MLA Style Center

Summary: We started learning how to upload our notes on Google Drive. We also learned more about and formatting Modern Language Association (MLA) Works Cited.

Then, collaboratively, we made sure you know more about the steps of the research process, the key terms of academic writing, narrowing down a research topic, finding reliable and solid research material, and taking useful notes. 

There was an orientation to the course explaining the documents below, including what is expected of you in our classes and your homework, how you can do well, and how you can improve your English writing skills the most in this course. The students who attended took the Academic Essay Writing survey again or for the first time. Get the document here –> Academic-Essay-Writing-Survey-AEW2Download

Alex Essay Writing Tool Step 01 -Before you begin

Alex Essay Writing Tool Step 02 – Your Essay

Alex Essay Writing Tool Step 03 – Brainstorming

How will your grade be calculated? 

MLA Academic Final Presentation (20%)

Homework (30%) 

MLA Academic Midterm Paper (20%)

Class Participation (10%)

Cambridge English Write & Improve (20% -10% is online class participation)

Total Score = 100%

“The best time to plan a book is while you’re doing the dishes.”

~ Agatha Christie

Files to Download:

AEW2b Short Syllabus

Academic-Essay-Writing-Survey-AEW2Download

AEW2 Pre-workshop checklist for Zoom if we need it!  

Quick Guide to Citing in MLA 9th Edition

MLA 9th Quick Guide

MLA Works Cited Sample and MLA Note Taking Sample A on Media Manipulation:

Bradshaw, Sarah and Phillip N. Howard. The Global Disinformation

Order 2019 Global Inventory of Organised Social Media Manipulation.

Oxford Internet Institute: University of Oxford, 02 2019,

https://demtech.oii.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2019/09/CyberTroop-

Report19.pdf

MLA Note-taking Sample B on Gender Equality:

UNICEF. “Gender Equality.” UNICEF, https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality

Homework is due on 06/17/2024 by 4:00 PM by taking photos of your notes and insert the photos in the Workshop Google document provided provided in Workshop 01. If you are absent and have not emailed me, send me an email soon. With the Google Doc., other students get to see your work and share it.

Instructions for Homework Content:

1. Please, research basic information on 1 Internet, book, newspaper, or journal article about a topic that you are passionate to write. ~It is fun to research what you would like to study, rather being told what you must study. Try to summarize your work. Could you take pictures of your notes and put in your shared Google Document under Research Article #1 in your shared file so I can edit your APA References?

Take notes on basic information of the issue you would like to study: Then, take about two pages of notes on Article #1 using the keywords on the pages. Remember to write the author’s name(s), the date, and page or paragraph numbers if you use “direct quotations.” Try to summarize your work. Could you include your typed MLA Work Cited details next to your notes including the URL, so I can help you?

Free Database Engines to collect research for your MLA Paper: 

Zenbird Media: Topics & Issues: Do you often think about researching issues related to your local community, or Japan in general, but find the data in the Japanese language. Then, Zenbird Media is for you! They make a beautiful website for professors, so we can focus on giving students feedback rather than building websites.

“Japan has its unique set of solutions and problems when it comes to sustainability. Zenbird Media has witnessed how Japan’s ancient knowledge are widely untapped, while persistent problems continue its grip its society and environment. Of course, no country is perfect.”

zenbird.media

Carrot 2 Carrot helps you find topics related to your search term. After entering the term you enter and then click on ‘search,’ you can choose to see the results as a list, treemap, or pie chart that helps you visualize your issue and narrow your search at the same time.

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): DOAJ is a community-designed and maintained online journal directory that provides you access to robust, open access, peer-reviewed journals. This search engine is independent, and it is free including being indexed in DOAJ. Please use this engine for topical issues and authors, and you might find research that provides evidential content for your academic essay. DOAJ is an educational outreach search engine that focuses on high-quality applications and submissions.

Google Scholar: Google scholar helps you do a broad or narrow search of articles. It also helps you cite your “references” for APA and “work cited” for MLA!

CORE Research Engine UK: This research search engine claims to be the largest open-access research database in the world giving free access to 1-This website is very informative and easy to understand, where you might find research on your issue from Professor Andy Barfield:

Learning About Global Issues–Specifically in relation to Chuo University Faculty of Law English courses, this website has been designed by Andy Barfield and his research team for supporting student research from 2014 in the Basic Research and Writing. More generally, his team hopes that this website is useful for students and other people in Japan (and in other countries) to develop our knowledge and critical understanding of different global issues. Thank you, Andy!

2. Finish one Write & Improve practice essay (Why are you taking this class essay):

Five improved essays are due by 07/31/2024. You can choose the essays and the time of writing freely, but write and improve on no more than one essay each week. One essay is four points, and the goal is to raise your score to the next level.