Sunday, December 29, 2019

Overview of Pitching Machines - 747 Words

Pitching Machines Introduction A compound machine is just what it sounds like it is two or more simple machines combined to make one machine. Technically, the mechanical advantage of having a compound machine is the  ¦magnitude by which it reduces the required force, according to the Galileo department website at the University of Virginia. In other words, the mechanical advantage of two machines working in sync as one machine is that the required force is cut in half of what it would be without the machine. In this paper the emphasis is on the compound machine known in the sports training world as the baseball pitching machine. How it Works The website LiveStrong.com points out that there are pitching machines that are battery powered in case the playing field is too far from electrical outlets. Those machines are not as common though as machines that are powered by electricity. Some machines require a human to feed each baseball into the machine (they cost less) but most machines allow the baseball coaches to load up several baseballs at a time. One particular brand, The Heater, allows coaches to load a dozen baseballs in the machine and the machine pitches a ball about every 12 seconds (LiveStrong.com). The versatility of baseball pitching machines is impressive; not only to many pitching machines allow the coaches to change the speed of the pitch from a fastball to a slow change-up the machines will throw different pitches, like curveballs at differentShow MoreRelatedEffects Of $ 2. 00 A Day Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pageslike money, outstandingly medical coverage and SNAP. While they accept the two projects are crucial, they didnt tally them as comparable to money. Neither gives an asset that is fungible. That is, a parent cant remove any an incentive from an ATM machine, utilize the advantage to pay the lease, or purchase socks and clothing for the children. Relegating a money incentive to Medicaid alone does, independent from anyone else, enormously lessen the frequency of profound and outrageous destitution amongRead MoreGender Recognition And Android Development1972 Words   |  8 PagesFor Android Development, I worked on a product Lifeunfold, which is an informational webs ite. This involved developing the Android counterpart for this app. This app was published to the Google Play Store this July. This report includes a brief overview of the algorithms for recognizing gender that were implemented, a brief code review of the Android app, and the results that were obtained. Company Profile About TBI Online[1] TBI stands for Think Beyond Imagination. Its a startupRead MoreThe Morrison Company Essay3626 Words   |  15 Pagesï » ¿FIN 485 – Brief Case #5 The Morrison Company December 5, 2013 Case Overview/Key Issues The Morrison Company is a manufacturer of Radio Frequency Identification Tags (RFID). These tags can be scanned from small distances away and are used to track items in the shipping and supply chain process. The Morrison Company provides RFIDs to companies in the Pharmaceutical and Retail industries. The company has seen a large increase in sales over the past year, which has forced production to increaseRead MoreInduction Training9712 Words   |  39 Pagesselling of products and services. * Discount stores: these are factory outlets that give discount on the MRP. * Vending: it is a relatively new entry, in the retail sector. Here beverages, snacks and other small items can be bought via vending machine. * Category killers: small specialty stores that offer a variety of categories. They are known as category killers as they focus on specific categories, such as electronics and sporting goods. This is also known as Multi Brand Outlets or MBORead MoreAccounting: Fraud and Problem-based Learning Case18144 Words   |  73 Pagessense. Are source documents copies when they should be originals? Are checks properly endorsed and deposited in the expected accounts? Are there common names or addresses of payees? Are there document sequences that do not make sense? For a broad overview of fraud symptoms in financial statements and source documents, see Albrecht et al. (1995, 53à ±136) or Albrecht (2002, 111à ±133). For a list of common types of fraud, see Davia (2000, 63à ±127). c. Financial statement red flags. If vertical and horizontalRead MoreMarket Entry Modes Strategies14235 Words   |  57 Pagestechnology market opportunities instead of continuing acquisitions of early stage co mpanies. NewMarket is now officially launching its Greenfield strategy and announcing Phoenix Interests, Inc. (OTCBB: PXITE) as its first partner. Greenfield Strategy Overview To overcome the challenge of continuing to access the higher risk investment available to OTC listed companies, and still realize long-term share price appreciation, NewMarket has implemented its Greenfield strategy. While NewMarket previouslyRead MoreA Study on Financial Performance Analysis at Vijay Textiles Ltd17842 Words   |  72 Pageshow financial analysts can employ DEA as a complement to ratio analysis. CHAPTER- III PROFILE Contents: 3.1 Industry Profile 3.2 Company Profile 3.1 Industry Profile Indian Garment Industry- an Overview The Garment industry is one of Indias largest foreign exchange earning industries. This accounts to 16% of the country’s total exports earnings. As per the 1996 Indian textile exports records total garment export value was Rs.35,000 crores ofRead MoreJurisprudential Theories on IPR13115 Words   |  53 Pagestaste,  it is a principle of natural justice that he  should be entitled to the profits arising from the  sale of his works as a compensation for his labor  in producing them, his risque of reputation  in offering them to the Public. 2. Historical Overview There are extensive discussions of property in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hegel, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Marx, and Mill. The range of justificatory themes they consider is very broad, and I shall begin with a summary. The ancientRead MoreCosmetic Industry Analysis28098 Words   |  113 Pages(www.beautytipshub.com). Other than that, from a marketing research company- Kline show that the trend for natural care products in Asia is strong and the awareness of consumer on ‘natural’ concept is quite high on Asia. A report with content of overview of the china cosmetic also state that demand of natural product also has been grow well. â€Å"Since China consumer tend to believe in traditional Chinese herbal medicine, cosmetic using natural herbs appear to be appealing to many user.† (www.idsgroupRead MoreAbstract: Strategic Contingency Planning23625 Words   |  95 Pagesone basket. The business environment, whether in the public or private sector, is a complex system. Personnel have become very dependent upon electronics and other technology, including computers, printers, Internet connections, telephones, fax machines, cash registers, calculators, air conditioning, lights, cabl e television, and much more. Organizations must look at alternative methods of operating if the physical workplace or vital infrastructure is severely disrupted. One approach is

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The Firearm Owner s Privacy Act - 1035 Words

Based upon my understanding of the United States Constitution as well as listening to the arguments brought forth by the two parties in this particular case, I see a great reason to believe that three of the four provisions of the Firearm Owner’s Privacy Act is an unconstitutional abridgment of the First Amendment. The record-keeping provision, anti-harassment provision, and the inquiry provisions are in clear violation of the First Amendment as they are content-based regulations of speech that fail strict scrutiny. However, the anti-discrimination provision of the law is constitutional as it does not regulate free speech. Syllabus: The Firearm Owner’s Privacy Act contains four provisions. The greatest problem with the three†¦show more content†¦The law, as enacted, has three provisions designed to carry-out the state of Florida’s governmental responsibility of protecting its citizens’ Second Amendment rights from being potentially infringed. Additionally, there is one provision in the law that aims to protect against the possibility that physicians might discriminate against patients or potential patients simply due to the fact that they are exercising their constitutional right of owning a firearm. However though, in creating this law, the Florida State Legislature created a content-based and viewpoint-based restriction upon physicians’ right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment. As this law imposes both a content-based and viewpoint-based restriction upon a physician’s fundamental right to free-speech specifically in order to prohibit the advocation of a specific point of view, I believe that strict scrutiny is only suitable form of judicial review for a case such as this. As was established in Ashcroft v. ACLU (2002), the government cannot impose restrictions upon the First Amendment simply because of its content. This decision was then strengthened greatly by the Supreme Court in the case of Reed v. Town of Gilbert which made the determination that laws which restrict speech â€Å"based on its communicative content†¦ are presumptivelyShow MoreRelatedMental Health Evaluations For Gun Purchase1168 Words   |  5 Pagesand destroyed families. The question is on who, or what does the blame fall on. Are the gun owners the responsible, or are the weapons themselves to blame? A solution that has been set forth concludes that in order to become a firearm owner, mental stability should be proved. Should government enforce mental health evaluations for gun purchase? Yes, to Mental Health Evaluations for the Purchase of Firearms The answer is yes, government not only has a responsibility, but a duty to the citizens ofRead MoreNra1731 Words   |  7 PagesYork state, in 1892, opposition forced it to close its first range in Long Island and relocate to New Jersey. This is dually discussed (nra.org; wikipedia.com) The NRAs began promoting shooting sports for youths in 1903 when NRA Secretary Albert S. Jones encouraged the establishment of rifle clubs at all major colleges, universities and military academies. By 1906, more than 200 boys were competing in matches. This tradition is carried forward to today, where more than one million youths participateRead MoreGun Laws And The Rights Of Free Speech1748 Words   |  7 Pagesviews on the issue. Interest groups help give people an outlet to express and act on what they believe in. States United Against Gun Violence is an interest group that has been lobbying for stricter gun laws in the U.S. to help try and prevent gun violence. This group is mainly made up and supported by people who were directly effected by gun violence, whether it be from a child accidently getting a hold of a firearm and hurting themselves or another or someone being killed in a shooting. The StatesRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Violence1238 Words   |  5 PagesRecently, the SAFE Act, or Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, has sparked a large debate amongst New York residents. The law, passed January 15th, 2013, created many new restrictions for gun owners and those looking to purchase guns. Perhaps the most controversial part of the ordeal was the hasty enactment of the law. Many dispute that it is an infringement on their constitutional rights. In addition, the State doesn t have the means to enact many parts of the law. The law assumes thatRead MoreAmerica s Relationship With Guns Essay1421 Words   |  6 Pageswas urged by increasing mafia related incidents, to pass the first Federal Law to control machine gun sales, in the National Firearms Act of 1934. (History of Gun Control Legislation) In 1938, Roosevelt furthers gun control laws by, requiring interstate gun dealers to be licensed, as well as to strictly keep sales records of all transactions. Roosevelt’s National Firearms Act of 1938 also prohibited sales to those convicted of violent crimes. (History of Gun Control Legislation) In 1968, spurred byRead MoreEssay The History of Gun Control in the United States885 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.† A gun license grants a user the right to own and use a firearm. Gun-right supporters strongly oppose federally mandated licensing or registration. They see both as dangerous steps toward revoking Second Amendment rights. They say that with mandated licensing or registration, a right guaranteed by the Constitution becomes a privilege granted by the government (Doeden). The topic of gun control/rights in the United States hasRead MoreWhat Is Stop And Frisk1419 Words   |  6 Pagespossess reasonable suspicion and follow their guidelines. People should have open ideas of ways of reducing gun violence and not closing before hearing the proposals. People say that stop and frisk promote racial profiling and that it invades one’s privacy rights. Police officer are human being and make mistakes because no one is perfect in this Earth. Gun violence has been a main subject now a day, where you hear it on the news about a school shooting. Stop and frisk are an effective way to bring downRead MoreGun Control And The Rights Of A Free State1149 Words   |  5 PagesInstitute of Justice reported that in 1994, 35% of households owned 192 million firearms, with 65 million of those being handguns. 74% reported owning more than one. By 2000, the number had increased to 259 owned across the nation and 294 million by 2007. Retail prices vary from $75 to $1500 for a typical handgun. A gun is used in a homicide 3.2 times per 100,000 people per the FBI Crime Reports of 2011. In 2009, firearm fatalities numbered 11,826 homicides, 18,735 suicides, 554 accidental shootingsRead MoreCivil Liberties And The American Dream1739 Words   |  7 Pagesthat would have to rapidly protect themselves from men rebelling against the militia. The Third Amendment was strictly enforced to give the citi zens comfort and peace in their American homes. It states that a government official is to give citizens privacy unless demanded to interrupt the peace. Finally, the last amendment that protects basic freedoms would be recognized as the Fourth Amendment. This amendment placed restrictions on unlawful search and seizures of American’s property. Although theseRead MoreGun Control Essay1219 Words   |  5 Pagesthe epidemic of gun violence that is facing this nation today. There is evidence to support that many guns used for illegal activities are obtained by illegal means anyway, making laws to restrict the purchase of said guns ineffective at keeping firearms out of criminals hands. Evidence also supports the statements that guns are used in defense more often than not, that the age old statistic that â€Å"13† children die each day by guns is inaccurate, and that there are numbers that show the direct relationship

Friday, December 13, 2019

The Friendly Correspondence Free Essays

A horrible series of events took place about a day after Belinda wrote her last letter to Krysta. On the afternoon of the 22nd of December she sat in her living room reading one of Krysta’s recent letters in which she said that she had received her present and had told the authorities to not to give it to her until Christmas. Belinda’s parents had gone out shopping when suddenly the door opened and her brother Ron ran into the room. We will write a custom essay sample on The Friendly Correspondence or any similar topic only for you Order Now His face was all red with anger, he was holding some papers in his hand which had been ripped into many pieces. Belinda was so used to her brother’s tantrums that she did not stir from where she was sitting. But as her brother walked by she looked discreetly at the torn papers and saw the words â€Å"failed† and â€Å"Year 12†. She then understood the cause of her brother’s anger and what made him so wild and furious. Ron stopped at once and saw Belinda reading her letter. He asked her where mum and dad were. She didn’t reply. He stomped like a bull who had seen red, suddenly snatching Belinda’s letter out of her hands. He read it quickly and saw a paragraph addressed to Isobel in which it was asked that Ron be taken care of. He stuffed the letter into his pocket in spite of Belinda’s constant groaning to return it. That was the beginning of a quarrel to which Belinda contributed by adding her provoking spiteful remarks and insulting Ron for having failed to graduate. The brother and sister began throwing things at each other, at first paper weights and then dangerous objects such as sharp knives. In her fury Belinda threw a knife at Ron and unfortunately did not miss his hand from which blood started gashing out. Ron went off to his room not paying any attention to his sister who by that time had realised the seriousness of the situation, had stopped fighting. She then started to apologise while looking for a bandage to put and his hand. After having written one page or two of sentences that somehow made sense, Krysta decided to stop wielding her pen for a moment and take a short break. She sat back in her armchair and relaxed, or some minutes she lost in her thoughts, thoughts about life, thoughts of love, happy thoughts, sad ones and thoughts about Gary. Ooh Gary! Her heart stopped beating for a moment at the very thought of it. She remembered herself as a teenager shut in her heart wailing every moment in the depths of her heart for freedom†¦ She recalled how she had come there and how she spent each day of her life thinking it was her last one and that she would not get out of there alive. She shuddered as she thought of the cruel faces of her authorities or the ‘hacks’ as they were often called, of the stale food they gave with malicious faces, the way they eagerly roamed around like hungry dogs putting somebody’s name in their Punishment Sheets. She thought of her friends at Gary. Were they real â€Å"friends†? She thought of Linda McAllam and some other girls who let her down. But then she remembered Macy and girls who were nice to her at some of the times, her sweet voice, which often made her and others, weep or feel lonely, were still in her ears. Everything was clear and vivid in her memory as if it had taken place yesterday and not twenty years ago. On her table shone the paperback cover of a book titled ‘My life at Gary† with the words Krysta Bonbons in bold letters below it and the words BEST SELLER on its side, despite of all her horror of Gary she felt she owed it something. She felt pretty sure she wouldn’t have become a writer if she hadn’t been at Gary and had never met her so-called â€Å"friends†. Where could they all be now? What could they be doing? Directing great companies, catching burglars, smiling at children with books in their hands and blackboards behind them†¦who knows? Were they still alive? She felt her eyes pricking as she remembered Belinda, her pen-pal whom she’d never met in person, who wrote her consoling letters -and also rang her sometimes- during almost the whole of her second year at Gary. She had died that same year a few days before Christmas killed by her violent brother. She looked at her watch, it was 2. 30pm. She hurried so as not to break a routine, which had become a part of her life. At about 3’clock she got off the Vaudeville tram and ran to the cemetery behind St. Michael’s church. She stood still before Belinda’s grave who was no relative of hers but with whom she had a relation stronger than with anyone else. From her purse she took out a letter Belinda had written to her and read it all over again with tears rolling down her cheeks. Thank you, Belinda! â€Å"she said in a feeble voice, â€Å"Thank You for loving me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . She entered the church, said a small prayer and left, a habit she never had before visiting Belinda’s grave for the first time. It was as if Belinda had become an angel and was strengthening her belief in God praying for her everyday. Her next destination was the nearest newspaper office where she ga ve a note with all her brother Simon’s to be published in the classifieds She had put the same ad in the same paper for the past five years. Not that she thought it would do much good but one never knew†¦Krysta was pretty sure that if one day a man younger than her walked towards her calling her â€Å"sister†, she would be very happy and once again would have somebody to love unconditionally just as Belinda loved her. On arriving back home, Krysta threw the pages she had written some hours before into the dustbin and started writing on a new page. Somehow she felt confident the book she was writing would be really good. It would be called â€Å"My Friend whom I’ve Never Seen†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ How to cite The Friendly Correspondence, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Diploma in Business Management for Media - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theDiploma in Business Management for Media. Answer: Representing positively in media and community: The media plan is there to ensure positive message is conveyed to the people. When an organization is hiring the media people to advertise a certain issue to the people, it should ensure that the correct language is used. They should have a good selection of the words to use. This is because, if wrong language is used the message delivered may change its meaning or misunderstood by the audience. To promote the organization, the advertisement should be made wisely and in polite language in order to reach the targeted group in the right and expected way The company well participates in Workplace health and safety measures. To begin with, the organization tries its level best to practice fairness and equal treatment of the workers without biasness. There is no favor of any employee or mistreatment of others. Each employee should be aware of what the organization expects them to do, and do it with minimal or no supervision. What approach would you like to make while doing any consultation with an individual? Explain any risk involved in any step while doing consultation? First I would prefer to use expert model. Here is whereby you approach someone who is more knowledgeable and experienced in a certain area than you are. You gain from their explanations and plan ahead. You put into practice and see the results .for example a doctor for patients and mechanic engineer for repairing machines. Secondly, emergent organizational development and change-this model is used as a strategy of adapting organizational capabilities to the drivers and challenges of the changing demands of an organizations external and internal environments. Secondly, transitional change and development-this enables to continually enhance adaptability and alignment of the whole organization to changing environments and strategic directions. Lastly, transformational change and development-seeing the results of the evolving approach. Document accountability and responsibility of the following staff through effective delegation Staff accountability responsibility General manager Administration Accounting Human resource -overseeing all the departments in the organization and ensure that they have a smooth run. -Oversee preparation of annual operating and capital budgets for final approval by the board of directors. -recruit, orient, evaluate, displine, supervise and guide management staff. Human resource manager Human resource department -recruiting new employees and staffing. -ensuring employee relations are adhered to. Accountant manager Accounting and finance -Making payment to employees in good time and accounts for profit generated as well as capital used. -Prepare and analyze accounting records for the organization Warehouse manager Warehouse - To coordinate with Procurement department in order to ensure that goods are supplied to the organization as per the contract. - To support Corporate Supply Chain in achieving business target Maintenance manager maintenance -Develop maintenance procedures and ensure that action is taken concerning the required repair and maintenance. - inspects the facilities and machines used to ensure they are in good condition. References Creating healthy workplaces: Stress reduction, improved well-being, and organizational effectiveness. (2014). Podmoroff, D. (2015). 365 ways to motivate and reward your employees every day with little or no money.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Vietnam Turning Point free essay sample

There were many incidents during the Vietnam War that one could call a turning point. These include the 1 963 Buddhist riots, the coup against Diem in 1 963, President Kennedys 1963 assassination, the Gulf of Tontine resolution on 1964, and the presidential elections in 1964. With that in mind, the attack on the ISIS MADDOX in assays also a key turning point for American involvement in the war.In August 1 964, North Vietnam intentionally attacked the US MADDOX. The first incident occurred on August 2, 1964. Patrol boats were sent by the Vietnamese to sink the MADDOX, however the MADDOX sunk the patrol boats and left the area (Farrell). The supposed second incident occurred two days later when the MADDOX and the US Turner Joy believed themselves to be under attack again though there was never any evidence to us port the attack. These were the first intentional attacks brought against the U. S. By the North Vietnamese.Because of that it should be considered to be a major ruining point and not just another event in war. We will write a custom essay sample on Vietnam Turning Point or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These intentional attacks showed the Vietnamese intent to fight the U. S. When there had not previously been the intent. America had to act on this and they did so by creating the Gulf of Ton kin resolution. The resolution states the Congress approves and supports the determination of the president, as Commander-in-Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attacks against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.The United States is therefore prepared, as the President determines, to take all necessary steps, including the use of armed force, to assist any member or protocol state of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty requesting assistance in defense of its freedom (Moss, 2010)With that we were prepared to act on any attacks if necessary. Leading up to the Gulf of Tontine incidents was the coup against Diem and the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on 1984 Editorial Cartoon Essay

Editorial Cartoon Essay An innovative look ahead in the future is not as far fetched as it may seem to be. George Orwell’s 1984 deals with the author’s worrisome troubles of what he thinks is to come in the future: no individual freedom and personal privacy. Bill Abbott’s editorial cartoon shows how Orwell’s idea of the future is not too far off. The editorial cartoon shows how a person’s privacy in his workspace or personal space is intruded upon so much that he has no workspace or personal space of his own. Although Orwell’s fear of the future may seem idealistic, nevertheless, a heartless reality of which the truth about people’s privacy and individual freedom is invaded with Abbott’s cartoon. The cartoon is of a man on his phone at his desk. Then he is looking out the window where there is a huge eye looking in at him. When first looking at the cartoon the thought of big brother on the poster; â€Å"On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran† (Orwell 5), appeared in my head. In Winston’s world there are posters plastered everywhere trying to enforce the initiative that the people in his world no longer think for themselves. The people of Oceania think that a bigger, larger force controls their lives and thoughts. Little do they know that their life and actions truly rely on themselves. In Abbott’s cartoon the eye or face in the window is similar to the telescreens that are found in almost every room in Oceania. A person could turn his or her back to the screen or man in the window and one would still be seen and watched. â€Å"You had to live-did live, from habit that became instinct-in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinize... Free Essays on 1984 Editorial Cartoon Essay Free Essays on 1984 Editorial Cartoon Essay Editorial Cartoon Essay An innovative look ahead in the future is not as far fetched as it may seem to be. George Orwell’s 1984 deals with the author’s worrisome troubles of what he thinks is to come in the future: no individual freedom and personal privacy. Bill Abbott’s editorial cartoon shows how Orwell’s idea of the future is not too far off. The editorial cartoon shows how a person’s privacy in his workspace or personal space is intruded upon so much that he has no workspace or personal space of his own. Although Orwell’s fear of the future may seem idealistic, nevertheless, a heartless reality of which the truth about people’s privacy and individual freedom is invaded with Abbott’s cartoon. The cartoon is of a man on his phone at his desk. Then he is looking out the window where there is a huge eye looking in at him. When first looking at the cartoon the thought of big brother on the poster; â€Å"On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran† (Orwell 5), appeared in my head. In Winston’s world there are posters plastered everywhere trying to enforce the initiative that the people in his world no longer think for themselves. The people of Oceania think that a bigger, larger force controls their lives and thoughts. Little do they know that their life and actions truly rely on themselves. In Abbott’s cartoon the eye or face in the window is similar to the telescreens that are found in almost every room in Oceania. A person could turn his or her back to the screen or man in the window and one would still be seen and watched. â€Å"You had to live-did live, from habit that became instinct-in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinize...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Comparison and contrast between business systems in Japan and China Essay

Comparison and contrast between business systems in Japan and China - Essay Example Business systems refer to those processes that are adapted by a business entity, to generate and deliver goods and services to its customers (Willoughby, 1981 p24). This entails the organization of resources, information and workforce, to ensure that the business applies the right mechanisms to generate and deliver the desired commodities to its customers. Therefore, business systems will differ from one business to the other and from one country to the other, based on the nature of the business, the industry in which it is operating, and the nature f the customers that the business is serving. All these factors combined, and coupled with the business objectives and targets, determine the mechanisms of the delivery that a business entity will apply to meet its customer’s needs. The business systems applied in a certain country also depends on the economic systems, the social and cultural orientation of the society, as well as other external forces that play a role in influenci ng the running and management of a business (Chen, 2004 p33). Factors such as religion and cultures of a people determine the business systems applied in a given country. Therefore, this study seeks to compare and contrast business systems applied in Japan and China, with a focus on understanding the factors behind their similarities and/or differences. Comparison between business systems in Japan and China There is a great similarity between the Chinese and the Japanese business systems. The business systems for these countries are centered on cultural values, where delivering value to the people is the key for business systems in both countries (Liao, 2009 p15). Both countries have the collectivist business culture, where there is a great deal of integration between the business and the family systems applied in the running and managing business. Thus, for both countries, businesses are focused on improving the family values, which are the core and origin of the business concepts. Thus, to deliver value to their customers, the business systems of the two countries are organized on networking as the fundamental principle of earning trust and developing business interactions, with the main goal of carving large market share for the businesses (Chen, 2004 p37). Earned trust is therefore a core value for the business systems in both Japan and China, which acts as the source of business targets and future prospects. It therefore follows that information sharing between businesses, which have established the principle of earned trust, plays a great role in enhancing business connectivity and partnerships. Considering the nature of the business environment in the two countries, where there lacks proper business institutionalized protections, survival and prosperity is only achieved through the principle of earned trust shared between businesses, which has its roots in the cultural and family value systems (Gordon, 2012 p223). Another comparison in the business syst ems between Japan and China is identifiable in state intervention (Wei, 2002 p27). The state plays a very pivotal role in enhancing the environment for business in both China and Japan. The state has maintained a direct involvement in the running of business, through state laws and regulations that guide the running of businesses in these countries. The states have provided policy guidelines that have seen both countries center their focus on the provision of value to their customers, an aspect that has enabled both the Chinese and Japanese businesses to operate successfully outside their domestic confinements (Hefner, 1998 p60). Through state regulation of business value systems, both countries have excelled in international trade, both

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Ethical Perspectives in Managing Talent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ethical Perspectives in Managing Talent - Essay Example In order to determine the scope and functionality of talent management, certain ethical factors will be considered from an organisational viewpoint. However, various scholars have argued about managing talent in an ethical manner. In this connection, a detailed analysis about various significant facets of talent management will also be taken into account. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 This paper intends to make a detailed analysis of how a particular organisation can manage talent concerning ethical perspectives. Moreover, how talent fits in the ethics debate will also be portrayed in this paper. 5 Report Discussion 5 Theoretical Explanation 5 Organizational Viewpoint 7 Critical Evaluation 9 Conclusion 12 Recommendation 12 References 13 Introduction In the present day context, the majority of business organizations face significant challenges and difficulties regarding the global talent management. It has been apparently observed that every organization through out the globe always concerns the aspect of talent management in order to adopt effectual strategic decisions. ... From the perspective of human capital, a few of the researchers visualise the notion of talent management as a key to success of an organization (Tansley, 2011). By taking into concern today’s business scenario, talent management is considered to be one of the imperative aspects relating to corporate human resource (HR) and training. In general, it can be stated that an organisation is typically created using various levels of skilled people. These people act as a creating value towards different arenas that include business process, innovation development, sales and customer service that ultimately assists organisations in accomplishing their desired business targets to a greater extent. In order to develop this value, an HR department should follow a talent management procedure in terms of recruiting, supporting, managing, training and compensating skilled people. One of the significant aspects that must be taken into concern is regarding how this entire process can be manag ed in an ethical manner (Vaiman, 2012). This paper intends to make a detailed analysis of how a particular organisation can manage talent concerning ethical perspectives. Moreover, how talent fits in the ethics debate will also be portrayed in this paper. Report Discussion Talent management comprises skilled people and valuable resources in order to respond to the change and tackle with the complex business operating situation. It also embraces the development, maintenance, support and the people oriented organizational culture. Contextually, talent management is considered as a deliberative approach that is adopted by most of the organisations in order to attract and retain people possessing their respective skills for the

Monday, November 18, 2019

GENDER macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

GENDER macroeconomics - Essay Example Neither the individual nor gender has been a main concern of macroeconomic policy or macroeconomic theory. It is also clear that gender is ignored in the majority of the conventional means of macro-economic behavior that are representative of the manner in which individual women and men are affected by macroeconomics (Seguino, 2010: p1216). Individual economic indicators are rarely referred to with macroeconomic language being un-gendered and impersonal. In addition, the sex based labor division is rarely mentioned in macroeconomic policies. Although the policy impact on functional categories of actors in the economy like investors, savers, sellers, and buyers can be identified in debate on macroeconomic policy, absence of gender-specific references suggests that it is assumed to have an equal effect on men and women. Literature especially that covering women in developing nations shows that this is not so. Bringing a Gender Perspective into Macroeconomics Conventional policy framewo rks on the economy are ignorant of non-market work like voluntary, community work and unpaid care work. These activities are normally taken for granted and rarely discussed in monetary or fiscal policy. Rather than being considered as economic activities, these are thought of as social roles. However, these are economic activities because they need the utilization of scarce resources, as well as because they give vital inputs to private and public economic sectors. Unpaid care work can be described as a tax in kind levied on domestic sectors so as to reproduce the economy with the tax paid mainly by women (Elson, 2011: p240). Unpaid work can be incorporated into macroeconomic policy making through viewing national output as being a product of the domestic sector, the public sector, the private sector, and equally important the voluntary sector. Wealth creation in a country is dependent on output from the four sectors. At times, policy makers tend to assume that the sector that creat es wealth is the private sector with other sectors spending that is produced by the private sector. However, these four sectors depend on each other. The private sector cannot create wealth for use by families, the government, and the communities if these communities, families, and the government do not create wealth, in turn (Elson, 2011: p241). In particular, unpaid care by women, as well as voluntary work, proves vital for the creation of social and human capital. There are essential differences, of course, between looking after one’s own children and parents and being paid to care for children or old people as an employee for the private and public sector (Elson, 2011: p241). This difference is not personal in nature. The costs for the care given to children and old people in the public and private sector appears in the national accounts, being taken into consideration in decisions on policy. However, the costs regarding unpaid care for children and old people in domestic sectors are not reflected in the national accounts and are, therefore, not accounted for in decisions of policy. However, this care imposes energy and time costs on those who do

Friday, November 15, 2019

Autonomous Learner Characteristics

Autonomous Learner Characteristics INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study Looking back in time, English language were used once during the Cambodian Republic Regime (1970 1975), but thereafter, English was completely banned during the Genocidal Regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge; in 1993, for the first National Election in Cambodia, English language emerged again in this country with the arrival of United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) (Narith, 2008). Since then the popularity of English language has gradually grown among Cambodian people. According to Crystal (1997) indicates that English language gains its popularity in the world due to political power, military power and economic power. In Cambodia, because of local and international business, international non-governmental organizations, job requirements, consumerism, computers and mass media, young people are encouraged to learn English as a foreign language (Narith, 2008). Further, Igawa (2008) studies about English language and its education in Cambodia states that communicat ive competence in English means a better job and a better pay for Cambodian people. That is why English language is encouraged and promoted to learn. Concerning English language learning, Cambodian students culturally seem to be respectful, obedient, and passive towards their teachers. This happens because of the traditional classroom, which is commonly practiced and mainly focused on teacher-centered approach. This approach offers fewer opportunities to students to engage in their learning, because the teacher always plays a role as a knowledge transmitter to students. Moreover, there is little interaction among teachers and students. The teacher usually spends a great deal of time speaking and explaining in the class; while students are required to sit passively and listen to the teacher attentively (Wang, 2007). However, after the communicative language teaching has emerged in Cambodia over the last ten years, the role of teacher and student has been gradually changed in modern classroom. In other words, there is a shift from a teacher-centered approach to a learner-centered approach, which offers students more possibilities to actively engage in their learning process. Since this shift occurs, learners are viewed as the main source of information for learning process, which the practice of learner autonomy begins to grow in language learning and teaching (Benson, 2001). Holec (1981) was the first person who coined the term learner autonomy and defined it as the ability to take charge of ones own learning. Autonomous learning encourages a very active role of learners and focuses on greater students initiative rather teacher-centered direction. (Eyob, 2008). Tudor (1993) also states that learner-centeredness is not a method, nor may it be decreased to a set of rules. It is, however, an approach, which views students to have more active and participatory roles in the learning and teaching process than in traditional approaches. Additionally, this approach requires different classroom activities, the structures of which are decided by students themselves resulting in increases in students involvement and motivation. There is also a parallel change in the teachers role in learner-centered classrooms. The teacher is less likely to dominate classroom events in contrast to traditional classrooms where the learning environment is teacher-centered and teachers are considered as authorities. According to, Nunan (1996) there are two complementary aims of learner-center. One of them focuses on language content, the other focuses on learning process. To achieve these aims, leaner need to decide what they want to learn and how they want to learn at their own pace, and make a decision regarding their own language competence. Thus, it is the teachers duties to create such autonomous learning conditions in which students can acquire skills and knowledge while making choices about the process and content of their learning. Likewise, Tudor (1993) suggests that if teachers are to foster autonomous learning conditions, student will be able to get more benefit from the teaching and learning process, particularly in the following areas: (a) more relevant goal setting with the contributions of students, (b) more effective learning enriched with students preferences, (c) more benefit from activities, the content of which decided by students, (d) more efficient study program with more s tudent involvement. Learner autonomy is considered as a crucial concept that students actively manage their learning in and out of the classroom. That is, they are independent in terms of selecting their own goals and purposes, deciding on materials, choosing ways of learning and tasks, and opting for criteria for self-evaluation (Eyob, 2008). Besides, autonomous learning can be achieved by certain conditions such as using cognitive and metacognitive strategies, learner attitudes and motivation, self-esteem, and learners awareness and knowledge about language learning (Thanassoluas, 2007). Similarly, Cotterall (1999) indentifies learning strategies as one of the most important factors in autonomous language learning. She also claims that the learners will have difficulties in classroom promoting autonomous learning without strategies training. Additionally, Chan (2001) states that increasing the level of learner control will increase the level of self-determination; thereby increasing overall motivation in the development of learner autonomy. Therefore, learners need to be self-directed and to determine the direction of their own language learning process. In brief, developing and promoting autonomous learning is vital as the aim of all education is to help people think, act and learn independently in relevant areas of their lives. In this respect, a strategy for developing and fostering autonomy in language teaching will require enhanced cognitive and metacognitive skills, self-awareness to improve motivation and willingness to take charge of learning. 1.2 Problem Statement With this novel concept, learner autonomy, Cambodian students are expected to take more responsibilities to demonstrate a great deal of autonomy in their learning process in order to succeed academically. However, Many English language teachers have become frustrated with investing endless amounts of energy in their students and getting very little response. Most teachers have had groups of students who never did their homework, who were reluctant to use the target language in pair or group work, who did not learn from their mistakes, who did not listen to each other, who did not use opportunities to learn outside the classroom, and so on. These reveal that students are not making efforts in their learning. Moreover, most of them are not likely to be aware of their roles in their learning process, and particularly they lack learning strategies to enable them to excel in their language performance. Regarding this issue, students make slow progress in their learning, performing poorly, thereby affecting their ultimate achievement in English language learning. And to the best of our knowledge, there is little research conducted on assessing learner autonomy in Cambodian EFL context. Thus, the aim of the present work is to identify learners perspectives about their learning responsibly and their actual practice of learner autonomy in Cambodian Youths Future Institute (CYFI). 1.3 Research Questions: The study on the current practice of learner autonomy is aimed at answering the two main questions and the two sub questions below in order to meet the objectives 1. How do the CYFI students perceive their own and their teachers responsibilities in learning English? -Are there any differences in the learners perceptions of their own and their teachers responsibilities in learning English regarding their gender? 2. To what extent, are the Autonomous learning strategies (inside and outside the classroom) used in learning English by ESL learners at CYFI? -Are there any differences in the learning strategies according to their gender? 1.4 Significance of the study This study is expected to provide empirical support for the identification of factors considered to be significant for the promotion of autonomy in foreign language classrooms and examines the claims made in language learning literature about each of these factors. By exploring them, teachers could also construct a shared understanding of the essential foundation of learner autonomy and obtain considerable insights into what roles they have to play in order to facilitate learner autonomy. Furthermore, it can increase learners awareness of how to be in charge of their own learning and inform the learners which learning strategies that they need to learn more and apply in their learning process. Similarly, it will help learners change their behavior by encouraging them to take responsibility for their own language learning, to change their attitudes towards the English class, and to deal with their foreign language learning problems. And finally, it may serve as a preliminary idea for any interested researchers in the area. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW The Literature in this review was found from the Hun Sen Library of the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), and by using the websites of Asian EFL Journal, Cambridge, Google Scholar, Oxford and Zunia to identify relevant books, journals and articles focusing on Autonomy in English langue learning. Other reviews was obtained from numerous articles and the list of references by several well-known scholars such as, Beson, , Gardner, Holec, Lee, Little ,Tudor and Wenden. These scholars are long established writers in this field and have written and conducted many researches about this area. The key words used to identify the articles are Lerner Autonomy, Learner Responsibility, Self-regulated Learner and Self-access Learner. 2.1 What is learner autonomy? The definition of learner autonomy seems to interpret in many different ways. Holec (1981, p.3) was the person who first coined the term learner autonomy and defines the term as the ability to take charge of ones own direct learning. Dickinson (1995) characterizes autonomous learners as those who have the capacity for being active and independent in the learning process. While Higgs (1988, p.41) views it as a process, in which the learner works on a learning task or activity and largely independent of the teacher who acts as manager of the learning programme and as resource person. In fact, learners attain autonomy depends on a variety of factors, including learners ability to take responsibility, personal constructs, teacher support, peer support, availability and flexibility in learning environment (Little, 1990; McDevitt, 1997; Lee, 1998). Even though there is a slightly different interpretation of learner autonomy, those meanings may contribute to the understanding deeply of the term. According to Benson and Voller (1997) there are five categories of the term learner autonomy, including situations in which learners study entirely on their own, a set of skills which can be learned and applied in self-directed learning, an inborn capacity which is suppressed by institutional education, the exercise of learners responsibility for their own learning, and the right of learners to determine the direction of their own learning. However, there is also a great deal of misconceptions about the definition of autonomous language learning. Esch (1996) thinks that autonomy is not self-instruction or learning without a teacher, does not mean that intervention or initiative on the part of a teacher is banned, is not something teachers do to learners, is not a single easily identifiable behavior, and is not a steady state achieved by learners once and for all. 2.2 Why learner autonomy? In fact, the cultivation of learner autonomy is a long process. Teacher should help students develop gradually from teacher dependence to autonomy. As an old Chinese saying goes Give a man a fish, and you feed him a day; teach him how to fish, and feed him for a life time. Moreover, the saying you can bring the horse to water, but you cannot make him drink can clearly illustrate why we need learner autonomy in teaching learning process. In language learning, a teacher can offer all the necessary tools and input, but learning can only occur if learners are willing to get involved and participate (Scharle Szabo, 2000). Further, Scharle and Szabo (2000, p.4) indicate that learners can be successful in learning when they have a responsible attitude. Therefore, we can understand that learners need a great deal of responsibility and active involvement in conducting learning activities in order to accomplish tremendous achievement in language learning. Eyob (2008) also states that learners accept responsibility for their learning, they constantly reflect on what they are learning, why they are learning, and with what degree of success; and their learning is fully integrated with the rest of what they are. 2.3 Characteristics of Autonomous Learners We understand that autonomous learners have to be responsible for all decisions that they have to make in their own learning. In other words, they are self-directed in the sense that they act independently of the teacher without remaining passive or waiting to be told what to do from teachers. According to Hedge (2000) characterized autonomous learners as those who: know their needs and work productively with the teacher towards the achievement of their objectives. learn both inside and outside the classroom. can take classroom based material and can build on it. know how to use resources independently. learn with active thinking. adjust their learning strategies when necessary to improve learning. manage and divide the time in learning properly. do not think the teacher is a god who can give them ability to master the language. Further, Wenden (1991) also characterized autonomous learners as those who: are willing and have the capacity to control or supervise learning. are motivated to learn. are good guessers. choose material, methods and tasks. exercise choice and purpose in organizing and carrying out the chosen task. select the criteria for evaluation. take an active approach to the task. make and reject hypothesis. pay attention to both form and content. are willing to take risks. 2.4 The Role of Teachers and Students to Promote Learner Autonomy Holden and Usuki (1999) who questioned Japanese students perceptions of learner autonomy concluded that it was not the learners who were innately passive, but it was the teachers that created an environment which discouraged learner autonomy. Moreover, it also concluded that the vast majority of students view their instructor as playing a major role in the development of their language skills. However, it stresses that learner autonomy, is not something that teachers do to learners, or another teaching method that can be taught (Little ,1990; Benson, 2001). Also, Dickinson (1987) states that, the learner is totally responsible for all of the decision concerned with his learning and the implementation of those decisions. In a full learner autonomy there is no involvement of a teacher or an institution. And learners are also independent of specially prepared materials. For instance, the early research on language learning strategies carried out by such researchers as Rubin (1975) indic ated that good learners have an active involvement with language learning, that they have clear ideas about the best ways for them to go about language learning, and that they set up their own learning objectives. However, this research has no strong reason to support that autonomous learning requires teachers or institutions, does not mean that it must proceed independent of them. Even there is a contradiction between the role of the teacher and the learner in promoting learner autonomy, McCarthy (2000) and Scharer (2000) argue that, in developing learner autonomy, the teacher-student relationship is crucial. The trust and cooperation between the teacher and the students makes the students feel comfortable and secure in the classroom. Only then can the students have the confidence to adventure in language learning. Benson and Vollers (1997) study also found that teachers have a significant role to play in launching learners into self-access and in helping them to stay afloat. In this investigation, it was found that there is a great change for both teachers and learners. Teachers are no longer in their dominant position as speakers in class while learners are not passive receivers any more. However, it does not necessarily mean teachers are less important. On the contrary, the teachers job is more demanding and challenging in helping students grow up as creati ve and independent learners. Teachers must focus their attention on how to learn instead of how to teach. They must play different role in class as guides, facilitators and counselors. Therefore, adjusting the teachers and students roles, and establishing proper relationship are the keys to the success in promoting autonomous learning (Benson Vollers, 1997). 2.5 Language Learning Strategies There are a number of researchers who have defined the term language learning strategies (LLS) in different ways. Wenden (1991) defines LLS as, mental steps or operations that learners use to learn a new language and to regulate their efforts to do so. OMalley and Chamot (1990) defined LLS as the special thoughts or behaviors that individuals use to help them comprehend, learn, or retain new information. By understanding various definitions from different researchers, we can see that learning strategies are very important in learning a language. Hence, all students have to be trained on how to use them appropriately in order to be successful learners. According to Hedge (2000), there are four types of learning strategies utilized by language learners, including cognitive strategies, meta-cognitive strategies, socio-affective strategies, and communication strategies. 2.5.1 Cognitive Strategies Hedge (2000) defines cognitive strategies as thought processes used directly in learning which enables learners to deal with the information presented in tasks and materials by working on it in different ways. According to Tudor (1996), cognitive strategies include: Repetition: repeating a chunk of language (a word or phrase) in the course of performing language language task. Resourcing: Using available reference sources of information about the target language, including dictionaries, textbooks, and prior work. Grouping: Ordering, classifying or labeling material used in a language task based on common attributes; recalling information based on grouping previously done. Note taking: Writing down key words and concepts in abbreviated verbal, graphic, or numerical form to assist performance of a language task. Deduction/ Induction: consciously applying learned or self-developed rules to produce or understand the target language. Substitution: selecting alternative approaches, revised plans, or different words or phrases to accomplish a language task. Elaboration: Relating new information to prior knowledge; relating different parts of new information to each other; making meaningful personal associations to information presented. Summarization: Making a mental or written summary of language and information presented in a task. Translation: rendering ideas from one language to another in a relatively verbatim manner. Transfer: using previously acquired linguistic knowledge to facilitate a language task. Inference: Using available information to guess the meanings or usage of unfamiliar language items associated with language tasks, to predict outcomes, or to fill in missing information. 2.5.2 Meta-cognitive Strategies According to Oxford (1990), metacognitive strategies are actions which go beyond purely cognitive devices, which provide a way for learners to coordinate their own learning process. Oxford also mentions that there are three metacognitive strategies such as centering learning, arranging and planning learning, and evaluating learning. Moreover, Tudor (1996, p.205) also states that metacognitive strategies consist of planning, monitoring and evaluating; some of these strategies are: Planning: previewing the organizing concept or principle of an anticipated learning task (advance organization); proposing strategies for handling an upcoming task; generating a plan for the parts, sequence, main ideas, or language functions to be used in handling a task (organizational planning). Directed attention: Deciding in advance to attend in general to a learning task and to ignore irrelevant destructors; maintaining attention during task execution. Selective attention: deciding in advance to attend to specific aspects of language input or situational details that assist in performance of a task; attending to specific aspects of language input during task execution. Self-management: understanding the conditions that help one successfully accomplish language tasks and arranging for the presence of those conditions controlling ones language performance to maximize use of what is already known. Self-monitoring: checking, verifying, or correcting ones comprehension or performance in the course of a language task. Problem identification: Explicitly identifying the central point needing resolution in a task or identifying an aspect of the task that hinders its successful completion. Self-evaluation: checking the outcomes of ones own language performance against an internal measure of completeness and accuracy; checking ones language repertoire, strategy use, or ability to perform the task. Thus, it is very essential to teach students about metacognitive strategies in order to make their language learning effectively. 2.5.3 Socio-Affective Strategies Oxford (1990) the term affective strategies refer to emotion, motivation, attitudes, and values. He claims that affective strategies are concerned with the affective elements of the learners such as self-esteem, attitudes, confidence, motivation, and anxiety. Oxford (1990) also suggests that there are three main sets of affective strategies: lowering your anxiety, encouraging yourself, and taking your emotional temperature. While Tudor (1996) suggests some of the affective strategies are: Questioning for clarification: asking for explanations, verification, rephrasing, or examples about the material; asking for clarification or verification about the task; posing questions to the self. Cooperation: working together with peers to solve a problem, pool information, check a learning task, model a language activity, or get feedback on oral or written performance. Self-talk: Reducing anxiety by using mental techniques that make one feel competent to do the learning task. Self-reinforcement: providing personal motivation by arranging rewards for one self when a language activity has been successfully completed. Therefore, good language learners should know how to control their emotions and attitudes about learning (Oxford 1990). 2.5.4 Communication Strategies According to Hismanoglu (2000), communication strategies are employed by speakers when confronted with some difficulties because of the fact that their communication was misunderstood or was not caught clearly. Hedge (2000) also states that learners use communication strategies in order to make them understood and to maintain a conversation; these strategies contain gesture, mime, synonym, and paraphrases. The significance of these strategies is to help learners get involved in conversations when they practice the language and to assist learners in getting their message across or clarify what the speaker conveyed. 2.6 Learner Attitudes, Motivation and Self-Esteem Benson and Voller (1997) state that language learning is not merely a cognitive task; Learners do not reflect on their learning in terms of the language input to which they are exposed. Rather, the success of a learning activity is partially contingent upon learners stance towards the world and the learning activity in particular, their sense of self, and their desire to learn. That is, language learning involves affective elements such as attitudes, motivation and self-esteem. The term attitudes refer to learned motivations, value beliefs, evaluations, what one believes is acceptable, or responses oriented towards approaching or avoiding (Wenden, 1998, pp, 52-53). There are two kinds of attitudes which are very essential: attitudes learners hold about their role in the learning process, and their capability as learner. Thus, it appears that if learners have positive attitudes towards their learning, then those attitudes will play an important role in increasing learners motivation, and contribute to their achievements in learning. In educational context, many researchers or experts have defined the term motivation differently. So there is little agreement on the exact meaning of the term. According to Dornyei (2001) the father of motivational strategies refers the term motivation as a keen, committed, and enthusiastic learner who has good reasons for learning. Motivation explains why people decide to do something, how hard they are going to pursue it and how long they are willing to sustain the activity (Dornyei, 2001, p.7). Furthermore, according to Gardner and Macintyre (1993) indicate that motivation consist of three elements, including desire to achieve a goal, effort extended in this direction and satisfaction with the task. Indeed, people are motivated in different ways and to different degrees. And learners should encourage focusing more on their intrinsic motivation because it emerges with the inner drive or interest of the learners in doing something which they can sustain their motivation longer. Therefore, motivation is a key factor that contributes to the success of language learning. If learners are more aware of the importance of motivation, then they will be more likely to achieve their desire goals or outcomes. Indeed, attitudes and motivation are the concept of self-esteem (Thanasoulas, 2007). James (1983) defines self-esteem as a ratio found by dividing ones achievements in areas of life of importance to a given individual by the failures in them or ones success. According to Branden (2001), self-esteem is the sum of self-confidence (a feeling of personal capacity) and self-respect (a feeling of personal worth). If learners have a high self-esteem, then they may achieve highly in their learning process. Conversely, if they have a low self-esteem, then it can lead to negative attitudes towards their learning, possibly deteriorate their cognitive perform and lowering their success (Wenden, 1991, p.57). All in all, learners have to be willing to take charge of their own learning. They should use the right strategies plus having positive attitudes, intrinsic motivation and high self-esteem. And all of these do contribute a lot in leading them to largely succeed in language learning. Most importantly, they should use every opportunity that they obtain in order to learn the language effectively and successfully. Thus, teachers and students should be responsible in fostering autonomous learning (Eyob 2008). CHAPTER THREE Methods 3.1 Research Design To conduct this study, the researcher utilizes a survey research in order to describe the current practice of autonomous learning by CYFI students. By using this method, it also assists to illustrate the fundamental problems that challenge the practice. The method is suitable in attempting to describe the attitudes, opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of a sample or the entire population (Creswell, 2005). Additionally, it included cross-sectional studies using questionnaires and focus group interviews for data collection. 3.2 Data collection tools Chamot (2004) suggests that appropriate methods in conducting this kind of the study need to be utilized. Those recommending researches tools in data collection are group focus, interview and questionnaire and these methods can help researchers to ensure the reliability and validity 3.2.1 Questionnaire The self-administered questionnaire is used in order to obtain descriptive and frequencies data of the study. The researcher employs this questionnaire because it is able to be administered with or without the presence of the researcher and it is easy to analyze with many computer software packages (Wilson Mclean, 1994). In addition, Questionnaire is familiar to most people. Nearly everyone has had some experience completing questionnaires and they generally do not make people apprehensive. Questionnaire also reduces bias; there is uniform question presentation and no middle-man bias. Also, the researchers own opinions will not influence the respondent to answer questions in a certain manner because there are no verbal or visual clues to influence the respondent. Nevertheless, the researcher need to invest great amount of time to develop, pilot, and refine questionnaire and data collected may lack of flexibility of responding (Wilson Mclean,1994). The rate of return can also be a m ajor concern when the researcher uses this data collecting tool (Anderson Arsenault, 1998). 3.2.2 Focus Group Discussion The researcher uses a focus group discussion as a second data collection tool for this study. In order to verify the data collected from the questionnaire and to make the data more enriched and valid. By using focus group discussion, the researcher can explore more insights in some particular areas found from the results of the questionnaire and can cross check and probe more information about the study. Moreover, focus group will offer a collective view rather than an individual view and it is economical and less time-consuming. It also produce a large amount of data (Mogan, 1988). However, focus group may yield the data less than the survey and data may lack overall reliability as group disagreement and even conflicts may arise. Also, Data obtained from focus group will be difficult to analyze concisely. 3.3 Sample size and Sampling technique The research is conducted in the form of a case study. The target populations of this study are Level 07 CYFI students whose levels are pre-intermediate. The sample of about 60 students of the entire population is chosen purposively to complete the questionnaire study. Besides, 4 to 6 students are also selected purposively to involve in the focus group discussion. The researcher intends to choose a non-probabilistic convenient sampling procedure for the study because, as its name suggests, it is convenient, fast, low cost and less-time consuming. Also, it is easy to conduct and the participants are available and voluntary to participate in the study (Cohen, Manion Morrison, 2007). And yet, the sampling may fails to represent the whole population and be limited to make a generalizability of the findings due to its nature. 3.4 Data collection process The self-administered questionnaires are administered to the participants at the end of their class. Since there are two kinds of self-administered questionnaires, the participants have a choice to complete questionnaires either in the presence or in the absence of the researcher, assistants and their teachers. If the participants decide to fil

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Issue of Non-Human Intelligence :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Question of Non-Human Intelligence Human beings have long assumed that they were at the pinnacle of the evolutionary pyramid thanks mainly to their more complex brain. They believe that this advanced brain makes them not just more intelligent but categorically different from all other organisms. Recent advances in the fields of neurobiology and anatomy have begun to chisel away at this most scared of human assumptions and demonstrate that human brains, and the intelligence associated with them, are not categorically different than other animals. Instead the research indicates that intelligence is on a continuum from "lower" animals to "higher" ones. These findings led to new fields of research which sought to gain a better understanding of intelligence and its evolution by comparing the behaviors and the brains of various organisms. Despite existing for many years and being supported by researchers in fields as varied as biology and linguistics there have been nearly as many steps backward as there have been forward. The central dilemma in studying intelligence is to come up with a universally acceptable definition of intelligence. Many researchers define intelligence as the ability to use language and create tools to manipulate the environment. While this definition may seem fairly logical, especially because humans seem to be the axiomatic example for this definition, many researchers argues that its anthropocentric nature is too limiting. By placing parameters on intelligence which only humans meet, and lower primates fit to varying degrees, it is inherently impossible to find "intelligence" in any other species. A second problem with this humanist definition of intelligence is that it is based largely on human introspection and the knowledge that we are conscious, rational, linguistic animals(1). Kenneth Marable argues "if the same criterion that are used to rule out non-human intelligence were applied to humans without the benefit of introspection, we would doubt even our own intelligence"(1 ). One of the first goals of inter-species intelligence studies was to create a quantitative scale to measure the intelligence of animals. Since the administration of IQ test to many different species seemed illogical, researchers turned to using scales which compared the size of an animal's brain to the size of its body; this value was known as the Encephalization Quotient. The Encephalization Quotient (EQ) "allows researchers to ask the question: 'Is the brain of a given species bigger or smaller than would be expected, compared with that of other animals its size?