Thursday, October 31, 2019

Ibsen, An Enemy of the People analytical Assignment

Ibsen, An Enemy of the People analytical - Assignment Example in the playas the author portrays the negative side of small town politics and warns against political leaders who are solely rooted, having only a myopic visions for example Mayor Peter stockmann,when Dr Stockmann discovers the pollution in the Baths ,the Mayor instead doesnt want it publicized, he say that the report must not reach the people as he is threatened that they might questioned his work,( it was his idea to lay the pipes where they are) and may cost him for his improper leadership, an assertion that portrays his political role of bad governance. Bad leadership portrayed by Peter Stockmann made him disrupt Dr Stockmanns meeting and sway people not to give him a chance to read his report about the dangers of the Baths, the Mayor is interested in maintaining his position, while people like Hovstad are supportive as they want to have the report for their own selfish gain. Corruption which is an element of bad leadership is clearly outlined by the author in relation to Peter Stockmann political role in the play,as a political leader who is only interested in achieving his ambitions,Peter Stockmann ,want the medical officer of the Baths,Dr Stockmann to withdraw the report concerning the contamination of the public utility,what is obviously amounting to corrupt deeds.he forces him to write another report from further"investigation" that will resort the matter not as dangerous as imagined. Peter Stockmann, depicted an element of misuse of power when he refuses to implement,the report and the recommendations.Ibsen(1997) wrote that,Dr Stockmann is aware that Peter hates the idea of someone doing any service to the town except for himself ( p. 21) further more Catherine stockmann also doesnt want bad blood between the brothers and suggested that the Doctor should swallow his prides and agree that the Mayor was involved in the finding,she says" couldnt drop a hint that it was he who set you on the scent of this discovery"( Inbsen ,1977,p.21) this was to silence

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Media Analysis and Engagement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media Analysis and Engagement Plan - Essay Example The product was able to win over many fans and boost sales due to its innovative features such as a large HD touch screen, rounded design, eye movement recognition and pop-up play features (Samsung Electronics, 2013). The successful release of the upgraded flagship product across the world prompted Samsung to create an even better version, the Samsung Galaxy S-IV, which is to be released sometime in 2013. However, speculations as to the product’s specifications and release date were already starting to creep up in the web, despite the South Korean company not fully disclosing about the product just yet. In order to curb the hype as well as to properly inform the public and the product’s targeted audience, a social media and traditional media engagement plan would be designed to create a smooth and problem-free product release for the Samsung Galaxy S-IV. Identified Target Audiences (Online and Offline) High-end devices such as smartphones are known to appeal to two majo r age groups which are known to be tech-savvy among most of the general public: the 15-34 age group and the 35+ age group, also known as the Generation Y’s (We Are Apps, 2013). This is explainable by the fact that both age groups grew up with a full knowledge about rapid technological advancements and are not shy from using them, aside from having the income to buy such devices. They are also the age group that mostly frequent online, and they are able to passively advertise products and services either by blogging about them or uploading the photos of products or logos. They are also receptive to offline advertisements such as traditional mass media approaches due to familiarity or frequent use at home, thus these other forms of media would work on them as well. As these two age groups use their preferred media, people around them or those that they know well also get easily informed since they are able to use all forms of communication, and would be able to relay informatio n to friends, families, co-workers, and other people within their network. This creates additional target audiences through passively advertising about products by telling others about their experiences (Benkler, 2006). Thus using both online and offline strategies could easily create a wider coverage not just of the two targeted age groups but also to other age groups by catching their interest, both by online networking strategies and the use of print, television, and radio ads. Proposed Story Angle for Target Audiences and Media Anticipating a fun and relaxing summer is the chosen theme for the media engagement plan, and an image of positivity, various new experiences and uplift would be most applicable. Whereas the previous smartphone had variable story angles due to an increased focus in the product’s innovative features, it would be better to create an atmosphere for the new product since it would mostly be sharing some similar features with its predecessor. By introduc ing the product as a great way to experience and capture summer, people would more likely recall light and positive experiences, which could draw them in to the product much further. To keep the interest of the public and the target audience, in using traditional visual media short advertisements that are serial in nature (e.g. open-ended) can be used, aside from just showing the product’s features plainly. Showing experiences that most can relate to would not only make the company seem much more in tune with

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Analysis Of Engineering Students Problems In Speaking English Language Essay

Analysis Of Engineering Students Problems In Speaking English Language Essay The objective of the study was to investigate the English language problems in terms of speaking and writing skills of engineering students at a technical university in Malaysia based on the perceptions of students and English language lecturers. The study was conducted within the framework of needs analysis as part of the larger curriculum review exercise in the effort to redesign English language courses that meet the needs of the stakeholders. A 15-item questionnaire was formulated and distributed to 612 engineering students and 36 English language lecturers of the technical university. The findings of the survey indicated that there is a difference between students and lecturers perceptions of students problems in speaking and writing. Based on the findings of the study relevant recommendations were made to assist in the decision making process of the curriculum review exercise. KEYWORDS Language problems, Speaking, Writing, Curriculum review, English for Specific Purposes, Needs analysis INTRODUCTION One of the recommendations mentioned consistently in research projects commissioned by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education is the need for a comprehensive review of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programmes of Malaysian universities (Morshidi et al., 2008; Isarji et al., 2008). The recommendation is in direct response to the nations concern for the declining standard of English among Malaysian university students and graduates and the need to meet the expectations of the stakeholders. The research project reported that based on scores in the English Proficiency Test (EPT) and perceptions of business leaders, government officials and academic staff, Malaysian university students, in general, were considered limited users of English in the productive skills; namely, writing and speaking (Isarji et al., 2008). The literature on ESP, college graduates, and employability reveals a list of problems faced by university students in terms of writing and speaking such as writing reports, memos, proposals, formal letters, instructions, manuals, summaries, technical jargons, and using grammatically correct sentences, participating in discussions, communicating with people, telephone conversations, everyday conversation, oral presentation, and negotiations (Horowitz, 1986; Basturkmen and Al-Huneidi, 1996; Ferris and Tagg, 1996; Hyland, 1997; Sullivan and Girginer, 2002; Abdul Aziz, 2004; Siti Hanim and Ismie Roha, 2005; Isarji et al., 2008); and Ostler et al., 2008). This study was conducted within the framework of needs assessment as part of the larger curriculum review exercise in the effort to redesign English language courses, especially in terms of speaking and writing skills of engineering students that meet the needs of the stakeholders. The research questions were as follows: 1. What are the problems of engineering students in writing and speaking? 2. What are the problems of engineering students in writing and speaking from the lecturers point of view? 3. Is there a difference between the perceptions of students and lecturers? METHODOLOGY This study utilized a survey based on a four-point Likert scale. The items in the survey were developed based on sub-skills in the productive skills. Six items were included in the survey in order to capture the perceptions of students writing sub-skills while ten items were to capture the perceptions of students speaking sub-skills. The survey was distributed to engineering students and English language lecturers of a technical university in Malaysia. A total of 612 students and 36 English language lecturers responded to the survey. Responses to the survey were subjected to descriptive analysis using the SPSS software version 12. In the analysis, the responses based on Agree and Strongly Agree categories were combined in order to capture the agreement to each statement. FINDINGS The findings are presented based on the three research questions. A summary of the findings based on students and lecturers performance are reported separately for both skills (speaking and writing skills). The summary of results is based on percentages of responses according to agreement to the statements in the questionnaires. The first research question is as follows: RQ1: What are the problems of engineering students in writing and speaking? According to Figure 1, on the average, more than half of the students reported that they had difficulties in writing. The most problematic writing sub-skill was writing grammatically correct sentences (71%), followed by choosing suitable words (66%), as well as developing and organizing their writing (56.5%). The writing sub-skill with the least problem as reported by the students was linking sentences in a paragraph (46.8%), followed by spelling correctly (47.7%), and combining paragraphs in an essay (47.7%). Figure 1: Engineering students perceptions of their problems in writing Figure 2: Engineering students perceptions of their problems in speaking In terms of engineering students perceptions of their problems in speaking, the data tabulated in Figure 2 shows that they had problems using grammatically correct language (73.3%), speaking fluently (72%), using varied vocabulary and expressions (67.8%) as well as speaking confidently in English (60.5%). The students, on the other hand, perceived to have fewer problems with participating in discussion (44.3%). communicating with people (44.6%), making suggestions and supporting their views (49.5), and speaking clearly and loudly (49.8%). The second research question asked, RQ2: What are the problems of engineering students in writing and speaking from the lecturers point of view? Figure 3: Lecturers perceptions of engineering students problems in writing Figure 4: Lecturers perceptions of engineering students problems in speaking The lecturers reported that the students had problems with all the sub-skills of speaking (Figure 3). The biggest problem was choosing suitable words (94.5%), followed by writing grammatically correct sentences (94.4%), and combining paragraphs in an essay (80.6%). As far as speaking is concerned, the lecturers reported that the students had problems with all speaking sub-skills (Figure 4). The top three problems reported were using grammatically correct language (94.4%), using varied vocabulary and expressions (91.6%) and speaking fluently (86.1%). The third research question is as follows: RQ3: Is there a difference between the perceptions of students and lecturers? The independent sample t-test conducted indicates that there is a significant difference (p≠¤0.05) between the perceptions of students and lecturers of students problems in writing and speaking in all the items (see Appendix 1). This shows that overall, the way the students perceive their problems in writing and speaking differ from the way their English language lecturers perceive the students problems. The results also show that the mean of the lecturers ratings on all the items were consistently higher than of the students ratings of their own speaking and writing problems. In a separate analysis, on the average, 56.2% of the students perceived writing as a problem as compared to the views of the lecturers on the same issue, which is 82.4%. Similarly, 58% of the students perceived speaking as a problem in contrast to the views of the lecturers, which is 80.2%. DISCUSSIONS This study is a small component of a larger curriculum review exercise. The findings of the study, in general, suggest that both students and English language lecturers were in agreement that the students had: problems in writing and speaking; specific writing problems in choosing suitable words and writing grammatically correct sentences; and specific speaking problems in using grammatically correct language, using varied vocabulary and expressions, and speaking fluently. Not only that both lecturers and students concurred that students had problems in writing and speaking, there is a significant difference between how students and lecturers perceived students problems. The lecturers tended to be more critical of the students problems in writing and speaking than the students themselves. One may not be far fetch to conjecture that the reason for the perceptions to be significantly different perhaps is due to the tenacity of most English language lecturers to accentuate the importance of attaining a minimum threshold level in order to succeed in an English medium university in contrast to the lackadaisical attitude of many Malaysian students towards English. The findings of this study are consistent with the literature on the perceptions Malaysian university lecturers and students of students attitudes towards English in general (Isarji et al., 2008). The findings of the study also provide realistic recommendations pertaining to curriculum review exercise. Firstly, in addition to the teaching of listening, speaking, reading and writing, there is a need to include grammar as an important core competence of language learning. The grammar component, however, needs to be taught in context instead of in isolation not only to ensure that language learning activities relate to the real world but also to enhance students motivation. It needs to be emphasized; however, for English language teaching and learning to solely focus on grammar is to ignore the importance of communicative competence as the ultimate goal. Secondly, students need to be provided with more opportunities to be involved in activities that promote rich vocabulary acquisition. Finally, in a curriculum review exercise, it is imperative to include the opinions of the stakeholders particularly the students and teaching staff. The fact that both students and lecturers acknow ledged the same language problems, even though there is a significant difference between their perceptions make it less demanding for the programme provider to design a language programme that meets the needs of the stakeholders including the students and university. CONCLUSION Even though Malaysian university students have the benefit of at least 11 years of exposure to English language learning as a subject in a school setting, the findings of the study indicate that both students and lecturers perceived grammar and vocabulary to be problematic to students. On this account, 3 hours of exposure to English a week for 14 weeks, which is a normal duration of an English course in a university will not produce a miracle. Notwithstanding, with a proper needs analysis, the programme provider will be able to formulate appropriate learning outcomes, adapt, adopt or develop relevant materials and design suitable learning activities to ensure university students are better prepared not only to undertake rigorous credit bearing faculty courses in English but also to enter the employment world.

Friday, October 25, 2019

American Freedom - No Greater Gift Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

American Freedom - No Greater Gift Silently they stand, tall, strong pillars of memory in a seemingly long since forgotten world. Rows upon rows of white marble glisten in the first rays of the rising sun. The shimmer of morning frost still graces their elegant arches as the brisk air begins to take on a slightly warmer tone. In this quiet hour, not quite night, yet still not day, one lone man stands respectfully next to a small, almost insignificant grave stone. His head hangs slightly bowed, and except for the small hunch in his back, he stands at perfect attention. Unnoticed by the swirling city around him, he slowly removes his cap and looks out across the hill before him. His gaze sweeps over the expansive garden of marble and granite. Millions of white headstones grace the green hillsides, most of them appearing small and humble. Every so often, however, the man sees a taller, more significant looking headstone. He knows these stones were meant to be impressive and eye catching; but to him, there is nothing more touching than the stone which stands before him. Only the rank of a private, a name and two dates grace the stone's face. Some might say this is rather insignificant compared to the graves containing generals or captains. Others might take the time to note how young the man was when he died at the age of twenty-one, and think he still had his whole life left to live. This lone man, though, views the grave stone entirely differently. To him, Private Michaels was more than just a name carved into a head stone, more than a private, more than just a twenty-one year old boy. Private Michaels had been his best friend. In Arlington Cemetery, there are hundreds upon hundreds of heroic men lying silently, their sto... ...rice of our freedom. Many have stepped back and taken a good look at the struggles our founding fathers went through to plant our country on a firm foundation based on freedom. As the old man stood silently surrounded by the stillness of the morning, he thought back to the days of his youth. Private Michaels and he had grown up together, and were thought to be closer than any two brothers. Where one went, the other was sure to follow, even to the extent of entering the Second World War. Together, they fought side by side, defending their country as well as the lives of many innocent people. Michaels gave his own life over to enemy fire, shortly before the end of the war, so his best friend could live. Standing there with rays of warmth caressing his back, the old man realized there truly was no greater love than the gift his friend had given him, and his country.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Fantasy vs. Reality

Fantasy vs. Reality Blanche is sufficiently self-aware to know that she cannot survive in the world as it is. Reality is too harsh, so she must somehow create illusions that will allow her to maintain her delicate, fragile hold on life. â€Å"A woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion† (scene 2) she acknowledges to Stanley. Later in the story line when Mitch wants to switch the light on so that he can get a realistic look at her, she tells him that she does not want realism, she wants magic. When Mitch turns on the light during that scene it reveals much more to the audience than just what she really looks like, but it shows that all this time she has been living her life in the dark, hiding herself in the murky shadows of her promiscuity. Her ultimate goal was to manipulate reality until her fantasy becomes reality. She wants life to be lived in a permanent romantic glow, like the light that lit up the entire worlds when she first fell in love. But in this play, reality dominates. The realism of the setting, with its down-to-earth characters and the sounds of the busy life of this corner of New Orleans, suggests that Blanche’s illusions are not going to be sufficient. The fact that Blanche is probably aware of this too is what wins her the sympathy of the audience. Eventually, her thin hold on reality disappears altogether and she takes refuge in an illusory world in which she is about to go on a trip with her imaginary rich beau. The more desperate Blanche becomes in her loneliness, the more deeply she digs herself into an alternate reality, where she is the author of her own demise. Fantasy can be a hard mind set to overcome for most people. The more a person repeats a lie—the more that person starts to believe it is reality. This is one of many themes that can be related to everyday life.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

How to make effective resume? Essay

RESUME: – Your resume is one of the most important tools you have when looking for a job. This page will help you choose the right type of rà ©sumà © for your situation. It will also provide you with tips to help you tailor your rà ©sumà © to the job you’re applying for, and to make sure it stands out in a crowd for all the right reasons. A resume is a short, point-form document that you give to employers to tell them about your work experience, education, and skills. Before you write your rà ©sumà ©, you may want to complete a skills inventory to know what skills you have to offer an employer. WHY DO YOU NEED A RESUME? The job market has changed drastically from just a few years ago. While a resume was once only needed by upper management and executives, today almost everyone needs a rà ©sumà © to job hunt effectively. The resume has only one purpose . . . to get interviews. A good resume cannot get you a job, but a bad resume or no resume will prevent you from even getting the opportunity to interview. A rà ©sumà © is a marketing tool, plain and simple. Your rà ©sumà © speaks for you when you are not there to talk yourself. Many companies want you to send your resume in response to an advertisement on the internet or in the newspaper. In order to remain anonymous and avoid a flurry of phone calls, they only list their fax number or an e-mail address. If you do not have a resume you will not be able to respond to these types of advertisements. Many people think of a rà ©sumà © as a history or summary of their career. This is not quite correct. What makes a well-written resume so effective is that it provides potential employers with relevant information about why they should consider hiring you. An effective resume will show the employer all the benefits they will receive from hiring you. An effective rà ©sumà © is an investment, whether in the time it takes you to prepare it yourself or if you decide to hire a professional to help you. However, a well-written resume is an investment in your future. Think about the salary you are costing yourself from missed opportunities and failing to convince employers to call you for an interview. A good rà ©sumà © will get you more calls, more interviews and therefore a job much more quickly. A great rà ©sumà © can also convince an employer you are worth more salary! Here are some key components that make an effective resume:- * YOUR RESUME MUST SELL AN EMPLOYER YOUR BENEFITS:- The process of looking for a job is a sales presentation. You have become a salesperson and the product you are selling is YOU! Any good salesperson will tell you that you have to sell a customer on the benefits they will receive from the product. Your customer, the prospective employer, wants to know how you will return the investment they will make in you as an employee. In other words, don’t just tell them you are organized; tell them you have the ability to bring order to any chaotic situation that will increase the efficiency of the office. Don’t just tell them you are dependable, let them know that you have a spotless record of attendance and you are never late. * YOUR RESUME MUST BE ERROR FREE: One type or one misspelled word could be the reason that hiring managers are not calling you. Proofread your rà ©sumà © forwards and backwards. Don’t rely on your computer’s spellchecker to catch your errors. Spellcheckers only find misspelled words; they don’t look for misused words. Consistency is very important when creating your document. Attention to detail in your rà ©sumà © communicates to the hiring manager that you pay attention to details in your work. * YOUR RESUME MUST BE PERSONALIZED:- Templates or cookie cutter resumes are a problem because they look just like everyone else resume. What you need is to stand out from the crowd. Remember, a resume’s job is to entice the hiring manager to call you for an interview. Anyone can write a resume for an administrative assistant. What will get your phone ringing for interviews is a resume that tells the hiring manager why you are a great administrative assistant. WHAT TO INCLUDE IN RESUME? CONTACT INFORMATION * HOBBIES OBJECTIVES * CERTIFICATES HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATION EDUCATION SKILLS EXPERIENCE EXTCURRICULUM ACTIVITIES AWARDS/HONOURS TYPES OF RESUMES:- *CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMES: – A chronological resume starts by listing your work history, with the most recent position listed first. Your jobs are listed in reverse chronological order with your current or most recent job, first. Employers typically prefer this type of resume because it’s easy to see what jobs you have held and when you have worked at them. This type of resume works well for job seekers with a strong, solid work history. * FUNCTIONAL RESUME: – A functional resume focuses on your skills and experience, rather than on your chronological work history. It is used most often by people who are changing careers or who have gaps in their employment history. * COMBINATION RESUME: – A combination resume lists your skills and experience first. Your employment history is listed next. With this type of resume you can highlight the skills you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for, and also provide the chronological work history that employers prefer. RESUME FORMAT Your Contact Information First Last Name Street Address City, State, Zip Phone (Cell/Home) Email Address Objective (optional) What do you want to do? If you include this section it should be a sentence or two about your employment goals. A customized objective that describes why you are the perfect candidate for the job can help your resume stand out from the competition. Career Summary / Highlights (optional) A customized section of your resume that lists key achievements, skills, traits, and experience relevant to the position for which you are applying can serve dual purposes. It highlights your relevant experience and lets the prospective employer know that you have taken the time to create a resume that shows how you are qualified for the job. Experience This section of your resume includes your work history. List the companies you worked for, dates of employment, the positions you held and a bulleted list of responsibilities and achievements. Company #1 City, State Dates Worked Job Title Responsibilities / Achievements Responsibilities / Achievements Company #2 City, State Dates Worked Job Title Responsibilities / Achievements Responsibilities / Achievements Education In the education section of your resume, list the schools you attended, the degrees you attained, and any special awards and honors you earned. College, Degree Awards, Honors Skills Include skills related to the position / career field that you are applying for i.e. computer skills, language skills. References available upon request There is no need to include references on your resume or even to mention that references are available. Rather, have a separate list of references to give to employers upon request. Customize Your Resume In all cases, be sure to personalize and customize your resume, so it reflects your skills and abilities and connects them with the jobs you are applying for. Review Resume Samples Review sample resumes so you can incorporate your resume template information into an appropriate format.