eighth year teaching at Kangnam University. I’m also the editor of the English edition of our university newspaper The Kangnam Hakbo. Please like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. If you’d like to do some work for the Hakbo, just let me know!

I’m from Roselle, IL, a quiet town about thirty minutes from Chicago. I have a wonderful wife who’s also my best friend. We don’t have children yet. I like writing and photography, but don’t do enough of it. I love junk food and would happily eat pizza and ramyeon every day if I didn’t think it would give me a heart attack. My wife says I drink too much coffee. She’s probably right. She usually is.