Emily Dickinson Essay

Emily Dickinson’s place in history has affected many aspects of social order. Dickinson’s writing touched on many issues that were very important to the life and development of Dickinson’s persona; such as religion, war, psychosis, and love. Dickinson’s insight into these issues has been the source of the majority of the interest in her work. Emily Dickenson, throughout her life, sought a personal understanding of God and his place within her life. Her place within the Calvinist Puritan Amherst, however, would not allow for her inquiry into the understanding of the nature of God other than within their specific doctrine. In her childhood Emily Dickenson was shy and already different from the others. Like all the Dickinson children, male or female, Emily was sent for formal education to Amherst Academy. Dickenson began to develop into a free willed person. Many of her friends had converted to Christianity, and her family was also exerting enormous amount of pressure on her to convert. Her father, along with the rest of the family, had become Christians and she alone decided to rebel against that and reject the Church. She had rejected the traditional views in life and adopted the new transcendental outlook. Dickenson’s questioning about God began at an early age. â€Å"Once (to Higginson) she recorded another bit of mystification at adult behavior†. (Sewell 326) As Sewell recounts, Dickinson’s reservations about the nature of God began as early as her genius. As a child, we are told Dickenson felt a disturbance in the speech of a clergyman during as funeral. â€Å"[She was] disturbed by the clergyman’s question, ‘Is the Arm of the Lord shortened that it cannot save? ’†(Sewell 326) Dickinson’s poetry is a window into her quest for this understanding. In poem number 1241, Dickinson concentrates on nature and its relativity to science. Dickinson looks upon a lilac in the late light of a setting sun. Set on a hill, it receives the last light of day, and subsequently, is the last thing that God sees of that day. The sun is given the action of intending the lilac to be meant for â€Å"Contemplation – not to Touch†. I think this is an allusion to the Calvinist ideal of seeking God through action. Dickinson felt that the actions of the church that surrounded her were hollow and led one no closer to understanding the true nature of God than she had attained in her poetic questionings. The flower is given, above humanity, the focus of God’s eye. â€Å"The scientist of Faith† that Dickinson speaks of in this poem is denied any furthering of his understanding when she says: â€Å"His research has but just begun – / Above his synthesis / The Flora unimpeachable / To Time’s Analysis’’. Here, Dickinson is saying that it is not through active searching that one will find the true nature of God, but in the witnessing of His actions—such as the creation of lilacs. She ends the poem with the line â€Å"Eye hath not seen† may possibly / Be current with the blind / But let not Revelation / By theses be detained†. This tells the reader that Dickinson felt that the active search for God, (with the eye) will fail. However, the â€Å"blind† will not have their revelations detained. In the poem #564 Dickinson centers on the physical building of churches as a problem with her understanding of God. Within this poem Dickinson tells the reader that the deification of the man made houses of worship also distract from one’s understanding of God. The line â€Å"God grows above—so those who pray / Horizons—must ascend† illustrates Dickinson’s idea that limiting one’s view, as in focusing on a building rather than God himself, would hinder one’s ability to see God. Dickinson goes on to clarify, succinctly, her feelings on the worshiping of God through churches: â€Å"His house was not—no sign had He / By Chimney—nor by Door / Could I infer his Residence— / Vast Prairies of Air† Dickinson tells the reader that nothing tangible or built by the hand of man has been seen by God as His house. Dickenson contends that there is a separation between â€Å"praying and â€Å"worshipping†. The churches used by the people around Dickinson are used to â€Å"worship† and show the action of belief. Whereas praying is the only way to â€Å"reach† God and prove one’s heart as a believer. In the poem numbered 1499, Dickinson again questions the physical place worship by calling insecure the â€Å"Physiognomy† of the Calvinist theology. Dickinson begins this poem by acknowledging the temporality of the human visage: â€Å"How firm Eternity must look / To Crumbling men†. Dickinson obviously feels that the â€Å"face value† of religion is passing and worthless. She felt that the eternality of action and the long lasting effects of true faith were far more important and worth while. The questions raised by Emily Dickenson within her poetry, echoes the problems that people have had with religion for ages—where does the truth about God reside? Dickenson wanted to find a peace that accompanied the acceptance of God; however her exposure to the Calvinist Puritans stifled that. Her distain and mistrust from the sect resounded throughout her life and her poetry. Though not all of her poetry maintained such as hard line rejection of Puritan ideals, the ones selected here illustrate her desire to find something else, outside of the Calvinist dogma that better explained to her the nature of God. It has been â€Å"suggested that [the] contradictions in Emily Dickinson [‘s poetry] were due to her dual nature, which made her at once a pagan and a â€Å"sincerely religious woman. † (Voigt 193) This constant pull within her life, caused Dickinson to struggle throughout her lifetime with her desire to loved by God, and her inability to accept the blind faith that accompanies devotion to religion. The several poems that I am looking at are examples of how Emily Dickinson’s lack of center and acceptance manifested itself into poetry. In poem numbered 315, for example, the fumbling of the unnamed â€Å"he† at the soul of the narrator is immediately seen as the ultimate of personal invasions. The hap-hazard bumbling of this â€Å"he† is made worse by the â€Å"stun[ning]† that is caused by this invasion. The different degrees of this stunned soul hints at the multiple levels of invasion that is taking place—emotional, physical and, presumably, spiritual. The objectifying human â€Å"Nature† as brittle is an obvious tool to illustrate the suffering that humanity is plagued with throughout their lives. It also brings in the idea of death and mortality to the concept of human existence. The â€Å"he† deals the final blow the brittle human narrator with â€Å"One – Imperial – Thunderbolt† (315. 11) This assumed death, however, does not promise an escape from the constant suffering of life, but instead we learn that â€Å"The Universe – is still –â€Å" (315. 12) The final dash after â€Å"still† tells the reader that the universe is still moving, turning, and continuing the pain that the narrator wishes to be freed from. The Civil War was another issue that was addressed by Dickinson. With the poem, â€Å"The name – of it – is ‘Autumn’†, Dickinson uses natural imagery to describe the horrors of war. David Cody wrote, in his article on the poem, that Dickinson’s poem continues both to beckon and to baffle its readers, and the present essay is devoted not so much to an attempt to â€Å"guess† its meaning as to the more modest task of recalling or reviving, palingenetically as it were, some faint ghost or echo at least of the rich, complex and increasingly remote cultural moment in which it came into being. Precisely because it seems to embody. (Cody 24) Ed Folsom wrote that her poem, numbered 754 â€Å"My Life has stood – a loaded gun†; â€Å"explicitly with the Master/slave relationship†. (Folsom) The poem identifies with the slave’s reality of being worthless until pressed into service by the master. The work that Dickinson did during her lifetime was as diversely inspired as it was cryptic. However, the subjects that were covered by her work still hold enough interest and importance to warrant a continued study. The questions that Dickinson raised about religion, echoed the questions of many people who were slowly becoming disenfranchised with the Calvinist movement. Her own issues with psychosis were also subject to her eye. The poems she wrote about her lack of understanding of the world, and the fear that kept her secluded from society offer a deep insight into her mind. WORK CITED The Complete Poems of Emily Dickenson. Johnson, Thomas H. Ed. Little Brown and Co. New York. 1961. The Inner Life of Emily Dickinson. Voigt, Gilbert P. College English. Vol. 3. No. 2. (Nov. 1941). 192-196. The Life of Emily Dickinson. Sewell, Richard Benson. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA. 1994. Emily Dickinson: Selected Letters, ed. by Thomas H. Johnson and Theodora Ward. Cambridge MA. Harvard University Press. 1958. Cody, David â€Å"Blood in the Basin: The Civil War in Emily Dickinson â€Å"The name of it is Autumn â€Å"† The Emily Dickinson Journal. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Volume 12, Number 1, Spring 2003, pp. 25-52 Folsom, Ed. â€Å"Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and the Civil War†. University of Iowa. 2003. Date of Access: July 26, 2006. URL: http://www. classroomelectric. org/volume2/folsom/

Five-Point Linguistic Star: A Linguistic Approach Essay

We’ve allowed a natural approach to language instruction to dominate our schools, hoping our English learners †¨Ã¢â‚¬Å"will just figure it out.† (SCOE, 2009) This approach suggested by Kevin Clark proposes that teachers explicitly teach ELL by giving them a set of skills. Teacher will have to teach students not just vocabulary, but the sound system of language, the words and their word parts and meanings, and also rules for structuring sentences grammatically. Teaching students from this perspective can support a deeper understanding of the language. When the concept is thoroughly supported by background knowledge, explanation as to why, activities that strengthen skills, and consistency in lesson structure that follows this pattern, students are more likely to understand the concept and create a platform from which to launch higher level thinking and conclusions on following concepts and content area. Students learn more efficiently when they have prior knowledge o n a presented concept. If the student can link content to a concept that they gained from previous knowledge on from their own unique background or culture, it will inevitably spark interest in that subject area. By sparking interest the teacher is now adding value to the lesson. Since students synonymize interest with value, the teacher would prove effective. Now a sense of purpose has now been infused into the lesson, and the student/students may begin to contribute more. (NCREL, 1990) This approach is rather intriguing, and teachers should be trained in linguistics prior to teaching ELLs. I would learn the subparts of linguistics via a course: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. By learning each subpart in-depth, I can better compose lesson plans and activities that explore those areas for the ELLs to better benefit. Understanding the mechanics of a language is just as important as understanding the language itself, for both teachers and  students. The concept of prior knowledge should not be limited to the students but teachers should utilize this concept for their own effective instruction. If teachers have prior knowledge of the subparts of the English language, as well as knowledge of the diverse cultures he/she is instructing can help the teacher create and blend a comprehensive and student-inclusive lesson plan and curriculum. Prior knowledge influences how the teacher and students interact with the learning materials as both individuals and a group. (Kujawa and Huske, 1995) Prior knowledge assists in segue of appropriate instruction and retention, because it is a foundation from which to build from and facilitates the idea of making sense of the educational experience. As the students are learning from the linguistic perspective, especially under syntax and semantics, students would be primed for grammatical instruction, also. As they learn how, where and when to use appropriate vocabulary, I will insert instruction on main grammatical principles and rules and branch off into further instruction where applicable. I would try to make sound non-confusing connections with the native language grammatical principles, so there is a prior knowledge foundation established in that arena as well. I would also have a grammar day in the middle of the week to review prior concepts and morph new grammar lessons into the lesson plan and utilize formative assessment strategies to see what needs to be reviewed and further defined. References Kujawa, S., & Huske, L. (1995). The Strategic Teaching and Reading Project guidebook (Rev. ed.). Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Restructuring to promote learning in America’s schools, videoconference #2: The thinking curriculum. (1990). Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Sonoma County Office of Education. (2009) Structuring language instruction to advance stalled English learners. Aiming High Resource. Retrieved September 16 2014.

Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Apple Inc - Essay Example The company is located in the Silicon Valley in the United States that is currently experiencing economic turmoil. The recession has caused some technology companies to close shop and file for bankruptcy. Unemployment in the region has increased due to the economic downturn. On the other hand, the high standards of living among Americans have prompted for an increase in labour wages. The problems of the American economy created threats to the sustainability of some companies. However, Apple saw the recession as an opportunity to pool potential talents for their new business ventures. Laws and regulations related to mobile communications devices in the many jurisdictions in which the Company operates are extensive and subject to change. Such changes, which could include restrictions on production, manufacture, distribution, and use of the device, locking the device to a carrier's network, or mandating the use of the device on more than one carrier's network, could have a material adverseeffect on the Company's financial condition and operating results. Mobile communication devices, such as iPhone, are subject to certification and regulation by governmental and standardization bodies, as well as by cellular network carriers for use on their networks. These certification processes are extensive and time consuming, and could result in additional testing requirements, product modifications or delays in product shipment. (Apple, Inc, 2008) Information technology system failures, network disruptions and breaches of data security could disrupt the company's operations by causing delays or cancellation of customer, including channel partner. This situation can negatively affect the company's online offerings and services, impeding the manufacture or shipment of products, processing transactions and reporting financial results, resulting in the unintentional disclosure of customer or company information, or damage to the Company's reputation. (Apple, Inc, 2008) War, terrorism, geopolitical uncertainties, public health issues, and other business interruptions have caused and could cause damage or disruption to international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a strong negative effect on the Company, its suppliers, logistics providers, manufacturing vendors and customers, including channel partners. The Company's business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, terrorist attacks, and other hostile acts, labor disputes, public health issues, and other events beyond its control. Such events could decrease demand for the Company's products, make it difficult or impossible for the Company to make and deliver products to its customers, including channel partners, or to receive components from its suppliers, and create delays and inefficiencies in the Company's supply chain. Should major public health issues, including pandemics, arise, the Company could be negatively affected by more stringent employee travel restrictions, additional limitations in freight services, governmental actions limiting the movement of products between regions, delays in production ramps of new products, and disruptions in the operations of the Company's manufacturing vendors and component suppliers. (Apple, Inc, 2008) The technology industry is a very attractive industry with a growing market demand internationally.

Dating in the Workplace is not Ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dating in the Workplace is not Ethical - Essay Example The reason being that â€Å"he had an affair with a female employee† which was not in agreement with the company’s Code of Conduct. The practice of dating happens much often in the workplace setting. People meet each other and get interested in each others’ lives and hobbies, and finally develop relationships. Workplaces are the offline social networks as opposed to the online social networks. Men and women get into contact and start seeing each other. Workplace happens to be a convenient place to go find a suitable person because an employee might not have extra time to spend somewhere else looking for one. However, working in a company does not necessarily mean that one is going to find his soul mate; instead, one is supposed to work toward the establishment of organizational goals and must not jump into relationships because honesty is rare. â€Å"Don’t dip your pen in the company ink!†, is an old saying Gardner quotes in his article. Experts adv ise employees not to date because there are many ethical issues related to it. There are cons of workplace dating that outweigh the pros. But the bitter reality is that employees will not stop dating each other. Let us now discuss the ethical considerations that come with the issue of workplace dating. Ethical Considerations Dr. ... But he decided to make it more than a professional relationship.† This means that although it is perfectly normal to develop a professional relationship between men and women at the workplace, yet it is not suitable by any means to make the relationship personal. Many companies even follow a Code of Conduct that all employees must have to abide by, which prohibits them to date at the workplace. Siegel further asserts that coworker relationships are not that much of an issue as hierarchical relationships like between a boss and a subordinate. When such a relationship develops, it is time for one of the two to quit the job because they are many ethical considerations that are being disturbed. Mixing of sex and power is not at all favorable for the reputation and success of the company in the long run. Sexual Harassment Although workplaces are great places for people to meet and develop relationships, yet an increase in the number of sexual harassment lawsuits warns employees not to develop hasty relationships through dating (Covey and Narvell 130). There are strict penalties for sexual harassment at work and reputed companies do not bear such employees. A male employee may be charged as a sexual harasser if, for example, he has been in a relationship with a female co-employee and after a break-up, still goes after her to patch things up. The latter may file a lawsuit against him for sexual harassment. Also, in case of hierarchical-based relationships, when a boss dates his secretary, for example, then it is not at all necessary that the relationship is mutually consented because there is element of power in it which cannot be ignored. Law will tend to protect the subordinate rather than the boss if at any point in time the former one files a

Savage Inequalities and Their Impact on the Life Chances of Children Essay

Savage Inequalities and Their Impact on the Life Chances of Children - Essay Example It is generally considered that the process of tracking (education by separation) is a sort of discrimination and is likely to affect the performance and educational attainment of many students. While tracking is commonly done based on the abilities and performances of students, factors such as race, class, and language also act as determinants in tracking systems in many instances. Tracking based on color or race is quite dangerous as it harms the prospects of students of color to perform like their white counterparts. Many social scientists hold that â€Å"tracking is one of the most obvious mechanisms through which students of color and those from low-income families receive a diluted academic program, making it much more likely that they will fall even further behind they're white, middle-class counterparts† (Kendall, p. 356). Ultimately, tracking, in this sense, results either in dropping out of the school or ending up in â€Å"dead-end† situations where the studen ts become incompetent to pursue higher studies. The severity of the issue needs to be understood in the light that many of such school drop-outs later turn to be criminals or anti-socialists. Labeling and self-fulfilling prophesy are the other two forms of social inequality in education in the United States. The practice of labeling students as low achievers, gifted or talented based on standardized test scores or classroom performance has adverse effects on the educational attainment and subsequent career choices of many students who have been labeled as low achievers or slow learners. Such students are most likely to internalize the label attributed to them and this naturally prevents them from performing naturally.

It is up to you Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

It is up to you - Research Paper Example provides a fact sheet with the main objective of helping the education providers in the USA to better the standards of education for the immigrant students. He explores all the existing resources and laws that give the immigrant children the right to education. Marta, like most of the aforementioned authors, enlists more factors that affect the adaptation and performance of the immigrant children in school. This journal book is important in adding more hidden factors of immigrant education. Parmon explains the controversy that existed in the US on whether the immigrant should attend the schools or not. This book has aired various opinions of the US citizens of this matter. The findings of this book helps in ascertaining how this conflict has played a role in the immigrant school attendance and adaptations. Scott clarifies the major influencing factors specifically for the Asian American students when they are making the decision to join the schools abroad. The book is important in identifying the main drivers and hindrances of the immigrant children for joining the schools abroad. Here, Richards vividly explores a number of challenges that are faced by the parents of the immigrant students. This book is relevant in describing how these family challenges affect the experience and performances of the students in school. This book by Georges critically and systematically describes and analyse all the experiences of the immigrant students in the US and their performances at their respective stages of education. The information in this book is vital in establishing how experiences affect the performances of the students. The project was initiated from the experiences obtained from the community service. During the two-hour weekly tutorials at the Wang YMCA which is based at China town, I witnessed a number of immigrant children struggling to adapt and perform in the school. Some of the students were quick to learn the concepts in class while others were taking

SLP 4 MGT 491 INTERNATIONAL HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SLP 4 MGT 491 INTERNATIONAL HRM - Essay Example This topic is very important to me and to every human resource manager who has an ambition of working in a big institution. This topic will provide insight on the negative effects of downsizing and layoff. It will also try to provide the solution to the effects that are generated. Downsizing is a strategy used in business; it is intended to improve the economic standing of an organization by either reducing its structure or changing the structure of the human resource so as to reduce operational costs (Mirabal & DeYoung, 2005). It is a word that has come into being due to its popular usage and not precise theoretical construction. It can be interpreted as simply a reduction in the organisation size on the surface. If this surface definition is taken into consideration, it might be confused with the concept of organizationl decline or just a mere decrease in the size of an organizational. Important difference, however, do exist, that differentiates downsizing and decline as different managerial processes (Davison, 2002). Downsizing is not a phenomena that just happens to an organization as an organization decline would, but rather it is undertaken by the management on purpose, this also brings out the differences between downsizing and reduction in the share o f the market or loss of workforce that are attributes of organizational decline. It is also important to note here that downsizing has the aim of improving the effectiveness of the organization and it is not just a mere lack of funds to pay the employees. It can happen a proactive measure or a reactive action to contain the costs or to enhance the revenue of the organization. Downsizing can therefore also be defined as the planned and intended elimination of departmental positions or jobs and is therefore expected to yield rapid economic benefits. People costs often exceed 40 percent of a company’s total budget (Davison, 2002). As a result, cutting

Opportunities for Raising Productivity in Non-Profit Organisations Essay

Opportunities for Raising Productivity in Non-Profit Organisations - Essay Example Opportunities for productivity improvement in these four spheres have been explained with emphasis on the most viable option that can add substantial value to the organization. Performance management has gained momentum in recent years, probably due to factors such as competition, changing markets and needs of clients. Performance measurement can provide a sense of purpose, motivation and intrinsic satisfaction. Efforts concentrate on the process-oriented level, identification of appropriate performance indicators, managing relationships, raising funds for the organization and so on. Vast improvement in performance management has been experienced with performance reporting and performance measurement methods being introduced. For instance, the Balanced Score Card system in private and non-profit sectors has popularised performance management system in many aspects (Niven, P.R 2003; p.4). Management systems in a non-profit organization include planning, developing, and operating. Members of the Board and staff conduct strategic planning to determine the overall purpose and direction of the organization. This part of the strategic planning will also include the methods to be adopted for the organization to operate, resource planning, and program planning. Programs have to be designed as means to implement the service-oriented strategies such as marketing to identify community needs for the organization to meet and the desired outcomes to meet those needs. This planning provides input to resource planning such as a number of resources required including staff, funds, and people. Resource planning also includes financial management, advertising and promotions, and fundraising (McNamara, C 2005; p.160). I

The Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Essay Example for Free

The Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Essay Plato believed in an ‘ideal state,’ the Republic, which is ruled and sustained by an ‘ideal’ group of people whose main objective should be to seek their highest good for the benefit of both the state and the society. â€Å"Only those who know what the good is are fit to rule†(Oxford Companion to Philosophy, 1995).   To know what is good, one has to â€Å"undergo long and rigorous intellectual training that will yield this knowledge† (p. 1541). Plato believed that the function of education is to help people embody their true nature of good because they will become the fuel that will keep the Republic running. Here, higher education is meant to pave the way for the development of the individual because it is crucial to the Republic’s existence. The failure of an individual to reach his highest good, albeit in theory of a secondary importance, would be the failure of the state as a whole.   In Plato’s view, it is the development of the individual, supported by education, which serves as the groundwork of the Republic and ensures that the latter does not collapse.   One can say that it is truly education which holds the state’s future in its hands. The true purpose of Higher Education is best depicted in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The Allegory of the Cave represents the different levels of knowledge that man must go through in order to achieve enlightenment.   Men were depicted as cave-dwellers in the depths of nothingness where there is a total absence of knowledge. â€Å"Most mankind dwell in the darkness of the cave. It is the function of education to lead men out of the cave into the world of the shadow† (Tulio, 2005).   Those who are able to escape the confinements of the cave would able Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato to acquire the knowledge that will lead to their evolution and form the ruling elite who will sustain the Republic. According to Kemerling (n.d.): â€Å"The highest goal in all of education, Plato believed, is knowledge of the Good; that is, not merely an awareness of particular benefits and pleasures, but acquaintance with the Form itself. Just as the sun provides illumination by means of which we are able to perceive everything in the visual world, he argued, so the Form of the Good provides the ultimate standard by means of which we can apprehend the reality of everything that has value† (Kemerling, n.d). Plato believed that education is a right given to a few. He saw society as a conglomeration of individuals organized into different classes â€Å"according to the value of their role in providing some component part of the common good† (Kemerling, n.d.). In this set-up, it is the person’s social class which determines whether he should be educated or not. Plato thought that the philosopher-class should have the right to receive education because â€Å"it is the philosopher above all others who excels at investigating serious questions about human life and at judging what is true and best† (n.d.). Dillon (2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic) also added:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦those fit for a guardians education must by nature be philosophic, spirited, swift, and strong.† The guardians must be lovers of learning like noble puppies who determine what is familiar and foreign by knowledge and ignorance† (Dillon, 2004). The problem with this kind of set-up is that only a few are permitted to improve themselves while the rest of the world is forced to fulfill the roles that society has imposed upon them. Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Kemerling (n.d.) explained the importance of the future role of philosophers: â€Å"Thus, despite prevalent public skepticism about philosophers, it is to them that an ideal society must turn for the wisdom to conduct its affairs properly. But philosophers are made, not born. So we need to examine the program of education by means of which Plato supposed that the future philosopher-kings can acquire the knowledge necessary for their function as decision-makers for the society as a whole† (Kemerling, n.d.) Plato viewed the development of the individual as serving an autocratic social usefulness as far as education is concerned (although most believe that Plato advocated democratic principles in his theory of education). Education for the popular mass was never Plato’s ideology. He advocated educational reforms intended only for the philosopher and the warrior class. â€Å"Plato believed that the interests of the state are best preserved if children are raised and educated by the society as a whole, rather than by their biological parents† (Kemerling, n.d). The true essence of self-actualization, therefore, was just a privilege given to this ruling class because of their access to education.   It did not have any self-serving interests even if self-development was an initial pre-requisite for the success Plato’s ideal state. Education is solely for the purpose of the good of the Republic. Oxford Companion to Philosophy (1995) stated:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"They will govern with a view to maximizing the happiness of the state as a whole, but Plato thinks that the way to achieve this is to impose a strict censorship to prevent wrong ideas being expressed, to ensure that each person sticks to his Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato own allotted job, so that he does not meddle with affairs that are not his concern, and so on. Plato was firmly against democracy, and seems to have seen no connection between happiness and individual liberty† (Oxford Companion to Philosophy, 1995). But as much as education serves a state function, it cannot completely detach itself from its secondary aims of self-development. According to Scolnicov (n.d) in his paper Plato on Education as the Development of Reason, â€Å"the ultimate educational objective, then, is to bring about a revolution in the educands perception of the role of reason† (Scolnicov, n.d).   He continued, â€Å"Platos theory of education aims at specifying the conditions of the growth of the socratic man, whose soul is free from contradictions and whose excellence is justified knowledge† (n.d). For Plato, man’s rationality can be shaped through an educational curriculum that teaches these specific subjects: music, story-telling and gymnastics. Musical education should be started in childhood because it is an age where children are still ‘pliable.’ There should be censorship in the telling of tales because children still do not possess the quality to discern what is good and bad.   It is Plato’s view that children have no moral nature when they are born, but education will instill in them virtues of courage, moderation and justice that will help them seek the nature of good. â€Å"Through the telling of carefully crafted tales, mothers and nurses will shape their childrens souls (Dillon, 2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic). Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato The narrative style of tales is the second part of the ‘philosophical education.’   Imitation or Mimetic poetry is only acceptable if the individual will imitate virtues that were taught to them in childhood. Crafting of tales are important â€Å"because they are the most effective method of educating guardian’ souls† (Dillon, 2004). Here, one can see that rationality does not only pertain to reason (of the mind) but also of the soul. Gymnastic education, on the other hand, affirms the symbiotic relationship between the mind, the body and the soul: all the components that lead to the total development of the individual. For Plato, â€Å"that a good soul produces a good body, and that a healthy intellect ensures a healthy body† (Dillon, 2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic). One component missing will ultimately result in the demise of the other. Dillon   (2004) stated: â€Å"Although music is the most important component in the guardians education, equilibrium between music and gymnastics is important for the production of moral guardians. Because a solely gymnastic education causes savagery and a purely musical education causes softness, the two must be balanced† (Dillon, 2004). The educational requirements of learning music, story-telling and gymnastics would determine who will ultimately become the guardians of society. Those who are able to possess the nature of good throughout the educational process will win over those who â€Å"will rebel against the city’s ideology† (Dillon, 2004). Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato References Cornford, F. (translator) (1945). The Republic of Plato. London: Oxford University Press. Dillon, A. (2004). Education in Plato’s Republic. Retrieved December 25, 2007 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/dillon/education_plato_republic.html Honderich, T (ed.) (1995). Oxford Companion to Philosophy. New York: Oxford   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press. Kemerling, G. (n.d.). Plato: Education and the Value of Justice: Plato Life and Works. Retrieved December, 25, 2007 from http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2h.htm. Tulio, D. (2005). Historical, Philosophical, Legal and Technological Foundations of Education II. Manila: National Bookstore Publication. Scolnicov, S. (n.d.). Plato on Education as the Development of Reason. Retrieved December 25, 2007 from http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Anci/AnciScol.htm

Barilla Spa A Essay Example for Free

Barilla Spa A Essay Barilla SpA, an Italian pasta manufacturer is experiencing problems in manufacturing and distribution systems caused by fluctuations in demand. To eliminate these difficulties Giorgio Maggiali, the Chief of Barilla’s Logistics Department, has been trying to implement the Just-In-Time-Distribution, further referred as JITD, system proposed by his predecessor Brando Vitali. JITD can be called a remake of popular â€Å"Just-In-Time† manufacturing concept. Although Maggiali has been trying to convince his consumers that the JITD would definitely work, he has not made much progress. The program was met with significant resistance by the distributors and Barilla’s own Sales and Marketing organizations. Now Maggiali is looking for possible solutions of the problem. In the following analysis we will provide recommendations, which will help Barilla to successfully implement the JITD system and thus decrease its costs, increase efficiencies and its profits. Introduction Barilla SpA was founded in 1975 by Pietro Barilla. From a small shop in Palma, Italy, it became a large, vertically integrated corporation with mills, plants and factories located throughout the Italy. Barilla’s success highly depended on its’ quality of product and innovative marketing programs, which created strong brand name. The company was sold to Grace Inc. in 1971, because the building of a huge plant in Perdignano drove the owners â€Å"deeply into debt†. Grace brought additional capital investment and professional manag Barilla SpA Case Study The biggest challenge facing Giorgio Maggiali and Barilla SpA is the mounting burden that fluctuations of demand have placed on Barillas’ manufacturing and distribution methods, and whether or not to implement a Just-in-Time Distribution (JITD) system for their distributers. The implementation of Just in Time Distribution would allow for a more efficient process for getting the products to the end user when and where they are needed. Solution #1: To implement Just in Time Distribution. For this to succeed, Mr. Maggiali as the director of logistics for Barilla will need to be personally and intimately involved and partner with Mr. DiMaria who is in charge of sales for Barilla and to obtain the support from their own sales reps. Barilla will need to pull the sales reps in for training on how implementing JITD would benefit their accounts, Barilla SpA and themselves. The sales reps will need to â€Å"sell† their customers on this idea and to shift the mentality of their distributers away from â€Å"this is the way we have always done it† and for them to be amiable to exploring new and more efficient ways to replenish their stock. Pro: Barilla would more easily be able to control their manufacturing process and greatly reduce production overruns and stock outs thus enable to pass cost savings onto their distributors. Con: Resistance from the distributors to change may continue. Their distributer may ask â€Å"why is that a concern of mine? † I just want the product I want when I want it. Con: Will incur costs to purchase or develop software needed to gather and correlate sales information. Pro: The initial cost for software development will be offset by savings in lost sales opportunity, reductions in buybacks and an overall increase in productivity and sales. Barilla already has much of the needed data pertaining to sales to the distributers. Con: Customers may be resistant to providing their sales and customer base data to Barilla. Pro: Barilla Sp Company Overview Barilla Spa is a large vertically integrated family owned largest pasta producer in Italy. Its operations are divided into seven divisions: three Pasta divisions, the bakery products division, the Fresh Bread division, the Catering division and the International division. Barilla products were sold through three types of retail outlet: small independent grocers, supermarket chains, and independent supermarkets. Products were sold through CDCs and through intermediate distribution channels. Fresh products were sold through a network of brokers. Inventory levels in the supply were high with larger levels of stock held for dry pasta since its shelf life was high as compared to wet pasta. Barilla enjoyed a strong brand image in Italy. Its marketing and sales strategy was based upon a combination of advertising and promotions. Also distributors can buy as much product as they want to for meeting their demand at the discount offered by the company. Barilla produced two major kinds of products:- a) Dry Products- These include dry pasta, cookies, biscuits, flour, bread sticks and dry toasts. These make 75% of the Barilla sales. They had long shelf lives of 18-24 months or medium shelf lives of 10-12 weeks depending on the product type. b) Fresh products- These include fresh pasta products with 21 day shelf life and bread with 1 day shelf life. Issues Faced The company was suffering from the following problems: 1. Variability in demand- This lead to operational inefficiencies on the part of the company. 2. Inventory Management- The company produced over 800 SKUs, most of which had long or medium shelf lives, thus could be easily stored up at the company warehouse or with the distributors. During periods of low demand, high inventory holding costs had to be incurred. 3. Stock outs- This was one of the major problems which Barilla faced. Many of the distributors were not able to cater to the demands of the retailers during times of high demand. This time B Thoughts on Supply Chain Management The JITD program was supposed to tackle the uneven distribution workload Barilla encountered with its distributors. In order to achieve this, better demand forecast was needed with the support of the distributors. Benefits of the program are below. Barilla’s own logistics organization would be allowed to specify the appropriate delivery quantities that would more effectively meet the end consumer’s needs It would also allow Barilla to distribute the workload on manufacturing and logistics systems more evenly Drawbacks of the program are below. Higher investment costs such as training Since JITD is a new concept, and has not tried out before, there is a risk that serious errors may occur during the implementation process, and this would ruin all previous efforts The value chain consists of five major components, and it can be represented as SIPOC, where S is Supplier, I Input, P Production, O Output and C Customer. Between C and P, there are also the distributors, wholesalers and retailers. It is almost impossible to develop an accurate sales forecast because the market is constantly changing. Factors affecting the market situation are also changing. Without an accurate sales forecast, it is difficult to achieve JIT. This is basically a paradox. No enterprise is able to develop an accurate sales forecast, and without an accurate sales forecast, it is not possible to achieve JIT. Is there really no way out? How about Dell? Dell basically builds computers on a BTO (build-to-order) basis, and this makes JIT possible. But how many enterprises can really deliver products on a BTO basis? What are the requirements to produce on a BTO basis? Barilla definitely was not one of them. Communication here is the critical success factor. The supplier, in this case, Barilla, has to collect information from the distributor, and the distributor has to be able to collect information from the wholesaler, and then the wholesaler has to d

Effect Of Explicit And Implicit Vocabulary Instruction English Language Essay

Effect Of Explicit And Implicit Vocabulary Instruction English Language Essay It is true that vocabulary is central to a language and is of paramount importance to a language learner as Ellis (1994) claims that the cornerstone of L2 is its vocabulary. Instruction is an important contributor in the development of vocabulary knowledge. Implicit vocabulary teaching and learning method involves indirect, or incidental whereas the explicit method involves direct, or intentional. This thesis attempts to find out and compare the effects of the two vocabulary teaching methods on 60 students studying in a Tonekabon University. Control Group (explicit vocabulary teaching) and Experimental group (implicit vocabulary teaching), each group was given a different modes of instruction. During the lessons different explicit vocabulary presentation techniques used including mind-mapping, Persian equivalents and English synonyms and definitions. Subsequently, the teacher utilized an inferred method for teaching vocabulary implicitly which means students were supposed to guess th e words from the passages by using context clues. The researcher used the, the Independent T-Test, Analysis of covariance. The T-tests compared the means of the pretest and posttest scores of each group. ANCOVA was used to identify the progress level from the pretest to the posttest in the groups. The results obtained by the implicit group shows students gained new vocabulary moderately better. And also findings of study in the explicit vocabulary teaching method revealed that in terms of students short term recall of word meanings and the students did well in word retention. The results of this study have important implications for the classroom and make a strong case for implicit and explicit vocabulary instruction. Key Words: Word knowledge, Vocabulary Learning Strategy, Implicit Vocabulary Instruction, Explicit Vocabulary Instruction 1. Background of the Study Vocabulary teaching is one of the most important components of any language classes which help learners to understand languages and express their meanings. If language structures make up the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary that provides the vital organs and the flesh (Harmer 1993.153). This study provides the view toward students knowledge of words by the influence of different modes of teaching vocabulary in which students are weak in words retention. My interest in vocabulary learning strategies was first aroused when I was an English teacher in Institutes. Year after year, many students complained about the difficulty of memorizing new words. They had realized that their small vocabulary size, which seemed difficult to enlarge, had hampered their English learning. It seemed that they had not found an appropriate way to learn vocabulary. We have not been taught the majority of words which we know. Beyond a certain level of proficiency in learning a language, vocabulary development is more likely be mainly intentional or incidental. In vocabulary acquisition studies, one key research direction is to explore the points at which implicit vocabulary learning is more efficient than explicit vocabulary learning, to ask what are the most effective strategies of implicit learning, and to consider the implications of research results for classroom vocabulary teaching(Carter and Nunan, 2002).Traditional vocabulary instruction for many teachers involves having students look words up in a dictionary, memorize them in word lists, find the nearest equivalent which are often used in order to help students learn new words. But these methods provide what research and theory tell us about word learning and sound vocabulary instruction. 2. Statement of the Problem All instructors through classroom activities usually use different methods and techniques in order to teach vocabulary in the class in which students participate actively. Moreover, the way of teaching is significant in vocabulary learning classes. Among researchers, vocabulary has been concerned the core of learning a language and reading comprehension. Students usually are assumed to learn or memorize the lists of vocabulary in order to increase the knowledge of vocabulary and apply it in understanding passages. Most students suffer from understanding the passages which consist of words that play as a hinder in their perceiving, so teachers should help students out by some principal instruction to make them easy to recognize the meaning of unknown words. Students who are learning English as a foreign language lack the vocabulary necessary to understand the reading material in literature and in the content areas. Many of these students do not have success in reading and listening du e to a deficiency in vocabulary. Unknown words hinder students understanding not only on the reading comprehension portions of these tests, but on understanding of questions on content portions of tests as well. Therefore, it is necessary that successful strategies be found to help these students attain proficiency in the classroom. It has long been a debate as to whether or not explicit instruction increases the acquisition of a second language (Chaudron, 1988). Improvements in reading comprehension in English language learners after explicit vocabulary instruction would provide useful strategies for not only EFL instructors, but for mainstream teachers of classrooms with EFL students. The problem for this study is to investigate the merits. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the effect of explicit and implicit instruction on a development of EFL learners vocabulary learning. 3. Literature review According to Celce-Murcia (2001) knowledge can be gained and represented either implicitly or explicitly and both contribute to language learning. There exists a central debate emerging from the studies dealt with whether effective vocabulary learning should give attention to explicit implicit vocabulary learning. In implicit vocabulary, learning students engage in activities that focus attention on vocabulary. Incidental vocabulary is learning that occurs when the mind is focused elsewhere, i.e. learning without conscious attention or awareness; such as on understanding a text or using language for communicative purposes. From a pedagogically- oriented perspective, the goal of explicit teaching is to lead learners attention, whereas the aim of an implicit focus on form is to draw learners attention. Moreover, individual tasks can be located along an explicit or implicit continuum, and complex tasks may combine both explicit and implicit subtasks. Most researchers recognized that a well-structured vocabulary program needs a balanced approach that includes explicit teaching together with activities providing appropriate contexts for incidental learning. Much discussion in the literature on whether vocabulary is best learned through direct study or incidentally through reading. Schmitt (2000) suggests that learners are able to learn large quantities of vocabulary explicitly, for example, by using word lists and the depth of processing hypothesis suggests that it is more likely for a piece of information to be retained in memory if it is manipulated with more mental effort. On the other hand, Hulstijn (1997) notes that it is difficult to learn everything we need to know, through explicit learning, about the more frequent words but extensive reading can serve this purpose. There is, in fact, evidence that both the explicit and implicit approach can be effective. In light of the drawbacks and benefits of both the explicit and implicit vocabulary learning methods, some linguists have suggested that both methods be used together to supplement each other. The experimental design for this study was a quantitative design. Specifically, the design was a quasi-experimental. This research used two groups, control group and experimental group with no treatment (explicit instruction) and a treatment (implicit instruction). The two methods of instruction were compared. Pretest-posttest experimental design was used to investigate the effectiveness of using implicit and explicit modes of introduction to enhance vocabulary knowledge. In scoring the items on the test, for the vocabulary-recognition portion, the items were multiple choices. Scoring was objective; one point for each correct answer. Scores ranged from 0 to 20 on this portion. On the second section of the test, the vocabulary production portion, the items were fill-in-blank. In order to earn the maximum score of one point for each item, the response had to be grammatically correct and spelled correctly. Scores ranged from 0 to 20 on the production portion of the test. For the vocabulary acquisition portion of the test, the total measures ranged from 0 to 20. For the vocabulary acquisition measures, participants took pre-tests to identify whether or not they had any existing knowledge about the vocabulary that was the focus for the particular unit. For this study, it was important to be able to identify the number of vocabulary words that were gained (pre- versus post- scores) as opposed to identifying only the number of vocabulary words that were known at the end of the unit (post-test only). By administering pre-and post-tests, the researcher was able to remove any influence of prior knowledge of these vocabulary words by the participants. By obtaining several values for each participant and alternating the methods of instruction, the researcher was able to help overcome the small sample size and the possibility of maturation of the participants. This also helped to decrease the effect for a particularly interesting unit or particularly uninteresting unit. The final analysis of the data was approximately three months. Table 2 illustrate s the timeline of the experiment with reference to the pre-tests and the units of instruction. To collect data for this study, three instruments were utilized 🙠 1) OPT test t; (2) pretest (i.e. a TOEFL Vocabulary test; (3) posttest (i.e. A TOEFL proficiency test) Vocabulary Levels Tests (Nation, 1990), which is among the best known vocabulary measurement tools to date, will be selected to determine the size of the participants vocabulary. A comparison of the mean scores of test obtained by the two groups shows that, very obviously, performance was a bit higher when the target words were taught through an implicit vocabulary instruction technique of inferred passage than when target words were associated with mid-mapping technique and synonyms and definitions in the passages. The students who participated in this study were sixty students enrolled in university in one semester. The test scores for all sixty students were collected and listed with a numerical reference rather than by name. (Refer to Appendix B) In this study, participants took part in six vocabulary units. These units were a part of 400 must-have words for the TOEFL about the same length, and on various topics. Within this program, there were also teacher-reviewed vocabulary lists and classroom tested strategies for implicit and explicit vocabulary teaching. Each part was on the same vocabulary level and the units were designed to be of similar length. There were two different modes of instruction. In one mode of instruction, implicit instruction, the teacher utilized a inferred method for teaching a vocabulary unit. Moreover, students were supposed to guess the words from the passages by using context clues. In the other mode of instruction, explicit instruction, the teacher utilized specific strategies for (mind-mapping technique, synonyms and definitions). Table 2 outlines the daily schedule for each unit. It distinguishes the implicit instruction strategies from the explicit instruction strategies. The independent variable for this study was the mode of instruction implicit classroom instruction versus explicit vocabulary instruction. These modes were applied to the same group of students, but alternated on the basis of the vocabulary unit. The dependent variables for this study were the vocabulary gained and scores-both of which were collected on the basis of each vocabulary unit (approximately every week). For the vocabulary scores, the lowest possible score was 0 and the highest possible score was 20. Since the focus of this study was to compare conditions with and without explicit vocabulary instruction, the number of words gained for each unit was used. Research Questions: 1-Does explicit teaching of vocabulary affect Iranian EFL learners knowledge of vocabulary? 2-Does implicit teaching of vocabulary affect Iranian EFL learners knowledge of vocabulary? 3-Does the experimental groups (implicit) of the study show progress from the pre-test to post-test? 4-Does the control group (explicit) of the study show progress from pre-test to the post-test study? The hypotheses used for this analysis are as follows: 4. Research Hypotheses H1: Explicit teaching of vocabulary does not affect Iranian EFL learners knowledge of vocabulary. H2: Implicit teaching of vocabulary affects Iranian EFL learners knowledge of vocabulary. H3: The experimental(implicit) of the study shows progress from the pre-test to post-test of study. H4: The control group (explicit) of study does not show progress from pre-test to the post-test study. 4.1 Participants The research participants for the study included the researcher as the classroom teacher and two groups of students. The total of 60 undergraduate students were (40 males and 20 females) of English as a Foreign Language in the Islamic Azad University of Tonekabon, Iran. Their age ranges from 19 and 23. Informed consent was obtained from all students verbally. These students were chosen in the diversity of the group including characteristics such as gender, age, and years of learning English as a Foreign Language. Some 30 students majoring in English were chosen. As previously discussed in the rationale for this research, this kind of situation often places high stress on students as well as teachers and leads to a classroom instructional focus geared toward rote memorization (explicit) rather than higher level thinking (implicit). It was within this context that this researcher sought answers to the questions guiding this study. Two sets of test scores of a single group of sixty students were analyzed to determine if a statistically significant gain existed. The independent t-test was used to determine if the mean gains of the two groups of scores were significantly different from one another. The t-test was chosen because it adjusts for the distribution of the small sample size.(Gay Airasian, 2003). The test was run first for the vocabulary acquisition variable (refer to Hypothesis 1) and then again for the vocabulary knowledge variable (refer to Hypothesis 2). Statistically significant gains in the means of the groups of scores (control group) would indicate that explicit vocabulary instruction does have an effect in EFL words retention. A positive difference would be an indication of additional benefits (more vocabulary acquired and/or higher retention) derived from the implicit instruction. In examining the overall classroom performance, a higher average on units taught using explicit vocabulary instruc tion would indicate an overall benefit for using explicit vocabulary instruction in the classroom. The OPT test and pretest were administered one week apart, with the second test administered the day prior to implementation of the program. The posttest was administered immediately upon the conclusion of the study. All data were collected during the students regularly scheduled vocabulary class by the researcher who had no relationship with classroom participants .It could be one of the limitations of the study. Students in both study conditions received the same pretest and posttest. Test directions instruct students in order to receive full credit; all work must be shown, regardless of how they arrive at their answer. Students were allowed and required to utilize some techniques to answer questions on the test. For this research study, the modes of instruction were the independent variable because it was hypothesized to impact the vocabulary knowledge on the posttest. The dependent variable was the vocabulary knowledge measured by the posttest scores after the treatment. The analysis would use two methods to data analysis in order to answer the research questions: the independent T-Test and ANCOVA. Independent T-tests were used to answer the first and second research question. ANCOVA was used to answer the third and fourth research questions. 5. Results This research study aimed to investigate the effects of vocabulary modes of instruction on word knowledge for an experimental group (N=30) of college students at the Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran. In order to compare the improvement from the pretest to the posttest of the study, the researcher used the, the Independent T-Test, Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The T-tests compared the means of the pretest and posttest scores of each group and, therefore to answer the first research question and second question. ANCOVA was used to identify the progress level from the pretest to the posttest in the groups, and therefore to answer the third and fourth research questions. In this section the results of the study based on the participants scores on the pretests and posttests in both groups will be presented. H1: Explicit teaching of vocabulary does not affect Iranian EFL learners knowledge of vocabulary. As viewed in Figure 4.1, the histogram forms a symmetric shape confirming that the scores are normal. For answering question one, two sets of test scores of two group students were analyzed to determine if a statistically significant gain existed. The independent t-test was used to determine if the mean gains of the two groups of scores were significantly different from one another. According to (Table 4.2), observed t value equals 2.343. A comparison made between this t value and the critical t value in the table (Table 4.4) adopted from Hatch and Farhady (1981, p. 272) shows that the critical t value equals 2.In other words the observed t is higher than the critical t value. Therefore, the null hypothesis derived from the first research question is rejected and it can be indicated that the research independent variable explicit teaching of vocabulary has effect learners knowledge of vo cabulary. Table 4.2 Independent Samples Test Levenes Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference Std. Error Difference 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Posttest Score Equal variances assumed .016 .901 2.343 58 .023 1.633 .697 .238 Equal variances not assumed 2.343 57.931 .023 1.633 .697 .238 Table 4.1 implicit and explicit posttest score Treatment N Mean Std. Deviation Posttest Score Implicit 30 14.83 2.653 Explicit 30 13.20 2.747 Table 4.3 pretest and posttest of experimental group Mean N Std. Deviation Pair 1 Pretest Score 11.26 30 1.375 Posttest Score 14.74 30 2.782 As Table 4.3 displays, the results of the descriptive analysis showed how the participants performed on the pretest and the posttest as well as the dispersion of the scores on the two tests. The mean scores of the pretest and the posttest in the Experimental Group were M = 11.26 (N = 30, SD =1.375) and M = 14.74 (N = 30, SD = 2.782) respectively. The significant difference between the two mean scores and the standard deviation indicated the group performed heterogeneously before and after the treatment. Having calculated the descriptive statistics based on the students scores on the pretest and the posttest, the researcher conducted a T-test to determine if the means significantly different. Table 4.4 Descriptive Statistics of the Overall Comparison between Pretest and Posttest in the CG Mean N Std. Deviation Pair 1 Pretest Score 11.52 30 2.327 Posttest Score 13.19 30 2.815 Table 4.4 shows comparisons between the pretest and the posttest mean scores for the experimental group. The purpose of this comparison is to find out whether the participants in the EG made changes in their vocabulary knowledge performance after the treatment. There is a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest performance of the groups (p>.05). There was no statistical evidence found to reject the second null hypothesis. H2: Implicit teaching of vocabulary affects Iranian EFL learners knowledge of vocabulary. Tables 4.4 shows comparisons between the pretest and the posttest mean scores for the control groups. The purpose of this comparison is to find out whether the participants in CG made changes in vocabulary knowledge after treatment. There is not a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest performance of the group (p>.05). This means the EG did significantly improve their vocabulary knowledge after the treatment. We can come to a conclusion that both the explicit vocabulary teaching technique (mind-mapping) and the implicit vocabulary teaching approach (inferred passage) brought lexical gains to the students in both groups. This finding is in line with the viewpoint of Carter and Nation (2001), who suggest that both the explicit and implicit methods can be effective. Nevertheless, in comparison, when word meanings were explicitly taught to the subjects through mind-mapping, semantic and short term recall of the target words were better than when the word meanings had to be inferred from the passages. This finding ran to Krashrens argument that competence in and vocabulary is most efficiently attained by comprehensible input in the form of reading (Krashen 1989, p.440). Krashen maintains that according to his Comprehensible Input Hypothesis which assumes that we acquire language by understanding messages (p.440), comprehensible input is the essential to language acquisition and vocabulary and spelling are acquired in the same way the rest of language is acquired (p.440). H3: The experimental(implicit) of the study shows progress from the pre-test to post-test of study. Before answering this question and presenting the descriptive results based on the experimental groups scores on the pretest and posttest of the study, the issue of whether or not scores follow a normal distribution should be investigated. Figure 4.5 is the histogram of the scores with a symmetrical shape showing the normality of the distribution. On the basis of the table (4.7), that the F value in the treatment row equal is 18.635 above shows that there is a significant different between the two research groups (EG, CG). In addition the sig. value (.000) in the same row shows that it is above the p-value (p>0.5). Hence it is stated that different between the mean scores is not haphazard or accidental and the third hypothesis supported and fourth null hypothesis is rejected. In order to answer this question, ANCOVA was conducted for finding any significant differences in the level of progress achieved by the control group. In all of these analyses the significant level was set at p H4: The control group (explicit) of study does not show progress from pre-test to the post-test study. In order to answer this question, ANCOVA was conducted for finding any significant differences in the level of progress achieved by the control group. In all of these analyses the significant level was set at p Summary It is true that vocabulary is central to a language and is of paramount importance to a language learner as Ellis (1999) claims that the cornerstone of L2 is its vocabulary. Instruction is an important contributor in the development of vocabulary knowledge. Implicit vocabulary teaching and learning method involves indirect, or incidental whereas the explicit method involves direct, or intentional. This paper attempts to find out and compare the effects of the two vocabulary teaching methods on 60 students studying in a Tonekabon University. Control Group (explicit vocabulary teaching) and Experimental group (implicit vocabulary teaching), each group was given a different modes of instruction. During the lessons different explicit vocabulary presentation techniques used including mind-mapping, Persian equivalents and English synonyms and definitions. Subsequently, the teacher utilized an inferred method for teaching vocabulary implicitly which means students were supposed to guess the words from the passages by using context clues. The researcher used the, the Independent T-Test, Analysis of covariance. The T-tests compared the means of the pretest and posttest scores of each group. ANCOVA was used to identify the progress level from the pretest to the posttest in the groups. The results obtained by the implicit group shows students gained new vocabulary moderately better. And also findings of study in the explicit vocabulary teaching method revealed that in terms of students short term recall of word meanings and the students did well in word retention. The results of this study have important implications for the classroom and make a strong case for implicit and explicit vocabulary instruction.

Interview Essay - Peter Clauss -- Interview Essays

Interview Essay - Peter Clauss Peter Clauss was born March 21, 1935, in what was then, East Germany. Growing up he worked in hotel restaurants; this was where he learned his trade. Instead of attending the regular school system he learned the skills that he would need later on in life in the restaurant. Today Peter enjoys attending the opera, theater, concerts and plays. It is these places where he finds most of his happiness in life. What is your definition of happiness? "Not to have any worries or as few worries as possible." Has your definition changed over the years? "Yes." "This year I changed a lot, it's a whole process." Who or what do you turn to when you are unhappy? "Music or books, but especially music. Music isn't for some people, but it is for me. For example, Beethoven and Bach put all this philosophy and emotion in their music." What makes you unhappy? "Cruelty towards animals makes me unhappy. And stupidity or stupid attitudes. I try to stay away from that, you know if someone says you're stupid, I just forget it and walk away." How do other people's attitudes affect your happiness? "It doesn't affect me because if they are unhappy, then I just stay away from them. When I am going out with my friends and they bring along one of their friends, that is fine, because if their friends are good to them, then they are friends of mine. So other people's attitudes really don't affect me." How did your childhood influence your sense of happiness? "I grew up in Germany, I know a little bit about the Nazi's. The war ended in 1945 when I was 10 years old, so I know a little bit, but not much. My mother was an apprentice and was employed by Jews. She always said that they were such wonderful people.... ...rmany and their communistic views." Are you pleased with yourself? "Oh yes, very. Absolutely couldn't be better." Religion? "I gave up religion. Religion is kind of superstitious; especially if you are young, they kind of corrupt you. God is like a baked potato and every church puts a different topping on it to make it more appealing. But really all it is, is don't do any bad things like the basics. In religion you are always waiting for something, its like gimme gimme, and then if it doesn't come, its like, how can you do this to me?" If you could give a piece of advice for achieving happiness what would it be? "I would say listen to music, because music to me is like religion. If you educate your five senses, then you will have a happy life." Peter was a very friendly person. I enjoyed the time I had learning about his life, and I wish him the best. Interview Essay - Peter Clauss -- Interview Essays Interview Essay - Peter Clauss Peter Clauss was born March 21, 1935, in what was then, East Germany. Growing up he worked in hotel restaurants; this was where he learned his trade. Instead of attending the regular school system he learned the skills that he would need later on in life in the restaurant. Today Peter enjoys attending the opera, theater, concerts and plays. It is these places where he finds most of his happiness in life. What is your definition of happiness? "Not to have any worries or as few worries as possible." Has your definition changed over the years? "Yes." "This year I changed a lot, it's a whole process." Who or what do you turn to when you are unhappy? "Music or books, but especially music. Music isn't for some people, but it is for me. For example, Beethoven and Bach put all this philosophy and emotion in their music." What makes you unhappy? "Cruelty towards animals makes me unhappy. And stupidity or stupid attitudes. I try to stay away from that, you know if someone says you're stupid, I just forget it and walk away." How do other people's attitudes affect your happiness? "It doesn't affect me because if they are unhappy, then I just stay away from them. When I am going out with my friends and they bring along one of their friends, that is fine, because if their friends are good to them, then they are friends of mine. So other people's attitudes really don't affect me." How did your childhood influence your sense of happiness? "I grew up in Germany, I know a little bit about the Nazi's. The war ended in 1945 when I was 10 years old, so I know a little bit, but not much. My mother was an apprentice and was employed by Jews. She always said that they were such wonderful people.... ...rmany and their communistic views." Are you pleased with yourself? "Oh yes, very. Absolutely couldn't be better." Religion? "I gave up religion. Religion is kind of superstitious; especially if you are young, they kind of corrupt you. God is like a baked potato and every church puts a different topping on it to make it more appealing. But really all it is, is don't do any bad things like the basics. In religion you are always waiting for something, its like gimme gimme, and then if it doesn't come, its like, how can you do this to me?" If you could give a piece of advice for achieving happiness what would it be? "I would say listen to music, because music to me is like religion. If you educate your five senses, then you will have a happy life." Peter was a very friendly person. I enjoyed the time I had learning about his life, and I wish him the best.

james madison Essay -- essays research papers

James Madison begins his famous federalist paper by explaining that the purpose of this essay is to help the readers understand how the structure of the proposed government makes liberty possible. Each branch should be, for the most part, in Madison's opinion, independent. To assure such independence, no one branch should have too much power in selecting members of the other two branches. If this principle were strictly followed, it would mean that the citizens should select the president, the legislators, and the judges. But, the framers recognized certain practical difficulties in making every office elective. In particular, the judicial branch would suffer because the average person is not aware of the qualifications judges should possess. Judges should have great ability, but also be free of political pressures. Since federal judges are appointed for life, their thinking will not be influenced by the president who appoints them, or the senators whose consent the president will s eek. Madison furthers, the members of each branch should not be too dependent on the members of the other two branches in the determination of their salaries. The best security against a gradual concentration of power in any one branch is to provide constitutional safeguards that would make such concentration difficult. The constitutional rights of all must check one man's personal interests and ambitions. We may not like to admit that men abuse power, but the very need for government itself proves they do, "if men were angels, no government would be necessary." Unfortunately, all men are imperfect, the rulers and the ruled. Consequently, the great problem in framing a government is that the government must be able to control the people, but equally important, must be forced to control itself. The dependence of the government on the will of the people is undoubtedly the best control, but experience teaches that other controls are necessary. Dividing power helps to check its growth in any one direction, but power cannot be divided absolutely equally. In the republican form of government, the legislative branch tends to be the most powerful. That is why the framers divided the Congress into two branches, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and provided for a different method of election in each branch. Further safeguards against legislative tyranny may be neces... ...ports: Partition of powers Each Department  · Should have a will of its own  · Thus members of each should have little to do with appointments of members of the other  · Member of each should be as little dependent as possible of the others for the emoluments annexed to their offices. In framing a government 1. government needs to control the governed 2. government needs to control itself Each department should have different amounts of self-defense because some departments need it more than others. Ex. Repersentative government legislative huge – divided into subgroups. Two considerations:  · Single - All the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government. Compound – power first divided by two distinct governments and then each portion subdivided among separate departments.  · Guard society not only of oppression of its rulers, but also injustice of the other part. Need to guard minorities. Keeps people from just electing someone on a whim. james madison Essay -- essays research papers James Madison begins his famous federalist paper by explaining that the purpose of this essay is to help the readers understand how the structure of the proposed government makes liberty possible. Each branch should be, for the most part, in Madison's opinion, independent. To assure such independence, no one branch should have too much power in selecting members of the other two branches. If this principle were strictly followed, it would mean that the citizens should select the president, the legislators, and the judges. But, the framers recognized certain practical difficulties in making every office elective. In particular, the judicial branch would suffer because the average person is not aware of the qualifications judges should possess. Judges should have great ability, but also be free of political pressures. Since federal judges are appointed for life, their thinking will not be influenced by the president who appoints them, or the senators whose consent the president will s eek. Madison furthers, the members of each branch should not be too dependent on the members of the other two branches in the determination of their salaries. The best security against a gradual concentration of power in any one branch is to provide constitutional safeguards that would make such concentration difficult. The constitutional rights of all must check one man's personal interests and ambitions. We may not like to admit that men abuse power, but the very need for government itself proves they do, "if men were angels, no government would be necessary." Unfortunately, all men are imperfect, the rulers and the ruled. Consequently, the great problem in framing a government is that the government must be able to control the people, but equally important, must be forced to control itself. The dependence of the government on the will of the people is undoubtedly the best control, but experience teaches that other controls are necessary. Dividing power helps to check its growth in any one direction, but power cannot be divided absolutely equally. In the republican form of government, the legislative branch tends to be the most powerful. That is why the framers divided the Congress into two branches, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and provided for a different method of election in each branch. Further safeguards against legislative tyranny may be neces... ...ports: Partition of powers Each Department  · Should have a will of its own  · Thus members of each should have little to do with appointments of members of the other  · Member of each should be as little dependent as possible of the others for the emoluments annexed to their offices. In framing a government 1. government needs to control the governed 2. government needs to control itself Each department should have different amounts of self-defense because some departments need it more than others. Ex. Repersentative government legislative huge – divided into subgroups. Two considerations:  · Single - All the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government. Compound – power first divided by two distinct governments and then each portion subdivided among separate departments.  · Guard society not only of oppression of its rulers, but also injustice of the other part. Need to guard minorities. Keeps people from just electing someone on a whim.

Investment in Gold and its effect on the society Essay

Gold is the most popular form of investment of all the precious metals. Many investors in the contemporary society prefer to buy gold as protection against crisis that may emanate from changes in the political, economic, social or financial systems in the society. Political economy has great impact on the economic development of a country because of the interaction between the economy and the society . For instance, a crisis may be caused by political instability triggered by social unrest or war, decline in market investment, inflation, currency failure and burgeoning of a national debt. The popularity of gold in investment has resulted to the establishment of a gold standard. The term â€Å"gold standard† refers to a monetary system whereby the standard economic unit of an account is defined by a certain fixed weight of gold. Investment in gold can have negative and positive impact on the society. This paper will discuss the issue of investment in gold and how it affects the society. Issues that will be addressed include how and why gold serves as money in the monetary system. In addition, how tightly the gold is tied to the movement of money as well as the ancient history and legends on gold will be covered. Discussion Importance of gold in the World Monetary system The human lust for gold has been witnessed since the existence of ancient races and civilizations. Throughout history, gold has always been used as a relative standard for currency and a form of payment. Ancient civilizations used gold coins as money because of their high value and lack of paper money. However, even after the introduction of paper money, the significance of gold in the monetary system remained. In the late nineteenth century, gold standards were introduced in various European nations. However, the gold standards were affected by a financial crisis that was witnessed during the First World War. During the war, the US and Great Britain were some of the countries that suspended the strict Gold Standard but Great Britain returned to the gold bullion standard in 1925. The significance of gold in the monetary system increased after the World War II when gold was pegged to the US dollar by the Bretton Woods system. Back then, the US dollar value to the gold was pegged at the rate of $35 per troy ounce. The system was eliminated after 1971 when the US made unilateral suspension of direct convertibility of the US dollar to gold. Trading in gold has maintained its importance in replacing money. In the US, the important role of gold was evident in 1975 when trading in gold for delivery was done in New York Commodity Exchange and Chicago International Monetary Market in 1975 . In 1980, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sold about one third of its gold holdings and in 1986, the American Eagle Gold Bullion coin was introduced by the US Mint. Over the years, gold has maintained its high value and significance in the world monetary system in the contemporary society. Currently, gold continues to be traded across the globe on the basis of intra-day sport price which is derived from gold trading that occurs through the counter in gold-trading markets. The high demand and supply of gold drives the price of gold just like in other many investments. However, disposal and hoarding of gold affects its price in the market because there is more gold that exists to be supplied in the market for the right price. For centuries, gold has been the foundation of monetary systems hence as an investment is considered to be very critical in the global monetary system. This is because it does not generate income hence its intrinsic value is measured based on the Central Bank International Monetary Reserves. Many governments acknowledge the significance of gold in stabilizing the economy . For example, the end of British Gold standard in 1914 paved way for the World War I inflationary financing. The end of the monetary inflation in 1921 on the other hand resulted to stability in the United Kingdom and the United States. This stability resulted to positive effects on rising Bonds and Equity market prices and interest rates. Due to the need to maintain the role of gold in the economy, the Bretton Woods in 1944 ratified the US Gold Exchange Standard of 1935 . Central banks in various influence the gold price and countries can limit gold sales. For example, 1999, limitation of gold sales by the members of the Washington on Gold (WAG) who included Japan, Europe, US, Australia, the IMF and International Settlements was done. The countries limited gold sale to less than 400 tones per annum. Due to the high value of gold and its importance in the monetary system, ancient history and legends have confirmed how important gold has been for centuries. For example, ancient stories have pointed out that the Europeans believed that there was a place of immense wealth that was referred to as El Dorado due to the presence of gold in the place. As a result, many people made efforts to search for the place to get the gold. However, it has never been confirmed whether this place exists or not. In addition, during the Egyptian civilization period, the people used to bury great amounts of gold together with dead pharaohs in belief that they would use the gold in the afterlife. Just like the ancient civilizations, many countries are now interested in increasing their gold reserves as protection in case of a financial crisis. As a result, the countries make efforts to improve the returns of the official gold reserves. The modern world monetary system is founded on gold that has been held by the Central Banks and in the Treasury. Gold is considered to be equal to money due to its importance in the Gold Standard . The three gold standards that are used in the monetary system include the gold specific standard, the gold exchanged standard and the gold bullion standard . A Gold Standard ensures that the public can prevent governments from pursuing destabilizing monetary policies through escape Asset and Debt deflation or Fiscal profligacy. The holdings of gold at the market price by the World Central Bank constitute part of the World International Monetary Reserves(IMRs) upon which the World monetary system is based. Measurement of changes in IMR defines whether there is expansion or contraction of the World Central Bank Monetary Base. In 1944 at the time of the Bretton Woods agreement, gold accounted for about 90 per cent of the consolidated World Central Bank Monetary Reserve and because the United States owned about 90 per cent of the Central Bank gold, the dollar managed to become the International monetary system key currency. Gold has real money value because its value is not affected by changes in the economy or control by the government economic policies. Ancient civilizations recognized the importance of gold hence they had many prisoners of war work in gold mines in search for the gold. In 4000 BC, Eastern Europe began using gold to make fashion and decorative objects and by 1200 BC, Egyptians were beating gold to extend its use in the society. They even combined it with the other metals to create alloys and also use it for the lox-wax technique. In 550 Scathe Greeks mined gold in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and used it foe art and in the monetary system. In 344 BC, Alexander the Great is believed to have crossed the Hellespont carrying vast quantities of gold he had acquired from the Persian Empire. According to the Greek mythology, in 1550 BC, the King of Mycenae who led the Greek expedition to Troy had worn a gold funerary mask. The Romans also mined and used gold which they sometimes sought in the water streams . By 50 BC, the Romans were able to issue a gold coin known as Aureas. The value of gold in the society remained over the years and in 1299AD, Marco Polo wrote about gold that he had seen in his travels to the Far East. In 1903AD, the Gold Standard Act in the US was officially established and enabled the US to maintain a fixed exchange rate as compared to other nations. This ancient history of gold confirms how important gold has been to the society for many centuries as a monetary value and for other applications. Investment in gold Investment in gold is very vital in economic growth and stabilization of the economy . Research studies that have been carried out in the economic confirm that the economy and the wider society interact . Gold is considered to have great value as compared to other precious metals that are mined and used in the society. The significance of gold in relation to the world monetary system makes investment in gold an excellent long-term means of saving and protecting wealth from negative economic forces. Initially, gold coins were used as money when paper money had not been introduced in the economy. However, the introduction of paper money made the carrying of bank notes that were more divisible and lighter than the heavy gold coins more convenient. This case was witnessed in the US during the 1930s Great Depression when President Roosevelt advocated against the use of gold. Gold is also very important when there are negative or low real interest rates. This is because the demand for gold is increased when real estate equity and return on bonds are not adequate to compensate for risk and inflation. For instance, during the 1970s when economic changes resulted from stagflation that led to an economic bubble. In cases where national crisis is experienced as a result of looting, invasion, war or crisis, many investors are concerned about the seizing of the assets and the reduction in currency worth. In efforts to maintain the currency worth, the investors therefore consider gold to be a solid asset and a good form of investment. Investors have taken advantage of the relation between gold and money by investing in various ways. Many investors in gold as well as the economists agree that gold has become the world’s ultimate dollar hedge investment. Investors can invest in gold is various ways . For example, investment in gold can be done through direct ownership, Gold Exchange-Traded Funds(ETFs),gold mutual funds, junior gold stocks and gold options. In direct ownership form of investment, the gold bullion is very important hence the investors who choose to invest in gold through direct ownership enjoy permanent high value of gold. The Gold-Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) refer to the mutual fund that trade on stock like ordinary stock. In the United States, the two gold ETFs that trade hold onto the gold bullion. On the other hand, the gold mutual funds allow investors to invest where the funds hold portfolios of gold stocks of companies that mine gold while the junior gold stocks are preferred by the investors whose risk of tolerance is broader. The investors hence accept the possibility of gold-based losses. The gold options form of investment is used by the experienced and the sophisticated investors due to the element of speculation in gold prices. Investment in gold can also be done through the purchase of bullion gold bars. In many countries, the billion gold bars are usually sold over the counter in the countries’ major banks. In addition, the gold bullion dealers provide investors with an opportunity to purchase the bars which differ in sizes. As difficulties in storing, verifying and storing pure gold increase, investors now find it easy to invest in gold though a gold account. Because gold bars are easier to store, they are often sold as kilo bars. Investment in gold is also done by buying gold coins and this enables one to hold the monetary value through gold. Examples of banks that sell and buy gold counts over the counter include the Liechtenstein and Swiss banks. The American Eagle billion coin is the most popular gold coin that has been used for hundreds of years. These coins have a stated amount of pure gold made from the denominations that are provided by the treasury. The Gold exchanged traded funds are sold or bought as shares on the major stock exchanges in Sydney, New York and London. For those who investors in gold through the gold billion, a certificate of ownership is held. These certificates enable various investors to sell or buy security without the inconvenience that may be associated with actual physical gold transfer. Gold certificates were first issued to customers in England and Netherlands in the seventeen century in order to allow the investors/ customers to keep the gold bullion safe through the certificates.

How to Multitask? Essay

Sometimes I wish I could clone myself and be present in several places at the same time! † says Vedika. Don’t we wish all we could do that ? Living in this busy world, we never seem to have enough time to get everything done. The best way to get our tasks done is to learn how to organize our time. Women are the best example of multitasking. They need to take care of so many things at once; their children, houses, husbands, and sometimes careers! (Catherine Bush,2001) Although women are born with this skill that doesn’t mean it’s not an attainable skill. The most successful business men are those who learned the art of multitasking. So much work needs to get done, so little time to do it. After all as they say in the business world â€Å"time is money! † Doctors are also are a great example. As a doctor you have a big number of patients to look after, not to mention the multiple surgeries that you have to perform each day, which means you have to focus on getting each task done in its own time. In order to master the art of multitasking, we can always follow a few simple steps in order to get our lives much more organized & accomplishing more. If you want to be a professional multitasked; you have to take in a consideration writing down your to do list, prioritizing, having a timeline, sticking to your time line and finishing   tasks on time. A to do list is the most common way to organizing your tasks. Write down the things you need to get done for the day in the evening before, spend 10-15 minutes writing down your list. There fore, the first thing you should start your day with is deciding what would you do depending on how busy your day os going to be. Now a days, Technology has become much more aware of the important of To Do Lists so we can find such pocket organizers, programs in computers, online websites, and mobile phones as well. Having a to do list will make your day more organized, much clear of what to do. Moreover, it will make you feel less stressed, then you will be much more capable of accomplishing your tasks. After writing down a to do list prioritizing would be your second step. To know when to switch tasks, you must distinguish between the tasks you must perform and those you can afford to blow off. Prioritize your list in order depending on the tasks must be done first. Rank them as daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly categories (Catherine Bush, 2001). Then, you have to decide what tasks need to be done first according to the level of importance and the amount of time you have to get it done. Keep in mind that you have to carry on with your schedule under any circumstances (Sanjay). Timeline would be your redline, so you should prepare yourself to be always on time. First, set a time line for each task so you won’t waste your time. Secondly, you must decide the amount of time you can spend on each task so that you will have enough time to finish them all (Triana Mukherjee,2004). Some tasks un expectedly take more time thus affecting your whole plan. It’s alright, the more you practice this, the better you will be in your time judgment After setting your timelines you have to stick to it. Always, stick to your time line, and finish each task before starting the next one. Doing this will be a good exercise on time management. E. g: when having to work on a project for school, set on estimate for the time required for the preparations step, research step, and writing step. You will be able to finish on time if you stick to your time line . Multitasking at your current level leads to other levels and that is a natural progression. The ‘challenge’ factor keeps you going. You can do other things and do them well† Observes Sanjay, The amount of tasks needed to be accomplished each day depends on a lot of factors; the amount of time you can afford to spend, the quality you want your work to be, your limitations, strength and ambitions.