Mergers and Acquisitions †The life of Hewlett †Packard Essay

The first big customer of HP was Walt Disney Studios. The company purchased eight oscillators from HP for their movie Fantasia. These oscillators were purchased in order to develop an innovative sound system for the movie. HP has incorporated profit sharing and social commitment in the company through its values and corporate objectives that have been with the company since 1957, these principles guide them to be focused and committed to the company and were founded by the co founders and are being followed to this day. Through trust, team work, innovation and integrity the company has been successful in making enough profits to finance their growth as well as keep all the stakeholders satisfied. They respect customer loyalty and the role of employees and there fore their contribution in the company. They look for opportunities and grow but not at the stake of society, they serve as an asset to the society and country where ever they are doing business. Dave Packard used a management technique that was incorporated into HP’s corporate culture. He called it â€Å"managing by walking around† which later came to be known as â€Å"management by Objectives† which had employee involvement, recognition and communication for better management and achievement of organizational goals. The company went public in the year 1957 and Bill and Dave have always given respect and appreciation for the employee’s efforts. Therefore after going public they gave the stock grants to the employees automatically who have been serving for at least six months in the company. This meant that the employees were given shares of the company, which will give them some form of ownership in the company and motivate them more for the performance and growth. The first acquisition of the company took place in the year 1958 of a high quality graphic producer company. The name of the company was F.L. Moseley Company of Pasadena, California. This acquisition was not seen as a threat to its flexibility because this gave opportunity to HP to enter into plotters market which was a needed for the company’s printer business. And to counter the problem of growing business the company had practiced decentralization of business divisions which will be responsible for their own products. Bill was looking for opportunities internationally for Hp to enter foreign markets and he found some in Europe after the Treaty of Rome and also the European Common market in the year 1957. These paved way for starting operation of Hp in the European markets and as Bill visited Europe he found it a viable decision and the company became global in the year 1959. The first joint venture of the company was in Asia with a Japanese company named Yokogawa Hewlett-Packard (YHP) in the year 1963. The CEO identified the factors that lead to major acquisitions by HP till the year 2005. HP was performing well in the industry. Its revenue and profits were rising and which made it attractive for the investor’s point of view as the company’s stock value also rose. The company was able to achieve cost control and pay bonuses to the employees at the same time. The company had a strong financial position with an impressive figure of $6.8 billion as an increase in revenue growth. The company wanted to achieve cost competitiveness. The company made some changes in the number of workers and their retirement programmes. The company consists of a team of dedicated workforce which is willing to put in their maximum efforts to enhance the value and performance. Moreover the company wanted to evolve in the bigger markets. The company had cash and potential to prosper in sales, they had no burden of operational debt. They have a strong customer base with a brand loyalty from them. All these led to the successful acquisitions of the company. The merger and acquisitions that took place between HP and other companies around the globe made HP a much stronger company in terms of market share as well as sales growth and innovation and created value for the company. The deal with Compaq was seen as an opportunity to grow into the IT sector in the world.   One of the long term goals of the company is to become the world’s largest computer company. All these mergers and takeovers were taken in order to reduce the competition, increase market share, share expertise which can be used to produce further products. The deal between Compaq and HP was seen as a success in the industry after five years of the deal. Compaq was its strong competitive at the same time one of the largest PC makers. The two companies by integrating have took forward the company’s profits and sales to another level altogether. The merger took place at the right time when both the companies were lacking the production of key products. But after the deal both the companies were able to fill in the gap that they had while operating independently. They were committed to the infrastructure software which helped the company go into the management layer from the commodity hardware. The company was at a stronger position to compete with the global service providers. The deal was able to increase the revenue and profits for the company being in the competitive environment of the industry.

Explore the Ways Strong Feelings About Love Are Presented

Poems are commonly used to convey strong feelings about the true nature of love. However, these feelings can take many different shapes which articulate positive as well as negative perceptions of love. The four poems that embody these different features are ‘Hour’ by Carol Ann Duffy, ‘Sonnet 116’ by William Shakespeare, ‘In Paris with you’ by James Fenton and ‘Quickdraw’ by Carol Ann Duffy. Two poems that share similar feelings about love are ‘in Paris with you' and ‘Quickdraw' as they both explore the theme of conflict and emotional pain instigated by love.Fenton makes it clear in the first stanza that the speaker has been hurt in the past, claiming that he was ‘one of your talking wounded' which is a pun on the phrase ‘walking wounded'. However, this phrase is pursued by a. Use of neologism ‘maroonded' which serves to create an apparent carefree tone carried on through-out the poem. However, as the p oem progresses it becomes apparent that the light-hearted mood hides a deeper subtext and is a cover for the speaker's true feelings.Similarly Duffy makes use of an extended metaphor ‘a western stand-off', using the slightly chilidish image to to conceal her true feelings and the more serious emotional pain which results from love. She makes use of lexical choices from the semantic field of battle or a western style stand-off â€Å"guns, trigger, Sheriff, last chance saloon† to reflect how she is feeling in the relationship as well as avoiding the reality of the issue. Despite the light-hearted tones of the poems, the reader's attention is drawn to the subtle darker subtexts which reveal the speakers' true feelings in both poems.Fenton indirectly adresses the speakers true feelings about love by using an ambiguous phrase ‘in paris with you' repetitively. However, towards the end of the poem it soon becomes clear that â€Å"paris† is a euphemism for love. Lo ve is really what the speajer is trying to convey but in a cautious way clearly due to a phobia of rejection or further emotional pain experienced in previous loving relationships. Duffy makes the speakers feelings know in a slightly indirect way as well by the use of enjambment in the phrase ‘you blast me†¦ hrough the heart', the sudden break in the line highlights the effect te lovers words have on the speaker by enabling through ‘through the heart' to stand alone consequently stand out. With ‘heart', being the main of love and ‘blast', related to warfare, being married together, they significantly emphasize the true pain the speaker is experiencing from the lovers' use of weaponry ‘your voice a pellet' as well as a real depth of her vulnerability. In addition, the two poems make use of structure to convey their strong feelings about love to the reader by manipulating the form and layout of the poems.Duffy uses sonnet structure in ‘quickdra w', which is a structure traditionally used for romantic poetry. A sonnet consists of 4 stanzas, each stanza containing four lines, also known as a quatrain which are reminiscent of Shakespeare. However, the sonnet structure in ‘Quickdraw' doesn't quite reflect the common structure of a sonnet as it is brocken up by the use of enjambment and caesuras ‘blast me (stanza 2)†¦ throught the heart (stanza 3)' and ‘another one's(stanza 3)†¦ oncealed(stanza 4)' which can be enterpreted in different ways, perhaps it is used to symbolize the breakdown of communication in the relationship or maybe it was used to highlight important words. ‘Quickdraw' is also wiritten in free verse, so there is no order to the poem as a result it is effective as it replicates the subject of a western ‘stand-off' or ‘showdown' which similarly have no order to them and are generally chaotic. Correspondingly, ‘in paris with you' is also manipulated so that the st ructure and form of the poem emphasizes certain elements of the relationship.The third stanza is indented and contains nine lines as opposed to the other stanza's which contain five lines. The evident change in structure in stanza 3 is imposed to highlight the speaker's rejection of all the cliches of love by using colloquial language ‘can we say sod off to the sodding Notre Dame', which juxtaposes the classic image if Paris:the city of love. Therefore, an idea of the speaker's clear fear of having to commit theirself to a relationship, after being ‘bamboozled' by the ‘mess' of the previous ones, is suggested.Nonetheless, despite the speakers in both poems' reluctance to admit the emotional pain and conflict they are suffering, the true extent of their feelings towards their lovers is made very clear by their poignant last lines. â€Å"In paris with you† ends with the speaker directly adressing their subject of their affection by saying ‘I'm in Paris w ith you', thereby making it clear to the reader that they are in fact ‘In love with you' if you replace ‘paris' with ‘love'.The phrase is repeated several times through-out the poem and suggest that no matter how much the speaker denies their feelings, they are unable to hide them. The extra line in stanza 5 suggests the speaker is breaking free of their old thoughts about love and opening up to new ones. Similarly the speaker in â€Å"quickdraw† ends the poem with the ambiguous phrase â€Å"take this†¦ and this†¦ and this†.The breakdown of language and the use of ellipsis and repetition could be interpreted in different ways, it could suggest that the speaker has been left defensless against the blows of her lover. Alternatively it could be that she finally succumbed to her feelings and is showering her partner with kisses as the bullets are described as ‘silver', so precious and expensive. The last lines of Quickdraw are effective as they are very much open to interpretation so the reader is left with different ideas about how the speaker is feelings.Conclusively, the strong feelings about love presented in â€Å"In Paris with you† and â€Å"Quickdraw† are highly interesting and evocative with Duffy's use of extended metaphors and Fenton's use of repetition and euphemism. Both of the speaker's ability to get the reader to empathise with them indicates the clear effectiveness of the poem's language, structure and context. The layered deeper meanings and subtexts, hidden beneath the light-hearted tones of the poems, are especially effective.

Collaboration Skills for School Professionals Essay

Collaboration Skills for School Professionals - Essay Example This case study revolves around Zach and Patrick who are both in 5th grade in Mrs. Anderson’s class. Mr. Alvarez is a member of the teaching staff in the school who dedicates 30 minutes of his time in assist Zach address his reading roles with a collaborative support from Mrs. Anderson who is the class teacher. However, Patrick and Zach have been causing disruptions in class whereby Patrick teases Zach by making hurtful comments and name calling causing Zach to respond angrily hence, little classroom work and instruction gets done during the interruptions which in turn affects the whole classroom. Those involved in the caseMrs. Anderson is the teacher of twenty-five fifth-grade students with thirteen boys and twelve girls. Among the twenty-five students, three of them have disabilities in learning. Zach who is one of the students in Mrs. Anderson’s class has a learning disability and he receives help from Mr. Alvarez. He particularly likes math and he particularly adore d the topic that they had just completed in class. Furthermore, he even comes to school during recesses and sometimes stays after school to feed the class guinea pig.Patrick is also one of the students in Mrs. Anderson’s class who loves participating in class plays and skits. He also participates in community sports such as softball. Other than co-curricular activities, Patrick is an average student academically and he also loves being in the class limelight by telling funny stories.

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Personal statement - Essay Example Yet, despite the adversities that I encounter, I resolve to keep my head high and bravely face the challenges that come along my way. My dream is to finish the program Electrical Engineering in your reputable institution. Just knowing that your institution have accomplished alumni and outstanding teachers makes me very excited knowing that this is the best possible place to get educated. I hope that I would be given the privilege to finish my studies at your amazing institution. I am Betelhem, a migrant from Ethiopia where I finished my high school studies. My dream is to become an Electrical Engineer one day. Behind every dream is a story of which I would detail so this institution would understand my desire to pursue my dream. Because of my transfer to the United States, I was unable to finish my college degree at my country. Also, I was compelled to go out of my country because very few universities have an Electrical Engineering program. Besides, that program required a 4.0 GPA o f which I was unable to meet during my high school days. As a consequence, I had to pursue either Marketing or Accounting which were really not my interest at all. This was very upsetting for me since I could not accept anything less than becoming an Electrical Engineer someday. My dream to become an Electrical Engineer was an influence of my father. ... The buildings that were erected contributed to the infrastructural growth of the country. There was no way to compromise my dream so I convinced my family that I have to pursue my studies in this country. Leaving my mother and sister behind was heart breaking but I have more to look forward to. I know one day that I would come back as an Electrical Engineer. All the knowledge and experience I have gained would be shared to my fellowmen so I can be a productive member of my beloved Ethiopia. Looking back, more than five years has passed since I moved here. Currently, I am working on my transfer from Edmonds Community College. However, academic life is just one part of the struggles that I had to overcome when I moved in this country. There were far deeper concerns that I have to attend such as adjusting to the culture and language which really surprised me. Back in Ethiopia, I was excited to come to America since the media always portray this country as full of opportunities. Later, t he reality set in as gradually experienced what is it like to live in the United States and interact with members of this society. The language, the culture, the new sights and sounds seemed attractive yet frightening at the same time. After a few more years, I finally adjusted to my new environment clutching tightly to my dream. I resolved to pursue the dream whatever it takes. Another challenge took its place that almost quenched my desire to fulfill my dream is financial hardship. Going to college was quite complicated on my part since I have to work full time and squeeze in extra hours required by the job. Presently, I work as a sales associate at Macy’s department store. This has been my first job since I moved here.

Software Management Metrics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Software Management Metrics - Research Paper Example In this scenario, the majority of software development firms follows well-known industry standards such as ISO/IEC 15504 and CMMI. Additionally, in an attempt to improve the quality of developed products as well as their firm’s development potential and efficiency, a large number of approaches have been suggested in previous researches. Without a doubt, process assessment allows software development firms to understand their process capability and productivity, and taking into consideration the results of this assessment that firm can look forward to an improvement in its development processes by determining and understanding the strengths, weaknesses and risks associated with its processes and how to prevent them. Though, Software Engineering Institute’s CMMI (capability maturity model integration) is specifically designed to measure the capability of processes of software development firms. In this scenario, a software development firm with high level maturity level i s believed to have more mature software development process as compared to software development firms those having a lower maturity level. Hence, these firms can develop software products more constantly. In their research article, (Hwang) define software process capability â€Å"as the potential of a software development firm to develop software products consistently and predictably.† In the same way, a capability level refers to a wide collection of process characteristics and measures that work in cooperation to bring a significant improvement in the capability of a software development firm to carry out a software development process. In addition, CMMI is based on five levels and each level is intended to offer a major improvement of capability in the performance of a process (Hwang; VanHilst, Garg and Lo; Pressman). A software metric can be defined as any measurement or calculation utilized to measure some

Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Research Proposal Example It is the best form of communication tool that may be adopted by the business establishments to promote their products to the mass, which helps in more customer acceptability. This ultimately helps the business to maximise the profit. However, in context to the proposed research study it is necessary to analyse the influence of consumer likeness on the advertisement success of restaurants. The restaurant industry of the UK is highly developed and there is a large diversity in the particular sector (Restaurant Growth UK, 2015). The country is surrounded by a chain of restaurants ranging from high end types to the take away outlets. However, in the research paper discussions will be made regarding the advertising strategies that would help Restaurant Gordon Ramsay to prosper more in the country with sustainability. Therefore, it is necessary for the restaurant to develop effective advertisement techniques that will attract the customers. For this, the choice, preferences and tastes of the consumers should be highly considered (Haymarket, 2013). Advertisements act as a promotional tool thus it is necessary to demonstrate the advertisement in such a way that customers are attracted and are well informed about the added facilities provided. An analysis of the consumer behaviour will also be conducted in the research paper that will help in understanding the response related to the given topic. Consumer behaviour is the main attribute that the restaurant owners should focus on, which includes the social, economical as well as psychological aspects of consumers in a service industry (Peter & Olson, 2010). It is also necessary for the restaurant to select proper medium for advertising to reach customers more effectively and create a positive impact on the minds of customers (Abideen, 2011). Charles Zaiontz, 2014. Correlation Data Analysis Tool. Real Statistics Using Excel. [Online] Available at:

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT & LEARNING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT & LEARNING - Essay Example In terms of psychology, there are many different theories in the sub discipline of Human Growth and Development in that each theory may describe part of a construct well, but may not necessarily address every single problem and component. Cognitive development theory deals with, how as children, we develop different ways of thinking. This can vary from the way in which we learn to our perceptions of people and the environment. Because each individual is unique in the way in which they develop cognitively, psychologists have had a difficult time tailoring theories to get very specific on cognitive development. The first psychologist to develop a theory on cognitive development theory was Jean Piaget. One of the biggest issues argued in terms of cognitive development theory is the debate of nature vs. nurture. Some psychologists believe that we are who we are as a result of how we are biologically encoded. This encoding is what grants us our intellectual and cognitive processing abilit ies. Those that believe in the nurture concept believe that our cognitive abilities are influenced by our interaction with the environment and people. The middle ground of this argument is that epigenetics is responsible in that both biology and environment play equal and vital roles in cognitive development. ... This is the stage in which infants begin. The learning that takes place here is based highly on the assimilation through motor functions, which develops from reflexes to intentional movements. The second stage is the preoperational stage. This is where a child begins to start processing and interpreting things such as shapes in the environment in a rudimentary manner. Children are able to form stable cognitions and this is often when they come up with the ideas of imaginary play. They are still unable to do many operational tasks and often remain egocentric. The third stage is the concrete operations stage, which normally takes place between seven and eleven years of age. Children are now able to use logic to solve problems, however this is only limited to concrete problems as they have problems with abstract thinking, The last stage is the formal operations stage and this progresses all the way into adulthood. Here, individuals have a full range of mental abilities and are capable o f solving problems through deductive reasoning and hypothetical testing (Sigelman, & Rider, 2008). Jerome Bruner was also similar to Piaget in the fact that he felt that children had to interact with the environment in order to learn, however he placed a greater emphasis on social factors, which he believed were largely responsible for intellectual growth through scaffolding. Rather than in Piaget’s stages in which different thinking emerges, Bruner thought that at certain ages, children used different types of cognition. The first mode is the enactive mode, and like Piaget, he believes that the majority of learning, which occurs during this stage, is due to muscle movement and coordination. The infants learn by doing. The second mode is

Interpretation of Statistics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interpretation of Statistics - Research Paper Example 2. The ages of the children at the time they underwent intestinal investigation is given in Table 1. Assume that all the children had their MMR immunisation at age 1 year. On average how much time elapsed between the MMR and investigation (calculate this) KM Madsen, A Hviid, M Vestergaard, D Schendel, J Wohlfahrt, P Thorsen, J Olsen, M Melbye. A Population-Based Study of Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccination and Autism. N England J Med, 2002 347: 1477-1482 Answer: Unlike case control study, cohort study gives the freedom to include samples both from affected (diseased) and unaffected (without disease i.e. control) pool. We can compare the effect of a specific phenomenon on both the population types simultaneously and draw inference accordingly through cohort study. Although, the cohort study is more expensive but, the validation of information on exposure is complete and always provide enough information on incidence rates of the diseases. Cohort study is a rare exposure and minimise bias in the exposure determination. But sometimes the diseases are rare. In that situation case-control study is a must which Examine multiple etiologic factors for a single disease. Answer: Information from the Danish Civil Registration System was used to identify the link from the accompanying adult to child. Thus, 98.5 percent of children were identified with the use of child's civil registry number or the civil-registry number of father or mother and the age of the child at the time of vaccination on the basis of additional information The remaining 1.5 percent of children were identified on the basis of additional information from Danish Civil Registration System on other relatives and information on the address at the time of vaccination. So far as the diagnosis is considered, all diagnosis were based on standard criteria like International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) which is similar to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) with regard to autism. e) Is this method of case ascertainment likely to identify all cases of autism in the cohort If some children with

City states Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

City states - Research Paper Example Most assuredly, a city-state enjoys unconditional sovereignty, regulating its own taxes, has its own budget, and represents itself independently at the United Nations. However, the level of governance varies from one city-state to another. The ancient Greece had various city-states that were sovereign. Other ancient city-states include Athens, Thebes, Corinth, Megara, Argos, and Sparta (Martin Web). Currently, the numbers of sovereign city-states is low and include Vatican City, Monaco, and Singapore. Indeed, Singapore was initially a member of the federal kingdom of Malaysia. However, it is now sovereign. Assuredly, Vatican City doubles as a city-state and the smallest country in the world since 1929. It entails the central city of Rome that equally serves as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. Its president is the Pope (Parker 52-58). On the other hand, the boundary of Monaco doubles as the boundary of the city-state. Nevertheless, we have other city-states that are not sovereign. For example, Germany has three city-states that include Bremen, Berlin, and Hamburg (Parker 132-136). A mayor heads the three city-states. In addition, Austria has a federal state named, Vienna. The British colony of Gibraltar i s also another city-state in the United Kingdom. In Pakistan, we have a city-state called the colony of  Gwadar City. Indeed, city-states fall under sovereign states, federally administered cities, cities that are component states of federations, and cities under international supervision like Danzig. It is a hard fete to claim a country. Indeed, there is no universal way of claiming a country. However, according to the provisions of Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, a state should have mandatory four qualifications (The Globe and Mail Web). These qualifications include a permanent population that defines a group

Core Values Essay Example for Free

Core Values Essay Inspired by the charism of Saint Marcellin Champagnat, Notre Dame of Marbel University anchors its faith and life on the following core values as foundational qualities with which the Marist Brothers, Mission Partners, and students approach the entire educational process and academic atmosphere of the University: Family Spirit, Marian, Love of Work, Preference for the Least Favored, Quality Education, Integrity of Creation, and Culture-sensitivity. Family Spirit St. Marcellin Champagnat’s great desire and legacy was in the style of relationship he encouraged between teachers and students- a relationship premised on love and expressed in a style which Marcellin called â€Å"family spirit. † Akin to the characteristic of a good family are: a warmth of welcome, acceptance, belongingness and authentic concern which should prevail where everyone has a sense of being valued and believed in, regardless of their role or their social standing. Marian Mary is for us the perfect model of the Marist Educator, as she was for Marcellin. As a woman, a layperson and Jesus’ first follower, she is our inspiration in living out personal faith and virtue of simplicity. As an educator of Jesus at Nazareth, she inspires our pedagogical approach. The Marian aspect of our spirituality is expressed above all, in our identifying with her attitudes towards others and to God. She is in our midst, a symbol of unity and mission, a witness to God’s solidarity with people in their needs and sufferings. Love of Work Love of work implies a cheerful and careful preparation of all the things one does. It values the dignity of work as a powerful means of self-fulfillment, of giving purpose and meaning to life, and of contributing to the general economics, social and cultural well-being. It is manifested through a deep sense of personal planning and motivation that shows itself in the good use of time, talent and initiative. Preference for the Least Favored Preference for the least favored is to be with those who are excluded from the mainstream of society, and those whose material poverty leads to deprivation in relation to health, family life, schooling, and educational values. With the emergence of social and cultural challenges confronting the world, preference to the least favored means being concerned toward the youth who are affected by the social, political, and cultural problems of the society. Quality Education A Marist school is a center of learning, of life and of evangelizing. It leads students â€Å"to learn, to know, to be competent, to live together and most especially, to grow as persons.† Quality education is characterized as holistic where students are progressively initiated into their life-long challenge of harmonizing faith, culture and life. It provides educational programmes, curriculum contents, and teaching methods that meet the aspirations of students, parents and the community with regard to subject choices, career possibilities and educational needs of the community. It gives emphasis to educating students by teaching them through good examples and inculcating in them the importance of the craft of teaching and its support systems. Integrity of Creation â€Å"Respect for the value of life† and â€Å"care for the mother earth† are two major themes in valuing the integrity of creation. It upholds life-giving values and promotes stewardship of the earth. Culture Sensitivity Culture must be accepted as the gift of every people, the expression of their dignity, liberty and creativity, and the testimony of their unique place in the history of humanity. Culture sensitivity means openness and respect to the different culture of peoples. It promotes dialogue as a way of enhancing unity in diversity. On the individual level, it is a communication between two persons with different views, different values and traditions, to learn from each other in order for them to change and grow. Culture sensitivity as a value promotes respect for the tri-people of Mindanao, develops programs for inter-faith dialogue and upholds advocacy on issues as a result of the emerging culture of the global world.

Implementing Curriculum Changes in the Classroom

Implementing Curriculum Changes in the Classroom Introduction Much research on curriculum development has been done in different fields of education. It has uncovered both successes and failures. Research on educational innovations reveals many problems which result in non-implementation of planned innovations. These include the problems of inadequate knowledge of implementation, and lack of awareness of the limitations of teachers and school administration, etc. (Pink 1989; Fullan 1992; Fullan and Hargreaves 1991). Recently, the literature in the field of ELT has reported innovations in the implementation of new teacher roles, new practices, new materials, etc. Most principles for innovation are derived from English-speaking countries and transferred throughout the world. For instance, the learner-centred, communicative approach which originated in British ELT has been recommended almost everywhere. Although some reports mention the success of such innovations, others have concluded that many problematic implementation issues emerge from a dir ect transfer, after it has been put into use worldwide, such as in China (Burnaby and Son 1989; Anderson 1993; Hui 1997), Indonesia (Tomlinson 1990), Greece (Karavas-Doukas 1995), Hong-Kong (Carless 1998), and Libya (Orafi 2008), etc. However, the knowledge and understanding of what is involved in effecting innovation in many projects has been investigated mostly by their change agents. Many ELT innovation projects reported in the professional literature are designed and examined by their authors as leading change agents, not by end users, i.e. teachers (e.g. Gray 1990; Jarvis 1992; Tomlinson 1990; Barmada 1994; Guariento 1997; Markee 1997, etc.). In those projects, the authors/reporters design, introduce, and monitor the process of implementation. To finding out how best to teach the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing as well as grammar and vocabulary. The development of so many methods has been a response, according to Richards and Rodgers (2001:7-9), to the changes in the kind of proficiency (e.g. oral vs. written) that learners are thought to need. In the 1970s, in particular, there was a major shift to learners need for communicating in a second language away from a focus on grammar and translation. This shift was crucial, especially for foreign language learners who leave school unable to use their foreign language in actual communication. So, FL countries adopted this shift to communication to satisfy their students needs for fluency. As English became a lingua franca by the 1990s it was seen as necessary to teach it for communication as it became the mostly taught foreign language worldwide (Gebhard, 2006; Carrick, 2007). The teaching of English as a second (ESL) or as a foreign language (EFL) started to become important after World War II. A great demand for English courses by immigrants, refugees, and foreign students took place in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Australia (Richards, 2001:23). When English was introduced in schools, it was first introduced at the secondary level in 1950s. But, since the application of the Communicative Approach/Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in national curricula after the publication of Wilkinss book Notional Syllabuses (1976) educationalists/researchers in many countries have observed that students can not communicate as well as expected after leaving secondary school, with eight years of English, as they start their university study (e.g. Al-Mutawa, 1994; Tang, 2002). According to Al-Mutawa and Kailani (1998:I) English language has enjoyed a considerable role in the fields of business, industry, technology, politics, education, medicine and many other professional fields. According to Saleh, more attention is required from EFL teachers to students EFL teachers on teaching them how to communicate in the target language effectively. This requires that the traditional methods, the classroom learning activities and the learning environment have to be changed to correspond with the latest developments and changes in views on ELT represented by the communicative approach (2002:1). Because of the above reasons, English language syllabus of Libyan secondary schools has been changed lately as a response to these developments. The new English programme in Libyan secondary education aims to enable students to: i) achieve a reasonable proficiency in listening and speaking English at a sensible speed, reading simple texts with comprehension and writing about a simple subject or incident; ii) develop their interest in learning English so that they can learn effectively by themselves; and iii) improve their knowledge and have access to foreign culture (UNESCO 2002 reported in Al-Buseifi 2003:4). It has been investigated that some classroom teachers who teach EFL at secondary schools in Libya are traditional and not in harmony with the principles and objectives of the communicative approach upon which the new curriculum has been based. Teachers are faced with some difficulties in implementing the new curriculum. Therefore, some problems have been appeared, for example; teachers use their native language extensively and use only very little English during the lesson. Teachers talk a lot whereas students talk very little. Teachers need to be well trained. Class-time and size are not suitable. Appropriate materials and group-work activities are needed. This study aims to investigate some EFL teachers in Libyan secondary schools to determine the extent of their effectiveness in achieving the desirable objectives of the new curriculum. It specifically investigates and describes the following: How far does the new curriculum filter down into EFL classrooms in Libyan secondary schools? What are the methods that Libyan secondary school teachers use in teaching English as a foreign language? How do Libyan teachers implement the new curriculum (CLT) in teaching EFL? What difficulties may face Libyan teachers in implementing the CLT approach? To what extent are Libyan teachers qualified in communicative language teaching? Since the language curriculum of Libyan secondary schools has been changed lately and has been based on the communicative approach. The EFL teachers who teach this new curriculum should be based on the principles and objectives of the communicative approach. In fact, most Libyan EFL teachers got used to apply the Grammar Translation Method (GTM) with its traditional views and objectives, so they may encounter some difficulties when changing their method especially if they have not been previously trained. This topic is important to investigate because I have noted that it is still a controversial issue between researchers and teachers. The main emphasis is to know whether teachers are using the new curriculum in order to enhance the students basic knowledge of English and competence to use English for communication. In other words, it is to investigate EFL teachers at Libyan secondary schools to find out whether they have changed their method in parallel with the change in the curric ulum and how it is implemented. In order to achieve more understanding about these issues, this study attempts to discuss the curriculum innovation in Libya with reference to communicative language teaching which is implemented in the new curriculum. More attention is given to teachers, they are regarded as having the main role in any innovation. This study is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter, there will be the introduction, the research hypothesis, the research question, the purpose and the significance of the research. Chapter two will be focused on the literature review which include; definition of innovation, its theory and its aim. Background of the context, EFL in Libya, CLT, its development, and its principles. Some factors related to the adoption of the new curriculum (CLT), e g; teachers role, teacher student interaction, student-student interaction, teacher training, methods of teaching, materials and testing criteria. Third chapter will be the methodology. The methods of collecting data will be discussed, there will be a review of how data will be collected, who are the participants, how many, where, how, when, all these questions will be answered in this chapter. Chapter four will be about the results. The results will be discussed in chapter five. Conclusion and recommendations will be discussed i n chapter six. This study will provide an opportunity to enrich theory and practice of CLT in a non-native English speaking setting. It deals with an important issue in the field of teaching as a foreign language which is related to the teaching methods that is used by teachers. To achieve this purpose this research has been carried out. Literature Review Curriculum Innovation It has been widely noted over many years that the low degree of success of educational innovations is mainly caused by the failure of the innovators who were unable to make use of the extensive theoretical literature on innovation (Havelock and Huberman 1977; Barmada 1994). They also did not adopt the appropriate innovation strategies (ibid.). Both White (1987) and Barmada (1994) identify two areas of expertise in which all innovators should be equipped: an understanding of innovation issues and expertise in the management of innovation. The Meaning Of Curricular Innovation It has been defined by Markee as following: â€Å"Curricular innovation is a managed process of development whose principal products are teaching and/or testing materials, methodological skills, and pedagogical values that are perceived as new by potential adopters† (1997: 46). According to Hall and Hewings, teachers roles are seen as implementers, and sometimes regarded as adopters, students are clients, and materials designers are suppliers (2001: 119). Curriculum Innovation Versus Theory: Vrooms expectancy theory (1964 in Morrison 1998) from business explains the instant effectiveness of the use of rewards and sanctions. Expectancy theory is based on the assumption that people will involve themselves in change if they expect it to bring about personal benefits (Morrison 1998:132). It is argued that the more benefits people perceive, the greater willingness they will have to be involved in the projects of change (ibid.). These perceived benefits, such as financial benefits, job security, and promotion opportunities, etc. are assumed to be an effective motivator to improve job performance. However, any change often requires additional time, energy, and finance, etc. If the adopters do not think the advantages of an innovation will outweigh its costs, it may not be easy to persuade them to accept it. From management theory point of view, and according to (Everard and Morris 1990), by addressing the â€Å"interrelated sensing systems†, we can understand how educati onal managers effect change. They are; policy making, development, controlling, liaising and doing (Markee 1997:49-51). Teachers do not see themselves having part in curriculum innovation, although the definition given above indicates that teachers have a primary role in innovation. This phenomena has been indicated by many researchers that â€Å"curricular innovation entails a mix of professional, academic, and administrative change† (e. g; Bowers 1983, 1987; Crocker 1984; Lee and VanPatten 1990; Straker-Cooke 1987; White 1988). â€Å"Managers must therefore enhance an organizations capacity to innovate through organization development† (Markee 1997: 51). It seems that teachers have many tasks particularly that related to their classrooms. Thus, all participants in language teaching should given part in innovation to be managed (ibid.). The New Curriculum (Clt) In Efl Countries: Attempts to introduce communicative language teaching (CLT) into EFL contexts on EFL countries own initiatives and through international aid projects have encouraged many innovations in L2 education. In general, such innovations have had a low degree of success (Brindley Hood, 1990), and implementing CLT worldwide has often faced difficulty (Anderson, 1993; Chick, 1996; Ellis, 1994, 1996; Gonzalez, 1985; Kirkpatrick, 1984; Sano, Takahashi, Yoneyama, 1984; Shamin, 1996; Ting, 1987; Valdes Jhones, 1991). Difficult as many EFL countries are still striving to introduce CLT hoping that it will improve their English teaching. Some researchers have strongly advocated the adoption of CLT in EFL countries and recognized the difficulties these countries face in adopting CLT (Li, 1984; Prabhu, 1987). Burnaby and Sun (1989) report that teachers in China found it difficult to use CLT. These difficulties include the context of the wider curriculum, traditional methods, class sizes and schedules, resources and equipment, the low status of teachers who teach communicative rather than analytical skills, and English teachers deficiencies in oral English and sociolinguistic and strategic competence. Andersons (1993) study of CLT in China reported such hurdles as a lack of properly trained teachers, a lack of appropriate texts and materials, students not being acclimatized to CLT, and difficulties in evaluating students taught by way of CLT. Sano et al. (1994) point out that the Japanese students they studied generally did not feel a pushing need to use English, so that the goal of communicative competence seemed too distant for them. All these difficulties seem to apply to Libyan context too. Karavas-Doukas (1995) gives a report in which the curriculum developers in Greece tried to implement the communicative approach to English teaching/learning using textbooks containing communicative components. However, Karavas-Doukas indicated that teachers lack of understanding of the methodological principles underlying the new materials was one of the impeding factors that finally let to the non-implementation of this innovation. The Greek teachers had changed to new materials, but they tended to implement the intended communicative activities as controlled grammar practice exercises and did not create the opportunities of real communication in their classroom. They did not realize the new role of teachers and students associated with the CLT approach, so they still acted as knowledge-transmitters, rather than facilitators (ibid.). Much research has been conducted discussing the communication problems encountered by Arab learners in most of the Arab countries; particularly in Libya. This fact has been clearly explained by many researchers, e. g. Abdul Haq (1982), Harrison, Prator and Tucker (1975), Abbad (1988), Wahba (1998), Saleh (2002) and Orafi (2008). The students in Jordan, for example, learn English in their home country where the native language is Arabic. The only way to learn English in Jordan is through formal instruction, i.e. in the classroom where language teachers are native speakers of Arabic. There are general screams about the extended degeneration of the standards of English proficiency of students among school teachers, university instructors and all who are involved with English language teaching. The results of the studies conducted in Jordan lead to the conclusion that the goals set by the Ministry of Education are desirous and have not yet been reached (Rababah, 2005:181). In Yamen, the situation is almost the same as in the other Arab countries. Abbad (1988) acknowledges the weakness of Yameni learners of English, and adds that â€Å"in spite of the low proficiency level in English of most applicants, they are accepted into the department.† This is what happens in most of the Arab university. English language departments accept high school graduates without understanding their proficiency level and whether or not they will be able to administrate a program of English studies. Therefore, Arab learners of English find it difficult to communicate freely in the target language. This may be due to the learning environment which some umpire to be inappropriate for learning a foreign language. This is obvious in Jordan where the formal language of communication is Arabic (Rababah, 2005:182). What happen with other countries can be applied on Libyan context, because the situation is almost the same. According to Saleh (2002) and Orafi (2008), although the new curriculum is introduced in Libya since 2000, the students in Libya still cannot communicate in English or express themselves. They cannot speak English freely inside and outside schools as well. Therefore, they cannot use English in real life situation. ELT In Libya: In the 1980s the focus of English language teaching in Libya was on grammar and reading comprehension. Lessons were characterized by oral drills, memorization of vocabulary, and reading aloud. Arabic was widely used in English lessons by teachers and students. During the late 1980s, as a result of political tensions between Libya and the West, the teaching of English was banned from schools and universities across the country. In the 1990s, this status changed to the positive and new curriculum was introduced in 2000 (Orafi, 2008: 244). The new curriculum recommends that †³English be used as much as possible by the teacher and students in the classroom, as the aim is for the students to communicate effectively and fluently with each other and to make talking in English a regular activity†³ (ibid:245). It was argued that learners learn a language through the process of communicating in it, and that communication that is meaningful to the learner provides a better opportunity for learning. New classroom techniques and activities were needed, new roles for teachers and learners in the classroom. Instead of making use of activities that demanded accurate repetition and memorization of sentences and grammatical patterns, activities that required learners to negotiate meaning and to interact meaningfully were required. The purpose of education is seen as based on careers, examination passing and recall. Understanding, applying ideas, creativity, questioning is all devalued. The idea of school education as a way to unlock potential seems missing and the students appear to appreciate that (Orafi 2008). The teachers role is largely that of transmitting information in an efficient and effective manner to their students. The teachers have little insight in the role of their subjects in the development of students. They are ruled by the demands of society, with its dependence on examination success for gaining access to over crowed and want more time for students to be able to think. However, they have little clear idea of the nature and role of understanding and the idea of seeing their subject in terms of wider life is largely absent (Al-Buseifi, 2003). Although improving the educational system is a priority for the education authorities in Libya, the educational programmes still suffer from shortages in facilities such as computers, laboratories, and information networks, a lack of qualified teachers, and the use of traditional methods of teaching (Khalifa, 2002). This could be due to the fact that the central focus is on increasing the quantity of schools and institutes rather than improving the quality of teaching and learning outcomes. The Situation In Libyan Secondary Schools According to Orafi (2008), ‘the main problem at present of education in Libya is the quality of education. The need to build so much in order to educate so many in a short time creates the classical dilemma of quality of education versus quantity education. In fact, this problem is not the problem of Libyan education only but is a problem common to many developing countries. Classrooms in Libyan secondary schools are regarded crowed. Most of classes are consisted of at least thirty students. Every student has his own seat from the beginning of the year to the end of it. It is difficult for teachers to go freely through the class. Also it is not easy to work in groups, and to deal with all the students. This problem has been discussed by Richards (1996:146) who states that; †¦the majority of large class teachers created, within their large class, a smaller class of students in the front only. They seemed happy to teach this ‘smaller class of students in the front and ignored the students at the back†¦ There is frequently not enough equipment and facilities at some schools (e.g. computers and laboratories). Classes are often large with an inadequate supply of teachers. ‘The examination system emphasises the rote recall of information and holds great power over the learners at key times of the year (Orafi 2008:243). English Textbooks In Libyan Secondary Schools (3rd Year) The textbook comprises of; subject book, skills book and work book. The materials are organized into two semesters; 12 units per semester, with 22 lessons in each unit. The lessons are divided between the three student books as follows: subject book; 10 lessons per unit, skills book; 9 lessons per unit, and work book; 3 lessons per unit. Subject Book; the main purpose of this book is presenting information and related vocabulary. The main purpose of the reading and listening texts in the Subject Book is to impart knowledge about the subject concerned and present associated vocabulary. The final two lessons in the Subject Book present one or more pieces of writing. Skills Book; the main purpose of the Skills Book is presentation and practice in the four skills. Workbook; its purpose is written consolidation of grammar points from the Skills Book. Students are often referred back to the Skills Book to find examples or to check their answers. Occasionally, vocabulary items are also practiced in the Workbook, and there are sometimes pair work and role-play activities (Phillips et al 2002). Implementing innovation as organizational development: The concept of innovation as organizational development is well described in Markees two-in-one innovation: primary innovation and secondary innovation (1997). Markee relates the dimension of organizational development to ‘secondary innovations in contrast to ‘primary innovations, i.e. changes in teaching (and/or testing materials), methodological skills, and pedagogical vales (ibid: 53). In the dimension of primary innovations, innovation intending to introduce new materials, new teaching procedure, new teaching roles or technology, etc. will also involve changes in skills and values. Markee argues that primary innovations cannot be achieved without the implementation of secondary innovations. Markee exemplifies the notion of two-in-one innovations in a project conducted in an American university. This project not only introduced the task-based syllabus into classroom, but also implemented administrative and academic innovations for organizational development. For instan ce, by means of the development of communication channels (e.g. staff meetings, seminars, and orientations, etc.), participants at all levels obtained a complete understanding of the innovation. By means of the development of the teaching programs, teachers were well trained and became better informed. The outcomes showed that the administrative and academic development not only facilitated the implementation of the new syllabus, but also brought about organizational development. Development of the institutional change capacity is largely neglected due to ‘lack of awareness of the limitations of teacher and school administration or knowledge about how to implement the project (Pink 1989 in Fullan 1992). Through the process of organizational development, the implementers, including the management and teachers, focus on the processes and contents of change, learning to develop the capacity to implement change as organizational development. Only when the management and teachers a re assisted to build up their change capacity, is there an opportunity for ‘change as organizational development (Morrison 1998). 5. The curriculum innovation and the role of the teacher Rodgers in Richards (2001:104-105) discussing implementation of a communicative syllabus in Malaysia points out that: While the curriculum innovation has been failed in some places, it has been succeeded in others (i.e. Malaysia). In Malaysia the situation is different and the new curriculum has been managed to achieve its goal, because in Malaysia all the concern parts are shared in innovation (Richards 2001: 104-105). It is clear that these parts should be included in any decision for innovation. In Libya no one of these has taken part in the innovation, except the decision makers (Orafi 2008 :245). In England according to Woods and Jeffrey (2002:25) teachers have seen their role reduced to a list of â€Å"competencies and performativities†. This has produced teacher uncertainly as their role as professional has been reduced to that of a technician. In Libya, the teacher is often seen in similar terms, teachers in Libya do not usually influence curriculum change; it is the responsibility of the government to do so. Teachers must merely understand the requirement of students, know the syllab us, and be able to use appropriate teaching methods. Another important responsibility of the teacher is to help students to process new material in meaningful ways in order to encourage its storage in long-term memory in such a way that it is understood and is related to previous knowledge. However, the aim is that the learner makes sense of life and can use and apply knowledge in meaningful ways (Hussein, 2006). Orafi (2008) investigated teachers practices and beliefs in relation to curriculum innovations in English language teaching in Libya. The study was conducted with five Libyan secondary school teachers using classroom observation and interviews. He concluded that there was a mismatch between the teachers practice in the classroom and the principles of the curriculum because of the influence of their beliefs. 6. Methods of teaching EFL in Libyan secondary schools English is taught with the sole aim of passing exams and moving to the next stage. The learning process is largely viewed as mechanical habit formation. That is, the teaching process is dominated by teacher questions, the selection of students to respond, and the demonstration of examples on the board for students to imitate and repeat chorally. Some Libyan teachers still doubt the value of communicative activities because they believe that vocabulary and grammar rules must be the starting point in learning any foreign language, unlike when acquiring a first language. They think that students should be provided with large amounts of vocabulary and grammar rules to be memorized, and then they can start thinking of introducing various activities to practice the language (Al-Buseifi, 2003). These beliefs reflect their practice in class, where traditional methods of teaching such as the grammar translation method and the audio-lingual method are dominant (Orafi, 2008). Because the new cu rriculum is based on the CLT, I should turn to give sight on the CLT approach: 7. Communicative Language Teaching Communicative Language Teaching has had a major influence on language curriculum development. First, curriculum development has become much more complex. Whereas twenty or thirty years ago, the point of departure for curriculum development tended to be restricted to the identification of the learners current level of proficiency, with the development of communicative language teaching and the insight that curricula should reflect learners communicative needs and learning preferences. (Nunan 1996:20) Communication between student and student influences many ways. It can enhance or hinder learning. Students learn from communication through discussion or by talking about tasks. Communication can take place between a teacher and students. Therefore, appropriate communication skills are required, by keeping in mind the sensitivity to students, their level of understanding and judgement (Dillon and Maguire in Sussan 2005:105). What Is Communicative Language Teaching? CLT has been defined by Canale and Swain (1980:33) who point that: With respect to teaching methodology, it is crucial that classroom activities reflect, in the most optimally direct manner, those communication activities that the learner is most likely to engage in†¦ Furthermore, communication activities must be as meaningful as possible and be characterized (at increasing levels of difficulty) by aspects of genuine communication such as its basis in social interaction, the relative creativity and unpredictability of utterances, its purposefulness and goal-orientation, and its authenticity. Communicative language teaching (CLT) is typically seen as an approach to language teaching (Richards and Rodgers2001). It is based on the theory that the main purpose of language use is communication. With the aim of developing learners communicative competence (Hymes 1971). In other words, its goal is to make use of real-life situations that requires communication. What Is Communicative Competence? Communicative competence is defined as the capability to discuss and command apposite social behaviours, and it needs the active commitment of the learner in the construction of the target language (Canale and Swain 1980; Celce-Murcia et al 1995; Hymes 1972). Four dimensions of communicative competence are recognized; the knowledge of grammar and vocabulary (Linguistic competence); the capability to say the apposite thing in a confident social situation (sociolinguistic competence); the capability to begin, insert, add to, and extent a conversation, and the capability to do this in a regular and logical manner (discourse competence); the capability to communicate effectively and recover difficulties caused by communication collapse (strategic competence) (Richards and Rodgers 2001:160). Terms usually used to point to aspects of CLT contain ‘process oriented, ‘task-based, ‘group work and discussion and ‘learner-centred teaching. Communicative Language Teaching points to both processes and goals in classroom learning (Savignon, 2002:162). Berns (1990:104) states that in CLT; Language teaching is based on a view of language as communication, that is, language is seen as a social tool which speakers use to make meaning; speakers communicate about something to someone for some purpose, either orally or in writing. Obviously we can notice that CLT can be seen as a way of teaching in which the application of communicative activities and the foreign language attempts to advance students competence of knowing and sharing different knowledge. It centres on the aspect that learning is assisted in a purposeful, real situation where activities are achieved with the teachers directions. The definitions also hint that in order to carry out CLT successfully particularly in the EFL context; we are as EFL teachers need to improve our communicative competence, and need to have knowledge about the culture of the foreign language in order to teach the students. Our English proficiency, beliefs, attitudes will affect the implementation of CLT. Background Of CLT Communicative language teaching came into existence in the 1970s as a result of Hymes (1972), the work of the Council of Europe (Halliday 1975, the writings of Wilkins 1972, 1976, and Van EK Alexander (1980). Wilkinss document (1975) where he defined notions i.e. concepts such as time and place, and communicative functions such as requesting or apologizing, which was developed into the book National Syllabuses (Wilkins, 1976), influenced the development of CLT (see Mitchell, 1994; Richards and Rodgers, 2001; Howatt and Widdowson, 2004). CLTs roots can ultimately be traced back to Chomskys criticism of structural linguistic theory (1966). Chomskys ideas about linguistic competence, the innate knowledge of the linguistic system of the language, called Audio Lingual Method (ALM) into question based on the idea that lea

Right To Die :: essays research papers fc

In John A. Robertson's essay, "Cruzan: No Rights Violated," he argues that the decision made by the Missouri Supreme Court to deny Nancy Beth Cruzan's parents' request to have their daughter's artificial nutrition and hydration tube removed was not a violation of Nancy Beth Cruzan's right to refuse treatment because she had not personally refused treatment. Robertson also claims that keeping Cruzan alive with this particular medical treatment does not alienate her constitutional rights, or her parents'. Robertson states that, " A permanently vegetative patient does not have interests that can be harmed," simply because he/she cannot feel pain and doesn't know his/her present condition. Robertson then goes on to say that simply assuming that one would decline treatment in that situation because of his/her prior beliefs is not enough evidence to maintain that the directive was, in fact, released by the said person, and to relieve their self from a state law that orders such a treatment, the person must have released a directive against that particular treatment. If one were to argue that an incompetent patient has the right to have their medical treatment decided by another person on the presumption that it follows with the patient's previous beliefs, Robertson would declare that the patient is much different than they were before and does not reserve a constitutional right to be managed in the same way they would have been. In placing the right to decide Nancy's treatment in her parents' hands, her parents would be acting in their own interests according to Robertson, and in choosing to stop medical treatment of their daughter, they would be denying their child medical care deemed necessary by the state, which is illegal. With this in mind, Robertson says that the Supreme Court should not extend a family's privacy to include the refusal of necessary treatment when the [above] treatment is not causing harm to the child. Next Robertson says that if a person wants to refuse treatment while incompetent, it is their obligation to make a directive before becoming incompetent in order to refuse treatment on the principle of that particular directive, and that requiring this is "not an undue burden on persons who wish to issue directives against medical care when incompetent." If "clear evidence" does not exist in a past directive, Robertson says that providing the treatment does not alienate a person's right to regulate his/her own care because of the lack of evidence.

The Swing Behind My House :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

The Swing Behind My House Out behind my house, there is a row of fruit trees. At the end of the row, there is a small open building with a swing inside. Sitting in that swing, I can see off the top of the ridge on which my family lives. When I sit there, looking down past the rows of trees and far into the distance, I realize that the place is mine. It is important to me because it is associated with so many memories, it gives me a place to be alone, and it gives me a chance to be outside in nature. I have grown up living in the same house my whole life, and that swing has been there for as long as I can remember. I have so many memories of that place. Some of my best memories have been very recent. Before we were dating, my girlfriend and I would sit out there for long periods of time just talking. Now that place is full of memories of Karen. Even now it is comforting to sit there because it reminds me of those times. However, memories of my girlfriend are not the only memories that place holds. Growing up, I have spent time there with both friends and family. I even have memories of sitting there alone, contemplating my life's events. In fact, being alone is one of the reasons I go there so much. Having time alone is very important to me. It gives me a chance to think clearly without being interrupted. It seems as if there are now fewer and fewer places where that is possible. No one can bother me there. No one can yell at me, argue with me, or annoy me at all. I guess this place helps to keep me from going crazy. I think everyone needs some time alone. I know I do. Another wonderful quality about my spot on that swing is the fact that it is outside. It is out in the fresh air and natural light and away from technology. I never bring a cell phone or laptop there. I feel as if technology would somehow corrupt the natural beauty of the spot. I do not need to worry about telephones, cell phones, or e-mails in that spot. The beauty of nature is enough for me. It helps me to clear my mind and gives me time to reflect on what is really important in my life.

Brief Shao Lin Monk History :: essays research papers fc

A Short History of Shao Lin Monks and their Martial Arts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The original Shao Lin temple was built in 495 A.D. by the ruling Bei Wei emperor for an Indian monk who came to China to preach Buddhism. The name Shao Lin derived from the fact that its original temple was located within a small forest on Shao Shi mountain. Shao came from the name of the mountain and Lin comes from the Chinese character that stands for forest. The origin of Shao Lin being its own sect of Buddhism dates back to 540 A.D. when and Indian Buddhist named Bodhidharma, Tamo in Chinese, traveled to China to see the ruling Bei Wei Emperor. At that time, the Emperor had started local Buddhist monks translating Buddhist texts from Sanskrit to Chinese. The intent of this practice was geared towards allowing the general population to practice this religion. The Emperor believed that this act would lead to Nirvana, but Tamo disagreed. Tamo’s view on Buddhism was that you could not achieve your goal just through the good actions performed by others in you r name. Tamo then left to meet with the local Buddhist monks at Shao Lin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Originally Tamo was refused entrance to the temple because the monks thought he was just an upstart or foreign meddler. Rejected by the monks, Tamo went to a nearby cave and meditated until the monks recognized his religious prowess and admitted him to the temple. Legend has it that he bore a hole through one side of the cave with his constant gaze; in fact, the act that earned him his recognition is lost to history. When Tamo joined the monks, he observed that they were not in good physical condition. Most of their routine paralleled that of Irish monks of the middle ages, who spent hours each day hunched over tables where they transcribed handwritten texts. Consequently, the monks in Shao Lin lacked the physical and mental stamina needed to perform even the most basic of Buddhist meditation practices. Tamo then incorporated by teaching them moving exercises designed to both enhance the flow of ch’i and build strength. These sets, modified from Indian yoga& #8217;s such as hatha and raja and were based on the movements of the 18 main animals in Indo-Chinese wilderness, were the beginning of Shao Lin martial arts known as gung fu. The Shao Lin temple was in a very secluded area where bandits traveled and wild animals were an occasional problem, so the martial side of the temple probably started out to fulfill self-defense needs.

A Multicultural Workplace

A Multicultural Workplace A multicultural workplace refers to a group of individuals who represent all types of human difference gathered to achieve a common goal, which is the organization or company’s mission. For some, a multicultural organization may refer to their workplace as such, due to the variation of individuals’ age, sex, ethnicity, physical abilities, and even sexual orientation. Additionally, the diversity among this workforce is likely to be considered such based on its employees racial, social and ability characteristics.The scope of diversity within an organization should go beyond the personal characterizes listed here. The scope of diversity within an organization should include the way an organization responds to their multicultural workforce. The times of suppressing cultural differences, which forced individuals to sacrifice parts of their heritage in order to obtain gainful employment, is becoming outdated. Today, conforming to the majority cultur e of this western society is becoming less and less of an issue, and thankfully so.Originally, multicultural initiatives, beginning in the late 1960’s, where associated with race and gender. Today, all differences are encompassed in organization based multicultural or diversity programs with the expectation that all employees become cultural competent and embrace cultural awareness. That is if an organization has created such programs. At Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI), multicultural and diversity programs do exist. The organization has created a climate of cultural inclusion, incorporating genuine value for diversity within the workplace and among employees.The organizations diversity initiatives are strengthened by annual culture training, communication, a Diversity Team, and mentoring programs for both internal clients and staff and throughout the community. Cultural training courses are conducted annually for each department within the organization. In addition, MCFI conducts a â€Å"Cultures Week† event each year in celebration of culture and diversity reaching out to all employees and the community. The vision of the MCFI Diversity Team and the agency as a whole is to â€Å"be the benchmark of diversity and inclusion among nonprofit agencies in Southeastern Wisconsin.MCFI will be the organization from which clients want to receive services, for which funders want to provide support, where vendors want to do business and employees see diverse opportunities† (MCFI, 2012). The team’s goals include a commitment to understanding what diversity is and its impact on the workplace and the community (MCFI, 2012). The Diversity Team also works to increase appreciation for richness, which is brought by different attitudes, skills sets, abilities, approaches, and perspectives, as well as promoting cooperation and an understanding of and among individuals of diverse backgrounds.Communication tools have also been created for great er understanding and knowledge of diversity through innovative and creative management. MCFI and the Diversity Team collaborate with other community agencies and businesses throughout the Milwaukee area to spread an understanding of diversity and the vision of MCFI (MCFI, 2012). The managerial principles behind the Milwaukee Center for Independence Diversity Team include members that represent a cross-section of the organization, which is structured to reflect the agency wide culture.In addition, the Diversity Team and its Director, Al Hill, have developed tracking systems to watch and ensure the progress of the agency and team mission, vision, and goals, such as the community outreach programs. Further, the team stays linked with key agency internal and external functions, such as within Human Resources, communication, and training and development team’s agency wide. MCFI was recognized for its achievements in the area of diversity within the workforce. MCFI won the 2009 Awa rd of Excellence from the Wisconsin Association of Equal Opportunity.In addition, MCFI was honored with the 2010 Wisconsin State Society for Human Resource Management’s Workplace Diversity Award. MCFI goes far beyond mere diversity training, expanding to the creation of an inclusive work environment. MCFI’s dedication to diversity in the workplace encourages creative thinking. The agencies clients and employees represent a full spectrum of ages, disabilities, education levels, ethnicities, religions, experiences, sexual orientation, gender, opinions, beliefs, and races.MCFI considers diversity as not just a moral obligation, but visions it as imperative to the success of the organization, which is reaching as many individuals and families with special needs as possible. The MCFI Diversity Team includes internal employees as well as individuals from its affiliates and community agencies. The main objective of MCFI and the Diversity Team is to be the main point of refere nce for inclusion and diversity among non-profit agencies throughout the immediate and outlying communities.Additional visions of MCFI are to be the premier agency for client, vender, and employee choice in regards to services, business affiliation, and employment opportunity. I am confident in saying that MCFI is an excellent place to feel welcome, allowing myself and others to express their individuality. MCFI also allows each employee and client to learn about what makes others different, yet similar, and supporting the acceptance of all human difference. One of the positive impacts of MCFI diversity initiatives is the opportunity given to everyone to see things from different perspectives.Their voice and perspectives are heard in a safe, nonjudgmental, and bias free environment. Working with others with different attitudes, beliefs, and values provide an outstanding opportunity to expand individual knowledge, which only assists to better service the clients of the agency. Along with increased diversity comes an increase in different perspectives providing unique viewpoints for problem solving as well as co-worker and client interaction. At times, there may be barriers in effectively creating a diverse workplace.It is essential to incorporate diversity programs into the company or organizations strategic plan. Further, diversity training should also be tied into a company’ vision, goals, and objectives. In order to execute diversity training and awareness successfully, an organization or company must clearly communicate the main objectives of diversity training; establish a means of reinforcement and metrics to measure the effectiveness. In addition, a company or organization must include both minority and majority groups in strategic planning and implementation of a diversity program.I have seen and read much information on diversity and cultural training within the organization I am employed. The organization keeps its employees engaged in diversit y training throughout the year. Monthly conferences are available on site to all internal staff and community guests. Conferences include topics such as the understanding of specific types of behavioral health issues and disabilities. Additionally, guest speakers come throughout Hispanic, African American, and Hmong Culture Awareness months. The opportunities to engage in and open up to awareness of different cultures at MCFI are endless.Issues and problems within the diverse workplace of MCFI are handled with an understanding that individuals are different. Employees of the organization are single mothers and fathers, individuals with disabilities, student’s health issues, and all from different religious, ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds and heritage. I have personal experience issues that I needed to address with management. As a full time student and a full time employee, who believe in the importance of family and work/life balance, the organization listened to m y need for time off and alternate schedules to accommodate my life.Flexibility in the work place also allows for such things as difference cultural rituals and holiday celebrations that are outside the norm of western culture. I believe it is crucial for companies and organizations to consider an individual’s differences to allow for some flexibility concerning individual culture differences and life changes. With that, employees remain happy in the work place and continue to work toward the company's mission and continue to be a productive team member. References MCFI. (2012). Diversity mission and vision. Retrieved from http://www. mcfi. net/MCFI-Diversity/Mission-Vision. htm

Research, Analysis and Preservation of Archaeological Sites and Remains Essay

If humans were to suddenly disappear from the earth, roots and weeds would heave up sidewalks and roads. Poison ivy would crawl up walls, and structures of buildings would collapse and deteriorate. Earthquakes, tsunamis, fires or other natural disasters wipe away towns and cities. Insects, vermin, and rats invade and break materials down until the jungle ultimately swallows towns and cities completely. Within a few thousand years civilization would vanish without a trace. However, when civilization vanishes from a group of boys the process of the boys returning back to our animal instincts takes some only a couple of days. In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, Ralph would be most fitted as leader of these savages because he remains fixed on the main goal, he is assertive, and the boys chose him. A critical part of being a leader in strategy and execution because a leader has to set a goal and then follow through in completing their goal. When the boys crash they are faced with an immediate concern of being rescued, and Ralph faces this problem head on and announces, â€Å"If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain† (Golding 30). Although it may seem simple enough the boy lose sight of their desire to be rescued and accept their savage lives on the island. Ralph persistently stresses the importance of the fire until he sounds like a broken record and even still, the boys cannot match his same urgency. In a conversation with Piggy he portrays his frustration, â€Å"If someone threw you a rope when you were drowning. If a doctor said take this because if you don’t take it you’ll die – you would, wouldn’t you?† (Golding 139). Ralph compares drowning and dying to their life on the island and symbolizes the rope and the pill as the equivalent of the fire. In his comparison it seems undeniable that the fire is the only way to be rescued. This was the main goal ever since the beginning and Ralph further displays his ability to lead above all others because, throughout all the chaos and disturbances, he is the only one who remains fixed on the central mission of returning home. Jack could claim he is a more worthy leader since he provides meat and feasts from his skillful hunting. However, not long after the boys arrive on the island, a ship passes and Jack leaves to hunt, abandoning his duty of keeping the fire burning causing it to go out. Piggy and Ralph scold Jack on his lack of accountability exclaiming, â€Å"You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home† (Golding 70). Jack continues on to generate excuses and eventually apologize, all the same, this mistake is inexcusable. The boys could have been rescued right the n and there and avoided the deaths and trauma later to come. Jack’s lack of responsibility and desire to go home is detrimental to his argument as chief. Ralph, on the other hand, understands the fire is the most important thing and follows through on ensuring it is done. Ralph is assertive, which is key in leadership because a chief must be strong to set limits and stand firm in holding them. At the time when the fire goes out, Ralph demands the boys to build a new fire and then stands assertively atop the mountain so, â€Å"No one, not even Jack, would ask him to move and in the end they had to build the fire three yards away and in a place not really as convenient† (Golding 73). Ralph’s decision to stand on the mound of ashes and refuse to move is symbolic because he made it clear to everyone he was in authority, including Jack who became powerless to him. Ralph is the symbol of strength and dominance and is the right leader for the boys on the island. Piggy, could present a valid argument that he has a higher intellect, therefore would make a better leader. As Ralph contemplates multiple pressing issues pertaining to being chief of the island, he is forced to stretch his mind beyond any way he has had to think before, he had to adjus t his values, â€Å"Piggy could think. He could go step by step inside that fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief† (Golding 103). No matter how intelligent Piggy is, he will always be an outsider because of his fat, his asthma, and his cowardice personality. Piggy, despite his brains, does not have the assertiveness, charisma, or respect of others like Ralph, to be chief. Ralph should be the leader on the island because the boys chose him, which gives him authority because a leader is made up of followers and they chose to follow him. The boys vote on a chief and when Ralph’s name is brought up, â€Å"Every hand outside of the choir except Piggy’s was raised immediately. Then Piggy, too, raised his hand grudgingly into the air,† then the votes were counted and he was declared chief and, â€Å"The circle of boys broke into applause† (Golding 22-23). The boys voting for him as chief is a critical part of him being a leader because the boys chose him. He gained their votes and, as a result, they are more likely to take him seriously as a leader, respect him, and listen to his orders. Jack may argue that Ralph does not have the same qualifications and experience as him to be chief because he has prior experience being the leader of the choir. However, Jack’s self-importance and leadership quality is more of a negative at tribute than a positive one, â€Å"I ought to be chief,† said Jack with simple arrogance, â€Å"because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp† (Golding 22). As the leader of the choir, Jack is used to being obeyed in an oppressive, tyrannic way. Even the choir, voted for Jack out of dreary obedience. This made it all the more important that Ralph was chosen in a Democratic process, because it was revealed that Ralph’s stillness, was a more likable quality then Jack’s self-righteousness. A chief must be able to attain the starting mission, have strength and boldness, and be chosen by their followers. Ralph, through all the challenges facing him, maintains these qualities and is, therefore, the fitting leader of the boys. Without humans, it is a matter of time before the earth returns to its original form. Similarly without law and order, it is a matter of time before human’s turn back to their primitive instincts. Thus emphasizing how easily human nature is tempted and the way one must strive to continue doing right.

The English Language and Its Impact on Identities of Multilingual Malaysian Undergraduates

The English Language And Its Impact On Identities Of Multilingual Malaysian Undergraduates By Lee, Su Kim, Lee, King Siong, Wong, Fook Fei and Azizah Ya’acob Lee Su Kim is an associate Professor at the School of Language Studies and Linguistics, UKM. Lee King Siong, a senior lecturer with the School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Wong Fook Fei is a senior lecturer at the School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.Azizah Yaacob is a lecturer at the School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Article Summary In this paper, the author explored an investigation in selected private and public universities to find out the impact of english on the identities of young Malaysian undergraduates in selected private and public universities in Malaysia. The author wanted to explore on a larger scale the role of English in the identity c onstruction of a younger Malaysian cohort from both public and private universities.The researcher chose from both public and private universities consists of 20 Malaysian undergraduates, in their early 20's till mid 20's . They were from different races(Malay Chinese, Indian s and Singhalese), different family backgrounds, different learning experiences and different everyday experiences when using english. Out of the 20 undergraduates, seven were Malays, eight were Chinese, four were Indians and one was Singhalese. There were four males and sixteen females. Twelve undergraduates were from public universities and eight were from the private universities. re from different families, races, backgrounds, and experiences were involved in the study. Based on the analysis of the data, it suggests that for a significant number of the respondents, English can quite easily be considered the dominant language in all domains. In most cases, English has empowered its users as it has opened up their world and in some cases has improved their self-esteem, improved their social status, and made them appear more knowledgeable. Critical reflection The organization of the article was easy to understand as it follows step by step.For instance. At the beginning of the paper, the author gave us a brief and simple abstract, it helped us to get the gist of the study. This article falls under the linguistic category of language and identity. Basically, this article discusses about the impact of English on the identities of young Malaysian undergraduates in selected private and public universities in Malaysia. The author focuses on how different multilingual and the impact of english language in constructing their identity and everyday negotiation.The article firstly explained the concept of identity especially in a multilingual society. The author stated that identity construction is an on-going process and is influenced by many factors. In Malaysia context, where its is a multiling ual country, involves the formation of bicultural identities, where the self defined by local meanings and more traditional practices is maintained alongside a self defined by global culture (Arnett, 2002). As such, a learner must not dispute its ‘imposed identity but to preserve its ethnic identity.Next, the author introduces the concept of othering The concept of â€Å"othering† refers to the practice of comparing ourselves to others and at the same time distancing ourselves from them (Palfreyman, 2005) The article is written based on a study done by one of the authors, related to the impact of English on the identities of young Malaysians. This study is conducted based on the three research objectives which are mainly to identify the impact of English language on the identities of youngMalaysians as bilingual and multilingual speakers, to seek the empowerment of english language in globalized world and to address any threats of english language to their cultural iden tities. The article is guided based on these four important research questions: In what ways does English affect the identities of young adults in Malaysia as bilingual/multilingual speakers? 2. How does English empower young Malaysians in this globalized world? 3. Is English viewed as a threat to their cultural identity?In what ways does English affect or marginalize local languages and local identities? The authors state that the study is done a qualitative method. Data was obtained from interviews with from mature undergraduates from the second or final year because the author believe that these students were able to give more mature reflections on the issue. The interviews were semi-structured and Carspecken’s (1996) critical ethnography interviewing techniques were applied. The data were taped ad the collected data were transcribed.The finding of this research proves 3 dominant themes that emerges form the analysis of the case studies, which are Multilingualism with Engl ish emerging as the dominant language, how English is viewed as a pragmatic language and a language of empowerment and the varying degrees of ‘Othering’. For the first dominant themes, half of the respondents reported that they are far more comfortable in using English than any other language in their daily lives. This dominant themes are substantiate with a few reasons. Firstly is he use of english language as the main language at home regardless whether they are Malay, Chinese and Malay.Secondly, most of the respondents have at least a parents who are english educated and they have been using the english language since an early age and their parents have been encourage them to use english when they were young. Thirdly, most of the respondents went to a school where they mixed around with other children from english speaking homes. Lastly, the english-speaking social environment gives them ample opportunities to use english to socialize with their friends who are also english speaking. The second dominant themes the author suggested is english is viewed as a pragmatic language and a language of empowerment.Some of the respondents stated that speaking english is viewed as intellectually superior and more knowledgeable. Some Malay respondents too agree that speaking english elevated their status in the eyes of some people. Speaking english too is seen as an ego-boosting for some of the respondents. When some of the respondents regard speaking english a a mechanism for them that opens up a window to another world and enables them to share differences in world views, another group of respondents feels that english has a modernizing influence and it helps them to develop a sense of confidence in themselves.Additionally, the last dominant themes from the finding is the varying degrees of othering and this depends on ones fluency in the other languages. Some Chinese respondents who are not fluent in english will try to improve themselves in their langua ge to make sure they are accepted and to close any barrier between the mandarin speaking and the English speaking. Others, feels that as compared to Malay-centric, Tamil-centric and Mandarin-centric, there are difference in thinking, attitude and behaviors between the english ones.For instance, the english speaking are more vocal and more optimistic whereas the Mandarin speaking are more cautious. From the findings too, the data suggested that the respondents experienced a mild ways instances of orthering. They are often perceived as trying to show off, proud and others. It appears that the multilingual speakers are the one being orthered by those who do not have the same spoken proficiency in english. Referring to the second research question, the authors would like to identify how english language empowers young Malaysian is the globalized world.From the findings, it is proven that english empowers young Malaysian socially. They use english everyday in their daily lives their self -esteem and how they are perceived in the society are the factors that encourage them to use english in their lives. Although some may perceived them differently, in this globalized world, english is seen as a tool that empowers every aspect in their lives. This article states that English evidently a plays a dominance factor in their identity negotiations. Majority of the respondents admitted english as the dominant language in their daily lives.Though some of the respondents are bilingual or multilingual, english is not use just for communication purposes instead it has become their first language. The respondents to acknowledged that being competent in english give them a positive position socially. They are aware that proficiency in english is valued bot academically and socially. People around them perceived them differently and they receive better respect. As a result the respondents are more confident in perceiving themselves.Not only that, it is found that the respondents be lieved the knowledge of english played a part in making them more â€Å"open-minded† taking on more neutral views towards values that are perceived to be markers of cultural identity. Additionally, some respondents english is a tool that allows them to communicate more directly. In other words the knowledge of english contributed towards a more reflective and critical outlook towards the culture of the respondents. This article also suggests that there are differences in those who are proficient in english and those who are proficient in the ethnic language.Those who are less competent in english are perceived as â€Å"more closed up† and ethnocentric and those who are more proficient in the ethnic language thought them to be â€Å"arrogant†, â€Å"showing off†, and â€Å"mat salleh celup †. these are similar in Lee Su Kim study where both Malay and non Malay respondents who are more proficient in english are perceived as â€Å"boastful † an d â€Å"Westernized† by their peers who are more proficient in the ethnic language. Moreover, there were some similarities between this article and Lee Su Kim (2000 study.However there are some differences especially in the attitude towards english. In this study, the theme that features more prominently is the subjects’ awareness of the pragmatism and social advantage in being well-versed in English, along with the indication that a significant number of subjects amongst the 20 interviewed were found to be multilingual with English featuring as a dominant language. although orthering between english speaking and native speaking are evident, it doesn’t seem to factor as prominently as the resentments that were reported by the subjects in Lee Su Kim’s (2003) study.This may be due to the attitude towards english as english is pertinent international language of the world and they are accepting the language as a relevant too in their lives rather than a seco nd or foreign language. To conclude, the author agrees and found that to some of the respondents, english seem to be a dominant language in all domains. English too has empowered them in improving their self-confident, social status and made them appear more knowledgeable. That is why some respondents may prefer to use english in their daily lives than their own language.Not only that, as english is seen as a prominent language in the world nowadays, thus, this act as a factor for suing english more in their daily lives. Besides that english too does affect their social status in the society. People who use english is regard as someone who are knowledge and some may been intimidated by the english speaking people. In the beginning of the article, the authors mentioned that there is little research on how the use of english affects the identity of Malaysian speakers. it is hoped that i n future, more research will be done in finding the impact of english to the Malaysian society.The authors suggests a similar study on the impact of English on identity could be beneficially carried out in other areas of Malaysia, particularly East Malaysia for its rich and highly unique sociocultural composition. the author also suggests A study on the impact and roles of the English language in other traditionally ‘non-native speaker’ or ‘outer circle’ countries would also prove beneficial in contributing to the body of knowledge towards understanding the implications of the spread of English as the language of the world today.In my point of view, I found that this article is easy to read because the choices of word that the authors use are simple and understandable. Besides that, I think that the discussion of the findings also proven that english has becoming a dominant language in young Malaysian today. I especially like the discussion past as it discusses the findings and relate them to the reality of english in young Malaysian today. Based on what i have read, i found that some of the respondents' experiences re similar to mine. I believe that when using english, it helps to build my self-esteem and confidence socially. I too believe that when using english, I am being perceived differently by other people. Hence, I strongly believe that using english in my daily lives to makes me appear more knowledgeable and people do look highly on me. And because English has become global today, to have a competent knowledge of the language is seen as a useful key for opening many doors.I found that i learned a lot from this article, firstly is that it is such an eye opener for me as how young Malaysian and the society perceived one that is fluent in english. I take it as a motivation for me to improve myself to be better speaker of english and also to be a better language teacher for my students to make sure they too will be able to be a proficient speaker of english. However i believe that no matter how fluent one in english an how imp ortant english is in the society today and to the future society, it should not shape ones identity.