8 Common Questions Parents Ask Teachers

If you really want to make a great impression on the parents, then you must be ready to answer any question they might have for you. Here are 8 of the most common questions teachers receive from parents as well as some advice on how to answer them. 1. How Do I Help My Child With Technology When I Dont Know Anything About It? Many parents are far behind when it comes to staying up-to-date with the latest tech tools. Often, the child is the most tech-savvy member of the household. So, when a parent doesnt know how to help their child with their tech, they might come to you for advice.   What to Say - Tell parents to ask the same questions they would if they werent using technology for their homework. Questions like What are you learning? and What are you trying to accomplish? 2. How Can My Child Be Successful in School? Parents want to know what can they do at home to help their child be successful in school. They might ask for details on how you grade and if there is anything that they can do to make sure their child receives an A.   What to Say - Be truthful, show them how you grade, and share your expectations for your students. Remind them its not all about the grades, but how the child is learning. 3. Is My Child Behaving in School? If a parent asks you this question, you can probably assume that the child has behavioral issues at home as well. These parents often want to know if their childs behavior at home is transferring to their behavior in school. And, though there are instances of children acting out at home and presenting the opposite behavior in school, misbehaved children often act out in both spaces.   What to Say - Tell them how you see it. If they are indeed acting out, then you need to come up with a behavior plan with the parent and the student. There may be something going on at home (divorce, sick relative, etc.) Do not pry, but you can prompt the parent to see if they will tell you. If they are not acting out in school, reassure the parent and tell them they neednt worry.   4. Why Do You Give so Much/so Little Homework Parents will have strong opinions on homework volume no matter how much you give. Be receptive to their feedback, but remember that you are the teacher and it is ultimately up to you to decide what is best for your students and your classroom. What to Say - If a parent asks why you give so much homework, explain to them what their child is working on in school, and why its important to have them reinforce it at night. If a parent asks why their child never gets homework, then explain to them that you dont feel its necessary to bring work home when they could be spending time with their family. 5. What Is the Purpose of the Assignment? This parent question usually arises after a long night of sitting with their frustrated child. You have to remember that the way they pose the question (which is usually out of frustration) may come off as aggressive. Be patient with this parent; they have probably had a long night.   What to Say - Tell them that you are sorry that they may have a hard time and that you are always available via text or email to answer any questions. Make sure to communicate to them the  specific purpose of the assignment and reassure them that next time they have an issue that you are always there to answer their questions. 6. We Are Going on Vacation, Can I Have All of My Childs Homework? Vacations during school time can be hard because a child misses out on a lot of classroom time. It also means that you have to take the extra time to prep all of your lesson plans far ahead of time. Make sure to communicate your policy for vacation homework in the very beginning of the school year and ask that they give you at least one weeks notice. What to Say - Provide the parent with what you can and let them know that their child will likely have other things to make up when they get back. 7. Does My Child Have Friends? The parent just wants to make sure that their child is having a good experience in school and isnt being bullied or excluded.   What to Say - Tell them that you will observe their child and get back to them. Then, make sure that you do that. This will give the chance for you to pinpoint the time of day the child is having difficulty (if any). Then, the parent (and you) can talk to the child and come up with some solutions if need be. 8. Is My Child Turing in Their Homework on Time? Usually, this question comes from parents of 4th and 5th graders because this is the time when students gain more personal responsibility, which can take some adjustment.   What to Say - Offer the parent some insight into what their child is handing in and what they are not. Communicate your rules and expectations are for the student. Talk with the parent about things that they can do at home to help the child maintain responsibility, as well as what they can do in school.

The Effect Of Motivation On Job Performance - 1667 Words

Secondly, work effort or motivation is also an important effect to job performance. Motivation refers to the employees’ willingness to perform, how much responsibility the employees perform their job, how much effort they put in work in order to explains why some people feel happy with their jobs while others feel unhappy so they leave their jobs or stay on but complaint or not come to work properly (according to Elliot, Andrew J; Covington, Martin, 2001). For example, a student spends double time to study because she wants to get a better grade. In other hand, the motivation is to get the better grade; this student’s behaviour is to spend more time to study. Furthermore, motivation is the process of individual’s intensity, direction and persistence in order to toward goals. Intensity means how hard, how long and how much a person tries and puts their efforts in their jobs. Direction is toward the organization’s benefits. However, if the useless effort is transferred in direction, high intensity is not guarantee of favourable job-performance. Therefore, the quality of effort is as important as intensity of effort. Finally, persistence that means how long a person can maintain effort is important as a motivated person stays with a task long enough to achieve his or her goal. The theory that applies to the role is expectancy theory of motivation (Porter Lawler, 1968; Vroom, 1964). This theory is based on employee’s belief that links of three elements expectancy,Show MoreRelatedEffects of Motivation on Employees’ Job Performance in an Organization3511 Words   |  15 PagesEffects of Motivation on Employees’ Job Performance in an Organization The primary objective of this paper is to describe, analyze and evaluate the effects of motivation on employees job performance in an organization. Furthermore, this aims to give insight to employees and administration who are working within an organization. The importance of motivation and how it affects an organizations performance in its entirety, will be the best deciding measure between good and bad motivationalRead MoreCorrelation Between Employee Motivation And Job Performance Essay1098 Words   |  5 PagesAn employee performance appraisal can act as motivation for an employee to improve his productivity. When an employee sees his goals clearly defined and is measured against the set goals and objectives, a need can be identified about the future strategies of employee motivation. In this review, I will look at and explore the multiple arguments of the management research articles. So, the question I must ask: is there a positive correlation between employee m otivation and job performance? 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Overall satisfactions derive form combined levels of satisfaction from various elements of an individual’s job, whether it’s: pay, promotion, supervision, coworkers, or the work itself. Job satisfaction is based on cognitive and affective components, which is evaluated by what an individual thinks about the job, and how they feel. Cognition evaluation is based on experiencesRead MoreA Theory Of Motivation Is The Hawthorne Effect On The Workplace Es say790 Words   |  4 PagesAnother theory of motivation is the Hawthorne effect which was established by Henry A. Landsberger in the 1950s. The theory states that employees tend to work harder and give a better performance when they know they were being observed by their employers. Research has been conducted for this theory where they concluded that the employees were more motivated when they were receiving attention. In order to apply the Hawthorne effect to the workplace, studies suggests that the employer should provide

Beck -Sea Change free essay sample

â€Å"Sea Change† is a sharp divergence from Becks previous albums and offers another dimension from which to view the musician. Most noticeably, it is almost entirely acoustic. There are no electric beats, no grinding guitar, just Beck singing and strumming. Strings and sound effects are used to accentuate the existing music, not mask it. Unlike several of Becks previous efforts (most notably the 1999 â€Å"Midnite Vultures†), this album has a very somber, often morose tone. The song â€Å"Already Dead† contains lyrics like â€Å"Time wears away/All the pleasures of the day Days fade to black/In the light of what they lack.† A majority of this album seems to focus on the pain that Beck has endured because of relationships. Thats not to say that the entire album is a sad affair since â€Å"Sunday Sun† and â€Å"Little One† provide a sense of happiness (although this is accomplished through instrumentation, since the lyrics are still not exactly joyful). We will write a custom essay sample on Beck Sea Change or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The opening track, â€Å"The Golden Age,† is one of the best on the CD. There is hope even when things look bleak. â€Å"Sea Change† is one of the most refreshing albums I have heard in a long time. Beck is so honest and open that it should shame plastic pop singers. The listener can feel Becks pain and, although not as often, his optimism. There is nothing fake about these songs, which is what makes the disc so incredible. Be warned, â€Å"Sea Change† will not leave you smiling from ear to ear, but not all music is meant to be cheerful. Some music, like this, is meant to bring us down to earth. Beck has nothing to hide, which is fortunate for the listener.

Ethical delimms Essay Example

Ethical delimms Essay What is Ethical Dilemmas in the workplace? A dilemma usually arises when there is conflict between staff, and their Individual opinion. An Ethical dilemma may occur within two or more people, almost all workplace has ethical dilemmas reason Is staff may all come from different socio-economic backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. Ethical Dilemmas in the work place are common issues, and can be a daunting issue. It can cause an employee not to like their Job, or cause a bad impression on others. Many of the different dilemmas that can be faced are favoritism, sexual harassment, termination of an employee without notice, unnecessary delay in pay, working for more than one organization, not doing your Job, and taking excessive leave, the list can go on and on. It can also cause a person to have unwanted stress. As a counselor ones job title is working as a trainer on the floor assisting developmental adults with piece work, counseling individuals when needed, and complying with state guidelines, ensuring that all yearly documents are received, and filed, Individualized service plans are done twice a year, and ensuring the health and fatty of all Individuals. Each case load consist of 10-20 individuals. This work usually comes with a dead line, sometimes It also comes with all staff assisting with the fashion. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical delimms specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical delimms specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical delimms specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Employee X was hired as a counselor on his first day on the Job his Job duties was again told, along with his training. However he refused to work as everyone else. Many of times he has been caught locked away in the office refusing to help or assist with the other individuals. Counselor Z has spoken to counselor X, however nothing has changed. Eventually counselor Z went to her director, and informed them of the situation. Upon speaking to the director, counselor Z was informed that they would have a staff meeting with the department during the meeting counselor X stated that hes always on the floor. Once again the Job description was given to all employees. The director even established a rotating schedule in case the need arise that additional staff was needed on the floor. This plan indicated office duties, each counselor will have one day where you were allotted to complete all office work and the other office work days was split. Where one counselor was on the floor at all times while the other counselor had office duties. This seemed to work for a while. This seemed to Correcting the Ethical Dilemma of the work place. Counselor X started hiding away in the office, once again refusing to help on the floor. One day we were so short staff and needed as much help as possible, the director pulled staff from other departments to assist us as we had reached the companies dead line, and the order was going to be picked up for shipment by the close of business. Counselor X stated that it was his office day, and he was not leaving his office. Counselor Z went to the director once again, and tresses her concerns, at the end of the day the director called a staff meeting, for an in service on what Job titles were. When asked what was the issues or conflicts that the department had, or if there was any concerns that needed to be rectified no one said anything, not to mention that many of the other employees had the same concerns. I finally said I had something to say I stated exactly what the issue was. The director gave counselor X a chance to defend himself, and of course he never admitted to doing anything wrong. The director stated that a counselors Job is Just as important, as any other position in the facility. The director also stated effective immediately no counselor will be in the office any one day in any given week. All counselors will be allowed one day of choice to do paper work, if for any reason staff is needed on the floor another day will be assigned either that week or the following week to ensure that all work is completed in a timely fashion. It seemed as if this problem was not going to get rectified. I was not sure if the director has ever spoke to counselor X, it was unclear if he even understood his Job. After weeks, of the same behavior going on. I started to think there is some type of favoritism. I could not put my hands on the situation. I finally went to the union. I was not sure if this was the right thing to do, however the company felt strong about stealing company money, which this was because he did no work. As an outsider do you feel that this situation was handled in the correct way? If you were the director can you think of a better way of dealing with this situation? If I was the director 1 verbal, 1 written, and a final would have been all that it should have taken. Eventually the director transferred to a different facility, and counselor X was fired. This situation went on for more than 8 months. This ethical Dilemma not only affected staff but it also affected the individuals that we serviced. Even though a person track. Now that the union was involved the company has implemented the 3 strike rule. In conclusion to the Ethical Dilemmas that are found in many areas of the work place. As all employees come from different walks of life, have different beliefs, and believe what there cultures believe in. Many people will experience Ethical Dilemmas in the work place, however can it be avoided, can companies have enough in place to avoid situations like this or many others from happen again. No one ever wants to deal with certain dilemmas especially where one has to work.

Things Fall Apart Idea of Strong Essay Example

Things Fall Apart: Idea of Strong Essay Strength vs.. Values Strong and powerful Is controversial, because It defers person to person. Also, throughout generations and cultures, the definition has been modified. Usually, ones values are connected to their interpretation of strength. For example, my emphasis on my values are utterly different from Ginkgos values. The Bio culture developed their own idea of strength, American society has modernized it, and ones values may differ from anothers. Throughout Things Fall Apart, the buds Idea of strength Is Illustrated through the villagers and Coonskins thoughts. The ultimate result Awoken desired was prosperity, and when he spent seven years from his clan, he developed a plan to accomplish this. He would build a bigger barn than he had had before and he would build huts for two new wives. Then he would show his wealth by initiating his sons into the zoo society. Only the really great men in the clan were able to do this. Awoken saw clearly the high esteem In which he would be held, and he saw himself taking the highest title In the land (155). Awoken believed that being strict would build him respect, and only weakness thrived off of emotions. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength (26). The Bio culture involved a lot of violence, therefore, being bold and war-like was being brave. But I have also heard that Beam people were weak and foolish. Why did they not fight back? Had they no guns and machete? We would be cowards Barman 2 to compare ourselves Walt n ten men AT Dame A villager Trot Mad man, Ginkgos clan, or Beam would be frustrated if they were placed in American society, mainly because power has a new significance. We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart: Idea of Strong specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart: Idea of Strong specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart: Idea of Strong specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer True American heroes use their morals to save others and support what is eight. They do not discriminate against gender or race, unlike the Bio society that treated men with more respect than women. No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man (48). We all know that a man is the head of the family and his wives do his bidding. A child belongs to its father and his family and not to its mother and her family (121). Now, in America, a wife is determined by love, and not bargaining and money. Today, any person in America, the land of opportunity, an be educated and get a Job. In the Bio society, the only way to succeed was to be male and a good farmer, and Awoken followed this concept. Ginkgos values and mine relate to the cultures we live in. An important value to me is my education, because in America, the main way to thrive is to be erudite. Awoken strives to be a good farmer, because in his clan, yam stood for manliness, and he who could feed his family on yams from one harvest to another was a very great man indeed (30). His culture also valued possessions, although I try not to value them. Awoken wanted to be successful and be the opposite of his lazy father, Just like I want to be able to support myself when I grow older. Even as a little boy he had resented his fathers failure and weakness Awoken was ruled by one passion-to hate everything his father Knock had loved. One of those things Barman 3 was gentleness Ana another was Idleness ( By Dealing unsympathetic, Nils IT had been ruled by a great passion-to become one of the lords of the clan. That had been his life-spring (119). Ones values may determine their strength in their society. The Bio had their idea of strength, todays Americans have their own, and values change with generations and cultures. In the Bio society, for example, rich males had more respect, and in todays America, almost anyone can be a hero. Modernization, along with time and separation of ideas, has put the opportunity for power into many hands. For example, opportunity is given to the most able citizen in America, but in the Bio society, the door is closed to almost everyone. Ginkgos concern of being supreme and following his own values eventually drove him to suicide.

Project charter Essays

Project charter Essays Project charter Essay Project charter Essay The new internet web site will increase the public awareness on all local, regional and global environmental issues. It will also help to assist concerned authorities by implementing environmental programs and projects. The project will lead EGG to foster exchange of information, experience and practices expertise. Environmental organization EGG seeks to promote positive environmental action for the largest possible number of user to effective participation in specific projects, campaigns and activities. The new website will collect a database on various environmental issues and experts on various environmental issues from the public and private sectors to be available for public and institutions. The EGG will liaise with various target groups within the community to spread the environmental message and encourage volunteerism in preserving and protecting the environment. These objectives will lead company to propagate community waste reduction and recycling schemes, both as a meaner of protecting the environment and as a flagship for improving the communitys environmental awareness. Consider including the following items: relative priorities among functionality, schedule and budget risk management procedures Describe the assumptions upon which the project plans are based, the dependencies f the project plans, and the constraints upon the project plans (e. g. , schedule, budget, quality, functionality, etc. ). 3. 3 Risk Management Describe the major risks to the project, which the project plan has been designed to address. Describe how risks will be tracked and monitored. Insert a risk matrix. 3. Monitoring and Controlling Mechanisms Describe how project cost, schedule, quality and functionality will be tracked throughout the project. Consider describing the following: Report content/formats Reporting structure and frequency Audit mechanisms Project web site Time accounting . 5 Staffing Plan Describe the numbers and types of personnel needed to conduct the project. Describe the required skill levels, start times, duration on the project, method of obtaining the p ersonnel, training required and phasing out of project personnel. . 6 Stakeholders Describe the key stakeholders (internal/external), interest (high/medium/low), influence (supporter/against/neutral) and their expected involvement (contribution) to the project. Influence Interest (H/WL) Expected Contribution Describe the communication channels and methods for project implementation and monitoring. Communication from to Time Period 4. Plan Details 4. 1 WBS Outline the work breakdown structure (WBS) of tasks that must be followed to develop the project, including dependencies between tasks. . 2 Resource Requirements List the resources required for each activity in the WBS. Include human, computer and physical facility resources needed. 4. 3 Budget and Resource Allocation Detail how the projects budget and resources will be allocated to all development and support functions for the project. 4. 4 Schedule Describe the schedule of project activities, taking into account the dependencies and equired milestone dates and deliverable dates. Express schedules either as absolute calendar dates or as time relative to key project milestones (e. g. , requirements signed off + 60 days). 5. Additional Components (OPTIONAL) Include additional components needed to manage your specific project. Possibilities include subcontractor management plans, security plans, training plans, hardware procurement plans, facilities plans, installation plans, legacy system transition plans, and maintenance plans. A Revised Project Charter B Project Work Plan (Ms Project file)

Profiling and Counter-terrorism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Profiling and Counter-terrorism - Term Paper Example The document addresses four broad approaches of profiling; Crime Scene Analysis (CSA), Diagnostic Evaluation (DE), Investigative Psychology (IP), and Geographic profiling (GP), which employ various techniques of profiling in countering terrorist crimes and attacks. Keywords: Profiling, Crimes, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Physical and Biological Evidence, Terrorism, Suspects, Offenders, Victims, CSA, DE, Geographical Profiling, IP, Crime Scene Introduction to Profiling and Counter Terrorism Investigations in criminal cases around the world have evolved with time to increase the chances of getting to the lead, which can aid private investigators and police teams to solve the case and catch the law offenders. Terrorism crimes are terrifying incidences and every nation’s federal and local government has to be prepared to handle such cases, either in prevention before or after terror occurrences. Some of these crimes tend to occur in various patterns that can be traced, studied, and enable police investigators know the offenders better. Despite the fact that the perpetrators nowadays carry out their unlawful acts after proper planning and execution, more scientific and advanced methods can still help in profiling. According to Muller â€Å"criminal profiling is the process of using available information about a crime and crime scene to compose a psychological portrait of the unknown perpetrator of the crime† (2000, p. 235). The personal behaviours and characteristics in the criminal cases enable the investigators in analysis of the scene, to be able to make a generalization or a prediction of the future incident. Terrorism cases entail forceful attacks to cause destruction among other threatening or injurious incidences. Sometimes, the victims of terrorism are found dead and their bodies act as centres of study, which give an insight as to why they were chosen as victims for the crime, as well as how the offender thinks and acts. The scene of the cri me can tell a lot of information based on crimes and perpetrators by analysing evidence of weapons and the choice of spot of crime if repeated. In most cases, profiling is used in serial crimes and on serial offenders who desire to sustain their own mythology. Profiling is not only a technique employed by antiterrorism units to counter terrorists threats and attacks, but provide these units in the security and defence departments of the government with necessary strategies they can adopt, while interrogating such offenders, since their psychological aspect has been studied. There are different approaches and types of profiling that enable investigators to narrow their search to possible number of suspected criminals. Types can be DNA, criminal, racial, offender, or victim focused among others that are techniques used in various approaches below. Approaches to Profiling Geographical profiling The approach deals with techniques that support in analysis of location linking to a series of crimes to produce leads on the locations of the offenders, or where they are coming from. Most of the geographical profilers use the network and communication systems to monitor, trace, and analyse the signals to spot the original locations. It has been made easier through

An Introduction to STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND THE ROLES OF THE GENERAL Essay

An Introduction to STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND THE ROLES OF THE GENERAL MANAGER - Essay Example Strategic management takes account of the strengths and weaknesses of the organizations and prepares itself best in competitive arena by minimizing weaknesses and maximizing strengths. The human resource of the company is structured and inspired to achieve the objectives of the company. The role of the General Manager is that of a leader of human resources who guides and allocates the usage of other resources. Thus the role of the General Manager assumes critical importance in implementing the company’s objectives across various functional departments, and integrating the workforce to achieve the stated goals of the company by reining wayward behaviour and ‘self-direction’ to ‘shared beliefs’. This is achieved through development of communication channels, smooth flow of information across company’s structures, conflict resolution, and provision of creative latitude and development of a sound organizational culture. The General Manager keeps th e Board and the CEO informed about the progress and performance of the company. He/she is the vital link in vertical and horizontal communication amongst company’s stakeholders. Due to its strategic importance, sometimes the job of General Manager becomes extremely stressful. We are dedicated to development of innovative Information Technology solutions. Our products meet the customer expectations and provide quality products that give maximum value for money. We are committed to create ever higher levels of customer satisfaction in order to have a sustained competitive advantage in the market. We achieve this by putting in our best efforts in a creative environment; where our work is a pleasurable activity that gives us a tremendous sense of fulfilment. We are a well-knitted team of exemplary and dignified individuals. Meeting ever higher levels of customer satisfaction: The road to perfection is an unending journey. Our customers seek better and better and products. We focus on innovation and quality to

Widows in Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Widows in Hinduism - Essay Example eatly be pegged on different traditions, content and themes of various contexts in history and authenticity and authority of texts and other sources of information that they rely on for history purposes. For instance, some traditions in Hindu kingdoms which used Manusmrti texts to refer their history advocated in many occasions to restricting women rights whereas the modern Hindu society has a new perspective on women and their roles in the society. In general, different traditions within these kingdoms dictated the roles and position of women in that while some advocated male chauvinism, some kingdoms included respected courtesans; sacred women to worship and service their deities, educated and trained women in their kingdoms and those who could perform extra ordinary activities such as magic (Fisher & Adler, 2011). Books and other literary works have been written on the subject matter, women and Hinduism, with majority concentrating on the treatment of women before and after the Br itish colonial rule, and this article will reflect on the Hinduism’s understanding of widowhood and traditional treatment of widows. During British colonial rule, child marriage was a common practice in India where girl children as young as below ten years could get married to an older man; a practice/ tradition of some societies where women were treated as sex slaves or believed to have a role of a â€Å"house wife† irrespective of their age. The major problem was when a husband dies as the widows had a diminished role and position in the society and were required to spend their lives languishing in poverty and constantly worshiping God; restricted to the right of re-marrying and having a happy family with another man. Re-marrying being treated like a taboo, the widows had to be confined in an ashram for Hindu widows to spend their lives in renunciation, segregation from other society members so as to expiate bad karma and to relieve their families of financial and emotional burdens.

Mechanised Forces In Asymmetrical Forms Of Warfare History Essay

Mechanised Forces In Asymmetrical Forms Of Warfare History Essay Oxford Dictionary defines Asymmetry as lack of symmetry while others define it as not balanced or regularly arranged on opposite sides ie lacking equality and balance. Asymmetry is evident when two adversaries differ in availability of resources or technology, leading to an imbalance. Many authors use this term in the same breath as guerilla warfare, terrorism and/or insurgency which to an extent are actually tactics which address the disadvantage occurring due to asymmetry. Any imbalance between two belligerents would force the one who is weaker to resort to alternate tactics and concepts in order to negate the conventional, organisational or technological superiority of the stronger of the two. The conflict thus breaks away from military boundaries and now encompasses other environments, typically physical, where now it may involve civilians. More often than not, the winnings accrue from winning over the people and their minds and by moulding opinions in own favour. Thus the tactic s employed to achieve symmetry by the weaker actor do not follow set rules or positions and attempt to undermine the strength of the stronger adversary by exploiting his weakness and impacting him psychologically more than physically. Asymmetric warfare is considered as a subset of the Fourth Generation Warfare and can take on any form including information operations, guerilla warfare, urban operations or low intensity conflict; all unorthodox, irregular form of operations only to achieve symmetry. The Indian States and mostly the Indian Armys experience in combating this form of warfare is unique. Starting with the North-East insurgency, the IPKF imbroglio, ongoing low intensity conflict (LIC) in Jammu Kashmir and the developing Left Wing extremism, our experience is tremendous. Having said so, it must be admitted that in all this, the employment of mechanised forces has been restricted, except during the IPKF operations. Hence, the question of its relevance in such operations is bound to arise in our context. Relevance of Mechanised Forces in Forms of Asymmetrical Warfare Conventionally, the impact of mechanised force is synonymous with mobility, firepower and shock action. However, its employment in forms of asymmetrical warfare is under debate. Indian experience has not found much use of the mechanised elements except when absolutely necessary viz operations in Sri Lanka, Kashmir (Sopore) and Punjab (Golden Temple). This is more so drawn from the fact that utilisation of mechanised elements during internal security tasks raises the psychological level of conflict and draws un-necessary attention, both media and global. Further, impact of heavy armour and threat of collateral damage is inherent in employment of mechanised forces and hence its usage is deliberately restricted internally. Evidently, the utility of mechanised forces in their present form is limited in Internal Security tasks. However, contingencies for the employment of mechanised forces by the Indian Army do exist and shall become a reality in the near future as the country finds itself a footing as a regional and economic superpower amongst the comity of nations which would thrust upon her enhanced international commitments and responsibilities. India would need to demonstrate its will and capability to employ and deploy its military component beyond its national borders and in increasing numbers. Some of these contingencies could be:- United Nations mandated peacekeeping or peace-enforcement missions. Even today mechanised sub-units are operating as part of brigade groups in UN Peace-keeping duties. Out of Area Operations (OOAO). The main concept of OOAO envisages carrying out operations outside national boundaries either unilaterally or multilaterally towards fulfillment of military or political objectives. However, the obligations to undertake OOAO in the developing global environment would include maintaining regional stability and ensuring own national interests, wherein there may be occasions for military deployment in regional nations, independently or as part of regional alliance. As part of International Force in counter terrorist and counter insurgent operations. Examples of utilization of mechanised forces abound outside especially the operations of Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), US Army in Iraq, Russians in Chechnya, etc. even our own experience and lessons learnt whilst employing mechanised forces as part of IPKF in Sri Lanka are valuable. A SWOT analysis of the characteristics of a mechanised force would allow us to arrive at the best method of employment and thus the tactics required to be followed. (PHOTO SWOT ANALYSIS) While there is no denying the fact that one of the major characteristics of armour ie mobility is severely hampered in such operations, the exploitation of the other characteristics offset this disadvantage. Firepower. The target acquisition and engagement ability of the armour allows it to deliver precision fire even in restricted terrain. This obviates the need of Air Support and thus avoids collateral damage. The availability of secondary armament in the form of a machine gun is a major advantage. Shock Action. The physical presence and arrival of armoured forces in the area of operations is a symbol of power and destructive capability. The physical presence of armoured troops provides a deterrent effect and lends to strike fear in opponents not similarly equipped. Armour Protection. This characteristic plays a major role in LIC operations and MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) wherein the small arms fire is negated effectively. However, weapons of the adversary may also include rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which can be offset by additional protective systems like the explosive reactive armour (ERA) and operating techniques viz combined arms team. Flexibility. LICO and MOUT will involve small team operations with decentralized control. The tank or Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) are most suitable weapon platforms for leading such operations due to their inherent flexibility through communications and advanced battlefield management systems (BMS). History has been replete with examples of mechanised employment in asymmetrical forms of warfare. Recent instances are the Russians in Chechnya, the Israeli experiences and the extensive use of mechanised units in Iraq. Let us very briefly analyse some of these experiences which may suggest the relevance of mechanised forces in such operations or otherwise. Russians in Chechnya Russian invasion of Chechnya in December 1994 was a classical example of an asymmetrical battle in urban terrain between a conventional superpower versus the unorganized but highly motivated Chechen fighters. After failing to topple the anti-Russian regime in Chechnya through covert means, the Russians launched a major conventional effort to oust Djokar Dudayev, the renegade former Soviet Air Force officer who headed that separatist movement. While the Russian mechanised formations initially had some success driving the Chechens from the open areas of northern Chechnya, their lack of a plan for the operations in the city of Grozny, led the Russians to adopt the strategy of driving an armoured column into the center of town and capture the main administrative buildings, on the assumption that serious resistance would then cease. The Russians suffered numerous casualties and were forced to withdraw. The resulting military disaster has become a classic case study of the folly of using m assed armour without organizing combines arms teams, in an urban terrain. The Israeli Experience In response to the Hamas suicide bombing in Netanya, the Israelis launched OPERATION DEFENSIVE SHIELD (Intifada-II for the Palestinians) aimed to eliminating the safe havens of Hamas fighters in the refugee Camps. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attack on the Jenin Camp gives us major lessons in employment of mechanised forces in urban terrain while countering asymmetrical tactics. IDF used its mechanised forces in conjunction with infantry and Special Forces troops in combined arms teams. This allowed them to exploit the firepower, protection and shock effect of the armoured sub-units. Mechanised columns were used to isolate the Camp initially and then as part of combined arms teams, they were utilised to invest and further assist the infantry in clearing the Camp. Lessons learnt by the Israelis make the tanks relevant in such operations albeit with certain modifications to the tactics and organisation. US Army in Iraq The extensive use of tanks by the US Army in its counter insurgency operations in Iraq firms in the relevance of mechanised units, especially in urban terrain. The US Army, after initial setbacks, changed tactics and started employing mutually supporting combined arms teams of tanks and infantry. The vulnerability of the armoured columns to insurgent tactics in urban terrain was offset by use of infantry in close support. Tanks were preferred over Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) due to the low survivability of the latter and the fact that risk of carrying troops in an APC was not worth the loss of lives. Commanders consider the intimidation and firepower of the Abrams a crucial tool for putting down the insurgents. When the Marines crushed insurgent-held Fallujah, they brought in two extra brigades of M1 Abrams tanks. The precision firepower, armour protection and ability to operate in small teams independently gave the commanders on ground the flexibility and reduced casualties a nd collateral damage. (Photo : Abrams tank upgrade for urban operations) Its a dirty, close fight, says an article in  Armor, the US Armys official magazine of tank warfare, by a group of officers led by Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli of the 1st Cavalry Division. Be wary of eliminating or reducing heavy armor as the Army modernizes, the officers warn, arguing it is crucial against insurgents crude but effective weapons. The M1 tank is still the platform of choice, says Colonel Russ Gold, a former commander in Iraq and chief of staff at the U.S. Armys Armor Center in Fort Knox, Primarily it was the shock effect, and it provided a lot of protection. Before OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, the Army had one vision for the future: the notion that a lighter, more mobile force would make armor obsolete. Now, the Army is recognizing that the tanks must be upgraded, he says, so that their armor can be used even more effectively, especially in the cities. IPKF in Sri Lanka Not much has been written or analysed with regards to the employment of mechanised forces by the IPKF but the operations of the one armoured regiment that was employed is a pointer to certain tactical lessons for the future. In asymmetrical forms of warfare and especially in urban terrain, the primacy of infantry is established but the commanders generally have a tendency to restrict the use of armour as part of road opening or operating base security. Generally the trend in IPKF operations was to break down the tank troops into individual weapon platforms with them being placed in support of the infantry coy / platoon. This led to enhanced casualties due to the inadequate knowledge of Infantry Company / platoon commanders on employment of tanks and also enhanced the vulnerability of tanks. Another lesson was the vulnerability of a tank to the threat of IEDs and chemical energy weapon systems. (Photo : T-72s damaged in IED blasts in IPKF) Tactics of Employment Tactics vary constantly with the situation especially when facing asymmetric challenges. Particularly, the urban terrain does force change in tactics and method of employment of mechanised units. Some of these have been discussed below. Employment of mechanised forces in isolation would be a retrograde step. The success of the mechanised units as part of an integrated task force or combat team is obvious. A combined arms team consisting of elements of armour, infantry and engineers is a potent force for such operations. They are mutually supporting and can exploit the characteristics of each other. Command and control of ibid combined arms teams needs to be dwelled upon. The command of such teams must be bestowed upon the one most capable to exercise operational control over the others. It shall be extremely difficult for the infantry commander to exercise control over the armoured troop and the Engineers detachment and hence, the obvious choice is the armoured troop leader due to his effectiveness in controlling his troop as well as the Engineer detachment while the infantry provides the close-in protection and clearing tasks. Needless to say, communications and infantry-tank cooperation would require tremendous coordination. For effective mutual support, the US Army utilized the box or the diamond formation wherein several Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) were grouped together. Tactics employed was to position vehicles at the four points of the formation and advance using slow, coordinated forward movements allowing time to scan the areas that may be dominated by the enemy. When movement was halted, the AFVs took up positions on crossroads in order to provide better observation and coverage. At the Combat Group level, dispersion was maintained by employing several box formations moving in parallel through blocks or streets and coordinating their advance and firing sectors in order to reduce the chances of fratricide. This also enhanced the lateral security of the columns. Organisational changes may have to be resorted to in order to enhance the survivability in such asymmetrical conflicts. We presently follow the traditional four troops with each being a three tank troop while the squadron headquarters is equipped with two tanks. It may be prudent to re-organise the combat team prior to deployment in such operations, to only three troops in a squadron with each troop being a four tank troop. The second tank in the squadron headquarters be replaced with an ICV with command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I systems) on board. A four tank troop has major advantages as the troop now can operate in two tank sections with inherent mutual support. This would also confirm to the recommended formation of employment. In Iraq, the increasing demand for armoured units establishes the relevance and importance of mechanised units in asymmetrical conflicts especially fighting in built up areas (FIBUA), or as US Army would put it, MOUT. Another relevant thought process is the coercive impact of armoured units in such operations whereby, the armoured forces have been used as a visible symbol of power threatening the psychological domain of the adversary and impacting his morale. Conclusion The Indian Armys experience in asymmetrical forms of warfare is well known albeit more infantry oriented being related to internal security. Our infantry units are now adept and do adapt accordingly. However, the mechanised forces have remained under utilized except for their employment during IPKF operations and as part of UN peace keeping duties. As evident, the mechanised forces have a major role to play in asymmetrical conflicts and MOUT and the experience of other armies, especially the Israelis and the US Army, has been encouraging. There is a need to study their operations and gain from their experience, in order to prepare ourselves and our troops for such asymmetrical conflicts in the future. Even in conventional warfare there may be a need to re-invigorate the FIBUA technique of fighting, going by the fact that in developed terrain there may be a need to capture certain built up areas.

Firms Expansion in Global Markets Essay -- Business, Internationaliza

Literature Review and Hypothesis Development Studies related to firm’s expansion in global markets have received increasing attention at both empirical and conceptual levels. Numerous conceptual frame works and studies have been put frontward outlining firm’s choice on the way to establish internationalization procedure Whitelock (2002) and Andersen (1997). In prior studies related to the strategic management and international business have investigated a lot about the performance inference of the globally diversification strategies. However there is less work done on the performance inference of the globalization strategies related to the entrepreneurship and firm related literature. It has been empirically tested and argued by several researchers that better firms performance is related with the better level of global diversification for example Daniels and Bracker (1989), Tallman and Li (1996), Grant (1987) and Kim, Hwang and Burgers (1993). Barringer and Greening (1998) argued that one of the most important paths for the firm’s growth is geographic expansion. This type of growth strategy is relatively much important for SMEs whose scope has been confined geographically. According to Zahra, Ireland, and Hitt, (2000) the larger volume of growth and production of firms can be achieved by expanding customer bases by going into new markets. Furthermore in different geographic areas of the world, markets prevails different conditions. Firms can get high rate of return on their assets and can take advantage on market imperfection by leveraging their assets in dissimilar markets. SMEs will have to expand across the border markets to get better opportunities and better rate of returns to their assets. Milinaric (2010) has focuse... ...ee hypotheses were developed through extensive literature review. H1: Location specific factors are positively related with firm’s foreign market performance. H2: Firm specific factors are positively related with firm’s foreign market performance. H3: Owner specific factors are positively related with firm’s foreign market performance. Theoretical Framework FLO-FE model Measurement Before conducting regression analyses, data reduction was performed for factor analysis. The Firm specific factors, Location specific factors and Owner specific factors were measured on 5 point Liker scale. Ranking started from â€Å"1= strongly disagree† to â€Å"5= strongly agree. The responses to the Foreign entry performance questions ranged from â€Å"1=Much Worse† to â€Å"5=Much better†. To determine the internal reliability of the variables, cronbach’s alpha was run.

How To Make Your Car Shine Essay

Detailing a car is like art. You start off with a filthy car. Put some hard work and sweat into it. You, the artist, can turn it into a masterpiece! When I was a young boy, I would help my Dad detail his car every weekend. When I was fifteen, I got my driver’s permit and started detailing cars. I made a simple flyer with colored wording and flashy pictures of exotic sports cars and posted it in my neighborhood. At sixteen with my driver’s license and a car, my business took off. I have quite a bit of experience detailing cars and would like to share with you how to do it step by step. To detail a car properly, you must first start by doing a thorough cleaning of the interior, exterior, and finally by clay barring and waxing it. The first thing to do is to make sure you have a shaded area to work in, so your car won’t water spot while drying it. Having a garage is ideal. Remember to keep hydrated if it’s hot. Open all the doors and trunk. Remove any floor mats and give the carpet and upholstery a good vacuuming. While vacuuming use a skinny nozzle on the tube of the vacuum, so you can get in the hard to reach places, for instance in between the seat and center console and the under the seats and in between the seat crevasses. A lot of times when you vacuum sand is the most difficult to get out because it’s so small. There is also a lot of pebbles and dirt that get stuck in between the crevasses. It just requires diligence and patience with the vacuum to get this pesky filth out. Next wash the floor mats. If they’re rubber, use a brush and soap. Move the front seats full fore and aft to get to all the accumulated dirt and loose change. If the carpets are clean, except for a minor stain or two, use a foaming cleaner to get the stains out. Saturate the stain with cleaner, working it in with a damp sponge. Let it sit awhile and then blot it out with paper towels or a dry cotton cloth. When you remove the stains from the carpet a lot of times the cloth will turn brown or whatever the color of the stain is. That is a good indication to know if the stain is coming out. Repeat if necessary, and then go over the area with a damp sponge before final blotting. Don’t over saturate the carpet and risk getting mildew. Next move onto the seats of the car. If the seats are made of cloth, just do a thorough vacuuming. If there are stains you wish to remove, I recommend using a foam carpet and upholstery cleaner. Some good brands for that product are Armor All and Meguiars. If the car seats are leather, use a leather cleaner/ conditioner. I recommend using Ice Total Interior Care. It is great for all interior surfaces including leather, vinyl, and even carpet stains. It cleans and conditions and doesn’t leave a slippery residue or smell. Apply the cleaner to a microfiber cloth or cotton cloth. But microfiber is the best. Then do circular motions on the seats. Leather seats tend to accumulate elbow grease, which makes lighter colored seats brown and gives it that greasy feeling. So it is good to be thorough and use generous amounts of leather cleaner/ conditioner. The color will be the same when it comes off on to the cloth. You may need to do a lot of rubbing and circular motions, to remove the grease/ dirt. Also it is good to fold over the cloth and use the clean side because you don’t want to rub off the dirt on the dirty side back on to the seat. Make sure you cover all the seats surfaces thoroughly to achieve maximum cleanliness. Frequently add more interior cleaner to the cloth and check the color of the cloth, as it will turn to a brown or black color depending on how dirty the seat is. It is good to fold the cloth to the other side so that you don’t wipe dirt back on to the seats from the dirty side. In worst case scenarios you may have to use more than one cloth. Also wipe down the dashboard real good because those tend to get dusty. In some instances some leather seats are really old and can be dry and cracked. I recommend using a leather conditioner and apply generously. Next move on to the windows. Use two clean microfiber cloths. I recommend using a product called Invisible Glass, because it is clean and easy to use and leaves hardly any residue. Spray the glass cleaner onto the cloth and wipe the windows thoroughly. Then use the second cloth to wipe off the excess film residue. Windows are tricky because you can’t always see film residue. You have to go back and check them and wipe again. My recommendation is work in good lighting. The last step in detailing the interior is to get q-tips. Dip them in water and get in between the air vents and all the small corners and crevasses because there will probably be dust in there. You will be surprised how black the q-tips turn if your air vents haven’t been cleaned in awhile. The next step is to clean the exterior of the car. To do this you will need a bucket, car wash soap (don’t use dishwasher soap as it will strip the car of wax), a sponge, brush and a lug nut brush. Start off by spraying down the rims. Sometimes rims have a lot of break dust that gives it a black color. This is especially common on European sports cars like BMWs, which are notorious for this. If your rims are really dirty and have a lot of brake dust, that’s hard to remove. I recommend using a tire and rim cleaner, which is a foam or spray that you put on the rims that helps to loosen the dirt. Use the sponge to clean the rims. Make sure you get the corners double-check them because rims with complex designs make it easy to miss a spot. Use the brush for the tires and lug nut brush to get in between the lug nuts. When removing brake dust using a sponge from the kitchen is the best because it’s small and easy to get into the small crevasses. Brake dust gets baked into the rims from the sun and heat. Which makes it annoyingly hard to get out. I like to use a sponge where half of it is rough, and the other half is smooth. Lightly use the rough side of the sponge and make light small circular motions on the stubborn brake dust to remove it, and that usually doest the trick. Then spray down the car and wash the car with the carwash soap and sponge. Make sure to frequently spray down the car, as you don’t want the water to dry on the car and cause water spots. Then move the car inside and dry with a good-quality chamois or a soft thick-nap terry cloth towel. Open all the doors and the trunk and use the cloth to wipe off the water inside the spaces and corners. Then you can spray tire shine on to the tires to make it look jet-black. Finally its time to clay bar and wax. This is the most tiring part of the process, but is also the most rewarding, because it makes the biggest difference in your car’s finish. Clay barring removes all the contaminants from your paint that are stuck onto the clear coat. These contaminants make your paint feel rough. These contaminants include deposits from acid rain, bird poop, dust, and tree sap. Clay barring makes the paint as smooth as glass and makes it shiny. The kit you need for doing this is called Meguiars Clay Barring Kit. First start by spraying the quick detail bottle evenly onto the paint surface. Use the bar of clay with back and forth motions until the bar starts to move freely across the paint. Frequently check the clay, as it will get dirty from picking up all the contaminants. Fold the clay over to a clean side and pinch off the real dirty pieces. When the car feels smooth, use a microfiber cloth to buff the paint. It should feel smooth as glass. Lastly use wax to protect your paint and give it the ultimate finish. I highly recommend using Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Polish because it goes on clear and doesn’t leave white dust. Use an applicator pad to apply the wax evenly on parts of the car. I like to wax half the car at a time. Then let it dry for a few minutes and then wipe it off with a microfiber cloth. Detailing a car is not an easy job and that is why many people pay someone to do it for them. The reason I detail cars is, because people pay well for car detailing services. If you follow the steps above, you will probably put in two to three hours or more and your car should be smooth and sparkling. When I return it to a customer and see the smile on their face and receive great compliments I receive great satisfaction knowing that the job was well done. Plus I am greatly rewarded with hard cash! I hope these instructions help you to achieve great car detailing!

Red from Green Essay Example

Red from Green Essay Example Red from Green Essay Red from Green Essay Red from Green by Maile Meloy Being a teenager, growing up, is not easy. There are a lot of things to think about and many feelings to relate to. You have to make some decisions and that is not always easy either, even if they sound easy. A decision could be what to wear for a party or it could be bigger decisions that will have influence on your life. The story, Red from Green, is mainly set on the river and in the woods beside it, where Sam, her father, her uncle Harry and one of her uncles clients called Layton are on a float trip. It is set in July and the weather is hot and sunny. However in the end of the story we are at home with Sam and her father. Sam Turner, the main character in Red from Green, is a fifteen year old girl, who lives alone with her father, because her mother died when she was young. She is going to be a sophomore in the fall and her father gave her the idea of applying to a boarding school, where she has been admitted, but Sam is not completely sure whether she wants to accept the offer or not. It is a very difficult decision for her to make. In the summer she goes on a float trip with her father, Harry and Layton. On this float trip Sam experiences something she has not tried before. Layton shows some interest in her, and that is very new to her and she does not really like it. He is, after all, a grown man. Sams father is absent a few times on the float trip. He leaves Sam alone with Layton, and that gives Layton the possibility to show this interest in Sam. It hurts Sam that her father abandons her, and when they get home, she decides to accept the ffer and go to the boarding school. Sam and her fathers relationship evolve through the story. In the beginning it is okay but they do not really talk that much with each other. Sams father is not really there and he leaves her alone with Layton which she dislikes, and it makes her a bit angry at her father. As the story continues their relationship does not improve much. But in the end of the story, when Sam and her father are home again, their relationship gets better, because when Sam tells her father, that she has accepted the offer from the oarding school, he gets sad because he will miss her a lot when she is not around. When Sam hears this, she regrets her decision a bit, because deep down, she loves her father very much and do not want to leave him alone, like he did to her on the float trip. The theme in Red from Green is growing up. Sam is fifteen and inexperienced. When Layton makes a pass at her it scares her a bit, and that is also why she gets angry at her father for leaving her alone with him. Sam is in a part of her life where, in some cases she is treated like an adult, but in some cases like a child. I think that she still sees herself as a child, because she thinks that it sound very old, that she is going to be a sophomore in the fall. Another theme is Sam and her fathers relationship, and how it evolves through the story. Another thing that develops through the story is her and I think that makes her realise that she is not a little girl anymore. The title of the story, Red from Green, could be referring to Sam. When an apple or tomato ripens it goes from green to red, and from being unripen to become ripen. The same happens with Sam through the story. She goes from being immature and seeing herself as a child to being more mature. In the story Layton catches a fish, and Sams father says that it is too small but still takes it, and put in their cooler. The fish could be symbolising Sam and her father could be alluding that she is too young. But the fact that Sams father takes the fish anyway, could symbolise that he, in a way accepts what Layton does with his daughter. Sam also sleeps alone in a burrow and that could be symbolising that she is already separated from her father. In the beginning of the story Sam relies a lot on her father and lets him take care of things. Sam knew that her father wouldnt tolerate poaching, so she left it for him to take care of. But in the end of the story, she makes her own decisions and relies on herself. Then she went into the house and filled out the final form for the scholarship to boarding school, and in the morning she put it in the mail In the evening, when Sams father makes margaritas for them all, he makes a virgin, without alcohol for Sam, and Layton asks for a virgin too. Here, Layton could be referring to Sam. Sams father was making enchiladas, and chipping ice for margaritas with a pick. He made one without tequila for Sam. Layton asked for a virgin, too In conclusion, Sam is a young girl, who gets more mature, when she experiences a grown man showing interest in her, which makes her realise that she is not a little girl anymore. Sam also finds out, that her father will not always be there for her, and she has to take responsibility for herself and her life. This makes Sam accept the offer she has got from a boarding school, which is a big and difficult decision for her to make.

World Literature Paper, Odyssey Essays

World Literature Paper, Odyssey Essays World Literature Paper, Odyssey Essay World Literature Paper, Odyssey Essay Essay Topic: Back in the World Stories The Odyssey The Effects of the Gods on Fate in Epics and Tragedies Michael Moloney In both tragedies and epic poems, the gods affect fate in various ways. The epic I will be investigating is The Odyssey. The tragedy I will investigate is Oedipus the King. The gods affect fate in differently throughout these two stories. Since both these stories were written by the ancient Greeks, they perfectly exemplify the Greek religious value that the gods controlled life. The gods control the events of the plot and push the characters towards their ultimate ends, both the heroic, and the tragic.In the Odyssey, the gods directly put in motion the major events of the plot. They directly interfere with the lives of Odysseus, his men, and the Cyclops. â€Å"The strong god glittering left her as he spoke, and new her lady, having given head to Zeus’s mandate, went to find Odysseus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  -Page 753 In this passage, Hermes was sent by Zeus to Calypso’s island to free Odysseus. This supports m y statement because if it wasn’t for the actions of Hermes and Zeus, Odysseus never would have left Calypso’s island, the entire story never would have been told, and Odysseus’s fate never would have been fulfilled. Now Zeus the Lord of Cloud roused in the North a storm against the ships†¦we saw death in that fury, dropped the yard†¦and pulled for the nearest lee. † -Page 757 Because of Zeus’s interference, they were disoriented and accidentally sailed to the Lotus Eaters’ Island. By doing this, Zeus set in motion the events that led to everything else in the story and Odysseus and his men had to pass through all their other trials and tribulations on the way back to Ithaca. â€Å"Now comes the weird  upon me, spoken of old.A wizard, grand and wondrous, lived here†¦ and these things he foretold for time to come:     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   my great eye lost, and at Odysseus’ hands. † -Page 769, Polyphemus I n this passage, Polyphemus, the Cyclops, reveals a prophecy involving him. When the gods blew Odysseus and his crew off-course, and they landed on the island, they fulfilled the Cyclops’s fate. In Oedipus the King, the gods influence fate more indirectly than directly. They mainly utilize the blind prophet Tieresias as a way to enact their will without being directly involved in Oedipus’s life. â€Å"What is to come will come, even if it is shrouded in darkness. -Page 20, Tieresias This quote illustrates the inevitability of fate. It doesn’t explicitly support my thesis, until you take into account that â€Å"what is to come† is Oedipus’s fate, which is being propelled by a prophecy of Apollo. â€Å"He will be revealed as brother and father of the children with whom he now lives, the son and husband of the woman who gave him birth, the murderer and marriage partner of his father. † Page 27, Tieresias In this quote, Tieresias reveals one of his prophecies. Since Oedipus is the person that this prophecy applies to, it leads to many major events in the plot.These include Oedipus discovering his fate, Jocasta killing herself, and Oedipus blinding himself. Without Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi, none of these events would have occurred. â€Å"Oh god, it has all come true! Light, let this be the last time I see you. I stand revealed born in shame, married in shame, an unnatural murderer. † -Page 69, Oedipus In this section Oedipus realized that the prophecy came true, and that due to the gods, he fulfilled the fate that he desperately tried to avoid. In The Odyssey and Oedipus the King, the gods affect fate in similar ways as well.This next portion of my paper will address several common links between the two stories. â€Å"Oh Father Zeus and gods in bliss forever, punish Odysseus’s men. So overweening, now they have killed my peaceful kine, my joy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   at morning when I climbed the sky of stars,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and evening, when I bore westward from heaven. Restitution or penalty they shall pay- and pay in full- or I go down forever to light the dead men in the underworld. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  -Page 786, Helios When Odysseus’s crew killed and ate the Cattle of the Sun, Helios asked Zeus to punish them. Zeus killed them all with a lightning bolt, fulfillingTieresias’s prophecy. This links it to Oedipus because Oedipus was also a victim of a prophecy. â€Å"As for the murderer himself, I call down a curse on him, whether that unknown figure be one man, or one among many. † -Page 15, Oedipus â€Å"O hear me, lord, blue girdler of the islands†¦grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   see his home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Page 770, Polyphemus These two stories link The Odyssey and Oedipus because in the first passage, Oedipus is calling down a curse on the murderer, asking the gods to punish him; and in the second passage Polyphemus is asking Poseidon, his father, to punish Odysseus.Now, because of all this evidence, it is clear that without the involvement of the gods, the fates of these two characters would never have come true, and many important events in the plot never would have happened. Whether direct or indirect, the gods are a major engine in moving the plot along. They operate through nature, and direct involvement, as well as prophecies and curses. The gods, no matter how they do it, affect fate throughout epics and tragedies.

Sustainability issues of using [material X] Essay

Sustainability issues of using [material X] - Essay Example Although some of these resources such as trees, wildlife, and soil fertility can possibly be restore through improved conservation measures, some of the resources that are provided by nature are irreversible and they consumption reduces their availability (Lee, & Ofori-boateng, 2013). For instance, oil and fossil resources are non-renewable natural resources that get depleted with time. Even the recycling of other minerals and resources in the surrounding is likely to suffer from lack of adequate energy for the recycling process. For this reason, it is important to note that the sustainability of other resource and natural endowment heavily depend on the sustainability and the existence of energy that is extracted from the fossil deposits. Although the energy conservation organizations are encouraging a shift in the energy sector with renewable energy sources being preferred as the replacement of the traditional non-renewable energy sources such as oil and petroleum products, this pr oposed shifting would only be possible with sustainability of fossil deposits (Sullivan, 2009). The overreliance on fossil and particularly oil product as the primary source of energy and fuel has adversely affected the capacity of these resources and thus raising questions about their ability to sustain the faster growing global population over the next decade. Despite the economic value and contribution to the economic growth and development in general, oil and petroleum resources are likely to be fully exhausted with the ores running dry. It is therefore important for cheaper and sustainable alternative be explored to relieve oil and petroleum resources from this over-exploitation. The sustainability of the fast growing human population is determined the adequate food production, a factor that also need energy resources to be realized. Unlike in the last century when there was production boom in the agricultural sector given that the dumped vast petroleum resources to support agr icultural productivity (such as petroleum driven pesticides and chemicals), today, there is global hunger and starvation (Lee, & Ofori-boateng, 2013). The produces from these farms are then channeled and transported to other destinations for feed the hungry through the use of fossil fuel powered engines such as trains, ships, trucks, and planes. This implies that there is relationship between the sustainability of the oil production and food products that are the primary the source of sustainability for the human general in the coming days. The excessive use of these resource have posed more problem to the world; including global warming that further threaten the exploitation of oil and petroleum products (Vincenzo & Nicola, 2010). Therefore, the sustainability of the oil products depends on how effective these resources are exploited and run. Given the importance of these oil and petroleum products to the economy, emphasis should be given to these non-renewable products. Issues of Relying on Oil Products Although oil and petroleum products account for over 80% of the global energy sources, the future of these energy products raises a lot of questions (Sullivan, 2009). The use of these products is associated with a number of environmental sustainability issues such as pollution. Pollution is the major concern on the consumption of these valuable products that have a number

Leadership in Customer Service Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership in Customer Service - Article Example There are so many kinds and interpretations of a leader, but which one does it take to make a customer-service-driven business successful? Leadership needs to have a vision of what is wanted to achieve. Leaders possess not only this but are driven by passion—the strength and the energy to work against the odds to achieve the vision (Williams, 2005). Great leaders delegate and empower. Leaders do not just pin point on people and tell them what to do instead they create structure, allocate responsibility, help create systems, provide support and training and resources, and empower subordinates to make decisions thus making them feel significant in the business group. Through empowerment, a leader is set differently from an authoritarian. A leader does not dictate but respect employees and treats these people as customers as well. Great leaders sometimes have to take tough decisions but there's always respect for the subordinates (Williams, 2005). Workers are encouraged to: participate in the action plan; develop awareness of the goals; participate in the change plan; have reasonable expectations and attitude. Communication flow is always open to a leader and is never one way. Successful business leaders are always keeping their people informed thus key performance indicators are displayed; targets are set, accomplished and celebrated. Everyone is made to feel as part of a community to create a sense of unity (Williams, 2005). A leader motivates people to do what is important and leads an example. There's a famous story about a group of visitors to Disney who was walking in the Magic Kingdom when they saw a grey-haired man walk out of his way to pick up a piece of litter. One of the members of the group approached the man and asked, "How many custodians are there here?" The man replied, "45,000". The guest was surprised at so many.

How the company seeks to deliver customer value Essay

How the company seeks to deliver customer value - Essay Example Introduction of the Apple Macintosh has engaged in numerous products launches that  have been met  with much anticipation. For instance, Apple iPhone  has been considered  an elegantly designed  device  for sending and receiving  information. The iPhone has a combination of  smart  phone capabilities with  natural  graphical interface projected on a large multi-touch display. Apple’s marketers focus on consumer behaviours in order to improve their marketing strategies and foster an understanding of how the consumer thinks feels and selects between various alternatives (Solomon, 10). These marketers also focus on psychology of consumers and influence of environmental conditions such as a culture, family, signs and media. In fact, this entails the focus on consumers’ behaviours while making purchases and other decisions. Nevertheless, there are limitations concerning consumer knowledge or ability to internalize information that can influence their de cisions and results of marketing strategies. On other hand, focusing on consumer behaviour considers motivation of the consumers to making various decisions strategies among different products in levels of significance and interest (Hawkins, Best and Coney, 4). Study of consumer behaviours enables Apple marketers to improve their marketing campaigns and strategies in a way that is effective in process of reaching the consumers. Therefore, this paper will focus exploring the way Apple deliver value to their customers based on the 4Ps, product, price, promotion, and place. Nonetheless, in order to understand the process through which Apple deliver quality to their customers, there is need to explore their relationship with consumer behaviour and marketing (Schiffman and Kanuk, 20). Moreover, there is need to focus on consumer reception to advertisements, and learning their schedule in advertising. On the other hand, Apple’s marketers have a great understanding of the way produc t are adopted by few consumers and a spread occurs later, leading to rest of the population learning that there are new products. In this case, as marketers, they ensure that the products are financed and available until the target market share is acquired. Besides, they focus on creating a good impression to the initial customers, since they take the role of influencing the other customers. 2. Organization’s Objectives Apple has revamped its products  and service line  in order to  offer  commodities, which could facilitate the delivery of the tightly integrated  experience  of the user. The Company has been making effort by remaining committed to the market with the PC products focusing on homes and lifestyles of the consumer. The Apple Inc has also sustained their  position  through technological innovations and new retail strategies. However, as a typical organization, Apple has several organizations’ objectives such as; 1. To offer quality products and services to customers in a way that meets their expectations. 2. To maintain their leadership in technology and device market, thereby sustaining their competitive advantage. 3. Maximize their profits and grow their organization, while remaining socially responsible in the community. 3. Product and Brand portfolio Product is an element used in referring to things that can be

Skungpoomery - Textual analysis Essay Example for Free

Skungpoomery Textual analysis Essay Skungpoomery features two characters, a mother and her son. The mother is very much a dominant woman who still enjoys fussing over and bossing about her rather useless, weak son. We did an exercise where we visualised what the characters would look like in our heads. Both the mother and the son reminded me of a famous duo, Laurel and Hardy. Mrs Wibble being Oliver Hardy, the domineering one and PC Nicholas Wibble being Stan Laurel, the simple one. Like Hardy treats Laurel, Mrs Wibble treats her son in a condescending way, much to the chagrin of PC Nicholas who would much rather be treated like an adult, and not have his mother still nagging at him. I can picture Mrs Wibble being quite a large character who would be wearing some sort of floral dress with bright red lipstick. I can imagine her voice being loud and perhaps quite high pitched and can see her walking around the stage with a good posture and large strides. PC Nicholas Wibble, I can picture being tall and lanky with a short bowl haircut, which of course his mother would have made him get, and can see him slouching across the stage, with a decidedly nervous disposition. I would imagine his voice would be rather quiet and perhaps slightly squeaky, as if it had not quite broken yet. I found that doing this exercise, helped improve my performance on stage as it meant I was able to act out the characters easier now that I had a clear image of what they looked like and how they acted in my head. PC Nicholas Wibble is still very child like, probably because he still lives at home and Mrs Wibble still treats him like a child rather than the adult that he is. Although PC Wibble may try to stand up to his mother, she will tell him otherwise and he backs down easily, here is an example of this: MRS WIBBLE- Take them off and let me give them a quick press. WIBBLE- O no, Mum-look Im going to be ever so late now. MRS WIBBLE-Take them off, Nicholas, it wont take a moment. WIBBLE- No. MRS WIBBLE- Nicholas!!! WIBBLE- Ooooooooooooh! Doing this exercise made it easier for me to do the butter and trouser scene in the play. This is where the phone is ringing and Mrs Wibble accidentally picks up the iron and puts it to her ear, rather than the phone, and then gets Nicholas to get her some butter to soothe it, and burns his trousers. To make this part of the performance more comical, we had to look at how the characters would move in a panicked way. For example, we thought that we could have Nicholas running about the stage in circles in a confused way, hands on his head, looking about, and thinking what to do while mumbling to himself. We could then have Mrs Wibble shouting at him to get the butter, while sobbing and moaning about her ear loudly, as it would make it more comical for the audience. To make sure that we had enough space on stage for all that was going on, we had to plan out the set and make sure we knew where everything was going to be so that we could determine exactly what the characters had to do and where. Learning and using all of these different techniques was useful when developing our final piece as it meant that we could piece together things that wed used from this practice piece, as well as our own new ideas, to get a good performance. We were now able to visualise exactly what our character would look and act like as well as the way they would move on stage, so that we could get a better understanding of our character and act them out in a suitable way.

The Sacred Language of Toni Morrison Essay -- Toni Morrison

The Sacred Language of Toni Morrison  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Toni Morrison makes a good point when, in her acceptance speech upon receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature, she says, â€Å"Narrative . . . is . . . one of the principal ways in which we absorb knowledge† (7).   The words we use and the way in which we use them is how we, as humans, communicate to each other our thoughts, feelings, and actions and therefore our knowledge of the world and its peoples.   Knowledge is power.   In this way, our language, too, is powerful.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In her acceptance speech, Morrison tries to communicate the idea that we must be careful with how we use our words.   She analogizes the use of language to the life of a metaphoric bird in a tale of a wise, old, blind woman.   Toni Morrison opens her speech by referring to a tale of two young people who, in trying to disprove the credibility of this wise woman, ask the question, â€Å" ‘Is the bird I am holding [in my hand] living or dead?’† (11).   Of course, being blind, the woman does not know and must say so.   However, she adds that, â€Å" ‘What I do know is that it is in your hands.   It is in your hands’† (11).   In saying this, she tells the youngsters that the fate of the bird’s life is their responsibility.   The bird, in this case, represents language.   Morrison explains, â€Å"So I choose to read the bird as language and the woman as a practiced writer† (12).   The bird has either been found dead, been killed, or has the ability (if it is alive) to be killed, much as language, being looked at as a living thing, can live or die; be saved or destroyed.   Language is â€Å"susceptible to death, erasure; certainly imperiled and salvageable only by an effort of the will† (Morrison 13).   That will is the responsibility of those who ... ...ossible lives of its speakers, readers, writers,† (20) Morrison describes.   The limits of what language can do are indefinite, unachievable, and inaccessible.   For, really, there are no limits to language--no limits to knowledge--no limits to power--the power of the mind.   â€Å" ‘The future of language is yours,’† (23) Morrison tells us.   It is in our hands.   This is why we must hold the life of language sacred--the life of this bird, which has wings to make it soar. Works Cited   Fox-Genovese, Elizabeth.   â€Å"The Claims of a common Culture: Gender, Race, Class and the Canon.†Ã‚   Writing as Re-Vision: A Student’s Anthology.   Ed. Beth Alvarado and Barbara Cully.   Needham Heights: Simon & Schuster   P. 1998.   15-23. Morrison, Toni.   â€Å"Lecture and Speech of Acceptance, Upon the Award of the Nobel Prize for Literature.†Ã‚   New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1994.      

Improving Speaking Skills Essay

This article examines the different circumstances under which infant and adult learners develop speaking skills. We will see the facilities or difficulties in both cases in order to focus on the real possibilities of adults to develop a high level of speaking proficiency. We will see what the role of the teacher is in order to improve the learners’ skills, the features of oral communication that need to be improved and which strategies can be used to overcome the difficulties. Key words: speaking skills, adult learning, oral communication, teaching strategies. Resumen Este articulo analiza las diferentes circunstancias en las que ninos y adultos desarrollan las destrezas orales. Veremos las facilidades y dificultades en ambos casos para asi centrarnos en las posibilidades reales que tienen los adultos de alcanzar un alto nivel de competencia oral. Veremos tambien cual es el papel del profesor en este contexto, para mejorar las capacidades de los alumnos, y ver cuales son los elementos de la comunicacion oral que hay que mejorar y que estrategias se pueden aplicar para superar las dificultades. Palabras clave: destrezas orales, aprendizaje de adultos, comunicacion verbal, estrategias de ensenanza. If we think of the period in our lives when we learned to speak our first language, and the moment in which we started to make huge efforts to speak our second/foreign language we find significant differences. In the former case, we may have fond memories of what our parents told us; and in the latter, it suddenly becomes a frustrating experience that seems to bring imperfect results. For adults, learning to speak a new language is in many cases far from satisfactory simply because they feel they need to cope with many different aspects at one time, and that seems to be impossible in real conversations. I wonder if it is possible to acquire a high level of speaking proficiency in adults; I wonder if it is possible to make adult learners improve their speaking skills, and the most important thing for teachers: how? The first question we have to consider in order to reach a conclusion is whether learning at infancy is different from learning at adulthood; which are the circumstances that differentiate them and if those onditions inevitably lead to obvious and hopeless results. Only bearing in mind what we can expect of a particular type of learner, we can focus on how to improve their speaking skills. It is obvious that there are marked differences between children learners and adult learners and that they cannot acquire the second language under the same circumstances. Consequently, the results will be also different. Concerning children and the early age at which they learn to speak, we can say that they enjoy certain advantages that make them outstanding learners. They have surprising linguistic abilities due to optimal moment in which they find themselves for language learning, this is to say, at this moment their brain is characterized by a certain plasticity that allows some abilities to develop with ease during a period of time, after which it becomes really difficult for these abilities to be developed (Fleta, 2006: 53), or using 86 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Klein’s words ‘between the age of two and puberty the human brain shows the plasticity which allows a child to acquire his first language’ (Klein, 1986: 9). Therefore, children are special learners for their natural and innate abilities to acquire a language. According to Fleta, one of these special abilities is ‘filtering sophisticated information about language properties from birth’ (Fleta, 2006: 49), in other words, children have an enormous ability to integrate difficult information in an easy and unconscious way from the beginning of their development. They are able to acquire and integrate complex data without being aware of it, whereas other learners, at other ages, would find it arduous to achieve. Moreover, apart from this special gift children have for assimilating difficult information, we can mention some of their other qualities, such as their capacity for perceiving and imitating sounds. Some studies have showed that ‘young infants are especially sensitive to acoustic changes at the phonetic boundaries between categories’ (Kuhl, 2004: 832). Also, children are especially good at predicting syllable chunks: ‘infants are sensitive to the sequential probabilities between adjacent syllables’ (Kuhl, 2004: 834) which makes children with a surprising instinct as far as language knowledge is concerned . Finally, students also acquire the ability of ordering words within a sentence (grammar rules) unconsciously: ‘there is some evidence that young children can detect non-adjacencies such as those required to learn grammar’ (Kuhl, 2004: 836). All in all, we can say that children learn the language without being aware of it when they ‘are exposed to the right kind of auditory information’ (Kuhl, 2004: 836), this is, children learn the language through communication and interaction and thanks to that they acquire all the abilities they can potentially develop. On the other hand, concerning adults we observe how difficult is that they can acquire certain native sounds; their pronunciation will be, on many occasions, foreign-like which is due to their difficulty in distinguishing and producing some sounds after the so called ‘critical period’. In that respect, some authors claim that adult learners cannot acquire a phonological development (Lightbown and Spada, 2006: 69). However, other researchers defend the opposite. Wolfgang Klein, in his book Second Language Acquisition (1986) stated that ‘the apparent facility with which children learn a second language is often attributed to biological factors, but an alternative explanation might be that, unlike adults, children have no need to fear the loss of their social identity’ (Klein, 1986: 6). Authors such as Klein argue that phonological facilities of children are not bound to biological reasons, but to psychological ones. In that respect, adults feel attached to their native identities, to their original social identities, which is what prevent them from achieving perfection in L2 pronunciation. Klein confirmed that ‘suitably motivated adults are capable of mastering to perfection the pronunciation of the most exotic languages’ (Klein, 1986: 10). Therefore, we conclude that although the cases of adults speaking a second language without any accent are not very common, this does not mean that it is impossible to acquire a native-like pronunciation. Also, besides phonological issues, we can talk about the capacity of adults to acquire any other kind of linguistic faculties, more related to structural relations (UG). In that sense, there are authors that doubt the validity of Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) by assuring that even adults have access to the well known Universal Grammar. While Lenneberg claimed that only before puberty learners had UG available, authors such as S. W. Felix defended by evidence that adult L2 learners also benefit from the UG principles: ‘If child and adult learners use different modules for the purpose of language acquisition, then we would expect adult learners to be unable to attain grammatical knowledge that arises only through the mediation of UG. If, in contrast, adults do attain this type of knowledge, then, we have reason to believe that UG continues to be active even after puberty’ (Felix, 1988: 279). Therefore, we can conclude that adults are also able to master a proficient use of the second/foreign language, not only in grammatical issues but also in phonological ones, which makes us believe that we can improve adult learners’ speaking skills. 87 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Once we know that adults can be biologically and psychologically prepared to have a native-like proficiency in the second language, we should move on to the second language teaching context in order to achieve our aim of improving adult learners’ skills. In that respect, we should reflect on the teachers’ role in this situation and what they can do to be successful with their learners. Teachers therefore need to analyse the students’ needs, face their problems and find fruitful solutions that help them develop their speaking abilities. S. Pit Corder, in his chapter called ‘Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching’, in Introducing Applied Linguistics (1973) defended the important role of linguists who identify the problems of the learners and find solutions for them. Corder added that specialists’ role is to formulate the appropriate questions in order to define problems that need to be faced. Using his words, ‘the formulation of the questions, the identification of the problems and the specification of their nature presupposes linguistic theory. The nature of the problem is defined by the theory which is applied to it. The solution to a problem is only as good as the theory which has been used to solve it’ (Corder, 1973: 138). In this direction he said that in language teaching there are two appropriate questions teachers should make: what to teach and how to teach, ‘these are the problems of content and method, or, using an industrial analogy, the problem of product and process design respectively’ (Corder, 1973: 139). Therefore, if teachers wish to know how to improve speaking skills, what they need to ask themselves first is what they are going to teach, and how. On the one hand, let us consider the first question: what. If we need to improve speaking skills we need to know which skills or which features learners need to develop. In that respect, there are several authors that stated different goals or different dimensions that speakers needed to achieve. Goodwin, for instance, established several goals for a proper pronunciation. She called them ‘functional intelligibility, functional communicability, increased self-confidence, and speech-monitoring abilities’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118). She argued that learners should be able to speak an intelligible foreign language, that is to say, listeners need to understand the learner’s message without huge efforts; learners also need to be successful in a ‘specific communicative situation’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118); they need to ‘gain confidence in their ability to speak and be understood’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118); and finally, they need to monitor and control their own production by paying attention to their own speech. Goodwin specified those abilities that learners need to acquire through certain linguistic features that can be practiced: Intonation, rhythm, reduced speech, linking words, consonants and vowel sounds, word stress, etc. These are concrete speaking aspects in which learners should be trained in order to improve their speaking skills. Similarly, other authors such as Anne Lazaraton suggest that oral communication is based on four dimensions or competences: grammatical competence (phonology, vocabulary, word and sentence formation†¦); sociolinguistic competence (rules for interaction, social meanings); discourse competence (cohesion and how sentences are liked together); and finally, strategic competence (compensatory strategies to use in difficult situations), (Lazaraton, 2001: 104). According to Lazaraton learners should develop all these abilities to acquire a high oral level of the foreign language, but she adds that in recent years, with the influence of the communicative approach, more importance is given to fluency, trying to achieve a balance with the traditional accuracy. Moreover, apart from what pedagogically and theoretically should be taught, many researchers are presently analysing real problems that learners face: ‘fluent speech contains reduced forms, such as contractions, vowel reduction, and elision, where learners do not get sufficient practice’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 103); use of slang and idioms in speech since students tend to sound ‘bookish’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 103), stress, rhythm, intonation, lack of active vocabulary, lack of interaction pattern rules†¦ 88 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Once speaking goals have been determined, next step consists of questioning how they are going to be achieved. For designing a concrete methodology teachers need to adopt a theoretical perspective, they need to reflect on the linguistic approach that will be used in their teaching. Many authors, following the up-todate trend of the Communicative approach, defend the interactive role of speaking and promote its teaching from a communicative perspective stressing meaning and context. In Goodwin’s words: ‘In â€Å"Teaching Pronunciation† the goal of instruction is threefold: to enable our learners to understand and be understood, to build their confidence in entering communicative situations, and to enable them to monitor their speech’ (Goodwin, 2001: 131), also ‘pronunciation is never an end in itself but a means of negotiating meaning in discourse, embedded in specific sociocultural and interpersonal contexts’ (Goodwin,2001: 117). If we think of how this theoretical background will be applied in real teaching, we find that in traditional classes they focused speaking practice on the production of single and isolated sounds, whereas within the communicative approach, ‘the focus shifted to fluency rather than accuracy, encouraging an almost exclusive emphasis on suprasegmentals’ (Goodwin, 2001: 117). There is the key word, when communication is the main goal linguistic practice turns into longer structures, at the suprasegmental level; therefore, the training on individual sounds makes way for macro structures that affect interaction directly. The second part of how to teach, moves away from theory to approach real problems and their solutions. Several authors have stated that when learners face problems in speaking they need practical and concrete solutions to know how to behave and respond in order to overcome those difficulties. Mariani, in his article ‘Developing Strategic Competence: Towards Autonomy in Oral Interaction’, recalls L1 strategies that native speakers use when they encounter communication problems, and suggests teaching those strategies to L2 learners: ‘just think of how often, in L1 communication, we cannot find the words to say something and have to adjust our message, or to ask our interlocutor to help us, or to use synonyms or general words to make ourselves understood’ (Mariani, 1994: 1). Mariani classifies those strategies according to the speakers’ behaviour: learners can either avoid certain messages because they don’t feel confident with their speaking skills (‘reduction strategies’), or make the most out of their knowledge and modify their message bearing in mind their weaknesses and strengths (‘achievement strategies’: borrowing, foreignizing, translating†¦(Mariani, 1994: 3). The author praises the latter by saying that achievement strategies are a very interesting way of developing learners’ language domain. Speakers who opt for this option make huge efforts to transmit a message by playing with the language to the extreme, which only brings beneficial consequences. In the second or foreign language classroom context, teachers should train learners to use and practice the different strategies that can help them face difficult situations. The only way of training students in this direction is by means of a bank of activities in which they become aware of the different possibilities that they can put into practice. Authors such as Goodwin or Lazaraton offer a varied list of exercises to be used in class: poems, rhymes, dialogues, monologues, role plays, debates, interviews, simulations, drama scenes, discussions, conversations†¦ Therefore, coming back to the initial question proposed above, I think it is absolutely feasible to teach adults strategies to improve their speaking skills. Of course, that objective depends on many different factors that will affect the degree of acquisition, let us think of age, motivation, or even the context in which the language is learned: ESL versus EFL. In that respect, learners in a second language context will have numberless occasions to practice the language and that will undoubtedly influence their skills development. With reference to the foreign language context, authors such as Lazaraton admitted the difficulties learners 89 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 ormally face: ‘homogeneous EFL classes, where all students speak the same first language and English is not used outside the classroom, present certain additional challenges for the teacher’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 110). As she said, teachers have considerable limitations in EFL classes such as lack of opportunities to use the language, lack of motivation in the learners, the number of students in the class, curriculum re strictions†¦(Lazaraton, 2001: 110), but there are solutions and strategies, as the ones previously mentioned, that should be put into practice. Mariani, in his article mentioned above, also makes a reflection on whether communication strategies should be teachable or not. He states the pros and cons by saying that training students on specific strategies can provide them with certain limitations and consequently hamper fluent communication: ‘we can hardly force them into a straightjacket of pre-selected strategies. Most of us would agree that we should encourage spontaneity, creativity and originality in language use’ (Mariani, 1994: 7). However, on the other hand, he argues that if learners become aware of the different strategies they can flexibly use, they will finally integrate them either consciously or unconsciously, which will stretch their possibilities for communication. To sum up, as teachers can, and should, improve learners’ speaking skills and communication strategies, the only thing they need to do is to plan their teaching around two main questions: what they want to teach, which specific speaking features they want to develop in their learners; and how they want to do it.