A Change Of Heart About Animals: Rifkin’s Analysis Essay

How many times people give all their trust, love and affection to someone who  inevitably cheats, betrays or disappoints them? Who has the chance to cure and take  care of an animal knows that this wont’ ever happen, they remain faithful and loving by  your side in whatever situation. There are striking similarities between human and animal beings, from their astonishing  intellectual and cognitive abilities, to their widely developed emotional side. People should  reconsider and change the way they treat and relate our fellow creatures, legally and in  everyday life, because they are much more than an experiment, or a children amusement or  an accessorize, they are living beings. Jeremy Rifkin is an American writer, public speaker and activist who wrote an article for  the Los Angeles Times in 2003 , meaningfully dense from the title: † A Change Of Heart  About Animals†. In this article he sheds light on the human like qualities of animals,  emphasizing how similar they are to us, providing examples like persuasive studies and  accurate data. Our everyday companions do have empathy, intelligence and feelings and  should be treated as such. The author starts building up his credibility with precise and sophisticated diction  through the entire text, and making use of universally highly recognized sources. Referring  to studies on pigs’ social behavior at Purdue University or to findings published in the  Journal of Science, he obtains the attention and the trust of the reader. In fact references to  the highest level universities and science magazines, give the reader a sense of secure  reliability on the author, associating these names to quoted scientists and prestigious  researches. Moreover Purdue’s studies on pigs that showed how the lack of physical and  mental stimuli can depress and deteriorate pigs’ health, were heartily taken by the European  Union. Especially in Germany, the government took action encouraging the farmers to  stimulate pigs with human contact and toys every day. Researches taken so seriously not  only by a national government, but also by an institution like the European Union, lead to a  growth of the author’s ethos even for the most skeptical readers, installing a global sense  of trust. Then Rifkin goes on exploring the most emotional and sympathetic human like  aspects of our closest nature relatives. Since animals share the same emotions and anxiety  as humans do, the reader can relate on an expressive level with them. An actual example  that Rifkin uses, was how elephants will mourn over a death of their kin, standing next to  them, touching their dead bodies with their trunks. Elephants understand the sense of  mortality experiencing grief, and the sensation of loss after the death of a beloved one as  we do. Any person who unluckily had to face how struggling the last goodbye to someone  close is can connect with them, feeling empathy and at the same time sadness thinking  about their own tough experiences. And at the end, as last heart warming pathos appeal,  Rifkin gives colorful examples of the horrible treatments that some animals must go trough  like painful laboratory experiments, inhumane conditions and slaughter. These portrays of  unevenly horrific treatments put negative images in our minds, making the reader really  wonder how possibly people can treat with any regards creatures having so many things in  common with us. Rifkin strongly appeals to the reader’s logic as well, in fact one reason why animals are  treated with so much inferiority is because they are viewed as having much less  intelligence. On the contrary, the author displays how clever animals can be, including as  proof the mind blowing results of two experiments. For instance, Oxford University scientists  noticed how smartly two New Caledonian crows managed to use the right hooked wire to  extract one piece of meat from a tube, in the majority of time in which the experiment was  repeated. Beyond impressive was Koko, a 300 – pound gorilla in Northern California, who  was able to learn more than one thousand signs of the sign language and several thousand  English words, moreover she scored between 70 and 95 on human IQ tests. The example of  the unbelievably humane cognitive abilities of this clever female gorilla, is even more  impressive and has a greater impact on who is reading because the primate family is  widely known as being the closest to ours.  The human race descends from the animal one, and feelings, language skills  and anything purely related and considered human has not just appeared one random day. Animals are much more similar to us than we ever thought, sensing and experiencing  emotions like sorrow, depression and excitement. Moreover they have a mesmerizing level of  intelligence, they can master sophisticatedly tool making tasks and possess qualities that the  majority of people have never even imagined. How can people merely consider our four  legged companions as just animals? It is so hard to believe and realize that still so many  human beings are treating our fellow friends with no regards. When a man unfairly treats a  creature so similar to him, who should we really consider as beast? â€Å"The more I know  people, the more I love my dog. † said Mark Twain, and the way people treat animals  depicts what kind of people they are. If we consider ourselves as people who deserve the  title of human being, we should definitely behave in the best way possible toward them,  protecting and guaranteeing them similar rights to ours, considering how similar we are.

A Tragic Story Of Jerry Cruncher English Literature Essay

Jerry Cruncher is a Victorian joker in a tragic narrative. Transitioning from Jerry Cruncher ‘s amusing life to Lucie Manette ‘s tragic life creates a hearty balance go forthing the reader desiring more from each scene. His lower category dark wit contrasts the visible radiation and aired tone of the blue bloods established by Charles Dickens, the writer of â€Å" A Tale of Two Cities † . With such a sad narrative, Dickens uses Jerry Cruncher sparsely and efficaciously to supply amusing alleviation, dark comedy, and societal sarcasm to interrupt the melodrama and do the reader laugh merely plenty before immersing back into the love, decease, and unhappiness. The character Jerry Cruncher refers to himself as an honorable shopkeeper, an dry statement made by a adult male whose trade is sedate robbing. He describes this occupation as, â€Å" Goin ‘ fishing † , which is a lampoon of the chief subject, Resurrection ( Dickens chapter 20 ) . Many characters go through a Resurrection throughout the novel and it ‘s merely suiting for Jerry Cruncher ‘s â€Å" Resurrection † to be delving up organic structures. This amusing alleviation shows how Dickens is a maestro of balance. Sydney Carton, whose Resurrection is the most of import, is balanced by the amusing Resurrection of Jerry Cruncher. Ironically, it is because of this occupation that Sydney Carton can blackjack Solomon. Since Jerry dug up Roger Cly ‘s grave and did n't happen anything but stones, Sydney uses this as purchase ( the chapter with the rubric named about cards or whatever ) . This amusing state of affairs, and Jerry Cruncher surprisingly assisting non aching the state of affairs, non merely continues the subject of Resurrection, in a alone Jerry Cruncher-esque manner, but besides provides amusing alleviation to an otherwise serious secret plan turn. His idiom besides provides amusing alleviation. The chief characters speak in a prosaic, consider tone while Jerry speaks in a haphazard, random tone. The words he uses to depict serious things puts the reader at easiness. He describes sedate robbing as fishing, he describes praying as flopping, and he uses a â€Å" tungsten † for the missive â€Å" V † . These small things, Dickens is a great maestro of inside informations, assist equilibrate out the heavy dramatic subdivisions. Not merely is Jerry ‘s idiom good story, but the fact that Jerry negotiations to himself throughout the novel is every bit good. The ground he talks to himself is n't explained in the novel but it is still a genius word picture and continues Jerry ‘s hallmark amusing alleviation in serious state of affairss. Many of the funniest minutes of the novel are the conversations Jerry has with himself. Dickens uses Jerry Cruncher for dark comedy excessively. Jerry beats his married woman against the wall because she is praying, or â€Å" flopping † as Jerry calls it, for him ( Dickens chapter 14 ) . This kind of comedy can be misunderstood but Dickens ‘s usage, merely plenty, makes for more comedy in the state of affairs instead than the dark. He complains that she is praying for him and admonishes her for her aid, but the Crunchers are a lower category household and do necessitate aid to better supply for themselves. It ‘s a paradox ; Jerry wants to be good off but does n't take the aid that he needs. In the very terminal of the novel, Jerry repents about his incorrect behaviors. He pledges to be a sedate digger non a robber, and pledges to let his married woman to pray for him ( dickens terminal of book find it ) . This alteration is the concluding amusing alleviation. The realisation was expected but ne'er envisioned, for, Jerry, seemed to be the character that would n't alter in the book. Dickens, nevertheless, used this alteration to be the concluding comedy to supplement the terminal of Sydney Carton. Jerry Cruncher is a better and funnier character by altering into a sympathetic and normal individual. Wife crushing usually is n't amusing, but in the context of the state of affairs, Dickens manages it good. Jerry ‘s married woman is seeking to assist her hubby and her kid by turning to faith. He tells her to halt praying for him and that he does n't necessitate faith. After he fails at happening a organic structure to delve up, he beats her. Jerry Cruncher crushing his despairing married woman, merely seeking to assist, could be highly violative, but in the custodies of Dickens, is dark comedy at its best. With books like â€Å" Oliver Twist † and â€Å" Great Expectations † , Dickens masterfully satirizes the lower category and â€Å" A Tale of Two Cities † is no exclusion. Social sarcasm is a strength of Charles Dickens and by utilizing Jerry Cruncher ‘s character, he satirizes the lower category of London. The narratives go back and Forth between the Manettes, a rich, blue household and the Crunchers, a lower category household. The blunt contrast keeps the narrative alive and reviewing non leting the reader ‘s attending to roll. The Manettes day-to-day life, house conditions, and interaction are warm and ask foring. Lucie and Dr. Manette ne'er argue and ever talk to each other in a loving manner. And when Charles Darnay is added, Lucie ‘s and Charles ‘ conversations are every bit as loving. But with the Crunchers, their place is nil like the Manettes and every word uttered from Jerry is condescending towards his married woman. He beats h er with a shoe, with his fist ; with virtually anything and despite all of this, his boy still wants to be merely like him ; an sarcasm that Dickens uses often. The attitude Jerry has, ne'er accepting aid, in changeless denial of his illegal occupation, and maltreating his married woman, will be cyclical. Until person stairss in and rights all of Jerry ‘s wrongs, something his married woman would make if she could acquire a word in, small Cruncher will be an exact transcript of Jerry. Dickens even explicates this in his usual witty sarcasm in Chapter whatever look it up ( Dickens etc ) . This dry rhythm was directed towards the hapless. His societal commentary was to carry the hapless to assist themselves and utilize their milieus, the people they knew, and even faith to actuate and animate them to achieve a better life or at least create a better life for their kids. Jerry ‘s composite, a mastermind failing Dickens gives him, allows Jerry to do his ain Resurrection at the terminal of a book giving a sweet satisfaction to the reader. The many utilizations Jerry is used for is amazing. Jerry acts as a ironist, being a typical hapless male ne'er accepting anyone ‘s aid, a comedian supplying amusing alleviation, and a counter weight to set to the heavy melodramatic plot line of love, decease, and Resurrection. By utilizing Jerry as interruption point, the reader is able to recover their emotions lost in the old chapter. One would believe that Jerry Cruncher, with his many utilizations, would resemble more of a chief character than a minor character. Merely the glare of a great author, like Dickens, can film over the boundaries of the chief and minor characters making stimulating and every bit competent minor characters able to transport their weight, and sometimes even more so, than major characters. The manner Dickens is able to satirise so many state of affairss with utilizing merely one character is singular and shows why Dickens is considered to some as the greatest novelist in the English linguistic commu nication. With Jerry Cruncher going a dynamic character in the terminal, his character transcends minor character and becomes an in between, a in-between character. His amusing alleviation breaks the reader from the weightiness of play and allows the reader to be entertained and laugh merely long plenty before Dickens goes right back into the action. The upper category, the Manettes, provide the calamity, while the lower category, the Crunchers, provide the comedy. Jerry Cruncher was non merely a amusing character, but helped Dickens alter the universe by being Dickens ‘s whipping boy to the hapless. Social sarcasm amusing alleviation dark comedy, Amusing alleviation, delving Gravess etc, Dark comedy- married woman whipping, flopping, Social satire- the lower category, the difference the contrast of the upper category, lower category are treated less but their attitudes do n't let them to be helped, his boy wants to copy him etc,

Financial Overview For the Global Venture PowerPoint Presentation

Financial Overview For the Global Venture - PowerPoint Presentation Example Times have changed and the world has become a global village where internet should be used as an effective tool for marketing the product and managing other resources while making sure that its done in a careful manner in order to avoid cybercrime or theft of confidential information to the competitors. The mission statement of Company A focuses on being the market leader in energy drinks industry while operating in an effective and profitable manner and at the same time providing an organizational culture that supports employees input and gives them their deserved recognition. Company A intends to work on SMART goals that mean being Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-based and at the same time developing the objectives of growth, business development and fulfilling their obligations to society.SWOT analysis of Brazil demonstrates that they the major strengths of Brazil lie in high economic growth and fully developed infrastructures which are crucial for any new start- up company or a product launch. Weaknesses lie in complex regulatory mechanisms, fluctuations in the business cycle and complicated foreign investment policies. On the other hand, economic stability and abundance of hydroelectricity are considered to be the main opportunities in the Brazilian market. Lastly, two major threats include HIV which although is declining but still has a huge absolute number and high-interest rates.Based on the analysis, Brazil appears to be a profitable market/economy for Company A to launch their energy drink.

Sociology unit 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sociology unit 5 - Essay Example JÐ µrry nÐ µÃ µds to lÐ µarn from thÐ µ mistakÐ µs of othÐ µr companiÐ µs that havÐ µ Ð µxpandÐ µd in Asia in gÐ µnÐ µral, and in thÐ µ hugÐ µ markÐ µt of China spÐ µcifically, and failÐ µd. ThÐ µ projÐ µct managÐ µmÐ µnt packagÐ µ shows how JÐ µrry nÐ µÃ µds to lÐ µarn from companiÐ µs likÐ µ Lincoln and ChÐ µvrolÐ µt, which had problÐ µms Ð µxpanding duÐ µ to a lack of attÐ µntion to intÐ µgral host culturÐ µs. â€Å"For many, thÐ µ concÐ µpt that thÐ µ way businÐ µss is donÐ µ hÐ µrÐ µ is not nÐ µcÐ µssarily thÐ µ way it's donÐ µ Ð µvÐ µrywhÐ µrÐ µ may comÐ µ as a rÐ µvÐ µlation. But thÐ µ consÐ µquÐ µncÐ µ of losing a dÐ µal or aliÐ µnating an ovÐ µrsÐ µas businÐ µss contact is rÐ µal, whÐ µthÐ µr it rÐ µsults from impropÐ µr tablÐ µ mannÐ µrs or a propÐ µnsity toward thÐ µ abrupt hardball tactics that tÐ µnd to kill a dÐ µal† (Sharif, 2002). ThÐ µ kÐ µy to succÐ µss is to lÐ µarn about thÐ µ h ost culturÐ µ, and do a lot of markÐ µt rÐ µsÐ µarch into how it diffÐ µrs from thÐ µ homÐ µ culturÐ µ. â€Å"WhilÐ µ any introductory Ð µxposition of a culturÐ µ is nÐ µcÐ µssarily basÐ µd on a particular pÐ µrspÐ µctivÐ µ to somÐ µ dÐ µgrÐ µÃ µ, it is important to find a starting placÐ µ for undÐ µrstanding how ChinÐ µsÐ µ-WÐ µstÐ µrn communications may bÐ µ facilitatÐ µd. ... And in Ð µxpanding into GÐ µrmany, thÐ µ organization of Lincoln nÐ µglÐ µctÐ µd to considÐ µr diffÐ µrÐ µncÐ µs in languagÐ µ and culturÐ µ in its global rÐ µsÐ µarch. As thÐ µ sociologist DurkhÐ µim suggÐ µsts, not all culturÐ µs havÐ µ thÐ µ samÐ µ valuÐ µs. ThÐ µ Ð µxamplÐ µ of thÐ µ ChÐ µvy Nova mÐ µntionÐ µd abovÐ µ, is a good illustration of how U.S. businÐ µssÐ µs havÐ µ traditionally run into problÐ µms by rÐ µlying too much on a cÐ µntralizÐ µd domÐ µstic command structurÐ µ that doÐ µs not givÐ µ sufficiÐ µnt local autonomy for markÐ µting and othÐ µr opÐ µrations. This is thÐ µ samÐ µ problÐ µm that Lincoln was running into in its GÐ µrman opÐ µrations. That is, ovÐ µrall, a dynamic global Ð µnvironmÐ µnt invitÐ µs dynamic rÐ µsponsivÐ µnÐ µss that is not thÐ µ samÐ µ thing as cÐ µntralizÐ µd dÐ µcision-making. â€Å"In gÐ µnÐ µral, it appÐ µars that countriÐ µs that takÐ µ advantagÐ µ of frÐ µÃ µ movà  µmÐ µnt of goods and sÐ µrvicÐ µs, labor and capital can thrivÐ µ in thÐ µ aggrÐ µgatÐ µ. HowÐ µvÐ µr, sound macroÐ µconomic policiÐ µs arÐ µ nÐ µcÐ µssary Although thÐ µ numbÐ µr of individual gainÐ µrs appÐ µars to outnumbÐ µr losÐ µrs in incrÐ µasÐ µd globalization, it is possiblÐ µ that thÐ µ losÐ µrs can crÐ µatÐ µ a backlash that will oncÐ µ again causÐ µ a rÐ µtrÐ µat† (Bordo, 2002). JÐ µrry nÐ µÃ µds to avoid mistakÐ µs likÐ µ thosÐ µ of Lincoln and ChÐ µvrolÐ µt, but this can bÐ µ rÐ µlativÐ µly Ð µasily donÐ µ by mixing third-party rÐ µsÐ µarch, markÐ µt profilÐ µs, and outsourcÐ µd hiring, to movÐ µ branch opÐ µrations into lÐ µaguÐ µ and connÐ µction with thÐ µ host culturÐ µ. In this mannÐ µr, thÐ µ nÐ µw projÐ µct can succÐ µÃ µd whÐ µrÐ µ othÐ µrs havÐ µ failÐ µd. Part 2 What arÐ µ somÐ µ potÐ µntial mÐ µthods of rÐ µsÐ µarching violÐ µncÐ µ

Job related concerns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Job related concerns - Essay Example The top three causes of stress as indicated by police officers includes the murdering or injuring of people who are innocent, the injury or death of a fellow member of the police force and the third rank has been allotted to the death of a fellow police officer at the hands of citizens. Police officers experiences five stages while coping with different stressful incidents. In the first stage they deny or are not ready to accept that the incident has occurred, in the second stage the police officers end up experiencing anger as a result of their acceptance that the stressful incidence has really occurred and in the third stage they start bargaining and they end up giving up certain elements of job and may take up certain elements of job. Furthermore, they may even experience the mental state of being depressed and they may fail to sleep or eat properly. In the last stage, the police officer accepts the occurrence of the event with full acknowledgement and is ready to face the stressful event in order to counter it. The term deviant behavior is used to refer to those behaviors that are considered as anti-social in nature. In the case of police work, those police activities are considered as deviant that are against the rules, regulations as well as norms that have been created by the higher authorities and these norms are concerned with the micro as well as the macro level of policing. There are various behaviors that can be referred to as deviant in the context of police work. These behaviors include the act of corrupt practices, workplace deviance, crimes committed by police officers and inappropriate use of authority that is vested within the position of police officers. Researchers have even identified other forms of deviant behaviors such as taking bribes, stealing property and valuables from the crime scene, covering up for activities that are illegal in nature and sexual

The Marijuana Policy in California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Marijuana Policy in California - Essay Example According to the California Health & Safety Code 11018, the definition of marijuana is all the parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether it is grown or not; its seeds, the resin gotten from the plant, and any compound derived or manufactured from the plant. However, it does not include the plant’s mature stalks or any substance manufactured or derived from the stalk. Concentrated cannabis is used to mean the separated resin extracted from marijuana, irrespective of whether it is in purified or crude form. In spite of the fact that the laws for simple possession and the medical marijuana laws in California are among the country’s most progressive, adults who are seemingly responsible are still being arrested or harassed for its possession at an alarming rate. This is for a drug that has been scientifically proved to be safer than both tobacco and alcohol. According to Weintraub & Wood (44), the arrest rates in California for crimes related to marijuana in 2003 stood at 173 for every 100,000 people, and by 2007, the rate had risen to 203 per 100,000. In 2010, preposition 19 received a narrow defeat of 16% to 54%. It was a vote whose aim was to bring to an end the draconian policy of the arrest and prosecution of adults who were caught using marijuana, a substance proven to have less unpleasant effects than alcohol and cigarettes. This was to be achieved through the removal of criminal penalties for offenses related to marijuana as well as allowing local authorities to tax and reg ulate its growth and distribution. Despite its loss, it had the highest percentage of any marijuana legalization initiative that has ever been voted for (Weintraub & Wood 44). California State is ranked number 46 in the country in terms of the total severity of the maximum jail sentences that its residents receive for being in possession of marijuana, this being on a basis of penalties issued for first offenders. When looking at the penalties issued for just less than 1 once of the drug, the state is ranked number 12 together with 10 other states, since due to similarities in the states there are only 12 rankings within this category (McCollum 37).In 2007, arrested related to the possession of marijuana accounted for about 80% of all arrests related to the drug in California. Additionally, arrests related to the drug also accounted for 25% of all arrests related to drugs in the same year (McCollum 37). In recent years, the cultivation of marijuana has been on the increase dramatical ly. DCESP (Domestic Cannabis Eradication suppression Program), a program sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration, collects data that does not include all the marijuana plants seized within the state; but these data give an accurate indication of the actual cultivation rates of the drug. As much as getting estimates of how much from the total amounts of the drug cultivated is seized by the authorities, such as the local, state and federal ones is difficult, the overall trend is clear. The total seizures of the pant in California have increased for a period

Are we free or determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Are we free or determined - Essay Example Though many philosophical points and theories are presented on this topic and this tradition exist throughout the world. It is observed that the determinism and free will are mutually exclusive to each other. The term determinism got wide meanings and there are two types of determinism, one is hard determinism or incompatibilists and the other one is soft determinism or compatibilists. Hard determinism is a belief, which says that the free will is an illusion but hard determinism says that both ideas can be coherently reconciled. The free will is believed to be metaphysical truth of independent agency or it is defined as the feeling of agency that human experience when they act. The concept of free will plays a central role in our thinking and our views about the world. On the other hand, determinists believe that the level to which human beings have influence over their future is itself dependent on present and past. And it is also described as a term that tells all events in the world are the result of some previous event, or events. And this shows that freedom of human beings is just an illusion. I believe that human are determined and not free will. It is sometimes believed that determinism demands that humans or individuals have no influence on the future events, but this concept is not correct. Determinism is that our past influences our future, and this is a true concept, even if we look it in our own lives. Many philosophers have given their views on this topic, including Omar Khayyam, Thomas Hobbes, Gottfried Leibniz, David Hume and Daniel Dennett etc. If we look at the emergentist or the generative philosophy, we will see that the free will does not exist in it,2 but we can see its illusions because of the generation of infinite behavior from the interaction of finite-deterministic set of rules and constraints. And the unpredictable behavior of deterministic process leads us to the insight of free will. Though, we know that the free will is an ontological entity and it does not exist in real.3 According to some people, determinism is usually negated with morals and ethics. On the other hand, people say that determinism is simply the sum of the pragmatic scientific results, which had made it devoid of subjectivism. As we known that there are no hard-set rules and regulations for morals and ethics and they are different in different cultures, and this makes them different from the physical rules, which are pre-defined and hardly change under any circumstances. But still their existence means that they were a certain result or product themselves. This is due to a comprehensive time period of social development, which is witnessed today, and also a convergence of events, which are created to generate the very idea of morals and ethics in the minds of people. An example of determinism is genetic determinism, where we can now found a scientific connection between one's genes and one's actual and/or potential physical traits (hair and eye color, disease susceptibility, etc.). And this knowledge is used throughout the world for further research. The theory of determinism

BUS COM WK3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BUS COM WK3 - Essay Example In the article the authors conducted a specific type of study in which they tracked for about 60 families and their hundred above children. They inquired about the effects the divorce had produced on them. They found out that the boys of the divorced families do not have any goal; they do not want to grow in life, while the girls of the divorced families do not trust other men in their lives. They suffer from the special type of fear in which they fear from bounding themselves in a family with a man. This fear is known as the Sleepers affect. In short with the data the authors tried to prove the negative effects of the divorce on the children. The declared that the divorce is traumatizing and it produces severe effects on the lives of the affected families. I totally disagree with both the authors and their statistics. It is just that they wanted to show the negative side of the issue. The data was not neutrally collected. Only the negative theme was extracted. The authors presented a graph in their study in which they tried to show that most of children suffer emotional and behavioral problems after the marriage of their parents. According to the data presented it shows that about 25% of children of such families suffer from mental disorders. They did not show in the graph the prior state of the children of such families. It must be possible that the children were in great stress due to the constant family conflicts of marriage and after divorced their mental state was improved due to living alone or with the single parent. The authors also showed by statistics that approx 66% of the women from the age of 9 to 23 suffered from the sleeper effect. They were too afraid to bind themselves in any relation. Also the memories of the divorce of their parents never helped them to make a stable relation. The greater flaw in the study is that these women might be afraid of the poor marriages not the divorces. They

American history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American history - Essay Example Moreover, the North, the South, the Free Soilers, and the Republicans had their own ways of definitions. They differed in their views as follows: Lincoln defined liberty as the ability of a citizen to do what he wishes for himself, and whatever that is a product of his labor. This made slave trade an oppression since the person who created labor was not the same one who used it, rather a different person got the freedom to utilize it. In addition, Lincoln defined Liberty as a condition where citizens could do anything they desired with others and anything they had generated with their labor. The definition of slavery was therefore not a matter of liberty, but that of human rights. On the other hand, Stephen Douglass questioned most of Lincoln’s quotes against freedom. He disagreed with most of the phrases, arguing that America had been existing half slave and half free, several years. His view was that there was no issue about some people being at liberty while others were not ; the system should have continued. The U.S was a big country and what Liberty meant for one region was not the same as the other. Differences between the North and South view of Liberty To the North, both liberty and power resided often with the community as compared to individuals. Societies had both the liberty and the duty to rule themselves as per their own wishes to invest in their general good, and to punish or favor people whose behavior threatened or improved the rest of the community. An individual was responsible to balance personal desires and needs against entire good of the community. In return, the community was responsible for caring for the sick, educating the young, and providing for the less fortune. This support expanded every person’s liberty to live in self-respect and prosper. In contrast, the South believed that the degree of liberty that one enjoyed was a directly given by God in the social hierarchy. More authority was determined by the level of stat us one had, and thus, one with more authority had more liberty to exercise. This meant that one had more â€Å"liberties† with the rights, properties, and the lives of fellow citizens. How the Free Soilers differed with the Republicans on the meaning of liberty The Free Soil party adopted the motto, â€Å"Free Soil, Free Labor, And Free Men.† They opposed the expansion of slavery into the western regions and believed in freedom and equal rights. No party had powers to make a slave than to make a leader. The free soilers viewed that through forgetting all the past political disagreements, they could form a union of free men, to obtain liberty, and have a common goal. Liberty meant having the rights to free labor without the violence of the slave authority, and to safeguard free soil for free citizens. The Republicans had the conception that, an agent is free because he is not dominated by other agents. He is dominated only when and because others have capabilities of in terference, deliberately and on a random basis, in particular choices that he has an opportunity to make. Conclusion Although the word Liberty was used by various elites and communities to give it a different meaning, the issue at hand remained to be slavery. Lincoln’s definition was the most logical, particularly in this context. Anyone who had never read about Lincoln’s declaration of liberty would probably define it in the same way. Question 2: The meaning of the fourth of July

School Ethos and Policies Essay Example for Free

School Ethos and Policies Essay The phrase above is the school’s ethos and was inspired following collaboration with the children, staff and governors of the school; with all believing and accepting they have an equal part to play in ensuring all children have a right to quality first teaching. It is felt that the ethos reflects the vision of the school community and yet it is easy to be remembered and understood by all. It is used regularly to praise the children of their positive actions and if necessary remind them of what is expected of them. The schools aim is ‘To develop a shared love of learning between our children, staff and parents and the wider community. The school’s ethos is displayed outside the school building so even visitors and the wider community know what are aims are. The ethos appears on letters that are sent home, on the school website, in every class and in the hall. The children eat in the hall, with different members of staff also eating there in order to maintain sensible behaviour but also to enjoy the more informal time to chat together. We have assemblies in the hall, often inviting members of the wider community to hold assemblies; there have been cookery demonstrations, the police have been in to talk about internet safety and local religious practitioners give assemblies. The aims and ethos are reinforced in assembly as children share work, achievements and stories; learning from one another and from a variety of adults. The School’s rules support the ethos and aims; and are displayed in prominent places in the classroom and corridors so they are visible to all. (image 1)* We use kind hands and words * We are safe and sensible at work and play * We listen and work and learn together * We look after our school. Image 1 Image 2 The staff have an important responsibility in modelling standards of behaviour both with the children and with each other as colleagues as it is their example that has such an influence on the children. An optimistic and positive environment should be emphasised by all adults in the school to encourage children through example to have relationships based on fairness, kindness and understanding of the needs of the other children within the school. The staff attend regular meetings to share good practice, monitor the children’s learning and work cooperatively; they also attend INSET days to learn together. The children communicate the ethos and aims to visitors through their exemplary behaviour and joy at sharing their learning with each other, visitors and their families. We have class sharing assemblies for parents and families to see examples of current learning and for the children to talk about what they are doing in class. Families are always welcome to leave messages in the message books and they are also welcome to come in to school as parent helpers, help on school outings or to come in and share their skills e.g. RSPCA officer, fireman, grandparent to talk about being an evacuee. The school has a behaviour ‘traffic light’ system (image 2) which was instigated following discussions with the school council about having a visible system that is a constant reminder to children. Forgiveness is an important element and the fact that it is not the child who needs to change but the behaviour; therefore all children start afresh each day on the green lily pad regardless of anything that occurred on the previous day. Children move their name on to the amber lily pad if they break a school rule and have already been reminded beforehand. They then put a mark next to their name in one of the three circles on their lily pad. A ‘think sheet’ will then be completed by the child in their own time to reflect on the rule they have broken. This also enables the staff to keep a record of behaviours in school and to gain an overall understanding of certain behaviours over time. If that behaviour continues then another mark is made next to the name and the child is sent to the key stage leader and if is still continues the child is sent to see the head teacher to discuss their behaviour. All staff follows the same procedures and all keep a record of children who move in to amber and red. Children are motivated by positive praise. When the whole class remain on green they are awarded a ‘letter’. Foundation and KS1’s letter spell out ‘Super class’ and KS2’s ‘Super class award’. Once a class has received all their letters they are able to choose a class treat. The treat could be a disco, playing board games or talent shows to name a few! Those that get on to the gold lily pad are rewarded with a gold stamp and the child is rewarded with a ‘great to be gold’ sticker. A child who receives ten gold stamps has a lovely letter sent home. The school communicates its ethos and values to the staff through a number of different policies. The behaviour policy clearly states the guidelines which are to be followed so that each individual child is treated equally. The midday Managers also has a policy which enforces the school rules. Both positive and negative lunchtime behaviour is sanctioned in the same way by the lunchtime assistants so to provide continuity throughout the day. The school also communicates its ethos and values to the staff through the school rules which are displayed clearly throughout the school. I asked a number of parents if they knew what the school ethos and values were. Although they were not able to recite it word for word all knew the synopsis of it. All were also able to tell me that they were aware of it being in all the classrooms, at different points in the school, outside the school and on letters home. Someone also said with the words aside they feel the ethos and values are demonstrated in the way in which the children behave and in the atmosphere as a whole in school. Schools need to ensure that policies are in place and revised on a regular basis. Each policy should show both the date it was updated and also the review date. Model policies are available on the internet through local education authorities and these can assist the school when either drawing them up or when updating them. Both policies and procedures are updated regularly and monitored by senior management team, all staff and governors. The Local Authority and SIP also evaluate school policy regularly. The school also takes the views of parents seriously and will adapt should the need arise. In my opinion it would be interesting to provide feedback to behaviour policies by reviewing the behaviour management folders of each class on a monthly basis. My aim would be to collect the folders and look at the behaviours that are or have been an issue that month. It would obviously differ for each year group as each teacher will have a different behaviour focus and what is regarded as poor behaviour in reception would be totally different in Year 6. However, there may be certain issues repeating themselves across the school such as, forgetting PE kit, being unkind on the playground (anti bullying), not concentrating in class, not bringing reading diary into school. Once I had collated the information I would then analyse it and feedback to the head teacher so that an assembly could focus on the prominent issues so to emphasise the importance of bringing in a PE kit etc. A note could go on the website and also in the newsletter to communicate with parents. Also I would review the rewards achieved and investigate whether these impacted the child’s behaviour in a positive way. The review of the behaviour management folders could also be cross referenced against children who have an abnormal number of absences and also those who arrive late on a regular basis. By monitoring this cohort of children it would highlight if or where intervention may be needed. As a parent governor of the school I am regularly involved in the reviews of policies. I have a responsibility to review and give input to all policies that are being updated.

History Of Internet Banking In Malaysia Information Technology Essay

History Of Internet Banking In Malaysia Information Technology Essay In early 2001 the bursting of the Internet bubble has created numerous assumptions that Internet services companies have lost their opportunities. The Internet companies and Internet players have been fighting for survival, and most of them have been still experiencing losses. There are still going discussions among practicing managers and academics in reaching a consent in their debate about this new technology: whether the Internet changes the basic way people do business or whether it is just an evolutionary process, offering simply a new distribution channel and communication medium (Moe and Fader, 2001). According to Brown (2001), the New Economy or e-commerce businesses are still at the early life stage. In spite of the collapse of dot.com stock prices in March 2001, Internet usage and e-commerce continued to grow at a fast speed. According to eMarketer (2003), the US B2C e-commerce returns comparing to US$51 billion in 2001reached US$70 billion in 2002, i.e., a jump of 37%. It also forecasted that revenues of the e-commerce would increase by 28% to US$90 billion by 2003; by 2004 would occur another increase of 21% to US$109 billion; and to US$133 billion, a further 22% increase, by 2005. The expected extensive growth of online purchases via the Internet will give enormous chances to businesses in general, and Internet Banking (IB) in particular. In this study the terms IB and Online Banking (OB) are used interchangeably. IB/OB is different from Electronic Banking (e-banking) in that the latter is a higher level activity that encompasses not only IB/OB, but also Mobile Banking, SMS Banking, ATM, WAP-banking and other electronic payment systems that are not operated through the Internet. Our study will focus on IB, because it is considered as the most significant and most popular delivery channel for banking services in the cyber age. Banks can benefit from much lower operating costs by offering IB services, which require less staff and fewer physical branches. Customers will also benefit from the convenience, speed and round-the-clock availability of IB services. In order to be able to formulate better marketing strategies for increasing IB usage in the future banks need to study the factors that influence customers intention to adopt IB so that banks. This study aims to examine the behavioral intention of UUM students to use IB services with a focus on users perceptions of ease of use and usefulness of IB, and of security of using this new technology to meet their banking needs. In Chapter 2, we provide a review of the previous literature on innovation diffusion and technology adoption, based on which we propose a model of customers intention to adopt IB. We discuss the research methodology in Chapter 3. History of internet banking in Malaysia On June 1, 2000, the Bank Negara Malaysia let locally owned commercial banks offer Internet banking services. On June 15, 2000 the first bank to offer Internet banking services in Malaysia was Maybank, the largest domestic bank in terms of assets as well as network distribution which commands its own portal at www.maybank2U.com. Subsequently, internet banking services were offered by Hong Leong Bank, Southern Bank, Multi-Purpose Bank and etc. A review of the Malaysian banking sites in the Internet discovered that all domestic banks, which have been settled an anchor bank status by the BNM, have a web presence. This banking service is currently being provided to individual customers of the bank and the site boasts of the latest 128-bit encryption technology to dispel worries of security among bank customers. Internet banking service provided in the portal consists of banking enquiry functions, credit card payment, bill payment, accounts summary, and funds transfer as well as transacti on history. In the banks providing internet banking services customer support service is provided via e-mails as well as via telephone lines and it is available daily from morning to mid-night (source: http://www.arraydev.com/commerce/JIBC/0103_01.htm). Problem Statement From reviewing related articles on the current topic, we can find evidence that although consumers have had an interest in advanced internet banking services and tended to have various financial sources or tools for money transactions; they have not quickly changed their main propensity to use banking services or goods that they are already familiar with (Futurics 2001). For example, new electronic banking goods or services have not quickly substituted for traditional ones and non-online banking goods or services. Although various electronic banking services have emerged since the ATM was introduced 30 years ago, a lot of consumers still use checks as a primary source for money transactions, and banks still have a lot of bricks and mortar branches in the market. According to the Survey of Consumer Finances in 2001, about 60% of household heads used checks as a primary source. Furthermore, the number of bank branches expanded from about 65,000 to about 73,000 from 1994 to 2003, even t hough the number of U.S banks fell from about 12,500 in 1994 to about 9,000 during the same period (Hirtle Metli, 2004). In spite of the emergence of a series of advanced electronic banking services, both consumers and banks still regard non-electronic banking as one of the important sources for money transaction. However, in global terms the majority of private bankers are still not using internet-banking channel. There are multiple reasons for this. To start with, customers need to have an access to the internet in order to utilize the service. Furthermore, new online users need first to learn how to use the service (Mols et al., 1999). Second, nonusers often complain that internet banking has no social dimension, i.e. you are not served in the way you are in a face-to-face situation at a bank branch (Mattila et al., 2003). Third, customers have been afraid of security issues (Sathye, 1999; Hamlet and Strube, 2000; Howcroft et al., 2002). However, this study focuses in the adoption of internet banking services by customers in evidence of the students of Universiti Utara Malaysia. Our study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of internet banking services by UUM students. Research questions The study intends to answer the following questions: How UUM students Attitude influence their Intention to use IB? What relationship does the Perceived Usefulness have with the UUM students Attitude and Intention to use IB? What relationship does the Perceived Ease of Use have with the UUM students Attitude and Intention to use IB? Is Perceived Web Security really a concern to UUM students who are using IB? Research Objectives The main aim of this study to determine the basic factors influence the usage of internet banking in UUM and to examine the factors that affect the adoption of internet banking. The specific objectives are as follow: To investigate how UUM students Attitude influence their Intention to use IB; To examine the relationship of Perceived Usefulness with the UUM students Attitude and Intention to use IB; To investigate the relationship of Perceived Ease of Use with the UUM students Attitude and Intention to use IB; To investigate whether Perceived Web Security is a concern for the usage of internet banking. Significance of the Study The study will contribute in expanding the body of knowledge in the internet and technology adoption literature. It will provide academicians and researchers with an update on the usage and acceptance of internet in the banking sector. This research can contribute to an improved understanding of the factors related to users acceptance of new technology. In particularly, this study acts as an understanding of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Also, this research can stimulate the banks providing their services inside UUM Campus such as CIMB, Islamic Bank and Maybank to improve their internet banking services. In the particular perspective, this study is significant to offer useful information for bank management in creating IB marketing strategies. For marketing practitioners, the aim is to offer a holistic and in-depth overview of how customer forms, experience and exploit their satisfaction towards services that offered by the banks. This study contributes to the literature by formulating and validating TAM to predict IB adoption. CHAPTER TWO Literature review Although in the past most of studies aim were to extent of understanding of user adoption of technology, few of these studies were conducted on IB services by extending the well-established Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). It is an appropriate time to study the user adoption of IB when the numbers of global banking groups are rapidly offering and improving IB services on the rise (American Banker, 2002). Both academics and banking executives will be interested in such a study. in particular, this study investigates the students perception on the adoption of internet banking for their private purpose. In other words, our survey focused on UUM students purpose to use internet banking to handle their banking issues. 2.1. Technology Acceptance Models Davis (1989) developed the Technology Acceptance Model, according to this model users adoption of computer system depends on their behavioral intention to use, which in turn depends on attitude, consisting of two beliefs, namely Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness. In fact, Davis developed TAM by building upon an earlier theory, the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975). In TRA, Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) proposed that intention is the immediate determinant of the corresponding behavior, which is divided into (1) attitude toward behavior, and (2) subjective norm concerning behavior. Davis posited d in TAM that the two theoretical constructs, Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use, are fundamental determinants of system use in an organization. These constructs also provide better measures for predicting and explaining system use than other constructs (Davis, 1989). TAM has been widely used for predicting the acceptance and use of information systems, and recently has been applied to predict Internet adoption as well. In a recent study, Lederer et al. (2000) adapted TAM to study World Wide Web (WWW) usage and found evidence to support TAM. Another study of applying TAM in the WWW context was conducted by Moon and Kim (2001). They introduced the construct Playfulness to predict Attitude. Data were collected from 152 graduate students of management in Korea. Although the results of findings of test of TAM-related hypotheses showed that they were all supported, the results deviated from the basic belief of TAM that Perceived Usefulness is the key determinant of user acceptance of IT. The results of Moon and Kim (2001) revealed that Perceived Ease of Use has a more significant relationship with Attitude than Perceived Usefulness in the WWW context, and Perceived Playfulness (an intrinsic motivational factor) has a more positive effect on Attitude th an Perceived Usefulness (an extrinsic motivational factor). 2.2. Theoretical Model for IB Adoption IB is a new distribution channel for the delivery of banking services. From both academic and practical perspectives, it is interesting to understand and assess customers intention to use IB services. We have chosen TAM as the baseline model for this study because it is a well-tested model concerning users acceptance of technology. We augment TAM with the construct Perceived Web Security. Specifically, we hypothesize that Intention to Use is influenced by Attitude, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Web Security. We will test the strength of the hypothesized relationships embedded in the theoretical model and the robustness of the model in predicting students intention to adopt IB in Universiti Utara Malaysia Campus. TAM has been used by various researchers to predict users intention to accept or adopt a variety of technologies and computer systems. The technologies include electronic mail, text editor, word processing systems, and graphics software (Davis, 1989; Davis et al., 1989), spreadsheets (Hendrickson et al., 1993), Database Management Systems (Szajna, 1994), voice-mail and word processors (Adams et al., 1992; Chin and Todd, 1995). We use TAM with the constructs Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use to assess the determinants of students Attitude and Intention to Use (equivalent to the construct Behavioral Intention in TAM). While we adopt the original TAM in this study, we use Behavioral Intention as the dependent variable and skip the construct Actual Usage. On the theoretical front, an abundance of research studies have reported a strong and significant causal relationship between behavioral intention and usage of technology or targeted behavior (Sheppard et al., 1988; Venkate sh and Morris, 2000). It is therefore theoretically justifiable to use Behavioral Intention as a dependent variable to examine the acceptance of IB (Mathieson, 1991). Agarwal and Prasad (1999) also argued that for a survey-based research design, Behavioral Intention is more appropriate than Actual Usage as they are measured contemporaneously with beliefs and our study is survey-based research. On the practical front, it is worth noting that IB is still at an early stage of development among UUM students. The percentage of usage is not relatively high. Therefore, the choice of Behavioral Intention, rather than Actual Usage, as the dependent variable is considered both appropriate and necessary. In addition, Salisbury et al. (2001) argue that feeling secure in doing transactions on the Web is often cited by users as a major factor that removes their concerns about the efficient use of the Internet for making online purchases. Therefore, we include the construct Perceived Web Security as a predictor of Attitude and Intention to Use, as in the earlier study conducted by Salisbury et al. (2001). In their study, Salisbury et al. (2001) developed a set of four items to measure Perceived Web Security using a 7-point Likert scale. The results of their study showed that the three constructs, namely Perceived Web Security, Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness, have a positive relationship with intention to purchase online. However, we will include the construct Attitude in our theoretical model. CHAPTER THREE Research Methodology There exists virtually no research examining UUM students behavioral intention to adopt IB services by extending TAM. To fill this gap, we will conduct a survey study for hypothesis testing using the framework of the original TAM as the foundation to determine the predictors of students Intention to use IB in UUM. To collect data, we will design a questionnaire by adapting the instrument and scales developed for TAM. We will augment TAM by adding the construct Perceived Web Security developed by Salisbury et al. (2001) and adapting their instrument and scale to measure this construct in our questionnaire. 3.1. Sample Size This study aims to investigate the self-reported behaviors of students and their intention to use IB services for their private purposes in UUM. We will request respondents to return their completed questionnaires. We will collect data from UUM students who use internet banking. We will as to fill in the survey questionnaires to a sample of 250 randomly students selected from a total of over 25,000 students in UUM. 3.2. Measurement of the Constructs In devising a useful measurement instrument for this study, we want to adapt an instrument and scales developed and validated in previous studies. We will base on TAM instrument, which has been replicated and widely used in other studies. In this study we use the adapted question items as the instrument to measure the respective constructs below, using a 7-point Likert scale for each item (with 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = slightly disagree, 4 = neutral, 5 = slightly agree, 6 = agree, and 7 = strongly agree). The constructs are defined in the following: Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) defined by Davis (1989) as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his job performance. Perceived Usefulness (PU) defined by Davis (1989) as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort. Perceived Web Security (PWS) defined by Salisbury et al. (2001) as the extent to which one believes that the World Wide Web is secure for transmitting sensitive information. It is also noted that the adoption of purchasing products on the World Wide Web may involve a greater degree of risk than the adoption of other IT innovations. When one purchases products online, there may be a perception of risk involved in transmitting sensitive information such as credit card numbers across the World Wide Web. Attitude (ATT) refers to an individuals positive or negative feelings (evaluative affect) about performing a particular behavior (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Intention to Use (INT) refers to customers intention to use, as opposed to their actual use of, IB services. 3.3. Survey Questionnaire Based on the hypothesized model developed through a detailed review of the related literature on user acceptance of technology and new technology diffusion, we will devise a questionnaire as a measurement scale for the research. The questionnaire will be developed in English. We will try to make the questionnaire readable and ensure its accuracy and appropriateness. A factor analysis will be performed on the data collected from the pilot study. CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS Total 85 research questionnaires were distributed to and collected from the respondents in the library building of Universiti Utara Malaysia. The sample period consists of 3 weeks from August 22 to September 12, 2010. Factor analysis was done by using SPSS with the data collected by distributing questionnaires. 4.1. Respondents Demographic Characteristics The analysis of the statistics of the demographic characteristics of the respondents is presented in Table 1. Of the 85 respondents, 47.1% were female and 52.9% male; 37.6% were in the 21-25 age group, 41.2% were 26-30 in age, and 20% were 31-40 in age. As the research was done among master students, any respondent was not under the age of 20, and only one of them was over 40. Table 1 Demographics of respondents Demographic profile Frequency Percentage (%) Gender F Female 40 47.1 M Male 45 52.9 Total 85 100.0 Age A Under 20 0 0 B 21-25 32 37.6 C 26-30 35 41.2 D 31-40 17 20.0 E Over 40 1 1.2 85 100.0 Rogers (1983) has found the characteristics of innovation adopters as having high levels of education, and social status as well as income. Moreover, Gefen (1997) and Teo Lim (2000) by testing the gender differences which affect the awareness of e-mail and the Internet usage, found similar results with Rogers (1983). 4.2. Factor Analysis Using SPSS we conducted our exploratory factor analysis on our survey data. Table 2 presents the rotated factor matrix which is a result from independent variables Varimax rotated principal axis factor extraction. The 1.0 eigenvalue cut-off criterion was used for the independent variables factor extraction. The table points out that five factors which are the variables used for our research emerged and reports their factor loadings. For evaluation of the Cronbachs alpha we tested the data using the SPSS Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), where the Cronbachs alpha ranged from 0.896 to 0.914. To ensure convergent validity and item reliability we evaluated each of the items individually. All factor loadings except for b7, b10 and b15 (0.478; 0.424 and 0.486, respectively) were larger than 0.5, which characterize an acceptable significant level of internal validity. The factor loadings vary from 0.554 to 0.744 for Perceived Ease of Use, 0.478 to 0.686 for Perceived Usefulness, 0.424 to 0.642 for Perceived Web Security, 0.486 to 0.536 for Attitude, and 0.539 to 0.621 for Intention to Use. All 19 questionnaire items were held on to further analysis, because all factor loadings were found to be of an acceptable significant level. Table 2 Reliability and factor analysis (from SPSS analysis) Reliability Factor loading Cronbach alpha Variance explained (%) Perceived Ease of Use 0.911 76.920 B/b1-Using the Internet Banking (IB) service is easy for me 0.925 0.594 B/b2-I find my interaction with the IB services clear and understandable 0.929 0.613 B/b3-It is easy for me to become skillful in the use of the IB services 0.925 0.554 B/b4-Overall, I find the use of the IB services easy 0.927 0.744 Perceived Usefulness (PU) 0.914 7.979 B/b5-Using the IB would enable me to accomplish my tasks more quickly 0.929 0.522 B/b6-Using the IB would make it easier for me to carry out my tasks 0.925 0.603 B/b7-I would find the IB useful 0.927 0.478 B/b8-Overall, I would find using the IB to be advantageous 0.926 0.686 Perceived Web Security (PWS) 0.896 7.075 B/b9-I would feel secure sending sensitive information across the IB 0.926 0.575 B/b10-The IB is a secure means through which to send sensitive information 0.927 0.424 B/b11-I would feel totally safe providing sensitive information about myself over the IB 0.924 0.642 B/b12-Overall, the IB is a safe place to transmit sensitive information 0.925 0.639 Attitude (ATT) 0.907 4.772 B/b13-Using the IB is a good idea 0.927 0.536 B/b14-I would feel that using the IB is pleasant 0.928 0.502 B/b15-In my opinion, it would be desirable to use the IB 0.928 0.486 B/b16-In my view, using the IB is a wise idea 0.927 0.508 Intention to Use (IU) 0.906 3.254 B/b17-I would use the IB for my banking needs 0.925 0.621 B/b18-Using the IB for handling my banking transactions is something I would do 0.926 0.551 B/b19-I would see myself using the IB for handling my banking transactions 0.926 0.539 4.3. Reliability test For reliability tests, the Cronbachs alpha ranged from 0.925 to 0.929 for both Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness, from 0.924 to 0.927 for Perceived Web Security, while it ranged from 0.927 to 0.928 for Attitude and from 0.925 to 0.926 for Intention to Use. Correlation analyses of variables show that estimation ranges from 0.620 to 0.778 with significant P for all variables as shown in Table 3. Perceived Ease of Use has a direct impact on Perceived Usefulness with 0.000 significant level. Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Web Security significantly impacts on Attitude at the 0.000 level. Consequently, Attitude, Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Web Security significantly effect Intention to Use. Table 3 Correlation of variables Estimate P PUà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ PEOU 0.683** 0.000 ATà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ PU 0.680** 0.000 ATà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ PEOU 0.620** 0.000 ATà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ PWS 0.778** 0.000 IUà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ ATT 0.768** 0.000 IUà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ PU 0.642** 0.000 IUà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ PWS 0.735** 0.000 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSIONS 5.1 Limitations Since our research was performed with time limitation, as with other crossectional studies, it is not without limitations. A wider study for more fully investigation of the pre-launch stage, the promotion stage and the post-launch stage of IB would surely be an important donation to the IB literature in the future. Our research only covers Web security construction. Future research might concentrate on security and privacy separately, as the latter is arousing rising concentration in the Web literature (Jarvenpaa and Todd, 1997). Moreover, the measurement instrument for Web security could be further developed to increase its validity in future studies. Our research was carried out in Universiti Utara Malaysia among international master students only. It may not represent all the students of UUM, as well as other territories and people. 5.2 Conclusions The findings of our empirical study support the theoretical model implementing TAM and the put up Perceived Web Security. From the results of our study Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Web Security are supported as predicting variables, which have an effect on intervening variables, Perceived Usefulness and Attitude, and the dependent variable Intention to Use IB. Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Web Security as well as Perceived Ease of Use directly effect Intention to Use. Perceived Web Security effects on Intention to Use directly, rather than passing through Attitude which is the intervening variable. It is consistent with the findings of empirical studies provided earlier (Salisbury et al., 2001). Reference Adams, D.A., Nelson, R.R. and Todd, P.A., 1992. Perceived usefulness, ease of use, and usage of information technology: a replication, MIS Quarterly, 16, 227-247. Agarwal, R., and Prasad, J., 1999. Are individual differences germane to the acceptance of new information technologies? Decision Sciences, 30, 361-391. American Banker, In brief: fast growth for small-biz web banking, American Banker 167 (20) (2002). Brown R.D., E-commerce: customer service success factors, Futurics 25 (2001) 18-30. Chin, W.W. and Todd, P.A., 1995. On the use, usefulness, and ease of use of structural equation modeling in MIS research: a note of caution. MIS Quarterly, 19, 237-246. Davis, F. D., 1989. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13, 319-336. Davis F.D., Bagozzi R.P. and Warshaw P.R., 1989. User acceptance of computer technology: a comparison of two theoretical models. Management Science, 35, 982-1003. eMarketer, The US B2C Review, 2003, http://www.emarketer.com/estats/081699_data.html http://www.emarketer.com/products/report.php?eglobal (retrieved on 29 August 2003). Fishbein, M.A. and Ajzen, I., 1975. Belief, Intention and Behavior: An introduction to Theory and Research. Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts. Gefen, D., Karahanna, E. and Straub, D. W., 2003. Trust and TAM in online shopping: an integrated model. MIS Quarterly, 27, 51-90.Hamlet, C. and Strube, M. (2000), Community banks go online, ABA Banking Journals 2000 White Paper/Banking on the Internet, March, pp. 61-5. Hendrickson, A.R., Massey, P.D. and Cronan, T.P., 1993. On the test-retest reliability of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use scales. MIS Quarterly, 17, 227-230. Hirtle, Beverly J. and Christopher Metli. The Evolution of U.S. Bank Branch Networks: Growth, Consolidation, and Strategy, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Current Issues in Economic and Finance, July 2004, 10(8). Howcroft, B., Hamilton, R. and Hewer, P. (2002), Consumer attitude and the usage and adoption of home-based banking in the United Kingdom, The International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 111-21. Jarvenpaa, S.L. and Todd, P.A., 1997. Consumer reactions to electronic shopping on the World Wide Web. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 1, 59-88. Lederer A.L., D.J. Maupin, M.P. Sena, Y.L. Zhuang, 2000. The technology acceptance model and the world wide web, Decision Support Systems 29, 269-282. Mathieson, K., 1991. Predicting user intention: comparing the technology acceptance model with the theory of planned behavior. Information Systems Research, 2, 173-191 Mattila, M., Karjaluoto, H. and Pento, T. (2003), Internet banking adoption among mature customers: early majority or laggards, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp. 514-26. Moe, W.W. and Fader, P.S., 2001. Uncovering patterns in cybershopping. California Management Review, 43, 106-117. Mols, N.P., Bukh, P.N.D. and Nielsen, J.F. (1999), Distribution channel strategies in Danish retail banking, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 37-47. Moon, J.W. and Kim, Y.G., 2001. Extending the TAM for a World-Wide-Web context. Information and Management, 38, 217-230. Rogers, E.M., 1995. Diffusion of Innovations, 4th Edition. The Free Press, New York. Salisbury, W.D., Pearson, R.A., Pearson, A.W. and Miller D.W., 2001, Perceived security and World Wide Web purchase intention. Industrial Management Data Systems, 101, 165-176. Sathye, M., 1999. Adoption of Internet Banking by Australian consumers: an empirical investigation. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 17, 324-334. Sheppard, B.H., Hartwick, J., and Warshaw, P.R., 1988. The theory of reasoned action: a meta-analysis of past research with recommendations for modifications and future research. Journal of Consumer Research, 6, 144-176. Szajna, B., 1994. Software evaluation and choice: predictive validation of the technology acceptance instrument. MIS Quarterly, 18, 319-324. Teo, T.S.H., Lim, V.K.G. and Lai, R.Y.C. (1999), Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in Internet usage, Omega, International Journal of Management Science, Vol. 27, pp. 25-37. Venkatesh, V. and Morris, M.G., 2000. Why dont men ever stop to ask for directions? Gender, social influence, and their role in technology acceptance and usage behavior. MIS Quarterly, 24, 115-139.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers :: Literature Analysis, Langston Hughes

â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† by Langston Hughes is a compelling poem in which Hughes explores not only his own past, but the past of the black race. As the rivers deepen over time, the Negro's soul does too; their waters eternally flow, as the black soul suffers. Analyzing the poem’s title sets a somber, yet prideful tone for this poem. The fact that the title does not say â€Å"I Speak of Rivers,† but instead, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† (1) shows that he is not only a Negro, but that he is not one specific Negro, but in his first person commentary, he is speaking for all Negroes. However, he is not just speaking for any Negroes. Considering the allusions to â€Å"Mississippi† (9) and â€Å"Abe Lincoln† (9) are not only to Negroes but also to America, confirms that Hughes is talking for all African Americans. This poem is a proclamation on the whole of African American history as it has grown and flourished along the rivers which gave life to these people. The diction of â€Å"ancient† (3) proves once more that Hughes is talking about the history and roots of African Americans. The word ancient itself means something that is decrepit, old, and primitive, clearly a word to be used when discussing a history and a journey. This word, which was repeated twice in the passage, emphasizes that there has been a long and difficult wait for equality for blacks. That although they have been around since â€Å"ancient† (3) times, since so long before, they still are fighting for racial equality. Hughes emphasizes his message consistently throughout this poem, weaving in the most important line in the middle and end of the poem. He is representing his people. African Americans have waited and been abused by society, and this deepened and weathered their souls over time, just as a river would become deepened and weathered. Hughes’ soul, the collective soul of African Americans, has become â€Å"deep like the rivers† (5). This simile speaks that the rivers are part of the body, and contribute to this immortality that Hughes is so desperate to achieve for his people. Rivers are the earthly symbols of eternity: deep, constant, mystifying. The rivers are named in a specific order: in the order of their association with black history. By using many allusions, the context of which Hughes wants to draw attention to is evident. He begins â€Å"when dawns were young† (6), which refers to a time when blacks were used as slaves along the Euphrates in Western Asia, and ends with the Emancipation Proclamation of â€Å"Abe Lincoln† (9) when slaves were finally freed men.

The Media: Creating Controversy to Make a Quick Buck :: Race and the Media Essays

It seems that the world likes controversy because it is everywhere; on television, online, and in the newspaper. In this technology era, we can’t to get away from controversy, due to easy access on our smartphones, tablets, and lab tops. Controversy can be found in many situations in our lives and found in many subjects in the media, for example sex, religion, politics and a lot of time when it comes to race. The first topic discussed will be what is controversy? Next, is controversy need in the media? Then, why is controversy used in the media and is it necessary? As well as should controversial content be removed from the media and would removing controversy content make a difference in any way to the audience. This essay will also discuss how media presents different sides of the issue and how the media affects public opinion on the Travon Martin murder in Florida. Discussing these topics will also help us understand how to decipher controversy, in the way of does contr oversy help resolve or exacerbate controversial situations in the media. Controversy is a lengthy public disagreement or debate over many conflicting opinions. In the media there is no shortage of controversy. It seems that all controversy are over the following topics, politics, religion, sex, economics, finances, culture and race (P. Ferreira, 2013). I would not say controversy is needed in American or even the world. However America and even the entire world were built on controversy (Davenport, 2012). Since we all do not share the same opinions in every aspect or major topics in the world, because of this controversy is created sometimes voluntary and involuntary. What the media does is bring all opinions from within America and around the world to a large group of people, which in turns creates controversy out in the open to the public. Controversy is need in the world, because without it we would not know or learn all other aspects to a specific topic. For example, the crime in America is higher than other countries in the world. Some people would say that it is due to the exorbitant gun-ownership in America (Davenport, 2012). However other people’s opinions say it is not guns that kill people it is people that kill people, and other say it is the people that locate guns illegally that commit most of the killing in America.

Victims law challenges and opportunities Essay -- Colombian Government

Victims law challenges and opportunities The argument of this paper is that in order to succeed in the process of land restitution the Colombian government must overcome the adverse conditions that both the inequitable agrarian structure and the widespread presence of paramilitary groups have generated for poor peasants’ livelihoods. In the previous chapters I have provided some arguments about how those factors have shaped an unfavorable institutional landscape for the land restitution process. This chapter aims to stress the interrelation of those factors, and accordingly providing some proposals that may contribute in implementing the law. The inequitable agrarian structure and the paramilitary phenomenon The agrarian structure and the paramilitary phenomenon are two intertwined elements. They are part of the mediating processes both internal and external that have affected people’s access to resources and the construction of livelihood strategies in particular rural contexts (Ellis, 2000). Since social actors have a differential capacity to influence the processes to access capitals therefore better off people may exclude others from access to resources (Haan and Zoomers, 2005). Following this argument it is evident that in the Colombian countryside those with the capacity to control state’s policies as well as the local social arrangements have established a social closure strategy in which the poor have been systematically excluded from opportunities to improve their livelihoods. In particular, the contradictory nature of land policies has consolidated an exclusionary agrarian structure that constrains poor peasants’ life conditions. This is evident through the numerous attempts and counter-attempts to broaden... ...venties and eighties the pressure exerted by urban middle sectors, leftist political parties, workers and peasants organizations and guerrilla groups as well as the political changes brought about by the decentralization and the political opening processes threatened the dominant position of landed elites in several regions. For this reason, the creation of paramilitary armies in the early eighties was the violent reaction of a landed elites group, whose power was declining, to the endogenous and exogenous factors that challenged their hegemony. Therefore, the paramilitary phenomenon must be understood as a reactionary extension of the latifundio structure. Its aim was to reestablish the rural social order through the annihilation of latifundio’s rivals in the competition for the control of the regional resources (land, local government, and means of violence). Victims law challenges and opportunities Essay -- Colombian Government Victims law challenges and opportunities The argument of this paper is that in order to succeed in the process of land restitution the Colombian government must overcome the adverse conditions that both the inequitable agrarian structure and the widespread presence of paramilitary groups have generated for poor peasants’ livelihoods. In the previous chapters I have provided some arguments about how those factors have shaped an unfavorable institutional landscape for the land restitution process. This chapter aims to stress the interrelation of those factors, and accordingly providing some proposals that may contribute in implementing the law. The inequitable agrarian structure and the paramilitary phenomenon The agrarian structure and the paramilitary phenomenon are two intertwined elements. They are part of the mediating processes both internal and external that have affected people’s access to resources and the construction of livelihood strategies in particular rural contexts (Ellis, 2000). Since social actors have a differential capacity to influence the processes to access capitals therefore better off people may exclude others from access to resources (Haan and Zoomers, 2005). Following this argument it is evident that in the Colombian countryside those with the capacity to control state’s policies as well as the local social arrangements have established a social closure strategy in which the poor have been systematically excluded from opportunities to improve their livelihoods. In particular, the contradictory nature of land policies has consolidated an exclusionary agrarian structure that constrains poor peasants’ life conditions. This is evident through the numerous attempts and counter-attempts to broaden... ...venties and eighties the pressure exerted by urban middle sectors, leftist political parties, workers and peasants organizations and guerrilla groups as well as the political changes brought about by the decentralization and the political opening processes threatened the dominant position of landed elites in several regions. For this reason, the creation of paramilitary armies in the early eighties was the violent reaction of a landed elites group, whose power was declining, to the endogenous and exogenous factors that challenged their hegemony. Therefore, the paramilitary phenomenon must be understood as a reactionary extension of the latifundio structure. Its aim was to reestablish the rural social order through the annihilation of latifundio’s rivals in the competition for the control of the regional resources (land, local government, and means of violence).

Explain Possible Influences On Dietary Intake Essay

Health Factors There are many health conditions that end in specific nutrient needs, and influence what people can and cannot eat. It is important that people have a healthy diet, and get the needed nutrients, nut it can be complicated when you have to stay away from certain foods like junk food to maintain a balanced diet. Diabetes mellitus Diabetes mellitus is a condition where the hormone insulin is not being naturally made by the pancreas, is being made in small amounts or is not being used properly by the body. If left untreated, the most sever type of diabetes would lead to certain death because of the lack of glucose in the cells and vital organs. Type 1 Diabetes is the less severe form of diabetes which is NIDDM (insulin dependent diabetes mellitus). Type 2 Diabetes IDDM is treated with insulin which can be treated with insulin injections, unlike NIDDM which can be treated either just by the individual’s diet or with diet and tablets. Coeliac disease This is having intolerance to gluten, which can be found in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten causes the immune system to make antibodies, which attack the lining of the bowel. E This can have an effect on the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food, and can lead to anaemia and osteoporosis. It also can increase the risk of bowel cancer. The symptoms: Abdominal pain Diarrhoea Constipation Bloating Failure to gain weight in adulthood Anaemia People who suffer from coeliac disease need to eliminate all foods that have wheat, rye, and barley in them from their diet. Gluten-free products are  sold but they are quite expensive. If a person has been medically diagnosed with coeliac disease some gluten-free products can be obtained on prescription. Food lists can be obtained from Coeliac UK. Irritable Bowel syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition where the function of the bowel is disturbed, causing abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating and either constipation or diarrhoea, or both. However, through examination there is no found problem in the bowel. The cause of it is unknown, but the nerves in the gut has been found to be overacting, and some individuals can find certain foods that cause their symptoms. Sometimes IBS can lead to diarrhoea caused an infection. Some people discover that they have these symptoms after taking antibiotics, which kill the normal unharmed bacteria that is in the bowel. There is a lot of varied advice that has been given to people with IBS, but the best thing to do is experiment with the diet to try and find out which foods will make the condition worse, and stay away from them. Lactose intolerance Lactose is the natural sugar that is in milk. This tolerance is very common and can be mild or severer. Children who are lactose intolerant do not produce lactase, which is an enzyme that breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose before it is absorbed during digestion. Children who suffer from the server form of this condition find it hard to put on weight and suffer from diarrhoea. This happens because the lactose ferments inside the bowel, which causes bloating. Food allergy Some people are allergic to certain foods. A food allergy is sometimes confused with food intolerance but it is a lot more serious. An allergic reaction can be severe and life-threatening. Nuts, eggs, soya, and wheat are common allergies in adults. However any food can cause allergies. Symptoms Having contact with the food that you are allergic to, can lead you to show the following signs and symptoms within minutes/hours: Itchy mouth Swollen lips, mouth tongue and/or throat Rash Wheezing Vomiting and/or diarrhoea Red itchy eyes Some people can develop a severe reaction called anaphylactic shock, which is rare but can be fatal. The symptoms can develop all over the body, causing swelling, a rash (hives), loss of consciousness, low blood pressure and breathing problems. It is vital that every effort is made to prevent the person from being given the food that causes this reaction. Anyone who is known to have a severe food allergy should be prescribed an Epipen, which they should carry with them at all times. Loss of ability to feed independently Sadly some people are unable to independently feed themselves, either throughout their lives, or following and accident, leading to paralysis, or the development of a debilitating condition. Another reason could be that they cannot consume food through the mouth and have to be fed through a tube. If some degree of a patients independence can be maintained then it should be, because there are a wide range of tools that can used to aid people who are struggling to feed themselves. Some of these tools include a wide range of handled cutlery, plate guards and non-slip mats. Another way of maintaining a service user’s independence would be to cut their food up into manageable proportions. Sometimes it is impossible for an individual to feed themselves. Which may be due to a cognitive impairment, like advanced dementia, where the person cannot recognise that there meal has arrived. Whatever the reason may be for requiring full support when eating and drinking, it is vital that the service user’s meals are served while they are still hot. The service users should not feel like they are a burden or feel like they are being a pain, so you should create a relaxed situation, where they can enjoy the meal. Some people need to be fed through a tube. This is usually due to problems with digestive system. Swallowing issues, known as dysphasia, can cause a person to frequently choke, or find in difficult to maintain a healthy nutritious diet. A stroke or cancer of the oesophagus can cause this dysphasia. Dietary habits Meal patterns ‘Meal patterns’ are about the way a person takes their food made. Some people prefer to have three meals a day. However, there are many different variations. Some families eat together, but in the busy world that we live in people are eating fast food, and microwave meals. Snaking Eating in between meals, which was once opposed, is now the norm in the UK. If the snacks were healthy foods like fruits. However, snacks and sweets usually are usually high in fat, salt and sugar. Those who eat a lot of junk food significantly increase their risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease as they get older. Personal tastes Most people have a preference when it comes to food and very few people like every food that if offered to them. Some people believe that eating animals is wrong and prefer become vegetarians. Some people go even further and become vegans who don’t eat any products that come from animals. Food availability Another influence on the diet is the food can be purchased. It is important that healthy food is available or you would just start to eat junk food simply because it is in the house. People who live in their own houses, which are unable to cook or shop by themselves, would need to make sure that the food and drinks that they would need to buy are available when they are needed and wanted. Lunchtime can usually be provided by the local meals. Hot meals are delivered daily. The food should be kept above 63 °C to prevent food poisoning. It is less of a risk to keep the food hot than to reheat it, however if the food is being reheated after cooling down is still must be hot in the middle of it. For other meals the service users may be able to manage them by themselves as long as the food is in the house. A home care assistant or a relative or a neighbour for help. Lifestyle Eating at home Eating at home means that you can have complete control over what you eat. Cooking with from raw ingredients will highlight the bad things that you are putting into your body which may make you want to eat healthier. Research that was carried out in 2006 which stated that the British public spent  £1.9 billion on ready meals and 30% of adults in the UK eat at least one ready meal a week. In 2008 a Tesco survey was carried out in 2008 on home cooking, which was then reported to The Daily Telegraph, discovered that people in the UK were cooking more foreign foods than traditional British foods. Social eating and drinking According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the amount of money that is spent on eating outside the home has doubled between 1992 and 2004. The risk of regularly eating out is that the temptation to eat fatty and salty foods is there, which can be eaten in moderation. The Food Standards Agency website give advice and information on making healthy choices. Exercise/activity levels People who take part in demanding actives will have different needs regarding their dietary needs. Athletes usually have their own personal dieticians to give them advice on what diet is appropriate for them to stick to. The international Conference on Foods, Nutrition and Sports in Lausanne (1991) decided that the following nutrient intakes for most sports: 60% -70% of calories in the diet form carbohydrates. 12% from protein The remainder (19-23 per cent) from fat Meaning that eating a diet that is high in carbohydrates, and is low in fat and protein, than the average. Carbohydrates are important for athletes, because it gives them fuel. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles, and are released slowly during exorcise. It can be broken down easily to give the athlete energy, but in small amounts. The other  important element of the diet for athletes is fluids. Water would usually suffice, however for heavy amounts of activity isotonic and hypotonic drinks are useful to help speed up the process of the transportation of water to the bloodstream. Bibliography: Level 3 Health and Social care

Reading and Writing Essay

Learning how to read back in 1970 is quite different from learning how to read in the world we live in today. Learning to read was somewhat difficult for me as a child. We didn’t have the fancy reading tools back in the day, such as: Hooked on Phonics or Phonemic Awareness. Looking back over my life, I can remember when I was in the first grade, about six or seven years old and I brought home my first report card. On my report card my teacher pointed out an area of weakness in reading. I can still hear my father saying â€Å"Susie are you having trouble reading? † I would respond as any typical six year old child would do by shrugging my shoulders and saying â€Å"I don’t know. † My father was a concerned parent and wanted to help his child. He didn’t want to see me struggle in school nor did he want to see me fall behind. My father was determined he was going to help me improve my reading skills and by doing so my reading grade would improve also. So therefore, my father set up a strategy plan. Every evening after school my father and I would sit down at the dinner table and work on improving my reading skills. His first step was to see if I could sound out all the letters of the alphabet. Once he realized I was able to sound out all letters in the alphabet, his next step was to determine if I could sound out all the vowels: long, short and house top vowels too. The third step was to begin sounding out small words such as: the, cat, red, run, ran, like etc. Once I began to get comfortable reading on my own while my father prepared dinner for my two brothers and I, he would have me to sit at the dinner table and read aloud to him fifteen minutes each day. Eventually with with all the hard work and dedication my reading skills gradually improved. After all, they say practice makes perfect. As I grew older I started enjoying reading much more than I ever realized. I had to find out what type of books and magazines I enjoyed reading. In other words, I had to find my reading niche. I enjoy reading books like Mama, How Stella got her Grove Back, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Terry McMillan. Reading can be very enjoyable, relaxing and mind stimulating as well. Reading exercises our brain. One can self improve while gaining experience from other people by reading. Reading is knowledge and power. Reading teaches children about the world around them. Reading develops a child’s imagination. Now that I have returned to college, reading and writing is a common part of everyday life. Every semester I have had several different assignments that required reading and writing skills. I have had to do an essay, public speaking presentations which involved reading and writing. Reading is very important because one can explore themselves to new things. One can also self improve while gaining experience from other people. Reading can be used for connecting your brain and it can also boost ones imagination and creativity. Reading exercises ones brain. Many factors play a vital role in a child’s growth and development. Reading develops a child’s imagination. Children who read do better at school. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind. Reading is a great source of entertainment. This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent. In almost everything we do reading and writing is a vital part of our everyday lives.

Audio Lingual Method

1 GGGV 2044 METHODS IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Semester 2 2009/2010 AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD: A DISCUSSION (INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT) LECTURER: DR. HAMIDAH BT. YAMAT @ AHMAD LISA KWAN SU LI A123040 TESL/2 2 1. 1 INTRODUCTION The Audio-lingual Method (ALM), by its very name – â€Å"audio† and â€Å"lingual† – refers to a language teaching approach that focuses on two aspects of language, namely listening and speaking.Unlike its predecessor, the Grammar Translation Method, which focuses on reading and writing skills, this approach chooses to emphasize on the first two stages in the natural order of language learning (listening, speaking, reading followed by writing) with the belief that learners who are better speakers and listeners consequently make better readers and writers. The ALM has a firm foundation in the theories of both structural linguistics and behavioural psychology, and thus incorporates techniques and strategies that advocate the conce pts and assumptions of language learning from both schools of thought.The structural linguistics view of language learning says that language is learned through awareness and specific attention to the patterns and structure of the language. One of the ALM’s main characteristics is its use of repetition and drills that draw learners’ attention to the patterns of the target language which are subsequently memorized and repeated to automaticity. Language learning from the view of behavioural psychology on the other hand, occurs by conditioning and habit formation of accurate responses to stimuli. The right response for a stimulus is modelled by the teacher beforehand and then drilled into the learners repeatedly until such responses become a â€Å"habit† that enables learners to successfully produce accurate responses without clues or prompting by the teacher. This discussion aims to further understand the Audio-lingual Method and explore the advantages and disadva ntages of employing it in the second language classroom. The author also puts out her recommendations for the use of the ALM in the second language classroom. 2. 1 HISTORY By the first half of the twentieth century, the Direct Method had lost its popularity in the U. S.However, it is believed that the decline of the Direct Method brought about the emergence of the ALM. As Brown (2001) puts it: â€Å"†¦ by the middle of the twentieth century, the Direct Method was revived and redirected into what was probably the most visible of all language teaching â€Å"revolutions† in the modern era, the Audio-lingual Method. † The U. S. educational institutions at the time still believed that a reading approach like the Grammar Translation Method was more practical than an oral one. Therefore the 1930s and 1940s saw the Grammar Translation Method going strong in all schools across the U.S. However, after World War II, the U. S. saw an urgent need for her to be orally proficien t in the language of her allies as well as foes. This led to a drastic change in 4 the current view of language teaching from a mere reading approach to one with a heavier emphasis on aural and oral skills. Special intensive language programs were developed by the U. S. army which came to be known as the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), or more simply, the Army Method. In the 1950s, the Army Method was renamed the Audiolingual Method. 3. 1 PRINCIPLES OF ALMSome of the main principles of language learning in the ALM are stated by Alkhuli 2005 (as cited by Abdel-Rahman Abu-Melhim in the International Forum of Teaching and Studies). One of these principles is that the second language learning process should be similar to that of first language acquisition. This complies with the natural order of language learning which is listening, speaking, reading and finally, writing. It is believed that the learner first learns to speak what he has listened to, then read what he has spoke n, and write what he has read.Therefore, the ALM emphasizes on listening and speaking skills in order to facilitate the progress of reading and writing skills besides increasing communicative competency. Another principle is that the second language is best acquired by habit formation. A habit is created when an action is repeated and is subsequently produced 5 in response to certain stimuli almost without conscious activity. This is achieved via the repetitive pattern practices that are part and parcel of the ALM. Translation of the target language into the native language is considered harmful and will hinder acquisition of the second language.Such translations are believed to impede the mastery or control of the second language. When the target language is used in all circumstances in the classroom, learners learn to make direct connections between the vocabulary and its semantics in the target language itself, which is ideal for effective second language learning. However, these principles are merely assumptions. Counter-arguments include: second language learning is completely different from native language acquisition in many different aspects.In addition, the natural order of language learning that the ALM stresses on is irrelevant because the four language skills can be developed simultaneously rather than sequentially. The learning of a second language is not necessarily a process of habit formation where responses are elicited by stimuli, but also involves the cognitive. Finally, translation into the native language has proven a useful technique indeed in learning a second language, demonstrated in methods such as the Grammar Translation Method. 4. 1 MAIN FEATURES As aforementioned, the ALM follows the natural order of language learning.The use of repetitive drills is justified in shaping a new â€Å"habit† for learning the second 6 language. Stimuli-responses are expected and correct ones are immediately reinforced as conditioning, concurrent with the views of behavioural psychology. The native language also plays a minimal role in the ALM. Only the target language is used within the classroom by both teacher and learners. New material in the target language is also introduced in dialogue form, closest to a natural situational context for learners to gain communicative competence and skills.Modeling is done by the teacher whereby a particular structure of sentence is spoken and learners repeat the sentence, mimicking its sound patterns and intonation, and aiming for identicalness. Slips in learners’ pronunciation of words in the sentence are immediately corrected by the teacher to avoid formation of â€Å"bad habits†. Grammar rules are not taught explicitly but are expected to be induced by the learners through the various examples and patterns that are exposed to them during the lesson.Contrastive analyses are also done between the native language and the target language in order to draw learner’s attention to differences in pattern, structure and sound system of both languages. 5. 1 TECHNIQUES There are many techniques employed in the classroom that advocate the underlying principles (or assumptions) of the ALM, and are also based on the aforementioned two main schools of thought for the said method. 7 One of the main techniques used is of introducing new learning material in the form of a dialogue. A model conversation is analyzed, broken down and memorized through mimicry. Dialogues are seen as a natural conversational ontext that will aid learners in applying learned structures and vocabulary. Many drills are used in the ALM. The backward build-up drill (expansion drill) breaks down a difficult sentence into smaller parts. Usually the last phrase of the sentence is repeated by the learners and then parts are added on, or expanded, until learners are able to repeat the complete sentence without further trouble. Single-slot substitution drills require the learners to substi tute in cues given by the teacher into a particular slot in the sentence. Multiple-slot substitution drills on the other hand, require a higher level of competence from the learners.Learners must recognize particular slots within the sentence to substitute the cues given by the teacher, occasionally having to alter subject-verb agreements as well. Other drills include the repetition drill, chain drill, transformation drill and question-and-answer drill. (Refer to Appendix A) 6. 1 ADVANTAGES As compared to an extreme method like the Grammar Translation Method, where reading and writing are so stressed on that speaking and listening skills are neglected, ALM does develop the aural/oral skills of learners. Learners through the ALM are able to participate in situational contexts competently. 8In addition, learners are more aware of the phonetic aspects of the language. Through modeling and mimicry, learners pay more attention to proper pronunciation and intonation. Errors in pronunciati on are immediately dealt with, while correct responses are positively reinforced. Learners are sensitive to the intonation and are aware of their different functions of questioning, requesting, pleading etc. Through substitution drills, learners also learn to recognize the borders between the phrases that make up the sentence. They are also exposed to a variety of different sentences that have similar structures through repetition drills as well.Transformational drills help learners familiarize with question tags and their corresponding answers, affirmative and negative sentences and even active and passive ones. Such a wide variety of sentence and question structures serve to enhance learners’ communicative ability. 7. 1 DISADVANTAGES Although the drills that are the ALM’s distinguishing feature may be considered one of its strengths, they are also its weakness. Such drills leave no room for creativity, causing learners to lose interest or feel bored in the classroom. When learners lose their motivation, it negatively affects their progress in second language learning.New vocabulary learned is also limited in context. Instead, the sound system and grammatical patterns are emphasized on more. Learners are taught set phrases in gruel repetition in response to certain questions, where the form and structure are 9 highlighted. Consequently, learners are only drilled to respond correctly with answers that are expected of them without caring much for its meaning. For example, the set phrase, â€Å"Fine, thank you,† is taught as a response to the question â€Å"How are you? † which learners use even when they feel otherwise.This phenomenon is comparable to robots that have no cognition and only give particular responses to particular stimuli! There is rarely any variation in learners’ responses other than the ones that have been taught. Therefore, interaction and dialogue is very schematic and unnatural. In short, communicative com petence is still called to question. Learners of the ALM may be able to participate in conversations, but they are rarely spontaneous and it is observed to be rather a case of regurgitating the â€Å"right† responses in a certain situational context from memory.Should they not be able to recall the set phrases that have been learned, they are at a loss as to how to respond to the questions and conversational prompts of the other speaker. 8. 1 RECOMMENDATIONS From the discussion above, it is evident that although communicative competence is insufficient, the ALM drills provide learners with a multitude of structures and grammatical patterns that form the basic foundation for communication. The challenge is to help learners apply the knowledge they have gained to communicating effectively and in a natural manner. 10However, this cannot be done if drills are continuously insisted upon in the classroom. A degree of flexibility is needed on the part of the teacher to allow spontan eous and natural conversation to take place after drilling them as well. Unguided dialogue practice forces the learners to apply what they have been drilled with into a communicative setting, taking into consideration the meaning of the phrases learnt with relevance to the given situation. Model conversations can still be provided, but spontaneous ones allow for creativity and variety in responding according to the individual learner. Communication becomes more natural.With regards to learner motivation, the responsibility is shouldered by both the teacher and the learners themselves. The teacher needs to, again, be flexible and allow for elements not necessarily ALM-like to be incorporated into the lesson, if only for the sake of breaking the monotone. Drills can still be employed of course, but in more interesting ways like role play and physical activities. In essence, the teacher should be creative in her strategies with the aim of increasing the communicative competency of the learners rather than teach by the book. Learners as well, play a major role in their own learning progress.They should maintain a high level of self-motivation by actively participating in tasks and activities and being attentive at all times. 9. 1 CONCLUSION The ALM definitely has its pros and cons in a second language classroom. However, the disadvantages and negative implications can be overcome if a slightly more eclectic approach to second language teaching is taken. Some teachers may stubbornly hold fast to the rules of the ALM and refuse to stray from it. In such a case, the 11 objective of second language teaching should be questioned. Is one’s loyalty to the method or to the goal of aiding learners in achieving communicative competence?If it is the latter, it does not matter what method is used in the classroom as long as ultimately, learners gain valuable communicative skills. As Celce-Murcia illustrates (as cited by Abdel-Rahman Abu-Melhim in the International Foru m of Teaching and Studies): â€Å"Today, language students are considered successful if they can communicate effectively in their second or foreign language, whereas two decades ago the accuracy of the language produced would most likely be the major criterion contributing to the judgment of a student’s success or lack of success. † (1991, p. 125)One single method should never be used exclusively in the classroom because it shall always remain flawed. It is the teacher’s responsibility to determine her teaching goals and appropriate methods to be used; where an eclectic one might better achieve those goals. Therefore, the teacher of a second language must be prepared to modify and adjust her methods to suit the different learning needs of the learners. 12 APPENDIX A Here are examples of the different drills used in the Audio-lingual Method: Repetition drill Repetition drill is the normal drill, usually used to teach the lines of the dialogue.Students are require d to repeat after the teacher’s model until they are almost identical. Chain drill The Chain drill uses maybe the first few lines of a simple dialogue. The teacher begins by addressing a student, or asking him a question. The student responds, then turns to the student beside him and asks him a similar question. The second student responds and the chain goes on until each student has participated. This allows for the teacher to check learner’s speech. Transformation drill The teacher may give learners a question, and the learners are then required to formulate an answer from the form of the question given, and vice versa.Or, an affirmative sentence is given and learners need to transform it into the negative. This can be used for teaching active and passive sentences, as well as direct and reported speech. Question-and-answer drill This drill allows for learners to practice answering questions accurately and rapidly. It can also be done the other way round, where the l earners form the questions on cue. 13 REFERENCES Abdel-Rahman Abu-Melhim. 2009. Re-evaluating the Effectiveness of the Audiolingual Method in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.International Forum of Teaching and Studies 5(2): 1-9. Britto, Rory. 2009. The Dissipation of Methods in ESL: Expanding to Fill the Void. The Journal of Education p. 75-84. Brown, H. Douglas. 2001. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, p. 13-37. Second edition. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Larsen-Freeman, Diane. 2000. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press. Savignon, Sandra J. 2001. Communicative Language Teaching. Theory Into Practice 26(4): 235. Audio Lingual Method The Audio lingual method or the Army Method is a style of teaching used in language Instruction. It is based on behaviorist ideology, which professes that certain trait of living things, and in this case humans, could be trained through a system of reinforcement and correct use of a trait would receive positive feedback while incorrect use of that trait would receive negative feedback. So in the Audio Lingual Method, the instructor would present the correct model of a sentence and the students would have to repeat it. The teacher would then continue by presenting new words for the students to sample in the same structure. In audio lingual’s there is no explicit grammar instruction so that everything is simply memorized in form. The idea is for the students to practice the particular construct until they can use it spontaneously. In this manner, the lessons are built on static drills in which the students have little or no control on their own output; the teacher is expecting a particular response and not providing that will result in a student receiving negative feedback. As mentioned, lessons in the classroom focus on the correct imitation of the teacher by the students. Not only are the students expected to produce the correct output, but attention is also paid to correct pronunciation. Although correct grammar is expected in usage, no explicit grammatical instruction is given. Furthermore, the target language is the only language to be used in the classroom. This method is one of the three main ways to teach a foreign language. Along with â€Å"the direct method,† the audio lingual approach keeps the majority of the language instruction in the target language. Audio lingual teaching concentrates on drills that teach grammar while the direct method concentrates more on vocabulary. When the grammar of the target language is explained in the native language, the method is called communicative language teaching. The method relies on drilling, habit formulation, and the use of a language lab, which might remind you of your high school language class. Grammar is not taught outright, but instead language is taught in its correct grammatical structure. Although the method made sense for its original purpose and was successful in allowing basic communication. The method relies on drilling, habit formulation, and the use of a language lab, which might remind you of your high school language class. Grammar is not taught outright, but instead language is taught in its correct grammatical structure. Although the method made sense for its original purpose and was successful in allowing basic communication. The Audio-lingual Method is still in use today, though normally as a part of individual lessons rather than as the foundation of the course. These types of lessons can be popular as they are relatively simple, from the teacher's point of view, and the learner always knows what to expect. But it has been heavily criticized, especially by linguist Noam Chomsky. The rigidity of the method left little room for the spontaneity of free-flowing conversation, which made it difficult to use the language in the real world. Audio Lingual Method 1 GGGV 2044 METHODS IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Semester 2 2009/2010 AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD: A DISCUSSION (INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT) LECTURER: DR. HAMIDAH BT. YAMAT @ AHMAD LISA KWAN SU LI A123040 TESL/2 2 1. 1 INTRODUCTION The Audio-lingual Method (ALM), by its very name – â€Å"audio† and â€Å"lingual† – refers to a language teaching approach that focuses on two aspects of language, namely listening and speaking.Unlike its predecessor, the Grammar Translation Method, which focuses on reading and writing skills, this approach chooses to emphasize on the first two stages in the natural order of language learning (listening, speaking, reading followed by writing) with the belief that learners who are better speakers and listeners consequently make better readers and writers. The ALM has a firm foundation in the theories of both structural linguistics and behavioural psychology, and thus incorporates techniques and strategies that advocate the conce pts and assumptions of language learning from both schools of thought.The structural linguistics view of language learning says that language is learned through awareness and specific attention to the patterns and structure of the language. One of the ALM’s main characteristics is its use of repetition and drills that draw learners’ attention to the patterns of the target language which are subsequently memorized and repeated to automaticity. Language learning from the view of behavioural psychology on the other hand, occurs by conditioning and habit formation of accurate responses to stimuli. The right response for a stimulus is modelled by the teacher beforehand and then drilled into the learners repeatedly until such responses become a â€Å"habit† that enables learners to successfully produce accurate responses without clues or prompting by the teacher. This discussion aims to further understand the Audio-lingual Method and explore the advantages and disadva ntages of employing it in the second language classroom. The author also puts out her recommendations for the use of the ALM in the second language classroom. 2. 1 HISTORY By the first half of the twentieth century, the Direct Method had lost its popularity in the U. S.However, it is believed that the decline of the Direct Method brought about the emergence of the ALM. As Brown (2001) puts it: â€Å"†¦ by the middle of the twentieth century, the Direct Method was revived and redirected into what was probably the most visible of all language teaching â€Å"revolutions† in the modern era, the Audio-lingual Method. † The U. S. educational institutions at the time still believed that a reading approach like the Grammar Translation Method was more practical than an oral one. Therefore the 1930s and 1940s saw the Grammar Translation Method going strong in all schools across the U.S. However, after World War II, the U. S. saw an urgent need for her to be orally proficien t in the language of her allies as well as foes. This led to a drastic change in 4 the current view of language teaching from a mere reading approach to one with a heavier emphasis on aural and oral skills. Special intensive language programs were developed by the U. S. army which came to be known as the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), or more simply, the Army Method. In the 1950s, the Army Method was renamed the Audiolingual Method. 3. 1 PRINCIPLES OF ALMSome of the main principles of language learning in the ALM are stated by Alkhuli 2005 (as cited by Abdel-Rahman Abu-Melhim in the International Forum of Teaching and Studies). One of these principles is that the second language learning process should be similar to that of first language acquisition. This complies with the natural order of language learning which is listening, speaking, reading and finally, writing. It is believed that the learner first learns to speak what he has listened to, then read what he has spoke n, and write what he has read.Therefore, the ALM emphasizes on listening and speaking skills in order to facilitate the progress of reading and writing skills besides increasing communicative competency. Another principle is that the second language is best acquired by habit formation. A habit is created when an action is repeated and is subsequently produced 5 in response to certain stimuli almost without conscious activity. This is achieved via the repetitive pattern practices that are part and parcel of the ALM. Translation of the target language into the native language is considered harmful and will hinder acquisition of the second language.Such translations are believed to impede the mastery or control of the second language. When the target language is used in all circumstances in the classroom, learners learn to make direct connections between the vocabulary and its semantics in the target language itself, which is ideal for effective second language learning. However, these principles are merely assumptions. Counter-arguments include: second language learning is completely different from native language acquisition in many different aspects.In addition, the natural order of language learning that the ALM stresses on is irrelevant because the four language skills can be developed simultaneously rather than sequentially. The learning of a second language is not necessarily a process of habit formation where responses are elicited by stimuli, but also involves the cognitive. Finally, translation into the native language has proven a useful technique indeed in learning a second language, demonstrated in methods such as the Grammar Translation Method. 4. 1 MAIN FEATURES As aforementioned, the ALM follows the natural order of language learning.The use of repetitive drills is justified in shaping a new â€Å"habit† for learning the second 6 language. Stimuli-responses are expected and correct ones are immediately reinforced as conditioning, concurrent with the views of behavioural psychology. The native language also plays a minimal role in the ALM. Only the target language is used within the classroom by both teacher and learners. New material in the target language is also introduced in dialogue form, closest to a natural situational context for learners to gain communicative competence and skills.Modeling is done by the teacher whereby a particular structure of sentence is spoken and learners repeat the sentence, mimicking its sound patterns and intonation, and aiming for identicalness. Slips in learners’ pronunciation of words in the sentence are immediately corrected by the teacher to avoid formation of â€Å"bad habits†. Grammar rules are not taught explicitly but are expected to be induced by the learners through the various examples and patterns that are exposed to them during the lesson.Contrastive analyses are also done between the native language and the target language in order to draw learner’s attention to differences in pattern, structure and sound system of both languages. 5. 1 TECHNIQUES There are many techniques employed in the classroom that advocate the underlying principles (or assumptions) of the ALM, and are also based on the aforementioned two main schools of thought for the said method. 7 One of the main techniques used is of introducing new learning material in the form of a dialogue. A model conversation is analyzed, broken down and memorized through mimicry. Dialogues are seen as a natural conversational ontext that will aid learners in applying learned structures and vocabulary. Many drills are used in the ALM. The backward build-up drill (expansion drill) breaks down a difficult sentence into smaller parts. Usually the last phrase of the sentence is repeated by the learners and then parts are added on, or expanded, until learners are able to repeat the complete sentence without further trouble. Single-slot substitution drills require the learners to substi tute in cues given by the teacher into a particular slot in the sentence. Multiple-slot substitution drills on the other hand, require a higher level of competence from the learners.Learners must recognize particular slots within the sentence to substitute the cues given by the teacher, occasionally having to alter subject-verb agreements as well. Other drills include the repetition drill, chain drill, transformation drill and question-and-answer drill. (Refer to Appendix A) 6. 1 ADVANTAGES As compared to an extreme method like the Grammar Translation Method, where reading and writing are so stressed on that speaking and listening skills are neglected, ALM does develop the aural/oral skills of learners. Learners through the ALM are able to participate in situational contexts competently. 8In addition, learners are more aware of the phonetic aspects of the language. Through modeling and mimicry, learners pay more attention to proper pronunciation and intonation. Errors in pronunciati on are immediately dealt with, while correct responses are positively reinforced. Learners are sensitive to the intonation and are aware of their different functions of questioning, requesting, pleading etc. Through substitution drills, learners also learn to recognize the borders between the phrases that make up the sentence. They are also exposed to a variety of different sentences that have similar structures through repetition drills as well.Transformational drills help learners familiarize with question tags and their corresponding answers, affirmative and negative sentences and even active and passive ones. Such a wide variety of sentence and question structures serve to enhance learners’ communicative ability. 7. 1 DISADVANTAGES Although the drills that are the ALM’s distinguishing feature may be considered one of its strengths, they are also its weakness. Such drills leave no room for creativity, causing learners to lose interest or feel bored in the classroom. When learners lose their motivation, it negatively affects their progress in second language learning.New vocabulary learned is also limited in context. Instead, the sound system and grammatical patterns are emphasized on more. Learners are taught set phrases in gruel repetition in response to certain questions, where the form and structure are 9 highlighted. Consequently, learners are only drilled to respond correctly with answers that are expected of them without caring much for its meaning. For example, the set phrase, â€Å"Fine, thank you,† is taught as a response to the question â€Å"How are you? † which learners use even when they feel otherwise.This phenomenon is comparable to robots that have no cognition and only give particular responses to particular stimuli! There is rarely any variation in learners’ responses other than the ones that have been taught. Therefore, interaction and dialogue is very schematic and unnatural. In short, communicative com petence is still called to question. Learners of the ALM may be able to participate in conversations, but they are rarely spontaneous and it is observed to be rather a case of regurgitating the â€Å"right† responses in a certain situational context from memory.Should they not be able to recall the set phrases that have been learned, they are at a loss as to how to respond to the questions and conversational prompts of the other speaker. 8. 1 RECOMMENDATIONS From the discussion above, it is evident that although communicative competence is insufficient, the ALM drills provide learners with a multitude of structures and grammatical patterns that form the basic foundation for communication. The challenge is to help learners apply the knowledge they have gained to communicating effectively and in a natural manner. 10However, this cannot be done if drills are continuously insisted upon in the classroom. A degree of flexibility is needed on the part of the teacher to allow spontan eous and natural conversation to take place after drilling them as well. Unguided dialogue practice forces the learners to apply what they have been drilled with into a communicative setting, taking into consideration the meaning of the phrases learnt with relevance to the given situation. Model conversations can still be provided, but spontaneous ones allow for creativity and variety in responding according to the individual learner. Communication becomes more natural.With regards to learner motivation, the responsibility is shouldered by both the teacher and the learners themselves. The teacher needs to, again, be flexible and allow for elements not necessarily ALM-like to be incorporated into the lesson, if only for the sake of breaking the monotone. Drills can still be employed of course, but in more interesting ways like role play and physical activities. In essence, the teacher should be creative in her strategies with the aim of increasing the communicative competency of the learners rather than teach by the book. Learners as well, play a major role in their own learning progress.They should maintain a high level of self-motivation by actively participating in tasks and activities and being attentive at all times. 9. 1 CONCLUSION The ALM definitely has its pros and cons in a second language classroom. However, the disadvantages and negative implications can be overcome if a slightly more eclectic approach to second language teaching is taken. Some teachers may stubbornly hold fast to the rules of the ALM and refuse to stray from it. In such a case, the 11 objective of second language teaching should be questioned. Is one’s loyalty to the method or to the goal of aiding learners in achieving communicative competence?If it is the latter, it does not matter what method is used in the classroom as long as ultimately, learners gain valuable communicative skills. As Celce-Murcia illustrates (as cited by Abdel-Rahman Abu-Melhim in the International Foru m of Teaching and Studies): â€Å"Today, language students are considered successful if they can communicate effectively in their second or foreign language, whereas two decades ago the accuracy of the language produced would most likely be the major criterion contributing to the judgment of a student’s success or lack of success. † (1991, p. 125)One single method should never be used exclusively in the classroom because it shall always remain flawed. It is the teacher’s responsibility to determine her teaching goals and appropriate methods to be used; where an eclectic one might better achieve those goals. Therefore, the teacher of a second language must be prepared to modify and adjust her methods to suit the different learning needs of the learners. 12 APPENDIX A Here are examples of the different drills used in the Audio-lingual Method: Repetition drill Repetition drill is the normal drill, usually used to teach the lines of the dialogue.Students are require d to repeat after the teacher’s model until they are almost identical. Chain drill The Chain drill uses maybe the first few lines of a simple dialogue. The teacher begins by addressing a student, or asking him a question. The student responds, then turns to the student beside him and asks him a similar question. The second student responds and the chain goes on until each student has participated. This allows for the teacher to check learner’s speech. Transformation drill The teacher may give learners a question, and the learners are then required to formulate an answer from the form of the question given, and vice versa.Or, an affirmative sentence is given and learners need to transform it into the negative. This can be used for teaching active and passive sentences, as well as direct and reported speech. Question-and-answer drill This drill allows for learners to practice answering questions accurately and rapidly. It can also be done the other way round, where the l earners form the questions on cue. 13 REFERENCES Abdel-Rahman Abu-Melhim. 2009. Re-evaluating the Effectiveness of the Audiolingual Method in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.International Forum of Teaching and Studies 5(2): 1-9. Britto, Rory. 2009. The Dissipation of Methods in ESL: Expanding to Fill the Void. The Journal of Education p. 75-84. Brown, H. Douglas. 2001. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, p. 13-37. Second edition. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Larsen-Freeman, Diane. 2000. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press. Savignon, Sandra J. 2001. Communicative Language Teaching. Theory Into Practice 26(4): 235.