International Investment In China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Investment In China - Essay Example However, associated with these opportunities are also risks confronting the businesses in the context of international investment. This essay primarily encompasses the direct investment concerns in the international business spectrum and also presents the case of Shell plc as an example of UK's direct investment in China. There has recently been an increasing trend on the part of the multinational corporations from the developed world to enter into trade and investment with emerging economies of the world. There happen to be several factors responsible to induce the foreign companies to invest in less developed or emerging markets. Samli and Kaynak (1984) refer to the concept of emerging markets as similar to less developed countries characterised primarily with agriculture based economy, high population growth levels, lower income levels, low literacy level, lack of substructure, and lack of capital etc. China is also one of the emerging economies of the Asian world, which is speedily climbing the ladders of economic progress and prosperity through a remarkable growth in various industrial and economic sectors. The recent rapid economic boom in China and open market policy has projected the country's image in the world as an attractive market for international investment (Sun and Chai, 1998). ... Chinese government and financial environment purposefully support and encourage multinational companies to enter the market so that it can affirm the consistent progress of the Chinese economy (Zhao, 2003). In the same vein, several UK companies having identified and analysed the opportunities in the Chinese market are making direct and indirect investment in the country that brings foreign reserves to the country as well as happens to be profitable for the these corporations. Huaning and Colin (2004) refer to the United Kingdom as the pre-eminent investor in China during the recent years among all the European Union countries. Case: Shell's Investment In China Shell happens to one of the major investor in Chinese market. In the year 2002, it entered the oil market of China with an investment of 255m (FT.com News, 2002). The company further expanded its business activities in the country and recently the company confided to a project concerning coal exploitation in a joint venture with a Chinese partner with a prospective investment of about 2.7b, probably the largest ever investment received by the country (FT.com, News, 2006). In this way, Shell plc invested in the Chinese market by way of direct investment. The increasing interest of Shell plc in the Chinese market is reflective of the investment attractiveness of the country with regard to its inexpensive labour, growing economy and surging demand. Determinants And Merits Of Investment By UK Companies In China Changhong and Weili (2002) propound that there happen to be two significant forms through which the multinational corporations invest in a developing country viz.

Juvenile delinquency Essay Example for Free

Juvenile delinquency Essay The controversy surrounding the extent and causation of delinquency would be eliminated if a uniform meaning could be attributed to the term delinquency. This word however is not used in a uniform manner not only among individuals but also consistently by a single individual. Juvenile delinquency means and represents many things to many individuals. To the police, a delinquent juvenile may be an underage criminal; to the school authorities, the rude boy who smokes in the washroom may represent delinquency. To parents, other peoples children who are uncontrolled are termed as delinquents while to the storekeeper, the gang of boys who loiter around may be their conception of delinquents. Even social workers and experts who work with children lack agreement on the limits of the concept. In some sectors, authorities discuss delinquency as emotionally disturbed behavior while others refer to persistently anti-social behavior. Some researchers on the other hand have defined it as a disappointing behavior beyond reasonable expectation. This confusion with regard to the meaning of delinquency is a problem that naturally emanates from any attempt to satisfactorily define, in less descriptive sentences, a kind of social problem which is neither legal nor behavioral (Roucek*). Any definition which works for the agency, school or neighborhood is right in its own context as any other definition. However, the numerous assortments of behavior that have been referred to as delinquency do not entirely differ; they only vary in their range. While functionally, a youth who is not liked by the neighbors may be termed delinquent in that particular neighborhood, it is within the law that the meaning of juvenile delinquency finds its ultimate basis. The legal foundation of juvenile delinquency can be traced back to the development of legal philosophy which exempted children from guilt for criminal acts. Even though the distinction between adult and child is a very old concept, the idea of juvenile courts and separate custody for young violators is a relatively new phenomenon*. Children under the age of seven years were deemed incapable of criminal acts in Roman law. This has extended to the present period. Throughout the development of criminal law in the United States, childhood has acted as defense to criminal liability. This was founded on the assumption that a child is not capable of men’s rea. The culpability of children between seven and puberty was further distinguished by the Romans, and later the English, with the assumption being that children within this category are not capable of crimes unless there was sufficient evidence presented that they did comprehend the wrongness of their action. An early New York statute followed this policy but was later extended to fourteen and again to sixteen. Presently, all states have increased their maximum age limit beyond puberty. The most popular age limit of childhood is eighteen, sixteen, seventeen and twenty one in that order. The pioneer court legislation of the State of Illinois is accredited with offering the first legal distinction of delinquency from crime in 1899. The definition that was used during that time is still applied in the state besides serving as a model for many other states. According to this definition, the words â€Å"delinquent child† means â€Å"any male child under the age of seventeen years or any female child who while under the age of eighteen years, violates any law of the state; or is incorrigible, or knowingly associate with thieves, vicious or immoral persons, or without just cause and without the consent of its parents, guardians or custodian, absents itself from its home or place of abode, or is growing up in idleness or crime; or knowingly frequents a house of ill-repute; or knowingly frequents any policy shop or place where any gaming device is operated; or frequents any saloon or dram shop where intoxicating liquors are sold; or patronizes or visits any public pool room or bucket shop; or wonders about the streets in the night without being on any lawful business or lawful occupation; or habitually wonders about any railroad yards or tracks or jumps or attempts to jump onto any moving train; or enters any car or engine without la wful authority; or uses vile, obscene, vulgar, profane or indecent language in any public place or about any school house; or is guilty of indecent or lascivious conduct†*. Any child who commits any of these acts is deemed a delinquent child. Delinquency in this regard can be seen as any act committed by a child which would be a crime if committed by an adult. In this sense, delinquent behavior is restricted to violation of criminal law. The law however does not solve the differences in definition. Criminal laws vary from state to state even though there is an element of uniformity and specificity in their view of felonies. However, they are not very specific on their definitions of misdemeanors. This is just the start of the non-specificity that characterizes the definition of juvenile delinquency. From the definition according to Illinois law, a child is defined as any male under the age of seventeen or female under the age of eighteen. This age varies from state to state with the majority considering juveniles as boys and girls under the age of eighteen. In California, one may be considered a juvenile until he or she reaches the age of twenty one. In states such as Georgia, one ceases to be a juvenile after he or she attains the age of sixteen. However, majority of the states lack any clear demarcation as one may be prosecuted as an adult for more serious crimes before attaining the upper limit of juvenile status. In Illinois, an individual may be tried as an adult criminal after he or she attains the age of ten. In the United States, the states of New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Virginia lack an age range where there is jurisdiction of both juvenile delinquency law and adult criminal law. In the remaining states, there is variation in the duration of this period of dual jurisdiction. In Wisconsin and Indiana, it is sixteen to eighteen while in California, it is eighteen to twenty one. In law, delinquency is a much wide concept even though the terms are often used interchangeably in popular discourse. Delinquency encompasses all acts committed by a child which would be considered a crime is committed by an adult. It also encompasses a wide array of loosely defined behavior which legislators conceived of to be conducive to crime. The law on delinquency is thus designed to bar juveniles from growing into adult criminals besides dealing with crimes committed by juveniles. Any concept that lacks a definite definition such as delinquency cannot be adequately measured. However, statistics on delinquency are compiled on local, state and national basis. When appraising the significance of such statistics, much care should be taken. Several things can be implied when referring to the quantity of delinquency in a particular area or in a given period of time. One may mean the number of juveniles; say ten to seventeen years of age, who have violated particular standards of behavior which also may not be precisely defined. Again, a reference may be made on the number of such youth who are detected in such behavior. It may also mean the number of cases that have been handled by the official agencies and finally, it may mean the cases that have been formally heard by a juvenile court and adjudged delinquent. In the United States, the most commonly cited statistics on delinquency refer to the court cases which is the narrowest category of delinquents. The Juvenile Court Statistics which is published yearly by the Childrens Bureau of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare contain these statistics. The compilation begun in 1923 and has undergone drastic alterations and revisions over the decades. It contains reports on the number of youth’s adjudicated delinquent and is founded on a tabulation of separate court judgments in a particular year.

Growing Up: The most Meaningful Lesson :: Virtue Upbringing Virtues Paper

Growing Up: The most Meaningful Lesson As I was growing up, I was constantly taught how I should treat others as well as how I should present myself. It was difficult for me to comprehend the importance of these concepts, but I always knew that obtaining these types of qualities was going to lead to pleasing my parents. It was later on in my life that I understood that these aspects were known as virtues. Virtues are valuable qualities of life to which everyone should aspire in order to live a more rewarding and joyful life. It is important to achieve as many virtues as possible while growing up, because having virtues is the core essence of peace and satisfaction. Throughout the process of maturing, every person must choose the virtues that he or she desires to represent his or her life. According to a book titled Friends of God: Human Virtues, by JoseMaria Escriva, there is not one virtue that is more important or superior than the rest. This is proven when she states, â€Å"It is not a matter of practicing one or even a number of virtues. We have to acquire and to practice all of them. Each individual virtue is interwoven with the others and thus our effort to be sincere will also make us upright, cheerful, prudent and composed† (Escriva 76). All virtues play an important role in a person’s life, and all virtues have certain benefits for achieving them. As one gets older, and advances in life, he or she will come to realize that virtues are the roadmaps to a more righteous life. The absolute control of one’s emotions, desires, or actions is the virtue of self-control. Although the greatest outcomes come from achieving this virtue, self-control is very hard to achieve due to the fact that it must be achieved completely upon one’s own w ill, and that it takes a lot of practice and time. There are many temptations and luxuries of life that limit our powers on having absolute self-control over our bodies and minds. One of the greatest examples of this virtue is Siddhartha. Throughout his childhood and into his teenage years, Siddhartha had a strong grasp over his mind and soul. He meditated and had a great desire for knowledge and wisdom. He knew how to fast for great periods of time and practiced self-discipline so frequently, that it became effortless to act accordingly.

Informative Paper Essay

Introduction I. Attention-Grabbing introduction: Staple center, Los Angeles, California. Friday November, 4th 2013 1:24PM The Championship match. After a weekend full of ups and downs, twist and turns it all comes to this. 1 week earlier, the previous Friday thousands have flown down to the heart of it all. Crowded around the event hall doors, people everywhere, spectators itching to get the best seats. Players going over in game builds, timings, and strategies just one more time until the doors finally open. 8 teams of 5 players to a team were seated into the week long tournament and now only two remain. Royal Club and SK Telecom are season veterans of League of Legends and now they sit on opposite ends on top of the world championship main stage. Ready to compete head to head for the grand prize of 1 million dollars in front of 1000s right there in Los Angeles and millions watching from all around the world. II. Topic: These millions from around the world have emitted their love for gaming into a hugely popular phenomena known as Electronic sports or better known as of E-Sports. Viewership has seen explosive growth in 2013 and is still growing with no sign of deterrence. Now with the integration of technology into our culture a new type of athlete has risen. One that doesn’t achieve victory heavily based on the bronze that is armed but with the critical thinking and reflex of the mind. An outsider might find this such a concept laughable but these pro gamers are far from any negative stereotypes you may have. III. Ethos & Audience Adaptation: My name is Jonathon Allen and I have been a fan and member of the E-Sports community for nearly a decade. I have had opportunities to play professionally at the MLG North American Regionals in Columbus and New York  in 2012 which I have placed 2nd and 3rd in out of 30 teams. Over the years I have also conducting extensive research on E-Sports ranging from players and teams to the technology side of running and mending events in the industry. E-Sports can be a lot to digest for someone looking in for the first time so I’ll explain exactly what and how big E-Sports really is including the potential E-Sports has to expand and grow. Before we go any further I’d like to present this video to visually show you exactly what E-Sports is and most importantly what it feels like. Visual Aid! Body I.This is E-Sports, competition at its finest. Players competing for cash prizes ranging from thousands to millions. Top players make 6 figure incomes and are even sponsored by big corporations such as Monster, Intel, Redbull, Asus, and Kingston. Pro gamers are locked into head to head combat in games like League of Legends. A DOTA-MMO style game that’s played as a team of 5 people VS 5 people. The object of the game is strategizing on how to win by taking the enemies base while leveling up and generating gold. Most games usually last around 40 minutes. II.You may ask; why would someone watch someone else play a video game? That’s simple; the excitement from watching others play video games stands as the same excitement we get from watching other athletes perform at sports such as football. T.J. Heffer from PC gamer Magazine states â€Å"What makes any competition interesting is watching very skilled individuals struggle for victory in a setting where the outcome is uncertain and the moment to moment back and forth keeps you on your toes.† Heffer continuous â€Å"Rather or not you want to call them sports they showcase people with amazing critical thinking, planning, and decision making skills and frankly inhuman reflexes as well. The level of professional level in a game lie League of Legends is mind boggling.† Professional gamers put their heart and soul into the game. They have drive, passion, hard work and dedication just like any professional athlete you can think of. III.As I’m assuming E-Sports may be alien to many of you but in nations like South Korea games such as StarCraft have already become something of a national sport. Paul Tassi of Forbs Magazine said â€Å"Overseas, top players are treated like professional Athletes.† Though South Korea has become atoned to the notion of playing games professionally North America believe it or not is where the biggest interest for pro gaming lies. In North American E-Sports, leagues and organizations have risen and grown in the past 3 years. In of these leagues the biggest E-Sports organization is Major League Gaming or MLG. Founded in 2002 Major League Gaming features numerous tournaments in a year where various gamers fly out to major cities across the US like Columbus to compete. In MLG’s Annual Viewership Report for the 2013 season they reported 15 million unique viewers tuned into watch online during the 2013 season. As those 15 million viewers tuned in last year it’s clear that E-Sports has already landed a very stable footing into the hearts of Americans across the United States. But perhaps even more thrilling and exciting is the growth that E-Sports has already shown. Between 2010 – 2013 MLG has seen a 733% growth in viewership from 1.8 million to 15 Million. Comparing that to the NFLS record growth of 18% in the past 3 years that’s 715% more than the NFL. Let’s not down play the viewership of the NFL which has recorded a record of 28.1 Million viewers for their 2013 – 2014 season. But you start to understand thus to how much potential E-Sports has when MLG a company that’s only been around for 11 years has acquired a viewership of 15 million. Just a little above half of the NFLS record viewer count 28.1 an organization that has been around for nearly a 100 years. Conclusion With these statistics of expansion and with how overseas treats E-Sports like a national sport and with pro gamers possessing the same set of virtues that any professional athlete has along the millions around the globe that  already are a part of the community only drives E-Sports. It’s not really a question of is it, it’s really a question of when! When asked about where he sees E-Sports going and what to expect of the industry. MLG Co-Founder Sundance DiGiovanni in a position that puts him at the hell of the entire E-Sports industry told Forbs Magazine in 2012 â€Å"that in 5 years he expects E-Sports to be a globally recognized phenomena. A truly established global sport.†

New York Yankees Essay

Ever since they became an official organization in 1903, the New York Yankees have established themselves as one of the world’s top sport organizations. As a Major League Baseball team, they have historically achieved the ultimate goal of winning the World Series and have gained fans and profit in the process. With thirty-one different managers, the Yankees have won a total of twenty-six World Series and have built a fan base across the globe (â€Å"New†, 2008). Nowadays, the organization even makes yearly revenue close to 300 million dollars (Cohen, 2007). I chose this organization because I believe that their structure and management style is the definition of success. I will apply most of the methods and concepts from the book and from class to the Yankees, and I will discuss why I consider them to be one of the world’s greatest sport organizations today. First, when analyzing the New York Yankees from a managerial perspective, it is important to consider the structure and management style of the organization. For example, the New York Yankees have three levels of managers: the owner or executive manager who monitors the business environment (George Steinbrenner), the general manager or middle manager who negotiates and controls player transactions (Brian Cashman), and the field manager or first-line supervisor who supervises individuals within the organization (Joe Girardi). For them to be successful, all of these parts need to work together and form a systems-based organization. In this open system, where everything is â€Å"relatively open to the influences of the environment in which it lives† (Chelladurai, 2005), Steinbrenner is able to react to the goals, structures, and processes of the organization, as well as employers, customers, and so forth. Even though the Yankees did not make the playoffs this year, it is easy to see how the system is successful. All of the managers perform certain tasks, some of which include planning, organizing, leading, and evaluating. Each of these levels do these things for different time frames. When discussing the roles of the Yankee managers, it is important to note that all of them have been successful. Brian Cashman has a large decisional role because he has to make the correct decisions for the fans to be content and the team to win. Back when the Yankees won several consecutive championships in the ‘90s, Joe Torre (field manager) was a leader of the team with excellent human skills. He was able to interact with his players in a way that allowed them to perform at or above their potential, and he also had an incredible amount of knowledge for the types of players he needed to succeed. The owner and general manager had good technical and conceptual skills because it was important that they plan, evaluate, and organize the formation of a successful organization. They had to evaluate the existing organization, plan what players to trade for, and organize the business matters. I know that the organization’s main goal is to win national championships, but they also want to be effective and efficient in doing so. When the owner George Steinbrenner goes out and gets all-star caliber players to win the American League East division and the World Series, he has to pay a lot of money in order to attract them to his team. In terms of being a successful leader, it is obvious that George Steinbrenner â€Å"exerts influence in a way that achieves the organization’s goals by enhancing the productivity and satisfaction of the work force† (Chelladurai, 2005) because he is trying to achieve his goals by getting the best players in the league and making his team more productive. It has been known that George Steinbrenner spends the most money on his players in the league, so the efficiency of the team is minimized even though they have the largest fan base out of any organization. The effectiveness, however, in drawing the support of fans, emotionally and economically, is maximized, since the people want to see the best teams with the best athletes play. In 2004, â€Å"by the completion of the season, which saw Joe Torre at its helm for his ninth season, the New York Yankees had set a new team record for largest team attendance thanks to 3,775,292 loyal fans who attended home games at Yankee Stadium† (â€Å"New†, 2008). You can see here how popular the organization has become, and I can only imagine how much more money it can make in the future. In conclusion, I have analyzed an organization that I felt would help me understand the concepts and methods that are associated with sport management. Based on the structure and personnel of the New York Yankees baseball club now and in the past, I classify it as being one of the world’s most successful organizations. This statement can only be judged by the results that have accompanied the Yankees ever since its inception, twenty-six championships and a world-wide fan base.

15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Verbs

15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Verbs 15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Verbs 15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Verbs By Mark Nichol These similar-looking words below have dissimilar meanings. Make sure you’re using the write one in each pair. 1. Amused/bemused: To be amused is to be entertained; to be bemused is to be confused. 2. Appraise/apprise: To appraise is to evaluate; to apprise is to inform. 3. Ascribe/subscribe: To ascribe is to attach an idea to a source; to subscribe is to hold belief in an idea. 4. Attain/obtain: To attain is to reach; to obtain is to acquire. 5. Barter/haggle: To barter is to trade; to haggle is to negotiate. 6. Born/borne: To be born is to be brought forth; to be borne is to be carried along. 7. Borrow/loan: To borrow is to receive something for temporary use; to loan is to provide something on those terms. 8. Careen/career: To careen is to lean over to one side or to sway; to career is to hurry carelessly. (And to carom is to ricochet.) 9. Censor/censure: To censor is to ban; to censure is to reprimand. 10. Criticize/critique: To criticize is to judge harshly or in a negative manner; to critique is to evaluate. 11. Denigrate/deprecate: To denigrate is to defame or belittle; to deprecate is to disapprove or deemphasize (but can also, like denigrate, mean to disparage). 12. Differ/vary: To differ is to disagree or to be distinct from; to vary is to change (although differ can also refer to variation). 13. Espouse/expound: To espouse is to support; to expound means to state, explain, or defend (which is also distinct from the phrase â€Å"expand on,† which means to provide additional or digressive details). 14. Rebut/refute: To rebut is to argue in response to another argument; to refute is to deny an argument. 15. Wangle/wrangle: To wangle is to obtain by underhanded means; to wrangle is to wrestle. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should KnowDriver License vs. Driver’s LicenseDrama vs. Melodrama

Free Essays on Visual Arts Paper

Visual Arts Paper Fifth Avenue at Madison Square opened at The Columbus Museum of Art in 1931. It was a gift to the museum from Ferdinand Howald. Though Ferdinand presented this painting as a gift to the museum he wasn’t the artist who painted it. This picture was painted by Theodore Robinson in 1894 two years before his death. This painter only lived forty-four years from 1852 to 1896. Robinson was an American Impressionist who spent most of his life abroad. He studied and trained at various art institutions between the United States and Europe. One of which was when he visited Claude Monet at Giverny. He visited there briefly in 1887 and summered there frequently till 1892. Though Robinson and Monet shared a warm friendship, Robinson takes exception to being a pupil to Monet. A characteristic of Robinson was the he used photographs as a preliminary study. This earned him signal honors for his personal adaptation of impressionism. He earned this honor four years before his death w hen he arrived back in the United States. Thomas Eakins was born in Philadelphia during 1844 and died in 1916 in the home in which he was born. He didn’t receive much recognition for his art work till the final years of his life. Thomas Eakins painted many pictures but the one ill be discussing is the painting called â€Å"The Wrestlers†. This painting was done in 1899 as oil on canvas. This painting too came from a photograph. Eakins got his inspiration from studying abroad. Eakins didn’t have a pleasant experience in Europe and wrote â€Å"If America is to produce great painters, remain in America to peer deeper into the heart of American life.† Though Eakins didn’t have a successful journey in Europe he still managed to become a very well known American painter. This painting was purchased by the museum in 1970 by Derby Fund. Both paintings were painted oil on canvas. In the first painting Fifth Avenue at Madison Square it ... Free Essays on Visual Arts Paper Free Essays on Visual Arts Paper Visual Arts Paper Fifth Avenue at Madison Square opened at The Columbus Museum of Art in 1931. It was a gift to the museum from Ferdinand Howald. Though Ferdinand presented this painting as a gift to the museum he wasn’t the artist who painted it. This picture was painted by Theodore Robinson in 1894 two years before his death. This painter only lived forty-four years from 1852 to 1896. Robinson was an American Impressionist who spent most of his life abroad. He studied and trained at various art institutions between the United States and Europe. One of which was when he visited Claude Monet at Giverny. He visited there briefly in 1887 and summered there frequently till 1892. Though Robinson and Monet shared a warm friendship, Robinson takes exception to being a pupil to Monet. A characteristic of Robinson was the he used photographs as a preliminary study. This earned him signal honors for his personal adaptation of impressionism. He earned this honor four years before his death w hen he arrived back in the United States. Thomas Eakins was born in Philadelphia during 1844 and died in 1916 in the home in which he was born. He didn’t receive much recognition for his art work till the final years of his life. Thomas Eakins painted many pictures but the one ill be discussing is the painting called â€Å"The Wrestlers†. This painting was done in 1899 as oil on canvas. This painting too came from a photograph. Eakins got his inspiration from studying abroad. Eakins didn’t have a pleasant experience in Europe and wrote â€Å"If America is to produce great painters, remain in America to peer deeper into the heart of American life.† Though Eakins didn’t have a successful journey in Europe he still managed to become a very well known American painter. This painting was purchased by the museum in 1970 by Derby Fund. Both paintings were painted oil on canvas. In the first painting Fifth Avenue at Madison Square it ...

Places in the Iliad - Towns, Cities, Rivers, and More

Places in the Iliad - Towns, Cities, Rivers, and More In this list of places in The Iliad, youll find towns, cities, rivers, and some of the groups of people involved on either the Trojan or Greek side of the Trojan War. Abantes: people from Euboea (island near Athens).Abii: a tribe from the north of Hellas.Abydos: a city near Troy, on the Hellespont.Achaea: mainland Greece.Achelous: a river in northern Greece.Achelous: a river in Asia Minor.Adresteia: a town north of Troy.Aegae: in Achaea, location of Poseidons underwater palace.Aegialus: a town in Paphlagonia.Aegilips: a region of Ithaca.Aegina: an island off the Argolid.Aegium: a town ruled by Agamemnon.Aenus: a town in Thrace.Aepea: a city ruled by Agamemnon.Aesepus : a river flowing near Troy from Mt. Ida to the sea.Aetolians: those living in Aetolia, an area of north-central Greece.Aipy: a town ruled by Nestor.Aisyme: a town in Thrace.Aithices: the inhabitants of a region of Thessaly.Alesium: a town of the Epeians (in northern Peloponnese).Alope: a town in Pelasgian Argos.Alos: a town in Pelasgian Argos.Alpheius: a river in the Peloponnese: near Thryoessa.Alybe: a town of the Halizoni.Amphigenea: a town ruled by Nestor.Amydon: a town of the Pae onians (in north-eastern Greece). Amyclae: a town of Lacedaemon, ruled by Menelaus.Anemorea: a town in Phocis (in central Greece).Anthedon: a town in Boeotia.Antheia: a city ruled by Agamemnon.Antrum: a town in Thessaly.Apaesus: a town to the north of Troy.Araethyrea: a town ruled by Agamemnon.Arcadia: a region in central Peloponnese.Arcadians: inhabitants of Arcadia.Arene: a town ruled by Nestor.Argissa: a town in Thessaly.Argives: see Achaeans.Argolid: area in the north-west Peloponnese.Argos : town in northern Peloponnese ruled by Diomedes.Argos: a large area ruled by Agamemnon.Argos: a general term for the homeland of Achaeans generally (i.e., mainland Greece and Peloponnese).Argos: a region in north-east Greece, part of the kingdom of Peleus (sometimes called Pelasgian Argos).Arimi: people living in theregion where the monster Typhoeus lies underground.Arisbe: a town on the Hellespont, north of Troy.Arne: a town in Boeotia; home of Menesthius.Ascania: a region in Phrygia.Asine: a town in the Argolid.Asopus: a ri ver in Boeotia. Aspledon: a city of the Minyans.Asterius: a town in Thessaly.Athens: a town in Attica.Athos: promontory in northern Greece.Augeiae: a town in Locris (in central Greece).Augeiae: a town in Lacedaemon, ruled by Menelaus.Aulis: the place in Boeotia where the Achaean fleet assembled for the Trojan expedition.Axius: a river in Paeonia (in north-eastern Greece).Batieia: a mound in the plain in front of Troy (also called tomb of Myrine).Bear: constellation (also called the Wain): depicted on Achilles shield.Bessa: a town in Locris (in central Greece) (2.608).Boagrius: a river in Locris (in central Greece).Boebea: name of a lake andtown in Thessaly.Boeotia: a region of central Greece whose men are part of Achaean forces.Boudeum: original home of Epeigeus (Achaean warrior).Bouprasium: a region in Epeia, in northern Peloponnese.Bryseae: a town in Lacedaemon, ruled by Menelaus.Cadmeians: citizens of Thebes in Boeotia.Calliarus: a town in Locris (in central Greece).Callicolone: a hill near Troy. Calydnian Islands: islands in the Aegean Sea. Calydon: a town in Aetolia.Cameirus: a town in Rhodes.Cardamyle: a city ruled by Agamemnon.Caresus: a river from Mount Ida to the sea.Carians: inhabitants ofCaria (a region of Asia Minor), allies of the Trojans.Carystus: a town in Euboea.Casus: an island in the Aegean Sea.Caucones: people of Asia Minor, Trojan allies.Caystrios: a river in Asia Minor.Celadon: a river on the borders of Pylos.Cephallenians: troops in Odysseus contingent (part of Achaean army).Cephisia: lake in Boeotia.Cephissus: a river in Phocis.Cerinthus: a town in Euboea.Chalcis : town in Euboea.Chalcis: a town in Aetolia.Chryse: a town near Troy.Cicones: Trojan allies from Thrace.Cilicians: people ruled by Eà «tion.Cilla: a town near Troy.Cleonae: a town ruled by Agamemnon.Cnossus: large city in Crete.Copae: a town in Boeotia.Corinth: a city on the isthmus dividing mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, part of Agamemnons kingdom, also called Ephyre.Coronea: a town in Boeotia.Cos: an island in the Aegean Sea.Cranae: an island where Paris took Helen after abducting her from Sparta. Crapathus: an island in the Aegean Sea.Cretans: inhabitants of the island of Crete, led by Idomeneus.Cromna: a town in PaphlagoniaCrisa: a town in Phocis (in central Greece).Crocylea: a region of Ithaca.Curetes: people living in Aetolia.Cyllene: a mountain in Arcadia (in central Peloponnese); home of Otus.Cynus: a town in Locris (in central Greece).Cyparisseis: a town ruled by Nestor.Cyparissus: a town in Phocis.Cyphus: a town in northern Greece.Cythera: the place of origin of Amphidamas; original home of Lycophron.Cytorus: a town in Paphlagonia.Danaans: see Achaeans.Dardanians: people from around Troy, led by Aeneas.Daulis: a town in Phocis (in central Greece).Dium: a town in Euboea.Dodona: a town in north west Greece.Dolopes: people given to Phoenix to rule by Peleus.Dorium: a town ruled by Nestor.Doulichion: an island off the west coast of mainland Greece.Echinean Islands: islands off west coast of mainland Greece.Eilesion: a town in Boeotia.Eionae: a town in the Argolid.Eleans: p eople inhabiting the Peloponnese. Eleon: a town in Boeotia.Elis: a region in Epeia, in northern Peloponnese.Elone: a town in Thessaly.Emathia: Hera goes there on the way to visit Sleep.Enetae: a town in Paphlagonia.Enienes: the inhabitants of a region in northern Greece.Enispe: a town in Arcadia (in central Peloponnese).Enope: a city ruled by Agamemnon.Epeians: part of the Achaean contingent, inhabitants of northern Peloponnese.Ephyra : a town in north-west Greece.Ephyra: alternate name for Corinth: home of Sisyphus.Ephyrians: people in Thessaly.Epidaurus: a town in the Argolid.Eretria: a town in Euboea.Erithini: a town in Paphlagonia.Erythrae: a town in Boeotia.Eteonus: a town in Boeotia.Ethiopians: Zeus visits them .Euboea: a large island close to mainland of Greece on the east:.Eutresis: a town in Boeotia.Gargaros: a peak on Mount Ida.Glaphyrae: a town in Thessaly.Glisas: a town in Boeotia.Gonoessa: a town ruled by Agamemnon.Graea: a town in Boeotia.Granicus: a river flowing from Mount Ida to the sea.Gygean Lake: a lake in Asia Minor: birth region of Iphition. Gyrtone: a town in Thessaly.Haliartus: a town in Boeotia.Halizoni: Trojan allies.Harma: a town in Boeotia.Helice: a town ruled by Agamemnon; site of worship of Poseidon.Hellas: a region of Thessaly ruled by Peleus (Achilles father).Hellenes: the inhabitants of Hellas.Hellespont: narrow stretch of water between Thrace and the Troad (separating Europe from Asia).Helos: a town in Lacedaemon, ruled by Menelaus.Helos: a town ruled by Nestor.Heptaporus: a river flowing from Mount Ida to the sea.Hermione: a town in the Argolid.Hermus: a river in Maeonia, birthplace of Iphition.Hippemolgi: distant tribe.Hire: a city ruled by Agamemnon.Histiaea: a town in Euboea.Hyades: heavenly constellation: depicted on Achilles shield.Hyampolis: a town in Phocis (in central Greece).Hyde: birthplace of Iphition (Trojan warrior).Hyle: a town in Boeotia; home of Oresbius and Tychius.Hyllus: a river in Asia Minor near the birthplace of Iphition.Hyperea: site of a spring in Thessaly.Hyperesia: a town ruled by A gamemnon. Hyria: a town in Boeotia.Hyrmine: a town in Epeia, in northern Peloponnese.Ialysus: a town in Rhodes.Iardanus: a river in the Peloponnese.Icaria: an island in the Aegean Sea.Ida: a mountain near Troy.Ilion: another name for Troy.Imbros: an island in the Aegean Sea.Iolcus: a town in Thessaly.Ionians: people of Ionia.Ithaca: an island off westcoast of Greece, home of Odysseus.Ithome: a town in Thessaly.Iton: a town in Thessaly.Las: a town in Lacedaemon, ruled by Menelaus.Lacedaemon: the area ruled by Menelaus (in south Peloponnese).Lapith: the inhabitants of a region of Thessaly.Larissa: a town near Troy.Leleges: the inhabitants of a region in northern Asia Minor.Lemnos: an island in the north-eastern Aegean Sea.Lesbos: an island in the Aegean.Lilaea: a town in Phocis (in central Greece).Lindus: a city in Rhodes.Locrians: men from Locris in central Greece.Lycastus: a town in Crete.Lycia/Lycians: a region of Asia Minor.Lyctus: a city in Crete.Lyrnessus: a city captured by Achilles, wher e he took Briseis captive. Macar: king of islands south of Lesbos.Maeander: a river in Caria (in Asia Minor).Maeonia: a region of Asia Minor south of Troy.Maeonians: inhabitants of a region of Asia Minor, Trojan allies.Magnetes: inhabitants of Magnesia in northern Greece.Mantinea: a town in Arcadia.Mases: a town in the Argolid.Medeon: a town in Boeotia.Meliboea: a town in Thessaly.Messe: a town in Lacedaemon ruled by Menelaus.Messeis: a spring in Greece.Methone: a town in Thessaly.Midea: a town in Boeotia.Miletus : a city in Crete.Miletus: a city in Asia Minor.Minyeà ¯us: a river in Peloponnese.Mycale: a mountain in Caria,in Asia Minor.Mycalessus: a town in Boeotia.Mycenae: a city in the Argolid ruled by Agamemnon.Myrine: see Batieia.Myrmidons: troops from Thessaly under command of Achilles.Myrsinus: a town in Epeia, in northern Peloponnese.Mysians: Trojan allies.Neritum: a mountain in Ithaca.Nisa: a town in Boeotia.Nisyrus: an island in the Aegean Sea.Nysa: a mountain associated with Dionysus.Ocalea: a town in Boeotia. Oceanus (Ocean): god of the river surrounding the earth.Oechalia: a city in Thessaly.Oetylus: a town in Lacedaemon, ruled by Menelaus.Olene: a large rock in Elis.Olenus: a town in Aetolia.Olizon: a town in Thessaly.Oloà ¶sson: a town in Thessaly.Olympus: a mountain where the major gods (the Olympians) live.Onchestus: a town in Boeotia.Opoeis: the place where Menoetius and Patroclus came from.Orchomenus: a city in central Greece.Orchomenus: a city in Acadia.Orion: a heavenly constellation: depicted on Achilles shield.Ormenius: a town in Thessaly.Orneae: a town ruled by Agamemnon.Orthe: a town in Thessaly.Paeonia: a region in northern Greece.Panopeus: a town in Phocis (in central Greece); home of Schedius.Paphlagonians: Trojan allies.Parrhasia: a town in Arcadia.Parthenius: a river in Paphlagonia.Pedaeum: the home of Imbrius.Pedasus: a town near Troy: home of Elatos.Pedasus: a city ruled by Agamemnon.Pelasgia: a region near Troy.Pelion: a mountain in mainland Greece: home of the centa urs. Pellene: a town ruled by Agamemnon.Peneus: a river in northern Greece.Peraebians: inhabitants of a region in north-west Greece.Percote: a town north of Troy; home of Pidytes.Perea: the place where Apollo bred horses of Admetus.Pergamus: the high citadel of Troy.Peteon: a town in Boeotia.Phaestus : town in Crete.Pharis: a town in Peloponnese.Pheia: a town in the Peloponnese.Pheneus: a town in Arcadia.Pherae : city in Thessaly.Pherae: a city in southern Peloponnese.Phlegyans: fighting against Ephyreans.Phocis: territory of Phoceans (part of the Achaean contingent), in central Greece.Phrygia: a region of Asia Minor inhabited by Phrygians, allies of the Trojans.Phthia: a region in south Thessaly (in northern Greece), home of Achilles and his father Peleus.Phthires: a region in Carian Asia Minor.Phylace: a town in Thessaly; home of Medon.Pieria: Hera goes there on the way to Sleep.Pityeia: a town to the north of Troy.Placus: a mountain by Thebe, city near Troy.Plataea: a town in Boeotia.P leiades: a heavenly constellation: depicted on Achilles shield. Pleuron: a town in Aetolia; home of Andraemon, Portheus, and Ancaeus.Practius: a town to the north of Troy.Pteleum: a town ruled by Nestor.Pteleum: a town in Thessaly.Pylene: a town in Aetolia.Pylians: residents of Pylos.Pylos: area in south Peloponnese, and central city in that area, ruled by Nestor.Pyrasus: a town in Thessaly.Pytho: a town in Phocis (in central Greece).Rhesus: a river flowing from Mount Ida to the sea.Rhipe:  ¨town in Arcadia.Rhodes: a large island in the eastern Mediterranean.Rhodius: a river from Mount Ida to the sea: stirred up by Poseidon and Apollo to destroy the wall.Rhytium: a town in Crete.Salamis: an island off mainland Greece, home of Telamonian Ajax.Samos: an island off west coast of mainland Greece, ruled by Odysseus.Samos: an island in northern Aegean Sea.Samothrace: an island in the Aegean Sea: Poseidons view point on the battle.Sangarius: a river in Phyrgia; home of Asius.Satnioeis: a river near Troy; home of Altes.Scaean Gates: the major gates thr ough the Trojan walls. Scamander: a river outside Troy (also called the Xanthus).Scandia: the home of Amphidamas.Scarphe: a town in Locris (in central Greece).Schoenus: a town in Boeotia.Scolus: a town in Boeotia.Scyros: an island in the Aegean: Achilles son being raised there.Selleà ¯s: a river in north-west Greece.Selleà ¯s: a river north of Troy.Sesamus: a town in Paphlagonia.Sestos: a town on the north side of the Hellespont.Sicyon: a town ruled by Agamemnon; home of Echepolus.Sidon: a city in Phoenicia.Simoeis: a river near Troy.Sipylus: a mountain area where Niobe still exists.Solymi: a tribe in Lycia: attacked by Bellerophon.Sparta: a city in Lacedaemon, home of Menelaus and (originally) Helen.Spercheus: a river, father of Menesthius, after copulating with Polydora.Stratie: a town in Arcadia.Stymphelus: a town in Arcadia.Styra: a town in Euboea.Styx: a special underground river on which gods swear their oaths: Titaressus a branch of the Styx.Syme: an island in the Aegean Sea.Tarne: a city in Maeon ia.Tarphe: a town in Locris (in central Greece). Tartarus: a deep pit below the earth.Tegea: a town in Arcadia.Tenedos: an island a short distance off the coast from Troy.Tereia: a mountain to the north of Troy.Thaumachia: a town in Thessaly.Thebe: a city near Troy.Thebes: a city in Boeotia.Thebes: a city in Egypt.Thespeia: a town in Boeotia.Thisbe: a town in Boeotia.Thrace: a region north of the Hellespont.Thronion: a town in Locris (in central Greece).Thryoessa: a city in war between Pylians and Epeians.Thryum: a town ruled by Nestor.Thymbre: a town near Troy.Timolus: a mountain in Asia Minor, near Hyde.Tiryns: a city in the Argolid.Titanus: a town in Thessaly.Titaressus: a river in north-western Greece, a branch of the river Styx.Tmolus: a mountain in Meonia.Trachis: a town in Pelasgian Argos.Tricca: a town in Thessaly.Troezene: a town in the Argolid.Xanthus: a river in Lycia (Asia Minor).Xanthus: a river outside Troy, also called the Scamander, also the god of the river.Zacynthus: an island off the west coast of Greece, part of the area ruled by Odysseus. Zeleia: a town close to Troy, on lower slopes of Mt. Ida. Source: Glossary for the Iliad, by Ian Johnston

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European business practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

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Comparison of Tate Modern and Saatchi Gallery Essay

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Theory of Parabolas Essay A parabola is designed on a basic formula, Y=ax^2+bx+c, which allows it to achieve a curve not seen in a normal line graphed using a Y=mx+b format. To the left is a graph who’s formula is y=x^2, where a=1, b=0, and c=0. I have isolated the (a) factor to see its effects on the parabola. Below is a graph where I have changed the (a) multiple times. The result is that as the (a) decreases, the mouth of the parabola widens due to the fact that (a) is essentially the slope of the parabola. Now, watch what happens when the (a) becomes negative. Now the mouth of the parabola is opening down and as we increase (a), the parabola widens. When (a)1, the parabola closes up horizontally. So from this, we can infer that if (a) is 0, then the result will be a straight line going along the X axis which is no longer a parabola. Now we will look at how the (b) factor changes the parabola, below is the origional graph from the top of the paper except the red line represents the same parabola with a (b) added onto it. The original equation was Y=x^2(blue line) and the new equation is Y=x^2+x(red line). The change is moving the vertex of the parabola left ? and down ? but the shape of the parabola it’s self is unchanged. Here are some other examples of changing (b) in a parabola with a steady (a) As seen in the graph, (b) only moves the parabola to the sides and down (as the numbers increase, the vertex moves left and down and decreasing is vice versa), but somehow fails to move the parabola up past the point X=0 on its own (making the (a) negative will flip the parabola). So now we have a slope (a) and a vertex (b), but we still need our Y-intercept which will be our (c) As shown from the graph, our parabolas Y-intercepts match up with our (c) factor, completing the equation -Fun fact, the word parabola came from the Greek words para, meaning beside, and bole, meaning to throw

Computers in Elementary School Classrooms :: Teaching Education Essays

Computers in Elementary School Classrooms Technology has influenced many aspects of life, but I think that it has influenced education the most. I am going to be an elementary teacher after I graduate, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to learn how computers will help me to teach. I will be focusing on how technology influences the development of young children. Today the computer has worked its way into the classrooms of our elementary schools. To some this may seem a little early to start teaching children about technology, but the studies prove that the computer is a productive learning tool. Children learn to use the computer at an early age by interacting with their parents and other adults. Children can listen to books being read, learn about the alphabet, numbers, sizes, colors, and shapes. They enjoy learning new things while using the computer. It is fun and gives them a sense of accomplishment because they are doing it by themselves. New opportunities for young children often increase their understanding of how the world works. The early years are the most important to provide a solid base for learning in the future. Each aspect of learning has to connect with the experience of the child’s life. The computer also has to connect with what the child is learning throughout the curriculum of school. Computers help children learn about new things that can enhance their development. The computer alone doesn’t cause the learning, but it helps the teacher to facilitate learning. [1]â€Å" The National Education Goals Panel identified five essential dimensions of early development and learning: physical well- being and motor development; social and emotional development; approaches toward learning; language development; and cognition and general knowledge.† They say that the computer can facilitate development in all of these areas. The first one I want to talk about is physical well-being and motor development. The National Education Goals Panel says that children must make use of their entire bodies and the environment surrounding them. This means that they must make a connection between the relationships of other things and the environment. Children can play and explore new ideas using the computer. This gives them an opportunity to look things up that they don’t understand, so that they can make the connection between things. Computers in Elementary School Classrooms :: Teaching Education Essays Computers in Elementary School Classrooms Technology has influenced many aspects of life, but I think that it has influenced education the most. I am going to be an elementary teacher after I graduate, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to learn how computers will help me to teach. I will be focusing on how technology influences the development of young children. Today the computer has worked its way into the classrooms of our elementary schools. To some this may seem a little early to start teaching children about technology, but the studies prove that the computer is a productive learning tool. Children learn to use the computer at an early age by interacting with their parents and other adults. Children can listen to books being read, learn about the alphabet, numbers, sizes, colors, and shapes. They enjoy learning new things while using the computer. It is fun and gives them a sense of accomplishment because they are doing it by themselves. New opportunities for young children often increase their understanding of how the world works. The early years are the most important to provide a solid base for learning in the future. Each aspect of learning has to connect with the experience of the child’s life. The computer also has to connect with what the child is learning throughout the curriculum of school. Computers help children learn about new things that can enhance their development. The computer alone doesn’t cause the learning, but it helps the teacher to facilitate learning. [1]â€Å" The National Education Goals Panel identified five essential dimensions of early development and learning: physical well- being and motor development; social and emotional development; approaches toward learning; language development; and cognition and general knowledge.† They say that the computer can facilitate development in all of these areas. The first one I want to talk about is physical well-being and motor development. The National Education Goals Panel says that children must make use of their entire bodies and the environment surrounding them. This means that they must make a connection between the relationships of other things and the environment. Children can play and explore new ideas using the computer. This gives them an opportunity to look things up that they don’t understand, so that they can make the connection between things.

Media Portrayal of Environmental Risk Essay -- essays research papers

Media Portrayal of Environmental Risk: Dissemination or Delusion? Transmission of ideas and information through media avenues like television and the press are the predominant means by which much of contemporary culture and the developed world obtain vital information. The media has an enormous impact on the public’s conceptualization of ideals: societal perceptions are shaped by the information made available to us through the different venues of media. Examining how the transmittal of information regarding environmental risk is disseminated by the media and accepted by society exposes an evident quandary. The media repeatedly broadcasts data that instead of informing people with beneficial news adversely invokes situations of tumult and unnecessary fear. Ramifications of the fictitious diffusion of information about environmental risks, or non-risks, to society include more than just the proliferation of misinformation. Circulation of wrongful environmental risk data has detrimental effects on businesses, industry and economy. Misinforming people about environmental risk undermines policies and government actions that are based on media hype or contentious scientific information. Abating the problematic and detrimental tendency of media misconstruing information about environmental risks will require a multifaceted collaboration between the media, the public, government and the scientific community. A problem complicating environmental policy and risk reporting is largely attributable to media players, politicians and scientists overstepping their boundaries into realms they are not qualified to operate in. Scientists must avoid getting involved in the environmental policy debate. Conversely, politicians must not attempt to reason on scientifically sensitive issues as if they are scientists. Risk is defined as the severity of the consequences of an accident or a hazard like a toxin multiplied by the probability of its occurrence. Risks will exist indefinitely however we attempt to reduce risk by either reducing the probability or severity of the hazard. (Bahr, 1997) People must learn, including the media, to â€Å"balance the risks and thus steer a safe course through the potential minefield known as life†. The process by which people perceive risk is dependent on what knowledge they attain and what information is made available. (Neely, 1994) Thus th... ...sic Science of Poisons (pp. 75-88). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Friedman, S. (1996). The Media, Risk Assessment and Numbers: They don’t Add Up. RISK: Health, Safety & Environment, Franklin Pierce Law Center. Retrieved March 20, 2005 from http://www.piercelaw.edu/risk/vol5/summer/friedman.htm Gough, M. â€Å"Which Environmental Risks Are Worth Addressing?† Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc. [Speech]. Cato Institute. 22 November, (1996). Retrieved April 18, 2005 from http://www.cato.org/speeches/sp-mg112296.html Neely, W. B., (1994). Introduction to Chemical Exposure and Risk Assessment. Boca Raton: CRC Press LLC Rosenbaum, W. (2005). Environmental Politics and Policy. Washington DC: CQ Press Salvato, J. A., (1992). Environmental Engineering and Sanitation (Environmental   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Science and Technology). Canada: John Wiley & Sons Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. (1996) Retrieved April 12, 2005, from http://www.spj.org/ethics_code.asp Time’s Schneider Resigns; Will Be Michigan Land Use Advocate. (1995, May) Environment Writer, 7 (2) Retrieved on April 19, 2005, from http://www.nsc.org/ehc/ew/issues/ew95may.htm#schneider

My First Impression of Critical Thinking Class Essay

My first impression when I went to this university was very positive. The person I spoke to just made me feel completely at home because he said when I started as a mature student and that’s what I wanted to hear. He asked me about my experience so far and treated it as though it was something important, something worthwhile talking about and interesting and then he gave me chance to prove myself although I didn’t have the conventional qualifications, to prove myself by doing a written piece of writing which gave me access to the course. Quite pleased because I felt I was intelligent enough to get onto a course, intelligent enough but not educated enough, I didn’t have the certificates to prove it and this was my chance to do so. I’ve no way of knowing really to be honest I’ve nothing really to compare it without I imagine that obviously with the engineering and those sort of sciences you do need to show that you’ve gone through the steps, yes I can imagine there would be the difference, yeah.. My course is like a general introduction to socio-economic, political, even psychological studies and as you go through from one year to the next you can concentrate more on the areas that you find you are interested in but you don’t regret having done other areas which you weren’t particularly fascinated by because it’s building blocks and you build on the last one before you go onto the next one. I found it really hard work fitting – think fitting 6 subjects in one year is quite a lot to fit in. It would be nice if it was just 5 perhaps but that’s life. The deadlines are really hard work but I suppose you’ve got to have them so that’s okay. I chose to study full-time so I can’t really complain. I find the university itself a rather alienating environment. In the library it is difficult to concentrate – there are always people chatting, letting doors bang and so on. It’s mostly minor practical things like the long two bus journeys that I have and the fact that there is nowhere to base yourself. You can’t make yourself a coffee – you haven’t got a room of your own, not even a locker. You have to carry everything there and back every day and pay 82p for a drink, like a shopper going round town. You can’t find anywhere to have a nap if you’re tired and I love catnapping – it just revives me instantly. Study rooms get really hot. The food canteens are not as good as I’d expect but it’s great – I could stay all day reading in the library – it’s a fantastic resource. There is just so much there – and I think of it as an archive – as time goes on the more and more, the older stuff gets more and more important – the fact that it’s still there because if you compare it for example with the internet there’s loads of stuff on the internet but it’s all pretty current. The old stuff hasn’t necessarily been archived, it can just be switched off. Lack of grass roots involvement, choices and accountability – altogether you are treated more like a consumer than a participant but with no customer services hotline. You’ve very much following a series of chosen paths like levels in a computer game. The choices are just which subjects, not fundamentals like where, when and how to study – it’s not a democracy, it’s an institution. It’s not what I’d expected coming from the voluntary sector where every organisation is run by a committee that the grass roots can contact and appeal to. You can even put yourself forward to join the committees. Student Union’s just not the same, to me that’s like being invited to be a critic in the audience, not to have a share in running the show. Here they ask for one student rep from our group – just one – why not all of us? Why not an open forum meeting every few months to feed all our comments – big and small – through to the management. Why not a suggestion box at least? Where is the annual report to students? Where s the accountability? It was a surprise to find my course entirely full of 18 year old white kids – they all look the same. There must be less than 5% mature students which is a shame. The youngsters are so docile in the classroom, like sheep, they never challenge anything, they just don’t know loads of stuff like recent British history, politics. Of course, it’s easier if you’ve lived through it but I don’t think some of them even listen to the news. I feel sorry for anyone just studying the National Curriculum. The mature students mostly got kids, like me, I’ve got teenagers, some also work, have other activities, some are even doing other courses at the same time, they know how to push themselves. Even so, a lot feel unconfident at the university. They just don’t get what’s required of them, at least for the first year. I was a mentor when I started my second year for an adult in her first year. She said I really helped in lending an ear and explaining things. Mentoring is a really good system. I wish I’d had one when I started. Co-operative work, team work, committee skills. The whole emphasis is on developing you as an individual. You will become a researcher, not a team. We are also carefully told how to avoid plagiarism but people are afraid to actually work together – in fact, university doesn’t teach team work in general. It could. In reality there are vital committee skills some graduates won’t come across till they get to the workplace, making them look naive. I mean practical things like meetings, having agendas, minutes, standing orders and so on. In the voluntary sector I’d been used to organisations having good, well worked out policies and procedures which are publicly available documents. Here, the nearest we got was one session on ground rules in an introductory course which was never repeated, reviewed or built upon. Value and experiences, using skills and building your self-esteem. Something I got from training as an adult trainer was an appreciation of good methods in bringing out what people already have as a starting point for education. Lectures are obviously pretty much one way but seminars don’t have to be. I was taught to be a facilitator not a teacher with the idea that the group works together towards a result. The process of doing this is educational. It builds up self-esteem because everyone contributes – their input is valued. Their previous experiences in life and skills and attributes in group work come out. There is no time for that here. Seminars are mostly just tutors trying to get kids to talk about what they’ve understood from the text of some great intellectual man who’s probably dead now. Perhaps that is just in social science, I don’t know. Social justice, rights, respect, equality and diversity – all these things are central to the objectives in the voluntary sector. I am sure they are here in the mission statement for the university but the reality is different. The staff seem to be 100% white. I am on a course which must be about 98% white. Why aren’t people screaming about that? Where are the anti-racism posters around the place? It’s as if no-one wants to stir up agitation for a change. One good thing is that here in working-class South Yorkshire the university does open its library doors and other facilities to everyone although it doesn’t make a point of advertising the fact – perhaps they think that would cause trouble. Perhaps they’re not proud enough of the community focus part of the mission. Activism, forums, notice-boards. I was expecting university to be a hive of student activities like it perhaps was in the 1960’s but it’s not, as many people have said. The student societies are, to say the least, not high profile. This is a shame because it’s such a learning experience for people’s skills trying to organise something. One reason is that there are so few lively, open notice-boards where activities can be advertised. The few existing notice-boards are glass-covered, it’s not obvious if they’re for student use and people secretly try to slide notices through the glass where they just stay there for months curling up. Split between several campuses there’s no feeling of a sort of open forum for stalls. It’s as if a vital source is missing. True engagement with the community. Before I’d started at university I’d seven years or more with the credit unions which is part of the voluntary sector. It has it’s own culture perhaps, but it has good principles and tools which are used. Principles like diversity, equality, co-operation, mutual respect, rights and social justice, user management, community management, local provision and grass roots basis and a critical awareness of power structures. Democracy, self-esteem building and capacity building, accessible facilities with childcare if necessary, environmental awareness, accountability and sustainable progress. Useful tools include the use of ground rules for meetings, experiential learning, valuing people’s own experience, avoidance of jargon and good policies and procedures. The Hallam volunteering project has an impressive track record and it’s obviously a step in the right direction. It gets students out of the ivory towers or out of the pub and into the community for some real-life experience. But I wonder how this impacts on the organisations they work with. There is such a thing as institutional memory and I wonder whether they’re having a good or a bad experience with student volunteers in those organisations. The local voluntary action organisations could advise on this but I never heard much about Hallam volunteering when I worked in the voluntary sector. It may be a false impression but they seem to come for one-off projects, then go away to write up their experiences. For the full-time volunteers and clients of others in the voluntary sector it must feel a little bit like being experimented on I think. I’d like to think that students could be prepared with an idealistic visionary missionary statement in their minds about the voluntary sector – perhaps a course on community work, it’s principles, it’s forward-looking ideals. The voluntary and community sector is historic – it is immense, it is something Britain should be proud of. If this vision met the hard reality of imperfect organisations, over the years something would rub off for the organisations as well as the students and it would be a two-way learning experience. There are many hard-working development workers in most fields who would be grateful to show the ropes and get some real student volunteers if they came along with some grounding like this. The vision I would have of being a self-directed learner would be spending hours in the library and hours on the internet looking things up. With the guidance of an essay title, perhaps a list of resources that are recommended, web-site links, books by key writers on the subject but not an open brief, definitely working towards an agreed or a set title and writing an essay about that. Yeah it would be nice, it would be nice to have a completely free hand in setting an objective and working an open-ended way to collect data. The nearest I’ve come to that type of experience is in the final year dissertation but even that is within you have to choose within a subject area and then within that you can almost by negotiation choose your wn title for the essay or piece of work. I think I’ve found it quite liberating to be released from the confines of writing an essay – an essay is rather like, well I suppose that is the whole discipline of it – narrowing your words and your thoughts down to one and a half thousand words, certain format, very strict – yeah, that’s difficult, it is an art in itself but I’d much rather be doing something open-ended given the freedom and the flexibility to determine the limits myself. Yeah, I’ve seen people walking round with cameras, with questionnaire sheets. It seems as though I’m guessing, I might be wrong, but it seems as though they’re following year after year the same pattern so I imagine that cohorts of students come round every year and ask the same passers-by the same series of questions. In the first year or two of university is certainly following orders, like following a worksheet or following what you’ve been told to do. In my particular field I’d like to be more in contact with other people discussing working on the same areas. I think I like websites and I’d like to think, for one example off the top of my head, that I was working to a cumulative sort of website where we were each contributing pieces of work in the areas that we’re interested in which would build up as a resource over several years so that new students could come along and be shown this website – look at this as a resource and contribute and discuss with the people currently working on the website. That’s just one idea. Other things that make studying interesting would be student publications which were not reviews of pubs and bands and so on but on the topic so perhaps if the university had a tradition of contributing to the journals. There is a massive, massive range of journals which are great to read and very intellectual and some universities I think have this tradition of contributing and I haven’t seen anybody at undergraduate level making a contribution – you can do.

English Proficiency Essay

Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. As theories vary among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency,[1] there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it. Additionally, fluency and language competence are generally recognized as being related, but separate controversial subjects. In predominant frameworks in the United States, proficient speakers demonstrate both accuracy and fluency, and use a variety of discourse strategies.[2] Thus, native speakers of a language can be fluent without being considered proficient. ————————————————- Organizations ACTFL The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) distinguishes between proficiency and performance. In part, ACTFL’s definition of proficiency is derived from mandates issued by the US government, declaring that a limited English proficient student is one who comes from a non-English background and â€Å"who has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language and whose difficulties may deny such an individual the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English or to participate fully in our society.† ACTFL views â€Å"performance† as being the combined effect of all three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. ————————————————- Proficiency frameworks Note that test scores may not correlate reliably, as different understandings of proficiency lead to different types of assessment: * FSI Test (Foreign Service Institute) Scores range from 0 to 5+.[3] (deprecated) * Interagency Language Roundtable Scores range from 0 to 5.[4] (evolved from FSI) * Language Proficiency Index * ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines ACTFL recognises ten different levels of proficiency: â€Å"novice†, â€Å"intermediate†, â€Å"advanced†, and â€Å"superior†, of which the first three are each subdivided into â€Å"low†, â€Å"mid†, and â€Å"high†. * Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEF recognises six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. Proficiency tests * CELPE-Bras (Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese for Foreigners) * Defense Language Proficiency Tests * DELE (Diplomas of Spanish as Foreign Language) * Examination for Japanese University Admission * General English Proficiency Test * Hà  nyÇ” ShuÇ pà ­ng KÇŽoshà ¬ (æ ±â€°Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¦ ° ´Ã¥ ¹ ³Ã¨â‚¬Æ'è ¯â€¢) * IELTS (International English Language Testing System) * iTEP (International Test of English Proficiency * Japanese Language Proficiency Test (æâ€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã¨Æ' ½Ã¥Å â€ºÃ¨ © ¦Ã© ¨â€œ Nihongo NÃ… ryoku Shiken) * Language Proficiency Assessment for Teachers * The European Language Certificates (telc – language tests) * TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) * TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) * TEPS (Test of English Proficiency developed by Seoul National University) * Test of Russian as a Foreign Language * Test de franà §ais international * Test de connaissance du franà §ais * TOCFL(è  ¯Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã¦â€"‡èÆ' ½Ã¥Å â€ºÃ¦ ¸ ¬Ã© ©â€" Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language) * UBELT (University of Bath English Language Test) * University of Cambridge ESOL examination See also: Language tests category ————————————————- [edit]Professional organizations * Alliance franà §aise * American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages * Association of Language Testers in Europe * Foreign service institute * Goethe-Institut * UCLES * UNIcert * Instituto Cervantes * UBELT ————————————————- References 1. ^ www.ncela.gwu.edu 2. ^ http://lauder.wharton.upenn.edu 3. ^ www.utm.edu 4. ^ www.utm.edu English proficiency is the the ability to speak, read and/or write in English. To be considered truly proficient, one should have advanced abilities in all three areas of communication. English Proficiency In The Philippines I recently read that 80% of teachers failed their English proficiency exam and that some CallCenters are closing because of a lack of applicants who have a level of English fluencydemanded by the industry.I am a Native Speaker (Canadian / UK) with over 20 years experince presenting Englishlanguage programs for the Canadian federal and provincial governments, several colleges and auniversity. After moving to thePhilippinesI continued my presentions and teaching to foreigners in ESL schools.Recently I decided to change my ESL students. Why should I be teaching foreiners English whenwhat I should be doing is giving the Filipno a chance to improve their chances of having achallenging and rewarding career?. It makes more sense to me, to help them to improve their English to a level of fluency that most companies both here in the Philippines and abroaddemand†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Lets give the Filipino a chance to improve their position in lifeMy first opportunity was to present my English fluency program to English teachers in the private school sector. 80% failed the initial testing, However, later 80% achieved a much higher level of fluency after completing the program. The EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) is a report which attempts to rank countries by the average level of English skills amongst adults. It is the product of EF Education First, a global language training company, and draws its conclusions from data collected via online English tests available for free over the internet. The report was published for the first time in March, 2011 based on the results of over 2 million test takers.[1] The most recent ranking was released in October, 2012. ——†”—————————————- Methodology The 2012 index is compiled from the results of 1.7 million adults who took one of three short online English tests between 2009 and 2011. The test takers were self-selected and no demographic information was collected on them. The tests are used by the company for marketing and placement purposes. 52 countries and 2 territories appear in the 2012 index. All other countries did not have enough test takers to be considered valid. In order to be included a country was required to have at least 400 test takers total.[2] ————————————————- Findings The report is composed of a country ranking table, several pages of analysis with graphs correlating other economic and social factors with English proficiency, and regional analyses of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. The 2012 report includes data for the first time comparing women to men, and comparing different age groups by English proficiency. The website displays portions of the report and has in-depth profiles of the role of English in 15 countries [3] which are not contained in the report. Eleven country factsheets are presented separately from the report. These provide data on how cities and regions scored within the country. Primary conclusions 1. Exports per capita, Gross National Income per capita and average number of years of schooling all correlate positively with English proficiency. That is to say wealthier countries speak better English. 2. The factor that correlates best to English proficiency is Internet usage. 3. Europe as a whole speaks the best English, Latin America the worst. 4. Starting English education younger in school does not necessarily improve adult proficiency. ————————————————- Criticism The EF English Proficiency Index has been criticized for its lack of representative sampling in each country.[4] The report states that participants in the tests are self-selected and must have access to the internet. This pushes the index towards the realm of an online survey rather than a statistically valid evaluation. However there are few alternative comparisons available of countries by their English skills, and those that exist are smaller in scale, as is the case with a reported British Council study,[1] or they have other sampling flaws, as is the case with rankings of countries by standardized English test scores such as the TOEFL.[5] The European Commission performed a language survey, SurveyLang, which tests a representative sample of 15 year old European students on their foreign language skills. The first report and data sets were released for 13 European countries in June 2012 [6] ———————————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- References 1. ^ a b English: Who speaks English?. The Economist. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 2. ^ EF English Proficiency Index – Comparing English skills between countries – EF EPI. Ef.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 3. ^ English around the world – Country profiles – EF EPI. Ef.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 4. ^ The English Blog: EF English Proficiency Ranking. Jeffreyhill.typepad.com (2011-03-30). Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 5. ^ TOEFL: Test and Score Data Summaries. Ets.org. Retrieved on 2011-05-29. 6. ^ [1]. European Commission. Retrieved on 2012-09-20. Communicative Competence and English as an International Language Language is used for expressing our thoughts , and for verbal thinking, problem-solving, and creative writing, but it is used essentially for communication. What makes it difficult to grasp the language user’s systems of representation for communication with others is the fact that the capability of individuals to interact with others through language is a unique quality and at the same time a universal human quality. The successful language use for communication presupposes the development of communicative competence in the users of that language and that the use of language is constrained by the socio-cultural norms of the society where the language is used. The use of English in Britain is influenced by the British socio-cultural norms which underlie individual differences. So are American English, Indian English, Nigerian English, and Singaporean English. That holds true in areas where English is used daily either as a native language or as a second language. In the use of English for international communication, however, what society’s or societies’ socio-cultural norms should be observed? Should they be the Anglo-American norms because speakers use American or British English as the model? Or would they be the socio-cultural norms of speakers’ native societies, which are not conspicuous nevertheless inevitably ooze out? Or is there what might be called pan- human or universal socio-cultural norm(s) overarching individual societies and cultures? In this paper, I would first review communicative competence briefly, then discuss what English as an International Language (EIL) is, and lastly argue that communicative competence, especially socio-cultural competence, of EIL speakers does not necessarily need to be that of native English speakers. English Proficiency English nowadays is considered as the universal language; for which it is understood by almost all countries around the world. It is used by most people as their second language. First, it is a way of communication in business, negotiations & especially in academics. It plays an important role in the basic education, particularly to speaking and writing (Kumar, 2009). English proficiency must be treated as an additional skill. In reality, a country needs to build familiarity, friendship and collaborate with other countries as well. It is the government’s obligation to give good quality of education to be able to work and communicate in a wider and competitive world (Alave, 2006). English proficiency pertains to the ability to speak, read and write in English. To be considered as truly proficient, you should have an advanced skill in this. We know that English is the universal language, to communicate to those people in other countries; you have to speak in English so they will understand what you are saying. We all know that lately, our country, Philippines is known for being English proficient of its citizen. But, this advantage is being eroded by other rising competitions with declining mastery of some college graduates. Just recently, a language test was taken by IDP Education Pty. Ltd. Philippines which showed that our country is no longer the top English-speaking country in Asia. This may be so because some students nowadays do not even try to enhance their English skill. LOW ENGLISH PROFICIENCY; CAUSES AND EFFECTS TO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS The low levels of English proficiency among university students nowadays becoming a hot issue among academic thinkers. This is because the students’ English language skills are not being developed during their higher education experience. Thus, reflects negatively on the quality of higher education and its graduates. The factors low English proficiency among most learners are due to two factors; internal factors such as no confident when using English, negative attitude towards the English language and external factor like the limited opportunities to use English outside the classroom. Most learners have lack of confidence when using English language. For example, the person that has low self-confidence may refuse to use the language in publics. Anna Freud once said â€Å"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time.† This shown that confident levels are decreasing when the learners are lack of self-confidence to use this language. They are afraid to be wrong and prejudiced about it. The second reason is the negative attitudes towards the English language. For information, attitude has been defined as the inclination to act or to be in a state of ‘readiness’ to act (Gagne, 1985). The learners just learnt English for pass the examination not using it as their second language. Students in university generally find it difficult to maintain their interest in English language learning as English is not seen as important for their immediate needs other than to pass their examination. A lot of negative attitudes build up from unfamiliarity with the culture of the target language (Tucker and lambert, 1973). Malay students from small towns or rural places usually grown up in a situation that English is unimportant language, not like their speaking homes language, Bahasa Melayu. English Proficiency for Global Competitiveness For some years, the Philippines was well-known as the only English-speaking country in Southeast Asia. The fluency of the English language came from the Americans who once occupied our coasts. In that period of time, we stood at an advantage from our neighbor countries. We got a lot of profits because we could speak the language that most developed countries use. Filipinos had already been capable of persuading foreign investors to set in our country even before other Asian countries realized the need to train their citizens in utilizing the English language to be able to converse with other countries and increase their economies. That is why we held a great promise of development during those times. After some years, we shifted to use our national language as the medium for instruction in school, government facilities, and everywhere with our belief that people would learn better and they would become more nationalistic. The advocates of the English language, then, suddenly had to give way to those who are in favor of our native language. Language, indeed, became an issue. Well, it does not mean that if we use the English language, we are less nationalistic. We have been using Filipino in our lives for several years already and we have actually seen its effect. We could say that it had not really made a significant difference in terms of the students’ rate of learning and development in our country. I think, it is about time that we embrace the use of the English language once more so we could be more competitive globally. Surely we have to move back to square one as we try to regain the edge that we lost. Right motivation and proper attitude towards the acquisition of the English language will undoubtedly help us become confident and adept in the language. Stop neglecting the English language, let’s use it. English Proficiency in the Philippines Introduction Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a â€Å"world language†, the lingua franca of the modern era, and while it is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a foreign language. The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders – mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles came from England and their language was called Englisc – from which the words England and English are derived. Approximately 375 million people speak English as their first language. English today is probably the third largest language by number of native speakers, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. However, when combining native and non-native speakers it is probably the most commonly spoken language in the world, though possibly second to a combination of the Chinese languages (depending on whether or not distinctions in the latter are classified as â€Å"languages† or â€Å"dialects†). Countries such as the Philippines, Jamaica and Nigeria also have millions of native speakers of dialect continua ranging from an English-based creole to a more standard version of English. Ways to Improve English Proficiency This article was created by a professional writer and edited by experienced copy editors, both qualified members of the Demand Media Studios community. All articles go through an editorial process that includes subject matter guidelines, plagiarism review, fact-checking, and other steps in an effort to provide reliable information. By Gregory Hamel, eHow Contributor 1. o English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Gaining English proficiency can be an important aspect of education in many fields from business to aviation to science. Even native English speakers can benefit from increasing knowledge and improving writing skills. There are many accessible ways to improve English proficiency effectively without taking formal classes. Speak Regularly o One of the most important aspects of gaining proficiency in any language is speaking it regularly. Self-study can improve reading and comprehension skills, but interacting with other English speakers is essential for boosting real-world comprehension and practical use of the English language. If you live in a bilingual home, designate a certain amount of time each day for speaking only in English. Making English-speaking friends, perhaps those interested in learning a different language that you speak, can help increase proficiency. Living in an English-speaking country will help immerse you in the language and increase all aspects of your English knowledge. Media o Watching or listening to media in English is a way to improve English comprehension without feeling like you are studying. Watch popular English movies and listen to English music. Avoid watching dubbed films in favor of those with English voice and subtitles. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY LEVELS The definitions of the five limited-English language proficiency levels, as well as Level 6, one of two fully-English language proficiency levels, are from PI 13.08(3)(1)-(6), Wisconsin Administrative Rule. Level 7, the other fully-English language proficiency level, is used for purposes of state reporting/state testing. Level 1—Beginning/Preproduction [WIDA level = Entering]: A pupil shall be classified level 1 if the pupil does not understand or speak English with the exception of a few isolated words or expressions. Level 2—Beginning/Production [WIDA level = Beginning]: A pupil shall be classified level 2 if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The pupil understands and speaks conversational and academic English with hesitancy and difficulty. (b) The pupil understands parts of lessons and simple directions. (c) The pupil is at a pre-emergent or emergent level of reading and writing in English, significantly below grade level. Level 3—Intermediate [WIDA level = Developing]: A pupil shall be classified level 3 if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The pupil understands and speaks conversational and academic English with decreasing hesitancy and difficulty. (b) The pupil is post-emergent, developing reading comprehension and writing skills in English. (c) The pupil’s English literacy skills allow the student to demonstrate academic knowledge in content areas with assistance. Level 4—Advanced Intermediate [WIDA level = Expanding]: A pupil shall be classified level 4 if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The pupil understands and speaks conversational English without apparent difficulty, but understands and speaks academic English with some hesitancy. (b) The pupil continues to acquire reading and writing skills in content areas needed to achieve grade level expectations with assistance. ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM IS IT? For many of us, the state of education in a country speaks volumes. Where English is spoken and taught as a second language, fluency is deemed a basic requirement for proper communication and propagation of ideas and connotes success. Does this fluency actually translate to a country’s economic success and overall standing in the world of nations? Back when American influence on teachers was still strong in the 1950s, I recall instances where all of us, pupils then, were required to speak English in English class or be fined five centavos per instance of speaking in Ilocano, a major dialect of northern Philippines. Five centavos then was a hefty sum. Tagalog, now Filipino, was not commonly in use at the time. Each one of us would try to catch anyone who committed the â€Å"sin† and report it to a classmate assigned to collect the fines who, in turn, would submit the list of offenders to the teacher. We never asked where those collections went. Teachers were the bosses and their word was law. No one questioned them. They stood on pedestals and we looked up to them with much respect. Teaching was a very respectable profession. Looking back, I now realize that our teachers in elementary and high school, then spoke or at least taught us proper English and with much enthusiasm. Perhaps my siblings and I had the added advantage of being raised by parents who happened to be teachers. Several of their brothers and sisters were graduates of the Philippine Normal School. Books we used were brought in by the American teachers and ministers–from readers, to hymnals, to almanacs. There were practically no Filipino authors that we knew of. American influence gave us a decided advantage over our Asian neighbors. The country enjoyed a privileged status in the region as a consequence of this. Engish is the standard form of communication. It’s used worldwide by people who are from different countries but need to communicate with each other. English is also seen as the business language, as for reasons mentioned above. We study it also for the reasons we study any language-we need to have a way to articulate the things we need and desire. English is also used primarily on the internet-which today connects millions of people world wide. English is used in many different countries also because curing the Colonial and Imperial Age, Britain proved to be â€Å"successful† at gaining colonies on different continents around the world. MUCH has been said about the importance of English in our schools and here is another to add to the sum total. There is a saying that if you have something the world wants, it will beat a path to your door wherever you may be; but if the world has something you want, then you have to go out to get it. As of now, what we want from the outside world is the latest knowledge in all fields of human endeavour. Undeniably, most of these are couched in English and to acquire them we have to be proficient in the language. Having acquired and returned with new knowledge, the need is to disseminate it through learning institutions for the benefit of the country. Teaching it to those proficient in English is straight forward. But to recipients who are monolingual in Bahasa Malaysia, translations will be required, and this can be slow and time-consuming. Depending on translations alone is hardly an efficient way to keep up with the latest advances. Perhaps that is why our government is encouraging bilingualism – English and Bahasa Malaysia – in our national schools. But individual proficiency in English will differ and it may require enhancement depending on one’s career leanings. If one wishes to engage in local business or to take up more mundane occupations, then perhaps knowing Bahasa Malaysia alone will be adequate, but of course, a smattering of English will always help. But if one aspires to be a diplomat, a scientist or to enrol in an English university, then a greater depth in English is required. Since Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, it has to be taught in schools. It is the glue that binds our people together for national betterment. English, on the other hand is the currency for international discourse, without which we would be isolated. Hence, until such time when we are an advanced country and our national language is brought to a wider and impeccable level and our people can invent things the world will want, then the world will indeed beat a path to our shores to learn from us and in our national language. C.P.B., Kuala Lumpur. Today, there are many people all of the world study English. Most of people think that maybe english becomes their second language. But have you ever wondered:† Why do we need to learn English†. Why don’t we searching about it? First, English helps you to improve friendship and maybe include our knowledge around the world. Nowadays, many people have a wider friendship around the world. So learning English is an important way to communicate with friends from another countries. Absolutely, learning English can help you to make more friends, we can exchange with a lot of people, improve our relationships. From that, we can learn more, open our knowledge world. Every year, there are lots of teenagers go overseas to learn for themselves, to improve every important, to bring every new thing from another countries to our country. Second, English helps you to connect our country to the world or we can learn more about another countries’s tradition. Learning English, we can introduce every beautiful things, places,†¦ to internaional friends from another countries. Foreigners wil be curious and they will travel to our country. On the contrary, we can understand more special traditional foods, cultures,†¦ from another countries. I think it’s great so we need to learn English Finally, we can find jobsmore easily. Today, all companies need their wokers know at least on language, especially English. In some international companies, every person have to know English well. So we need to learn English in other to have a good job for you. You can see. Learning is very important way to climb on our future stepladder. I hope that people wil learn English for themselves and for their future. English is one of the legacy`s examples that was left by the British colonial rule in Malaysia long time ago. It is one of the most crucial foreign languages in Malaysia and even around the world nowadays, and is used widely and quite extensively in all aspects of daily life. English and the national language of Malaysia, `Bahasa Malaysia`, both play a very important role in tighten together our multicultural nation. English and `Bahasa Malaysia` helps to unite people and to create a unique national awareness. Instead of its history, Malaysia has recently showed a sharp decline in the English language proficiency. According to Murugesan (2003), the decline is largely due to a backwash effect from a change implemented in the early 1960s and 1970s when `Bahasa Malaysia` replaced English as the medium of instruction in schools and as the language used for official matters. On the other hand, according to Lee (2002), the drop in proficiency of English has not been due so much to the emphasis on Malay, but it is primarily the result of bad attitudes to language and poor approaches to the teaching of language. The decline of English language proficiency will lead to other side effects that will someday give out various major problems to us. Due to the decline in our country, it might be a step backward from other country around the world from the information and technology aspect and other related aspects. In this essay, I will critically response about the topic, `English Language Proficiency Should Not Be Taken for Granted` based on the three articles that have been chooses. The first article that I have chooses is mainly about the importance of English language proficiency. The second article talks about the steps that will be taken to enhance the English usage, while the third article discuss about suggestions to strengthen the students English language proficiency.