Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Logic of Suicide Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Logic of Suicide Terrorism - Essay Example The Hotel Rwanda film is a co-production that focuses on political corruption, genocide and the repercussions of violent behavior. The film stars Don as hotelier Paul, who endeavors to salvage his colleague citizens from the ravage of the Rwandan genocide era. A brief review of the genocide entails that the war originated from the tension between the Hutu and the Tutsi whereby, bribes and other acts of corruption among the politicians were routine. As the political situation worsened in the country, civil wars erupted in the region hence, displacing a large number of families. On the other hand, Scott McConnell interviews Robert concerning the idea that probed him to write the book. Robert clearly reveals his wealth with the information he had pertaining to terrorism and violence in various parts of the world (Anthony 18). He claims that religion is not to be held accountable for most of the suicide-terrorist attacks. In the dialogue between Robert and the American conservative, Robert also discusses the American and Iraq differences. This shows that suicide-terrorist attacks were quite prone in the Islamic countries and America. Robert notes that in every occasion where a profession has created a suicide-terrorist movement, there is a religious difference between the occupier and the occupied community (Anthony 21). In conclusion, based on euphemism which is defined as a harmless phrase that substitutes an offensive one, we find that the film title used in this essay is euphemistic. The phrase Hotel Rwanda may mislead one to think that the film is correlated with a hotel in Rwanda while on the contrary; the term refers to the genocide era in Rwanda where many lives were lost due to mass killings.  

Monday, October 28, 2019

What Can We Expect From Input Enhancement?

What Can We Expect From Input Enhancement? Introduction Today, it is generally accepted that target grammatical form of L2 (second language) must be noticed to make acquisition happens and that SLA (second language acquisition) instruction must be integrated into language teaching by which the grammatical forms are presented to learners in meaningful context. IE (Input Enhancement), coined by Sharwood Smith (1991), is a deliberate manipulation to make specific grammatical features of L2 more salient. First of foremost, this technique underscores the fundamental role of input in language teaching. Likewise, the purpose of IE is to draw learners attention to target linguistic form in L2 input. According to Sharwood Smith (1991), learners could be led to noticing target form in two ways: Input Flood (IF) and Textual Enhancement (TE). Through IF, Sharwood Smith (1991) demonstrated the basic idea that the more frequent the exemplars of the target form appear in the input, the more likely the learners will notice the form. In other words, IF manipulates input by saturating L2 linguistic data with target form to draw learners attention. On the other hand, TE is a technique of manipulating the typographical features of a written text to increase the perceptual salience of target grammatical form. The typographical cues such as changing the font style, enlarging the character size, underlining, bolding, capitalizing, and highlighting with colours could be used. However, the question underpins the concept of IE is: Is it sufficient by exposing L2 manipulated input to learners? This question leads to further investigation as learners might not necessary parse the linguistic structure or make form-meaning connection. Therefore, a more specific question emerges: How effective is IE? Based on above discussion, this essay will argue that IE plays facilitative role in L2 learning. The purpose of this essay is to depict what aspects of IE could be fruitfully applied to design a language teaching activity. Review on the key empirical studies of IE will be presented in this essay. Throughout, advantages and limitations of IE will be identified within theoretical frameworks which underpin the stance. Then, we will describe how to overcome the shortfalls of IE by integrating IE with other interventions into classroom language teaching. Finally, IE implications and limitation on language teaching will be reiterated as conclusion. Before discussing the findings and implication of IE, we will first examine several input and noticing issues in SLA field. Input and Noticing Issues in SLA Research Wong (2005) defines of input as samples of language that learners are exposed to in a communicative context or setting (Wong, 2005:119). At the same time, VanPatten (2003) describes input as the language that a learner hears (or reads) that has some kind of communicative intent (VanPatten, 2003: 25). It is clearly to note that both definitions emphasise the terms of communicative. As claimed by VanPatten (2003), learners play communicative role to extract the meaning encoded in the meaning-bearing utterance or sentence. Through these interpretations, we could come to a understanding that L2 learning process engages learners as active participants in a communicative language classroom when they are exposed to L2 input. Despite of communicative value of input, it is generally agreed that input is prerequisite for L2 acquisition. However, there is a need to explore whether manipulation is essential to mediate input into intake. Perceivably, the distinction between input and intake has been drawn in SLA literature. For example, Sharwood Smith (1993) defines input as the potentially processable language data which are made available by chance or by design, to the language learner whereas intake as that part of input that has actually been processed and turned to knowledge of some kind (pp.167). This interpretation leads to ongoing debate about the role of consciousness and unconsciousness mechanism in learning process. Despite extensive research, it still remains controversial as to what type of cognitive mechanism is necessary for acquisition to occur (Svalberg, 2007: 289). Firstly, Krashen (1982) draws a distinction between learning and acquisition. Learning is the result of conscious process whereas acquisition is the product of subconscious process. According to Krashens (1982) strong Input Hypothesis, acquisition takes place when learners are exposed to comprehensible input which is a step more advanced than their current proficiency level. This perception not only implies that input is prerequisite for acquisition process, subconscious process also plays superior role compared to conscious process. In such a case, grammar instruction plays no role in L2 acquisition (Krashen, 1982). Comprehensible Input Hypothesis has thus provokes considerable debate in SLA domain. Among the researchers, Schmidt (1990), contrary to Krashens (1982) hypothesis, postulates that conscious awareness is crucial and necessary for L2 acquisition (p.27). According to Schmidt (1995: 20), only input noticed by learners will be mediated into intake. In contrast, disagree with Schmidts (1990) strong Noticing Hypothesis, Tomlin Villa (1994) posit that unconscious detection is the key process whereas conscious awareness only play facilitative role in L2 learning. Schmidt (1990) outlines six factors influencing noticing when learners process the input, including perceptual saliency of input, frequency of input, instruction, task demands, readiness of learner and processing capacity of learner. During the ongoing debates between the two positions, Sharwood Smith (1993) proposes IE techniques which are linked to Schmidts Noticing Hypothesis. IE techniques emphasise on the qualities of input, namely TE (related to input saliency) and IF (related to input frequency). Hereby, we could claim that the rationale for Sharwood Smiths (1993) IE is driven by Schmidts (1990, 1995) Noticing Hypothesis. That is, Noticing Hypothesis is the theoretical basis for IE. From this point, the debate has indubitably shifted away from general question of Is noticing necessary? to more specific questions of How noticing influence the learning outcome? and How intervention facilitate constrained grammar acquisition process? However, before we claim that IE is efficacy to facilitate L2 acquisition, we need to examine major empirical evidences in SLA research to justify our view on Sharwood Smiths notion. 2 Empirical Evidence of IE As mentioned before, the underpinning theoretical framework for IE is Schmidts (1990, 1995) Noticing Hypothesis. Although Noticing Hypothesis remains controversial, linguists (e.g. Alanen, 1995; Lee, 2002; Shook, 1994; White, 1998; Wong, 2001) has accumulated evidence over the last decade due to its important role in shedding light on how salient input can contribute to the acquisition of L2 target form. In this section, we will discuss the advantages and limitations of IE by reviewing empirical SLA studies on IF and TE. Various perspective of effectiveness such as degree of noticing, intake of forms, accurate production of forms and content comprehension will be examined along the discussion. Input Flood Empirical Evidence: Input Flood has positive effects Lee (2002) investigated the effects of input frequency on the incidental acquisition of Spanish future tense morphology. The subjects were 283 university students with different L1 backgrounds. The frequency of target form appeared in the input passages were 6, 10 and 16 exposures. In immediate post-test, he found frequency has positive effects on the comprehension and intake. In both immediate and delayed post-tests, 16F group outperformed 10F and 6F group significantly. White (1998) investigated the comparison effects of IF and TE on the acquisition of English possessive determiners (PD). 86 French children were divided into 3 treatment groups: textual enhanced input flood (IF-TE group), textual enhanced input flood plus extensive reading and listening (IF-TE+ group) and input flood without enhancement (IF group). In oral picture description task, all subjects experienced improvement. For the frequency of grammatical use, IF-TE+ significantly outperformed the IF-TE and IF group. However, there is no significant difference between IF-TE group and IF group. Empirical Evidence: Input flood has limited effects Trahey White (1993) investigated the effects of IF (positive evidence) on the acquisition of English adverb placement. Subjects were divided into 3 groups: IF group was given flooded positive evidence; IF-EI (A) group received flooded positive evidence and explicit instruction; IF-EI (Q) group received explicit instruction on question formation. They found IF group and IF-EI (A) group performed significantly better than IF-EI (Q) group on using correct word order. However, the results also revealed that IF group and IF-EI (Q) group used incorrect word order more than the IF-EI (A) group. Williams Evans (1998) examined the effects of IF (positive evidence) and explicit instruction on two English target forms: participial adjectives and the passive construction. The university students were divided into 3 groups: IF group received IF with no explicit instruction; IF-EI group received IF and explicit instruction on the forms, rules instruction and corrective feedback; and control group. For the participial adjective, both IF and IF-EI groups showed improvement. However, IF-EI group had significant higher score than IF group. This suggested that explicit instruction had greater effects than IF on this form. For the passive construction, both IF-EI and IF groups made greater improvement than the control group. However, there was no significant difference between IF-EI and IF groups. This suggested that explicit instruction has no greater effect than IF on this target form. Advantages of Input Flood Firstly, Sharwood Smith (1993, 2006) claims that the main purpose of IE is to enforce noticing. Studies show that IF increases learners attention on target forms without any explicit guidance. This incidental-driven technique provides linguistic materials that are essential for learning problem solution (Doughty William, 1998: 236). This statement is validated by Lees (2002) and Whites (1998) study. The findings supports the basic idea of IF that the more exemplars in a flood the better. Secondly, IF enhances content comprehension. The major advantage of IF is that it provides a lot of meaning-bearing input (Wong 2005: 42). With the availability of meaning-bearing input, learners are provided opportunities to capture the meaning embedded in words, syntax or morphology. In both immediate and delayed post-test, Lee (2002) found that input frequency has significant positive effects on the comprehension. Thus it could be noticed that through the exemplar-based and implicit learning method, learners could perform form-meaning connection and manage to penetrate the meaning of the message. Thirdly, IF fosters the intake of the target form. Lees (2002) study reported 16F group outperformed 10F and 6F group significantly in post-test. For recall task, 16F and 10F groups performed significantly better than 6F group. Results of oral picture description task in Whites (1998) study also revealed that all subjects experienced improvement in the use of English PD. However, there was no significant difference between IF-TE group and IF group, indicating that IF alone was sufficient to bring improvement whereas TE played no significant role on the correct use of the target form. Limitation of Input Flood First of all, studies reported that IF is a volatile technique. Findings from Williams Evans (1998) study suggested that forms did not behaviour uniformly in IF technique. Different form types can weaken or strengthen the effect of IF through their mutual interaction, as well as the interaction with other variables such as task requirement, individual differences, content complexity, and pragmatic information in the context (Han, Park Combs, 2008). Thus further investigation on how to eliminate or reduce the effect of the variables when using IF is worthwhile. Secondly, IF does not provide negative evidence. Trahey Whites (1993) study revealed the limitation of IF that the flood was not effective in helping learners to be aware of impossible positions or incorrect grammar (Wong, 2005) and explicit instruction such as negative evidence might be necessary. This situation was also demonstrated in White (1998) study, as subjects frequency use of English PD was increased by TE, but both IF and TE did not have help learners to use the grammatical form correctly. That is, no significant difference was found for the accuracy ratio between IF group, IF-TE group and IF-TE plus extensive reading and listening group. However, when measuring the frequency of grammatical use, IF-TE plus extensive reading and listening group significantly outperformed the IF-TE and IF group. These findings suggest that comprehensible input might be more effective than IE in the acquisition of English PD agreement rules. Again, this issue still remains controversial and is worth further investigation as Krashens Comprehensible Input Hypothesis is refuted by mostly SLA researchers. Nevertheless, this phenomenon might be explained by the statement that comprehension precedes production (Lightbown et al, 2002; Krashen, 1982). Wong (2005: 94) cautions that acquisition is slow and complex hence we could not expect learners to use target form correctly immediately after IE treatment. Thirdly, Input Flood is an implicit technique where no effort is done to direct learners to the embedded forms in the input (Wong, 2005). Whites (1998) study reported that a third of learners were confused about the purpose of the textual enhancement. The textually enhanced input failed to help the learners to figure out the English PD agreement rule. As seen from empirical evidence, IF is an easy-to-use technique. It could be modified and incorporated easily in the classrooms to emphasize specific target form (Cowan, 2008). However, IF imposes some limitations on language teaching pedagogy which is not as effective as other focus-on-form activities. The discussion of how to apply this technique in language teaching will be demonstrated in next section of this essay. Textual Enhancement Like IF, SLA studies on TE also report mixed results. Researchers found that TE has positive effects, has partial effects, and has no effect on L2 acquisition of grammatical features. While Leow (2001) and Leow at al. (2003) have only manipulated the input by TE as an independent variable, the other studies investigated effects of TE in the combination with other intervention . Empirical Evidence: Textual enhancement has positive effects Studies conducted by Jourdenais et al. (1995), Shook (1994), Wong (2001) revealed that TE had not only helps learners to notice the target forms in input, but it is also very effective for enhancing learners intake new grammatical forms. Shook (1994) investigated the effects of TE on Spanish present perfect tense and relative pronouns (quen/quein). The subjects were 125 university students. The results revealed that the two experimental groups who received the passages with TE performed significantly better than the control group in all tests. However, there was no significant difference between TE group and TE plus focus on form group, revealing that focus on form information played no role in L2 acquisition. Jourdenais et al.s (1995) investigated the effects of TE on the acquisition of Spanish preterite and imperfect past tense forms. Both enhanced and unenhanced versions came with pictures depicting the events of the story. Think-aloud protocols and a picture-based written narration task were used to collect data. Results indicated that TE increased noticing of target L2 form and had a significant positive effect on learners output. Empirical Evidence: Textual enhancement has limited effects Alanen (1995) examined the effects of TE and explicit information on the acquisition of semi-artificial Finnish locative suffixes and consonant changes. 36 English subjects were divided into 4 groups: unenhanced passages (UE group), unenhanced passages plus explicit information (UE-EI group), enhanced passages (TE group) and enhanced passages plus explicit information (TE-EI group). On the sentence completion test, TE group performed better than UE group. However, Alanen (1995) found that both EI groups performed significantly better than non-EI groups on both target forms. The result, contradict with Shooks (1994) study, indicated that explicit grammar instruction had greater positive impact than TE. Results from Whites (1998) study, discussed in the previous section of IF, revealed that TE increased the grammatical use of possessive determiners. However, its impact was not as significant as IF which brought greater improvement. White (1998) concluded that benefits resulting from the experimental treatment conditions were due to increased exposure through IF of target forms and not to any other kinds of enhancement (White, 1998: 103). This claim means IF is the only effective tool to enhance L2 acquisition in her study is. Izumi (2002) investigated the comparative effects of TE and output on the acquisition of English relative clause. Subjects were 61 adults with different L1 backgrounds. Explicit information was given to the subjects to attend to the highlighted form. The results found that output-input task brought measurable gains in target form acquisition. Those who received TE treatment failed to show significant gains in acquisition. Wong (2001) examined the effects of TE, simplified input and exposure to reading on the acquisition of French gender agreement of past participles. 81 English university learners were respectively exposed to four conditions: enhanced and simplified passages (TE-S group), enhanced and unsimplified passages (TE-US group), unenhanced and simplified passages (UE-S group), and unenhanced and unsimplified passages (UE-US group). It is found that TE and simplification had no significant effects on the intake of the target forms. However, TE had significant positive effects on the content comprehension. Empirical Evidence: Textual Enhancement has no (or negative) effects In Leows (1997) study the effects of textual length and TE were examined. 84 college learners were divided into 4 groups and were accordingly given an unenhanced long passage, an unenhanced short passage, an enhanced long passage and an enhanced short passage. Results revealed that TE has no effects on either comprehension or intake of the targeted form. Shorter text length improved comprehension but not the intake. Overstreet (1998) replicated Jourdenais et al.s (1995) study and found negative effects of TE. He combined two factors, namely TE (bolded, underlined, increased font size, different font types and shadowed) and topic familiarity on the acquisition of Spanish preterite and imperfect past tense forms. 50 university learners were given one story each, either enhanced or unenhanced. Neither factor significantly affected learners intake. Moreover, Overstreet (1998) found that TE negatively affected comprehension, mainly due to numerous types of enhancements (Lee Benati, 2007: 25). Leow (2001), after a few years of his study in 1997, conducted another study to investigate effect of TE on the acquisition and comprehension of Spanish formal imperative. He did not apply other invention but only TE in this study. The results once again revealed TE has no effects on intake and comprehension. Leow et al. (2003) examined the effects of TE on the acquisition of Spanish present perfect tense and present subjunctive mood. 72 university learners were divided into two groups. One group was given 2 enhanced passages and another group was given 2 unenhanced passages. Results showed that although subjects noticed the target forms when reading, TE did not enhance the intake of the target forms. S.Lee (2007), similar to Overstreets (1998) study, examined the effects of TE ( ±TE) and topic familiarity ( ±F) on English passive construction. 259 Korean subjects were divided to 4 groups: +E/+F group, -E/-F group, -E/+F group and +E/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢F group. The results revealed that TE was beneficial for the intake of target form, but interestingly, negatively affected the comprehension. Advantages and Limitations of TE Some of above studies demonstrated that TE has significant impact on SLA, either in positive or negative ways. First of all, TE increases noticing. This technique offers more salient target form in written input that learners may easily miss (Wong, 2005: 49). Jourdenais et al. (1995) stated that typographical modification can be used as an effective technique for enhancing salience of language features (Jourdenais et al., 1995: 208). As evidence, both Leow et al. (2003) and Jourdenais et al. (1995) used think aloud protocols and reported that subjects noticed the typographically enhanced target forms when reading. Second, TE is effective to enhance intake of forms. For example, Alanen (1995)s study reported that TE group performed better than UE group in sentence completion test. This indicates the positive role of TE on the acquisition of L2 grammar. Jourdenais et al. (1995) also reported that TE had a significant effect on learners output. By contrast, TE failed to demonstrate positive impact on learners comprehension and intake in Leows (1997, 2001) and Overstreets (1998) studies. These studies demonstrated that implicit noticing is not as effective as explicit instruction and that, clearly, learners needed more help than the input provided (White, 1998: 102). Also, although subjects in both Leow et al.s (2003) and Jourdenais et al.s (1995) studies noticed the enhanced target forms, they performed differently in production. Jourdenais et al. (1995) found positive effect of TE on the intake of the target forms whereas Leow et al. (2003) reported that TE did not enhance the intake of the target forms. In addition, Izumi (2002) found that subjects who received TE treatment failed to show significant gains in acquisition, despite the positive impact on the noticing of the target form. More interestingly, output played significant role in his study. These findings are contradicted to Ellis (1997) claim that TE is effective to induce learners to undertake a kind of form function analysis of the structure, as this is exemplified in input that has been specially contrived to illustrate it (Ellis, 1997: 87). Therefore Polio (2007) states that Sharwood Smiths focus was what had been done to the input, rather than what happened in learners mind (Polio, 2007, cited in Gass Selinker, 2008: 388). However, this notion is inaccurate that Sharwood Smith (1991, 1993) has alerted that we should not rely solely on TE to increase learners attention. Noticing triggered artificially by TE might not result in intake. Although learners may notice the signals, the input may nevertheless be non-salient to their learning mechanism (Sharwood Smith, 1991: 21). As Ellis (1997) describes the use of TE focuses learners attention on specific linguistic features and assists them to encode the meaning embedded in the features, it is suggested here that TE should be integrated with other interventions for better result. Third, TE enhances comprehension. In Wong (2001)s study, TE had significant positive effects on the content comprehension, namely it enhanced the recall of the idea units that corresponded to the target forms. However, evidence from Overstreets (1998) and S.Lees (2007) studies suggested TE distracted learners attention from meaning. The results indicated that TE has negatively affected learners comprehension on the content of the passages. In spite of increasing evidence suggesting that TE can promote noticing of certain linguistic features, it remains a matter a debate whether or not it has simultaneously created a trade-off between intake and comprehension (Han, Park Combs, 2008). Also, Simard (2009) cautioned that selection and combination of different typographical cues lead to different impacts on the intakes. His study reported that the use of capital letters and a combination of 3 typographical cues promote the intake of the forms. Overstreets (1998) use of numerous types of typographical cues might lead to distraction and confusion thus did not enhance the acquisition. Therefore, in order to ensure the quality of instructional material, language teachers should select cues carefully. Fourth, TE is a volatile and changeable technique. In other words, external variables may affect the effectiveness of TE. For example, with no prior knowledge about the target forms, the technique is not beneficial to learners (e.g. Leow, 1997, 2001; Leow et al. 2003). Alanens (1995) study also reported that TE had different effects on different target grammatical forms. Age and puberty are other factors that might mitigate the effects of TE. In Whites (1998) study, the children who are still developing their L2 may have encountered a cognitive overload problem (Doughty William, 1998) and therefore constrained the learning process. Clearly, conflicting results on the impact of IE on acquisition, whether positive, limited or negative, are noticeable from previous studies. Several questions emerged subsequently from the review: are these mixed results attributed to different methodological designs that provide learners different degree of input quality and quantity? Or is it due to different grammatical forms targeted in different studies? If so, does this mean that different target forms are vulnerable variable that correspond to IE techniques in different ways? These insights are meaningful and important for the implication of IE in language pedagogy and will be discussed in following section. 3 Pedagogical Implications Nowadays it is common for language teachers to use IE techniques to enhance specific features of L2 in order to draw learners attention to target linguistic aspects. Although IE does not provide full and consistent picture to SLA pedagogy, it offers valuable information on how to deliberately draw learners attention to target forms. As shown, uncertainties still exist on the facilitative role of IF and TE in SLA research. The debate on Noticing Hypothesis still remains open while previous studies failed to show conclusive and consistent results on IE effectiveness. However, fortunately, the field has moved from the debate on the necessity of conscious noticing to the mixed results of IE efficacy. That is, the theoretical development has now provided a clearer window to take a glimpse and imply IE techniques more effectively to language pedagogy with underpinning SLA issues. In contrast with UG, IE is a sub-field of cognitive models which emphasis on how learners process and decode the input. It should be borne in mind that noticing triggered artificially by IE might not result in intake. This implies that one cannot be assured if the enhanced input will become comprehensible and that the effects of IE vary from case to case. In terms of Input Hypothesis (Krashen, 1982), we argues that input play roles in L2 acquisition with the aids of noticing. As stated by Wong (2005), once target form is noticed, learners need to make form-meaning connection to encode underlies linguistic rules correctly (p.90-91). This notion is in line with VanPattens (1996, 2003) input processing theory where intake is equalised to form-meaning connection. Thus IE and other focus on forms tasks such as processing instruction (VanPatten, 1996, 2003) and consciousness-raising tasks might be combined in language teaching for better results. Also, it is reckoned that output tasks might be integrated into SLA instruction when applying IE concept. Long (1996) distinguishes two types of input: positive evidence and negative evidence. In coherence with Longs notion, Sharwood Smith (1993) proposed both positive and negative IE techniques. IE and TE are positive IE whereas negative IE is basically feedback or negative evidence. When there is a gap between learners perception of L2 grammar and evidence in the input, then positive evidence (input) may triggers to change the grammar (Sharwood Smith, 1991: 122-123). On the other hand, when learners are being confronted with their own production (output), negative IE signals that given forms are incorrect, thus warns learners that they have violated the grammatical rules (Sharwood Smith, 1993: 177). This notion implies that IE approach not only adopts Schmidts Noticing Hypothesis as major foundation, but has also implies Longs Interaction Hypothesis as well as Swains (1995) Output Hypothesis. Apparently, Sharwood Smith proposal of negative evidence has been generally neglected by SLA researchers. Therefore, it would be beneficial if language teachers reckon that input (positive evidence) and output (negative evidence) are both important to promote acquisition with the aid of noticing. Particularly, Ellis (1997: 109) asserts that comprehensible input is derived from both input and interactional (output) modifications makes specific linguistic features more salient and facilitates the development of L2. Negotiate for meaning is thus beneficial to promote acquisition. It directs learners attention to focus on the form that initially caused understanding problems and also helps learners to modify their interlanguage production whenever the gap is being identified (Long, 1983; Pica, 1992). Likewise, Wong (2005) suggested that input should not be one-way instruction, namely simply giving input to L2 learners. Learners may be instructed to respond to the input through activities such as quiz, answering questions, story reconstructing, drawing based on oral directions and games. Hereby, interaction has been stressed in order to make the IF more meaningful to the learners. As pointed out by Wong (2005: 46, 60-61), instructors must always keep meaning communication as primary goal of language in attempts of enhancing the input. Attending to both meaning and form is important to make form-meaning connections possible. By this way, respond to the input is a crucial compartment for language learning. This insight is compatible to Ellis (1997) claim that input-based interpretation grammar instruction mediates input into intake. Accordingly, Lee VanPattens (1995: 51) proposal to use learners and classroom setting for language teaching could be combined with IE in a communicative language classroom. Instructors might integrate grammar teaching into authentic context. For example, input could be presented to learners through IF visually and verbally in a natural classroom setting. It will be beneficial if simple scenarios could be constructed. In addition, name of learners could be addressed in the sentence to promote further noticing, such as below: à §Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¨Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦Ã…  Ã…  Ãƒ ©- ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ³Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã…  Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Mary BA door close up. à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ «Ãƒ ¦Ã…  Ã…  Ãƒ ©Ã… ¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­Ã‚ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ©Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã…  Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ David BA shoes put on. à §Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¦Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¦Ã…  Ã…  Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¤Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ John BA chair move away.

Friday, October 25, 2019

We Must Put an End to Police Brutality Essay -- Black Lives Matter

â€Å"If you wish for peace, prepare for war.† This Roman proverb can be applied to police; they must be trained for the worst possible incident but they should try hard to avoid using their training in real experiences. Most police departments and officers would believe strongly in this proverb, however there are a few examples in the U.S. in which the officers’ use of force has been excessive and unnecessary where they used their training to harm rather than protect and enforce the law. During their service, police are given several authorities to exercise the law and make sure that the law is carried out among citizens. This can lead to an officer having a sense of entitlement and a possibility of them losing respect for their boundaries. Such a case is called police brutality and even though police officers are responsible for enforcing the law, they have breached these laws and taken advantage of their position; such violations of human rights must be eliminated . Lt. Col. David Grossman compares innocent people to sheep and officers and soldiers to people who have a compassion for citizens but also a capacity for violence. "The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheepdog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed.†(139) Officers can be compared to the sheepdogs since most citizens don’t enjoy a cop’s presence and are fearful of police; however citizens need their presence to protect them from harm. But when an officer does harm a citizen he must face the consequences like the sheepdog since they violated the basic rig... .... "Controlling Police (Excessive) Force: The American Case." International Journal Of Human Sciences 10.2 (2013): 285-303. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. Lewis, Neil. "Police Brutality under Wide Review by Justice Dept.." New York Times 14 Mar. 2010: 1. Print. "No Applause, Please." National Review 32.12 (1980): 703. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. "Shielded from Justice: Overview." Shielded from Justice: Overview. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. . Walter, Andrew. "Police Brutality: An Overview." Points Of View: Police Brutality (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. "What Is Police Brutality? Depends on Where You Live." NBC News. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. . We Must Put an End to Police Brutality Essay -- Black Lives Matter â€Å"If you wish for peace, prepare for war.† This Roman proverb can be applied to police; they must be trained for the worst possible incident but they should try hard to avoid using their training in real experiences. Most police departments and officers would believe strongly in this proverb, however there are a few examples in the U.S. in which the officers’ use of force has been excessive and unnecessary where they used their training to harm rather than protect and enforce the law. During their service, police are given several authorities to exercise the law and make sure that the law is carried out among citizens. This can lead to an officer having a sense of entitlement and a possibility of them losing respect for their boundaries. Such a case is called police brutality and even though police officers are responsible for enforcing the law, they have breached these laws and taken advantage of their position; such violations of human rights must be eliminated . Lt. Col. David Grossman compares innocent people to sheep and officers and soldiers to people who have a compassion for citizens but also a capacity for violence. "The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheepdog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed.†(139) Officers can be compared to the sheepdogs since most citizens don’t enjoy a cop’s presence and are fearful of police; however citizens need their presence to protect them from harm. But when an officer does harm a citizen he must face the consequences like the sheepdog since they violated the basic rig... .... "Controlling Police (Excessive) Force: The American Case." International Journal Of Human Sciences 10.2 (2013): 285-303. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. Lewis, Neil. "Police Brutality under Wide Review by Justice Dept.." New York Times 14 Mar. 2010: 1. Print. "No Applause, Please." National Review 32.12 (1980): 703. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. "Shielded from Justice: Overview." Shielded from Justice: Overview. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. . Walter, Andrew. "Police Brutality: An Overview." Points Of View: Police Brutality (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. "What Is Police Brutality? Depends on Where You Live." NBC News. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. .

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Does Robert Louis Stevenson explore the duality of human nature in Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

Written between 1884 and 1887, Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, â€Å"the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde†, is about a well respected physician and his ‘other self’ Mr Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is described as a typical Victorian gentleman . [PD1] Dr Jekyll wanted to develop a potion because he believed he could create a perfectly righteous human being by destroying the evil of the mind and body. When he creates this potion, it doesn’t quite go according to plan. He takes the potion for the first time, but when he goes back to normal, he turns into Mr Hyde without taking the potion. Slowly, Mr Hyde starts to take over Dr Jekyll. When Dr Jekyll turns into Mr Hyde, it changes his appearance, because of this, no one wants to approach him or talk to him. During the time when the book was written, people who looked different or who had disabilities or deformities which are widely accepted today, were not liked and were usually shut away. This is why no one liked or talked to Hyde. There is proof of this in the lines â€Å"I had taken a loathing to the man at first sight† and â€Å"gave me a look so ugly, it brought out the sweat on me like running†. Dr Jekylls idea was that everyone had two sides to them, a good side and an evil side, a side of joy and a side of despair; there is a Mr Hyde in all of us. This was not the only novel of this time that hinted at duality, there were a few of other main plays. Two examples are Deacon Broodie, and Markheim, which is a short story. In the Victorian times, most people had very high morals, and so immoral things were rarely mentioned or talked about. Also, sex is rarely talked about in the book because everyone had such high morals, and so sex is something which would not be written and so was kept away from the public eye. [PD2] Throughout the novel, figurative language is used in various forms. One of the forms used is personification. Personification is used in many ways to try to help the reader to relate to the book, characters, and objects in the book. Another way figurative language is used is in the form of â€Å"similes† by saying things like â€Å"You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others; and presently some bland old bird (the last you would have thought of) is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name. No, sir, I make it a rule of mine: the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask.†[PD3] The novel was written when the world was not very advanced medically. In the world today, we know of illnesses such as schizophrenia. It is thought that the novel was written about someone who had schizophrenia which would be treated with medication nowadays. jekyll and hyde were indeed the same person and Dr Jekyll didn’t really have â€Å"an evil side† to him, it was just because he had a split personality disorder.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Barbara Corcoran Effective leadership qualities Essay

Barbara Corcoran is an American businesswoman, consultant, investor, speaker, author and TV personality. She is the owner of $5 billion business ‘The Corcoran Group’. She is known as one entrepreneur with a real story of ‘rags to riches’. Barbara was born in the year 1949 in Edgewater, New Jersey. She graduated with a degree in Education from St. Thomas Aquinas College in the year 1971. Upon graduation, she got a teaching job which she did for about a year. Barbara was never settled at teaching, so she quit and sought other jobs. However, things did not go as smooth as she had expected, as she had to quit one job after the other. By the time she was 23, she had been in and out of more than 20 jobs. It is her last trial at jobs that would ultimately change her life completely, making her one of the richest women in America. After trying different odd jobs, Barbara felt that she wanted to become her own boss. So she started a small real estate agency, dealing with brokering entry to vacant houses. However, this transformation needed money which she did not have at that moment. She asked for a loan of $1000. On one trip to see a vacant house with a client, things turned out for the best she had never imagined- the client became interested in buying the property rather than renting it. From the sale, she earned a commission of $3000 for the Corcoran-Simone partnership. This excited her, giving her the idea to transform her business into more than just the letting of vacant houses, to include even property on sale. The business began to grow, and the couple was reaping considerable profits until Barbara’s boyfriend, Simone, decided to quit the partnership after running away with Barbara’s secretary and marrying her. The division ended in 1978, when she immediately founded The Corcoran Group. When Simone withdrew his shares, he mocked Barbara that she would never make it without him. This particular incident encouraged her even the more to work hard and prove him wrong. Her determination paid, with The Corcoran Group, the first female-owned realty firm in the Big Apple, expanding to a workforce of 7 agents and over $350,000 in revenue in just her first year. Corcoran Group thrived under Barbara’s leadership, thanks in large part to her unique style. By the year 2006 when she decided to sell the company, The Corcoran Group was so big, with a staggering sales force of 850 agents and annual revenue approaching $100 million. It was sold at $66 million to NRT Inc. I chose Barbara Corcoran because her rise to the top is outstanding, thanks to her exceptional leadership skills. Barbara motivates me to push on despite my humble present- theirs is so much room up there! My vision is to grow into one of the most celebrated leaders of my time, and she fit perfectly as a person who started with nothing and turned every small thing she got into something big. Her definition of leadership is quite unique. â€Å"I never thought of it as leadership, but I knew I wanted to be loved by the people who worked for me,† Corcoran says. â€Å"I built the business exactly the way my mother built and ran her family. I wanted a replication of the big, happy family I grew up in. I wanted happy people having fun†, Barbara says (entrepreneur.com). She believes that leadership is making people feel they belong to the company like it was their family. That is how she enabled others to act, a quality discussed by Kouzes and Posner (2012). Barbara says, â€Å"I found out that the more fun I created in the company, the more creative and innovative it became,† she says. â€Å"That was the big kahuna–the fun piece. That’s what built that culture upside down and inside out. You got innovation. You got loyalty. You got people who would recruit for you.† (entrepreneur.com) She effectively encourages the heart (Kouzes and Po sner, 2012). Barbara Corcoran displays many qualities of a good leader. One unique is that she understands the value of other people she works with. Despite being the boss, Barbara respected every worker in her firm and she let them carry out their tasks with a lot of trust and space. As she says, she never knew what the firm’s revenue was, having delegated accounting duties to Esther Kaplan, the first agent she brought in. Secondly, Barbara believes in rewarding workers for their exemplary performance. She personally put colored ribbons on those workers who performed well. Her rewarding quality became even more evident when she eventually rewarded Kaplan’s hard work with a 10 percent commission in the firm, allowing her to cash in when the firm was sold. Corcoran is a leader who models the way (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). She never sat down and let her agents do all the work. She continued to make sales herself, working very hard. This encouraged her employees to develop a similar determined character. Barbara also exercised her authority very strictly. She gave all new employees a grace period of three months to make a first sale, failure to which they would leave the firm. The fifth leadership quality in Barbara is that she never let her past failure’s pull her down. In high school she scored D’s, but it never bothered her later in life. She was determined to move from one success to the other. Her undying spirit is a clear way of challenging the process (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). However, it is not all that easy for Barbara; she faces various problems as an investor in the New York realty market. While she is a popular investment consultant in the city, she admits that she has problems advising because other factors come into place. After selling her realty company, she was left with several buildings in the city; these building are her source of income, beside other investments. For instance, the values of properties have plummeted and interest rates have gone down tremendously. This gives her problems in deciding what to tell investor to do, especially because they look upon her success for guidance. References Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Hann, C. (2014). Barbara Corcoran’s Leadership Style: Rainbows and Steel-Toe Boots. Entrepreneur. Retrieved 15 August 2014, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222798 Source document

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Love in a Concentration Camp

Love Will Always Be Love The story, â€Å"Love in a Concentration Camp†, is a heartrending account by Victor Frankl about how he survived cruel treatment in Nazi concentration camps only by thinking about his wife. This kind of delusional love experienced by Frankl is somewhat different from the real, everyday love that couples share. Both of these situations have their benefits as well as their disadvantages. This essay will go further into discussion by depicting which scenario is better and more satisfying. Frankl’s piece shows why â€Å"love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire† (348). This story makes anyone who has ever experienced love realize how much he/she would go through just for that person he/she cared about. Frankl did not know whether or not his wife was still alive, nor did this affect the strength of love that he had for his wife. This is because â€Å"love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self† (349). Because of this, he continued to struggle and survive the harsh treatment he was suffering. Sometimes, being apart from a loved one makes individuals realize how important they are to each other. After a considerable amount of time, this will make that individual appreciate his/her loved one even more and yearn to be with him/her. Unlike with the real, everyday love that people share, Frankl was not able to talk, touch, or show any such love in a physical manner to his wife. However, he did so mentally. His love for his wife was so strong that he held a delusional conversation with his wife in his mind. If a person today truly loved their spouse and were put into a predicament where they would be split up for a long time, he/she would reminisce all the good they shared with that person and strive to make it through anything in hopes that, someday, they will be with that person again. These days... Free Essays on Love in a Concentration Camp Free Essays on Love in a Concentration Camp Love Will Always Be Love The story, â€Å"Love in a Concentration Camp†, is a heartrending account by Victor Frankl about how he survived cruel treatment in Nazi concentration camps only by thinking about his wife. This kind of delusional love experienced by Frankl is somewhat different from the real, everyday love that couples share. Both of these situations have their benefits as well as their disadvantages. This essay will go further into discussion by depicting which scenario is better and more satisfying. Frankl’s piece shows why â€Å"love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire† (348). This story makes anyone who has ever experienced love realize how much he/she would go through just for that person he/she cared about. Frankl did not know whether or not his wife was still alive, nor did this affect the strength of love that he had for his wife. This is because â€Å"love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self† (349). Because of this, he continued to struggle and survive the harsh treatment he was suffering. Sometimes, being apart from a loved one makes individuals realize how important they are to each other. After a considerable amount of time, this will make that individual appreciate his/her loved one even more and yearn to be with him/her. Unlike with the real, everyday love that people share, Frankl was not able to talk, touch, or show any such love in a physical manner to his wife. However, he did so mentally. His love for his wife was so strong that he held a delusional conversation with his wife in his mind. If a person today truly loved their spouse and were put into a predicament where they would be split up for a long time, he/she would reminisce all the good they shared with that person and strive to make it through anything in hopes that, someday, they will be with that person again. These days...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Non-standard English and the New Tribalism

Non-standard English and the New Tribalism Non-standard English and the New Tribalism Non-standard English and the New Tribalism By Maeve Maddox Dave Frohnmayer, President Emeritus of the University of Oregon, defines the New Tribalism as, the growth of a politics based upon narrow concerns, rooted in the exploitation of divisions of class, cash, gender, region, religion, ethnicity, morality and ideology, a give-no-quarter and take-no-prisoners’ activism that demands satisfaction and accepts no compromise. I believe that much of the misuse of standard English that we are witnessing is linked to the New Tribalism. Nonstandard English is a tribal marker. Consciously or unconsciously, speakers who have been taught standard grammar and word formation, but persist in saying or writing such stuff as, Me and my friends play video games. They invited my wife and I. The detour effected our plan’s. Your my best friend. I’ll definately be their. do it because they identify with a group that feels that the use of standard speech does not reflect who they are. In the first half of the 20th century, when not every child had the opportunity to progress all the way through high school, learning to speak a standard dialect in addition to one’s home dialect was not seen as an optional by-product of education. The teaching of standard grammar, pronunciation, and spelling was one of public education’s major goals. Standard English was seen as a passport to a job in a bank or an office or a high class department store. It was a goal that ambitious young people mastered before having to leave school at the age of 13 or 14. Two interviews in a documentary about life in the 1930s and 1940s illustrate the change that has taken place in U.S. educational outcomes since the early 20th century. One of the interview subjects was a white man who grew up on an isolated farm and attended a one-room school house. The other subject was a black man who grew up in a poor neighborhood in Chicago. I can’t say with certainty, but I’d guess both grew up speaking nonstandard dialects at home. In the interviews, both men spoke standard English. They spoke with regional accents and inflections, but neither man made the pronoun and verb errors that are so common these days. In the 1940s, only about 50% of the school population graduated from high school. The other half did well to complete eighth grade. Nowadays, school attendance is compulsory to the age of 16 in nineteen states, 17 in eleven states, and 18 in twenty states. Mastery of English grammar seems to have dwindled as time spent in school has increased. A lot of critics blame the modern plague of sloppy English on texting and computer use. I don’t buy that. Texting and Twitterspeak are dialects in their own right. They operate under their own sets of rules. There’s no reason an excellent texter can’t also be an excellent writer of standard English. Doctors may talk about â€Å"phalanges† at a medical conference, but they talk about â€Å"fingers† and â€Å"toes† to their patients. The toughest punk on the street corner probably doesn’t go home and address his mother as â€Å"Yo, Bitch!† Most speakers instinctively shape their language to suit their listeners and readers. When native speakers pass through eight or more years of formal instruction without mastering standard English, something psychological is going on. Certainly there are other contributing factors, but I’m convinced that a great part of the problem is a fear of tribal rejection. What standard English needs is a lobby, like the ones that exist to fight bullying and domestic abuse. It needs well-funded activists and celebrity spokesmen urging young people to say â€Å"My friends and I play video games.† It needs more employers like Kyle Wiens, iFixit CEO and founder of Dozuki. He requires all job applicants to pass a grammar test before interviewing them for a job of any kind. Says Wiens, Grammar signifies more than just a person’s ability to remember high school English. I’ve found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing - like stocking shelves or labeling parts. Now, as in the 1940s, the ability to speak and write a standard form of English is the ticket to a better life. Even if tribal identity requires speaking a distinctive dialect within the group, the ability to speak and write a standard form of English can be a great social equalizer. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightDoes "Mr" Take a Period?How to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk

Sunday, October 20, 2019

So Youre Thinking About Becoming A Truck Driver

So Youre Thinking About Becoming A Truck Driver As we’ve said so many times on this site, if you’ve got a long attention span, a tolerance for a demanding schedule, a driver’s license and a love of life on the road, trucking can be the perfect job for you.  Nearly half of all Americans know someone who works in the trucking industry, so odds are you already have a professional contact! Long-term driving can involve from 2-4 weeks away from home on the road, which can be hard on a family- but for a born nomad, it’s a match made in heaven. You spend a lot of time alone- so introverts have an advantage- but truck stops are open 24/7 and there will always be colleagues on the road to talk to!Skills RequiredWhen asked about the crucial qualifications for their job, most drivers most often cite â€Å"long haul skills†: focused, experienced driving, the ability to adapt to all kinds of weather and other challenging conditions, and proficiency in basic servicing for your vehicle. Maintenance of your tr uck and being responsible for your own sense of professionalism often boost truckers’ self-respect and can even translate to other career fields down the road.Here are some of the skills and certifications many employers currently look for in their professional driving staff. You can acquire the basics, like a CDL license, at any of the reputable driving schools in the country. [Source: WantedAnalytics]CompensationOne of the major benefits many truckers mention is the freedom to pretty much live anywhere along their main route. And while these salaries represent the lower end of the scale, many drivers report income as high as $70K within three years of regular, full-time driving. [Source: WantedAnalytics]Job OpportunitiesTop employers include, no surprise, companies with long distance shipping needs like Lowe’s, Walmart, Nestle, and Costco. You can also function basically as a freelancer when you work with an independent company- dispatchers will put out calls for dri vers and if you’re available, you can snag the job.Some states are even exploring lowering the interstate driving age; the current regional age is 18 in many areas, but drivers aren’t allowed to cross state lines. Current legislation may change all that.And if you’re in search of perks, some trucking companies are investing in high-end, luxury-packed vehicles.  You may find there’s no place like home, and that home just happens to be on four wheels and pulling a trailer.Future prospects when you’re ready to get off the road might include being a dispatcher.  Dispatching rigs requires many of the same road-savvy skills as driving, with an added layer of multi-tasking and organizational strategies.3 Sample Job PostingsJob postings for truck drivers are fairly simple- mostly they need to know whether you can show up to pick up your load and deliver it on time.†Ã‚  TRUCK DRIVER- Athens, NY;  Village Oil is looking for a competent fuel truck driver. Full time seasonal (winter) to start, could lead to year-round employment. Salary based on experience/ability.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬  JAYLOR TRANSPORTATION  is looking for OTR drivers. We have a Team and single loads available. Loads are straight out and back. Loads are no touch, no drops. Experience necessary, clean driving record a must. Mecical benefits available. Vacation pay after the first year. Well-maintained equipment.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  LOWE’SPosition Description Responsible for planning and executing delivery activities, preparing delivery loads, following planned delivery routes, and assisting with merchandise installations or returns, unloading, installing, and checking appliances and store equipment. Also responsible for the cleanliness and standard maintenance of delivery vehicles, observing safety procedures regarding Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, Hazmat, and power equipment tools, maintaining DOT and CDL certifications, and complying with reporting.Job Requirements Requires morning, afternoon, and evening availability any day of the week. Physical ability to move large, bulky and/or heavy merchandise. Physical ability to perform tasks that may require prolonged standing, sitting, and other activities necessary to perform job duties.Minimum Qualifications Valid Class A (with air brake endorsement) license Ability to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction). Minimum 21 years of agePreferred Qualifications 3 months experience operating a forklift or Moffett onloading/offloading a vehicle. 1 year experience driving a semi-truck/trailer OR certification from a driving school. 6 months experience performing in-home delivery OR retail customer service.â€Å"  Whether you find the prospect of long hours of your own company appealing or want to see more of the country before settling into a driving occupation closer to home, explore trucking- see if it’s the right lane for you!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Major cusses of Greek Dark Ages Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Major cusses of Greek Dark Ages - Research Paper Example This paper explores the Dark Ages and the major causes that thrust a splendid civilization like Greek into abrupt termination or presumably so. It briefly explores the authenticity of term Dark Age and its perceived occurrence. Drawing on the observations and evidences of Rhys Carpenter and V. Desborough, the paper concludes that Dark Age is a term that scholars used to name the interruption reported between evolutionary transitions from Mycenaean to Ionian Age. Irrespective of the terminology, presumed Dark Age was caused by depopulation or migration of Mycenaean as a result of natural disasters (earthquake or volcanic) rather than foreign invasion or Trojan War. Greek Dark Ages: Major Causes of Termination Dark Ages of ancient Greek is the latest scholastic term that refers to the centuries between 1100 and 800 B.C. The time period attributed as Dark ranges from Mycenaean civilization’s collapse to the establishment of Ionian Age. Abrupt and unanticipated destruction of such a wealthy and civilized culture as Greek is source of surprise and intense debate among literary and archeological circles. This paper explores the Dark Ages, major causes that led Greeks into it and concludes that the Dark Age itself is nothing but a gap of literary evidence in the evolutionary process as a consequence of climatic upheaval in the region during late seventh and eighth centuries. The term â€Å"Dark Ages† is recently coined by modern scholars who refer it as the period that intervenes between 1200 BC with the downfall of the Mycenaean palaces and around emergence of a new state form, called the polis. Ancient writers never acknowledged major distinction between historical period and heroic age .During 700 BC, writings of Hesiod represents a gradual decline of Greek society and symbolizes them with five successive â€Å"Ages†, referred as gold, silver, bronze, heroes, and iron age (Works and Days 109-76 as cited in Hall, 2006, p.202).On the other hand, Thycydides depicted early Greek history as progressive marked with stable growth of resources and power. However, the Trojan War aftermath brought immediate instability and migration (as cited in Hall, 2006, p.202).Hall (2006) further states: There is no real sense of a cultural or economic â€Å"trough† that stands in stark contrast to conditions [neither]before the Trojan expedition, nor again of a â€Å"renaissance† associated with the rise of the polis†¦Greeks believed that polis had existed from time  immemorial. (p.203) Scholars endorsed Thucydides’ general schema up to 1870s,however,some in general and George Grote in particular highlighted that lack of recent evidence hinders the construction of Greek historical narrative before 776 BC(as cited in Hall,2003,P.203).Later, Heinrich Schliemann’s excavations at Troy in 1870-90s,Mycenae in 1876, and Tiryns in 1884(as cited in Hall,2003,P.203) not only established that Greek mainland had been a h ome to civilized culture, but also confirmed the sudden end of palaces associated with â€Å"Mycenaean† civilization. The major concern here is the collapse of Mycenaean civilization and its reasons. It is believed (as cited in Hall, 2003): Following Fliners Petrie’s publication in 1890 of Mycenaean pottery in Egyptian context of the 18th and 19th Dynasties and his conclusion that the Mycenaean palaces has been destroyed around 1200 BC, it became evident†¦ gap of approximately five centuries between the collapse of the palaces and the first extant literature as  represented by Hesiod and the lyric poets of the 7th century BC. The sheer paucity of evidence for this intervening period had already by the last decade of the 19th century led historians to term it a â€Å"Dark Age† or â€Å"the medieval epoch of Greece. (p.203) Foreign invasion by Dorians or Sea Peoples and colonization, Trojan War, internal conflicts, depopulation, and great migrations as a r esult of natural disaster and unfavorable living conditions were a few but frequently

Can someone change your life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Can someone change your life - Essay Example   This was a major change for me because I had in great part relied on other individuals to help me through life. In these regards, there were a lot of daily tasks that I took for granted. For instance, simple things like fixing my car I never took care of, because I had always relied on my brother whenever there was a problem that was needed. For instance, I recall one incident where we were driving to visit a family friend. During the trip, one of the tires went out on our car. My brother immediately got out of the vehicle, opened the trunk, and began to change the tire. After my brother’s accident, he was not able to accomplish tasks such of this. A few months after his accident we were driving to visit another individual and a tire went out on the vehicle. For an instant, I looked to my brother expecting him to jump out of the car and change the tire but instead came to realize that this time I would have to learn how. We rolled the window down and my brother explained t o me the exact steps I needed to take in order to change the tire. This has I learned the process and would be able to accomplish it in future situations. While this situation with changing tires is one incident, it reflects the large change that took place in my life after my brother’s accident. Slowly, I began to learn a lot of skills that I had never had to learn before. My life had truly changed. From this point on I would no longer be able to simply watch television or engage in random past-time activities.... While this situation with changing tires is one incident, it reflects the large change that took place in my life after my brother’s accident. Slowly, I began to learn a large amount of skills that I had never had to learn before. My life had truly changed. From this point on I would no longer be able to simply watch television or engage in random past-time activities. My new life-style involved becoming more active in day-to-day activities. I learned to become more engaged in daily activities. While this took up my time, it also changed the very way I structured my days. I recognized that now I needed to ensure that my homework was done in an efficient way, as I would need to aid my family in a variety of ways. Ultimately, my life changed in drastic ways after my brother’s accident, as I had to fill in areas in which my brother had previously occupied. The second thing I learned was to take greater responsibility for my family and household actions. My brother is older than me, and he was caring for everything. After the accident I need to be responsible about everything he had been taking care of. Although, it wasn’t easy at first, because I didn’t use to have all this responsibility like to care of the home, family, and study. Now everything is normal and easy because I became familiar with it. However, at first things came as a great surprise to me as I was not aware of the many things that I had not learned, which my brother handled. Indeed, it was a major awakening experience to me. Many times in life I believe it is possible for humans to become complacent and fall into a way of living that doesn’t realize the full scope of their surroundings. I recognize that before my brother’s accident this was the world I had come to live in. After my

Can someone change your life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Can someone change your life - Essay Example   This was a major change for me because I had in great part relied on other individuals to help me through life. In these regards, there were a lot of daily tasks that I took for granted. For instance, simple things like fixing my car I never took care of, because I had always relied on my brother whenever there was a problem that was needed. For instance, I recall one incident where we were driving to visit a family friend. During the trip, one of the tires went out on our car. My brother immediately got out of the vehicle, opened the trunk, and began to change the tire. After my brother’s accident, he was not able to accomplish tasks such of this. A few months after his accident we were driving to visit another individual and a tire went out on the vehicle. For an instant, I looked to my brother expecting him to jump out of the car and change the tire but instead came to realize that this time I would have to learn how. We rolled the window down and my brother explained t o me the exact steps I needed to take in order to change the tire. This has I learned the process and would be able to accomplish it in future situations. While this situation with changing tires is one incident, it reflects the large change that took place in my life after my brother’s accident. Slowly, I began to learn a lot of skills that I had never had to learn before. My life had truly changed. From this point on I would no longer be able to simply watch television or engage in random past-time activities.... While this situation with changing tires is one incident, it reflects the large change that took place in my life after my brother’s accident. Slowly, I began to learn a large amount of skills that I had never had to learn before. My life had truly changed. From this point on I would no longer be able to simply watch television or engage in random past-time activities. My new life-style involved becoming more active in day-to-day activities. I learned to become more engaged in daily activities. While this took up my time, it also changed the very way I structured my days. I recognized that now I needed to ensure that my homework was done in an efficient way, as I would need to aid my family in a variety of ways. Ultimately, my life changed in drastic ways after my brother’s accident, as I had to fill in areas in which my brother had previously occupied. The second thing I learned was to take greater responsibility for my family and household actions. My brother is older than me, and he was caring for everything. After the accident I need to be responsible about everything he had been taking care of. Although, it wasn’t easy at first, because I didn’t use to have all this responsibility like to care of the home, family, and study. Now everything is normal and easy because I became familiar with it. However, at first things came as a great surprise to me as I was not aware of the many things that I had not learned, which my brother handled. Indeed, it was a major awakening experience to me. Many times in life I believe it is possible for humans to become complacent and fall into a way of living that doesn’t realize the full scope of their surroundings. I recognize that before my brother’s accident this was the world I had come to live in. After my

Friday, October 18, 2019

EU and US Bankruptcy Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

EU and US Bankruptcy Law - Essay Example The differing techniques to the stability between rights of creditors and debtors are reflected in the connection requisite to establish bankruptcy control. In the US, the connection obligatory is very small; whereas throughout the EU it has historically been much more substantial. Yet the consequences for stakeholders of all descriptions of the jurisdictional choice made by or imposed upon a debtor are in both cases enormous. The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 is the most significant change in American bankruptcy legislation since the 1978 Act according to the "Nolo website". The 1994 Act, signed into law by President Clinton on October 22, 1994, contains provisions affecting business and personal bankruptcy laws. The 1994 act also created the National Bankruptcy Commission to continue looking into needed changes in bankruptcy law. The Amendments should expedite the administration of cases. They should also contain important revisions designed to afford consumers with more protection regarding their principal residence, collecting alimony and child support, and unscrupulous bankruptcy petition preparers. The Bankruptcy and Abuse Prevention Act of 2003 presumes abuse based on the debtor's financial means. There is a three-prong test for an automatic presumption of abuse. If the monthly income reduced by expenses and multiplied by 60 is not less than the lesser of either the greatest of 25 percent of general unsecured claims, or $6,000 or $10,000. (Peter ,2002) For banks and credit card companies, the measure could mean millions of dollars in recovered assets. But critics worry that the broadly worded bill would punish not just deadbeat debtors, but families pushed into bankruptcy through no fault of their own. Personal bankruptcy filings have doubled in the past decade, to more than 1.6 million cases last year. The bill now under debate would require tens of thousands of people who seek bankruptcy protection to repay at least part of what they owe and make it harder for them to wipe away their debts. Supporters say people looking for a quick fix for their financial woes have abused the bankruptcy system. Opponents say the bill will do little but increase consumers' misery without closing the bankruptcy loopholes available to corporations and wealthy debtors. To argue for the legalization of bankruptcy contracts is implicitly to assume that bankruptcy systems exist only to increase efficiency. This is because contracts that maximize creditors' expected returns may slight the interests of other constitutuencies. Many American commentators argue that bankruptcy systems also should protect persons or entities that do not have current claims against the insolvent firm. In the literature, protected classes include workers with an interest in continued employment and local communities that benefit from the firm's continued presence. These commentators are willing to sacrifice bankruptcy value to advance the interests of workers and communities.( Senior Mag ,2005 ) This essay's second claim, however, is that bankruptcy law should function only to facilitate the access of firms to debt capital. Bankruptcy systems cannot protect employees or communities effectively. In the debate about the goals of bankruptcy systems, we may distinguish

Compare and Contrast how these short novels deal with maturation theme Essay

Compare and Contrast how these short novels deal with maturation theme so common in fairy tales - Essay Example Darling recalls her childhood, the situation is reflected thus: â€Å"but after thinking back into her childhood she just remembered a Peter Pan who was said to live with fairies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.but now that she was married and full of sense she quite doubted whether there was any such person† (Chapter 1). â€Å"Peter Pan† is the short novel which gathers many themes. The three children, Wendy, John and Michael play the central role with â€Å"Peter Pan† who comes from the â€Å"Neverland†. They want to fly in the air â€Å"Let's wake John and Michael," Wendy said. "You can teach us all to fly and then we will leave for Neverland!† (Chapter 1) Peter Pan is the personified shape of their dream. â€Å"Wendy† wants to be mature as is revealed in the Chapter 1: â€Å"but henceforth Wendy knew that she must grow up†. A child’s dream is but to live in the wonderlands of fairies. They always reside inside the shells of dreams. They want to fly up in the air which tells of their hidden ambitions to attain glory and fame. Similarly Pinocchio is the dream which comes true of its carpenter when he dreams of him in the words: â€Å"With it I intend to go around the world, to earn my crust of bread and cup of wine† (p4). The carpenter is the personification of an elder’s desire for his child. ... You hurt!" cried the same far-away little voice† (p7). The continuous ill treatment makes the child ill tempered as the carpenter weeps over his troubles: â€Å"I deserve it! he said to himself. I should have thought of this before I made him. Now it's too late!† (p8) Consequently, the child in the shape of Pinocchio flew away and the father is left with all sorrows: â€Å"Poor Geppetto ran after him but was unable to catch him, for Pinocchio ran in leaps and bounds† (p9). The novels seem here similar in tone. Pinocchio and the three children have the same feelings here. All are ambitious in heart. All want to attain heights but with different styles of expressions i.e. children in â€Å"Peter Pan† fly in the air while Pinocchio dances in celebration of his birth. The story of â€Å"Peter Pan† reflects the softer feelings of a child for a mother. Similarly the girl’s fantasy for motherhood is revealed when Wendy accepts the demand of the †Å"lost boys† to become their mother. Though she informs them that she is just a little girl, she becomes persuaded and tells them the tales of Cinderella the whole night. She proved so affectionate that Tootles saw a mother in her being: â€Å"They talked of Cinderella and Tootles was confident that his mother must have been very like her† (Ch, 5). Pinocchio’s short story has a theme of the destructive faction of the society. It tells the children that though a child may be able and disciplined enough in school, there are always chances of his leading astray. Pinocchio remains a competent student during his studies but he boasts of his wisdom when he is tipped off by a fellow: â€Å"there is no such danger, answered the Marionette, shrugging his shoulders and pointing to his forehead as if to say, ‘I am too wise’† (p109).

Thursday, October 17, 2019

CityLab Academy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CityLab Academy - Essay Example On a year before graduation from school I've been thinking over the idea to choose biotechnology as my future profession, but, as I had little information about it I couldn't make up my mind for whether to apply to college for this specialty, or consider other variants.The sooner the graduation came the more confident I became about the future education I wanted to receive. When I learned about the CityLab Academy I understood it would be the ideal variant for me. I hope that completing this course will grant me the initial knowledge about the peculiarities of the profession I've decided to choose, and will make the further education a little easier for me. It is also that after finishing the CityLab Academy I would be able to find a job in case I would need it.For me, biotechnology is the way to change the life of people and other species on our planet. The amount of various microorganisms in the world is incredible, only a few of them were studied and their effects used for the hum ans to benefit from it. I believe there are still numerous microorganisms the scientists haven't discovered that can solve the vital problems the dwellers of our planet have. For example, there might be some microorganisms that are able to provide us with the substances needed to create drugs that will cure the diseases that were previously considered to be immedicable, like cancer, AIDS or diabetes. It is also possible that the microorganisms may solve the problem of the lack of food that exists in the contemporary world. It has always been fascinating for me to work in the school biology lab, thus I would like to learn to do the research work properly. I'm sure that some of the CityLab Academy courses will give me the necessary knowledge, thus I will be able to get the job dealing with the laboratory work, or, if I will decide to continue my education it will assist me greatly, as I'll have the knowledge and understanding of the research process, thus my work will be more effectiv e. I was also fascinated by the fact that the curriculum of the CityLab Academy included attending various academic and industry biotech laboratories. The use of biotechnologies in the industry has long been an object of interest for me, and it would also be interesting to at least look at the newest mechanical facilities I've read about in the scientific magazines. I also hope that those field trips will allow me to define in what area I would like to specialize and be employed. What also attracted me in the curriculum was the fact that the CityLab Academy proposed the seminars where the students are learned to write the cover letters and resumes and pass the interviews successfully, as it is often said by the managers of the companies that self-confidence and communication skills are of no less importance for passing the interview successfully and getting the job than the knowledge and attainments the specialized education gives. It is also great that the CityLab Academy curriculu m includes the seminars designed to teach students the skills needed for the successful studying and work process, like communication techniques, time management, and conflict resolution. Those skills make the process of studying and working, both group and individual much easier and profitable, as the person who possesses those skills can concentrate on what he/she is doing instead of spreading the attention on minor issues.

Feasibility analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Feasibility analysis - Research Paper Example This will be in line with the company’s short term goals of achieving a presence in major states in the United States. The fitness centers will be noticeably labeled to make it easily recognizable (Goldsby, Kuratko and Bishop, p. 84). Then, the company will regularly market its products through the person selling, social media, company website and franchise marketing make the public aware of its presence. Besides body fitness services, the company has created different products that will emphasize on energy and water usage. The idea behind this product is to make the machines create their own energy source by ways of human interaction. This will be attained by attaching the alternator to the machines; therefore, as the individuals run on the machine, the spinning motion powers the alternator which finishes by powering a battery that fuels the machine’s energy source (Goldsby, Kuratko and Bishop, p. 87). As the company expands, they plan on bringing in industry leaders a nd experts into their company. The company will establish a cooperative relationship for high-end and meticulous products from the main manufacturing firms. To satisfy the customers, the company is able to ship products in various parts of the world. Additionally, there are no charges for handling products and the services will be filled once they are placed. The company strives to keep the clients satisfied. The company will strive to achieve profit maximization, revenue growth, customer satisfaction, long term growth, achieve sustainable brand awareness and reputation. Customer will be treated as the biggest asset in the business operations hence will always be at the center of the marketer and company’s thinking and planning process (Parnell, p. 316). The company will use economy approach, in which economies of scale are leveraged to bring the cheapest apparel to market and compete on cost alone as well as the mid-market approach where the brand allure and product quality are combined with economies of scale and labor efficiencies in order to keep prices in an affordable range for middle-class consumers. Moreover, EcoFitness will use the high-quality approach whereby product quality dominates and a brand premium is charged. Customers’ Prospect The company strives to keep the clients satisfied through provision of exceptional service and great purchasing experience, either online shopping or direct purchase in the department store. The fitness centers will be opened throughout the day and night to take care of all our customers at their appropriate time. Additionally, there will sales and offer discounts on special occasions and holidays (Tompkins, Russell and McDonald, p. 35). The company will entrench high level of quality, transparency in the market and a sustainable business that contributes to the welfare of the clients and the society. The company appreciates that the clients are the biggest assets of the company; therefore, will accord t he best quality products and services provision. Therefore, the company will try at all times to put the interests of their clients first. Service and Products Desirability The company’s services and products are new collections with new styles, which offer the latest trend in body fitness. Ecofitness offers a range of services and products that are not offered by other companies in the same field. EcoFitness offers a full service health and fitness club that leaves the clients yearning for more. The working team is

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

CityLab Academy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CityLab Academy - Essay Example On a year before graduation from school I've been thinking over the idea to choose biotechnology as my future profession, but, as I had little information about it I couldn't make up my mind for whether to apply to college for this specialty, or consider other variants.The sooner the graduation came the more confident I became about the future education I wanted to receive. When I learned about the CityLab Academy I understood it would be the ideal variant for me. I hope that completing this course will grant me the initial knowledge about the peculiarities of the profession I've decided to choose, and will make the further education a little easier for me. It is also that after finishing the CityLab Academy I would be able to find a job in case I would need it.For me, biotechnology is the way to change the life of people and other species on our planet. The amount of various microorganisms in the world is incredible, only a few of them were studied and their effects used for the hum ans to benefit from it. I believe there are still numerous microorganisms the scientists haven't discovered that can solve the vital problems the dwellers of our planet have. For example, there might be some microorganisms that are able to provide us with the substances needed to create drugs that will cure the diseases that were previously considered to be immedicable, like cancer, AIDS or diabetes. It is also possible that the microorganisms may solve the problem of the lack of food that exists in the contemporary world. It has always been fascinating for me to work in the school biology lab, thus I would like to learn to do the research work properly. I'm sure that some of the CityLab Academy courses will give me the necessary knowledge, thus I will be able to get the job dealing with the laboratory work, or, if I will decide to continue my education it will assist me greatly, as I'll have the knowledge and understanding of the research process, thus my work will be more effectiv e. I was also fascinated by the fact that the curriculum of the CityLab Academy included attending various academic and industry biotech laboratories. The use of biotechnologies in the industry has long been an object of interest for me, and it would also be interesting to at least look at the newest mechanical facilities I've read about in the scientific magazines. I also hope that those field trips will allow me to define in what area I would like to specialize and be employed. What also attracted me in the curriculum was the fact that the CityLab Academy proposed the seminars where the students are learned to write the cover letters and resumes and pass the interviews successfully, as it is often said by the managers of the companies that self-confidence and communication skills are of no less importance for passing the interview successfully and getting the job than the knowledge and attainments the specialized education gives. It is also great that the CityLab Academy curriculu m includes the seminars designed to teach students the skills needed for the successful studying and work process, like communication techniques, time management, and conflict resolution. Those skills make the process of studying and working, both group and individual much easier and profitable, as the person who possesses those skills can concentrate on what he/she is doing instead of spreading the attention on minor issues.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Deism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Deism - Essay Example Moreover, belief in a miraculous and/or mysterious representation of the divine cannot and should not be viewed as something unique to monotheism. As can readily be understood from a cursory examination of the Hindu or Greek pantheon, a direct level of interference on the part of the gods is evidenced throughout the traditions and scriptures that these individual religious interpretations have developed. From such a long and historical/traditional understanding of what defines God/gods, it comes as something of a surprise that the belief system of deism ever came to any prominence whatsoever. As a means of understanding, explaining, defining, and drawing a level of inference with regards to how deism affected, and continues to affect the world in which we live, this brief analysis will seek to engage the reader with a more well-rounded and complete understanding of this belief system; as well as the key factors that contributed to it and the impacts that this particular belief system continues to engender. As with many historical theories and definitions of the world, deism was born out of a particular historical movement and time. In such a manner, within 17th and 18th century Europe, as well as the United States, the Age of Enlightenment was taking place. Within this particular time, the means by which the Catholic and Protestant churches of Europe could control and manage the means by which individuals thought and integrated with new and developing knowledge was severely and indefinitely curtailed. Nearly each and every movement of human history up until this point in time had moved humanity closer and closer to technological development, scientific discovery, industrial change, and a litany of other factors. Within such an understanding, the reader can come to the clear and definitive understanding of the fact that deism was ultimately borne out of the zeitgeist that was experienced during this unique era in human history. From a definitive standpoint, deis m is ultimately the belief that reason and observation alone are in and of themselves sufficient to determine whether or not God/gods exist (s). Furthermore, deism sought to reject prior norms that have long been accepted within Europe and the remainder of the world; namely the belief that revelation in and of itself could be utilized as a type of authority for knowledge, the belief and understanding that the divine regularly integrated with the human, the belief that Scripture was ultimately flawless, the belief in miracles, and many other standbys that had traditionally been understood by Christianity of various denominations to define the way in which God interacted with his creation. As is so prone to occur with religious interpretations and ideologies, deism soon came to be a way in which sociological factors of interpersonal and governmental relationships were determined. What is meant by this is that the Age of Enlightenment was a tumultuous period in world history in which t he constraints of both government and church were shocked in favor of reason and the human accrual of knowledge. It should not be understood by any means that this level of scientific and exploratory knowledge seeking is in and of itself bad. Ultimately, the spirit that gave rise to deism is the same one that helps to develop modern

Monday, October 14, 2019

Artificial Birth Control Essay Example for Free

Artificial Birth Control Essay Artificial birth control methods have been used for thousands of years. The hieroglyphics of ancient Egyptians show a figure of an Egyptian male wearing a device around the penis to help prevent pregnancy during intercourse. And there are other cultures which use condoms made of linen or animal intestines. Until now, historians and researchers are still debating on whether the condoms are for ritual purposes or not. Artificial Birth Control is most commonly heard in relation to religious teachings on family planning. Many sectors especially religion encourage the use of natural family planning as opposed to artificial birth control because they believe that using artificial contraception is opposite to Gods will. But there are also non-religious people who preferred not to use artificial birth control for personal, ethical or medical reasons. Artificial birth control can be defined as any product, procedure or practice that uses artificial or unnatural means to prevent pregnancy. Barrier methods such as condoms, Intra uterine Devices (copper), diaphragms, cervical cap, and sponge, hormonal methods such as the pill, IUDs (hormonal), and emergency contraception. There are also injections, spermicides, and surgical sterilization procedures such as tubal ligation and vasectomy which are all considered to be artificial birth control methods. This paper includes the different types and examples of artificial birth control and their advantages and disadvantages. Condoms A condom is a device made of fine rubber (latex). It avoids unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including AIDS and HIV. The use of condoms is one of the easiest, most reliable and effective methods. But one should take few precautionary measures before using it; they must ensure that it is not torn or ruptured and that they are using it before the expiry date. For a male condom, the man covers his penis with a condom during sexual intercourse in order to prevent the sperm from entering the vagina. A female condom is also made if fine rubber (latex) that when used it must be entirely aligned to vagina. The two types of female condom are the FC or FC2 female condom and the VA w.o.w. Condom Feminine. The FC female condom is a 17 cm (6.5 inches) in length. There is a flexible ring at each end. At the closed end of the sheath, the flexible ring is inserted into the vagina to anchor the condom in place. While at the open end, the ring stays outside the vulva at the entrance to the vagina. The VA w.o.w. Condom Feminine when not stretched is around 9 cm (3.5 inches) – though it is very elastic. It has a rounded triangular frame at the open end and a sponge inside the closed end, which helps to hold the condom inside the vagina. Condoms are easily obtained, cheap, very effective, it protects against sexually transmitted disease, and it possibly reduces risk of cervical cancer. But it interrupts the foreplay, it reduces sensitivity for both or either partner, it requires great care, and it sometimes causes allergy. Intra uterine Devices (IUD) – Copper IUD is a birth control device made of soft plastic and has the shape of the English letter T and is placed in the uterus. It is a long-term method that prevents pregnancy for 3-5 years. Copper is wound on the lower part and on the tip of the T are the two threads. With the help of the threads, women can check if it is inserted properly. Copper T does not create any problems during copulation and it can be used immediately after childbirth. But unlike condoms, it does not protect the user from AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Diaphragm Diaphragm is a thin rubber dome with an elastic and flexible rim. It is inserted into the vagina and fits over the cervix that is hold in place by vaginal muscles. The diaphragm holds spermicide in place over the cervix; spermicide kills sperm and prevents fertilization. Diaphragms are 86-94% effective as birth control. It is cheap, the female partner is the one that takes the responsibility, there is no interruption during intercourse, there is no loss of sensation for either partner, it reduces of bacteria related STDs, couples may feel less inhibited when the woman is menstruating, and pre – malignancy and cervical malignancy are reduced. But it is uncomfortable to insert and remove from vagina, it requires a doctor to fit and check it, it requires preparation, some male partners are aware of the cap and may not like it, there is no protection against viral conditions such as herpes simplex or HIV, it sometimes cause allergy, and it cannot be fitted before first intercourse, if there is a vaginal septum or utero-vaginal prolapsed. Cervical Cap Cervical cap is a device inserted into the vagina that fits over the cervix to blocked the sperm from entering the uterus and prevents fertilization. After intercourse, it should be left in place for 8 hours. Cervical covers are 84-91% effective at preventing pregnancy for women who have never given birth and 68-74% effective for women who have given birth. Cervical cap can be inserted many hours before sexual intercourse, it is easy to carry around, it is comfortable to use, it does not alter menstrual cycle and affect future fertility, and it may help the user to better know her body. But cervical cap does not protect against HIV or AIDS, it requires a fitting in a clinic, it is difficult to insert or remove, it can be dislodged during sexual intercourse, and there can be possible allergic reactions. Birth Control Sponge The birth control sponge is made of plastic foam that contains spermicide. It is soft, round, and about two (2) inches in diameter. It has a nylon loop attached to the bottom for removal and it is inserted deep into the vagina before sexual intercourse. The sponge avoids pregnancy by keeping sperm from joining with an egg. The sponge may cover the cervix and blocks the sperm from entering the uterus or it can continuously release a spermicide that keeps the sperm from moving. The birth control sponge can be carried in pocket or purse, it can’t be felt by either partner, it has no effect on a womans natural hormones, it does not interrupt sex play, and it can be used during breastfeeding. But it may be difficult for some women to insert or remove the sponge, it may cause vaginal irritation, and it may make sex too messy or too dry because sponge requires too much liquid. Contraceptive Pills Most hormonal birth control methods contain the hormones estrogen and progestin, although some contain progestin only. Hormonal contraceptive pills work by preventing females from ovulating or releasing eggs from their ovaries each month, and by thinning the lining of the uterus to keep a pregnancy from implanting. Without an egg to be fertilized by sperm, pregnancy cannot occur. Contraceptive pill is a very effective birth control but there are also side effects like significant mood swings and decreased libido. Intra uterine Devices (IUD) – Hormonal Hormonal uterine devices sometimes called Intra Uterine Systems were first introduced in 1990. It releases levonorgestrel, a progestogen, and may be used for five years. Hormonal Intra Uterine Devices do not increase bleeding as inert and copper-containing IUDs do. Rather, they reduce menstrual bleeding or prevent menstruation altogether, and can be used as a treatment for menorrhagia (heavy periods). The use of Intra Uterine Systems results in much lower systemic progestogen levels than other very-low-dose progestogen-only hormonal contraceptives; they might possibly have some of the same side effects like loss of libido, possible cervical cancer, vaginal infection, anxiety and nervousness, and pain in lower abdominals. Emergency Contraception The emergency contraception is also known as the morning-after pill. It is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. It can be started up to five days or 120 hours after unprotected intercourse. The hormone in the morning-after pill prevents pregnancy by thickening a womans cervical mucus and by thinning the lining of the uterus. The mucus blocks sperm and keeps it from joining with an egg which could prevent pregnancy by keeping a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. Injections Injections are 99% effective that is scheduled every 3 months. Depo-Provera ®, one of the two types that are now available, contains progesterone that is similar to what the body produces. It prevents release of the egg from the ovary and causes changes in cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus. The second one is the Lunelle ® which contains two hormones like the pill, so it has the same side effects as the pill. Spermicides Spermicides can come in different form like cream, gel, foam, film, and suppositories. Most spermicides contain nonoxynol-9 which is a chemical that kills sperm. Spermicides immobilize and kill the sperm before they are able to swim into the uterus. To be effective, the spermicide must be placed deep in the vagina, close to the cervix. Creams, gels, and foams are squirted into the vagina using an applicator. But spermicides are more effective when used with another method of birth control, such as a condom or diaphragm. Spermicides are only effective for an hour, not all women can use it and some have an allergic reaction to the substances. Sterilization Sterilization is a form of birth control and all the procedures are meant to be permanent. For females (Tubal Ligation), a minor operation that blocks a womans fallopian tubes, the tubes that carry the egg to the uterus; female sterilization works by blocking the egg from reaching sperm. For males (Vasectomy), requires minor surgery on the scrotum to cut the vasa deferentia, the tubes that carry sperm. This operation keeps sperm from mixing into the semen when men ejaculate. Without sperm, fertilization of an egg cannot occur and pregnancy is prevented. Sterilization provides permanent birth control, allows sexual spontaneity, requires no daily attention, does not affect pleasure, and it is also not messy. But it does not protect against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, it is not immediately effective, it requires minor surgery in a clinic and a possible regret if the couple wish to have one or more child. References: http://www.avert.org/female-condom.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrauterine_device http://www.tarahaat.com/health_ABC.aspx http://www.livestrong.com/article/201512-types-of-artificial-methods-for-family-planning/ http://www.modernmom.com/article/what-is-the-meaning-of-artificial-birth-control http://www.ehow.com/facts_5004780_what-meaning-artificial-birth-control.html http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/diaphram.htm