Significance of Timely Self-Realization free essay sample

For this assignment, I’m going to examine the themes central to Anton Chekhov’s â€Å"The Bet† and Flannery O’Conner’s â€Å"A Good man is Hard to Find†. These stories share a common and important element that changes the characters: timely self-realization after a moment of awareness. In the following paragraphs, I will examine how the characters undergo that process and change after an ironic twist. â€Å"The Bet† is a short story that explores the value of human life. It compares the theme of materialism to the achievement of truth, and how the process of self-realization leads to an awakening and changes in the characters. The banker is a rich and pompous man who doesn’t care giving a second thought in his unrestrained extravagance. The lawyer is a greedy man who could do anything for the sake of money. They wage a bet on the idea of death penalty and life time imprisonment. We will write a custom essay sample on Significance of Timely Self-Realization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The banker puts on the line two million dollars compared to the lawyer’s fifteen-year solitary confinement. Everything we do has consequences. The banker loses his fortune and could not pay off the debt. Finally, he realizes the futility and irrationality of the bet. While he resolves to kill the lawyer, an important ironic twist happens. He finds out that the lawyer escapes before 5 hours till the end of their bet. Nevertheless, who is the real winner of the bet? Is it the banker who has the fortune to pay off his debt or the lawyer who becomes a sage after tasting and seeing everything on this world through reading the books? Personally, I think the actual winner is the lawyer. Life without material goods can still be good. Specifically, we can see the profound spiritual awakening of the lawyer in the letter that he writes to the banker. In your books I have flung myself into the bottomless pit, performed miracles, slain, burned towns, preached new religions, conquered whole kingdoms†¦ Your books have given me wisdom. All that the unresting thought of man has created in the ages is compressed into a small compass in my brain. I know that I am wiser than all of you. † Through the process of reading and meditating, the lawyer undergoes a significant self-realization, in which he experiences a psychological growth and maturation. Formerly, he looks up to money too high. Yet, he gradually perceives the magical power of knowledge which he never experiences before. In his letter to the banker, he uses a very unique way to describe the wonderful feeling of gaining knowledge; He describes vividly through senses like taste, sight, hearing and touch. As a reader, I really enjoy reading his letter. The lawyer presents the beauty of the non-materialism and truth, and I could veritably feel his fulfillment. To compare the banker and the lawyer, Chekhov seems to be using them to represent two extremes of one personality. He shows a conflict between capitalism symbolized by the banker, and discovery of truth by the lawyer. Each of them symbolizes a way of thinking and attitude. In addition, Chekhov indicates that choices and decisions have to be made carefully in order to live a meaningful and delighted life. We can examine that the banker regrets when he recalls about all that about the bet now. He also questions himself. â€Å"What was the object of that bet? What is the good of that man’s losing fifteen years of his life and my throwing away two millions? Can it prove that the death penalty is better or worse than imprisonment for life? No, no. It was all nonsensical and meaningless. On my part it was the caprice of a pampered man, and on his part simple greed for money†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Chekhov contrasts the two characters by making the banker unchanging, while the lawyer grows throughout the story. Moreover, I think Chekhov wants the readers to focus on the whole conflict but not the characters. Thus, he doesn’t give names to the characters nor the time period that the story happens. It gives us an idea that the characters can be anyone of us, because those are some general qualities in human. After reading â€Å"The bet† and contemplating about the central ideas Chekhov is trying to convey, I think a person does not have to be one extreme or the other, just like the banker or the lawyer. One can be somewhere in the middle. It is very difficult to survive in the modern society in either one of the extreme ways. Yet, I still love the ideas Chekhov presents in the story. I don’t think he is trying to tell the readers to live in an extreme way. Instead, he wants to use an exaggerated and magnified way to show us how the two opposite positions work, and route us to find the attitude to live our lives. The other story that I want to contrast with â€Å"The Bet† is Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. In looking at the story, the Grandmother is the principal character and the focus is on her perspective of events. OConnor paints her as a tragically comic character, whom reader can easily, but wrongly, feel superior to. She considers herself morally superior to the others by virtues of being a â€Å"lady†. In a comical instance of foreshadowing, the Grandmother takes efforts to dress properly in a dress and hat, so that if she were found dead n the highway everyone would recognize her as a lady. In the story, the grandmother behaves as a petty, selfish, superficial, and hypocritical person. She shows no sign of being a lady at all. When the Misfit murders her family, the grandmother never once begs him to spare her children or grandchildren. She does, however, plead for her own life because she can’t imagine the Misfit wanti ng to kill a lady. The two short stories have one thing in common, an ironic twist, in which the main characters achieve self-realization through spiritual awareness. The dramatic twist in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† happens when the grandmother faces death, she realizes she is deficient as everyone else does. When she heard The Misfit blaming Jesus with tears in his eyes ,and shouting â€Å"if I had of been there I would of known and I wouldn’t be like I am now. † She shows a moment of grace, and she calls the Misfit as one of her children. That is the moment when she undergoes self-realization. She let go of her selfishness and reveals goodness and commiseration. However, she immediately gets shot 3 times at the chest by The Misfit and dies after that. The Misfit said something after he kills the Grandmother in which I think it is the most important message O’Connor wants to convey to the readers. The Misfit said, â€Å"She would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life. † Like the lawyer in â€Å"The Bet† who spends 15 years to understand the true value of human life, the Grandmother wastes her whole life and finally unblinds her spirit to embrace the truth of love and grace. It was quite comical that the process of self-realization involves violence, but that was a special writing style of the story. According to quote above, O’Connor wants to remind everyone of us to become aware of ourselves. Don’t wait until the last minute of your life, because no one can always be there to remind you of the truth and the right attitude to live your live. Both Chekhov and O’Connor imply the significance of timely self-realization. There are many ways to live your life, and everyone desires to different goals. Some yearn for materialistic life, but some may yearn for the opposite. It is of your own choice and inspiration to decide the way you go, because you are the only one to be responsible of your own destiny.

6 Things To Know About How To Buy a Telescope

6 Things To Know About How To Buy a Telescope Telescopes give skygazers a great way to see magnified views of objects in the sky. Buying that first (or second or fifth) telescope is an exciting moment, so its a great idea to be fully informed before heading out to the stores.  Theres a lot to learn and a telescope is a long-term investment, so its important to learn the terminology. In addition, its always good to know what types of objects are of interest. Some people mainly want to observe planets, while others are into deep sky objects. Those targets help determine which telescope to get. A telescope with eyepiece (lower end), finderscope,and a good mount are important for long-term enjoyment of stargazing.   Andy Crawford/Getty Images Power Is Overrated A good telescope is not JUST  about the â€Å"power†. If a telescope ad touts claims about 300X or other numbers about the â€Å"power† the scope has, watch out! High power sounds great, but, there’s a catch. High magnification makes an object appear larger, which is important. However, the light gathered by the scope is spread over a larger area which creates a fainter image in the eyepiece. So, its important to keep that in mind. Also, high-powered scopes have specific requirements for eyepieces, so its a good idea to check out what eyepieces work best with a given instrument. Sometimes, lower power provides a better viewing experience, particularly if observers are checking out objects that are spread out across the sky, such as clusters or nebulae.   Telescope Eyepieces: Power is Not the Only Object Any new telescope should have at least one eyepiece, and some sets come with two or three. An eyepiece is rated by millimeters (mm), with smaller numbers indicating higher magnification. A 25mm eyepiece is common and appropriate for most beginners. As mentioned above, a telescope’s power or magnification is not the best indicator of a good scope. As with the whole, so the parts. A higher power eyepiece does not necessarily mean better viewing. It may allow you to see details in a small cluster, for example, but if its used to look at a nebula, it will only show a part of the object. So, high- and low-power eyepieces each have their place in observing, depending on what interests the stargazer. Its also important to remember that while a higher magnification eyepiece may provide more details, it may be harder to keep an object in view. To get the steadiest seeing in such cases, its important to use a motorized mount. Remember: a lower-power eyepiece makes it easier to find objects and keep them in view. Lower magnification eyepieces require less light, so viewing dimmer objects is easier. Refractor or Reflector Telescope:  Whats the Difference? The two most common types of telescopes available to amateurs are refractors and reflectors. A refractor uses two lenses. The larger of the two is at one end; its called the objective. On the other end is the lens the observer looks through, called the ocular or the eyepiece. A reflector gathers light at the bottom of the telescope using a concave mirror, called the primary. There are many ways the primary can focus the light, and how it is done determines the type of reflecting scope. Telescope Aperture Size Determines the View The aperture of a scope refers to the diameter of either the objective lens of a refractor or objective mirror of a reflector. The aperture size is the true key to the power of a telescope. Its ability to gather light is directly proportional to the size of its aperture and the more light a scope can gather, the better the image an observer will see. At this point, many beginners just think: I’ll just buy the biggest telescope I can afford. Unless they can afford to invest in their own observatory as well, they should probably not go too big when it comes to an instrument. A small scope that can be transported easily will probably get used a lot more than a larger one that takes some effort to haul around. Typically, 2.4-inch (60-mm) and 3.1-inch (80-mm) refractors and 4.5-inch (114-mm) and 6-inch (152-mm) reflectors are popular for most amateurs. Telescope Focal Ratio. The focal ratio of a telescope is calculated by dividing aperture size into its focal length. The focal length is measured from the main lens (or mirror) to where the light converges to focus. As an example, a scope with an aperture of 4.5 inches and focal length of 45 inches, will have a focal ratio of f/10. While a higher focal ratio does not always mean a higher quality image, it often means as good an image for similar cost. However, a higher focal ratio with the same size aperture means a longer scope, which can translate into a telescope someone has to wrestle with a bit more to get into a vehicle for transport to a viewing area.   Get a Good Telescope Mount is worth the money.   The mount for a scope is just as important as the tube and optics. Most people don’t think of that when they decide to buy a scope unless theyve done their homework. The mount is a stand that holds the telescope steady. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to view a distant object if the scope is not very steady and wobbles at the slightest touch (or worse, in the wind!). So, its important to invest in a good, solid telescope mount.   There are basically two types of mounts, altazimuth and equatorial. Altazimuth is similar to a camera tripod. It allows the telescope to move up and down (altitude) and back and forth (azimuth). The equatorial is designed to follow the movement of objects in the sky. Higher end equatorials come with a motor drive to follow the rotation of the Earth, keeping an object in the field of view longer. Many equatorial mounts come with small computers, which aim the scope automatically. Caveat Emptor, Even for a telescope. Yes, let the buyer beware. This is as true today as it ever has been in the past. It also applies to the purchase of a telescope. Just as with any other product, it is almost always true that you get what you pay for. A cheap department-store scope will almost certainly be a waste of money.   The truth is that most people do not need an expensive scope, and its better to buy the best one for the budget. However, its also important to avoid getting suckered in by cheap deals at stores that dont specialize in scopes.   Being a knowledgeable consumer is key. Read everything about scopes, both in telescope books and in articles online about what is really needed for stargazing. Go to astronomy club meetings and do a little parasitic viewing (of course, always ask permission), and ask for advice about telescopes. Most members love to give advice, and theres no better way to experiment with different models of instruments. Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

'Using a case study approach, critically appraise and evaluate Essay

'Using a case study approach, critically appraise and evaluate the nature of therapeutic interventions, in the management of a client's underlying condition or presenting symptom(s)' - Essay Example It is evident that owing to the busy schedule of individuals, people become unable to take care of themselves that can influence their health in a negative manner altogether (Suthakaran & Adithan, n.d.). Notably, as per the provided case, Mark is a patient who has been admitted to acute ward owing to his sudden collapse. Upon analysis of his past medical analysis, he was seen to be suffering from depression and anxiety, for which he chose pharmacological intervention over psychological treatment. Contextually, extensive secondary research study has been conducted for the research in depth where information will be collected from journals, literatures and research articles. The primary aim of the intervention includes identifying the potential benefits of therapeutic interventions with the combination of pharmacological and psychological interventions. As per the provided case study, an individual male at the age of 28 was admitted to acute ward after a sudden collapse at home. He was believed to be under the influence of extreme work pressure owing to which he developed an extreme level of stress. Past medical reports of the patient suggested that he was suffering from anxiety disorder and depression but was reluctant towards visiting psychologist. During the treatment of Mark in Acute ward, he showed negligible signs of any depression and anxiety despite of the aspect that he did not get any help from psychologists or any other healthcare professional in the past. He was in constant intake of Citalopram 40 mg on a daily basis. Correspondingly, it is believed that the patient and his symptoms regarding anxiety can be managed with the help of therapeutic intervention. Various noteworthy developments have been observed in the domain of nursing over the years. The profession have become one of the most prominent parts within the healthcare domain since

Critically evaluate the concept of human security Essay

Critically evaluate the concept of human security - Essay Example The first one considers the protection of human rights and the second one focuses on the protection of human beings from economic, environmental, social and other forms of threats and aims at the well being of man’s overall livelihood; an element of social justice is visible in this conception (Williams 2008, p. 231). The third and most controversial conception considers human security in a much wider way ensuring the survival and health of individuals. It observes the concept in a global perspective and subjects such as global economic status, effects of globalization and health of the environment are considered as the essential elements of human security. This paper tries to make a critical evaluation of the concept of human security and in doing so the paper takes into account the various aspects of human security and related issues. The concept of Human Security: Debates and Definitions All the three conceptions of human security paved way for criticisms and most of the re cent debates are shaped by the wider conception of human security. ... concept of human security in a broad way and that is â€Å"the absence of threats to various core human values† whereas Alkire (2002) holds that â€Å"the objective of human security is to safeguard the vital core of all human lives from critical pervasive threats, and to do so without impending long term human flourishing† (Quoted in Williams 2008, p. 231). Alkire’s definition seems to be more positive in nature. However, a more comprehensive definition is offered by the Commission on Human Security and the report of the Commission views human security as ‘protecting fundamental freedoms’- â€Å"protecting people form critical (severe) and pervasive (widespread) threats and situations. It means using process that build on people’s strength and aspirations. It means creating political, social environmental, economic, military and cultural systems that together give people the building blocks of survival† (Williams 2008, p. 231). Even th ough there are various definitions and understandings of the concept of human security, there are many who hold that the state-centered approach to human security should give way for a more comprehensive people-centered approach to security. Tadjbakhsh, in this respect, observes that â€Å"there is consensus among its advocates that there should be a shift of attention from a state-centered to a people-centered approach to security, that concern with the security of state borders should give way to concern with the security of the people who live within those borders† (Tadjbakhsh 2006, p. 5). Therefore, it can be inferred that an individual centered human security model assumes the safety of the individual as the means to global security and any disturbances to the safety of the individual would therefore affect the international

Vocabulary Game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vocabulary Game - Essay Example Step 1: Initially the teacher explains to identify opposites by drawing or showing pictures. (Pre-lesson). Step 2: The teacher calls one child to come and pick up a card from the first set. Step 3: The child comes and picks up a card from the first set. (E.g. card having a picture of an elephant). The teacher asks how the elephant is big or small. Step 4: The child answers her question (other children clap) and the teacher writes the word on the board. Step 5: The teacher calls another student to pick up a card from the second set having a card with the opposite picture (ant). Step 6: The child comes and picks up the card (E.g. card having a picture of an ant). The teacher asks how the ant is big or small. Step 7: The child answers her question and the teacher writes the opposite word on the board. The above steps are repeated till all the cards are completed. Step 8: Then the teacher takes a card from the third set having both the pictures (elephant and ant) with words written (big and small). She says aloud both the words

Linguistics Psychology Contribution to Language Teaching

Linguistics Psychology Contribution to Language Teaching THE CONTRIBUTION OF LINGUISTICS AND PSYCHOLOGY TO LANGUAGE TEACHING Since the beginning of the 20th century investigations in the fields of psychology and lingusitics have paved the way to new concepts of language teaching. On the basis the acquired empirical evidence, linguists, researchers and scholars have developed certain methods to improve the process of child and adult language acquisition. According to Stern (1992), â€Å"One of the main features of the development of language pedagogy has been the continuous attempt to renew language teaching through changes in teaching methods† (p.6). To a great extent, these new approaches â€Å"have reflected changes in theories of the nature of language and of language learning† (Richards Rodgers, 2001 p.1). The aim of this essay is to analyse the impact of linguistics and psychology on language teaching; such an analysis has been a topic of increasing importance over the last years, as the recent reforms and educational standards are considerably based on both disciplines. These reforms a re introduced to account for individual differences of language learners and to diversify the process of language acquisition. Although many language teachers take psychology and linguistics courses in universities, only some of them can effectively apply their knowledge of psychology and linguisitics to language teaching. This inconsistency can be explained by two key factors: firstly, there are many controversies in research findings and, secondly, the received results are not tested within the classroom environment. Thus, the role of a modern language teacher is to fill the gaps between theoretical assumptions of linguists or psychologists and practical usage. Linguistics as a discipline investigates the structure of language and different processes of language acquisition. The gradual shift from structural to generative linguistics reveals the linguists’ attempts to establish a new taxonomy for language teaching. Structural linguisitics initiated by Ferdinand de Saussure (1966) at the beginning of the 20th century delves deeply into word forms and their meanings. In Brown’s (1980) viewpoint, â€Å"Structural linguistics had provided tools for dissecting language into its smallest parts and for contrasting two languages† (p.242). This school of linguistics is more interested in modern speech patterns rather than in diachronic language changes. Withdrawing from the traditional historical-descriptive analysis, structural linguistics (together with behaviouristic psychology) has challenged the efficacy of the Grammar-translation method and has generated the emergence of the Audio-Lingual Method. As Larsen-Freeman (1986) s tates, the Grammar-Translation Method prevailed in language teaching up to the middle of the 20th century. This method provides learners with an opportunity to acquire grammar and vocabulary skills; however, this is not the case with communicative skills. The fact is that the Grammar-Translation Method â€Å"views language learning as consisting of little more than memorising rules and facts† (Richards Rodgers, 2001 p.5). In light of this, the method satisfies the needs of those learners who perform standardised tests or translations, but it is inappropriate for those learners who want to speak a foreign language. In contrast to the Grammar-Translation Method, the Audio-Lingual Approach puts major focus on continual repetition of different language patterns and listening. Applying this method to language teaching, educators help learners recognise phrasal verbs and other language structures that were fully neglected in the Grammar-Translation Method. The obvious advantage of the Audio-Lingual Approach is that error correction is reduced, while motivation of learners is increased. In this approach, as Stern (2001) points out, imitation of speech is more crucial than understanding of the meaning. Although the Audio-Lingual Approach is certainly more effective for the formation of learners’ linguistic competence than the Grammar-Translation Method, it is unsuitable for the formation of learners’ communicative competence. However, in the Total Physical Response Approach proposed by Asher (1969) more heed is paid to learners’ comunicative competence. Integrating the concepts of structural linguistics and behaviourist psychology into his approach, Asher (1969) implies that both the first and second language is easily acquired if the balance between action and speech is achieved. Unlike structural linguistics, generative/transformational linguistics proposed by Noam Chomsky (1966) deals with the analysis of learners’ unconscious cognition rather than with the language production. In other words, generative linguistics specifies that there are certain natural rules with the help of which a learner constructs sentences. In the 1960-1980s the Natural Approach emerged on the basis of the concepts proposed by Chomsky (1966) and Krashen and Terrell (1983). According to Krashen and Terrell (1983), both children and adults use their innate LADs (Language Acquisition Devices) in the process of language learning. But unlike children, adults possess problem-solving skills that allow them to acquire language in conscious and unconscious ways. Two important conclusions can be drawn from theoretical assumptions of Krashen and Terrell (1983): firstly, in childhood a language is acquired, in adulthood it is learned; secondly, communication is the major element of adul t language learning. Psychology as a discipline examines the functions of the human mind and their relation to human behaviour. The move from behaviouristic to cognitive psychology in the middle of the 20th century signifies that psychologists became interested in scientific research and analyses of intellectual processes. Behaviouristic psychology supported by Skinner (1984) adheres to the idea that language teaching should be based on observations of learners’ behaviours rather than on the examination of inner factors. Seen from this viewpoint, the process of language teaching occurs under the constant control of a teacher with the minimal use of reinforcement strategies. While the behaviouristic school of psychology has inspired the use of computer-based materials in language teaching, the cognitive school of psychology has generated the spread of discovery learning programs. Cognitive psychology has contributed much to the spread of the Communicative Language Teaching Approach supported by Wid dowson (1978) and the Silent Way Approach proposed by Gattegno (1976). Special attention in the Communicative Language Teaching Approach is given to interaction, communication in a foreign language and use of authentic reading materials (Nunan, 1991). Taking into account the research on human cognition, the Silent Way Approach has changed the direction of language teaching. This approach allows learners to devise their own language hypotheses and verify their validity in practice. Unquestionably, the Silent Way Approach shapes learners’ freedom of thought and helps them â€Å"develop their own inner criteria for correctness† (Larsen-Freeman, 1986 p.62). As communication in the Silent Way Approach and the Communicative Language Teaching Approach occurs in the target language, learners’ communicative skills are formed in a rapid pace. Contrary to the Grammar-Translation Method, these approaches pay much attention to phonetics and phonology and introduce different â€Å"problem-solving activities† (Richards Rodgers, 2001 p.27). While in the Grammar-Translation Method many parallels are drawn between the native language and the target language, such parallels are not employed in the Communicative Language Teaching Approach and other recent methods. The idea of communicative competence is the core principle of other emerged methods, in particular, the Community Language Learning Method and the Suggestopaedia. These approaches reveal inconsistencies of prior methods, implying that there is a close connection between language and context. The Community Language Learning Method is quite popular in today’s language teaching due to its learner-oriented ethics. The Suggestopedia Approach concentrates on relaxation as an integral part of successful language acquisition; the widespread activity of this approach is listening to music during language lessons. Overall, all methods that have been developed under the impact of linguistics and psychology highlight group working and the use of individual approaches to every learner. Group working shapes learners’ communicative skills and problem-solving abilities; individual approaches are crucial for the formation of learners’ identities and recognition of factors that af fect language acquisition. Many variables are juxtaposed in culturally or socially diverse learning environment; hence, individual approaches allow to reveal all obstacles to language learning. Linguisitics and psychology have demonstrated that the principal goal of any teaching method is to help learners use a language in everyday situations and in different settings rather than construct gramatically-correct utterances. The Task-Based Language Teaching Approach is developed for these specific purposes. Designing versatile tasks, an educator teaches language learners to respond flexibly to the given activity and co-operate with peers. As the essay suggests, linguistics and psychology have significantly reinforced the need for efficient teaching methods. Under the impact of these disciplines, language teachers have started to experiment with approaches, making an attempt to reconcile theory with practice. The structural school of linguistics has provided educators with valuable insights on the process of language acquisition. The generative school of linguistics has revealed that language acquisition in children occurs on an unconscious level, while language acquisition in adults occurs on both conscious and unconscious levels. The behaviouristic school of psychology has reduced the importance of meaning in language acquisition, but has stimulated the implementation of computers in schools and universitites. The cognitive school of psychology has rejected settled opinions and has defined the concepts that are successfully used in teaching culturally diverse learners. Taken together, linguistics and psychology have revealed that different methods should be used in language teaching, methods that integrate such techniques as reinforcement, individual approaches and communication (Kumaravadivelu, 2003). As new teaching methods came to the fore, the role of an educator in language teaching was changed. In the Audio-Lingual Method, the Suggestopedia or the Natural Approach a teacher is treated as an instructor; contrariwise, in the Communicative Language Teaching Approach or the Community Language Learning a teacher is an assistant to language learners. Bibliography Asher, J. J. (1969) ‘The Total Physical Response Approach to Second Language Learning’. The Modern Language Journal, 53 (1), 3-17. Brown, H. D. (1980). Principles of language learning and teaching. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall Regents. Chomsky, N. (1966) Topics in the theory of generative grammar. The Hague: Mouton. Gattegno, C. (1976) The Common sense of teaching foreign languages. New York: Educational Solutions Inc. Krashen, S. Terrell, T. (1983) The Natural Approach: Language acquisition in the classroom. Oxford: Pergamon Press. Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003) Beyond methods: Macrostrategies for language teaching. New Haven, C. T.: Yale University Press. Larsen-Freeman, D. (1986) Techniques and principles in language teaching. New York: Oxford University Press. Nunan, D. (1991) Language teaching methodology: A textbook for teachers. London: Prentice Hall International. Richards, J. C. Rodgers, T. S. (2001) Approaches and methods in language teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press. Saussure, F. de (1966) Course in General Linguistics. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. Skinner, B. F. (1984) ‘The operational analysis of psychological terms’. Behavioural and brain sciences, 7 (4), 547-581. Stern, H. (1992) Issues and options in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Stern, H. (2001) Fundamental concepts of language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Widdowson, H. G. (1978) Teaching language as communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The Korean War And Its Origins Essay -- The Korean War, 1945-1953

Russia and the United States began their relationship as allies when Russia disregarded the non aggression pact they signed with Germany in 1939, effectively sealing Germany’s fate in World War II. Korea, like Germany, had been occupied by Soviet and United States forces at the end of World War II. Korea was split in half via the 38th parallel after the Japanese Empire fell near the end of the conflict. The soviets occupied the north side of the line and the Americans occupied the south. â€Å"By the end of the decade, two new states had formed on the peninsula. In the south, the anti- communist dictator Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) enjoyed the reluctant support of the American government; in the north, the communist dictator Kim Il Sung (1912-1994) enjoyed the slightly more enthusiastic support of the soviets.† (http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war) Many top decision makers in the US believed that the USSR was trying to spread communism throughout the world. In April 1950, a National Security Council report recommended that the U.S. use military force to â€Å"contain† communist expansionism anywhere it seemed to be occurring. â€Å"The NSC-68 called for significant peacetime military spending, in which the U.S. possessed "superior overall power" and "in dependable combination with other like-minded nations." It calls for a military capable of: Defending the Western Hemisphere and essential allied areas in order that their war-making capabilities can be developed; providing and protecting a mobilization base while the offensive forces required for victory were being built up; conducting offensive operations to destroy vital elements of the Soviet war-making capacity, and to keep... ...ut to find us the worst possible location in the world to fight this damnable war the unanimous choice would have been Korea.† (Dean Acheson, U.S. Secretary of State (1893-1971) Works Cited Evanhoe, Ed. "The Korean War." The Korean War. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . Hickey, Michael. "BBC - History - World Wars: The Korean War: An Overview." BBC - Homepage. N.p., 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . "Korean War à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." History.com à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  History Made Every Day à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  American & World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . "NSC-68 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. .

Dama presented for examination Essay

A written account of practical work undertaken in year 11 resulting in a piece of drama presented for examination. We started the Christmas term 2001 with group warm-up exercises, before even thinking about what we were going to perform in late November or who we were going to work with. These were fun class activities, used to build up group relationships. We did such things as human noughts and crosses, using nine chairs in a 3 by 3 square with the girls as noughts and the boys as crosses. We played 5 games, resulting in one draw and the boys winning 3 to the girls’ 1. It was fun and used really to warm us up. We then went on to play two games of winking murder. We all sat round in a circle on chairs with our eyes closed while Mrs. Powles walked round the circle tapping someone on the shoulder, telling that person that they are the murderer. Then it’s all eyes open and we try to work out who the murderer is. Meanwhile, the murderer is winking discreetly at people, killing them. It was very enjoyable and it helped to build up group relationships. Following that, we were assigned the task of pretending to be a salesperson of some description at a drinks evening. We had to decide what we were selling and how to sell it. Once that was decided, we had to go around the class introducing ourselves to each other and trying to sell our product to them in under 2 minutes. It involved much interaction between us all and helped tremendously to strengthen group relationships. Shortly after, we were asked to write on a piece of paper who we wanted to work with and who we did not want to work with if we thought that we would not produce to the best of our ability if we were with them. Finally, I ended up working with Elise, which was great as I had never worked with her before and we were good friends. She didn’t seem to complain either, which was a good sign. Then we spent an entire double lesson going through all of Mrs. Powles’ plays that she had to decide on one to perform an extract out of for the exam in December. We settled finally on an extract from the play â€Å"The Norman Conquests† by Alan Ayckbourn, as we both decided that we wanted to do a comical piece, but not farcical, so it fitted nicely. After searching through the book for a while, we finally came across a suitable duologue between Norman and Sarah. Norman is a librarian, but this definitely does not define his character at all. He is a womaniser, married to Ruth, attempted to have an affair with her sister Annie who is engaged to Tom, and is now working his charms on his other sister-in-law, Sarah, Elise’s character, who is married to Reg. Sarah is a more strict, clean, and prim character. However, it is sometimes clear that Sarah is quite jealous of Annie because she is the one that Norman says he wants and she wants to replace Annie in Norman’s eyes. It does eventually happen, as in the second scene they kiss. The extract immediately appealed to both of us, so we decided to give it a try. The extract we did in November was actually two different dialogues taken from two different points in the play. The first is set in the living room in the house and the second is set in the garden. Immediate difficulties we experienced with the exert were few, but as ever there were some. The biggest problem in my mind at the beginning was how to perform the kissing part of the second scene effectively and without embarrassment. It really needed to look convincing as it is the peak of Sarah’s life, experiencing the closest thing she will ever feel to true love. It was essential that this came across in the performance. Then came the blocking of the scenes. First of all we just exchanged ideas and thoughts, coming up with a skeletal plan for how to go about performing both scenes. We discussed things such as how lines should be spoken, facial expressions and other small but significant effects. Afterwards we concentrated mainly on the first scene to get that near-perfect before trying the second scene. Once we had familiarized ourselves with the scene and had fairly certain ideas about what to do, we started to really act it out. Not long after, we did hot-seating as a class in which the person in the hot-seat had to answer their questions as their character. I enjoyed listening to other people answer questions with much thought, as they delved into previously unexplored regions of their character. When my turn came, I found it to be a very interesting experience, being able to answer questions as a different person. I had to capture his frame of mind and be able to answer the questions convincingly as Norman. It really helped me to get to grips with Norman’s character, behaviour and motivation and also to further my acting ability as Norman. When it was Elise’s turn, it too helped me to understand her character better than I previously did, which enabled me to respond to her better in the play. Following that, we spent most, if not all, of our time concentrating on the first scene, filling in the gaps and finalising parts of it. Performing it in front of the class also helped a lot as it was open to criticism and any ideas from the class or Mrs. Powles. One idea that really affected what we had rehearsed so far was that at the beginning of the first scene, Sarah storms in and physically removes my feet from the arm of the armchair before she sits on it. We had thought this to be a good idea to convey that Sarah was angry with Norman, which she was. The suggestion was that this was not a bad idea, just that it would be more effective if Sarah came in and stared at my feet distastefully, as if daring me to leave them there. When I then remove them, she brushes the arm with her hand before sitting in the chair. This, we decided, was much better than our original plan as it shows that Sarah is a less physical person, more prim and uptight. Throughout all the extract from then on, the amount of physical interaction Sarah did was kept to a bare minimum. We started needing the script less and less and we started on the second scene – a definite sign of all-round progress. I found the second scene much more difficult to do than the first, mainly for two reasons. The first was that I had to act drunk, as prior to this scene, offstage, Norman has been consuming large amounts of wine. The real difficulty with this was that I had to appear drunk by staggering around and slurring my words. The staggering part was okay to act but the slurring was the real problem as I still had to be understood by the audience. With practice and advice form Mrs. Powles, however, this problem was soon overcome. The second problem was the kissing part. We knew this would be difficult when we chose the piece, but we still chose to do it. Once the initial embarrassment of it was overcome, there was still an awkward feeling as Elise was my friend. But this we endured right up to the end. As the exam date drew nearer, we spent our time polishing up the piece and adding finishing touches to it, such as sound effects and music. We spent a lot of time searching through the sound effects for some birdsong to be used at the beginning of the second scene, just to inform the audience that it was set outside. As for music, we originally thought about using â€Å"When a man loves a woman†, but in the end we decided on using â€Å"Irresistible† by the Corrs. For lighting effects, we used straw and golden gels on fresnel spots. With regards to costume, we decided that I would look best in a pair of corduroy trousers with a check shirt. But unfortunately I could not obtain a pair of corduroy trousers, so we settled for a pair of chinos with a leather belt. This, we thought, conveyed Norman’s character quite well; not trendy or modern, yet laid back and charming. For Sarah, we both decided that Elise would look appropriate in a grey skirt suit, as it would convey Sarah’s prim and proper personality. When the final day came, it went very smoothly. Neither of us made any real mistakes and our lines were as perfect as they ever would have been. Overall we were both very pleased with our final performance. And, thankfully the audience did seem to enjoy it as they laughed in all the right places, sometimes a bit more enthusiastically than we both had previously expected, which could have meant only good things.

Making Six-Figures as an Indie Author

Making Six-Figures as an Indie Author It may seem like a pipe dream, but indie authors can make serious cash. I know quite a few who bring in six-figures, and After much research and observation, I’ve come up with seven key things needed to bring in the big bucks. 1.  Ã‚     Treat writing like a job. If you want the money, you have to put in the time. All of the authors I know making six-figures have many books in their backlist. Most have thirty books or more. To get there, you need to be writing every day. Make a daily word count goal and make yourself accountable to it. It might seem impossible to publish as much as they have, but don’t cut yourself short. Writing is a skill. The more you do it, the faster and better you’ll get at it. 2.  Ã‚     Stay positive. It’s going to take a lot of motivation to publish thirty books. Just remember, with every book you publish, you’re adding to your monthly paycheck. Don’t expect to get rich on one book. Take a more measured strategy and go for the long tail. There are many authors getting large checks each month who haven’t hit the NYT’s bestseller list with a book. Keep a steady goal in mind and push yourself to get there. 3.  Ã‚     Research the market. It won’t do you any good to publish thirty books if no one is buying them. Go to Amazon and look at the indie books making bank in your genre. What do they have in common? Buy at least ten and read them. List similarities and tropes that are pulling the readers in. Find common themes. Then find a way to weave similar things into your own books, in your own world. This is called writing to market. Don’t treat it like it’s a dirty thing. It’s another tool in your writing toolbox. Buy books on how to write to market as an indie author and use that tool. It doesn’t mean you can’t ever write a book just for the love of writing. You can do both. 4.  Ã‚     Hone your craft. Don’t ever think you’re done learning how to write. Go to conferences and take classes and workshops. Work with a critique group. Read all the top books on writing in your genre. Even if you’ve read it all, keep going. You might just find something new click into place. 5.  Ã‚     Make yourself look professional. Hire a cover designer and an editor. The last thing you want to do is put your book in a poorly designed package. If you’re not a graphic designer, hire one. Pay an editor. Don’t skimp out on these things or your pocketbook will suffer. 6.  Ã‚     Hang out with other successful authors. No need to re-invent the wheel. Surround yourself with indie authors who have all these things figured out and listen to them. Join an author Facebook group and read the posts. Authors are a sharing bunch. They’ll tell you what ads are working and what to avoid. They talk about what books to read or what YouTube videos to watch. If you’re not doing this, you’re going to get left in the dust. (I recommend 20Booksto50K.) 7.  Ã‚     Don’t be afraid to give your work away. I admit I owe much of my success to giving out ARC’s and making my books free on Amazon. It’s a marketing strategy. Watch the lucrative authors and see how they do it successfully. There’s no guarantee your books will sell well. However, looking at what high-dollar indie authors do and following in their footsteps will give you a better chance to succeed. It’s not an impossible dream. Set those goals and go write.

Free Essays on Family Ties

FAMILY TIES: THE BONDS BETWEEN LOVE AND FAMILY A Friend In Need The lifestyles developed by the four families in the video, FAMILY TIES – THE NATURE OF FAMILY, are as different as their home countries. The people from Kenya, India, Italy and the USA have adapted a certain way at looking at their situations and making the best with what they have, whether that is a polygamous lifestyle, an extended family a patrilocal life or a blended marriage. George, from Kisumu, Kenya has four wives. That may come off as strange or wrong in our western way of life, but it works for him and his family. George isn’t a bad husband or father. He built separate homes for his wives and is even working on homes for his children. The women don’t all like the polygamous lifestyle but apart from tradition, convenience may sometimes win over monogamy. For Monica, George’s fourth wife, that is just the case. She had three children from a previous relationship and couldn’t afford to look after them. She married George because she knew he could take care of the four of them and love her as well. All of his wives are all free to come and go as they please, but after spending so much time in a certain way of life, it becomes the norm. The oldest wife has the most problem with it, but the way of thinking is, that once a woman reaches a certain age, she is of little use to the mans sexual needs and so in turn he looks to other s to fulfill them. His wives and children farm the land that George owns and occupies. He then sells the goods they grow to make money to support them all. The women who farm the lands don’t actually make the money and now that more and more women in Kenya are going out and making money for themselves the polygamous lifestyle is slowly diminishing. They begin to make money for them selves and soon start demanding husbands for themselves. The family from Madras, India has a patrilocal family. The wife moved in to the hous... Free Essays on Family Ties Free Essays on Family Ties FAMILY TIES: THE BONDS BETWEEN LOVE AND FAMILY A Friend In Need The lifestyles developed by the four families in the video, FAMILY TIES – THE NATURE OF FAMILY, are as different as their home countries. The people from Kenya, India, Italy and the USA have adapted a certain way at looking at their situations and making the best with what they have, whether that is a polygamous lifestyle, an extended family a patrilocal life or a blended marriage. George, from Kisumu, Kenya has four wives. That may come off as strange or wrong in our western way of life, but it works for him and his family. George isn’t a bad husband or father. He built separate homes for his wives and is even working on homes for his children. The women don’t all like the polygamous lifestyle but apart from tradition, convenience may sometimes win over monogamy. For Monica, George’s fourth wife, that is just the case. She had three children from a previous relationship and couldn’t afford to look after them. She married George because she knew he could take care of the four of them and love her as well. All of his wives are all free to come and go as they please, but after spending so much time in a certain way of life, it becomes the norm. The oldest wife has the most problem with it, but the way of thinking is, that once a woman reaches a certain age, she is of little use to the mans sexual needs and so in turn he looks to other s to fulfill them. His wives and children farm the land that George owns and occupies. He then sells the goods they grow to make money to support them all. The women who farm the lands don’t actually make the money and now that more and more women in Kenya are going out and making money for themselves the polygamous lifestyle is slowly diminishing. They begin to make money for them selves and soon start demanding husbands for themselves. The family from Madras, India has a patrilocal family. The wife moved in to the hous...

The impacts of foreign direct investment on host country economies Essay

The impacts of foreign direct investment on host country economies - Essay Example The liberalization of markets worldwide, an effect of globalisation, has led to the elimination of the barriers for developing investment activities abroad, i.e. to a country different from the country of residence of the investor. Gradually, the foreign direct investment, or else the FDI, as this activity has been characterized, see also the next section, has become a common phenomenon in countries worldwide. It should be noted that the FDI has been related to a series of important benefits but it has been also found to have a series of disadvantages/ drawbacks for the host countries economy. This issue is explored in this paper. A series of examples and case studies are presented aiming to show the various aspects of the involvement of FDI in the economy of host countries. In general, the benefits of FDI are more compared to its disadvantages. However, the latter could lead to severe turbulences if they are not appropriately addressed. In this context, appropriate measures should b e taken in advance for the control of such effects either in the short or the long term.The term ‘foreign direct investment’ is used in order to show ‘the acquisition of assets by the residents of one country for the purpose of controlling the production and other activities of a firm in another country, the host country’ (Moosa 2002, p.1). FDI, as described above, can have many forms, including the Greenfield investment (indicating whole ownership of the acquired asset) and the Joint Venture (shared ownership of the acquired asset).... 2006). The last decades, there is a trend towards the continuous expansion of FDI as a method of financing various projects. This fact is made clear in the Graph 1 below where the balance among the FDI, the bank loans and the portfolio investment as methods of financing, is analytically presented. Graph 1 – Forms of capital inflows from 1978 up to 1995 (Source: Loungani et al. 2001) The decision of an organization to proceed to FDI is usually based on the potentials for profit. Moreover, it seems that Western organizations are likely to use different criteria when having to decide their entrance in a foreign country through FDI. Bevan et al. (2004) tried to identify the factors that lead organizations in Western countries to get involved in FDI. The above researchers found that factors like ‘labour costs, market size and proximity’ (Bevan et al. 2004, p.775) are likely to have a decisive role for Western organizations to invest on a foreign economy in the form of FDI. On the other hand, it has been revealed that the potential risks of the host country economy are not expected to discourage Western organizations from proceeding to FDI. However, it seems that the documents and the commentaries published by international bodies can influence the decision of Western organizations on FDI. In the study of Bevan et al. (2004) reference is made to the influence of the announcements of the European authorities on the level of FDI outflows from countries of EU to third countries worldwide. Similar findings have been revealed through the research of Globerman et al. (2002). The above researchers tried to identify the level at which the political and legal environment of a country can influence the level of FDI towards

RESEARCH METHODS (PILOT STUDY REPORT) Coursework

RESEARCH METHODS (PILOT STUDY REPORT) - Coursework Example iagnosed with obesity and diabetes 2 are Native Americans, blacks and Hispanics, where rate of obesity reaches upto 70%, and this has been accredited to their deprived economic conditions. Obesity and diabetes are among the vigorously growing health problems faced by Americans. The prevalence in obesity rates has caused massive cases of diabetes 2 which in turn causes amputations, hypertension and blindness, and also increases chances of developing depression, cancer, heart disease, asthma, immobility and arthritis. Allowing the current rates of obesity to continue increasing implies that America will be trailing on a perilous track. Moreover, the obesity endemic, if left unimpeded, will contravene the substantial progress made in life expectancy and health in the recent decades (Klein et al., 2004). Certainly, if current and future generations are to live longer, healthy and exhilarating lives, this cosmic problem must be contained through effective policy formulation and implementation. Obesity costs the nation over $160 billion in direct therapeutic costs every year. Estimates indicate that yearly medical expenditures can be plummeted by between 7-12% if the government succeeds to eradicate obesity and diabetes 2 (Levine, 2011). Additionally, through Medicare and Medicaid, a substantial fraction of this cost is financed by assiduous taxpayers and this affects both federal and state budgets and significantly hinders meaningful economic development. It is too costly to overlook the skyrocketing premature deaths resulting from obesity and obesity-associated chronic diseases. Consequently, this pilot study seeks to explore the state government’s role in regulating obesity. It will seek to explore whether the policies of developing EMR system that back diabetes prevention, guaranteeing parity of mental and physical health services, promoting active lifestyles, increasing Medicaid funding for obesity and diabetes, and regulating the diet of Americans are