Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Effects of the Social Networking Sites to the Study Habits of the 4th year High School Students Essay

CHAPTER 1 Introduction Nowadays, technology is already taking over the world. They use technology in different ways. It is a big help especially in communicating. Social networking sites are products of technology and also one way of communicating with each other. Everyone is fond of using social networking sites. They consider it as a part of our daily lives. They love sharing pictures, expressing our feelings and thoughts, and blogging about new things. Almost everyone uses Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and many more. They enjoy using them especially teenagers. They share almost everything they do and express their unsaid thoughts, ideas and emotions. But does their addiction in using these social networking sites still benefits them? They can say that social networking sites are good inventions in terms of connecting and socializing but teenagers who are fond of using these can’t seem to get enough. Some of them or MOST of them certainly use these every now and then. It is really ironic that they still have time to share in social networking sites that they have tons of home works and quizzes instead of just spending their time in studying and doing their school works. For the 4th year students, they really need to have a good time management because they need to imply the requirements they are obligated to do in order to graduate from high school. They need to be responsible in dividing our time in many things but how come that they can still find time to use these social networking sites? Do these social networking sites already affect their study habits? The  researchers want to know if these social networking sites affect the study habits of the 4th year students and how can they maintain good study habits without being distracted. We also wanted to know if these social networking sites can help them in their way of studying. This study is conducted to know the good and bad effects of social networking sites to the students and to know how to improve and prevent it. Background of the Problem One of the obligations of the teenagers is to study. Their role is to become a hardworking student and a good child to their parents. As students, they are expected to give their best in their studies to have good grades. Their parents give every effort they can give to send their children in school with a high quality education. Nowadays, there are a lot of ways in improving the way of educating the students. Technology is one of those. Technology like internet can help to broaden the knowledge of a student and makes it easier for them to study but technology can also be a reason for the students to limit their knowledge in what they can get from here. Internet is the best and easiest contribution of technology in terms of communicating, researching and studying. All of these in just one click. Internet cannot only help the students in doing their home works and researches but also in communicating and socializing. There are a lot of websites used by the teenagers to socialize. These websites are called Social networking sites. In these sites, they can chat with their friends and share photos and thoughts with them. These sites are also used in advertising products that can be useful for the students. These sites are a good invention but they also have disadvantages to the people especially to the students. Good study habits are important in maintaining good grades in school but students tend to overuse these social networking sites which limit their time in studying. They were expected to spend more time in studying but because of these social networking sites they tend to be distracted. They spent most of their time in using their social networking sites and lessen their time in studying. As time goes by, the situations are getting worse. There may come to a point where students will just use their social networking sites instead of studying which may lead to a bigger problem like affecting their grades and way of learning. It may cause their  laziness and non compliance in their subjects. These problems may lead to the bad academic performance. Statement of the Problem The researcher primarily aimed to know how the networking sites affect the study habits of the 4th year students in Divine Light Academy. This study is purposively conducted to know the advantages and disadvantages of the social networking sites to the graduating students and their way of studying. Specifically, this study ought to answer the following questions: 1. Before, students used to concentrate with there studies but now that social networking sites are invented, how does they spend their time in terms of studying? 2. The students are fond of using the internet to accomplish their school works easily but internet also allows them to use social networking sites, Can they concentrate with their school works while using social networking sites at the same time? 3. Good study habits are maintained by the students with the sense of discipline and good time management unfortunately, they became fans of social networking sites can they still have good study habits despite of their continuous use of social networking sites? Hypothesis Null Hypothesis 1. The 4th year students of Divine Light Academy are spending so much time in using social networking sites. 2. They spend less time in studying. 3. They have poor study habits and time management. Operational Hypothesis 1. The 4th year students of Divine Light Academy spend less time in studying when they are using social networking sites 2. They are used of doing their homework and researches while using their social networking sites. 3. They can’t concentrate when they are using social networking sites while studying and they can have better study habits without these sites Conceptual Framework Fig.1 Effects of the Social Networking Sites to the Study Habit Input * How students spend their time each day in terms of Studying and Using Social networking sites? * Do they use social networking sites while doing assignments, especially when doing researches? * Can they concentrate in doing their homework without checking on their blogs or other sites? * In what way can they maintain good study habits? With the use of social networking sites or without the use of social networking sites? * What do they do first once they open a computer to do a research or homework? Process * Observing their performance in class and if they can comply to the requirements * needed in their subjects. * Asking about their study habits and their use of social networking sites. * Interviewing them about their daily routine and their way of balancing their studiesand their use of social networking sites. * Giving questionnaires to the respondents to gather data. Output * By just simply observing, the researcher will know if the student’s performance is satisfying or not. * By asking about their study habits, the researcher will know the reason why their class performance is satisfying or not. * They would feel and know that they need to * improve their study habits and avoid or lessen the distraction. * The lack of study habits can be change with * the questionnaires that are given to them. Definition of Terms 1. Academic Performance- the basis for your overall grades. 2. Blogging- is a way of sharing comments, opinions or articles in internet 3. Communicating- is to impart; to reveal or to share 4. Daily Routine- is a set of things you do in your everyday life. 5. Education- is the systematic training of moral and intellectual faculties. 6. Facebook- is a social networking site wherein you can add new friends, chat and share pictures and comments. 7. Instagram- is a social networking site wherein you can share any photo and video you want. 8. Roles- is the function or part. 9. Social networking sites- are the websites wherein you can socialize with other people. 10. Socializing- is to render socially 11. Students- the beneficiaries and the ones who absorb all the things that the teachers are teaching. 12. Study habits- is the act of acquiring knowledge or application of the mind in a usual or customary time. 13. Teenagers- youth with between 13 and 19 said of age. 14. Time Management- this is the skill to manage your time to finish the things that you wanted to accomplish. 15. Tumblr- a social networking site wherein you can blog any photo, video, quotes or even an article about any topic you want. 16. Twitter- you can share or tweet (as what term used in that site) about anything using 140 characters only. 17. Websites- the pages you used when your using internet Theoretical Framework Before, students used to concentrate with there studies but now that social networking sites are invented their time is divided in using social networking sites and studying each day. They may spend more time in using social networking sites than studying or they may do it the other way around. The students are fond of using the internet to accomplish their school works easily but internet also allows them to use social networking sites while doing their assignments and when they’re doing researches. Can they finish their school works without checking their blogs or other sites? Good study habits are maintained by the students with the sense of discipline and good time management unfortunately, they became fans of social networking sites can they still have good study habits despite of their continuous use of social networking sites? By observing and asking them about their studies and daily routine, we can know if their studies are affected by their addiction of social networking sites. We can observe if they are doing well in their class and if they can concentrate to their studies without being distracted. By just simply observing, the researcher will know if the student’s performance is satisfying or not. The researcher can interpret the data gathered to know the reason why their class performance is like that. The interpreted data will give the researcher the conclusion to the problems stated in the study.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 8. TEMPER

WE ENDED UP ON THE BEACH AGAIN, WANDERING AIMlessly. Jacob was still full of himself for engineering my escape. â€Å"Do you think they'll come looking for you?† he asked, sounding hopeful. â€Å"No.† I was certain about that. â€Å"They're going to be furious with me tonight, though.† He picked up a rock and chucked it into the waves. â€Å"Don't go back, then,† he suggested again. â€Å"Charlie would love that,† I said sarcastically. â€Å"I bet he wouldn't mind.† I didn't answer. Jacob was probably right, and that made me grind my teeth together. Charlie's blatant preference for my Quileute friends was so unfair. I wondered if he would feel the same if he knew the choice was really between vampires and werewolves. â€Å"So what's the latest pack scandal?† I asked lightly. Jacob skidded to a halt, and he stared down at me with shocked eyes. â€Å"What? That was a joke.† â€Å"Oh.† He looked away. I waited for him to start walking again, but he seemed lost in thought. â€Å"Is there a scandal?† I wondered. Jacob chuckled once. â€Å"I forget what it's like, not having everyone know everything all the time. Having a quiet, private place inside my head.† We walked along the stony beach quietly for a few minutes. â€Å"So what is it?† I finally asked. â€Å"That everyone in your head already knows?† He hesitated for a moment, as if he weren't sure how much he was going to tell me. Then he sighed and said, â€Å"Quil imprinted. That's three now. The rest of us are starting to get worried. Maybe it's more common than the stories say. . . .† He frowned, and then turned to stare at me. He gazed into my eyes without speaking, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. â€Å"What are you staring at?† I asked, feeling self-conscious. He sighed. â€Å"Nothing.† Jacob started walking again. Without seeming to think about it, he reached out and took my hand. We paced silently across the rocks. I thought of how we must look walking hand and hand down the beach – like a couple, certainly – and wondered if I should object. But this was the way it had always been with Jacob. . . . No reason to get worked up about it now. â€Å"Why is Quil's imprinting such a scandal?† I asked when it didn't look like he was going to go on. â€Å"Is it because he's the newest one?† â€Å"That doesn't have anything to do with it.† â€Å"Then what's the problem?† â€Å"It's another one of those legend things. I wonder when we're going to stop being surprised that they're all true?† he muttered to himself. â€Å"Are you going to tell me? Or do I have to guess?† â€Å"You'd never get it right. See, Quil hasn't been hanging out with us, you know, until just recently. So he hadn't been around Emily's place much.† â€Å"Quil imprinted on Emily, too?† I gasped. â€Å"No! I told you not to guess. Emily had her two nieces down for a visit . . . and Quil met Claire.† He didn't continue. I thought about that for a moment. â€Å"Emily doesn't want her niece with a werewolf? That's a little hypocritical,† I said. But I could understand why she of all people might feel that way. I thought again of the long scars that marred her face and extended all the way down her right arm. Sam had lost control just once when he was standing too close to her. Once was all it took. . . . I'd seen the pain in Sam's eyes when he looked at what he'd done to Emily. I could understand why Emily might want to protect her niece from that. â€Å"Would you please stop guessing? You're way off. Emily doesn't mind that part, it's just, well, a little early.† â€Å"What do you mean early?† Jacob appraised me with narrowed eyes. â€Å"Try not to be judgmental, okay?† I nodded cautiously. â€Å"Claire is two,† Jacob told me. Rain started to fall. I blinked furiously as the drops pelted my face. Jacob waited in silence. He wore no jacket, as usual; the rain left a spatter of dark spots on his black T-shirt, and dripped through his shaggy hair. His face was expressionless as he watched mine. â€Å"Quil . . . imprinted . . . with a two-year-old?† I was finally able to ask. â€Å"It happens.† Jacob shrugged. He bent to grab another rock and sent it flying out into the bay. â€Å"Or so the stories say.† â€Å"But she's a baby,† I protested. He looked at me with dark amusement. â€Å"Quil's not getting any older,† he reminded me, a bit of acid in his tone. â€Å"He'll just have to be patient for a few decades.† â€Å"I . . . don't know what to say.† I was trying my hardest not to be critical, but, in truth, I was horrified. Until now, nothing about the werewolves had bothered me since the day I'd found out they weren't committing the murders I'd suspected them of. â€Å"You're making judgments,† he accused. â€Å"I can see it on your face.† â€Å"Sorry,† I muttered. â€Å"But it sounds really creepy.† â€Å"It's not like that; you've got it all wrong,† Jacob defended his friend, suddenly vehement. â€Å"I've seen what it's like, through his eyes. There's nothing romantic about it at all, not for Quil, not now.† He took a deep breath, frustrated. â€Å"It's so hard to describe. It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like . . . gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the earth holding you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her. And you would do anything for her, be anything for her. . . . You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother. â€Å"Quil will be the best, kindest big brother any kid ever had. There isn't a toddler on the planet that will be more carefully looked after than that little girl will be. And then, when she's older and needs a friend, he'll be more understanding, trustworthy, and reliable than anyone else she knows. And then, when she's grown up, they'll be as happy as Emily and Sam.† A strange, bitter edge sharpened his tone at the very end, when he spoke of Sam. â€Å"Doesn't Claire get a choice here?† â€Å"Of course. But why wouldn't she choose him, in the end? He'll be her perfect match. Like he was designed for her alone.† We walked in silence for a moment, till I paused to toss a rock toward the ocean. It fell to the beach several meters short. Jacob laughed at me. â€Å"We can't all be freakishly strong,† I muttered. He sighed. â€Å"When do you think it will happen for you?† I asked quietly. His answer was flat and immediate. â€Å"Never.† â€Å"It's not something you can control, is it?† He was silent for a few minutes. Unconsciously, we both walked slower, barely moving at all. â€Å"It's not supposed to be,† he admitted. â€Å"But you have to see her – the one that's supposedly meant for you.† â€Å"And you think that if you haven't seen her yet, then she's not out there?† I asked skeptically. â€Å"Jacob, you haven't really seen much of the world – less than me, even.† â€Å"No, I haven't,† he said in a low voice. He looked at my face with suddenly piercing eyes. â€Å"But I'll never see anyone else, Bella. I only see you. Even when I close my eyes and try to see something else. Ask Quil or Embry. It drives them all crazy.† I dropped my eyes to the rocks. We weren't walking anymore. The only sound was of the waves beating against the shore. I couldn't hear the rain over their roar. â€Å"Maybe I'd better go home,† I whispered. â€Å"No!† he protested, surprised by this conclusion. I looked up at him again, and his eyes were anxious now. â€Å"You have the whole day off, right? The bloodsucker won't be home yet.† I glared at him. â€Å"No offense intended,† he said quickly. â€Å"Yes, I have the whole day. But, Jake . . .† He held up his hands. â€Å"Sorry,† he apologized. â€Å"I won't be like that anymore. I'll just be Jacob.† I sighed. â€Å"But if that's what you're thinking . . .† â€Å"Don't worry about me,† he insisted, smiling with deliberate cheer, too brightly. â€Å"I know what I'm doing. Just tell me if I'm upsetting you.† â€Å"I don't know. . . .† â€Å"C'mon, Bella. Let's go back to the house and get our bikes. You've got to ride a motorcycle regularly to keep it in tune.† â€Å"I really don't think I'm allowed.† â€Å"By who? Charlie or the blood – or him?† â€Å"Both.† Jacob grinned my grin, and he was suddenly the Jacob I missed the most, sunny and warm. I couldn't help grinning back. The rain softened, turned to mist. â€Å"I won't tell anyone,† he promised. â€Å"Except every one of your friends.† He shook his head soberly and raised his right hand. â€Å"I promise not to think about it.† I laughed. â€Å"If I get hurt, it was because I tripped.† â€Å"Whatever you say.† We rode our motorcycles on the back roads around La Push until the rain made them too muddy and Jacob insisted that he was going to pass out if he didn't eat soon. Billy greeted me easily when we got to the house, as if my sudden reappearance meant nothing more complicated than that I'd wanted to spend the day with my friend. After we ate the sandwiches Jacob made, we went out to the garage and I helped him clean up the bikes. I hadn't been here in months – since Edward had returned – but there was no sense of import to it. It was just another afternoon in the garage. â€Å"This is nice,† I commented when he pulled the warm sodas from the grocery bag. â€Å"I've missed this place.† He smiled, looking around at the plastic sheds bolted together over our heads. â€Å"Yeah, I can understand that. All the splendor of the Taj Mahal, without the inconvenience and expense of traveling to India.† â€Å"To Washington's little Taj Mahal,† I toasted, holding up my can. He touched his can to mine. â€Å"Do you remember last Valentine's Day? I think that was the last time you were here – the last time when things were still . . . normal, I mean.† I laughed. â€Å"Of course I remember. I traded a lifetime of servitude for a box of conversation hearts. That's not something I'm likely to forget.† He laughed with me. â€Å"That's right. Hmm, servitude. I'll have to think of something good.† Then he sighed. â€Å"It feels like it was years ago. Another era. A happier one.† I couldn't agree with him. This was my happy era now. But I was surprised to realize how many things I missed from my own personal dark ages. I stared through the opening at the murky forest. The rain had picked up again, but it was warm in the little garage, sitting next to Jacob. He was as good as a furnace. His fingers brushed my hand. â€Å"Things have really changed.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, and then I reached out and patted the back tire of my bike. â€Å"Charlie used to like me. I hope Billy doesn't say anything about today. . . .† I bit my lip. â€Å"He won't. He doesn't get worked up about things the way Charlie does. Hey, I never did apologize officially for that stupid move with the bike. I'm real sorry about ratting you out to Charlie. I wish I hadn't.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Me, too.† â€Å"I'm really, really sorry.† He looked at me hopefully, his wet, tangled black hair sticking up in every direction around his pleading face. â€Å"Oh, fine! You're forgiven.† â€Å"Thanks, Bells!† We grinned at each other for a second, and then his face clouded over. â€Å"You know that day, when I brought the bike over . . . I've been wanting to ask you something,† he said slowly. â€Å"But also . . . not wanting to.† I held very still – a reaction to stress. It was a habit I'd picked up from Edward. â€Å"Were you just being stubborn because you were mad at me, or were you really serious?† he whispered. â€Å"About what?† I whispered back, though I was sure I knew what he meant. He glared at me. â€Å"You know. When you said it was none of my business . . . if – if he bit you.† He cringed visibly at the end. â€Å"Jake . . .† My throat felt swollen. I couldn't finish. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. â€Å"Were you serious?† He was trembling just slightly. His eyes stayed closed. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. Jacob inhaled, slow and deep. â€Å"I guess I knew that.† I stared at his face, waiting for his eyes to open. â€Å"You know what this will mean?† He demanded suddenly. â€Å"You do understand that, don't you? What will happen if they break the treaty?† â€Å"We'll leave first,† I said in a small voice. His eyes flashed open, their black depths full of anger and pain. â€Å"There wasn't a geographic limit to the treaty, Bella. Our great-grandfathers only agreed to keep the peace because the Cullens swore that they were different, that humans weren't in danger from them. They promised they would never kill or change anyone ever again. If they go back on their word, the treaty is meaningless, and they are no different than any other vampires. Once that's established, when we find them again -â€Å" â€Å"But, Jake, didn't you break the treaty already?† I asked, grasping at straws. â€Å"Wasn't part of it that you not tell people about the vampires? And you told me. So isn't the treaty sort of moot, anyhow?† Jacob didn't like the reminder; the pain in his eyes hardened into animosity. â€Å"Yeah, I broke the treaty – back before I believed any of it. And I'm sure they were informed of that.† He glared sourly at my forehead, not meeting my shamed gaze. â€Å"But it's not like that gives them a freebie or anything. There's no fault for a fault. They have only one option if they object to what I did. The same option we'll have when they break the treaty: to attack. To start the war.† He made it sound so inevitable. I shuddered. â€Å"Jake, it doesn't have to be that way.† His teeth ground together. â€Å"It is that way.† The silence after his declaration felt very loud. â€Å"Will you never forgive me, Jacob?† I whispered. As soon as I said the words, I wished I hadn't. I didn't want to hear his answer. â€Å"You won't be Bella anymore,† he told me. â€Å"My friend won't exist. There'll be no one to forgive.† â€Å"That sounds like a no,† I whispered. We faced each other for an endless moment. â€Å"Is this goodbye then, Jake?† He blinked rapidly, his fierce expression melting in surprise. â€Å"Why? We still have a few years. Can't we be friends until we're out of time?† â€Å"Years? No, Jake, not years.† I shook my head, and laughed once without humor. â€Å"Weeks is more accurate.† I was not expecting his reaction. He was suddenly on his feet, and there was a loud pop as the soda can exploded in his hand. Soda flew everywhere, soaking me, like it was spraying from a hose. â€Å"Jake!† I started to complain, but I fell silent when I realized that his whole body was quivering with anger. He glared at me wildly, a growling sound building in his chest. I froze in place, too shocked to remember how to move. The shaking rolled through him, getting faster, until it looked like he was vibrating. His shape blurred. . . . And then Jacob gritted his teeth together, and the growling stopped. He squeezed his eyes tight in concentration; the quivering slowed until only his hands were shaking. â€Å"Weeks,† Jacob said in a flat monotone. I couldn't respond; I was still frozen. He opened his eyes. They were beyond fury now. â€Å"He's going to change you into a filthy bloodsucker in just a few weeks!† Jacob hissed through his teeth. Too stunned to take offense at his words, I just nodded mutely. His face turned green under the russet skin. â€Å"Of course, Jake,† I whispered after a long minute of silence. â€Å"He's seventeen, Jacob. And I get closer to nineteen every day. Besides, what's the point in waiting? He's all I want. What else can I do?† I'd meant that as a rhetorical question. His words cracked like snaps of a whip. â€Å"Anything. Anything else. You'd be better off dead. I'd rather you were.† I recoiled like he'd slapped me. It hurt worse than if he had. And then, as the pain shot through me, my own temper burst into flame. â€Å"Maybe you'll get lucky,† I said bleakly, lurching to my feet. â€Å"Maybe I'll get hit by a truck on my way back.† I grabbed my motorcycle and pushed it out into the rain. He didn't move as I passed him. As soon as I was on the small, muddy path, I climbed on and kicked the bike to life. The rear tire spit a fountain of mud toward the garage, and I hoped that it hit him. I got absolutely soaked as I sped across the slick highway toward the Cullens' house. The wind felt like it was freezing the rain against my skin, and my teeth were chattering before I was halfway there. Motorcycles were too impractical for Washington. I would sell the stupid thing first chance I got. I walked the bike into the Cullens' cavernous garage and was unsurprised to find Alice waiting for me, perched lightly on the hood of her Porsche. Alice stroked the glossy yellow paint. â€Å"I haven't even had a chance to drive it.† She sighed. â€Å"Sorry,† I spit through my rattling teeth. â€Å"You look like you could use a hot shower,† she said, offhand, as she sprang lightly to her feet. â€Å"Yep.† She pursed her lips, taking in my expression carefully. â€Å"Do you want to talk about it?† â€Å"Nope.† She nodded in assent, but her eyes were raging with curiosity. â€Å"Do you want to go to Olympia tonight?† â€Å"Not really. Can't I go home?† She grimaced. â€Å"Never mind, Alice,† I said. â€Å"I'll stay if it makes things easier for you.† â€Å"Thanks,† she sighed in relief. I went to bed early that night, curling up on his sofa again. It was still dark when I woke. I was groggy, but I knew it wasn't near morning yet. My eyes closed, and I stretched, rolling over. It took me a second before I realized that the movement should have dumped me onto the floor. And that I was much too comfortable. I rolled back over, trying to see. It was darker than last night – the clouds were too thick for the moon to shine through. â€Å"Sorry,† he murmured so softly that his voice was part of the darkness. â€Å"I didn't mean to wake you.† I tensed, waiting for the fury – both his and mine – but it was only quiet and calm in the darkness of his room. I could almost taste the sweetness of reunion in the air, a separate fragrance from the perfume of his breath; the emptiness when we were apart left its own bitter aftertaste, something I didn't consciously notice until it was removed. There was no friction in the space between us. The stillness was peaceful – not like the calm before the tempest, but like a clear night untouched by even the dream of a storm. And I didn't care that I was supposed to be angry with him. I didn't care that I was supposed to be angry with everyone. I reached out for him, found his hands in the darkness, and pulled myself closer to him. His arms encircled me, cradling me to his chest. My lips searched, hunting along his throat, to his chin, till I finally found his lips. Edward kissed me softly for a moment, and then he chuckled. â€Å"I was all braced for the wrath that was going to put grizzlies to shame, and this is what I get? I should infuriate you more often.† â€Å"Give me a minute to work up to it,† I teased, kissing him again. â€Å"I'll wait as long as you want,† he whispered against my lips. His fingers knotted in my hair. My breath was becoming uneven. â€Å"Maybe in the morning.† â€Å"Whatever you prefer.† â€Å"Welcome home,† I said while his cold lips pressed under my jaw. â€Å"I'm glad you came back.† â€Å"That's a very good thing.† â€Å"Mmm,† I agreed, tightening my arms around his neck. His hand curved around my elbow, moving slowly down my arm, across my ribs and over my waist, tracing along my hip and down my leg, around my knee. He paused there, his hand curling around my calf. He pulled my leg up suddenly, hitching it around his hip. I stopped breathing. This wasn't the kind of thing he usually allowed. Despite his cold hands, I felt suddenly warm. His lips moved in the hollow at the base of my throat. â€Å"Not to bring on the ire prematurely,† he whispered, â€Å"but do you mind telling me what it is about this bed that you object to?† Before I could answer, before I could even concentrate enough to make sense of his words, he rolled to the side, pulling me on top of him. He held my face in his hands, angling it up so that his mouth could reach my throat. My breathing was too loud – it was almost embarrassing, but I couldn't care quite enough to be ashamed. â€Å"The bed?† he asked again. â€Å"I think it's nice.† â€Å"It's unnecessary,† I managed to gasp. He pulled my face back to his, and my lips shaped themselves around his. Slowly this time, he rolled till he hovered over me. He held himself carefully so that I felt none of his weight, but I could feel the cool marble of his body press against mine. My heart was hammering so loudly that it was hard to hear his quiet laughter. â€Å"That's debatable,† he disagreed. â€Å"This would be difficult on a couch.† Cold as ice, his tongue lightly traced the shape of my lips. My head was spinning – the air was coming too fast and shallow. â€Å"Did you change your mind?† I asked breathlessly. Maybe he'd rethought all his careful rules. Maybe there was more significance to this bed than I'd originally guessed. My heart pounded almost painfully as I waited for his answer. Edward sighed, rolling back so that we were on our sides again. â€Å"Don't be ridiculous, Bella,† he said, disapproval strong in his voice – clearly, he understood what I meant. â€Å"I was just trying to illustrate the benefits of the bed you don't seem to like. Don't get carried away.† â€Å"Too late,† I muttered. â€Å"And I like the bed,† I added. â€Å"Good.† I could hear the smile in his voice as he kissed my forehead. â€Å"I do, too.† â€Å"But I still think it's unnecessary,† I continued. â€Å"If we're not going to get carried away, what's the point?† He sighed again. â€Å"For the hundredth time, Bella – it's too dangerous.† â€Å"I like danger,† I insisted. â€Å"I know.† There was a sour edge to his voice, and I realized that he would have seen the motorcycle in the garage. â€Å"I'll tell you what's dangerous,† I said quickly, before he could move to a new topic of discussion. â€Å"I'm going to spontaneously combust one of these days – and you'll have no one but yourself to blame.† He started to push me away. â€Å"What are you doing?† I objected, clinging to him. â€Å"Protecting you from combustion. If this too much for you. . . .† â€Å"I can handle it,† I insisted. He let me worm myself back into the circle of his arms. â€Å"I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression,† he said. â€Å"I didn't mean to make you unhappy. That wasn't nice.† â€Å"Actually, it was very, very nice.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"Aren't you tired? I should let you sleep.† â€Å"No, I'm not. I don't mind if you want to give me the wrong impression again.† â€Å"That's probably a bad idea. You're not the only one who gets carried away.† â€Å"Yes, I am,† I grumbled. He chuckled. â€Å"You have no idea, Bella. It doesn't help that you are so eager to undermine my self- control, either.† â€Å"I'm not going to apologize for that.† â€Å"Can I apologize?† â€Å"For what?† â€Å"You were angry with me, remember?† â€Å"Oh, that.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I was wrong. It's much easier to have the proper perspective when I have you safely here.† His arms tightened around me. â€Å"I go a little berserk when I try to leave you. I don't think I'll go so far again. It's not worth it.† I smiled. â€Å"Didn't you find any mountain lions?† â€Å"Yes, I did, actually. Still not worth the anxiety. I'm sorry I had Alice hold you hostage, though. That was a bad idea.† â€Å"Yes,† I agreed. â€Å"I won't do it again.† â€Å"Okay,† I said easily. He was already forgiven. â€Å"But slumber parties do have their advantages. . . .† I curled myself closer to him, pressing my lips into the indentation over his collarbone. â€Å"You can hold me hostage any time you want.† â€Å"Mmm,† he sighed. â€Å"I may take you up on that.† â€Å"So is it my turn now?† â€Å"Your turn?† his voice was confused. â€Å"To apologize.† â€Å"What do you have to apologize for?† â€Å"Aren't you mad at me?† I asked blankly. â€Å"No.† It sounded like he really meant it. I felt my eyebrows pull together. â€Å"Didn't you see Alice when you got home?† â€Å"Yes – why?† â€Å"Are you going to take her Porsche back?† â€Å"Of course not. It was a gift.† I wished I could see his expression. His voice sounded as if I'd insulted him. â€Å"Don't you want to know what I did?† I asked, starting to be puzzled by his apparent lack of concern. I felt him shrug. â€Å"I'm always interested in everything you do – but you don't have to tell me unless you want to.† â€Å"But I went to La Push.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"And I ditched school.† â€Å"So did I.† I stared toward the sound of his voice, tracing his features with my fingers, trying to understand his mood. â€Å"Where did all this tolerance come from?† I demanded. He sighed. â€Å"I decided that you were right. My problem before was more about my . . . prejudice against werewolves than anything else. I'm going to try to be more reasonable and trust your judgment. If you say it's safe, then I'll believe you.† â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"And . . . most importantly . . . I'm not willing to let this drive a wedge between us.† I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes, totally content. â€Å"So,† he murmured in a casual tone. â€Å"Did you make plans to go back to La Push again soon?† I didn't answer. His question brought back the memory of Jacob's words, and my throat was suddenly tight. He misread my silence and the tension in my body. â€Å"Just so that I can make my own plans,† he explained quickly. â€Å"I don't want you to feel like you have to hurry back because I'm sitting around waiting for you.† â€Å"No,† I said in a voice that sounded strange to me. â€Å"I don't have plans go back.† â€Å"Oh. You don't have to do that for me.† â€Å"I don't think I'm welcome anymore,† I whispered. â€Å"Did you run over someone's cat?† he asked lightly. I knew he didn't want to force the story out of me, but I could hear the curiosity burning behind his words. â€Å"No.† I took a deep breath, and then mumbled quickly through the explanation. â€Å"I thought Jacob would have realized . . . I didn't think it would surprise him.† Edward waited while I hesitated. â€Å"He wasn't expecting . . . that it was so soon.† â€Å"Ah,† Edward said quietly. â€Å"He said he'd rather see me dead.† My voice broke on the last word. Edward was too still for a moment, controlling whatever reaction he didn't want me to see. Then he crushed me gently to his chest. â€Å"I'm so sorry.† â€Å"I thought you'd be glad,† I whispered. â€Å"Glad over something that's hurt you?† he murmured into my hair. â€Å"I don't think so, Bella.† I sighed and relaxed, fitting myself to the stone shape of him. But he was motionless again, tense. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked. â€Å"It's nothing.† â€Å"You can tell me.† He paused for a minute. â€Å"It might make you angry.† â€Å"I still want to know.† He sighed. â€Å"I could quite literally kill him for saying that to you. I want to.† I laughed halfheartedly. â€Å"I guess it's a good thing you've got so much self-control.† â€Å"I could slip.† His tone was thoughtful. â€Å"If you're going to have a lapse in control, I can think of a better place for it.† I reached for his face, trying to pull myself up to kiss him. His arms held me tighter, restraining. He sighed. â€Å"Must I always be the responsible one?† I grinned in the darkness. â€Å"No. Let me be in charge of responsibility for a few minutes . . . or hours.† â€Å"Goodnight, Bella.† â€Å"Wait – there was something else I wanted to ask you about.† â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"I was talking to Rosalie last night. . . .† His body tensed again. â€Å"Yes. She was thinking about that when I got in. She gave you quite a lot to consider, didn't she?† His voice was anxious, and I realized that he thought I wanted to talk about the reasons Rosalie'd given me for staying human. But I was interested in something much more pressing. â€Å"She told me a little bit . . . about the time your family lived in Denali.† There was a short pause; this beginning took him by surprise. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"She mentioned something about a bunch of female vampires . . . and you.† He didn't answer, though I waited for a long moment. â€Å"Don't worry,† I said, after the silence had grown uncomfortable. â€Å"She told me you didn't . . . show any preference. But I was just wondering, you know, if any of them had. Shown a preference for you, I mean.† Again he said nothing. â€Å"Which one?† I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, and not quite managing. â€Å"Or was there more than one?† No answer. I wished I could see his face, so I could try to guess what this silence meant. â€Å"Alice will tell me,† I said. â€Å"I'll go ask her right now.† His arms tightened; I was unable to squirm even an inch away. â€Å"It's late,† he said. His voice had a little edge to it that was something new. Sort of nervous, maybe a little embarrassed. â€Å"Besides, I think Alice stepped out. . . .† â€Å"It's bad,† I guessed. â€Å"It's really bad, isn't it?† I started to panic, my heart accelerating as I imagined the gorgeous immortal rival I'd never realized I had. â€Å"Calm down, Bella,† he said, kissing the tip of my nose. â€Å"You're being absurd.† â€Å"Am I? Then why won't you tell me?† â€Å"Because there's nothing to tell. You're blowing this wildly out of proportion.† â€Å"Which one?† I insisted. He sighed. â€Å"Tanya expressed a little interest. I let her know, in a very courteous, gentlemanly fashion, that I did not return that interest. End of story.† I kept my voice as even as possible. â€Å"Tell me something – what does Tanya look like?† â€Å"Just like the rest of us – white skin, gold eyes,† he answered too quickly. â€Å"And, of course, extraordinarily beautiful.† I felt him shrug. â€Å"I suppose, to human eyes,† he said, indifferent. â€Å"You know what, though?† â€Å"What?† My voice was petulant. He put his lips right to my ear; his cold breath tickled. â€Å"I prefer brunettes.† â€Å"She's a blonde. That figures.† â€Å"Strawberry blonde – not at all my type.† I thought about that for a while, trying to concentrate as his lips moved slowly along my cheek, down my throat, and back up again. He made the circuit three times before I spoke. â€Å"I guess that's okay, then,† I decided. â€Å"Hmm,† he whispered against my skin. â€Å"You're quite adorable when you're jealous. It's surprisingly enjoyable.† I scowled into the darkness. â€Å"It's late,† he said again, murmuring, almost crooning now, his voice smoother than silk. â€Å"Sleep, my Bella. Dream happy dreams. You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. It will always be yours. Sleep, my only love.† He started to hum my lullaby, and I knew it was only a matter of time till I succumbed, so I closed my eyes and snuggled closer into his chest.

Architecture as a Means of Upliftment in South Africa

Architecture as a Means of Fulfillment in South Africa, post-apartheid Introduction The end of Apartheid allowed for â€Å"new ways of describing public institutions† according Togo Nero, in an interview for the Small Scale, Big Change exhibition. And as a result, architecture can be seen as a means of cultural fulfillment in post- apartheid South Africa. So the question is, how does architecture affect social change and identity In this country? This a two-fold question.This essay will look to address this question, In an analysis and comparison of Joy Onerous Red Location Museum In Port Elizabeth, and the Alexandra Heritage Centre in Johannesburg. We will start with a brief history of apartheid, and the sites, to put the buildings into context. Followed by a look at the purposes and concepts of the afore mentioned buildings. From there, we will address the structure and materials and go into an analysis and comparison of the buildings, ending off with the buildings in the pr esent day.History South Africans entire history is plagued with issues and tensions over ethnicity. This is evident all the way back to the early 1 sass when the Dutch and English used the Cape as their stopover point, and began to colonies, forcing the native people (such as the San and Koki) from their homes, and claimed the land for themselves. Battling for land and ownership between the Dutch and the English went on for many, many years, resulting In events such as the Boer War. In 1910, South Africa became a member of the British Commonwealth, with both parties sharing power.By the asses, the Nationalist Party grew in strength resulting in them finally coming into power, and the start of apartheid in 1948. Apartheid resulted in many things, but the cost important factor was that of segregation of races, and classification. Different races were given different social areas, occupations and areas to live. The years to follow were full of unhappiness, and protest- both peaceful an d not. Jumping ahead to 1990, we see the beginning of change- laws lifted, and constitutions redrawn. In 1994, South Africa saw the election of their first black president and the legal end to apartheid.New Brighton, Port Elizabeth Is one of the oldest black townships In South Africa, with the Red Location- so named after the old red corrugated barracks there- being the Much peaceful, non-violent protest happened, and it was here, in 1952 that a group of local NC members marched through the â€Å"Europeans Only' entrance at the New Brighton Train Station. This was the start of many more acts of defiance. After forty- six years, apartheid ended, and the Red Location was chosen to be a site where history and the location itself, would be preserved. Alexandra Township, in Johannesburg was named a township in 1912.It was one of the few townships that was not demolished as a result of the Group Areas Act- the township was too much of an important place for people in the northern suburbs to mind labor. However, the government found that Alex was over-populated, and so sought to forcedly remove people. This led to many boycotts and protests in the area. Alex is an important part of the apartheid history, as important NC members lived there at one time or another- such as Nelson Mandela. Alexandra Township today is a bustling and vibrant area, with an ongoing project to develop and preserve it.Purpose and Concept In 1998, a national competition was held to design a precinct in the Red Location that would bring tourists into the area firstly, as well as to preserve the history of the area. It was to include new housing, a library, art centre, gallery and market hall, a conference centre, and obviously, the centre piece- a museum centered on apartheid. The winner of the competition was the Cape Town based, Nero Wolff Architects. Their scheme would formalize a public space- something that was lacking in Red Location.This â€Å"plaza† would be at the centre of the precinct- the intersection between the two roads created in the design. As well as this, there were a few factors that put it above the other entries: firstly, great care and thought was put into the call of the design- not only does it blend in with the industrial buildings in the area, but it is considerate of the scale of the township itself. The second point is its aesthetic- the language is straightforward, and the buildings celebrate the ordinary materials- like concrete and corrugated iron.This overall scheme does however, have a slight industrial feel to it- which is deliberate in tying the building into its site. And the last thing was that the building had a unique approach to preserving the history, and courting whatever exhibits it would house- all of which creates a memory evolving around the struggle for freedom, rather than apartheid itself. In 2001, the Alexandra Tourism Development Project (ATOP) was founded, by the Sautà ©ing Tourism Authority, in the hopes to de velop a number of tourism facilities and infrastructure with emphasis on the heritage of the area, and to bring in tourism.Time, effort and money were also put into upgrading the housing in the area- and this has been a hugely successful project, major improving the lives of the people that live there. And this was a big stimulant when it came to the Heritage Centre- it â€Å"must serve primarily as a resource for the community – they must be incentive of as essential and integral parts of the urban and social fabric of Alexandra – rather than simply as an attraction for visitors†. Anyone Duggan, project something that Peter Rich took into account, in his design- which we will discuss later.The Alexandra Heritage Site serves mainly as a venue space- where meetings, exhibitions and classes can be held. There will also be a permanent exhibition, showing the history, and stories of the area, as well as artworks and photographs. But according to Peter Rich, the most important feature is that it is a place where the older generations can tell their stories and record their memories. Interview in Convey, online magazine, 2011-1) Structure, Materials and the Building Process For the purpose of this essay, I will focus mainly on the Museum itself, rather than the entire Museum of Struggle Precinct.In the Red Location Museum, the building itself only serves to house and protect the exhibits- the twelve corrugated â€Å"memory boxes† (more later) hold all the significance and meaning. The building is designed to evoke little emotion, which goes to strengthen ones experience of the interior. This building is an example of a massive concrete structure- built from pre-cast concrete elements, and in-situ elements, such as the columns- which bring a sense of permanence to the building. Other than its sheer volume, perhaps the most important structural feature is the roof.For their initial design, Nero Wolff looked to anti-apartheid protest art for clues. In the painting shown, the three seminal building types are evident:, the double story school building, the â€Å"box-house† and the saw- tooth roofed factory. The saw-tooth is an image strongly associated with the factory, and during the times of apartheid, the factory was associated with civic virtue, as it as the trade unions that helped shape the internal struggle for freedom. Civic buildings at that time were also images of apartheid, so Nero Wolff wanted to create a distinction.So the Museum was designed with a saw-tooth roof- which also offered good lighting and ventilation opportunities. The Alexandra Heritage Centre primarily used red steel girders, brick and poly- carbonate sheeting, giving it a lighter appearance than the Museum- especially because it also bridges across the road, which creates an observation deck overlooking the township. Peter Rich describes it as having an â€Å"ad-hoc esthetics† (Interview in Convey, online magazine, 2011-1) whic h is influenced by the surrounding without being patronizing.It has a civic feel, but still blends into the township- much like the Red Location. Peter Rich also sort ideas out from the people- he spent a great deal of time observing daily routines and such of the area, and used this to influence the design. Both buildings used local labor. Alex not only used local labor in the construction, but also in the smaller details, like the glasswork in the windows. The Red Location used 50% local labor, and every three months, new people were brought in- trained ND put to work. This offered much in the line of employment.Analysis and Comparison which houses a library and the exhibition space and offers views of the surrounding houses. The building has many opportunities for transparency- from the entrance, you can observe below into the public spaces, outside next to the road and in the interior, the planes are interlinking. There are also ambiguous internal spaces- this allows for great f lexibility in purpose- they were designed to be able to house political as well as social events. Another dimension is added, under the bridge- this space is owe redefined as street.Because of the polycarbonate sheeting and glasswork, the building gets good daylight- which is important if the space is to be utilized for workshops and such. As one enters the Red Location Museum, one is brought from the large sweeping veranda, to the entrance hall- which takes you from the informal exterior to formal interior, with its large volume. The entrance hall serves as a transition space. The entrance also houses the auditorium, which can be accessed from both sides. From here, the movement is directed via a row of tall concrete columns which are the first splay- the â€Å"walk of heroes†.These bring you into the main exhibition space- which is initially concealed- this was deliberate, to bring in a sense of â€Å"mysteriousness†. The main exhibition space houses twelve towering rusted corrugated structures- the â€Å"memory boxes† which relate back to the actual memory boxes which were treasured items during apartheid. Through these boxes, the exhibitions could be curates through themes. Each box is different on the inside, housing an exhibit. The memory box, is supposed to represent history, while outside of the museum is the present.The space inebriate- the twilight zone- is the transitional space, where past is lost to present. And it is in this space, which one moves around in the museum- choosing your own path and therefore creating your own understanding and story. This is achieved through a deliberate lack of hierarchy- the boxes are placed in a grid. The townships share similar histories, so it is only natural that any public buildings within them would have similarities. The obvious difference is their function, but other than that, these buildings share similar approaches, labor strategies, reasons for materiality.But the biggest similarit y is that they both have a positive impact on their locations, and are strong beacons towards a better future and a new identity. The Buildings in Present Day The Alexandra Heritage Centre, after many years of delays and budget problems, is near to completion. Of course, projects to uplift and rejuvenate the area are still on going. Tours are given of Alexandra regularly (called shoo' left(s)) which include visits to Mandela's Yard and the Heritage Centre. From the limited resources available, it is evident that the community think this building is a huge success- which is the most important opinion.It will take a few years, and more rejuvenation of the area, to bring in the amount of tourism that the ATOP hope to bring in, however. The museum. Currently, the next phases- the art gallery and the library/archive are completed- with minor interior issues still to be resolved- these are not open to the public yet. Future plans for the site include more, higher density housing, and an a rts school- which will include a theatre which can bring in more involvement from the community.The precinct is very successful- it brings in tourist attention, the community love it and make use of it on a daily basis. On a larger scale, the Museum does much to rejuvenate South Africa, in post-apartheid times. Conclusion When asked, how does architecture affect social change and identity in this country, one needs to look at why it is necessary to uplift the community and why perhaps, is change needed. It is evident that huge change was required after apartheid to begin to heal this country, and one of the biggest tools the apartheid government had to control people, was space.Through the two public buildings that were compared, we can see how this country, through architecture, has begun to correct itself. These buildings are not patronizing to anyone- not any race or class- and aside from their obvious functions, they bring about new change and identity to their respective commun ities. We can successfully reach this conclusion now, as we know the background and context, and are well acquainted with the buildings through an understanding of structure, materials, purpose and concept.As with most things, change is ongoing, and the Red Location Precinct and Alexandra Heritage Centre are testament to this. As a young architect in South Africa, it is clear to me, that to create successful public buildings, a good understanding of the surrounding context, community and history is obvious, as well as an understanding that the architects role is to create spaces- and that space can have a huge affect on people, and that it is our duty to shape this space as best to assist the community as possible.

Monday, July 29, 2019

The Slade Plating Department Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Slade Plating Department - Term Paper Example In a typical business, a more horizontal structure is usually required in order to gain total work group commitment and satisfy motivational goals for productivity. However, at Slade Plating, this structure brings forward a great deal of management presence that can oftentimes create negativity between high producing employee groups. Furthermore, the relatively low pay that is experienced in the production and operational departments is another problem at Slade Plating, despite the ongoing presence of overtime. There are some work groups at the facility that value overtime and consider it a blessing for lifestyle and needs fulfillment, while other work groups expressed dissatisfaction over the high workload with minimal pay. This division of unity that is occurring at the company continues to erode total work group effectiveness when considering how inter-dependent the production teams are with one another in order to get the job done effectively. At the same time, a far-too-flexible production schedule that continues to become more and more unpredictable due to customer demand angers some less-productive work groups that leads to some level of job dissatisfaction. In terms of the environmental conditions, they are less than favorable for some of the plating room work members. They are forced to work in hazardous environments that are uncomfortable due to design and temperature. As Herman in Sarto’s group identified, it is considerably hard work and there is division between employees in this work group that only serves to complicate social attitudes and also productivity in the long-term. Attitudes regarding Herman by other members of his team clearly impacted his sense of belonging and self-esteem, despite his efforts to at least try to fit in with this in-group having strong social attachments. IMPARTIAL EVALUATION Under Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, there is a strong generalized human need for affiliation and belonging. It is only when the need for affiliation has been satisfied that a person can begin to develop a stronger sense of self-esteem and personal recognition that produces higher levels of confidence and control (Gambrel & Cianci, 144). In Tony’s group, several members who have been excluded from engaging in more rewarding socialization continue to drive a rift between productivity and the social environment. It is affecting self-esteem, especially in Herman, who seems to have a strong need for socialization which was apparent by his ongoing presence in many different social activities such as singing, fishing, and athletics. What this has done is created a standoffish attitude where he is psychologically convincing himself that he would rather stay isolated from the group when clearly a need exists for belonging and affiliation. Management theory indicates a phenomenon related to personality and human behavior that involves what is referred to as the locus of control. Essentially, under this theo ry, there are some who believe they are the masters of their own fate and do not blame the external social environment for why they cannot or do not succeed at their goals. They believe they control their own destiny (Treven & Potocan, 642). Those with an external locus of control feel as though they are controlled through outside forces and tend to be more defensive as a result (Treven & Potocan

Sunday, July 28, 2019

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example Marketing strategies have evolved so much from the past few decades, as the advent of internet and social media websites have revolutionized the marketing styles and procedures. Marketers of today are facing loads of competition, initially this competition was confined till local or national boundaries but nowadays this completion has expanded and is global in many regards. At present marketers are using different strategies and techniques in order to deliver their message to the masses and persuade them to buy their range of products. For achieving this goal various strategies and models are preferred by marketers, amongst those models persuasion matrix has its own importance. As this model give varieties of advantages to the marketers in order to craft and draft advertisements so as to better hit the target audience. For instance the persuasion model helps marketers to develop an understanding regarding how to target the audience, what kind of medium should be used, how message sho uld be devised and in what ways this message is likely to be interpret by the consumer or in simple words understanding of consumer about the message (Belch and Belch, 2009). Persuasion matrix in general has two types of variables, the dependent variables and the independent variables. The former deals with the procedures or line of action that a consumer goes through while being convinced, and the later deals with the involvement of important variables that are in many ways manageable or controllable mechanism of the process of communication. However in terms of using persuasion model by the marketers it offers variety of benefits, like by adopting this model marketers can analyze and asses that what type of message should be created in order to achieve their desired goals. This model further make ways towards choosing a medium for the delivery of message or for communicating with the consumers, as marketers can do assessment that which medium is likely to attract masses and which medium will provide best results for their products. Either they should opt for one medium or should chose variety of mediums, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the particular medium etc. similarly this persuasion model also deals with the understanding of the message by the consumers, as marketers can devise and craft message that can be readable and understandable by the masses, avoiding complex communication sentences or messages in their advertisement can further add benefits for the company or for the marketers. Moreover this model can also help marketers in order to best analyze the target markets and then plant or deliver their messages accordingly. As targeting the right kind of audience is the prime success factor of the marketing or advertisement sector. If message is delivered to the targeted audience and is clear and easy to understand chances of gaining the desired results are eminent. Moreover marketers can also achieve landmarks through succinct message yieldin g. As this persuasion model can also be used by marketers in the message yielding regard. If the advertisement contains positive message and is vibrant and lively than this advertisement is likely to create an aura around the consumer as a result enhancement in the market share can be attained with ease (Belch and Belch, 2009). Evaluation on the basis of persuasion matrix of the advertisement of Ponds anti bacterial facial scrub printed in different newspapers: In a recent past marketing and

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Pot use may mellow out men's sexual function Article

Pot use may mellow out men's sexual function - Article Example On this count alone the use of pot must be dismissed forthwith. Any induced increase in sex, is bound to have unfavorable consequences. This is pure commonsense. The view that male smokers could be courting sexual dysfunction is gaining ground and getting acceptance. Let me illustrate this issue with an example for better understanding. I like coffee. Drink one cup, fine; drink two cups, somewhat fine! Drink three cups, somewhat difficult to digest; and the fourth cup†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I vomit! This is true of all additions. If any addiction takes over the human control system, it will definitely overtake him and the concerned human being will lose control and will be trapped into that addiction. â€Å"But recent research – including the finding that the penis contains receptors for marijuana's active ingredient – suggests that young men may want to think about long-term effects before rolling a joint.† The younger generation needs to take care and should not fall in to the trap of this drug.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Success Strategies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Success Strategies - Case Study Example The structure of the organization revolves around the entrepreneur who started the business. He is the manager of the plant. From his managing mandate, the organization has several departmental heads. They consist of the operations manager, finance, manager and the human resource. The organization has a limited staff working from the premises since it does not conduct many inside operations. The majority of a human resource consists of the drivers and packages. In the structure, the manager has the final say in all decisions made by the department heads. The other menial staff consists of cleaners and record keepers. The strategies embraced by the organization revolve around increasing the customers who take up transportation services. The competitor issue is also on the top subject to strategize on. The strategy of the organization is based on satisfying the needs of its target market. On satisfying the customers, offers and packages options are also given. Offers include giving monthly packages for individuals using cab services. Apart from customer satisfaction the company also gives etiquette lessons to its taxi and cab operators. This increases the customer staff relation which in turn leads to customers having confidence in the organization. The strategy works in the organization’s favor since the number of customers has been increasing at the start of every financial year. In another strategy, the organization aims at dealing more in providing services based on long-term contracts.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

What does Doris Lessing mean by the title of her chapter, Group Minds Essay

What does Doris Lessing mean by the title of her chapter, Group Minds Explain in your own words in a paragraph first; then reference the article. Select a film - Essay Example The subjectivity thus becomes an internalized version of something that dictates our being, be it through commercialization of gender biases or fixating stereotypes and archetypal ideas (blonde-haired women are dumb, fashionable gay man, notions of beauty, etc.). Hence, she highlights that â€Å"what is dangerous is not the belonging to a group or groups but not understanding the social laws that govern groups and govern us† (pp 50). Thus, ignorance makes us more gullible and more malleable and makes us helpless against all such invisible forces. The film, ‘Good Will Hunting’ as a realistic specimen of a young man’s struggle with a cornucopia of â€Å"expectations† that immediately tries to suck him into a world of performance and group joining politics. This not only threatens his apparent invisibility, and comfort beyond the social gaze, but also makes him realize the utter uselessness of conforming to social orders and institutional snobbery. Howe ver, Will escapes all such predicament. Manipulation, spontaneous obedience, group mentality and responding to social circumstances, as if they were psychological realities or unconsciously imbibing them to limit our intellectual and cognitive ability is what concerns Doris Lessing in â€Å"Group Minds†. Parallely, if we consider Foucaults argument in â€Å"Discipline and Punish†1 where he argues that discipline creates "docile bodies", ideal for making human beings respond fittingly to the scenario be it new economics, politics and warfare or the modern industrial age, is similar to what Lessing says in her essay. These bodies must be trained to function well in factories, ordered military regiments, and school classrooms. This theory is comparable to Lessing’s idea too, since Foucault seem to bring out the concept of an invisible force that gazes without been gazed at and

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Genetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetics - Essay Example If the F1 generation is further paired among itself by a yet another monohybrid cross than an F2 generation of plants will be produced. The expected phenotype of F2 generation would be 75% tall plants and 25% short plants. In F2 generation 25% of plants would be tall but would be homozygous for their trait of tallness. Another 50% of plants would also be tall but would be heterozygous for their trait of tallness while the remaining 25% of would be short and would be recessive for their trait. Dihybrid cross: A dihybrid cross is a cross between two individuals that involves two pairs of contrasting characteristics. If two plants that are pure bred (homozygous) for two contrasting traits for example one plant that is tall and produce yellow seeds (both dominant traits) and the other plant that is short and produces green seeds (both recessive traits) are crossed with other, than the F1 generation produced would be all heterozygous for both characteristics. But only dominant trait would appear in the phenotype of F1 generation and all plants of this generation would appear tall and would produce yellow seeds. If the members of this F1 generation are further crossed with each other than an F2 generation would produced which would have different types of plants: tall plants producing yellow seeds, tall plants producing green seeds, short plants producing yellow seeds, short plants producing green seeds in a ratio of 9:3:3:1 b) If a boar that is homozygous for lop ears and spotted skin is sow that is homozygous for pricked ears and unspotted skin than the F1 generation produced will all have pricked ear and spotted skin, as these two traits are dominant. The genotype of F1 generation would be PpSs. (Key: P= pricked ears, p=lop ears, S=spotted skin, s-unspotted skin). However the phenotype and genotype of F2 generation produced is shown as follows The Punnett Square

Analyze a story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze a story - Essay Example Her approach to her subject is quite diverse with respect to the locations and the variety of the crimes done by men to women. The paper seeks to analyze the story or article through the vivid presentation of the facts that the author is trying to say. At the initiation of the story, the author defines the boundaries of her analysis. She observes numerous atrocities occurring in various parts of the world but desists from tackling them with the reason that similar problems with the same magnitudes frequently occur in America. She claims that many people ignore the oppression existing at the very doorsteps of Americans, According to her; Americans suffer under the delusion that women in America have achieved equality. The real perception that she tries to tell her audiences is that they should not be complacent in the fight against inequality with respect to women. Instead of focusing on the problems of the world, Valenti throws a strong challenge to the contemporary Americans to stay focused and boldly face the atrocities beckoning at their door-steps. In addition, she tries to say that there is substantial progress that women movements have achieved in the past. However, she is skeptical about justifying that the prevalence of atrocities has halted. She emphatically says, â€Å"Women are still being raped, trafficked, violated and discriminated against -- not just in the rest of the world, but here in the United States† (Valenti 1). Through giving some of the recent examples of injustices such as the sexual assault of women in Colorado the author aims to open fresh wounds and induce the need for urgency in addressing the matter. The author introduced another dimension of perceiving the vulnerability of women to cases of injustices. She gives examples of instances where close colleagues and work partners have raped women. For instance, women serving in the military in Iraq are likely to become preys to fellow

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 47

Personal Statement Example This was a trial for me on whether I could handle the PA career and most of all whether it was really what I wanted to do when I grew up. As a medical assistant, I got to perform services that a PA performs under direct supervision from the medical doctors I was working for and this got me really interested in this line of work. I had the opportunity to carry out what I had grown to love which was to help people and make them feel better as well as putting smiles on their faces even though they were physically unwell. I became a volunteer at the American Red Cross as well as at the Veteran’s Foundation after my job. This was propelled by the suffering I had witnessed in Iraq as well as it was another experience for me to be a PA. Being a volunteer meant I now had an opportunity to assist people through providing therapeutic and preventive services no matter how minimal an impact I made. The satisfaction from seeing the smile on people’s faces who had been suffering health wise before made me go to bed happy and satisfied which was a rare occurrence for me. My final journey towards making the decision and following my passion came when my mother had to undergo an open heart surgery. There was a team of physical assistants on the table with the doctor assisting him with everything and this sealed the deal for me. I was determined more than ever to join this career and fulfill my dreams and seeking admission into this program is the deal breaker. I would like to specialize and focus primarily on urgent care as I will be handling people without primary care physicians or those who are too scared to visit emergency rooms but they would still like remedies for their injuries or illnesses that are not too serious. This line of specialization is appealing because it is what I have learnt and gained experience on from volunteering at the Red Cross. Being granted this

Monday, July 22, 2019

How Our Culture Glorifies One Sex Over the Other in Dating Essay Example for Free

How Our Culture Glorifies One Sex Over the Other in Dating Essay In his musings A Note on Vulnerability and Responsibility, Hugo Schywyzer comments, Men, it seems, cant distinguish being wanted as a partner and being needed as a protector and provider. Women have always been held in high regard when it comes to dating. This is because women, through time, have always been viewed as weak and in need of protection. This view has carried over to our new era of woman empowerment and independence. These views have slowly changed over the decades though and beginning in the 1960s, women have slowly evolved into an equal partnership with men. These days, women and men earn their place in their relationships. The glorification is no longer automatic even while you are simply dating one another. Men have traditionally held the more responsible role of being mature and more understanding in a relationship. These days though, maturity and respect in a relationship are considered a two-way street where a dating couple would rather find a common middle ground rather than the man letting the woman have her way in the relationship. Although a womans decision is still glorified in terms in dating, women today tend to use their prerogative to find an outlet that they both will enjoy. It is no longer just a woman who must enjoy a date these days and the women prefer it that way. Although, the continually evolving area of dating has proven that women do not necessarily have to date. It is perfectly acceptable for women to opt for independence and remain single. Women no longer like being placed on a pedestal where men seemingly glorify them for the sake of their egos. Women no longer respond in a resigned manner to sexist treatment. Women will no longer accept that she is inferior and, judged to be mentally inferior to the male. Women feel respected these days when a man listens to what she has to say and considers her suggestions. Men seem to prefer a woman who shares her thoughts because the responsibility for dating enjoyment and relationship building no longer falls squarely on the mans shoulders. Consider my personal situation as an example. I work in the Armed Services and yet it does not affect my relationship with men. Instead of being threatened by my position, which used to be solely a mans job, most men who know me admire me for my courage and sense of duty and responsibility. These are traits that I carry over into my personal relationships that produces a smooth flowing and open line of communication and understanding with my partner. Since we both have input into how to improve our relationship, we have built a strong bond that cannot be questioned and need not be doubted. We are equals and partners in everything we do. These days, a man is no longer relegated to the protector and provider role. This evens out the responsibility in a relationship and allows the woman to ask her man to treat her as an equal while still being vulnerable and in need of protection. It can be said that men now treat women as their equal in every way even with the limitations set in place not by man, but by Mother Nature herself. Our culture no longer dictates that we glorify one sex over the other when it comes to dating. A woman no longer needs to pretend to be vulnerable and like a porcelain doll just to make the man feel strong. Men now get their glorification by living up to their commitments and vows in a relationship. Glorification of one sex over the other is no longer the norm. The bible lectures women to be submissive to their husband, that has not been the case for decades now. These days, women have the right to say no if she feels a situation is not right for her. Men can no longer assume for example, that when he says he is moving to another state, his girlfriend or wife will automatically go with him. Women these days have more things to consider like their jobs, family, friends unlike before when she was simply a stay at home person who was expected to do a mans bidding. M These days, a womans opinion is recognized as needed and therefore must be considered. Dating these days are based on totally new sets of rules based on woman empowerment and independence. Certain sports like soccer, golf, tennis, and basketball now have equivalent female leagues. While activities such as rock climbing, handy work around the house, and car repairs, which used to be the sole realm of men have seen a fair share of women accomplishing the same tasks without the hindrances one may have ordinarily expected. Responsibility of making a relationship, or even just a simple date, work is now a shared task that no longer glorifies or spotlights one sex over the other. This I further reinforced by the mass media of today with shows such as Sex at the City, Friends, Greys Anatomy, and Alias. All the women on these shows equal their male counterparts in every way. The barriers of social enjoyment have been torn down by these shows and empowered women to become an active participant in choosing their life mate. These shows encourage woman to take the initiative for dating or any other companionship activity provided that she is comfortable doing so. It is okay for a woman to be aggressive to a certain degree. A woman asking a man out on a date is no longer frowned upon since men can sometimes be just as shy as the woman when asking for a date. It is okay for a woman to change her own flat tire. It is no longer an issue if a woman has more intellectual know how than men. Women like these gain the respect of the significant other who glorify the woman who earned the right to be treated equally and not because tradition and society has dictated it to be that way. Society now dictates the women prove themselves if they want to be respected. Women have proven it many times over. Women are now leading and formidable figures in the fields that were exclusively for men in the past such as politics (Hillary Clinton senator), and business (Oprah Winfrey Mass Media). Outline of How Our Culture Glorifies One Sex over the Other in Dating Lead-in There is a belief that our culture glorifies one sex over the other when it comes to dating. Thesis These days our culture no longer glorifies one sex over the other in dating because all responsibilities and tasks are now a shared effort on the part of the man and woman. Conclusion: Be it a male or female, the dating couple want to earn the respect of their partner and earn the respect and glorification that is accorded to them as a productive significant other in the dating relationship. Works Cited: Hugo Schwyzer. November 03, 2005 A Note On Vulnerability and Responsibility. Retrieved January 4, 2007 from http://hugoboy. typepad. com/hugo_schwyzer/2005/11/on_a_more_serio. html

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Features Of Connected Speech In English English Language Essay

Features Of Connected Speech In English English Language Essay Blurred boundaries, sounds and even words that are completely swallowed up, chewed and mangled words that force you to listen with all your acquired knowledge and a general sense of hopelessness that you are never going to manage this foreign tongue are but the most common frustrations expressed by the ESL learners I have taught. L2 users educated in a system that prides in teaching the most precise and appropriate pronunciation leaves them bewildered when they hear English (even snippets of conversation) as spoken by L1 users. They suffer a devastating diminution of phonetic information at the segmental level when they encounter normal speech (Brown, G.1990, p.60) Connected speech is not a familiar feature to even fluent speakers of English in India and so they tend to fully form the words even in informal situations, giving the impression to L1 speakers and other L2 speakers that, hes so arrogant about it all (Crystal and Davy 1975,p.8) In this essay I would analyse the features of connected speech in English, the problems they cause to L2 learners in India. In the first section I will examine the features of connected speech and move onto the challenges they cause to L2 speakers especially Indian ESL learners. I would also like to analyse my own and the prevailing attitude and practice towards learning and teaching connected speech. Finally I would like to identify the criteria that I would apply in deciding the different aspects of connected speech suitable to my learning/ teaching environment. Connected speech Underhill A (1994) defines connected speech as a flow of sounds which are modified by a system of simplifications through which phonemes are connected, grouped and modified This simplification is an unconscious process and most of the L1 speakers are often unaware of this as they practise it. (Collins B, and I. Mees 2008). The goal of connected speech is to reduce the articulatory effort required to send the message. Even though whole chunks of phonetic details are left out by the L1 speaker to maximise the ease of communication, native listener decodes these messages using the different types of support knowledge in his repertoire. This reduction often takes place within words or words in a stream of speech (Dalton C. and B. Seidlhofer, 1994), where word boundaries get blurred. Words flow seamlessly, allowing the L1 speaker to make use of the stress system to emphasise the content of the message. In this flow adjacent sounds are modified to resemble each other- Assimilation-; sounds are completely left out of words Elision-; and certain sounds maybe inserted between the words to fuse the words together at boundaries- Linking-. Features of connected speech Assimilation L1 speakers speak at a pace of 350 syllables per minute in formal speeches and 400- 450 words in informal speech. (Crystal.D 1992; 1999) When the tongue has to move from one articulating position to another at this pace, only an approximation of the phoneme can be produced. Thus all phonemes occurring within a word or in a stream of speech influence one another and adjust with the phonemes of their neighbours (Brown, G.1990). Underhill (1994) summarises assimilation as the natural result of the various speech organs cutting corners as they perform their complex sequence of movementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Though any sound can influence any other sound theoretically assimilation is limited to a few phonemes (Dalton C. and B. Seidlhofer, 1994) Alveolar consonants /t/, /d/ and /n/ at the end of a word often assimilate to the place of articulation of the consonant at the beginning of the next word (Underhill, 2005, p.60) EÉ ¡Ãƒâ€¹Ã‚  Great Britain / greÉ ªtbritÉâ„ ¢n / / greÉ ªÃƒÅ Ã¢â‚¬ pbrÉ ªtÉâ„ ¢n / Wont come / wÉâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ Ã…  ntkÊŒm / / wÉâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ Ã…  nʆkÊŒm / Down by law / daÊÅ  nbaÉ ªlɆ: / / daÊÅ  mbaÉ ªlɆ: / Good girl / gÊÅ  dgÉœ:l / / gÊÅ  ggÉœ:l / Elision When the speech effort is reduced for maximum efficiency, the articulation of individual phonemes gets weakened. When these phonemes are minimised markedly they are dropped from connected speech. Elision is the process of dropping a sound (a vowel or a consonant), from a word when it is uttered as part of connected speech. RP sounds short and clipped to L2 speakers and speakers of other varieties of English due to elision of the schwa (/Éâ„ ¢/) sound. The most commonly elided sounds in English are /t/, /d/ and /Éâ„ ¢/. The consonants that are elided almost as frequently as these are /v/ and /ÃÆ' °/ /t/ First three fÉœstÃŽÂ ¸ri fÉœsÃŽÂ ¸ri Last year lÉ‘stjiÉâ„ ¢ lasjiÉâ„ ¢   /d/ ground pressure É ¡raÊÅ  ndpreʃÉâ„ ¢ É ¡raÊÅ  mpreʃÉâ„ ¢ Banned for life Bà ¦ndfÉâ„ ¢laÉ ªf Bà ¦mfÉâ„ ¢laÉ ªf /Éâ„ ¢/ Chocolate tʃɆ kÉâ„ ¢ lÉâ„ ¢t tʃɆk lÉâ„ ¢t Vegetable vɆºÃƒÅ Ã‚ ¤Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ tÉâ„ ¢ blÃÅ' © vɆºÃƒÅ Ã‚ ¤ tÉâ„ ¢ blÃÅ' © /v/ Weve been considering WivbinkÉâ„ ¢nsideriņ¹ WÉ ªbÉ ªnkÉâ„ ¢nsideriņ¹ Needs of the NidzÉâ„ ¢vÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ NidzÉâ„ ¢ÃƒÆ' °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ /ÃÆ' °/ I think that was aÉ ªÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¸Ãƒâ€°Ã‚ ªÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹kÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢twÉâ„ ¢z ʌΠ¸Ãƒâ€°Ã‚ ªÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹kÉâ„ ¢twÉâ„ ¢z Went the way of the WentÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢weÉ ªÃƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢vÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ WentÉâ„ ¢weÉ ªÃƒâ€¹Ã‚ ÃƒÆ' °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ Vowel reduction Unstressed vowels in the stream of speech are shortened and are often centralized to a schwa (/Éâ„ ¢/) sound. An unaccented diphthong in a similar setting can lose the length of the vowel glide or could even be reduced to a monophthong. Must mÊŒst mÉâ„ ¢s There ÃÆ' °eÉâ„ ¢ ÃÆ' °ÃƒÅ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ãƒâ€¹Ã‚  Strong and weak forms Function class words in unaccented positions are reduced to their weak forms in connected speech. The degree of reduction depends on the rate of speech delivery; the faster the speech, the greater the reduction of vowel sounds. StronÉ ¡ Weak And à ¦nd Éâ„ ¢n Of É’v Éâ„ ¢v To tʆ¹ tÉâ„ ¢ Linking Dalton C. and B. Seidlhofer (1994) describe linking as the consequence of two vowel sounds meeting at a vowel boundary. In such situations an extra sound is inserted to mark the transition between the two vowels. Linking / r/ In RP /r/ is not realised in pronunciation except when it is followed by a vowel. In connected speech /r/ is articulated when the following word starts with a vowel. Sooner suË nÉâ„ ¢ sooner or later suË nÉâ„ ¢rɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚ leÉ ªtÉâ„ ¢ Sure ʃɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚  sure enough ʃɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚ rÉ ªnÊŒf Intrusive /r/ Some speakers insert a /r/ even when there is no /r/ in the spelling. Intrusive /r/ carries a certain social stigma and educated L1 speakers often deny having an intrusive /r/ in their connected speech. The presence of intrusive in connected speech is quite frequent among non-rhotic L1 speakers. Idea aÉ ªdÉ ªÃƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ idea of it aÉ ªdÉ ªÃƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢rÉ’vÉ ªt Intrusive /w/ and /j/ When a word ending in a vowel is followed by another vowel, L1 speakers insert a consonant sound that is nearer to the sound of the first vowel. É ¡o out É ¡Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ÃƒÅ Ã¢â‚¬ ¹waʆ¹t I am aÉ ªjam She is ʃiË jis Catenation In connected speech, L1 speakers tend to connect the last consonant sound in a word with the first vowel sound of the next word. Keep out kiË p aʆ¹t Key pout kiË  paʆ¹t A name Éâ„ ¢ neÉ ªm An aim Éâ„ ¢n eÉ ªm Connected speech- Teach Reception and or Production? Challenges to L2 learners and teachers An awareness of connected speech features is essential to facilitate listening comprehension in an ESL learner. A lack of these features does not affect intelligibility drastically and the decision of how much (the degree) and when to convert the declarative knowledge to procedural knowledge should be left to the L2 learners. Jennifer Jenkins (2000) argues that the assimilatory process will be acquired naturally if learners progress in their knowledge and control of the language is sufficient to enable them to speed up the rate of their speech. Thus we understand that a learners acquisition of knowledge in one area would positively affect his performance in another area, and that even though most if not all of this is eminently learnable with exposure to an L1 atmosphere, it is not always teachable. The criteria for teaching connected speech would be arrived at by observing the teachability- learnability scale. What the L2 learners need at this point could be a simulation of the mate rnal speech to children à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ mothers alternate between clarified and distorted forms and this seems to enable the children to develop rules of correspondence between the model and distorted forms they will normally encounter (Ratner 1984). Exposing the L2 learners to both careful colloquial speech and rapid colloquial speech could help them to understand these varieties at a declarative level and thereby position them for a procedural development at their own pace. Indian learners of English (ILE) are unfamiliar with the connected speech feature assimilation. In my anecdotal experience I have noticed that the educated speakers in India (for that matter even the uneducated speakers) utter each word in a sentence almost as though they are articulated in isolation. This syllable timed articulation is carried forward even when they speak a stress timed language like English. This trait becomes problematic at the reception level as ILE listeners expect the same vocal and phonemic clarity even when they are listening to English. Gillian Browns (1990) observation that an L2 listener suffers a devastating diminution of phonetic information, in such situations aptly summarises the confusion and panic they feel. So I believe that L2 learners of English should be made familiar with the assimilation features, so that they can understand the content of the discussion/ interaction without having to decode language features each and every time. In my teaching practices I think I have been unconsciously following the suggestions that Gillian Brown (1990) proposes: I have already suggested that I do not approve of teaching students to produce assimilated forms and elided forms. Sophisticated students who have been taught to be aware of these forms will introduce them into their own speech in a natural context when they feel able to control them Assimilation becomes a problem at the production level only when the L2 speakers interact with the L1 listeners, but then L1 listeners are mostly aware of this difficulty of the L2 speakers and make necessary adjustments to their linguistic and emotional responses. As an L2 user and as a teacher I believe that a few words uttered painfully slow to achieve connected speech would create more confusion to the L1 speaker than a total absence of assimilatory/ connected speech features. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ slower speech made to incorporate features of connected speech is reduced to gibberish (Crystal D. 1992;1999). One of the major arguments that exist against this stand is that an absence of assimilatory features would prevent the L2 speakers from using intonation patterns and rhythm and would lead to loss of fluency. (Underhill A. 1994) and he suggests exposing ESL learners to rapid colloquial speech as a useful activity for improving listening comprehension. Even though elision is a feature that is present in most Indian languages, the Indian ESL learner may struggle to understand and participate in a conversation with an L1 speaker employing rapid colloquial speech. This is because elision is not a feature that is taught in Indian classrooms. Moreover, elision carries a certain social stigma among educated Indians and so they might actively resist adopting elision in their speech practices as well. Dropping sounds is equated with a lower social class and could also be interpreted as a sign of poor education. As with assimilation, elision can cause confusion at the reception level for the L2 listener, if he has always been exposed to correct and fully articulated speech. An L2 speaker trying to include elision in a slow speech would confuse the L1 listener. As demonstrated by Crystal in his experiment the sentence I wouldnt have been able to in fluent speech may become /Éâ„ ¢ wÊÅ  bmpÉ ªneÉ ªblÉâ„ ¢/. Spoken more slowly by a learner who is being encouraged to use the various features of connected speech, it could come across like this: /Éâ„ ¢ wÊÅ  bÉâ„ ¢m pÉ ª neÉ ª blÉâ„ ¢/,with each syllable being carefully articulated. In this case it would at best sound ridiculous and at worst would be rendered completely incomprehensible. (Jennifer Jenkins, 2000) Another contentious area is the teaching of weak forms. As pointed out by David Brazil (1994) the contradiction of focusing in the classroom on a feature whose quality is precisely the result of speakers not focusing on it. This pedagogic focus may then, paradoxically, impede the later acquisition of weak forms in learning outside the classroomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Jennifer Jenkins, 2000). Jennifer Jenkins challenges the notion of the need to weaken an unimportant sound to highlight an important one and points out that if the important sounds are stressed then the meaning would become clear to the listener. Reading about this approach and thinking further on it has convinced me that this is the way to go forward. The hours of drilling that I have been forcing on my students might have been counterproductive. I feel that this is another area where declarative knowledge should be allowed to mature to a procedural knowledge at the students own pace. Listening comprehension and thereby communication is enhanced by dissimilatory practices rather than assimilatory processes, as they give primary importance to the hearers needs by subordinating the speech strategies of a speaker. I would still like to believe that the assimilatory features are what give the English language its identity. But for learners at a transactional level with L1 speakers or with other L2 speakers conquering these features could be daunting and unnecessary for everyday communication. As David Crystal (1999) suggests The possibility of L2 learners becoming competent in both syllable and stress based speech and being able to shift effortlessly from one to other, depending on the need of the circumstance, either to proclaim a national identity or to improve international intelligibility, is not an improbability and that is what I would like to strive for and encourage my learners to aim for.

Synthesis Of The Taming Of The Shrew English Literature Essay

Synthesis Of The Taming Of The Shrew English Literature Essay The Taming of the Shrew is one of the most renowned plays written by William Shakespeare. The writer raises a number of important themes in the course of the play, which he uncovers and depicts in details, in their full complexity. In such a way, the writer attempted to mirror the real life and to show the audience that human relations are extremely complex and often people cannot always decide what can happen to them in their life. In this regard, the theme of love is particularly noteworthy because The Taming of the Shrew shows the great strength, the power of love over human beings. As the matter of fact, William Shakespeare proves that people cannot resist to love and to prove this point he develops the severe struggle between the love and strength of human mind in the hidden love struggle between Kate and Petruchio in his The Taming of the Shrew. In such a way, William Shakespeare attempts to show that, even though people can resist loving, they still cannot win the struggle aga inst love because strong feelings, such as love, always win and overwhelm people. From the beginning of the play, it seems to be obvious that the main character will never give in and she is determined to avoid loving and marrying: I ll not budge an inch. Taming of the Shrew Quote (Induction, Scene I) Nevertheless, such a position of the main character is challenged by the love of other characters, including Petruchio, who cannot resist his strong feelings and he cannot help from loving Kate. His passion grows stronger in the course of the play and he is ready to do anything to reach his goal and to gain the positive response from his beloved. On the other hand, William Shakespeare shows that Petruchio has to pass a long way to reach his love and to win the heart and soul of his beloved. Nevertheless, in his love to Kate, Petruchio is ready to sacrifice his own life for the sake of his beloved: Theres small choice in rotten apples.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 1.   In fact, he has no choice but go until the end to win the positive response from Kate, whom he adores. At the same time, this way is the way of struggle, where: Nothing comes amiss; so money comes withal.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 2.   In such a way, The Taming of the Shrew is the play, where love is closely intertwined with the struggle. To put it more precisely, the love is the struggle itself. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that William Shakespeare depicts both the internal struggle within the main characters who love and who cannot help from loving and the external struggle between the main characters, whose feelings change from indifference and even hatred to love and admiration. At the same time, while depicting this love struggle, William Shakespeare is quite ironic: Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 2.   In such a way, the writer shows that there are trifles which may wreak havoc in the main characters and they can make them feel fear and panic. However, their love defeats any manifestation of fear, any obstacle that arises on the way of the main characters to their love and personal happiness. At the same time, William Shakespeare shows that the way to love and to win in the struggle for love is long and difficult: Who wooed in haste, and means to wed at leisure. The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act iii. Scene 2.   Thus, the writer shows that the main character should not be in a hurry to win their love. In stark contrast, they should have patience to wait and keep on struggling until they win their love. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the struggle of the main characters lasts practically till the end of the play: And thereby hangs a tale.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act iv. Scene 1. Even at the end of the story, the author attempts to hint that the main characters may have troubles in their love. Therefore, William Shakespeare apparently attempts to convey the idea that love is the permanent struggle that never ends. Even when the main characters win their love, they still have to carry on their struggle: Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges. (Act V, Scene I). In such a way, The Taming of the Shrew reveals the full extent to which love is closely intertwined with the struggle. On the other hand, it is quite natural that William Shakespeare depicts love as a sort of turbulent struggle between the main characters as well as the internal struggle within the main characters. William Shakespeare is, to a significant extent, admired with this struggle and makes love the main stimulus that makes people change their life and carry on their struggle in spite of all the obstacles they encounter in the course of the play. In fact, the love and struggle are inseparable and they are as natural as rain: For the rain it raineth every day. (Act V, Scene I). Hence, William Shakespeare proves that his main characters do love each other but they had to pass a long way to understand that they did love each other and nothing can stop them in their strong feeling. Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare is a remarkable play that reveals the controversy and strength of the love. What is meant here is the fact that William Shakespeare shows the great power of love over people but the main characters of the play have to struggle over and over again to win the love and to win the heart of their beloved. At the same time, their struggle makes them closer to each other and increases the value and significance of their love. Eventually, they understand what love actually is and that they cannot live without loving each other.