Learn to Write Right Now!

On January 17th, I will begin teaching the third term of Writing to Communicate in English for Lingua Espresso. In this course, I teach Japanese students how to create the smallest unit of English writing (the paragraph) and how to put these units together to form the most common informative kind of English writing known as the essay. We learn a lot, and we practice a little writing each week. The class goal is to produce a complete, edited essay. I proof-read and edit each piece of student writing and explain to each student why I made the changes. All of my students so far have found it a very helpful and challenging class, and I enjoy it because I think that learning to communicate in writing is as important as learning to communicate in speech. For more information on me and my course, please go to the Lingua Espresso website.

I've been a writer since I was little. My mother framed my first second-grade poem, a rather awful piece called "Happiness Is," and I've been writing ever since. I wrote a lot for myself in my journal, then in the eighth grade, when I was fourteen, I won the school essay contest on the topic "Why I Love My Country." I was very proud of that award, especially since my picture was in the paper of the little town in Arkansas that I grew up in. And after that, I never stopped writing.

I had two specialties: the essay and the poem. The essay has been my most practical form of communication. While I loved poetry, and have continued to write it for myself for several years, I never wanted to be a professional poet. The essay, on the other hand, changed my life. For one thing, I became an English major and came to excel in the essay format. From there, I found I could change my world, in both small and large ways.

Once you can write a two-page essay, you can write a five-page essay. Then a twenty-five page report, then a 110-page masters' thesis, etc. When I graduated with my PhD, I wrote a 300-page dissertation, and later wrote a novel just as long. The point is, once you start, you can write anything, of any type or length. And what can you do with that writing? Many things.

For example, I recently wrote a review of a massage conference I attended for publication in my work newsletter. Because I can write, I was able to share information with many massage therapists who could not afford to actually take the class. I also wrote a letter to the city government complaining about their poor response to a recent snowstorm. So because I can write, I can help change dangerous road conditions that hurt citizens and their vehicles. And finally, I am writing a short romance novel about an American woman and a Japanese man who form a beautiful relationship together. Why? Well, to entertain readers and to gain income for myself. This is what Americans call a win-win situation: everyone gets something they want and everyone is happy, all because I can write.

I am pleased to say that I have had a lifetime of wonderful compliments on my writing, and always enjoy teaching the skill to others. So if you are interested, please check out my upcoming writing class at Lingua Espresso. I hope to see you there!

Can You Say "Merry Christmas"?

Here we are, just a few days away from Christmas, America's biggest holiday. At Lingua Espresso, we are planning to host a free public event, a Pronunciation Master Class, on Saturday, December 21st, 10:30 am JST. I will be the designated teacher for the event, and I am really looking forward to it! For more details about the event in Japanese, click here.

Also, a few weeks ago, I sent a Christmas greeting to my current students that I'd like to republish here for everyone interested in Christmas as a modern American holiday:

Dear Students,

Christmas is coming up soon, and I wanted to sent holiday greetings to all of you. I know that Christmas is not the biggest holiday in Japan, but in America, it's the biggest holiday of the year, particularly for children. Children wait all year for Christmas and daydream about the wonderful candy and toys and time off from school.

Christmas is a hard holiday to explain. Formally, it is a religious holiday, the celebration of the birth of Christ, and so, Christianity. So things such as nativity scenes, and stars on the top of trees, and angels singing are all part of the Christian tradition. Some things, like yule logs are even older than Christianity: these were parts of Pagan celebrations that became part of Christmas as Christianity swept over Europe. And many things, like Santa Claus and his reindeer (including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), are either modern inventions or a mixture of Pagan or Christian traditions with a modern "twist."

Many Americans feel that Christmas has become too commercial and too focused on "things" such as gifts instead of love, which is the true meaning of Christmas. I believe this is true, but I also believe that some of the color and glitter and gifts are part of what make it magical for children. And also, most Americans just can't resist being just a little bit happier at Christmas. At Christmas, it seems like most people are kinder and more open-hearted. You might say that Christmas brings out the children in all of us.

Some of my happiest Christmas memories include:

1. The television claymation version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

2. Christmas Carols.

3. My first Easy-Bake Oven (they still make them for little girls).

So to all of you and your families in this month of December, may you be blessed with the love that is Christmas, and have a Happy, Happy New Year!

Lynna