What is a Descriptive Essay?

Purdue OWL 


The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe an object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student’s ability to create a written account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader). 

One might benefit from keeping in mind this simple maxim: If the reader is unable to clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try, try again! 

Here are some guidelines for writing a descriptive essay: 

Take time to brainstorm 

If your instructor asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one. 

Use clear and concise language. 

This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation to that which you are intending to describe. 

Choose vivid language. 

Why use ‘horse’ when you can choose ‘stallion’? Why not use ‘tempestuous’ instead of ‘violent’? Or why not ‘miserly’ in place of ‘cheap’? Such choices form a firmer image in the mind of the reader and often times offer nuanced meanings that serve better one’s purpose. 

Use your senses! 

Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked. Embellish the moment with senses. 

What were you thinking?! 

If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild complacency. Tap into this emotional reservoir in order to achieve your full descriptive potential. 

Leave the reader with a clear impression. 

One of your goals is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation in the reader. If your reader can walk away from the essay craving the very pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive essays. 

Be organized! 

It is easy to fall into an incoherent rambling of emotions and senses when writing a descriptive essay. However, you must strive to present an organized and logical description if the reader is to come away from the essay with a cogent sense of what it is you are attempting to describe.

‘2-Pass’ Technique

The ‘2-Pass’ Technique is good for language test takers that are dealing with words that they do not fully understand or have no clue to their meaning.  For example. if the student does not know the key words, there is little they can do about it during the test so they shouldn’t waste time.

It is recommended for handling this challenge efficiently by deploying the ‘2-Pass’ technique.  The way it works is on the first pass, the student goes through quickly answering all the questions that they find easy.  The rule of thumb is that if they don’t know the answer within ten seconds, they skip to the next question. 

On the second pass, the student goes back to the more difficult questions left blank. If they still aren’t sure of the correct answer after 30 seconds they should make an educated guess and move on. 

By using the '2-Pass" Technique, it ensures that language test takers don’t get stuck on the more challenging questions and end up wasting a lot of time.

General Test Taking Tips regarding the TOEIC Exam- Reading Section

The Test of English for International Communications (TOEIC) will be changing in May 2016.  While this may be the case, there are many things regarding this test that will remain the same.  Below are some general test taking tips for this examination regarding if you take the test before or after May 2016:

1. There is no way around the fact that unless a student knows a lot of English, they can't score highly on the TOEIC test.  A good way to know if a student is ready or not for the exam is for the student to partake in a structured training program either in a class or on a one on one basis.  If the student misses most of the instruction simply because the instruction is give in English instead of their native language, they should wait to take the test till their English has improved.
2. A prerequisite to taking the TOEIC exam is for the test taker to be at a minimum at the upper beginner/lower intermediate level AND to receive instruction in English for a minimal score of 500.
3. The reading section demands the critical skill of time management.  This is managed by becoming proficient with the reading techniques of scanning and skimming.  Unlike the Listening Section, test takers can take Parts 5, 6, and 7 in various orders in an effort to manage the clock.
4. We suggest that students that are weak in the area of vocabulary to obtain a copy of the "Essential Words" for the TOEIC.  With this manual as your guide, start a word journal  and consistently find words that you don't know that are essential for success on the TOEIC and add to your word journal.
5. The "Essential Words" for the TOEIC is also good for the determining parts of speech due to the essential words being broken down in their word families.  
6. Are you able to look at a practice test problem and determine what "sounds" right?  If so, you are ahead of the curve and will be doing yourself a favor when it comes to time management.  Many have to look at the choices and eliminate based on the blank's position in the sentence or correctly choosing the right vocabulary word.
7.  If the student does not know the key words, there is little they can do about it during the test so they shouldn’t waste time.  One recommended approach for handling this part efficiently is called the ‘2-Pass’ technique.  
8. On the first pass the student goes through quickly answering all the questions they find easy. If they don’t know the answer within ten seconds, they skip to the next question. On the second pass, the student goes back to the more difficult questions left blank. If they still aren’t sure of the correct answer after 30 seconds they should guess and move on. This technique ensures that students don’t get stuck on the more challenging questions and end up wasting a lot of time.
9. The skimming reading technique is used in parts 5 and 6.  To skim is to read quickly and superficially, in order to pick up the important or significant details.
10. The scanning reading technique is used in part 7.   To scan is to look for specific information in the various targets in part 7.  The best technique for getting through this is to use PSRA.  This is to Predict what the target will be and how many questions, Scan the target by reading the questions and four possible answers before reading the target, Read around the scanned area if necessary, and the selecting your answer and moving on.  The whole PSRA process should take no more than 30 seconds per problem.  Two targets will have five problems and one target sets will have three problems.  If time management is a challenge, we suggest that you do Part 7 first.  

For more information and service request, contact Daniel Stone at daniel.stone@onestonelearning.com

May 2016- The format of the TOEIC Test will change (ENGLISH Explanation)

       Background-  More authentic communication is needed according to Educational Testing Service (ETS).  The degree of difficulty and quality of tests will stay the same and the points are not changing.   

       Other factors regarding the new format that will not change are as the following:

•     The amount of time to solve listening problems (100 questions, 45 minutes) and reading problems (100 question, 75 minutes) 
•   Test takers will need to solve 200 questions in two hours and there will be no breaks during this time.
•   The listening section will have all problems answered after listening to the conversation.
•   The reading section, will have have the test taker read the sample writing and answer.
•   Listening ranges between 5 to 495 points.  Reading ranges between 5 to 495 points.  Total is 10 to 990 points.  Scoring will be counted by 5.  For example, 450, 455, 460, 465, etc.
•   Test is all in English with the format of multiple choice.  
•   No translation will be done by student.          
•   American, British, Canadian, and Australian English is used.  

         Things to prepare for that are different for the new version are as the following:

•       New communication style such as texting, instant messaging, and multiple people chatting (3 or more).

•  In particular, test takers will focus on the use of multiple information sources and choose the right answer. 

Ex-  New version of Part 2, Question-Response-  Some of these problems will have a map or graph and test taker listens to the conversation and answer the questions.

·        

·        ·         Listening Change Points-  The number of problems have been reduced for Parts 1 & 2, but,  additional problems have been added for Part 3.  Also for Part 3, the conversations are shorter but there is more talking and there are problems using three people talking.  Furthermore, elision, the sound or syllable when speaking, (gonna=going to) and commonly used fragment sentences are used as well.

·         Parts 3 and 4 have listening conversations where a picture/drawing is linked to the conversation.  Test takers are to listen to the conversations and guess the intention.

·         Reading Change Points-  Part 5 will be reduced, but, Part 6 questions will be increased to four questions.  Questions that will confirm if the student is understanding the overall confirmation of a document will be added.  For example, choose the most appropriate sentence type of questions will be added.   Part 7 will have test taker choose the most appropriate place to add the sentence.  These kind of problems will be added.  There will be targets where texting, Instant Messaging, Online chatting with multiple people.  For example, the following questions will be added-  Read 3 related paragraphs and answer.  More questions will be added for reading.  Lastly, questions that will ask what is the intention of the writer will be added.

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TOEIC Test Prep Class, September 12th, 2015 (10am-Noon)

Starting in September, JASCO will begin offering an English class specifically
meant to prepare students for the Test of English for International Communication
(TOEIC). The TOEIC is being used more and more by Japanese employers to
determine the communication skills of their employees.
This 10 week classes starts Saturday, September 12th from 10:00am-Noon
until November 21st.

Classroom location: at JASCO (565 Metro Place South, Dublin, OH 43017)

Instructor: Daniel Stone of Two Birds One Stone Learning Center (JET alumnus)

Class Fee: $150 for JASCO members. ($200 for non-members) Test fees not
included. For registration and more details, visit our website: www.jas-co.org.

Best Regards,

Daniel J. Stone, MBA

ダニエル・ストーン

Founder and Principal Consultant

Two Birds One Stone Learning, LLC

3700 Riverside Drive, #21861

Columbus, OH  43221

Office:  614-219-9757

Cell/Text:  864-609-7295

Web:  www.onestonelearning.com

Language Learners: What is your level of responsibility for learning?

As language learners move from the beginner to intermediate and eventually to the advanced stages of their learning process, the responsibility for learning shifts from the teacher to the student. Setting realistic goals and understanding your level of responsibility during the learning process will allow you to think and become the second language you are striving for.

First, language learners need to set realistic goals. One of the biggest mistakes a language learner can make is to compare themselves to others and visa versa. Each person takes in and digests a second language differently therefore, we must compare ourselves to ourselves. For example, when we were a language learner in our home country, our ability was at level "X". Now, you have an opportunity to study a second language in a school environment in the country where the the language is spoken as a first language. It simply is not realistic to assume that after a period of three to six months that you will be able to speak the second language fluently. When you set goals, they have to be realistic and measurable. Set a series of short-term goals which ultimately will lead to your long-term goal. 

Maybe you'd like to order lunch at Subway but can't express yourself throughout the process? Find a way to get over this hurdle. Achieving this short-term goal is a boost to your confidence which is needed when you fall short on sophisticated vocabulary words, the conjugation of irregular verbs, and get overwhelmed with the various grammar points. The best way to measure your knowledge in English for example is by taking the TOEFL and TOEIC tests. Be prepared to take these tests more than once to achieve the desired score and stay positive by finding success in short-term projects.

Next, as language learners, you need to understand our responsibility for learning. At the beginner level, language learners are responsible for 25% while the instructor makes up the remaining 75%. In the intermediate level, the responsibility for learning is shared at 50-50. At the advanced level, language learners are responsible for 75% while the instructor makes up the remaining 25%.

With more and more of the responsibility being bore by the the language learner, these five tips for learning a second language will allow you to fill in the gaps as you move forward with your second language.

1. Find a structured course and stick with it. Whenever I take on a student for a private lesson, the lesson usually ends with them thanking me since for the past six months, they have been studying English by themselves and learned more in a one-hour tutoring session with me than they did in those six months. The key is to have structure and a sense of purpose that is measurable and specific. For example, "I am studying English because when I take a trip this summer to Australia, I do not want to take this trip with a tour. I want to travel independently." This was the case for my adult students in Japan. Or, "I want to return to my home country and work for a foreign company and the prerequisite is to have "X" score on the TOEIC in order to be considered."

2. Find what works for you. For me, I love to travel, try different kinds of food, watch sporting events and read about historical events. By identifying my hobbies, I was able to make language learning interesting when I became burnt out on the academic portion of my language learning studies. As a result, I continued to learn and remained grounded in my second language.

3. Be "8x". Years ago, a computer's hard-drive read CDs at a certain speed. Then the next generation of computers stated that the computers could read CDs at 2x the speed, or twice as much or twice as fast. I look at many language learners who perform at 1 or 2 "x", meaning that they attend a weekly class, maybe, and do some English-related homework. This is, they think, "enough." Since the language learner's responsibility grows as they become more and more advanced, this is not enough. Therefore, we must be 8x meaning we need to take advantage of every opportunity at our disposal. Structured learning courses may have computer-based programs that will allow extra repetition in troubled areas of our learning. Study halls may be available where we can ask the instructor for one-on-one instruction is another possibility. Maybe offering to exchange an hour of English conversation for an hour of advice on traveling in your home country is another way to taking in extra instruction.

Other ways are if you ride the bus to school, ask the person sitting next to you about the recent game. Explain that you are new to the area and don't know much about the game but know that the locals follow it and you are interested. Or, if striking up conversation with strangers is not for you, listen to NPR or other local talk shows on the radio on your commute to school. Make notes and strike up conversation with your teacher. Find out the weather on the local TV broadcast before school. If you are living in your home country and doing these things aren't possible since English isn't the main language spoken, download English songs, utilize the Internet by watching English-language clips on Youtube or listen to NPR.org. Read online magazines and newspapers. Do more than just the basics. As Chuck Noll, an American Football coach of four world champion teams in the 1970s stated, "Do the basics better than everyone else." In other words, do more than just enough to get by.

4. Make Friends. When I was a language learner in Japan, it was bitter sweet to learn of Japanese people's experiences when they studied English in the US. They had amazing stories of their experiences with American roommates, some even dated Americans, while others had stories of road trips across country. But, there were many Japanese people who said that finding friends were difficult. If they were around my age, I would reply, "If you were in California, why couldn't we have met?" This was because I was the lone American invited to the International Student Association's quarterly potluck party since I would always make friends with international students on campus. One of those friends became my girlfriend which later became my wife. My wife and I were able to learn from each other's home cultures and each other's languages. Now, in my late 30's I remain grounded in my second language as my goal is to express myself to my in-laws and have the opportunity with weekly Internet calls courtesy of Skype.

5. Never Give Up. The best tip is saved for last. Think for a moment about the size of the mountain you're considering to climb when you begin study a second language. One of my favorite saying that I learned in Japan is, "If we fall down seven times, we get up eight times." The key is to follow through and be aware of your goals. I suggest you write your realistic goals down with the date so that you can measure your progress. By doing these things you'll be satisfied with your language learning progress.

In conclusion, don't give up, remain perseverant to get through the baptism of fire of language learning. Keep goals realistic, measurable and understand the responsibility for language learning. Maintain structure, find a plan that works for you, be proactive, make like minded friends and never give up.

Daniel Stone has been a language learner of Japanese since the mid 1990s when he was a US service member serving at Fleet Activities in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa, Japan. Since then, he worked his way through college with financial assistance from the Montgomery GI Bill and earned his bachelor's degree one month before his 30th birthday. At 31, he began his formal language learning in Japan at Bunkyo University in Koshigaya City, Saitama, Japan. Today, he is the owner/operator of a company that trains expats in English, provides test preparation, and assists with the relocation and family support.

Contact Two Birds One Stone Learning to set up a free "getting acquainted" meeting to see if we are right for you.

Daniel Stone, Principal Consultant and Founder
daniel.stone@onestonelearning.com
www.onestonelearning.com

Test Taking Tips (General)

1. Bring at least two pens/pencils with good erasers, a calculator with enough batteries and any other resources that your instructor allows you to. Bring a watch to the test with you so that you can better pace yourself.

 2. Keep a positive attitude throughout the whole test and try to stay relaxed. If you start to feel nervous take a few deep breaths to relax.

 3. Keep your eyes on your own paper, you don't want to appear to be cheating and cause unnecessary trouble for yourself.

 4. When you first receive your test, do a quick survey of the entire test so that you know how to efficiently budget your time.

 5. Do the easiest problems first. Don't stay on a problem that you are stuck on especially when time is a factor.

 6. Do the problems that have the greatest point values first.

 7. Don't rush but pace yourself. Read the entire question and look for keywords.

 8. Ask the instructor for clarification if you don't understand what they are asking for on the test.

 9. Write legibly. If the grader can't read what you wrote, they'll most likely mark it wrong.

 10. Always read the whole question carefully. Don't make assumptions about what the question might be.

 11. If you don't know an answer, skip it. Go on with the rest of the test and come back to it later. Other parts of the test may have some information that will help you out with that question.

 12. Don't worry if others finish before you. Focus on the test in front of you.

 13. If you have time left when you are finished, look over your test. Make sure that you have answered all the questions, only change an answer if you misread or misinterpreted the question because the first answer that you put is usually the correct one. Watch out for careless mistakes and proofread your essay and/or short answer questions.

 14. Double check to make sure that you put your first and last name on the test.

Daniel J. Stone, MBA

ダニエル・ストーン

Founder and Principal Consultant

Two Birds One Stone Learning, LLC

3700 Riverside Drive, #21861

Columbus, OH  43221

Office:  614-219-9757

Cell/Text:  864-609-7295

Web:  www.onestonelearning.com