総合プロジェクトの準備Capstone Preparation
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Recognize and use vocabulary for project planning, sources, outlines, drafts, revisions, presentations, and peer response.
- Use synthesis connectors to combine information from more than one source or idea into a single connected passage.
- Attribute information to a source using によると and related attribution language already active from Chapter 11.
- Use paragraph transitions to move clearly between an introduction, supporting points, and a conclusion.
- Revise a draft for register, adjusting between polite and plain style, or between formal and conversational stance markers, according to genre.
- Identify and correct common error patterns from earlier chapters in one's own writing.
- Read and respond to a peer's outline or draft with organized, considerate feedback.
- Plan the outline, sources, and format for the Chapter 20 capstone project using only authorized Volume III systems.
Communication Scenario
中村さん has asked each volunteer to prepare a short final project about some aspect of the recycling group's work, to be shared with the whole team at next month's meeting. Emma has decided to write and present about how the group's donation-collection schedule changed after 田中さん's proposal was adjusted, and what the group learned from that process. Before she can write a full draft, Emma needs to plan her sources, organize her ideas into an outline, decide on the right register for a mixed formal-and-friendly audience, and get feedback from 中村さん on a first draft. This chapter walks through exactly that preparation process, which every learner will also use to plan their own Chapter 20 capstone project.
- The learner selects a topic and lists at least two sources of information to draw on.
- The learner produces a short outline with an introduction, at least two supporting points, and a conclusion.
- The learner writes at least one sentence that synthesizes information from two sources or ideas.
- The learner revises a short passage for register consistency.
- The learner gives or responds to peer feedback on a draft or outline.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter introduces vocabulary for project planning, sources, outlines, drafts, revisions, presentations, and peer response. These items support the practical work of preparing a multi-paragraph final project, rather than academic research methodology at a specialized level.
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 計画 | けいかく | plan; planning | Project planning |
| 資料 | しりょう | materials; sources | Sources |
| 構成 | こうせい | structure; composition | Outlines |
| 下書き | したがき | draft | Drafts |
| 修正 | しゅうせい | correction; revision | Revisions |
| 発表 | はっぴょう | presentation | Presentations |
| 感想 | かんそう | impression; response | Peer response |
| 全体 | ぜんたい | the whole; overall | Outlines |
| 結論 | けつろん | conclusion | Outlines |
| まとめる | まとめる | to summarize; to bring together | Project planning |
| 見直す | みなおす | to review; to reconsider | Revisions |
| 引用 | いんよう | quotation; citation | Sources |
構成 (structure) and まとめる (to bring together) recur throughout this chapter, since outline-building and synthesis are the chapter's central skills.
れんしゅう — Practice: Sort the twelve words above into the seven domain categories from this chapter's objectives, then write one sentence using any two of them together.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter reviews kanji from across Volume III rather than introducing a large new set, and adds a small number of new kanji for planning, structure, and revision. Following the Furigana / Reading-Support Matrix, furigana continues to be reduced on kanji consolidated in earlier chapters, while this chapter's new kanji carry furigana at first use.
Before drafting a longer project, it is useful to gather the kanji and vocabulary you expect to reuse throughout the piece into a short personal terminology list, with readings noted for anything uncertain. This is a practical strategy that professional and academic writers also use, not a special beginner accommodation.
As you build your terminology list for the Chapter 20 project, decide which words are consolidated enough to write without furigana and which still need reading support, following the same reduction logic used throughout this volume.
れんしゅう — Practice: Cover the readings in the kanji cards above and try to read each compound aloud from memory, then check your answers. Then list three additional kanji from earlier chapters that you expect to use in your own Chapter 20 project.
Pronunciation and Listening Focus
When reading a multi-paragraph draft aloud, a brief pause at each paragraph transition helps a listener follow the structure, in the same way a written paragraph break helps a reader. Practice reading a short outline aloud, pausing slightly longer at transitions such as まず, 次に, and 最後に than at ordinary sentence-final pauses.
- まず、田中さんの提案について説明します。 — first, I will explain about Tanaka-san's proposal
- 次に、グループがどう調整したかをまとめます。 — next, I will summarize how the group made adjustments
- 最後に、そこから学んだことを話します。 — finally, I will talk about what was learned from it
Grammar: Synthesis and Revision
This chapter authorizes synthesis connectors, source attribution, paragraph transitions, register revision, and error analysis, building directly on the attribution language from Chapter 11, the presentation transitions from Chapter 12, and the stance and hedging language from Chapters 17 and 18. Together these let you combine information from more than one source, organize a multi-paragraph piece clearly, and revise a draft for consistent register.
Synthesis connectors — combining information from more than one idea or source
Purpose: to connect two related pieces of information into one organized statement, showing how they relate to each other.
- 田中さんの提案だけでなく、他のメンバーの意見も参考にした。I referred not only to Tanaka-san's proposal but also to other members' opinions.〜だけでなく〜も, adding a second source
- アンケートの結果と、会議での話し合いを合わせて考えると、多くの人が新しい方法に賛成しているようだ。Considering the survey results together with the discussion at the meeting, it seems that many people support the new method.〜と〜を合わせて考えると, combining two sources
- この二つの点から、グループの調整はうまくいったと言える。From these two points, it can be said that the group's adjustment went well.〜から言える, drawing a synthesized conclusion
Synthesis connectors do not introduce new grammar forms on their own; they recombine attribution, comparison, and conclusion language already active from earlier chapters into patterns that connect two or more ideas at once.
Attribution review — によると and related source markers
Purpose: to show clearly where a piece of information came from, a skill first introduced in Chapter 11 and now applied to a longer, multi-source project.
- 中村さんによると、今回の調整はうまくいったそうだ。According to Nakamura-san, this adjustment reportedly went well.によると + そうだ, reported information
- アンケートによると、多くのボランティアが新しい方法を支持している。According to the survey, many volunteers support the new method.によると, written source
In a short paragraph, a single attribution phrase is usually enough. In a longer, multi-paragraph piece, mark each new source clearly the first time it appears, and use context, topic continuity, and occasional repetition of the source name rather than repeating a full attribution phrase in every sentence, which can feel repetitive and heavy in natural Japanese writing.
Paragraph transitions
Purpose: to guide a reader or listener clearly from one part of an organized piece to the next.
- この点について、もう少し詳しく説明する。I will explain this point in a little more detail.internal transition within a section
- 以上のことから、全体として次のように結論できる。From the above, overall it can be concluded as follows.全体として, moving toward the conclusion
Register revision — adjusting a draft for genre and audience
Purpose: to review a draft and make its register consistent throughout, given a stated audience and purpose.
| Context | Example | Register notes |
|---|---|---|
| Formal presentation to the whole group | 今回の調整はうまくいったと考えられます。 | です／ます style, ようです or 〜と考えられる rather than casual hedges |
| Casual note to a close friend in the group | 今回の調整、うまくいったみたい。 | plain style, みたい acceptable, topic particle often dropped |
| Written report or summary document | 今回の調整はうまくいったと言えるだろう。 | written-style stance marker, avoids conversational fillers |
When revising a draft for the Chapter 20 capstone, first decide on a single target register for the whole piece based on its audience and purpose, then check every sentence against that choice rather than mixing polite, plain, and written-style forms without a clear reason.
Error analysis — reviewing a draft for common Volume III error patterns
Purpose: to identify and correct the kinds of errors most likely to appear in a longer Volume III piece.
- 受け身の主語が抜けていないか確認する。Check whether the subject of a passive sentence has been dropped when it is actually needed.passive/perspective review, Chapter 7
- 条件文の「と／ば／たら／なら」を正しく使い分けているか確認する。Check whether と, ば, たら, and なら have been used correctly for their different conditional meanings.conditional review, Chapter 9
- ようですとみたいですの使い分けが場面に合っているか確認する。Check whether the choice between ようです and みたいです fits the context.register review, Chapter 18
Grammar Practice
- Write one sentence that synthesizes information from two different sources using a pattern from this section.
- Write a short three-part outline for your Chapter 20 project using まず, 次に, and 最後に.
- Take one sentence and rewrite it in three registers: formal presentation, casual note, and written report.
- Review a short passage you wrote in an earlier chapter and identify one error pattern from the Error Analysis list above.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma shares her outline and a short draft paragraph with 中村さん for feedback before writing the full project.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What three parts make up Emma's outline?
- What two sources does Emma plan to use, and how does she combine them in her conclusion?
- What register problem does Nakamura-san identify in Emma's draft sentence, and how does she suggest fixing it?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Domain sort. Sort the twelve vocabulary items from this chapter's Core Vocabulary table into the seven domains from the chapter objectives, and add one additional recycled word for each domain.
タスク２ — Outline building. Choose a topic from your own experience with the recycling group, a class project, or another familiar activity, and write a three-part outline using まず, 次に, and 最後に.
タスク３ — Synthesis sentence. Given two short pieces of information (real or invented), write one sentence that combines them into a single synthesized statement.
タスク４ — Register revision. Take one sentence you wrote in an earlier chapter and rewrite it for a formal presentation register, checking it against the comparison table in the Grammar section.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a natural pace.
きくタスク — Planning a final project aloud
今回の発表では、まず田中さんの提案について説明します。次に、アンケートの結果と話し合いのメモを合わせて、グループがどう調整したかをまとめます。最後に、この経験から学んだことについて話します。資料としては、アンケートと会議のメモを使う予定です。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify (1) the three parts of the outline and the transition word that marks each one, (2) the two sources of information mentioned, and (3) the phrase used to say the two sources will be combined.
This passage discusses planning a school or community project; if organizing a large project or receiving feedback on your own work feels stressful, remember that support is always available for this or any topic in the course.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Building the frame
- まず、＿＿＿＿＿。次に、＿＿＿＿＿。最後に、＿＿＿＿＿。
- ＿＿＿＿＿によると、＿＿＿＿＿そうです。
- ＿＿＿＿＿と＿＿＿＿＿を合わせて考えると、＿＿＿＿＿と言えます。
コミュニケーションタスク — A one-minute project pitch
Using the outline you built in Guided Practice タスク２, prepare a one-minute spoken pitch of your Chapter 20 project idea: state your topic, name your outline's three parts using まず, 次に, and 最後に, and mention at least one source you plan to use. A partner or instructor should respond with one question or one piece of feedback, which you should acknowledge using softening or repair language from Chapter 18 if needed.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Recording two registers
Record yourself describing your project plan twice: once in a formal presentation register, and once in a casual register as if telling a close friend. Listen back and note at least two concrete differences between the two recordings.
Reading Practice
Read the following short passage, written for a general audience rather than for specialists, then answer the questions below.
下書きの見直しについて — About reviewing a draft
エマは、発表の下書きを書き終えたあと、中村さんに見てもらった。中村さんによると、内容はとてもよかったが、文体が少し不統一だったそうだ。友達に話すような言い方と、丁寧な発表の言い方が、同じ下書きの中に混ざっていた。
エマは、全体を丁寧な発表の文体に統一するために、下書きをもう一度見直した。かもしれない、ようです、みたいですなどの表現も、発表にふさわしいかどうか、一つずつ確認した。見直したあと、下書きはずっと分かりやすくなったと、中村さんは感想を伝えた。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- According to Nakamura-san, what was the main problem with Emma's first draft?
- What kind of language did Emma find mixed together in her draft?
- What did Emma do to fix the problem?
- What was Nakamura-san's impression of the draft after Emma revised it?
- Identify one attribution or hedging expression in the passage, and explain what it marks.
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will produce an outline and a short opening paragraph for your Chapter 20 capstone project, similar to the planning Emma completed with 中村さん's help.
- Choose a topic connected to a familiar or semi-specialized subject from this volume, such as a community activity, a school project, or a personal experience you can support with two sources.
- List at least two sources you will draw on, such as notes, a survey, an interview, or a reading.
- Write a three-part outline using まず, 次に, and 最後に.
- Write one synthesis sentence that combines information from your two sources.
- Write a short opening paragraph in your chosen register, introducing your topic and outline.
- Revise your paragraph using the checklist below.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My outline has a clear introduction, at least two supporting points, and a conclusion.
- My paragraph uses at least one synthesis connector to combine two ideas or sources.
- My paragraph attributes information to its source where appropriate.
- My paragraph uses one consistent register throughout, matched to its intended audience.
- I have checked my paragraph against at least one error pattern from the Error Analysis section.
Culture and Communication
In many Japanese school, community, and workplace settings, sharing an outline or draft with a colleague, mentor, or supervisor before a final presentation is a routine and expected step, rather than a sign of weak preparation. Seeking early feedback, as Emma does with 中村さん in this chapter, reflects one common and valued approach to project work.
Expectations for how formal a presentation should sound, how much feedback is exchanged beforehand, and how directly peer feedback is given can vary by school, workplace, region, and generation. The patterns modeled in this chapter reflect one common approach rather than a single universal standard.
Combining information from more than one source and marking where each idea came from is a skill needed in academic and professional writing across many languages. Comparing how your own language signals synthesis and attribution can help you notice how Japanese expressions such as によると and 合わせて考えると serve a similar function, adjusted for Japanese written conventions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *今回の調整はうまくいったと思う。それに、みんな満足しています。 mixes plain and polite predicates in the same formal passage.
Correction: 今回の調整はうまくいったと思います。それに、みんな満足しています。 — choose one register for the whole piece and check every sentence against it.
Error: *多くの人が新しい方法に賛成している。 presents a claim from a survey as if it were the writer's own direct knowledge.
Correction: アンケートによると、多くの人が新しい方法に賛成しているようだ。 — mark the source and, where appropriate, the degree of certainty.
Error: Writing a full draft without first listing an introduction, supporting points, and a conclusion often produces a passage that is difficult for a reader to follow, even when individual sentences are accurate.
Correction: Build a short outline using まず, 次に, and 最後に before drafting, as modeled in the Building Block box in the Grammar section, and check the finished draft against that outline.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Sort the twelve Core Vocabulary words into their seven domains, and add one additional recycled word for each domain.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the readings for 計画, 資料, 構成, 修正, 結論, 全体, and 引用 from memory, then check them against the Script and Kanji Focus section.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the four Grammar Practice items above, if you have not already done so.
2. Explain, in your own words, why keeping one consistent register matters in a formal multi-paragraph piece, and give one example of a register mismatch and its correction.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the Reading Practice passage. Identify every synthesis connector, attribution expression, and hedging or impression expression, and explain what each one contributes.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your outline and opening paragraph following the Writing Workshop steps, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Deliver or record your one-minute project pitch, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
総合プロジェクトの準備 — Planning and pitching your capstone project
Using the topic you chose in the Writing Workshop, complete both parts below.
- Written plan: Submit your three-part outline, your list of at least two sources, and your revised opening paragraph, including at least one synthesis connector and one attribution expression.
- Spoken pitch: Deliver a one-minute spoken pitch of your project plan and respond to at least one question or piece of feedback from a partner or instructor.
Assessment focus: a clear three-part outline; accurate and natural use of synthesis connectors and attribution language; consistent register matched to a stated audience; evidence of error-pattern review; and comprehensibility for a listener or reader unfamiliar with the specific topic. This plan becomes the foundation for the Chapter 20 final project.
Answer Key
Core Vocabulary and Script Review
Open-ended for the sorting task; check readings against the Script and Kanji Focus section above. Reasonable domain placements: 計画／まとめる → project planning; 資料／引用 → sources; 構成／全体／結論 → outlines; 下書き → drafts; 修正／見直す → revisions; 発表 → presentations; 感想 → peer response.
Grammar Practice
- Model answer: アンケートの結果と話し合いのメモを合わせて考えると、調整はうまくいったと言える。
- Model answer: まず提案について説明する。次に話し合いの過程をまとめる。最後に学んだことを話す。
- Model answers: formal — 今回の調整はうまくいったと考えられます。; casual — 今回の調整、うまくいったと思う。; written report — 今回の調整はうまくいったと言えるだろう。
- Open-ended; learners should identify one specific error pattern (for example, a dropped passive subject, a conditional confusion, or a ようです／みたいです mismatch) in their own earlier writing.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Emma's outline has an explanation of the proposal, the discussion of the adjustment, and what was learned.
- Emma plans to use the survey results and the meeting notes, and combines them to support the conclusion that the adjustment went well.
- Nakamura-san notes that Emma's draft sentence is too casual for a presentation and suggests revising it to a more polite form such as と考えられます.
Listening Practice — Model summary
The outline has three parts: まず introduces the proposal, 次に summarizes how the group adjusted it using the survey and meeting notes together, and 最後に discusses what was learned. The two sources mentioned are the survey and the meeting notes, combined using 合わせて.
Reading Practice — Comprehension
- According to Nakamura-san, the content was good, but the register was inconsistent.
- Emma found casual, friend-like phrasing mixed together with formal presentation phrasing.
- Emma revised the whole draft to use one consistent, polite presentation register, checking hedging expressions one by one.
- Nakamura-san felt the draft had become much clearer after the revision.
- Model answer: によると marks the source of Nakamura-san's comment; the passage's use of ようです and みたいです illustrates the register check Emma performed on her own hedging language.
Chapter Review — Sections A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary and Script and Kanji Focus sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended for item 1; see Grammar Practice guidance above. For item 2, a correct explanation notes that mixed registers make a formal piece feel inconsistent and can confuse the audience about the intended tone, and gives one example, such as switching mid-paragraph between plain です／ます endings.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: 合わせて考えると synthesizes the two sources; によると attributes the comment to Nakamura-san; ようです and みたいです mark Emma's careful review of her own hedged claims for the presentation register.
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written plan against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken pitch against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can plan a multi-paragraph project by building a clear three-part outline, combine information from more than one source using synthesis connectors, attribute information to its source, revise a draft for consistent register matched to its audience, and check your own writing against common Volume III error patterns. You have a completed outline, source list, and opening paragraph ready to build into a full final project.