What Peasants and Laborers Wore in the Medieval Ages

While the fashions of the upper classes were changing with the decade (or at least the century), peasants and laborers stuck to the useful, modest garments their progenitors had been clad in for generations during the Middle Ages. Of course, as the centuries passed, minor variations in style and color were bound to appear; but, for the most part, medieval European peasants wore very similar clothing in most countries from the 8th to the 14th century. The Ubiquitous Tunic The basic garment worn by  men, women, and children alike was a tunic. This appears to have evolved from the Roman tunica of late antiquity. Such tunics are made either by folding over a long piece of fabric and cutting a hole in the center of the fold for the neck;  or by sewing two pieces of fabric together at the shoulders, leaving a gap for the neck. Sleeves, which werent always part of the garment, could be cut as part of the same piece of fabric and sewn closed  or added later. Tunics fell to at least the thighs. Though the garment might be called by different names at different times and places, the construction of the tunic was essentially the same throughout these centuries. At various times, men and, less often, women wore tunics with slits up the sides to afford more freedom of movement. An opening at the throat was fairly common to make it easier to put on over ones head; this might be a simple widening of the neck hole; or, it might be a slit that could be tied closed with cloth ties or left open with plain or decorative edging. Women wore their tunics long, usually to mid-calf, which made them, essentially, dresses. Some were even longer, with trailing trains that could be used in a variety of ways. If any of her chores required her to shorten her dress, the average peasant woman could tuck the ends of it up in her belt. Ingenious methods of tucking and folding could turn the excess fabric into a pouch for carrying picked fruit, chicken feed, etc.; or, she could wrap the train over her head to protect herself from the rain. Womens tunics were usually made of wool. Woolen fabric could be woven rather finely, though the quality of the cloth for working-class women was mediocre at best. Blue was the most common color for a womans tunic; though many different shades might be achieved, the blue dye made from the woad plant was used on a large percentage of manufactured cloth. Other colors were unusual, but not unknown: pale yellow, green, and a light shade of red or orange could all be made from less-expensive dyes. All these colors would fade in time; dyes that stayed fast over the years were too expensive for the average laborer. Men generally wore tunics that fell past their knees. If they needed them shorter, they could tuck the ends in their belts; or, they could hike up the garment and fold fabric from the middle of the tunic over their belts. Some men, particularly those engaged in heavy labor, might wear sleeveless tunics to help them deal with the heat. Most mens tunics were made of wool, but they were often coarser and not as brightly colored as womens wear. Mens tunics could be made from beige (undyed wool) or frieze (coarse wool with a heavy nap) as well as more finely woven wool. Undyed wool was sometimes brown or gray, from brown and gray sheep. Undergarments Realistically, there is no telling whether or not most members of the working classes wore anything between their skin and their woolen tunics until the 14th century. The contemporary artwork depicts peasants and laborers at work without revealing whats worn underneath their outer garments. But usually the nature of undergarments is that theyre worn under other garments and are therefore ordinarily unseen; so, the fact that there are no contemporary representations shouldnt hold much weight. In the 1300s, it became the fashion for people to wear shifts, or undertunics, that had longer sleeves and lower hemlines than their tunics, and therefore were plainly visible. Usually, among the working classes, these shifts would be woven from hemp and would remain undyed; after many wearings and washings, they would soften up and lighten in color. Field workers were known to wear shifts, hats, and little else in the heat of summer. More affluent people could afford linen undergarments. Linen could be fairly stiff, and unless bleached it wouldnt be perfectly white, though time, wear, and cleansing could make it lighter and more flexible. It was unusual for peasants and laborers to wear linen, but it wasnt altogether unknown; some of the clothing of the prosperous, including undergarments, were donated to the poor upon the wearers death. Men wore braes or loincloths for underpants. Whether or not women wore underpants remains a mystery. Shoes and Socks It was not at all uncommon for peasants to go about barefoot, especially in warmer weather. But in cooler weather and for work in the fields, fairly simple leather shoes were regularly worn. One of the most common styles was an ankle-high boot that laced up the front. Later styles were closed by a single strap and buckle. Shoes were known to have had wooden soles, but it was just as likely for soles to be constructed of thick or multi-layered leather. Felt was also used in shoes and slippers. Most shoes and boots had rounded toes; some shoes worn by the working class might have somewhat pointed toes, but workers didnt wear the extreme pointy styles that were at times the fashion of the upper classes. As with undergarments, its difficult to determine when stockings came into common use. Women probably didnt wear stockings any higher than the knee; they didnt have to  since their dresses were so long. But men, whose tunics were shorter and who were unlikely to have heard of trousers, let alone wear them, often wore hose up to the thighs. Hats, Hoods, and Other Head-Coverings For every member of society, a head-covering was an important part of ones attire, and the working class was no exception. Field workers often wore broad-brimmed straw hats to keep off the sun. A coif, a linen or hemp bonnet that fit close to the head and was tied under the chin,  was usually worn by men undertaking messy work such as pottery, painting, masonry,  or crushing grapes. Butchers and bakers wore kerchiefs over their hair; blacksmiths needed to protect their heads from flying sparks and might wear any of a variety of linen or felt caps. Women usually wore veils, a simple square, rectangle, or oval of linen kept in place by tying a ribbon or cord around the forehead. Some women also wore wimples, which attached to the veil and covered the throat and any exposed flesh above the tunics neckline. A barbette (chin strap) might be used to keep the veil and wimple in place, but for most working-class women, this extra piece of fabric may have seemed like an unnecessary expense. Headgear was very important for the respectable woman; only unmarried girls and prostitutes went without something covering their hair. Both men and women wore hoods, sometimes attached to capes or jackets. Some hoods had a length of fabric in the back that the wearer could wrap around his neck or his head. Men were known to wear hoods that were attached to a short cape that covered the shoulders, very often in colors that contrasted with their tunics. Both red and blue became popular colors for hoods. Outer Garments For men who worked outdoors, an additional protective garment would usually be worn in cold or rainy weather. This could be a simple sleeveless cape or a coat with sleeves. In the earlier Middle Ages, men wore fur capes and cloaks, but there was a general view among medieval people that fur was worn only by savages, and its use went out of vogue for all but garment linings for quite some time. Though they lacked todays plastic, rubber, and Scotch-Guard, medieval folk could still manufacture fabric that resisted water, at least to a degree. This could be done by fulling wool during the manufacturing process, or by waxing the garment once it was complete. Waxing was known to be done in England, but seldom elsewhere due to the scarcity and expense of wax. If wool was made without the stringent cleansing of professional manufacturing, it would retain some of the sheeps lanolin and would, therefore, be naturally somewhat water-resistant. Most women worked indoors and didnt often have need of a protective outer garment. When they went out in cold weather, they might wear a simple shawl, cape, or pelisse. This last was a fur-lined coat or jacket; the modest means of peasants and poor laborers limited the fur to cheaper varieties, such as goat or cat. The Laborers Apron Many jobs required protective gear to keep the laborers everyday wear clean enough to wear every day. The most common protective garment was the apron. Men would wear an apron whenever they performed a task that could cause a mess: filling barrels, butchering animals, mixing paint. Usually, the apron was a simple square or rectangular piece of cloth, often linen and sometimes hemp, which the wearer would tie around his waist by its corners. Men usually didnt wear their aprons until it was necessary and removed them when their messy tasks were done. Most chores that occupied the peasant housewifes time were potentially messy; cooking, cleaning, gardening, drawing water from the well, changing diapers. Thus, women typically wore aprons throughout the day. A womans apron often fell to her feet and sometimes covered her torso as well as her skirt. So common was the apron that it eventually became a standard part of the peasant womans costume. Throughout much of the Early and High Middle Ages, aprons were undyed hemp or linen, but in the later medieval period, they began to be dyed a variety of colors. Girdles Belts, also known as girdles, were common accouterments for men and women. They might be made from rope, fabric cords, or leather. Occasionally belts might have buckles, but it was more common for poorer folk to tie them instead. Laborers and peasants not only tucked up their clothing with their girdles, but they also attached tools, purses, and utility pouches to them. Gloves Gloves and mittens were also fairly common and were used to protect the hands from injury as well as for warmth in cold weather. Workers such as masons, blacksmiths, and even peasants cutting wood and making hay were known to use gloves. Gloves and mittens could be of virtually any material, depending on their specific purpose. One type of workers glove was made from sheepskin, with the wool on the inside, and had a thumb and two fingers to offer a little more manual dexterity than a mitten. Nightwear The idea that all medieval people slept naked is unlikely; in fact, some period artwork shows folk in bed wearing a simple shirt or gown. But due to the expense of clothing and the limited wardrobe of the working class, it is quite possible that many laborers and peasants slept naked, at least during warmer weather. On cooler nights, they could wear shifts to bed,  possibly even the same ones theyd worn that day under their clothes. Making and Buying Clothes All clothing was hand-sewn, of course, and was time-consuming to make compared to modern machine methods. Working-class folk couldnt afford to have a tailor make their clothes, but they could trade with or purchase from a neighborhood seamstress or make their outfits themselves, especially since fashion was not their foremost concern. While some made their own cloth, it was far more common to purchase or barter for finished cloth, either from a draper or peddler or from fellow villagers. Mass-produced items like hats, belts, shoes and other accessories were sold in specialty stores in big towns and cities, by peddlers in rural areas, and at markets everywhere. The Working-Class Wardrobe It was sadly all too common in a feudal system for the poorest folk to own nothing more than the clothes on their back. But most people, even peasants, werent quite that poor. People usually had at least two sets of clothes: everyday wear and the equivalent of Sunday best, which would not only be worn to church (at least once a week, often more frequently) but to social events as well. Virtually every woman, and many men, were capable of sewing, if only just a little, and garments were patched and mended for years. Garments and good linen undergarments were even bequeathed to heirs or donated to the poor when their owner died. More prosperous peasants and artisans would often have several suits of clothes and more than one pair of shoes, depending on their needs. But the amount of clothing in any medieval persons wardrobe, even a royal personage, couldnt come near what modern people usually have in their closets today. Sources Piponnier, Francoise, and Perrine Mane, Dress in the Middle Ages. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997.Kà ¶hler, Carl, A History of Costume. George G. Harrap and Company, Limited, 1928; reprinted by Dover.Norris, Herbert, Medieval Costume and Fashion.: London: J.M. Dent and Sons, 1927; reprinted by Dover.Netherton, Robin, and Gale R. Owen-Crocker, Medieval Clothing and TextilesBoydell Press, 2007. Jenkins, D.T., editor. The Cambridge History of Western Textiles, vols. I and II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

The War Film Genre - 538 Words

The war film genre includes films about warfare, including naval, air or land battles. Films in this genre may focus on the battles, prisoners of war, military training, life during wartime or morality and humanitarian issues of warfare. This genre commonly includes works of fiction, works based on historical facts and occasionally works based on alternate-history fiction. According to American Cinema/American Culture, the genre also includes four narrative elements: the suspension of morality during times of war, the prioritization of collective goals over individual motivations, the rivalry between men and their objectification of women and the issues of reintegrating veterans. (Belton 165-71) The 1986 Oscar winning film Platoon (Stone) is a classic example of this genre and why it is so popular. As such, Platoon is a fictional work that follows Chris Taylor, a young American who gives up college and volunteers for combat duty in Vietnam. 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This genre came into existence shortly after the invention of the movie camera in 1888 and has endured for over one-hundred years. Science fiction is adaptive; it changes with the times and this trend can be seen in its incorporation of other genres, cultural history and technology. This essay will attempt to define the genre, chronicle the history

The Garden Free Essays

I remember my first day of finishing school clearly. Nightingale finishing school for Girls was buzzing with pupils, ready for the new school year ahead of them, and telling tales of their . I felt out of place. We will write a custom essay sample on The Garden or any similar topic only for you Order Now It might have been that I had the wrong hairstyle, or that my shoes were not the right style, maybe it was the fact that I had nobody to talk to, maybe it was all of these. I know now that it was something much stranger than that, a power that repelled certain people away from me – it was like trying to attract wrong ends of magnets together. I saw a group of girls and decided they must have been the â€Å"popular† clique. There was a buzzing air around them, as well as a larger crowd. They were all stunning; with not a hair out of place. They looked over to me as I stood alone. The look was icy, and I presumed this was just because I was the â€Å"new girl†, an outcast. I turned away and found a place to sit alone, when I felt a sharp tap on my back. It was one of the girls from the corner. She had waist-long, wavy butter-coloured hair. Some of her hair was secured with a very ornate cameo pin. Her fluttering eyelashes curled upwards in the most graceful fashion. Even her drab school uniform seemed to suit her perfectly. She had the elegance and beauty of an exotic white tiger. I turned around and said nothing; I was far too intimidated to answer. It seemed as if the tiger was ready to pounce. â€Å"Who are you?† There was a sharp pause. â€Å"You must be the new girl then.† I tried to reply but simply couldn’t. It was like trying to talk when under the pressure of deep water. She looked at me as if I were a leper. Offended, she mumbled something inaudible and snarled like a dog, â€Å"What’s the matter with you? I want to warn you not to get in the way here. Don’t mess with us and you might just get along here.† All eyes seemed to be on me as she hurried back to her crowd, to regain her place as â€Å"queen bee†. Her friends laughed and then went back to their conversation as if nothing had happened. Half way through my day, I knew that I wouldn’t fit in very well; I was frustrated at the fact that I might not find any friends at all. As soon as we were allowed a free period and retire to the hall again, I escaped to the great library. It was a large, magnificent room, which looked as if I could blend in and not be noticed by anyone. The walls, books and floor were my only company. I reflected over my day and what had happened. Nobody understood what I was going through, and how difficult it was for me to speak to them. This triggered thought about my late mother. She died at the tender age of 33. Mostly, I’m over the death of my mother. At the time of her death, I didn’t understand what was happening. I thought that I was too young to be wearing a black dress; only older women seemed to wear them. It was more uncomfortable than my normal dress and I didn’t want to wear it at all. I didn’t understand at my young age that it would have been unacceptable, and disrespectful to my dead mother, for me not to. The clothes my mother dressed me in were much more comfortable, and they smelt of her scent wherever I went. The week after her death, I started to wonder where she had gone. I missed her greatly after a few weeks, because my father was much stiffer and stricter, if he was there for us at all. He seemed more into his work and gambling than caring for his children. My personality, as well as my brothers’, changed at this point. I became much more reserved, unwilling to talk to anyone other than my brothers. I didn’t particularly feel like talking to them either; I only talked to them when it was necessary. Nobody seemed to worry about me, either. I spent most of my time in our luscious garden. I enjoyed the cool shade of the willow tree in the summer; there I could hear the sweet birds chirping. I could smell the blooming flowers, their rich colours like confectionery to the eyes. Here was the only place I could find peacefulness, and shut myself out from the rest of the uncaring world. I disliked my father for what he had done; he was responsible for sending me here†¦ â€Å"Hello.† My quiet thoughts were interrupted. â€Å"I wondered if you knew where the gardens were.† I looked up at my intruder, confused. There were no gardens, as far as I knew, at this school. He was a tall boy, of about fifteen years. I noticed that he wasn’t very handsome, but there was a mysterious air about him which made him seem attractive. I wondered what he was doing here; this was a girls’ finishing school after all. I attempted to say that I was new here, and didn’t know where it was, but all that came out was a muffled squeak: â€Å"No, sorry.† He started to walk away. He turned around and said â€Å"Oh, okay. Good night. And may I say that you have the prettiest eyes I have ever seen.† I blushed violently, and went back to my book about wild animals. * That night I had a spectacularly vivid dream. I could see luscious green grass and fragrant flowers filled the space. I saw the beautiful colours of the wildlife; exotic birds and unidentifiable mammals. There was a small spinney which caught my eye; the branches were waving slowly in the cool breeze, and a pool of sparkling water beside it. The landscape was truly beautiful; it was like being in a different world. I saw my mother reflected in the water where I leant over. She looked as beautiful as ever, as beautiful as a rose. She was slightly different from what I remember, as if she had bloomed further. Her face was a little more blushing and her nose was slightly more pointed. Her strawberry-blonde locks looked just like mine, as well as her beautifully deep blue-green eyes. I realised after a few seconds that this was not my mother, but I. I was truly taken aback by how much I looked like my mother; I suppose I had not before looked into my own reflection properly. That was the day that changed my life. I had not experienced such a vivid dream before, but they started to happen much more often. They started to affect my concentration in the school; I longed to be outside, free, with no cares and responsibilities. I thought that it was just my imagination running wild, and longing for my comfortable past back. Having an appearance like my mother’s helped my self-confidence. I was sure that she was extremely beautiful. I knew that I could never look as dazzling, as striking as her, but I knew that I was certainly not ugly. I noticed that my voice was coming through once again; no longer a muffled squeal. However, I still felt like hardly anyone liked me. I spent my evenings in the library, my secret hideaway. I was starting to get used to this school; life wasn’t as bad as it used to seem. * A year later, and my evenings were still as normal, uninterrupted and peaceful. I felt a wave of sleep come over me, so I closed my book and curled up into a ball. I didn’t realise at the time that this was not in a most ladylike fashion; my tiredness seemed to take over. It was not unusual to feel tired after a long day, so thought nothing of it at the time. Whilst in my sleep, I had another vivid dream. It was pleasant, the season in my world seemed to have changed to winter, but it was still beautiful. A soft blanket of snow covered the grass, and sparkling ice covered the pool of water where I often sat and thought about my mother. The leaves had left the trees in the spinney, and a layer of frost covered them. It was quite spectacular, everywhere sparkled and dazzled in the midday sun. I stumbled over a root in the spinney, but a striking evergreen bush broke my fall. â€Å"I’m sorry for my impoliteness,† I was awoken. It was a boy, the same boy that I had come across on my first day at this school. â€Å"But I wondered if I could talk to you?† I felt shy, but also warmed by his presence. Something about him made me feel slightly more comfortable than usual. This feeling was similar to the one I had when my mother was still alive. I was daydreaming, and didn’t realise; there was a pause in the conversation. â€Å"It’s just that†¦ I feel as if we are in the same situation.† He said, and sat down on the couch next to me. As I was slightly taken aback by this, I said nothing. My face asked the questions. â€Å"My mother died when I was young. I came here because I sensed that someone with the power was near.† He said, gently. â€Å"I know that you’ve had trouble fitting in, just like I did. People like me and you don’t, generally. People can sense that you have something different, which wards them off.† I was slightly confused, so I decided to ask him what the power was. Was it the power to enter a secret garden in my sleep? â€Å"What is the power?† â€Å"It is when you have the ability to enter a supernatural world, full of peace and harmony whenever you wish. I gained mine a few years after my mother died; she passed the power on to me. That is why I asked you last year whether you knew the way to the gardens.† I began to understand. This boy truly knew what I was feeling, and I could talk to him, as if I were a normal girl and my feelings mattered to him; he could empathise with me and vice versa. We instantly connected and I felt at ease. I couldn’t believe that I had met someone who knew how I felt, and what my life was like! We had been talking for two hours before I noticed that I was late to my dorm room. â€Å"I have to go†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said. He asked me if I could stay for just a little while longer. I knew that inside, I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay with him forever, but simply had to go. I left after a couple of minutes. I was ecstatic; I couldn’t have asked for more than a friend at that point in my life. I don’t know what I would have done without somebody to understand me, at least for one day. I never did ask what he was doing at our girls’ school that day; the thought never crossed my mind whilst our conversation was flowing. It flowed like a river, never ending, and as we continued to meet it stayed that way. We shared our secret desires and passions, as well as sharing the stories of our past. Together, we also discovered that we could enter the garden with each other. I don’t know how it happened, but as we held each other in a warm embrace, the light appeared. We did so more and more, and over the days, weeks and months, the garden appeared to bloom – just like our friendship. The garden’s wildlife became more and more stunning. Even the non-living pool appeared to be spilling with life. He was my only friend, and I wanted it to stay that way, forever. How to cite The Garden, Papers

Resort World Sentosa free essay sample

1. History Background of the Industry The very first outdoor theme park built in Singapore is Escape Theme Park. It was opened in May 2000 at the East side of Singapore, Downtown East, Pasir Ris. It has attracted over 4 million people since its opening. However due to redevelopment of Downtown East, Escape Theme Park was ceased on 26 November 2011. The first water theme park in Singapore was Wild Wild Wet. It opened in June 2004 at the same location as Escape Theme Park. Wild Wild Wet has received several awards since it’s opening. Universal Studios Singapore (USS) was set up at Sentosa, Waterfront station. It is the largest theme park in Singapore and has attracted 2 million visitors in the first nine months of their opening. USS celebrated their 10 millionth visitor in April 2013. Recently, there was another water theme park build at Sentosa. Adventure Cove was opened on 22 November 2012. It has more rides available than Wild Wild Wet. Since then, it was seen as a worthy competitor to Wild Wild Wet. 2. Industry in Detail – Players (Firms/Companies), Brands, Trends Universal Studios has the highest market share in Singapore as they offer unique rides that no other theme parks have. Their main competitors are Adventure Cove and Wild Wild Wet. However, both Wild Wild Wet and Adventure Cove are of the same type of theme parks which provides only water rides. With similar attractions, both have a split share of the market. Barriers to enter There is a very high barrier for entry in the theme park industry as it requires a lot of financial capital as well as land space. Singapore being a small country has very limited space. It is not easy to find an ideal land to set up a theme park. It also takes time to clear away the land to build a theme park which requires a large space. Competition / Brand competition There is not much intense competition in this industry as three firms are mainly promoting their services through advertisements and price promotions. USS has very unique rides and is also a very well-known theme park all over the world. Hence, they do not have to worry much on the competition against Adventure Cove and Wild Wild Wet. On the other hand, Adventure Cove and Wild Wild Wet will have more tough competition against each other as both provide similar rides and that now Wild Wild Wet is undergoing expansions so that they will have the same standard as Adventure Cove. Issues facing the industry With no issues with the government, only issue they face is that each firm could see a cut in their profits as there are already other firms showing interest in the theme park market here in Singapore, an example would be Disneyland. Disneyland being the biggest player in this industry is finalizing their plans to open a theme park in Singapore. With much more experience than any other companies, it is also higher recognized by all hence they would not have troubles making a claim on the market share. Long term prospects (profit / loss) With the expectation of increasing visitors in the theme park industry, there will be a profiting in the long run as these theme parks are considered one of the tourist attractions in Singapore. 3. Product Differentiation How the various firms / product brands / services compete with each other? Product/Service comparison Comparing the 4 firms in this industry, we found that there are two main categories for the product/service provided. Universal Studios Singapore and Escape Theme Park provides its customers with mechanical thrill rides while Adventure Cove and Wild Wild Wet provides its customers with water thrill rides. Location Location-wise, the four firms are divided into two areas, Sentosa and Downtown East. Sentosa is an island off mainland Singapore and is a tourist attraction. So Universal Studios Singapore and Adventure Cove have a large number of tourists at their location that they can attract as visitors. For Escape Theme Park and Wild Wild Wet which is located in Downtown East, Pasir Ris, A local heartland. They are more appealing to locals who seek to distress with their family over the weekends. Services Being in the theme park industry, all four firms provides a similar main product which are thrill rides. But inside the parks, they do provide different services that increase their value as a firm. For example, Universal Studios Singapore provides users with a shopping and dining experience. They have mascots and characters from movies that the customer can take pictures with too. For Adventure Cove, they have a package ticket where visitors can visit the aquarium that is also part of the company that runs the theme park. Escape Theme Park and Wild Wild Wet both have restaurants within their compounds. All these extra services make each theme park more differentiated from their competitors. Physical Characteristics of the product/service Both Escape Theme Park and Universal Studios Singapore provides mechanical thrill rides for its users and Wild Wild Wet provides Water Thrill Rides. The different rides between the different parks are mostly similar. The main difference is the size of the rides and the complexity of the ride.  Universal Studios Singapore has bigger and more complex mechanical thrill rides than Escape Theme Park. And Adventure Cove has bigger and more complex water thrill rides than Wild Wild Wet. Product Image For product image, Universal Studios Singapore is carrying a well-known and established theme park brand name: Universal Studios. Universal Studios is a film-making company that has expanded into the theme park industry and now has 4 different theme parks with one of them being the one in Singapore. Adventure Cove is opened by Resort World at Sentosa brand name, which is also responsible for the theme park and resort at Genting in Malaysia. So they are experienced and well known in South East Asia. But for Wild Wild Wet and Escape Theme Park, They are opened by NTUC club, a local corporation without any prior experience in the theme park industry. Price – sensitivity of consumers and suppliers to changes in price For consumers, price is not really a main issue in considering the theme park they want to go to. Theme Parks are not something that customers go to daily or even regularly. They usually go on holidays or for a celebration. Customers look more into the services, the rides that they are interested in and the location of the theme park. Promotion – advertisement In promotion, all the firms are more inclined in advertising what rides they have and boasting its own rides. Not as much to do product comparison with their competitors and how they are better than the competition. They also provide promotion to encourage visitors to come again. Like Universal Studios and Adventure Cove provides annual passes for a certain price. This annual pass can be used by visitors to return any day of the year except for public holidays and the weekends. Wild Wild Wet provides a reward program for people that are a member of NTUC, the corporation that runs the theme park. This benefits them as NTUC is a large corporation in Singapore and with the reward program, they are able to attract visitors. 1. Recommendations A new theme park in Singapore would be difficult because of the high barrier for entry. It is still possible to set up one if there are a lot of financial capital is available and an ideal land space is acquired. The  best idea for a new mechanical theme park in Singapore would be an indoor one, with Orchard Road as the location. Right now, only USS is offering a mechanical theme park and with only one competitor available we would have a better chance in succeeding and sustaining. So the theme park in our plan is a 2 – 3 floors of theme park built on top of an existing shopping center at Orchard Road. What can the firm / the brand do to excel in present market condition? Orchard Road is a tourist spot with a lot of local traffic too. This enables us to reach both markets that the other firms are targeting. We could promote the theme park through advertisements in media, at tourist brochures, maps, and linking up with restaurants and stores in the shopping center to provide discounts for shared customers. Both these promotion techniques would propel us to be one of the main players in the local theme park industry. What are your team predictions for the future of these players in the market? For the current players of the industry, their business will definitely be impacted by a new player, maybe a cut in profit. But with the rise of tourism, we are sure there will be enough customers for all the players including us to be profiting and sustain in this industry.

Need For Federal Government Involvement In Education Essays

Need For Federal Government Involvement In Education The Need for Federal Government Involvement in Education Reform by____________ Political Science 2301 Federal and State Government OVERVIEW For centuries, generations of families have congregated in the same community or in the same general region of the country. Children grew up expecting to earn a living much like their fathers and mothers or other adults in their community. Any advanced skills they required beyond the three R's (Readin', Ritin' and Rithmatik) were determined by the local community and incorporated into the curriculum of the local schools. These advanced skills were taught to the up- and-coming generation so they could become a vital part of their community. The last several decades has greatly expanded the bounds of the community to almost anywhere in the country or anywhere in the world for that matter. Advances in transportation and communication has made the world a much smaller place then the world we knew as children. The skills our children need to realize parents' perpetual dream of their children having a better life are no longer limited to those seen in the local area. It is becoming more and more apparent that the education system of yesterday cannot adequately prepare students for life and work in the 21st Century. These concerns have prompted people across the country to take a hard look at our education system and to organize their efforts to chance the education system as we know it. WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE? There are two major movements in recent years whose focus is to enhance the education of future generations. The Standards movement focuses on educational content and raising the standards of traditional teaching and measurement means and methods. The Outcome Based Education (OBE) movement is exploring new ways of designing education and changing the way we measure the effectiveness of education by focusing on results or outcomes. STANDARDS MOVEMENT In September 1989, President Bush and the nation's governors called an Education Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia. At this summit, President Bush and the nation s governors, including then-governor Bill Clinton, agreed on six broad goals for education to be reached by the year 2000. Two of those goals (3 and 4) related specifically to academic achievement: * Goal 3: By the year 2000, American students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competency in challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, science, history, and geography; and every school in America will ensure that all students learn to use their minds well, so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our modern economy. * Goal 4: By the year 2000, U.S. students will be first in the world in science and mathematics achievement. Soon after the summit, two groups were established to implement the new educational goals: the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) and the National Council on Education Standards and Testing (NCEST). Together, these two groups were charged with addressing unprecedented questions regarding American education such as: What is the subject matter to be addressed? What types of assessments should be used? What standards of performance should be set? The summit and its aftermath engendered a flurry of activity from national subject matter organizations to establish standards in their respective areas. Many of these groups looked for guidance from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics who publishing the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics in 1989. The NCTM standards redefined the study of math so that topics and concepts would be introduced at an earlier age, and students would view math as a relevant problem-solving discipline rather than as a set of obscure formulas to be memorized. The National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science quickly launched independent attempts to identify standards in science. Efforts soon followed in the fields of civics, dance, theater, music, art, language arts, history, and social studies, to name a few. OUTCOME BASED EDUCATION MOVEMENT The decade of the 80s brought numerous education reforms, but few of them were a dramatic shift from what has gone on before. Outcome-based education (OBE) is one of those that is new, even revolutionary, and is now being promoted as the panacea for America's educational woes. This reform has been driven by educators in response to demands for greater accountability by taxpayers and as a vehicle for breaking with traditional ideas about how we teach our children. If implemented, this approach to curriculum development could change our schools more than any other reform proposal in the last thirty years. The focus of past and present curriculum has been on content, on the knowledge

Digestive System essays

Digestive System essays The digestive system is the the group of organs that changes food to carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and used by our body. Digestion takes places begins form our mouth and ends with our anus. the function of our digestion system are to ingest food, digest into nutrients, cross our plasma mambranes, absorb nutrients and eliminate indigestible remains. our stomach is our main organ because it mixes the food and breaks down into unis that can be taken into carbohydrates, fats and proteins which can be used by our There are different parts of main organs of our digestive system, esophagus, stomach, large intestines, small intestine, liver, pancrea and finally our anus. As our digestion begins in our mouth, the food is cut an dchopped by our teeth. Our tongue helps mix the food with saliva so it can be swallowed easily. From our mouth, the food is swalllowed into a transportube called esophagus. Esophagus actually carried food to our stomach, through before that there is a flap called epiglottis which is an air passage and the food passage in the pharynx. when you swallow, the air passage will automatically blocked by itself so the food won't enter the esophagus though Our stomach is shaped as a J- shaped organs, when food is present, the stomach will mixing food with gastric juice, after that it will churns food into a liquid called chyme, and it will leaves the stomach enters the small intestine. the small intestine is a longest part of our digestive tract of human. food remains in the small intestine for several hours. Two lasrge galnds are the liver and the pancreas, which connect with the small intestine by ducts or tubes. Fluid from the ancreas is called pancreatic juice. fluid from the liver is called bile. bile is stored in the gallblader helps digest carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Inside the small intestine, there's a lot of fingerlike folds ...

Emergency medical services ambulances issues Research Paper - 1

Emergency medical services ambulances issues - Research Paper Example This technique is costly to apply when selecting EMS technology. Assessment and selection of efficient and cost effective information technology devices have been some of the issues affecting emergency medical services in the recent times. Transmitting medical information directly to a hospital can help save time, money and more importantly save a patient’s life. The advent of onboard mobile gateway (oMG) wireless system from In Motion Technology British Columbia, Canada has made it possible to equip vehicles (ambulances) with computing devices that are able to communicate with each other in and outside the vehicle, using wired and wireless technology (Rich, 2012). The system being a multi purpose built communications processor minimizes proliferation of wireless accounts, radio modems and antennas by enabling local area network (LAN) devices to share assets with wide area network resources. The system is also self regulating thereby reducing the need for dispatchers since it can automatically sense, assess and select the best available network to provide a back up should the primary network fail. The central medical emergency dispatch (CMED) system is mostly suitable for voice communications. oMG has mobile da ta capabilities such as biometrics, LPR, and e-ticketing which provide officers with greater access to information in the field. With such tools and many more, officers do not have to radio a dispatcher to obtain information about vehicles or suspects. Secure, wireless wide area networking transit fleet operations are enhanced by the powerful oMG communications platform. All systems aboard an ambulance i.e. video surveillance, CAD/AVL etc are allowed access to multiple garage area and wide area wireless networks. This platform solves communications problems of health care professionals by providing a multi network environment with full access to

SUMMARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

SUMMARY - Essay Example author then focuses on the support of the legislation and the author figured out that the legislation had not met with any form of criticism and no criticism is very rare. The author then focuses on the incompleteness of the legislation and states that the legislators have not provided advice regarding where the food waste was supposed to be dumped. He cites an individual belonging to the organization of The National Waste and Recycling association who believes that the food waste can be dumped in anaerobic digesters that churn this kind of waste in the same way food is churned in the stomach of a cow. The author states that the food waste can even be dumped at composite sites where this waste along with other waste is transformed into compost and the compost does not smell as bad as raw waste. The author states that companies that are involved in the production of compost will gain some new business due to this legislation and the author even states that similar legislations are gai ning popularity in other states. NPR.org,. Massachusetts Food Waste Ban Gains Broad Acceptance. N.p., 2014. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.

European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

European Union - Essay Example European Union In this respects, each countries specializes in the production of good or services that are relatively economical and cheaper to produce then exchange their surplus with those of other countries with resources for the production of the alternatives. One of such trade groupings is the European Union (EU). The EU was formed with the aim of coordinating and regulating then economic and trading activities of the main European countries. Through this agency, all the trading and economic activities of the member countries are regulated by this body. This body was formed to oversee the leading economic growth and development of Europe. However, the formation of this body has impacted on the economic and industrial performance of many countries within Europe. Even with the growth and growth potential in Europe, the formation of this trade regulatory body has negatively affected the infant industries of the developing countries in Europe, with no economic bargaining power. This has limited their growth and trade development potential. Free trade refers to a government policy that helps to avoid discrimination against imports or any kind of interference with imports through application of tariffs to (imports) and/or subsidies to (exports). It aims at getting rid of unfair trade barriers in the global market plus aims at helping to raise the economy in both developed and developing countries. Free trade has highly devastated European industries and jobs at large. Free trade leads to adverse working conditions.

Criminal Justice System as a Deterrence

Criminal Justice System as a Deterrence Deterrence is used on individuals who already have a history of offending, but also it prevents potential offenders from committing similar crime. Deterrence is used very often and everyone is aware of it even if they do not they are. People generally known to not commit a crime whether its a serious or less serious one, because they know they will be consequences, which could be a fine or time in jail, depending on what form of offence it was. There are two types of deterrence; specific and general. Specific deterrence is when an offender decides not to commit any future crimes. General deterrence is when a person makes a decision to not commit a crime, because they are familiar with the consequences by observing offenders get punished and they do not want to deal with the same thing if they are caught. However there has been many arguments about what is expected to deter other. Some suggest that the best solution is to be setting penalties to outweigh the benefit of committing a cr ime, but the reality is that people who commit crime are rational thinkers and are responsible for their action. This causes conflict as to whether or not criminals are rational within their actions or whether crime is an act of impulse. The idea of being caught and the idea od spending time in prison should deter potential offenders, therefore prison in some way does deter crime by simply catching offenders, which shows the consequences to those potential ones. One of the reasons why deterrence is more limited is understood by viewing the dynamics of criminal justice system. When any crime is committed there is not a certainty of arresting the criminal, and that has an impact on how effective deterrence is, if it was well known fact that police always apprehend the offender not many people who still want to or try to commit any crimes. However there are cases where crimes also serious crimes are not solved and are not followed up by any arrest and conviction, which is why the deterrent outcome of the certainty of punishment is significantly reduced. Evidently, any improvements on making sure that offenders are being arrested would have huge impact on people who may think they will not be convicted for the crimes they commit. Overall many studies across nations confirm that improving the certainty of sentence provides better deterrent result rather than increasing the harshness of punishment. The Institute of Criminology at Cambridge Univers ity was ordered by the British Home Office to a write a review of research they have done on big studies of deterrence. They have produced a report in 1999 confirming that the studies reviewed do not provide a basis for inferring that increasing the severity of sentences generally is capable of enhancing deterrent effects. Daniel Nagin and Greg Pogarsky, they research concluded that punishment certainty was found to deter crime more than punishment severity. Micro level studies that studied offense rates of particular population, the evidence shows that higher certainty of punishment was linked with decreasing crime. They also have detected that people who know more about crime and punishment are less likely to commit any crime. Different study compared crime and punishment results in the U.S, England and Sweden, however they have failed to discover a consequence for severity. Records of studies shows that certainty of punishment has shown some connection to decreasing of crime stat istics, however other studies argue that growing levels of possibility of arrest for serious and minor offences may result in viewing prison as less labelling institution. Deterrence does not seem to be working as the prison population in England and Wales has almost doubled since 1993. In addition, there is also evidence that most offenders come out of prison and re-offend, however the rates are lower for offenders with long sentences. Statistics published on the Ministry of Justice websites confirm that the proven reoffending rate for adult offenders released from custody between April 2014 and March 2015 was 44.7% and the rate for those released from short sentences has been consistently higher compared to those released from longer sentences. Adults who served sentences of less than 12 months reoffended at a rate of 59.7%, compared to 32.2% for those who served determinate sentences of 12 months or more. The trends for those released from short and long sentences have both remained broadly flat since 2005 and are consistent with the overall trend. Thats form a question in prison really works. Does prison reduce offending? Are re-offending rates worse for prisoners than those who receive community sentences? Does the prison environment improve or hinder the physical, social and emotional well-being of offenders? Does prison prepare prisoners for life on the outside?

College or University Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commence

Hello, good morning and welcome to graduation for the class of 2012. I have waited to hear those words for 5 years - and by the looks on all of my fellow graduates faces, I am not alone. Think with me for a minute about the process we have gone through which has gathered us here today. Our stories of these past years are not much different. Whether you went to a community college, transferred here from another four-year school or started your freshman year in the dorms near the entrance of this campus, we are finally finishing together. My brother asked me how I was able to finish college. I told him it is because I enjoy learning and I always finish. No matter if I unplug my computer and lose all my work, I stay up until I finish. In my opinion the joy of learning and the gift of finishing are not things we learn in college. These are skills we bring with us and apply to our studies. And no matter where or how you learn them, you never forget them. I can credit my mom for giving me the joy of learning. I spent my first five years of life growing up in a small town called Plain. Given the name of Plain I’m sure I don’t have to waste your time explaining the ins and outs of this small community. The one colorful part about Plain was the people who lived there. Being that an elementary school was so far away, the community set up a home school system and my mom was one of the teachers. Having my mom as a teacher in kindergarten was like having recess all day long. However, she could always get me involved using her amazing imagination. When our family had to move to North Fork, Colorado to follow my dad’s job, my mother continued to teach me as well as my brother Andy. Her creativity never stopped... ...sh a job, I am a college graduate and will now work smarter. As a speaker at our graduation I am supposed to represent all of the graduating class from State University but I don’t see the relevancy in that. I am only one story in this diverse group of experiences. However, we were all achievers growing up, we have been a success in college and we will be the difference in the future and that is something I am proud to represent. Allow me to speak for all of us when I say thank you to this school for giving us our college experiences, to the teachers in our departments for opening our minds to the world and to all those who have shaped our lives up until this point giving us the drive to learn and the ability to finish this monumental goal. We will make it up to each and everyone of you in the future with our positive influence on the world. Thank you†¦

Discuss issues of reliability and validity associated

Discuss issues of reliability and validity associated with the classification and diagnosis of phobic disorders. ( 8+16) A phobia Is an irrational fear which Interferes with daily life. For a phobia to be diagnosed It must meet the criterion set by the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Reliability and validity are two Important factors when considering classification of mental disorders; they must be present for an accurate classification to be made. Rellablllty and valldlty are linked because a diagnosis that Is not reliable Is not valid.Rellablllty refers to the consistency, such as questionnaires or scales to assess how fearful a person Is about something. Reliability of questionnaires or scales can be measured In terms of whether the test items are consistent, which Is called test-retest reliability. Another way of assessing reliability is whether two independent assessors give similar scores, which is called interrater reliability. Test re-test refers to how consistent results are when the specific interview/questionnaire is repeated.Brown et al (2001) conducted study which involved interviewing 1400 patients twice, the second interview occurred within 2 weeks of the first one. The interviews were based on criteria for various disorders in DSM -IV. Brown found that reliability in inter-rater agreement was excellent for specific phobia, social phobia and panic disorder wit agoraphobia. Reliability could have been higher for the various phobias than for other mental disorders because all phobias are associated with clear behavioural symptoms (avoidance of feared stimulus) which makes them easy to diagnose.This suggests hat diagnosis of phobic disorders according to the DSM is reliable however largely because phobic disorders are easy to diagnose . Brown et al also examined factors associated with disagreement between 2 interviewers. He found that inter-rater unreliability was caused by interviewers disagreeing whether the fear was causin g sufficient distress/interference to a person's life to warrant a phobia diagnosis. It was also caused by patient's reports of symptoms changing between interviews which could have been genuine.Another cause of difference between the two interviewers as that they made errors, as the same symptoms were presented to interviewers however different diagnosis given however this could be because they missed Important information. Skyre et al (1991) also found high Inter-rater reliability, 3 cllnlclans assessed 54 patients using SCID-I. He found +72 Inter-rater agreement which shows that phobia diagnosis Is reliable. Diagnosis of phobic disorders ld also reliable as Hiller et al (1990) found satisfactory – excellent diagnostic agreement In a test- retest study using MDC.Valldlty Is the extent to which a classification system easures what It claims to measure. We can assess the valldlty associated with phobic disorders by looking at content valldlty. Content validity means how much the diagnostic system addresses all of the symptoms In a given disorder. Seml structured interviews have high content validity because they were made to the classification system is vaild is to look at criterion validity. This looks into if individual receiving a diagnosis e. g. social phobia are any different to the people who have not been given the diagnosis in predictable way .

Hotel and Travel Vocabulary in Spanish

Hotel and Travel Vocabulary in Spanish Hotel reserved? Flights booked? Bags packed? Whats next is learning a few essential words to make your hotel stay a little easier. If youre headed to a Spanish-speaking country, your hotel is as good a place as any to practice Spanish. Your concierge or host will appreciate the effort and can help you with tricky pronunciations along the way. Different Hotel Types When in a country where Spanish is the primary language, travelers spend more time in their lodgings, called hospedajes, than any other place. If you have arrived in a Spanish-speaking  ubicacià ³n, which means location, nail down the type of hotel that you would prefer, also called a  hotel in Spanish, too.   Looking for a spa or resort? Then ask for the nearest balneario.  Want something deluxe, then you want something  de lugo!  Or looking more for a motel or inn, ask for el motel or la posada.  There are unique types of accommodations, or alojamientos, such as a  bed-and-breakfast, which is called a pensià ³n, or bungalows, called a bungalow in Spanish, too. Reservation Desk You have decided on the type of lodging, now you need to make reservations, called ​reservaciones. You will negotiate the costs, or tarifa, with the  hotelero, or hotelkeeper. It is appropriate to ask what the standard tip or propina should be for your bellhop, also called the botones. Upon checkout, you handle the bill, or la cuenta, with the hotelero. All About Your Room What kind of room, or  habitacià ³n, do you want? Want a suite, ask for a ​suite in Spanish, too. Do you need a single room, or  habitacià ³n sencilla?  Do you want a double, a habitacià ³n  doble, or a triple, also called a triple. Want to make sure you have a bathroom in your room, ask if it has a  baà ±o.   How about your bed, called a cama? Do you want a single bed, a cama de monja, or do you want a double bed, called a cama de matriomonio? Does it matter which floor, or piso, you are on? If you want to make sure you are on the ground floor ask for el piso bajo. Need directions to the ice machine? Ask for el hielo. How about a view, or vista, out your window? If you are in a beach locale, then perhaps la vista al mar, or a sea or ocean view, is important to you. Nice amenities to know about your room would be: Is there room service, or  el  servicio  en  cuarto? How about an in-room safe, called la caja de seguridad? Hotel Features The room is booked. You are officially a guest, or huesped. You are ready to explore the hotel amenities. Does it have a bar, also called bar, or a restaurant, called a restaurante? How about coffee in the morning? Where is  el cafà ©? The person who can guide you would be the concierge, or el conserje.   Are you in town for a convention, called la convencià ³n? Need to ask how to get to the convention hall? That would be called el salà ³n de convenciones. How about going out dancing after the convention? Ask about where to find a  discoteca. Other hotel amenities that can boost your vacation experience include free parking, called estacionamiento, a swimming pool, called a piscina, and a workout room, or gimnasio. English Guidance Due  to the widespread adoption of English, particularly at upper-end hotels, it may be more common to find signage for English words used to describe certain facilities or services. Do not be surprised if words like spa,concierge, and room service are used instead of the Spanish equivalent.

Report writing for consultants - Emphasis

Report writing for consultants Report writing for consultants The last few weeks have been a punishing combination of late-night problem solving and early-morning meetings. Finally, the consultation period is over and the moment of truth has arrived: the time has come to write your final report. You have probably spent a lot of time with your client and may have built up a strong relationship – but this does not change the fact that leaving the right impression will depend ultimately on the quality of your report. So, whatever you do, don’t leave the report until the very last minute, without time for enough preparation and planning to do it real justice. But before we look at some guidelines on how to produce a document that will be a glowing testament to your firm’s experience and expertise, it is worth pausing for a minute to put your report in context. Our research has shown that mountains of paperwork stifle most companies: the average manager claims to receive eight reports or other long documents each day. This roughly equates to being asked to wade through War and Peace five times a year – a sobering thought. To put it plainly, your report is going to have to be pretty good to compete with all the other documents that will be vying for your client’s attention. Yes, your client may have made a substantial investment in employing your services, which might push your report further up the queue, but then, of course, the flip side of this will be that their expectations will be so much higher. Your firm might be expert in its area but this expertise will be lost if you fail to communicate it effectively. And you will simply become one of the many thousands of people who regularly spend hours struggling to write a turgid business document that nobody will read. So what can you do to make sure that your report goes to the top of the pile, makes a lasting impression and demonstrates your firm’s proficiency and understanding? What the client wants First things first. Your report should be client-centred, rather than consultant-centred. The chances are that no sooner do you realise that the report deadline is looming, then you immediately fall into the ‘getting it done’ trap. Your focus now is on yourself and ‘getting it done’ rather than on the client and their needs. At this point, it is worth taking a couple of deep breaths and spending a few minutes thinking about what your client actually wants. This may sound obvious. Indeed it should be – and yet so often reports tend to follow a standard template structure that poorly reflects an individual client’s brief. Why not ask the client exactly what they want to see in the report and even how long they would like the report to be? Alternatively, ask yourself a few simple but telling questions. What information does the client expect? With what level of detail? How much knowledge do they already have? What will they use the report for? Who will read it? And it goes without saying that the old copy and paste technique needs to be handled with extreme care. It is all too easy to forget to change the company name or to leave out a vital piece of client-specific information. Key messages And what about the key messages and recommendations that you want to get across? How can you make sure that these really stand out and are not lost among volumes of periphery detail and background? Many consultants use a basic structure in which they start with their findings, then outline their conclusions, and then give their main message – their recommendations – at the end. The effect on the client is to keep them guessing or arguing with every point and perhaps ending with a conclusion that differs from your own. A far more effective structure is to start with your main message and then provide the information that supports it. Avoid jargon and ‘businessese’ Then comes the next common trap: falling into jargon or business speak, or using unnecessarily flowery language. This, many people believe, demonstrates knowledge, intellect and know-how, or even superior industry expertise. But does it really? The truth is that your client has no interest whatsoever in the sophistication of your use of vocabulary. What’s more, the public and private sectors are becoming increasingly cynical about consultants, believing that they produce overlong, overwritten reports on purpose to justify their ‘exorbitant fees’. Whatever you do, avoid providing any additional ammunition to that particular argument. The bottom line is that clients will not appreciate long words, complicated language, management speak and ‘businessese’ jargon, nor will they want to plough through lots of acronyms and abbreviations. They will find them irritating, confusing and time consuming. Take the time to find a more effective way of writing whatever it is you want to say. If using complex technical terms is absolutely unavoidable, make sure you provide a glossary in the appendix. Humans or robots? On the subject of language, remember that when companies and organisations appoint consultants, they hire people, not robots. Language like ‘It is recommended’, ‘It is estimated†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, or ‘It has been proven†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ does not sound more professional; it simply depersonalises your report and makes it less accessible. Your client wants to know that their consultants are real human beings, so be bold and put people at the heart of your writing: ‘We recommend†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, ‘We estimate or ‘We have proven†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. It is far more interesting and meaningful to read about organisations and individuals taking actions than to read about all sorts of actions and events mysteriously occurring. Think ‘Tarvex’s customers are crying out for the new product range’ rather than ‘The new product range has experienced considerable demand’. Or ‘The CEO has transformed the company’s performance in the exports market’ instead of ‘The company’s performance in the exports market has been transformed’. Make your language as lively as you can. If you are trying to ‘sell’ a particular recommendation, paint a vivid picture of the excellent results it will bring; or of the horrendous pitfalls that will befall your poor client as a result of not implementing it. And it goes without saying that you also need to examine all the pros and cons, including the cost implications, of following – or not following – your recommendations. Count your words Generalisations or exaggerations are another characteristic of poor writing to be wary of. Take ‘record levels of profit’, for example. Are they truly record levels – ie. the highest ever – or do you really mean the highest in recent years? And what about ‘a large percentage’? (Is this 51 per cent or 99 per cent? There’s quite a big difference, after all.) Beware of words and expressions such as ‘record’, ‘significant’, ‘considerable’and ‘wide section of the community’ unless you can actually quantify them. Painful punctuation It has been very difficult to escape the recent newspaper headlines about the woeful state of young people’s literacy. School and university leavers are, we are told, virtually incapable of writing a properly constructed sentence or presenting a coherent and logical argument, never mind using the correct punctuation, grammar and spelling. A university degree, it seems, no longer guarantees the kind of literacy that blue chip employers expect. Despite, or perhaps because of, this sorry state of affairs, we are a nation of language aficionados. Countdown attracts millions of viewers every day; we are obsessed with crosswords and wordplay; Eats Shoots and Leaves, a book about punctuation for goodness sake, dominated the bestseller list for months. My point here is this. We notice words and language and how people use them; pulling up people for poor punctuation, dodgy spelling or dubious grammar is almost a national pastime. And the likelihood is that your client will have a similar awareness of language – and irritation with its misuse. So never delude yourself that it is only what you say that counts and not whether you know how to punctuate correctly. It is amazing the bad feeling and ill will that a misplaced comma or a misjudged apostrophe can cause. Navigation tactics Another common error is to try to plan and structure the report simultaneously. It is, in fact, much easier to do these two things separately. Start by ‘brainstorming’ all the information that needs to go into the report. When you are sure you have covered everything, it is time to tackle the issue of what goes where and in what format. The structuring process requires an element of bloody-mindedness. Only information that is essential to your client should go in the main body of the text; any information that is ‘important’ or ‘of interest’ should be relegated to appendices, footnotes or a separate chapter. Additional detail, figures, references or diagrams are all examples of ‘important’ information. Put yourself in your client’s shoes. How would you react to a report if you felt your valuable time was being wasted on nonessential detail? Remember that while your client may be interested in the background to the project and in how you carried out the research and the consultation process, they are actually paying you to identify the cause or causes of a problem or challenge and to tell them how to solve it. If you make them wait until the end of the report to tell them your recommendations, the chances are that their patience will be wearing very thin indeed. This brings us to another tip on helping your client to navigate your report. As you start to structure your report, plan how best to divide it into logical sections and give some thought to your subheadings. Subheadings should be clear and meaningful, rather than generic, so that they act as signposts, guiding your client through the report and showing them where to find specific topics. Executive summary Pay particular attention to your executive summary. As we all know, this may be the only part the real decision-makers read, so make sure it can stand alone and that it contains real information, including hard facts and figures. If your report includes recommendations, the executive summary should make it clear what these are and include their implications, values and costs. What about length? As a general rule, it is advisable to stick to a maximum of two pages, using headings and bullets (but not too many), and perhaps a carefully selected graph or pie chart, to get your main message across. A final word If your report is well-written, it will influence your client’s thinking and decisions and galvanise them into action. It will also act as a first-rate marketing tool for your firm. But if your report is poorly written, it will exasperate your client and jeopardise your reputation and the chances of your recommendations being implemented. It might even lose you the business. The value of a well-written consultant’s report is perhaps best summed up by the MD of one of the UK’s leading radio stations when asked recently about his own personal experience of consultants: ‘One particular US consultant charged a fortune for producing a series of badly presented and poorly written reports critiquing the station and, frankly, stating the obvious,’ he said. ‘But then I hired McKinsey who worked with me to formulate our 10-year strategy and I learned a lot from them, including how to present an argument and rationale on paper, which is key if you want to be successful in influencing people’s thinking.’ Robert Ashton is Chief Executive of Emphasis. Want to improve your teams report writing? See our report-writing course for companies and our business-writing courses for individuals. You can also call us on +44 (0)1273 732  888  for a no-obligation chat with one of our friendly advisors. To learn more about making  report writing a much easier and less painful task, check out our free webinar  recording How to turn your expert analysis into exceptional reports.  Its ideal if you have to write reports to colleagues and clients as part of your day-to-day job – whether thats as a traditional written report or as a slide deck.

Interlanguage and teaching the language system Coursework

Interlanguage and teaching the language system - Coursework Example 3. Vocabulary acquisition in the foreign language is not as fluent or as quick as the native language. There are two primary reasons that can be identified as responsible for this phenomenon. First, the self consciousness of the foreign language learner, which makes him or her anxious about appearing foolish while speaking the second language and thereby restricts rapid learning, Second is the differences in grammatical structures between the two languages, which would make it slower for the foreign language learner to pick up vocabulary in the foreign language. Moreover, the differences in meaning of words in different socio cultural contexts and the need to express meaning correctly may slow down the process of vocabulary acquisition. 4. Pragmatics refers to the social interactions that take place in every language, where words are attributed a meaning that is comprised of not merely the grammatical meaning of a word but also the social context o its expression. 5. I visited a frie nd in Saudi Arabia and expressed admiration for his car. I intended this as a compliment in accordance with English language culture, but as per the Saudi culture, the expression of admiration meant a desire to own the object. As a result, my friend forced me to take his car. 6. Pronunciation depends on auditory discrimination which comes naturally when learning the first language; because of constant exposure to the language in the surrounding environment. Pronunciation patterns in the native language are the most deeply set and this would influence the kind of pronunciation of the second language learner. Native patterns would have a stronger impact because exposure to the second language pronunciation is also limited to classes. Hence, the two most important factors influencing pronunciation would be (a) native language and (b) time available for learning second language. 7. In my view, it is more important for second language learners to strive for intelligibility. Native level pronunciation is likely to take an enormous amount of time, especially as they are bereft of the high level of immersion and the childhood readiness and receptivity to their native language. Although it is beneficial for second language learners to strive for the fluency of native speakers, their communication would be hindered if they focused too much upon this objective, because they would become excessively conscious of errors and this would impede their learning. 8. The correction of pronunciation depends very much upon the context within which such correction occurs. When it is done in a derogatory manner or when carried out in front of other people, it feels humiliating and makes a learner even more hesitant about the learning. When correction of pronunciation is done in a friendly spirit, where it is deemed natural to make mistakes, the learner is more likely to respond positively – hence positive rather than negative criticism is vital. Activity 5: The book titled â⠂¬Å"Cambridge grammar of English† teaches grammar in the traditional way that has been used, i.e, through offering explanations of the rules of grammar. The objective fo the book is the same as that of any foreign language learning course, i.e, to provide for the ultimate end objective for a learner to learn conversation in the language. There is also a CD provided with the book, to enable learners to listen to the sound of the language. The book however works on the principle of providing the general

Reveiew on two journals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reveiew on two journals - Essay Example Late adoption may arise due to various reasons, some schools may lag behind due to various reasons and this will create inequality in the society, according to the BECTA report adult and offender education face required infrastructure problems where they may lack resources to implement these facilities, support services and quality of equipment used by schools will highly depend on the resources. Some institutions may not realize the benefits of adoption of technology in learning and this may lead to late adoption of technology in learning, also in most institutions digital learning is taken as optional and therefore there is need to set standards and requirements across all schools. From the study by BECTA it was evident that despite the flexibility of the system there has been rare adoption of technology. Challenges will also arise where not all learners will have access to sustainable and reliable infrastructure and this will be due to lack of efficient management, lack of technical support, lack of funds and limited value. The learners expectations may not be met whereby the expectations by learners regarding the adoption of technology in learning, some of the equipments may be affordable and their money value will not meet the learners expectations, according to the research undertaken it was evident that learners were not impressed with laptops and preferred smaller equipments and therefore it is evident that there may be problems in adopting this system without considering what the students expect. The study also showed that Games aimed at educating the young did not have much credibility among the learners, this shows that technology may not have much impact on the performance of learners as expected. Technology adoption in learning may lead to inequality, from the journals thre may be the problem of digital divide where some