最終プロジェクト：自立した表現Final B2 Project
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Produce a complete multi-paragraph project on a learner-selected familiar or semi-specialized topic, using only Volume III systems.
- Combine explanation, cause and result, and supported opinion into one organized piece.
- Use basic keigo appropriately in an introduction, a request, or a closing formula within the project.
- Use passive, potential, and causative forms accurately where the content calls for them.
- Choose and justify a conditional form when discussing a hypothesis, a plan, or an alternative outcome.
- Attribute information to at least two sources and synthesize it into a connected argument.
- Present the project orally, respond to at least one question, and manage stance and register consistently throughout.
- Reflect on personal progress across Volume III and identify at least one goal for Volume IV.
Communication Scenario
The month has arrived for the recycling group's regular meeting, and Emma is ready to share the project she planned with 中村さん in Chapter 19. Using her outline, her two sources, and her revised opening paragraph, Emma will explain 田中さん's original proposal, walk the group through how it changed after discussion, and offer her own view on what the experience taught the group about making decisions together. She will speak politely to a mixed audience of volunteers and staff, answer a question from the floor, and submit a short written version afterward for the group's records. This chapter walks through the finished project and gives you the structure, language, and feedback tools you need to complete and present your own capstone.
- The learner writes a complete multi-paragraph project (introduction, at least two developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion) on a chosen topic.
- The project synthesizes at least two sources and attributes information clearly.
- The project uses at least one passive or causative form, one conditional, and one basic keigo expression appropriately.
- The learner delivers an oral presentation of the project and responds to at least one question.
- The learner completes a short self-assessment connecting the project to Volume III outcomes and a Volume IV goal.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter does not introduce a new vocabulary domain of its own. Instead, it draws together recycled vocabulary from across Volume III so that a learner can complete a project on a topic of personal choice. The table below reviews one representative recycled item from each of the four units, alongside two capstone-specific process words.
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 原因 | げんいん | cause | Unit I, Ch. 3 |
| 意見 | いけん | opinion | Unit I, Ch. 4 |
| 敬語 | けいご | respectful/polite language | Unit II, Ch. 6 |
| 条件 | じょうけん | condition | Unit II, Ch. 9 |
| 資料 | しりょう | materials; sources | Unit III, Ch. 19 |
| 立場 | たちば | position; standpoint | Unit IV, Ch. 18 |
| 総合 | そうごう | synthesis; integration | New — Ch. 20 |
| 振り返る | ふりかえる | to look back; to reflect | New — Ch. 20 |
総合 (synthesis) and 振り返る (to reflect) are the only new lexical items in this chapter, since the vocabulary work of Chapter 20 is almost entirely recycling and personal-topic selection rather than new-domain acquisition.
れんしゅう — Practice: Before drafting your project, list five to ten additional recycled words from earlier chapters that belong to your own chosen topic, using your personal terminology list from Chapter 19 as a starting point.
Script and Kanji Focus
Chapter 20 introduces no large new kanji set. Following the Kanji Recognition and Kanji Production Matrices, the focus here is consolidation: writing your project with expanded Volume III kanji, using furigana only where the matrix still authorizes it, and proofreading your own IME conversions carefully in a longer piece.
Before submitting your written project, read through it once with the sole purpose of checking furigana: consolidated kanji from earlier chapters should generally appear without furigana, while any name, rare reading, or unscheduled character you have chosen to include for authenticity should keep its reading support.
This is also a good moment to proofread for accidental homophone conversions from IME input, since a longer piece has more opportunities for an unnoticed incorrect conversion to slip through.
れんしゅう — Practice: Read your finished draft aloud once, kanji by kanji, and mark any character whose reading you are not fully confident about. Add furigana only to those marked characters.
Pronunciation and Listening Focus
A full presentation is longer than the single-paragraph pitch practiced in Chapter 19, so pacing, breathing, and paragraph-level pauses matter even more. Practice reading your entire project aloud at least once before presenting it, marking a light breath and a slightly longer pause at each of the three outline transitions まず, 次に, and 最後に, and keeping ordinary mora timing, vowel length, and moraic ん steady even as you tire toward the end of a longer passage.
Listeners rely on phrase-level intonation to tell a statement from a question and a continuing point from a completed one; keep this contrast clear even under the pressure of public speaking.
Grammar: Integrated Review
Chapter 20 authorizes all active Volume III systems for combined use: explanation, opinion, cause/result, keigo basics, passive, causative, conditionals, attribution, formal writing, narrative, data, and stance. No new grammar form is introduced here. Instead, this section reviews how these systems fit together inside one connected project, using Emma's finished piece as the model.
A four-part capstone frame
Purpose: to organize an introduction, two developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion into one coherent project, extending the three-part outline frame from Chapter 19.
Passive, potential, and causative in context
Purpose: to use passive, potential, and causative forms accurately when the content of your own project calls for them, rather than inserting them artificially.
- 最初の提案は、多くのボランティアに支持された。The original proposal was supported by many volunteers.direct passive, Chapter 7
- 話し合いのおかげで、みんなが意見を言うことができた。Thanks to the discussion, everyone was able to state an opinion.potential + おかげで, Chapters 3 and 8
- 中村さんは、みんなに自由に意見を言わせてくれた。Nakamura-san let everyone express their opinions freely.causative-permissive, Chapter 8
Not every project will naturally require all three forms with equal weight; use each one only where the content genuinely calls for it, and avoid forcing an unnatural sentence merely to display a form.
Conditionals for hypothesis and consequence
Purpose: to choose the conditional that matches your intended meaning when discussing an alternative outcome, a plan, or advice within the project.
- もし話し合いがなかったら、グループは今も古い方法を使っていただろう。If there had been no discussion, the group would probably still be using the old method now.counterfactual たら, Chapter 9
- 同じような問題が起きた場合、まず全員の意見を聞くべきだ。If a similar problem occurs, one should first listen to everyone's opinions.場合, general condition, Chapter 9
Keigo, attribution, and stance together
Purpose: to combine a respectful opening or closing formula, clear attribution to your sources, and cautious stance markers into one register-consistent presentation.
- 本日は、お時間をいただき、ありがとうございます。Thank you for your time today.formulaic keigo opening, Chapter 6
- アンケートと話し合いのメモによると、調整は全体としてうまくいったと考えられる。According to the survey and the discussion notes, the adjustment can overall be considered to have gone well.attribution + synthesis + stance, Chapters 11, 18, 19
Across the whole capstone, hold to a single target register decided at the planning stage, most likely a polite public-presentation style with occasional formal written-style stance markers such as と考えられる or だろう. Switch to plain style only inside a clearly marked quotation, such as reporting what a colleague actually said.
Integrated Grammar Practice
- Underline every passive, potential, and causative form in your draft and confirm each one fits the meaning you intend.
- Underline your conditional sentence and identify whether it expresses a counterfactual, a general condition, or advice.
- Circle your keigo opening and closing formulas and confirm they match the register of the rest of the piece.
- Highlight every attribution phrase and confirm each source is introduced clearly at least once.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma delivers her presentation at the recycling group's monthly meeting and takes a question from 田中さん afterward.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What two sources does Emma cite, and what did they show?
- What counterfactual claim does Emma make about what would have happened without the discussion?
- What question does 田中さん ask, and what conditional form does Emma use to answer it?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Draft assembly. Using your Chapter 19 outline, sources, and opening paragraph, write two developed body paragraphs and a conclusion to complete your project.
タスク２ — Form check. Confirm your draft includes at least one accurate passive or causative form, one conditional, and one basic keigo expression, adding one where genuinely appropriate if any is missing.
タスク３ — Peer exchange. Exchange drafts with a partner, or reread your own draft after a break, and give or note one piece of organized feedback using the language from Chapter 19's peer-response vocabulary.
タスク４ — Presentation rehearsal. Read your finished project aloud at least twice, once for content and once for pacing and pronunciation, before your final performance.
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 — A short capstone presentation excerpt
本日は、地域のリサイクル活動について発表します。まず、活動を始めたきっかけについて説明します。次に、アンケートの結果によると、参加者の多くが活動を続けたいと考えていることが分かりました。もし参加者がもっと増えたら、活動はさらに広がるかもしれません。最後に、この経験から学んだことをまとめます。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify (1) the topic of the presentation, (2) the source cited and what it showed, (3) the conditional sentence and what it predicts, and (4) the transition word marking the conclusion.
This passage discusses presenting a community project; if preparing or delivering a final presentation 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: Opening and closing formulas
- 本日は、＿＿＿＿＿、ありがとうございます。
- ＿＿＿＿＿によると、＿＿＿＿＿ことが分かりました。
- ご質問ありがとうございます。＿＿＿＿＿場合、＿＿＿＿＿と思います。
コミュニケーションタスク — The full capstone presentation
Deliver your complete project as a spoken presentation of three to five minutes: open with a keigo greeting, present your four-part structure using まず, 次に, さらに, and 最後に, cite both of your sources, include your conditional sentence, and close with a short thank-you. A partner or instructor should ask at least one question, which you should answer using an appropriate conditional or hedging form.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Self-recorded review
Record your full presentation once. Listen back and note one strength and one area to improve in pronunciation, pacing, register consistency, or organization, then record a short revised excerpt addressing that one area.
Reading Practice
Read the following short passage, written for a general audience, then answer the questions below.
プロジェクトを終えて — After finishing the project
エマは、最終プロジェクトを無事に発表することができた。発表のあと、田中さんから質問されたが、条件文を使って落ち着いて答えることができた。中村さんは、エマの発表について、資料の使い方も、文体も、とても分かりやすかったという感想を伝えた。
エマは、このプロジェクトを振り返って、原因と結果、意見の支え方、基本的な敬語、受け身や条件文などを、一つのまとまった発表の中で使えるようになったことに気づいた。次のレベルでは、もっと専門的な話題について、さらに丁寧な敬語を使って発表できるようになりたいと考えている。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- How did Emma respond when 田中さん asked her a question?
- What was 中村さん's impression of Emma's presentation?
- List three Volume III systems that Emma notices she was able to combine in one presentation.
- What goal does Emma set for the next level?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will complete the written version of your capstone project, extending the outline and opening paragraph you produced in Chapter 19.
- Review your Chapter 19 materials: your outline, your two sources, and your opening paragraph.
- Write your two body paragraphs, using at least one passive or causative form, and at least one conditional, where the content genuinely calls for them.
- Write your conclusion, synthesizing your sources into a final supported opinion.
- Add a brief keigo opening and closing appropriate to your intended audience.
- Revise the whole piece for one consistent register, checking every sentence against your chosen target.
- Proofread for kanji, furigana, and IME conversion using the Script and Kanji Focus guidance above.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My project has an introduction, at least two developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- My project synthesizes at least two sources with clear attribution.
- My project includes at least one accurate passive or causative form and one conditional.
- My project includes an appropriate keigo opening and closing.
- My project uses one consistent register throughout, matched to my intended audience.
- I have proofread my kanji, furigana, and IME conversions.
Culture and Communication
In many Japanese classroom, community, and workplace settings, a short question-and-answer period after a presentation is an expected and valued part of the event, giving the audience a chance to engage directly with the presenter's ideas. Responding calmly and thoughtfully to a question, as Emma does with 田中さん in this chapter, is itself part of demonstrating communicative competence.
How many questions are typically asked, how directly they are phrased, and how much discussion follows a presentation can vary by school, workplace, region, and generation. The pattern modeled in this chapter reflects one common approach rather than a single universal standard.
Explicitly reflecting on which language systems you were able to combine in a real task, as Emma does at the end of the Reading Practice passage, is a useful habit in any language you study. Consider keeping a similar short reflection at the end of each future project as you continue into Volume IV.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *このコーヒーは飲まれた。 forces a passive form onto a sentence where an ordinary active sentence is far more natural.
Correction: 私はこのコーヒーを飲んだ。 — use passive, causative, or conditional forms only where your project's actual content calls for them.
Error: A presentation that opens with careful です／ます style but drifts into plain-style endings in the final paragraph, often because the writer is tired or rushing to finish.
Correction: Reread the entire piece one final time specifically for register, as recommended in the Chapter 19 Error Analysis section, paying particular attention to the conclusion.
Error: Responding to an audience question by launching directly into an answer with no acknowledgment can feel abrupt in a formal presentation setting.
Correction: ご質問ありがとうございます。 before answering, as modeled in the Model Dialogue, softens the transition and shows attentiveness to the audience.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. List five to ten recycled words relevant to your own capstone topic, drawing on earlier chapters' vocabulary tables.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the readings for 総合 and 振り返る from memory, then check them against the Script and Kanji Focus section.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the four Integrated Grammar Practice items above, if you have not already done so.
2. Explain, in your own words, why forcing a passive, causative, or conditional form into a sentence that does not need it can make writing sound unnatural.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the Reading Practice passage. List every Volume III system Emma mentions reflecting on, and explain what each contributed to her presentation.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your written capstone project 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 full capstone presentation and respond to at least one question, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
最終プロジェクト — Delivering your Volume III capstone
Using the outline, sources, and opening paragraph from Chapter 19, complete both parts below.
- Written project: Submit a complete multi-paragraph project (introduction, at least two developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion) that synthesizes at least two sources, uses at least one accurate passive or causative form, one conditional, and a basic keigo opening and closing, and maintains one consistent register throughout.
- Spoken presentation: Deliver a three-to-five-minute spoken presentation of your project, using the four-part frame from the Grammar section, and respond to at least one question from a partner or instructor using an appropriate conditional or hedging form.
- Reflection: Write two or three sentences identifying which Volume III systems you used most confidently in this project and one goal you have for Volume IV.
Assessment focus: a clear four-part structure; accurate and natural use of passive, causative, conditional, and keigo forms; effective synthesis and attribution; consistent register matched to a stated audience; comprehensible pronunciation and pacing across a full presentation; and thoughtful self-reflection connecting the project to Volume III outcomes.
Answer Key
Core Vocabulary and Script Review
Open-ended for the personal word list; check readings for 総合 (そうごう) and 振り返る (ふりかえる) against the Script and Kanji Focus section above.
Integrated Grammar Practice
Open-ended, based on each learner's own draft. For item 2, a correct explanation notes that Japanese normally prefers the simplest predicate that fits the meaning, and that inserting a passive, causative, or conditional form where a plain active or unconditional statement would be natural can make a sentence sound artificial or overly complex, as illustrated in the Common Mistakes section.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Emma cites the survey and the discussion notes, which showed that the original proposal was widely supported but raised timing concerns.
- Emma claims that without the discussion, the group would probably still be using the old method today.
- 田中さん asks what should be done if a similar problem occurs again; Emma answers using 場合 with a recommendation.
Listening Practice — Model summary
The presentation is about a local recycling activity. The survey results show that most participants want to continue the activity. The conditional sentence predicts that the activity might expand further if more participants join. 最後に marks the conclusion.
Reading Practice — Comprehension
- Emma answered calmly using a conditional sentence.
- 中村さん found Emma's use of sources and her writing style very clear.
- Model answer: cause and result, supporting an opinion, basic keigo, and passive or conditional forms, among others named in the passage.
- Emma hopes to present on more specialized topics using more polite keigo at the next level.
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 Integrated Grammar Practice guidance above. For item 2, see the model explanation above.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: Emma reflects on cause and result, supporting opinions, basic keigo, passive forms, and conditionals, noting how each contributed to explaining, justifying, and concluding her presentation.
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written project against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken presentation and reflection 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, draft, revise, and deliver a complete multi-paragraph project that explains a topic, supports an opinion with reasons and sources, uses basic keigo, passive, causative, and conditional forms accurately, and maintains one consistent register from introduction to conclusion. You can also respond to a question in real time and reflect meaningfully on your own progress. This is the integrated, independent B2 communication that Volume III set out to build.