Explain how fate and Oedipus's own essential nnature combine to make Essay

Explain how fate and Oedipus's own essential nnature combine to make him a tragic hero - Essay Example   The search for the truth depicts Oedipus’ tragic nature.   The make-up of a classic tragic figure include characteristics such as a fatal flaw, noble background, and inevitable downfall.   This paper analyzes three specific instances of Oedipus’ search for the truth that suggest his qualities of a tragic hero:   his blind hubris, his remorse upon his epiphany and his self fulfilling prophecy indicting his downfall.   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oedipus was determined to find the murderer and asked Creon about the context surrounding the crime.   His relentless pursuit of the truth reveals his essential nature as a tragic hero. He was told that Laius was on pilgrimage when he was slain. The only witness fled the scene indicating that there was a group of robbers: I go, but first will tell thee why I came. Thy frown I dread not, for thou canst not harm me. Hear then: this man whom thou hast sought to arrest With threats and warrants this lo ng while, the wretch Who murdered Laius--that man is here. (5-6) This quotation indicates that Oedipus curiosity of the murder of his father. This is a unique quote in that it sets the stage for the search for the murderer of his father. This starts the path to self destruction. ... He has already lived up to the prophecy that was delivered to him, now he pursues the knowledge that will vindicate the verdict.   Oedipus’ search for the truth initiates his compounding hubris.   His blind sense of pride distorts his view of his objective and leads to his inevitable downfall.   In this manner, Oedipus’ pursuit of his prophecy marks his tragic flaw.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oedipus poses the assumption that he is being framed by Creon who seeks his position as king. This quotation represents Oedipus’ deployment of defense mechanism as a means of justifying why he could never be implicated in the murder of his father. While at the same time, he deploys the mechanism because he is coming to grips with the conclusion that he could indeed be the murderer (Dawe, 2006). Oedipus is attempting to escape the knowledge of his fulfillment of his preordained fate. While his search for the answer drives him further insane, he feels as if he will never returned to normality until he knows for sure. He escapes the bliss of ignorance out of pure curiosity.   The brink of his insanity represents the knowledge he must gain in order to undergo the tragic hero’s traditional epiphany.   Once Oedipus’ crosses this line and gains this great realization, he finds that it is essentially too little, too late.   Despite the immense remorse he feels internally, his fate as a tragic hero has already been sealed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oedipus realized that his self fulfilled prophecy could have been handed down to his daughters who will have no husbands. Hence he seeks their departure with him to a land where he will not be followed by his dreadful past. "He cries, 'Unbar the doors and let all Thebes Behold the slayer of his sire, his mother's--' That shameful word my lips

Pre-school children Essay Example for Free

Pre-school children Essay I carried out my observation on a group of pre-school children consisting 1 boy and 2 girls for 13 minutes in the morning free play session. These children were about to do leaf and twig printing for the first time. The equipment that was provided was yellow paint, brown paint and green paint all of these were in small paint trays. There was also sugar paper for the children to print their leaves on. There was also various sized leafs and twigs in a small tray. Each child went and put their aprons on. Then they came and sat sown around the table on the chairs. I explained to them what they have to do and I demonstrated this by dabbing a leaf into the paint and printing it onto a piece of sugar paper. Then I got a piece of twig and dabbed it into the paint and printed it onto the sugar paper. The children listened to me carefully and then they started to their printing. A picked a large leaf using her right and looked at it, and then she said wow, look at how many colours this leaf has, 1, 2, 3 different colours. Next she carefully lifted another large leaf she dabbed it into the green painted. Next she printed the leaf onto the large piece sugar paper. R picked up a twig and he stroked it into the brown paint; next he stroked the twig onto the piece of sugar paper and whilst he was doing this he said this paint is going in lines, it looks like chocolate, weeeeehhh. Beside this K picked up a leaf and dabbed it into the yellow paint. K rubbed the leaf into the yellow paint, next he lifted the leaf from the yellow paint and placed the leaf in the green paint, and again he rubbed the leaf and said while doing this he excitedly said I am mixing colours. Next I asked the children where do leaves come from? A quickly answered they come from trees. R added then they fall off the trees. K also added twigs come from trees as well. K said Look, I made a nice picture, she also added I have got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 leaves printed. Soon after R picked up a leaf and said loudly this leaf is red, yellow and brown. A picked up a twig and using both of her hands she rolled it into the green paint, she next rolled the twig onto the sugar paper. A picked up 3 different sized leaves and placed them onto the sugar paper and said this one is tiny, this one is a little bit bigger and this one is the biggest. R then said excitedly look my twig has made patterns. A leaned over to have look at Rs picture. A said it hassss! . Then she looked at her picture and said look! My leaves have made patterns in the middle. Next K held up her paper and said I am finished! . She placed her paper on the drying rack and took her apron off, washed her hands and went to play with some toys. R and A also said that they had finished they placed their pieces of paper onto the drying rack. Next they removed their aprons and washed their hands and went to play. E6 E7 E10 I carried out my observation on a group of morning children of the pre-school for a total of 13 minutes approximately whilst they had a free play. I observed how a group of children play with natural materials and noting how it helps them to learn. While I was observing this small group of children playing I noticed that this activity helps them to learn about the knowledge and understanding of the world. I also noticed that they were interacting and communicating really well with each other. You can view this by reading my observation in E5. But we must remember that each child develops at their own pace. This group of childrens ages range from 3:6 years to 3: 9 years. The Foundation Stage Curriculum states Knowledge and Understanding of The World; children notice and comment on patterns (2000, pg89). This statement was from the green area stepping stone and this shows me that this group of children are at the correct developmental stage. But we must remember that each child is an individual. Also The Foundation Stage Curriculum states Mathematical Development; children count actions and objects that cannot be moved (2000, pg 75). This statement from The Foundation Stage Curriculum is from the green area stepping stone, and it shows me that K is at the correct developmental stage because you can see from my observation in E5 that K was counting the leaf printings on her piece of sugar paper. The Foundation Stage Curriculum also states Mathematical Development; children use size language such as big and little. This statement shows me that R is at the correct developmental stage because he was using size language when he was describing the three leaves. You can see this by viewing my observation in E5.

Free Will in Shooting an Elephant and Antigone :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Free Will in Shooting an Elephant and Antigone Free will can be defined as: â€Å"The right, given to humans by God, to make their own decisions.† A mans free will cannot be destroyed by any power other than God. Humans can always exercise their free will when making decisions. However, when their decisions come in conflict with the laws set by a higher power, they might face consequences based on how they choose to use their free will. The more restrictions imposed upon someone’s free will the more restricted their ability to make decisions become. The extent to which someone may exercise their free will can be defined as their â€Å"freedom.† Therefore, the more laws imposed upon someone’s free will the more restricted their freedom. Although no power, save God, can destroy free will, they can limit and even destroy someones freedom. In the essay Shooting an Elephant George Orwell argues that, â€Å"when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys† (Orwell, 704). Fr ee will is indestructible; an example of Orwell’s destruction of freedom but preservation of free will is given in his essay. In Antigone an example of how even though higher powers can limit your decisions they cannot stop you from exercising your free will. According to Orwell his freedom was destroyed when he took on the role of the tyrant. His job was that of a sub-divisional police officer in Lower Burma. A crisis arose in which he was faced with a hard decision to make. An elephant had gone on a rampage in the village and had destroyed countless huts and killed a man. When Orwell came upon the elephant it was clear to him that it had calmed down and that the elephant would cause no more harm to anyone. Orwell was faced with a decision: he could either shoot the beast or wait until his master came to get him. However, this decision was made much more complicated. Orwell was surrounded by two thousand Burmans who, as Orwell said, â€Å"were watching me as they would watch a conjurer about to perform a magic trick.† Although the Burmans were all underneath him and subject to him, he was very concerned about what they thought he should do. He was so concerned in fact he concluded that he had to do as they wished of him.

Text Analysis of Gerry Adam’s Speech After 1994 Ira Ceasefire

A) Who wrote the text, when, and what was their role? Gerry Adams in October 1994. Gerry Adams is the political leader of the nationalist party Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland. B) In what historical context was the text produced? Throughout the twentieth century, Northern Ireland has been divided in its identity and affiliations as a state and nation. There are those who say the entirety of Ireland should be one nation, separate from the sovereignty of Britain. And there are those who believe that even just parts of Ireland should still be loyal to the Crown and Britain. This civil war was also fuelled by sectarian conflict.Most Catholics were nationalists, and most Protestants were loyalists. On the second half of the twentieth century, paramilitary groups on both sides used a staggering amount of violence against each other, including a bombing attempt on former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. It was only in the late 1980s that there has been significant progress in the pea ce process. This included the power sharing treaties such as the Anglo-Irish Agreement on 1985, and the Downing Street Declaration at 1993. At the end of August 1994, the Irish Republican Army announced a ceasefire of its paramilitary actions.C) What information can be gained from the text? Gerry Adams is of the view that Ireland should be able to exercise self-determination. He is also of the view that the British government is doing more harm than good, by stalling and intervening with the Irish nationalists. He likens the case of Northern Ireland to that of South Africa, where a new structure of government would advance the peace process. Gerry Adams also lists the ways that the British government has tried to intervene in Northern Ireland, specifically how they have all been failures.The failure of the previous Stormont Government, the B-Specials, and as well as the British government's failures in upholding their word. He accuses the British government of stalling advances of t he peace process. D) What significance did the text have in its own time? (i. e. How was it received, responded to, celebrated or decried? ) What problems may the text pose for the historian? It was both celebrated and criticised. Those of the nationalist mind supported Adam's speech. But there was also those that were skeptical of not only his speech, but as well as the actions that has taken place in the past few months.Adams also mentions that complete peace cannot be done overnight, and would involve inclusive dialogue from all parties. His speech reinforces what the conservative nationalists have believed all along. The ceasefire in August 1994, along with the loyalist ceasefire, created some ground in Sinn Fein's campaign in getting into peace talks. In December 1994, it was announced that Sinn Fein would be included in talks. So this speech was instrumental in determining the goal of Sinn Fein at the time, as well as furthering it into realisation. Those skeptical of the Augu st ceasefire definitely voiced their concerns.Permanency was the concept that the loyalists wanted. This speech does not even address the issue of permanency. This is a glaring omission in Adams's speech seeing as it was what the British government was waiting for to advance the peace process on their side. Adams addresses the loyalist response of a ceasefire. Though deeming it as forced and reluctant, he still sees it a step forward and a compromise. What does happen later on, not covered in this speech, is that the IRA announces that it will keeps its weapons unless the British government invites them into peace talks.The IRA would then say that they were ready to give up its arms later on in December, and that this was fundamental in Sinn Fein's entry into peace talks. Another thing this speech misses is an accurate view of the British government at the time. Adams's speech focuses on the future of peace talks and nationalist inclusion. The insight of the British government is ve ry very limited in the address. It would mention the past actions, and indeed failures, of British intervention in North Ireland. He would also say so without giving reasons or details on why they have failed, merely mentioning that they did.This dismissal of detail would not necessarily be integral in the purpose of his address, but by omitting facts such as these, the speech's integrity can be compromised and more vulnerable for criticism. Bibliography Adams, G. , 1994, ‘Address by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams 24 October 1994' Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland, http://www. sinnfein. ie/print/15200, viewed 25 March 2013 Joint Declaration 1993 (Downing St. Declaration) http://www. foreignaffairs. gov. ie/home/index. aspx? id=8734, last updated 28 Jan 2009Reuter, 1994, ‘IRA vows to keeps its guns until Sunn Fein can join talks', Toronto Star, London, viewed 27 March 2013, ProQuest DOI 437104235 Schiller B. , 1994, ‘IRA truce triggers joy, and caution U. K. asks: Can ce asefire hold and is it enough? , Toronto Star, London, viewed 27 March 2013, ProQuest DOI 437101608 ‘News Briefing Britain, Sinn Fein and landmark talks', 1994, The Globe and Mail, London, viewed 26 March 2013, Proquest DOI 385090706 Watt, N. & Webster, P. , 1994, ‘Adams Clarifies Ceasefire Term; Gerry Adams; IRA; Northern Ireland', The Times, London, viewed 26 March 2013, ProQuest DOI 318187621

How Does Priestley Show That Tension Is at the Heart of the Birling Family?

Priestley presents tension in various ways withing in the Birling family. At the beginning of the play, Priestley creates his tension by changing the colour of the lighting. The start is a ‘low and intimate pink' which could suggest a hidden tension within the family home. After the inspector arrives the lighting changes to a ‘bright, harsh white light' which makes the family look like they are in the spotlight of a police interrogation. This shows that there is tension at the heart of the Birling family as it may be hidden to begin with, certain comments give the reader a small insight to what is hidden and not spoken of.The light of being under interrogation works well as Inspector Goole is there is to accuse them of a crime and then asks them a series of questions to reveal the truth and the all the tension they have hidden. One of the hidden tensions within the Birling family is the fact that Mr. Birling talking about his business with Gerald at the dinner table celeb rating Shelia and Gerald's engagement, ‘Now, Arthur, I don't think you ought to talk business on an occasion like this'.This presents hidden tension because Mrs. Birling doesn't say what she really thinks, which could be that Mr. Birling talks about his business too much. Mr. Birling does not follow instructions for long proving that he cares more about his work than his own family. As any wife would be annoyed with this as they think that it should always be the other way around, Mrs. Birling is the same but knows she will not get anywhere so sighs and leaves him to get on with it.

Public relation

Public relation Introduction In present day society an organization’s reputation and appeal are some of the most important aspects ensuring a competitive edge and the benefit of continuous growth. It is really important for an enterprise to make a name in its environment as it instils a sense of patronage among those it serves best.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Public relation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This in turn boosts its performance in terms of increased sales or/and overwhelming profits. For this reason, organizations must depend on PR for their complete survival. (In this essay PR will be used to represent public relation). This is the basis of Public relation in any organization be it a profit or a non- profit making. The relationships between the public and organisations should be regulated in accordance with the field of application of this or that model. At the same time, it is necessary to remembers that some features of the public relations models are not appropriate for specific areas and occasions. As such, it is not appropriate for companies that are interested in improvement of their financial performance and popularity among the potential customers to use false advertising which is more regularly used for entertainment. However, there are cases of companies using deceptive advertising techniques that are, nevertheless, are not considered to be deceptive unless applied to legislature and issues where knowledge of laws and regulations is essential. The international relations should be regulated in accordance with the norms that are accepted in all countries. However, the similar tendencies in public relations sector reflect the development of the deceptive practices and their spread whereas the governments and other corresponding organisations do nothing to prevent spread of false information and other inappropriate issues. In this respect, the application of some of the publi c relations models can be questioned in terms of its effectiveness. So, the use of the press agentry model can be considered the most harmful when applied with the purpose of gaining money whereas the application of a two-way symmetric model is considered to be the most difficult though the most positive in terms of the outcomes.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In fact, the concept dates way back that there is even a chance it could be as old as human interaction by way of communication (Wilcox, 2009, p. 40). It originated from the United States way back in the twentieth century. However, activities by bodies of the government related to the concept of public relation have their roots in Britain especially when world war two was coming to a halt. Wilcox (2009) studies the transformation of the concept through three basic functions which include: press agentry, pu blicity, and counselling. It is worth noting that these three activities still have their way in present day society. There are four models associated with public relation as a concept. Through the models we are able to appreciate the process through which the concept evolved to form what is now the present day PR in the society. It was observed that the theories had a tendency to succeed each other as complements rather than overrule each other (Wilcox, 2009). Grunig and Hunt (1984) have discussed the theories precisely and elaborately basing their arguments from their knowledge on management as stated in their definition of the concept earlier (pp. 7-8). The four models as discussed by the two principles include: press agentry/publicity; public information; two-way asymmetric; and two-way symmetric (Grunig and Hunt, 1984, p. 22). They have placed a 2-way symmetric model as the most transformed public relation theory. Here now is a summary of each individual model and its contribut ion to the society. The Press Agentry/Publicist Model The press agentry which is also referred to as publicity is one of the types of public relations as part of the public relations model that is aimed at explaining the relationships between the public and an organization. Press agents are people engaged into the process of distributing information based on this model. Press agents are known to have no time for research of any kind on their subjects, because what matters most is how best they can manipulate personalities (Harrison, 2008). As such, the most notable feature of this model is the lack of necessity for truth.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Public relation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The similarities of this and other types of relations include the following: that it influences the attitude of public to an organization; uses one-way communication as well as the public information model; requires li ttle research as it is not based on the feedback either is the public information model. In this respect, it has more similarities with the public information model while it differs greatly from the two-way asymmetric model and the two-way symmetric models. One of the greatest examples of using the press agentry model refers to the distribution of one-way communication on the Internet. Specifically, due to the fact advertising has become sophisticated with the rise of new media, Australian advertisers create new ads on YouTube to promote the Carlton Draft bee (James, n. d., p. 139). This growing tendency to introduce advertising with the help of virtual space is, indeed, effective because the Internet users can sub-consciously receive advertising information even when they use YouTube for different purposes. The penetration to the communication space has allowed the producers to gain a competitive edge and capture greater market segments. As defined by Richards (1990), deceptive adv ertising which is regulated and controlled by the Federal Trade Commission can be treated as not being deceptive â€Å"for persons operating outside the legal context† (p. 20). In this respect, using video, audio and other media platforms that are downloaded on the Internet enables the advertisers to expand their influence on the potential customers and manipulate their demands. The Public Information Model The public information model is one of the four basic public relations models introduced by Grunig and Hunt (1984) to analyse and explain the relationships that occur between the public or its representatives and an organisation or a person that is influencing the public opinion or manipulates its awareness with some purposes.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the public information is usually used by governmental and non-profit organizations in order to make the population aware of some issues such as importance of protected sex, danger of smoking, consequences of negligence, and other issues. In this respect, people usually perceive such information adequately without doubts because government does not want to make profits by using this strategy as well as companies do by advertising. The key similarities between the public information and other models related to public relationships include the following: it has the same communication scheme as the press agentry approach and is consequently based on the one-way communication technique; it uses little research because dissemination of information is the basic purposes as well as for the press agentry model; truth is important for this model as well as for the two-way symmetric model. One of the most effective examples of application of the public information model includes the information that is aimed at persuading people not to use drugs, informs about the effective rehabilitation methods issued by the health care institutions; different funds and ministries also distribute some information. As claimed by Bongila (2003), in the late nineteenth century in the United States, â€Å"the public information model held to the belief that private gifts could be raised efficiently and with greater morality by disseminating accurate information† (p. 33). As such, this public relation theory is characterised by a one-way form of communication where information is dispensed from one end and expected to be received in another (Ward, 1995). The Two-Way Asymmetric Model The two-way asymmetric model is one of the types of public relationships introduced in the framework of the four-type model by Grunig and Hunt. Grunig and Hunt (1984) refer to this as scientific persuasion. The main similarities of this model include the key features that are also typical of the two-way symmetric model of public relations: the nature of communication includes the two ways because both the organisation and public are interested in the outcomes of the interaction; formative research and a feedback also pertain to the similarities between the two-way symmetric model and the two-way asymmetric model; the areas of application is specific for this model and does not resemble other models. The main difference between the two-way asymmetric model and three other approaches of distributing information applied in public relations is that it is strongly based on attitudes. As such, forming the attitude and perception of an organisation by the public is one of the main purposes of this model of public relations. One of the examples of application of the two-way asymmetric model is the company that conducts researches and surveys on the way one of its brands is perceived by consumers in order to change something or select another target audience. For instance, as intro duced by Davidson (1992), Persil Automatic’s success â€Å"has demonstrated a precise and continuing understanding of the attitudes and lifestyles of the women who own such a machine† (p. 52). In other words, the company collects information and uses it to promote its goods and improving its competitive advantage. The Two-Way Symmetric Model The two-way symmetric model is the fourth of the models introduced by Grunig and Hunt (1984) pertaining to the field of public relations. This model is aimed at regulating the public relations with regard to the organisation and the public being interested in solving the problems the coping with certain difficulties. The area of application of this model is a bit similar to the one used for the public information model when the approach is applied to structured companies and regulated business. Grunig and Hunt (1984) suggest that this is the best of the public relation models as it is effective, though it is hard to come by. Grunig puts it that â€Å"idealism is and always has been a central part of the two-way symmetric model of communication and vital to the development of excellent PR both theoretically and practically† (Grunig, 1992, pp. 56-57; 307). The role of PR in an organization appears to be sacred (Grunig and Hunt, 1984, p.6-8). Merging his previous agenda for the theory of two-way symmetric communication it comes out apparently, that efficient public relation was characterized by aspects of symmetry, management, idealism and its social relevance (Grunig and Grunig, 1992). This clearly gives the public the mandate to influence the organization’s behavior which is not quite practical (Grunig, 1992, p.55-61). A good example of application of the two-way symmetric mode is the corporate social responsibility when a company is involved into different activities that improve its image for the public and other organisations. At the same time, the company benefits via increase in the financi al performance. Corporate philanthropy and community volunteering are claimed to be methods used as parts of the corporate social responsibility (Kotler Lee, 2005, pp. 31-32). It is possible to see the examples of corporate social responsibility practices in every large company. For instance, environmental protection issues and charity funds as well as relations of the manufacturers with suppliers pertain to the two-way symmetric model public relations. Conclusion In the works of Grunig it is clear from the definition all the way to the four remarkable models of PR that concept of idealism stands out mostly. His two-way symmetric model brought with it a lot of reforms to the public relation department of organization to enhance a mutual form of agreement between parties involved in place of persuasion. This is a step in the right direction because it aims at making the society a better place to live in. on that note, even with its shortcomings the model should be utilized to as far as it makes sense. In conclusion, anything aimed at making the society better than it is, is a noble course worth living for. References Bongila, J.-P. K., 2003. Funding Strategies for institutional advancement of private universities in the United States: applications for African/Congolese universities. Sydney: Universal-Publishers. Davidson, M. P., 1992. The consumerist manifesto: advertising in postmodern times. London: Routledge. Grunig, J, Hunt, T 1984, Managing Public Relations, Thomson, NY, USA. Grunig, JE Grunig, LA 1992, ‘Models of public relations and communication’, in JE Grunig (ed.), Excellence in public relations and communications management, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, New Jersey. Gruning, J E 1992, ‘Symmetrical versus asymmetrical public relation’ ,in D Dozier , W Ehling , L Grunig , F Repper J White (eds), Excellence in public relations and communication management , Lawrence Erlbaum associates, NJ, USA. Harrison, K 2008, S trategic public relations: a practical guide to success, 5th edn, Century Consulting Group, Perth, Australia. James, M n. d., ‘A Review of the Impact of New Media on Public Relations: Challenges for Terrain, Practice and Education’, Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, University of Newcastle, vol. 8, 138-148. Kotler, P., Lee, N., 2005. Corporate social responsibility: doing the most good for your company and your cause. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Richards, J. I., 1990. Deceptive advertising, Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Ward, I 1995, Politics of the media, Macmillan, Melbourne. Wilcox, DL Cameron, GT 2009, Public relations: strategies and tactics, 9th edn (International edn), Pearson Education, Boston, Massachusetts.

Irelands Economy essays

Ireland's Economy essays The Republic of Ireland has experienced a tremendous amount of growth in its recent history. However, this was not always the case. During the 1980s, Ireland was one of Europes poorest countries. With its government out of control, the public debt was 120% of its national income. Even at the beginning of the 1990s, the unemployment rate was at 15%, the worst in all of the European Union. However, over the past decade, Ireland underwent a drastic change and currently holds place as one of the most well organized nations in Europe. According to statistics, over the past three years, Irelands economy has grown at an average rate of more than 7% per year and has reached 11% in the year 20000. Once a country that identified itself as a victim of Britain, Ireland is now a country that is recognized as an equal amongst European countries. Unemployment has also dropped a significant amount and the economy has moved to full employment. The skyrocketing public debt has also decreased to an astonishing 336.5% and stands as one of the lowest in the European Union. Productivity is defined as an increase in output per hour that raises the standard of living. There are four key factors that lead to an increase in productivity. These factors include education and the quality of the labor force, savings and investments, reallocation of resources, and finally, technological changes. In addition, according to Irelands Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, the countrys astonishing economic growth can be attributed to their efforts in peace, education, partnership, regional integration, and foreign direct investments. Although Irelands progress may differ slightly from those laid out in these four factors, the foundation still remains and aids in the explanation of its sudden growth. Irelands increased funding for education, combined with the use of information and new communications technologies...

Battle of Wagram - Napoleonic Wars Battle of Wagram

Battle of Wagram - Napoleonic Wars Battle of Wagram Conflict: The Battle of Wagram was the deciding battle of the War of the Fifth Coalition (1809) during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Date: Fought east of Vienna, near the village of Wagram, the battle occurred on July 5-6, 1809. Commanders Armies: French Napoleon I180,000 men Austrians Archduke Charles155,000 men Battle Summary: Following his defeat at Aspern-Essling (May 21-22) after trying to force a crossing of the Danube, Napoleon reinforced his army and built up a large supply base on the isle of Lobau. By early July, he felt ready to make another attempt. Moving out with approximately 190,000 men, the French crossed the river and moved onto a plain known as the Marchfeld. On the opposite side of the field, Archduke Charles and his 140,000 men took positions along the Heights of Russbach. Deploying near Aspern and Essling, the French drove back the Austrian outposts and captured the villages. By late afternoon the French were fully formed up after encountering some delays crossing the bridges. Hoping to end the battle in one day, Napoleon ordered an attack which failed to achieve any significant results. At dawn, the Austrians launched a diversionary attack against the French right flank, while a major assault was brought against the left. Pushing the French back, the Austrians were succeeding until Napoleon formed a grand battery of 112 guns, which along with reinforcements, stopped the attack. On the right, the French had turned the tide and were advancing. This coupled with a massive attack on the Austrian center that split Charles army in two won the day for the French. Five days after the battle, Archduke Charles sued for peace. In the fighting, the French suffered a staggering 34,000 casualties, while the Austrians endured 40,000.

Fieldstone Private Capital Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Fieldstone Private Capital Group - Essay Example ally offers advisory services to the corporation about leveraged buyouts, private capital raises and mergers and acquisitions in infrastructure and energy industries globally. The company takes pride in being an independent employee owned venture and that allows them to offer unbiased, objective and independent ideas that are specifically designed and developed for the purpose of fulfilling the client’s long term needs (FPCG, 2013a). The company caters to a diversified client base. It ranges from small and medium sector enterprises to some of the world’s largest corporations. In addition to private sector companies, Fieldstone also offers advisory services to the government firms especially in the area of infrastructure and energy. Apart from the financial services, Fieldstone is also active in the field of CDO and high yield markets through its Fieldstone Capital Group, which is a division of Fieldstone Services Corp (Forbes, 2009). b) Location of Fieldstone Fieldstone is a company which has been able to generate a sense of trust among the consumers around the world. This is due to the company’s presence in the market for over 2 decades. During this epoch, there are hardly any negative statements came into light which was against the company or that hampered the image of the company (Keillor, 2007). Fieldstone operates in a number of places around the world. The places in which the company has presence are Berlin, Johannesburg, Hyderabad, Kuala Lumpur, London and New York (Bloomberg, 2013). The service offered by the company is almost similar in every country. However in case of South Africa, where the company operate through its Johannesburg office, offer some additional services to the customers. In the context of German market, the company is considered as an... Fieldstone is a company which has been able to generate a sense of trust among the consumers around the world. This is due to the company’s presence in the market for over 2 decades. During this epoch, there are hardly any negative statements came into light which was against the company or that hampered the image of the company. Fieldstone operates in a number of places around the world. The places in which the company has presence are Berlin, Johannesburg, Hyderabad, Kuala Lumpur, London and New York. The service offered by the company is almost similar in every country. However in case of South Africa, where the company operate through its Johannesburg office, offer some additional services to the customers. In the context of German market, the company is considered as an important player in the financial advisory services industry. For example, it has played the role of a financial advisor for a number of vital projects within the country. In the recent past, Fieldstone ac ted as exclusive debt advisor for Mainova AG in structuring, developing and facilitating the execution of the transactions.

Public Sector Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public Sector Accounting - Essay Example In order to demonstrate the differences an organization from each sector has been taken. The chosen public sector organization is The Royal Mail Holdings Plc and the publicly listed company is Aviva Plc. Royal Mail is a 100% UK Government owned organization involved with the postal services throughout UK, Ireland and Europe (Royal Mail Group Ltd, 2012). Aviva is a UK-based largest global insurance company and world’s sixth largest (Aviva, 2012). The third section demonstrates the effect of the objectives of public sector accounting and the rules and regulations governing public sector organizations in the form of differences and similarities in the format, style and accounting policies in the annual reports of Royal Mail and Aviva. The fourth section deals with the role of auditor in both the organizations. Overall the four sections in the project analyze if the differences between the two sectors’ accounting practices are prominent or if there is any reduction in their differing frameworks. Accounting Needs & Objectives The public sector encompasses all the organizations that are not owned or operated by private organizations. The organizations’ control lies in the hands of the Government, either national or local. Public sector in UK is diverse and includes nationalized industries, Government agencies and public service organizations. Nationalized industries are commercial organizations that sell goods to market but are mainly governed by government-appointed boards and ministers rather than markets or shareholders. The surplus generated from their operations is expected to enable replacement investment. The government agencies include welfare services and taxation body. These agencies are required to deliver satisfactory services to the claimants and taxpayers by using the resources at their disposal. The public service organization provides health, policing and defence services on behalf of central or local government. These services ar e financed from the tax revenues and therefore not charged from the public directly. Unlike the private sector with a clear objective of profit-making, the public sector has a complex mix of objectives and demands. It is primarily concerned with serving the general public. The importance of public sector accounting and disclosures, and their differences from the private sector accounting is due to the following reasons: Lack of making Profits: The ultimate objective of a private organization if profit making and/or creating wealth for its shareholders. However a public sector organization’s objective is not considered profit making. Sometimes this suggests the possibility of inefficient use of resources or absence of commitment to provide good service to the clients due to no profit-making. Lack of Competition: A private sector organization usually operates in an industry with direct competitors and subject to regulations by oversight regulatory bodies. Contrary to this the p ublic sector organizations are not subject to disciplines of the markets and lack the comparability with other firms. Public Interest: There is a corporate governance framework and audit rules for private organizat

The Portrayal of Realism and Fantasy in Children's Fiction Essay

The Portrayal of Realism and Fantasy in Children's Fiction - Essay Example This document highlights the portrayal of liberalism and fantasy in children’s fiction novels â€Å"Christmas Carol† and â€Å"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz† (Adsit, 2011). Realism and Fantasy in Literature Realism refers to a truthful aspect of life which are put forward after observations of different facts and features of events taking place in the life. In literature, realism is an approach, which describes the understanding of life without a subjectivity of an ideal life, fantasies or romantic interests. These realistic approaches are the product of all the influential bodies pertaining in everyday life and they are placed specially among the lower and middle classes of the society. The social factors of the environment play a very significant role in realistic literature. The psychological elements of individuals are also examined in realistic approach in the literature (Villanueva, 1997). Realism in literature emphasizes on proper documentation of the events, which are taking place, with an insight of all sociological aspects and details of facts and figures of life. There are few elements, which are avoided like poetic diction and melodrama in this approach and the subjects’ issues of lower middle class families of societies are elaborated. (Stoodt, 1996) Fantasy, on the other hand depicts such characters which may not be real, they can vary from fairy tales as well as about demons that take us on a journey of imagination and metaphysical form of literature (Horne, 2011). Most of the Science fiction tales come under this category. The metaphysical literature deals with such subjects which can be supernatural and the characters will inhibit traits of super natural beings like dragons and wizards, fairies or vampires (Miller, 1997). Hence, the fantasy literature incorporates such super natural or unrealistic notions, which may provide an understanding of the structural elements and characteristic features taking place in such sett ing. (Schmitz, 2008) Most of people enjoy fantasy because of the concepts underlined in the structure of this kind of literature (Hudson, James, & Christopher, 2003). People are more inclined towards the theories in literature, which depict good against evil, magic and demons and explore concepts, which in reality may not be of any use but may have a profound impact on how a person perceives the situation. (James & Mendlesohn, 2012) Studies of Realism and Fantasy Literature in Schools In order to keep children focused on realities of life and the impact of realistic events in the lives of a common man, it is necessary to introduce realism in literature in studies by introducing novels which are depicting which can have a positive impact in their upbringing and development (Adams, 1990). However, practically speaking the idea of realism in fiction novels may differ in different people (Klemmer, Anoop, Chen, Landay, & Aboobaker, 2000). The depiction various scenarios by writers may be perceived differently because there are cases when a realistic event may seem illusory to one person and realistic to another (Wolf, Coats, & Enciso, 2010). Exploration is required in terms of confusion of such realism in literature so that there is understanding of literature as a basic course in children’s school to promote learning through fictional tales.

AIIB Assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

AIIB Assignment - Coursework Example If conditions are met for unemployment benefits employee receives benefits based on contributions and welfare entitlements. This is calculated based on severity of illness and contributions or in the event of retirement, contributions made over the years while employed. Critical Analysis Over the past ten or so years more than 300 million workers in Great Britain were unable to work due to illness or injury (Doherty, 1979). In the absence of a national insurance system in which unemployment benefits are calculated on the basis of contributions, the financial burden on the state would be far too onerous to bear. In addition, the provision of public health services would be entirely underfinanced and this would impact the quality of health services that the government can afford to provide for workers who are unable to work due to illness or injury. According to Woolhandler and Himmmelstein (2002), spending on health is among the highest for governments all over the world, particularly with respect to those employed in the public sector. A study conductd by Nishino, Kuwahara, Watanabe, et al., (1998) is demonstrative of the problem for the public. The study was conductd in Japan and examined the nature of national health insurance benefits accruing to a cohort of claimants between the ages of 40 and 79. There were approximately 54,996 claimants that were eligible for health benefits over a period of one month alone (Nishino, et al., 2002). The need for a contribution system in which citizens share some form of responsibility for their own welfare is required to safeguard against a depleted and overburdened, and at the same time, underfunded public health system. As Lewis (1992) argues, the ideal welfare system is one that incorporates a link between â€Å"unpaid† welfare and paid welfare (p. 591). Dependency status is also taken into account as this ensures that those who are independent can take some responsibility for themselves and this will not only he lp to fund public welfare services, but will also aid in the support of those who have dependence status and those who are unable to work at all (Lewis, 1992). Realistically, there is a disparity in terms of access to education and therefore access to paid employment. Some individuals will have the education, age, health and skills to obtain higher paying jobs than other individuals. In many cases, there will be individuals who will not have the health, education or skills to find employment at all. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the employee’s specific personal attributes and health history to determine whether or not this individual qualifies for national insurance unemployment benefits. In other words, a particularly healthy individual with skills, youth and education would not be able to apply for unemployment benefits under the rules established in the first part of this exercise. Conversely, an individual who suffers from mental or physical disabilities and o bviously does not have the skills to find employment will be able to claim unemployment national insurance benefits under these rules. An individual who has a history of contributing to national insurance and has suffered an injury or becomes ill and as a result is unable to work, his or her history of national insurance contribution will amplify the amount of benefits he or she is entitled to. According to Blundell, Duncan, McCrae and Meghir (March 2000) whenever a working individual obtains some sort of tax credit or benefit for being actively employed

Is Virginia Woolf a Feminist Writer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Virginia Woolf a Feminist Writer - Essay Example Does this style predispose Virginia Woolf as a feminist writer because she was female and wrote about issues that were important to women? Is she still a feminist if her emotional dependence upon men was greater than her intellectual dependence? Or through current retrospect, do we see her as a champion of feminism because she overcame the prevailing male attitudes within her family and society to write about what she thought was essential? Critics offer the opinion that â€Å"†¦her life has come to stand for a great deal; it has become a heavily loaded symbol in the current dialogues over gender, class, madness, and marriage. The famously gifted, original, neurotic, courageous, difficult, and very imperfect human being she once was has disappeared†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .Virginia Woolf gained prominence during the first-wave of political feminism in the early 20th century, but the major focus of this effort revolved around suffrage. She has been portrayed as a feminist, but her writing supports idealist views that humans, in general, should be free to pursue activities that make them whole, regardless of the sexual orientation, gender, or culture. Eyal Amirane asserts that biology is not destiny, and the use of specific language is not synonymous with having a feminist philosophy, â€Å"Thus feminist analysis can take a textual form that is not bound to the body, though it is already (always) about the body†¦it takes place not on the writer's body but in the body of the text†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .... synonymous with having a feminist philosophy, "Thus feminist analysis can take a textual form that is not bound to the body, though it is already (always) about the bodyit takes place not on the writer's body but in the body of the text" (Amirane, np). A writer can be of either sex, since art is created in the mind first, and passed through the body of the artist. When Woolf tells us that, "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is going to write", she intimates to us that there is no need to establish a political philosophy, just the need for privacy and economic support. (Lavender, np). Woolf did not embrace a specific political ideology and was ambiguous about suffrage, but still believed in being feminine, and her definition meant assurance by allowing " women the fundamental right to control their own lives and income" (Allen, np). In Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa wants to perform purposeful roles-wife, mother, lover, and hostess, with aplomb. The role created for her character is one of a strong feminine tradition. She is artificial and shallow, but tries to be everything to everyone. Her party is a tribute to the prestige of her husband and family's reputation. Her selfish attitude and demeanor exemplify the divisions in social class, the acceptable exclusions, and how snobbish women can be towards each other. Clarissa is a strong protagonist and she is stereotypical in her assertions and behavior. We are privy to the inner emotional workings of the characters, but within the context of this novel these are not special or unique (Crawford, np). This novel might be considered an example feminine writing, but not feminism. This work does not espouse a feminism point of view. The context is about everyday life and events, plain and ordinary, and

AIIB Assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

AIIB Assignment - Coursework Example If conditions are met for unemployment benefits employee receives benefits based on contributions and welfare entitlements. This is calculated based on severity of illness and contributions or in the event of retirement, contributions made over the years while employed. Critical Analysis Over the past ten or so years more than 300 million workers in Great Britain were unable to work due to illness or injury (Doherty, 1979). In the absence of a national insurance system in which unemployment benefits are calculated on the basis of contributions, the financial burden on the state would be far too onerous to bear. In addition, the provision of public health services would be entirely underfinanced and this would impact the quality of health services that the government can afford to provide for workers who are unable to work due to illness or injury. According to Woolhandler and Himmmelstein (2002), spending on health is among the highest for governments all over the world, particularly with respect to those employed in the public sector. A study conductd by Nishino, Kuwahara, Watanabe, et al., (1998) is demonstrative of the problem for the public. The study was conductd in Japan and examined the nature of national health insurance benefits accruing to a cohort of claimants between the ages of 40 and 79. There were approximately 54,996 claimants that were eligible for health benefits over a period of one month alone (Nishino, et al., 2002). The need for a contribution system in which citizens share some form of responsibility for their own welfare is required to safeguard against a depleted and overburdened, and at the same time, underfunded public health system. As Lewis (1992) argues, the ideal welfare system is one that incorporates a link between â€Å"unpaid† welfare and paid welfare (p. 591). Dependency status is also taken into account as this ensures that those who are independent can take some responsibility for themselves and this will not only he lp to fund public welfare services, but will also aid in the support of those who have dependence status and those who are unable to work at all (Lewis, 1992). Realistically, there is a disparity in terms of access to education and therefore access to paid employment. Some individuals will have the education, age, health and skills to obtain higher paying jobs than other individuals. In many cases, there will be individuals who will not have the health, education or skills to find employment at all. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the employee’s specific personal attributes and health history to determine whether or not this individual qualifies for national insurance unemployment benefits. In other words, a particularly healthy individual with skills, youth and education would not be able to apply for unemployment benefits under the rules established in the first part of this exercise. Conversely, an individual who suffers from mental or physical disabilities and o bviously does not have the skills to find employment will be able to claim unemployment national insurance benefits under these rules. An individual who has a history of contributing to national insurance and has suffered an injury or becomes ill and as a result is unable to work, his or her history of national insurance contribution will amplify the amount of benefits he or she is entitled to. According to Blundell, Duncan, McCrae and Meghir (March 2000) whenever a working individual obtains some sort of tax credit or benefit for being actively employed

Nuclear Energy Is Not Safe Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nuclear Energy Is Not Safe - Research Paper Example In the nuclear power stations, the energy is made through the use of uranium rod. In the process of fission, the neutrons of uranium enter into the nucleus of atom. Once the uranium smashed in, the nuclei will the split into two hence releasing energy that comes out in form of heat. Nuclear energy is famous today because of several reasons, one is the carbon emitted during nuclear energy production. In comparison to other energy producers such as coal and oil, almost zero greenhouse gases are produced during nuclear production, gases such as sulfur dioxide which is one of the main components of pollution. The second reason why nuclear energy has remained famous is because of energy dependence. Nuclear energy has enabled many countries such as US and France to cut down the amount of oil products they buy from different countries and it has provided a reliable base-load power (Smith 2006). The cost of building the plant is expensive but once it is build, the cost of producing energy is cheap is the material used in nuclear plants are renewable. Another significant reason why nuclear energy is famous is its energy production rate. A uranium-235 is capable of producing up to 3.6 million times more energy as compared to the same amount of coal. Lastly, nuclear produ ce low quantities of waste materials. The uranium producing the energy stays in the reactor for a period of up to 4 years which means the radioactive waste products remains in the reactors for up to five years. At the same time, radioactive materials coming from the reactors are used in medicine treatment and food irradiation. Having studied the nuclear energy advantages and disadvantages, I believe Nuclear energy is not a safe form of alternative energy. Since the introduction of nuclear energy, it has become both a curse and a blessing; it is a blessing in the energy production and a curse due to the misuse. Many countries have started misusing the nuclear energy by creating war materials out of it.

Molecules Shine Individually on Camera Essay Example for Free

Molecules Shine Individually on Camera Essay In a science news article by the Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, an innovative discovery on a certain combination of technique for studying individual molecules undergoing reactions was presented. The article entitled â€Å"Electron Give-and-take Lets Molecules Shine Individually on Camera† was actually adopted from an article in the journal Chemical Communications by Chenghong Lei and Dehong Hu. The original title of the journal article was â€Å"Single-molecule Fluorescence Spectroelectrochemistry of Cresyl Violet. † Basically, the article reports a new technique of studying the electron transfer reactions of molecules. Through the use of the new combination of techniques, scientists have found a way of viewing individual molecules as the reaction proceeds which was traditionally impossible. Due to this breakthrough, scientists can now conduct further research to modify and even create proteins that possesses maximum reaction rates which could generate more energy than their counterparts (DOE 2008). Electron transfer reactions are crucial in the life-giving processes that occur in plants and animals. They are responsible in generating energy as well as sustaining the life of an organism such as in photosynthesis. To understand how such electron transfer reactions occur, it is possible that chemists and engineers can find ways on how to recreate such maximal energy generation which is typical of nature’s electron transfer reactions (DOE 2008). In light of these efforts, there have been several techniques of observing the mechanisms behind the reactions of biomolecules. One of these techniques is fluorescence spectroelectrochemistry. However, although fluorescence has been of great help in the field of chemistry, like other traditional techniques it only allows for the observation and analysis of bulk molecules. Therefore, in search for a method of analyzing individual molecules, scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Library have devised an instrument wherein the power of creating electric fields to initiate reactions and that of focusing into a single molecule was developed (DOE 2008). This was successfully done by combining fluorescence spectroelectrochemistry with that of single-molecule fluorescence microscope. Using the new instrument, scientists then studied electron transfer reactions in individual cases. They have found that although majority of the molecules undergo electron transfer reactions, there are some individual molecules that contradict the way other molecules behave. Upon fluorescence using cresyl violet dye, some molecules that should have been lit were not while upon removing the electric current, some molecules continued to give of fluorescence where they should have blinked off (DOE 2008). Such discovery thus account for the sub maximum energy generation of some reactions that occur. Using the same instrument, scientists can now find out why these particular molecules behave in such a way. To control the reactions could then be a great advantage for many of our chemists (DOE). Further studies are now being conducted to achieve this goal. The fusion of two important instruments used in chemistry and microbiology was actually a novel contribution to both fields. Essentially, fluorescence spectroelectrochemistry is a technique used by chemists to manipulate reactions in their study of the mechanisms molecules follow whereas single-molecule fluorescence microscopy is employed in microbiology for the study of fluorescent microorganisms. By combining the two techniques, new research ventures can now be accomplished both in the fields of chemistry and microbiology. Furthermore, the innovative instrument has somehow created a bridge between the two fields of science, one of which is primarily concerned with the minute elements of the abiotic world while the other is concerned with the minute elements of the biotic world. The information about the new combination of instrument is quite useful. Having learned of this new apparatus, it is then possible that future endeavors that might be undertaken by the readers employ the use of the device. Furthermore, the data obtained from the electron transfer reactions up close is an excellent explanation of why molecules generate as much energy only as they are able to. The plan of scientists to expand the study is also very interesting since it will clarify why molecules behave the way they do. The reader could say that the information is convincing as well as organized. Although there are no detailed descriptions of the results of the study, the presentation of the valuable outcomes is meaningful and reliable. This is due to the fact that the article is an adaptation of a reliable journal article. However, it would have been more engaging if the scientists include some data tables, graphs or pictures on the behavior of the individual molecules that were studied instead of generalizing the data presentation. The article is highly recommended to people in the field of biofuels research. As has been mentioned in the article, if engineers will find out how to control the behavior of molecules during electron transfer reactions, they may increase the energy generated by biofuels by utilizing the maximum limit of each individual molecule (DOE 2008). By doing so, engineers will obtain a large amount of energy with the least raw product input increasing efficiency and production as well as lowering costs and expenses. References DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (2008, September 24). Electron Give-and-take Lets Molecules Shine Individually on Camera. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 27, 2008, from http//www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2008/09/080925094. htm.

Incarceration Rates of Minorities in the US

Incarceration Rates of Minorities in the US With law enforcement poised to eliminate crime and the people who commit it, the building of new jails and prison seem to be the likeliest answer to the problem. Throughout American history, minorities have always been portrayed as dark and evil to name a couple of stereotypes. With the help of television and other means of media the focus has been set to create a mental consciousness to presume every black, Hispanic, and anyone closely related as armed and extremely dangerous. This has cause an unfair disadvantage for people of color, but has left the perception of the white race crystal clean. Just as there are bad people everywhere, there are bad cops, judges, and politicians in every police department, court house, and legislative branch that forge evidence to meet arrest quotas that the system needs to have in place; setup by the elitist to fund their need to have slave labor for their manufacturing companies. Some minorities have been falsely accused and persuaded by police bru tality in order to coerce false confessions, and the judges fall in their place to announce the sentencing. Throughout years of focusing on media events that always place blacks and other minorities in a position of being the bad guy. Today the jail and prison population is primarily made up of blacks. Although there are Hispanics, as well whites, the main overcrowding comes from blacks being locked up on frivolous charges. But there’s a deeper reason behind why this injustice is happening to blacks, and it all stems from the system’s need of the incarceration of minorities. To test the influence of local county politics on minority incarceration rates, data are collected at the county level in most states to create a pooled cross-sectional data set. OLS regression models predicting black, Hispanic, and white incarceration rates in state prison are used in the analysis. Counties ideological orientations and racial and ethnic contextual characteristics significantly impact minority incarceration rates. Greater ideological conservatism within counties is associated with higher rates as a proportion of their population of both black and Hispanic incarceration. Consistent with racial threat theory, results show counties with greater racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to incarcerate blacks and Hispanics. Tests for interaction effects indicate that greater county diversity decreases the punitive effects of ideological conservatism on minority incarceration. Political forces nested within states systematically shape how state government incarceration p ower is distributed across different racial and ethnic groups. (Bridges and Crutchfield, 1988; Greenberg and West, 2001; Western, 2006; Yates, 1997), The punitive paradigm that has characterized U.S. crime policy over the past three decades has led to important concerns about the distribution of one of government’s most intrusive powers; the ability to deprive citizen of their liberty through imprisonment across different racial and ethnic groups. It has been well documented that blacks are six to eight times more likely to be incarcerated relative to whites. (Western, 2006). Hispanics are over three and one-half times more likely to be incarcerated than whites. Blacks and Hispanics, together, account for nearly two-thirds of the state prison population. Disparities such as these within the criminal justice system have long engendered heated debate about principles of equality and civil rights. Imprisonment rates between the states are shown to be a function of a variety of state-level political and legal factors. From this research, there is clear evidence that political forces cause states to incarcerate at widely different rates, with minorities living in a particular state either more or less likely to be imprisoned, depending in part, on the politics within. Yet, while these studies have significantly advanced our understanding of the politics of incarceration, state-level studies often mask the fact that a state’s ‘‘use’’ of incarceration is largely a byproduct of political processes found at the local (county) level of government. When analyzing the politics of incarceration from the bottom up, top-dow n political forces like the partisan control of state-level institutions or state sentencing laws effectively become standardized, suggesting that local politics retains significant leverage over how a state’s imprisonment powers are allocated Given this, however, we know little about the extent to which incarceration rates are systematically tied to local environments and whether local politics systematically shape the imprisonment ratesof racial and ethnic minority groups. Two primary questions motivate this research: Do political forces shaped by the local ideological and racial and ethnic environment affect incarceration rates in ways that are disproportionately detrimental to racial and ethnic minorities? Second, to what extent does the racial and ethnic context interact with localized Ideological orientations to affect minority incarceration rates? Or, put another way, can diversity levels in a given jurisdiction work to strengthen or weaken the propensity of those who might, because of their ideological beliefs, be already more inclined to incarcerate minorities? Conservatives tend to view criminal activity as a matter of personal choice and focus on deterrence and incapacitation based policy responses. Beckett and Western (2001). Conservatives have been more likely to use incapacitation as a means to control a marginalized ‘‘underclass’’ of citizens that threatens the economic and political interests of elites. (Scheingold,1984), In contrast, ideological liberals tend to view crime as a function of structural impediments to success and place more emphasis on crime prevention policies rather than punishment after the fact. Beckett, and Sasson (2004). If ideological conservatives are more inclined to incarcerate, these orientations might also be expected to influence the target of those policies with racial minorities more likely to be targeted relative to whites. (Edsall and Edsall, 1992; Weaver, 2007), Republicans used crime and punishment as an effective tool to realign the political electorate by pursuing law and order policies that linked financially secure fiscal conservatives and middle to lower class conservatives who had little else in common, while blaming street crime and other social ills on a racial (black) underclass, conservative. Republicans made veiled appeals to anti minority hostilities among some lower income conservative whites by enacting punitive crime policies that were implemented in ways that put more blacks in prison, but invoked greater support at the ballot box. Insofar as these political pressures retain their influence on criminal justice policy making at the local level of government, as well as to minorities other  than blacks (i.e., Hispanics), it can be predicted that more conser vative counties will be more likely to incarcerate blacks and Hispanics (as a proportion of their respective population) in state prisons than are more liberal counties. Racial politics shaped by the local racial and ethnic contextual environment are also expected to influence minority incarceration rates. In racial politics literature, significant attention has been paid to social conflict or ‘‘racial threat’’ theory, which offers a ‘‘contextual’’ explanation for minority imprisonment. Dating back to the work of Key (1949), the main idea behind the theory is that when a minority population is small, it represents a relatively minor threat to the interests of the majority. However, as the number of minorities grows, they begin to threaten the economic and political interests of the majority population, increasing hostile attitudes toward minority populations among majority group members. Blalock (1967) argued that a majority groupà ¢â‚¬â„¢s repression of a minority group’s interests was based on two types of perceived threats those motivated by economic competition and those driven by competition over political power. A growing body of research has found evidence of a racial threat effect across a variety of institutional settings. (Hurwitz and Peffley, 1997). If racial hostilities increase in more diverse environments, there are more reasons to predict that these hostilities will spill over to influence criminal justice policy making. ‘‘Old-fashioned’’ white racism often concentrated on a perceived genetic inferiority of blacks to whites. Today, more common white stereotypes involve the perception of blacks as a violent, criminal underclass. These stereotypes, along with the assumption that objective demographic data which show blacks to be disproportionately linked to the U.S. penal system permeates the public’s consciousness to believe that most blacks are violent tha n whites. To a meaningful degree, likely increase the probability that whites associate crime and the criminal justice system with race. In conclusion; this research provides convincing evidence of ‘‘racialized’’ crime policy in the United States. The tendency among some whites to connect race with crime has important implications for state punitiveness and imprisonment of blacks more specifically. Whites who view blacks as violent have been shown to be more supportive of punitive policies like the death penalty and longer prison sentences. Following arguments associated with the racial threat idea, a more racially diverse environment is likely to trigger more negative stereotypes among whites living there, who, as a result, may be more apt to support punitive crime policies, particularly if there is the perception that the target population is black. However, existing tests of the racial threat hypothesis on black incarceration rates have brought mixed results. In so me state-level studies, once black arrest rates and other socioeconomic conditions are controlled, the racial threat hypothesis provides little predictive power (Bridges and Crutchfield, 1988; Yates, 1997). Others have found the proportion of blacks in a state does matter, but in the opposite direction predicted by the racial threat idea black imprisonment rates decreased in states with a greater black population (Yates and Fording, 2005). This mixed set of findings brings the possibility that a more appropriate test of a racial threat effect on imprisonment should be conducted at the local level. Measuring the influence of state racial composition on imprisonment has proven useful because it allows comparisons across jurisdictions; however, these efforts often gloss over the fact that state imprisonment rates are a function of decisions made by county law enforcement officials. If, indeed, incarceration rates are influenced by racial politics, it might be expected that county prose cutors, judges, or public defenders those with authority over prosecuting, sentencing, or defending offenders to/from state prison are most likely to be subject to racial ‘‘effects.’’ Assessing the influence of a racial threat on minority incarceration can also be advanced by considering whether political forces resulting from whites’ exposure to a variety of ethnic and racial minorities, rather than simply their exposure to larger black populations, affects minority imprisonment rates. References Percival, G. L. (2010).Ideology, Diversity, and Imprisonment: Considering the Influence of Local Politics on Racial and Ethnic Minority Incarceration Rates. Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell), 91(4), 1063-1082. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2010.00749.x Bridges, George S., and Robert Crutchfield. 1988. ‘‘Law, Social Standing and Racial Disparities cin Imprisonment.’’ Social Forces 66(3):699–724. Western, Bruce. 2006. Punishment and Inequality in America. New York: Russell Sage  Foundation. Beckett, Katherine, and Theodore Sasson. 2004. The Politics of Injustice: Crime and Punishment  in America. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Edsall, Thomas B., and Mary D. Edsall. 1992. Chain Reaction: The Impact of Race, Rights,  and Taxes on American Politics. New York: W.W. Nortan Company. Scheingold, Stuart A. 1984. The Politics of Law and Order: Street Crime and Public Policy.  New York: Longman. Blalock, Hubert M. 1967. Toward a Theory of Minority Group Relations. New York: Wiley. Key, V. O. 1949. Southern Politics in State and Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Hurwitz, Jon, and Mark Peffley. 1997. ‘‘Public Perceptions of Race and Crime: The Role of  Racial Stereotypes.’’ American Journal of Political Science 41(2):375–401. Yates, Jeff. 1997. ‘‘Racial Incarceration Disparity Among the States.’’ Social Science Quarterly  78(4):1001–11. Yates, Jeff, and Richard Fording. 2005. ‘‘Politics and State Punitiveness in Black and White.’’  Journal of Politics 67(4):1099–1121.

Focus Groups Essay -- essays research papers

Focus Groups   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Focus groups are a qualitative form of marketing research that can help a marketer assess consumer needs and feelings in a way that simple questionnaires can not. In a focus group, you bring together a small group to discuss issues and concerns about the features of a product. Participants are usually paid a fee for their time. A marketer can gain valuable information such as gaining a customer’s attitudes and determining advertising persuasiveness. The group is typically run by a moderator who maintains the group's focus. Some recent topics of interest regarding this subject are focus groups for advertising, Online focus groups, and political focus groups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Traditional focus groups usually deal with a consumers reaction to a product, whether it be good or bad. In today’s ad-packed media, marketers need to worry about how consumers react to their advertising. Many marketers have set up focus groups to do just that: gauge how efficient an ad is, whether or not the group was interested, and if the ad and brand name can be recalled from the spot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Companies such as Motorola have used focus groups to gauge the effectiveness of commercials. When the company chose to launch the â€Å"Wings† campaign, they were unsure of what song would be appropriate for the T.V spot. An overwhelming response from a focus group led to the use of the Rolling Stones song â€Å"You Can’t Always Get What You Want†. Marketers at Motorola raised concerns of whether or not the song was appropriate, based on the title. After a positive response from their focus group, the company ran the ad. â€Å"overwhelmingly positive focus-group response to the Rolling Stones as a transgenerational and transgeographic icon confirmed people were more interested in the emotion of the music than the lyrics.† (Adage.com, Snyder)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While traditional focus groups and their face to face method of collecting data has proven to be effective, the internet has proven to be both more effective and more convenient. A traditional focus group normally consists of about 10 people, while an online group can reach thousands of participants. The DiscoverWhy group is one such group that holds online polls and focus groups for various companies. In order to test the effectiv... ...se the information wisely can gain valuable insight to difficult problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://adage.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2E%2E%2F%2E%2E%2F%2E%2E%2Fadage%2Fwww%2Fnews%5Fand%5Ffeatures%2Ffeatures%2F19980420%2Farticle2%2Ehtml&DocOffset=35&DocsFound=92&QueryZip=focus+group&SearchUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fadage%2Ecom%2Fsearch97cgi%2Fs97%5Fcgi%3Faction%3DSearch%26QueryZip%3Dfocus%2Bgroup%26Filter%3Dadage%255Fbak%252Ehts%26ResultTemplate%3Dadage%255Fresults%252Ehts%26QueryText%3Dfocus%2Bgroup%26ResultStart%3D31%26ResultCount%3D10& http://adage.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2E%2E%2F%2E%2E%2F%2E%2E%2Fadage%2Fwww%2Finteractive%2Farticles%2F20000327%2Farticle1%2Ehtml&DocOffset=17&DocsFound=92&QueryZip=focus+groups&SearchUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fadage%2Ecom%2Fsearch97cgi%2Fs97%5Fcgi%3Faction%3DSearch%26QueryZip%3Dfocus%2Bgroups%26Filter%3Dadage%255Fbak%252Ehts%26ResultTemplate%3Dadage%255Fresults%252Ehts%26QueryText%3Dfocus%2Bgroups%26ResultStart%3D11%26ResultCount%3D10& http://www.adcritic.com/corporate/ http://www.mtv.com/sendme.tin?page=/mtv/news/chooseorlose/features/feature_0306.html

Teaching Vocabulary to Young English Learners

A crucial component of learning a foreign language is the acquisition of vocabulary. For young learners, the very first words that they acquire could lay the profound basis for a better later learning of the children. This study is intended to investigate the specific application of techniques in teaching English vocabulary to young learners. I strived to investigate the current techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners and studied the difficulties that teachers encounter during this process. Oral interviews, questionnaire and observation schemes were used as useful instruments for data collection. The questionnaire-based survey aims to scrutinize teachers’ common techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners, general difficulties that they meet in teaching. Oral interviews and observations serve to elaborate on the information gathered from questionnaires and discover teachers’ opinions on how to solve arisen problem in language classroom, especially during vocabulary section. The result of this survey indicates that using flashcards in presenting, sorting tasks in practicing and sentence completion in revising vocabulary are three most preferably common techniques in teaching young learners the English vocabulary. The exploitation of combining different techniques is considered rather limited; in conclusion,, this study provides some suggestions for teachers to realize the benefits of having available activities and games in young learners’ classroom. 1. Introduction I chose this topic for my research study because I consider that for young learners, vocabulary and grammar are two essential units that require them to master at early stage. It was once claimed that â€Å"experienced teachers of English as a Second Language know very well how important vocabulary is. They know their students must learn thousands of words that speakers and writers of English use. † (Allen, 1983). The well-known linguist Wilkins, one of the leaders in language learning and teaching, indicated that â€Å"without grammar, very little could be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed† Teaching vocabulary is considered to be an add- on to teaching grammar or simply a by-product of language teaching and communicative functions. The reasons are: firstly, too many words in one sentence are believed to break its grammar structure and spoil children in learning systematic grammar; secondly, it is thought that vocabulary can be learned through experience only and therefore, there is little need for the teachers to focus much on teaching their students vocabulary; and thirdly, they put the emphasis of teaching grammar on priority to vocabulary are already taken too much of any lesson in the classroom. The basic concept of how important teaching vocabulary in class is, was not recognized until late 1970s and 1980s when people realized the necessity of vocabulary in reading comprehension (Allen: p. 5) Learning a new language with native speakers can provoke learners’ motivation and boost their confidence in quickly obtaining language step by step, native teachers, in many circumstances have to face the obstacle of slow or misbehaved students, particularly in vocabulary section. This study therefore was conducted, aiming at reviewing common techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners. . An overview of Vocabulary 2. 1. 1. Definition In order to find the best and most easy-to-understand definition of the vocabulary, is such an unfeasible task. Each linguist or scholar, in his specialized field, with his own set of criteria has found out for his own a way to define vocabulary. However, in the most popular way, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary has applied a meaning for vocabulary as â€Å"all the words which exist in a particular language or subject. † In the context of learning English as a Foreign Language, the vital role of vocabulary is inevitable. This has been claimed by many linguists and experts in the field. Wilkins (cited in Thornbury, 2002) clearly stated that â€Å"without grammar, very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed† (page 13). Coincidentally, H. Dellar and D. Hocking indicated that progress made from learning grammar most of the time would be much less than that from learning vocabulary. To be short and concise, when comparing the importance of grammar and vocabulary, both mentioned statement above show that most of learner’s improvement was created when the learner himself learned more words and expressions. It was also emphasized when it came to communicate that â€Å"you can say very little with grammar, but you can say almost anything with words† (Thornbury , p. 13). 2. 2. Young learners 2. 2. 1. Definition The term â€Å"young learners†, according to the author of the book An A-Z of ELT, Thornbury , â€Å"is used to describe children of pre-primary and primary school age, although it is sometimes used to include adolescents as well† (p. 250). In the same way, â€Å"young learners† as defined by Sarah Phillips (1993) are â€Å"children of formal schooling (five or six years old) to eleven or twelve years of age. † (p. 4). Teaching English to young learners, therefore, has a long history: in many multilingual countries, primary school children are taught English as preparation for secondary school, where it is the medium of instruction. In recent years, there has been a phenomenal increase in the teaching of English to young learners, in EFL context as well as in ESL, and in state school as well as in private ones (Thornbury, p. 251). 2. 2. 2. Characteristics of young learners Vocabulary knowledge is a major building block in children's early literacy development. It provides the foundation for learning to decode and comprehend text. Many children, especially English language learners, need support in acquiring the substantial vocabulary they need to become good readers. Reading books to children is one way to introduce them to a wide range of vocabulary that they may not hear in their everyday conversations with adults and peers. Young learners need to be able to transfer their understanding of words to new contexts, so that when they see or hear those words in other places they understand what they mean. Talking about words from book to book is one way of showing children how words are used in other contexts. Another way to help them see how words are used in other contexts is asking them to think about how the words apply to their own knowledge and experiences. In explaining the word freight, for example, a teacher might say, â€Å"Have you ever seen a train on the tracks? Did you notice the cars of the train? Inside of those train cars, there are lots of things that are being taken from one place to another. The stuff that is being brought from one place to another is called freight. What are some things that you think could be freight on a train? † 2. 3. Vocabulary teaching . 3. 1. Stages in teaching Vocabulary Basically as proposed by Gower (2005) and Thornbury (2002) there are three stages in teaching vocabulary namely presenting, practicing and revising. In this research, I am going to list each stage with its typical features to have a better review for further techniques followed that. 2. 3. 1. 1. Presenting The title of this very first stage has indicated clearly its funct ion in introducing new lexical items to learners. As suggested by Thornbury, learners need to learn both the meaning and the form of a new word. Therefore, as he claimed, it’s worth pointing out that both these aspects of a word should be presented in â€Å"close conjunction in order to ensure a tight meaning-and-form fit† (p. 75). If the co-writers of Teaching Practice (p. 146) immediately referred to the effectiveness of using visual aids in presenting new words, Thornbury specifically emphasized the importance of cutting down â€Å"the gap between the presentation of a word’s form and its meaning† so that learners could possibly be at ease to make a â€Å"mental connection between the two†. He also stressed some major factors, subject to which the number of words should be presented. . 3. 1. 2. Practicing Suggested by Gower, students often need a little time for the new lexical items to â€Å"sink in† (p. 148). He pointed out that learners may recognize new item but often delay putting it into active use. In this case, is of pure necessity the use of planned activities for recyclin g and reactivate the new vocabulary. This kind of practice, as implied by Thornbury (2002) underlines the popular belief that â€Å"practice makes perfect† (p. 93). He additionally emphasized the action of moving words from short-term memory into permanent memory. He emphasized that â€Å"new knowledge – i. e. new words – needs o be integrated into existing knowledge – i. e. learner’s existing network of word associations, or what is called the mental lexicon. † (p. 93). Words or lexical items need to be put to work, or into practice as it is often understood in many other contexts, in order to ensure the long-term retention and recall. Vocabulary needs to be placed in â€Å"working memory† and subjected to different operations which would be mentioned intricately in the later part of techniques in practicing vocabulary. 2. 3. 1. 3. Consolidating and Revising Checking students’ comprehension and revising those words are a final important stage in teaching this specific field. In this stage, students are advised to complete high-level tasks namely production tasks. The author of many famous books for English language teachers grouped decision-making tasks into the second stage when learners needed to decide and make their choice in facing up with already learnt items. 2. 4. Techniques in teaching vocabulary There are three main parts or namely stages in teaching vocabulary, as they are mentioned above. . 4. 1. 1. Techniques in presenting vocabulary Proposed by Doff (1988, cited in ELT Methodology II, 2009) and Thornbury (2002) and Nation (1994) a variety of techniques can be used or combined in introducing vocabulary. 2. 4. 1. 2. Techniques in practicing vocabulary Identifying tasks, involving tasks of finding words in texts. â€Å"Listen then tick the words you hear† can be one obvious example of this type. Identification is the first step in recognizing words and requires learners do easy task as counting, ticking or a bit difficult is to unscramble words as in anagram. Selecting tasks are â€Å"cognitively more complex than identification tasks†. For selecting tasks, learners will have to do recognizing words and making choices amongst them at the same time. Finding and odd one out is a common task that teachers may often use in class for checking comprehension. Learners are also requested to do matching tasks, apart from recognizing and making choice amongst words. In this kind of task, learners may need to pair a set of given words to a â€Å"visual representation, for example, or to a translation, a synonym/antonym, a definition or a collocate. (p. 97) Learners are being asked to do sorting tasks, by grouping words into different categories. It should be noted that the categories can be given in advance or learners have to guess what the categories are. 2. 4. 1. 3. Games Games are one indispensable advice for many teachers not only in English teaching but also in the field of language teaching. Instead of listing common word games, I wil l discuss the function and effectiveness of using games in teaching vocabulary as a major topic. Drawn upon the characteristics of young learner, one typical characteristic of them is moving around almost all of the times and cannot be sitting quietly for more than five minutes. Yet they can be often keen on word games with a variety of options and movements. Especially in the context of teaching English to Romanian learners who are often labeled as inactive and afraid of risk-taking learning, games are said to be an extrinsic motivation for them to participate actively in the lesson. Games bring in relaxation and fun for students, thus help them learn and retain new words more easily. Secondly, games usually involve friendly competition and they keep learners interested. These create the motivation for learners of English to get involved and participate actively in learning activities. Thirdly, vocabulary games bring real world context into the classroom, and enhance learners’ use of English in a flexible, communicative way. Advantages of using games in learning vocabulary were indicated by showing that games not only helped and encouraged learners to sustain their interest but also gave teachers a helping hand in creating contexts. This is particularly true when learners need useful and meaningful contexts to better their understanding of new words or in general, lexical items. 2. 5. Difficulties in teaching vocabulary This study, concerning the issue of constraints encountered by teachers, deliberately focuses on finding external factors, that is to say factors related to teachers themselves are spared for a larger scale research. In this case, difficulties in teaching vocabulary are said to often arise from the nature of vocabulary itself. The very first difficulty recognized in teaching words is the matter of whether to teach form first hen meaning or meaning first then form later. Another matter deterred by many researchers is about the mistakes that learners often make when learning vocabulary. External factors can be seen from the different levels of learners in one class; class size can grow to unexpectedly big; learners keep using their first language and more importantly students appear to be uncooperative. Those factors once happen in class can negatively hinder the efficiency of both presenting and practicing new words; additionally badly affect teacher’s plan and demotivate many activities performed by him/her (Harmer: p. 27). 2. 5. 1 Proposed activities and games in order to make a lesson vivid 2. 5. 1. 1 Proposed activities: Bingo: is useful for checking students’ comprehension and pronunciation of the old vocabulary. Teacher gets the class to brainstorm a list of ten or fifteen new words and puts them on the board. Students choose any five and copy them into a piece of paper. Teacher reads out the words. Each time having one word that teacher reads, students put a tick or cross that word. The one to have five ticks or crosses shouts â€Å"Bingo† and the game can continue. Word associations: Teacher writes a topic in the middle of the board and gets students to think about words that associate with it. In case students cannot think of as many words as expected, teacher can ask question to provoke answers that may enlighten students’ ideas. Half a crossword: this activity is to get students to use sentence for asking the meaning of a word. Students work in pair, each receives half a crossword. One student, in order to get the answers for the missing half has to ask the other either to act or give a definition of the word. Pictionary: Teacher can utilize it as a fun activity in class. Class can be divided into two big groups. Each time, one person in the group, after receiving one word/phrase from the teacher has to turn to his/her group to draw so as to get the group guess correctly the word. Members take turns to draw and the activity can be played twice but should be not too long. 2. 5. 1. 2 Proposed games: Board sentence making: the rule is quite easy to follow and it is specially created to increase team work as well as the acquisition of words. The class is divided into two teams; each team is given six to seven small white boards. Teacher writes a word on the big board, each team has to make a sentence using the given word. Each word of the sentence must lie in each small board that the team is provided. Categories: Young learners work in pairs or small groups. On a piece of paper, they draw up a number of columns, according to a model on the board, each column labeled with the name of a lexical set: e. g. fruit, animals, transport, clothes. The teacher calls out a letter, B for example, students write down as many words as they can beginning with that letter in the separate columns (banana, bus, blouses, bat, †¦). The group with the most correct words wins. Drawing/ miming or explaining: this is a game played with the dice. Each time, representative from one of the two teams in the class has to throw the dice to know whether they have to draw (if throw 1-2), mime (3- 4) or explain (5-6) the word that teacher gives them. It can create a fun learning environment when students really don’t want to explain but they throw 5 instead. Hammer: the aim of the game is to get students quickly operate words that they have learnt in class. Students stand in a circle, teacher stands in the middle of the circle, holding the paper hammer. Teacher can give a topic himself or ask students to choose one topic in which every one in the class has to take turn call out a word belonging to given topic. Anyone who cannot give one word will be hit on the head with the hammer. The last person to stay is the winner. Pronunciation race: In this game, class is divided into small groups. Each group sends a representative to the board. The teacher gives the rest of the group a small grid of words which they use to pronounce to the member at the board. Once hearing the word, that member has to write down the word he/she gets. The team with most of the correct words wins. Spelling race: Class is divided into two teams. For each time teacher writes a scrambled word on board and two representatives from each team have to race to the board and write the correct spelling of the word. Each correct word wins the team a point. The team with the most points wins. Stop the bus: In the same way as Categories, students write labeled column. When teacher calls out a letter, C for example, students have to find one word which starts with letter C and belongs to provided category. The first group to find all words shouts â€Å"Stop the bus†. The other teams have to stop. Teacher checks accuracy and spelling. Word Bang: This game can be used best to check students’ understanding of old vocabulary in class. The class stands in a circle and teacher stands in the middle holding a set of flashcards (make sure that students know all the cards in advance). Each time, two students compete each other to shout out loud the name of the card that teacher shows in front of them. The quicker is the winner. The game continues until there is only one student left, who is also the winner of the game. Word snap: It has the aim to get as many pairs of words as possible. Divide class to work in pairs or small groups. Each pair/group receives a set of words and pictures which correspond to the words. Each time one student face up two cards, if they match he will take them, if they don’t, he has to put them face back down. Turn goes to the next person. The one who gets the most pairs win. 3. Conclusion As the title of the paper suggests, this study has its focal point in investigating the current implementation of techniques used in teaching vocabulary to young learners, accompanied by difficulties and solutions. As a conclusion, common techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners can be divided into three groups. For presenting new words, using flashcards and miming are preferred by most of teachers. In getting students to practice the words they have learnt, grouping words into certain categories preferably outnumbers the other techniques. For the final stage in teaching vocabulary – revising, most of the teachers say that they have been familiarized with sentence and text completion rather than that of creation. Finally, this research proposes some compiled games and activities that might be helpful for teachers’ repertoire. 4. Summary: Scopul acestui studiu este acela de a sublinia importanta invatarii vocabularului, de catre tineri, inca din faza incipienta. Am incercat sa prezint cateva idei, despre ceea ce inseamna predarea vocabularului si implementarea tehnicilor folosite in predare, alaturi de dificultatile intampinate cat si solutii pentru reusita. Definirea vocabularului poate fi inteleasa prin, totalitatea cuvintelor ce alcatuiesc o limba. Prin elev tanar ne referim la acea categorie de copii cuprinsa intre 5-12 ani. Ca si concluzie, cele mai folosite tehnici in predarea vocabularului tinerilor elevi pot fi impartite in trei grupe(prezentare, exersare si recapitulare). In prezentarea noilor termeni( cuvinte), folosirea cartonaselor ilustrate si mima este cel mai des intalnit procedeu. In a-i face pe elevi sa exerseze cuvinte invatate, gruparea cuvintelor pe anumite categorii este cea mai de succes metoda folosita.. In ceea ce priveste etapa finala in predarea vocabularului –recapitularea, majoritatea profesorilor spun ca au fost obisnuiti cu finalizarea propozitiilor si a textelor, decat cea a crearii. Spre finalul lucrarii am incercat sa descriu cateva jocuri si activitati care ar putea fi de folos in alcatuirea portofoliului unui profesor.