Using their knowledge from the first part of the course, students will write a semi-introductory essay about the results of taking the MBTI personality test. The MBTI test is available online in many languages at 16personalities.com. After taking the test, the essay will answer the following question:
The essay follows the standard 4-paragraph rule, starting with an introduction, two supporting paragraphs each explaining a reason, and a conclusion. In class, we start writing the essay from the inside out beginning with the reasons, and finishing with the introduction and conclusion.
This course is a follow-up of the Paragraphs course. The paragaphs course often gets truncated down to just parts 1 and 2 for brevity and to allow more time to writing.
| Contents | Materials | |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Explain the Essay Contents Taking the Personality Test | MBTI Test Online |
| 02 | Explain the Personality Traits As we read about the personality traits, students will mark whether or not the trait matches them, but also write down some details about characteristics of the traits that match them or don't match them. | Trait Explanations Matching Characteristics |
| 03 | Reasons - Write Supporting Paragraphs Generally each supporting paragraph focuses on a specific personality trait that either matches or doesn't match them. | Criteria |
| 04 | Write Introduction Write Conclusion | Criteria |
| 05 | Typed Report | Typed Format |
Students are able to take the test in Japanese, so it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes for them to complete it. There are around 60 or 90 questions, and all questions are easily answered with agree or disagree.
This is important: at the end of the test, students have the option of sending their results via email. For this, I have the students use my gmail account with a cypher at the end to indicate who they are. For example in 2025, students entered the email dyreschlock+2025+[class]+[student-number]@gmail.com. Adding a + to the email creates a cypher that can distinguish emails to a gmail account.
From the email results, I'm able to compile their traits into a results sheet that looks like this. Students can easily see their details this way.
We procede writing the essay step-by-step. Students will write the contents in their English notebook, and turn it in regularly. Students don't have to complete the paragraph all at once, just turn in their current progress. Then, I can access that they're explaining things in the correct direction. Students regularly turn in their notebooks each week, but if they fall behind, they must turn them in more frequently.
I'll mark various spelling and grammar errors, and I will also write memos if ideas aren't fully explained, or sentences don't make sense, or if the overall explanation in the paragraph doesn't naturally flow to a conclusion. Notebooks are returned to students as soon as I check them. Again, if students are behind in their progress, they should rewrite, fix their contents, and turn in their notebooks before the next class. This process will continue until the contents of the paragraph are complete.
Only until the contents of the current paragraph are complete will students start writing the next paragraph. Students can work ahead, but if they are too far ahead, they may self-study in class, or help other students with their work.
Generally students will finish writing the reasons within the first quarter, and complete the entire report by the end of the semester.
Grades are created from the usual 20% / 80% split. 20% of the grade is keeping up with turning in notebooks each week and making steady progress. 80% is a harsh grading of the final written report. Contents will most likely be fine, but there should be no spelling or grammar errors, nor any parts missing from the progress done in the notebooks.