Spoken language versus written language

Spoken language versus written language Spoken vs. written language Not so long time ago, the written language played much bigger role in second language learners life than the spoken language. According to Brown (2000) Today the importance of teaching the spoken language is universally acknowledged (p. 1). For example, many scientists state that people should learn speaking and listening, as well as writting and reading; furthermore, learners should spend more energy on listening. Thus generally one can claim it is more difficult to learn how to understand the spoken language than the written. First of all, during listening, learners cannot focus on one section as they would do in a reading task. Listeners do not have opportunity to read back, if they misunderstand an expression or forget the beginning of the text. Furthermore, according to Ridgway (2000) they do not have the possibility for looking a word up in the dictionary, or guessing the meaning of a word from its context (p. 3.), like they do it in a reading exercise. Secondly, during listening learners depend on the style of the text and on the listening environment more than in the case of reading. As Field (2000) points out, a listener, who has difficulties in identifying words in connected speech(p. 2.), can also have problems with different dialects, and the style and the speed of the text he or she listens to, because native speakers speak only clearly enough to make themselves understood in a particular context (Brown, 1990, p. 2.). Furthermore, listeners can be confused by the noisy, annoying environment, for example, during a conversation on the street or a crowded restaurant, while these conditions do not appear in a written text. Thirdly, during a listening exercise, the motivation of learners is always lower, because these kinds of tasks scare listeners, adding, that in reading they are braver, because of the advantages which are mentioned at the second paragraph. So to become a good listener, the most important aim is to find the faith in ones ability to apply a listening readiness (Field, 2000, p. 1.), because after this momentous step, a text will not cause so much fear. Furthermore, listeners should be able to determine the complexity of the given tasks, because then they can choose the appropriate level for themselves, so they will probably not fail and their self-confidence will improve. However, according to Ridgway (2000), grading texts is problematic (p. 3.), so it can be another serious controversy. Finally, practising listening is more difficult than reading. For instance, it is not easy to learn listening skills, because as Brown (1990) says, the students are not receiving any help in learning (p. 3.) ,but they have to realise alone how to set up the process of listening and improve their facilities. Moreover, learners abilities to listening are not similar to everyone, so the ways of practice should be different from each other. For example, even in a class, which is few in number, the teacher should prove at least four different ways of learning listening, but unfortunatelly it is not possible. It follows that learners have to find the best way independently. In conclusion, learning and listening to the spoken language is more difficult, than learning the written language, because listeners cannot focus on one section; they are dependent on the style of the speech and the listening environment; they are threatened, if they get a task at higher level; and they need different ways to practise and more help from teachers. References: Brown, G. (1990). Listening to spoken English. London, England: Longman. Field, J. (2000). Not waving but drowning: a reply to Tony Ridgway. ELT Journal Volume 54/2 Ridgway, T. (2000). Listening strategies- I beg your pardon? ELT Journal Volume 54/2

Animal Rights is a Cause for Vegetarianism Essay -- essays research pa

Animal Rights - Cause for Vegetarianism The choice of eating meat or not has been a debated issue for a continued number of years. There have long since been two sides: the proponents and opponents of meat consumption. More and more debates of its value and effect on the world have risen. Many claim it is wrong, while others think of it as a needed pleasure. Today, a greater percentage of the population eats meat. Only a few individuals seek the alternative route. Yet, there has been a steady rise in the number of vegetarians. Many may already know that religions all over the world have advocated a meat-free diet. While a few are lenient, the majority is steady. The reason a vegetarian diet has been preferred over meat dates back thousands of years. Take for example, the Christian tradition. Although most are now lenient, previously many great saints advocated a meat-free diet, for more reasons than one. In the beginning it was said by God, " Here I have given you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth...to you let it serve as food." (gen.1.29) Later it was spoken by Jesus of the commandment, "thou shall not kill". Jesus said, "You heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'Thou shall not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment."(Matthw.5.21) There is also the Hindu tradition, where a meatless way of life has gone on for thousands of years (until the invasion by foreign rule,...

Mr. Patrick Brennan

As Mr. Patrick Brennan is a very young business person and having better aspirations, it is not better for him to retain his establishment under the Proprietorship structure. Considering the growth shown in his business graph, I advice Mr. Brennan to get your organization incorporated as soon as possible.I hereby point out three general advantages that the corporate structure has over the proprietorship structure. (a) First of all, when a firm is incorporated it becomes a distinct legal entity. Its life commences from the date of incorporation. It enjoys all the legal privileges laid down by the respective countries.(b) Secondly, it acquires a perpetual succession. The members may come and go, but it goes on for ever, unless it is wound up. (c) Its property is not the property of the shareholders. The shareholders have a right to share in the profits of the company when realized and divided. Likewise, any liability of the company is not the liability of the individual shareholders. ( 2) A characteristic feature of corporate enterprise is the separation between ownership and management as a corollary of which the latter enjoys substantial autonomy in regard to the affairs of the firm.In the corporate structure shareholders are the owners of the enterprise and the management is the agent of the owners. The shareholders delegate the decision making authority to professional management on the premise that the latter will work in the interest of the former. In order to ensure that management would take optimal decisions compatible with the shareholders’ interests of value maximization, of course, they have to be paid incentives. Certainly, there may also arise agency problems in terms of conflicts of interests. Policies to mitigate the agency problems do, of course, involve cost.However, this is the price that the owners have to pay to harmonize the conflicting goals between them and the management of the enterprise. But, there is no need of worry Mr. Brennan because in order to minimize the agency problems and agency cost, you can arrange certain provision for appropriate incentives and for monitoring of agents. By auditing the financial statements and limiting decision making by the management you can easily monitor the agents and thereby reduce the agency costs. Part –B (1) COMPUTATION OF WEIGHTED AVERAGE COST OF CAPITAL

Explore the Ways in Which John Steinbeck Presents He Character of Lennie in ‘of Mice and Men’

In this essay I am going to be writing about one of the main characters in John Steinbeck’s novella ‘Of Mice and Men’. The story portrays the travels and arising problems of two migrant workers who share an uncommon friendship for the time and environment in which the novella is set. Lennie Small is the character I will be exploring and I will start off by giving a detailed explanation of his physical appearance and behaviour. Second I will look at his and the other main character George’s relationship which will then be followed by Lennie’s relationships with other characters throughout the book. I will then go on to look at the foreshadowing in which Steinbeck displays in the story and finally I will conclude the story of its final climax. Steinbeck uses many different descriptions of Lennie Small in the novella. Often compared to animals, one of the first descriptions of him is him being compared to a bear. ‘He was dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws’, is a line which portrays an image of how physically large Lennie is while also suggesting the extent of his strength. Lennie is also described to be ‘shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes’ which compares easily to a small innocent child who doesn’t understand his surroundings. The imagery created in this scene begins to imply that Lennie, even though a grown man, does not have a mind of his own, almost childlike, while always having someone to direct him through life. Despite his age, Lennie acts and speaks with immaturity due a mental disability. ‘Slowly like a terrier, who doesn’t want to bring a ball back to his master’ is a line Steinbeck wrote to emphasise Lennie’s immature personality. By comparing him to a terrier he becomes viewed as irrational with a very instinctive side to him. Steinbeck uses the word ‘master’ which signifies how Lennie, unable to make sensible decisions, needs a master or more so a carer. It stresses his naivety and also his loyalty to George. Furthermore in this novella Lennie doesn’t intentionally mean to do harm but that does not mean he is completely harmless. This is shown when Steinbeck writes ‘I wasn’t doing nothing bad with it, George.. jus’ stroking it. in the scene where George is demanding the dead mouse from Lennie. By writing this Steinbeck has suggested that the innocent Lennie is and both a victim and villain throughout his life. No matter how harmless he is within his mind, his strength betrays his personality leaving his child like mind, and brute strength a threatening combination. Steinbeck’s first description of George and Lennie’s relationship demonstrates the fact tha t George is very much like a father figure to Lennie. He is constantly mimicking George and following obediently which is described when ‘they had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed one behind the other’. This quote emphasises the dominance in the relationship and how Lennie is always following behind George because he wants to show him respect. Also Lennie imitates George with the upmost precision, ‘Then (George) replaced his hat, pushed himself back from the river, drew up his knees and embraced them. Lennie who had been watching imitated George exactly’ highlights this as it shows just how much Lennie looks up to George as if he is also a hero as well as a father figure in which he wants to make proud. It produces the thought that maybe all Lennie wants is for George to be proud of him and is symbolic to the fact Lennie looks up to George as a role model. In the opening dialogue between George and Lennie the nature of their relationship is easily distinguishable when George says ‘Lennie! Lennie for Gods sake, don’t drink too much.. ou gonna be sick like you was last night’ because it conveys how much George actually cares for and worries for Lennie without making it sound too affectionate. He speaks down to Lennie in a patronizing manner which also symbolises the authority in the relationship. In this novella one of the key things about Lennie and George is the dream they both wish to achieve. Due to Lennie’s childlike mind set and George’ s fatherly role in Lennie’s life the dream becomes somewhat a bedtime story for Lennie. On several occasions ‘Lennie pleads â€Å"Come on George. Tell me. Please, George. Like you did before. † ‘ which further emphasises how much of a child he is due to the fact it makes him calm, happy and almost settled as if he were an infant going to bed. It could also portray the subconscious worries Lennie has so he feels the need to be reassured about their dream. Lennie’s relationships with other characters vary and progress throughout the novella. When Slim, the jerkline skinner, is first introduced to Lennie and George he is taken aback by the oddness of their relationship with each other. He immediately see’s Lennie’s lack of mentality and later on states to George ‘it seems kinda funny, a cuckoo like him and a smart guy like you travelling together’ which is the first opinion Slim reveals towards Lennie. At first he only sees the childlike Lennie but after the situation explained he understands and views Lennie in a completely different light. ‘He’s a nice fella, guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella’ is a line which Steinbeck wrote to show clearly how Slim respects and likes Lennie as it emphasises that he doesn’t just see the absence of intelligence but the nice guy hidden underneath the childish exterior. Even though Slim doesn’t really get to know Lennie in this novella, his friendship with George allows him to understand Lennie and the position the two are in. Slim appreciates that Lennie is not a cruel person when he says ‘He ain’t mean, I can see Lennie ain’t a bit mean’ which further emphasises the intelligence Slim possess to see behind the original interpretation of Lennie as a man and shows how his feelings towards him have developed into somewhat respect. Another relationship that Lennie has is one with the stable buck, Crooks. Steinbeck enforces this unspoken friendship between the two because both are isolated from the rest of the ranch workers, Lennie because of his size and childish behaviour and Crooks because of him being black and being segregated from the rest of the workers. Although Lennie is portrayed as the weakest mentally, he doesn’t understand the unwritten code of racial segregation which brings out the intelligent side to him which is proven in the way he acts towards Crooks. When Crooks questions him about why he has entered the barn Lennie replies with ‘Nothing- I seen your light. I thought I could jus’ come an’ set’ which shows how innocent Lennie is and in a way how lonely he is as he goes to investigate the possibility that he could converse with someone. It could also show that Lennie sees crooks as an equal unlike the other men on the ranch who merely see his colour. In this novella Steinbeck uses foreshadowing a great deal throughout the whole story. It appears everywhere, hinting on what will happen to different characters and the way the story will develop. It is used to show that Lennie will be getting in trouble with Curley’s wife, her death and also his death and the exact way in which he dies. The moment Curley’s wife is introduced an ill feeling overcomes the atmosphere signifying that Lennie will in fact be getting into some sort of mess involving her. George says at the very beginning ‘I seen ‘em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait like her before. You leave her be’ is a quote from the novella which directly foreshadows Curley’s wifes death because by having George tell him to leave her alone, it’s obviously going to go the opposite way and something will end up bringing the pair together. Another thing that adds to the foreshadowing of her death is Lennie’s tendency to ‘get carried away’ with touching soft, silky and pretty things. Throughout the novella the victims of Lennie’s harmless ‘petting’ gradually get bigger, starting off with the girls dress in Weed, the mouse, progressing on to Curley’s hand and the puppy and finally ending with Curley’s herself. The skirt, mouse, puppy and Curley’s wife all link in with the need to touch ‘soft things’ and the same reaction even happen in each. Once they begin to panic or squirm Lennie reacts in a childlike way and doesn’t know what to do so he simply doesn’t let his hold of that object go. Excluding Curley’s hand which was purely down to animal and childish instinct, all the other incidents could connect to the idea that in Lennie’s naive mind, ‘soft and pretty’ things relate to the dream that he and George have and once the victims begin to struggle it instantly alerts Lennie that the dream is escaping him and he holds on in fear of letting go and loosing it. The foreshadowing of Lennie’s death occurs at different points throughout the novella. The shooting of candy’s dog being the main one. When Carlson is trying to persuade Candy into letting him shoot the dog he says ‘He ain’t no good to you, Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Wh’n’t you shoot him, Candy? ’ which is exactly how Lennie is viewed as a partner of George. Both the dog and Lennie are connected as they both in some way weigh down their ‘owner’ and aren’t really useful to them. Another thing which foreshadows his death is George’s constant reminders of how his life would be easier without him. ‘God you’re a lot of trouble, I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl’ is a line which Steinbeck wrote to foreshadow what might happen in the end of the story as it is how George feels inside which he frequently tells Lennie at different points in the story. Lennie’s death, placed right at the end of the story, is no big surprise when it actually occurs. Beforehand Lennie and George are merely talking. Lennie is confused as to why George isn’t shouting at him and this particular bit shows how much George secretly does care for Lennie and wishes that this didn’t happen. ‘No Lennie, I ain’t mad. I never been mad an’ I ain’t now. That’s the thing I want ya to know. ’ is a line from George which symbolises that no matter what bad things Lennie has ever done, George only wants the best for him, even if that means killing him. Steinbeck uses the phrase ‘never been mad’ to show that George is feeling guilty about his reactions towards Lennies mistakes in the past and trying to make it right. Despite the fact he has already made the decision to end Lennie’s life George still finds it difficult to do so which is portrayed when Steinbeck wrote that ‘George raised the gun and his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again’. This quote lays emphasis on how challenging it is for George to follow through with his task. No matter how much of a dead weight Lennie is to him, they have still been together for a long while which adds to the fact George finds it so hard to kill him. The thing that played the most part in the decision George made to kill Lennie was Candy’s words, ‘I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog. ’ because George understands that the death of Lennie is inevitable and is going to happen one way or another whether it be now or in the next town when he does something else wrong. Georges decision is reassured by Slim right at the end of the novella when he says ‘You hadda George, I swear you hadda’ because he understands the situation George is in and is trying to assure him that he made the right decision in killing Lennie. In conclusion, Lennie Small is a very complex character. The description of his character is very precise and so is his personality. Throughout this novella it is obvious that Lennie’s character is the one that undergoes the least amount of development. His childlike mentality and mind set prohibit any possible expansion of his character however Lennie's protection from George, devotion to him, and dreams of the farm make him the character that he is. His portrayal of innocence during the course of the novella is a key reason why readers feel so much sympathy for him, and is the main way in which he is represented all throughout Of Mice and Men.

Free Essays on Computers and Technology

The Computer Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of people's lives for the better. The very earliest existence of the modern day computer's ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first "digital calculating machine". It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32). In the early 1800's, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed by-and stored data on-cards with holes punched in them, appropriately called ÒpunchcardsÓ. His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand for such a device (Soma, 46). After Babbage, people began to lose interest in comp... Free Essays on Computers and Technology Free Essays on Computers and Technology The Computer Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of people's lives for the better. The very earliest existence of the modern day computer's ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first "digital calculating machine". It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32). In the early 1800's, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed by-and stored data on-cards with holes punched in them, appropriately called ÒpunchcardsÓ. His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand for such a device (Soma, 46). After Babbage, people began to lose interest in comp...

Human visual system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human visual system - Essay Example However, for one to see, the human eye has to convert the visible light energy into neural activity, a process that usually takes place in the retina part of the eye (Atchison and Smith 2000, P.11). The retina contains neurons, enabling it to transduce light energy into neural activity. However, the process does not take place in a vacuum, rather with the help of rods and cones found in the retina according to Atchison and Smith (2000, P.11). Rods and cones are photoreceptors that are responsible for the conversion of visible light energy into neural activity (Bernstein et al. 2007, P.45). These photoreceptors usually contain chemicals, which are sensitive to light energy. As such, when light strikes the retina, the chemicals in the rods and cones immediately break apart, generating signals, which are relayed to the brain for interpretation. However, Bernstein (2010, p.91) notes that the process of rebuilding the chemicals broken apart in the rods and cones usually takes some time, w hich explain why a person usually find it hard seeing when entering a dark room when coming from a bright light. Nonetheless, as one continues to stay in the dark, the rods quickly build up the chemicals thereby enabling the person to start seeing things normally. This process of adjusting to darkness overtime is usually referred to as dark adaptation where one becomes approximately 10,000 times more light-sensitive after being in the darkness for quite awhile according to Atchison and Smith (2000, P.12). Cones, on the other hand, contain three light-sensitive chemicals that help in determining the color being seen by an individual. Cones are usually found at the middle of the retina in an area known as the fovea. The fovea is the area where the incoming light is focused. Bernstein (2010, p.91) notes that the density of cones in the fovea differs from one person to another, which explains the differences in visual acuity among different people. What is noted that cones usually works best at high light intensities, where the ability to differentiate colors become active (Bernstein et al. 2007, P.46). For instance, it is possible for one to pick two different socks in a dark room thinking that they resemble each other and only learn later that the socks are actually different in color. From the retina, signals are transferred to the brain, where the information is translated before an individual is able to see something. However, as Bernstein (2010, p.91) points out, the eye does not just transfer the images it focused on the retina directly to the brain as this will make one see blurred pictures. Instead, the visual images are first sharpened by the eye, a function, which hugely depends on the interaction between the rods and cones, found in the retina of the human eye as noted by Atchison and Smith (2000, P.12). Bernstein (2010, p.91) reveals that rays of light usually pass through numerous structures of the retina before striking the cones and rods. Once the rods and cones have been struck, they generate signals that are again relayed back to the surface of retina, thereby allowing the ganglion cells and the bipolar cells to connect enabling the eye to start the process of information analysis. Bipolar cells are part of the neurons capable of sending either positive or negative signals

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy - Assignment Example The means used to fight include the media propaganda, Soviet propaganda, American propaganda and space race. The essay is going to define the presidential doctrine and summarize the global events during the Cold War leading to the formation of the presidential doctrine and describe the Cold War relationship that existed between Korea and the U.S before the presidential doctrine was announced. The paper will also describe the effects that the presidential doctrine has on the global affairs since it was announced during the Cold War and assess whether or not the presidential doctrine had the intended effect of altering the behavior of the Korea since the doctrine was first announced. Colucci (2012) stated that a presidential doctrine comprises of attitudes and key goals outlined by the president of a nation and most of the doctrines are related to the cold war. The global event that led to the formation of the presidential doctrine is the attack on Egypt by Israeli, British and French military forces because Gamal Nasser the Egyptian leader had taken hold of the Suez Canal. Watson (2003) stated that the Unite States of America withdrew their support in the construction of the Aswan Dam on the Nile River because of Nasser’s anti- Western nationalism and his close relationship with the Soviet Union. In response to the war that was happening in Egypt, President Dwight Eisenhower asked for authorization to start new programs of military and economic cooperation with friendly nations around the region. President Eisenhower also requested for the use of U.S troops to protect and secure the political independence and territorial integrity of nations that were fr iendly in the region. Lee (2013) stated that House of Representatives and the United States Senate supported the proposal of Eisenhower although some individuals were not happy with the open-ended policy for American action in the Middle