Medical Marijuana A Natural Alternative - 1968 Words

Five year old Charlotte suffers from a rare genetic disorder. In her short life, she has had as many as 300 grand mal seizures in one week, she was confined to a wheel chair, has gone into cardiac arrest and could barely speak. Her doctors were at a loss as to what to do and out of ideas on how to help her. Her mother had heard of the treatment of seizures using cannabinoids, a chemical compound found in marijuana, and as a last resort at saving her little girl, she decided to give it a try. Only two years later Charlotte is almost completely seizure free. She is able to walk, talk and feed herself. Her family has now relocated to Colorado where they are able to legally obtain the specific strain of cannabinoid found in medicinal†¦show more content†¦Amidst all of the country’s controversy surrounding this plant, there are no doubts about its medical potential. One of these medical areas is in treating seizure disorders. There are three million people in the U nited States alone that have epilepsy and one-third of those have treatment-resistant seizures (Young). The cannabinoids found in marijuana seem to help many of these people. The Epilepsy Foundation is a big supporter of medical marijuana. â€Å"Some individuals, specifically families of children with uncontrolled seizures, are using what is called cannabinoid oil, or CBD oil, and anecdotally a few are seeing remarkable results. This is truly spectacular – anytime someone finds a treatment that stops seizures, there is a cause for celebration because seizure freedom for one person means hope of seizure freedom for others (Gattone and Lammert).† These children are not getting â€Å"high† off of marijuana. The specific medical marijuana that is being used is called â€Å"Charlotte’s Web† named after the little girl described in the beginning of this paper and it is high in cannabinoids and low in THC, which is the main psychoactive ingredient that produces what users call a â€Å"high† (â€Å"Moving for Marijuana†). Seizure disorders are not the only medical benefit of marijuana. Cancer and AIDS patients have benefited substantially from its affects as they have found relief from pain but also great relief fromShow MoreRelatedAlternative Drugs: Marijuana Essay1588 Words   |  7 PagesAlternative medicines have been argued â€Å"ineffective† by many people, but most consumers find alternatives to be significantly better than most medications and result in less side affects and, in fact, save more money. Among these alternatives I will talk about acupuncture, yoga, religion, foods, and above all, medical marijuana. The medical uses of cannabis are astonishing. Studies prove that cannabis can relieve chronic pain, loss of appetite, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, antiemetic, analgesiaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?942 Words   |  4 PagesHow can marijuana be illegal when it could help so many people who suffer and are in need of help for medical reasons, such as cancer, AIDs, and people who suffer from depression? Can you imagine having a natural way of helping the sick and not using it? Marijuana should be legalized because it would help symptoms for certain medical conditions and would create jobs. Marijuana has been around the world for thousands of years. The mystical Chinese emperor Shen Neng, introduced the uses of pharmaceuticalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1407 Words   |  6 Pagesalso known as Marijuana has become a widely known and controversial topic in the United Sates. It is currently legal for recreational use in Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. Medicinal Marijuana has also been legalized in 11 other states. Many people are against the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical use in all states for reasons such as impaired driving, addiction, and a gate way to other drugs. Others say the pros outweigh the cons in this situation . I believe that marijuana is an effectiveRead MoreEssay on Medicinal Marijuana: Miracle Drug Of the Future?1682 Words   |  7 PagesMedicinal Marijuana: Miracle Drug Of the Future? The many tales and legends surrounding the medical use of marijuana can be traced as far back to the ancient Chinese and Greek civilizations, who both believed that on top of its psychoactive capabilities, marijuana was effective in treating pain. Several thousand years later, Queen Victoria was urged by her doctor to take marijuana in order to relieve such pains as migraines or menstrual cramps. However, despite the many historicalRead MoreWhy Marijuana Should Be Legalized Essay883 Words   |  4 PagesWhy Marijuana Should Be Legalized Willie Nelson once said, â€Å"I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?† Marijuana has been a plant for longer than any human has been alive. Civilizations have used marijuana for hundreds of years for hundreds of purposes. But ever since the 1970’s when growing or havingRead MoreToday More And More States Are Passing Ballot Initiatives1546 Words   |  7 Pagesto make medical and or recreational marijuana legal. The progressive figures of our country continue to pitch this faà §ade that this plant is completely harmless and can be financially rewarding to states who collect tax revenue from this Schedule I drug. Fellow drugs in this class include: heroin, LSD, MDMA, and bath salts. Some have an affinity to argue that this classification is unreasonable and outdated; however, when the factual evidence is displayed one can easily see why marijuana has no placeRead MoreMedical Marijuana Should Be Legal1651 Words   |  7 Pagesmost commonly referred to as marijuana. Medical marijuana refers to the use of cannabis and its cannabinoids to treat dise ase or improve symptoms (Wikipedia.com). Cannabis contains two active ingredients inside called cannabinoids (CBD) along with the delta-g-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The medicinal and psychoactive effects that personally associate with marijuana are caused by unique structures of cannabinoids. In addition, the major psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC, which additionallyRead MoreAmeric Red, White, And Green1678 Words   |  7 Pagesworld: marijuana. Through the use of government slandering propaganda and stereotyping, many people have tunnel vision when it comes to the controversial issue. Many view marijuana as a harmful drug, not realizing all of the economic, resourceful, and medical uses that can generate from it. These are the same people who want to keep marijuana illegal and out of the public s hands. Only in the past twenty years has marijuana made progress with the United States Government by legalizing medical and recreationalRead MoreThe Issue Of Legalization Of Marijuana1605 Words   |  7 Pagesfamous scientists in the United States known as Carl Sagan. Marijuana has been one of the most debated topics in the media today, and numerous years before. Altogether, this debate has raised many questions, yet with very few answers of whether the legalization of marijuana should be passed, and expressed throughout the nation as a whole. The fight for legalizing marijuana has embraced itself to see success. The legalization of marijuana is essential in society today for three reasons: failed prohibitionRead MoreThe Benefits of Medical Marijuana729 Words   |  3 PagesMedical marijuana has been used for centuries to combat pain, weakness, anxiety, insomnia, female problems and nausea. Today it is commonly used by cancer and AIDS patients to stimulate hunger, combat nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy or other drug therapy and reduce pain. It has also been shown to be effective in reducing eye pressure, especially in the cases with glauco ma. Medical marijuana, or cannabis, is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant and there is some evidence of cannabis

What Is The American Dream - 1094 Words

Most Americans are unsatisfied with their lives. So many people live their lives discontented with where they are in life. They are discontented with their status in society, the money they make, goals they have yet to achieve, their profession, how they didn’t complete their schooling, and the list unfortunately goes on. We as Americans have a large advantage in comparison to most societies within the world, we have the freedom to live the American dream. What is the American dream? The Declaration of Independence states it is â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.† We as Americans have great privilege, unfortunately this is also our downfall. I believe that our discontentment with our lives and the way they are being run is a large†¦show more content†¦His sons have failed his dreams that he set out for them. He longs for wealth, success and to be acknowledged within society as having ‘made it’ in life. He is in all aspects of his mind a failure. He believes that he is a lowly character, he has no self-confidence in himself as a human being. He has great dreams but no ambitions to accomplish them. The unfortunate part of it is that he is wealthy. He may not have money or fortune, but he has a wife who loves him, children who care for him greatly, and a roof over his head, food on the table and a stable job; which he appears to have loved at one point. He is a rich man, not in his pocket book, but in the company that is kept and the things we take for granted in this life. His great motivations are wealth made quickly and a dream to become successful within society. Unfortunately, Willy struggles in dealing with reality. He has mental struggles due to his perception of himself within his reality. Due to the overwhelming pressures of the realities of his low-key and consistent failures within his life; Willy’s mental health begins to disentangle. The tensions du to his many disparities, as well as his status within society that seemingly drive Willy to be the man that he is, cause him to struggle mentally; that mental struggle,

Explain why women failed to gain the right to votebetween 1900 and 1914 Free Essays

Female Emancipation was one of the greatest changes in human history. Only in the last two centuries has progress been made; the right to vote was part of this global process. In the 19th Century Britain was profoundly unequal in terms of class and gender. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain why women failed to gain the right to votebetween 1900 and 1914 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Women were of inferior status both in society’s views and legally, and their role was to marry and have children. On marriage they promised to serve their husband and a woman’s property became her husband’s. (Until late 1880, they had absolutely no rights over their property or children. ) Around the turn of the century, groups such as the Suffragists and Suffragettes started up, championing the right for women to vote, which in turn would help female candidates run for a position in parliament. This was the state of Britains social hierachy. The matter of why women failed to gain the right to vote in the years leading up to the first world war is quite a complicated issue. With all the huge campaigns lead by the Suffragists and Suffragettes there are a number of key points to understand. First of all, the vote was very exclusive at this period of time, even all men did not have it. Only homeowners in full-time employment were allowed to vote, which limited the vote to virtually the upper-middle and upper clases, and the lucky workers. Then there were the traditional views on women in general; they were seen as practically â€Å"second class† citizens of the country. Only in 1870 had education up to the age of 11 become free and compulsory for girls. (For boys it was earlier) Women had only just won the right to vote and run in local government elections. Most people felt the womans place was in the home raising children. Young girls who wanted to go on to higher education instead of marrying at the age of 16 were generally looked upon with disgust. They were seen as abnormal. It is easy to see that in a male-dominated country with an all-male government and cabinet it was an almost impossible task to win the franchise, or so it seemed. The Suffrage movement was increasing constantly, however compared to the nations population, the members of the various groups seemed very small. Many men did not want women to gain the vote for the long term reasons stated earlier, and even many women felt that they did not need the vote. It is hard to understand, but the whole mentality of British society was so deeply set in traditional thought that bringing about a change of such proportions was an immensly difficult task. Some people even started up Anti-Suffrage movements. The Suffrage groups started putting massive amounts of pressure on the government, which was for most of the duration run by the Liberal Party. (Lead by Lloyd Asquith after 1908. ) Hopes were high for a women suffrage when the Liberals came to power in 1906, because their policies were based on equality, although women’s suffrage was not on their manifesto. Asquith, however, was against the right to vote for women. All the women’s suffrage groups had intensified their campaigns when the Liberal Party was elected, and they had a high level of support. The Suffragettes were the smaller of the two largest groups, but were by far the most publicised. They believed in â€Å"Deeds not Words†, and were a more militant group than the larger and more respectful â€Å"Suffragists†. The Suffragettes were growing impatient and started intensifying their campaigns, growing more and more violent. Incidents involving stoning and heckling MP’s, confronting authorities, getting fined and not paying; leading to imprisonment plagued the headlines of newspapers on a regular basis. Although this was putting pressure on the government, it also had the negative effect of alienating the movement from the public who generally did not like this approach. The Suffragettes started launching attacks on property, attacking Key MP’s houses or property, setting fire to pillar boxes (thus destroying the property of Her Majesty) and chaining themselves to rails outside important political locations. This caused intense dislike towards them, and caused splits within the group itself. A free vote showed that the Parliament was overall for women to have the vote, as long as an adult male suffrage was introduced aswell. This was so all the working class males would be allowed to vote which would be an adcantage to them, so the increase in upper class people voting (women) would not hurt their chances of becoming re-elected. They also did not want to be seen as giving in to what was literally terrorism. The government also had greater issues to deal with, such as the crisis in Ireland, and the threat of War with Germany. Compared to these issues, the womens demonstrations and attacks seemed a minor problem. In 1914, The First World War had begun. This was the first total war, which required the whole nations contribution. The Suffragettes and other groups called off their protests and volunteered to help the government in the war effort. They had failed to win the right to vote, at least in the years between 1900 and 1914. How to cite Explain why women failed to gain the right to votebetween 1900 and 1914, Papers

Domestic Terrorism Essay Research Paper Trent Kenmai free essay sample

Domestic Terrorism Essay, Research Paper Trent Kenmai 5/15/00 DOMESTIC TERRORISM Over the past few old ages a new menace has been encountered by the United States. This menace does non come from off, but from within. It is know as domestic terrorist act. This has been seen over the past decennary in the signifier of force and terrorist act across the United States. This has become a menace to American security and the American people in general. To conflict against this issue, Congress has upheld the Anti-Terrorism Act in 1996. One of the best illustrations on analyzing these Acts of the Apostless of tumult can be viewed, seen and understood by analyzing the instance of the Oklahoma bombardment which occurred in 1996. Major newspaper headlines have besides described the World Trade Center bombardment, the Unabomber? s apprehension, and Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta as other major instances. All this demonstrates how sinister1 terrorist act is in American society. This paper will explicate background informations on anarchy/terrorism, instance surveies including the Oklahoma bombardment, authorities? s reaction toward terrorist act. In add-on terrorist act now and the old ages coming. A figure of terrorist onslaughts in the ninetiess have brought the fright to the populace, giving rise to vulnerability2 between many Americans. Most terrorist incidents in the United States have been bombing onslaughts, affecting detonated and undetonated explosive devices, tear gas and pipe and fire bombs. The effects of terrorist act can do loss of life and hurts to belongings harm and breaks in services such as electricity, H2O supply, public transit and communications. The dictionary defines terrorist act as? n. the policy of utilizing Acts of the Apostless to animating panic as a method of governing or of carry oning political resistance? . though terrorist act can be expressed in two ways. Domestic terrorist act involves groups or persons whose terrorist Acts of the Apostless are directed at state of affairss of our authorities or population without unknown ways. International terrorist act involves groups or persons whose terrorist activities are foreign-based and/or directed by states or groups outside the United States or whose Acts of the Apostless pass national boundaries. In the United States, most terrorist onslaughts have involved little lawlessness groups who use terrorist act to accomplish a bound aim. Local, State and Federal jurisprudence enforcement functionaries monitor suspected terrorist groups and seek to forestall or protect the US against a suspected onslaught. Besides, the US authorities plants with other states to stop the cause of support for terrorist act. A terrorist onslaught can take certain signifiers, depending on the technological attack available to the terrorist, the sort of the political issue doing the onslaught, and the points of failing of the terrorist # 8217 ; s mark. Bombings are the most often used terrorist method in the United States. Other possibilities include an onslaught at transit installations, an onslaught against utilizations or other public services or an onslaught affecting chemical or biological arms. Terrorist incidents in this state have included bombardments of the World Trade Center in New York City, the United States Capitol Building in Washington, DC Mobil Oil corporate central office in New York City, the Oklahoma bombardment, and the Continental Olympic Park. Terrorism in America During these past few old ages, there has been a perception3 that the United States is going more vulnerable to terrorist onslaughts. Many instances such as The World Trade Center Bombing, The Olympic bombardment, The Unabomber? s apprehension, , and the Oklahoma bombardment, has given many Americans fear among terrorist act. Below are a few instance surveies that have been researched. World Trade Center Bombing: In February 1993, a bomb exploded in the World Trade Center in New York City. The World Trade Center is the 3rd tallest edifice in the universe, and more than 100,000 people work and visit every twenty-four hours. The bomb exploded in the parking construction underneath the edifice, damaging the base and metro tunnels. Smoke reached the top of the 110-story edifice in proceedingss. Six people were killed ; more than 1,000 were injured. The FBI joined the Joint Terrorist Task Force in the research, which finally brought 22 Islamic extremist to test. The test revealed extended programs to usage terrorist act to bring havoc4 in the United States, including aiming authorities installations. In April 1996, federal agents arrested Theodore Kaczynski and charged him with the offenses committed by the alleged # 8220 ; Unabomber. # 8221 ; The Unabomber, who targeted university scientists and air hose employees among others, had evaded governments for over 18 old ages. Harmonizing to the FBI, the suspect had killed three people and injured 23 others with bundle bombs. Olympic Bombing: During the Summer Olympic Games, in July 1996, a pipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia, killing two people and wounding more than one hundred others. The FBI said that the pipe bomb looked # 8220 ; homemade # 8221 ; with # 8220 ; nails and prison guards attached. # 8221 ; They suspected domestic terrorists, and members of local reserves groups were questioned without any consequences. Olympic jocks and witnesss became tense and disquieted. Lines to go to Olympic events became even longer than before ; witnesss were submitted to more precise observation as they passed through metal sensors and had their bags inspected. One of the recent and major onslaughts from terrorist act has been the Oklahoma bombardment. Oklahoma City became the site of the most deathly terrorist bombardment in the history of the United States. At 9:02 ante meridiem, on April 19, 1995, a monolithic bo megabit exploded in a truck in forepart of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168, wounding more than 500 people and destructing much of the edifice and damaging surrounding edifices. On April 19, Timothy James McVeigh was arrested in Oklahoma for vehicle and arms misdemeanors. On April 21, 1995, McVeigh was charged with go againsting Title 18, US Code, Section 844 { degree Fahrenheit } and 2, Maliciously Damaging and Destroying a Building by Meanss of Explosives. On May 11, 1995, Terry Lynn Nichols was charged with the same misdemeanor. Timothy McVeigh was charged with 11 counts of conspiracy5 and slaying by the federal authorities. His test took topographic point in April of 1997. On June 2, 1997, McVeigh was convicted on all charges and was sentenced to decease. McVeigh? s spouse Terry L. Nichols was sentenced in 1998 Calling him # 8220 ; an enemy of the Constitution, # 8221 ; a federal justice sentences Terry L. Nichols to life in prison. This was the stoping to a portion in American history that showed the state # 8217 ; s exposure to domestic terrorist act. On July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800 exploded in the air off the seashore of Long Island, shortly after taking off from New York? s Kennedy International Airport. The detonation killed all 229 riders and crew. People conjecture about whether the clang resulted from proficient failure or a bomb. In response, President Clinton assigned Vice President Al Gore to head a new Commission on Aviation Safety and Security. The President besides announced that the federal authorities would take on the primary duty and cost for airport security. Airline security has received renewed attending since the clang, even though no grounds has been found that the detonation was a consequence of a bomb. More rigorous security steps are now in topographic point. Government? s reaction toward Terrorism In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed Antiterrorism Act to beef up the power of the federal authorities to foresee6 and react to both international and domestic terrorist act. The act makes terrorist act a federal offense punishable by decease, every bit good as AIDSs in the probe, gaining control, and test of terrorists in the United States, and includes footings that allow US exile proceedments without being bound by Terrorists to demo classified information. Disallows fund-raising in the US that supports terrorist organisations, and bars terrorists from come ining the US The jurisprudence besides allows for the exile of foreign terrorists without the demand to unwrap classified grounds against them, and it authorizes overdoing of up to $ 1 billion on province and local antiterrorism attempts. Both the American Autonomies Union and the National Rifle Association opposed parts of the statute law that they claimed would supply the federal authorities with excessively much power. An earlier proviso in the Anti-Terrorism Act that would hold given the federal authorities power to intercept suspected terrorist groups? phones without a warrant was removed from the concluding measure, following expostulations from both Democrats and Republicans. The Act would hold allowed the information obtained in this manner to be used in tribunal. Rep. Bob Barr ( R-Ga. ) said: # 8220 ; We do non necessitate to give our authorities vast new powers. # 8221 ; Members of civil autonomies groups agreed, stating that this proviso would hold violated people? s right to privateness. Other lawgivers argued that calamities such as the Oklahoma City bombing make it indispensable that the federal authorities be allowed to supervise reserves groups more closely. Terrorism Today and Years Ahead Since the universe has become so really technically progress it will be more hard to happen concealed or secret explosives, and these technological progresss have made chemical, biological and even atomic arms much more widely available, and have thereby occupy the ability to bring down mass devastation. As lawgivers debate what steps to take to prevent hereafter onslaughts, many Americans ponder what sacrifices they are willing to do to counter the terrorist menace. Are air travellers willing to wait in longer lines at the airdrome so that sensitive equipment can inspect their bags for explosives? Are they willing to pay more for airplane tickets to finance new sensing equipment? Are Americans willing to submit to increased security steps at the disbursal of their freedom of motion as good as privateness? In decision lawgivers have tried to react to the fright that America is going more vulnerable to terrorist onslaughts. But, many experts believe that the American populace and lawgivers need to believe about whether they are reacting to fear or to facts. For these experts, the response to the detonation of TWA Flight 800 is an illustration of overreaction. Research workers have non determined what caused the detonation, and yet, this detonation has prompted a resurgence of the Anti-Terrorism Act and President Clinton has requested the expansion7 of the federal authorities? s wiretapping rights one time once more. Should Americans give up a step of freedom for the increased safety it will likely provide? 539 Greenberg, Keith. Terrorism the New Menace. Brookfield CT, 1994 Gaines, Ann. Terrorism. Philadelphia PA, 1999 Close Up Foundation on Terrorism hypertext transfer protocol: //www.closeup.org/terror.htm Alexandria VA, 1997 FEMA backrounder- terrorist act hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fema.gov/library/terror.htm 1998 Lexicon publications, inc. Webster? Dictionary and Tesaurus. Danbury CT,1993 Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. ? 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

God Representation

Critical Reflection In â€Å"The sense of wonder† the article describes more of the beauty that is found in the environment that surrounds us. Baby Roger is said to have experienced the laughter after meeting the Oceanus commotion in the first visit to the ocean.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on God Representation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the second exploration to the ocean Roger had glimpsed some sand-colored which lead to the search of the ghost in the evening even though it was exiting there is lose of excitement which develops all through up to adulthood where the beautifulness of nature is eventually lost. â€Å"A child’s world is flesh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement†¦ beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood† (Gottlieb 23). There are things which lose meaning especially in reference to the environment that surro unds us as people grow up and come to learn new things. In my position, I agree that at early ages the environment seems to be beautiful and a place where we would all love to be but as one grows up the attitude towards environment is changed In the â€Å"experience of grace† Dennis Edward refers to the grace as that which is surprisingly attained as a gift even though it is not something new. This graces his therefore given a point of reference in religion on the supernatural experience from God. All life is lived though the experiences of grace. Different experiences have been related with the grace which includes: childbirth, creativity, and forgiveness. Grace also brings about peace such that there is always a hope of facing the future in which its full control is not laid in human. Grace is not only meant to be present in positive life aspects but also in negative life aspect, for instance of failures like that of Jesus, â€Å"however the major pattern in the life of Je sus is failure. His mission fails, his friends fail him, he dies an outcast and a failure† (Edwards 36). The main agenda which is presented in the essay is to show that it is impossible to live without grace as grace is everywhere. It is true that there is always grace in every situation where the grace is supposed to enable someone overcome the negative experiences. At the same time I completely disagree on the idea that Jesus failed by the fact that through His death according to Christian teaching all should receive salvation. Moreover, in â€Å"Our God-stories: sharing images† there are different images of whom God is presented as depending on the daily experiences. â€Å"But the image of God that makes the most sense to me is the electronic circuit† by Mud Flower Collective. Rituals such as prayers which are conducted by Christians are good but when done without a full understanding of what they bring about they create little or no meaning at all.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay was meant to show that there is no visual image that can be said to present God whereas He is supposed to be visualized in the realities on the things which we can see. It is completely impossible to have an image that truly is a representation of God. I acknowledge the idea of God being like an electronic circuit by the fact that God created everything and thus through Him we can get the access of all where as without Him, it is impossible to attain anything. â€Å"Speaking about God† is one of the articles that have drawn more attention in the relationship between the feminine nature and God†¦ In the pluralistic way, God has been described as the one who owns many names which represent Him which include â€Å"Yahweh, Elohim, and Allah† (Kwok 67). Sexism has a big role in religion by the fact that in the bible God is repres ented as a Father – He- thus more of male dominancy even though all names and terms that are used in the representation of God has complete nothing to do with the male nature. God has however been presented in female images especially in the divine nature in the attempts of the move from the idea of God being a man into the representation of Him being also a woman. The initiative of the essay was to show that kind of God that people speak about is not the same God who is supposed to be. God has the representation of women image and therefore women look like God. In my understating in reference to Christian teachings, no one who has ever seen God and therefore it is not in order to represent God in any image be it be a woman or a man. God is everywhere as it is illustrated in â€Å"God is inside you and inside everybody else†. In this sense, God is referred as â€Å"it† without any form of gender reference. God is inside everybody where there necessities one to s earch inside also by the notion that â€Å"God is everything. Everything that is or ever was ever will be† by Alice Walker. God has however power over all be it earthquakes or lightening. The pronoun â€Å"it† is solely for the purpose avoiding any undermining aspects of any gender where God is represented as a Father. The thought that might have led into thus argument, is to show that God has all powers and therefore no one can limit His powers. God is therefore everywhere and inside everybody and so there is a section of God in all human beings. In my reasoning however, if God is inside human being, then He must be something that is living, therefore, it is not right to refer to Him as â€Å"it† which is a representation of something that does not have life. Everything that is said to exist must have a body structure where in â€Å"The body of God: An ecological theology,† one of the theologians made a response on â€Å"The model of the body.† Ac cording to him God should never be said to take the aspect of Him being a man and having the characters that resemble man as this is like undermining the feminine class and since Christianity claims to bring life to all, it should therefore treat women and nature in a special way.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on God Representation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is due respect that is supposed to be offered to all including women â€Å"we ought to honor the body, our own bodies, and the bodies of all other life-forms on the planet,† by Sallie Mcfague. Ecologically God is presented as the body which takes the universe model. The reason as to why God is related with the nature is to reject the idea of God being a man where women are undermined. Women have a great relationship with environment also just as God has therefore they have characteristics of God. In my opinion, much respect is supposed to b e given to both woman and man instead of generalizing into all life-forms as human beings have power and authority to control other things in the environment. The big question lies on whether God is male or a female. In the â€Å"feminist perspective of God† the issue of God being presented as a Father thus being more of male dominance is highly criticized by the feminine theologians. The issue of God been presented in trinity is a big issue. In the Nicene Creed and Apostles Creed there is a common believe of the holy trinity in Christian faith of God who is the father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit where many feminine theologians argue that the Holy Spirit is the representation of female image in God since the three are one. The purpose of this essay was to show that women also have a part in the representation of God therefore they should never be undermined. Therefore, women should be viewed as equal as men and holding the same position in Godly matters. It is however not right enough to undermine women in matters of God but I do not hold any opposition when God is referred as a Father since in my reasoning He does not represent the earthly father. However, there is a reality of whom God is as illustrated in the â€Å"God the heart of reality,† (Borg Ch. 4). The same studies indicate that without the relaity of God as well as his character christianity fails to make sense. God is himself a spirit in the supernatural and therefore He cannot be described as a human being by the fact that â€Å"we are in God; we live in God, have our being in God†¦.all around us.† God cannot also be said to be presented by gender that is, either a man or a woman. It is however not right to represent God as â€Å"it† by the fact that He is present in the many of His qualities and has less qualities of non personal aspects.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More All this is meant to show that, even though God is not supposed to be represented as a man or a woman, at the same time it is not reasonable enough to refer God as a thing â€Å"it,† because he has qualities of a living being and He has what human beings have like hands. In regarding to this essay, my opinion is just the same such that when God was creating human being, He did so in that man represented His own image as it is written in the bible. Therefore, it is right to refer to God as a He or a father. All these articles happen to relate especially on the major theme which is illustrated in them even though some have contrasting aspects. The major theme is based on the understanding â€Å"who is God.† In this theme there is a wide critic on the representation of God as a Father meaning taking more of male dominancy while undermining women on the feminine perspectives. The articles with such critic include: â€Å"feminist perspective of God,† â€Å"The body of God: An ecological theology,† and â€Å"Speaking about God.† In the attempts of trying to understand on who God is, He has also been represented to be everywhere and a super natural being at least in almost all articles who never fails except in the article â€Å"experience of grace† which indicates the failure of Jesus who is the son of God and God Himself in reference to the Holy Trinity which is presented in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. Some contrast is illustrated in the articles on the representation of God as a person or a thing â€Å"it† in â€Å"God the heart of reality† and â€Å"God is inside you and inside everybody else.† God is supposed to be presented as a person where as the other indicates that God is â€Å"it† respectively. All these arguments are however symbolically presented in the article â€Å"The sense of wonder† where as the last article describe on who God is. Works Cited Edwards, Denis. Human expe rience of God. New York: Paulist Press, 1984. Print. Gottlieb, Roger S. This sacred earth: religion, nature, environment. Nwe York: Routledge, 1996. Print. Kwok, Pui-lan. Introducing Asian feminist theology. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000. Print. Borg, Marcus. The heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith Volume 1. New York: HarperSanFrancisco. 2004. Print. This essay on God Representation was written and submitted by user Morbius to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Background of the Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921

Background of the Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921 The Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921, informally called the Maternity Act, was the first federal law to provide significant funding to help people in need. The purpose of the Act was to reduce maternal and infant mortality. The legislation was supported by progressives, social reformers, and feminists including Grace Abbott and Julia Lathrop.  It was part of a larger movement called scientific mothering- applying scientific principles and to the care of infants and children, and educating mothers, especially those who were poor or less educated. Historical Context At the time the legislation was introduced, childbirth remained the second leading cause of death for women. About 20% of children in the United States died in their first year and about 33% in their first five years. Family income was an important factor in these mortality rates, and the Sheppard-Towner Act was designed to encourage states to develop programs to serve women at lower income levels. The Sheppard-Towner Act provided for federal matching funds for such programs as: Health clinics for women and children, hiring physicians and nurses to educate and care for pregnant women and mothers and their childrenVisiting nurses to educate and care for pregnant and new mothersMidwife trainingDistribution of nutrition and hygiene information Support and Opposition Julia Lathrop.of the U.S. Childrens Bureau drafted the language of the act, and Jeannette Rankin introduced it into Congress in 1919. Rankin was no longer in the Congress when the Sheppard-Towner Act passed in 1921. Two similar Senate bills were introduced by Morris Sheppard and Horace Mann Towner. President Warren G. Harding supported the Sheppard-Towner Act, as did many in the progressive movement. The bill first passed in the Senate, then passed the House on November 19, 1921, by a vote of 279 to 39.  It became law after it was signed by President Harding. Rankin attended the House debate on the bill, watching from the gallery.  The only woman in Congress at the time, Oklahomas Representative Alice Mary Robertson, opposed the bill. Groups including the American Medical Association (AMA) and its Section on Pediatrics labeled the program socialistic and opposed its passage and opposed its funding in subsequent years.  Critics also opposed the law based on states rights and community autonomy, and as a violation of the privacy of the parent-child relationship. Not only did political reformers, mainly women, and allied male physicians, have to fight for the passage of the bill at the federal level, they also then had to take the fight to the states to get matching funds passed.   Supreme Court Challenge The Sheppard-Towner bill was unsuccessfully challenged in the Supreme Court in  Frothingham V. Mellon And Massachusetts V. Mellon  (1923), The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the cases, because no state was required to accept the matching funds and no injury could be demonstrated. End of Sheppard-Towner By 1929, the political climate had changed sufficiently that the funding for the Sheppard-Towner Act was ended, with pressure from opposition groups including the AMA likely the major reason for the defunding. The Pediatric Section of the American Medical Association actually supported a renewal of the Sheppard-Towner Act in 1929, while the AMA House of Delegates overrode their support to oppose the bill.  This led to the walkout from the AMA of many of the pediatricians, mostly male, and the forming of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Social and Historical Significance The Sheppard-Towner Act was significant in American legal history because it was the first federally-funded social welfare program, and because the challenge to the Supreme Court failed. The Sheppard-Towner Act is significant in womens history because it addressed the needs of women and children directly at a federal level. It is also significant for the role of women activists including Jeannette Rankin, Julia Lathrop, and Grace Abbott, who considered it part of the womens rights agenda beyond winning the vote for women. The League of Women Voters and the General Federation of Womens Clubs worked for its passage. It shows one of the ways that the womens rights movement continued to work after the right of suffrage was won in 1920. The significance of the Sheppard-Towner Act in progressive and public health history is in demonstrating that education and preventive care provided through state and local agencies could have a significant effect on maternal and child mortality rates.

Texas History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Texas History - Essay Example The Spanish Texas Spain nominally claimed the ownership of the territory but did not colonize the territory until after the discovery of evidence of the failed French colony if Fort Saint Louis in 1689. They established the first mission in Texas in 1690 but the tribes resisted their presence. The missionaries returned to Mexico and abandoned Texas for two decades. The Spanish return in 1716. Since 1716 to 1821, the Spanish occupation was continuous. The first formal municipality in Texas is San Antonio which is considered one of the ten largest cities in the United States. The Spanish Texas government made peaceful conversions and reached peace agreement with enemies such as the Apaches and Comanche. The Spanish continually made peace agreements and peaceful conversions of the tribes and by the end of the eighteenth century, there remained small number of tribes that were not Christianized (Mexicanroots.com, History of Spanish Texas). Though Texas became a Mexican nation in 1821, th e Spanish legacies are considered strong and lasting. The names of the physiographical features of Texas such as the Guadalupe Mountains and Llano Estacado served as reminders of the Spanish explorers. It was the Spanish who introduced numerous European crops, live stocks and livestock handling techniques. Christianity was very strong in the Texas Indians.

Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Speech - Essay Example Education is a fundamental right entrenched in the constitution of many nations. Generally, education defines an avenue through which accumulated knowledge, cultures, values, technical skills, and customs passes from one generation to another through a well-defined system under the law. It takes place in an institution of learning famously known as a school following a system known as a curriculum. In fact, we acquire education through training, learning, research, and experimentations. The process of acquiring education is expensive and thus requires funding either from the government or from individuals. Moreover, there are different types of education that take place in variant levels of education. Nevertheless, the education process has no end with more education advancements becoming requisite with the ever-increasing societal needs. We refer to education givers as tutors, lecturers, or teachers depending on the level and type of education they are offering. However, at any leve l, there is assessment inform of examinations that measures success in education. Most significant, is the impact of education in the society where it ultimately helps individuals make the right decisions. It is arguably true that education has undergone many revolutions and restructuring in the recent times but its uniqueness and impact remains unraveled. The revolution has brought about different categories of educations that apply in variant countries. In general, we have three types of education that include formal education, adult education, and special education. Formal education is the streamlined type of education that encompasses the process of getting primary education, higher education and full time professional training as well as extra-curricular activities. It is the most fundamental type of education that is relevantly applicable to students seeking professional careers. The top cream of formal education includes university professors with a PhD and requisite

Micro Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Micro Economics - Essay Example The maximization of profits by a monopolist is shown in the diagram below. The necessary condition is that the marginal cost equals the marginal revenue and the sufficient condition is that the marginal cost curve has a greater slope than the marginal revenue curve at the intersection (Koutsoyiannis, 1975). Observe since the equilibrium price is higher than the average cost of production the equilibrium output, the monopolist makes a profit. This profit is shown as the shaded region in the diagram. Figure 1:Monopolist's equilibrium A typical reason for monopoly to occur is increasing returns to scale. If a particular firm has increasing returns to scale in any particular commodity, it has a natural advantage over any other firms in that market. This situation is known as natural monopoly. Monopoly can also occur through government regulation. There can be particular sectors in the economy that government run institutions run. Private entrepreneurship is not allowed. It may also be th ese industries require so high overhead costs private producers can’t afford it. The biggest disadvantage of monopoly is that it leads to exploitation of consumers. Particularly, this is true if the monopolist uses price discrimination to extract the entire consumers’ surplus. However, as first argued by Schumpeter (1950), the monopolist’s extraction of surplus is essential for economic growth. In competitive markets, the producers have to be content with zero profits. Investment returns are normal. Consequentially, the firm cannot invest in research and development which drives technological growth and innovation. However, since the monopolist is able to derive a surplus, it can invest this in research and development funds to attain technological competence. This is crucial for the monopolist or other big firms in order to retain their status as market leaders. And typically, technological innovation is what drives economic growth since it enables the resource s of the economy to become more productive thereby breaking free of capacity constraints (Varian, 2006). Therefore, an economy can have benefits as well as damages if a monopolist is in charge of a particular market. Monopolistic competition however is a market which combines features of Monopoly as well as perfect competition. Monopolistic competition is a market comprising of numerous buyers and sellers. However, unlike perfect competition, here products are differentiated. Every seller thus is a monopolist for his own product (Ison & Stuart, 2006). The producers now are not mere price takers. They simultaneously set price and quantity to maximize prices. However, entry is costless and therefore as long as there are positive profits, new firms enter the industry. As a result, monopolistically competitive firms can only earn zero profits in the long run equilibrium (Varian, 2006). Typically, monopolistically competitive markets are what we observe the most in the real world (Koutso yiannis, 1975). Markets start off with very few producers, but attracted by profits new firms enter. As competition intensifies, firms try to differentiate their products through advertising or introducing new varieties. The biggest advantage of monopolistic competition is that firms offer horizontally as well as vertically differentiated products and this results in better matches with consumer preferences. In the long run, there are no barriers to entering or exiting the market. As long as firms make supernormal profits, new firms

Strategies for Market Research

Strategies for Market Research Marketing is a business discipline undertaken for one sole purpose, to enable sale of their product and service to consumers. The consumer behaviour is the study of how consumers interact with their surrounding environment when purchasing or disposing off the product. It forms the basis of marketing psychology i.e. why a person chooses one alternative over the other. The increasing competition and cultural shifts in societies across the globe have made marketing a challenging task. Therefore, marketers must strive to understand consumer’s behaviour and the drivers behind such behaviour in order to serve them well. Focus should be on varied factors like consumer attitude, buying habits, the colours they like, the tastes they prefer and so on. This study of consumer behaviour is critical to the success of businesses today and is the basic purpose of the practice of market research. As per advertising guru David Ogilvy negligence of research in business is like ignoring decodes of enemy signals in a war. He recognized that people who enter the market without proper research face the risk of their hard work being blown up by the winds of change. In his book he has discussed the value of market research which can get information on expected consumer response to a product way before they are launched in the market thus saving millions. Companies like proctor and gamble (PG) and Unilever realized this way before than others which added to their competitive advantage. Nowadays whether you are a manufacturer, a retailer, an MNC or a local store, consumer market research is inevitable in order for the business to succeed. This is the primary reason behind the phenomenal rise of market research agencies in the last few decades. Qualitative Market Research Talking about market research, the most emerging practice now days is qualitative market research. Qualitative market research is the technique of market research that involves observation, analysis and interpretation of behaviour of a small number of people in their natural setting. The researchers ask broad open ended questions and collect descriptive data from participants. Unlike quantitative market research, where the focus is on finding trends and doing prediction, qualitative market research focuses on explaining behaviour. It helps in providing more in-depth understanding of human behaviour and the reasons that govern such behaviour (why and how). The three most commonly used techniques are: Focus Group Discussions, In depth interviews (on one to one basis), and Observing participants in their natural environment i.e. Ethnography. Out of these, focus group discussions are of the most common type. So much so that they have become synonymous with the term qualitative market research. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) Focus group discussion was one of the foremost qualitative research tools available to the practitioners. It involves group of people sitting in an interview like setting. A typical focus group consists of 6-10 people who are unrelated to each other. They are brought together by a moderator. In the field ofmarketing, focus groups are used as an important tool for acquiring consumer feedback. People are asked open ended questions about their attitude, values, beliefs and perceptions towards a particular product, brand, advertisement, concept or packaging. This technique capitalizes on the inter-personal communication amongst participants to generate data. This means that instead of asking one to one questions, the researcher throws the topic of discussion to the group and encourages them to share their ideas and opinions and counter question each other’s experiences. Following steps are involved in focus group discussions: Set the objectives: The purpose of the study needs to be clear and specific. The more well defined the objective, easier the execution and analysis. Identify information needs: It involves decision upon what clients already know and what questions needs to be answered, what hypothesis is to be set regarding attitudes and motives and on what topics feedback is required. Identify participants: This involves decisions as to number of participants required, preferred characteristics of the participants and the method of recruiting them. Generate questions: A list of open ended questions needs to be kept handy. For e.g. instead of asking â€Å"do you like this packaging?† the moderator shall ask, â€Å"What do you think about this packaging?† Select moderator: The moderator should be a knowledgeable person with regard to the issue in hand. Also, he should be able to deal tactfully with the participants, keep the discussion on the right track and free from any bias and preconceived notion. Select the venue: The venue for the focus group study should be able to accommodate 5 to 15 people easily. Also, it should be easily accessible for the participants. A well selected venue also helps in encouraging conversation (cozy, inviting etc). Moderate groups: The moderator will ensure the discussion keeps flowing in the right direction, probe respondents and draw out important questions. Analyze and prepare reports: After thorough review of tapes recorded and notes taken, a written summary of results is submitted to the clients. Focus group discussions as a technique is most suited in the situations where opinions and attitudes of consumers are conditional to the purpose of study. It is also suited in new areas of research. However, caution should be taken when the discussion could become emotionally sensitive or where confidentiality of information could be compromised. The advantages of focus group discussions are in abundance. This method is extremely useful for bringing out the unanticipated reactions from the participants giving information about not only what behaviour people execute, but also how and why people behave so. Due to this reason, it can also be used as an effective social research tool in case of children or adults who are less literate. Thus, focus groups help in providing information about why or how a person holds certain beliefs about a topic or program of interest. It is a powerful social research tool and can provide high quality and validated data from the real consumers and that too in a cost efficient manner than if individuals were interviewed separately. It also adds flexibility to the research process with research having control to take the discussion in the right direction .Thus focus groups help to improve planning, implementation as well as evaluation of marketing strategies. The technique also suffers from some limitations. First, groups may be difficult to assemble or may vary considerably. As the group interaction forms the basis for focus group discussions, the information so provided can only be used at group level and not individually. Also, the people representing the consumers in the focus group setting might not be an exhaustive representation of the population at large. There is also the risk of moderator being less knowledgeable or biased towards a particular opinion. However, with necessary precautions focus group studies act as one of the most efficient social research tools. In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) In-depth face to face interviews use intensive one to one discussions with a small number of people. They are executed as confidential one to one conversations between researcher and participant. This method is suitable where the purpose of the study is to get exhaustive and precise answers from individuals regarding their motives and experiences which focus group studies and quantitative techniques cannot encompass. The method is also suitable where if the issue in hand is sensitive or controversial. Also, interviewing community leaders can provide a quick overview of needs and concerns of the respective communities. In the world of marketing, in-depth interviews are used usually in the initial strategies namelyto evaluate a new packaging, a new product concept, advertisement idea and so on. The in-depth interview is usually conducted in private surroundings of the participant so as to keep him comfortable in his or her natural settings. The average duration of the interview ranges from 1.5 to 2 hours and is usually recorded for post interview analysis. Following are the stages in the interview process. While focus group discussion is essentially a group behaviour technique, in depth interviews allow researchers to study opinions and behavior of participants individually. Also, in-depth interviews provide an opportunity to probe deeper into issues and get rich data. Ethnography Ethnography finds its origins in anthropology. In simple words ethnography is study of human beings in their natural environment and culture. The researcher submerges himself in the diverse and unfamiliar cultures and makes a rapport with the local population to understand their value system. This is done through active participation in day to day rituals such as cooking, eating, sleeping and shopping and close observation of people’s attitudes, perceptions, beliefs and customs. In marketing context, ethnography helps in understanding customer point of view. While focus group discussions and surveys provide self reporting data, ethnographic studies provide observational picture of consumers engaged in their day to day lives. It therefore, answers the latent reasons (why) behind consumer behaviour in particular communities. Once the facts are revealed, the information is then translated into marketing recommendations for the clients. The basic reasoning behind ethnography is that life and decision making process are more complicated than the marketing models. Ethnography can be undertaken at any time of the day in shopping malls, theatres, restaurants, stations, bus, colleges, schools or even on street. Now days, it can also be undertaken online by tracking down the images and posts shared by people on social media. Ethnography can be good to bring innovation in marketing strategies and foresee where a brand can expand into. For instance marketers of a well known brand of washing machines were surprised to find that their product was actually being used to make Lassi an Indian refreshing drink in state of Punjab, India. Another ethnographic study in Europe revealed that consumers use mobile to check their bank balance as a habit and not just in emergencies. This provided financial companies important stimuli to restructure their mobile banking marketing mechanism. Qualitative over Quantitative Market Research Quantitative market research is the mathematical part of the market research. It uses statistical models and theories to indicate results. They conduct research with the help of structured questionnaires and surveys and use a standardized set of questions for each individual. This facilitates accuracy and comparability in data sets. Qualitative research on the other hand aims at identifying factors that cannot be quantified such as culture , socio economic norms , role of gender , psychological barriers etc. it thus tries to fill the gaps left by quantitative market research. In short, while quantitative market research quantifies variations in data that determine varied consumer actions, qualitative research seeks to identify reasons behind such factors. When companies undertake qualitative market research, they usually expect a number of substantive advantages. Following are some advantages of qualitative market research over quantitative market research: They help in understanding the reasons (why and how) behind a certain behavioural action. Studies intangible factors that are responsible for changes in consumer behaviour thus providing a holistic view. For e.g. psychological factors such as perceptions, motivation and learning can only be understood using qualitative market research. They stimulate new dynamic thinking amongst participants and helps in evoking emotions and unadulterated latent reactions from the participants for better insights. It adds flexibility to the research process. There are no structured yes and no questions. Participants are encouraged to provide their opinions and understanding. Studies like ethnography are done in the natural environment of consumers, thus, providing a realistic picture and first hand information on issues concerned. The information from in-depth interviews is very rich and detailed. Thus, qualitative market research provides marketers with insights into drivers of consumer behaviour, purchasing habits and other opportunities for innovative product development and sustained competitive advantage. We can safely say that qualitative market research is surely here to stay and as the competition sores, is going to gain more importance. This is why there is an unprecedented rise in qualitative market research agencies. Also, many global companies like Unilever, PG, and ITC have already brought on board anthropologists in their marketing department. With growing innovation in the field, numerous other examples of qualitative research techniques available for practice in future are online focus groups, bulletin boards and so on. With the insights so gained using qualitative market research methodologies, marketers become well versed with the consumer behaviour patterns. The importance of understanding such consumer behaviour by marketers is that it enables them to gain knowledge about needs and attitudes of their target market. Infact, almost all the marketing decisions taken by the management are based on the knowledge and predictions about consumer behaviour. Conducting market research is a complicated and technical process. However, understanding it is critical for marketers in particular and business at large. It enables them to design efficient marketing strategies for particular market segment and it is more likely that the message developed for the target market will be delivered in a desired manner to the correct audience. For instance, by finding out that consumers are more receptive to food advertising when they are hungry, companies can schedule there advertisements in late afternoons. It thus hel ps to provide better product satisfaction, improve brand image and create competitive edge in the market. Hence, qualitative market research answers the threats posed by the uncertainties of consumer behaviour. It therefore provides solution to one of the biggest challenge of marketing in particular and of business management at large.

Inspiration is the Key to Achievement Essay -- essays research papers

The road to success of every achiever is filled with ample inspiration, something more powerful than words can describe, something that unbelievably plays such an important role in how someone approaches their lifetime goal, in how someone thinks, how someone acts, and how times fly, and how the world spinning around someone is – whether it is dynamic, hectic, chaotic, moderate, or deliberate. Without this incredible thing that may seem to be imaginary and invisible to some people, life would be just a game without the finishing line, but with this so-called magical thing in your palms, you could be driven to achieve your goals more briskly, effectively, and energetically – just like how you would arrive to your destination faster if you have the map with you. All successful people around the world, young or old, short or tall, white or black, Asian or Western, they all have or have had inspirations in life, whether it’s someone they have been looking up to or so mething they find to inspire and motivate themselves, such as some sorts of stories, quotes, books, or even movies. Inspiration is one of the essential keys to unlock the door to the room of accomplishment. One of the biggest over achievers in Thailand whose name is known all over the world now due to his innovative, fearless, decisive attitude and his swift actions in the politics world as the last Prime Minister of Thailand, this guy has always been the one who takes the first step in everything he puts his hands on, he likes to differentiate and is not afraid of changing and innovating. He was formally known as one of the richest, wealthiest and most successful businessmen in Thailand whose businesses cover a wide range of products and services. His latest challen... ...d to continually inspire myself consistently and vigorously with inspirations through reading, watching, discussing, listening, observing, and trying to comprehend messages conveyed and perspective shown to me. Sometimes inspiration just comes without realizing their occurrence, and it just goes without saying goodbye. Sometimes it comes in a visionary form, sometimes it just comes in a solid form. Inspiration lies around everywhere for you to pick - alongside streets, on boards, in the air, and in every breath you take. Just set yourself a goal, search for an inspiration, and believe that you can achieve it. Personally, I greatly believe that without inspiration, I would be goofing around like many people my age are. And most importantly, I believe that with great inspirations continuously motivated and spurred on, I will achieve my goals and be successful one day.

Financial crisis Essay

According to this article soros expresses that the current financial crisis is the result of the effect of all the other minor financial crisis’s that the US economy has experienced in the past sixty years, which came as a result of the weakening of the dollar in the financial market over the other strong currencies. It was anticipated to be happening because financial market operated in such a way that investors over borrowed loans from banks to invest in the housing sector hoping that the market would regulate itself according to the forces of demand and supply and be able to get good returns. The economy instead suffered a shortage of cash as a result of the over borrowing and the interventions by the Federal Reserve did not work as had worked well before. The borrowers of the loans are now not able to pay them back the loans leaving the banks strained with the effects of bad loans that the other financial assets are greatly affected. Banks and other financial institutions have closed down their operations and some gone bankrupt as the cost of borrowing becomes unbearable. What matters most as of this moment as suggested by Soros is to be able to deal with the political situation in a way that the economy will not be compromised. There is need to establish policies that will be able to redeem the lenders in the economy from total collapse. The banks should be helped out of the liquidity problems by the government being recommended to use the Swedish model of dealing with a financial crisis. The model recommends that the banks as the basis point of recovering the economy from collapse. In most of his articles and one of his best selling book the â€Å"paradigm for financial markets† soros has criticized the systems of British and US authorities in the bureaucratic procedures that they which take too long to react to situations of urgency like this crisis that results to many effects on the economies. Word count 335 References George soros: worst financial crisis in 60 years marks end of an era. 15th December 2008 1st financial times article.

Hall of Bulls essays

Hall of Bulls essays La Gran Sala de Toros es una obra de los a 10,000 BC creada por uno o varios autores annimos del Paleolà ­tico. Es una pintura de gran taman de una cueva en lo que se conoce hoy dà ­a como Lascaux, Francia. La escala de las pinturas sugiere que los artistas debieron haber utilizado escaleras de mano y andamios. Las fogatas a veces proveà ­an luz en las cuevas, pero ya en lo profundo de la cueva el artista debi necesitar una fuente porttil de luz por lo que se cree que lo mas utilizado fue algà ºn tipo de antorcha. Utilizaron pigmentos sacados de xidos de minerales, carbn de len con solo una simple mirada. Es como si entrramos a un mundo fantstico lleno de misterios y significados escondidos donde cada là ­nea y cada punto simboliza milenios y milenios de historia. El estilo de estas obras prehistricas es uno abstracto. Podemos encontrar un todo absoluto. Tambin se podrà ­a decir que estas pinturas son figurativas ya que la mayorà ­a de sus representaciones son animales y tambin tienen un aspecto no-figurativo ya que hay una existencia de signos y sà ­mbolos en ellas. La gran mayorà ­a de las pinturas en esta cueva representan animales, incluyendo caballos, venados rojos, toros y especies de animales hoy dà ­a extintos. Lo primero que notamos son los animales porque ellos se representan siempre con mayor tamas representaciones. En esta gran cmara de la cueva conocida como la Sala de los Toros, las pinturas representan figuras relativamente pequen dibujados de perfil, solo se muestran l...

Free Essays on The Slaves And The Slave Owners Views Of Slavery

The Slaves’ and the Slave owners’ Views of Slavery The slavery in the United States is no doubt a shameful history of our country. White people transferred the slaves living in Africa to the New Land and treated them as their property, not as human beings. The living and working conditions of slaves and their food were extremely poor. Those were inhuman conditions in which the slaves had to survive. Endless executions of the slaves made the situation even worse. Slavery was a period of time when one race treated the other race as animals, things, property, but not as people. Unfortunately, not everyone saw the situation as it was in reality at that time. As we can see from many different sources available today, the points of view of slaves and slave owners on slavery were the opposite of each other. That can be seen in various slaves’ and slave owners’ descriptions of slavery. Slaves described their dwellings, food, clothes, labor, and the terrible treatment of slaves by their masters. On the other hand, slave owners described the relationships between slaves and their masters in a very positive way. They argued that slavery is very beneficial for the slaves and the slaves are very happy to live with their masters. Let us now consider both these points of views in details. First of all, let us look at the slaves’ description of the cloth they wore. The clothes supply was as minimum as possible and the quality of the clothes was very bad. Here is how one of the slaves describes it. â€Å"Our dress was of tow cloth; for the children nothing but a shirt; for the older ones a pair of pantaloons or a gown in addition, according to the sex. ... In winter, a round jacket or overcoat, a wool hat once in two or three years, for the males, and a pair of coarse shoes once a year†(Lester 65). This scanty list of items was the only things available to the slaves. Certainly, it was not enough for the people who worked ver... Free Essays on The Slaves' And The Slave Owner's Views Of Slavery Free Essays on The Slaves' And The Slave Owner's Views Of Slavery The Slaves’ and the Slave owners’ Views of Slavery The slavery in the United States is no doubt a shameful history of our country. White people transferred the slaves living in Africa to the New Land and treated them as their property, not as human beings. The living and working conditions of slaves and their food were extremely poor. Those were inhuman conditions in which the slaves had to survive. Endless executions of the slaves made the situation even worse. Slavery was a period of time when one race treated the other race as animals, things, property, but not as people. Unfortunately, not everyone saw the situation as it was in reality at that time. As we can see from many different sources available today, the points of view of slaves and slave owners on slavery were the opposite of each other. That can be seen in various slaves’ and slave owners’ descriptions of slavery. Slaves described their dwellings, food, clothes, labor, and the terrible treatment of slaves by their masters. On the other hand, slave owners described the relationships between slaves and their masters in a very positive way. They argued that slavery is very beneficial for the slaves and the slaves are very happy to live with their masters. Let us now consider both these points of views in details. First of all, let us look at the slaves’ description of the cloth they wore. The clothes supply was as minimum as possible and the quality of the clothes was very bad. Here is how one of the slaves describes it. â€Å"Our dress was of tow cloth; for the children nothing but a shirt; for the older ones a pair of pantaloons or a gown in addition, according to the sex. ... In winter, a round jacket or overcoat, a wool hat once in two or three years, for the males, and a pair of coarse shoes once a year†(Lester 65). This scanty list of items was the only things available to the slaves. Certainly, it was not enough for the people who worked ver... Free Essays on The Slaves' And The Slave Owner's Views Of Slavery The Slaves’ and the Slave owners’ Views of Slavery The slavery in the United States is no doubt a shameful history of our country. White people transferred the slaves living in Africa to the New Land and treated them as their property, not as human beings. The living and working conditions of slaves and their food were extremely poor. Those were inhuman conditions in which the slaves had to survive. Endless executions of the slaves made the situation even worse. Slavery was a period of time when one race treated the other race as animals, things, property, but not as people. Unfortunately, not everyone saw the situation as it was in reality at that time. As we can see from many different sources available today, the points of view of slaves and slave owners on slavery were the opposite of each other. That can be seen in various slaves’ and slave owners’ descriptions of slavery. Slaves described their dwellings, food, clothes, labor, and the terrible treatment of slaves by their masters. On the other hand, slave owners described the relationships between slaves and their masters in a very positive way. They argued that slavery is very beneficial for the slaves and the slaves are very happy to live with their masters. Let us now consider both these points of views in details. First of all, let us look at the slaves’ description of the cloth they wore. The clothes supply was as minimum as possible and the quality of the clothes was very bad. Here is how one of the slaves describes it. â€Å"Our dress was of tow cloth; for the children nothing but a shirt; for the older ones a pair of pantaloons or a gown in addition, according to the sex. ... In winter, a round jacket or overcoat, a wool hat once in two or three years, for the males, and a pair of coarse shoes once a year†(Lester 65). This scanty list of items was the only things available to the slaves. Certainly, it was not enough for the people who worked ver...

Controversy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Controversy Analysis - Essay Example Apple products are considered to be of high quality, exceptionally user-friendly and attractive but the price for them is mostly considered unjustified. Moreover Apple`s new models grab a lot of attention because the company managed to create some emotional image and consumers have to pay for status more the for the quality. Apple despite of giving failure in bend test, lack of apps in app store, average camera and other limitations manages to grab the top position. However seeing all these factors, researchers are of the opinions that though Apple and Samsung might compete close enough in the market. The question still remains debatable whether Samsung with its improved technology be able to replace the Apple craze? Considering the previous era, Apple was the only craze and preference of all ages of individuals. It came out undoubtedly that iPhone that had perfect design, perfect operating system, fast functioning, suitable for parties, music, business and what not. Apple with its very first smart phone continued to dominate the market, setting the trend of craze for smart phones (Mika, 2011). People used to rush in lines, and the one who succeeded purchasing the first iPhone of series was also covered by media. All this gave it a royal image, which everyone admired but couldn’t afford due to being immensely expensive. Many brands came and went before Apple iPhone in terms of being successful an giving competition to it. However Samsung remain only that one brand, which could compete with Apple products. It was able to do it with their â€Å"S† series. The smart phones â€Å"S1†, â€Å"S2†, â€Å"S3†, â€Å"S4† and â€Å"S5† have been extremely s uccessful, helping Samsung gain reputation and stability, with one after the other in its launch. Many experts claimed that the characteristics of Samsung were better than iPhone and it was far more affordable

Technology in the classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Technology in the classroom - Essay Example The addition of these technological advancements within the classroom has several benefits and disadvantages associated with it for both teachers and students. Adoption of technology in classroom can help in satisfying different learning needs of different students within the classroom. A classroom comprises of various students who belong to different backgrounds and who prefer to learn in a different manner. According to the left side brain versus right side brain researchers, students who experience domination of the left side brain learn with the aid of artistic materials such as videos (Templeton, 2012). Furthermore, the students who experience right side brain dominance prefer learning through notes and lectures. Technological advancements such as multimedia devices help both kinds of students in learning at the same time. These devices have the ability to exhibit videos that support the students who learn through creative material and these devices can be used to exhibit text in form of PowerPoint slides and this supports the learning of students who prefer learning through texts and lectures. Adoption of technology within classrooms increases the access to information which helps both the student and the teacher population. A survey was conducted by Purcell et al. during the period of 2013 and in this survey the researchers figured out that 92% of teachers use technology such as internet in their classroom to access content over the internet and this content helps them in delivering more information to the students (Purcell et al., 2013). This study clearly explains that internet use can increase the access of information in classroom and students and teachers go beyond basic textbooks to facilitate learning. Inclusion of technology has replaced the use of paper in classroom and this is helping in solving a major issue of excessive cutting down of trees. Lindquist conducted a

Management and Leadership development (Are leaders born or made) Essay

Management and Leadership development (Are leaders born or made) - Essay Example The model has been identified but not applied to organisations How do you demonstrate that your idea in part one will actually work in a real life environment? Would this be a universal model? (Refer to paper one) There is no indication of this model being universal, include at the beginning or the end Prove that it works. The model hasn’t been proven to work Show how it works and in relation to your literature? Not enough Demonstrate my model or concept could work in a variety of sectors e.g. public sector, commercial sector, or how it would work in different sizes of organisations, e.g small, medium and large Identified organisations but not applied the model the way they operate in leadership development Pick out the main points on the organisations (critical information) and that have relevance to if leaders are born or made and remove the rest of the material as it is descriptive and irrelevant, (This paper is only meant to be (2200 words max) The essay has some valid poi nts on organisations – However, they need to be backed by theory and all related to whether leaders are born or developed and the suggested model in the introduction I have also highlighted some points below Investigate the Operationalisation of Management and Leadership Development into Practice, Based on the Key Ideas Identified in Part One Part one entailed exploring into the study of contemporary management and leadership development, focusing on the topic ‘Are Leaders Born or Developed over Time’. Apart from presenting an array of diverse literatures that reviewed both arguments, the outcome of the study indicated that no one is a natural born leader. The case studies now will be discussing on how these theories and practices are displayed in management and leadership styles in the real life working environment across various sectors. The model that would be applied is based on the theoretical framework that leaders are developed over time. Through the concu rrent collaborative applications of both Adair (2003) and House (1971) who argued that leaders don’t have to be born but can develop leadership skills (Adair, 2003) and leaders set goals with employees and find paths, takes action, and develop one’s knowledge, skills and abilities as leaders (House, 1971) towards the achievement of organisational goals. Research by Giber (2009) has proved that if we tie leadership development to business strategy to the need of the business, it results in excellent organisational growth. The pressure to integrate leadership development activities and initiatives in the overall strategic objective of the business is the most important and overarching trend in recent history. Discussion Rolls Royce is a technology leader which employes 36,000 people assigned in offices, manufacturing and service facilities operating in 50 countries. The company has long history of employee development but currently they are reexamining their development strategy. In 2005, a review of talent management has been conducted, which until now, was being managed locally within business units. Currently, a new concept of talent management at global scale has been introduced (Jane Yarnall, 2008). Rolls Royce has realized the importance of talent management and that it should not be a standalone approach. Leaders can only emerge by identifying the potential talent

The Role of Grammar in Language Teaching & Learning Essay Example for Free

The Role of Grammar in Language Teaching Learning Essay Introduction In this ever changing world, the barriers to communication and understanding must be lowered. The acquisition of linguistic skills requires that one must be able to master it and use it to communicate effectively to people who are using that same language, like English for instance. For learners of this particular language to communicate effectively, teachers in the language arts have a very important role to play in teaching every aspect of English, particularly its grammar and use. This is because, to understand and be understood, grammar is an important part of language and communication. The English Language The English language, a language belonging to the Germanic languages branch of the Indo-European language family, is widely spoken in six continents. It is the primary language of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and various Caribbean and Pacific island nations; it is also the official language of about 45 nations including India, the Philippines, and many sub-Saharan African countries. Other than this, it is the second most widely spoken native language in the world, the mother tongue of more than 350 million people, and the most widely taught foreign language (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, 2006). The United Nations uses English not only as one of its official languages but also as one of its two working languages. The language is also the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, diplomacy and the Internet (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2003). Usage English relies mainly on word order: usually subject-verb-object, to indicate relationships between words. But many, including native speakers of the language, are still finding it hard to use the language correctly. In the past, there have been those willing to provide guidance to the public on correct usage of the language. Americas most famous lexicographer, Noah Webster, for instance, published a dictionary and speller which taught not only spelling but also pronunciation, common sense, morals, and good citizenship. Other lexicographers have also attempted to produce material that would serve as guide for the public regarding correct use of the English language (Encyclopedia of American History, 2006). Like other languages, English has changed greatly. English easily borrows words from other languages and has coined many new words to reflect advances in technology. Changes of every sort have taken place concomitantly in the sounds (phonetics), in their distribution (phonemics), and in the grammar (morphology and syntax) (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2003). English is the most widely learned and used language even in non-native English speaking nations. It is widely learned and used for communication purposes especially in the academe and in businesses. Because of this wide use of the language, it has often been referred to as the global language or the lingua franca of the modern era.   It is currently the language most often sought and taught as a second language around the world (Wikipedia, 2007). Grammar Today, use of formal Standard English is required in the workplace and in the academe. It is the language of most educational, legal, governmental, and professional documents. It is used in newspapers, magazines, and books. It is the English we hear from radio and television announcers and persons making formal speeches. It is the language spoken in international commerce. Hence, many schools are focused on teaching students proper English speaking and writing skills. English grammar is a body of rules specifying how meanings are created in English. Basically, English is a subject verb object (SVO) language, meaning, it prefers a sequence of subject–verb–object in its simplest, unmarked declarative statements. But word order is a complicated matter in English (Wikipedia, 2007). Standard English can vary in different situations, but certain conventions or rules within it are fairly constant, and well-educated people deem them worthy of being observed. That is why the name â€Å"standard† is applied to this variety of English. If a person wants to succeed in the academic and business worlds, as well as in many other pursuits, he or she must master the conventions of Standard English. Formal and Informal English Standard English is used in so many different situations. Its use may range from casual telephone conversations to formal speeches, that it would be impossible to name a particular kind of English appropriate for each situation. Two domains of Standard English may be distinguished, however, and that is formal English and informal English. Formal English, like formal dress and formal manners, is a language for special occasions. It is sometimes referred to as literary English. It is also the language used in serious writing. It is used in formal essays, essay answers to examination questions, formal reports, research papers, literary criticism, scholarly writings, and addresses on serious or solemn occasions. Formal English is likely to include words that are rarely used in ordinary conversations. The sentences are likely to be more elaborately constructed and longer than those of ordinary writing. Contractions are rarely used. Formal English pays close attention to refinements in usage and avoids slang. Informal English, on the other hand, is the language most individuals use most of the time. It is the language of most magazines, newspapers, books, and talks intended for general audiences. The conventions of informal English are less rigid than those of formal English. Sentences may be long or short, and they are likely to sound more like conversation than the stately rhythms of formal English. Contractions often appear in informal English, and sometimes a slang expression is used. Excellent Language Skills While individuals can generally speak about three kinds of English: formal standard, informal standard, and non-standard, the lines between them are not always easy to draw. One kind of usage shades into another. An expression that one may think of as being informal may turn up in a formal address. A slang word or colloquial that originates in non-standard English may become an acceptable part of the informal vocabulary. Many words and constructions which one may think of as belonging to standard speech may come into use among speakers of non-standard English. This essentially means that the great majority of words and one’s ways of putting them together are common to all three kinds of English. If the language conforms to the conventions of Standard English, one’s main concern will be to vary his or her specific word choices to meet a particular need. The need will be determined by the nature of the audience, whether one is speaking or writing. There will be times when one cannot be sure whether a particular word or expression is suitable for the occasion. One can get help with his or her decision by turning to a textbook on grammar and usage, by turning to a dictionary, or by consulting a special book on English usage. Most of all, one can pay closer attention to the preferences of people who speak the language with obvious care. With careful observation, one may also notice that the rules of grammar are useful but not an invariably reliable guide to usage. Grammar describes the system of a language. Usage, however, is concerned with appropriate forms of expression. The two – grammar and usage – are not always the same, for language is a living and growing thing, and life and growth are not always logical. The people who use a language are constantly changing it. Since the rules of grammar describe the way the language works, when the system changes, the rules also change. Importance of English Grammar Effective speaking and writing goes beyond mere acceptance of the most appropriate grammatical rules. It embraces such qualities as clarity, forcefulness of expression, honesty, originality, freshness, and often, brevity. Yet the conventions of Standard English should never be underestimated as the essential foundation of good speaking and writing. If one deviates from the conventions of Standard English, people will think more about how one is expressing himself or herself about what he or she is saying. Any language that calls attention to itself or strikes listeners as unsuitable to the situation gets in the way of communication. For instance, if an applicant speaks casually with a prospective employer, as he or she does with close friends, that applicant may ruin his or her chances of getting the job. Moreover, if a person jokingly uses non-standard language around strangers, then these people who hear the speaker may get the impression that he or she does not know Standard English. It is thus important to know the different forms of English to make wise choices from them. Language Teaching English is basically the medium of instruction in most schools all over the world. In teaching the English language, most teachers begin with the parts of speech, their identification and their function. For some students, the study of English may point to certain aspects that are already familiar, like grammar for example, but for others, especially for those who will learn the language formally for the first time, grammar will not be very familiar. Grammar is important. It gives learners the ability to talk about language by providing a terminology and a system of classification. Also by making a learner aware of the basic patterns of English sentences, grammar can help the learner develop a varied and interesting style in their speaking and writing. This is one of the main goals of the study of English. Teacher and Learner Roles One can hardly imagine a language learning situation in the absence of interaction between and among students, fellow students, the teacher and the textbook. Every time a student interacts with any of these sources, he or she makes various hypotheses about what is being learned, and accepts or rejects them, trying out new ones. In an attempt to learn a foreign language, the student-learner is dependent on other people with whom he or she can interact with, as he or she develops a wide range of strategies which will be tested only in a communicative context. According to Thanasoulas (1999), these strategies can be distinguished in three categories: production strategies, comprehension strategies and interactive strategies. These strategies will not be explored in this paper. However, what is being pointed at here is the importance of human interaction in the classroom or learning setting as a condition for successful language learning and intellectual, emotional and social development (Thanasoulas, 1999). The Teacher’s Role It has been suggested that language teaching is a complex issue, encompassing linguistic, psycholinguistic, socio-cultural, pragmatic, as well as instructional and curricular dimensions. There are numbers of factors contributing to the dynamics of the educational process, such as internationalism and the pragmatic status of the foreign language (e.g., English), teaching and learning styles, and program characteristics. For example, the general expectation by students, parents and teachers that learners should achieve a high level of proficiency in English when they leave school influences both language policies and how foreign language learning will evolve. Furthermore, the teaching-learning process reflects different cultural traits and traditions. In some cultures, students tend to feel more at ease in the classroom, expressing their viewpoints and agreement or disagreement; in others, a passive attitude towards the teacher and the target language is more common. For instance, Greek society and its educational system favour rote memorisation, while western countries, in general, do not value it. Instead, they practice and take tons of drills to perfect their study of grammar and the English language. Moreover, such issues as the degree of preparation of teachers and the validity of testing and evaluation procedures can have a tremendous impact on language learning (Thanasoulas, 1999). As is patently obvious, the task or act, one may say, of teaching encapsulates a lot more than merely providing instruction and guidelines for students. It presupposes a psychological and philosophical knowledge on the teachers part, so as to combine techniques in class, as well as sufficient command of the basic structure of human existence, with a view to assessing any situation accurately and appropriately (Thanasoulas, 1999). Clearly linked to the roles defined for the learner are the roles the teacher is expected to play in the instructional process. Teacher roles, too, must ultimately be related both to assumptions about content and, at the level of approach, to particular views of language and language learning. Some instructional systems are totally dependent on the teacher as the source of knowledge and direction; others see the teachers role as catalyst, consultant, diagnostician, guide, and model for learning; still others try to teacher-proof the instructional system by limiting teacher initiative and building instructional content and direction into texts or lesson plans. Teacher and learner roles define the type of interaction characteristic of classrooms in which a particular method is being used. Teacher roles in methods are related to the following issues: the types of functions teachers are expected to fulfil (e.g., practice director, counsellor, model), the degree of control the teacher influences over learning, the degree to which the teacher is responsible for determining linguistic content, and the interactional patterns assumed between teachers and learners (Richards, 1994: 23). Undoubtedly, the teacher is called upon to perform several functions in foreign language learning. These are the following: teacher as director and manager; teacher as counsellor and a language resource; and teacher as a model and independent language user (Thanasoulas, 1999). The Teacher as a Director and Manager. One of the main concerns of the teacher as a director and manager is to create a warm, stimulating atmosphere in which the students will feel secure and confident. It is very important for learners to feel very much at home with both their teachers and fellow-learners, if they are to be expected to venture out into the deep waters of foreign language learning, to experiment with new and strange sounds, and to role-play in a language which they have barely begun to learn (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 95). Apart from assisting in creating the right atmosphere, the teacher should also make decisions on the materials to be used, as well as the activities and games which will best accord with the learners needs and abilities. Inasmuch as learners do not necessarily share the same cognitive and linguistic abilities, or interests and motivation, it is incumbent on the teacher to choose a wide variety of materials and teaching techniques and strategies in order to respond to the students interests and capacities. To this end, the teacher is supposed to organize the class, deciding whether a specific role-play or game will be simulated in pairs or in groups. Bearing all this in mind, the teacher may help develop a learner-centred approach to foreign language learning, as he / she takes into account the learners preferences, tailoring the materials and strategies to their needs (Thanasoulas, 1999). The Teacher as Counsellor and a Language Resource. The second function that the foreign language teacher is expected to fulfil is that of counsellor and a language resource. In other words, the responsibility is on the teacher to provide the learners with the necessary input in order to foster understanding of the relation between grammar, language, and communication. In short, the teacher must modify and simplify the language used according to the needs arising in each communicative situation, and to the grammatical competence and language proficiency of the students. In addition to simplifying teacher talk, it is also the teacher’s prerogative to resort to miming and facial expressions (Thanasoulas, 1999). Learning and teaching is multi-sensory and everything in the classroom and method must imply that learning is relaxing, fun and possible to be attained (Papaconstantinou, 1991: 35). Moreover, the teacher as a language resource should help learners to acquaint themselves with, and acquire a taste for, the target language and culture. It is the teacher’s duty to make explicit that language is not to be held in a vacuum but should always be learnt in connection to its users and the uses to which it is put. In light of this, grammar, though it is very important, should not be the sole reference point in foreign language learning; the teacher has to draw his students attention to the socio-cultural and pragmatic aspects of the foreign language, in order to help them assess the accuracy and appropriacy of the language they produce, both at the sentence level and the discourse level. As J. C. Richards (1994: 157) notes, a focus on grammar in itself is not a valid approach to the development of language proficiency. The teacher as a counsellor and a language resource should see it as her goal to provide enough remedial work, in order to eradicate students errors, and encourage learners to develop their own learning strategies and techniques, so as to discover the answers to their own questions (Thanasoulas, 1999). The Teacher as a Model and Independent Language User. In order to become a successful communicator and model for learners, the teacher should promote a wide range of behaviours and psychological and social relationships such as solidarity and politeness. Often learners have difficulties in adopting these behaviours because of the psychological and social distance that there exists between learners and materials. As a result, learners have a tendency to adopt the teachers language behaviours to indicate attitude and role relationships, rather than those presented in materials. This is understandable, of course, since the teacher is a live model, a real human being to whom they can more easily relate (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 101). In short, the teacher should help learners to negotiate meaning in the target language through his or her own active participation in it, and act as a mediator between the linguistic and extra-linguistic context of foreign language learning, as these are reflected in the textbooks and audio-visual aids, etc., or literature, respectively (Thanasoulas, 1999). Teachers play an essential role in the foreign language classroom. Not only are they directors and managers of the classroom environment but they also function as counsellors and language resources facilitating the teaching-learning process. In addition, teachers can become models and independent language users in order to overcome the inherent shortcomings of the foreign language classroom environment (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993:104). The Learners What roles do learners play in the design of educational programs and systems, and how much leeway are they left with in contributing to the learning process? In the last two decades or so, there has been a shift from Cognitive and Transformational-Generative Grammar Approaches to a Communicative view of learning. Learners, who were formerly viewed as stimulus-response mechanisms whose learning was the product of practice reminding one of the well-known dictum, Repetitio est mater studiorum are nowadays regarded as individuals who should have a say in the educational process. The role of the learner as negotiator between the self, the learning process, and the object of learning emerges from and interacts with the role of joint negotiator within the group and within the classroom procedures and activities which the group undertakes. The implication for the learner is that he should contribute as much as he gains, and thereby learn in an interdependent way (Breen and Candlin, 1980: 110, cited in Richards, 1994: 22-23). Three Factors Responsible for Student Learning Age, cognitive and learning factors. Age variation in foreign language learning and learning differences between children and adults are significant factors that must be taken into account in choosing the right approaches, design and procedures. Experiments have shown that there are a lot of biological factors at work in language learning. In young learners, both hemispheres of the brain are responsible for the language function, while at puberty it is only the left hemisphere that takes over, which makes language acquisition and learning more difficult. This process is called lateralisation and it may be responsible for learning differences between children and adults. Cognitive and learning styles, already acquired through mother tongue, may influence foreign language learning. According to Papaefthymiou-Lytra, â€Å"Of all personality characteristics attributed to individuals, certain cognitive and learning variables have been researched to determine the degree of their influence on successful foreign or second language learning. These are: field-dependence and field-independence, formal operations, the monitor and foreign language aptitude† (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 84-85). Field-independent individuals are more analytical by inclination and tend to learn through reasoning faculties, whereas field-dependent individuals view learning in toto, acquiring knowledge subconsciously. Piagets formal operations theory relates to adults more mature cognitive capacities as opposed to the unconscious automatic kind of learning (Genessee, 1977, 148, cited in Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 85) that characterizes young learners less mature cognitive system. According to this theory, adults are thought to deal with the abstract nature of language more easily than young learners; it is very often the case, though, that young people may prove better learners in the long run. Another factor that influences language learning is the monitor use employed by learners. Three types of monitor users have been identified: over users, under users and optimal users. Over users are associated with analytical conscious learning†¦On the other hand, under users are associated with subconscious learning and extrovert personalities†¦Finally, the third category is that of optimal users who seem to be the most efficient (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 85-86). Social and affective factors. Successful foreign language learning calls for an examination of the social and affective factors at work. First of all, the teacher should take into consideration the social proficiency which learners have attained. By social proficiency we mean the degree to which the learner employs, or taps into, the foreign language in order to communicate and negotiate meaning or achieve certain social goals. Some learners, for example, may complain when their classmate uses their pens or pencils because they have not learnt to use language in a socially accepted way. For instance, they cannot cope with making requests, asking permission, giving condolences, etc. It is worth noting that different cultures favour different attitudes on the part of the learner and, as a result, it is very probable that most of these situations do not necessarily reflect lack of social proficiency. Apart from social factors, affective factors also play an important role as they may facilitate or preclude learning. It is a commonplace that an atmosphere that fosters and promotes confidence and emotional stability will produce better students. Harmony in the classroom helps relieve tension and keeps the door to language processing open. A teachers task is like that of an orchestra conductor, who tends to fly into higher spheres, and has a tendency to fly and pull himself and the others above everydays problems towards a more creative reality (Papaconstantinou, 1991: 65). In this reality the learner may easily identify with the teacher and venture out into new aspects of the target language, dealing with it in her own, individual way. Unless she feels at ease with her teacher and her fellow-students, she will not learn. If she feels rejected and is afraid of being told off or scoffed at whenever she makes a mistake, she will withdraw from the educational process and lag behind, both cognitively and emotionally. Consequently, the content of materials for classroom use as well as classroom practices should be compatible with the affective variables influencing learners (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 90). Learner’s needs and interests. Indubitably, a successful course should consider learner needs. For this reason, the concept of needs analysis has assumed an important role in language learning. Needs analysis has to do with the aims of a course, as these are determined by the uses to which the target language will be put on completion of the programme. For example, is our aim to achieve a high level of language proficiency or are we called upon to respond to the needs of, say, adult learners who need to master specific skills, such as academic writing or note-taking? All these parameters will have to inform the methods and techniques we use in class, as well as the materials design we are supposed to implement in order to achieve the best results. With regard to learners interests, it is worth noting that we, as teachers, should be cognizant of the differences between children and adolescents. For instance, the former are interested in body movement and play, whereas the latter want to learn about human relationships in general and achieve a deeper understanding of their abilities, with the aim of developing a sound personality and character. It has become evident that foreign language learning is far from a simple, straightforward process where teachers are the purveyors of knowledge and students the passive subjects who receive that knowledge. For successful foreign language learning, students must have both the ability and desire to learn. Otherwise, the objectives we set are doomed to failure. Foreign language teachers, therefore, must be flexible enough and sensitive enough to respond well to the individual learning preferences, interests and needs of their learners in terms of materials, techniques, classroom methodology and teacher talk. After all, language learning is not a monolithic process since not all personality and environmental factors can be kept under control in a foreign language situation (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 94). Grammar in Communicative Language Teaching Linguists define grammar as a set of components: phonetics or the production and perception of sounds; phonology or how sounds are combined; morphology, which refers to the study of forms, or how elements are combined to create words; syntax referring to how words are strung together into sentences; and semantics or meaning. Because all languages are characterized by these components, by definition, language does not exist without grammar (Musumeci, 1997). Musumeci (1997) asserts however, that grammar has not always been defined in these terms. Originally, the term grammar, grammatica, referred to the art of writing, as compared to rhetoric, rettorica, the art of speaking. As used today by many teachers and learners, grammar is loosely understood to be a set of rules that govern language, primarily its morphology and syntax. But morphology and syntax are only two components of grammar. Communicative language teaching has brought a renewed emphasis on the role that semantics plays in the definition of language. Communicative language teaching is fundamentally concerned with making meaning in the language, whether by interpreting someone elses message, expressing ones own, or negotiating when meaning is unclear. Viewing grammar with all of its components helps learners as language teachers understand the complexity of what it means to know the grammar of a language. Clearly, the goal of language learning in the communicative classroom is for learners to acquire the grammar of the second language in its broadest sense, to enable them to understand and make meaning; that is, to become proficient users of the second language. Research and experience have shown that explicit teaching of grammatical rules, even if linguists were able to formulate them all, does not produce such competence (Musumeci, 1997). Adnan (n.d.), however, disagrees with this contention of Musumeci and asserts that there are many aspects of SLA such as the strategy of learning, the role of communicative language teaching, the role of formal grammar teaching etc. Adnan (n.d.) attempts to study the role of formal grammar teaching for two reasons: First, this has generated a great debate in second language teaching and a lot of research has been done on it. Second, there is an indication that grammar teaching has been neglected in English teaching in favour of developing communicative competence in language which results in students having poor knowledge of grammar. Now, some people have called for the return of grammar teaching into the English class to solve the problem. It was noted that similar problems occurred in the immersion program in Canada. Although Krashen (1982) praises the program for producing learners with very high levels of second language proficiency, many researchers have for some time recognised that immersion learners fail to recognise some grammatical distinctions (Ellis, 1994). According to Adnan (n.d.), the Indonesian language teaching circle are beginning to use the communicative approach and he is concerned that if this circle gets affected by the strong view that only communicative activities are important in developing second language proficiency, and therefore, grammar teaching is of little importance, this may lead to the same problems. He stresses in his study that he is not advocating a grammar dominated classroom or a return to grammar translation method. Nor is he trying to advocate that communicative activities are not important either. It is stressed that they are also very important. What is being done is discuss the research findings on the role of grammar teaching so as to have a good understanding of what it can offer and what problems it has (Adnan, n.d.). It was determined that there were some problems that occurred in grammar teaching. And these were: it can have deleterious effects, e.g. avoidance of certain grammar points which once traumatised the learner (Pienemann, 1987), it can de‑motivate if the teaching is not interesting, it can lead to wrong generalisation (Lightbown, 1983; Felix, 1981), and it can be ineffective if the learners are not ready. (Pienemann, 1987). Nevertheless, the advantages are the following: formal grammar teaching can improve accuracy Ellis (1989); Pica (1985); Lightbown and Spada (1990), it can accelerate acquisition when learners are ready (Pienemann, 1987) it can help eliminate inappropriate use of expressions (Adnan, 1994), and it can result in new knowledge (Pienemann, 1984). In light of this, it is clear that to improve learner acquisition of a second language, there is a need to consider teaching grammar at an appropriate time. Spada (1987) suggests that formal instruction may work best when it is combined with opportunities to engage in natural communication. Ellis (1990) explains how formal instruction works. According to him, the main mechanism by which instruction works is by developing explicit knowledge of a grammatical feature which subsequently helps learners to acquire implicit knowledge (which in his mind is responsible for actual performance). Pienemann argues that grammar should be taught only when learners are ready for it. In an extensive review of research in the second language acquisition, Ellis (1994) suggests that the ideal approach to teaching is the combination of both formal teaching and engaging students in communicative activities. This is also supported by research findings in good learners studies which generally concluded that successful learners pay attention both to forms and functions i.e. engage in communicative use of the language. Pienemanns argument, namely teaching grammar when learners are ready, that is, when they begin to use it and ask about it, is appealing. This is also in line with Krashens hypothesis of comprehensible input. However, most have not had a standard sequence of the acquisition order of a different language like say Adnan’s language which is Indonesian, by foreign learners though it is noted by Adnan that this is being done as they do in English and German. Before the learners are ready, grammatical explanation is kept to a minimum or presented indirectly through games or other types of exercises. Learners at tertiary levels (or perhaps adults in general) appear to need grammatical explanation from an early stage. 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