Reflection of GWC Class

Yesterday, all class of fall term was over. Though it was so busy and hard, I could finish it.

So I'd like to summarize what I learned in GWC class, and conclude it.

Throughout the class, I learned how to construct a effective sentence; for example, to reduce the number of clauses by nominalizing phrases, and to pay attention to flow of the sentence by combining information in order of old to new, and put the most important information at the end of the sentence.
With these skills, I think I became be aware of errors in my writing, and see how should I reconstruct it for improvement.
I'd like to continue caring these points, and improving my writing.

Peer Review

Yesterday, whole GWC class was over. Though there were only nine classes, I felt quite long. 

In GWC classes, we had several peer review tasks. 
I got many comments about my writing from classmates and the teacher. I always double-check my writing through Grammarly when I submit my paper, but some errors, such as a flow of sentences or consistency of point cannot be revised by tool. So advice from others through peer review is helpful.

In reviews, I got some comments about vocabulary. I know that I unconsciously use familiar words repeatedly in both writing and speaking , so I want to try using new or unfamiliar words consciously.

Constructing sentences

In the last GWC class, we practiced constructing sentences. As a review of earlier class, we did practice of stress position, use of passive voice, and old-new flow. Each techniques are used in academic writing in order to make sentences more clear and persuasive.
In addition to those constructing skills, I was advised to divide one long sentence into two sentences, when I was writing essay about culture. For example,
Wa is harmony, Kei is respect, Sei is purity, and Jaku is tranquility, and those postures derive from~
can be changed as
~Jaku is tranquility. Those postures derive from~.
I think this is connected to the principal of reducing clause in one sentence.

Old to New Movement

In the class, we dealt with old to new movement. Old to new movement means organising a structure of sentences in order of old or known information to new or unknown information. For example, the sentences "I read a book. A winner of Nobel Prize in Literature wrote the book. Many textbooks adopt his works." can be reorganized as "I read a book. The book is written by a winner of Nobel Prize in Literature. His works are adopted in many textbooks. " The latter sentences are  more comprehensible and well structured, because information is stated in order.

I has never heard this method before, but I think this is crucial in order to writing fluently. So I'd like to pay attention to it when I writing something from now on.

Nominalization

In the last GWC class, we learnt deference between speak language and written language, and nominalization.
Nominalization means transforming the structure of a sentence by using a preposition.
For example; the trial was successful →　success of the trial

By using this technique, one can reduce clauses in one sentence and make the text more suitable for academic writing.
I think this nominalization is very important in written language and can be adopted right away, so I want to make use of it when I write an essay.

Use of articles

In the last GWC class, we reviewed countable and non-countable phrases, and use of "the."

I learned that "the" can be used to refer the specified term that is mentioned before or after in the sentence, but if the word is general one or sentence is an obvious fact, an article can be omitted; for example, "Beauty is relative to each person."

Use of "the"

In the last GWC class, we learned different usage of "the."
The first one is anaphoric use, which indicates the word is previously mentioned, and another one is the cataphoric use, which indicates the word is mentioned afterward in the sentence.
For example, these following sentences quoted from the text, Mcdaniel, shows two different use of "the."

The Japanese are more relaxed and expressive within their in-group. Away from the in-group, however, the use of body language is usually remarkably restrained(anaphoric).

The ability to understand and be understood is central to successful cross-cultural activities(cataphoric).

I have always used "the " without being conscious about its work, but I'd like to take more care with its usage from now on.