Book review article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Book review - Article Example ave an enormous task to create a relaxed and comfortable environment in which learners discover the complexities associated with the language and language acquisition (Kinginger, 2013, pp.21). However, knowledge of linguistics does not necessarily lead to successful language teaching practice. Jack Richards and Theodore Rodgers (2007) in the book Approaches and methods in language teaching discusses the major trends in language teaching in the twentieth century. The two authors emphasize the benefits of cooperative language teaching in contemporary classroom settings. On the other hand, Wei Li, Vivian Cook, and Flowerdew (2009) in the book dubbed Contemporary applied linguistics focus on the different perceptions, attitude and motivation that learners have toward the target language and how they (perception, attitude and motivation) affect language learning. Meanwhile, Karlfried Knapp (2007) in the book Handbooks of applied linguistics: communication competence, language and communic ation problems practical solution, discusses the domains of language awareness. Cooperative learning (CL) is arguably one of the most efficient language learning strategies for all student types, including mainstream students, English language learners (ELLs) and academically gifted students (Richards & Rodgers 2007, pp. 192). It not only promotes learning but also fosters friendship and respect among diverse groups of learners. Through cooperative learning strategies, students learn to depend on each other in a rather positive way for different learning tasks. However, it is imperative that teachers establish classroom protocols and norms that guide students to share, encourage each other, stay on task, contribute, and solve problems (Richards & Rodgers 2007, p. 192). The classroom norms will also guide students to help each other, as well as give and accept feedback from peers. Cooperative learning is particularly useful to students learning a second language. Besides, it promotes

Reggae into the contemporary American society Essay

Reggae into the contemporary American society - Essay Example The culture of a particular community refers to the way of life of the community. It consists of the beliefs, traditions, and customs that are unique to a given community and the achievements that are associated with and valued by the community. It also entails the incorporation of ethical codes of conduct in coexisting with the others in the society. The culture of a community is actually, what portrays their human nature and distinguishes them from other animals in nature. It is thus of some value and the community has the responsibility of ensuring that it is preserved so that the due respect is accorded to it. Regardless of the culture from which and individual hails, the common point is that a desirable culture should provide an individual with a sense of identity and the individual should be able to understand the dynamic nature of the world and be able to adjust to the changes encountered. Folk culture refers to the natural way of life that is defined by an ideal culture in a given community. This culture emphasizes on the human values like honor and the principle of reasoning and a view that the natural setting should be valued and considered wholesome. The spirit of hard work, self-discipline, and excellence are some of the aims of a folk culture, and which have currently lost grounds in the majority of the modern culture. Others include individual responsibility and loyalty to the authority. There are various ways through which communities preserve their cultural heritage to uphold their identity. The traditional cultural preservations include some ritual practices, traditional folk dances, folk tales, and folk music (Jankee, 2). The themes of the folk songs pointed out the cultural values like brevity, loyalty, and hard work. They often contained information on peaceful coexistence among the individuals in a given society. These traditional folk cultural expressions developed into the modern expressions with some deviations. Much of the human values that were emphasized by the traditional folk songs are not stressed in the modern Western cultures. The modern culture happens not to view nature as it was viewed earlier and neither does it allow nature to take control of life as in the olden days. There has also emerged a relation between the cultural expressions and grass root developments especially in the developing nations. The development of folk cultural expression in the Modern American society The different cultural expressions that are witnessed in different parts of the world are all concerned with the issue of defining the identity of the community. The need to answer the questions â€Å"Who am I?†, â€Å"Where do I come from?† or â€Å"Where I am going to?† provides an insight to the earlier developments of the folk cultural expressions. The folk tales that were used were creative tales that had symbolic meaning that reflected on the values of a given cultural community. The developments of such fo lk tales often emerged when the community was faced with some difficult situations. As they pondered to develop a solution to problems, pictures and illusions of what would work best ran across the minds of the old legends. Continuous focus on these images helped develop a complete folk tale characterized by imagery (Kleymeyer, 25). The contents of nature were often used to describe certain characters that can be of help during difficulties. For instance, in must of the traditional folk tales, a hare was often portrayed as being weak but very intelligent (Kleymeyer, 25). It would always use its wits to influence the mightier animals in the jungle or to escape some danger. On the other hand, larger animals like elephants and hippopotamus were portrayed as having a lot of energy but not intelligent enough to realize the crafty nature of hare. The picture that was

The Guilford Four Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Guilford Four - Term Paper Example The intensity of the ensuing aggression culminated into the deployment of the British Army in Ireland. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) was one of the most violent military parties that fought for Ireland’s independence. In the early 1970s, the group started challenging British troops in Ireland. With time, the group’s violence developed into massive bombing campaigns aimed at public utility, civilian, as well as military targets. When the British, in the effort to control the increasing aggression, introduced incarceration without trial in the year 1971 August, corroboration for the IRA increased. There arose many cases of injustices in the British legal system when dealing with Irish-related cases – wrong imprisonment of innocent Irish victims by the British government increased significantly (Fitzduff and O’Hagan, 2000). This paper delves into the Guilford episode, an incident that had to do with drug-induced and coerced confessions, fabricated and suppr essed evidence, and a society under siege dashing into judgment. The Guilford episode saw the arrest and false conviction of four innocent people following the bombing of the Guildford and Woolwich English pubs, which English soldiers liked frequenting while off duty. The suspects were henceforth referred to as the Guilford Four. The bombing led to the death of seven people and forty-two others were sustained injuries (Howard, 1992). The paper also explores the political and cultural climate that was present in both England and Ireland at the time of the bombing, and talks about English attitudes towards the Irish. Introduction The case of the Guilford Four presents a good example of an injustice in an Irish-related case that took place on 22 October 1975, when Paddy Armstrong, Paul Hill, Carole Richardson, and Gerry Conlon, four young people from Northern Ireland were convicted for the 5 October 1974 bombings of Guilford and Woolwich on behalf of the Irish Republican Army. The bomb s went off in pubs in Guilford and Woolwich that British soldiers liked to visit while off duty, killing seven people and injuring forty-two others. This was the reason as to why they were selected as targets by the IRA. In other words, this terrorist attack was part of a bombing campaign and a wave of violent attacks that the Irish Republican Army committed against Great Britain in the 1970s (Bihler, 2009). The political and cultural climate that was present in both England and Ireland at the time of the bombing The Guilford and Woolwich bombings occurred at a time when IRA had taken a horrible toll on Britain – in the first ten months of the year 1974; Britain had experienced ninety-nine bombings with injuries amounting to approximately one hundred and forty five people and fatalities/deaths amounting to nineteen people. Spaced out as the bombings were, the deaths and injuries might have been at a tolerable level, but on 21 November 1974, all this changed with the Guilford and Woolwich bombings. In retaliation to the two bombings, Britain convulsed with anger – angry mobs assailed innocent Irish residents in Birmingham streets and in London, they firebombed Irish businesses. Innocent Irish people became scapegoats for the atrocities of the IRA and the attempts of public officials to appeal for calm and stop the bombings in the streets were futile (Howard, 1992). A sampling of headlines as well as sub-headlines from October through

Short answers about Introduction to Political Economy Essay - 2

Short answers about Introduction to Political Economy - Essay Example Another cause of monopolies occurs when one firm expands to the point where it has tremendous economies of scale; other competitors drop out of the market because they cannot compete. Companies are likely to collude with each other if there are very few firms in an industry. Because of this, a change in one firm is likely to result in a change in another firm so that market forces remain the same. On the other hand, companies are likely to compete with each other when there is free market economy that allows consumers to pick and choose from many different companies. Regulations can cause a huge shift in the market, particularly in the labor market. When the government stipulates that employees must certain type of social security, employers have to respond to those changes. This can often mean that a business downsizes because it cannot afford to employ the same number of workers. Regulations primarily stifle business because of all the extra red tape that comes along with it. Capture theory stipulates that a government agency may allow the industry that it is charge of to dictate policy that favors the industry as a whole. On the other hand, public-interest theory deals with the interest of consumers. For example, when the market is not efficient as it could be, a regulatory body can act to make changes in regulations. The abolition of private property and the application of all rent to public purpose is designed for zoning laws that allow the government to own property. Progressive income tax makes all Americans pay their fair share. The abolition of all rights of inheritance offers limited inheritance through tax statues. Confiscation of property of rebels allows the government to seize property belonging to terrorist groups. Centralizing the credit system gives the state control over loans. Centralizing communication and transport allows the state to set regulations. Corporate capacity allows land to be improved. Equal labor

Seismic Analysis and Response of Bare and Masonry-Infilled Reinforced Coursework

Seismic Analysis and Response of Bare and Masonry-Infilled Reinforced Concrete Frame Structures - Coursework Example Since the infill walls play some roles during earthquakes, their design need consideration to withhold lateral forces. From a research conducted out, most concrete structures succumb to seismic loads due to: Failures of beam-column joints as a result of poor reinforcement at the joints and/or poor workmanship in installation of reinforcement beams; Basic failure that results from flexural weakness and or low shear strength; Failure of the infill wall that results from enough shear strength or a flexural strength that is out-of-plane (Griffith, Mike 2008, p.2). The relationship between un-reinforced masonry in-fills and reinforced concrete has led to unique influences in comparison to bare frames or seismic response. The behaviour of the in-fills to seismic loads remains controversial for existing buildings (Magenes, Guido and Pampanin Stefano, 2004). The issues to be addressed are modelling of structural elements and masonry in-fills panels. The analysed model need validation in term s of Beam-Column Subassemblies, single storey frames with infills, Dimension Frame with infills for multi-storey structures. Limitations related to infill panels and joints area also considered (Magenes, Guido and Pampanin Stefano, 2004). ... Therefore, structures in these areas need to be designed to withstand seismic loads. The success achieved will assist in reducing risks of collapsed structures in case of earthquake disasters. The aim of this project is to analyse the importance of masonry infill in relation to seismic loads. A comparison between structures with infill and bare structures are considered to help determine the best structures for earthquake prone areas. Part Two: References Article One:Diptesh Das and C.V.R. Murty, Brick masonry infills in seismic design of RC buildings: Part 1- Cost implications. 2004. The Indian Concrete Journal. According to Diptesh das and C.V.R. Murty(2004), the infills of reinforced concrete structures has contributed some strength to a structure in relation to seismic loads when compared to bare structures. Keen interest should therefore be put during seismic design stages of the infill walls. The focus is on design methods that make use of the importance of infills, improve the ir functions and minimize their negative impacts. The purposes of infill walls are; I. They minimize drifting in inter-storey structures, II. Improve the strength of the structure and III. Makes the structures stiff. Despite these advantages, infills reduce the structure’s ductility. Other factors that determine the strength of infill masonry is the quality of material used, the workmanship and the type of frame-infill interface. The design codes for infill are very few. The common codes are; a. Eurocode 8 b. Nepal building code 201 and c. Indian seismic code. The Eurocode 8 (EC 8) refers to RC frames and infill of brick masonry as a dual system. This infill is classified thrice depending on ductility, mainly low, medium and

Foreign investment and country risks in Saudi Arabia Dissertation

Foreign investment and country risks in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example 1.2 Introduction The research report is about the FDI prospects in Saudi Arabia. The researcher has made an attempt to conduct primary research with the help of interviews ad questionnaires to analyse the topic along with an in-depth analysis of some previous researches of the topic. 1.3 Background According to Vazquez, Fournier & Flores (2009, pp.257-270), Saudi Arabia, being a developing country, has a large amount of foreign direct investment. The country’s government has made heavy investments in the infrastructure so that FDI is attracted. The government welcomes FDI as it brings in technology, employment opportunities, trained workforce, makes efficient use of domestic raw materials and enhances economic development. As per Korgstup & Matter (2005), forty five percent of the GDP and 90% of the export earnings are from the petroleum sector. The country’s economic development is also dependent upon 6 million overseas workers. With the signing of the World Trade Orga nization agreement, many opportunities have opened for investment in the country especially in the oil and service sector where the country is concentrating on producing the products rather than exporting raw materials. According to Benbya, Passiante and Belbaly (2004, pp. 201–220)m Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) may be defined as a long-term investment by a foreign direct investor in an enterprise resident in an economy other than that in which the foreign direct investor is based. This involves a parent enterprise and a foreign affiliate that together make a transnational corporation (TNC). For such an agreement to be termed as FDI, the parent firm should have the control over the other affiliate. However, Korgstup & Matter (2005) argues, any sort of investment in a foreign land should done carefully as there may be several risks involved and many issues may occur over the course of the investment. For example language and cultural barriers in Saudi Arabia limit the scope of the investment tremendously and therefore the investor should have a through understanding of the market he is venturing. Moreover, there may be differences in business negotiation styles, religion, social norms and etiquettes that may impact the FDI. The report of UNCTAD (2002), on Foreign Direct Investment to the Middle East countries recorded a decrease of 33% dropping in 2002, from $6.7 billion in 2001 to $4.5 billion in 2002, that accounted for approximately 2.8% of total FDI inflow in the Developing Countries. This was mainly due to the regional political unrest, which in turn had an impact on their global business relationships. Moreover, according to Korgstup & Matter (2005) the region along with Saudi Arabia is not a plausible place for foreign investment due to such unrest and investors are seeking new markets for their future investment due to these political vagaries. 1.3 Aims of the Dissertation: 1.3.1 The objectives of the research are to: 1.Identify the various ris ks that a foreign investment faces in Saudi Arabia and how they affect foreign direct investment. Foreign direct investment is essential for Saudi Arabia and is essential for the growth of the country. However, there are many problems and difficulties that foreign investors have to face when they invest in Saudi Arabia, which deters new investors to explore this market. In this research an attempt will be made to identify these problems and issues that are causing difficulties for these foreign firms that in turn are affecting foreign direct

Corporate governance in the GCC Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate governance in the GCC - Dissertation Example By doing this, it also provides the structure, through which the company objectives are set and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance† (Baydoun, Ryan and Willett, n.d., p. 2). The practice of financial reporting and auditing standards are considered as an integral part of good governance. In the literature review, it has been argued that the managers need to think beyond the belief that mismanagement in the microeconomics policies lead to poor corporate governance, and then only they will succeed in designing a holistic and systematic corporate governance model. Many of the researchers have emphasized on the creation of situation specific corporate governance structure, which has created difficulties in finding one universal definition of corporate governance. Some other sets of researcher have emphasized on the relational aspect between the managers and the shareholders. Some researchers have revealed that corporate governance is different from man agement, where management only looks at successful running of the organization but corporate governance looks at conducting the operations of the organization in a proper and transparent manner. Different tools like controlling and accountability can be incorporated by the business leaders in the management, for monitoring the activities of the agent and motivating them, so that they can act in accordance with the expectations of the external and internal stakeholders. The organizations should accept certain set of corporate values otherwise, there might be some possibilities that the employees might act according to their own interest. Moreover, for creating an environment of knowledge sharing, the board members must create a knowledge sharing environment inside the organization in order to fill up the scope for implementing corporate governance. Various research scholars have stated various principles for corporate governance, which can be summarized as an obligation for the organ ization to maximize the value of the shareholders. The literature review has discussed about various theories proposed by the research scholars, like the inherent property right theory, stewardship theory, principal-agent model (finance model) and myopic market model etc that discussed about the major issues related to the shareholder-oriented corporate governance. The literature review has also evaluated the principles and enactment that are followed by different countries and have summarized them to indentify the major areas of Corporate Governance, such as board constitution, board remuneration, auditor’s remuneration and responsibilities, transparency in disclosures, stakeholder and shareholder information and influence of ownership structure. However, it has been emphasized that there is no such singular model of corporate governance that is followed by every country. Due to difference in time zone and orientation, there is difference in corporate governance policies of different countries. In this context, there are several issues related to the corporate governance structure that have been identified. Then empirical research studies related to corporate governance has been analyzed and found that in most of the countries benefits and