Course Introduction

To develop students’ ability in applying academic skills in practices, students are required to choose a topic for writing practicum as their graduation project from the second semester of the third year until the first semester of the fourth year. The practicum should be completed with only English or Japanese, while each student will individually receive a year of training from an instructor, and present their work in a presentation or an exhibition. The contents of the practicum are divided as follows :

• Academic paper writing

• Job-related writings, e.g. market research, specialized survey analysis report, etc.

• Teaching material editing (Teacher’s manual editing included)

• Translation

• Internship

In the second semester of each year, junior students will do the "midterm presentation" to report progress and future directions. The work needs to be completed in the first semester of fourth-grade. And the “final presentation" will be presented in the form of a poster. The purpose of this class is to enable students to use their languages to produce creative works, such as English-Japanese translation, English-Japanese teaching, or internship.

Reflection from Students:

Daisy

When I was in my sophomore year, I heard that everyone would participate in a writing practicum course next year. I was very excited that I could apply what I learned in class, but at the same time, I was worried that I might encounter many difficulties.

Fortunately, after the advisor was determined, all the worries were gone. My advisor was Teacher Liang. She suggested that I could design online courses with another classmate. The process was overwhelming because of the compilation of teaching materials, preparation of shooting props, shooting, and editing. My partner and I overcame difficulties, and the teacher gave us many valuable suggestions so that we can complete many teaching videos. I also learned many techniques for editing teaching materials, shooting tips, editing techniques, etc. It is just as I expected it to apply what I learned in class to writing practicum.

Chad

Writing practicum can be regarded as a four-year masterpiece to me. It is not only about knowledge but also how to deal with other people.

I briefly explain the writing practicum course: First of all, there are many types of writing practice, such as translation, teaching materials, projects, and internships. If you have your idea and the advisor agrees, you can do special topics. What impressed me the most was the topic of bartending, it is not only the application of what you have learned in Japanese but also the integration of your knowledge.

My writing practicum can be said to have many troubles, but at last, we present successfully. We are a group of five to investigate the Japanese learning of college students and whether it can be used in practice. The original topic was to simplify the Japanese readings, and in the future, younger students can use these books. Ideals are great, but the reality is not that good. We couldn't meet the teacher's ideas, and finally changed the way to do this topic. Although we have mistakes, we tried our best to correct them. At last, we finished the final presentation.

In fact, after really starting to work on the topic, I found that I have many shortcomings. Not only the knowledge of the language but also how to discuss with the teacher and time management. It is necessary to experience writing practicum before entering the workforce. Making mistakes in college can be tolerated, but when you start to work and make mistakes, your colleagues and boss will not give you the same opportunities as teachers would. In addition to this, the key point is being willing to ask. If you don’t ask, you will always be ignorant. Ignorance is a lifetime shame. This is the most precious lesson I have learned in the university. Learn from your mistakes and from asking questions.

Roger

As a member of the department of foreign languages, writing practicum can be said to be our final presentation of the studies among the four years of university. With the guidance of the professor, we transform what we have learned into real products. We presented by exhibitions, and it also made a perfect ending for my university life. However, it is not so simple to finish the writing practicum. To enrich the content, a large amount of data and language skills are necessary. Only by overcoming these obstacles can our works truly touch people's hearts.

Elma

Fortunately, I participated in a great group and met a good advisor. In the beginning, we encountered many problems with selecting the topic. After the topic was decided, everything went well.

Our topic is to plan in-depth local tour for international students. We acted as English-speaking tour guides, traveling with foreign students who were not familiar with Taiwan. We were lucky to meet many nice people to help us from the exploration of the trip. Because of them, our writing practicum could be completed.

Writing practicum is like an interesting adventure for me. From organization to result, many interesting things have happened. I am very satisfied with my writing practicum. I am happy that I can do topics that I am interested in and meeting good teammates.