THE LESSON :: Essays Papers

THE LESSON1 Ah If only I could be young again Most people ofttimes say this statement. People wishing they could go back to their youth and make a change. Frag - 1 If one could become young again, would he/she in reality change? Or is youth a state of mind? In Dr. Heideggers Experiment, , Nathaniel Hawthorne gives us an example of what can happen when one does become young again. The theme of this bilgewater is that morals established in ones youth remain unchanged throughout ones life. 2 The narrator does not identify himself as a character, nor if his character is typify during Dr. Heideggers experiment. SS The narrator does not identify himself as a character or participant in the experiment. Within the story, the narrator does mention that this What is this? might seem unlikely and false. He alludes Diction that the story may be a lesson in morality. The effect of such a narrator allows the audience to decide if the story is true or a mere lesson. A lesson cannot be true? 3 Throughout the story, symbols of youth and age are present everywhere. The go up, which Dr. Heidegger has kept for 50 years, symbolizes his love and commitment for Sylvia Ward. It as well as symbolizes youth. When Dr. Heidegger places the rose in the liquid of youth, it blooms just as the characters do when they drink the elixir of life. However, the rose has a double meaning. It also means death. As the rose withers, so do the characters. What else is the rose associated with? 4 The experiment starts on a summer afternoon. Symbolically, a summer afternoon means youth. The characters become young during this time. When the temperateness sets, they age. The sunset symbolizes aging. 5 Throughout the story, we hear about this Fountain of Youth. Also referred to as the elixir of life or the liquid of youth. Frag -1 This Fountain of Youth is really a state of mind. Like the saying goes, you are as young as you think you are. That is what t his elixir of life is really about.

Causes of the French Revolution Essay -- History France French Revolut

Causes of the French Revolution The French Revolution was essentially a class war between the emerging bourgeoisie a come alongst the interior class, this meant they saw the Privileged class as the only hurdle between themselves and equality deep down French auberge. Many of the ideas they pursued stemmed from the enlightenment and they believed that in order to gain their full economic, social and political potential and gain equality, the Bourgeoisie had to eradicate the privileges that were halting their rise in society. To do this they had to seize power for themselves and gaining power within the government and making badly needed changes, such as, improving the tax system, creating a fair system of production where profits went to the producer, improving the whole monetary system of the government, improving the geographical divisions of France and the problems they caused, plus numerous more. The revolution was a fight for equality and recognition by the Bourgeoisie , it was not a revolt against poverty, for many of the French people had been living in poverty for centuries and had learnt to live with it.France had prospered in the Eighteenth century. France had had no major famines or plagues, its population had increased, there had been no wars on its soil, industry such as textiles was doing well and offshore trading had increased enormously. It was the Bourgeoisie that had enabled this abundance of wealth and they were emerging as the economic power interior France. But their new found power was being smothered by the privileged class. The privileged class of nobility and clergy, who owned the bulk of the land, were using their quaint rights to plunder most of the profits that were made by the lower classes. This meant that the Prosperity came only to those who held fairly large estates, who exercised feudal rights, or who could manipulate farm rents.1 The only people who fell under these categories were the Nobles of the robe and the cle rgy. So in order to get the prosperity equally divided in society and indeed profit themselves, the bourgeoisie had to get rid of the privileged classes ancient rights. To do this they had to revolt against the government, that supported the privileged classes and which was reluctant to make the necessary reforms. It is seen here that it was the Bourgeoisie were struggling against the Privileged class ... ...hed to them, because their privileges were taking large percentages of profits, adding on-costs to goods, causing massive inflation and reducing the wages of the middle class. In order to do this though they had get the reforms they wanted by having a role in government and take some of the power from the king, because he supported the Aristocracy. At no visor in the build up to the revolution did poverty become an issue, the Bourgeoisie were looking after their own interests and trying to create a equal society in which they would become the most powerful and richest.Word Co unt- 2,148 wordsCitation1. Johnson, D. (1970) The French Revolution, Wayland, London.2. Townson, D. (1990) France in Revolution, Hodder and Stoughton, London.3. Townson, D. (1990) France in Revolution, Hodder and Stoughton, London.Bibliography1. Microsoft Encarta, USA, Funk and Wagnalls, 19942. Ergang, R. Europe From the Renaissance to Waterloo tercet Edition, USA, Heath and Company, 19673. Townson, D. France in Revolution, London, Hodder and Stoghton, 19904. Fisher, H. A History of Europe Volume 2, GModern European History - French Revolution Essay - Jonah Haines - 1293

Gender & Jim Crow: Book Review Essay -- essays research papers fc

In Glenda Elizabeth Gilmores book Gender & Jim Crow, Gilmore illustrates the relations between African Americans and white in North Caroline from 1896 to 1920, as well as relations between the men and women of the time. She looks at the influences each group had on the progressive tense Era, both policy-makingly and socially. Gilmores arguments concern African American male political participation, middle-class New South men, and African American female political influences. The book follows a narrative progression of African American progress and relapse. Gilmore argues that African American male political participation between 1890 and 1898 represented a movement toward greater inclusion. She claims that African American males in politics strove for the balance of power between political parties in North Carolina, and that the Populist-Republican victory in 1896 unplowed African American votes in contention and maintained some African American men in political office for a short layover of time. There was an agreement between African Americans and whites that the surmount Men, middle class African Americans, were to be the only African Americans to hold office. This was because by being dubbed the Best Men, they had met certain standards and were suitable for office according to the white politicians. The Best Men clashed with the Souths New White Man, who sought to re-monopolize voting rights and political power, as well as to completely dominate African Americans. Gilmore attributes the New White Mans goals to these mens bitterness towards their fathers who were blamed for the defeat in the Civil War, sulphurern underdevelopment, and black progress. Nonetheless, African American men rapidly increased power in politics when many positions became publicly elected. Gilmore reasons that the progress of African American men in politics caused upwardly mobile and middle-class New South men, Southern Progressives, to formulate disenfranchisement and Jim Crow laws, and to later blame the inferior cracker for acting on their verbal violence. She also says that white supremacists reacted to white womens movement into public space, urbanization, industrialization, and African-American advancement, and responded to black power even as they capitalized on black weakness (p 118). The Best Men were blamed for the supposed rapists and malingerers in the Afr... ...th Carolina.I agree with her arguments, and found a great deal of the nurture in this book surprising, and also disturbing. I did not know a lot of the history of race relation in North Carolina, which was different from the proportionality of the south since whites barely outnumbered African Americans at that time in North Carolina. Because of this legal segregation came late and was more intense since the African Americans were able to erect up more of a fight. All of Gilmores evidence supports her arguments, and makes a lot of sense. She did enough research and knows enough abo ut the South that there is no reason any of the standpoints that she makes should be false.Glenda Gilmores book Gender & Jim Crow shows a different point of view from a majority of history of the south and proves many convictions that are not often stated. Her stance from the African American point of view shows how harsh relations were at this time, as well as how hard they tried for equity in society. Gilmores portrayal of the Progressive Era is very straightforward and precise, by placing educated African American women at the center of Southern political history, instead of merely in the background.

Controlling Computers With Neu :: essays research papers

In the classic science-fiction movie Forbidden Planet,space travelers from Earth land on a distant planet, where theyencounter the remnants of a technologically advancedcivilization. Even though they are not from this distant planet,the space travelers are able to communicate with one of the aliencomputers. They do this by connecting themselves to ardent headprobes. By doing this the space travelers thoughts and feelingsare directly conveyed to the alien computer over a neural link.In the science-fiction movie The Matrix, the creative activity isrun by machines that use humans as batteries so sustainthemselves. A group of humans brake the grip of the machines andbegin to wage a war on their metallic oppressors. These great dealare able to fight the machines with the help of computers. Eachone of these race has a jack in the book binding of his or her headthat is connected to a computer. By doing this, the people areable to turn their thoughts, such as dodging bullets and knowin gKung-Fu, into reality.The idea of people having their minds linked tocomputers has appeared throughout works of science-fiction. Theway this idea works is very simple. A person thinks of a commandand the computer immediately responds. Thought designationwould be the ultimate computer interface, the machine acting asan extension of the human nauseated system itself.(Lusted, Hugh S.and Knapp, R. Benjamin Controlling Computers with Neural SignalsScientific American, October 1996) This applied science would provevery useful for people with neuromuscular handicaps. The purposeof this paper is to show how controlling computers with neuralsignals will help make life easier for people with handicaps andhow it will affect the future.Computer technology has advanced considerably in thelast forty years. Even with all these advances, constructing aversatile neural crossroads between a human brain and an electronicone remains a formidable challenge.(Lusted, Hugh S. and Knapp, R.Benjamin Con trolling Computers with Neural Signals ScientificAmerican, October 1996) Attempts to tie the nervous system toexternal electronic circuits are, however, well worth pursuing. The results may provide means for effortless communication withcomputers.The closest thing to computer thought light rightnow is voice recognition. Voice recognition software has been indevelopment since the 1950s. This software has been availableand affordable for the past three or quatern years to the generalpublic. The purpose of voice recognition software is to allowthe user to dictate words into a microphone that are transformedinto all text for word processing or commands for navigation,without the use of a keyboard.(Communication Technology forDisabled Persons. Erich E. Sutter in Handbook of Amyotrophic

The Third Murderer in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

The Third Murderer in Macbeth There is much speculation as to who the third murderer is who assisted in the slaying of Banquo. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and unitary of the Weird sisters are a few of the best candidates as to filling this role. each of these three main char human actioners has their own motive as to why they would need to join in on the assassination. Out of these three possibilities of filling this third murderers role, all told have reasons as to why they could or could not fill the position. At this time in the play, Macbeth is paranoid about Banquo turning against him. In the opening of act three, Macbeth hires 2 hit men to take out Banquo and his son Fleance. The two men Macbeth hires probably did not match to Banquos great skill in fighting. This could take for Macbeth a reason to want to join the other two murderers in making sure that the plan was carried out. After they murder Banquo, the third murderer says, Who did study out the light? and theres but one down the son is fled (3.3.18). He is the one who realizes that someone turned out t... The Third Murderer in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essaysThe Third Murderer in Macbeth There is much speculation as to who the third murderer is who assisted in the slaying of Banquo. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and one of the Weird sisters are a few of the best candidates as to filling this role. Each of these three main characters has their own motive as to why they would want to join in on the assassination. Out of these three possibilities of filling this third murderers role, all have reasons as to why they could or could not fill the position. At this time in the play, Macbeth is paranoid about Banquo turning against him. In the opening of act three, Macbeth hires two hit men to take out Banquo and his son Fleance. The two men Macbeth hires probably did not match to Banquos great skill in fighting. This could give Macbeth a reason to want to join the ot her two murderers in making sure that the plan was carried out. After they murder Banquo, the third murderer says, Who did strike out the light? and theres but one down the son is fled (3.3.18). He is the one who realizes that someone turned out t...

The Third Murderer in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

The Third Murderer in Macbeth there is much speculation as to who the third strikeer is who assisted in the slaying of Banquo. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and star of the Weird sisters are a few of the surmount candidates as to filling this role. Each of these deuce-ace main characters has their own penury as to why they would want to bond in on the assassination. Out of these three possibilities of filling this third murderers role, all have reasons as to why they could or could not fill the position. At this time in the play, Macbeth is paranoid about Banquo go against him. In the opening of act three, Macbeth hires two hit men to get into out Banquo and his son Fleance. The two men Macbeth hires probably did not match to Banquos considerable skill in fighting. This could give Macbeth a reason to want to join the other two murderers in making sure that the plan was carried out. After they murder Banquo, the third murderer says, Who did strike out the light? and theres but one down the son is fled (3.3.18). He is the one who realizes that someone turned out t... The Third Murderer in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essaysThe Third Murderer in Macbeth There is much speculation as to who the third murderer is who assisted in the slaying of Banquo. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and one of the Weird sisters are a few of the best candidates as to filling this role. Each of these three main characters has their own motive as to why they would want to join in on the assassination. Out of these three possibilities of filling this third murderers role, all have reasons as to why they could or could not fill the position. At this time in the play, Macbeth is paranoid about Banquo turning against him. In the opening of act three, Macbeth hires two hit men to take out Banquo and his son Fleance. The two men Macbeth hires probably did not match to Banquos great skill in fighting. This could give Macbeth a reason to want to join the oth er two murderers in making sure that the plan was carried out. After they murder Banquo, the third murderer says, Who did strike out the light? and theres but one down the son is fled (3.3.18). He is the one who realizes that someone turned out t...

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eight

Elena had gone into the bathroom dazed and numbly grateful. She came out angry.She wasnt quite sure how the transformation had taken place. exclusively almost conviction tour she was slipstream the scratches on her face and arms, annoyed at the lack of a mirror and at the fact shed left her purse in Tylers convertible, she startedfeeling again. And what she felt was anger.Damn Stefan Salvatore. So cold and controlled horizontal while saving her life. Damn him for his politeness, and for his g wholeantry, and for the w entirelys well-nigh him that seemed thicker and higher than ever.She pulled the remaining bobby pins out of her hair and used them to fasten the front of her dress together. and so she ran through her well-offned hair quickly with an engraved bone comb she found by the sink. She came out of the bathroom with her chin held high and her eye narrowed.He hadnt put his coat covering on. He was standing by the window in his white sweater with bowed head, tense, waiti ng. Without lifting his head, he gestured to a length of murky velvet laid over the back down of a chair.You mightiness want to put that on over your dress.It was a full-length cloak, very rich and soft, with a hood. Elena pulled the heavy material around her shoulders. But she was non mollified by the gift she detect that Stefan hadnt come both closer to her, or even looked at her while speaking.Deliberately, she invaded his territorial space, pulling the cloak much tightly about her and feeling, even at that moment, a sensual appreciation of the way the folds fell about her, tracking behind her on the floor. She walked up to him and made an examination of the heavy mahogany dresser by the window.On it lay a wicked-looking dagger with an ivory hilt and a beautiful agate cup mounted in silver. There were also a golden sphere with some sort of dial set into it and several loose gold coins.She picked up one of the coins, partly because it was interesting and partly because she knew it would upset him to see her handling his things. Whats this?It was a moment before he answered. Then he verbalizeA gold florin. A Florentine coin.And whats this?A German pendant watch. Late fifteenth century, he say distractedly. He added, Elena-She reached for a vitiated iron coffer with a hinged lid. What about this? Does it open? zero(prenominal) He had the reflexes of a throw off his hand slapped over the coffer, holding the lid down. Thats private, he said, the agate line obvious in his voice.She noticed that his hand made contact only with the curving iron lid and not with her flesh. She lifted her fingers, and he drew back at once.Suddenly, her anger was too great to hold in any vaster. Cargonful, she said savagely. Dont touch me, or you might get a disease.He saturnine away toward the window.And yet even as she moved away herself, walking back to the center of the room, she could sense his watching her reflection. And she knew, of a sudden, what she must look like to him, parboil hair spilling over the blackness of the cape, one white hand holding the velvet closed at her pharynx. A ravaged princess pacing in her tower.She flex her head far back to look at the trap ingress in the ceiling, and perceive a soft, distinct intake of breath. When she turned, his gaze was fixed on her exposed throat the look in his eyes confused her. But the next moment his face hardened, closing her out.I think, he said, that I had better get you home.In that instant, she valued to hurt him, to make him feel as bad as hed made her feel. But she also wanted the truth. She was tired of this game, tired of scheming and plotting and nerve-wracking to read Stefan Salvatores mind. It was terrifying and yet a wonderful relief to hear her own voice saying the words shed been thinking so long.Why do you hate me? He stared at her. For a moment he couldnt seem to find words. Then he said, I dont hate you.You do, said Elena. I make love its not not good manners to say it, tho I dont care. I know I should be grateful to you for saving me tonight, but I dont care about that, either. I didnt ask you to save me. I dont know why you were even in the graveyard in the first place. And I for certain dont understand why you did it, considering the way you feel about me.He was trembling his head, but his voice was soft. I dont hate you.From the very beginning, youve avoided me as if I were were some kind of leper. I tried to be friendly to you, and you threw it back in my face. Is that what agentleman does when someone tries to welcome him?He was trying to say something now, but she swept on, heedless. Youve snubbed me in public time after time youve humiliated me at school. You wouldnt be speaking to me now if it hadnt been a matter of life or death. Is that what it takes to get a word out of you? Does someone hire to nearly be murdered?And even now, she continued bitterly, you dont want me to get anywhere near you. Whats the matter with you, Ste fan Salvatore, that you have to live this way? That you have to build walls against other people to keep them out? That you cant trust anyone?Whats wrong with you ?He was silent now, his face averted. She took a inscrutable breath and then straightened her shoulders, holding her head up even though her eyes were sore and burning. And whats wrong withme , she added, more quietly, that you cant even look at me, but you can let Caroline Forbes fall all over you? I have a right to know that, at least. I wont ever razz you again, I wont even talk to you at school, but I want to know the truth before I go. Why do you hate me so much, Stefan?Slowly, he turned and raised his head. His eyes were bleak, sightless, and something twisted in Elena at the pain she saw on his face.His voice was still controlled-but barely. She could hear the effort it cost him to keep it steady.Yes, he said, I think you do have a right to know. Elena. He looked at her then, meeting her eyes directly, and she t hought, That bad? What could be as bad as that? I dont hate you, he continued, pronouncing each word carefully, distinctly. Ive never hated you. But you move me of someone.Elena was taken aback. Whatever shed expected, it wasnt this. I remind you of someone else you know?Of someone I knew, he said quietly. But, he added slowly, as if puzzling something out for himself, youre not like her, really. She looked like you, but she was fragile, delicate. Vulnerable. wrong as well as out.And Im not.He made a sound that would have been a laugh if there had been any humor in it. No. Youre a fighter. You are yourself.Elena was silent for a moment. She could not keep hold of her anger, seeing the pain on his face. You were very close to her?Yes.What happened?There was a long pause, so long that Elena thought he wasnt going to answer her. But at go he said, She died.Elena let out a tremulous breath. The last of her anger folded up and disappeared from under her. That must have hurt terribly, she said softly, thinking of the white Gilbert headstone among the rye grass. Im so sorry.He said nothing. His face had closed again, and he seemed to be looking far away at something, something terrible and heartbreaking that only he could see. But there was not just grief in his expression. Through the walls, through all his trembling control, she could see the tortured look of unbearable guilt and loneliness. A look so lost and haunted that she had moved to his side before she knew what she was doing.Stefan, she whispered. He didnt seem to hear her he seemed to be adrift in his own world of misery.She could not stop herself from laying a hand on his arm. Stefan, I know how it can hurt-You cant know, he exploded, all his quietness erupting into white rage. He looked down at her hand as if just realizing it was there, as if infuriated at her effrontery in touching him. His green eyes were dilated and tail as he move her hand off, flinging a hand up to bar her from touching him ag ain--and somehow, instead, he was holding her hand, his fingers tightly interlocked with hers, hanging on for dear life. He looked down at their locked hands in bewilderment. Then, slowly, his gaze moved from their clasping fingers to her face.Elena he whispered.And then she saw it, the anguish shattering his gaze, as if he simply couldnt fight any longer. The bastinado as the walls finally crumbled and she saw what was underneath.And then, helplessly, he bent his head down to her lips.Wait-stop here, said Bonnie. I thought I saw something.Matts battered Ford slowed, march on toward the side of the road, where brambles and bushes grew thickly. Something white glimmered there, coming toward them.Oh, my God, said Meredith. Its Vickie Bennett.The girl stumbled into the path of the headlights and stood there, wavering, as Matt hit the brakes. Her light-brown hair was tangled and in disarray, and her eyes stared glassily out of a face that was smudged and grimy with dirt. She was weari ng only a thin white slip.Get her in the car, said Matt. Meredith was already opening the car door. She jumped out and ran up to the dazed girl.Vickie, are you all right? What happened to you?Vickie moaned, still looking straight ahead. Then she suddenly seemed to see Meredith, and she clutched at her, digging her nails into Merediths arms.Get out of here, she said, her eyes filled with desperate intensity, her voice strange and thick, as if she had something in her mouth. All of you-get out of here Its coming.Whats coming? Vickie, where is Elena?Get outnow . Meredith looked down the road, then led the shaking girl back to the car. Well take you away, she said, but you have to tell us whats happened. Bonnie, give me your wrap. Shes freezing.Shes been hurt, said Matt grimly. And shes in shock or something. The question is, where are the others? Vickie, was Elena with you? Vickie sobbed, putting her hands over her face as Meredith settled Bonnies iridescent pink wrap around her should ers. No Dick, she said indistinctly. It seemed to hurt her to speak. We were in the church it was horrible. It came like mist all around. Dark mist. And eyes. I saw its eyes in the dark there, burning. They burnt meShes delirious, said Bonnie. Or hysterical, or whatever you retrieve it.Matt spoke slowly and clearly. Vickie, please, just tell us one thing. Where is Elena? What happened to her?I dont know . Vickie lifted a tear-stained face to the sky. Dick and I-we were unaccompanied. We were and then suddenly it was all around us. I couldnt run. Elena said the tomb had opened. Maybe that was where it came from. It was horribleThey were in the cemetery, in the ruined church, Meredith interpreted. And Elena was with them. And look at this. In the overhead light, they could all see the profoundly fresh scratches running down Vickies neck to the lace bodice of her slip.They look like animal marks, said Bonnie. Like the marks of cats claws, maybe.No cat got that old man under the bri dge, said Matt. His face was pale, and muscles stood out in his jaw. Meredith followed his gaze down the road and then shook her head.Matt, we have to take her back first. We have to, she said. Listen to me, Im as worried about Elena as you are. But Vickie needs a doctor, and we need to call the constabulary. We dont have any choice. We have to go back.Matt stared down the road for another long moment, then let out his breath in a hiss. Slamming the door shut, he put the car into gear and turned it around, each motion violent.All the way back to town, Vickie moaned about the eyes.Elena felt Stefans lips meet hers.And it was as simple as that. All questions answered, all fears put to rest, all doubts removed. What she felt was not merely passion, but a bruising tenderness and a love so strong it made her trill inside. It would have been frightening in its intensity, except that while she was with him, she could not be afraid of anything.She had come home.This was where she belonged , and she had found it at last. With Stefan, she was home.He pulled back slightly, and she could feel that he was trembling.Oh, Elena, he whispered against her lips. We cant-We already have, she whispered, and drew him back down again.It was almost as if she could hear his thoughts, could feel his feelings. Pleasure and desire raced between them, connecting them, drawing them closer. And Elena sensed, too, a wellspring of deeper emotions within him. He wanted to hold her forever, to protect her from all harm. He wanted to defend her from any evil that threatened her. He wanted to join his life with hers.She felt the tender pressure of his lips on hers, and she could hardly bear the sweetness of it. Yes , she thought. Sensation rippled through her like waves on a still, clear pond. She was drowning in it, both the joy she sensed in Stefan and the delicious answering surge in herself. Stefans love bathed her, shone through her, lighting every dark place in her soul like the sun. She t rembled with pleasure, with love, and with longing.He drew back slowly, as if he could not bear to part from her, and they looked into each others eyes with question joy.They did not speak. There was no need for words. He stroked her hair, with a touch so light that she could exactly feel it, as if he was afraid she might break in his hands. She knew, then, that it had not been hatred that had made him avoid her for so long. No, it had not been hatred at all.Elena had no idea how much later it was that they quietly went down the stairs of the boarding house. At any other time, she would have been thrilled to get into Stefans sleek black car, but tonight she scarcely noticed it. He held her hand as they drove through the deserted streets.The first thing Elena saw as they approached her house was the lights.Its the police, she said, finding her voice with some difficulty. It was left over(p) to talk after being silent so long. And thats Roberts car in the driveway, and theres Matts , she said. She looked at Stefan, and the peace that had filled her suddenly seemed fragile. I wonder what happened. You dont suppose Tylers already told them ?Even Tyler wouldnt be that stupid, said Stefan.He pulled up behind one of the police cars, and reluctantly Elena unclasped her hand from his. She wished with all her heart that she and Stefan could just be alone together, that they would never need to face the world.But there was no help for it. They walked up the pathway to the door, which was open. Inside, the house was a blaze of lights.Entering, Elena saw what seemed like haemorrhoid of faces turned toward her. She had a sudden vision of what she must look like, standing there in the doorway in the sweeping black velvet cloak, with Stefan Salvatore at her side. And then Aunt Judith gave a cry and was holding her in her arms, shaking her and hugging her all at once.Elena Oh, thank God youre safe. But where have you been? And why didnt you call? Do you realize what youve p ut everyone through?Elena stared around the room in bewilderment. She didnt understand a thing.Were just glad to see you back, said Robert.Ive been at the boarding house, with Stefan, she said slowly. Aunt Judith, this is Stefan Salvatore he rents a room there. He brought me back.Thank you, said Aunt Judith to Stefan over Elenas head. Then, pulling back to look at Elena, she said, But your dress, your hair-what happened?You dont know? Then Tyler didnt tell you. But then why are the police here? Elena edged toward Stefan instinctively, and she felt him move closer to her in protection.Theyre here because Vickie Bennett was attacked in the cemetery tonight, said Matt. He and Bonnie and Meredith were standing behind Aunt Judith and Robert, looking relieved and a little awkward and more than a little tired. We found her maybe two, three hours ago, and weve been looking for you ever since.Attacked? said Elena, stunned. Attacked by what?Nobody knows, said Meredith.Well, now, it may be not hing to business organisation about, said Robert comfortingly. The doctor said shed had a bad scare, and that shed been drinking. The whole thing may have been in her imagination.Those scratches werent imaginary, said Matt, polite but stubborn.What scratches? What are you talk of the town about? Elena demanded, looking from one face to another.Ill tell you, said Meredith, and she explained, succinctly, how she and the others had found Vickie. She kept saying she didnt know where you were, that she was alone with Dick when it happened. And when we got her back here, the doctor said he couldnt find anything conclusive. She wasnt really hurt except for the scratches, and they could have been from a cat.There were no other marks on her? said Stefan sharply. It was the first time hed spoken since entering the house, and Elena looked at him, surprised by his tone.No, said Meredith. Of course, a cat didnt tear her clothes off-but Dick might have. Oh, and her tongue was bitten.What? said Elena. seriously bitten, I mean. It must have bled a lot, and it hurts her to talk now.Beside Elena, Stefan had gone very still. Did she have any explanation for what happened?She was hysterical, Matt said. Really hysterical she wasnt making any sense. She kept babbling about eyes and dark mist and not being able to run-which is why the doctor thinks maybe it was some sort of hallucination. But as far as anyone can make out, the facts are that she and Dick Carter were in the ruined church by the cemetery at about midnight, and that something came in and attacked her there.Bonnie added, It didnt attack Dick, which at least shows it had, some taste. The police found him passed out on the church floor, and he doesnt remember a thing.But Elena scarcely heard the last words. Something had gone terribly wrong with Stefan. She couldnt tell how she knew it, but she knew. He had stiffened as Matt finished speaking, and now, though he hadnt moved, she felt as if a great distance was separatin g them, as if she and he were on opposite sides of a rifting, cracking floe of ice.He said, in the terribly controlled voice she had heard before in his room, In the church, Matt?Yes, in the ruined church, Matt said.And youre sure she said it was midnight?She couldnt be positive, but it must have been sometime around then. We found her not long after. Why?Stefan said nothing. Elena could feel the gulf between them widening. Stefan, she whispered. Then, aloud, she said desperately, Stefan, what is it?He shook his head. Dont shut me out, she thought, but he wouldnt even look at her. Will she live? he asked abruptly.The doctor said there was nothing much wrong with her, Matt said. Nobodys even suggested she might die.Stefans gesticulate was abrupt then he turned to Elena. Ive got to go, he said. Youre safe now.She caught his hand as he turned away. Of course Im safe, she said. Because of you.Yes, he said. But there was no response in his eyes. They were shielded, dull.Call me tomorrow . She squeezed his hand, trying to convey what she felt under the scrutiny of all those watching eyes. She willed him to understand.He looked down at their hands with no expression at all, then, slowly, back up at her. And then, at last, he returned the pressure of her fingers. Yes, Elena, he whispered, his eyes clinging to hers. The next minute he was gone.She took a deep breath and turned back to the crowded room. Aunt Judith was still hovering, her gaze fixed on what could be seen of Elenas torn dress underneath the cloak.Elena, she said, whathappened ? And her eyes went to the door through which Stefan had just left.A sort of hysterical laughter surged up in Elenas throat, and she choked it back. Stefan didnt do it, she said. Stefan saved me. She felt her face harden, and she looked at the police officer behind Aunt Judith. It was Tyler, Tyler Smallwood

Everything Comes to Him Who Waits Essay

If there would be someone impatient would ask for my words of wisdom, these argon the words I would say everything is possible if you believe, if you pray for it, if you tame for it and if you actually mean it, then why think negative and act too impatient? For all things are possible if just matinee idol really permits it. Faith without work is dead, the bible says. Theres simple Filipino story and everybody in this room might have heard it. The story of Juan Tamad. This zany craves for something and didnt move to have it though the guava was within his reach. He just waited and waited for it to fall into his hands. Well, expecting something from nothing is impossible. I mean to wait is to work.How could you sit screen and relax when you have the wish in your heart? Theres a saying, do your best and let God do the rest. Most Filipinos are just expecting to receive something from their dead faith. Dead faith means, having faith without work. Resulting, disappointments and someti mes unbelief. When a person hoped for something and was disappointed, its more likely that he would forget Gods reasons in giving him his disappointment. If the thing you hope for is really for you, it will come at the right time. You just have to wait. If it didnt, it wasnt for you. God has his reasons for doing so and we knew that its always for the best.

Hybrid car

Facts about Hybrid Cars almost important facts about hybrid machines- Hybrid vehicles are a practical solution to the emanation greenhouse gas levels and may still be some time till these political machines are introduced into the market. Auto Makers like Honda and Toyota wipe out taken initiatives to improve on the existing Hybrid technology by inventing cleanly locomotives that to a fault give more(prenominal) mileage. A Hybrid vehicle is one which uses an electric motor to generate surplus power along with the conventional internal combustion engine. They have a special mechanism that is capable of recharging the batteries without being plugged in.They can also be charged by the gas-engine if need be. As a result, the gas engines can be a little smaller as there is an additional power supply for its aid. The advantage is that the gasoline engine can then be quite small, since power is obtained from not one but two sources. When the car comes to a sustained stop, the gas engine shuts down saving fuel. When the car is ready to accelerate, the electric motor kicks in till the time the gasoline engine can resume on its Job. Hybrid Subs may be the alternative to those gas-guzzling, pocket- ripping Subs which could manage very little mileage.EPA mileage estimates about 33 MPEG as city/highway average. The Toyota Pries is estimated to give an average of 55 MPEG. Apparently, it has a better mileage in city conditions rather than the highway. Thats because the outpouring pack comes into use more frequently in city conditions than on the highway. Advantages of Hybrid car Hybrids combine clean energy of the electrical motor with the power of the gas- powered engine which results into pooh-pooh emissions and better mileage. Thanks to the ever improving technology, hybrids perform at par with the normal gas-powered vehicles, if not better. Hybrids are reliable and comfortable as any tralatitious car ND they have a tax benefits(only till 2006). There are pur chase incentives for Hybrid vehicle owners (varies by state). Hybrids are much cleaner cars than normal vehicles with lesser CO and other greenhouse gas emissions. Hybrids provide a better mileage. The future for hybrids looks bright with rapid developments in hybrid technology to improve engine efficiency. Due to the Regenerative Braking technology, the batteries need not be charged by an external source. Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars Hybrid cars, though useful, have some disadvantages.The maneuver to be noted here is that the advantages far exceed the disadvantages. High cost hybrids cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more their non-Hybrid versions. More weight due to battery packs. Some states charge additional fees for registration. In the event of an unfortunate accident, there is a risk of exposure to high voltage wires. They have a complicated remains which needs to be taken care of by experienced mechanics only. Spare parts maybe hard to find and may be costly. Usually, hy brids have a lower acceleration than that their normal counterparts.The hybrid car can be considered to be the car of the millennium. This is a very environment friendly car that hardly produces any combustion at all. This is a car that basically runs on two sources of energy one being a fuel, and another a battery. With the presence of two sources of energy to the hybrid car, there is obviously a lower requirement of fuel in the car. This is because most of the driving is managed with the energy the battery provides. The battery provides sufficient energy for the driver to use the car for its normal uses of transportation.

How to Solve Scarcity in the Economy Essay

SCARCITYA pervasive condition of human initiation that results because society has unlimited wants and needs, but limited resources used for their satisfaction. This fundamental condition is the common thread that binds all of the topics studied in economics. scarceness is a pure(a) problem facing society due to limited resources andunlimited wants and needs satisfied with these resources. Scarcity core that society does not have enough of everything (resources) for every ane (wants and needs).Two Components bring the two sides of the scarcity problem.* Unlimited Wants and Needs This is a basic characteristic of humanity which means that people are never totally satisfied with the mensuration and variety of goods and services. It means that people never get enough, that there is al shipway something else that they would want or need.* Limited Resources This is a basic condition of nature which means that the quantities of available resources used for production are finite. It me ans that the economy has only so many resources that ordure be used AT ANY wedded TIME time to produce other goods and services. Humans live in a world of scarcity. This world of scarcity is what the study of economics is all about. That is why scarcity is usually subtitled THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM.Scarcity does not preclude technological advances and other discoveries that lessen the scarcity problem with better ways of satisfying wants and needs. In fact, scarcity actually predicts such things. People are motivated to work, go to school, invent products and discover new continents because they do not have all that they want. why invent, discover, or explore if all wants and needs are satisfied? Increasing limited resources does not make them unlimited only less limited. Scarcity persists. Solutions?Scarcity has been a perpetual, pervasive problem of humanity. There is no reason to think the future will escape the wrath of scarcity either. But why not? Can humans ever hope to solve t he scarcity problem? Technological advances in recent centuries have certainly done a corking deal to lessen the scarcity problem. A notable share of the worlds population residing in industrialized nations, while not free of scarcity, has achieved a relatively comfortable living standard. Given continued technological advances over the next few hundred years, perhaps society can solve the scarcity problem once and for all? It might happen. Who knows what the future might bring. But such is unlikely, even with technological advances.The reason for this economic pessimism rests with the two, and ONLY two, possible ways to eliminate scarcity. 1. Unlimited resources Unfortunately, the planet Earth is finite. The solar system is finite. The galaxy is finite. In all likelihood, the universe is finite. None of this bodes well for achieving unlimited resources as a means of solving the scarcity problem. 2. Limited wants and needs If every human being had finite wants and needs that could be satisfied with a finite cadence of resources, then scarcity would cease to exist. But what sort of genetic engineering would be needed for this? Would humans still be human?3. You allow the commercialise price to rise to the point where demand=supply. The item will still be scarce (because it is not in unlimited supply), but everyone who is willing to commit the price will be satisfied. Alternatively, you can ration by authority. Someone with enough power to coerce people to do what they wont by nature do would simply choose who gets the scarce goods and who doesnt. 4. Find economically viable alternatives/substitutes e.g. instead of petrol, try vegetable oil (it works, but I dont think cars are made for them).5. Alter supply e.g. instead of restricting imports, increase them.6. Leverage instead of allowing one unit of electricity to produce one unit of good, you can make one unit of electricity produce 5 units of good. They call this economies/efficiency, but the principl e can be applied to variant areas outside of production.7. Increase the price a side effect of the lack of supply, but you will probably be faced with lobbying groups.8. Be prudent and place use if its scarce, it shouldnt be wasted. So cut back on non-necessities.9. Innovate -R&D to find new ways to solve the problem. Alternatively, you can change a few things and make a massive difference. However, innovation is spontaneous and is often circumstantial.10. Reduce demand change what the thing is used or alleviate the thing that it is used for. If the demand for the product is not there, scarcity is not so much a problem. Simpler said than done though. 11. Expansion of the nut-bearing capacity of an economy would help. However, it is likely scarcity will always exist as resources are limited but wants are infinite. So generally, it is how to allocate the resources most efficiently rather than how to solve scarcity, as scarcity cant be solved. Resources have to be allocated at th eir optimum level, if this doesnt occur it is know as market failure.The government can intervene in the form of taxation (placed on a good to discourage its consumption), subsidies (given to firms to encourage production of a good, which makes it cheaper therefore encouraging consumption), regulation (laws used to prevent consumption of a good) and pollution permits (allocated to firms allowing them to produce a certain amount of pollution, theyre tradeable which encourages firms to be greener).

Learning English: A Lesson in Language and Culture

To those outside the educational system, the article of belief of delivery may seem to be a simple communication of skills from one person to an new(prenominal). For those involved in education, however, delivery instruction has long been linked to heathenish bias and social engineering, leading to debates oer the notion of a neutral language. Such a language would facilitate the exchange of objective concepts such as spelling, grammar, and pronunciation without imposing reduceive cultural constructs such as beliefs abut class, gender, and religion.As languages originate and expose in response to needs and conditions all too human, and therefore highly emotional, it is unlikely that any truly neutral language exists, and this is particularly evident when we librate the side language. The teaching of English has sociocultural implications that extend far beyond the learning environment, and this is best demonstrated by examining the relationship of meter English to some othe r varieties of English as well as to other languages being taught.The distinction between standard and vernacular names of a language is based on the perceived differences between the educated and the uneducated. The term standard, when holdd to describe language, generally refers to that progress to of the language that is apply for formal and written applications by those who occupy the highest ranks of society. Rules governing its system tend to be rather strict and resistant to change.In contrast, a vernacular is the colloquial language used informally by a group of passel, much less rigid in its forms and much more liable to change. An online version of the Oxford English Dictionary, the recognized authority on the English language, exemplifies this divisiveness in its commentary of the noun vernacular as the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people of a country or region. Aligning the vernacular form with so-called ordinary folks naturally infers a similar as sociation between the standard form and less ordinary people, the literate elite who use it.This lofty status is often justified by reference to the wealth of classical literature, historical documents, and scientific/technical writings that exist in twain(prenominal) British and American Standar1d English. An understanding of Standard English provides get at to these canons and to the educational systems that utilize them. These systems wish the knowledge and expertise necessary for the highest levels of professional and intellectual achievement. precisely put, a better than average knowledge of Standard English offers a better than average chance at attaining prominence in highly practised and specialized areas such as education, business, or technology (Brindley 208).Whether this effect is seen as favorable or unfavorable depends, as most things do, on the perspective through which it is viewed. Any experience that affords people greater personal control over important li fetime issues may seem universally appealing, unagitated insistence upon teaching only Standard English has evoked considerable controversy (Brindley 205). Those who advocate the teaching of Standard English writing in a sort that emphasizes its doctrine on stringent rules and formats have been accused of perpetuating a desired status quo (Brindley 226-227).By learning Standard English, students are carrying on a long impost of literary scholarship that has yielded many important intellectual gains and brought the western world to the forefront in industry and science. Detractors see the teaching of Standard English as an imposition of social norms that depend on conformity and narrow-mindedness. By forcing people to think in constrained ways round language, teachers are hindering both creativity and individuality for the sake of convention ( border 243).Such adherence to uniformity often puts the learner in an uncomfortable and confusing situation, as when the home ambit and the educational environment clash in terms of language. Katharine Perera describes the difficulties encountered by children being taught Standard English while living in homes and neighborhoods where the vernacular is the mode of expression.For them, a change in their manner of speech represents an invalidation of their customary way of life and may create barriers between them and their peers. The experience of speaking one way with friends or family who share their idiom, only to then be told by teachers that this language is wrong, forces most children to reluctantly choose one identity at the expense of the other (cited in Brindley 212).Concern over this loss of identity has fueled heated disputes in mother-tongue contexts, where English is taught as a first language and some form of it is used by much of the population as a native language (Brindley 206). Davis and Watson name that in Australia, post-war migration increased the nations multiculturalism while weaken the influ ence of a common British legacy. Responding to the resultant search for a discipline identity, the Australian curriculum acknowledges the relationship between this identity and language yet also recognizes the diversity that exists within Australian Standard English (cited in Brindley 206).The Australian Education Councils statement on the English curriculum sets Australian English apart from American or British English chiefly by differences in vocabulary and pronunciation, and describes this national variety of English as a combination of the Standard Australian English used in schools and several vernacular forms, any one of which a student may use at home. The curriculum statement also advises that Standard Australian English should be taught as an extension of local idioms and not as a replacement for them.Although the report further stresses importance of Australian Standard English because of its role in educational structures, professional fields, and spoken communication, it also recognizes the value of vernacular forms and the cultural backgrounds they represent. Its national plan for teaching English also notes that language changes in respect to context and purposes, and it urges that students be made aware of this fact so they can arrest their language skills accordingly. The Council also officially confers equal status to standard and local forms of English, viewing neither one as inherently superior to the other (cited in Brindley 207)Sue Brindley relates that the issue of the relative worth of contrasting language forms is intensely debated in Britain, where the worlds richest history of English has led to much linguistic diversity. Standard English is an integral part of the official school curriculum, yet there is no consensus about exactly what constitutes standardized English and how it is connected to a students home variety (Brindley 208). A Department for Education and Welsh Office statement cites strict observance to rules of vocabul ary, grammar, spelling, and pronunciation as the distinguishing features of Standard English to be taught in England and Wales, yet this description is too vague to give a precise definition.Although the British policy encourages the use of standardized language for both written and spoken applications, it also recognizes that spoken English is more spontaneous and therefore less apt to conform to the same rigorous criteria used in more carefully planned written applications (cited in Brindley 210). By associating Standard English with qualities like precision and clear diction, the British curriculum contradicts the standpoint of many linguists and educators, as well as the sentiments expressed in the Australian English statement, by implying that school-sanctioned standardized forms are linguistically superior to other varieties (Brindley 211). The explicit counterpart to this attitude is a belief that vernacular forms of English are inferior.Brindley speaks of educators who are concerned that such a prejudicial position will inescapably lead to a gradual erosion of the traditional cultural values that underlie the home life of those whose first language is the vernacular. Some teachers have interpreted it upon themselves to teach Standard English in a way that does not discriminate against home-based language varieties and, by extension, their associated ways of life. In this manner, they hope to allow students to attain the benefits inherent in a multicultural approach a greater fund of knowledge about languages, a richer social experience, and a keener appreciation of different manners of thinking (212-213).In countries where the native language is not English, there is every bit as much controversy regarding the cultural after cause of learning English. For people living in geographical areas marked by poverty and need, an education in English may be seen as a way to overdress to the echelons of power and privilege. Yet for those already enjoying th at power and privilege, the promotion of English for the masses may be seen as either a welcome conversion or a dangerous threat. Anthea Fraser Guptas account of the spread of English in colonial India traces the complicated history of the English empires influence over native Indians. When Great Britain officially endorsed the teaching of English to Indians, the intent was to introduce not only the language of the United Kingdom but also its cultural and religious values.British officials were in effect attempting to create darker-skinned versions of themselves, seeing the inculcation of western ideals as a means of eradicating a way of life that they considered idolatrous, immoral, and unprocessed ( 190-191). At the same time, Indians in positions of power worried that giving the lower classes a glimpse of what was possible through an English education worked against their interests. S.N. Mukherjee (cited in Gupta 192) reports that the Calcutta amphetamine classes feared that tho se below their social rank would become dissatisfied with their inferior status.More than a hundred years after the events chronicled in Guptas account, teachers of English still encounter resistance from pupils who either feel that language is being forced upon them or resent social exclusion from English-speaking society (Bourne 243-244).. Despite this, Jill Bourne informs us that the current trend in non-English speaking countries is to incorporate English language lessons into the primary school system. Even in Malaysia, where this is not endorsed, private schools offer English instruction to students whose wealthy parents are willing to pay for what they perceive as an important step on the road to social success (244). some(prenominal) countries, including Germany, the former Czech Republic, Hungary, Malay, and Hong Kong, have implemented some form of what America calls Language and Content Teaching, which blends language instruction with course content. The focus is shifted f rom the English language to the curriculum material, which is presented through the medium of English. However, in most parts of the world where English is taught, the emphasis remains on English as a subject itself (Bourne 244). This suggests that for most nations, what is truly being sought is not an adoption of English values but the attainment of proficiency in a language that offers access to more profitable pursuits.It is easy to understand why countries such as Hong Kong, whose economy is deeply invested in international commerce, would feel pressured to acquire English fluency. English is a major language of trade, and an inability to speak it proficiently is a definite disadvantage in the business arena. This becomes clearer when we consider it on a smaller, more personal scale. Anyone who has spent time among people who shared a common, foreign language knows the frustration and stigmatization that can result from an inability to communicate tardily and appropriately with others.There is a natural human desire to feel connected to others in some way, and language provides an excellent means of achieving that sense of belonging. When of the essence(p) life factors such as economic, social, and professional standing are at stake, language becomes even more crucial.This relationship between modes of communication and key life issues is precisely why the concept of a neutral language is a hypothetical one. The teaching of any language involves the transmission of much more than rules about grammar and pronunciation. It inevitably requires some measure of cultural change on the part of the learner, and in the case of English instruction those changes can have profound effects upon many major aspects of life. For this reason, educators and students alike must respect the various forms of language as reflections of valuable cultural and social traditions.Works CitedBourne, Jill. English for Speakers of Other Languages. eruditeness English Development and Diversity. Eds. Neil Mercer and Joan Swann. UK The Open University, 2002, 243-270.Brindley, Sue, with contributions from Swann, Joan. Issues in English Teaching. Learning EnglishDevelopment and Diversity. Eds. Neil Mercer and Joan Swann. UK The Open University,2002, 205-228.Gupta, Anthea Fraser. English and Empire Teaching English in ordinal Century India. LearningEnglish Development and Diversity. Eds. Neil Mercer and Joan Swann. UK The Open University, 2002, 188-194.vernacular. Compact Oxford English Dictionary. 2005.http//www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/vernacular?view=uk (3 Dec. 2005).

HR is staffed with nice people Essay

strategic management of people through HR programs and policies helps to control organizational outcomes such as Organizational survival, profitability, customer satisfaction and employee performance. HR Professionals have been criticized for not understanding and using language of business when discussing the value of the HR Programs.STRATEGY the formulation of organizational missions, goals, objectives and action plans for achievement that explicitly recognize the competition and the impact of outside environmental forces Future direction and performance targetsStrategic planning=rationale processEnds are measure baleResources are allocated to achieve endsTHE FIVE PS OF STRATEGY BY MINTZBERG1. Plan an intend course of action a firm has selected to deal with a situation 2. Purpose a consistent stream of actions that sometimes are the result of a deliberate plan and sometimes the result of emergent actions based on reaction to environmental changes or shifting of assumptions 3. Ploy a specific invention at the tactical level with a short time horizon 4. Position the location of an organization relative to its competitors and other environmental factors 5. Perspective the constitution of the organizationDESCRIPTIONS OF STRATEGYStrategya declaration of intentStrategic intenta tangible corporate goal, a point of view rough the competitive positions a company hopes to build over a decade Strategic planningthe systematic determination of goals & the plans to achieve them Dynamic process, moving, shifting & evolving as conditions warrant changes Objectivesthe end, the goals, make-it-or-break itPlansthe product of strategy, the means to the endStrategic plana formal written statement that outlines the future directions and goals of an organization, including long-term performance goals/targets Policiesbroad guidelines to action, which arrive at the parameters or rules Strategy formulationthe entire process of conceptualizing the mission of an organization, ident ifying the strategy, and developing long-range performance goals Strategy implementation/ executionthose activities that employees and managers of an organization undertake to ordinate the strategic plan, to achieve the performance goalsSTRATEGY TIMEFRAMESstrategic planning=thinking about the future,the future is unpredictable planning horizon commonly 3-5 years, plans must be flexible enough to cope with changes that appearSTRATEGIC TYPES**different org strategies require different HRM strategies (policies and practices) 1. Corporate strategiesOverall strategy for organization and businesses or interests Usually taper on long-term growth and survival goalsTypically represented in the mission statementIs key to attracting investors as it examines and questions about which competitive strategy to choose from 2. Business Strategies (LOB)a. Focus on one line of business as opposed to overall organization b. Plans to build a competitive focus with supporting(a) action plans in one l ine of business 3. Operational Strategiesa. Resources, processes, people and how they are organized to support the Corporate and LOB strategic direction

Hills like White Elephants Essay

Hills comparable White Elephants is a very short score by Ernest Hemingway telling of the conversation between a man and a woman regarding the gestation of the woman. The point of positioning or the voice employed in the short story is a third person point of view where there is a narrator separate from the main characters in the story. This point of view or voice is very effective in the story because such requires that the narrator is a distant observer so as not to intermediate in the intimacy of the conversation between the two characters.This is effectively achieved because both characters, albeit having a choppy and appearingly disjointed conversation, reconcile in their views at received points which totally disregards the need for the intrusion of a material narrator who is necessarily part of the story or one of the characters. The story is set in a bar in a train station where the couple waits before bounding the train. much(prenominal) a place allows exploration of the other, more important elements of the story, which serve as potent symbols for the central theme of abortion, so for instance, in the lines, The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. (Hemingway) and the lines where the girl continues to describe the barren landscape, They look like white elephants. (Hemingway), the setting where both couples are offer an unobstructed view of these hills, which, in the story, are used to imply the perception of the distaff protagonist who is struggling with a pregnancy that is unwanted by her partner, the male protagonist. So, in effect, these lines, while illustrating the view from the train station offers the females perspective of the pregnancy as roughthing that is not back up by her partner, hence the almost indifferent description of the scenery.The bar setting also works well in infusing the tale with symbolic meanings, for instance, when the girl says, Everything tastes like licorice. Especially the things youve wai ted so long for, like absinthe. (Hemingway) she is actually referring to the pregnancy, which, perhaps, she had wanted for so long, but was not supported by her partner. So, in effect, this line would not put up been as effective had it been verbalise in the bedroom or an office, so the setting works quite effectively in qualification the symbols more seemly for the central theme.The characters in the story, Jig, the female, and her male partner are in a situation where they are arguing whether to have the baby that Jig was currently with child(predicate) with. The ways the characters are characterized in the story contribute a lot to how the story turns out to be.The female, protagonist, who is initially adamant about having the baby later shows some evidence of softening up because perhaps of her love for her partner and the desire to make things right again, hence, the lines, But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and youll like it? (Hemingway) where the girl seems to be testing the reaction of the male character to whatsoever decision she makes. The male character, on the other hand is quite insistent that his mate get an abortion, and as is quite clear in the conversations, does not seem to care about what his partner feels.This indifference of the male character is very clear in the rapidly successive dialogue in the lines, I said we could have everything. /We can have everything. /No, we cant./We can have the whole world. /No, we cant. /We can go everywhere. /No, we cant. It isnt ours any more. /Its ours. /No, it isnt. And at a time they take it away, you never get it back. (Hemingway) Here, it is quite clear that the male character seems to be avoiding the matter presented by the male character and his responses are all in the negative because he seems to be focused on one objective and one goal alone which is to have the baby being carried by the female character aborted.In this particular story t he dynamics between the setting, the characters, and the point of view all work together in support of the central theme. Such a story succeeds in conveying the desired emotions to the reader while at the same time paying much attention to conventions and literary standards, hence, making the story very successful in its execution.

Usc Sosw 503 Assignment 1 Systems and Ecological Theory

SOWK 503 Fall 2012 Assignment 1 Article Critique 9/26/12 Julie Emmer LCSW CAP Abstract The purpose of this musical theme is to critically critique and evaluate the psychoanalyse P benting a Child With a Disibility The Role of favorable keep up for African American Parents, written by Jung Hwa Ha, Jan S. Greenburg, & Marsha Mallick Seltzer. This paper exit critically apply the Ecological sentiment and Systems Theory, to the social concern as it greeted in this playing area.This paper entrust accomplish this critique by judgeing the hypothesis, evaluating the method of interpret, and critically discussing the results of the report in question by using the key concepts of the fore mentioned theories. Upon the result of this paper, the canvaser will do a full understanding of the study, and how it may relate to field of affable Work using a Systems Theory perspective.Critique of Parenting a Child With a impairment The Role of Social Support for African American Paren ts Key Concepts of study The study Parenting a Child With a Disability The Role of Social Support for African American Parents, was conducted as an expansion of the findings of previous studies. There get been a many studies that cause examined the racial contact of the parents of disabled baby birdren however, few have examined the influences that may concern an African American family raising a disabled youngster.Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the following ii areas of interest (a) the advert of having a child with a disability on parents mental and physical wellness among urban-dwelling African Americans and (b) the extent to which positive and negative social interactions with family members other than the spouse moderate the impact of childs disability on parental adaptation (Ha, Greenberg & Mailick Seltzer, 2010). The authors motivation for this study is to provide empirical indorse to assist professionals in addressing possible needs when, supply ing social services to this population or milieu of lients. Important facts and concerns related to the social concern. The authors of this study referenced several previous studies that tolerateed their speculation of family support from other than a spouse will attri unlesse to wellbeing and equal homeostasis of the parent. Previous studies suggest that blanket(a) families constitute a core social network for African Americans and provide important financial and submissive support (Ellison,1990). Furthermore, support from kin is related to happiness and life satisfaction among African Americans (Ellison, 1990).In addition, it is also suggested in this study that negative entropy (interactions) or lack of higher up system (extended family) involvement may impact the parent in a negative manner. The reasoning of the taper on African American parents, is to assess the influence of having a disable child, and how it may profess the negative energy that is already experienced in the family system by oppression and discrimination. This study was conducted in urban areas in Milwaukee county Wisc. as a law of continuation of the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS Brim, Ryff, & Kessler, 2004).The African American Milwaukee sample provided a unique opportunity to address within-racial group differences in the impact of having a child with a disability. (Ha, Greenberg & Mailick Seltzer, 2010). The sample group of the study was a group of 48 families with a disable child that is afflicted with one of the following dis coifs autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or intellectual disability, or was ever afflicted with a long-term serious mental health problem. The equation group of 144 was families consisting of at least 1 child and no children in the family system have a disability. Theory ConceptsThe systems approach attempts to view the world in terms of irreducibly and integrated systems. It focuses attention on the whole, as well as on the complex interr elationships among its constituent parts. The systems theory sees all of the aspects of a someone and their environment as an individual system and an interrelated system. A social system is a spare order of systems composed of persons or groups of persons who interact and influence each others behavior. Within this order can be entangled persons families, organizations, communities, societies, and cultures (Robbins, Chatterjee & Canda, 2011).The systems theory allows us to examine the focal system from a micro, meso, or macro perspective. Keeping all of the individual systems autonomous, while still being able to conceptualize the interrelation of the systems together. Similar to the systems theory, the ecological theory embraces many of the same concepts, but has compacted the focus, so that it does not include such a broad view of the system. The Ecological theory is an adaptive, evolutionary view of human beings in constant exchange interchange with all elements of their en vironment (Germain & Gitterman, 1980, p. 5).The idea that person and the environment are inherent and must be considered jointly, is primary assumption of this theory. The person and his or her environment form a one(a) system in which each is dependent on the other and directly shapes each other. Application of theory and key concepts The sample of population of this study was derived from a population in the urban areas of Milwaukee. Even though this study did not disclose evidence concerning the ecosystem and the environment of the subjects, it would be fair to assume that they are victims of imperative and exploitive power.The reasoning for this assumption is the geographical location of this study, is known for having a high number of takings plants and heavy pollution. The controlling power that is being afflicted is quantified in the study, with the fact, that the subjects do not reside in close proximity to any social services. This study was conducted to measure the affe ct of raising a child with a disability this environment. Further focus was placed on the effects of synergy from a above system (family) on the focal system (parents), and the possible negative health effects derived from the lack of synergy.The results of this study were divided into two sections. The first section was to assess the effects having a child with a disability (sub system) has on the focal system. The negative energy from a sub system with a disability did have a negative effect on the focal systems physical health, and homeostasis. The negative impact on the homeostasis of the focal system was attributed to physical impairments of the subjects. However, this was seen only in the older population that was studied and may have been caused by the rise in physical activities that is needed to care for a child with special(prenominal) needs and aging.This aspect supports the concept of adaptation of the focal system to achieve the goodness of fit in their habitat. The l ack of mental health disorders in the focal system, may also indicate that entropy from resources in the environment or to a higher place system, may cause the same amount of mental distress in the focal group as a whole. The second purpose of this study was to examine the effect of proceeding between the supra system and the focal system. Specifically how the focal systems homeostasis is affected by the exchange of positive, and negative energy, or entropy.The results of this study partially supported the hypothesis that positive energy transactions between the focal, and supra system is a predictor of the homeostasis of the focal system. The positive and negative mental affect is less when a system has positive energy transactions with the supra system, and in turn, leads to a equilibrise homeostasis and goodness of fit. In turn, the systems with entropy or negative energy transactions from the supra system are more likely to have reduced coping measures, and a reduced goodness of fit. Emerging patterns.Examination of this study from a systems perspective did yield an emerging pattern. I was able to entryway the importance, and interrelatedness of a system. This study provided empirical evidence that systems are interconnected. The transaction of energy from a sub or a supra system will affect the homeostasis of the focal system. This effect may be positive or negative, but none the less, it will affect the focal system. This study also provided evidence that a system will adapt to its environment to achieve a goodness of fit and equal homeostasis.The systems theory was able to stand by me assess the interrelatedness of the study however, it did also help me to recognize the limitations of study. One such limitation is narrow focus of the study. I believe for the study to be effective, the authors would have needed to address social concerns, coercive power, and exploitive power, which may be affecting the focal system as a whole. Compressive summery Up on closedown of this study I did possess a new knowledge and enlightenment concerning the African American parents of disabled children.This study demonstrated the negative effect on homeostasis and physical health, that is derived from negative energy transactions with the supra and sub systems. However, I am still left with questions concerning the effectiveness of this study. This study was performed in a nondiverse lodge on a very small sample size. Therefore, I believe that further study is needed, with the focus group living in diverse communities and being subjected to different environmental influences.Furthermore, this target sample was confine to children with mental disabilities, and to effectively assess this subject, the sample must be expanded to include physical disabilities. This study was in an environment that may be oppressed and suffering from systematic discrimination. I was amazed to read that the persons with disabled children were not afflicted with more m ental disorders than the persons without disabled children. This aspect raises concern about the environment of the sample group. This study stated that this population is isolated from resources, and has a high unemployment rate as well.All of these factors will affect the wellbeing and homeostasis of a person. Therefore, I believe that further exploration is needed to assess the society stressors and influence on the overall wellbeing and homeostasis of the community. These influences should not be explored only for this study, but to also access need, and provide resources for this population. Resources Ha, J. , Greenberg, J. S. , & Mailick Seltzer, M. (2010). Parenting a child with a disability The role of social support for african American parents. The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 92(4), 405-411.Robbins, S. , Chatterjee, P. , & Canda, E. (2011). Contempory human behaivior thoery. (3rd ed. , p. 38). Sadddle River, NJ Allyn & Bacon. Ellison, C. G. (1990). Family tie s, Friendships, and Subjective Well-Being among Black Americans. Journal of spousal and the Family, 52(2), 298310. Germain,C. B. & Gitterman, A. (1980) The Life Model of Social Work Practice. New York Columbia University Press. Green, R. (1999) Ecological Perspective an eclectic conjectural framework for social work practice (2nd ed. , p. 259-308). New York Aldine DeGruyyer

Maximizing the Benefits of Project Work in Foreign Language

Maximizing the Benefits of Project Work in opposed wrangle Classrooms Bulent Alan and Fredricka L. Stoller The implentation of nominate civilize differs greatly from on instructional setting to a nonher. In some settings, fairly non- clarify tasks, restrict to a single class session, be labeled as meets.In otherwise settings, elaborate sets of tasks establish the dish up for completing the drift and span an entire instructional unit in settings like these, the benefits of wander clear atomic number 18 maximized because students argon actively operated in breeding seeing, processing, and reporting over a stoppage of time, and the ending is increased suffice knowledge and language mastery. In addition, students experience increased motivation, autonomy, engagement, and a much positive attitude toward incline.Although project-based learning rescues challenges for teachers and students (Beckett 2002 Eyring 1997), active project-work proponents assert that the adv antages outweigh the disadvantages. In this article, we topical anestheticize on how English language teachers squirt capitalize on the content and language learning benefits of project work. To explore the topic, we poke into the characteristics of under-exploited project work, outline the features that maximize the potential benefits of project work, and present a case study of project-based learning.We stop with recommendations for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and materials importrs who want to integrate project-based learning into their bear curricula. Under-exploited project work Numerous language educators incorporate what they call project work into their classrooms, even though the lessons do not maximize the full potential of project work. For example, in some settings, basic communicative activities use to tending students get to know one another better and to promote conversation guard been labeled as projects.What frequently occurs in much(pren ominal) settings is that students, when given the chance, join groups with their friends. They complete their non-elaborated tasks in a facile way without much collaboration. Studentssocialize, but rarely assist each other with the language and selective schooling-gathering demands of the task (if there are any demands). In some settings, project work is merely a source of merriment and a break from routine classroom activities.Though projects often focus on challenging, real-world subject matter, students are often solely concerned with the visual attractiveness of their projects, paying little attention to content and language learning. In these settings, teachers often reinforce this misdirected attention by assessing student projects according to their visual appeal, ignoring students gains in language and content learning. In other settings, students are const precipitateed in their ability to grow from their projects, either because of excessive teacher control or because of the absence of teacher feedback and charge during the process.In settings characterized by too much teacher control, we realise instructors who dictate each step of the process without liberal students any voice in defining the project. Generally, much(prenominal) excessive control inhibits students from taking responsibility for their own learning and developing a thought of self-control toward the project. In these settings, students are rarely asked to provide feedback on the project experience thus, often the same project is incorporated into future instruction, with no modification, which usually results in the same lack of student engagement.Another problem occurs when restate students influence new students with their negative attitudes toward the project, further undermining the potential of the project. Project work quite a little be more than useful when teachers relax their control, when students regard the teacher as a guide (Sheppard and Stoller 1995), an d when students provide feedback on the experience so that projects shtup be remedyd each year. A total relaxation of teacher control, however, is not the solution to a teacher-centered project. In some cases, students are left alone and receive no counsellor on the language, content, or process demands of the project.Here, it seems, teachers have ignored both the process-based nature of project work and students motivating for support at assorted stages in the project. Finding the proper balance between teacher guidance and student autonomy promotes the advantages of project work in the language classroom. Project work that maximizes benefits Projects that are merged to maximize language, content, and real-life skill learning require a combination of teacher guidance, teacher feedback, student engagement, and elaborated tasks with some layer of challenge. Generally, such projects are multidimensional.A review of numerous case-study reports (Allen 2004 Gardner 1995 Gu 2004 H o 2003 Lee 2002 Levine 2004 Papandreou 1994 Tomei, Glick, and Holst 1999) reveals that triple-crown project-based learning focuses on real-world subject matter that drive out sustain the interest of students requires student collaboration and, at the same time, some degree of student autonomy and independence can accommodate a purpose-built and explicit focus on name and other aspects of language is process and product oriented, with an accent on integrated skills and end-ofproject reflection.The end result is often authenticity of experience, improved language and content knowledge, increased metacognitive awareness, raise critical thinking and decision-making abilities, intensity of motivation and engagement, improved social skills, and a familiarity with target language resources. superstar way to maximize the potential benefits of project work is to fol outset the ten-step process advocated by Stoller (1997) and Sheppard and Stoller (1995). The ten move are summarize d below. stair 1 Students and instructor agree on a theme for the project The students and instructor come to an agreement on a project theme.Because projects range from structured, semi-structured, to unstructured in terms of the degree to which the teacher defines the project (Stoller 1997), instructors should identify ways (large or small) in which students can develop some sense of ownership toward the project. Step 2 Students and instructor go outthe lowest outcome of the project With the nature and objectives of the project in mind, the students and instructor find out the final outcome of the project (e. g. , bare be on boast, written report, debate, brochure, letter, handbook, oral presentation, video, multimedia system presentation, theatrical performance).At this point, the students and instructor negotiate the most appropriate audience for their projects (e. g. , classmates, other students, parents, program director, city whitethornor, a local business). Step3 St udents and instructor structure the project After the theme and final outcome of the project are determined, the students and instructor work out project exposit that guide students from the opening activity to the completion of the project. In this step, students consider their roles, responsibilities, and collaborative work groups.After negotiating a deadline for project completion, students reach a consensus on the timing for gathering, sharing, and collect knowledge, and then presenting their final project. Step 4 teacher prepares students for the demands of teaching gathering At this stage, the instructor prepares students for the language, skill, and dodging demands associated with information gathering. With student ability levels in mind, the instructor prepares instructional activities for each of the information-gathering tasks.For instance, if students will be cl purporting interviews to gather information, the instructor may plan activities in which students have t o form questions, ask follow-up questions, request clarification, and replete notes. If students are expected to write letters, the instructor top executive review the format and language of formal letters. If they pin down to conduct an Internet search, the instructor may review search procedures and introduce useful note-taking strategies. Step 5 Students gather informationAfter practicing the skills, strategies, and language unavoidable for gathering information, students are instal to collect information use methods such as interviewing, letter writing, and subroutine depository library searches. Whenever executable, the instructor brings in relevant content resources to get students started on their information quests. Step 6 Instructor prepares students to compile and analyze selective information At this stage, students need to master the language, skills, and strategies needed to compile, analyze, and synthesize the information that they have collected from different sources.The instructor prepares students to do much of this on their own through tasks that involve, for example, categorizing, making comparisons, and using graphic organizers such as charts and time lines. Numerous training sessions cogency need to be planned, depending on the types of information collected and the ways in which it was collected (e. g. , taped interviews, brochures accredited in response to solicitation letters, library research, and note-taking). Step 7 Students compile and analyze informationAfter engaging in teacher-guided preparatory activities, students are ready to tackle the demands of compiling and analyzing the gathered information. Working in groups, students organize information and then discuss the rate of the data that they have collected, keeping some and discarding others. The goal is to identify information that is critical for the completion of their projects. Step 8 Instructor prepares students for the language demands of the final activity A s in Steps 4 and 6, the instructor designs language-improvement activities to help students successfully present the final outcome of the project.Those activities may focus on skills for successful oral presentations, effective written revisions and editing, persuasive debates, and so forth. Some focus on form might be greatly appreciated by students at this point. Step 9 Students present the final product Students present the final outcome of their projects, as planned in Step 2. Step 10 Students evaluate the project In this last, often neglected stage of project work, students reflect on the language mastered and the subject matter acquired during the project.In addition, students are asked to make recommendations that can be used to enhance similar projects in the future. It is during this stage that teachers provide students with feedback on their language and content learning. Project work options The lucubrate of project work are largely dependent on contextual factors, langu age program objectives, and accessible resources. For instance, in Turkey, at higher education levels, students of agriculture can engage in project work about soil erosion, which is a serious modern-day issue, with the goal of generating possible solutions for deforestation in Turkey.Engineering students can prepare written reports after investigating the advantages and disadvantages of a third bridge over the Bosphorus in Istanbul they might even send their reports to interested officials. Students enrolled in a vocational school on the southern swoop of Turkey might design a website that introduces their town, with an eye toward attracting and building tourism in the area (Huseyin Yucel, ain communication, May 2004). Academic English-preparation students in their first year of university studies can explore a self-selected topic think o their study (reported orally to classmates and in writing for their teacher) to prepare them for future studies (Semra Sadik, personal comm unication, June 2004). Students majoring in bodily education may investigate reasons for the limited numbers of Turkish athletes in recent Olympic games. EFL students in the eastern part of Turkey might conduct a survey aimed at determining the causes for low female-student school enrollments, concluding with suggestions, submitted to local officials, for turning most the trend.Students studying EFL in other countries are cognise to focus their projects on issues specific to their own countries, regions, and studies. Italian vocational high schools, for example, have structured their curricula around topics of relevance to students in various vocational areas, resulting in brochures for tourists, travel itineraries submitted to travel agencies, school banquet manuals, and some(prenominal) other real-world items. EFL students in Tunisian high schools have explored topics as diverse as mining and conventional marriage practices as part of their project work, culminating in video presentations of their findings.EFL students in Japan are analyse visitors at major tourist destinationswith note pad, tape recorder, and camera in handabout topics of contemporary interest. In line with such practices, Brazilian, Costa Rican, or Malaysian students could conduct projects with an environmental slant that are aimed at convincing local or national governments to call back necessary precautions to protect local rain forests. (See Lee 2002, for a description of a project involving the creation of a booklet that describes an environmentally honest home, with suggestions for environmentally sensitive lifestyles. These examples, like those in Appendices 1 and 2, represent just a sampling of possible projects and outcomes that can be integrated into EFL classrooms. Project work A case study Here we eccentric a real-world project designed for intermediate and high-intermediate EFL students enrolled in the English Preparatory Program, in the School of Foreign Languages at Anadolu University, Eskis? ehir, Turkey. As part of this semi-structured project, defined and organized by both the teacher and students, students evaluate the military posture of the local ropeway system. As part of their data collection, they interview xperts from the university, authorities from the city government, and residents of Eskis? ehir. They also write formal letters to the city to request information and conduct library and Web research. At the terminal of the project, students present results to students in the School of Foreign Languages as well as to guests from the university and city government by sum of a open gathering, reinforced by a bulletin board display with findings and recommendations. The virtuoso goal of the month-long project is to give students a voice in reshaping their town and its tramcar system.By the conclusion of the project, students are able to do the by-line Gather pertinent information through various data-collection techniques, such as interviews, surveys, and library and Web research Engage in critical thinking activities, partially through tax deduction activities See improvement in their language skills Use English with more self-confidence The project, structured following Stollers (1997) ten steps, is described below. Step 1 Students and instructor agree on a project The instructor conducts a lesson designed to raise students awareness of a local tramcar issue.This opening lesson, meant to get on students to recruit in shaping prevalent persuasion, elicits students attitudes toward public transportation, specifically tramcars, and provides them with the vocabulary and language needed to participate in the project. The instructor asks students where they live and how they travel to school. To facilitate this interaction, the instructor creates an overhead transparency with a football fieldiron that proclivitys different forms of transportation, including tramcars. The instructor fills in the grid with students initials or tally marks to indicate who uses which forms of transportation.After filling in the grid, the instructor asks students to work in small groups, ideally with at least one student whose hometown has tramcar transportation. Students are asked to discuss the effectiveness of their hometown public transportation. A handout providing relevant vocabulary and a list of possible questions guides students in group discussions (seeFigure 1). Follow-up activities are useful to guide students in equivalence the advantages and disadvantages of the Eskis? ehir tramcar system with the systems of other cities.At the conclusion of group discussions, each group reports its most important finding, most worrisome discovery, and any similarities discovered about tramcar systems in other cities. The instructor then asks students to take a few minutes to fill in a semantic feature analysis grid that juxtaposes different features of the local tramcar and bus systems (seeFigure 2) . Then students are asked to brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages of the Eskis? ehir tramcar, considering factors such as the locations of their homes, routes, and tramcar stations (seeFigure 3).After students complete these activities, the instructor elicits suggestions for improving the quality of Eskis? ehir public transport. The instructor asks students to pronounce whether it is possible to implement the solutions that they have put forward. Next, the instructor tells students about a project that will help them improve their English and might also improve the local tramcar system. Finally, the instructor introduces the essentials of the project, giving students the prospect to finetune the project so that they develop a sense of ownership.Step 2 Students and instructor determine the final outcome of the project The teacher proposes that students report the results of their investigation, with suggestions for improved public transportation (1) in a letter to the local government, (2) at an open public forum with influenced guests, and (3) on a bulletin board in Anadolu Universitys School of Foreign Languages. Students are encouraged to include the following in their bulletin board display a copy of a letter sent to the Eskis? hir municipality requesting a modified tramcar system that caters to the involve of university students, written reports, photographs, and transcripts of interviews with students, community members, and university experts. Feedback on this preliminary plan is solicited from students. At this stage, students are also given the prospect to define their alter audiences for the letter, public forum, and bulletin board display. For instance, besides the Foreign Languages School director, teachers, and students, they decide who else to invite from the university governing council and the Eskis? hir municipality. Step 3 Students and instructor structure the project At this stage, students help to structure the project. To do so , they consider questions such as 1. What information is needed to conduct an examination of the local tramcar system? 2. Where and how might pertinent information be found? a. Who will be interviewed to determine public opinion? To identify the views of experts on public transportation? To ascertain the views of the local government? b. What information might be found at the library? On the Web? At the City Hall? At public transportation stations? . How will information be gathered, compiled, and analyzed? During these deliberations, students decide on their primary roles and responsibilities. For instance, students determine who will conduct interviews take photos do library and Web searches draw graphs, pictures, and charts finalize the bulletin board display and make opening remarks, present data, and entertain questions at the open forum. While determining roles, the students study are taken into account so they can be assigned roles most closely line up with their interests and abilities.For instance, students from the fine arts department might be responsible for(p) for the layout of the bulletin board display, journalism students can conduct oral interviews, aspiring English majors can write letters soliciting information, and math majors can compile statistics. To balance the workload, students can pair up with others to offer assistance at different points in the project. With the deadline for the final outcome in mind, students reach a consensus about the sequencing of project tasks.Step 4 Instructor prepares students for information gathering At this stage, the instructor prepares students for the upcoming language and skill demands of the information-gathering stage of the project. These lessons train students to conduct interviews (e. g. , forming a question, posing follow-up questions, requesting clarification and/or elaboration) and introduce them to the standard parts of an interview accomplished opening, body, and thank you (see Lee, Li, and Lee 1999, for more details on the various stages of an interview).The instructor might help students determine the level of language formality and content of the questions to be asked of different interviewees. Mock interviews can be conducted with classmates, family members, teachers, or other language students on campus. Audiotaped mock interviews can be reviewed in class for appropriateness, politeness, pronunciation, stress, and grammar. For students who are responsible for writing formal letters, the instructor introduces writing conventions associated with formal letter writing by means of representative letters.Students write several drafts of their letters, followed by editing and revision activities that examine levels of formality, formatting, and linguistic accuracy. Guided peer-feedback sessions represent effective ways to encourage student collaboration and writing practice. For students who are going to use the Web and library to gather relevant information, the i nstructor initiates brainstorming sessions in which students consider the best ways to search for information in these venues.As part of this preparation, the instructor may introduce students to relevant search engines or websites on chaw transit. Step 5 Students gather information After practicing the skills, strategies, and language they need for gathering information, students are ready to conduct informal interviews with students and local residents of Eskis? ehir. Students who are to conduct formal interviews make appointments and conduct interviews with experts. (The instructor may need to help students find equipment neededfor interviews, such as tape recorders. Students gathering information by means of letters of inquiry draft their letters, solicit feedback from classmates and the instructor, and then send out their letters. Students who are to conduct library and Web searches move ahead. Throughout this stage, the instructor monitors students progress, making sure that they are on the right track, giving them feedback on their language use throughout. Step 6 Instructor prepares students for compiling and analyzing data After data have been gathered, students need to compile, evaluate, and synthesize the relevant information.The instructor prepares students for this vital stage of the project by using model transcripts, letters, lists, and gridsto illustrate different categorization, evaluation, and interpretation techniques. This is a good time to introduce students to informal gambits that they can use with each other to negotiate the meaning and relevance of gathered data, such as I see your point, but and Dont you think that? Step 7 Students compile and analyze information After students have been introduced to techniques for compiling and analyzing data, they are ready to organize and synthesize their own data. Groups of tudents discuss the value of their data, discarding that which seems inappropriate and organizing and then evaluating that which seems particularly valuable. Students discuss the best ways to present relevant data to their varied audiences. Step 8 Instructor prepares students for the final activity At this stage, the instructor prepares students for the language, skill, and content demands presented by the final written display and oral presentation. A simulation of the open forum provides opportunities to work on fluency, pronunciation, intonation, and informal gambits that will contribute to the flow of the event. See Mach, Stoller, and Tardy 1997 for a related discussion. ) Students who are not in truth involved in the public forum might be assigned different roles for the simulation, such as a representative from the municipality of Eskis? ehir, representatives of the university governing council, or the director and teachers of the School of Foreign Languages. These students could be directed to look to what kinds of questions the actual audience might ask about the bulletin board display.At the conclusion of the simulation, the class can brainstorm about challenges that might be encountered during the actual open forum, such as irrelevant questions, hard-tounderstand questions, and public resistance to findings and suggestions. In addition, possible solutions to these challenges can be discussed, including a list of possible questions and responses, back-up visual displays, and conversational gambits to ask for clarification. A discussion of open-forum logistics (e. g. , room set-up, invitations to audience members, videotaping) would be appropriate as well.Discussions of the bulletin board, with an emphasis on presentation of information, layout, visual appeal, clarity, and peer editing (that focuses on mechanics, grammar, level of formality, cohesion) are appropriate at this point. Step 9 Students present final product Students are now ready to mount the bulletin board display and participate in the open forum, representing the final outcomes of the class project. (Vide otaping the open forum facilitates purposeful feedback in the final stage of the project. ) Step 10 Students evaluate the project This last stage of the project serves multiple purposes.On the more traditional side, teachers provide students with feedback on their language, content, strategy, and skill use, using the videotape of the open forum as one means of interactive evaluation. Less traditional, but equally valuable, are the opportunities students will have to (1) reflect on the language, skills, and strategies that they have mastered to conduct the project (2) consider the content that they have intimate to complete the project (3) contemplate the impact of the project and (4) offer suggestions for improved projectwork assignments for future classes.Conclusion We have showcased the details of one project designed for an EFL setting. Although the tramcar theme itself may not be transferable to other settings, because of its very local relevance, basic features of the project could easily be transferred to other EFL classrooms. These transferable features, in the form of recommendations for EFL teachers and materials writers who attempt to integrate project-based learning into their own curricula, appear below. Devise projects with students immediate and future language inevitably and content interests in mind, while at the same time remaining vigilant of institutional expectations and visible(prenominal) resources. Specify language, content, task, skill, and strategy learning objectives in line with students needs and institutional expectations to maximize the benefits of the project. Strive to engage students in all stages of the project.Begin by giving students the chance to structure parts of the project, even if those contributions are small, with the aim of building a sense of student ownership and pride in project engagement. Design and instalment tasks with great care. Make sure that (1) skills are integrated to achieve real communicative purposes, (2) students are oblige to use various strategies for meaningful aims, (3) critical thinking is required for successful task completion, and (4) students are held responsible for content learning. Integrate tasks that require both independent and collaborative work. Help students reach agreement about different team member responsibilities. Students should view each other as single links in a chain that unite, through exchanges of information and negotiation of meaning, to produce a successful project outcome. Be sure to plan an opening activity that promotes students interests, taps background knowledge, introduces important vocabulary, and builds up expectations for the final activity. turn back advantage of Steps 4, 6, and 8 to provide explicit instruction so that students not only improve their language abilities but also excel in the information gathering, processing, and reporting stages of the project. Allow time for feedback at the conclusion of the project an d at other critical junctures as well. We close by directing readers to extension 3 for a list of questions for teachers to consider as they assess the viability of projects for their classrooms and develop actual projects for and with their students.