Study Guide
Field 256: World Language: Japanese
Presentational Writing
Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."
Review the
IME instructions for Japanese 
. The IME instruction document will
be available to you during the actual test.
Directions for Presentational Writing Assignment
For this section of the test, you will compose a written response to an assignment presented on screen. You must respond to the assignment in the target language.
The assignment appears on the screen with a response box. Type your response in this box. Note that the assignment includes a prompt and an exhibit. Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response. You may use the erasable notebooklet provided to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response must be typed in the response box provided for the assignment.
For this assignment, you will type your response in the target language using Input Method Editor (IME) technology. You may access specific instructions for IME use by selecting the
button above the response box. Note that because the default input language is set as English, you will need to select the target language before you begin typing by clicking on the
arrow in the language selection box at the top left corner of the screen. Please note that all punctuation should be entered while the target language is the selected input language.
Your response to the assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
- PURPOSE: the extent to which the response fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment, demonstrates engagement with the exhibit, and uses writing conventions appropriate for the specified context and audience
- SUPPORT: the extent to which the response is elaborated with explanations and comparisons that are supported with relevant details from the exhibit and the candidate's own ideas
- ORGANIZATION: the extent to which the response communicates a logically sequenced and coherent written message
- VOCABULARY: the extent to which the response uses words and idiomatic language appropriate for the specified context and audience
- GRAMMAR: the extent to which the response uses appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, and mechanics (spelling, punctuation, and if applicable, capitalization and diacritical marks)
Your response will be evaluated on the criteria above, not on any personal opinions expressed in the response. Be sure to write about the assigned topic and use multiple paragraphs. You may not use any reference materials during the test. This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.
A response will be considered unscorable if it is unrelated to the assigned topic, not written in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment.
Select the Next button to continue.
Sample Presentational Writing Assignment
Objective 0007
Apply knowledge of target-language structures and writing conventions to compose
an effective, coherent, and clear response to a prompt.
[The examinee will see on screen the following directions:
To view the exhibit, click the button above. A pop-up window will appear. The pop-up
window can then be resized and/or repositioned on your screen so that you can access
the information while completing your response.]
Use the exhibit provided to complete the assignment below.
Imagine that you are currently living in Tokyo. You are planning to go on an excursion to another region of Japan with the goal of learning about local cultures. You want to invite a Japanese-speaking friend to join you. Drawing on the excursion options advertised in the provided exhibit and your knowledge of Japanese writing conventions, write an e-mail in Japanese to your friend in which you:
- explain how you made the decision to go on an excursion to another region of Japan and invite your friend to join you;
- compare the two excursion options advertised in the exhibit, providing one advantage and one disadvantage of each option; and
- explain which option would best help you and your friend learn about the products, practices, and/or perspectives of local cultures.
Your response must be written in your own words, except for quotations and paraphrases from the exhibit used as evidence to support your ideas.
Exhibit
トラベルガイド
南北に長い日本。北海道（ほっかいどう）ってどんなところ？
- 日本の最も北に位置し、夏は比較的涼しく、過ごしゃすい。
- 広大な土地での農業、沿岸での水産業が盛んな一方で観光業も盛ん。
- 日本一人気の動物園、旭山動物がある。北海道の森を再現し、北海道の農かな自然の中で生きる動物が観察できる。
- 北主道先住民であるアイヌ民族の文化にふれることができる。
- 日本の最も南に位置すろので、夏は暑い。
- 多くの美しいビーチもあり、観光業が盛ん。
- 日本一人の水族館、沖縄美ら水族館（おきなわちゅらすいぞくかん）がある。沖縄の海を再現し、美しいサンゴしょうや熱帯魚が見られます。
- 沖縄の伝統的文化であ流球文化（りゅうきゅうぶんか）にふれることができる。
南北に長い日本。沖縄（おきなわ）ってどんなところ？
Sample Strong Response to Presentational Writing Assignment
由美さん、
お元気ですか。とつぜんですが、今度の夏休みにいっしょに沖縄に行きませんか。 トラベルガイドを見て、行きたくなりました。
ビーチでゆっくりしたり、観光したり、おいしいものを食べたり、東京とちがう伝統文化（りゅうきゅう文化）もあるので楽しそうですよ。
同じガイドに北海道ものっていました。北海道は夏でも涼しくてよさそうです。一方で、沖縄は熱いみたいです。けれども、沖縄には美しいビーチがたくさんあるので行きたいです。北海道ではビーチは楽しめません。それに、私は魚が好きなので、沖縄の水族館の方が北海道の動物園よりもずっと興味があります。
北海道は広くてたくさんの場所に行けませんと思いますが、沖縄はそれほど広くないのでレンタカーをしてたくさんの名所やレストランに行ったり、かんたんに地元の文化を感じたりすることができますと思います。沖縄だと短い時間でいろいろな体験ができそうですよ。
一緒に行くとしたら、いつがいいですか。私はいつでもだいじょうぶです。 お返事待っています。
マルカ
Rationale for Sample Strong Response to Presentational Writing Assignment
The response largely fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment and effectively uses Japanese writing conventions appropriate for the specified context and audience. It is an e-mail to a friend, but it is not totally casual. It maintains a somewhat polite mode throughout the e-mail. It explicitly addresses the three tasks presented in the assignment starting with inviting the friend to join an excursion to Okinawa (いっしょに沖縄に行きませんか), followed by providing the reason for the decision to go on the trip (トラベルガイドを見て、行きたくなりました ). The two excursion options presented in the exhibit are compared, and an advantage and a disadvantage of each is provided (weather, tourist spots). The e-mail concludes by explaining why the trip would be a good opportunity to learn about local cultures (沖縄はそれほど広くないのでレンタカーをしてたくさんの名所やレストランに行ったり、かんたんに地元の文化を感じることができます). The response demonstrates engagement with the exhibit, and explanations and comparisons are supported with relevant details from the exhibit as well as the candidate's own ideas (沖縄だと短時間でいろいろな経験ができそう).
The response largely communicates an effectively sequenced, coherent written message. It is written in a series of paragraphs with a clear beginning, middle, and conclusion that is reasonable based on the preceding ideas.
With the exception of quotations and paraphrases from the exhibit, the e-mail is written in the candidate's own words and uses words (e.g., ～そう、～ので、～たい、と conditional, たら conditional) and idiomatic language (e.g., ～たり～たり) largely appropriate for the context and audience. Narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices (e.g., 一方で、それに), and mechanics are largely appropriate and effective. Minor errors do not interfere with comprehensibility. Examples of such errors include using the wrong character (熱い instead of 暑い) and not changing the verb into plain form when added to an "I think" statement (行けませんと思います instead of 行けないと思います and できますと思います instead of できると思います).
Performance Characteristics for Presentational Writing Assignment
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the Presentational Writing assignment.
| Purpose | the extent to which the response fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment, demonstrates engagement with the exhibit, and uses writing conventions appropriate for the specified context and audience |
|---|---|
| Support | the extent to which the response is elaborated with explanations and comparisons that are supported with relevant details from the exhibit and the candidate's own ideas |
| Organization | the extent to which the response communicates a logically sequenced and coherent written message |
| Vocabulary | the extent to which the response uses words and idiomatic language appropriate for the specified context and audience |
| Grammar | the extent to which the response uses appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, and mechanics (spelling, punctuation, and if applicable, capitalization and diacritical marks) |
Score Scale for Presentational Writing Assignment
A score will be assigned to the response to the Presentational Writing assignment according to the following score scale.
| Score Point | Score Point Description |
|---|---|
| 4 |
The "4" response demonstrates effective presentational writing skills.
|
| 3 |
The "3" response demonstrates generally effective presentational writing skills.
|
| 2 |
The "2" response demonstrates partially effective presentational writing skills.
|
| 1 |
The "1" response demonstrates ineffective presentational writing skills.
|
| U | The response is unscorable because it is unrelated to the assigned topic, illegible, not written in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment. |
| B | There is no response to the assignment. |
Acknowledgements:
tomoki1970. Sunflowers in Hokuryu, Hokkaido, Japan. Credit Line: tomoki1970. Shutterstock. Copyright Notice: tomoki1970.
Schaefer, Menno. Red fox cub and mother. Credit Line: Menno Schaefer. Shutterstock. Copyright Notice: Menno Schaefer.
tororo reaction. Jungle path to the deserted beach in Okinawa. Credit Line: tororo reaction. Shutterstock. Copyright Notice: tororo reaction.
nodff. Silhouettes of people against a big aquarium. Credit Line: nodff. Shutterstock. Copyright Notice: nodff.
Atlaspix. Japan map isolated on white background. Credit Line: Atlaspix. Shutterstock. Copyright Notice: Atlaspix.