Wise Childrens Narrative Voice Essay Example

Wise Childrens Narrative Voice Essay Angela Carters Wise Children is the fictional autobiography of Dora Chance, looking at both past experiences and, from the point of view of the author, real time events. It is written in the first person, from the point of view of Dora Chance, written in such a way as to convey the thoughts and feelings of the narrator without a direct notification of such thoughts and feelings. This means that for Angela Carter to put across Doras feelings and opinions of the events of the novel many other literary techniques must be involved. The narrator herself uses many colloquialisms and phrases, sometimes turning them into puns or twisting them to a different outcome, for example and what does the poor robin do then? Bugger the robin! this addresses the narrators point of view on formalities and stereotypes, allowing the reader to come to terms with her unique style. She acknowledges events and ideas which may be uncomfortable to a modern audience and gently pokes fun at them, for example Ill do it on the horsehair sofa, do what? What do you think? This indicates to the reader that the normal taboos of society do not necessarily apply and that the narrator is open with her view and opinions, this allows the reader to trust the narrator. The point of view of the reader changes as the book progresses, for example, within the first pages of the book the narrator directly involves the reader within the surroundings, for example, Dora states this is my room although the room or any event leading up to entering the room is never described the scene is immediately set and the reader can imagine the room. We will write a custom essay sample on Wise Childrens Narrative Voice specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Wise Childrens Narrative Voice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Wise Childrens Narrative Voice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Carter subtly adds features to the room as the paragraph continues. For example, she suggests the reader take a good look at the signed photos stuck in the dressing table mirror causing the reader to focus on the idea of the object as though they were actually shown around the room. There are at least two instances in which Dora involves the reader as though interacting with them Theres Westminster Abbey, see? careful, the paper is starting to crumble these allow the reader to feel involved and therefore more trusting of the narrator as the book progresses. However occasionally Dora refers to these real-time moments as though in the past tense, for example I squinted as opposed to I am squinting however at the same time describing events in real-time such as She starts to pour out tea as though the event has just taken place and is being recounted for the benefit of the audience, also in these moments it is apparent that no other character acknowledges the presence of the reader. This change in tenses could be for the benefit of the reader, as it would get tiresome to describe all event as they are happening and have no involvement of the reader. In the book time does not appear to be a linear construct. Dora appears to have the ability to stop time to allow the reader to catch up with current events, which she does so with the command, similar to a direction in a piece of drama, freeze frame. During this it appears that the idea of real-time still exists, as Dora moves from the living room to the attic and directly interacts with the reader again. This is similar to the dramatic technique carried out by the chorus of Greek theatre, in which one or more character directly acknowledges the audience and interacts with them alone and can also interact fully with other characters in the play that do not acknowledge the presence of the audience. It is indicated to the reader some time after, and quite unexpectedly that Dora has e-appeared in the living room and time has begun again with a prompt, another technique used in drama, when a command similar to the one above is used press the button for Play, however, it is uncertain to whom she was addressing the command to, she could be directly involving the audience again, as the command had no speech marks, or to herself as a stage direction, or to another character. When Dora describes and explains her family history she does not do so in a straight line, along the way she often refers to characters the reader is unaware of yet, as though she is unaware of this, perhaps she expects she is recalling the stories for her own benefit, as opposed to the benefit of the reader. This means in many places she has to double back on her explanations and descriptions, many times stopping herself in the middle of a sentence to describe something else, for example while showing the reader a picture of her grandmother Estella as Desdemona from Othello she is just about to explain the relevance of the picture when she stops herself, saying wait, Ill explain that later. This technique is supposed to get the reader interested in the events Dora has tactfully not described to them, causing them to read on. Dora often re-tells rumours or stories from other characters, similar to how gossip would be passed on, however this is the first example of where the reliability of the narrator is brought into question, as often stories such as this are retold differently to the original, either deliberately or unintentionally, to make the story seem more interesting or dramatic. Another technique that is used is to talk about a completely different subject after discussing a subject that involves the next subject in some way. For example she describes a story her Uncle Peregrine has told her about her grandmother Estella and then begins to talk about Peregrine, without finishing her story about Estella completely. This gives the impression that this is an after thought, and the narrator is making up as she goes along, improvisation. This gives the narration a natural feel, as opposed to a pre-rehearsed, artificial feel sometimes apparent in other books of this nature; however it can cause some confusion to the reader, who may loose the plot of the novel, making it difficult to understand and thus read, discouraging the reader. The novel is very surreal, in many parts farcical, and some of the events are improbable in real-life. This is a carnivalesque technique and magical realism is used. Much of the surrealism is therefore intentional; however, some of this magical realism could be caused by the narrator herself, who can be described as quite unreliable. Much of the book is based on memory from over 70 years ago, therefore it is understandable that many of the events described in the book cant possible be remembered, for example when Dora was seven she states she can remember going to the pier with her Uncle Peregrine and he was wearing a white suit with a straw bowler hat however this is probably Doras imagination instead of fact, and in a similar way, many of the events could be exaggerated. For example, there was an event in her early twenties of a costume party in which the house caught fire and Dora describes how Saskia was still eating an entire swan in the chaos and everyone was having sex in the garden, this is probably exaggerated. As stated above, the use of a narrator directly involved in the unfolding events is that while describing events that unfold around them they can convey their thoughts and emotions into the scene. A key example of this is the scene just before Tiffany allegedly commits suicide, where she appears on live TV to confront Tristram. Before this scene the tone of the narrator is very brisk and hurried, but mostly cheerful. When the suicide scene unfolds the narrators tone and speed of the novel slows down. The sentences become longer, more eloquent, and expressive. She uses very few colloquialisms and describes her own actions through the scene. This conveys her feelings of worry for Tiffany and uncertainty of what is going to happen through the piece. In conclusion the narrator is what gives the book its unique style and, inevitably, its soul. It allows the reader to imagine the characters of the book as real people, with emotions and faulty memories and opinions, as opposed to a simple and straightforward look of a fictional characters life. Using the narrator Angela Carter has the ability to manipulate linear time and directly involve the reader in the events of the novel.

Free Essays on The Oration On The Dignity Of Man

Oration-Essay The hand-out, â€Å"Oration on the Dignity of Man†, brings up various and many key points which relate to the ideas and beliefs of the Renaissance period. The article itself expresses Pico’s idea that an individual is limited only by his own visions and is not just a part of the early idea that; man has a sense of natural helplessness. The humanists during the Renaissance period were centered around the new era of art, architecture, and a new way of thought. This new way of thought was implemented during the beginning of the Renaissance period. The Renaissance itself was a time where the people wanted to get re-focused on themselves and their center thought on the human capacity. The period was suppose to open up the idea that you can control what you become, as well as what you are now. The people of the Renaissance strove more to be an individual and stray from the idea that everyone was the same. Individualism during the time before was never a factor. No other cultures had a way of thinking for themselves. The Oration exposes these people to his achievable ideas that man has no limits and should strive to be divine. In also saying that, Pico sends forth the idea that although the â€Å"supreme maker† could give each person the ability to reach goals equally, he could not give each the same results. By expressing that idea the article gives us a sense of competition and for those people to question the unknown. The Renaissance idea of secularism and humanism, made up the who idea of the Renaissance. The idea of humanism caused a disruption with that of religion. Humanists, including Pico, explored the idea of secularism as separate. Humanism deals with the spirituality of a single individuals beliefs. Pico’s article clearly helps us to arrive at that idea by his tone in saying that god created all equal with the same â€Å"intelligence’s†, but it all depended upon the... Free Essays on The Oration On The Dignity Of Man Free Essays on The Oration On The Dignity Of Man Oration-Essay The hand-out, â€Å"Oration on the Dignity of Man†, brings up various and many key points which relate to the ideas and beliefs of the Renaissance period. The article itself expresses Pico’s idea that an individual is limited only by his own visions and is not just a part of the early idea that; man has a sense of natural helplessness. The humanists during the Renaissance period were centered around the new era of art, architecture, and a new way of thought. This new way of thought was implemented during the beginning of the Renaissance period. The Renaissance itself was a time where the people wanted to get re-focused on themselves and their center thought on the human capacity. The period was suppose to open up the idea that you can control what you become, as well as what you are now. The people of the Renaissance strove more to be an individual and stray from the idea that everyone was the same. Individualism during the time before was never a factor. No other cultures had a way of thinking for themselves. The Oration exposes these people to his achievable ideas that man has no limits and should strive to be divine. In also saying that, Pico sends forth the idea that although the â€Å"supreme maker† could give each person the ability to reach goals equally, he could not give each the same results. By expressing that idea the article gives us a sense of competition and for those people to question the unknown. The Renaissance idea of secularism and humanism, made up the who idea of the Renaissance. The idea of humanism caused a disruption with that of religion. Humanists, including Pico, explored the idea of secularism as separate. Humanism deals with the spirituality of a single individuals beliefs. Pico’s article clearly helps us to arrive at that idea by his tone in saying that god created all equal with the same â€Å"intelligence’s†, but it all depended upon the...

Doler Conjugation in Spanish, Translation, and Examples

Doler Conjugation in Spanish, Translation, and Examples The Spanish verb doler means to cause pain. It is always conjugated in the third person singular or plural, depending on what is causing the pain, and the indirect object pronoun is always included. Doler is an intransitive verb that requires changes to the common subject, verb, object sentence structure. This article includes doler conjugations in the present, past, future, and conditional indicative mood, the present and past subjunctive, and other verb forms. Youll also find examples and translations of the verb doler in frequently used scenarios. Using the Verb Doler Although similar in meaning, doler, an intransitive verb, cant be used to translate the verb to hurt without changing the sentence structure. To express the meaning of the transitive verb to hurt someone or something, in Spanish you would need a different verb such as herir, lastimar, or hacer daà ±o. A different structure should be used in Spanish for the verb doler. Notice the pattern in these sentences: Me duele el diente. (My tooth hurts. Literally, the tooth hurts me.)Me duele amarte. (It hurts me to love you. Literally, to love  you pains me.) ¿Te duele la cabeza? (Do you have a headache? Literally, is the head hurting you?)  A mi hijo le duele la garganta. (My sons throat hurts. Literally, the throat is causing pain to my son.) Note, first, that doler takes an indirect-object pronoun (as in le in the final example). Then, note that the pronoun refers to the person who is experiencing the pain, not what is causing the pain, as is often the case in English. It is usual, as in the above examples, to place the subject of doler after the verb, but it isnt required. Thus, you could say either me duele el oà ­do or el oà ­do me duele for I have an earache, but the former is much more common. One of the peculiarities of Spanish is that the language doesnt use the equivalent of my when referring to body parts with the verb doler (and in many other instances). See how the first example above says el diente, not mi diente. The same is true in the following examples: Me duelen los ojos al leer. (My eyes hurt when I read. Literally, the eyes pain me when I read.)Si te duele el pie es mejor que vayas a un doctor. (If your foot hurts, it is best that you go to a doctor. Literally, if the foot pains you, it is best that you go to a doctor)Nos duelen las manos y las rodillas. (Our hands and knees hurt. Literally, the hands and knees pain us.) Conjugating the Verb Doler Doler is often used with the body part that hurts as the subject of the sentence, and the person affected as the indirect object. Therefore, the tables below show examples using that format: the verb doler is always conjugated in the third person singular or plural, depending on what is causing the pain, and the indirect object pronoun is always included. For example, la cabeza (head) would use the singular conjugation, Me duele la cabeza (My head hurts), but los pies (feet) would use the plural conjugation Me duelen los pies (My feet hurt). Also, the pain can be caused by something expressed with a verb phrase or clause, in which case the singular form of the verb is used. For example, Le duele dejar al bebà © en la guarderà ­a (It hurts him to leave the baby at the daycare). Doler is a stem changing verb, so it is conjugated irregularly in much the same way as contar: If the stem is stressed, the -o- becomes -ue-. Present Indicative Notice that in the present indicative there is a stem change o to ue. A mà ­ me duele(n) Me duele la cabeza de tanto estudiar. My head hurts from studying so much. A ti teduele(n) Te duelen los pies despuà ©s de la carrera. Your feet hurt after the race. A usted/à ©l/ella leduele(n) Le duele el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her heart hurts because of the sad news. A nosotros nosduele(n) Nos duelen los brazos de tanto trabajar. Our arms hurt from working so much. A vosotros osduele(n) Os duele la espalda despuà ©s del accidente. Your back hurts after the accident. A ustedes/ellos/ellas lesduele(n) Les duele gastar tanto dinero. It pains them to spend so much money. Preterite Indicative A mà ­ me dolià ³/dolieron Me dolià ³ la cabeza de tanto estudiar. My head hurt from studying so much. A ti tedolià ³/dolieron Te dolieron los pies despuà ©s de la carrera. Your feet hurt after the race. A usted/à ©l/ella ledolià ³/dolieron Le dolià ³ el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her heart hurt because of the sad news. A nosotros nosdolià ³/dolieron Nos dolieron los brazos de tanto trabajar. Our arms hurt from working so much. A vosotros osdolià ³/dolieron Os dolià ³ la espalda despuà ©s del accidente. Your back hurt after the accident. A ustedes/ellos/ellas lesdolià ³/dolieron Les dolià ³ gastar tanto dinero. It painedthem to spend so much money. Imperfect Indicative The imperfect can be translated to English as was hurting or used to hurt. A mà ­ me dolà ­a(n) Me dolà ­a la cabeza de tanto estudiar. My head was hurting from studying so much. A ti tedolà ­a(n) Te dolà ­an los pies despuà ©s de la carrera. Your feet were hurtingafter the race. A usted/à ©l/ella ledolà ­a(n) Le dolà ­a el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her heart was hurting because of the sad news. A nosotros nosdolà ­a(n) Nos dolà ­an los brazos de tanto trabajar. Our arms were hurtingfrom working so much. A vosotros osdolà ­a(n) Os dolà ­a la espalda despuà ©s del accidente. Your back was hurtingafter the accident. A ustedes/ellos/ellas lesdolà ­a(n) Les dolà ­a gastar tanto dinero. It used topainthem to spend so much money. Future Indicative A mà ­ me doler(n) Me doler la cabeza de tanto estudiar. My head will hurt from studying so much. A ti tedoler(n) Te dolern los pies despuà ©s de la carrera. Your feet willhurt after the race. A usted/à ©l/ella ledoler(n) Le doler el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her heartwill hurt because of the sad news. A nosotros nosdoler(n) Nos dolern los brazos de tanto trabajar. Our arms willhurt from working so much. A vosotros osdoler(n) Os doler la espalda despuà ©s del accidente. Your back willhurt after the accident. A ustedes/ellos/ellas lesdoler(n) Les doler gastar tanto dinero. It willpainthem to spend so much money. Periphrastic  Future Indicative   A mà ­ me va(n) a doler Me va a doler la cabeza de tanto estudiar. My head is going to hurt from studying so much. A ti teva(n) a doler Te van a doler los pies despuà ©s de la carrera. Your feet aregoing tohurt after the race. A usted/à ©l/ella leva(n) a doler Le va a dolerel corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her heartis going to hurt because of the sad news. A nosotros nosva(n) a doler Nos van a dolerlos brazos de tanto trabajar. Our arms aregoing tohurt from working so much. A vosotros osva(n) a doler Os va a dolerla espalda despuà ©s del accidente. Your back is going tohurt after the accident. A ustedes/ellos/ellas lesva(n) a doler Les va a dolergastar tanto dinero. It is going topain them to spend so much money. Present Progressive/Gerund Form The present progressive is a verb form that uses the present participle or gerund. Present Progressive ofDoler est(n) doliendo A ella le est doliendo el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her heart is hurting because of the sad news. Doler Past Participle The present perfect is one of the compound verb forms that uses the verb haber and the past participle. Present Perfect of Doler ha(n) dolido A ella le ha dolido el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her heart has hurt because of the sad news. Doler Conditional Indicative A mà ­ me dolerà ­a(n) Me dolerà ­a la cabeza de tanto estudiar si no tomara un descanso. My head would hurt from studying so much if I didn't take a break. A ti tedolerà ­a(n) Te dolerà ­an los pies despuà ©s de la carrera si no tuvieras buenos zapatos. Your feet wouldhurt after the race if you didn't have good shoes. A usted/à ©l/ella ledolerà ­a(n) Le dolerà ­a el corazà ³n por la triste noticia, pero ella es muy fuerte. Her heartwould hurt because of the sad news, but she is very tough. A nosotros nosdolerà ­a(n) Nos dolerà ­an los brazos de tanto trabajar, pero ya estamos acostumbrados. Our arms wouldhurt from working so much, but we are used to it. A vosotros osdolerà ­a(n) Os dolerà ­a la espalda despuà ©s del accidente si hubiera sido ms serio. Your back wouldhurt after the accident if it had been more serious. A ustedes/ellos/ellas lesdolerà ­a(n) Les dolerà ­a gastar tanto dinero si no fueran millonarios. It wouldpain them to spend so much money if they weren't millionaires. Doler Present Subjunctive In the present subjunctive the stem change o to ue does occur, just like in the present indicative tense. Que a mà ­ me duela(n) La maestra espera que no me duela la cabeza de tanto estudiar. The teacher hopes that my head doesn't hurt from studying so much. Que a ti te duela(n) El entrenador espera que no te duelan los pies despuà ©s de la carrera. The coach hopes that your feet don't hurt after the race. Que a usted/à ©l/ella le duela(n) Su madre espera que no le duela el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her mother hopes that her heart doesn't hurt because of the bad news. Que a nosotros nos duela(n) El jefe espera que no nos duelan los brazos de tanto trabajar. The boss hopes that our arms don't hurt from working so much. Que a vosotros os duela(n) El doctor espera que no os duela la espalda despuà ©s del accidente. The doctor hopes that your back doesn't hurt after the accident. Que a ustedes/ellos/ellas les duela(n) El vendedor espera que no les duela gastar tanto dinero. The salesman hopes that it does not painthem to spend so much money. Doler Imperfect Subjunctive There are two options for conjugating the imperfect subjunctive, both considered correct. Option 1 Que a mà ­ me doliera(n) La maestra esperaba que no me doliera la cabeza de tanto estudiar. The teacher hoped that my head wouldn't hurt from studying so much. Que a ti te doliera(n) El entrenador esperaba que no te dolieran los pies despuà ©s de la carrera. The coach hoped that your feet wouldn't hurt after the race. Que a usted/à ©l/ella le doliera(n) Su madre esperaba que no le doliera el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her mother hoped that her heart wouldn't hurt because of the bad news. Que a nosotros nos doliera(n) El jefe esperaba que no nos dolieran los brazos de tanto trabajar. The boss hoped that our arms wouldn't hurt from working so much. Que a vosotros os doliera(n) El doctor esperaba que no os doliera la espalda despuà ©s del accidente. The doctor hoped that your back wouldn't hurt after the accident. Que a ustedes/ellos/ellas les doliera(n) El vendedor esperaba que no les doliera gastar tanto dinero. The salesman hoped that itwouldn't pain them to spend so much money. Option 2 Que a mà ­ me doliese(n) La maestra esperaba que no me doliese la cabeza de tanto estudiar. The teacher hoped that my head wouldn't hurt from studying so much. Que a ti te doliese(n) El entrenador esperaba que no te doliesen los pies despuà ©s de la carrera. The coach hoped that your feet wouldn't hurt after the race. Que a usted/à ©l/ella le doliese(n) Su madre esperaba que no le doliese el corazà ³n por la triste noticia. Her mother hoped that her heart wouldn't hurt because of the bad news. Que a nosotros nos doliese(n) El jefe esperaba que no nos doliesen los brazos de tanto trabajar. The boss hoped that our arms wouldn't hurt from working so much. Que a vosotros os doliese(n) El doctor esperaba que no os doliese la espalda despuà ©s del accidente. The doctor hoped that your back wouldn't hurt after the accident. Que a ustedes/ellos/ellas les doliese(n) El vendedor esperaba que no les doliese gastar tanto dinero. The salesman hoped that itwouldn't pain them to spend so much money. Doler Imperative The imperative mood is used to give orders or commands, but it doesnt apply to the verb doler. In this case, since the subject is the body part or cause of the pain, the imperative verb forms are never used. To tell a person to hurt someone else, you would use a different verb, such as herir, lastimar or hacer daà ±o.

Human computer interaction (user interface ) Coursework

Human computer interaction (user interface ) - Coursework Example Reference: Chapman, Callum. "Common Elements Used in Interface Button Design."Â  Web Designer Dept. (2011): 4. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. . TYPOGRAPHY The fonts and typefaces are important elements of the user interface. It should be in proportionate with the design or else it will just look like a clutter. I learned that it should draw attention to the content taking in consideration its size, lines and shade. The overall appearance of the font is in conjunction with its readability which is highly essential for the end-user. Moreover, the amount of text in a given space should be kept to a minimum. The relationship of the font color and background is equally vital in achieving high contrast content which further adds to the readability degree of the content. Lastly, I also learned that appropriate spacing and the presence of empty fields are techniques to achieve visual relief, in this way; the viewer will not be distracted from the focal contents. Reference: Genkin, Namie . "Importance o f Great Web Typography."Onextrapixel. (2010): 1-4. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. ... I also learned that combinations with positive polarity such as the use of dark text on a light background are notably effective. This is particularly important when dealing with visually-impaired users. Reference: Hall, R. and Hanna, P. (2004), The Impact of Web Page Text-Background Color Combinations on Readability, Retention, Aesthetics, and Behavioral Intention, Behaviour & Information Technology, forthcoming VIRTUAL KEYBOARD DESIGN Inputting is the concomitant interaction the user performs. It should be simple despite the complexities of the keyboard’s overall features. In the case of virtual keyboards, wherein industrial design is left out in place of a touch interface, the tactile response time should be fast enough to let the user focus on inputting end and not worrying whether the characters has already been displayed. It is fairly important that the on-screen keyboard should be able to interact with the fingers and not merely by using the stylus. It is a fact that th e best pointing tool is our finger; the keyboard’s design should be able to accommodate the multitasking capability of a human hand. The spacing of each character should be accurately be considered to avoid erroneous inputting. Reference: Xiaojun, Bi, Barton Smith, and Zhai Shumin. "Multilingual Touchscreen Keyboard Design and Optimization."DGP. (2010): 1-34. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. . I learned that in an on-screen keyboard, screen clarity and size are important elements. The spacing between characters avoids unintended inputs. In line with this, the user should be able to perceive that

The Best Fish and Chips Shop in 2003 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Best Fish and Chips Shop in 2003 - Article Example Mr. Jones drew on his past experience as a customer and asked himself what he actually wants from a fish and chips product. All of the little things and ideas he and the staff have was put together to come up with better ways of improving both services and product. Some of their core products are the batter less Cod and Chicken Goujons which stands out among competitors. The staff has a way of reinventing some processes such as a certain way of washing the fryer so old starch would not stick to the new batter. Such things may seem little but they do go a long way in satisfying customer’s tastes. In fact, customers pass 8 more fish and chips shop before reaching Finnegan’s which shows how strong Finnegan’s brand loyalty is. Additionally, customers do not mind waiting for half an hour just to grab the favorite takeaway – fish and chips. There are several factors that can contribute to the future success of the organization, namely: focus on main products, creative marketing, and innovation. The owner himself doesn’t want to diversify too much when it comes to product development. He believes that diluting the focus of the business by offering too many products would not be advantageous in terms of profitability. Instead, current products are marketed in a different way so customers have better choices. For example, they created a kiddies’ serving for children which is not common among fish and chips shops. Also, they often ask the opinion of customers which is a good way of getting feedback. Even the packaging of the product is taken into account which just shows how keen the owner is in satisfying his customers. Simple things such as food warming process are also considered so eventually, everything ends up as the added value to the brand Finnegan. An obstacle that could limit their growth in terms of core competencies would be cutting costs. Although Mr. Jones saves as much as 10,000 pounds a year due to his good bidding skills.

Socratic Method Essay Example for Free

Socratic Method Essay Since the formulation of the Socratic Method, it has been made reasonably clear that the quest for knowledge is based on firstly knowing that one does not know everything and secondly that the only way to know more about anything is to ask more questions. This does not imply of course that one simply propound any knowledgeable person with a barrage of question. This simply suggests that perhaps not accepting everything at face value without any verification as to its truth or validity is simply not the way to learn. From the earliest years, the questions, what, who, how, when, where and the all time favorite, why, have been uttered at least a dozen times by any single person. While these are not the keys to critical thinking, they do form an important foundation of critical thinking and that is that it challenges the current knowledge and pushes people to find out more about things and not simple be content with what is present. Herein lays the first benefit of critical thinking. It challenges the mind to ask more questions and remains at the very center of the quest for knowledge. Without critical thinking, everything in itself would become the rule and nothing would ever be the exception. A falling apple would be a different rule in itself and not connected to a flying bird when in it is in fact clear that through the exercise of critical thinking gravity and all the other forces are at work on these two objects. Secondly, critical thinking pushes at boundaries. To simply say that a truth is truth in itself is naive. Critical thinking plays an important role in all of this because it does not alter the truth but simply brings more of it into light. It reveals and enlightens and only constricts those who are too bound and caught up in the piece of truth that they have come to know. Critical thinking provides other clear benefits but none as important as its role in uncovering the complete truth and driving the quest for knowledge for the benefit of all mankind. After all, critical thinking in itself would never even be the subject of this discussion if it never existed.

Henry ford Drivers ed paper :: essays research papers

Born July 30, 1863 in Dearborn, Michigan, Henry Ford was the first child of William and Mary Ford. As a young man he became an excellent self-taught mechanic and machinist. At age 16 he left the farm and went to nearby Detroit, a city that was becoming an industrial giant. There he worked as an apprentice at a machine shop, while months later he would begin work with steam engines at the Detroit Dry Dock Co., where he first saw the internal combustion engine, the kind of engine he would later use to make his automobiles.. On April 11, 1888 he married Clara Bryant and soon after they had their first son Edsel. By Christmas Eve 1893, Henry completed his first gasoline engine and started to build racing cars. In 1901 his car beat what was then the world's fastest automobile in a race before a crowd of eight thousand people in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. The publicity he received for this victory allowed Ford to finance a practical laboratory for refining his auto ideas. In 1903 the Ford Motor Company was formed. People did not believe he could make a car that the working man could afford. He achieved his goal of having a car that the average man could afford by using the idea of mass production. Ford soon began production on his most famous car the model T. It took a while but in 1913 Ford created the first moving assembly line in his plant. Soon demand for his affordable cars soared. Of course, there were not always supporters of Henry Ford. If fact, there were many critics who believed that Henry Ford was so controversial that it prevented the potential of Fords from becoming greater than it is today. By the mid twenties the Ford was already the worlds most successful automobile company, but their great reputation would soon decline.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On January 5, 1914 Henry Ford’s announcement of the incredible $5 dollar/day plan swept the newspapers across the nation. The Detroit Journal announced, The surprise of the labor leaders and the consternation of manufacturers, Henry Ford announced on Jan 5, 1914 that a minimum wage of $5 dollars/day would be instituted immediately in the Ford plants, along with a profit sharing plan for all male employees. Not only did Henry Ford’s new deal shock the nation; it sent a tremendous number of workers to Detroit. For the next ten years people would do anything to become a worker of one of Henry Ford’s plants.

Paleozoic Era in the geology of Indiana Essay

Paleozoic Era means â€Å"time of ancient life†. It is estimated to have occurred somewhere around 544 and 245 million years ago. During this time period, the Paleozoic era, there was a great increase in variety and development of life. Animal fauna were abundant during the Paleozoic era. It is a time when different types and forms of plants and animals flourished and became diverse and plentiful. Many with hard shells and exoskeletons appeared. As a result more organisms formed into fossils which left trail of history behind for scientists to study. This era is very important in that is entails an explosion of animal growth in which nearly all living animals appeared and then at the end of the Paleozoic era, during the Permian sub era, suddenly a mass extinction wiped out nearly 90% of all living matter. Much research continues into the reasons why these two extreme situations occurred. (Palmer and Geismann Nov 2002) Subdivisions of the Paleozoic era are; in order of time period most recent to oldest, Permian is also referred to as the age of dinosaurs and Pangea. Pangea was the name when the earth was considered a supercontinent. The majority of the plates had massed together and had just one ocean. The land was relatively dry and had few glaciers. Next came the sub-era, Carboniferous Pennsylvanian (high carboniferous) and Mississippian (lower carboniferous) depicted mostly by the large coal deposits in the area of modern day Pennsylvania with many coal swamps which then spread towards the Mississippi river and became more limestone. The stratigraphy (the study of strata or layers) of the two areas is quite different as a result. This area today called Indiana is in the upper Mississippi River valley. It was mostly made up of Limestone and since sea covered much of the continent at this time, there was a large marine population. Many remnants left over were lime marked by green algae and calcium carbonate which has been eroded and formed by waves and sea water. Then came the Devonian sub era, in which small plants began to appear in the beginning and by the end large trees emerged. Also, tetra pods (considered the first vertebrates to exist on earth) or vertebrates began to inhabit the land. Arthropods (an invertebrate having an exoskeleton, segmented body and jointed appendages), insects and arachnids (eight legged and jointed invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata) also came about during the Devonian time period. Echinoderms (creature with a limited nervous system) and a wide variety of fish also became plentiful. The Silurian era was marked by great changes in the physical makeup of the earth. The basic climates over the earth stabilized and glaciers and their formations melted and the seas levels rose. As a result, the fish population grew by leaps and bounds. Corals reefs developed and marine life continued to thrive. Freshwater varieties and fish with jaws occurred for the first time. The Ordovician sub era was a period during the Paleozoic era when much of the northern hemisphere as mostly underwater and a large land mass was in the south called Gondwana. The land was moist and had migrated close to the South Pole. It is known for its marine invertebrates and limited plants on land. Glaciers ultimately formed and much of the land froze and formed glaciers. This ended with mass extinction of 60% of marine life. The Cambrian era was considered the explosion where a grand diversity of life on earth boomed all of a sudden. Various types of rock were formed during the Paleozoic era. The earth was six large land masses at this time. Modern day continents were relocated and divided later on. Therefore different rocks and formations existed. Limestone and coal are two examples of rock formed during the Paleozoic era. Sedimentary and Cambrian rock and fossils dating back to the Paleozoic era can be found in the state of Indiana. It was close to the equator during the Pangea and lay in a shallow sea of water. Later as the land changed, sand from the Acadian Mountains washed over the rocks and land in the sea. Mollusks, Crinoids, bryozoans, brachiopods, gastropods, bivalves, which are two half shelled filter-feeders, gastropods (snails) and trace fossils can be found as remnants of that time period in the state. Much of the large amounts of plants from the delta are where the large amount of coal originated from. Plants included ferns, seed ferns, moss and many types of swamp plants which also contributed to the large deposits of coal. Plant fossils from the late Paleozoic era include Lepidodendron, Sigillaria, Calamites, Pecopteris, Annularia and Asterphyllities. (Polly, David 2007) Currently, Indiana is rich in limestone, aggregates (crushed limestone dolomite, sand and gravel), aglime (agricultural lime) and other minerals and rock forms. It also has siliciclastic (made from broken pieces of silica rocks) and carbonate rocks (sedimentary rocks made up of mostly carbonate minerals) and coal. These rocks have all evolved from the Paleozoic era through the rock cycle of erosion, deposition, temperature and pressure. Older rocks are altered and become slightly different and newer younger versions. Lingulella  © 2003 Milwaukee Public Museum Works Cited Collins, Allen (1994) last updated in 1999 The Paleozoic Era Web Geological Time Machine Accessed on May 31, 2010 Polly, David (2007) Historical Geology Paleozoic Fossils II Accessed on May 31, 2010 Freebee, M. J. (2002) Paleobiology: The Early Paleozoic Accessed on June1, 2010 UCMP The Paleontology Portal Indiana, U. S. Accessed on May 31, 2010

Many of the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are lonely Essay

Describe the reasons for their loneliness and explore the different ways they seek comfort. Many of the characters in the novel ‘of Mice and Men’ are lonely because they grew up in an unurturing and unfriendly environment. The reason for this type of negative and depressing attitude is due to the ‘Great Wall Street Crash’. This tormenting economic crash took place at the same time when the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ is set, in the year 1929. Families fell apart as the men were forced to leave behind their roots, and seek employment on ranches in order to bring back stability in their lives again. Relationships were never formed on these ranches as no one had any time nor interest in trying to communicate and bond with the other ranch hands or other residents. The only object the ranchers were attracted to was making money and moving on, therefore there was no stability. Tragically, vast amounts of people committed suicide, as they could not bear to live their lives recounting all their losses. Coincidentally the meaning of the town Soledad is ‘our lady of loneliness’. Loneliness is a spreading disease, which has the power to make the most cheerful people dull and gloomy as they begin to feel isolated. There is no direct cure for loneliness; therefore no one knows how to deal with it. This is the stage where the effected people begin to split into two distinctive groups depending on each individual’s character; the two groups are known as introverts and extroverts. The people that are catogrised in the introvert group suffer the most as they keep all their emotions locked up inside, leading in them taking their anger out on themselves. Whereas the extrovert group has a completely different way of approaching loneliness, they begin to take their anger out on other people in such ways as being aggressive and flirtatious to overcome their feelings. There is a vast comparison between the two groups; if you look at it between characters, which are extroverts and introverts, at one extreme you have Crooks a Negro who is partially crippled, and then you have Curley, a cruel, insensitive extrovert. All humans need to be comforted at the time of need as this is the human desire, therefore, it is not surprising that the characters in this novel also require comfort. Some characters similar to Crooks need friendship-based relationships so that they can communicate with other people. Other characters similar to George and Lennie have their future dream to look forward to and work towards that is their target. The definition of a dream is: ‘Dream n. Train of thoughts, images, or fancies passing through mind during sleep; Conscious indulgence of fancy, reverie, thing of dream-like beauty, charm, goodness, etc.’ (Taken from the Readers Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary, Third Edition) A dream is something you indulge in, to escape momentarily from life. This seems to be the context that John Steinbeck intended his characters in Of Mice and Men to dream in. They are all craving for something – in the case of George and Lennie, that something is land. All the dreams in this novel are similar to the Great American Dream, which is that you can achieve anything if you have the mind and desire to do it. However, most of the characters who have dreams know that their dreams may never become reality, but never the less it still provides comfort for them. Crooks is partially crippled, ‘his body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine’, yet self-dependant Negro, he too is very lonely. Crooks’s personality is quite interesting, as he is very defensive and protective of himself: ‘He kept his distance and demanded that others kept theirs.’ Crooks is very cautious about those who approach him, this is as he does not want to be in any more pain than he already is; he is frightened that someone will not only hurt him physically but harm him mentally as well. He is fully aware of his rights, he knows the limitations of what he is allowed to do and what he has not got the right to do. Crooks is lonely as he has not got anyone to talk to due to the colour of his skin, he does not even know how to act around other guys. All he spends his time doing is reading the ‘battered magazines and dirty books’ which were scattered all around his bunk: â€Å"Books ain’t no good, a guy needs somebody – to be near him†¦A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Later on in the chapter we realise that all Crooks is longing for is companionship, however, it is evident to see that Crooks is a bad communicator: â€Å"You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.† Crooks reacts angrily, his anger is and pride is a defense against the harsh treatment he has been subjected to and experienced for most of his years in life. He has been held back without any real conversation for an eminent amount of time, therefore leading to his language being unwelcoming as it is aggressive and defensive. Loneliness has had a negative effect on Crooks as it has made him verbally aggressive and very protective of what is his and his right. In chapter 4, John Steinbeck does a role reverse, instead of a white man tormenting a Negro, a Negro torments a white man, in this case Lennie. Crooks took a lot of pleasure in torturing Lennie the night George went into town, he had pleasure form teasing Lennie by suggesting that George would not bother to return as he better off without the presence of Lennie: â€Å"I said s’pose George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no more†¦Just s’pose that.† Crooks enjoys having the power over Lennie, he uses persuasive and manipulative language to prove his point, for once in all the time on the ranch he has an advantage over a white man. This inspires him, Crooks is feeling good at this point; he feels self-assured as though he can take on anything: â€Å"†¦Now you jus’ get on out, an’ get out quick. If you don’t, I’m gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more.† Crooks builds up his confidence to such an extent that he forgets his status on the social hierarchy. However, Curley’s wife coldly reminds Crooks of his unsuccessful position as a black man; a ‘nigger’: â€Å"Well, you keep your place here nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easily it ain’t even funny.† This racist statement reminds Crooks of his old self, leading to him remembering that he has ‘reduced himself to nothing’, he ‘pressed his body against the wall’, in shame. Crooks achieves comfort from remembering his childhood; Crooks came from a background full of love and care for each other, he knows what the true value of companionship is: â€Å"I remember when I was a little kid on my old man’s chicken ranch. Had two brothers. They were always near me, always there.† Crooks past childhood is full of affection and love in contrast to Crooks now, an isolated and lonely man who is referred to as a ‘nigger’. Crooks is in vast emotional pain as he knows what he is missing out on, however, some people may argue that he is actually quite advantaged as at least he has old memories to refer back to. Crooks also gets comfort from asking to be allowed to join the dream, which George, Lennie and Crooks hold: â€Å"If you would want a hand to work for nothing- just his keep, why I’d come and lend a hand.† Crooks wants things to go back to as he was a child, he wants to revisit the happy days of his life that are now just a vague memory to him. Crooks knows that the only way he can do this is by joining the dream that George, Lennie and Crooks share. However, Crooks soon finds out when George rejects him from sharing the dream that he is destined to be an old isolated Negro. George Milton is one of the main characters in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’, he is quiet, modest and clearly a good worker. George is considered as one of the fortunate characters in this particular novel, this is as he atleast had a chance to experience the true value of companionship and unconditional value with his best friend Lennie Small. His companionship with Lennie ‘staves of loneliness’, as well as giving George a role in life; a clear task to look after Lennie. It is evident to see that at the beginning of the novel George feels superior with this role as it gives him a sense of power over Lennie: â€Å" â€Å" George has learnt vastly from his past experiences with Lennie; this allows George to have a two-way relationship with Lennie, one that of a best friend, and another that of a parent. George feels a sense of duty and responsibility towards Lennie as a parent: â€Å"Don’t really seem to be running, though. You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie.† However, as the novel progresses George begins to realise what companionship is, ‘we kinda look after each other’, now this role simply makes George feel different from the rest of the ranch hands as it entitles him to a status. Nevertheless, George still recognises that he is still lonely, despite having a companion, it may be more discrete than others may, but he is still lonely. George and Lennie do not interact on an intellectual level; Slim describes George as a ‘smart little guy’, where as Lennie is described by George as ‘dumb as hell’; therefore the comparison on their intellect is eminent. At times George thinks he is talking to himself, as Lennie never really responds to his questions. Therefore Lennie can never really understand George emotionally or physically. George seeks comfort by the companionship with Lennie, they both look out for each other: â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world’†¦ Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because†¦because I got you to look after me, And you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† George relies on his companionship with Lennie to get through the unurturing and unfriendly environment of Soledad: â€Å"†¦it’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know’ George values and treasures his special relationship with Lennie, he loves him so much that he can even sacrifice him for Lennie’s own benefit. George also seeks comfort by his simple dream, he wants him and Lennie to have land of their own, and they want to be their own managers and look after each other until they grow old: â€Å"Some day-we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres†¦when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof†¦Ã¢â‚¬  George’s dream, although extremely similar to Lennie’s, is probably more detailed and complicated. Lennie due to his child-like mentality only thinks as far as ‘tendin’ the rabbits’, whereas George assesses the situation by asking himself if they have got enough money, or when will they be able to achieve the dream, before accepting the dream to become reality. George had made it perfectly clear that the dream that he and Lennie share will only become successful if they both achieve it: â€Å"†¦I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.† George realised that he just got carried away, he knew from the start that the dream was unattainable; all dreams are unattainable in Soledad, as it is such a disturbing environment. Curley’s wife is possibly the loneliest of all characters in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’, throughout the beginning of the novel John Steinbeck gives the readers the impression that Curley’s wife is a ‘tart’: ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the doorframe so that her body was thrown forward’ She is portrayed as tarty through her provocative appearance and flirtatious actions. John Steinbeck deliberately does not give her a name, she is only known as Curley’s wife; therefore a possession of Curley. Curley’s wife has been forced to recognise that her sexuality is the only weapon, the only thing that will ever get her noticed: ‘She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up’ This is mainly the reason for why she is dressed in a sexually provocative manner throughout the novel. Curley’s wife’s complaints of loneliness are likely to be sincere, yet she presents them in a manipulative manner that reduces any sympathy for the character. Her ‘craving for contact is immense’, she is longing for someone to have a conversation with her: â€Å"Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awfully lonely.† However, it seems that everyone is ‘incapable’ of having a faithful conversation with her without it including any ‘sexual content’. John Steinbeck describes Curley’s wife, as so desperate that to experience the true value of a relationship that she would do anything to obtain it: ‘If anyone- a man or a woman- ever gave her a break- treated her like a person- she would be a slave to that person.’ Curley’s wife is prepared to carry out any instructions, or meet any demands for anyone that would for once be able to trust her and become her friend, she would do it to such an extent that she would even follow them as if she was enslaved to them. Curley’s wife has a different type of dream from George and Lennie’s; instead of having something to call her own, she wants fame, fortune and respect: â€Å"Coulda been in the movies, an’ had clothes- all of them nice clothes like they wear. An’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me†¦Because this guy says I was a natural.† Curley’s wife’s dream allows her to escape from her tormenting controlled life and seek comfort from what in her point of view could have happened. Curley’s wife is vulnerable, and innocent, she shows her humanity by consoling in Lennie. However, Curley’s wife seems to have a deep regret that she did not take up either of the men on their offers: â€Å"If I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet.† Curley’s wife’s vulnerability shows the most at this point, she is so desperate to get away from her usual lifestyle that she takes the words of a complete stranger to be equivalent of that of a gospel: â€Å"He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural.† Curley’s wife’s dream was shattered when the letter that she was waiting for never came, coldly she blamed her mother, accusing her of ‘stealing the letter’. It is understandable that there never was going to be a letter, the men were just taking advantage of the poor innocent girl. Curley’s wife married Curley on impulse; her hasty marriage to Curley proves to be a failed attempt to escape from her own spiral of loneliness, however, it is now that she has come to realise that what she did was immoral; she feels more trapped now then she ever did: â€Å"I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.† Curley’s failure to satisfy his wife both emotionally and physically is another reason why Curley’s wife is so lonely and has so much hatred built up towards him. When Lennie kills Curley’s wife in Chapter 5, John Steinbeck offers the readers a disturbing image. He describes her with more life and vitality as a corpse than he did as a living character, her ‘rouged cheeks’ and ‘reddened lips’ now after her death give her the appearance of life. In death the ‘meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention’ have gone from her face. This represents John Steinbeck’s first concrete praise for Curley’s wife; he writes for the first time that she appears ‘pretty’ and ‘simple’, a more commendable character as a corpse than as a living human being, as she is not her manipulative self. Therefore, concluding that in a way, some may say that Curley’s wife has achieved her dream as she won her innocence back. Loneliness is a major theme in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. It is only the two characters George and Lennie who stave of it by their relationship. However, the disadvantaged characters are the ones who suffer the most, it embitters Candy and Crooks, moreover, it kills Curley’s wife. John Steinbeck describes loneliness as part of a human condition in this particular novel, it is something we as humans are born with leading it to be either something we fight or succumb to all our lives: â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world’†¦ Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because†¦because I got you to look after me, And you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† However, throughout the novel John Steinbeck does not offer any answers to get rid of loneliness, it only shows how different characters deal with this problem differently.

Teaching English in Saudi Arabia Essay Example

Teaching English in Saudi Arabia Essay Example Teaching English in Saudi Arabia Essay Example Teaching English in Saudi Arabia Essay Example Nowadays, English teachers are in a high demand in Saudi Arabia. In the modern globalized world, English is the language of international communication, business and even education so English has become Saudi’s second language. The importance of English in obtaining scholarships or employment in the world countries including Saudi Arabia is growing. Consequently, employment numbers for teachers are expected to increase in the following years. Many people from different countries come to teach English in Saudi Arabia. Some of them are professionally trained and have degrees, others are members of TESOL. Many teachers from countries like the USA teach English in Saudi Arabia because they want to experience another culture. Others do it to help Saudis get a better education. On the other hand, many Saudis choose to get education in the USA and then come back to their native countries and share their knowledge. Either way, different teachers bring their own, unique perspectives a nd expectations to Saudi Arabia (Teaching English, n.d.; Sharifian, 2009; McKay, 2002; North Tripp, 2012). It is great if teachers meet the expectations of the English language learners. When it happens, more students become English speakers and receive more opportunities in life. When teachers fail, students fail, as well. This research paper is aimed at unveiling and discussing problems and solutions of teaching English as a second language in Saudi Arabia. The research is conducted by selecting and studying relevant, trustworthy, up-to-date sources like books, articles in specialized journals and reports. I chose this topic because I think there are many problems in the sphere of English language teaching both for teachers and students. Here are some examples of the problems faced by Saudi Arabian educational bodies. One is that students start learning English as a school subject from the fourth grade, whereas they need to start studying the foreign language from the first one. The other problem is curricula which are too much for teachers to cover and too much for students to handle. The third problem is that the courses need to end with evaluation instead of examination because the latter focuses simply on grades and passing the exam, whereas the former evaluates the actual knowledge of students an d their language proficiency. The list of problems goes on. After the collection of information and analysis are done, I will try to provide solutions for the problems in order to develop and enhance the practice and tradition of teaching English in the Kingdom. In order to understand what needs to be done in the sphere of English language teaching in Saudi Arabia, one must study the background information on this issue and consider the contemporary realities and problems. It would be logical to start with the environment in which teachers find themselves when they come to the country. The ways in which Saudi Arabia attracts teachers are numerous. In general, teachers are hired directly by educational entities such as universities or colleges, more often they are hired through special recruitment agencies. They are assigned to work in different locations ranging from private elementary and secondary schools to public universities. Some of the educational institutions are situated in large metropolitan areas, such as Jeddah or Riyadh, but others may be located in remote, ultra-conservative towns or even villages (Teaching English, n.d.). Naturally, the attitudes to the English language and willingness to learn it vary. The status of the English language in Saudi Arabia is ambiguous. Not so long time ago, little importance was given to learning and teaching of English in the Saudi education system. English was a compulsory subject from the seventh grade, and neither teachers nor students considered it seriously as a subject worth of studying. Instead, they thought about it as of a language to pass in the examination. During the last few years, the situation has changed dramatically. Nowadays, due to the global demand, English is one of the major subjects in the education system of Saudi Arabia compulsory from class six to the university level. The Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia states the objectives of teaching English in the kingdom. Some of the objectives are the following: (1) to enable students to acquire basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing); (2) to develop students’ awareness of the importance of English as a means of international communication; (3) to develop students’ positive attitudes towards learning the English language, and (4) to enable students to benefit linguistically from English speaking nations so that they enhance the concepts of international co-operation that would promote understanding and respect of cultural differences between nations (Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013, p. 114). However, despite this breakthrough, there are still many gaps in the process and nature of English language teaching. Some of them are the results of old habits and traditional attitudes, some exist because of the lack of new and effective approaches to teaching and studying English in the country (Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013; Smith Abouammoh, 2013). One of the problems in the process of teaching English is the results from the place into which a teacher is assigned. Very often, a collision of cultures occurs. This conflict is milder or non-existent in metropolitan areas which are more open to the Western world and its influence, whereas villages, small towns and rural areas are hotbeds of national traditions and norms. These areas accept the foreign influence more carefully and more unwillingly. In other words, some areas of the country are very conservative. Thus, teachers should be advised and aware of the cultural barriers and social and educational climate of the areas to which they are assigned. If not, a barrier may become a dead wall through which no knowledge exchange may happen (Teaching English, n.d.; Ramady, 2012). One of the most important problems is that Saudi Arabian students often have no or very little knowledge of even basic English. English is taught at schools, but the outcome is far from great. Either because school teachers are unable to give the knowledge to students in a comprehensive and easy manner, or because students lack necessary qualities, interest or attention while studying English, but the result is often a poor language proficiency (Ansari, 2012; Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013; Ramady, 2012). Another problem is bound to the problem discussed above and can be both a cause and a result of it. Unfortunately, many English teachers, both native and foreign, leave the assignment in the middle of their contract because they get disappointed with their students or with the legacy of teachers who worked with these students before them (Ansari, 2012; Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013). The next problem is the attitude towards studying English as if it is a formality. Both teachers and students can be careless about English. Students may be interested not in the language itself but in passing the exams and getting good marks. This negligent attitude makes students spend their school years with no use. Later, when they enroll to colleges or universities where they are required to study medical and computer science, engineering and other courses in English, poor language proficiency becomes a real problem (Ansari, 2012; Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013). One more problem occurs when appointing authority considers the teacher unprofessional or incompetent and fires him or her because students do not demonstrate the expected results or fail in learning or improving their linguistic knowledge. When a teacher is, indeed, poorly qualified, this decision is right. However, when the problem is not in the teacher but in his or her style of teaching, such a decision is not the right choice. Instead of firing a teacher, the authority must give him or her a chance to change the teaching style and/or methodology. Very often, a changed approach is what is needed to become a more effective teacher. Unfortunately, teachers get fired, and not many of them have a chance to stay even if they want to (Ansari, 2012; Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013). The so-called â€Å"mixed-code† teaching is one more issue. There is indecisiveness on whether the language of teaching should be Arabic or English. Scholars say that demanding from teachers and students to switch easily between the two languages is a too muchand impossible to fulfill. Many of them agree that teaching in English is a better alternative to the mixed-code. However, the debate still goes on (Smith Abouammoh, 2013). The lack of students’ exposure to the English language is also a big problem. Although there are English newspapers, TV programs, and expatriates in Saudi Arabia, students hardly have a chance to practice their English anywhere except for their language classroom. Exposure to language is important for better understanding, practice and memorizing of new words and sentence structures. The lack of exposure means less success and more difficulties for English language learners (Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013). Another issue is the outdated learning materials. The textbooks should suit the modern concept of English language teaching. The materials should be well-planned and properly graded. The books and other teaching aids, such as video and audio recordings, should focus on teaching English for specific or academic purposes. If textbooks are outdated or contain materials which are too narrow or unnecessary in the future students’ professions, the main goal of teaching English to Saudis will fail (Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013). Among the main problems faced by students in the classroom in the process of learning the second/foreign language are the following. First of all, it is the cultural barrier and various socio-cultural problems. Students’ culture is absolutely different from the culture from which foreign languages originate. Thus, a student needs to know the basics of the culture at first, and then study its language. If teachers fail to help the student on this stage, the learning of the second language can become problematic and ineffective because all further understanding can be built only if there is a basic knowledge of the culture and the language overall. Second of all, there is a problem of students’ unfamiliarity with the subject. Third of all, different style of writing from the mother tongue may become a problem and a barrier for a student. Fourth of all, there may be a pronunciation problem. Naturally, the vocal apparatus of an individual is accustomed to producing the sou nds of a well-known, native language. Thus, imitating foreign sounds may be problematic and even hurtful. However, pronunciation is a minor problem because having a poor pronunciation means simply having an accent which is overall tolerated and is not a big issue. The problem arises when an accent causes misunderstanding and does not allow an individual to express his or her thoughts clearly. Thus, a teacher of the foreign language needs to ensure that a student does not have serious flaws in pronunciation, whereas mild flows like accent can be left as they are. Last of all, students may seem passive because they have difficulty in expressing themselves in the foreign language and do not have sufficient vocabulary strengh. This problem can be solved by learning new words. The methodologies for enhancing vocabulary are numerous, and all of them can be effective if chosen wisely and in accordance with students’ skills and level of knowledge (Ansari, 2012). To conclude this sect ion, I would say that students’ problems become teachers’ problems. Thus, the main burden of teaching English to Saudi students lies on the shoulders of a teacher because â€Å"the success or failure of any method or procedure depends mainly on the effectiveness of the teacher† (Khan, 2011, p. 112). The responsibility and challenges, however, should not scare a teacher. Along with the information on the problems, the research has also provided an insight into possible solutions which a teacher can suggest. I share Ansari’s (2012) belief that, â€Å"if the teacher has a little patience and is competent and intelligent, he will handle the situation easily and achieve the goal† (p. 519). I have learnt that English can be taught effectively if it is taught with patience, hard work and with the help of methodologies which each teacher can invent on his own. These methodologies should be adapted to the needs of a particular group of students in accordance with their level of the language proficiency and the need in this language. In order to develop such a methodology, a teacher needs to first and foremost study the background of the educational institution and its students in terms of English language teaching, to study the problems and difficulties which students faced in the past and face at the moment. As soon as the problems and gaps are defined, a teacher can proceed to developing a teaching strategy which would meet the students’ needs and close these gaps. Then, a teacher can frame curriculum suitable for his or her students, select appropriate reading materials for them and create a favorable environment for learning English in the classroom. A teacher must be cooperative and patient to save his or her students from despair and depression. When a teacher locates a problem, such as a cultural barrier, which is still not overcome, he or she needs to help students by teaching some basic facts about the foreign culture and its traditions, including language traditions. If the students’ problem is unfamiliarity with the subject, classroom practice should be used to help resolve this problem, as well (Ansari, 2012). In addition to methodology, teachers have their own style of teaching. Teachers should be free to choose and adopt any style of teaching they consider beneficiary for students and convenient for themselves. When the chosen style does not wok in a particular environment, a teacher needs to change it as soon as possible or develop a new one in order to be perceived well by the students. The only mandatory requirement is that the methodology and teaching style are efficient and not outdated (Ansari, 2012). Nevertheless, it is good when models of teaching language are based on time-proved elements. The basics of teaching can be expressed in a form of a few important steps. Teachers are free to combine or add self-invented methodologies, however, the basics of the content and sequence of teaching should remain. When addressing the common problem of poor vocabulary, a teacher should encourage students to learn new words and their usage. A teacher can allow students to use foreign words in their native sentences. As far as I know, this method is proved to be very effective and simple. There are even bilingual poems where foreign words are written down into the body of the poem which is in the students’ mother tongue. By memorizing the poems, students memorize new words, and context of the poem helps them to understand the meaning of these words. If teachers are talented in this sphere, they can even write such poems on their own. A teacher must also teach students how to consult a dictionary because it only seems simple when, in fact, dictionaries are difficult to use. To be successful, students need to know the alphabet and the principle according to which words are organized in dictionaries, as well as understand various abbreviations. A teacher must teach students the parts of spee ch. It means that students must distinguish between verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs. Without recognizing the parts of speech, students will be unable to build or understand sentences. After that, students should be taught structural patterns to know which parts of speech should come first, second, so on and so forth. Structures and schemes can be used to simplify this process for students and make the sentence structure patterns vivid and easy to memorize. The teacher should also explain to the students how to use the words in sentences. The sentences should be short, simple and of daily usage. A teacher should not discourage students if, at the beginning, they use translation method in framing sentences, that is, if they think in their mother tongue and then translate into English. However, as soon as the basics of knowledge on the parts of speech and sentence structure are learnt, a teacher must incline students to start thinking in English or otherwise students will develop a bad habit which might prevent them from knowing and using the foreign language freely and effectively. Reading is also essential. Students should read according to their capabilities and level of knowledge starting with reading (pronouncing) letters, then words and then sentences. The same is true for writing. When studen ts are taught to listen, a teacher is the best speaker. Audio recordings are also good, but they are good only for advanced language learners because recordings may contain noises which would make it difficult for students to understand what they hear. Another problem for understanding is the fact that recordings are made by English native speakers. Hearing native and correct pronunciation is necessary, but it may be difficult for students who are not used to the foreign speech tempo, intonation and sounds. The percentage of understood words and meaning would be very low. Thus, listening should begin with a teacher and his live voice (Ansari, 2012). I would say it is ideal when a teacher can combine old but not outdated models of teaching with revolutionary and effective innovations. Currently, English language teaching methodologies focus on giving students opportunities to communicate. Teachers need to find or develop new methodologies for classroom interaction. These methods should depend on techniques which will help students enjoy English language classes. As a result, students will be motivated to learn English and will be able to develop some self learning techniques. In addition to basics and innovations, a teacher needs to make students interested. A sincere interest will motivate students, which would be the best way to learn something fast and with minor effort. Motivation will help students in setting goals for learning English and self learning techniques. Even more importantly, motivation leads to an optimistic and challenging attitude. Thus, interested students become a favorable audience for a teacher and are muc h easier to teach compared to passive students who see no use in courses they take (Ansari, 2012; Rahman Alhaisoni, 2013). There is one more thing which teachers and people who hire them forget. A teacher is a leader. Ansari says (2012), and many would agree that students look towards their teacher with hope and expectation. They see the teacher as a very competent person who can make them learn English very soon. According to a report of the Task Force on Teacher Leadership, â€Å"Teacher leadership is not about â€Å"teacher power.† Rather, it is about mobilizing the †¦ attributes of teachers to strengthen student performance at ground level and working towards real collaboration† (Leadership for student learning, 2001, p. 4). One more good idea about â€Å"teacher-leaders† can be found in Merideth (2000). The book says, â€Å"Teacher-leaders place their students’ learning as their primary goal and work within their own classrooms to improve student achievement† (Merideth, 2000, p. 3). I can conclude that a good teacher would make a good leader. Leadership qualit ies, such as intelligence, empathy, dedication, team spirit, readiness to help and ability to communicate are important for such a profession (Merideth, 2000; Leadership for Student Learning, 2001). Teachers lead their students just like presidents, kings or shaikhs lead their nations. Educational leadership is as important as political leadership. Reflecting on the conducted research, I can say that the situation with studying English in Saudi Arabia is getting better, although many issues are still unsolved. Despite this breakthrough, there are still many gaps in the process and nature of English language teaching. Some of them are results of old habits and traditional attitudes, some exist because of the lack of new and effective approaches. The main problems include collision of cultures, students having no or little knowledge of basic English, â€Å"mixed-code† teaching, teachers leaving the assignment in the middle of their contract because they get disappointed, common attitude towards teaching English as to a formality, teachers being fired unreasonably, the lack of students’ exposure to the English language outside the classroom, outdated learning materials. Luckily, all of these problems can be solved with the help of both old and new methodologies if a teacher is interested, dedicated, professional, int elligent, competent, supportive and patient. I am planning to use all the background information and pieces of advice on how to solve the problems in my future practice. I am a proponent of new and/or self-invented methodologies like bilingual poems I have mentioned earlier. I also understand that a teacher is a leader who must possess and demonstrate the best leadership qualities in the process of teaching. Thus, I will try to be a good leader for the students and the educational institution and address major problems with progressive methods combined with good old teaching models. I also know that there cannot be a single, universal approach to all classes and students. Thus, I will have to develop a more specific action plan when I am assigned to a particular educational institution because in addition to common issues, there are also different local ones. I will have to study the history of teaching foreign languages at my institution and my class and the level of the English language proficiency of the students. Only after doing this and communicating with all the students, I will be able to come up with an effective plan of teaching and choose a proper teaching style which would benefit my students and help them reach their goals.

Analyzing Romanticism in Pushkins The Shot

Analyzing Romanticism in Pushkin's "The Shot" A theme that is immediately apparent in Pushkin’s The Shot is â€Å"the noble man with a romanticized view of life†. This theme was common during the Romantic Era, the period in which Pushkin wrote, but is important for more than historical reasons; in many ways, such romanticization guides the entire experience of reading Pushkins storyline. As it often did, this theme takes place in an emotionally charged, descriptive narrative. Yet the true importance of Pushkins romanticism, here, is the manner in which romantic ideals guide the life of the Silvio, the character central to The Shot. From the onset of the story, Pushkin makes his protagonotist an outsider. While he lives in a military outpost surrounded by Russian men, his name is â€Å"Silvio†, which is clearly not of Russian origin. He is older than the rest of the men and has mysterious qualities to him. His personality traits are paradoxical; he is inviting and keeps the door to his home open for all, yet mentally he is aloof from the rest. This aloofness makes the other men simultaneously respect and fear him. Pushkin wrote that â€Å"nobody knew what his circumstances were, or what his income was, and nobody dared to inquire about them† (23). While Silvio keeps his life separate from everybody else’s, the other men all scramble to understand what makes him seem so powerful. Pushkin makes the reader curious about this aloof character when he writes that Silvio’s walls â€Å"were riddled with bullet holes, and were like a honeycomb in appearance† (23). The idea of a noble ou tsider is already romantic and embodies the greater romantic theme of the isolated, heroic man. The reader knows from the start that there is something heroic about Silvio. Even his name sounds subjectively heroic. Pushkin writes that â€Å"nobody knew the reasons that had prompted him to resign his commission and settle down in a wretched little town† (22), making it clear that Silvio’s life was once much more important. Silvio also rejects material wealth; his â€Å"rich collection of pistols was the only luxury in the wretched mud-walled cottage in which he lived† (23). Even before the Romantic Period, going back to religious philosophy in Buddhism and Christianity, people who rejected their material wealth were historically viewed as heroic. Heroism stemming from individuality was an important theme in literature during The Romantic Era because it paralleled the surrounding environment that Romantic Era authors lived in. Many authors writing during the Romantic Era, such as Pushkin, experienced oppression from their government and expressed their free will through writing. Writers would often brighten their otherwise bleak reality by writing imaginative stories where an outsider, just like them, stood up against a formal, oppressive lifestyle to live passionately. The setting of this novel parallels Pushkin’s own struggle to do that; a group of men are entrapped in a monotonous military outpost where â€Å"there was nothing to look at but each other’s uniforms† (22) and they create a more arousing life for themselves by regarding Silvio as â€Å"the hero of some strange tale† (24). Silvio is a hero to them because he practices individuality in an otherwise conformist setting. Pushkin continues to slowly reveal more details about Silvio’s life to the reader. The reader finds out that Silvio had once entered a duel that ended in an unusual way. Pushkin romanticizes this duel in its entirety. At the beginning of the duel, Silvio offers the first shot to his opponent, who would not agree to take it (27). A duel in which one’s life is at stake is not the time to try to be heroic, or, I guess in the case of a Russian Romanticist novel, it’s the perfect time. Next, Pushkin focuses on psychology and introspection, giving the reader a glance into the thoughts of a man that is about to shoot another man. When telling his story to the narrator, Silvio says: â€Å"He stood in range of my pistol, selecting ripe cherries from his cap and spitting out the stones so that they almost fell at my feet. His indifference infuriated me. ‘What’s the use’, I thought, ‘of depriving him of his life when he sets no value upon itâ€⠄¢Ã¢â‚¬  (27)? While duels are considered barbaric in the present day, Pushkin presents the duel as a showcase of pride and sentiment that is valued above a victory. The reader ultimately finds out that Silvio was waiting to finish the duel when his opponent began to value his life. Silvio waited five years for his opponent to become a happily married man, and every day during those five years he practiced his shooting skills. When Silvio continues the duel, he ends it by forcing his opponent to shoot at him, and then tells his opponent, â€Å"I am satisfied. I have seen your alarm, your confusion; I forced you to shoot at me, and that is enough. You will remember me. I commit you to your conscience† (32). Silvio waited to not even take this man’s life, but to make this man remember him indefinitely. Silvio then took a shot, marking a bullet hole above the one his opponent made, showing that his opponent’s life may well have been his. Knowing that Silvio had trained five years to become a perfect shot just to nobly let his opponent keep his life makes the ending emotionally charged and romanticizes the ideals of honor and pri de. Works Cited Gibian, George. The Shot. The Portable Nineteenth-century Russian Reader. New York, NY, U.S.A.: Penguin, 1993. 22-33. Print.

Critical Analysis of BMJ article on systemic review of the literature Essay

Critical Analysis of BMJ article on systemic review of the literature - Essay Example The investigator followed the logical sequence and could comment on the work already done in the area. He was able to discuss on the gaps in the literature. Though the investigator described the methodology used and completed the study following literature review but the methodology used was not as suggested for this purpose while presenting rationale for this research. The investigator critiqued that the previous reviews were either narrative or quasi-experimental design and could not assess the effectiveness of the isolation measures therefore, he proposed a better review for valid inferences. The best methodology for this purpose is meta-analysis which has been described by Glass as "Meta-analysis refers to the analysis of analyses...the statistical analysis of a large collection of analysis results from individual studies for the purpose of integrating the findings." Although this research was carried out through a literature review process but in individual studies the investigator focused on the experiences of the patients; their stay in the hospital, course of disease and any other accompanying feature. The methodology and processes used in the analysis of the data were very well narrated and elaborated by the investigator, which reflects the grasp of the investigator on the subject area. He remained unbiased in the analysis of the literature review as he gave full attention to the errors and the issue of bias involved in these studies at individual level. 8. Credibility: The evidence of the ownership of the participants in the research could not be explored and validated. An explicit expression regarding this finding was not found. 9. Audability: The investigator has been successful in keeping the reader with him. He has been able to keep the interest of the reader alive. Although the review is difficult than meta-analysis to follow because the latter has got more scientific components involved especially at the level of analysis which uses some statistically methodology and this way makes the process simpler one. 10. Fittingness: Yes, findings of the study are generalizable. Out of the final 46 studies, 32 were with the findings, which were similar to the measures taken for MRSA reduction anywhere. Eighteen of these were weak as far as methodology or interpretation of the results was concerned while six were the strongest which were longer time series studies. This way methodology was the central point that contributed much in the strength of any study to be ranked high for more reliable results and generalizability. 11. Confirmability: Yes, the findings of the study convey the whole message as far as the experience of different players involved, the ownership, the understanding of the reader and application of the research findings. Even though the methodology was not strong for the subject (literature review vs. meta-analysis) but the investigator