Interviewing Elderly Person

Jheanell Thompson March 28, 2009 LEH301/0792 Black Image Midterm Research Observation Midterm Observation On March 18th, 2009 at Lehman College the college hosted an Educational College Summit for staff, incoming college students and current college students. The topic was based on â€Å"Increase in the Number of New York City High School Graduates Enrolling at CUNY Colleges,† which shows the rising of Blacks and Hispanic High School students from New York City Public Schools that are enrolling into CUNY four year senior and community colleges. More students enrolling from the public schools into CUNY colleges is the proof of the education reforms that are working and preparing students better for higher education opportunities,† mayor Bloomberg had quoted in his speech at the school summit. The summit was educational the reason why is because College Summit inundates these workshop students with resources, such as writing coaches, mentors and trained counselors, in orde r to instill in them the belief that they indeed are ‘college material,’ while providing them with the information and knowledge to enroll in college.College Summit's is to increase the college enrollment rate of low-income students. With high schools, colleges, employers, community leaders and the public sector, College Summit is to work to ensure that every student who can make it in college makes it to college. A growing number of schools, teachers and counselors now have the tools through professional development training provided by College Summit on how to best support the needs of students through the college application process.Educators are also using College Summit's curriculum to break down the application process into more ease. Schools, too, now have the kind of data and support they need to make college access for all students a priority. For preparation of high school student I believe students do succeed at completing their education, progressing into hi gher education can appear to be succeeded with obstacles that cannot be overcome. Yet, we have low income families that should be determine in receiving a college education when the student desires to progress through school.Low income students can be assisted with financial aid from state and federal entities that will allow them to afford higher education. Also, if students that comes from families that have previously attended college, are more likely too easily for students entering college. So, since one of the goals of high schools in the public education system is to prepare students for life following high school, it appears that part of that preparation should be for the student to understand the processes associated with entering higher education.One thing that the mayor speaks on was High School students are now receiving their high school diploma and entering college at the same time. Today High School students are graduating on time is on the rise, because right now it is harder for dropout students to get jobs than for students with high school diplomas. Nowadays, students are required to have good skills in order to get good paying jobs. The only way they can get those skills is by staying in school and getting a diploma to prove they have acquired the skills they need for the job.To me I feel that High School Students should not be permitted to drop out of school because it will be harder for them to get good paying jobs. In our nation’s largest communities today our students of color, primarily African American and Latino are now finishing high school. I guess they now realizing that without a High School diploma can get no one anywhere in life, especially in today’s hard economy we are facing.The point is to reach out to students and point them to the right direction by funding mentoring programs, support groups and etc. I for example, I enjoy being a college student more than being a high school student. In the time that I have been in college, I have seen that more freedom is allowed to students in college than in high school. Such choices as the note taking, the environment, or class selection are a few examples of how college is less restrictive than high school.Because of the educational freedom and having more control over my education, I find being a college student more enjoyable than being a high school student. Schooling is a very important aspect in our lives and we must go through many steps to higher education; the most important steps in society today, are high school and college. Although high school and college aim for the same goal, college is the responsible factor. Since, I had to learn on my very own, since my first year of college as a freshman till now as a senior in college.

What Are the 6 Defensive Positions in Football and basketball Essay

Football vs. Basketball Introduction             Sports have always been fun and exciting for most people. It is always fun to practice and play with other people. Each and every week, millions of people tune in to watch their favorite sports, but some do not recognize the difference between one sport to another. Usually, each game has its own structure, which make it be given the name it is known for. This paper focuses on the difference between football and basketball as forms of sport.             Basketball is governed by the Federation of International Basket Ball Association (FIBA). The body was created in 1932. FIBA regulates and control all matters concerning the game in the world. In contrast, the body that governs and runs soccer activities in the world was formed in 1904, which is a Federation of International Football Association (FIFA). Moreover, it organizes international soccer matches, including World cup and also approves the facilities and equipments used world wide. It also funds soccer organization for promotion of the game and generate the rules for the management of soccer all over the world.               The field of play of football is a 120 by 100 yards where it is usually marked for positioning, such as the center circle where it is used for awarding a kick off during the start of the game.. It also has a goal line, which is the shorter boundary of the field for awarding a goal kick, corner kick and a goal. It also has a penalty area where penalty kick is awarded. Generally, the field is covered by grass. On the other hand, the basketball has a playing court, which is 28meters in length and 15 meters in width. The field is supposed to be flat, hard, surface free from obstructions. Just like a football it has a center circle, but in basketball it is used for awarding a jump ball during the start of the game.               In football, the duration of play consists of two equal periods of 45minutes whereby after the first period the players are awarded a half times of 15minutes. After the second play period, if there is a tie there are awarded an extra time of two halfs of 30minutes. But the game is usually played in 90minutes. In contrast, basketball game is played in four periods of 10minutes each where the interval of 2minutes between the first and the second period is awarded, which become the first half, and third and fourth period, which form the second half. If there is a tie an extra 5minute is awarded at the end of playing time.               Taking into account the ball that is used to play football, it is supposed to weigh not less than 410-450 grams having a circumference of not more than 70centimenters and not less than 68centimenters and a pressure equal to 0.6 to 1.1atmospheres sea level. In contrast the ball that is used to play basketball should have a circumference not less than 74.9 centimeters and not more than 78 centimeters. The ball should also weigh not less than 567-650 grams, and have enough pressure.               Though both teams has players, they are totally different. In football, a match is played by two teams whereby each team consists not more than 11 players, one of whom is the goalkeeper and three substitutes may be used, which is a maximum in an official competition. Moreover, a football match may not start if either team consists of fewer than 7 players. In basketball, a team should consist of twelve registered players, but only five are supposed to play in the field of play while the others are substitutes. A basketball cannot begin if one of the team is not on the playing court with five players ready to play. Nevertheless, in a basketball match, it is a must for all the players to tuck in their shirts while in a football match, it is not a must for the players to tuck in their shirts. Also, there is no goalkeeper in a basketball match.               In basketball the ball player is required to bounce the ball repeatedly as he/she is moving with hands, this is called â€Å"dribbling†. In football if the ball is fumbled with legs. A fumble is the loss of possession of the ball by the player. In football the ball is not supposed to be touched by hand by the players. The goalkeeper is the only person who is supposed to touch the ball with hands, and within his or her region and guided by several rules. In contrast, basketball involves hands whereby the player uses their hands to score, throw or score a goal. When a goal is scored by a player, the player is awarded either three points, one or two points depending on the position of the scorer. Also, it is considered to be a goal if the ball wholly enters through the ring and passes through the net. However, in football, a goal is considered to be a goal, regardless of the position of the scorer as long as he or she has not committed a foul or violated t he rules of the game and the ball has passed through the goal line between the two goal posts. Nevertheless, if the referee is not able to detect who committed a foul in football the players are awarded a drop ball to continue with the game while in basketball the umpire awards a jump ball.            Football and basketball have both very different play styles. Football involve full-contact sport, with tackles, blocking, and collision in every single play. In football the most common reason a player leaves the game is because of an injury. On the other hand, in basketball contact between players is prohibited. It is a non-contact sport and any contact is considered to be a foul. Football players will get many more hits in the face than basketball players. Football is more associated with brute force, strength, and speed type sport, while basketball is a skill type sport along with strength and speed. Moreover, basketball uniform consists of shirts of the same color, numbered 4-15 in the fronts and the back. In football, they wear shirts or jersey with sleeves and usually labeled on the back.             Though every team has officials who rule over the game, the officials are extremely different. In football, there is the center referee, the assistant referee and the linesmen. These are the officials who overlook the ongoing of the game, rule over and directs the entire game. In basketball, there are one or two umpires who overlook the ongoing game. These people work together with an assistant scorer, a timer, 24 seconds operator who also oversees the progress of the game in the field. It has many officials who watch the ongoing match than in football team, which can be played in the presence of three officials.               Moreover, considering the technical equipment of every team, there are different equipment used during the game. During basketball matches, there must be a foul marker, which consists of 1-5, a 24 second operating device, scoreboard and a game clock. On the other hand, a football match must have a coin used to determine the team that will start the game, which is done by tossing of a coin, a whistle, a scoring card and a pencil.             In conclusion, sports are always different from each other, considering the structure, players, the field and the officials of the game. It is for this reason that we see different games be played differently. The difference between football and basketball is totally different from the starting of the game, players, field, structures and so on. Also, sometimes the supports of the games differ since there are always taste and preference. References Alder, James. â€Å"What Are the 6 Defensive Positions in Football?† About. N.p., N.d. Web. 2012. . â€Å"Basketball Positions.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"National Football League Regular Season.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Aug. 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"The Coaching Staff in American Football.† – For Dummies. N.p., N.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"The Differences Between Football and Basketball.† A Sea Of Blue. N.p., N.d. Web. 09 October. 2012. . Source documents  s  

Biological Theory of Aging

Biological Theory of Aging Tick tock, tick tock, what's that sound? According to this theory, it's your biological clock, ticking away at a predetermined rate. This theory says that DNA, the cells' genetic material, holds the key to your planned demise from day one. While this aging theory appears fatalistic on the surface, remember that biology is not destiny. You can't change your genes, but you can slow the march of time with better eating habits and regular exercise. Your body produces hormones that help regulate myriad functions, including growth and behavior, reproduction, and immune function.In your youth, hormone production is high, but as you get older, hormone levels drop off, causing declines in the body's ability to repair itself and to keep functioning in top form. Working cells produce waste. Over time, cells make more waste than they can possibly get rid of, which may wreak havoc on their ability to function and slowly lead to their death . Lipofuscion, or age pigment, is one of the waste products found primarily in some nerve and heart-muscle cells. Lipofuscin binds fat and proteins together in the cells.It accumulates over time and may interfere with cell function. The protein collagen is at the heart of this theory. Collagen, akin to the body's glue, is one of the most common proteins making up the skin, bones, ligaments, and tendons. When we're young, collagen is pliable. But with age, collagen becomes more rigid, and it shrinks. That's why your skin is less elastic than before (Alston, 2008). Aesthetics aside, cross-linking may block the transport of nutrients into cells as well as obstruct waste-product removal.Free radicals are destructive marauders roving your body, ready to pounce on healthy cells. They are produced as part of the millions of chemical reactions your body performs to sustain life (Ward, 2012). Your body also makes them in response to environmental toxins such as excessive amounts of unprotected sunlight and smoking. Free radicals oxidize your cells (think rusting metal). As unbalanced, volatile oxygen molecules, they sacrifice healthy cells to make themselves more stable. Free radicals destroy or alter DNA, the cell's genetic blueprint, and disrupt many other cell functions.Free radicals may kill cells as a result of their marauding, or they may give rise to mutant cells that can lead to chronic conditions including cancer and heart disease. Fortunately, the body maintains a sophisticated defense system against free radicals. Unfortunately, our defenses wane with time, and cell damage ensues (Ward, 2012). This theory could also be called The Use It and Lose It Theory. The idea is that use, and overuse, of your organs pushes them to the brink of destruction.A poor diet, too much alcohol and cigarette smoking are thought to accelerate natural wear and tear. With age, the body is less able to repair itself. How does wear and tear occur? Free radicals, which inflict cellular damage, may be culpable. Sim ilar to the wear and tear idea, this theory says you are born with a certain amount of energy. If you live â€Å"fast,† you die young, because you use up your energy reserves sooner. â€Å"Laid-back people,† who suffer from less stress and take life easier, would live longer should this theory prove correct (Ward 2012).A strong immune system is your body's most important defense against germs and toxins. White cells engulf and destroy potential pests such as bacteria and viruses. And they manufacture antibodies, the â€Å"soldiers† that patrol the bloodstream, attacking and disarming any substance they don't recognize as the body's own. Problem is, the immune system becomes less efficient with time, and fewer antibodies are produced, increasing your infection risk. What's more, the body may turn on itself by producing antibodies that destroy its own tissue.When that happens, autoimmune disease, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, is the result (Alston, 2008) . Although we still do not completely understand the process of aging, we do know quite a lot about it. Sometimes it may be time for the clock to just get new batteries or perhaps the clock has stood the test time and became an antique. Bibliography Alston, Maude H. Basic Gerontology. Windows CD Version 3. 0 2008 Ward ,Liz. Discovery Fit and Health. What is Causing Aging? Discovery Communications. 2012.

Critique A Piece of String Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critique A Piece of String - Essay Example Hauchecome became worried and reached the mayor’s office. Through mayor, he came to know that he had been accused of stealing of wallet, which contained 500 francs and some important documents. Hauchecome tried to prove his innocence but the facts and proofs went against him. Malandain was the person who told mayor that he had seen Hauchecome picking up a wallet from the ground. Watching the situation getting tense, Hauchecome walked back to the outskirts of the town to find the wallet. In the meantime, someone else found the wallet and returned it to the mayor. Hauchecome became happy with the news and came back to his town. However, people did not welcome him. They still considered him accused of theft. It was a very upsetting situation for him because he had lost his respect in his town. The story ended with the death of Hauchecome. The concept revealed through story is that a person cannot clear himself in front of the society once he becomes accused of doing something

Socratic Method Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Socratic Method - Assignment Example Socrates’ argument holds true because individuals often choose to do things that other people say are wrong and they can also choose to do things that they know are wrong with the intention of benefiting themselves as humans are rational and will do anything to achieve their end or benefit from the situation. People’s personal intuition will lead them to doing things the way they do them so as to satisfy themselves and they choose to ignore what other people will think of it (Navia, 1999). An example is a stressed person who will turn to alcohol knowing that it cannot be a solution to their problems, but will gladly go into drinking as they think that this will do away with their stress. If people accepted that all evil is ignorance, this would have a profound impact on the justice system as people would make defenses on this basis which would be detrimental to justice. Prison and death sentencing would be affected in that proving someone guilty of a crime would be hard as they would state ignorance as their defense and meeting the expectations of justice would be a

Ethnicity (Oxford Reader) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethnicity (Oxford Reader) - Research Paper Example To the instrumentalist it is more like a resource, which one can gain by following his or her interest. To others is a social construction used by people to forge their identity. This paper discusses the different points of view on ethnicity and points out to the point of view I find to be most convincing. Though there is a tendency to link ethnicity with conflict, the two entities are completely different. However, ethnic conflict is a common phenomenon that arises due to factors such as political divides that are based on ethnic communities and identities, economic inequalities arising due to scarcity of resource hence as well as cultural differences. Cultural differences could be based on language or religion. Another source of ethnic conflict is unequal distribution of political reward where more political rewards being given to one ethnic group than others in a polyethnic state. Additionally, national identity and ideology are common source of ethnic conflict (Hutchinson and Smith 1-10). From a long time back, people use the term ethnicity to demonstrate some form of commonness in addition to demonstrating solidarity. Among the Greeks, ethnicity is associated with the term ethnie, which means, ethnic category, ethnic network, ethnic association, ethnic network or ethnic community. To the Schermerhorn ethnie is a myth of common ancestry, common culture, or some form of link to homeland (Hutchinson and Smith 10-14). Currently, there are different approaches to ethnie. Primodialism is one such approach, which defines ethnie as naturally given socially creating bonds. However, this definition is problematic since it is static and naturalistic hence lacking exploratory power. Sociobiloogists view ethnie as an explanation for kinship-based grouping with genetic reproductive capacity. This approach is also problematic since it tends to reduce social and cultural behaviors to biological drives. Additionally, it tends to be speculative when dealing with large

Fred tunnel and Horse in Tetons and Seated Indian Essay

Fred tunnel and Horse in Tetons and Seated Indian - Essay Example With regard to the historical context of the paintings, the two paintings are consistent with the post impressionist historical styles of painting which began towards the end of the 19th century. For instance, the styles used in two paintings largely emphasized outdoor paintings with colorful palettes, landscape scenes as well as daily life scenes. All these styles were heavily used during the post impressionist periods. Additionally the artists’ use of colors and shades also suggest that it the works may have been done in the 1900s when the post impressionist styles were the common style (Penelope, 67) .This period was characterized by cultural and racial conflicts between the white American immigrants and the natives. For example the artists may have used more white colors on the paintings to idealize the white race and the western life. One important question that arises in the analysis of the two pictures is whether they have effectively passed across the information that they were intended for. The costumes and ornaments are still regarded as important in several societies due to their continued use in our contemporary society. In both the two paintings, the relationship between the form presented by the artists and the iconography is quite complex. Generally the iconographical requirements have significantly affected the formal elements of the two paintings. In â€Å"Sitting Indian†, Joseph Sharp has effectively included some of the details such as images of the hunted animals.

What developments over the last 20 years have made transnational crime Essay

What developments over the last 20 years have made transnational crime harder to detect and prosecute - Essay Example Transnational crimes can be referred to as the violent activities carried out in a country by any rival country either by means of physically participating in terrorism / crimes or by supporting or exploiting the local individuals through brain-washing or the financial support. It is considered as a new form of warfare thereby avoiding physical contact with rival country, hence ensuring safety of men and material which are likely to be damaged during physical war (Netanyahu and Mekhon, 1981). Such crimes may also include those activities which are undertaken in the same countries but their affects / fallouts have effects on the other countries as well. These include the human / drug trafficking, arms / goods smuggling, information warfare / propaganda and even the cyber- crimes (Williams & Vlassis, 2001-pg 16). At times, it becomes very evident as which country is involved in such international crimes, but it is very hard to bring them to justice or trial in international courts due to non-availability or paucity of requisite proofs. Since last two decades, many countries developed laws to tackle such crimes. United Nations Security Council in its resolution 1373 / 2001, decided that all states should render their full assistance to other countries for criminal investigation and proceedings. Necessary evidences may also be provided by the state, to the one investigating the transnational crimes. At present INTERPOL (International Police) is the world-wide organisation in this regard, which renders its assistance to the other countries involved in investigation / prosecution of criminals by bringing the criminals to justice who evade to other countries (Mallory, 2007-pg 176). Despite having joint investigation teams, it is very difficult to bring these criminals to justice because of many reasons. The most obvious reason in this regard is difficulty in identification of hostile actors operating from across the border. This problem becomes even more pronounced du e to ‘lack of will’ by the government of the state which was involved in transnational crimes. The state / country that is to provide the evidences / proofs, try to hide the facts because if it is proved that that transnational crime has taken place from their country, it will tarnish the image in international community. Gathering evidences from the country which is already an adversary may not be an easy task due to conflicting laws or in some case the restrictions on law enforcement agencies in cooperating with international agencies. A lot of financial resources are required in joint investigations. Moreover, the issue regarding who will pay the incurred amount; the country which has been affected by the transnational crimes or it will shared between both of the countries, remains a question mark (Shanty & Mishra, 2005-pg 287). Another difficulty faced in prosecution / follow up of transnational crimes is difference of mind-sets. Terrorist or criminal for one nation can be a hero or freedom fighter for the other country (Abadinsky, 2010-pg 7). The affected state will definitely not be able to accrue the desired results in this situation. The fast growing technology, exploited by criminals for cyber-crimes or propaganda about other countries may not be easy to identify and prosecute as their exact location cannot be identified very easily. Although there are international rules on cyber-crimes, but we have

Business Formal Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Formal Report - Essay Example The significant aspect of social media or online social networks is regarded to be one of the most incredible technical phenomena in this contemporary world. It has been viewed that most of the renowned business corporations which include Wal-Mart, Amazon and Kohl’s Corporation and other organizations are using the medium of social networking or social media by a greater extent. The aforesaid business companies believe that they can attain their expected business objectives such as enhancing profitability, increasing market share and mounting business reputation by using social networking medium. These organizations view social media as one of the effective business tools in marketing their valuable products in different regions of the world. The various important advantages of using social networking comprise broadening business contacts, enlarging market research and facilitating open communication with the customers. Additionally, the other major benefits of using a social networking medium comprise enhancing business reputation, growing substantial client-base, improving profitability as well as productivity and most importantly permitting the employees to discuss any sort of important ideas or share links with others. In relation to the findings of this study, certain recommendations have been framed in order to improve social media. In this regard, the different business corporations need to create attractive fan pages in order to post recent updates and share as well as upload attractive videos about their different products. On the basis of the above discussion, it can be stated that the use of a social networking medium can benefit the business organizations by a greater extent. ... The various important advantages of using social networking comprise broadening business contacts, enlarging market research and facilitating open communication with the customers. Additionally, the other major benefits of using a social networking medium comprise enhancing business reputation, growing substantial client-base, improving profitability as well as productivity and most importantly permitting the employees to discuss any sort of important ideas or share links with others. In relation to the findings of this study, certain recommendations have been framed in order to improve social media. In this regard, the different business corporations need to create attractive fan pages in order to post recent updates and share as well as upload attractive videos about their different products. On the basis of the above discussion, it can be stated that the use of a social networking medium can benefit the business organizations by a greater extent. Introduction The perception of soc ial networking involves the execution of online mediums or websites that facilitates the people to communicate or converse with their families and acquaintances. It is regarded as an act of networking as well as interacting with others within a social online setting through the execution of websites. The notion of social networking is also regarded as an imperative practice for the expansion of businesses by establishing social contacts or connections with the individuals through the aid of online websites. It has been apparently observed that a large portion of different business organizations employ this significant conception of social networking while performing their business operational functions throughout the globe. The

Identify the Claim 99.9% of Proper Grammar is Obsolete - CS2 Case Study

Identify the Claim 99.9% of Proper Grammar is Obsolete - CS2 - Case Study Example bject-verb agreement, capital letters, etc is still being followed by main stream publications but it is not the case outside of such environments where correct use of grammar has already started decaying. Sentences structured carefully are disappearing on the internet. As users are getting acquainted of each other’s vocabulary, proper grammar is deteriorating. He recognizes that there is a tendency of feeding customized â€Å"Internet Speak† that is developing among those on the internet. The grammar on formal websites still follows the traditional laid out rules, emails are starting to see a condensed version and instant messaging is even worse. The reason for this is rooted in the belief that expertise is not a necessity and is a waste of money and time. He cites the example of existence of many civilizations for centuries. Also proper use of grammar does not solve any problem as many cannot read at a collegiate level. The author then goes on to sarcastically criticize such form of writing as saying that he wonders how such messages are legible (Wertheimer, 2002). He says that on examining any message, even be it from a CEO, many grammatical errors can be found. He points out the reason why such messages have been working. In the last few years as the use of internet has increased, users have not only tolerated such abuse of grammar but encouraged such styles in order reply to messages as soon as they receive it. Need for speed is the reason behind this development. Punctuating and capitalizing is just a loss of time. Hence the need to be fast has lead to this condensing of sentencing and in turn grammar. One of the examples that author gives is the use of â€Å"g2g† which means â€Å"got to go†. The author goes on to explain that languages demand perfectionism by being grammatically correct but this is not the case on the internet. A communication’s effectiveness is dependent on the speed of the communication. Longer the sentence is slower the process and

Urban Land Prices in a Market System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Urban Land Prices in a Market System - Essay Example There are many factor demand and supply determinants that are likely to impact the prices of the land. But, for our initial understanding we know that as far as land is concerned its demand may be very large or infinite but the supply of land that is available for any purpose is fixed such that an invariably high price change is also unable to alter the supply in any way. Thus, when we consider land pricing in terms of factors effecting demand and supply then too we know that there are some strange and peculiar behaviors for the price of land which is normally known as rent. Now individually, we will consider the effect of factor demand and supply on the land prices. The factor demand can be price, productivity of the prices of other factors. These affect by causing the shift in the demand curve. According to the common rule of law, an increase in factor price decreases the demand for it and decrease in factor prices increases the demand for it. Firstly, let's consider the factors that are likely to affect the demand of land; speaking in context of urban land markets people generally prefer land for housing located near the city centre, land is valued more where it is in proximity with the local nodes than far from them, and also land is preferred in areas where living conditions are better and the standard of living is relatively high. Thus in these areas or localities land prices are relatively higher compared to areas far from the city centre or where the living conditions are shabby. Another factor affecting the demand is productivity, when we talk about the productivity of land here in the urban sense e refer to the amount of the urban containment that the land can have. This is affected by the conventional planning and also the zoning practices of the area such as housing size requirements etc. Thus, it is noticed that urban containment has grown over the years and hence the prices of the urban areas has also increased. Lastly, another factor that is likely to impact the demand of goods is the change in prices of another goods, substitutes or complements. In areas where there are chances of development, the land is in more demand and hence, the price of land increases more rapidly compared to the areas that are relatively stable and already developed. Now, moving onto the factor supply and its effect on the price and the quantity supplied, some of the determinants include market supply determinants which include the resource prices, technology, other prices, expectations and the number of the sellers; then there are market demand determinants and lastly the mobility of the factors. In considering the supply of land in urban areas then it is driven by topography, physical conditions, patterns of land ownership, availability of infrastructure and also the government regulations. The urban land markets are not monopolistic at all, since the ownership of land is quite diffused and not at all concentrated in a few hands; therefore it becomes difficult to determine the price under one roof. And the value of land in urban areas is largely determined by the few large sellers, when there preferences change in total then they tend to sell the land as earliest as possible. But the utmost characteristics of land supply are that it is limited and no factor can facilitate

The stranger commentary Essay Example for Free

The stranger commentary Essay To get to the visiting room I went down a long corridor, then down some stairs and, finally, another corridor. I walked into a very large room brightened by a huge bay window. The room was divided into three sections by two large grates that ran the length of the room. Between the two grates was a space of eight to ten meters, which separated the visitors from the prisoners. I spotted Marie standing at the opposite end of the room with her striped dress and her sun-tanned face. On my side of the room there were about ten prisoners, most of then Arabs. Marie was surrounded by Moorish women and found herself between two visitors: a little, thin-lipped old woman dressed in black and a fat, bare headed woman who was talking at the top of her voice and making lots of gestures. Because of the distance between the grates, the visitors and the prisoners were forced to speak very loud. When I walked in, the sound of the voices echoing off the rooms high, bare walls and the harsh light pouring out of the sky onto the windows and spilling into the room brought on a kind of dizziness. My cell was quieter and darker. It took me a few seconds to adjust. But eventually I could see each face clearly, distinctly in the bright light. I noticed there was a guard sitting at the far end of the passage between the two grates. The lines 73-74 of the book The Stranger written by Albert Camus, it talks about Merusault indifference and his perception towards life. Through the successful use of syntax, imagery and tone, Albert Camus created an atmosphere of indifference while putting the reader in the protagonists shoes. Syntax is a key literary device used throughout the book, especially in lines 73-74. All Merusault narration varies in a way that reflects his attitudes toward the world around him. When describing his social or emotional situations, his sentences are short, precise, and offer minimal detail. For example Most of the Arab prisoners and their families had squatted down facing each other. They werent shouting. In this scene, Marie visits Merusault in the jail and relatives or friends visit other jail mates. Merusault tells only the essentials of what he sees and rarely uses any literary devices. His focus of attention is not on Marie but rather on the environment and surroundings. These meager descriptions display Merusault indifference to society and to the people around him. Like the vigil that he attended earlier in the story, he doesnt feel happy or sad when a person close to him passes away or visits during a time of dismay- hes indifferent. Another example is A little, thin-lipped old woman dressed in black and a fat, bareheaded woman who was talking at the top of her voice and making lots of gestures. This is viewed from a different perspective where his longer descriptive sentences are about others rather than himself. Although he saw Marie, he described the commotion around him and even what the people were wearing rather than detailing commenting about the beauty of Marie or even the way she dressed. This further shows that Merusault attitude towards the world is by far stronger than his attitude towards the people close to him. Imagery is perhaps the second key literary devices used in lines 73-74. By having Merusault narrate the story, it allows the reader to see and feel the way he feels. Furthermore, by describing what he sees enhances our understanding about his character and how he perceives things. For example To get to the visiting room I went down a long corridor, then down some stairs and, finally, another corridor. I walked into a very large room brightened by a huge bay window. In this excerpt, Merusault was told that Marie was there to visit him. On his way down to the visitors room, we can see that he was busy observing the objects around him rather than reminiscing about his past with Marie. This reveals another aspect about his character; he accepts the world as it is because he knows that nothing is dynamic enough to change the world. Seeing Marie would not revert his to-be-execution or world it get him out of jail. Although we may see this a negative aspect of Merusault, it does in a way benefit him. He has proven that he doesnt live a life of illusions but rather a life that is true to him. Another literary device that is powerfully used in this passage is tone. Tone is used in this passage For example My cell was quieter and darker. It took me a few seconds to adjust. But eventually I could see each face clearly, distinctly in the bright light. I noticed there was a guard sitting at the far end of the passage between the two grates. The tone of Merusault in this excerpt is mellow, calm and relaxed. This is rather ironic because someone who has been spending much time with him was there to visit and yet his tone wasnt joyful or anything. He should be exuberant that shes here to visit him but his tone shows otherwise. This reveals more about his character and how hes more or less emotionless. In conclusion, through the use of syntax, imagery and tone, Albert Camus has successfully described the protagonists indifference towards the people and the world.

Learning Development Plan for Masters Business Programme

Learning Development Plan for Masters Business Programme This assignment will review my Learning Development Plan for next 12 months to enable me to progress through a training program Master of business administration in a proper and organised manner. Briefly I will describe the Big picture about what is happening in the world and in the industry of my profession. Specific the Mega trends and Challenges from several dimension following with PEST analysis. In the assignment I will focus on my Goals, how I see myself in this profession, my professional values, ethics and social responsibility, socio-cultural and personal competencies, managerial and technical competencies and competencies needed. The last part of the assignment will review proposed professional development plan, SWOT analysis and formulation of strategies. At the beginning of the Reflective Essay I would like to introduce myself. I was born in the Czech Republic where I spent most of my life with my supporting and lovely family. Since my childhood I have been interested in sports, mostly in hockey and tennis and it has stayed with me until my adult age. When I was 14 years old I was nominated to the national hockey team where I spent next 4 years and I really enjoyed this period of my life and I learned how to be a team player. As the national hockey team we participated in many of the European cups. After I graduated in a College of management for business and industry in 2002 I chose an international company where I started to work as an assistant of purchaser of sports clothing. I chose the company because I have really strong connection to the sports and the position because I have been interested in the international business. While I was working there as an assistant I had very strong passion to learn more about the international business and I participated in many of training lessons about the international business. The company saw found me as an employee who has very strong passion for the job and the company had given me the opportunity to be promoted as a purchaser. On the position as a purchaser I got a lot of responsibility for my job. My main duties were to select the right products for the Czech market, prepare the purchase orders under the proposed budget, supervise the planned turnover and sales plan, work on the budget based on previous sales statistics and achievements, monitor the stocks, determinate sales prices, discounts and clearance sales, monitor competitors, negotiate contracts and policies with suppliers and analyse the market and customer needs. At this part of my duties I found myself very strong in numbers and I achieved very good results in budgeting, planning of turnovers and in choosing the products. As I mentioned I worked in the international company with the head office in Austria and I realised I was limited with my major managers in my plans and decisions and sometimes I wasnt able to enforce my ideas and I had to follow the decisions of my major managers even I knew the Czech market very well. Here I found out myself as a not enough strong employee and I was also missing the support from my boss. The next part of my duties was to coordinate with the marketing department. Our cooperation was about to visualize the company with products what we are offering to customers. The cooperation was about to prepare the plan of the marketing activities with the right products and with the combination of best quality and price. During the cooperation with the marketing department I found out that I have to learn more about the marketing principles and how to get the customer attention. In this company I worked 9 years and I really enjoyed the time. I learned a lot and I found out about me that I am very responsible person with the passion of the learning new things and for this reason I decided to improve my knowledge and skills with the study based on program Master of business administration and to improve and avoid the gaps in my path to be a successful professional purchasing manager. After the graduation in the course Master of business of administration I want to come back in to the same field purchasing. A period of greater political uncertainty has occurred in the world. The impacts on global economic growth and business performance might come from different sides of the world. The European Union is expecting the Elections in the largest Eurozone economies (Italy, Germany, and France) which can affect and threaten the existence and connection of the European Union. The migration crisis in Europe has been continuing and the opinions of the voters are more radical consequently to the migration crisis. Probably soon the Great Britany will apply for the process of the leaving the European Union. There is a question Will survive the European Union or will dissolve? after leaving the Great Britany. A divided European union will be big advantage for Russia to consolidate Russians influence in its borderlands. (ref. http://www.theworldin.com/edition/2017/article/12575/world-2017 ; http://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/world-predictions-2017-is-weakens-further-russia-china-us- face-uncertain-times/news-story/e110b20a288ed3326576d6ec911cc000 ; 16.03.17) Americans had already voted for new president and the dramatic Elections of the new president won Donald Trump. Mr Trump promises he will back away from overseas obligations and get the rest of the world to do more across the globe. (ref. http://www.theworldin.com/edition/2017/article/12575/world-2017 ; http://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/world-predictions-2017-is-weakens-further-russia-china-us-face-uncertain-times/news-story/e110b20a288ed3326576d6ec911cc000 16.03.17) For some reasons the year 2017 might be more difficult for investors. Importantly, the strong US economy will almost certainly result in higher official US interest rates. This will present difficulties for those countries, including Australia, that are dependent on inflows of foreign capital. For Australians, the biggest concern is an adverse impact on our major trading partner, China. Continued strength in Asian economies is particularly important for both commodity prices and the world economy because of the likely problems in the European Union. (ref. http://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/the-outlook-for-the-australian-economy-and-investors-in-2017-20161208-gt739k.html ; 16.03.17) 2017 might be a period of uncertainty. Caution will be needed. In this part of my LD plan I will focus on the industry Wholesale and Retail trade in the profession as a purchaser. The internet website Joboutlook.gov have published national statistics about Wholesale and Retail trade in employment conditions. The national statistics have indicated that the job offerings in Purchasing and Supply Logistic Clerk are expected to be more than average for the next 5 years. They are talking about 25.000 50.000 job offerings. The job prospects for this occupation will be steady for next 5 years in comparison with the previous years. Purchasing is very large occupation with the availability of jobs opportunities in most regions. The proportions of full time jobs in purchasing are above average. (ref. http://joboutlook.gov.au/occupation.aspx?code=5911search=industryTab=prospects ) PEST Analysis of Wholesale and Retail trade   Ã‚   (P)olitical The wholesale and retail trade might be influenced by political factors as tax, the stability of the country, legislations. (E)conomical The wholesale and retail trade has been influenced by the economic growth, unemployment policy, consumer confidence, inflation, interest rates. (S)ocial-Cultural environment The Wholesale and Retail trend in social-cultural environment might be influenced very strongly by lifestyle changes, demographic, population growth, living conditions, income distribution, fashion changes and foreign investment. (T)echnological environment Innovation of technology, changes in information technology, supply chain mechanism Goals I have acquired the essential experiences as a purchaser and I have had very good background of purchasing to improve my knowledge in my profession and to become a manager of purchasing. My goals I can divide in two periods such as short term goals and long term goals. In the case of the short term goals one of the goal is to continue with the study Master of business administration and to decrease my gaps of knowledge and skills for the future employment, which I found out through the LD application. Next short term goal is to be the part of purchasing in any organisation or institution in Sydney such as an employee or to get an internship in any organisation or institution. I will keep going with searching and applying for the job in the purchasing department. After graduation at APIC institution I will aim for my application of temporary residence which will make me able to work full time. With full time work rights I can get job as a purchaser or I will try to be promoted in current company. But I dont limit myself with the thought that I have to stay in Australia. I will try to apply for the manager position in other countries with the well economic stability. Every professional has to identify and acknowledge personal values. We can identify plenty of values but I will concentrate on the common values of professionals. A problem solver: as a professional in any company we have to solve a problem after next problem. A good problem solver will concentrate on the finding the right solution than to prove if she/he is right at all costs. Good problem solvers will see the problems as challenges and to experience from them. They know how to easy define the problem and they dont build the issues for others. (ref. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246480 ; 19.03.17; http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/8-things-really-great-problem-solvers-do.html ; 19.03.17) Ambitious: is very strong value and can be very powerful for any organisation. Ambitious people always see new goals and they have the drive to achieve them. Transparent: the value to be transparent through the behaviour such as honest, open and direct in any conversation help to reduce the wasting of the time. (ref. http://www.blog.getmotivatedforsuccess.com/getmotivated/wordpress/3-characteristics-of-ambitious-people/ ; 19.03.17; https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246480 ; 19.03.17) Empathetic: I rate the empathetic value as the one of the best professional and personal values. The skill to sympathize the problems that others deal with is a character which I really admire. (ref. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246480 ; 19.03.17) Focused: if we are focused and we dont do too many things in one time we will do something really well. In environment where people are focused and putting the emphasis on this value will spend their time more productively. (ref. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246480 ; 19.03.17) Be respectful of confidentiality Set good examples This case study measures my Socio-Cultural competencies in percentage and the graph compares my current competencies vs. my targeted competencies. This case study measures my current competencies vs. targeted competencies. The overview shows what my current competencies are and what my targets of the current competencies are. There are some competencies without any existing knowledge such as Business Law and Due Diligences and Human Resource Management. These competencies I will have to improve and study through the study program more intensely. Next significant gaps I found out in Operations Management, Strategic Information System, Leadership and Change Management, Supply Chain Fundamentals. The proposed professional development program will guide me to complete the study Master of business administration and to improve my knowledge, decrease my identified gaps of socio-cultural competencies and in managerial and technical competencies. Strengths The passion to learn new things and to educate myself. Experienced in problem solving. Very responsible for any commitments and ability to motivate people. Improve my knowledge and decrease the gaps in my Socio-cultural competencies, Managerial and Technical Competencies through the study program Master of business administration Weaknesses Not enough experienced in leadership, above average in self-direction, cultural empathy, creativity and innovation. Not having any work experiences in my profession in Australia. Opportunities Improve my competencies with the study program Master of business administration. Get the opportunity to work in any organisation or institution in purchasing department as a employee or in internship program. Threats Do not have a job in my profession and not improving but losing my professional experiences. My plan to complete the study program Master of business administration in next 12 months and to achieve my targets is following.      

Designing an Oral English Teaching Course

Designing an Oral English Teaching Course Introduction: Context Defining context is necessary for developing any course plan because the students, stakeholders and setting of the course have a large impact on all that is taught and learned. The very concepts of teaching and learning are culturally dependent and therefore care must be taken to match student and stakeholder expectations. Or in some cases it may appropriate to gently push the boundaries of what is acceptable and in so doing reveal a new way of learning and thinking. A cursory knowledge of the context is often not enough to push such boundaries. â€Å"The more information you have about the context the more able you will be to make decisions and to plan an effective course† (Graves 2000, p 18). This oral English course will take place at Leshan Teachers College in the mid-sized city of Leshan, in Sichuan province, China. This institution could be considered a 3rd tier college which grants bachelors and associates degrees to students headed for careers as secondary and elementary teachers. A minority of these English majors will go on to careers in translation, business or tour guiding. A minority will also go on for further study in various graduate fields. The institution offers no guidelines for the course except that the textbook titled Challenge to Speak by Wilson, Olson, Li, Chen and Yao (2005) be used as a text. The teacher is required to develop their own test for use in the course. The 1st year students enrolled in this course come directly from high school and the majority of them are from rural areas of Sichuan province. Many of their families work in agriculture or serve as migrant workers in factories or on construction projects in the eastern provinces. Students are often disappointed at being assigned to study at Leshan Teachers College. Many had hoped to attend somewhere with more prestige, but in spite of some initial disappointment, most are willing to study hard to improve their English. Previous to having this class, many of the students have not had a foreign teacher. Though they have studied English for at least 6 years in elementary and high school, they generally dont see English as a way to build relationships. Most of their focus in their English studies had been on reading and writing with the goal of doing well on the college entrance exams. Most of them lack the oral ability or confidence to consider beginning a conversation with the foreigners that they may occasionally see in their daily life. Though educational philosophies are gradually changing throughout China, the college entrance exam still dictates that much rote learning take place. In foreign language teaching, theories of grammar-translation and audio-lingualism predominate. Generally, students are not taught to question their textbooks, their teachers or their learning methods. Students typically follow their teachers recommendations and assignments very closely and rarely initiate studies on their own. That being said, their powers of memorization and grammar knowledge are usually quite good in comparison to their ability to speak extemporaneously in conversation. The course meets one time per week for two 45 minute periods. Due to a late arrival on campus and a week of military training, the 1st year students semester lasts only 12 weeks. With the distractions that come with adapting to life in new surroundings, the 1st semester of the 1st year typically features a lighter academic load. Many of these students have not been away from their parents before and this obviously affects students in different ways; some embrace their new-found independence while some long for home. I. Teacher Beliefs Though a course or a language program is set in a specific locale, and may try to incorporate the desires and needs of many students and stakeholders, ultimately the composition of the course or program flows from one source: the beliefs and identity of the teacher. Successful teaching requires knowledge beyond just the subject being taught; only through self-knowledge can a teacher fully inhabit the combined public and private persona that a teacher must assume (Palmer, 1998). The beliefs of a teacher regarding the subject being taught and nature of teaching and learning will have significant implications in the design of a course; however, a teachers worldview may impact his or her teaching approach in ways that are just as significant, but perhaps less apparent. Since language teaching often involves cultural differences between teachers and students, teachers may need to adjust some of their beliefs when or if they significantly violate the cultural norms of students (Graves, 2000; Lingenfelter Lingenfelter, 2003). While Johnson (1998, as cited in Graves, 2000) points out that many of a teachers beliefs can be difficult to articulate or can hide under the surface of his or her teaching, my experiences with the cross-cultural frictions found in language classrooms have often raised to my consciousness beliefs and values that would have remained hidden in monocultural classrooms. As teachers engage with different student populations, study language acquisition theory or perform action research, they may alter some aspects of their beliefs. This is only natural. The possibility of change ought to propel a teacher toward constant reevaluation of their beliefs because only an intimate acquaintance with ones beliefs allows a teacher to articulat e why a particular lesson was effective or ineffective (Graves, 2000). Nature of Language Just as language is constantly evolving and adding new words from a multiplicity of sources, so my beliefs about the nature of language continue to evolve. Originally, I had viewed language as primarily driven by the lexicon. Through performing action research on form-focused approaches, I have come to realize that grammar plays a role that is nearly as important as vocabulary (Eberly, 2008). But, language goes beyond mundane concerns such as conditional forms or definitions extracted from dictionaries; when forms and words are artfully rendered into literature, the result is somehow more than the sum of its parts. Language is capable of exquisite beauty, but it is not only in its ability to represent the physical world where this beauty is apparent. Its ability to capture the minute inner-workings of the self is peerless among the fine arts, at least in my view. As a literature major in my undergraduate years, I may be biased, yet Ive found the habit of reading literature and writing a journal to be the best means of understanding myself. Language is not only something one engages in alone, it is also a means to develop relationships. Though meanings occasionally get obscured in our speech with others, language is what separates us from animals and allows us to work together as villages, countries and with people from around the world to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. Love, as a supreme human experience, would be incomplete or impossible without language as a means of expressing that love. Language Learning My beliefs on language learning grow out of my view of language and out of my awareness of myself as a learner. The relational nature of languages and my level of connection to native speakers have played a large role in my success in learning Chinese and Korean, and my comparative failure in learning Spanish in high school and as an undergraduate. Coming from a largely monocultural area of Ohio limited my exposure to native Spanish speakers. So, during my high school and undergraduate days, I saw Spanish as book-bound and irrelevant to daily life perhaps akin to how some of my students feel toward English today. Yet living in Korea and China while I have studied those respective languages has allowed me to know the people that are connected with the languages. It has been my relationships to those native-speaking people friends, colleagues, students and above all teachers that have energized my studies and made me successful. This is very much in line with Vygotsky (1978) who first noted the crucial role that sympathetic interlocutors play in forming L1 competence in children (as cited in Lightbown Spada, 2006). Brown (2001) carried this into the L2 arena with his interactive approach which in essence declared that it is through meaningful interaction that learning occurs most effectively. Curran also recycles some of these relational ideas in his Community Language Learning approach (Brown, 2001). World View Not only do my beliefs on this issue arise out of my experiences as a language learner, they are also rooted in my spiritual understanding of my relationship to God. The Bible is a record of mankinds relationship with God and according to the Bible, humans were created for the express purpose of being in relationship with God. The arrival of Jesus on earth heralded the willingness of God to send and sacrifice his only Son so that believers might relate to more than just a book or a set of laws; through Jesus, an intimacy with God is possible. My life has been a gradual discovering of just how fulfilling this relationship can be. But though Jesus calls everyone into relationship with Him, He does not force anyone into a relationship they may not desire. This freedom of choice is an important element in any relationship and endues the weaker party with an agency, or freedom of choice, which is a necessary element in establishing an inquiry-based educational environment (Freire, 1996). Language Teaching This type of mutually respectful relationship causes not only an increase in knowledge about the other with whom one is in relationship, it also forces a reevaluation of the self as the two mutually define and refine each other. Language teaching approaches that do not in some way promote learner introspection run the risk of creating automaton learners, who, when left to their own devices, lack the ability to carry on with their learning. Undoubtedly, some implicit learner reflection on teaching and learning philosophies is inevitable when the teacher is from another culture. Yet, deliberate activities and assignments which nudge students toward greater reflection of their learning processes and preferences have been shown to lead to greater student proficiency over the long term (Snow, 1996; Brown, 2001). A host of surveys and inventories like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Rebecca Oxfords Strategy Inventory for Language Learners (SILL) have frequently been incorporated into l essons as a way to make learners more self-aware (Brown, 2001). However, the simple insertion of these surveys into a lesson does not a reflective learner make, as I have found in the past. The teaching approach itself must be designed to give students some experiential knowledge of whatever declarative knowledge such surveys may inculcate. By introducing learner-reflective strands into an approach, a teacher can foster one of the paradoxes which Palmer claims must be present in a successful classroom; the space of the classroom â€Å"should honor the ‘little stories of the student and the ‘big stories of the disciplines and tradition† (Palmer, 1998, p. 74). II. Needs Assessment Feeling that I know myself well after articulating my beliefs, there is a temptation for me to take some aspects of needs assessment for granted, especially since I have taught at the Leshan Teachers College (LSTC) for nearly 3 years. This is my 2nd year teaching freshman oral English and though I didnt do extensive formal needs assessment last year, I feel very cued-in to student needs in terms of affect, pragmatics and pronunciation. Also, part of my action research (Eberly, 2008) involved significant assessments of the grammaticality of my students speech, so I feel especially familiar with struggles the students may face in this area. Through classroom activities and conversations outside of class, I have learned much about the future plans, hopes and dreams of many of my students. Yet, student populations are not monolithic and even though the collectivist nature of Chinese culture makes it tempting to paint different groups of students with the same pedagogical brush, there wil l undoubtedly be subtle and not-so-subtle differences from year to year or group to group. The foregoing introduction has largely ignored what is potentially the biggest advantage, for experienced teachers in familiar environments, in incorporating well-planned needs assessment into their course: the effect on the learner. In addition to providing the teacher with information about how to structure the course initially or alter it as it progresses, needs assessment helps the learners to reflect on their learning, to identify their needs, and to gain a sense of ownership and control of their learning. It establishes learning as a dialogue between the teacher and the learners and among the learners. (Graves, 2008, p. 98) The dialogic nature of assessing needs is one way in which students can be â€Å"heard to speech,† a process which Palmer (1998) describes as necessary not only for the development of interpretive and analytic skills, but also as an affirmation of the humanity of the student. My hunch is that needs assessment rarely takes on a dialogic quality in traditional Chinese classrooms, which tend to be teacher-fronted or hierarchical (Hu, 2002; Pratt, 2007). Yet the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks that may stem from students initial confusion or discomfort when facing the task of assessing their own needs. Pre-course Needs Assessment Dialogue often is thought to occur between two parties, yet there are other interlocutors who contribute to the process of analyzing needs. Though they may not participate directly in the classroom, they nevertheless have important contributions to make to the direction of the course. The overarching goal of oral English classes in the view of the administration of the LSTC is to prepare students for the TEM4 oral English exam during their sophomore year. For this reason, the foreign teachers at LSTC rarely teach courses to students beyond their sophomore year. For teachers who are unfamiliar with their setting, a discussion or interview with the dean or other departmental leader would be necessary as an initial needs assessment to help establish the criteria for the course. Though I have not spoken to many parents of my students during my time here, my hunch is that they would see test preparation as the main objective of any oral English course, or any other course for that matter. A secondary concern for administrators and parents alike is the oral English requirements for any post-graduation job that the student may deign to pursue. As future elementary and secondary teachers, the students will likely need good facility with pronunciation, but fluency will not be as important. This is slowly changing though, and more and more top secondary schools are demanding teachers who can teach in English. For students who opt for other careers involving English, including business, tour guiding and interpretation, all facets of their oral English will need to be well-developed. I see the value of washback from the TEM4, which is scored on the basis of student competence in pronunciation, grammatical accuracy and fluency through the modalities of an impromptu speech, dialogue and story retelling (Wen, Zhao Wang, 2001). Yet I would seek to augment the criteria of the TEM4 with several of my own. As a firm believer in the value of relationships, I would argue that pragmatic, cultural and confidence-building activities are necessary to promote relationships between the students and foreigners. Though students and other stakeholders may not see much need for these skills, the day of Chinas full integration into the international community is fast dawning. Ive seen almost exponential growth since my arrival here in opportunities for students and recent graduates to go abroad. Also, as Chinas economic growth rate continues to outpace much of the rest of the world, foreigners flock here in increasing numbers to work, study and tour. Beyond these potential encounte rs with speakers of English, the students will have 3 or 4 other foreign teachers during their 4 years of study at LSTC and the ability to form relationships with these native speakers of English will to some degree determine a students success in those courses. The following table consists of stakeholder data collection procedures and descriptions. The procedures contained therein do more than just provide the teacher with a means to assess the needs of students, they also seek to enable students to self-assess. Though student self-assessment is not a significant facet in Chinese pedagogy, I feel these assignments will benefit them in their future language studies and in their life in general. Table 1: Stakeholder Data Collection Procedures Pre-field needs assessment Since my course is a mere 14 hours of total class time not counting the test, incorporating student input into my needs assessment will have to be done as efficiently as possible.   As a way to collect basic initial information, a survey questionnaire will be distributed on the first day of class and assigned for completion as homework. (see appendix A)   Assigning the survey as homework will allow students to use their dictionaries and work at their own pace.   The questionnaire has 2 main foci in addition to basic information needed for classroom administrative purposes.   One focus is students self-perceived weaknesses and strengths in relating to native English speakers.   Another focus is pronunciation; in what ways have students learned pronunciation, successfully or unsuccessfully, in the past? Because the Challenge to Speak 1 textbook by Wilson E., C. Olson, H-Y. Li, X-N. Chen B-H. Yao (2005) will be used in the course, the initial survey includes a list of the language functions included in this text and students are asked to rank their top three preferences in terms of functions to study during the semester as well as designate any of the functions they already feel comfortable performing.   In addition, a significant portion of the initial pronunciation needs assessment will occur in the second week with a recording and transcription project that will test students self-awareness of their pronunciation and spoken grammar. Field needs assessment In conjunction with an action research project on pronunciation, much of the on-going needs assessment will be performed concurrently with end-of-cycle data collection.   These attempts to gauge students feelings on both pronunciation and wider classroom issues will have to be done delicately to avoid overwhelming students who may have difficulty seeing the purpose behind providing the teacher so much subjective feedback.   Each of these short end-of-cycle questionnaires will feature 2 questions requiring written answers and 5 Likert survey items as well as opportunities for students to write further questions or comments about the course.   The initial 2 questions about pronunciation are likely to change from cycle to cycle; however, the Likert statements will remain the same.   Interviews with 3 students will be performed at the conclusion of each cycle, with the intention of gaining deeper insights into some of the issues raised in the surveys. Objective feedback will be obtained through the use of in-class recordings.   Though checking pronunciation will be the overarching goal of this technique, secondary information will be gleaned about the students ability to stay on task, interest in the activity, comprehension of directions, etc†¦ Recordings will be made in both small-group and whole-class settings. Post-field needs assessment My hope is that a large portion of the assessment and analysis at the conclusion of the course can be accomplished through a repeat of the initial recording and transcription project assigned during the second week of class.   By having students record and transcribe a passage which incorporates the gamut of English phonology as well as respond to several prompted questions, I hope to gauge their pronunciation and awareness of themselves as speakers.   If they produce fewer errors overall and are better able to articulate their pronunciation and grammar errors the second time through, I will consider them successful learners who have completed a successful course. III. Developing Learning Outcomes The challenge in developing learning outcomes is to balance the learning space between an authoritarian approach in which the teacher is constantly forcing their goals upon the students and an anarchist approach in which each student pursues their own agenda.   Undoubtedly needs assessment plays a role in giving the students a voice in planning the outcomes of a course.   Yet I have found in my particular locale in China that students accustomed to a teacher-centered approach may have difficulty in articulating what they hope to learn in a course.   Thus in attempting to maintain a space that is both â€Å"bounded and open,† in the words of Palmer, (1998, p. 74) I have often erred in the bounded direction.   I hope in this course, through dialogic needs analysis and attempting to articulate that which my students may find difficult, to be â€Å"open to the many paths down which discovery may take us, to the surprises that always come with real learning† (Palmer, 1998, p. 75). Of course this is not to say that the teacher should approach every course with a blank mindset and allow the students to do all the leading.   Taking into account the context of the course and the beliefs of the teacher will start a teacher down the road of formulating goals for a course.   But it is important to follow up on this start and define the course goals as precisely as possible.   A course â€Å"will be effective to the extent that its goals are sound and clearly stated† (Richards, 2001, p. 112).   The better able the teacher is to articulate the goals, the more succinctly they will be able to inform their students of the direction of the course an important consideration for a course with less than 14 hours of class time. While there are a plethora of philosophies and frameworks to draw on when establishing goals,   I find myself most adherent to theories of cultural pluralism as defined by Richards (2001) and the framework of ATASK formulated by David Thomson (as cited in Graves, 2000).   Obviously, there are pieces from each of the 5 philosophies described by Richards that I find attractive, yet my setting and beliefs make cultural pluralism the most relevant and accessible to me and my students.   I think the inclusion of a teacher parameter in the ATASK (Awareness, Teacher, Attitude, Skills, Knowledge) acronym allows me to articulate learning goals that I may have for a particular course.   Though social reconstructivists or critical pedagogues may wish to explode the teacher/student dichotomy, I dont think we can throw all power structure out the window.   The ATASK framework allows me to view myself as a learner and my students as teachers, which is something likely to be beneficial to both of us. The following table briefly outlines my goals and objectives according the to ATASK framework.   The pre-course portion of my needs assessment informs some of these goals and objectives.   Table 2: Though it is te Designing an Oral English Teaching Course Designing an Oral English Teaching Course Introduction: Context Defining context is necessary for developing any course plan because the students, stakeholders and setting of the course have a large impact on all that is taught and learned. The very concepts of teaching and learning are culturally dependent and therefore care must be taken to match student and stakeholder expectations. Or in some cases it may appropriate to gently push the boundaries of what is acceptable and in so doing reveal a new way of learning and thinking. A cursory knowledge of the context is often not enough to push such boundaries. â€Å"The more information you have about the context the more able you will be to make decisions and to plan an effective course† (Graves 2000, p 18). This oral English course will take place at Leshan Teachers College in the mid-sized city of Leshan, in Sichuan province, China. This institution could be considered a 3rd tier college which grants bachelors and associates degrees to students headed for careers as secondary and elementary teachers. A minority of these English majors will go on to careers in translation, business or tour guiding. A minority will also go on for further study in various graduate fields. The institution offers no guidelines for the course except that the textbook titled Challenge to Speak by Wilson, Olson, Li, Chen and Yao (2005) be used as a text. The teacher is required to develop their own test for use in the course. The 1st year students enrolled in this course come directly from high school and the majority of them are from rural areas of Sichuan province. Many of their families work in agriculture or serve as migrant workers in factories or on construction projects in the eastern provinces. Students are often disappointed at being assigned to study at Leshan Teachers College. Many had hoped to attend somewhere with more prestige, but in spite of some initial disappointment, most are willing to study hard to improve their English. Previous to having this class, many of the students have not had a foreign teacher. Though they have studied English for at least 6 years in elementary and high school, they generally dont see English as a way to build relationships. Most of their focus in their English studies had been on reading and writing with the goal of doing well on the college entrance exams. Most of them lack the oral ability or confidence to consider beginning a conversation with the foreigners that they may occasionally see in their daily life. Though educational philosophies are gradually changing throughout China, the college entrance exam still dictates that much rote learning take place. In foreign language teaching, theories of grammar-translation and audio-lingualism predominate. Generally, students are not taught to question their textbooks, their teachers or their learning methods. Students typically follow their teachers recommendations and assignments very closely and rarely initiate studies on their own. That being said, their powers of memorization and grammar knowledge are usually quite good in comparison to their ability to speak extemporaneously in conversation. The course meets one time per week for two 45 minute periods. Due to a late arrival on campus and a week of military training, the 1st year students semester lasts only 12 weeks. With the distractions that come with adapting to life in new surroundings, the 1st semester of the 1st year typically features a lighter academic load. Many of these students have not been away from their parents before and this obviously affects students in different ways; some embrace their new-found independence while some long for home. I. Teacher Beliefs Though a course or a language program is set in a specific locale, and may try to incorporate the desires and needs of many students and stakeholders, ultimately the composition of the course or program flows from one source: the beliefs and identity of the teacher. Successful teaching requires knowledge beyond just the subject being taught; only through self-knowledge can a teacher fully inhabit the combined public and private persona that a teacher must assume (Palmer, 1998). The beliefs of a teacher regarding the subject being taught and nature of teaching and learning will have significant implications in the design of a course; however, a teachers worldview may impact his or her teaching approach in ways that are just as significant, but perhaps less apparent. Since language teaching often involves cultural differences between teachers and students, teachers may need to adjust some of their beliefs when or if they significantly violate the cultural norms of students (Graves, 2000; Lingenfelter Lingenfelter, 2003). While Johnson (1998, as cited in Graves, 2000) points out that many of a teachers beliefs can be difficult to articulate or can hide under the surface of his or her teaching, my experiences with the cross-cultural frictions found in language classrooms have often raised to my consciousness beliefs and values that would have remained hidden in monocultural classrooms. As teachers engage with different student populations, study language acquisition theory or perform action research, they may alter some aspects of their beliefs. This is only natural. The possibility of change ought to propel a teacher toward constant reevaluation of their beliefs because only an intimate acquaintance with ones beliefs allows a teacher to articulat e why a particular lesson was effective or ineffective (Graves, 2000). Nature of Language Just as language is constantly evolving and adding new words from a multiplicity of sources, so my beliefs about the nature of language continue to evolve. Originally, I had viewed language as primarily driven by the lexicon. Through performing action research on form-focused approaches, I have come to realize that grammar plays a role that is nearly as important as vocabulary (Eberly, 2008). But, language goes beyond mundane concerns such as conditional forms or definitions extracted from dictionaries; when forms and words are artfully rendered into literature, the result is somehow more than the sum of its parts. Language is capable of exquisite beauty, but it is not only in its ability to represent the physical world where this beauty is apparent. Its ability to capture the minute inner-workings of the self is peerless among the fine arts, at least in my view. As a literature major in my undergraduate years, I may be biased, yet Ive found the habit of reading literature and writing a journal to be the best means of understanding myself. Language is not only something one engages in alone, it is also a means to develop relationships. Though meanings occasionally get obscured in our speech with others, language is what separates us from animals and allows us to work together as villages, countries and with people from around the world to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. Love, as a supreme human experience, would be incomplete or impossible without language as a means of expressing that love. Language Learning My beliefs on language learning grow out of my view of language and out of my awareness of myself as a learner. The relational nature of languages and my level of connection to native speakers have played a large role in my success in learning Chinese and Korean, and my comparative failure in learning Spanish in high school and as an undergraduate. Coming from a largely monocultural area of Ohio limited my exposure to native Spanish speakers. So, during my high school and undergraduate days, I saw Spanish as book-bound and irrelevant to daily life perhaps akin to how some of my students feel toward English today. Yet living in Korea and China while I have studied those respective languages has allowed me to know the people that are connected with the languages. It has been my relationships to those native-speaking people friends, colleagues, students and above all teachers that have energized my studies and made me successful. This is very much in line with Vygotsky (1978) who first noted the crucial role that sympathetic interlocutors play in forming L1 competence in children (as cited in Lightbown Spada, 2006). Brown (2001) carried this into the L2 arena with his interactive approach which in essence declared that it is through meaningful interaction that learning occurs most effectively. Curran also recycles some of these relational ideas in his Community Language Learning approach (Brown, 2001). World View Not only do my beliefs on this issue arise out of my experiences as a language learner, they are also rooted in my spiritual understanding of my relationship to God. The Bible is a record of mankinds relationship with God and according to the Bible, humans were created for the express purpose of being in relationship with God. The arrival of Jesus on earth heralded the willingness of God to send and sacrifice his only Son so that believers might relate to more than just a book or a set of laws; through Jesus, an intimacy with God is possible. My life has been a gradual discovering of just how fulfilling this relationship can be. But though Jesus calls everyone into relationship with Him, He does not force anyone into a relationship they may not desire. This freedom of choice is an important element in any relationship and endues the weaker party with an agency, or freedom of choice, which is a necessary element in establishing an inquiry-based educational environment (Freire, 1996). Language Teaching This type of mutually respectful relationship causes not only an increase in knowledge about the other with whom one is in relationship, it also forces a reevaluation of the self as the two mutually define and refine each other. Language teaching approaches that do not in some way promote learner introspection run the risk of creating automaton learners, who, when left to their own devices, lack the ability to carry on with their learning. Undoubtedly, some implicit learner reflection on teaching and learning philosophies is inevitable when the teacher is from another culture. Yet, deliberate activities and assignments which nudge students toward greater reflection of their learning processes and preferences have been shown to lead to greater student proficiency over the long term (Snow, 1996; Brown, 2001). A host of surveys and inventories like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Rebecca Oxfords Strategy Inventory for Language Learners (SILL) have frequently been incorporated into l essons as a way to make learners more self-aware (Brown, 2001). However, the simple insertion of these surveys into a lesson does not a reflective learner make, as I have found in the past. The teaching approach itself must be designed to give students some experiential knowledge of whatever declarative knowledge such surveys may inculcate. By introducing learner-reflective strands into an approach, a teacher can foster one of the paradoxes which Palmer claims must be present in a successful classroom; the space of the classroom â€Å"should honor the ‘little stories of the student and the ‘big stories of the disciplines and tradition† (Palmer, 1998, p. 74). II. Needs Assessment Feeling that I know myself well after articulating my beliefs, there is a temptation for me to take some aspects of needs assessment for granted, especially since I have taught at the Leshan Teachers College (LSTC) for nearly 3 years. This is my 2nd year teaching freshman oral English and though I didnt do extensive formal needs assessment last year, I feel very cued-in to student needs in terms of affect, pragmatics and pronunciation. Also, part of my action research (Eberly, 2008) involved significant assessments of the grammaticality of my students speech, so I feel especially familiar with struggles the students may face in this area. Through classroom activities and conversations outside of class, I have learned much about the future plans, hopes and dreams of many of my students. Yet, student populations are not monolithic and even though the collectivist nature of Chinese culture makes it tempting to paint different groups of students with the same pedagogical brush, there wil l undoubtedly be subtle and not-so-subtle differences from year to year or group to group. The foregoing introduction has largely ignored what is potentially the biggest advantage, for experienced teachers in familiar environments, in incorporating well-planned needs assessment into their course: the effect on the learner. In addition to providing the teacher with information about how to structure the course initially or alter it as it progresses, needs assessment helps the learners to reflect on their learning, to identify their needs, and to gain a sense of ownership and control of their learning. It establishes learning as a dialogue between the teacher and the learners and among the learners. (Graves, 2008, p. 98) The dialogic nature of assessing needs is one way in which students can be â€Å"heard to speech,† a process which Palmer (1998) describes as necessary not only for the development of interpretive and analytic skills, but also as an affirmation of the humanity of the student. My hunch is that needs assessment rarely takes on a dialogic quality in traditional Chinese classrooms, which tend to be teacher-fronted or hierarchical (Hu, 2002; Pratt, 2007). Yet the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks that may stem from students initial confusion or discomfort when facing the task of assessing their own needs. Pre-course Needs Assessment Dialogue often is thought to occur between two parties, yet there are other interlocutors who contribute to the process of analyzing needs. Though they may not participate directly in the classroom, they nevertheless have important contributions to make to the direction of the course. The overarching goal of oral English classes in the view of the administration of the LSTC is to prepare students for the TEM4 oral English exam during their sophomore year. For this reason, the foreign teachers at LSTC rarely teach courses to students beyond their sophomore year. For teachers who are unfamiliar with their setting, a discussion or interview with the dean or other departmental leader would be necessary as an initial needs assessment to help establish the criteria for the course. Though I have not spoken to many parents of my students during my time here, my hunch is that they would see test preparation as the main objective of any oral English course, or any other course for that matter. A secondary concern for administrators and parents alike is the oral English requirements for any post-graduation job that the student may deign to pursue. As future elementary and secondary teachers, the students will likely need good facility with pronunciation, but fluency will not be as important. This is slowly changing though, and more and more top secondary schools are demanding teachers who can teach in English. For students who opt for other careers involving English, including business, tour guiding and interpretation, all facets of their oral English will need to be well-developed. I see the value of washback from the TEM4, which is scored on the basis of student competence in pronunciation, grammatical accuracy and fluency through the modalities of an impromptu speech, dialogue and story retelling (Wen, Zhao Wang, 2001). Yet I would seek to augment the criteria of the TEM4 with several of my own. As a firm believer in the value of relationships, I would argue that pragmatic, cultural and confidence-building activities are necessary to promote relationships between the students and foreigners. Though students and other stakeholders may not see much need for these skills, the day of Chinas full integration into the international community is fast dawning. Ive seen almost exponential growth since my arrival here in opportunities for students and recent graduates to go abroad. Also, as Chinas economic growth rate continues to outpace much of the rest of the world, foreigners flock here in increasing numbers to work, study and tour. Beyond these potential encounte rs with speakers of English, the students will have 3 or 4 other foreign teachers during their 4 years of study at LSTC and the ability to form relationships with these native speakers of English will to some degree determine a students success in those courses. The following table consists of stakeholder data collection procedures and descriptions. The procedures contained therein do more than just provide the teacher with a means to assess the needs of students, they also seek to enable students to self-assess. Though student self-assessment is not a significant facet in Chinese pedagogy, I feel these assignments will benefit them in their future language studies and in their life in general. Table 1: Stakeholder Data Collection Procedures Pre-field needs assessment Since my course is a mere 14 hours of total class time not counting the test, incorporating student input into my needs assessment will have to be done as efficiently as possible.   As a way to collect basic initial information, a survey questionnaire will be distributed on the first day of class and assigned for completion as homework. (see appendix A)   Assigning the survey as homework will allow students to use their dictionaries and work at their own pace.   The questionnaire has 2 main foci in addition to basic information needed for classroom administrative purposes.   One focus is students self-perceived weaknesses and strengths in relating to native English speakers.   Another focus is pronunciation; in what ways have students learned pronunciation, successfully or unsuccessfully, in the past? Because the Challenge to Speak 1 textbook by Wilson E., C. Olson, H-Y. Li, X-N. Chen B-H. Yao (2005) will be used in the course, the initial survey includes a list of the language functions included in this text and students are asked to rank their top three preferences in terms of functions to study during the semester as well as designate any of the functions they already feel comfortable performing.   In addition, a significant portion of the initial pronunciation needs assessment will occur in the second week with a recording and transcription project that will test students self-awareness of their pronunciation and spoken grammar. Field needs assessment In conjunction with an action research project on pronunciation, much of the on-going needs assessment will be performed concurrently with end-of-cycle data collection.   These attempts to gauge students feelings on both pronunciation and wider classroom issues will have to be done delicately to avoid overwhelming students who may have difficulty seeing the purpose behind providing the teacher so much subjective feedback.   Each of these short end-of-cycle questionnaires will feature 2 questions requiring written answers and 5 Likert survey items as well as opportunities for students to write further questions or comments about the course.   The initial 2 questions about pronunciation are likely to change from cycle to cycle; however, the Likert statements will remain the same.   Interviews with 3 students will be performed at the conclusion of each cycle, with the intention of gaining deeper insights into some of the issues raised in the surveys. Objective feedback will be obtained through the use of in-class recordings.   Though checking pronunciation will be the overarching goal of this technique, secondary information will be gleaned about the students ability to stay on task, interest in the activity, comprehension of directions, etc†¦ Recordings will be made in both small-group and whole-class settings. Post-field needs assessment My hope is that a large portion of the assessment and analysis at the conclusion of the course can be accomplished through a repeat of the initial recording and transcription project assigned during the second week of class.   By having students record and transcribe a passage which incorporates the gamut of English phonology as well as respond to several prompted questions, I hope to gauge their pronunciation and awareness of themselves as speakers.   If they produce fewer errors overall and are better able to articulate their pronunciation and grammar errors the second time through, I will consider them successful learners who have completed a successful course. III. Developing Learning Outcomes The challenge in developing learning outcomes is to balance the learning space between an authoritarian approach in which the teacher is constantly forcing their goals upon the students and an anarchist approach in which each student pursues their own agenda.   Undoubtedly needs assessment plays a role in giving the students a voice in planning the outcomes of a course.   Yet I have found in my particular locale in China that students accustomed to a teacher-centered approach may have difficulty in articulating what they hope to learn in a course.   Thus in attempting to maintain a space that is both â€Å"bounded and open,† in the words of Palmer, (1998, p. 74) I have often erred in the bounded direction.   I hope in this course, through dialogic needs analysis and attempting to articulate that which my students may find difficult, to be â€Å"open to the many paths down which discovery may take us, to the surprises that always come with real learning† (Palmer, 1998, p. 75). Of course this is not to say that the teacher should approach every course with a blank mindset and allow the students to do all the leading.   Taking into account the context of the course and the beliefs of the teacher will start a teacher down the road of formulating goals for a course.   But it is important to follow up on this start and define the course goals as precisely as possible.   A course â€Å"will be effective to the extent that its goals are sound and clearly stated† (Richards, 2001, p. 112).   The better able the teacher is to articulate the goals, the more succinctly they will be able to inform their students of the direction of the course an important consideration for a course with less than 14 hours of class time. While there are a plethora of philosophies and frameworks to draw on when establishing goals,   I find myself most adherent to theories of cultural pluralism as defined by Richards (2001) and the framework of ATASK formulated by David Thomson (as cited in Graves, 2000).   Obviously, there are pieces from each of the 5 philosophies described by Richards that I find attractive, yet my setting and beliefs make cultural pluralism the most relevant and accessible to me and my students.   I think the inclusion of a teacher parameter in the ATASK (Awareness, Teacher, Attitude, Skills, Knowledge) acronym allows me to articulate learning goals that I may have for a particular course.   Though social reconstructivists or critical pedagogues may wish to explode the teacher/student dichotomy, I dont think we can throw all power structure out the window.   The ATASK framework allows me to view myself as a learner and my students as teachers, which is something likely to be beneficial to both of us. The following table briefly outlines my goals and objectives according the to ATASK framework.   The pre-course portion of my needs assessment informs some of these goals and objectives.   Table 2: Though it is te