Philosophie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Philosophie - Essay Example The second part, on the other hand, will compare some important concepts that have been forwarded by each of them in order to underscore some important lessons. The last part will conclude this paper by stating the relevance of each of their views in the subsequent studies on the philosophy of the mind—how their analyses guided various schools of thought pertaining to metaphysica and the mind-body problem (philosophies of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rene Descartes, and Martin Heiddeger). To Plato, the physical world is nothing but an immitation of a perfect world, as stated clearly in the article entitled "Plato Overview" (Clark 1). Physical objects are construed as beings lacking the state of perfection. In this regard, the humans’ acquisition of sensible experiences gives them what Plato called ’opinions or beliefs’ (Clark 2). Such position, as reinforced in an academic paper entitled "Temporal Platonic Metaphysics," is based on the assumption that: (1) physical objects can only be regarded as imperfect versions of their perfect counterparts and (2) humans’ senses can only grasp these imperfect characteristics of physical objects (Mikovic 1). Following this reasoning and connecting this to his position on the nature of the human mind, Plato then recognized the need to transcend physicality as he regarded humans as more spiritual than physical. In Plato’s renowned metaphor, humans are souls trapped in physical bodies. Such conception of the state of ’being trapped’ is both revolutionary and developmental—revolutionary because it introduced the concept of non-materiality as another facet of humanity, and developmental because it highlighted the proper way through which the spiritual or ideal state of objects could be grasped. While humans gain sensible experiences through the physical contact with physical objects (as mediated by the five senses), such occurrence is made possible by the author and governor of the visible world of appearances called

Building Positive Relationships in Children Essay Example for Free

Building Positive Relationships in Children Essay To help your child understand feelings you could do a feeling chart or make a feeling tree in your home. To make a feelings chart just draw out faces with how there expression might be when they are feeling that way an do the expressions yourself when showing them. This will give your child a better understanding of their feelings and how they can express them through facial expressions. For a feeling tree its much the same idea as a feeling card but you just take in a branch from a tree and stick the faces with the expressions on it. this will help a child express themselves when they can’t do it through facial expressions. The Significance of friendship Buy them some books with plenty of colourful pictures with the theme of friendship and them to them.this will help show them how nice it is to have friends and how to make them and keep them. It is only after the age of three that children can incorperate other children into their playtime activities so at around this age ask other parents if they would like to make a playdate for their child and yours n a regular basis.this will get your child used to other childrens company.you can also talk about what they did together at dinner or quiet time alone and encourage them to do it again. Communication and Respect To help your child with communication you need to be a good example to them.talk to them as much as you can about your day and ask how theirs was.even talking about their favourite tv programme would be good as they will be more likely to talk about something that they’re interested in. To teach them about respect you need to set a good example for this as well. Giving them boundaries will also help and treating them with respect will encourage them to do the same to you. Factors that impact/Motivate children Tou tourself have a major impact on your child.they learn from how you react to situations and other peaople and will use this as a guide for themselves. Also the tv programmes that they watch will make an impact on them and can also motivate them to try new things that they wouldn’t of thought of themselves. .

Humanity in Brave New World Essays -- Literature

Humanity in Brave New World For years, authors and philosophers have satirized the â€Å"perfect† society to incite change. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley describes a so-called utopian society in which everyone is happy. This society is a â€Å"controlled environment where technology has essentially [expunged] suffering† (â€Å"Brave New World†). A member of this society never needs to be inconvenienced by emotion, â€Å"And if anything should go wrong, there's soma† (Huxley 220). Citizens spend their lives sleeping with as many people as they please, taking soma to dull any unpleasant thoughts that arise, and happily working in the jobs they were conditioned to want. They are genetically altered and conditioned to be averse to socially destructive things, like nature and families. They are trained to enjoy things that are socially beneficial: â€Å"'That is the secret of happiness and virtue – liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people lik e their inescapable social destiny'† (Huxley 16). Citizens operate more like machinery, and less like humans. Humanity is defined as â€Å"the quality of being human† (â€Å"Humanity†). To some, humanity refers to the aspects that define a human: love, compassion and emotions. Huxley satirizes humanity by dehumanizing the citizens in the Brave New World society. Huxley deletes love from society to satirize humanity. In the society, in order to maintain stability, â€Å"'The greatest care is taken to prevent you from loving any one too much'† (Huxley 237). If you have no loved ones, you have no one to mourn. When a citizen dies, life continues on as usual; there is no loss in efficiency. Huxley learned at a young age that grieving for a loved one is part of being a human: â€Å"At the age of 14 Aldous... ...dure the hardships of life in order to enjoy the blessings. Sadness is a defining characteristic of a human being: â€Å"In spite of their sadness-- because of it, even; for their sadness was the symptom of their love for one another-- the three young men were happy† (Huxley 242). Sadness is a symptom of joy. Loss is a symptom of love. But Huxley knew that it is worth it to feel both pain and happiness instead of nothing. Without these defining characteristics of humanity, all that remains is a stable, well-oiled machine, certainly not a group of human beings. Works Cited "Aldous Huxley – Biography." Egs.edu. The European Graduate School. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. "Brave New World Theme of Suffering." Shmoop. Shmoop. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. "Humanity." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Bros, 1932. Print. Humanity in Brave New World Essays -- Literature Humanity in Brave New World For years, authors and philosophers have satirized the â€Å"perfect† society to incite change. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley describes a so-called utopian society in which everyone is happy. This society is a â€Å"controlled environment where technology has essentially [expunged] suffering† (â€Å"Brave New World†). A member of this society never needs to be inconvenienced by emotion, â€Å"And if anything should go wrong, there's soma† (Huxley 220). Citizens spend their lives sleeping with as many people as they please, taking soma to dull any unpleasant thoughts that arise, and happily working in the jobs they were conditioned to want. They are genetically altered and conditioned to be averse to socially destructive things, like nature and families. They are trained to enjoy things that are socially beneficial: â€Å"'That is the secret of happiness and virtue – liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people lik e their inescapable social destiny'† (Huxley 16). Citizens operate more like machinery, and less like humans. Humanity is defined as â€Å"the quality of being human† (â€Å"Humanity†). To some, humanity refers to the aspects that define a human: love, compassion and emotions. Huxley satirizes humanity by dehumanizing the citizens in the Brave New World society. Huxley deletes love from society to satirize humanity. In the society, in order to maintain stability, â€Å"'The greatest care is taken to prevent you from loving any one too much'† (Huxley 237). If you have no loved ones, you have no one to mourn. When a citizen dies, life continues on as usual; there is no loss in efficiency. Huxley learned at a young age that grieving for a loved one is part of being a human: â€Å"At the age of 14 Aldous... ...dure the hardships of life in order to enjoy the blessings. Sadness is a defining characteristic of a human being: â€Å"In spite of their sadness-- because of it, even; for their sadness was the symptom of their love for one another-- the three young men were happy† (Huxley 242). Sadness is a symptom of joy. Loss is a symptom of love. But Huxley knew that it is worth it to feel both pain and happiness instead of nothing. Without these defining characteristics of humanity, all that remains is a stable, well-oiled machine, certainly not a group of human beings. Works Cited "Aldous Huxley – Biography." Egs.edu. The European Graduate School. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. "Brave New World Theme of Suffering." Shmoop. Shmoop. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. "Humanity." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Bros, 1932. Print.

Major Crime

†¢What is the purpose of major crime-reporting programs? What makes a successful crime-reporting program in the United States? The purpose for major crime-reporting programs is to try to improve the methology and to publish the collective data. So by having major crime-reporting programs the law enforcement agencies are able to get information and also collect data to figure out the crime patterns of the nation instead of just one spot. This is hard though because not all of the crimes that end up happening get reported. So by this being said not everything can go into the crime-reporting programs.I think the government needs to try to find another way to get these â€Å"smaller† none reported crimes to be reported. What makes a successful crime reporting program in the United States is that most of the crimes do get reported the way that they should, and that the police officers are doing their job to the best of their abilities. I think it could be stepped up a notch an d maybe put camaras in the cruisers so the crimes that do not get reported at least have a sign to get reported. †¢How do crime rates relate to arrest rates and clearance rates?Is there a way to improve the correlation between crime rates, arrest rates, and clearance rates in the effort to combat criminal activity? Crime rates are when the number is divided by the total number of crimes that are what they called â€Å"cleared. † This is when the crime is closed, finished or they found the criminal in whatever was going on with the crime. To combat criminal activity the police can gather the information from the UCR (uniform crime report). From what I was reading â€Å" clearance rates is the percentage of crimes that have been closed by arrest, exceptional means, etc. So in my opinion to help improve the correlation between crime rates, arrest rates and clearance rates, is to get all the facts straight. Do not jump from one to the other. Gather all the information that you can, and see what is going on, get cases closed or any old cases if they were closed because in significant evidence see if there is anything that you can do to change the out come and re-open the close case to get it closed the right way and find out what really happened. http://en. allexperts. com/q/Criminal-Law-916/2010/10/crime-rates. htm

McDonald’s global marketing strategy (GMS) Essay

1. Identify the key elements in McDonald’s global marketing strategy (GMS). In particular, how does McDonald’s approach the issue of standardization? Does McDonald’s think global and act local? Does it also think local and act global? McDonald’s global marketing strategy is based on combination of global and local marketing mix elements. For the first elements in McDonald’s global marketing strategy (GMS) is a vital elements in McDonald’s business model restaurants system that can be set up virtually anywhere in the world and the restaurants themselves offer the consumers a chance to experience for themselves a fast food legend. McDonald’s business model, depicted by the â€Å"three-legged stool† of owner/operators, suppliers, and company employees, is their foundation, and balancing the interests of all three groups. Second elements are McDonald’s offers core menu items like hamburgers, French fries and soft drinks in mo st countries. The popularity of American-style hamburgers, fries, and soft drinks is growing around the world, supporting Levitt’s view of the global village. For the price, the average price of Big Mac in the United States is $3.54. Globalization involves developing marketing strategies as though the world is a single entity, marketing standardized products in the same way everywhere. Globalized organizations employ standardized products, promotional campaigns, prices and distribution channels for all markets. Brand name, product characteristics, packaging and labeling are the easiest of the marketing mix variables to standardize. One of the aims of McDonald’s is to create a standardized set of items that taste the same whether in India, China or South Africa. McDonald’s seeks to serve its customers with the same quality product and experience, whether that restaurant is located in Moscow, Kiev or Russia. This requires standardized processes and similar quality ingredients. The table below is the examples of effective global marketing of McDonald’s: Marketing Mix Element

Free Essays on Domestic Partners And Benefits

Benefits and Domestic Partners â€Å"Diversity† has been an increasingly popular buzzword in the workplace over the last several years. Traditionally, approaches to diversity primarily referred to the manner in which companies addressed legislative and regulatory issues of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action related to race and gender. In today’s business culture, diversity has become a strategy that will increase a company’s ability to remain competitive in the face of changing demographics and the rapid globalization of business. Many companies, both public and private, have recognized the need to take advantage of the variety of skills and experiences that today’s diverse workforce offers. Recognition of this diversity has brought to the forefront new issues that employers must address. Equitably managing the employee benefits portion of a compensation package is one such issue. Since employee benefits can account for 30 to 40 percent of an employee’s co mpensation, the manner in which these benefits are offered and administered can have a significant impact for both the employer and the employee (Isaacson 1). In particular, the issue of offering domestic partner benefits has caused considerable debate. "Domestic partnership" is defined in this paper as two adults in an ongoing, emotional and financial relationship similar to a marriage, who cannot legally marry or who are not married. While some people feel that domestic partner benefits are not cost effective and are morally wrong, many companies have realized that to accurately value the diversity of their workforce they must offer domestic partner benefits, therefore domestic partner benefits should not be an issue. In today’s competitive marketplace, companies must look at every decision with an eye towards cost effectiveness. Initially, costs were the primary concern when the first companies began to contemplate offering domestic partner be... Free Essays on Domestic Partners And Benefits Free Essays on Domestic Partners And Benefits Benefits and Domestic Partners â€Å"Diversity† has been an increasingly popular buzzword in the workplace over the last several years. Traditionally, approaches to diversity primarily referred to the manner in which companies addressed legislative and regulatory issues of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action related to race and gender. In today’s business culture, diversity has become a strategy that will increase a company’s ability to remain competitive in the face of changing demographics and the rapid globalization of business. Many companies, both public and private, have recognized the need to take advantage of the variety of skills and experiences that today’s diverse workforce offers. Recognition of this diversity has brought to the forefront new issues that employers must address. Equitably managing the employee benefits portion of a compensation package is one such issue. Since employee benefits can account for 30 to 40 percent of an employee’s co mpensation, the manner in which these benefits are offered and administered can have a significant impact for both the employer and the employee (Isaacson 1). In particular, the issue of offering domestic partner benefits has caused considerable debate. "Domestic partnership" is defined in this paper as two adults in an ongoing, emotional and financial relationship similar to a marriage, who cannot legally marry or who are not married. While some people feel that domestic partner benefits are not cost effective and are morally wrong, many companies have realized that to accurately value the diversity of their workforce they must offer domestic partner benefits, therefore domestic partner benefits should not be an issue. In today’s competitive marketplace, companies must look at every decision with an eye towards cost effectiveness. Initially, costs were the primary concern when the first companies began to contemplate offering domestic partner be...

Sports Massage essays

Sports Massage essays How ya holdin up, kid? The old man in a pit-stained wife beater with his right cheek pressed close against his prized fighter whispers more words of encouragement as his hands knead into the fighters shoulders and as they both stare across the ring at the powerhouse pugilist that has already done so much damage. Keep on him-youre doing great, Rocky. In this classic moment from Rocky, the cinematic fervor is at a boiling point. The bout of bouts between the underdog, Rocky, and the Ali-esque punching prodigy, Apollo, is in full swing, with the above exchange being a brief respite from the mounting four corner action. In the world of celluloid, this breather from the gloved gala serves as a much needed mental boost for Rocky whos getting the rough end of the wallop stick. However in the world of sports massage, old Mickey , by kneading Rockys shoulders and back during his little pep talk is performing an immediate and highly beneficial task-namely increasing blood flow through the muscles involved in fighting which equals faster removal of toxins and therefore better performance. And here, in a cinematic nutshell, is the driving principle behind the widely practiced theory of sports massage. Sports massage has its roots in the school of tactile healing known as Swedish massage, which was developed by Dr. Per Henrik Ling during the 1820s. There are five main massage movements used in Swedish massage and which are all borrowed in the practice of sports massage: effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, friction, and vibration. Effleurage involves a stroking motion of the hands over muscle tissue, while petrissage is the motion associated with kneading. Used in conjunction these two motions promote circulation of blood through muscle tissue. Tapotement , as its name suggests, is a tapping or thumping motion of the hands across muscle tissue to warm up the tissue for deepe...

10 Unprofessional Habits That Could Get You Fired

10 Unprofessional Habits That Could Get You Fired We all have bad habits. And no single one will ever cost you your livelihood. But chances are we have other habits we might not be aware of, and there are some of these that could make you seem just unprofessional enough to cost you. Take a look at this list of particularly glaring habits and make sure that if you have any, you don’t have many. And start trying to correct anything that could deem you unprofessional at work.1. ProcrastinatingWe all do this to some extent or another. And it can actually increase productivity when done in a constructive way. But if you’re a chronic putter-offer, chances are your output and performance are slipping and you should probably think about getting more things done each day.2. LyingThere is really no excuse for lying. Chances are you will get caught, and there is almost never an excuse good enough to justify this behavior. Never misrepresent yourself, your experience or credentials. Never take credit for anyone else’s work. Never fudge the numbers. And don’t call in sick unless you’re sick. Keep it clean and keep your job.3. TardinessWhether you roll in 10 minutes late to every meeting or you’re just always a little late for the 9 a.m. clock-in, you’re showing your boss and coworkers that their time is less valuable than yours- all because you just had to spend that extra five minutes with your curling iron or to get your latte for your commute. Be on time and keep everyone sweet.4. GrumblingNobody likes a negative coworker. If you’re complaining all the time, or you just have a consistently negative outlook toward almost everything, you’ll lose allies very quickly. Everyone gripes now and then. Just don’t make it a habit- or worse, a personality trait.5. SlovenlinessIs hygiene not your top priority? Do you sometimes skip the shower or wear clothes past when they should have ended up in the wash? Don’t. Groom yourself. Practice good hygiene. Make sure you smell nice and look clean. And make sure your workspace reflects the same high standards. Nobody wants to work with a slob.6. SwearingYeah, yeah, we know that the f word is basically the most common adjective of your generation. But try to refrain from cursing at work. To the wrong ears, it will always grate. And it does make you look quite unprofessional. Your boss might not want a potty mouth representing the company.7. Personal StuffRemember that the office is a place of business. Don’t spend valuable time on personal calls or yammer on to your coworkers about relationship problems or health problems or your divorce. Keep that for happy hour with your friends. And don’t turn your workplace into a middle school lunchroom. Cliques are so eighth grade.8. StealingNo brainer, right? But this rule includes not raiding the supply closet or sneaking communal things or taking someone else’s fruit from the fridge. You can get fired for a lot less than outrigh t embezzlement.9. Bad CommunicationIf you can’t write a professional grown-up email and express yourself either out loud or on paper, then you’re not going to make it far in the working world. Strike a balance between monosyllabic and too verbose. Use proper punctuation and capitalization and grammar. Spell check. And be a good correspondent- thorough, professional, and punctual with your responses.10. Bad MannersYou may think this is so 1950, but having good manners can get you pretty far in life- and having bad ones can occasionally cost you a job. When eating, chatting, working, etc. make sure your manners are up to snuff. Don’t interrupt people. Say â€Å"excuse me† or â€Å"pardon.† Don’t pry and don’t be rude.

Why is Walmart considered to be a channel captain Essay

Why is Walmart considered to be a channel captain - Essay Example Walmart is also a channel captain because it has been in the industry for a long time now. It is well aware of the vendors, inventory, resources, cost-effective yet efficient means of transport, and the ever-changing expectations of the consumers with respect to creativity and innovation. Walmart is capable of utilizing this experience to invest in profitable plans. â€Å"With the rise in power of national chain stores and private-brand merchandise, many large retailers such as Wal-Mart are taking a leadership role in the channel† (Pride and Ferrell 403). Walmart knows how to get quality products made that provide value to the consumers while keeping the costs low so as to not only make good profit but also keep the consumers satisfied. To summarize, Walmart is a channel captain because of its huge number of outlets spread all over the world, its strong image as a cheap and well-equipped retailer, and its high purchasing

Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Marijuana - Essay Example Marijuana is a drug made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa (also known as Cannabis Indica). The drug is popularly used either by smoking it using a rolled tobacco paper or placing it in a pipe. However, it can also be eaten, drunk as tea or injected intravenously. The drug takes on many names from region specific - kif in Morocco, dagga in South Africa and bhang in India- to street trademarks such as pot, weed, grass and Mary Jane. It also comes in different potencies with Ganja three time more potent than the ordinarily prepared marijuana and hashish five times more. The active ingredient pf the drug is called Delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol- the effects of which are characteristic of depressant drugs (Onaivi, 1990). The "illegal drug" label of marijuana did not come along because people just wanted to label it as such. Rather, it was caused by the many observed effects it had on its patients. Physically, marijuana was observed to have the following effects: dry mouth nausea, headache, nystagmus, tremor, decreased coordination, increased heart rate, altered pulmonary status, altered body temperature, reduced muscle strength, decreased cerebral blood flow and increased food consumption. The observed neuropsychotic effects of marijuana were: anxiety and panic, paranoia, confusion, aggressiveness, hallucinations, sedation, altered libido, possible suicidal ideation, depersonalization, derealization, poor sense of time, worsened short-term memory, addictive behaviors and amotivational syndrome. ( Losken et al, 1996); (Schuckit, 1989); (Hubbard et al, 1993); (Smart et al, 1982); (Nahas, 1977); (Benowitz; 1975) If marijuana use is made legal and available over the counter, you are actually exposing the general public to an avoidable harm. The studies have shown that marijuana has indeed detrimental and addicting properties. Why then would you pursue the legalization of a drug that you know, for certain, is dangerous Legalizing it would be an irresponsible act since you are actually making a dangerous drug accessible to individuals, some of whom who are actually incapable of discerning their acts and are reckless in their behavior. For sure, marijuana has medicinal properties such as euphoria, relaxation, sexual arousal and heightened sensations. But these benefits come with a heavy price. There are other drugs available in the market that can provide these medications minus the negative effects of marijuana. Legalizing marijuana because of these flimsy reasons is like acknowledging that some illegal drugs have medicinal benefits and can therefore be also legalized. It might be said that these effects are also exhibited by other regulated products such as alcohol. The question that now comes to mind is - "Why prohibit marijuana when all along other products, such as alcohol, with the same or even greater health risks are made legally available The answer lies in the general psyche of the public. Alcohol is deeply embedded in tradition and has been historically used for festivities or personal use. That is, it has already been accepted by the general public as an acceptable "drug". The problem with marijuana is that it is associated with drugs such as methamphetamine hydrochloride and cocaine. The association is not unfounded since the effects are not that far from other illegal drugs. Furthermore, marijuana has been proven to serve as a "gateway" to

Meditation to the Heart of Darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Meditation to the Heart of Darkness - Essay Example Yet Conrad, as a man who had endured many hardships in his life even before his eleventh birthday (Papke, 2000), was also aware of the hidden aspect of the hearts of men. Motives ranging from good to evil reside in the human heart, yet are not always visible on their faces. Hearts are very private and hidden places, and the heart of a continent is shown to be often as dark as the heart of the humans who seek to penetrate it. Work is essential to life, and people spend so much time performing the actions of their life's work that they are often inextricably tied to the job. Marlow shows the lengths to which people will go to get employed when he relates that after asking men for a job and they "said 'My dear fellow,' and did nothing. Then-would you believe it-I tried the women. I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work-to get a job" (Conrad, 72). His subsequent job with the Company demonstrates the power that Work can have over persons. It is depicted as a one-dimensional and overarching presence to which the men of the tale answer. It is connected with not just the men who travel on the steamers into the African territory, but also with the hearers of the tale, whose jobs are intimately connected with the operation of the Company's machine. Work may also be seen as a machine that drives the darkness of the ivory business. The fact that so many persons must provide for both themselves and families makes p opular what is essentially an inhumane practice of de-tusking elephants. The natives who work with the whites engage in this practice for the sake of having the income that work provides. This they do, though it encroaches upon the sanctity of animal life much in the same way that slavery has encroached upon the sanctity of human life. Yet, for the sake of work the natives become a party to something of an inhumanity that is similar to those their kinsmen have faced within the past century. For seamen, the sea is synonymous with work, and Conrad has been quoted by Papke (2000) as saying, "men and sea interpenetrate, so to speak--the sea entering the life of most men and the men knowing something or everything about the sea." The work enters every part of a seaman's life and is connected somehow with his actions, whether honorable or dark. In Africa, the work that is done by the Europeans who enter the territory is as dark as the continent as it has been described throughout history. Though theft is frowned upon in European society, robbery is essentially the goal of these "reputable" merchants who enter that territory. Of this double standard Conrad writes, "By heavens! there is something after all in the world allowing one man to steal a horse while another must not look at a halter" (98-99). The truth of these men's dishonesty is substantiated in the text. As Marlow travels along the coast and then within the continent, he comes upon several instances in which the continent and its inhabitants are being robbed of their possessions. The animals whose tusks provide the ivory are in danger because the greed of those robbing seamen who want their tusks and would see them die in order to have the boon that they desire. Not only do the European seamen rob the elephants of their lives, but they also rob the Africans of the riches of their own territory. This type of robbery is especially perceptible in the character Kurtz, who under the guise of entering the African territory for trading purposes has resorted

Muslims and Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Muslims and Islam - Research Paper Example It was once the religion of a sophisticated and powerful world empire, but is today the religion of some of the least dynamic parts of the world, often found in countries that have deliberately avoided integration into an increasingly globalized world.' Muslims finds their basic teachings explained through the Holy Scripture, The Qur’an, revealed to the final prophet of God, Muhammad, over a period of forty years. However Muslims believe that Islam was revealed to many generations and prophets before this as well, and consider it being the true religion of many prophets that are mentioned in other religions as well, such as Moses, Abraham and Jesus. The basic fundamentals of Islam lie on five basic tenants, or the Five Pillars of Islam as they are referred to. These are Shahada, or testament, Salat, or Prayer, Sawm, or Fasting, Zakat, or Alms and Hajj, or holy pilgrimage. The first pillar of Islam is Shahada. Shahada is to bear witness or testify to the fact that Allah is the One and the only entity worthy of worship as God, and furthermore, that Muhammad is his last prophet. This is the first and fundamental pillar, and is considered the most important one, as all other beliefs arise from this basic belief, that is the oneness of Allah. The Muslims also testify to Muhammad as being the last prophet of Allah so as to rule out the possibility of any future claims to prophet-hood and thereby eliminating any further amendments to the religion. Prayer is the second Pillar of Islam and is fairly straightforward: prayer at five designated times a day, in a designated manner, to Allah. Its purpose is to instill in the believer a sense of scheduled division of time and to keep with the believer a constant reminder of Allah and their beliefs throughout the day. Sawm, or fasting, is observed in the holy month of Ramadan (The ninth month of the Islamic Calender) and involves fasting until sunset for the month, so as to instill patience and perseverance into the Mus lim observing the fast, as well as have them understand how those less fortunate than them live every day of the year, without food or water. It is to instill in the believer a sense of patience and steadfastness, through sacrifice for Allah. The fourth pillar of Islam is Zakat, the practice of giving a designated amount of alms to the poor, which is based on a fixed percentage on the possessions of the believer. It is so the rich can help the less privileged, as well as instilling in them a sense of generosity and teaching the positive use of money rather than encouraging it to be hoarded or kept without being given away to others. Finally, the last pillar of Islam is Hajj, or pilgrimage to the sacred land of Mecca, which every able Muslim must complete at least once in their lifetime, so as to show their devotion to their Lord and offer a pilgrimage to the place that is considered the root of their religion. Nonetheless, even though these are the five most basic and important poin ts of belief, the fundamental 'pillars' on which the religion of Islam stands, one can say that this is what basically gives a base to the religion. In actuality, there are many other beliefs and doctrines that are also considered with fundamental importance. For example, Muslims place significant importance on the lessons taught by Muhammad, almost as much importance as they place on the words of the Qur'an, which they believe to have come from Allah directly through an angel, revealed to Muhammad. The lessons taught

Global Human capital (case study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Human capital (case study) - Essay Example As part of business strategy in the early 2000s, the company had to reduce the number of employees at its Tokyo based headquarters. The worker force was reduced above 5000 to the current number of 4,222. This is excludes all the employees on overseas assignments and those working for subsidiaries and offices abroad. A major success factor for the ITOCHU Company is the sound management, the robust organisational structure adopted and as well as the vast international network (Kishita, 2006). Management strategy gives ITOCHU a competitive edge as the company is able to achieve operational efficiency post impressive financials. Guided by the mid-term management plan known as Frontier-2006 the company aimed at increasing profitability in a manner that is stable. It then moved on to implement another mid-term management plan dubbed, Frontier, 2008 who goals were enhancing corporate value on the international arena and increase investor confidence through aggressive management policies. This saw the company post a net income of  ¥218.6 billion in the financial period ending March 2008 and mark the fourth year of record earnings. These are fruits of the growth strategies and hikes in natural resources prices (Rowley & Benson, 2002). In the recent economic restructuring ITOCHU has implemented a number of changes in the area of employee resourcing. Taking advantage of the shukko and haken schemes introduced by government a number of employees have been relocated subsidiaries paving way for the company to externally higher people who are more capable and experienced under the new mid-career professional recruitment system. The company’s HR retention policies have also been redesigned especially on the aspects of job allocation and training. A lot of focus currently is directed at specialisation as opposed to multi-tasking and job rotation (Ballo, 2002). Additionally ITOCHU has moved to attract young talents and foster

Muslims and Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Muslims and Islam - Research Paper Example It was once the religion of a sophisticated and powerful world empire, but is today the religion of some of the least dynamic parts of the world, often found in countries that have deliberately avoided integration into an increasingly globalized world.' Muslims finds their basic teachings explained through the Holy Scripture, The Qur’an, revealed to the final prophet of God, Muhammad, over a period of forty years. However Muslims believe that Islam was revealed to many generations and prophets before this as well, and consider it being the true religion of many prophets that are mentioned in other religions as well, such as Moses, Abraham and Jesus. The basic fundamentals of Islam lie on five basic tenants, or the Five Pillars of Islam as they are referred to. These are Shahada, or testament, Salat, or Prayer, Sawm, or Fasting, Zakat, or Alms and Hajj, or holy pilgrimage. The first pillar of Islam is Shahada. Shahada is to bear witness or testify to the fact that Allah is the One and the only entity worthy of worship as God, and furthermore, that Muhammad is his last prophet. This is the first and fundamental pillar, and is considered the most important one, as all other beliefs arise from this basic belief, that is the oneness of Allah. The Muslims also testify to Muhammad as being the last prophet of Allah so as to rule out the possibility of any future claims to prophet-hood and thereby eliminating any further amendments to the religion. Prayer is the second Pillar of Islam and is fairly straightforward: prayer at five designated times a day, in a designated manner, to Allah. Its purpose is to instill in the believer a sense of scheduled division of time and to keep with the believer a constant reminder of Allah and their beliefs throughout the day. Sawm, or fasting, is observed in the holy month of Ramadan (The ninth month of the Islamic Calender) and involves fasting until sunset for the month, so as to instill patience and perseverance into the Mus lim observing the fast, as well as have them understand how those less fortunate than them live every day of the year, without food or water. It is to instill in the believer a sense of patience and steadfastness, through sacrifice for Allah. The fourth pillar of Islam is Zakat, the practice of giving a designated amount of alms to the poor, which is based on a fixed percentage on the possessions of the believer. It is so the rich can help the less privileged, as well as instilling in them a sense of generosity and teaching the positive use of money rather than encouraging it to be hoarded or kept without being given away to others. Finally, the last pillar of Islam is Hajj, or pilgrimage to the sacred land of Mecca, which every able Muslim must complete at least once in their lifetime, so as to show their devotion to their Lord and offer a pilgrimage to the place that is considered the root of their religion. Nonetheless, even though these are the five most basic and important poin ts of belief, the fundamental 'pillars' on which the religion of Islam stands, one can say that this is what basically gives a base to the religion. In actuality, there are many other beliefs and doctrines that are also considered with fundamental importance. For example, Muslims place significant importance on the lessons taught by Muhammad, almost as much importance as they place on the words of the Qur'an, which they believe to have come from Allah directly through an angel, revealed to Muhammad. The lessons taught

What Important Role Did Emil Sodersteen Play in Australian Art Deco Research Paper

What Important Role Did Emil Sodersteen Play in Australian Art Deco Architectural Design - Research Paper Example It introduced in Architecture irregular shape, curved lines, curved glass, mosaic, and stained glass. This new style flourished in European Architecture. Art Deco was a continuation of Art Nouveau. It offered in the twentieth century’s design - luxury, style and efficiency. It emerged in the years of 1908-1912. Representatives of this design style are Tamara de Lempicka, Rene Lalique, William van Alens, Raymond hood and Paul Manship.3 Art Deco reached its flourishing between the years 1925 and 1935 years. The name Art Deco came from the Exposition Internationale des arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes. It was an art and craft exhibition, which took place in 1925 in France.4 The exhibition, demonstrated the latest achievements in the field of architecture, interior, furniture, metal products, glass, and ceramic designs. Six months of the exhibition period drew about 16 million visitors from different parts of the world. The exhibition was gorgeous and glamorous. The famous French architect Le Corbusier, one of the founders of constructivism and functionalism, for this exhibition designed and built the pavilion by name  «Esprit Nouveau ». The famous painter P. Lalique built another pavilion with colored glass fountain with light effects. The 1925 Paris exhibition, as whole, became the final stage of development of design of the period of Modern or a transitional stage form of Modernism to post-war functionalism. In 1966, after the revival of 1925 exhibition in Paris, this art design style received the name Art Deco. Before that, the style was called "jazz modern," "zigzag modern", "streamlined modern". New discoveries of spectacular monuments of ancient Egyptian art (including the tomb of Tutankhamen, 1922) and the ancient civilizations of America made a significant impact on the development of Art Deco design style. In the period, between the two world wars, Art Deco was used in decorative art; today the term has become the synonym of ef ficiency. Art Deco design artists offered glamour and efficiency in their work. Art Laurence, one of the brilliant Art Deco artists, combined in his work classicism, symmetry, straightforwardness, and cubism on one hand as a part of Art Nouveau, and on other the ancient art of the Egypt, Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Thus, Art Deco in design accepted on one side favorite themes and motives of Modern - more precisely the style of art Nouveau, - which were winding lines, an unusual combination of expensive and exotic materials, images of exotic creatures, wave form, and on the other side colorful designs, ornate carvings, visual abstraction, and abstract _______________________ 5. â€Å"Decorating in the Art Deco  Style,† Art Deco Style- Decorating in Art Deco Style, accessed May16, 2012, interiordec.about.com/od/stylesofdecor/a/art_deco_style.htm. 6. â€Å"Lalique Crystal, Figurines, Glass, and Art,† Squidoo, accessed May16, 2012, www.squidoo.com †º Home & Garden †º Home Decor. expressionism of the past. As an artistic style, Art Deco denied asceticism and opposed to the minimalism. It focused to the past, embodied a blend of

Effects of Music Essay Example for Free

Effects of Music Essay Music and Its Effects on Our Emotions: Can Music Really Change Your Mood? Music can control a much larger part of your life than most people would like to believe. Music can affect us in ways in which were not even aware of, and for this reason, music is simply amazing. There is a large number of studies behind music. Not even just the typical music you hear on the radio or that you download from the Internet, but any sounds and the way they can affect your mood and reflect your personallity. It has been proven that certain types of music can evoke sadness, while others can give you an excitement. Music is used in millions of places for this reason. Advertisements. Advertisements and movies are based around the audio! Certain types of music are more likely to evoke emotions in people which will in turn make them feel a certain way. Sometimes this is great for producers in the economy because they can use music in their advertisements to help produce more profits, because people will become much more interested in the products that theyre offering. This works the same in the film industry. The film industry is interested in inflicting some sort of mood on its audience. If a movie is able to inflict an emotion into people, then the movie is looked upon as a much better movie, and therefore is more likely to make more money. Music can really affect more parts of the economy than you would ever even take into consideration. One amazing thing, that Im sure youve never even stopped to think about, is the music in a casino. They tend to play very uplifting music, music that will make you want to stay longer. Theoretically, the longer you stay in a casino, the more money the casino will make from you. The casino wants to keep you in their business for as long as they can. Music is one way the owners can go about this. Another irrelevant yet interesting method they have is to release scents that cause people to become more satisfied with what theyre doing, and will make them in turn be more comfortable in the environment and want to stay longer, making the casino more money in the long run. Pop, lighter rock, and most dance music tends to be a very uplifting type of music. If youre ever looking for a booster, listen to some of this music! I actually enjoy listening to this music every day before going to take classes, because it lifts my spirit and helps me make it through the day. Downbeat music such as death metal and rap music tends to affect peoples emotions in a much darker form. However, this is all personal preference and you cannot  base all of this on my opinion. Overall, music has a much greater affect on you than you would believe. Experiment. Listen to new music all the time. See what music gives you chills down your spine. See what music you cant understand and hate. Theres something out there for everyone. The Effects of Music In some way, music affects everyone. Whether it is, a young girl’s favorite song on the radio, a college student’s escape from reality or a form of entertainment to a married couple, music brings everyone together. Music definitely affects the lifestyles of people in many different ways. The diverse styles of music makes people look and act differently. Music has many different levels. To me, levels meaning; the more independent and progressive the music is, the more the fans take it to the extreme. Music creates style. It causes people to talk, act, and dress the way they do. I hope to discover how much music influences people, especially college students. Also, the more fascinated they are the more influences it has to them. I would like to prove, that to some, music is nothing more than the pop song playing on the radio in the car, and to others, it is a major part of their life. It is very interesting to me, to learn the effects music has toward people. Music impacts everyone in some way (positive or negative), but I think it impacts college students the most. I would like to know the reasons people are listening to music they buy and support. Also, the reasons certain groups are more popular than others. I used a couple various methods of research to conduct my research. I wrote up ten surveys with some questions about gender, age, what they buy, do they attend concerts, and do they support local music. I passed these surveys out to completely random students so there was no imbalance of the results. I hope to find out certain things like: are males affected more than females from music; who buys more clothing/ accessories; is local music important to college students. Another form of research was done by making some observations. I observed places that college students live. I observed a few of my friends apartments very closely and also observed a couple other houses that I was  invited to over the past month. By doing this, I hope to generalize what they like and how it influences them. For example, posters of music groups hanging everywhere will indicate a more of an influence than paintings, by say Picasso. Clothing, jewelry, and actual speech from people may also provide some interesting details. While making these observations, I had also done a couple interviews. A couple were formal, sit-down interviews and the others were just conversations that I thought would be helpful to making my research complete. After giving some thought to my results, I decided to add a section about my personal history. Throughout my life music has affected me in many different ways. It has helped me through some very important decisions, such as, how I feel, who I am with, where I am going to go. When I was ten years old, I got my first guitar. It was an acoustic guitar. I loved to play it, but dreaded going to the lessons. My parents forced me because I couldn’t play a single note. After a year or two things started to come together and I could play some songs. Then I decided to purchase an electric guitar. For me, this was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I played everyday at any time that I could. My favorite group was the Beastie Boys. My friends and I would pretend we were them and put on shows pretending to be them. As I got older, I would purchase any music that I could; cassette tapes, records, videos, posters, anything that dealt with music. Around seventh or eighth grade, I purchased a used drum set. My other friends all played, so we decided to form a band. We would practice in the garage as much as often until my parents said enough, until it became an obsession. We played a couple of parties (nothing big, because this was the eighth grade), but still a major part of my life at the time. One day during practice, I remember my good friend, the lead singer, telling me booked a real gig, in downtown Pittsburgh. We got a set ready and about a month to practice our songs. The place was called the Electric Banana, it was real dive bar. Most people there were friends and family, but still a nice turnout. Since then I haven’t been playing in a band, but still love making music. Most of my friends are really into music too. We swap music  with each other and talk about it all the time. When I switched schools in high school, music really helped me make some friends. Without music my life would be totally different and a lot more boring, so I’m glad it turned out this way. I am very happy with the results that I got from the surveys. There were ten surveys filled out. Of the ten, six were females and four were males. Eight of the ten all liked rap/hip hop music or said rap along with some other forms. The other two liked rock, punk, or emo. No one put classic rock as their choice (which I found to be very interesting, because I like classic rock). There were two other questions I found to be very much related. Everyone that collects music, any form, (CD, cassette tape, or vinyl) has clothing and/or accessories that support music, for instance, posters, T-shirts, and hats. Four out of ten said they regularly attend concerts. I was very pleased to hear that eight of ten support local musicians/bands. I am a music lover, (as you know) so the local scene is very important to me. Here is a graph I constructed from the surveys. Females Males 60% 40% The interviews came out to be very useful also. I talked to a music lover/musician/collector. His name was Neil and he was very cooperative. We talked about the unusual styles of music he liked. He has a very wide range of music in his collection. We talked about some of his favorite artists, some being Pittsburgh based groups. He loves live music and goes to as many shows as possible. He said â€Å"it’s hard to get to places without a car and with classes† He also said â€Å"I just saw The Roots play for my sixth time last week, at a little place in Oakland.† We were talking about how they are definitely one of his favorites, if he had to pick. I asked him why he was so into music. He replied â€Å"It’s a stress reliever. It takes my mind off school, work, and people’s pettiness.† Another interview that I performed was not as formal. This one was with my dad at the dinner table. It was pretty short and to the point. I asked him if he likes music. He said â€Å"No.† I then asked him if he ever listens to it and he said â€Å"No, when I am in the car I listen to the news or talk radio and when I’m home I’m either working or watching TV.† After doing this research, I realized that by doing interviews you can really feel the emotion from the answers compared to reading a survey. I think that interviews did help me make certain things easier to understand on the survey. The Effects of Music on Peoples Emotions By Rachel Mattison, eHow Contributor , last updated July 02, 2012 Movie producers and recording artists use music to manipulate the emotions of audiences to feel everything from excitement to sadness during movies and performances. No one can deny that music has either positive or negative effects on the emotions of listeners. However, music therapy or the study of music’s impact on emotions examines how music cause positive changes in listeners and patients for areas including early childhood development, healing and recovery, and overcoming negative emotions. 1. Early Childhood Development * Music plays an important role in early childhood emotional and intellectual development, according to information compiled by Brad Kennedy and Jennifer Durst. Their research confirms that even while in the womb, babies can tell the differences between certain types of music. Also called prenatal stimulation this technique has many positive effects including higher levels of intelligence and creativity, along with the ability to calm down when listening to music. Suggested usages for music in early childhood development include teaching children to analyze songs so they can learn how to express and identify their emotions, though processes, behaviors and situations as a way of developing cognitive and motor skills. Healing and Recovery * The American Music Therapy Organization states music therapy can  allow emotional intimacy with families and caregivers, relaxation for the entire family, and meaningful time spent together in a positive, creative way.† Additional studies show that music therapy can cause changes in physiology by releasing brain chemicals including melatonin, norephinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin and prolactin, which help to reduce depression, regulate mood and make patients feel calm and more able to sleep. Doctors have used music therapy to help stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s patients improve. Dr. Suzanne Hasner says head trauma and dementia patients retain music ability because â€Å"deep in our long-term memory is this rehearsed music. It is processed in the emotional part of the brain, the amygdala. Here’s where you remember the music played at your wedding, the music of your first love, that first dance. Such things can still be remembered even in people with progressive diseases. It can be a window, a way to reach them. * Negative Emotions and Fear Management * Dr. Zbigniew Kucharski, from the Medical Academy of Warsaw, has studied the effects of music when used for fear management in dental patients. He discovered that children who listened to 30 minutes of music preceding and following dental procedures were less likely to experience negative feelings. Another study, â€Å"Quantification of the effects of listening to music as a noninvasive method of pain control,† conducted in 1992 found that relaxing music helped to reduce anxiety and pain in patients undergoing certain medical procedures including painful gynecological procedures and pediatric surgical burn units. How Music Affects Us and Promotes Health Music is one of the few activities that involves using the whole brain. It is intrinsic to all cultures and can have surprising benefits not only for learning language, improving memory and focusing attention, but also for physical coordination and development. Of course, music can be distracting if its too loud or too jarring, or if it competes for our attention with what were trying to do. But for the most part, exposure to many kinds of music has beneficial effects: 1Music heals Effective therapy for pain Overall, music does have positive effects on pain management. Music can help reduce both the sensation and distress of both chronic pain and postoperative pain. Listening to music can reduce chronic pain from a range of painful conditions, including osteoarthritis, disc problems and rheumatoid arthritis, by up to 21% and depression by up to 25%, according to a paper in the latest UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing29. Music therapy is increasingly used in hospitals to reduce the need for medication during childbirth, to decrease postoperative pain and complement the use of anesthesia during surgery30. There are several theories about how music positively affects perceived pain: * 1. Music serves as a distractor * 2. Music may give the patient a sense of control * 3. Music causes the body to release endorphins to counteract pain * 4. Slow music relaxes person by slowing their breathing and heartbeat Reducing blood pressure By playing recordings of relaxing music every morning and evening, people with high blood pressure can train themselves to lower their blood pressure and keep it low31. According to research reported at the American Society of Hypertension meeting in New Orleans, listening to just 30 minutes of classical, Celtic or raga music every day may significantly reduce high blood pressure. Medicine for the heart music is good for your heart. Research shows that it is musical tempo, rather than style. Italian and British researchers32 recruited young men and women, half of whom were trained musicians. The participants slipped on head phones and listened to six styles of music, including rap and classical pieces, with random two-minute pauses. As the participants kicked back and listened, the researchers monitored their breathing, heart rates and blood pressure. The participants had faster heart and breathing rates when they listened to lively music. When the musical slowed, so did their heart and breathing rates. Some results were surprising. During the musical pauses, heart and breathing rates normalized or reached more optimal levels. Whether or not a person liked the style of music did not matter. The tempo, or pace, of the music had the greatest effect on relaxation. Speeds Post-Stroke Recovery A daily portion` of ones favorite pop melodies, classical music or jazz can speed recovery from debilitating strokes, according to the latest research. When stroke patients in Finland listened to music for a couple of hours each day, verbal memory and attention span improved significantly compared to patients who received no musical stimulation, or who listened only to stories read out loud, the study reports33. Chronic headaches migraine remedy Music can help migraine34 and chronic headache35 sufferers reduce the intensity, frequency, and duration of the headaches. Music boosts immunity Music can boost the immune function. Scientists explain that a particular type of music can create a positive and profound emotional experience, which leads to secretion of immune-boosting hormones22. This helps contribute to a reduction in the factors responsible for illness. Listening to music or singing can also decrease levels of stress-related hormone cortisol. Higher levels of cortisol can lead to a decreased immune response23-24. 2Effects of music on the brain Music enhances intelligence, learning and IQ The idea that music makes you smarter received considerable attention from scientists and the media. Listening to music or playing an instrument can actually make you learn better. And research confirms this. Music has the power to enhance some kinds of higher brain function: * Reading and literacy skills11-13 * Spatial-temporal reasoning14-15 * Mathematical abilities16-17 Even children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder benefit in mathematics tests from listening to music beforehand. *Emotional intelligence The Mozart effect Earlier it has been thought that listening to classical music, particularly Mozart, enhances performance on cognitive tests. However, recent findings18 show that listening to any music that is personally enjoyable has positive effects on cognition. Music improves memory performance The power of music to affect memory is quite intriguing. Mozarts music and baroque music, with a 60 beats per minute beat pattern, activates the left and right brain. The simultaneous left and right brain action maximizes learning and retention of information. The information being studied activates the left brain while the music activates the right brain. Also, activities which engage both sides of the brain at the same time, such as playing an instrument or singing, cause the brain to be more capable of processing information. Listening to music facilitates the recall of information19. Researchers have shown that certain types of music are a great keys for recalling memories. Information learned while listening to a particular song can often be recalled simply by playing the songs mentally. Musical training has even better effect than just listening to classical music. There is clear evidence20, that children who take music lessons develop a better memory compared with children who have no musical training. Note: For learning or memory performance, its important that music doesnt have a vocal component; otherwise youre more likely to remember the words of the background song than what youre supposed to be recalling. Music improves concentration and attention Easy listening music or relaxing classics improves the duration and intensity of concentration in all age groups and ability levels. Its not clear what type of music is better, or what kind of musical structure is necessary to help, but many studies have shown significant effects21. 3Music improves physical performance Music improves athletic performance Choosing music that motivates you will make it easier to start moving, walking, dancing, or any other type of exercise that you enjoy. Music can make exercise feel more like recreation and less like work. Furthermore, music enhances athletic performance6-8! Anyone who has ever gone on a long run with their iPod or taken a particularly energetic spinning class knows that music can make the time pass more quickly. The four central hypotheses explaining musics facilitation of exercise performance include: * Reduction in the feeling of fatigue * Increase in levels of psychological arousal * Physiological relaxation response * Improvement in motor coordination Music improves body movement and coordination Music reduces muscle tension and improves body movement and coordination25-26. Music may play an important role in developing, maintaining and restoring physical functioning in the rehabilitation of persons with movement disorders. 4Music helps to work more productively Fatigue fighter Listening to upbeat music can be a great way to find some extra energy. Music can effectively eliminate exercise-induced fatigue9 and fatigue symptoms caused by monotonous work10. Keep in mind that listening to too much pop and hard rock music can make you more jittery than energized. Vary what you listen to and find out what type of music is most beneficial for you. You could try classical music one day, pop the next day and jazz the third. Music improves productivity Many people like to listen to music while they work and I am certainly one of them. How about you? Did you know you can perform better at your work with music? Whilst there may be many reasons for wishing to listen to music in the workplace, it really improves your productivity27! According to a report in the journal Neuroscience of Behavior and Physiology28, a persons ability to recognize visual images, including letters and numbers, is faster when either rock or classical music is playing in the background. 5Music calms, relaxes and helps to sleep Relaxing music induces sleep Relaxing classical music is safe, cheap and easy way to beat insomnia1. Many people who suffer from insomnia find that Bach music helps them. Researchers have shown that just 45 minutes of relaxing music before bedtime can make for a restful night2. Relaxing music reduces sympathetic nervous system activity, decreases anxiety, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate and may have positive effects on sleep via muscle relaxation and distraction  from thoughts. Music reduces stress and aids relaxation Listening to slow, quiet classical music, is proven to reduce stress3. Countless studies have shown that musics relaxing effects can be seen on anyone, including newborns. One of the great benefits of music as a stress reliever is that it can be used while you do your usual deeds so that it really doesnt take time. How does music reduces stress? * Physical relaxation. Music can promote relaxation of tense muscles, enabling you to easily release some of the tension you carry from a stressful day. * Aids in stress relief activities. Music can help you get into the zone when practicing yoga, self hypnosis or guided imagery, can help you feel energized when exercising and recover after exercising, help dissolve the stress when youre soaking in the tub. * Reduces negative emotions. Music, especially upbeat tunes, can take your mind off what stresses you, and help you feel more optimistic and positive. This helps release stress and can even help you keep from getting as stressed over lifes little frustrations in the future. Researchers discovered4 that music can decrease the amount of the cortisol, a stress-related hormone produced by the body in response to stress. 6Music improves mood and decreases depression Prescription for the blues Musics ability to heal the soul is the stuff of legend in every culture. Many people find that music lifts their spirits. Modern research tends to confirm musics psychotherapeutic benefits5. Bright, cheerful music (e.g. Mozart, Vivaldi, bluegrass, Klezmer, Salsa, reggae) is the most obvious prescription for the blues. The 5 Weirdest Ways Music Can Mess With the Human Brain By: C. Coville, Kathy Benjamin February 11, 2011 1,619,046 views The entire reason music exists is because of its almost magical ability to push your buttons. An upbeat song gets you going, a sad song makes you cry and drink. But the more science studies musics effect on the human brain, the more bizarre things we discover. For instance #5. It Changes Your Ability to Perceive Time  old music the stuff you hear on the line when you call everyone from the bank to your local bail bond agency didnt fall into Americas phone lines by accident. Its designed specifically to reduce the amount of time you think youre waiting, so that youre less likely to hang up in anger. Other places that involve waiting, such as doctors offices, use a similar trick. Time shrinkage is also the aim of most retail stores, which is why youll rarely enter a mall, supermarket or clothing store without hearing some sort of music in the background. How the hell does music do that? To understand why exactly music makes it seem like less time has passed, think of the human brain as a mountain lion that is eating a bag of money. It doesnt matter what the zookeepers distract it with food, shiny objects or just shouting and yelling. All that matters is that they give another zookeeper the chance to sneak up and retrieve the money while the lion is busy deciding which one of them to eat. Similarly, when your brain is steadily distracted, youll be less likely to notice things around you in detail, and this includes the passage of time. Our brains have limited input capacity, and when something else is using up that capacity, were less likely to think things like, Ive been standing in line to get Richard Molls autograph for three goddamn hours or Do I really need this Garfield alarm clock? But it works the opposite way, too. In some situations, listening to music can actually expand perceived time. For example, listening to music while performing tasks that require concentration will usually cause us to overestimate the amount of time that has passed. The theory is that as your mind switches back and forth between perception of the music and concentration on the challenging tasks, it forms separate events, or distinct memories. When your brain thinks about what youve been doing for the past hour, youll remember more of these events and recall that the hour was quite long. Experiments have found that time also expands when were listening to familiar music that we dislike. When we hear the opening chords of a song, our brain remembers the whole thing and immediately skips ahead and plays it mentally. This fake mind-music is  extremely vivid, working on exactly the same parts of the brain as actual music does. So the effect is that you take a few moments to vividly imagine that youre sitting through five minutes of that damn New Radicals song before you come back to reality only to realize that you still actually have to sit through it. #4. It Taps Into Primal Fear OK, imagine how you would sound for a second if you saw your friend Jason across the street and wanted to get his attention by yelling his name. Now imagine you see your friend Jason across the street, suddenly realize a car is careening down the road about to hit him, and shout his name to warn him.Despite the fact that you are yelling the same thing both times, even in your head you can hear how the two sound different. Human beings have a very good, very nuanced sense of what kind of noise indicates a greeting and what kind of noise indicates you are about to be mauled by a honey badger. And that sense is being used against you in every scary movie you have ever seen. There is a reason that horror films scare the crap out of us, and its not just the creepy settings, dramatic buildup and sudden reveal of the bad guy RIGHT BEHIND YOU. Its the music. How the hell does music do that? There are certain sounds that humans will automatically associate with sudden and painful death because they tap into our evolutionary fear of the screams of other animals (and other human beings). Screams of fear in almost any animal are made up of what scientists have dubbed discordant noises. Any noise that makes you feel very unpleasant falls into this category. We know if we hear other living things making those discordant noises that we have to get the fuck out, because something bad is going to happen. Movie directors know this and make good use of it when deciding on the score for a film. That dramatic buildup and subsequent scary reveal is almost always accompanied by really freaky music or somebody screaming his ass off (or both). But this technique is hardly limited to horror movies. For instance, in his original draft of The Social Network, Andy Sorkin wanted a song called Love of the Common People to play over the opening credits scene. Heres what that would have looked like: That poppy calypso music makes you feel that everything is dandy. Sure, Mark Zuckerberg has just been dumped,  but its all OK! Hes running through the Harvard campus and is about to invent Facebook and become a billionaire. Yay!Listen to that lower-level background music throughout. It sounds like random, angry notes played behind a simple piano tune, and those notes are creating discordant sound. Suddenly youre apprehensive, feeling like something really bad is about to happen (were talking getting sued for $64 million bad). So next time youre getting a little too freaked out by a movie, remember that muting the television is a far better decision than looking away. #3. It Makes You Stronger Its no secret that many people prefer to listen to music when they work out. But music doesnt just make physical activity more pleasant it actually makes our physical performance measurably better. When listening to music, people are able to hold heavy weights for longer than when theyre standing in silence. They can also complete sprints in smaller amounts of time and are even able to reduce their oxygen intake. How the hell does music do that? Similar to the time-perception effect we referenced above, one element is just plain old distraction. Obviously, if your mind is listening to music, its not thinking about how much your legs hurt or how much longer youve got to run before the treadmill makes that final beeping noise. But theres much more to it than that. First, theres synchronicity. When you match your movements to a steady musical tempo, you spend less time and effort on the inefficient slowing down and speeding up that happens when youre going by your own rhythm. Music also increases the incidence of flow states states of meditation-like calm in which everything works right for an athlete and that is strongly linked to enhanced performance. Music can even make you feel less pain. Patients listening to music after surgery need less sedatives, report less pain and have lower blood pressure. As if thats not impressive enough, doctors have found that specially selected melodic music dramatically reduces stress in patients during unsedated brain surgery. In some cases, music caused patients to relax so much that many of them fell into a deep sleep, while people sliced into their exposed brains with fucking scalpels. And even if youre lucky enough to be asleep during  surgery, theres a good chance the doctors working on you are listening to music, since most surgeons believe it improves their performance, too. So the next time youre about to go under a general anesthetic, consider the fact that the guy with the scalpel might soon be timing his incisions to Whitesnake. #2. It Changes Your Drinking Habits Did you ever wake up in the back of a taxi after a long night of tossing down cognac and prune juice and wonder how your pants got replaced by a thick but clumsily applied coat of colorful body paint? Well, now theres something to blame it on besides your bad childhood: music. What they play in the bar doesnt just affect how much you drink, but what you drink. How the hell does music do that? Did you know you can make a person buy more expensive wine just by playing classical music? Experiments prove it. It makes people feel like theyre in a wine commercial or in a movie depicting refined, snooty rich people. OK, that one sort of makes sense we doubt anyone ever drank Wild Irish Rose while listening to Vivaldi. But in another blind study, different types of music playing in the background caused drinkers to change how theyd described the drinks they already had. Laid-back music led people to rate drinks as mellow, and upbeat music resulted in more people calling their drinks refreshing. Even stranger, in another study researchers placed German and French wines in supermarkets, with small flags next to each display so customers could tell which countries they came from. They then played some unobtrusive international music in the background. When German music was played, the percentage of German sales rose, and vice versa. This wasnt because customers thought to themselves, Ah! Germany! I will celebrate the Fatherland with some nice wine! Questionnaires showed that customers couldnt recall what type of music was playing and thought theyd chosen a particular wine simply because theyd felt like it. The people selling you the drinks know all of this stuff or at least, the successful ones do. Weve pointed out before that bars and nightclubs often play fast music to increase alcohol-based profit. But other establishments, particularly upscale restaurants, prefer slow, relaxing music, which,  believe it or not, can also make you drink more. The tempo of music is linked to your bodys arousal level, or the speed at which your nervous system operates. Fast music heightens arousal (heh), so patrons will do everything more quickly, including eating and drinking and leaving their infant by the salad bar. Which is good for a restaurant owner if hes just concerned with getting you out the door so he can serve more (and presumably better) people. On the other hand, slower music means that you eat at a more leisurely pace. Maybe youll even stay to chat with your companions after youre done with your meal. All this time passing means youre likely to buy more drinks every time the waiter comes around to ask, and at a restaurant thats charging $70 a bottle, that makes up for any lost table space. Some restaurants go as far as to purchase a personalized selection of songs specially designed by sound branding companies, which select songs based on whatever tempo or atmosphere the restaurant is aiming to achieve. #1. It Makes You a Better Communicator How does a narcissistic ass like John Mayer, who isnt even that attractive, still have hot women of all ages throwing themselves at him? Its the guitar, isnt it?Actually, a trained musician like Mayer would probably be able to talk a woman into his bed without ever even playing a note. It turns out that studying music gives you an advantage when it comes to perceiving the emotions of others, so all those years of being chained to a piano as a child are finally going to work in your favor. People who can play instruments at near-professional level can detect subtle emotional changes and intonations in the vocal tones of others. In other words, they know whether you are actually sad when you say youre fine, even when most non-musicians would have no idea. Not only that, but the fact that they studied music makes them better able to tune out background noise, so they are even better at paying attention to what you are saying in that crowded restaurant or bar. How the hell does music do that? Research shows that people who have studied music actually have brains wired differently than non-musicians. This rewiring makes them better able to express emotions they are feeling, but it also makes them more able to understand the emotions others express. Music is very emotional, and people  wired to understand those subtle emotional changes can also detect them in the vocal tones of someone talking. The emotion of the music translates to knowing when your boss is secretly mad or your mother is secretly disappointed. The sooner you start learning music, the more pronounced this re-wiring is. Scientists think that teaching children music might help kids with autism better understand vocal cues and encode speech. The fact that this brain re-wiring helps them tune out background noise could also help kids stay focused in noisy classrooms. It is also something that gets better the more you play, so sticking to your piano lessons now could lead to a powerful advantage in your future dating world. Read more: http://www.cracked.com/article_19006_the-5-weirdest-ways-music-can-mess-with-human-brain_p2.html#ixzz0MMCXjaIv Music is one of many important parts of our lives because it can be an approach not only to reduce each of our mental tension but also to inspire our feelings in artistic sense. Then, there are only two subtopics to develop into two paragraphs in the body: 1) music is an approach to reduce peoples mental tension 2) music inspires peoples feelings in artistic sense

Teaching language functions

Teaching language functions Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different languages in our world that are different. And each language has its rule. Language function is a part of the language. Also, each language has its function, which is used to communicate. Moreover, language function makes us to communicate correctly. If we dont know about language function, the sentences that we talk to other people will not complete. Although they can understand, but it can change the meaning. As we are teachers, we should be careful in teaching the function of language because if we teach a wrong function, it means that the students will receive a wrong language system, too. Therefore, the teachers should be careful about the usage of verbs or tenses, phrases, structures and vocabulary because these are the main factors that we can make our students to write or speak English correctly. Nowadays, there are many ways to teach the students to learn language functions. Some students th ink that language functions are boring. Then, they dont want to learn. However, we should use the better teaching technique for our students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parker (2009) suggests that function is what the language used in language learning such as requesting, apologizing, ordering etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my view, I think that the function of the language is something to control the meaning or expression of the communication. The language functions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we talk about language functions, we are talking about the reason we use a language. Basically, the function of language is used for communication; we use the language to give and receive messages between ourselves. We can break this down into language functions. When we communicate with language, we can:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compare and Contrast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Make a complaint   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Express love or anger   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Persuade someone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Give advice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ask for something   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ask for something politely   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hide the truth (lie)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Warm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Give information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Explain a process   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Apportion blame   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avoid saying anything and so on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each language function can be associated with certain grammatical forms. For example, we often use modal verbs in a polite situation,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Might I borrow your pen?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compare this to when the language function is one of demanding:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Give me your pen!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although each language function deals with one main communicative need, it can cover different situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For example, Asking for information directions can be used not only in the context of tourists finding their way round town, but also with new employees who need to find their bearings in a large firm. The same goes for Instructing others. Here the relevant language will be about giving orders, making strong suggestions etc. these can be used at work and also outside work at a hotel, when hiring a car, ordering a meal, etc. There are 3 types of the language function such as:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, informative languages function: essentially, the communication of information. They are: The informative function affirms or denies propositions, as in science or the statement of a fact. This function is used to describe the word or reason about it. These sentences have a truth value. The sentences are either true or false. Secondly, expressive languages function: reports feelings or attitudes of the writer or speaker, or of the subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For examples: Poetry and literature are among the best examples, but much of, perhaps most of, ordinary language discourse is the expression of emotions, feelings or attitudes. Two main aspects of this function are generally noted: evoking, certain feelings and expressing feelings. The last one, directive languages function: language used for the purpose of causing overt action. The directive function is most commonly found in commands and requests. Directive language is not normally considered true or false. Example of this function: Close the windows. The sentence Youre smoking in a nonsmoking area, although declarative, can be used to mean Do not smoke in this area. How to teach language functions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The teacher should understand with the function of language clearly. In teaching, the teacher must give the students an example in each function. Moreover, the teacher may give them a situation that they can express the language function. For example: a student is at the restaurant, she wants to order something for her lunch. What will she say to a waiter? This is an example that the teacher may give to their students to think what the girl will say in order to order something. Therefore; ordering food is a function language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parker (2009) explains that introducing students to the function of language, the teacher can give them to perform tasks or talk about the past, present, or future. Although, the beginner level can learn how to greet people. The important thing to remember when teaching function language, the teacher should: Remember that the function does not appear in isolation. A request, or incitation, needs a reply. So, to give the students for a task, the teacher should teach in appropriate pairs. Intonation is very important in speaking English when the function of language is presented. The tone in speaking and emphasis is just as important as the particular choice of words. For example, Could I have your attention, please? It is used when we speak in class, even though it is spoken as a request, is a demand. Could I have the spaghetti? Which is spoken in a restaurant, would be a polite request. Remember the aspect of appropriacy. It is very important that the students must be careful of different situations which either for called formal English or allowed for a less formal option. In a restaurant, Can I have the spaghetti? It is less polite than Could I have the spaghetti, please?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moreover, he says that one function can have many different language functions. Here are the examples of different functions: If you say anything, I will tell your parents. (Function-Threat/Warning) Ill do the hovering, if you do the washing up. (Function-Negotiation) Ill go to the shops for you. (Function-Offer)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And one function can be expressed using several different language structures. For example: If I were you, Id .. (2nd conditional) Why dont you (Present tense question negative) You should / ought . (Modal/auxiliary verb)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition, to teach a language function, the teacher may give the students some tasks or talk with them about the situations. The teacher should allow the students to study in the role play. In each situation, the students ought to tell the functions of language. To do like this will help the teacher knows the students ability in using language function. Examples of language function.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is an example of teaching language function for students that I have planned to teach about these topics. In each topic, I write the functions of language that they will learn. Topics Functions There are example situations to use language function at various places. Introductions and commands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vocabulary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Im I am   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Its It is   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets Let us   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dont Do not The examples tasks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whats the real meaning?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dialogue below shows the different exchange between the student and teacher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ann: I can hear the phone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul: Im watching TV. Student: Why does Paul say Im watching TV? Teacher: Because hes is doing it now- at the moment of speaking. Student: But John is there he can see that Ann is having her lunch. Teacher: Exactly. Its happening now. Student: But why? The feedback The teacher does not focus on the functional meaning of Pauls utterance. In this context, Paul is making an excuse Im not going to answer the phone because Im having my lunch. It is only focused on the grammatical meaning of the structure Paul uses, does not to make this clear. Key Skill Understanding the underlying social meaning of certain utterances is at the heart of functional language. We often use language because we want to perform some kind of communicative act like making a request or offering advice. The expressions that we use to achieve this are known as functional exponents. Research According to Saichon Deeprasit, research on Analysis of Language Functions of Authentic Materials Based on Communicative Language Teaching. The purpose of this research was to analyze the language functions of authentic materials which had not been developed for educational purpose. Authentic materials were firstly analyzed into themes, topics and sub topics. Then their language functions were analyzed and developed six lesson plans for high school students. She used 70 authentic materials which were analyzed within 12 themes and the language functions were analyzed following 6 language function groups and 6 lesson plans were developed according to the highest frequency of occurrences found in each language function group. The language functions of imparting and seeking factual information; reporting including describing and narrating were the highest frequency of occurrences (84.29) From the research, it was found that in teaching language function, the students need to report, describe and narrate. It is a secondary research because the researcher has study from the language functions of authentic materials. (Saichon: Analysis of Language Functions of Authentic Materials Based on Communicative Language Teaching) Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From this research I think that it is very important for the teacher in teaching language function because it is based on communication. Most of the students do not understand with the function of language. Sometime, the students dont know when they are used in the situation and how they should talks with a receiver.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my research, there are about the meaning of language functions, how to teach language functions and the examples of language functions. I am teaching grade 11 and the English textbook consists of 8 language functions, Introducing people, Giving an opinion, Giving directions, Making arrangements, Making a phone call, In a cafà ©, Buying a train ticket, and Giving advice. My students can communicate in English from these various situations both inside and outside classroom. They know not only what functions they can use with those situations, but also the language culture. For example, they can tell the tourist the way to Nong Prajak Park, or they can introduce their new friends to a foreign teacher. They also understand the appropriateness in using the language in formal or informal way. To illustrate, they said, May I come in, please? to get a permission from the teacher to enter the class whereas they said, Can I use your pen? to their friends. Besides, they can use the certain vocabulary according to the situations. They use the word, pay attention which means to be interested in. On the contrary, pay a lot of mon ey which means to spend money. Through my learning experience with Ajarn Steve Graham, language functions have benefited me in various ways. First of all, I can communicate in various situations by using the knowledge from the classroom to apply using them in reality. Moreover, on reading skill, I can cope with skimming, scanning, or even speed reading. In addition, on writing skill, I can express my ideas, agree or disagree from the articles both in the textbook and the one on his website, Harmony at all cost? Secondly, the comic section interests me in choosing the characters and making the dialogue which I think I wont have a chance to create this language function by myself. Most importantly, I have a good opportunity to express my opinion and discuss the interesting topics such as the educational system in Thailand and I can produce the target language from reading and writing skills through speaking skill. Language function is one of the major factors that ESL students need to learn. The potential communication has been created from the classroom first and the most success will consequently happen in the real world. References Alison Parker (2009). Why teach functions?. Retrieved December 26,2009, from http://www.teflengland.co.uk/blog.asp?blogid=26 Retrieved December 25, 2009 from http://schoolofTESL.com http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_functions_of_the_Engish_language H.G.Widdowson(1978). Teaching language as communication. Oxpford University press. Saichon Deeprasit. Analysis of Language Functions of Authentic Materials Based on Communicative Language Teaching. Chiang Mai University.

Essay --

What is a hero? That is the question that has many different answers depending on who you ask. There are some pretty popular answers to that question. One of those answers is; â€Å"A hero is someone who helps other people, or helps to make other people's lives better.† Another is; â€Å"A hero is a person who tries to make the world a better place.† or â€Å"A hero is a person who does something that is more than what is expected.† Still others are â€Å"A hero is someone that doesn't do something for his or her own problems but for the benefit of others† and â€Å"A hero is a person that doesn't want to be a hero just to be famous.† Those were just some statements about what people think a hero is, but what about the qualities a hero should have? There are many qualities that people think a hero should have. To name a few of those qualities there is; courage, determination, focus, compassion, dedication, honesty, loyalty, responsibility, and wisdom. (http://www.personalitytutor.com/qualities-of-a-hero.html). Most people believe these are very important qualities to have, probably because they themselves wish they had more of those traits. Most people believe that these traits are not just traits of â€Å"superheroes†; they are also the traits of everyday heroes, or real heroes-not super heroes- throughout history. An example of an â€Å"everyday† hero is Bethany Hamilton, she is a surfer who on October 31, 2003 at age 13, was attacked by a 14 foot long tiger shark while surfing, and lost her arm. (http://www.values.com/inspirational-sayings-billboards/39-Rising-Above) She luckily survived the attack, but it seemed that her lifelong dream to become a professional surfer was almost ruined. After a few months of healing and such she got back on her surf board to... ... told and said the message â€Å"never give up†. One of the main qualities that both these heroes had was courage. The reason for this is that there were many bad things that happened in their lives, and even though it was scary they push forward. Courage is one of the main qualities that people say when asked â€Å"What is a quality that a hero should possess?† We all what to be courageous, and when we see a â€Å"hero† being that, it makes us believe that we can be too. That is another good thing heroes do; they inspire us to, be courageous, to help somebody, or to not give up. "You blaze the trail. And sometimes that involves doing something that scares the heck out of you." (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/liz-murray-shares-her-tale-of-life-from-homeless-to-harvard/article1314532/) That is a quote by Liz Murray that inspires us to try something new and be courageous.

Biddy’s Bakery: Operations Management Essay

1.Elizabeth’s largest challenge considering her capacity needs, is that she outgrew her first facility’s capacity and then decided to move to a much larger facility where she realized she had considerably more capacity than needed for her business. Elizabeth is essentially paying for a facility she is not utilizing fully; therefore her sales expectations are not being met because of the bills she needs to pay with unused space. Elizabeth should have researched more into the facility layout before deciding to up and move her business to a new location. With considering this first, she could have accurately decided if the new building was the right fit for the arrangement of resources in the facility to enhance the producing process. 2.The proposal the business students at the university made for Elizabeth might not be the correct structure for her business due to the layout they are proposing involving a repetitive operation design. With a repetitive operation, the product variety is low, the degree of standardization is high, and the throughput time is shorter. These are all characteristics that would not fit the business for a bakery. Her operation is Intermittent. A bakery is labor-intensive, because of the specialized orders taken by customers that Elizabeth and her business takes pride in. The workers need to be able to perform different tasks, depending on the processes needed of the products being produced. The student’s just proposing the production of the McDoogle pie in large volumes, changes Elizabeth’s whole operations from Intermittent to Repetitive. She would need to create an assembly line type of organization and still suffer from unused capacity because she would then be cutting out a large part of her companies products by no longer taking special request orders. 3.Elizabeth’s bakery is Intermittent involving the use of project processes, batch processes, or a combination of the two. With a repetitive operation, the one the students suggest, would involve line processes or a continuous process both operating on a standard product produced quickly but with little to no customization of the products. Repetitive operations are not only large volume with little customization; they are highly capital intensive where Elizabeth’s operation is labor intensive needing specialized with workers with a variety of skills. 4.The business would be very different if Elizabeth decides to accept the university student’s proposal. She would be changing her whole operations system and would need automation equipment since she would only be producing one type of pie rather then the variety she has been used to. She would also have fewer inventories and mainly have to organize the layout differently to accommodate the new processing needs. The time however, would be increased and she would possibly see an increase in sales. The mission she originally set-forth with her business was producing a variety of baked goods with old-fashioned style and taste. With accepting a repetitive design, her mission statement would not be altered. 5.I mainly would suggest keeping an Intermittent design in the new building because Elizabeth’s business requires a variety of workmanship qualities not available with mass production. By accepting the student proposal and having her pies sold in a store, would mean she would be competing on a scale she is not used to which is price. With customization, she can keep her prices relatively high. Elizabeth may need to hire more skilled workers in her field in hopes of making her through process faster and inevitably, her baked goods to her customers sooner. By making her business focus more on the McDoodle pie in the new building is not entirely out of the cards. Elizabeth could have both an intermittent and repetitive structure with the purchase of some automation to help speed up certain processes while keeping the layout design in the building separate. Most of her sales come from that pie so a larger percentage can be focused on that pie. FMS is a way for Elizabeth to have an automated system while still combining the flexibility her intermittent operation has to offer, with the efficiency still in tact of continuous operations. With this idea of combining some technology with her operation but still keeping her grouping technique of workstations, may help speed up her process and keep her variety baked goods in the hopes of increasing sales to help with bills while eliminating unused space so Elizabeth can work at full capacity.