Altruists attract and origins of mating behavior Essay

In the experiment study altruists attract researchers concluded that people tend to corporate with the more attractive members of the opposite sex. Besides, as more one member of opposite sex is showing corporation, the more attractive it may seem to other member of the opposite sex. No doubt, altruistic behavior is beneficial in both genders which are in the long-term relationships because they share the same resources or care about their children. Research shows that people who are corporative are viewed by others as more attractive and kind and these are the values which people count for when are looking for mating partners. For example, males tend to give more money to women beggars than to the same sex beggars-males. Second article talked about origins of mating and how people choose partners when it comes to mating. Charles Darwin was the first who proposed the theory of sexual selection, emphasizing that mating behavior can be explained by evolutionary change; preferences for a mate and competition for a mate. Humans never choose mating partners just by coincidence; they tend to use strategies in order to find the most appropriate mate. Also, our ancestors used strategies for mating, they chose to mate with the opposite sex members who were reproductive in order to pass on genes to the next generations. For instance, females choose their mates who are economically independent, who will take care of them and their children, and who would devote their time to family. These both strategies can be both referred to our ancestors and our time scale. Author of this article compare women with weaverbirds which also prefer man with rich and fruitful â€Å"nests†. However, the most difficult decisions for humans in selecting a mate is to distinguish and indentify what kind of relationship are they looking for; short term or long term relationship. Even when it comes to animal mating, the stronger and larger ones are the more chances in finding an appropriate mate. Therefore, the weaker ones ten to fail in finding a mate and they become extinct. No doubt, keeping a mate is another important thing for the people who are seeking a long term relationship. Some people tend to be by nature more jealous than others. Therefore, sexual jealously can elicit either vigilance or cause violence between couples. Finally, it is not in human nature to date just with one person for an entire lifetime. Humans often brake up or split with other member of sex, due to the conflicts such as one may feel unsatisfy being in a particular relationship, cheating or other reasons. All over the world humans are failing for the divorce. It is not only seen in Western world. When people brake up or split they tend to enter again the mating market. But reentering again and starting everything from new can cause other problems. For example, women having children from previous relationship may have difficulty to finding a new mate. Besides, ages plays a big role in finding a mate.

The Macroeconomic Perspectives of David Ricardo, Karl Marx

The Macroeconomic Perspectives of David Ricardo, Karl Marx, and John Stuart Mill ECON 350 19 November 2012 Abstract The author surveys three influential economists of the Classical era—Ricardo, Marx, and John Stuart Mill—and introduces the reader to their Macroeconomic perspectives based on some of their more prominent Macroeconomic theories. David Ricardo David Ricardo was a Classical Economist who lived from 1772 to 1823.In his professional life he wore many hats: he was a businessman, a financer, a speculator, and a member of Parliament. But what he is most remembered for is the role that he played in the evolution of economic theory, alongside of such other greats as John Stuart Mill and Thomas Malthus, among others. In examining the economic theories which he espoused it is interesting to consider the part that his above-mentioned professions played in influencing his positions.Through his experience as a businessman was undoubtedly able to gain insights into the w orkings of industry; through his experiences as a financer and a speculator he gleaned invaluable insights into the workings of the financial system; and through his experiences as a member of Parliament he no doubt acquired insights into the workings of government and politics that does much to add credibility to many of his economic expostulations. Although he worked diligently in the fields of both Macro- and Micro-economics we will be focusing here primarily on some of his more distinguishing Macroeconomic contributions.The principals within this field of economics which we will be focusing on in particular are: The Law of Comparative Advantage, Comparative Statics, International Money Movement, and Deficit Spending. The principal which is arguably the most important and enduring contribution that David Ricardo ever made to the field of Economics is The Law of Comparative Advantage, also known as The Law of Comparative Cost. This was a principal that was originally developed by Adam Smith in his renowned work entitled â€Å"An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. However, although Adam Smith first developed this principal it was David Ricardo who refined it and thus he is deserving of credit for his part in the formation of this economic principal. The Law of Comparative Advantage was first mentioned by Ricardo in his work entitled â€Å"On the Principals of Political Economy and Taxation. † It is based in â€Å"specialization. † and is a â€Å"law† which we see operating all around us in present times. Basically this law takes one of Adam Smith’s observations–that specialized units within a manufacturing process leads to increased efficiency—and applies it on an international scale.Adam Smith’s observation was that when manufacturing a particular type of item, if each worker present were to work on an item from start to finish they would be inefficient and slow and would not be able to produce nearly as much of the items as would a factory of workers who were separated into specialized units, each unit having the responsibility of completing one of the processes necessary for manufacturing the particular item. Ricardo took this one step further and applied it on a macro level.He noted that different countries, for various reasons, have specific goods that they are particularly adept at producing. He further noted that if countries had to provide for all of their needs internally then they would be unable to focus their attention on the things that they did particularly well. On the other hand, if each country were able to focus on producing the things that they did well then they could produce exponentially more of them and could trade amongst each other for the things that they needed but did not produce internally.Also, he took the Opportunity Cost into account and noted that even if one country did everything better than another it would still be practical for the lesser country to manufacture items for the greater country since the greater country would see the highest returns if they focused their time, money, and energy on the things that they did particularly well. This was actually quite a big deal during Ricardo’s since Protectionist policies were hindering free trade, which Ricardo was a proponent of as can be seen from his Law of Comparative Advantage.One of Ricardo’s first interactions in the economic dialogue of his time was based around the Quantity Theory of Money. At the time there was something going on in Britain that would come to be known as the â€Å"Bullion Controversy†. Basically, as a result of a potential war the British government temporarily suspended the obligation of the Bank of England to convert its notes into gold. During this time agricultural prices rose (which some people attributes to poor harvests) and gold prices went up. It is on this second point that Ricardo chimed in. Ricardo argued that the rise in gold prices was actually the result of inflation.According to him, since the bank wasn’t obligated to exchange their notes for gold they were printing more notes than they had gold to back them. This flood of currency, Ricardo said, was creating an excess supply which was devaluing the currency and thus causing inflation (Laidler, p. 12). Karl Marx Karl Marx is probably best known for the work that he co-authored with Fredrick Engels entitled â€Å"The Communist Manifesto† and also for his work entitled â€Å"Capital. † He is also arguably one of the most well-known of the Classical Economists, or of any group of economists for that matter.In addition to being an economist he is also renowned for his work in the fields of philosophy, sociology, history, and journalism. Karl Marx was a staunch Socialist and the vast majority of his contributions to the field of economics revolved around a singular event that he believed would inevitably o ccur sometime in the future and would bring about the fall of Capitalism, replacing it instead with a Socialist society that would eventually evolve through natural means into a Communist society. Marx saw society as segregated units of distinct classes.In his mind there was a constant struggle going on between these classes as a direct result of one class having dominance over the other. The two classes that he was particularly concerned with were the Proletariat and the Bourgeoisie. The Bourgeoisie were representative of the wealthy Capitalists—this included factory owners, entrepreneurs, and the like. In other words the Bourgeoisie was composed of those individuals who were able to create great wealth for themselves as a direct result of the Capitalist system. Aristocracy and the like were not included as among the Bourgeoisie.The Proletariat on the other hand were those individuals who worked in the factories, et cetera, of the Bourgeoisie. These were the blue collar work ers of their time and the lower class members of society. In Marx’s opinion the Bourgeoisie had taken advantage of the Proletariat by making themselves wealthy off of the labor of this oppressed class. Furthermore Marx felt that the base nature of the work that the Proletariat was given to do was stifling. Last and worst of all Marx felt that these workers were not being fairly compensated for their work.What we now call Recessions and Depressions Marx referred to as â€Å"Crises. † He felt that these Crises were the direct result of disproportionalities in the Law of Supply and Demand. According to Marx the amounts of items supplied to markets and the amounts demanded were in a constant state of tension because they were always seeking to achieve equilibrium but could never quite do so. Since this often led to more of an item being supplied than was demanded by the market, the market became flooded and the item’s price would drop significantly.Businesses in the ir current state could not survive off of these minimal returns, and workers ultimately suffered as a result. Marx believed that workers were not paid adequately during good times to compensate for these Crises, whereas the Bourgeoisie ultimately became wealthy despite these Crises. Marx did not blame the Bourgeoisie but instead saw them merely as a product of their environment. He did, however, feel that this environment which ran according to the tenets of Capitalism was inherently flawed.Marx believed that the Proletariat would eventually revolt against this flawed system and would take manufacturing into their own hands. At first a Socialist form of government would be set up and would be run by what Marx referred as the â€Å"Dictatorship of the Proletariat. † This would only be a temporary institution however and it would eventually become obsolete and dissolve naturally and from that time on Communism would be the sole system that would guide the economy, government, a nd society as a whole.John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill was born in England and lived between 1806 and 1873. He was both an accomplished philosopher and economist and is recognized as one of the greatest thinkers of his time. His father, James Mill, was a respected philosopher, economist, and political theorist. James Mill was also a contemporary and close friend of David Ricardo and was influential in the Classical Economics movement of his time.Because of James Mill’s intellectual circle of friends, and also because of his strict tutelage, John Stuart Mill was, from a very young age, privy to much of the political, philosophical, and economic discussions and arguments of his day. Because of the influence of his father and also because of his close acquaintance with David Ricardo and others in his father’s circle, he would continue to hold to and defend many of their opinions and precepts throughout the course of his life. John Stuart Mill was also a contemporary of K arl Marx although Mill was apparently unaware of who Marx was.Although Mill wrote volumes of literature on the topic of economics during the course of his lifetime, there is one particular topic that seems to be especially relevant in shaping an understanding of his macroeconomic perspective and so it is on this topic that we will focus our attention. Thomas Stowell tells us in his book entitled â€Å"On Classical Economics† that â€Å"the three major controversies in economics during John Stuart Mill’s lifetime were disputes over Say’s Law, the Malthusian overpopulation theory, and the theory of value (p. 134). The first is a macroeconomic concern whereas the second and third fall under the banner of microeconomics. Therefore it is on this topic that we will now focus our attention: Say’s Law, also known as the Law of Market, was founded on the presumption that money is used solely as a means of initiating transactions and that in the end transactions u ltimately consist of one commodity being traded for another. Say believed that producers are eager to get rid of their products because of price fluctuation which could cause their devaluation and because an unsold product produces no return on investment.Say also believed that producers were equally eager to get rid of the money they acquired through transactions because money’s value fluctuates as well. In order to get rid of money it must be traded for some product or service and thus through this cycle economic growth is created. Say believed that â€Å"gluts† occurred when too much of one product was created, thus flooding the market. This, the law states leads to a loss of revenue for the producer, who in turn consumes less due to this loss of revenue.Because of this lowered consumption there is an overall reduction in demand in the economy as a whole. This reduced demand leads to unemployment and recessionary conditions. It should be noted however that these con sequences ultimately result not from an inadequate supply of money with which to purchase goods, but from markets supplying more of one particular product than is desired and not enough of others. John Stuart mill was a huge proponent of Say’s Law although he did appear to alter some parts of it slightly throughout the course of his life. ReferencesBalassa, Bela A. (1959). John Stuart Mill and the Law of Markets. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 73, No. 2. Balassa, Bela A. (1959). Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill. Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv. Bordo, Michael D. ; Schwartz, Anna J. (1984). A Retrospective on the Classical Gold Standard, 1821-1931. University of Chicago Press. Chicago, IL. Brandis, Royall. (1985). Marx or Keynes? Marx and Keynes. Journal of Economic Issues. Vol. 19, No. 3. Campbell, Martha. (1997). Marx and Keynes on Money. International Journal of Political Economy. Vol. 27, No. 3 Davis,Timothy. 2005). Ricardo’s Macroeconomics: Money, Trade Cycles, and Growth. Cambridge University Press. New York, NY. Laidler, David. (2000). Highlights of The Bullionist Controversy. Retrieved from http://economics. uwo. ca/faculty/laidler/workingpapers/highlightsof. pdf. Lutz, Mark A. (1979). The Limitations of Karl Marx’s Social Economics. Review of Social Economy. Vol. 37, No. 3. Sowell, Thomas. (1974). Classical Economics Reconsidered. Princeton University Press. Princeton, NJ. Sowell,Thomas. (2006). On Classical Economics. Yale University Press. New Haven, Conn.

Oxidation of Benzoin and Rearrangement of Benzil to Produce Benzilic Acid Essay

The objective of the lab was to produce benzilic acid from benzoin. Benzoin was successfully oxidized with nitric acid to form benzil. The percent yield of benzil was 59.26% and the melting point range was 94.1-95.5Â °C. The literature melting point of pure benzil is 95Â °C, which indicates the correct product was obtained. Benzil was then rearranged using potassium hydroxide to form benzilic acid. The percent yield of benzilic acid was 57.94% and the melting point range was 147.9-149.8Â °C. The literature melting point of pure benzilic acid is 150Â °C; this also indicates that the correct product was isolated. Crude products were formed through crystallization and then recrystallized to obtain pure products. Melting points were taken of each product to prove its identity. Introduction The purpose of the experiment was to create benzilic acid from benzoin. This reaction would occur in a two-step process of oxidation of a ÃŽ ±-hydroxyketone to form the ÃŽ ±-diketone, benzil. Then, a rearrangement would occur to form the ÃŽ ±-hydroxyacid, benzilic acid. Benzoin is an organic compound consisting of an ethylene bridge bound to phenyl groups and with hydroxyl and ketone functional groups. The nitric acid would readily oxidize benzoin to benzil, a diketone, itself would reduced to nitrous acid, which would decompose to oxides of nitrogen and water. Additional water was added after the initial reaction to act as a base and facilitate removal of the hydrogen on the carbon that initially held the hydroxyl functional group. This indicated the removal of NO2, and generated the carbonyl to complete the oxidation. The conversion of benzil, an ÃŽ ±-diketone, into the salt of ÃŽ ±-hydroxyacid by means of base treatment is generally referred to as the benzilic acid rearrangement. As potassium hydroxide was added to benzil, the stable salt, potassium benzilate, was formed. The salt was acidified by the addition of hydrochloric acid until the pH of the solution became acidic and solid benzilic acid precipitated. The ability to be able to produce benzilic acid is vital. Benzilic acid is used in organic synthesis as a base point for preparation of glycolate pharmaceuticals. After the oxidation of benzoin, the melting point characteristic of the product would prove that the benzil was produced. If the melting point range were narrow, it would indicate that few impurities existed in the benzil product. Again, after the rearrangement of benzil, a melting point would be taken to prove that benzilic acid was produced and how pure the final product was. Crystallization through ice bath is important in this process, so that the solid crystal product could be obtained as a precipitate from the reaction solution. After the crystals are obtained, it is important to recrystallize to remove impurities. This allows the most accurate and precise melting point to be taken of the product and also gives the most accurate percent yield of the product, without impurity being weighed into the final product. To avoid errors, it would be best to make sure the benzil produced in the first step had a narrow melting point range. If the benzil contained many impurities, it would most likely produce inaccuracies in the next step of the process when benzil was rearranged to benzilic acid. Procedure 0.30 grams benzoin, 1.5 mL of concentrated nitric acid, and a spin vane were placed into a 5-mL conical vial with an attached air condenser. The mixture was heated in a 70Â °C water bath for approximately 90 minutes, while being stirred, until the red nitrogen oxide gases were no longer present in the air condenser. Afterwards, the mixture was removed from heat and transferred into a beaker that contained 4 mL of ice-cold water. The mixture was cooled in an ice bath and then crystals were collected by vacuum filtration using a Hirsch funnel and rinsed with cold nitric acid. The dried crystals were then recrystallized using 95% ethanol. The pure benzil product was weighed and a melting point was taken. Then, 0.100 grams of pure benzil, 0.30 mL of 95% ethanol, and a spin vane was placed into a 3-mL conical vial with an attached air condenser. The mixture was heated with an aluminum block at 100Â °C, while being stirred, until all the benzil had dissolved. Using a pipet, 0.25 mL of an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution was added drop wise into the conical vial through the air condenser. The mixture was boiled at 110Â °C while being stirred for approximately 15 minutes and the reaction mixture changed from deep blue-black to brown in color. The vial was removed from heat and allowed to cool to room temperature. The mixture was crystallized in an ice bath and the crystals were collected over a Hirsch funnel using vacuum filtration and rinsed with ice-cold 95% ethanol. The solid crystals were transferred to a 10-mL Erlenmeyer flask that contained 3 mL of 70Â °C water. The flask was swirled while 0.50 mL of 1 M hydrochloric acid was added to the flask. With each drop added a white precipitate formed immediately. The solution was checked to have a pH of 2, if it was not, more acid was added to the flask. The mixture was cooled to room temperature and then cooled in an ice bath. The crystals were collected by vacuum filtration using a Hirsch funnel and rinsed with ice-cold water. The pure benzilic acid crystals were weighed and a melting point was obtained.

Demand and Supply Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Demand and Supply Analysis - Term Paper Example Economists assume all factors are held constant (ie do not change) except one – the price of the product itself. A change in a factor being held constant invalidates the ceteris paribus assumption. (Riley, 2006) There is an income effect when the price of a good falls because the consumer can maintain current consumption for less expenditure.   Provided that the good is normal, some of the resulting increase in real income is used by consumers to buy more of this product.  (Riley, 2006) There is also a substitution effect when the price of a good falls because the product is now relatively cheaper than an alternative item and so some consumers switch their spending from the good in competitive demand to this product. (Riley, 2006) Firstly, there is a profit motive. Whether the increases in market prices (for example, after a surge in demand), it is more advantageous for companies to increase production. Signs of higher prices for companies that can increase profits by market demand. Production and cost: With increasing production, increasing production costs of a company, so a higher price is necessary to justify the additional production and cover the additional costs of production. New competitors enter the market: rising prices create an incentive for other companies to enter the market leading to increased supply. The price where the demand and supply meet is known as equilibrium price or market price. This is the point where the buyers and sellers come together at a common point. In a market a good will always be traded at its market price as this maintains equilibrium between the supply and the demand. (Sloman, 2006) The outward shift in the demand curve causes a movement (expansion) along the supply curve and a rise in the equilibrium price and quantity.   Firms in the market will sell more at a higher price and therefore receive more in total revenue. Similarly a backward/inward shift creates the opposite

Ecosystem Succession Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecosystem Succession Paper - Essay Example These areas are places that have been damaged by destructive events, such as fires, and have been cleared of existing vegetation, such as trees. 1b. Biotic components are the living things that form the environment, such as predators, while abiotic components are the non-living things in an organism’s environment, such as temperature and light. These components can change the equilibrium of the ecosystem in the sense that the ecosystem can only function as a whole, and not in parts (â€Å"Biotic†). The biotic components of an environment, whether they be prey or predator, factors into what organisms are currently dwelling in that area and which one is the dominating species. If a certain species were to become endangered or extinct, the ecosystem would be thrown off-balance as it would now be missing both a predator and a prey. Furthermore, if the abiotic factors change, damage can also be done to the ecosystem. If the temperature in a hot, dry area suddenly changes to cold and wet, the organisms that have grown accustomed to the hot climate will not be able to strive with the changes, as they were not created to tolerate it. These factors will greatly, and negatively, affect the biotic factors, throwing off the entire ecosystem. If the ecosystem is not balanced, it cannot survive. 2b. The natural cycle of progression in an ecosystem involves the need for things to grow and then die so that new life can feed off the old life (BioScience). The old organisms need to give way to allow new organisms – whether they are of the same species or not – to grow and to strive. Just as with any aspect of any life, life comes from death; it strives off of what was previously there and makes a new environment for itself. If a new organism appears, it can offer new environmental components to its surroundings. 3b. Some of the mechanisms that can help an ecosystem’s recovery from a

Cosmetic industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cosmetic industry - Essay Example However, the cosmetic industry is still growing with ever-increasing sales fueled mainly by women’s obsession to look better. For such reasons the cosmetic industry has been under strict monitoring and regulations. Global Cosmetic Industry Cosmetics are being manufactured by a few dominant multinational corporations that came into existence in the early 1900s. However, the supply of cosmetics is widely distributed between both developing and developed countries. Cosmetic industry is valued at approximately US $40 billion. Those cosmetic products which have "Made in France" written on their labels are highly valued on the international market. Since cosmetics are popular among women who are fans of TV and movie actresses and women who want to be like those actresses, many cosmetic products specifically perfumes are endorsed by actors and singers. The global cosmetic industry appears to be changing rapidly. Various known companies sell cosmetics both online and in retail outlets . As far as the marketing tactics used are concerned they include sponsoring fashion shows, getting brand ambassadors to do ads and other forms of conventional advertising. As life expectancy has increased cosmetic industry has modified its products from beauty enhancing to anti-ageing or beauty sustaining products. As globalization happens more consumers are using standardized cosmetics rather than affordable and low quality local products. As a result cost of production has been minimized tremendously by the firms. Europe and North America continue to be the major markets for cosmetic products while Asian countries specifically India, China and Indonesia are growing markets due to high population growth rate and increase in media exposure. Major cosmetic companies â€Å"Names and sales in Billions of US Dollars of the top 20 cosmetic companies in the world 1. Procter & Gamble– $26.3, 2. L’Oreal - $25.8, 3. Unilever- $16, 4. Avon- $7.6, 5. Beiersdorf- $7.5, 6. Estee Lauder- $7.3, 7. Shiseido- $6.9, 8. Kao- $5.9, 9. Johnson & Johnson–$5.6, 10. Henkel- $4.4, 11. LVMH- $3.7, 12. Coty- $3.5, 13. Chanel - $3.0, 14. Limited Brands– $2.7, 15. Mary Kay– $2.6, 16. Yves Rocher– $2.5, 17. Natura- $2.1, 18. Alticor - $1.9, 19. Kose- $1.8 and 20. Oriflame - $1.7† (Perry). Ethical issues involving the cosmetic industry Before one starts discussing what is ethical or unethical one must understand the meaning of the word ethics. Ethics is the study of morality. It deals with what is the right thing to be done and what is wrong. Ethical principles can vary between groups and individuals, however, certain moral principle are universal. These include being honest in business dealings, respecting elders and respecting the laws. There are people or firms who are doing something which is legal yet unethical. Currently, the aforementioned statement is the biggest dilemma the world faces when discussing and implementing ethical behavi or. As far as the cosmetic industry is concerned it has been accused of unethical practices on multiple occasions. The reason behind unethical practices is almost always profit maximization at the expense of customers and other stakeholders. Main ethical issues are the following: 1. Animal testing: Many cosmetics are tested upon animals like mice, pigs, monkeys and rabbits. This results in noticeable suffering and pain for the innocent animals. Animal testing is done to measure the level of skin

Summary and Impact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summary and Impact - Essay Example The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) doubts the claim that e-cigarettes are safe because vapor and smoke are harmful regardless of the way they are consumed. E-cigarettes are new to people; it is the reason why they are treated with interest and attention. I see many people who smoke e-cigarettes during the day. They are massively promoted as a healthy alternative which is 100% safe for people. This study shows that these promiscuous results have not been confirmed yet. After reading this article I believe that e-cigarettes are not as healthy as they are advertised. The only healthy alternative to smoking presupposes that people quit this bad habit forever. If any of my friends decide to try e-cigarettes in order to reduce tobacco consumption, I would warn them that there are no studies to check long-term outcomes or side effects related to this innovation. â€Å"E-Cigarettes: Not a Healthy Alternative to Smoking†. Biology News Net. May 27, 2014. Web. May 28, 2014.

Nursing Preceptorship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing Preceptorship - Research Paper Example Preceptorship is defined as a one to one relationship between a registered nurse and a nursing student whose purpose is to introduce a student to a clinical environment and orient them to the intense experience of learning in a practical mode. Preceptors introduce orientees to gain nursing skills, patient dealing, protocols and unit culture of nursing. This program enables them to learn and become competent enough to demonstrate basic unit skills by the end of the course. Students recently graduated from nursing school face difficulties when it comes to implementation part. They are pushed into a situation where one needs time and observation to implement the acquired knowledge. The main cause of the under stress nurses was found to be , lack of confidence in learnt skills, incomplete in critical thinking and clinical knowledge, correlation with patients and preceptors, dependence, frustrating work environment. Thus preceptors are essential to role model the professional attitude and skills which enable the orientees to learn and grasp them practically. This researched discovered how quickly orientees learn to implement clinical knowledge and nursing skills through preceptor orientation learning programs. The significance of preceptorship during nursing school is accepted and has been a part of nursing training program. Collaborative preceptor models between nursing school and service agencies have sustained a positive relationship and facilitated the nursing students to learn to integrate skills with real-life situations. This model provides a single nursing student to be precepted by a registered nurse whereas in the integrated clinical preceptor model, students plan their clinical experiences and preceptor acts as a mentor, clinical teacher, role model. It revealed the positive outcomes in the complex and dynamic world of acute health care. (Sandau & Halm, 2010) The importance of nurse prespectors in educating undergraduate nurses cannot be overstated. The guide and teach new nurses, the roles and responsibilities they have to face in a clinical setting. Thus the transition becomes easy for the undergraduates from the educational institutes to professionalism. It also facilitates t he specialization in any nursing faculty. As a frame work for clinical teaching, these preceptors demonstrate professional practice and share patient care experience. The awareness of handling patient’s condition and providing care accordingly, which they will encounter is shown to them. Theoretical information is thus put into practice with the help of prespectors. It is a responsibility of nurse prespector to form a connection between theory and practical implementation for an orientee, in a patient care environment. Thus achieving the expected results in a given time frame utilizing the facilities in hand is the main objective. This program holds utmost significance for mentor, orientee and the organization itself. Preceptor ship program offers professional nurturance and development in social and professional roles, which reduces the reality shock faced by new nurses in a clinical setting. Orientees feel les stresses as the preceptors gear them into right direction throug h experience thus learning takes place with constant monitoring and under constant guidance. Therefore the confidence level of such nurses’ rise due to participation in preceptorship program and their knowledge expands due to experienced preceptors who steer them into right

REC, Inc. and seatle coffee products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

REC, Inc. and seatle coffee products - Essay Example On the basis of the previous results the company prepares projected income statement for the next accounting period in order to estimate the likely outcome of its operations and sales. This also helps the company to determine variances observed in the actual financial results of the company. The company’s expectations from its business for the complete year 2004 are given as budgeted income statement in Exhibit 2 which indicate that the company expects a monthly average profit of $60,000 (Profit Before Taxes: $720,000/12). These projections are based on the expected number of sales of equivalent units for the year 2004 i.e. the company estimated sale of 10,000 equivalent units which implies an average monthly sale of 830 or 840 units. Based on the comparison between the actual financial results of REC, Inc. and its budgeted income statement it could be ascertained that the company’s profit results for the month January 2004 have felt short by $78,000. This has been against the expectation of the company’s management as the business followed the trend that it has experienced in the last few years related to the market conditions and business cycle. The variation in the actual financial results from the budgeted income statement can be evaluated by examining every element of the actual income statement and comparing it to the budgeted figures for these elements. One of the limitations of the above presented budgeted financials on a monthly basis is that it does not take into account the changes in the business cycle and market conditions which may occur during the financial period. For example, sales of the business could be affected due to the seasonal downturn in a particular month. Therefore, better analysis would have been possible if the company was preparing budgeted income statement on a monthly basis. The table above indicates that the

Economic and Political Issues in Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economic and Political Issues in Asia - Essay Example The major differences between these two crisis can be identified as the implications of US financial crisis has global impact while the impact of 1998 Asian financial was particularly limited to South East Asian countries only. On the other hand, poor financial reporting can be attributed as the major cause of both financial crises. Reasons of 2008 US Financial Crisis The collapse of the Lehman Brothers had spread the terror in the global financial markets. The 2008 US financial crisis was one of the largest global economic crises marked in the modern world. The US government regulations started to wear away the lending standards in the middle era of 1990s. During that period Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government owned enterprises were the owners of the huge share of the American mortgages. However in the year 1995, the US regulation increased the holding of loans in order to lower the borrower’s income. The United States government levied a regulation on Fannie Mae and F reddie Mac to lend loans with either less or no proportion of down payment. This policy of the government resulted on lowering the purchase capacity of the mortgages in order to recover the bad debts (Gwartney, 2009). The Community Reinvestment Act, 1995 regulated by the government also wanted the banks to grant loans in equal proportion to the number of the minority population existing in the financial markets. These objectives were met by the reduction of the conventional lending standards (Gwartney, 2009). There were two major reasons for the financial crisis in the year 2008 namely the increasing prices of the houses and the mortgage market being ineffectively regulated. In the initial stages of 1990, the increasing demand for the houses lowered the mortgage interest rates. Nominal rates are considered as important factor in the mortgage markets as it largely determines the repayment capacity of the borrower. Nevertheless, the financing of mortgages rapidly increased in the US m arket without the consideration of the nominal rates being decreased. This trend of decrease in the mortgage rates moved towards a drastic financial crisis in the US (Baily, Litan & Johnson, 2008). Precisely, the increasing demand for houses leading towards unstable price increase and skewed demand for mortgages by financial institutions were the prime reasons behind the eruption of 2008 US financial crisis. Differences Between 2008 US Financial Crisis and 1998 Asian Financial Crisis The most affected countries in the 1998 Asian financial crisis were Taiwan, China, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea. The Asian crisis had started with the threat in the currency rates of the South East Asian countries of Malaysia, Singapore and Japan. Later the major causes of the Asian financial crisis accounted to the gradually increasing prices of the assets and the excess value of the real exchange rate. The rapid increase of the short term foreign borrowing was one of the major external causes of the financial crisis in the Asian countries (Institute of Development Studies, 1998). On the other hand the major causes of the US financial crisis were the unorganized mortgage markets due to the increasing demand for houses. The disturbances in the mortgage financing augmented due to the non-adherence of the nominal rates. The differences in both the financial crises lie in

The Townshend Duties refer Essay Example for Free

The Townshend Duties refer Essay The Boston tea party is seen as having played a gigantic role in providing impetus to the American Revolution. It refers to an incident that happened on December 16, 1773, pitting the colonists against the British. A group of Americans from Boston pretending to be natives dropped large consignments of tea in to the ocean as a form of protests against the selective and punitive taxation; it was a culmination of anger that had been building over the British policies. Earlier in 1770, the Townshend Duties had been done away with, following concerted protests by the colonists. The Townshend Duties refer to a number of taxes introduced by Charles Townshend aimed at the colonists to finance tax cuts in England. The Townshend duties were repealed but the tea duty still remained (Hawkins, 33). To circumvent such punitive charges, the American population boycotted the British tea opting to buy the one smuggled from Portugal. This resulted to huge losses and debts to the East India Company that was importing the tea. In response to this boycott and to help the company survive, the British introduced the Tea Act. This act sought to remove taxes on tea imports. The East India Company could now import the tea and sell it at a price below the smuggled one. The boycott though persisted with most colonists refusing the temptation of buying cheaper tea, as doing so would be bowing to the British and accepting the punitive tax. The smugglers were foreseeing a big dent in their ventures and were at the forefront with the boycotting campaigns. The call no taxation without representation took a new momentum (Ketchum, Richard, 19). The Tea Act was greatly opposed with most merchants opting to send it back. In Boston however, this was not the course of action taken. The building up protests and strong opposition to the brutish taxation regimes was rife in the air. Bostonians led by a liberalist Samuel Adams, could not allow the offloading of the tea shipments and were demanding that it be taken back to England. Thomas Hutchinson, who was the governor then, was adamant that the ships had to pay the duty first. This is what prompted a group of Bostonians to secretly board the ship, emptying the contents in the sea harbour. Over three hundred chests of tea were dropped in to the harbour sparking a huge outrage back in Britain with most politicians pressing for compensation. The colonists were unapologetic and the parliament vowed to introduce even more punitive policies and hence the Intolerable Acts. Intolerable Acts refers to a number of laws introduced by the British aimed at Bostonians, in retribution for the destruction of the tea imports. It is ironical for these laws were supposed to serve as a lesson to those states that wished to put up a defiant face. However, in the real sense, they intensified resentment towards the British and helped fuel the calls to the American Revolution. The Boston tea party helped coalesce the colonist resentment and defiance against the British repressive laws and came at a time when liberalists were intensifying their clarion calls against the British. Though aimed at the Tea Act, it had an overall effect of awakening interests towards a revolution that was to take place a few years later. Works Cited Hawkins, A Retrospect of the Boston Tea Party, pp. 31-39. Ketchum, Richard, Divided Loyalties, How the American Revolution came to New York, 2002,19

The Way We Speak Determines How We Think Essay Example for Free

The Way We Speak Determines How We Think Essay Critically evaluate this statement, drawing on the key theories and research that describe the relationship between language and thought. Language has traditionally been characterized by Philosophers as a cognitive tool used to freely externalize ones thoughts (Green, 2010 as cited in Kaye, 2010). The relationship between language, thought, culture and reality has occupied the minds of many for centuries. Early theorists argued that language and thought were two separate systems which â€Å"enter into an array of interconnected cognitive structures† (Chomsky, 1983). Extreme nativists and constructivists are key proponents of innateness and argued that knowledge and thought hold a significant innate property which exists prior to the development of language acquisition and is dependent on thought for its development. (Fodor, 1975 cited in Green, 2010) In recent years, contrasting with this position, researchers have provided empirical evidence to support a causal relationship between both language and thought which indicates how we speak does shape how we think but also how we think can influence how we speak. Boroditsky, 2010) The emergence of this new evidence elaborates on earlier ideas associated with the Whorfian hypothesis (Whorf, 1956 cited in Green, 2010) and focuses on an alternative approach, linguistic determinism. This essay will explore the different theoretical approaches and provide evidence which demonstrates how no one theory has provided conclusive empirical evidence that supports how we speak determines how we think. Preliminary studies on language and thought have resulted in contributory and conflicting information which looks at the definitions and functions of language and thought, the interactions between both and the origins. Language and thought have been considered to be some of the key components which define human nature and what it means to be human. Aitchison (2007) highlighted some of the key features which define our uniqueness as humans but also certain characteristics we share with our animal relatives. Semanticity is one feature which separates us from other species. Humans use words to communicate and to represent objects and actions. In contrast animals use sounds to communicate information about a situation. For example blackbirds give a recognizable call for danger but it does not inform others of the type of danger present. Another feature which separates us from animals is creativity. Humans have the ability to understand and produce an infinite number of novel grammatical expressions with little evidence to demonstrate this skill in animals. These differences between species demonstrate the difference between language and communication and have led to other questions about how and why language acquisition was developed (Aitchison, 2007, cited in Green, 2010). Furthermore like any other psychological dichotomy, psychologists and philosophers have questioned whether language shapes our thoughts and ideas or whether our thoughts are merely represented through what we say. One approach which argues against the notion of language influencing thought is the constructivist position. According to this approach, language is seen as an emergent property that unfolds as a result of cognitive development therefore suggesting that language may not determine how we think (Piaget, 1923, cited in Green, 2010). Evidence from Piaget’s (1923) epistemological studies demonstrates how thinking and other cognitive abilities such as symbolic play, mental imagery all exist in children before language development. However one major criticism of this theory suggests that if this idea is to be true, then children with visual or auditory impairment are likely to be handicapped in language due to insufficient sensory input. However research has indicated no difference between the rate and time which impaired children obtain their earliest words compared with seeing children. Bigelow, 1987; Nelson, 1973) Although this evidence rejects Piaget’s (1923) theory, considerations need to be applied for parents of visually impaired children compensating for the impairment. Further issues with Piaget’s (1923) theory suggests that if certain levels of cognitive development are required to assist language ability, then his notion of object permanence should precede the acquisition of concepts and objects Xu (2002) research found opposite results to Piaget’s (1923) ideas which demonstrate how a child as early as 9 months old was capable of distinguishing between two objects. Because of this conflicting information, it is difficult to assign a causal relationship between language and thought within this framework (Xu, 2002, cited in Green, 2010). In addition, the extreme nativist approach led by Fodor (1983), postulates that all concepts are innate and we possess language syntax of thought. His key ideas are centered on the content of concepts and the structure of propositions. Fodor (1983) proposed that some cognitive systems (language) are modular and interface with non-modular central systems such as memory and thinking. One of the main aspects of interest in Fodor’s (1983) framework is the acquisition of concepts. Unlike empiricists who argue that children proceed through a process of inductive generalization to understand a new concept, Fodor (1983) suggests that this is not the case and that concepts are innately pre-programmed and not learnt (Russell, 2004 cited in Green, 2010) He describes vocabulary acquisition as attaching names to pre-existing categories and concepts which are broken down into components until the end point is reached. He also explains how new or complex concepts are developed (. i. e. ipad) by decomposition into their basic elemental components. From this, it would suggest that language develops from already pre-existing concepts or thoughts which would show the directional flow of influence to come from thought rather than speech. Chomsky (2006) is also a staunch proponent for the nativist approach and offers complimentary ideas to Fodor’s (1983) theory on innateness. He argued that the syntax of language is innate and that a universal grammar underpins language. The theory suggested that linguistic ability manifests itself without being taught, and that there are properties that all natural  human languages share (Chomsky, 2006). Exploration of this hypothesis focused on word order, structure and parameters. Universally the random order of words differs amongst cultures. For example in English we use subject-verb-object language compared with those in Japanese who use Subject-Object-Verb. Chomsky (2006) argued that although the mental grammar differs from language to language, the process by which certain sentences are perceived as correct while others are not is universal and independent of meaning. He also argued that language acquisition is obtained through an innate language acquisition device. His theory later evolved into principles and parameters theory and looked at the abstract rules applied when learning a language. One of the key tenets of Chomsky’s (2006) theory is that language is independent of cognition and does not influence how we think. Criticisms of his theory are highlighted as complete disregard for meaning and the social aspects or environment at which a child first acquires its words. Other critiques look at evidence produced by children with a hearing impairment. Questions surround what kind of parameters they would apply when using sign language. If Chomsky’s (2006) theory is to be correct then, it does not explain how children who learn two languages at once can apply parameter settings (Messer, 2000 cited in Green, 2010). Contrasting with the nativist approach, linguistic determinism argued in support for the notion that language influences or even determines how we speak. These ideas were first presented in the early 1930’s by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, who studied how languages vary and proposed ways that speakers of different tongues may think differently. Due to lack of empirical evidence at the time, their ideas of determinism (Whorfian hypothesis) were rejected but later reinstated with a weaker, less controversial notion of linguistic relativism, suggesting how language influences thought rather than determines it. Green, 2010) Firstly many of the early studies supporting Whorf’s hypothesis derived from studies of colour perception and naming. Brown and Lenneberg, (1954) found cross-cultural differences in the speed of colour naming and recognition, related to colour terms in different languages, though the study found correlations rather than a causal relationship. Additionally later research by Roberson et al, (2000) in the Berinmo people of Papua New Guinea showed findings which do support the Whorfian hypothesis and showed evidence for an effect of language on colour perception (Green, 2010, p. 66-372). Secondly more recent experiments carried out by Boroditsky, Winawer, Withoff, Frank and Wu (2007) investigated whether linguistic differences led to differences in colour discrimination between Russian and English speakers. Unlike English speakers, Russian speakers divide the colour terms on the spectrum differently. For example Russian speakers make a distinct differentiation between lighter blues and darker blues whereas English speakers would categories all colours of blue under on label. The experiment measured colour discrimination performance using a basic perceptual task. The results showed that Russian speakers were faster to discriminate two colours if they were part of the different linguistic categories in Russian than if the two colours were from the same category. Further effects of language were seen with English speakers who did not show any category advantage under any condition hence demonstrating how categories in language can affect performance of colour discrimination or how we speak can influence how we think. Thirdly research has also investigated spatial cognition and non-linguistic tasks and has shown how different cultures spatialize time depending on the available spatial representations (Green, 2010, p. 368). For example Dutch speakers use right and left in relation to object-centered frames of reference compared with the Mayan people of South America who use the compass points (North,South,East,West) for both geographic and object-centered frames of reference. Brown and Levinson (1993) conducted a study to investigate if these different frames of reference influenced the encoding of spatial relationships. The results showed that Dutch and Tzeltal (Mayan) speakers showed differences in reconstruction of a spatial array of objects, depending on encoding in their language which provides support for the Whorfian hypothesis and also shows how we speak can influence how we think. One critique of this experiment is the location of the task was not considered. Li and Gleitman (2002) argued that changing the environment in which spatial tasks occur can change the frame of reference used. The results from their study did demonstrate that within a different environment, participants chose to use a relative frame of reference hence highlighting the importance or significance of environmental factors in determining the frame used. Finally Boroditsky, (2001) also looked at the concept of time and whether aspects of language and culture influence how we think about this domain. Her study investigated how Mandarin and English speakers represent time and whether temporal metaphors differ between the two groups. English and Mandarin speakers both use horizontal (front/back) spatial terms to talk about time but differ in the use of vertical (up/down) spatial terms which are used by Mandarin speakers but not English speakers. Participants from both groups were asked to verify statements in English about temporal relationships from a scene containing objects that were arranged either along the vertical or horizontal dimension. The results showed that both groups organize time from left to right which is consistent with their writing direction but also that Mandarin speaker’s show evidence of vertical representation of time with earlier events represented further up after vertical priming and no evidence for this in English speakers. The results of this study provide evidence for cross-cultural differences in temporal reasoning and also support for language influencing thought. However compelling this evidence is, these findings have not been replicated in later studies. To conclude, it is clear that the above recent evidence provides support that demonstrates a transactional or causal relationship between both thought and language however due to the lack of successful replication of these results and the requirement for further investigation, once cannot conclude the notion of linguistic determinism. The way we speak does not determine how we think, but is more influential in shaping some aspects and in both directions. One must also consider that certain aspects of this cognitive process are indeed innate, that we are designed with a pre-disposition to develop language as a means of communication. It is also possible that both innateness and linguistic determinism explain different components of the same process, depending on the situation and context we find ourselves in. As the field of cognitive psychology progresses and further evidence is provided we may be able to settle on one explanation or another.

Music and how it Effects Academic Performance

Music and how it Effects Academic Performance My study focuses on students at university level and why they choose listening or not listening to music while they are studying. My research is about music and performance. This fact is needed to be considered especially by the students a lot because it would help them increase concentration in their study materials and would improve their academic grades. It has been found that people who study with music have better GPAs and are higher achievers than those who arent involved in music. Music not only provides entertainment and beautiful sounds, but it has a remarkable effect on memory and learning. BACKGROUND Few years back there was a concept that music distracts the academic performance of students. Even my parents used to agree to this fact that music distracts the academic performance. But now researches show that music increases the concentration level while studying, solving problems. Now days most of the students have their own iPods and they study along with it.Advanced technology has made music accessible to everyone through internet. These people can just go on internet and through one click can download several songs of their choice in no time. Thats the reason I choosed this topic as my research. I wanted to know that does music really increases the academic performance of students. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Academic performance Pitch Tone Volume of music Music INTERVENING VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLE My dependent variable was academic performance of students LSE. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE My independent variable in this research was music. INTERVENING VARIABLE Pitch Tone Volume of music NULL HYPOTHESIS There is no relationship between any type of music and students academic performance. ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS There is a relationship between pop music and students academic performance at LSE. ALTERNATIVE DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS There is a positive relationship between academic performance of the students and music. METHODOLOGY PARTICIPANTS My research was a group based study. In order to test my hypothesis a laboratory experiment with maximum interference in the work environment hence controlling certain variables in order to study the effect of those variables. Participants were students were chosen through random sampling from LSE. These group of students belonged to the BBA honors program. APPARATUS AND PROCEDURE I-PODs Test paper having 10 multiple choice arithmetic questions and 10 multiple choice questions on comprehension passage on presentation skills SAMPLE SIZE My total sample size was 60. Which were further sub-divided into control group and an experimental group of 30students each. These groups of students were then asked to solve the arithmetic questions, read the comprehensions in the presence of music. Students answered 10 arithmetic problems, and read comprehension passages and then answer the questions given at the end, without discussing it with their peers. Later, same test was given to the control group and they solved it in the absence of music. The sample was selected using table 11.3 from the book Research Methods for Business by Uma Sekaran. The experiment which I carried out was a lab experiment consisting of experimental group and a control group. In LSE it was carried out in J1 and H2 auditoriums simultaneously under normal room temperature. In J1 I had the control group who solved the given test without music and in H2 I had experimental group which solved the similar group with the music played in I-pods which consist of music in the background. In order to measure the reliability of my testing instruments, test-retest reliability technique was used in which a group of 7 students having GPA above 3 were handed assessment worksheet. After 5 days the same students were tested by making them solve the same worksheet and both the test scored were then compared. Results were positive. Hence this proved that the instruments were highly reliable. The test papers used to measure the academic performance of students had high content validity as it consisted only of basic mathematical questions and comprehension passage. RESULTS My study showed that students who solved the test in isolation performed lesser than the ones who solved the same test while listening to music on an I-Pod. In fact the students who solved the test listening to music did so much quicker than the latter. Percentage calculated in order to determine the performance level of the groups through the marks obtained. i) Experimental Group 86.70%(520/600*100) ii) Control Group 56.50%(339/600*100) DISCUSSION Mental performance can be enhanced by exposure to music. As this research and also similar types of researches conducted worldwide showed positive results so it would be a better suggestion for the students to listen to music while reading any type of material and solving any kind of mathematical problems so as to increase their concentration level. Also music is believed to provide soothing effect to the brain cells so it is in the great advantage of the students to listen to music while reading and solving math problems as it would make them more focused on the material being studied and also would make their minds relax. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful for the cooperation and interest of my professor, Mr. Humair Hashmi, who guided me in every step of this research. It would have been impossible to finish this report without his supervision. I would also like to thank students of LSE for participating for taking the time out and participating and making this research possible. REFERENCES Textbooks Uma Sekaran (2000) Business Research Methods; a skill building approach. Fourth Edition Assessment Worksheet was taken from net and he questions were made with the help of Mrs. Asma Sattar and Prof. Shakeel Bhukari

Francis I and Henry VIII :: Francis of Angouleme France England Essays

Francis I and Henry VIII On April 27th, 1989, at Sangatte on the northern coast of France, a ceremony was held to mark the commencement of the main work on the Channel Tunnel. At the tunnel entrance stood two giant pasteboard figures. One was of Henry VIII of England and the other was of Francis I of France. Their symbolic presence at the beginning of an ambitious project designed to link England and France was especially appropriate. Henry VIII is often called a |Renaissance prince' and is popularly remembered for his ebullience and the extraordinariness of his reign. What is often not so well appreciated, is the extent to which his style of monarchy and the events of his reign were influenced by his relationship with that other |Renaissance prince', Francis I. Rarely, since their time, have France and England been so drawn together by some higher ideal or imperative. Now it is the single market and European unity. Then, it was magnificent, competitive, kingship. Francis of Angouleme was born at Cognac in western France on September 12th, 1494. The Angouleme family was a cadet branch of the royal house of Valois. Francis' father, Charles, died on January 1st, 1496, and in 1498, the boy became heir presumptive to the reigning monarch. Louis XII. From the age of fourteen Francis lived at court and was soon known in Italy and England as the rising star of France. Louis XII died leaving no surviving son and Francis succeeded him as king on January 1st, 1515. Francis's accession was greeted favourably by the French nobility. He was young, healthy, full of confidence and he immediately rejuvenated the French court. His mother, Louise of Savoy, who was a great patron of artists and intellectuals, had ensured that her son had been well educated, at least by contemporary noble standards. Francis was inspired by dreams of royal greatness and chivalric glory. This was reflected in the iconography of the early part of his reign. A recent French study has identified more than a dozen different topoi of kingship which were produced under Louise of Savoy's patronage and which were taken up by the king himself. Among the most important were; Francis as the crusading roi chevalier, as the descendant of Charlemagne, and especially, as Julius Caesar's true successor. Royal propaganda promoted two ideals or hopes for Francis's reign. These were just and effective government at home and, abroad, the revival of a French imperial heritage. Francis I and Henry VIII :: Francis of Angouleme France England Essays Francis I and Henry VIII On April 27th, 1989, at Sangatte on the northern coast of France, a ceremony was held to mark the commencement of the main work on the Channel Tunnel. At the tunnel entrance stood two giant pasteboard figures. One was of Henry VIII of England and the other was of Francis I of France. Their symbolic presence at the beginning of an ambitious project designed to link England and France was especially appropriate. Henry VIII is often called a |Renaissance prince' and is popularly remembered for his ebullience and the extraordinariness of his reign. What is often not so well appreciated, is the extent to which his style of monarchy and the events of his reign were influenced by his relationship with that other |Renaissance prince', Francis I. Rarely, since their time, have France and England been so drawn together by some higher ideal or imperative. Now it is the single market and European unity. Then, it was magnificent, competitive, kingship. Francis of Angouleme was born at Cognac in western France on September 12th, 1494. The Angouleme family was a cadet branch of the royal house of Valois. Francis' father, Charles, died on January 1st, 1496, and in 1498, the boy became heir presumptive to the reigning monarch. Louis XII. From the age of fourteen Francis lived at court and was soon known in Italy and England as the rising star of France. Louis XII died leaving no surviving son and Francis succeeded him as king on January 1st, 1515. Francis's accession was greeted favourably by the French nobility. He was young, healthy, full of confidence and he immediately rejuvenated the French court. His mother, Louise of Savoy, who was a great patron of artists and intellectuals, had ensured that her son had been well educated, at least by contemporary noble standards. Francis was inspired by dreams of royal greatness and chivalric glory. This was reflected in the iconography of the early part of his reign. A recent French study has identified more than a dozen different topoi of kingship which were produced under Louise of Savoy's patronage and which were taken up by the king himself. Among the most important were; Francis as the crusading roi chevalier, as the descendant of Charlemagne, and especially, as Julius Caesar's true successor. Royal propaganda promoted two ideals or hopes for Francis's reign. These were just and effective government at home and, abroad, the revival of a French imperial heritage.

A Ladys Maid and Cinderella :: essays papers

A Ladys Maid and Cinderella The Lady’s Maid and Cinderella: Two Similar Storylines Children’s stories are often simple, with loveable characters and a feel-good ending. However, these simple plots sometimes have an underlying meaning that may be the basis for adult stories with social, intellectual, or emotional themes. For example, The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, is not only about a girl who is looking for the way home who meets some charming friends along the way. It was written as Populist propaganda for the entire Populist movement of the early 1900’s! The children’s tale of Cinderella can be interpreted in much the same way. It portrays a young orphaned girl named Cinderella who is enslaved by her stepmother. She works diligently throughout her life, searching for love, comfort, and a home. The myth in Cinderella is very strong. The presence of a Fairy Godmother creates a supernatural element in the story. Through the mythical godmother, Cinderella eventually obtains happiness by marrying Prince Charming. In â€Å"The Ladyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Maid,† by Katherine Mansfield, the narrator and maid is named Ellen. (Name similarity?) She, much like Cinderella, is loyal and quiet in performing her daily duties. Ellen is also searching for something to complete her life. But several incidents in Ellen’s life contribute to her un-Cinderella-like ending, including the fact that she does not have a mythical figure to help her out. These scenes, which are shown through Ellen’s responses to interactions with characters around her, prove Ellen to be a very complex character. Both Ellen and Cinderella experience sadness from childhood experiences and devotion to the ladies that they serve, but whereas Cinderella overcomes her problems in the end and finds happiness, Ellen carries her emotions so deeply that she cannot break free from her enslaved life. When comparing Cinderella and Ellen, a their childhoods are obviously similar in many respects. Both the girls lack a constant loving home and a strong mother figure. Losing a parent at a young age is distressing to Cinderella in much the same way as it is for Ellen. Because the girls were never close with their parents because of death, they never developed the ties of loving mother-daughter relationships. Cinderella worked for her stepmother at a very young age, and after Ellen lived with her grandfather and an aunt, she was sent to work as a maid at age thirteen.

The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

â€Å"The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson†, arguably the most famous captivity tale of the American Indian-English genre, is considered a common illustration of the thematic style and purpose of the English captivity narrative. As â€Å"the captivity genre leant itself to nationalist agendas† (Snader 66), Rowlandson’s narrative seems to echo other captivity narratives in its bias in favor of English colonial power. Rowlandson’s tale is easy propaganda; her depiction of Native American brutality and violence in the mid-1600s is eloquent and moving, and her writing is infused with rich imagery and apt testimony that defines her religious interpretation of the thirteen-week captivity. Yet can a more comprehensive understanding of Rowlandson’s relationship to Indians exist in a closer reading of her narrative? As â€Å"captivity materials . . . are notorious for blending the real and the highly fictive† (Namias 23), can we infer the real colonial relationships of this captivity in applying a modern understanding of economic, political and cultural transformations of American Indians? Mary Rowlandson was captive under King Phillips’s wife’s sister, and varying other Algonquian masters from February 20, 1676 through May 2, 1676. She recorded her narrative â€Å"as the war was slipping away from the Indians† (Calloway 93) and published it with popular acclaim. In the context of this tumultuous time, â€Å"it would be a grave mistake to ignore the clear indications that this narrative was intended primarily as a record of the author’s spiritual practices and to assume a specific existential and moral stance in the world† (Ebersole 20). Rowlandson’s intentions for the narrative no doubt â€Å"served religious and political aim... ...ivity. Charlottesville and London: University of Virginia, 1995. Richter, Daniel K. Facing East from Indian Country: A Naà ¯ve History of Early America. Cambridge Massachusetts and London, England: Harvard, 2001. Namias, June. White Captives: Gender and Ethnicity on the American Frontier. Chapel Hill & London: University of North Carolina, 1993. Rowlandson, Mary. â€Å"The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 6 th ed., Nine Baym, General Editor. New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2003. Snader, Joe. Caught Between Worlds: British Captivity Narratives in Fact and Fiction. Lexington , KY: University of Kentucky, 2000. Vaughan, Alden T., Clark, Edward W. Puritans Among the Indians: Accounts of Captivity and Redemption. Cambridge, Massachusetts, London England: Belknap, Harvard, 1981.

Liberal Arts Study

William Cronon states in his article entitled â€Å"only connect†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the goals of liberal education that liberal education is founded on the virtues of aspiration towards the development and growth of human potential for the services of human freedom. This simply means to say that liberal education is a way by which a human being is released and brought to a place where he or she can fulfill their utmost potential.Liberal education and the study of liberal arts, for that matter, is a way of life and not simply a form of education adapted by institutions. It involves passion and girth of knowledge. It accounts for a broad understanding of various kinds of knowledge that is needed for the holistic development of an individual. In today’s society, however, is the study of liberal arts truly needed? What is the importance of studying liberal arts?One of the most important aspects of liberal arts is in the fact that it encompasses the humanities. The study of liberal art s then encourages the study of the humanities. Why is this important? What makes the humanities essential in the progress of humanity, in the continuation of an individual’s daily life?There are many skeptics, especially in this age of unending quests for money and luxury, who believe that the study of the liberal arts, in general, and of the humanities, in particular, is only for those who have time on their hands; only for those who have no plans in contributing to the fast-paced development occurring all over the world today. However, this thinking is wrong and misled in many ways. Before one can understand this, however, one must first be able to understand what the humanities are.According to A.S.P. Woodhouse in his article The Nature of Humanities, humanities is a field of study that reverts the attention or the quest for knowledge on man. It puts the focus of attention on the life of man. Other definitions of humanities state that â€Å"The essence of the humanities i s a spirit or an attitude toward humanity.† (The Humanities in American Life, 3) The humanities, then, is exactly what its name implies, the study of humans, of human life, of human way of life.However, this is very broad. If the scope of the humanities is humanity, this would indicate a near impossibility in studying it in its totality. This is why the development of the study of humanities has involved the sorting of the discipline into different interrelated fields. These include, but are not limited to, literature, art history, music history, cultural history, philosophy, dance, theater, arts, and film. All the disciplines related to humanities and through which it is studied are all centered on human values, beliefs, emotions and also the way these aspects are portrayed through the creativity of humans. (Witt, Brown, Dunbar, Tirro, and Witt, xxvi)It is clear from this description that the humanities are different on many levels from fields of knowledge such as the natural sciences. The sciences include the observation of the world we exist in. It entails creating assumptions, collecting data, and trying to create theories and laws to explain the behavior of the data collected. The humanities, the arts, on the other hand, begin with the very things that are considered irrelevant in science. It starts with the intangible things that are formulated by the creativity and imagination of a human being. The humanities begins with the world man created for himself and only then progresses to the world that is seen with the physical eye.(Frye, 23)Even from this basic explanation of the difference between humanities and science, one can see that there is no point of comparison. Both fields of knowledge are concerned with different aspects of reality. Even with this basic truth, the importance of studying the liberal arts, of studying humanities is seen. As much as there is a need to study science and to explore the world in the way that scientists wish to app roach it, there is also a need to study the liberal arts and humanities and the opposite way by which humanists approach the world. It is, quite possibly, through the intersection of the approaches of both bodies of knowledge that true reality can be understood.However, there is another reason for studying the liberal arts and the humanities. It has been studied by scientists that the human brain is cleft into two. These two hemispheres are in charge of two different aspects of human behavior. The left hemisphere is said to be important for sequences, literalness, and analysis. The right hemisphere, on the other hand, deals with context, emotional expression and synthesis. The left brain has been commonly related to the sciences while the right brain has been related to the humanities.Daniel Pink in his article Revenge of the Right Brain stresses the importance of developing the right brain. He indicates that the world is in overdrive to stick to the sciences, to emphasize the devel opment of the left brain. Computer savvy individuals are held at high esteem. Mathematicians are considered to be of top caliber in the human race. However, he points out that the future is not geared towards a simple understanding of numbers and figures. He emphasizes the need to go right, to develop the capabilities of the right brain. Individuals with the ability to create, to synthesize technology with the development of humanity, and to innovate new ways of thinking are needed.There is, therefore, a need to stretch out further than we have dared to go. The success and the development of mankind is not just in understanding the world he or she lives in but also in being able to interact with it creatively. Being a liberally educated person, says William Cronon in Only Connect, means being able to connect with the world and to interact with it in new and creative ways.This brings one to understand that, indeed, the humanities and the sciences are not separate or battling fields. In fact, the two are interrelated and should be used together for the betterment of society. In fact, without the general knowledge of all, both are indeed already converging in areas such as biomedical research, application of microprocessing and computer technologies, conduct of government, arms control, and utilization of natural resources.These are only a few of the many fields where both humanities and science are needed because of their very nature as fields with social and ethical aspects. (The Humanities in American Life, 6) It is thus clear that as much as society today emphasizes the need to develop the study of the natural sciences, it should also encourage the continuation and the development of the study of the different liberal arts and humanities.Although it is clear that there is a need to interrelate the two bodies of knowledge, the need to study the liberal arts and humanities is not simply based on the fact that it contributes to the developments of science. Scien ce is said to be a study engaged in the constant gathering of information. It involves the steady accumulation of data about the world in which man moves and grows.The liberal arts and humanities on the other hand are unorthodox with regards to the view of education as an addition of knowledge one on top of the other. This is because the liberal arts and humanities are concerned with creation. They involve processes of visualizing the future, of imagining the ideal, of creating in the mind the concept of a society and world to be hoped for. The humanities involve the study and the understanding of the culture and the cultural contexts of mankind. (Witt, Brown, Dunbar, Tirro, and Witt, xxvi) It puts things in perspective because, as the initial definition stated, it focuses on the human life.The humanities, then, involves the aspects of life and reality that are not covered by science. These are just as important, and perhaps at times more important, than the fields science handles. This is evidenced by the fact that both fields of knowledge are interrelated. This is evidence by the fact that both approach the study of life from opposite sides. This is what renders the study of humanities and liberal arts important.A.S.P. Woodhouse in his The Nature of Humanities stated,If the humanities are indeed normative, if they mold the mind and sensibility of the student and bring an accession of wisdom, it is by virtue of their subject matter, of the ideas which they present or evoke and the experiences to which they give him entry; and these ideas and experiences achieve their full effect only as they are examined critically, evaluate, and by the student made his own.This shows that the study of the liberal arts and the humanities is essential not only in the fact that its main subject of study is important. An education in the liberal arts teaches an individual to think outside the box. It teaches him or her to become a critical thinker. The world is no longer simply a place of dates, names, theories, and laws. It becomes a place of endless questions and unlimited answers; answers that can be wrong, right, or somewhere in between. The human being becomes someone with the capacity to reject or accept the validity of everything occurring around him. More importantly, man becomes someone with the capacity to create, change, and redefine the world in which he or she lives. The liberal arts and humanities empowers man and makes him the center of his world. It also humbles man, placing him in a world that continues to provoke thought, emotion, and exploration.Works CitedCommission on the Humanities. The Humanities in American Life: Report of the Commission on Humanities. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1980.Cronon, William. Only connect†¦the goals of liberal education. The American Scholar, 67(1998)Frye, Northrop. The Educated Imaginaion. Bloomington & London: Indiana University Press. 1974Pink, Daniel H. Revenge of the right brain. Wir ed Magazine, 13(2005) Retrieved 29 March 2008 from Witt, Brown, Dunbar, Tirro, and Witt. The Humanities. 7th ed. Jean Woy. Berkeley, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2005.Woodhouse, A.S.P. The nature of humanities. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1989.

I’m the King of the Castle †with close references to the text discuss the relevance of the novel’s title Essay

â€Å"I’m the King of the Castle†: with close references to the text discuss the relevance of the novel’s title. This novel tells the story of two boys who, basically, are at war with each other. At first, it is hard to understand what the point in them being at war is. There seems to be no special prize for the winner, and it is hard to find any goal which they are aiming to achieve. However, what is evident , is that there is a strong drive to war behind one of the boys, and this rubs off on to the other boy has he tries to counteract. ‘I’m the king of the castle†¦ and your the dirty rascal’ This is well known children’s playground saying. It is said by a child who finds himself in a position, where he perceives himself standing higher, than any other child around him. This saying is usually just passed off as a bit of child play. However, I believe that it illustrates a natural instinct amongst humans. And, as a dominating theme of this novel is human instinct, we can see that there is a relevance to the title. The human instincts that are illustrated are, the desire to have their own home and space, where they are free to do what they like, and also to acquire territory. If you take a look at almost any history text book, you will see that wars dominate. The whole of human history is riddled with wars. Wars have become landmarks in the history of civilised human society. All these wars, all these lives lost, stem from one thing, the instinct among humans to acquire territory and the instinct among humans to defend and not to back down. Not to back down, from invaders, persecution or oppression. Susan Hill demonstrates this in her characters, Kingshaw and Hooper , in ‘I’m the king of the Castle’. At first we read about Hooper. We read about his family history, and about Warings, a house which is part of the Hooper family history. Hooper didn’t think much of the house physically. â€Å"It was an ordinary house, he thought†. However, we go on to learn that there were aspects which he did like. â€Å"the idea it was his, the idea of family history, pleased him† This statement reflects a lot about Hooper. It shows that he likes owning things, he may like the feeling of being superior, ruling over places, having his own home, his own territory. This is shown , in his reaction , when he learns that Kingshaw is coming to stay. † ‘It is my house’, he thought , ‘†¦I got here first’ † . Hooper’s territorial instincts are revealed, when he immediately resists the idea of Kingshaw coming to stay in his house and shows a dislike for him , even though he has not met him- thus starting a conflict situation from the beginning, a typical human reaction. Hooper views Kingshaw as a threat- a person who could take from him. Kingshaw finds a piece of paper, upon which was written in bold capital letters . â€Å"I DIDN’T WANT YOU TO COME HERE â€Å". From here on , Hopper treats Kingshaw with disdain and resentment. We learn that Hooper confronts his unwanted guest , ‘Hooper said, † why have you come here?† ‘ By saying this Hooper strongly suggests to Kingshaw that he is not wanted . Not only did he treat Kingshaw as an intruder into his house, Hooper also wanted to assert a superior position as the king of his castle . â€Å"‘When my father dies,’†¦ ‘this house will belong to me, I shall be master'† The statements by Hooper to Kingshaw shows an clear relevance to the title of the book because effectively, Hooper is saying â€Å"I’m the king of the castle†. ‘I’m the king of the castle ,your the dirty rascal’ this is also a game played by children. Hooper , sometimes seems as though he is playing games with Kingshaw, almost like he is using him as a toy, or scoring points every time Kingshaw is made to feel bad by him. He tries to find different ways of insulting Kingshaw, putting him down, scaring him, putting him in situations he doesn’t like, and generally making his life unpleasant. We see a number of examples in which Hooper succeeds in doing this. In Chapter X we read about how Hooper alleges to Joseph Hooper, Hooper’s father, and Kingshaw’s mother, Helena Kingshaw, that Kingshaw was to blame for his injury. Hooper claimed that Kingshaw pushed him while they were in the woods together. â€Å"It was Kingshaw, it was Kingshaw, he pushed me in the water.† This is in fact completely untrue. His bruised head was caused by an accident on his part. By saying this, Hooper is trying to make Kingshaw feel unwanted. This is one example of the tactics he uses in the game he is playing with Hooper. An other example of how Hooper scores points over Kingshaw, is by making him feel inferior. This is done right throughout the book. In Chapter VI, Hooper talks about Kingshaw’s mother , as a servant to Hooper’s father, that Kingshaw is simply the son of someone who works for his father. He even says â€Å"she [Kingshaw’s mother] has to do what my father says, and that means you have to do what I say† That would either make Kinshaw angry, or feel inferior, probably a bit of both. Hooper would definitely have felt that he had got one over Kingshaw in any case. The title , is also relevant because we also know that Hooper behaviour reveals his concept of territory and possession is strong. He expects to succeed to his fathers house , after his fathers death, and as owner of the house, he will expect to be obeyed and that people will do as he says. Hooper also enjoyed drawing up plans for battles to defend his territory, for example, we learn that in Hoppers bedroom , † ‘ the battle charts with its coloured pins and flags and symbols , was propped up on its easel. On the table were Hooper’s long lists of regiments..,† ‘. We are reminded again that ownership of property , makes people like Hooper feel important, like a king in his castle, ready to defend at a moments notice. Conflicts and wars often start with fights by kings over the ownership of castles and territory . In conclusion the title of the book , remained relevant throughout the story ,through to the end , when Hooper eventually got the better of Kingshaw , who in the end took his own life. Even then Hooper saw this incident as a triumph, just as a king in his castle might do , if he had won a victorious struggle. We read that Hooper discovers Kingshaw had died , and then † ‘ Hooper thought suddenly , it is because of me , and a spurt of triumph went through him† ‘.

Analysis of The Notebook Essay

The Notebook begins at a nursing home where an elderly man called â€Å"Duke† reads a love story that is written in a notebook to an elderly woman who is also a patient. The story is set in Seabrook Island, South Carolina where a local boy by the name of Noah Calhoun falls in love with a young heiress named Allie Hamilton. In order to get her to go on a date with him, Noah climbs up a Ferris wheel at the local carnival and threatens to jump off unless she agrees to go out with him. Their first date is at the movies and ends with the two dancing in the street. The end of their date leads into a beautiful summer love affair where the two fall deeply in love with each other. Allies parents are dead set against the two young people being together; this is mainly due to Noah’s status (being poor) in the world. Eventually the two break-up and Allie returns home to Charleston with her parents. Even though the two are apart they are still very much in love with each other. Noah writes a letter to Allie every day for one year; unfortunately Allies mother intercepts the letters and does not give them to her daughter. Since neither one hears from the other they decide that they have no choice but to move on. Noah goes on to fight in World War II, while Allie goes on to college and then volunteers as a nurse who cares for wounded soldiers. During her time as a volunteer Allie meets Lon; a young lawyer who comes from old money. The two date for a while and then one night while out with her parents Lon proposes to Allie and she accepts. Even though she is engaged to someone else Allie still thinks about Noah. In the meantime Noah returns home from the war and sees Allie eating at a restaurant with Lon and catches the two of them kissing. Noah decides to go back home and restore the plantations house, thinking that if he can finish it then Allie will eventually come back to him. One day while searching for her wedding dress Allie sees a picture of Noah and the finished house in the paper. Allie decides that she must go back and see Noah. Upon her arrival the two talk for a while and then eat dinner. L ater the next day he takes Allie for a boat ride out on the river and shows her the swans. On the way back it is storming and Allie finally asks Noah why he never wrote to her. Here she finds out that Noah did in fact write to her and after arguing for a while the two ends up making love. The next day Allies mother  shows up and gives her the letters that Noah had written all those years ago and tells her that she needs to make a choice. Eventually Allie chooses Noah and she breaks off her engagement with Lon. In the present we find that â€Å"Duke† is actually Noah and the elderly woman is Allie. The two have been married happily all of these years. The reason that Noah has been reading this notebook love story to her is because Allie has dementia and at times his retelling her the story helps her to remember. At the very end of the movie Allie asks Noah if he thinks that their love is strong enough to take them away together, meaning die together. He believes that it is and the two lie down on the bed wrapped in each other’s arms and die peacefully. I found this movie to be very touching, sad, and happy all at the same time. The way the tw o loved each other so fully and completely through everything is something that I believe is clearly lacking in today’s world. Through most of the movie we find Allie holding her emotions in, fearful of hurting those that she cares about. We can see this when she finally concedes to her parents’ wishes and moves back to Charleston. We also see this when she accepts Lon’s proposal, not just because she cares and loves him, but because he is what her parents would have chosen (and approved of) for her. Another major place where we see this is towards the end when she is trying to make her decision on whom to be with. In each instance we find her extremely fearful of expressing her emotions. Another issue that we see through the movie is inadequate interpersonal skills. This is one of the hardest communication obstacles to overcome. This is because many people simple do not know how to express their emotions. While this can be seen with all the arguing that occurs between Noah and Allie; we also see it more subtly with Allie and her mother. This is because Allie and her mother never simply sit dow n and talk to each other about the issue of the relationship between Noah and Allie. Instead of explaining to Allie from the beginning how she felt and why she felt that way about the relationship she instead decided to yell and hide the letters that Noah had written. Had the two learned to communicate better from the beginning it would have saved a lot of heartache. Through this movie we can also see the Socialization Theory at work. This theory talks about the different ways that men and women are taught to express their emotions. During this movie we see Allie’s mother hold her emotions in when it comes to anything other than he  daughter’s actions. Anne is what would be considered the perfect southern woman. She does not express any negative emotions in public setting; instead she keeps them to herself. We can also see this with her father and how he ever so eloquently addresses Noah and his unhappiness with him seeing his daughter. In both respects Allies parents act emotionally how the upper class of southern society would expected to. This movie shows every aspect of a relationship, from the good to the bad. It shows that no relationship is perfect; they all have their ups and there downs. While many different elements of em otional communication can be seen, for me the concepts of fear, inadequate interpersonal skills and the socialization theory are the most appropriate. I believe that this movie can teach all people something about relationships.

Attitudes Towards Error Correction Essay

Introduction The present study focuses on the way in which error correction is done and the significance of errors in the Romanian context. In designing it, I did not use my knowledge on causes of errors as I was not interested to find out whether it can be established a correlation between students’ mother tongue, the target language and the production of errors. I oriented this study towards a narrower issue: the attitudes of teachers, students and native speakers of Romanian towards error correction. In order to do this, I used the following classification of correction techniques: self – correction, peer correction and teacher correction. My research instrument for finding out teachers’ and learners’ attitudes towards error correction was the questionnaire. In constructing my questionnaires my sources were David Nunan’s books entitled ‘Language Teaching Methodology. A Textbook for Teachers’ (1991) and ‘Research Methods in Language Learning’ (1995).The questionnaire is a research instrument which involves asking questions of other people and it is classified as ‘introspective’, since it involves respondents reporting on themselves, their views, their beliefs and so on. According to Nunan (1995:115) ‘introspection is the process of observing and reflecting on one’s thoughts, feelings, motives, reasoning processes, and mental states with a view to determining the ways in which these processes and states determine our behaviour’.Very often the questionnaire is answered by reading the questions and then ticking responses, or by writing in short answers. Thus, it is easier for the researcher to deal with the data collected and this is one of the reasons I chose it. The Theory of Questionnaire Design and Analysis Questionnaire preparation †¢Purpose The first thing to be very clear about was the purpose, that is, I had to know exactly the reason why I was setting up the questionnaire and what I wanted to find out. I tried to imagine the range of responses in order to know whether they would tell me what I needed to know. †¢Handling the data Again, it was important to imagine the completed responses. They needed to be in a form that was simple and convenient to analyse. This meant organising the questionnaire form so that it would be easy for me to record and discuss the results. †¢Practical details I needed to know how many copies of the questionnaire I would need and how I was going to ensure the maximum return completed questionnaires. †¢Anonymity I established whether the questionnaires were going to be anonymous. In case of anonymity, people might be more honest and informative in their responses. In case of non-anonymity, I might have been able to have follow-up interviews on selected questionnaires. I might also have been able to send reminders to those who had not responded. Questionnaire Design †¢Clarity It had to clear the informants why they were filling in the questionnaire: what was intended to achieve. It had to be clear whether or not the questionnaire was supposed to be anonymous. The instructions had to be very clear and explicit. The informants had to know whether the answers were to be ticked, crossed, circled or written out and where. †¢Simplicity I needed to know whether the questionnaire was laid out in a straightforward manner and whether the layout helped respondents to find their way through it. †¢Types of questions Questionnaire items can be relatively closed or open ended. A closed item is one in which the range of possible responses is determined by the researcher. In contrast, an open item is one in which the subject can decide what to say and how to say it. Questionnaires can consist entirely of closed questions, entirely of open questions, or a mixture of closed and open questions. The advantage of closed questions is that they usually make the questionnaire easier and quicker to fill in. they also make for quicker and more reliable scoring of the responses. The disadvantages of the closed questions are that they usually take longer to devise than open questions. Instructions on how to answer them have to be very clear. This means that the questionnaire designer has to anticipate all or most of the possible answers, so there may be little unexpected information in the responses. One corresponding advantage of open questions is that they are comparatively easy to design, but one may have some difficulties in trying to score and analyse the responses. It is also likely that responses to open questions reflect what the respondent wants to say. †¢Relevance Probably the most frequent mistake in designing questionnaires is asking unnecessary or irrelevant questions: for example, wanting to know whether the respondent is male or female, when his information has nothing to do with the purpose of questionnaire. †¢User – friendliness A lot of what I have been saying can be summarised by making the point that, since no one enjoys answering questionnaires, they should be made as ‘user – friendly’ as possible. This means they should not be too long, they should not be intensive (e.g. by asking questions that may embarrass the respondents) and they should not be confusing or perplexing. Piloting the Questionnaire An issue that affects questionnaires is that they should be piloted to see whether they work as planned. Even if I was going to distribute only a small number of questionnaires, I had to try them out on one or two people beforehand. In the piloting stage, I inquired: †¢whether the instructions were clear and easy to follow; †¢whether the questions were clear; †¢whether the respondents were able to answer all the questions; †¢whether the respondents found any of the questions irrelevant, patronising or irritating; †¢how long the questionnaire took the respondents to complete; †¢whether the respondents had any comments or suggestions that would help to make my questionnaire more effective. I piloted my questionnaires on two students. Drawing on the lessons learnt from the pilot I made the following changes: †¢I gave clear written instructions; †¢I eliminated questions five and six as they weren’t very clear and their answers were included in the variants of question seven †¢I changed the third variant from question three. Instead ‘uncomfortable’ I used the term ‘embarrassed’ as I thought that when producing an error students might show a sensation of embarrassment. This may be the result of teacher’s and even their classmates’ presence, more than a sensation of discomfort, which cannot be clearly defined. The questions that were unclear were given clear instructions about how to answer them. I tried to make my questionnaire user-friendly by changing the introduction. The questionnaire for learners was given in Romanian, as my subjects were beginners. As I was interested in teachers’ opinions I constructed a separate questionnaire. I piloted it on one teacher. After the piloting stage I made the following changes: I made my questionnaire user friendly by changing the introduction and I gave clear instructions about how to answer the questions. In addition I made a questionnaire for native speakers of Romanian as I thought that by administering it I might get useful and interesting opinions that could help me draw some conclusions concerning error correction in general and not necessary in the context of teaching / learning English. The purpose of questions Questionnaire for learners of English Question 1: to see how they find out learning English. Question 2: to find out what importance students give to error correction Question 3: to see how they feel when committing an error Question 4: to see whether they learn from their errors Question 5: to see what correction techniques students usually prefer Question 6: to find out which correction techniques students find more useful Question 7: to see whether they are interested in the errors committed Question 8: to find out what colour students prefer the teacher to use when providing correction Questionnaire for teachers of English Question 1: to know what is the respondents’ experience in teaching English Question 2: to see how they found teaching English Question 3: to find out what colour teachers use when providing correction Question 4: to find out the way in which correction is carried out Question 5: to find out the way in which they correct errors Question 6: to know what correction techniques teachers use in classroom Question 7: to find out which of the correction techniques teachers find to be more useful Question 8: to see whether they are aware of students’ feelings concerning correction Question 9: to know what they think to be the results of correction Questionnaire for native speakers of Romanian Question 1: to find out the respondents’ age Question 2: to know how they find learning a foreign language Question 3: to see what importance they give to correction Question 4: to see their attitudes when committing errors Question 5: to see whether or not they learn out of correction Question69: to find out what correction technique they prefer Question 7: to see what correction techniques have a greater utility Data Analysis I have administered the questionnaires to 10 students (beginners, studying English as a foreign language), 10 teachers of English and 10 native speakers of Romanian. When selecting the teachers I thought of getting answers from different ones, that is from middle school teachers, high school teachers and even university teachers. I also chose teachers being in their first years of teaching and experienced ones. The native speakers of Romanian were selected on the following criteria: they had nothing in common with the context of teaching / learning and they did not learn any foreign language except for the period when they were students, but they do not use it anymore. Quantitative Data Analysis The questionnaire for learners of English Q1. Nine students consider English as being easy to be learnt and one student considers it difficult to learn. Q2.All the students say that it is very important ‘being corrected’ Q3. Seven students feel encouraged when their attention is drawn to errors committed, while three students feel discouraged about this. Q4. All the students argue that they learn from their errors. Q5.Seven students say that they prefer to be corrected only by the teacher, while three prefer to correct themselves after the teacher has indicated the errors. Q6.All the students consider that they learn more from the correction provided by the teacher. Q7.All the students say that when they get back their papers with correction provided by the teacher, they look at them in order to avoid the errors committed. Q8.All the students say that they prefer their teacher to use a red pencil when correcting their work. The questionnaire for teachers of English Q1.Five respondents have been teaching English between 0-3 years, four between 4-6 years and one for more than 10 years. Q2.Seven teachers find teaching English to be difficult, while three find it easy. Q3. Eight teachers say that they use red colour when correcting students’ work and one teacher says that he / she uses a pencil when doing this. Teacher 4 says that he / she uses both red and blue. Q4.Five teachers write in the correct form when correcting errors, four give hint what it should be and two simply indicate something was wrong. Q5.Four teachers write in the correct form when correcting errors, four give hint what it should be and two simply indicate something was wrong. Q6.Three teachers say that they use only teacher correction in classroom, while two say they use peer correction. Five teachers use more than a correction technique. Here are their answers: Teacher 1 uses both self-correction and peer correction. Teacher 4 uses peer correction and teacher correction. Teacher 5 uses self-correction and teacher correction. Teachers 6 and 7 use all the techniques. Q7.Six teachers consider that self-correction helps students improve their knowledge, one teacher considers that it is peer correction that helps students and one teacher considers that teacher correction helps students more than the other two correction techniques. Teacher 6 considers that all types of correction techniques help students, while Teacher 7 considers that only self-correction and teacher correction is useful. Q8.Four teachers say that the students feel discouraged when given back a paper full of corrected errors, four say that students feel embarrassed, while two say that students feel encouraged. Q9.Eight teachers think that students learn from the corrections they provide for a written paper, while two teachers think that students don’t learn from this. The questionnaire for native speakers of Romanian Q1.The respondents are between 22 and 57 years old. Q2.Six of them find easy to learn a foreign language, while four find it difficult. Q3.Nine respondents consider correction as being very important, while one respondent ranks it as important. Q4. Nine respondents say that they feel embarrassed when their attention is drawn to errors committed while one respondent feels encouraged about that. Q5.All the respondents say that they learn from the errors they usually commit. Q6.Five respondents express their preference for self-correction, while five prefer to be corrected by other people. Q7.Five respondents argue that they learn more from self-correction and five say they learn more from the correction provided to them by other people. Qualitative Data Analysis The learners of English and the native speakers of Romanian consider learning a foreign language, English in this case, to be easy. Conversely, the teachers consider teaching English to be a difficult task. All the respondents consider being very important to be corrected when committing an error. That is why they argue that they usually learn from the errors committed in order to avoid them. Both learners and teachers of English showed their preference for teacher correction in the classroom. However, few students prefer self-correction, but only after the errors have been indicated to them by the teacher. I consider that to be a different way of teacher correction, a more blurred one. What I mean is that teachers should give learners a free hand in correcting errors, but also in getting them used to the identification of errors. I think this is one of the reasons why students, although some of them prefer self-correction to be used, argue that they learn more from the corrections provided by the teachers. They are not accustomed yet to freely express their opinions and I would argue that this might be owing to the tradition of learning in Romania. However, teachers argue that students learn more from self-correction. Taking into account the ideas provided by Julian Edge (1993:10) regarding self-correction: ‘People usually prefer to put their errors right than be corrected by someone else. Also, self-correction is easier to remember, because someone has put something right in his or her own head’, one may say that teachers are absolutely right when maintaining this point of view. But how can students learn more from self-correction if the majority of teachers argue that they usually prefer teacher correction as a technique? However, there are some teachers who use self-correction in classroom, while some use peer correction. Of course, when using peer correction one must keep in mind the disadvantages of this technique. Regarding the way in which teachers correct learners’ written work it was surprising to find out that some, not too many anyway, do not correct any of the errors committed, but simply indicate, probably by means of symbols or underlining, that something was wrong. They use red for correcting errors and this is in agreement with learners’ expectations about this matter. The utilization of a different colour, when correcting errors, that is red, may be explained as a way of making students be more aware of the errors they commit. As a conclusion of the matter of correction techniques, I consider that all of them (i.e. self-correction, peer correction and teacher correction) should be used in classrooms, either when correcting written work or speaking. That is why some of the teachers who were administered the questionnaire chose more than one answer to the question dealing with this issue, being aware of certain advantages, and even disadvantages which, of course when noticed, should be avoided while using one or another correction technique. The following table summarises the respondents’ attitudes towards the correction techniques and their usefulness.