Writing One’s Own Opinion Based on an Exercise for JLPT N1 Reading “Question 11”:

An Attempt to Gain Multiple Perspectives and Create New Ideas from "Integrated Understanding"

Abstract

In this paper, I report on the practice of writing down one's own opinion relating to two different opinions on the same topic. The opinions in question are presented in an exercise for "Question 11" ("Integrated Understanding") of the JLPT N1 Reading section. Students were asked to extract the important parts of the two texts and clarify their own position on the topic as well as their reasoning for taking said position. In addition, they wrote down the shortcomings of their own position as well as the virtues of the opposing positions. Finally, they were tasked with creating new ideas from multiple perspectives, and construct their own opinion based on their writings.