The Accuracy Of Sensory Information Essay Example for Free

The Accuracy Of Sensory Information Essay There are many reasons to believe the accuracy of sensory information. Here are three feel, see and smell. Feeling sends a message to your brain letting you know what something is. Just say you have been blind folded and an object (cake) has been placed in front of you. In feeling the object you would be able to tell the texture and what the object is. See provides you with accurate information about your surroundings. For instance, if you see individuals playing chess it is certain that they are actually playing. Another good example would be children playing kick ball, what you see is what it is. Smelling means that there could be danger but not in all cases. When there is a desirable smell that could sense that something is cooking or a fragrance. Now there is the type of smell that senses danger. For instance, the smell of smoke means something is on fire. Now I would describe the inaccuracy of sensory information. In the past we all have jumped to conclusions at some point and time. Just say there is a case where you walk in a room and everyone starts to look at you. There’s no doubt that they are looking at you but you sense that they may be talking about you. Now this could mean that you are just insecure and feel that everyone is against you. Your surroundings can determine the action of your sensual organs. Like going down a street and you notice that your car is the only one on the street. The first thing pops into mind is maybe this street is closed or everyone is in a building. If the street was closed it looks like there should be some type of signage. Regardless of the sensual organ we are using it’s not always accurate. This is why we shouldn’t be dependent on them. Nature and nurture is a very debatable topic. Research is still being conducted about the debate on nature and nurture. Nature is said to refer to the qualities of an individual. It has been proven that nature not nurture was responsible for intelligence. On the other hand the genes are nature as well which the physical and personality state is. The physical state consist of weight, eye and hair color. Personality state would be how the person is defined to self and others. On a more personal experience that is considered to be nurture. The way that you were raised or the relation to your childhood plays its role. One’s personal traits are predetermined by their genes. Now overall it’s due to life experiences that define that individual. In my view of nature and nurture I see it as not being stable. There is no doubt that both nature and nurture plays a part in whom we are. When it comes to nurture or otherwise known as environment, it has a higher impact on which we are as individuals. We as humans have brains that all receive a different message. The amount of education a person receives doesn’t tell exactly their level of intelligence. Now it does have some effects on beliefs, behavior and intelligence. Not the person as a whole does it has an effect on. It’s only human that we learn from each other. Being influenced or develop ways of thinking and acting coincides.

Examining Crime And Gender Crimes Committed Criminology Essay

Examining Crime And Gender Crimes Committed Criminology Essay Criminology has treated womens role in crime with a large measure of indifference. The intellectual tradition from which criminology derives its conception of these sexes maintains esteem for mens autonomy, intelligence and force of character while disdaining women for their weaknesses of compliance and passivity. Women who conform as pure, obedient daughters, wives and mothers benefit men and society (Feinman, 1994: 16). Those women who dont, that is are non-conforming, may simply be one who questions established beliefs or practices, or one who engages in activities associated with men, or one who commits a crime. These women are doubly damned and doubly deviant (Bottoms, 1996: 1). They are seen as mad not bad (Lloyd, 1995: 36). These behaviors frequently lead to interpretations of being mentally abnormal and unstable. Those doing the defining, by the very act, are never defined as other, but are the norm. As men are the norm, women are deviant. Women are defined in reference to me n (Lloyd, 1995: xvii). In the words of Young (1990), sexual difference is one of the ways in which normal is marked out from deviant (Young, 1990: ix). So why do these differences exist within the criminal justice system and society as a whole? In order to understand why offending and punishment differs between genders it is important to acknowledge and analyses past perceptions, theories and perspectives from predominant sociologists and criminologists of that time towards women in society. Up until the turn of the century, women were primarily perceived as sexual objects and expected to remain within male dominated ideologies such as homemaker, carer and nurturer taking second place after men (Oakley, 1985: 56). Women who strayed from the norm were severely punished, void of any opportunities to explain their actions. Perhaps interventions from Elizabeth Fry in the early nineteenth century campaigning for women to be housed in separate prisons from men and offered rehabilitation could be marked as the starting point for intense studies being conducted into relationships between women and crime. The conception at that time was that women must be protected from, rather than held responsible for their criminal actions. Unfortunately, such intervention only caused coaxing rather than coercion, that is, women became segregated even more as individual members of their community (Bardsley, 1987: 37). Later in the late nineteenth century, Lombroso and Ferrero (1895) wrote a book called, The Female Offender. Their theories were based on atavism. Atavism refers to the belief that all individuals displaying anti-social behaviour were biological throwbacks (Smart, 1978: 32). The born female criminal was perceived to have the criminal qualities of the male plus the worst characteristics of women. According to Lombroso and Ferrero (1895), these included deceitfulness, cunning and spite among others and were not apparent among males. This appeared to indicate that criminal women were genetically more male than female, therefore biologically abnormal. Criminality in men was a common feature of their natural characteristics, whereby women, their biologically-determined nature was antithetical to crime. Female social deviants or criminals who did not act according to pre-defined standards were diagnosed as pathological and requiring treatment, they were to be cured or removed (Lombroso and Ferrero, 1895: 43). Other predominant theorists such as Thomas (1907) and later, Pollack (1961), believed that criminality was a pathology and socially induced rather than biologically inherited. As Thomas (1967) says, the girl as a child does not know she has any particular value until she learns it from others (Thomas, 1967: 68). Pollack (1961) believed, it is the learned behaviour from a very young age that leads girls into a masked character of female criminality, that is, how it was and still is concealed through under-reporting and low detection rates of female offenders. He further states, in our male-dominated culture, women have always been considered strange, secretive and sometimes dangerous (Pollack, 1961: 149). A greater leniency towards women by police and the justice system needs to be addressed especially if a true equality of genders is to be achieved in such a complicated world . Although it may be true that society has changed since the days of Lombroso and Ferrero, past theories appear to remain within much of todays criminal justice system. Women have so many choices of which they didnt before. It would appear naive to assume that women and crime may be explained by any one theory. Any crime for that matter, whether male or female, may not be explained by any one theory. It is an established and non-arguable fact that males and females differ biologically and sociological influences, such as gender-specific role-playing appears to continue within most families. Its a matter of proportion not difference. According to Edwards (1984), the enemy is within every woman, but is not her reproductive biology, rather it is the habit regarding it into which she has been led by centuries of male domination (Edwards, 1984: 91). Many argue, the main culprit for aggression as seen in many men is testosterone. This hormone appears responsible for much of the male crime, even in todays society of increased knowledge on the subject. In contrast, extensive research over the past twenty-five years done on the testosterone/aggression link focusing on prenatal testosterone predisposing boys to be rougher than girls, concluded it was very difficult to show any connection between testosterone and aggressive behaviour (Lloyd, 1995: 26). Cross-cultural studies of ninety-five societies revealed fourty -seven percent of them were free of rape while at least thirty-three societies were free of war and interpersonal violence was extremely rare (Meidzian, 1992: 74). Based on these studies, it may be evident to suggest that sociological factors and environmental influences appear to have greater credibility in explaining criminal behaviour, whether male or female. As most women commit crimes of a lesser violent nature such as shop-lifting, leniency is given to them from law enforcement officers and judges. It is true that many women use their femininity to their advantage which makes it very difficult to argue equal rights for both sexes (Lloyd, 1995: 56). This unequal position of women in society due to social oppression and economic dependency on men and the state, needs to be addressed. Offences by women remain sexualised and pathologised. In most ways, crimes women commit are considered to be final outward manifestations of an inner medical imbalance or social instability. Their punishment appears to be aimed principally at treatment and resocialisation (Edwards, 1984: 216). The victimisation of women in medicine seems to be for her own good or in her best interests. Changing social and economic conditions, environmental influences, cultural traditions and physiological factors must be taken into account when dealing with crime. It has only been over the last thirty to fourty years that women have empowered themselves and fought for equality within all areas of society. After so many centuries of oppression and inequality, these changes can not be expected to happen over night. It is essential that society be well informed in the quest for justice. Creating a framework that is truly equitable requires a proper understanding of life beyond the courtroom door. The world is infused with gender bias and no single explanation exists for human behaviour or passivity or aggression. A complex interplay of cultural and biological factors makes people as individuals. Behaviour may be changed. All have the potential for aggression and compliance. The view that women are other, inferior and unstable because of their hormones and emotions makes it all too eas y to see them, by their very nature, as unstable, irrational, neurotic and MAD. Bardsley, B. (1987) Flowers in Hell: an investigation into women and crime, Pandora Press, London. Bottoms, A. (1996) Sexism and the Female Offender, Gower Publishing, Sydney. Carrington, K. (1993) Offending Girls, Allen and Unwin, Sydney. Edwards, S. (1984) Women on Trial, Manchester University Press, New Hampshire. Feinman, C. (1994) Women ion the Criminal Justice System, Praeger Publishers, Westport. Lloyd, A. (1995) Doubly Deviant, Doubly Damned, Penguin, Sydney. Lombroso, C. and Ferrero, W. (1895) The Female Offender, Fisher Unwin, London. Miedzian, M. (1992) Boys will be boys: Breaking the Link Between Masculinity and Violence, Virago Press, London. Oakley, A. (1985) Gender and Society, Adlershot Gower, London. Pollak, O. (1961( The Criminality of Women, A.S. Barnes, New York. Smart, C. (1978) Women, Crime and Criminology, Routledge London. Thomas, W. (1967) The Unadjusted Girl, Harper and Row, New York. Young, A. (1990) Femininity in Dessent, Routledge, London.

The Effects Of Task Based Listening English Language Essay

The Effects Of Task Based Listening English Language Essay In the Malaysian educational context, the main purpose of English language instruction is to prepare learners for effective and efficient communication in English in their social and professional situations (Chitravelu et al, 1995, p.4). In many organizations, English is the main language of communication and one needs to be competent in English in order to succeed and advance in the respective organization. The importance of English language as a global language has always been a major motivating feature in the learning and use of the language in Malaysia especially as a medium to gain information in science and technology, commerce and trade as well as for entertainment and media. In April 2000, there was an issue highlighted in the mass media about the reasons behind the inability of some 39,000 graduates in the country to get a job. Tan Sri Musa Mohamad the Minister of Education at that time as quoted in the New Straits Times stated that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ employers did not just lo ok at ones qualification but also factors like personality, potential, English proficiency and experience. This implies that job seekers should try to achieve certain level of mastery of English to help them secure appropriate jobs particularly in private sector. Besides, job interviews for professional vacancies in critical fields like Law, Accountancy and Engineering are generally understood to be conducted in English (Hanapiah, 2004) In many contexts where English is regarded as a foreign as opposed to a second language, there are many problems in developing real communicative competence in learners including the ability to listen and comprehend properly. Brown and Yule (1983) believe that many language learners regard speaking skills as the criteria for knowing a language. They defined fluency as the ability to communicate with others much more than the ability to read, write and comprehend oral language. However, learning to talk in the foreign language is often considered to be one of the difficult aspects of language learning for the teacher to help students with. Unlike written language, it is also not easy to provide good models of spoken language for the foreign learners. According to Bygate (1987), one of the basic problems in foreign-language teaching is to prepare learners to be able to use the language. How the preparation is done and how successful it will be, are very much depending on how the teachers understand the aim of teaching the language (p.3). The main features of speaking which can be traced to the processing conditions of communication involve the time factor in which the words are being spoken as they are being decided and understood. The fact that the language is being spoken as it is being decided affects the speakers ability to plan and organize the message, and to control the language. Thus, mistakes often occur in the message and in the choice of words during a conversation (ibid. p12). 1.3 Objective The objective of the study is to investigate the effects of task-based listening activities on the speaking performance of FELDAs EFL learners. The difference in students speaking performance before and after undergoing the Task -Based Listening activities would be one of the main concerns in this study. A comparison will be drawn between the TBL and non TBL classes to see whether there is any difference in students speaking performance. Besides, students confidence to speak is another area of interest to be investigated in this study. It is hoped that the study will be able to identify any significant difference in students level of confidence to converse in English after undergoing the Task- based listening activities as compared to those who have not been exposed to the activities. Another objective of the study is to investigate FELDAs EFL learners attitude towards the implementation of the task-based listening activities. Expressions of either positive or negative feelings towards the task-based listening activities will reflect impressions of the effectiveness of the activities in enhancing students speaking skill. 1.2 Problem Statement Speaking is considered one of the most difficult language skills to acquire among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. In rural setting schools, particularly in the FELDA (Federal Land Development Authority) scheme, there is a lack of exposure and communicative use of the English language. Most students regard English as serving very limited function once they leave the classroom and as such they hardly see the need to use it in their daily life. As in the classroom setting most EFL learners rather remain silent or resort to rote learning when they are required to respond to a speaking task. As such, it is a demanding task for language teachers to provide sufficient inputs for students to be competent speakers of English (Bygate, 1987). Students usually feel insecure about their level of English and face problems communicating as well as expressing themselves in the target language. As a result, they rather remain silent as they are in fear of making mistakes and do not show active participation in speaking lessons. Ian G. Malcolm (1987) refers to the guarded and taciturn behavior of students who refuse to speak as the shyness syndrome and that this problem has been reported of Polynesians in New Zealand, various American Indian groups, Hispanics in the United States, Black Americans and Southeast Asians. Malcolm quoting Tan (1976) and Salleh (1981) says that many pupils in Southeast Asian classrooms are bilinguals whose use of the classroom language is hesitant. Yap (1979) also quoted as saying that the frequent complaint mainly in secondary schools is that learners do not respond or take too long to respond, or speak too softly (cited in Gaudart ,2003, p.2) Emphasis should thus be given to address this problem as speaking is an important element in mastering English language. Therefore, it is important to explore new methods of teaching in order to enhance students speaking performance and confidence to use the language. 1.4 Research Questions The study attempts to answer the questions that follow: 1) What is the speaking performance of FELDA learners after undergoing task-based learning activities? 2) Do task-based listening activities enhance EFL students confidence to speak in English? 3) What are the attitudes of the FELDA EFL learners towards task-based listening activities in enhancing their speaking performance? 1.5 Significance of study The findings may provide language teachers with specific language teaching procedures to enhance ESL learners ability and confidence to communicate orally in English. Besides, in a wider scope, the study can also be used as the yardstick in designing supplementary materials to assist teachers in teaching speaking skill more effectively in the Malaysian classrooms. 1.6 Definitions of terms The following terms are significant in this study: 1.6.1 Task-based Listening Activities Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) or Task-based Instruction (TBI) makes the performance of meaningful tasks central to the learning process. The Task-based listening activities which will be used are based on authentic materials used in teaching second language. Nunan (1999) defines authentic materials as spoken or written language data that has been produced in the course of genuine communication, and not specifically written for purposes of language teaching. The materials are based on the real world context outside classroom in situations in which they really occur. Gebhard (1996) suggested some examples of the authentic materials that may serve as source for lesson planning including for listening and speaking class. The authentic listening- viewing materials include TV commercials, quiz shows, cartoons, news clips, comedy shows, movies, soap operas, professionally audio-taped short stories and novels, radio advertisements, songs, documentaries and sales pitches. In this study, the task based listening activities will include the use of audio CDs on selected stories and songs. Throughout the implementation of the activities students are required to respond to certain tasks related to the selected materials following the framework for task-based learning proposed by Jane Willis (1996) which comprise of pre-task, task cycle and language focus. Among the tasks suggested include listing(e.g. brainstorm/ fact finding), ordering or sorting (e.g. sequencing/ ranking), comparing (e.g. matching/ finding similarities or differences), problem solving (e.g . analysing real situation/ decision making), sharing experience (e.g. narrating/opinions) and creative tasks which includes all the tasks mentioned. 1.6.2 Speaking Performance Speaking in a second language involves the development of a particular type of communication skills. Because of its circumstances of production, oral language tends to differ from written language in its typical grammar, lexical and discourse patterns (Tareq Mitib, 2009). A person can be considered to be able to perform well in speaking skill when he is able to speak a language using the components correctly for example by making the right sounds, choosing the right words and getting the constructions grammatically correct. Pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary tasks will focus on the need for practice in language accuracy. At the same time, one also needs to get a clear message across and this involves choosing appropriate content or ideas to suit a situation, e.g. deciding what is polite or what might appear rude, how to interrupt or how to participate in a conversation. (http://www.britishcouncil.org/languageassistant/pdf/Unit4.pdf ) 1.6.3 School Based Oral Assessment Previously the English SPM examination had an oral examination component which was graded based on the candidates comprehension of a dialogue text and the ability to respond to a pictorial stimuli. However, the test was considered to be inadequate since students proficiency in English language continued to drop to the point where prospective employers in private and government sectors complained about the inability of graduates to converse in even the most rudimentary situations (Vinodini Murugesan, 2003). In 2002, the School-Based Oral Assessment (SBOA) was implemented for the first time on Form Four students who will be sitting for SPM in 2003 to replace the old oral assessment and this time it is considered to be in line with the communicative language teaching approach adopted in Malaysian schools. The School-Based Oral Assessment (SBOA) consists of 4 Models. The models are Model 1:Individual, Model 2:Student-Prompter, Model 3:Pair work and Model 4: Group work. Students are to be assessed twice in Form Four (using Model 1 and 2) and once in Form Five (using either Model 3 or Model 4). Marks are given based on students ability to converse on a topic effectively with appropriate responses, speak fluently using correct and acceptable pronunciation, speak coherently, speak the language using a wide range of appropriate vocabulary within context and speak using correct grammar. In some cases, students can actually request to repeat the test if deemed necessary especially when they are n ot satisfied with their mark. The total mark for each assessment is 30. When the students are in Form 5, the best mark among the three assessments will be taken and submitted together with other School Based Assessment Marks for SPM examination to the Malaysian Examination Board (Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia). 1.6.4 Confidence Confidence can be defined as a belief in one own ability to do things and be successful (Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary, 7th ed., 2005, p.318). It is ones perceptions of ones own abilities to achieve a stated outcome. ARCS Model of Motivational Design developed by John M. Keller of Florida State University identified Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction as the four steps for promoting and sustaining motivation in the learning process. According to Keller, confidence helps students to understand their likelihood for success. If they feel they cannot meet the objectives or that the cost (time or effort) is too high, their motivation will decrease. Besides, confidence also provides objectives and prerequisites that help students to estimate the probability of success by presenting performance requirements and evaluation criteria. It allows for small steps of growth during the learning process, provide feedback and support internal attributions for success. Not only lear ners should feel some degree of control over their learning and assessment, they too should believe that their success is a direct result of the amount of effort they have put forth (Keller, 1983 and 1987 cited in http://www.learning-theories.com/kellers-arcs-model-of-motivational-design.html.). Confidence in speaking involves ability to speak the target language fluently using the right rules and appropriate choice of words. In speech situation, thinking, listening and speaking go on almost simultaneously and people expect feedback on or response to what they have said almost as soon as they stop speaking (Chitravelu et.al, 1995). Anxiety of making mistakes is one of the major obstacles that learners have to overcome in learning speaking because most of the time learners are reluctant to be judged by listeners. Of all the four language skills, speaking skill is probably the one most affected by personality features. Students who are confident and have experienced success are likely to be more motivated and more willing to try harder. Therefore, teachers have an important role in building up students confidence to speak by being sensitive, sympathetic and encouraging as well as selecting material that is motivating and within the ability of the students (ibid). 1.6.5 Attitudes Attitudes refer to a persons way of thinking or feeling about somebody or something; the way that he or she behaves towards somebody or something actually shows how the person thinks or feels (Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary, 7th ed., 2005, p.85). The measurement of language attitudes provides information that is useful in teaching and language planning (Richards, Platt and Platt, 1997 cited in Tareq Mitib, 2009). In this study the EFL learners attitudes towards the Task-based listening activities will be measured through the use of a questionnaire which will be developed from the findings from focus group discussions. The questions will comprise of an adaptation of Gardners (1985) Attitude/ Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) and Rossett (1982) Needs Analysis questionnaire. 1.7 Limitation/ Delimitation Since this study will be carried out within a relatively short period of time on students with average to good proficiency of English, it would thus be interesting to see if using task-based listening activities on a lower English-proficiency group of EFL students with varying time spent would have a different effect on the results. Thus, this study might not be able to represent the whole FELDA scheme students speaking performance because only two groups of students from a school will be selected. Further studies need to be conducted in order to seek similarities or differences on this issue. Chapter 2: Review of Literature 2.1 Relationship between listening and speaking Speech involves communication between people and the rules that apply to all forms of interpersonal behaviour also apply to speaking behaviour (Chitravelu et.al, 1995, p.59). Graham-Marr (2004) mentioned many reasons for focusing in listening and speaking in EFL classroom and one of them is the fact that speaking skills have been found to be a fundamental skill necessary to succeed in life. The ability to speak in the target language has always been associated with the success of learning the language. Before a person can speak the language he learnt, he should first be able to listen and understand the language. Listening should be the first and foremost skill to be acquired in learning a new language because understanding spoken words is prerequisite to speaking, reading and writing; and that comprehension should precede reproduction. Listening skill transfers to other skills and promoting listening skills before focusing on oral skills can result in increased second language acqui sition. (Cheung, 2010). The relationship of listening and speaking skills was further elaborated by Goss (1982) who claimed that listening is a process of taking what you hear and organizing it into verbal units to which you can apply meaning. Applied to speech processing, listening requires that you structure the sounds that you hear and organize them into words, phrases, sentences, or other linguistic units. Bowen, Madsen and Hilferty (1985) (ibid) defined listening as attending to and interpreting oral language. The student should be able to hear oral speech in English, segment the stream of sounds, group them into lexical and syntactic units (words, phrases, sentences), and understand the message they convey (p. 73). Gary (1975) cited in Ghazali, (2003) said that giving pre-eminence to listening comprehension particularly in the early stages of second language teaching and learning contributes advantages of four different types, namely cognitive, efficiency, utility and effective. As such, Doff (1988) added that speaking skills cannot be developed unless listening skill is also developed. In order to have successful conversation, students must understand what is said to them because later on the ability to understand spoken English may be very important for studying, listening to the radio or understanding foreign visitors. To develop this ability, students need plenty of practice in listening to English spoken at normal speed (p.163). A listening lesson gives students the opportunity to listen to native speakers conversations if the related materials are well-chosen, and, listening to the target language a lot can help the students improve in their pronunciation (Gethin and Gunnemark, 1996). Bruton (1997:14-15) argues that students need to listen to prepare themselves for their future listening. They need to listen in order to know how to produce. The better students understand what they hear, the better they will take part in spoken interactions. Although students usually face difficulties to understand the language produced by the native speakers in the listening activities, teachers have to be creative to tackle the problem by exposing students to more of the materials. At the beginning of the listening activities, teachers help may still be needed to explain to the students what is required from them. However, the dependency on teachers can slowly be eliminated later on when the students are working on the act ivities or in their groups. In order to measure the effectiveness of any speaking lesson, students need to be tested. The two main aspects of direct procedures for testing speaking according to Nation and Newton (2009) are the way in which the person who is being tested is encouraged to speak and the way in which the speaker performance is assessed. The first procedure can include interviewing, describing something for someone to draw and discussing while the latter can include rating scale, communicative result and assigning marks for the parts of an outcome (p.171). 2.2 Task-based Instruction in Language Classroom In task-based language teaching (TBLT), syllabus content and instructional processes are selected with reference to the communicative tasks which learners will (either actually or potentially) need to engage in outside the classroom and also with reference to theoretical and empirical insights into those social and psycholinguistic processes which facilitate language acquisition. Among the features identified by Nunan (1991) for this approach is the emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language, the introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation, the provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on language, but also on the learning process itself, an enhancement of the learners own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning and an attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom. According to Brown (2001), Task- based Language Teaching (TBLT) puts tasks at the centre of the methodological focus. The learning process is viewed as a set of communicative tasks that are directly linked to the curricular goals they serve. The main characteristics of TBLT according to Ellis (2003) include the natural or naturalistic use of language, learners-centred activities rather than teacher-centred, focus on form and tasks serve as the means for achieving natural use of language. Ellis also claimed that the traditional approach of Present, Practice and Produce (PPP) are inadequate. Some critics also supported this and viewed PPP as clearly being teacher-centred and therefore sits uneasily in a more humanistic and learner-centred framework (Harmer, 1988, p.66). Task can be defined in various ways. Nunan (1999) in Bahrami (2010) for example, defined a task as a piece of classroom work that involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is focused on mobilizing their grammatical knowledge in order to express meaning, and in which the intention is to convey meaning rather than to manipulate form. The task should also have a sense of completeness, able to stand alone as a communicative act in its own right with a beginning, middle and an end. (p. 25). Long (1985a) as cited in Nunan (1991) suggests that a task is nothing more or less than the things people do in everyday life like for examples buying shoes, making reservations, finding destinations, and writing cheques. Breen (1987) similarly suggests that a task is any structured language learning endeavour which has a particular objective, appropriate content, a specified working procedure, and a range of outcomes for those who undertake the task. Task is therefore assumed to refer to a range of work plans which have the overall purpose of facilitating language learning-from the simple and brief exercise type, to more complex and lengthy activities such as group problem- solving or simulations and decision making (p. 23). Prabhu (1987) stands as the first significant person in the development of Task-based instructions in language classrooms. He defines a task as an activity which required learners to arrive at an outcome from given information through some process of thought, and which allowed teachers to control and regulate that process (cited in Tareq Mitib ,2009). Nunan (1989) further defines a task as a piece of classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form (p.10). He suggests that in all definitions of tasks, one can see communicative language use where the learner focuses on meaning instead of linguistic structure. Many people have studied the implementation of Task-based instruction in language classrooms and have advised using tasks in language classrooms because students motivation rises through assigned tasks. On looking at the positive results that the use of tasks may bring about in the EFL classroom, it can be said that using a variety of tasks in class gives positive results (Ruso, 2007). Bahrami (2010) examined the influence of four specific types of task-based activities of matching, form-filling, labelling and selecting on the listening ability of 90 senior EFL learners of Sadra English Institute of Darood .The data for the quasi-experimental study included two task-based tests of listening comprehension and a test of language proficiency. The result shows that there was a significant relationship between the three tasks of matching, labelling and form filling on the other hand and listening comprehension on the other. However, there was no relationship observed for the task of selec ting and listening comprehension. In conclusion, not only the listening-comprehension skill of the EFL students tended to improve through exposure to task-based input; it is also proven to be suitable for students of various levels. Similarly, Tareq Mitib (2009) who also adopted a quasi experimental design to study the effects of Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) on developing speaking skills among the Palestinian Secondary EFL students from two schools in Israel concluded that the method succeeded in improving the students speaking skills and develop students attitude towards English language. It was found that girls speaking skill improved more than the boys when classroom practice was organized and authentic as in the case of TBLT. Boys on the other hand, did better in the conventional teaching situations. Tareq therefore claimed that task-based language teaching can be the solution for the lack of exposure to authentic English as it enabled students to practise using the language through different activities in real world tasks and in a stress free atmosphere. This finding conforms to Underwood, (1998); Gethin and Gunnemark, (1996) and Kenworthys, (1987) claims, that, exposing students to native speakers o f English Language through listening gives them the opportunities to acquire the correct model of English pronunciation which will eventually leads to intelligibility (cited in Ghazali, 2003). Awang and Md. Supie (2011) stated that, one of the main issues in second language learning is ESL learners who are less proficient in the language opt to avoid speaking in English language classes. Some learners might find speaking English in front of the class as very intimidating. In a way it implies that regardless of how many English classes students have attended, if they do not practise the language, they will not be able to improve their communication skills as well as their self-confidence. Both researchers proposed that task-based speaking activities would enable students to communicate easily as the activities are usually conducted in pair work or group work. As such, a study was conducted in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia(UTM) on 30 second year students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering enrolled for the Advanced English for Academic Communication course in semester 2, 2007/2008. A set of questionnaire was designed and distributed to find out the students perspectiv es on task-based speaking activities in fostering their communication in English. This study also seeks to find out which types of Task-Based Speaking Activities (TBSA) that highly promotes learners communication in English. The types of task-based speaking activities used in the study were problem-solving, information-gap, and sharing personal experience or feelings. Results show that all the 30 participants agreed that task-based speaking activities improved their communication in English because the activities offered opportunities to practise the language. It was also found that students with low level of proficiency in English also participated in the TBSA during English classes and they were not intimidated by their low level of proficiency. As for the activities, problem-solving is found to be the most preferred type of TBSA that encouraged participation and use of English language. Other study related to the use of TBL includes an exploration of the implementation of TBLT in three primary classrooms in Hong Kong by Carless (2001). The subjects of the case study were three female English teachers who implemented task-based innovation over a seven months period in their primary one and primary two classrooms with children aged six to seven. Results reveal that there was a certain amount of interplay between different issues studied like for example, the more positive the teachers attitude towards TBLT, the more likely she was to take time doing the preparation of the supplementary materials for her class or to allocate time for carrying out activities (cited in Tareq Mitib, 2009). Despites many positive feedbacks of using TBL on EFL and ESL students, there are also evidences of sceptical perceptions on its implementation. One of them is in a case study conducted by In-Jae Jeon and Jung-won Hahn on EFL teachers perceptions on the practice of TBLT in Korean secondary School Classroom in 2005. Data were collected through questionnaires from 228 teachers at 38 different middle and high schools in Korea. The overall findings of the survey show that even though majority of the respondents have a higher level of understanding about TBLT concepts, teachers still retain some fear of adopting TBLT because of perceived disciplinary problems related to classroom practice. Other reason for teachers fear to adopt TBLT is related to their lack of confidence. Hence, much consideration should be given to overcome the potential obstacles such as on the part of the teachers before TBLT can really be successfully implemented. 2.3 Theoretical Framework of TBL Task-based learning (TBL) seems to gain currency since the publication of Jane Willis Framework for Task-Based Learning in 1996. N. Prabhu originally popularizes TBL in early 80s and since then has influenced subsequent models of Task Based Teaching such as Willis (1996) who developed a framework for task-based learning. Prabhu (1987) used a task-based approach with secondary school classes in Bangalore, India in his Communicational Teaching Project beginning 1979. Reports on the Bangalore project indicated that a syllabus organized around problem solving tasks and feedback can effectively accomplish and in many ways improve on what a traditional linguistic syllabus provides (cited in Tareq Mitib, 2009, pp. 53). In Framework for Task-Based Learning (1996), Willis proposed a three stages process of carrying out TBL. The stages include: pre-task (introduction to topic and task), task cycle (planning and reporting) and language focus (analysis and practice).The framework can be illustra ted as below: FRAMEWORK OF TBL (Jane Willis, 1996) Pre task Introduction to topic and task instruction (Exposure) Task cycle Use expose to tasks (6 tasks Types), planning (prepare to report outcomes), reporting, post task (optional) Focus on forms Language Focus Analysis: learners focus on form, Ask about language features Practice: teacher conduct activities TASK (Introduction to topic/ task) TASK CYCLE ( Task /Planning /Report) LANGUAGE FOCUS (Analysis Practice) In the Pre-Task stage, the learners and teachers explore the topic and the teacher may highlight useful words and phrases while helping students to understand the task instructions. The purpose of pre-task is to prepare students to perform the task in ways that will promote acquisition. As for the Task Cycle stage, the students perform the task in pairs or small groups while the teacher monitors or facilitate the lesson from a distance. During this stage students will also plan on how to report or present to the class what they have done and how they do it. At the same time teacher should encourage students to communicate in the target language while helping students to prepare w

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - A Model of Courage Essay -- Dr. Martin Lu

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a Model of Courage To be courageous is necessarily connected with feeling personal danger. If no danger exists, no courage is possible. To show true courage, one must be nonviolent. Violence is the last resort of a coward. For one's courage to truly effect a situation, one must convince others to show the same type of courage. The perfect embodiment of moral courage in the face of serious personal danger is Martin Luther King Jr. King stood up to bigotry through his words and actions. He showed courage without simply thinking that danger may exist, but knowing that danger would exist. He felt that the only way to truly stand up and make a difference is to be punished for just actions. This will inspire followers to show the same impressive courage. Despite nonviolence, King was arrested on a multitude of occasions for breaking the segregation laws of his time period. During one of these arrests, King reflected on his stance in a letter to his fellow clergymen from Birmingham Jail. "There are two types of laws: there are just and there are unjust laws.. An unjust law is no law at all... So I urge men to disobey segregation ordinances because they are morally wrong... One who breaks an unjust law must do it openly, lovingly... and with a willingness to accept the penalty" King is saying that to show moral courage one must not only break the unjust laws, but one must also desire to be caught. To break an unjust law and not be punished will not serve to change the law. King took his own words to heart and broke segregation laws whenever possible. He did this while not just in the face of danger, but with danger breathing down his neck. His ability to endure punishment for a just act inspi... ...at they cannot sit idly by just because the injustices of the time do not affect them. One must act to preserve justice for all, even if one is not the target of injustice. King's moral courage had a profound effect on all those of his time period and in the future. His life and actions have significance for all people, both then and now. King's courage not only changed the world, but his words of many years ago tell people today that the fight is not over. There are people dying due to injustices all over the world. King's words about problems of the past apply to the problems of today. Injustice in the Middle East affects the justice in the life of an average middle income American. Thus, even in death King is able to call us to action. Through openness, nonviolence and a commitment to future justice, King is a model of courage in the face of personal danger.

We Must Create More Gardens for the Blind :: Architecture Design Essays

We Must Create More Gardens for the Blind What would it be like to live in a world of blindness? Those who are capable of seeing would probably shudder at the thought of permanently living in this state of dark and seemingly cloistered existence. Yet, one should not fail to realize that, despite their inability to see, the blind do, in fact, dwell in a world filled with a vast array of acute sensations which fully compensate for their lack of visionary capabilities. If anyone is interested in entering, at least temporarily, into the realm of sightlessness, then he should visit the restaurant, Dans le Noir in France. At this unique establishment, one is granted the privilege of enjoying an entire meal served by blind waiters in pitch darkness. The dark environment robs customers of their ability to see and as is so fluently stated on the Dans le Noir website, grants them the opportunity to completely re-evaluate the notion of taste and smelling through our gastronomic and pedagogical process? (http://www.danslenoir.fr). It might seem strange at first to think of eating without being able to see what one is consuming; but this truly might be the best way to dine. After all, the enjoyment of food is mainly centered on one's sense of taste. Yet, when a person is capable of seeing his meal, his attention is undoubtedly averted somewhat from its taste, because instead of focusing on the meal?s flavor, the person?s mind is partially consumed with absorbing the various visionary aspects of both the food as well as the surroundings. By eliminating this distraction, Dans le Noir, most likely, enhances the flavor of their food. If the customer is not capable of seeing what he is about to eat, it is plausible that he might be more willing to try new dishes. How many times has one heard a child proclaim his aversion to a new type of food before he has even tried it? By observing the new and unusual appearance of a dish, children often immediately assume that the meal will as distasteful to their taste buds as it is to their eyes. The truth is, though, that if they could not see the food, they would probably eat it and maybe even enjoy it. The same principle should apply to adults. Thus, it would probably be best for someone to be introduced to roasted octopus, dog, or elephant in a setting similar to that of Dans le Noir.

God’s Responsibility for the Fall of Man

God’s Responsibility For The Fall Of Man Within Literature, an unofficial definition for human wrongdoing has been connected to Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden. Their incompetence of following God’s orders, resulting in the punishment of mankind, has been thoroughly outlined within the text of the Bible. Yet are their actions truly of their own? God’s inept decision creating man within his image and His disdain leadership left human beings in a inferior position to disobey his orders, leaving him solely to blame for their ignorant actions.The power of leadership is a critical factor that even figures of immortal stature need to practice. God’s first mistake leading to the fall of man lies within decisions to create an entity upon the earth similar to him. â€Å"And God created the human in his image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them† (Simon 98). Why would someone create a figure of life within his own lik eness without giving them the same amount of freedom?Regardless of his position as the ultimate Creator, the expectations set within creating life forms with authoritative intentions similar to his own leaves God’s image as a wise leader questionable. His kind nature may have been proposed as good intentions, but the lack of decisive decision-making leaves him exposed to lacking thorough process for leadership. Another essential factor of successful leadership is to be supported by followers who believe in their leader.Adam & Eve’s actions within the Garden of Eden are more appropriately noted as a poor lack of leadership then a story of betrayal and self-disobedience. Within chapters 1-3 of Genesis, the persuasive words of the Snake easily motivate Eve to break God’s command and strive to eat the forbidden fruit. â€Å"For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will become as gods knowing good and evil† (Simon 99). If Go d’s leadership was sufficient enough, how could this even take place?God’s insufficient leadership over his creations allowed Adam & Eve to be easily swayed by the leadership of an animal which he placed them in power to control. This is confirmed in later chapters of Genesis 6-9 where he makes the ultimate decision to dispose of all things he gave life to. â€Å" I will wipe out the human race I created from the face of the earth, from human to cattle to crawling thing to the fowl of the heavens, for I regret that I have made them† (Simon 101).For a leader to dispose and restart his initial intentions due to regret shows that mistakes have been made by that individual. And God’s decision to do so emulates that the fall of mankind was not of his subjects, but of his own disdain leadership skills. In conclusion, God’s poor decision making led to the evident fall of mankind. His actions were that of a leader who had well intentions, but had a poor pe rception of his follower’s involvement to his leadership. If he were more methodic in his decision making, he would of never regretted his choices made during the seven days of creation.

Business unit

I have excellent communication skills I am trustworthy I have a smart appearance Weaknesses: Nervous when speaking in front of groups I am sometimes shy when I meet people for the first time sometimes a problem My punctuality is When starting your own business there are many advantages, these vary from being your own boss, which means you are able to make your own decisions which is very convenient because everything you say goes.You are also able to work at a place that suits you, whether It being a location that Is close to your home or a place that has more attractions_ This also means that you are able to combine work and family together. You can spend more time with your family because you being your own boss means you are able to go to work when it suits you. Starting your own business also means all the profit that is made within the business is all yours. With every business although there are advantages there are also disadvantages. It could be that you work very hard and st ill not make any profit.If this happens it could be a big downer on the business and you yourself as the owner. It is also possible that you could make a loss. It can also be very stressful running your own business because all the pressure will be on you as the owner and manager of the business. Regulations and laws for business When starting a business one of the most important law is to obtain a license to operate a business Marketing and sales and hers we use direct selling and distance selling. At his and hers we sell our products directly to our customers from our store.Which gives us direct contact with our customers which with great customer service helps us to build a relationship with our customers. We also have our own online website where customers can place their order and we send them their products via delivery or shipping. Financial issues UP (LEAFLET) Legal status The business I have chosen is a sole trader business. A sole trader has the freedom to do things the wa y you want. Being a sole trader also means On the other hand being a sole trader could be quite lonely if you work alone and you will need to have wide range of skills such as marketing, finance, etc.Process for starting a business legally When starting up your own sole trader business you have to inform the HAM Revenue and Customs with the first three months of starting the business and you also have to complete a self-assessment x return and pay income tax on their profit. Businesses pay a fixed rate National Insurance contribution called and class 2 another contribution called class 4. Sole traders their own name for their business do not need to register this, but other businesses that trade under a different business name must include their own name on the business information.Formal records for example leasing arrangement, tax returns, health and safety. Every business needs to keep records. All records usually fall into two main categories, records required by the law and rec ords to help run the business. Being that my chosen business is a sole trader I will not need to register with the tax office. Customer care Customer service is key to maintaining good customer relations and growing a successful business. Customer care means trying to make the customers experience as good as possible.At His and Hers we ensure that customers get their moneys worth, we make sure the product and our service matches the customer needs, we also complaints are dealt with promptly, courteously and thoroughly. Market research At his and hers we like to find out information about existing and potential personal factors, such as their age, gender, culture, occupation, income, the products they currently use and location. There are two main ways to carry out market research, primary research and secondary research. Primary research is where we get information straight from the customers.These could include interviews, questionnaires, analyzing purchase records and feedback. Se condary research uses published information such as yellow pages, newspaper reports and articles in trade journals. Promoting and advertising your product or service Promoting and advertising your business is quite important because it helps make the business more recognizable. We usually promote advertise to give people information on products and services, we explain about changes and improvement, publicizing special offers and sales and building a positive image of the business.At His and Hers we use a variety of ways to promote and advertise our business. We have posters around the local area, we hand out leaflets, we advertise in the local newspaper and many more. We also promote our business by giving out key holders and pens with our logo and address on it. Unique selling point My business His and Hers sell pure virgin hair, they vary from different lengths to different textures. We also have appealing packaging and outstanding customer service. We also sell at very reasonabl e prices compared to other high street cosmetic stores. CompetitionMy business has many competitors such as Pass cosmetics, Shabby, beauty depot and many more. All of these hair and cosmetics shops are located all around London. Pass are very similar to my business because we both sell a variety of hair. Although Pass do sell a vary of hair whether it being human hair, virgin hair or synthetic hair His and Hers sell unprocessed virgin hair with a variety of different textures. Sources of finance When starting a business you need some form of finance to get the business started and for the running cost for the first few months. There are many different sources of instances out there.You could look into your own savings, this could be your money that you've saved, money you've inherited or money from family or friends. You could take out a bank loan which is borrowing money from the bank for a fixed period and is paid back monthly including interest, or you could get a bank overdraft which is an agreement with the bank where you withdraw more money from a current account than there is in the account. Businesses always need money to get them started, this is called a start-up cost. There are two basic costs when starting a business, this is called capital costs and tart-up working capital.Capital costs and items that will last long term such as the purchase of a building or rental deposit, refitting of a building such as installing shop displays or a shelf, equipment such as a computer or any vehicles required. Start-up working capital is needed to buy stock for production such as stationary and cleaning products. Cash flow forecasting Cash flow is the total amount of money that goes in and out of the bank account of a business. The most important factor is the closing balance, which tells you're the final amount of money in the bank at the end of month.If it's a loss, the business could be at risk because they may not have enough money to pay the bills. It is im portant for businesses to forecast cash flow to see if there may be a problem. Measure financial success for example, profit, income and costs. The financial success of a business can be measured in many different ways such as cash flow which is the closing bank balance of a business' ability to pay its debts on time, cost and income which is when businesses aim to minimize they're costs and maximize their income and profit which is this figure after costs are subtracted from income.