Murder of Emmett Till Essay

Emmett Till was a fourteen year old boy who lived in Chicago. He was very outgoing and friendly with everyone he met. After his uncle, Moses (Moh-ss) Wright, came up to visit, he took Emmett and his cousin down to Money, Mississippi. Before he left, his mother informed him that life is very, very different for blacks in the South and the way he acted at home could not be the same as how he acted down there. He didn’t believe her warnings. As Emmett and his mother got to the train station Emmett ran for the train in haste as to not miss his ride. Mamie Till, his mother, yelled to him â€Å"Emmett, aren’t you gonna say good bye? What if I never see you again?† Emmett said, â€Å"Awhh mama.† Then he gave her a kiss on the cheek and handed her his watch so that she had part of him while he was away. She asked about his father’s ring and he said he was, â€Å"going to show it off to the boys† and was on his way without regard to his mother’s warnings. Money, Mississippi was just a stretch of road with a post office on one end and Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market at the other. Bryant’s sold cool drinks to passing field workers and candy to the neighborhood children. So African Americans were often regulars. As Mamie had said, the south was like a whole other world compared to Chicago. In the south, when a white woman would walk down the sidewalk and a black man was walking towards her, he would have to get off the sidewalk and look at the ground because a black male can never look a white woman in the eyes. Blacks weren’t even allowed to enter through the front doors of white businesses. Moses Wright worked on a field picking cotton. He lived in a small shack on the plantation that he worked for. There were only three small rooms in the shack so everyone squeezed in to the available beds. Emmett had to sleep with his cousin in one room; Moses was in another and in the other room, Wheeler Parker, Emmett’s close cousin and the others. While there Emmet and his cousins would help Moses in the field. On August 24, the boys drove into town from the field and went in to Bryant’s Grocery to get candy and drinks. Emmett went in and purchased two cents worth of bubble gum and on the way out turned back to Carolyn Bryant, the wife of the owner of Bryant’s Grocery, and whistled to her. She was furious and ran out to chase the boys, so they got in the car and drove off to their uncle’s house. While driving home Emmett begged his cousins not to tell Moses of the events that occurred. After three days, the boys forgot about the whole scenario. On the fourth night, at about 2:30 am while everyone lay asleep in bed, Roy Bryant, Carolyn’s husband, and his brother J.W. Milam broke into the house. They went into the first room to find Moses sleeping and woke him, shinning a flashlight in his eye and holding a rifle to his head and asked where Emmett was. Moses pleads for them to leave the boy alone but they did not listen and went into Emmett’s room and kidnapped him. Days went by with no word, so as does most blacks when someone goes missing, they started to check around the Tallahassee River, to try to find his body. Days later, a young man fishing in the Tallahatchie reported Emmett’s body floating in the nearby weeds. When Moses went to identify the body, the only way he could verify that it was Emmett, was by his father’s ring that was on his finger. Both men were arrested and set to be tried in the Tallahatchie County Court in September of 1955 for the murder of Emmett Till. The friends of Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam as well as other white families collected money to buy every lawyer they could for the two. When it came to the trial the defenses main strategy was that the body could not be identified as Emmett Till. They claimed that Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam let him go alive. Any Black people that came forward with information for the prosecution mysteriously disappeared so most remained neutral to avoid having the same fate. The two men were acquitted and set free, Mamie Till sent to higher courts and even President Eisenhower, who all refused to investigate further. After the trail Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam sold their story about what they did to Look Magazine. They made Emmett carry a 75-pound cotton-gin fan to the bank of the Tallahatchie River and ordered him to take off his clothes. They beat him nearly to death, gouged out his eye, shot him in the head, and then threw his body in; with the cotton-gin fan tie around his neck with barbed wire, his body sank into the river. After the story was published and the government did nothing about it, Mamie Till and All African Americans in America, realized the magnitude of their predicament. They knew that their rights as humans were at risk. Thus, the murder of Emmett Till became renowned as the spark that began the Civil Rights Movement.

Lateral thinking

Lateral thinking is a term coined by Edward de Bono, a Maltese psychologist, physician, and writer, although it may have been an idea whose time was ready. De Bono defines Lateral Thinking as methods of thinking concerned with changing concepts and perception. He invented the term ‘lateral thinking'. It was first written up in a book called â€Å"The Use of Lateral Thinking†. (1967) It is similar to creative thinking. It is also seeking to solve problems by unorthodox or apparently illogical methods. â€Å"A set of systematic techniques used for changing concepts and perceptions and generating new ones†, (de Bono, 1967) â€Å"Exploring multiple possibilities and approaches instead of pursuing a single approach.† (Infinite Innovations, 1997)There are numerous ways of defining lateral thinking, ranging from the illustrative to the technical. First, â€Å"You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper† (de Bono, 1997a) This m eans that trying harder in the same direction may not be as useful as changing direction. Effort in the same direction (approach) will not necessarily succeed. Second, â€Å"Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and perceptions† (de Bono, 1997b) With logic you start out with certain ingredients just as in playing chess you start out with given pieces. But what are those pieces? In most real life situations the pieces are not given, we just assume they are there. We assume certain perceptions, certain concepts and certain boundaries. (Wikipedia, 2006)Lateral thinking is concerned not with playing with the existing pieces but with seeking to change those very pieces. Lateral thinking is concerned with the perception part of thinking. This is where we organize the external world into the pieces we can then ‘process'. (de Bono, 1994b) Third, â€Å"The brain as a self-organizing information system forms asymmetric patterns. In such systems there is a mathematical need f or moving across patterns. The tools and processes of lateral thinking are designed to achieve such ‘lateral' movement. The tools are based on an understanding of self-organizing information systems.† (de Bono, 2004). This is a technical definition which depends on an understanding of self-organizing information systems.Fourth, â€Å"In any self-organizing system there is a need to escape from a local optimum in order to move towards amore global optimum. The techniques of lateral thinking, such as provocation, are designed to help that change.† (de Bono, 2005). This is another technical definition. It is important because it also defines the mathematical need for creativity. Lateral thinking is about reasoning that is not immediately obvious and about ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic.Techniques that relate lateral thinking to problems are characterized by the shifting of thinking patterns away from predictable or entre nched thinking to new or unexpected ideas. A new idea that is the result of lateral thinking is not always a helpful one, but when a good idea is discovered in this way it is usually obvious in hindsight, which is a feature lateral thinking shares with a joke. (Harleys, 2004) Edward de Bono points out that the term problem solving, â€Å"implies that there is a problem to respond to and that it can be resolved. That eliminates situations where there is no problem or a problem exists that cannot be resolved. It is logical to think about making a good situation that has no problems, into a better situation. Some times a problem cannot be solved by removing its cause.† (de Bono, 1994a)Lateral thinking can be used to help in solving problems but can also be used for much more. (Wikipedia, 2006) With ‘parallel thinking' both sides (or all parties) are â€Å"thinking in parallel in the same direction.† (Davis, 2005) There is co-operative and co-ordinate thinking. The d irection itself can be changed in order to give a full scan of the situation. But at every moment each thinker is thinking in parallel with all the other thinkers. There does not have to be agreement. Statements or thoughts which are indeed contradictory are not argued out but laid down in parallel. In the final stage the way forward is ‘designed' from the parallel thought that have been laid out. (Davis, 2005)MethodsAn easy and convenient way of carrying out ‘parallel thinking' is the Six Hats method which is now being used commonly worldwide both because it speeds up thinking and also because it is so much more constructive then conventional argument thinking. (de Bono, 2005) The use of the Six Hats method is now growing speedily globally. Those who have become familiar with the technique look back at argument as primitive, crude and ego-driven. (de Bono, 2002)â€Å"With the Six Hats method you can still show off. But you now show off by performing better than anyone else under each hat. It is no longer a matter of proving someone else to be wrong. Our ingrained habits of critical disagreement are so often not just a matter of sensible caution, but a mixture of ‘power plays' and ego strutting.† (de Bono, 2003) On the other hand, there is a necessary and proper place for caution. â€Å"That place is provided by the ‘black hat’.† Under this hat every person sets out to look for dangers, risks, shortfalls, problems, etc. Even those who most like the idea make a authentic effort to recognize the faults. Power plays have no place. There is no longer an chance to show that some particular individual is wrong or that you are smarter than that person. (de Bono, 2003)There are six symbolic hats, each one a diverse color. The thinker wears one hat at a time and only uses the mode of thinking which goes with that particular color. â€Å"The white hat is neutral.† While wearing this hat, the thinkers simply focus on in formation. What information is available on the subject, and what is missing? â€Å"The red hat signifies emotion and intuition – aspects of human thinking which are traditionally excluded from ‘rational' discussion. But since they still exist, they often get expressed indirectly.† The red hat allows them to be expressed usefully and openly. â€Å"The black hat puts the thinkers into the role of judge.† Wearing this hat, they assess the risks associated with an idea and see how the idea fits with what is already known (our values, experience, objectives, etc.). (de Bono, 2003)â€Å"The yellow hat brings out the positive side of assessing an idea.† With this hat on, the thinkers look for the values and benefits in an idea. As with the black hat, the thinkers have to use logic when wearing the yellow hat.   â€Å"The green hat signals deliberate creative effort.† Under this hat all the possibilities can be discovered, using precise techniques of lateral thinking, like provocation. This is an chance for vision. Lastly, the â€Å"blue hat is there for the overview.† (de Bono, 2003)   It is typically worn by the person chairing a meeting but can be used by anyone. The process of thinking is managed with this hat and all the different threads drawn together. (Hellers, 2006)How can it be applied to the corporate world?Lateral thinking is of very great importance in such a way that it gives a new and an alternative way of solving a problem. By the use of lateral thinking, an individual can recognize dominant ideas that polarize perception of a problem, the person can search for different ways at looking things, can have a complete control of rigid thinking, can use a chance to encourage other ideas. Lateral thinking can also be applied in human problem solving. Lateral thinking can be used in the management development. This lateral thinking can be greatly used in schools where in de Bono had also done his study(. Cu rtin, 2004)Lateral thinking is also perfect for: Groups in need of new thinking like companies with an â€Å"innovation† initiative in need of tools that actually work; Professionals in the new idea development business — R&D, PD, marketing, advertising; Executives feeling the heat, same old, same old just isn't working anymore; Teams frustrated with old predicable ideas that keep surfacing in their creative thinking meetings, Scientists and engineers who need systematic tools to break open their thinking; Proactive people that want to strengthen their Innovation Instinct— their ability to generate, build on and implement valuable new ideas. Human resource / Organization development professionals needing tools to facilitate ideation meetings; (de Bono Thinking Systems, 2006)Lateral thinking will also help individuals to develop skills to: Increase productive idea output; Design the future; Find fresh new solutions to intractable problems; Escape the constraints of routine thinking; Appreciate the diversity of thinking among team members; Plan and lead innovation meetings that deliver powerful results; Secure company’s leadership edge; Find new areas of opportunity. (de Bono, 2004)Hence, Lateral thinking is an alternative way to solve problem in a different approach. It could also greatly help in strengthening your business with fresh new thinking bringing innovative solutions to life. Lateral Thinking provides a flexible framework with systematic creativity tools so that you can.Referencesde Bono, E. (1994) Parallel Thinking. London: Viking.de Bono, E. (1994b) The Teaching of Thinking: Why and How? In J.Edwards (ed.) Thinking: International Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow, 45-55.de Bono, E. (2004) â€Å"Parallel Thinking: the Six Hat Methods†. Retrieved from: http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/management/parallel-thinking.phpWikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia (2006) â€Å"Lateral Thinking† Retriev ed 12 October from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateral_thinkingde Bono, E. (2005) Parallel Thinking and Lateral Thinking. The De Bono Library.   Retrieved October 2006, from: http://www.edwdebono.com/debono/lateral.htmInfinite Innovations. (1997) â€Å"Definition of creative, creative thinking, parallel and brainstorming†. Retrieved from: http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/tutorials/definitions.htmlCurtin, L. (2004) â€Å"Lateral Thinking Systematic Creativity Tools†. Retrieved from: http://www.lyndacurtin.com/programs/lateral_thinking/lateral_thinking_index.aspde Bono, E. (1997a) â€Å"Effective Thinking: a General Course†. Retrieved from http://www.edwdebono.com/course/index.htmde Bono, E. (1997b) â€Å"Lateral Thinking: TIP Theories, Psychological†. Retrieved from: http://tip.psychology.org/debono.htmlHellers, M. (2006). â€Å"Serious Creativity†. Retrieved from http://www.sixhats.com.htmlde Bono, E. (1995) â€Å"Idea Focus†. Retrieved fr om http://www.ideafocus.com/products/serious/_serious.htmlde Bono, E, 2004, â€Å"De Bono Consulting: A Division of Resources Unlimited†. Retrieved from: http://www.debonoconsulting.com/Lateral_Thinking.aspDavis, A. (2005) â€Å"Timothy Mcsweeney’s: Developing Your Lateral Thinking Skills†. http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2004/12/1stallard.htmlde Bono, E. (2006) â€Å"Practical, Radical and Innovative Thinking Systems†. http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/home.htmHarleys, C. (2004) â€Å"Creative Tools: A Creative Process, Mind Tools, Essential Skills for an Excellent Career†. Retrieved from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_00.htmde Bono Thinking Systems. (2002) de Bono for Business. Retrieved from† http://www.debonoforbusiness.com/asp/lateral_thinking.asp

Comparison of Matilda Cook in Fever 1793 Essay

Mattie’s Life and Changes In Fever 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson, sixteen year old Matilda (or Mattie) Cook changes dramatically over the course of the book. In the beginning, she is portrayed to be a young selfish girl who was always too lazy to work. By the end of the book, she is shown to be a strong young woman. Her family of three consisting of her grandfather, mother, and herself runs a small coffee shop. Her family usually works relentlessly before, during, and after the shop’s hours. Their kind slave, Eliza, works just as relentlessly around the kitchens. Mattie herself has the easy job as a waitress and usually works much less than her family and slave. Even so, she never puts her heart into her work. This demonstrates how foolish and selfish she is; but just in a few weeks her world will change epically for herself and everyone around her. The yellow fever hits Philadelphia with venom and mercilessly takes away numerous lives. Unfortunately, the disease finds its way to Lucille Cook, Mattie’s mother. Mattie is forced to run away with her grandfather in order to prevent herself and her grandfather from catching it. They try to find their way to a friend’s farm, but her grandfather catches the fever along the way. In desperation, Mattie picks berries and fetches water so that she and her weak grandfather can survive until help comes. In this chapter of her life, Mattie is slowly improving on her attitude and personality. She soon gets help for her grandfather from a hospital nearby. He starts feeling better, but then she herself catches the fever. Mattie is fed and cared for the same way as her grandfather. He soon recovers and takes care of Mattie. She in time gets better and decides with her grandfather that it is time to head home. When the travelling pair reaches Philadelphia, they find objects carelessly strewn across the paths. Houses are desolate and empty; bodies pile up in the graveyard. Their own coffee house is in ruins and Mattie’s mother is not to be found. Mattie and her grandfather try to strive as long as they can. During that time, Mattie hauls in water from the well, picks and chooses in their rotten garden, and uses what is not stolen in the kitchen  for the rest of their meals. They are doing alright for the first few nights, but a few nights later, a robbery occurs that takes Mattie’s grandfather’s life away. In grief, she allows the cart for the dead to take him to the graveyard and follows it to the graveyard. There she mourns for the dead who were taken by the fever, or less commonly from robberies that took Mattie’s grandfather away. In desperation, Mattie proceeds to find Eliza. Along the way, she comes across a young orphan named Nell and brings her along. Mattie soon finds herself living with Eliza, a pair of twins, Nell, and Joseph. She works in the day and late into the night feeding the needy; until the fever takes a toll on Nell and the twins. The house is too crowded for sick individuals, so Eliza and Mattie move the children along with themselves to the coffee shop for recovery. They care for the children as best to their abilities and hope that that the ill children will last until winter when the frost could chase the fever away. Fever 1793 is a wonderful book about a young foolish girl turning into a mature and hardworking young lady. Through the course of this book, Mattie demonstrates how she can change from a selfish immature girl into a selfless, hardworking, and mature lady.

Health Care and Social Status in the Middle Ages Research Paper

Health Care and Social Status in the Middle Ages - Research Paper Example erfs, promised to work hard and serve their lord in exchange for a small hut and food; those that were of aristocratic class promised to protect the serfs at all costs (Abels). With such promises in place, there was virtually no need for anyone to enforce feudalism, as everyone simply knew where they belonged and what their duties were to each other. Feudalism was not a new concept to Europe. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that the Germanic peoples, long considered a race of warriors, practiced a way of life in which the warrior class left all land holdings to the care and trust of others, while using their time to defend their lands or make war on others (Stephenson, 1956). Companions also traveled with the warriors, and in return for their service, expected little more than food, water, and a share of any winnings that may come from victorious conflicts (Stephenson, 1956). Though the beginnings were humble, feudalism soon rose to be a standard way of life throughout Europe in th e Middle Ages, complete with rigid, even unbreakable social structures that affected almost every aspect of life during that time. In many ways, feudalism was seen as a benefit to all. Regional landowners held the power to enforce any laws, as well as to settle disputes (Quigley, 2003). Those of lower class were given the benefit of protection by lords, as well as knights in the employ of landowners, and could run into the castles or manor houses if an invasion took place (Quigley, 2003). The disparities of feudalism, however, cannot be argued, particularly in the vast distinction from rich to poor. The rich, namely landowners and aristocracy, were catered to and could expect a life of health and privilege, while the poor serfs and commoners who constituted a majority of the population were... Through the use of books and the internet, this research paper examines not only feudalism in general and the social structure that depended upon it, but the various diseases and options that were available to the different classes based upon their status for medical treatment, alongside common problems that were widespread in the Middle Ages and gave no thought to the same status that those who lived during that era held dear. Feudalism was not a new concept to Europe. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that the Germanic peoples, long considered a race of warriors, practiced a way of life in which the warrior class left all land holdings to the care and trust of others, while using their time to defend their lands or make war on others. Feudalism soon rose to be a standard way of life throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, complete with rigid, even unbreakable social structures that affected almost every aspect of life during that time. The divisions between the wealthy, or nobility, and those of commoner status were vast in many ways, but none as great as when it came to the health care that was available. The researcher mentiones that given the hygienic and sanitation standards of the time, it is not surprising that disease spread freely and unchecked throughout the population, differing little from nobility to common serf. It is concluded that even those with doctors at their disposal, such as the aristocrats and wealthy landowners, were at a disadvantage due to the thoughts of the time.

TMA T173 01 Many engineering projects are associated with construction Essay

TMA T173 01 Many engineering projects are associated with construction - Essay Example The project aimed at providing an arena for the summer Olympic Games of 2012. The project also aimed at offering an improved sporting experience to that of Beijing, 2008. The British government sought to prove its capabilities of hosting high-profile global sporting events. Following delayed completion of the Wembley renovation, the British engineering sector needed to undertake construction of a new, modern stadium effectively (Woodman, 2007). Funding of the construction was provided by the public sector through the British government. Various companies also contributed significantly towards the funding for the construction. Following economic recession, budgetary allocations for the project had to be distributed among numerous organisations (Dyckhoff, 2007). Though the main contractor was Sir Robert McAlpine, other companies were also awarded sub-contracts. Each element of the construction was undertaken by a different company. This could be attributed to the limited time available for the completion of construction. The main contractor played a supervisory role of the sub-contractors. The benefits for this project include the probability of British construction companies winning tenders for Olympic stadiums’ construction. Successful and timely completion redeemed the image of British companies following delays in completing the Wembley stadium. The finishing of the stadium utilised high-tech decorative wrap to cover the concrete as steel was used for construction. This followed criticisms of the stadium having a dull appearance. The wrap gives the entire stadium a glossy appearance illuminating the London skyline. The spectacular feature of the stadium remains the 25-metre high vertical panels fitted on the exterior side in the stadium. These panels turned the exterior into an enormous video screen (Booth, 2008). The stadium appears like a circular screen from outside. Numerous challenges faced the construction of the Olympic stadium.

Behavioral finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Behavioral finance - Assignment Example Modern financial economics are pegged on the assumption that financial practitioners act both meticulously and with rationale. However as evidenced and earlier stated, this is not always the case. These deviations from the norm are not rampant and inherent but follow a systematic chain of events. With this information in mind it is possible to incorporate these systematic human deviations into the standard model of financial markets (Rutledge 264). In so doing, two commonly overlooked mistakes come to the foreground: Financial practitioners tend to indulge in excessive trading with belief that the next trade will rake in more lucrative returns. This is irrational trading and is propelled by emotion rather than rational thinking. The human trait of being too overconfident or corky in this case is the key driving motivation behind this bias. Some financial practitioners are also in the habit of holding on to losing stocks while at the same selling their winning stocks. This again is in stigated by lack of confidence and the need to avoid both failure and regrets coupled with poor judgments. Behavioral finance contributes to asset pricing in two major dimensions. These dimensions are reached upon by use of agents which may in them are not completely rational. These are: I. Limits to arbitrage This argues that the damage caused by irrational traders in their irrational deviations may be difficult, if not impossible to be undone by the more rational trades. The traditional asset-pricing model does not factor in market frictions and greatly undermined trading frictions like transaction cost, bid spread, ask spread etc. These forces have a great impact on asset returns and therefore should not be ignored. The limits to arbitrage create a model where mispricing exist for the simple reason that risk adverse arbitragers are not concerned mainly with the riskless values of an asset, but about the price of assets in periods following these irrational traders. This model con siders the cost of arbitrage more so the volatility returns and states that the habit of mispricing will inevitably dominate markets especially in the cases of highly volatile stocks whereby arbitragers may avoid the risky volatile position. Finding mispricing is a tasking affair and may involve institutional laws that should regulate the type of trade to be done. For instance short selling which is essential to effective arbitrage including cost of borrowing, legal fees and liquidity risk is not allowed in mutual and pension funds. Therefore there should exist a cap on the limits to arbitrage. II. Psychology: This helps in creating a continuum of deviations spurning from full rationality to completely irrational. The known concept of asset pricing therefore is in a very vibrant flux whereby there is a slow paradigm shift from the completely irrational approach to a more accommodating broader outlook based on the psychology of investors. Risk and misevaluations are therefore the two main determinants of the security expected returns. This is roughly based on a concept by Savage (183) which is a decision making method with imminent or existing risks in consideration. This concept is known as the Subjective Expected Utility whereby it is widely

Socialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Socialism - Essay Example Marx argues that unlike capitalism, which promotes competition the quest to make as much profit as possible as well as undercut ones rivals and if need be drive them out of business, communism promotes corporation (Marx 276). This is a reasonable point; in fact, one of the main challenges of capitalism is the high competition which at times results in the ruining of business by their rivals. Additionally, since this is spurred by the need to maximize profits these capitalism ultimately ends up exploiting the workers who are sacrificed for the sake of bigger profits. His critique of private property is also very well thought out and if it were adapted, it would solve much of the conflict that occurs in capitalism dominated world as many people struggle for the few available resources. He argues that limiting private ownership would render irrelevant the need for individuals to exploit others in the quest for wealth since all would be owned collectively, he suggests that if all propert y was taken away from the hands of a chosen few, it would eliminate the desire and even reason for exploitation. Ideally this would be true, however the premises under which such a situation can be applied cannot exist under normal circumstances. Consider if property was communally owned, it would need to managed and developed and some people would have more responsibly than others in those duties. A skilled engineer will likely have to work harder and longer in a factory than a non-skilled laborer for instance, as a result, if we follow Marx’s argument to its logical conclusion, It would mean that those who do most of the work and those who hardly contribute at all would own equal shares in the property. Ultimately, it would not result in elimination, but simply inversion of the exploitation, this is because, there are those who will be working hard and getting the same amount as those who do not put in nearly as much effort. The argument against Marx’s position on pr ivatization of property can also be applied on the concept of equality in division of labor where ideally everyone would get the same wage, eventually, someone will be exploited. This is because the assumption that equal distribution of labor and pay can be achieved does not take to account the improbableness of equality of skills and responsibility. This argument flies in the face of logic and as aforementioned can only be envisioned in an utopian society; the main reason why communism has failed to take root in any society apart from direct opposition by capitalism is its inherent unsustainability. In Marx’s assumption, communism disregards the fact that its main tenets are directly in opposition of the very nature of the humans it intend to exist in it. Human beings will always want to compete with each other there will always be classes since we cannot be all equal. Capitalism gives people the freedom to compete and lord over each other, in as much as it is exploitative t o the workers, the same would be said of communism owing to the evident impossibility of logically dividing labor equally in a society whose populace possess unequal skills. While taking cognizance of the fact that Marx is right in many ways about the unequal and exploitive nature of capitalism, his conjecture on communism does not essentially provide workable alternative to capitalism. Rather

NPV, PI, IRR, and Payback Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NPV, PI, IRR, and Payback - Essay Example It is the rate that helps a firm in bringing the NPV equals to 0 by discounting few cash inflows and outflows further (Alessi, 2006). However, this method is not always to be relied on as the cash flow changes are often experienced by a firm. Another method of calculation of capital budgeting is the payback period. It tells the firm, the time span in which the firm can cover up for its cost if investment. However it does not take the real value of money over the years in account. Furthermore, it also does not help the firm in the amounts by which the shareholders wealth will increase and the cash inflows are not taken into account after the cost of investment has been covered. The Profitability Index (PI) of a firm the ration by which the firm can payoff to the investment that is done regarding a project. The projects are easily ranked as a result as the values that are created by each unit are quantified. It is also known as Value Investment Ratio IVIR) (Top of Form NPV’s have been considered as the most exact calculator of the firm’s profitability. However, the evaluation of the NPV’s does not tell a firm of the IRR that each project holds within. A project can have a higher NPV, a smaller safety margin and a smaller IRR! IRR allows the firm in analyzing the cost of capital in comparison to the internal rate of return. However, if the projects cash flow moves from negative to positive every now and then, the firm will experience a number of IRRs making the evaluation of the project difficult and less understandable. Payback provides the firms with the liquidity of a project along with the risk that is involved. If the payback is found as long termed then the earnings of the firm will need to be â€Å"tied up† for quite a long time. Moreover, the chances of the failure in a project will increase. All of the above provide the firm a different analysis angle on

The Dragonfly Film Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Dragonfly Film Analysis - Essay Example This "The Dragonfly Film Analysis" describes the general characteristic of the short movies and "The Dragonfly" movie. The film begins with the young boy seen running through a long hallway and down a series of stairs, through a parking garage and into a darkened park. There is then a sudden flashback to this same boy lying on his stomach on his bed and drawing. The film then begins to jump back and forth between the boy running in the present and moving about his room in the very recent past. In this past, he is seen several times looking out at the night and the full moon that seems to float just outside his reach, most often from the outside ground perspective. This has the effect of reducing the boy to a tiny lonely face peering out of a single lit window among a bank of darkened windows. As the boy reaches the safety of the playground, the flashbacks illustrate the boy’s caretakers coming home, obviously drunk and stumbling, and beginning to argue as they push their way u p the narrow stairs. This is what caused the boy to run. The film ends as the boy swings on a swing to try to touch the moon and magically transforms himself into a glittering green dragonfly that flutters away into the night. The pace of the film is deliberate and quick. With only a five minute duration, it is necessary for the story to be told quickly and there is not a lot of time for excess dialogue. The boy is seen running through much of the film, giving it a stronger sense of urgency in its approach in addition its short duration.

Birth of a Nation Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Birth of a Nation - Movie Review Example However, some of the scenes depicting the civil war are unnecessarily lengthy while the death of soldiers is shown in a rather funny manner. The movie can simply be termed as a portrayal of the dark side of the cruel and unjust that progresses towards an imminent controversy. While the message delivered by the film is indeed horrible to imagine, especially under modern times, the most notable aspect is that all the black characters in the film were in fact played by white people. The movie is worth noting for incredible camerawork and narrative techniques that provides for an easy understanding even without the existence of any audio (it is a silent movie). The locations used to film the scenes are easily recognizable as most of the shots were taken from a single angle thereby helping viewers recollect locations from previous scenes. Much attention was also given to the interiors thereby making them resemble more like rooms rather than filming sets. While the story aims to present a strong opinion of a section of the society, the enactments are too exaggerated at several places throughout the film. Thus, the movie could have been shorter by many unnecessary and unrelated scenes.

Poem Explication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poem Explication - Essay Example The poem is patterned in three stanzas structure, having an identical rhyme scheme (ababab cdcdcd efefef). The same basic meter (iambic tetrameter) is maintained throughout the poem. The division of stanza in the poem corresponds to the poem’s meaning in internal structure, within the three stages of his acquaintance with the advancing lady, first from a distance, then next to him and finally, after the encounter. The point of relationship between the author and the subject lady are expressed by the prepositions â€Å"which†, corresponding to the distance between the author and the lady. Then â€Å"how†, expressing the lady’s closeness to him, and finally, â€Å"whose†, conforming to time after the encounter. The lady the writer notices in stanza one possesses beauty and displays it as she walks along. The timing is in a cloudless night, which gives him the chance to observe the lady without being noticed. Probably, he was imagining on how the ladyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s beauty matched with the starry skies. Even in the darkness, the author imagined the lady to appear bright and was mesmerized by the brightness of her eyes. Perhaps, the dressing of the lady adorned her by its glittering. The poem is all about beauty which possessed the lady of the night. Moreover, the author imagined that the lady was surrounded by beauty like an aura. The Lady was not only beautiful physically, but the stanza introduces the inner beauty of the lady as she was tender. The second stanza introduces some contrast in darkness and in the light, and that the lady was fair in the dark, but not so fair in the light. The author expresses his sentiments by use of words to claim that her graceful and beauty were nameless, which could be implying that he could not quite point out what made her so graceful. â€Å"Every raven tress† could be something to do with her beautiful hair, which â€Å"lightens her face†. The woman’s facial expression reveale d the sweet serenity of her thoughts. The speaker is deep in imagination that the sweet expression of the lady reflected her state of mind â€Å"dwelling place†. The contrast of the inner thoughts and outer expression is developed over and over as â€Å"sweetness† and â€Å"pure†, which all summed up as valuable and precious â€Å"dear†. The smiles and tints (blushes) that â€Å"glow† on the lady’s cheek and brow (poetic term for fore head) are calm and serene. This could imply that the woman was quite and elegant, yet her smiles and blushes were eloquent. The writer was strongly attracted by the expressive smiles and blushes. Byron seams to suggest that the smiles expressed all the time that the lady spent on doing good acts. Because the lady was not just pretty faced, but was equally kind and good, she managed to appear notably â€Å"calm† with serenity around other people (â€Å"all below†). Finally the love of the lady was innocent, which could mean that she had not fallen in love as yet. It could as well mean that she was in a platonic love. The writer of the poem utilized plenty of figurative speech to express the theme of romance. The title of the poem is presents some figurative as the term â€Å"walks† could imply advancement both in space and in time. In other words, the beauty evidenced in the lady was not just for the particular period that the writer noticed her, but it could mean that beauty possessed her. Similarly, by introducing the aspect of light and

Policy Suggestions for Reopening Dual Language Essay Example for Free

Policy Suggestions for Reopening Dual Language Essay This empirical research will be presented to the Ministry of Education in Taiwan for the purpose of studying the possibility of reopening Chinese and English dual language kindergarten schools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2004, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan had forbidden the operation and establishment of bilingual and English kindergarten schools. English could only be integrated in songs, plays, and activities but it could not be taught in the Chinese and English bilingual format and use as a medium of instruction. Kindergarten schools are not also allowed to hire any foreign teachers. All kindergarten teachers must be a natural born Taiwanese citizen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the same year, the spokesman of the Ministry of Education cited three reasons for implementing this educational policy. First, they feel that at the preschool stage children should master their primary language. Second, they are so concern with the quality of teaching as they found out that most foreign teachers who worked as English teachers in kindergarten schools do not have sufficient knowledge on early childhood education. These teachers are only hired because they are native English speakers. Third, although Taiwanese students officially begin learning English on the third grade, they do not lag behind their counterpart in other Asian countries. However, there is not enough research to prove the positive effect of banning the dual language kindergarten. The research cited by the Ministry of Education to support their policy is discussed in the review of literature. Review of Related Literature Research Supporting the Policy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The research used by the Ministry of Education of Taiwan as a basis in supporting its policy was conducted in 2001 by Dr. Chuang Shiang Chuan and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. Chaing Jen Ru. These professionals were invited to conduct a study on the possibility of integrating English in the kindergarten curriculum and hiring foreign teachers to teach in the kindergarten level. In this research, Dr. Chuang Shiang Chuan pointed out that language learning for children requires the use of both the expressive and thinking abilities. If the medium of instruction is strictly in English alone, the content of communication between the teacher and the students would be very limited. She also indicated that preschool children fail to accurately pronounce and comprehend a foreign language in comparison to the adult learners. Furthermore, she also stated that learning a foreign language could interfere in the learning of the mother tongue. In terms of hiring foreign teachers, Cheung (2001) felt that foreigners who are working as kindergarten English teachers do not have the required skills and knowledge on early childhood education. Their knowledge is only limited to the teaching of the English language. In addition, hiring of foreign teachers would result in the decrease of job opportunities for students who have completed their education degrees from the teacher preparation institutions. However, the findings of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Cheung may not be objective and conflict of interest is evident as a result of her employment in one of the early childhood teacher preparation institutions. Besides, in the policy statement published by the Ministry of Education to the public on October 10, 2004, it was stated that the research was based on the neuroscience, linguistics and English education findings which indicated that learning English at an early age does not guarantee that children will learn better. The Ministry of Education also argued that teenagers learn a foreign language more efficiently than preschool children due to their more mature cognitive development. It is also stated that imposing the â€Å"No Chinese† kindergarten education would result in communication difficulty, emotional disturbance, conflict of values and problems in culture identity which could affect the development of Chinese language learning. Furthermore, the language barrier would limit the breath and dept of children’s learning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lu Chen (2003) who are researchers in Taiwan also supported the previous findings and argued that it is inappropriate for preschool children to learn a foreign language and culture at an early age. They believed that China would be the strongest country in terms of economic stability and the Chinese language would be the next universal language. Hence, parents should not be anxious to have their children learn English at a young age. They further stated that there is no critical period in learning a second language so it is not necessary to start learning at preschool age. The researchers also believed that having a good command of the native language is the foundation for learning a second language. The absence of an American or British accent is not an important matter to consider in learning the English language. Therefore, it is unnecessary to study English at an early age to avoid speaking with a foreign accent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides the two researchers and one government statement above, the book â€Å"My Child Can’t Speak Chinese† (Cheung, 2004) is also frequently cited by people who are against using English as the only medium of instruction in the kindergarten education. In this book, Cheung depicted her daughter who tends to combine the English and Chinese syntaxes when speaking Chinese after attending an English only kindergarten school. In the book, the arguments to ban the English only teaching in kindergarten school is understandable considering that children in Taiwan speak Chinese at home and kindergarten is the first education that they have experienced outside their homes. The use of English as the only medium of instruction in their first school may give the children the wrong impression that English is the formal school language. They may also think that their Chinese language is less important. These thoughts could possibly lead to the confusion of culture identity and negatively affect the learning of the Chinese language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As an international student who had studied in various classes with native English instructors and have worked as the sole foreign teacher in an American school, I understand the anxiety that a child may feel in an English only environment based on my personal experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Armed with a first hand experience in obtaining an education in an English only school under instructors who are native speakers of the English language and with an experience of being a foreign teacher in an international school, I can strongly understand and clearly see the point in the policy made in not allowing the operation of the English only kindergarten schools. However, in as much as I could empathized with the policy makers, I also felt the inadequacy of the study that was conducted before arriving at a recommendation to close and prohibit the existence of dual language kindergarten schools. There are many dual language kindergartens in the United States and I have taught in an English-Chinese dual lingual public school in New York, P.S. 184M, Shuang Wen School. This is the first dual lingual and bicultural public elementary school in the east coast. Children at Shuang Wen have regular English classes as other public school students and start learning Chinese from the kindergarten level and continue studying until the sixth grade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Shuang Wen’s website, there is a report cited that almost 100% of their students exceeded the required grade level standards of the New York State examination for Math and English. With Shuang Wen’s success, one could only ponder as to why American students are allowed to enroll in an English and Chinese bilingual program since kindergarten while the Taiwanese students in Taiwan have to be deprived of this opportunity. I went through literature reviews by searching and reviewing dual language related literatures on databases of ERIC, ProQuest, Education Full Text, Digital Dissertations taken from the Teachers College as well as the TC Catalog (EDUCAT). The summary of my findings are written below. Research on Dual Lingual Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dual lingual education literature reviewed is presented here in the following sections: bilingual education has no harm, the benefits of bilingual education, the best bilingual education-dual language program, and the current situation of dual language programs. Bilingual Education Has No Harm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contrary to the findings of the researchers in Taiwan, Norbert (2005), Schambach (2006), Garcia (2006), and Pearson (2007) claimed that bilingual education has no harm to children at all. All the misconceptions were bias. For instance, Cheung’s (2003) worry concerning her daughter’s combined usage of English and Chinese is actually unnecessary. The combined usage of language was part of a learning process that children want to experiment in order to determine which of these two languages the listener’s â€Å"strongest language† is. This method would also enable the children to communicate effectively with their listener (Garcia, 2007). Moreover, the capability of switching between two languages could increase children’s cognitive flexibility (Steward, 2004). In terms of the concerns about the lost of identity and delay in the development of the children’s first language, it was discovered that bilingual children do not have any identity issues because in the bilingual education, children’s culture are respected and recognized (Farmer, 1998 Schambach, 2006). Some children may develop two identities since they are educated in using two languages and two cultures but this helps children to be more adaptable to the global world and prepare them better to be global citizens. Moreover, Schambach pointed out an example of an identity issue whereby an immigrant child, who emigrated from one country to another, felt totally lost when not being accepted in the new country and treated as a foreigner upon return to the country of origin for a short visit. This situation can happen to Taiwanese children if the government is not open to the education that the parents expect for their children in Taiwan. About 77% of parents in Taiwan hope that the government would allow the integration of English in the kindergarten curriculum (Wu Cheng, 2002). The main reason for the immigration to the United States of Taiwanese families is to provide better education for their children. If Taiwanese government fails to meet parents’ expectations, there is a strong possibility that Taiwanese family immigration would lead to a problem on the identity issue for the next generation. The Benefits of Bilingual Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After clarifying that bilingual education creates no harm to children, many researchers pointed out that bilingual education can enhance the development of children’s cognitive and social skills (Chan, 2003; Garcia, 2007; Norbert, 2005; Steward, 2004; Thomas, 2003). Chan (2003) compared 31 bilingual preschoolers and 29 monolingual preschoolers’ performance on 3 cognitive tasks and 4 theory-of-mind tasks. The results showed that the advantage of the bilingual learners in the theory-of-mind development hinges mostly in their cognitive development e.g., inhibitory control, reasoning and metalinguistic awareness. Garcia (2007) quoted the research of Peal and Lambert’s work with French and English bilinguals and English monolinguals and suggested that the intellectual experience of acquiring two languages contributed advantageously to mental flexibility, superior concept formation and a generally diversified set of mental abilities. She also cited Padilla’s reasoning that bilinguals are cognitively advanced because they are able to process information provided in one language and produce allied information in another language. Padilla used Keats and Keats’ report of a study as an example which German-English bilinguals, who did not demonstrate the ability to conserve weight in a Piagetian task, were trained to conserve in one of the two languages. Results from English and German post tests indicated that the concept was acquired in both languages. This suggests the possible increased in the flexibility of bilinguals during conceptual acquisition. Steward (2004) cited the finding of Willig who pointed out that students in the bilingual programs scored either the same or higher on the achievement tests in both languages in comparison with children in monolingual education. Steward also agreed with Cummings, Hakuta and Gold’s opinion that the bilingual program has increased children’s cognitive flexibility. Thomas (2003) further stated that the cognitive stimulus from the bilingual program led to enhanced creativity and analytical thinking. He also presented the result taken from Houston in 2002 that native English speakers, who had been in the two way dual-language programs for four years, scored between 63rd and 70th percentiles in total reading scores in the Stanford 9 whereas the scores of students in the monolingual English program hovered around the 50th percentile. This is a remarkable finding that could be used to infer that if Taiwanese children, who are native Chinese speakers, are educated in a bilingual program since preschool their intellectual capability might surpass students in a Chinese only program after four years. After reading all the benefits that bilingual education can bring to students, I continued to research for the definition of bilingual education and its best practice. The Best Bilingual Education Dual Language Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barrera (2004) defines bilingual education as using two languages to learn. Schambach (2006) said a bilingual person means he can use two languages freely in any given situation. In terms of the best practice for bilingual education, Garcia (2007) pointed out that in teaching two languages, it would be best to separate them instead of combining them together. For example, at home each parent should speak a different language to the child and at school, different teachers should speak different languages. Children tend to learn the language in order to communicate. Norbert (2005) further strengthened the importance of separating two languages when teaching. Scofield (2007) specifically talked about the importance of a relaxed environment that is enriched with comprehensible language as well as the usage of gestures, mime, and real objects to illustrate speech and to provide input. He also suggested singing songs and rhymes and having group activities to create a conducive environment for the learners. In terms of time allocation for teaching each language, Steward (2004) cited Willig’s research result which showed that students in the alternate immersion program, wherein the day is divided into two halves each entirely in one language, have the best performance in the tests of both languages. This kind of program is also called dual language program. Current Situation of Dual Language Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Barrera (2004), there are more than 270 dual language programs in the U.S. and the interest in these programs keeps growing as fast as the waiting lists. In Barrera’s research, she concluded that the most successful dual language program resulted when students learn one language in the morning and another one in the afternoon. There must also be a continuing non-repetitive lesson in the morning. In the succeeding morning, students must proceed to the next lesson in the other language. The important characteristics of a good dual language program as suggested by Barrera includes: a minimum of six years instruction; a focus on the core academic curriculum; high quality language arts instruction in both languages; integration of the languages into the instructional thematic units; separations of the two languages for instruction with no translation and no repeated lessons in the other language; use of each language in 50 percent of the instructional time; an addictive e.g. adding a new language at no cost to students’ first language; bilingual environment that has the full support of school administrators, teachers and parents; and an active parent-school partnerships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, regardless of all the benefits of dual lingual education as shown in the research, some politicians in California still think that English should be the one and only dominated language in United States. Hence, they brought up Proposition 227 to replace the bilingual and dual lingual education to total immersion method to help immigrant children learn English as fast as possible. Nevertheless, many researchers discovered that bilingual education has helped children learn English faster than the total immersion method (Krashen, 2005; Manyak, 2006; Monzo, 2005; Olson, 2007). Bilingual education has likewise helped students build more positive self identity by providing a sheltered learning environment (Monzo). Recommendation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After learning from the studies conducted by some researchers, the Taiwanese government must reexamine their educational policy that resulted in the total ban of bilingual kindergarten education in Taiwan. I recommend that the Taiwanese government conduct an empirical study on the possible effects of dual language kindergarten education in Taiwan and recruit volunteer participants to determine if the Chinese and English bilingual kindergarten education should be reopened as an educational option for Taiwanese children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would also like to suggest a research design which includes the preparation of the curriculum, teachers’ preparation, students’ selections and students’ evaluation. Curriculum   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prior to conducting a research, the Education Ministry of Taiwan must initially design a Chinese and English dual lingual curriculum for kindergarten pupils. The easiest and most efficient way is to translate the current kindergarten curriculum into English. In this method, the traditional Taiwanese values are neither changed nor altered and the English language was only used as a medium of instruction. This consistent and continuing curriculum, which is part of the current dual language program, has been proven to be the most beneficial way for students’ learning. Teacher Preparation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Secondly, the government must prepare all the teachers who will be involved in teaching the dual language program. The selection of teachers who would teach the Chinese curriculum is not as difficult as selecting teachers who could teach the English curriculum. For the Chinese curriculum, experienced teachers can be selected among a roster of kindergarten teachers. Since the current law forbids the hiring of non-Taiwanese citizens, it would not be easy to immediately hire English instructors. There may be few Taiwanese people who could teach using the English fluently, have a solid background in early childhood education and fully understand the Taiwanese culture. Since learning the language while keeping the Taiwanese cultural background are two major purposes of the dual language program, I would suggest to the Ministry of Education in Taiwan to hire Taiwanese Americans or Taiwanese people who have studied abroad for a long enough period of time and have attained a good level of English fluency. The qualification to become a kindergarten teacher in Taiwan should not be based on the nationality but on the teacher’s English capability and understanding of Taiwanese culture. With regards to having a solid knowledge on the background of kindergarten education, I believe that teachers can be prepared within few months of extensive workshops as I became a primary teacher at an award winning independent primary school in Connecticut after a week of intensive training and continuing professional development throughout the school year. In my job, I performed well as a foreign teacher. Through experience, I personally felt that it is possible to prepare any teacher for the background knowledge. Further research on this issue could be conducted to be assured that only the most qualified teachers are selected for the program. Students’ Selection and Follow-Up Plan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Participating pupils should be voluntary and the opportunity to be a participant should be well broadcasted to all the parents who have children who are about to be enrolled in kindergarten schools. Students should be chosen from families of a mixed social economic status to represent the common student population in public kindergarten schools. Plans must be undertaken for students who are currently attending kindergarten so a continuing dual lingual elementary education can be achieved until the fifth grade as suggested by Garcia. Garcia discovered that the positive effects of dual language education will be manifested after 6 years of continuous education. The greatest challenge here is that all dual lingual elementary schools in Taiwan are private schools and therefore the tuition fees are not affordable by every family. For this problem, the government could either give vouchers or subsidize the tuition fees of the children who have attended the dual lingual kindergarten so they could study in private dual lingual elementary schools. In addition, the government can also put an effort to open a public dual language elementary school in each grade level to accommodate the education needs of these students. Data Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Students’ cognitive development and academic performance will be assessed through standardized testing and observation from teachers and parents. Data analysis will focus on the findings to determine if advance cognitive development and better academic performance were achieved by students who were given the dual language program in comparison with the dual language students’ performance in the United States and Canada as studied by Barrera (2004) and Chan (2004). To avoid overstressing students, the test will be carefully designed and will be taken semi-annually. Likewise, students’ progress will be recorded for six years. Conclusions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education is the best investment for the future of a country. With the influx of globalization and stiff economic and business competition, it is time for people of Taiwan to be armed with an education that could be comparable not only to their neighboring Asian countries but also to the western countries as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The progress of the country highly depends on its young citizens and the best way for the young citizens to be competitive is by providing them with an educational tool that will enable them to communicate with other people across the globe. English has been considered as the universal language in many parts of the world. There are no negative effects in learning a foreign language as shown in many research studies. Hence, it is time for the government of Taiwan, specifically the Ministry of Education, to study their policies and reconsider the option of reopening bilingual kindergarten schools in Taiwan. If the government intends to be the educational leader in Asia, it is time to open their doors to accept the teaching of English in preschool level. References Barrera, R., et. al. (2004). Profiles in culture. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 19(3), 46-48. Chan, K. T. (2004). Chinese English bilingual’s theory-of-mind development. University of Toronto, Toronto. Cheung, S. C. C., Jen Ru (2002). The possibility of having english education and hiring foreign teachers in kindergartens in Taiwan. Ministry of Education, Taiwan. (T. Ministry of Education o. Document Number) Chuan, C. S. (2003). My child can’t speak Chinese. Taipei: New Parents. Farmer, M. (1998). Creating Montessori bilingual programs. Montessori Life, 10(2), 22-25. Garcia, E. E. (2007). Bilingual development and the education of bilingual children during early childhood. American Journal of Education, 95(1), 96-121. Krashen, S. (2005). Skyrocketing scores: An urban legend. Educational Leadership, 62(4), 37-39. Lu, H.-J. C., Tai-an. (2003). An evaluation on early childhood english education in taiwan-from the perspective of language policy. Transworld Institute of Technology, Taiwan. Manyak, P. C. (2006). Fostering biliteracy in a monolingual milieu: Reflections on two counter-hegemonic English immersion classes. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 6(3), 241-266. Ministry of Education, Taiwan (2004). Educational policy of preschool English education. Monzo, L. D. (2005). Latino parents `choice` for bilingual education in an urban California school: language politics in the aftermath of proposition 227. Bilingual Research Journal, 29(2), 365-386. Norbert, F. (2005). Research findings on early first language attrition: implication for the discussion on critical periods in language acquisition. Language Learning, 55(3), 491-531. Pajares, F. (2007). Elements of a proposal. Available from the author. Pearson, B. Z. (2007). Social factors in childhood bilingualism in the United States. Applied Psycholinguistics, 28(3). Schambach, J. (2006). Childhood bilingualism: problems and possibilities. Kansas. Schofield, A. (2007). An investigation into the practices of a class of field-based student educators working in linguistically diverse early childhood centres. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 32(2), 23-27. Stewart, M. R. (2004). Phonological awareness and bilingual preschoolers: should we teach it and, if so, how? Early Childhood Education Journal 32(1), 31-37. Thomas, W. P. C., V. P. (2003). The multiple benefits of dual language: dual-language programs educate both English learners and native English speakers without incurring extra costs. Educational Leadership, 61(2), 61-64. Torrez, N. M. (2001). Incoherent English immersion and California proposition 227. The Urban Review, 33(3), 207-20. Wu, S. F. C., Jen Ru. (2002). Examine preschool English education from the perspective of critical study period. Human Education Journal, 158.

Skills for Project Leadership and Team Building

Skills for Project Leadership and Team Building ABSTRACT This report is based on project leadership and team building i.e. PLTB. The various skills required for PLTB, human resources needs and challenges in PLTB and the role of PLTB in adding the value to the project management scenario. The implementation of self directed teams into the project management has been increased and has replaced the traditional manufacturing ways. According to many experiments done, self directed teams provide the performance effectiveness to the organization. For a successful project management, the organization has to define various key performance contributors like selection of team, clear project objectives, innovation and the commitment of the project team members. All the four aspects are important for the success of any project. First of all the concepts like project management, product life cycle, team building, human resource development theories and innovation for team building are discussed. After that a case study RL Wolfe, a pipe manufacturer, has been taken and the impact of implementation of self directed teams on the organization is discussed. Further the recommendations and conclusion are made. INTRODUCTION The scenario today has changed to a kind of frame where the self direction, self motivation are the main concerns. The project management if understood in simple words is nothing but the set of stages where the each stage has got the equal importance. The success of a project is mostly dependent on the project manager or project leader because the leader will have to make the goals, get the employees together and make them as a team and ultimately guide them till the end. The team selection or building team in itself is a very tedious and intelligent task because it is always very difficult to understand the capabilities and hidden qualities of the employee and the way to use it for the project. The cross-cultural conflicts are also to be dealt with in order to confirm the success of the project The report will include the necessary the practical, theoretical and empirical examples to support the statement of the report. The report will be guided with the help of relevant case studies as well wherever needed. MAIN BODY Project Management The project management does not simply means to execute a certain job, rather it is set of activities one followed after the other and in some cases it some activities are not even in the to do list but are instant and demand for prompt response. The project management is supposed to be the set of activities which includes the planning, initiating, monitoring and finishing the project. This is basically the art to get the work done form the various elements involved. As Peter Drucker once said that management is doing the things right, leadership is doing right things, this means there has to be a proper balance in the management and leadership. As it has been a matter of debate since the beginning that what the difference between the leader and manger is, can a manager be a leader or vice-versa. The trait theory has said that there are certain traits which decide whether the particular person is a leader or not and it can be concluded from other theories as well that there are certa in traits which are innate and some qualities can be learnt with the experience over the period of time. A per Lock D (2007:8), Project management has got one purpose to foresee or predict as many dangers and problems as possible and to plan, organise and control activities so that the projects are completed successfully in spite of all the risks. He has also argued further that the role of a project manager is to justify his/her existence by satisfying the stakeholders by cost cutting and successful ending. There has to be particular model for the particular project but general there are the following steps: Integration Scope Time Cost Quality Human resource Risk Communication Procurement The project leadership is the point which is there to direct and control the task. The leaders are always gaining the trust; there is a relation of trust between the leader and followers. This point is justified by the lecture given by Murray Johannsen that managers are the one which are having the subordinates to help them or to listen to them whereas the leaders have the followers. The difference here lies in the way to get the work done. It is pertinent to mention the fact a follower will never feel uneasy to do any task given by leader but a subordinate will always find the faults in the managers work. This is the basic human tendency which the leaders always win upon. The project management is also further defined as Project management is a set of principles, methods, tools, and techniques for the effective management of objective-oriented work in the context of a specific and unique organizational environment Knutson, J. Bitz, I., (1991:2). The common methods used for achievin g the targets are PERT, CPM. The main logic of using the scientific methods for project management is to minimize the risk factor and be competitive. The project leadership is a very important in todays market place because the team building has grown very critical. The one most important thing is that the project leader should use empowerment and let the employees take some crucial decisions. It has been demonstrated through several scholarly researches that the most important and valuable concept in self directed teams is of empowerment. Empowerment in simple manner can be understood as gaining the power by giving away the power or authority. As per a web source, according to Harvey, L, (2004-9) Empowerment is a continuous process comprising a series of conscious steps taken by individuals to gain access resources; to better express and defend their rights and in the process. Empowerment is not about wresting power from an individual or group of individuals and handling it over to another. It is the means to an end, not an end in itself. Also, the time does not allow today to give the reaction after the action, rather the projec t leader should be proactive in nature and should try to foresee the changes and should form a team which always gives critical remarks. This will ultimately help in the successful completion of the project. As it has been quoted several a times that leadership is ultimately held responsible for the things. This is also supported by the article of Dr. Keith Mathis where he says Everything rises and falls on leadership. This quote is especially true in running successful projects. You must have strong leadership, or things fall through the crack. Every individual must be committed to do what they say they will do. Source: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/six-ways-to-give-proper-project-leadership.html Cited on: 25/03/2011 Project Life Cycle The diagram below shows the four common stages of the Project life cycle: Source: http://www.onestopsap.com/images/project-lifecycle-v2.jpg Cited on: 20/03/2011 As per westland, J., 2007 the four stages can be understood as following along with their relevance: Within the initiation phase, the business problem or any conflict or risk or opportunity is found and further a solution is found. This is followed by the team building. In Project Planning, is all about creating a framework, assigning duties and taking care of risk issues. In project Execution, the plan is followed upon, the various measures are employed and it is checked whether some alteration is needed or not In project Closure, included the final derivates to the end consumers in the desired format, some lessons are learnt for the future form eth experience of the whole project. Now this particular concept has to be related to the self directed teams and the team should be well aware of all the steps. The advantage of using self directed team is clearly understood in the case study of R L Wolfe the pipe manufacturer company, which has employed it in 2004 and the results were seen very soon. The self directed teams are nothing but the Self directed teams SDT are natural work groups. Each SDT is responsible for a business process that delivers a product or service to an internal or external customer. Each SDT manages its business is continued improvements for the success of the business are the measurements of its performance. (Wentz, 1998, p. 59) There is one more thing that counts a lot in terms of the success of project i.e. Project Initiation Document (PID). This is a kind of checklist which reminds of the certain things to be upright at all times which includes the controlling of risk factor, budget factor, deviation control and human factor control. The project leadership should always keep in mind the critical success factors. Let us understand this with an example from the real estate field. While launching a new project there are several things that can make it a success or sell it at a faster pace. The project manager should employ some special people for the particular projects because the word of mouth marketing plays a vital role in real estate. The flexibility of the prices and the total expenses on the marketing should be kept in mind along with the break even points. The another example can be thought of electronic gaint SONY, whenever SONY launches any new product in the market it has still got the beats and sound system because that is its USP. Scenario of the Question Now in this particular section this will be discussed that why the company has hired the group of consultants. On a very simple logical note this can be thought of if the company is working properly why will it be hiring any consultants. Now the situation here arises that: there might be some change or a new project, which is scheduled to be taken place There is some conflict in the company which needs to be care of The company is working fine but it wants to be more competitive because the competitors are more solid on the balance sheets Also, this can be the case that there are some aspects in the company which can be useful for cost cutting, but the company is not having any expertise on that matter. As per the scenario it is clear here that the company which is of concern here has recognized some of the facts which are related to the human resource management and development and more specifically to the team building. Here the company thinks and it is logical as well to think that team selection, clear objectives and innovation are key success factors. The company is now moving forward and is ready to invest on the human resource aspect. As said above that the consultants are the group of people which have different expertise, but in this case more of them will be form the team building or human resource management side. Now the consultants here will work to form the self directed teams and to train them in the specific context for the success of project. The term which is meant to define is self directed teams, it simply means the group of people working together in order to achieve something on the similar platform but are much focussed and self driven and self motivated. Normally when there is a team of consultants it includes the people of various expertises like from marketing, sales, finance, operations management etc. so in this scenario as well there will be different expertise working together because the project management calls for collective effort of the human resource Team Building Now here comes the main part of the report and the role of consultants. The team building or getting some people along to work is a very tedious task. The reason for this is that the different people have got the different backgrounds, learning, roles or simply speaking the postionality of every individual is very different. The conflict management and cross cultural management is the key factor for the success of the project. The effective leadership has to take care of this, especially in this case. The company should always take care of all the issues related to the employees, the relation with the employees is the one which needs to be managed. For example, if someone in the morning feels sad about going to the office, that employee cannot be an asset for the company; rather the company should try to make him so enthusiastic that every morning the employees should be willing to go the office. There have been several theories on this that what can motivate an employee or what can foster in to the employee the zeal to work and achieve. Malows Need Hierarchy Theory This model has been a very famous and well applied as far as the needs and motivation factors are concerned for the team building. This should always be kept in mind while team building by the project leadership. For example, a small monetary gift cannot be the motivation for the upper management but is a too much appreciation for the lower grade employees. Source: http://www.businessballs.com/images/maslow%27s_hierarchy_businessballs.jpg Cited: 25/03/2011 Herzbergs Two Factor Theory This theory states that motivation and job satisfaction are the factors which if taken care of can result in a very good team building. The project leadership should take well care of the factors that cause satisfaction and which cause dissatisfaction. There are some hygiene factors, which are not the exact satisfaction factor but their absence will cause some de-motivation like fringe benefits, salary hikes and all. HRD/HRM Theories Now comes another step in the project management is that how to get the proper people for the project. The project leadership should take this thing very carefully otherwise it can result in a disaster. The human resourcing and team building also shows the efficiency of the project leader in ensuring the project. In building the right team it should be taken care of that there is proper communication channel upwards and downward so that the information is exchanged. The objectives and goals are properly inculcated into the team members in to be truly efficient and effective. This can be understood with the example of sports as well. The way the Australian have led their team since last 7-8 years has been marvellous. This has become a case study for the students in various schools. The attitude, response and responsibility have all been the strong killing points of the team. To play and end a series is same as to execute a project. There has to be proper strategy that how to play whic h players to use, what strategy to employ including everything else. The Austrian team has been famous for the mind game, to handle the pressure and the as the real warrior. The captain and coach in this case work as the project leader and help the whole team to win. They are the people who decide that which bowler to use and how Now other responsibility of the project manager or leader is to manage the change. The concept which is very important to be taken care of is the change in technology because there is a foremost characteristic of the employee to resist the change but it has to be implemented for ensuring the successful project management. Hence it is pertinent to mention here that a team of consultants should always comprise of the people from several fields having the proven expertise because this will certainly help the project to in the end. This thing is supported by the diagram given here that how the various tasks are allotted to various people in the team in order to maintain the accountability. Source: http://www.fieldsrecruitment.com/media/img/team_structure.gif Cited on: 21/03/2011 The team structure depends from project to project but the team should be built in accordance to the project needs. The fresh talent should always be mixed with the experienced talent. Innovation in Project Management and Leadership for Team Building Team Building is a very critical task for the management as it involves getting people along to work together for a particular goal, of different backgrounds, beliefs, religions etc. Team building is main key factor for the success of any project and for a good leadership. Hence there is a need for continuous innovation and positive changes in the project management for the successful achievement of the project objectives and leading a team in a better way. The innovation can be operational innovation, management innovation, product service innovation and strategic innovation. Innovation is front and center on the corporate agenda, according to a global survey. Executives are adding more breakthrough innovations and business model changes to their portfolio to fuel the growth engine. (Business Week, November 16, 2009). The innovation process into project management and leadership starts with the setting up the stage and defining the concepts and objectives. Then the opportunities ar e discovered by understanding the needs of the employees. After finding out the opportunities, the ideas are developed. The forth step involves the conversion of the ideas into actual operations. Finally the commercialization of the innovation ideas is done i.e. the success rate, financial impact transition etc. of the ideas. Various innovation theories can be used in project management and leadership for team building. Diffusions of innovation theory has four main elements i.e. innovation, communication channel, time and social system. Diffusion is a special type of communication that helps a team in spreading the messages within the time limit that pursue the new ideas for team building. The innovation in project management and leadership for team building can involve implementation of new ideas for the improvement in motivation and satisfaction level of employees, implementation of an effective leadership style is also important like entrepreneurial leadership, creative leadership or transformational leadership, removing any kind of discrimination developed into the minds of employees etc. Hence innovation plays an important role in the development of a team and success of any project. Case Study In this section the company profile will be studied and the main components of the statement of the question with reference to the company. Company Name RL Wolfe RL Wolfe is a plastic pipe manufacturing company having head quarter in Houston, Texas. The company has a net worth of $350 million. PAST In 2003, when RL Wolfe purchased Moon Plastics which was a small family owned business of customs plastic manufacturer in Corpus Christi, they found an opportunity to implement the concept of self directed teams into their new plant. Surprisingly after the implementation of self directed teams, their reports show around 40% improvement in their productivity and quality of the products as compared to their traditional way of manufacturing products as self directed teams increases the motivation and satisfaction level of employees. John Amasi, the director of production and engineering at RL Wolfe, was the one who suggested the idea of the implementation of self directed teams to the organization. In 2007, an assessment took place for the evaluation of the implementation of self directed teams. And again the productivity level was 82% higher than the other RL Wolfes Columbus and Austin plants but still they have to achieve a target of 95%. RL Wolfe used to have three shifts per d ay of eight hours each. In traditional manufacturing way, the work was divided among the foreman, production operators, line operators, downstream technicians, loaders and finished material handlers. PRESENT John Amasi has planned for the Corpus Christi Experiment i.e. he is planning to get an approval from the board of directors for a long sought concession in health care coverage for increasing the commitment and satisfaction level of employees that further increases the productivity level. Also due to the implementation of self directed teams, the organization is achieving 95% or more design capacity. The leadership style also plays a positive role in productivity level as more than 80% decisions were taken at the ground level by the line operators or material handlers through the directions given by the coordinator. The implementation of SDTs divided the work among two parts i.e. technicians and line operators or material handlers. PROBLEMS -The assessment done in 2007 i.e. after 4 years of implementation of self directed teams, exposed few problems along with the increased productivity. The implementation of self directed teams provides ongoing tensions to the technicians as the technicians provide the engineering oversight and it is the duty of technician to ensure the workings according to the plans made. Evaluating the performances of the employees is another problem faced due to the implementation of self directed teams. It is only the performance evaluation that shows the positive and negative aspects of implementation of any new ideas or practices. The assessment shows a decrease in absenteeism level for first and second shift while there is no change in the third shift i.e. the night shift. Many employees are not interested in doing the management type work and hence their satisfaction decreases. It also leads to labour turnover as the manager level employees have assigned the lower level jobs under sel f directed teams and hence they demoralize and leave the organisation. Recommendations for the problems faced in Self Directed Teams No doubt that innovation, self directed teams, clear objectives and commitment of employees leads to team building and better project management. The implementation of self directed teams is increasing in todays organizations over the traditional ways of handling teams as its implementation has shown tremendous project effectiveness. Along with the advantages, self directed teams have few disadvantages as well. These problems have in the above paragraph. For minimizing the negative impact of self directed teams, various measures can be taken. As many employees cant take the management workload, hence the employees should first get scheduled for their own work load and assignments and then further management work can be given to them. Slowly, over a period of time further responsibilities can be transferred to the employees under self directed teams. To decrease the absenteeism and employee turnover because of the dissatisfaction from the type of work given, the employees should be as ked first that what type of assignments they would like to do and according the work should be divided. An implementation of self directed teams increases the employee skills and employees motivation level which further increases the productivity and quality of products and services. The implementation of SDTs without considering the various aspects like effective planning requirements, training needs, coordination with the organization etc. put an adverse impact on the performance of the organization. The cost of implementation of SDTs is quite very high and the organization has to make special budget for the same. Also time to time evaluation is important for knowing the progress of the organization. CONCLUSION Project Leadership and Team Building add value to the success of project management. Various factors affect project management like leadership style, innovation, coordination, methods of team building etc. Leadership and team building are the two most important factors that affect the project success. Many surveys and experiments have proved that Self Directed Teams contributes to the effectiveness into the performance of an organization. This effectiveness is in terms of higher productivity, higher quality, employee satisfaction, team effectiveness, cost effectiveness etc. From the case study of RL Wolfe, it is very clear that adaptation of self directed teams is very helpful in success of any project but again its impact on the organization cannot be ignored.

An Integrated Approach To Writing English Language Essay

An Integrated Approach To Writing English Language Essay The first chapter of my paper puts forth three main issues: an investigation of writing in relation to the other language skills, a comparison between writing-for-writing versus writing-for-learning as well as an analysis of the teachers roles and the students involvement in the process of teaching writing. By exposing these aspects, I demonstrate that writing should not be taught as an isolated language skill but rather as a part of an integrated approach. Additionally, I show how writing-for-writing is as significant as writing-for-learning and how students play a crucial part in teaching writing and take responsibility for their own learning. An Integrated Approach to Writing and the Other Language Skills Contemporary methodological tendencies split the four language skills into two broad categories: receptive skills and productive ones. The latter includes speaking and writing with their much-debated differences. The process of writing presupposes the use of graphic symbols or letters chained together in higher sentence sequences that respect a particular order and form a coherent text. Writing is primarily linked to two other language skills: speaking and reading. On the one hand, the association writing-speaking gives rise to tough debates about whether teachers should focus more on teaching writing or teaching speaking. It may be argued that writing is not merely an ordinary extension of speech; the former practice differs from the latter in multiple ways as Donn Byrne cogently shows in the following table: SPEECH WRITING Takes place in a context. Creates its own context. Speaker and listener(s) in contact. Reader not present and no interaction possible Person addressed is specific. Reader not necessarily known to writer Immediate feedback given and expected. No immediate feedback possible. Speech is transitory. Writing is permanent. Sentences often incomplete and sometimes ungrammatical. Hesitations and pauses common. Sentences expected to be carefully constructed and linked and organised to form a text. Range of devices (stress, intonation, pitch, speed) to help convey meaning. Facial expressions, body movements, and gestures also used. Devices to help convey meaning are punctuation, capitals, and underlining (for emphasis). Fig. 1. Differences between speech and writing (Byrne 3). Source: Byrne, Donn. Teaching Writing Skills. London: Longman, 1993. Thus, the written language asks for a greater standardization of grammar and vocabulary whereas speech is varied according to distinctions in regional dialects. Speaking usually occurs as a spontaneous act while writing is carefully planned. Then, speakers make use of their body language and voice to put across meaning but writers have to count on their words for the same purpose. Finally, speech has a more informal and repetitive character where the written discourse develops logically in a more formal and compact style. On the other hand, writing is related to reading as these two skills represent the basis of literacy. Nowadays, theoreticians such as S.B. Kucer and E. Delgado-Larocco consider literacy as a multifaceted and active practice that encompasses sociocultural, cognitive, developmental, and cognitive factors (see Fig. 2 below). Consequently, for a person to become literate, he or she has to master all the abovementioned dimensions of literacy at the same time (Kucer 4). First, the cognitive influence dictates the writers wish to find, build, and share meaning. Afterwards, the sociocultural component contains markers of social identity (ethnicity or gender). Third of all, the linguistic element puts forth the language used by the writer as the conveyor of meaning. Last but not least, the developmental aspect includes the other three factors: since literacy is a dynamic process, the writers / readers development never ceases (Kucer 5-6). Fig. 2. Dimensions of literacy (Kucer 59). Source: Kucer, Stephen B. Dimensions of Literacy. A Conceptual Base for Teaching Reading and Writing in School Settings. New Jersey: LEA Publishers, 2005. Moreover, the question of why and how writing should be taught arises. Since writing is a skill which is (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) difficult to acquire (Byrne 6), it is obvious by now that instructors should set very clear teaching goals as concerns writing. In this sense, writing may be taught as a response to students needs and diverse learning styles: introvert learners do not feel at ease expressing themselves orally, so writing allows them to feel more self-confidence. But writing may equally be taught for reasons of memorization or retention and thus it offers students the confirmation for part of their learning progress. The most evident purpose for teaching writing seems to be the need for its presence in informal and formal examinations alike. In general, teaching writing is not meant to be an isolated practice. Instead, an effective student exposure to the foreign language is acquired through more than one medium as Eli Henkel points out: in meaningful communication, people employ incremental language skills not in isolation, but in tandem (quoted in Harmer 265). In the classroom, the teaching-learning environment tries to mimic real-life situations and this is the reason why lessons often integrate multi-layered language skills. In this context, writing invites us to gather and organize our thoughts in order to clearly communicate them (Johnson 8). Teaching Writing-for-writing versus Writing-for-learning Language is the vehicle of thought. The essential hypothesis is that-being a language skill-writing means writing a connected text and not just single sentences, that writers write for a purpose and a reader, and that the process of writing is a valuable learning tool for all our students (Raimes 11). Contemporary methodological trends dictate that writing should be taught interdependently with reading, speaking, and listening. There is no single approach to teaching writing but many. Writing may reinforce recently acquired language structures, it may improve the students mental and linguistic development, and it may also emphasize individual learning styles. Additionally, the type of writing teachers promote depends greatly on the learners age, level, and personal interests. In The Practice of English Language Teaching, Jeremy Harmer divides the teaching of writing in two broad categories: writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing. The former type is defined as the kind of writing we do to help students learn language or to test them on that language (Harmer 330). Thus, writing-for-learning can ask students to build sentences using the Past Tense Simple or the Going to Future for instance; here, the aim is not to train students to write, but rather to help them remember (Harmer 330) a certain grammar item. Learners build writing habits for language practice in this case-they come to grasp, retain, and acquire new language structures. Besides this, writing-for-learning promotes learners involvement in the lessons development and outcome by raising their awareness and by making them responsible for their own learning. By contrast, writing-for-writing addresses specific writing genres such as narratives, ads, letters, postcards, job applications, reports, or articles whose construction we want our students to master. Therefore, if we are to build the students writing skills, it is advisable to use such writing-for-writing tasks as often as is appropriate (Harmer 330). This category focuses more on familiar, daily styles that the learners find useful and that they are likely to come across more frequently. Writing for fun or for pleasure is also included here since it allows students to acquire knowledge in their own rhythm; self-experience proves valuable and motivates learners intrinsically, making them accumulate new language items more rapidly and with more ease. There are countless types of writing of activities targeted for this type of writing, amongst which: questionnaires, scenarios, puzzles, instructions, quizzes, diaries, headlines, or programmes. Unlike the controlled practice in class w here pupils are asked to comply to certain composition rules, writing for fun does not require obeying specific conventions but rather using the language that learners have at their disposal. As a result, writing for pleasure enhances students creativity and underpins their level of proficiency in the foreign language. Furthermore, Art Young-in Teaching Writing across the Curriculum-dwells on the same distinction between writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing, although he labels these categories differently: writing to learn and writing to communicate. Fig. 3. Writing to learn and writing to communicate (Young 9). Source: Young, Art. Writing across the Curriculum. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. Young exposes the fact that on the one hand, writing to learn encourages students to take the time to discover new language items step-by-step through creativity and problem-solving skills. Thus, writing to learn sets forth the writers linguistic knowledge and principles in his attempt to explain the matter to oneself (Britton quoted in Young 10). On the other hand, writing to communicate enables writers to share newly acquired structures with others, to explain the matter to others (Britton quoted in Young 10). This time, the reader or the receiver of the writers text is privileged and further supported to revise shared information or discover new perspectives. All in all, writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing are only two of the many possible ways of teaching writing. These two categories are not reciprocally exclusive, so teachers should not focus solely on one of them at the expense of the other. Although writing-for-learning focuses more on content areas whereas writing-for-writing on compositional forms, they both represent invaluable tools for the teaching-learning process. Used jointly within pairwork or groupwork, these techniques bring about the advantages of unimpeded communication, creativity, self-confidence and peer-reliability. Teachers Roles and the Students Involvement in Teaching Writing Teachers whose goal is to instruct students how to become proficient writers must always take into consideration the learners background and emotional makeup but also their life experiences that they bring to class. An efficient teaching of writing presupposes acknowledging the students active role in this process. Thus, a culturally sympathetic input offered by teachers embraces and explores class diversity. Besides the open-mindedness to culturally diverse learners, teachers also play other crucial roles in the classroom such as: resource, organiser, prompter, motivator, participant, and feedback provider. As resource, the teacher should be ready to supply information and language where necessary (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) offering advice and suggestions in a constructive and tactful way (Harmer 330), especially for longer writing tasks. Skilled teachers operate with their expertise when it comes to teaching writing and make sure that they put across new structures in a significant and accessible way. When the teacher becomes organiser, he or she is involved in physically setting up the classroom environment so that students get to better assimilate the writing tasks. The teacher may require that the students work in pairs or in groups and that the class setting be corresponding to the task (horseshoe, circle, groups of four desks or more, u-shape, or others). In this case, the teacher can also act as prompter, hinting at certain English structures to ensure a smooth flow of the activity; he or she could pass from group to group and offer learners tips and cues. Assuming the role of motivator, the teacher tries to boost both the learners intrinsic and extrinsic motivation since student motivation often proves to impede the acquiring of new English structures, whatever the taught skill may be. For teaching writing, motivation usually means giving students the advantage of choice without limiting their perspectives to a single activity. This is not to say that students may roam freely or disregard topics assigned by the teacher, but that they can rely on their life experiences, on their options in terms of English knowledge as well as on the prospect of a real audience (their colleagues, teachers, etc.) in order to successfully conclude an assignment. In this respect, one of our principal roles (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) will be to motivate the students, (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) persuading them of the usefulness of the activity, and encouraging them to make as much effort as possible for maximum benefit (Harmer 330). Additionally, acting as participant, the teacher can share with the students his or her own experience as a writer. By doing this, the teacher exposes writing strategies and offers insight into techniques typically used by proficient, expert writers. Students have to opportunity to witness the teacher struggling with logic and coherence and thus, they become more confident in their own writing skills. Humbertson even recounts: As I continued to write and share with my students, they connected and invested in their own literacy (11). Finally, the teacher as feedback provider is a position that I am dealing with in greater detail in my following chapter. However, mention should be made of the fact that teachers should respond positively and encouragingly to the content of what the students have written (Harmer 331). A negative feedback discourages students and makes them reticent to writing. It is generally accepted nowadays that the teachers feedback should highlight only one aspect that needs improvement every time: English register, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, or word order. Nonetheless, the acclaimed student-centred teaching style of today does not obviously revolve exclusively around teachers roles in the classroom. Instead, this approach views teachers and students as partners or collaborators in the teaching-learning process. Students are as active a part of the writing practice as their instructors. By showing that they care and understand the learners needs and interests, teachers allow their students to become responsible for their own learning. Another instance of students involvement in teaching writing is the case of groupwork tasks when more proficient learners can guide or help out less proficient ones. Regardless of the writing context in the classroom, the teacher can follow certain steps to guarantee successful learning outcomes: design authentic and meaningful writing tasks, teach writing together with other language skills as part of an integrated approach, alternate teaching methods or techniques, create a sympathetic class atmosphere, and adopt a supportive attitude towards the learners. Overall, the first chapter of my paper has dwelled on aspects concerning first of all the relationship writing-speaking and writing-reading, then the similarities and differences between writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing, and ultimately the teachers responsibilities as well as the students participation in teaching writing. In this respect, I have revealed the fact that an integrated approach to teaching the language skills is the most appropriate technique to adopt in class, that writing-for-writing is as significant as and sometimes more constructive than writing-for-learning, and that good teachers know how to include students in the teaching-learning process by offering them a share of self-reliance, awareness, and motivation.