Report in phonology and pronunciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report in phonology and pronunciation - Essay Example On the other hand, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) has 28 consonants ranging from fricatives, stops, lateral nasals, trill and semi-vowels. In addition, the Arabic consonant system is divided into two distinctive classes, which are emphatic and pharyngeal phonemes. Moreover, Arabic also has emphatic consonants such as /t/, /d/, /?/, and /s/. The table below 1 represents distribution of Arabic consonants Initial Medial Final /b/ bajt ?abd ba?b /t/ tarjama Xatama bu?t /d/ darb izdija?d Suru?d /k/ kam masku?n sikak /q/ qumtu baqqAl Dalq /?/ ?an ja?s bari /b?/ - qabbala dubb /t?/ - qAttala batt /d?/ - qaddama madd /k?/ - taSakkur Sakk The table below shows the plot of English consonants On a closer observation, Arabic has 13 phonemes, for instance, /t ?/, /t ?/,/s/, /x/, /?/, /d?/, /d?/, /q/, /?/, /?/, /?/, /?/, and /r/. Though Arabic and English share some phonemes, they differ in phonological rules, which limit concurrence of some allophones. For example, in English, the phoneme /l/ is co nsidered a velarized allophone at the end of words while in Arabic the same phoneme is realized as non-velarized at the end of words. In addition, the distribution of allophones is different in English and Arabic whereby the bilabial [p], which is voiceless and the bilabial [b], which is voiced occur as allophones of two phonemes in English (Amer 2010). In contrast, in Arabic the [p] occurs prior to the voiceless consonant, but [b] occurs somewhere else. Others such as /d/ and /t/ in Arabic are dental, but in English are alveolar while /v/ does not occur completely in Arabic. This may cause difficulties for Arabic learners of English due to contrasts in English such as /f?n/ fan and/v?n/ van. The sound /l/ occurs both in Arabic and English; however, in Arabic /?/ it is restricted to words like /a:h/. Therefore, /l/ in Arabic is used in positions of medial, final and initial while in English, /l/ is used in the position of initial and medial (Watson, 2002). Another sound that is enti rely different in English and Arabic languages is /r/ whereby it is a tongue tip trill in Arabic and a back alveolar in English. Therefore, this may present a problem for learners of English from the Arabic language because they attempt to the English /r/ with the Arabic one. b. Consonant Clusters Consonant cluster is also another element of phonemic that presents several differences among the two languages. In English, two or more consonants may follow one another to create consonant clusters or sequences. For example, for three consonant clusters: sleep, dogs, cuts, for three consonant clusters: risked, plunged, street, for seven consonant clusters: tempts strangers. Consonants can occur at the final position or initial position in English words, for example, â€Å"some of the consonants at the beginning of word are /b/ followed by /l, r, j/ as in bright, blame, beautiful, /g/ followed by /l, r/ as in gross, glare and /k/ followed by /l, r, w, j/ as in queen, clip, queue, crimeâ €  (Ladefoged 2001, p.56). On the other hand, there are other consonants that appear at the end of English words, for example, /t/ and /d/ as in wished, plunged, raised, risked, /s/ and /z/ as in yields, eats, risks and gives and /s/ and /z as in facts, fields, dogs, and books. In Arabic, there is no particular sequence for two or more consonants occurring in final and medial position. Arabic cluster involves breaking of the consonant cluster by an intrusive

Critically examine theory of demand supported by the examples from Essay

Critically examine theory of demand supported by the examples from wine Industry (moldovan wine) - Essay Example In other words, there is a likelihood of people tending to purchase a different product that can give them the same satisfaction or other alternatives in which they spend a smaller amount of money (Cachon & Terwiesch, 47). The relationship between price and quantity demanded is represented in the figure below (fig. 1) There are various determinants of the quantity demanded, which lead to a shift in the demand curve. The shift is either outwards whereby the demand of a product goes up or goes down (inward shift). Consumer tastes and preferences are among the determinants that can either increase or decrease the demand (Fairey, 31). For example, if consumers gain confidence in Moldovan Wine, they are likely to buy more than other kinds of wines. In such a situation, even if the price increases and that of other wines reduce, the demand may not react to the price changes. The tastes of consumers shift the demand to the right. On the other hand, if it does not satisfy consumer preferences, the demand falls (shifts to the left). The number of consumers in the particular market is also a major determinant of demand. If more consumers enter the market, the quantity demanded increases (Cachon & Terwiesch, 66). For example, if the number of Russian and other nationals in the region increases in South Africa during the FIFA world cup, the demand for Miestii Mici may rise as people tend to get a taste of the wine that they are used to. In the regions where the wine is not known to many consumers, less of it is consumed. The income of consumers also affects the demand of a commodity. For example, Miestii Mici is affordable to even the low income consumers and therefore the demand is usually high among people of diverse income levels. The prices of related goods are also a major determinant of the demand for a product. If there happens to be another product that can be used as a substitute for the Moldovan wine, consumers tend to purchase what is easily

Recreation and Leisure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Recreation and Leisure - Essay Example The main reason that has led to these changes is change in economy and technology with time. During times of excellent economic growth, people had more cash to spend in leisure while hard economic times are characterized by increased working time and reduced leisure time. Additionally, the working environment has changed enabling people to participate in work and leisure activities in the same context. This is common particularly for businesspersons who can be in a business trip and mange to create some time in between for recreation purposes. This paper is a description of how the changing socio-economic conditions and major cultural developments, has affected the relationship between work and leisure. The paper will focus on how work and leisure have been evolving in Western societies from the medieval times until the present. Our oldest ancestors, the hunter and gathers, had no clear distinction between work and leisure. The two activities accompanied each other with no specific time set for work or leisure. The two activities we blended irrespective of the fact that there was some minimal understanding of what work or leisure was. However, the terms work and leisure were non-existent and even though people engaged in activities we now consider as leisure, the early people did not have specified activities to engage in for relaxation purposes. The distinction between the two has evolved greatly over time such that work and leisure are completely distinguishable in the contemporary western society. Amongst the Greeks, activities such as farming that we now consider as work was considered as some sort of religious activities that was a sacred undertaking1. In the medieval period, there was great separation in the roles played by men from those played by females. However, there was no clear distinction between work and leisure. Activities such as dancing,

History - Museum Objects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History - Museum Objects - Essay Example al languages have essentially three component parts, one of which is the direct use of signs and symbols in the form of objects and space while the other two, non-verbal communication such as gestures and body language and verbal communication such as speech and writing, can also be preserved somewhat in the objects that are left behind and can help in determining the culture from which the object originated. Because objects share a role in the interrelated social communication modes of a particular society, the interpretation of these objects may differ from one society to the next or even one time period to the next. The way in which it is interpreted can not only provide significant contextual clues to the society from which it was produced, but can also reflect the understanding of the society attempting to place the object within its correct contextual space. In addition, that exact same object, for example a specific vase, may take on different contextual meanings as it passes through time, originally used as a container for liquid, later taking on the ashes of a dearly departed relative and finally symbolizing perhaps a golden age in the progression of a nation. â€Å"[An object] can never convey one single message, uncorrected, unambiguous and unqualified. Different social perceptions, needs and changing attitudes will see to that.†2 In order to better understand how different objects can reveal different stories, this paper will take a look at three specific objects – a decanter made by William Burges and a MacIntosh chair both on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Grande Ludovisi Sarcophagus in the National Museum of Rome – examining the provenance, contexts and different stories or ‘readings’ offered of each. In terms of its socio-historical context, this decanter captures the opulence and elaborate detail of the later Victorian period in which a great deal of the artwork designed represented a return to some of the more

How smoking affect relationships in work or in home positivley r Essay

How smoking affect relationships in work or in home positivley r negatively - Essay Example This involves all sorts of activities including smoking. This is true whether only one person smokes or both do† (Relationships and Smoking). The above fact is true in the case of relationships of the smoker with his friends and co-workers at workplace. Smokers like the company of smokers and non-smokers don’t like the company of smokers. Non-smoking female often like to have the company of non-smoking males and they select non-smokers for their dating activities. On the other hand smoking females may not have such preferences. At workplaces also the smokers like to work with smokers whereas nonsmokers always try to avoid the company of smokers. The smoke produced by the smokers is spreading all over around the smokers which forces even the nonsmokers to breathe such malicious air. Nobody wants to put their health in jeopardy because of other’s activities. In short, smoking affects the relationships negatively, in family workplace and in society as

LEADERSHIP CRITIQUE PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LEADERSHIP CRITIQUE PAPER - Essay Example However, some critics feel that he too, like all other good leaders, suffered from some subtle weaknesses in his style of leadership. He is often charged with the accusation of being too much authoritative while making decisions, sometimes to the extent of imposing his autonomy on his fellow officials. We may take for instance his stop-and-frisk policy which unreasonably targets the Muslim and the black communities. But despite all these criticisms, the public believes that he possessed a kind of innovation and ingenuity never seen before in the NYPD. He resorted to the use of latest technology to strengthen the department’s hold on the crime rates. In 2012, he joined hands with Microsoft to launch a law enforcement technology for the real-time analysis of public safety data to predict latent threats and criminal activities. In 2013, he implemented the use of license plate readers in the traffic lanes which were linked to the domain awareness system to monitor the exit and ent ry points to the city. Some of the articles by his contemporary authors provide a deeper insight into Kelly’s leadership style and his effectiveness as a leader of the NYPD. An article that talks about the recent changes that have seeped into the law enforcement system of the US is â€Å"Policing by Numbers: Big Data and the Fourth Amendment† by Elizabeth E. Joh. The article, as the title suggests, focuses mainly on the use of data and figures in policing against domestic terrorism. For instance, police in Chicago employ a risk analysis of the criminals to ascertain their chances of getting involved in future crimes. In North Carolina, the police have prepared a map of high-risk regions that are more prone to be attacked by criminals. Similarly, in New York, the NYPD has tied up with Microsoft to launch a â€Å"Domain Awareness System that collects and links information from sources like CCTVs, license plate readers, radiation sensors, and

Gothic Art Essay Example for Free

Gothic Art Essay Gothic art refers to an art movement in the middle ages (Van de Bogart 70) that started in France around 1140 (the time that the ambulatory of the Church of Saint-Denis was constructed [Encarta â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture†]) and lasted up until late 16th century throughout Europe (Encarta â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture†). In this paper, an introduction to Gothic art, with a concentration on Gothic church architecture, shall be discussed. To effectively provide an overview of this artistic style, this paper shall tackle the following: the roots of the term, â€Å"gothic†; a discussion of the characteristics of Gothic architecture; conclusion. Explaining the Term, â€Å"Gothic† The term â€Å"gothic† was used by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), the Italian artist and historiographer known for this book on the famous architects, to refer to the artistic style that characterize the French churches such as the Notre Dame de Paris and the Church of Saint-Denis (Chapuis â€Å"Gothic Art†). The term came from the barbarians called Goths who were then known to lack the civility that the people â€Å"civilized† people such as the Romans ought to have. These barbarians were one of the Nordic tribes likened to that of the Vandals as despoilers (Tarnocyova 69) that brought the â€Å"civilization-filled† Roman Empire into flames (Chapuis â€Å"Gothic Art†). As such, the Goths represent a regression or at the very least a certain sort of backwardness, crudeness, and lack of refinement. In fact, the Academie dArchitecture, meeting in 1710, still described unacceptable architectural manners as â€Å"gothic† (Tarnocyova 69). Hence, the term is originally a pejorative term that intends to put down an artistic style and say that the style is at the very least barbaric and rude. The reason why Vasari charged the artistic style as â€Å"gothic† has nothing to do with the merits or demerits of the style. It also has nothing to do with the logic and ingenuity that the artistic style exhibits. Rather, Vasari, just like most people during the Renaissance, were victims of the prejudices of their period. It should be recalled that the Renaissance was characterized by despise for tradition. As such, anything that belonged to the â€Å"dark ages† cannot be considered as good and of value. It is only fairly recent that the artistic manner and beauty of the gothic period is acknowledged for all its already-perceived merits. Gothic Architecture Gothic art is widely known primarily because of Gothic architecture. In fact, as was already stated in the introduction, the beginning of the Gothic period is pegged on the time of the construction of the chevet of the Church of Saint-Denis. It was 1127 when Abbott Suger, then the Abbott of Saint-Denis who was also the confidant of French Kings like Louis VI and Louis VII (Wikipedia â€Å"Gothic Architecture†), decided to rebuild the Church of Saint-Denis. This rebuilding eventually gave way to a new art period. How was this period initiated, then? At this point, it will be worthwhile to first state the Abbot’s philosophical ideas that contributed a lot to the underlying spiritual ideology of the Gothic Saint-Denis. Abbot Suger was some sort of philosopher/theologian in his own right. Corresponding with the theologian Dionysius from Syria (whose philosophy was some sort of Neoplatonist Christianity) (Helfrich â€Å"History of Gothic Architecture†), Suger came with the theory that God could best be represented as a powerful light, as a â€Å"supernatural light† as he would call it (Helfrich â€Å"History of Gothic Architecture†), who through his omnipotence, spiritualizes everything that is material. As such, God’s church ought to be a place where light is mostly present. God’s church, being the gathering place of his people, ought to also be the place where God, as light, could put his people together represented by an enveloping light. With this in mind, Abbot Suger started rebuilding the west front of the church first (the abbot left the Carolingian nave untouched and moved to reconstruct the eastern part of the church). The initial impetus that defined the changes that the abbot did on the church was the desire to put more light on the choir. He wanted the effect of having something like a â€Å"Heavenly Jerusalem† (Tarnocyova 69) that is primarily perceived to be luminescent, in one way reflecting the glory, majesty and power of the One True God. In this way, the Church acts truly as Christ’s earthly bride, bringing heaven-on-earth, making the physical reflect what is spiritual. It was this eastern reconstruction that would eventually be considered the very first Gothic art. Putting this ideal was not an easy task to do. In the first place, the Romanesque period created bulky churches with thick walls and fewer and smaller windows. The creation of light, then, would entail an architecture that was different from what was then mainstream. It was in the face of this task that Abbot Suger’s architects thought of using a more sophisticated technology, the pointed arch. The use of the pointed arch gave the architects additional flexibility that was not accessible through the curved arches. For one, the use of the arch meant lesser lateral thrust of the roof on the walls (Chapuis, â€Å"Gothic Art†). In addition to this, the new system of ribbed vaults allowed for thinner columns, allowing the stone material of the vaults to be lighter (Chapuis, â€Å"Gothic Art†) and space to be wider. Another important technology is the flying buttress that gave support to the thinner walls. These allowed for more space and more windows to be installed in these churches. More space and more windows meant more light penetrating the Church (or, in the case of Saint-Denis, the ambulatory of the church). Thus, Suger’s ideal is now a reality and Gothic architecture, with its characteristic pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses, is finally born. It does not mean of course that Abbot Suger thought of Gothic architecture from a vacuum. It has to be remembered that â€Å"ribbed vaults, buttresses, clustered columns, ambulatories, wheel windows, spires and richly carved door tympanums were already features of ecclesiastical architecture† (Wikipedia â€Å"Gothic Architecture†). Even the pointed arch which is used to typify Gothic architecture is not a product of a strike of genius. Assyrian architecture already made use of pointed arches as early as 720 B. C. (Wikipedia, â€Å"Gothic Architecture†). Islamic presence in Europe, most especially in Spain, would account for the introduction of these arches in the West. What characterizes Gothic architecture then is not the presence of these individual architectural traits but the putting of these elements together forming a unique architectural style that allows for spires, space, pointed arches, ribbed vaults, grand rose windows, clustered columns, ambulatories to exist in one magnificent monument. Actually, as it could be noticed, these characteristics were put together not out of whim; Abbot Suger did not put these traits together just because. Instead, these architectural traits were utilized because of a purpose: the creation of light and space in the choir of Saint-Denis. Thus, as is always acknowledged, these beautiful architectural traits came together out of technical need. Gothic architecture then is a product of a technical and spiritual need that eventually is characterized by the typical Latin cross floor plan at the same literally showing forth height and light (Helfrich â€Å"History of Gothic Architecture†). Everything in a Gothic church shows forth height. This vertical emphasis could immediately be felt by an external viewer who may rapture in awe over the spires and pinnacles of Gothic churches. The facade as well as the entire west front of a church has pointed arches, shafts, and main arcade all of which pointing up. These amplify the already overwhelming effect of spires that unanimously bring the gazer’s eyes to heaven. Entering the Gothic church would continue that ethereal experience since the nave of a Gothic church is usually very high in proportion to its width. Upon looking up, the gazer would be led to look the ribbed vaults all of which leading to a boss in a pointing way. Not only would the gazer be enamored by the height that uplifts the spirit; there is also the magnificent ray of lights that passes through strain glasses and more magnificently through rose windows. Gothic churches are famous for these magnificent rose wheel windows the best ones such as those in Notre Dame and Chartres create the effect of the flooding of light all over the cathedral. These light rays are complemented by the large and numerous other windows in the church. The flooding of light and the univocal stress on height is again complemented by the Gothic sculpture on the tympanum or columns or totally not attached at all to architecture (Encarta â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture†). Such architecture is characterized by naturalism at the same time the constant solemn disposition (Encarta â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture†). Conclusion Gothic art, specifically Gothic architecture, has been created initially out of the spiritual need that Abbot Suger problematized in Saint-Denis. This was then followed by the architectural-technical need to be able to answer to this spiritual need. These series of needs brought forth the fusion which is now acknowledged to be one of the greatest styles in architecture called gothic art. Works Cited â€Å"Gothic Architecture. † Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 2 October 2007. 5 October 2007. http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture. â€Å"Gothic Architecture† History Link 101. January 2004. 2 October 2007. http://www. historylink101. com/lessons/art_history_lessons/ma/gothic_architecture. htm. â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture. † Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 2002. â€Å"Gothic Art. † Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 4 October 2007. 5 October 2007. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Gothic_art. â€Å"Parts of a Cathedral. † Medieval Time Reference. 2 October 2007. http://www. btinternet. com/~timeref/cathpart. htm Chapuis, Julien. Gothic Art. In Timeline of Art History. October 2002. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 10 October 2007 http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/hd/mgot/hd_mgot. htm. Helfrich, Serge. History of Gothic Architecture. 10 October 2007 http://www. xs4all. nl/~helfrich/gothic/architecture. html Tarnocyova, Bronislava. †Gothic Architecture† Bratislava Leaders Magazine III (2007): 68-69. Van de Bogart, Doris. Introduction to the Humanities: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music and Literature. New York: Barnes Noble, 1970.

Adam Smiths Theory of Self-Interest

Adam Smiths Theory of Self-Interest Adam Smith is a fascinated moral philosopher and an expert of economic. He left two famous books. I can still get much enlightenment when I read his words in this modern society. His mainly research are on morality and economy. This essay will focus on how self-interest motivates individuals in these two aspects and what role does self-interest plays in the developing society. Having found this complex question, we should have a general understanding of what is self-interest? Many people may confound self-interest and selfish. Adam Smith thought people will do whatever good to themselves when they burned and selfish is a human’s natural action. (Smith Moral ex.) But actually those two words have huge differences. Selfish describe a kind of person who just care about himself of herself. They ignore others feeling or benefit as long as they can get something good from what they did. This is really a negative influence which we should abandon it. ‘Self-interest or self-love is derived from the selfish passions, but self-love is not identified with selfishness, because self-love, like other interests, can be virtuous (the virtue of prudence) or evil (greed or avarice).’ (Werhane, PH 1989, p. 671) Self-interest looks like selfish on the surface but indeed it can make an interaction between people. ‘To the selfish and original passions of human nature, the loss or gain of a very small interest of our own appears to be of vastly more importance, excites a much more passionate joy or sorrow, a much greater desire or aversion, than the greatest concern of another with whom we have no particular connection.’ (Smith Moral ex. 8). Everyone who chase them own profits and don’t do harm to others’ benefits in the meantime is called self-interest. Thus help other is helping themselves in fact and the more you get better the more you are willing to help others, which is a kind of huge power to make our society improve, so our society will become much more harmonious and plentiful eventually. That why Adam Smith said: ‘His interests, as long as they are surveyed from this standpoint, can never be put into balance with our own; can never restrain us from doing whatever may tend to promote our own self-interest.’ (Smith Moral ex. 8) On the other hand, although Adam Smith believes self-interest may make people seems selfish, but it will bring sympathy to them as well. Smith said: ‘The man of the most perfect virtue, the man whom we naturally love and admire the most, is he who joins, to the perfect command of his own original and selfish6 feelings, a real appreciation of the original and sympathetic feelings of others.’ (Smith Moral ex. 7) It is a natural when people burn, which let people take others feeling and their happiness or sadness into them own business, even though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it. (Smith Moral ex. 1) Smith thinks sympathy is kinds of sense which will make their emotion fluctuate with others feeling which can resolve the conflict between individual interests and social interests. ‘The man who feels the most or the joys and sorrows of others, is best fitted for acquiring the most complete control of his own joys and sorrows.’ (Smith Mo ral ex. 5) Furthermore sympathy not only means share feelings but understands and contain as well. We can acquire the same feeling when we in the similar circumstance that others had thus we will have a deeply communication with them. They will see the phase called help other is helping me. ‘Smith argues, sympathy, coupled with reason, imagination, and our natural desire for â€Å"what ought to be approved of† provide the conditions that enable us disinterestedly or impartially to examine and to approve or disapprove a motive, character, or action.’ (Werhane, PH 1989, p. 677). So what prompted the ordinary people on many occasions to sacrifice their interests for others bigger benefits? It is not a noble and grant human natural, it is a strong motivation; a self-satisfied; a self-interest! (Smith Moral ex. 11) Smith thought everybody burn with self-interests they only want to do the things good to themselves, which is the prime motive for human’s active. People help others want to achieve their own goal indeed so they will become better when they help others. ‘He will be more likely to get their help if he can interest their self-love in favoring him, and show them that it is for their own advantage to do what he requires of them.’ (Smith Wealth ex. 3) In this case the more individuals chase their benefits the more they motivate the whole society’s progress and the society include all walks of life will achieve a universal prosperity finally. Just as Smith argue that: ‘He is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an outcome which was not part of his intention.’ (Smith Wealth ex. 6) Each individual is thought to be able to perceive his or her own best interests; they act so as to gain pleasure or happiness in whatever way they choose.’ (Heywood, A 2003, p48)This is something that can be a win-win. ‘By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectively than when he really tries to promote it.’ (Smith Wealth ex. 6) So self-interest is a kind of catalytic of improving society to a great extent in this case. ‘In principle, individuals always seek their own economic advantage; and, in principle, they act strictly rationally to achieve this goal.’ (Skirbekk, G Gilje, N 2001, p 250) Smith call this the law of natural which is free competition actually, this invisible hand is a kind of power which make the market fairer. It is important to make a division of labor in the market; I think the competition is the direct reason which causes this phenomenon. ‘It is the necessary, though very slow and gradual, consequence of a certain tendency in human nature which has in view no such ultimate outcome; [this is] the tendency to deal, barter, and exchange one thing for another.’ (Smith Wealth ex. 1) Smith thought it is the division of labor that increases the productivity. Everyone can just accomplish his part of job; he can focus on his own business. There is an idiom called practice makes perfect, so the efficiency of the whole market must be improved. It is a kind of exchange, just as Smith said: ‘give me that which I want, and you shall have what you want. That is the meaning of every such offer†¦. we expect our dinner, but from their concern for their own interest.’ (Inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations extracts 6). People always have much more inter est in their own business than the society profits. ‘It was the conduct of individual human beings that led us into this mess, and it is the behavior of individuals as well as the structuring of systems that has to change.’(Garton Ash 2014) So as we can find from here it is self-interest that motivate people to work; to do those economic activities. Moreover, what is the simplest method to reach this boundary? Smith thought is the freedom and non-interventionism. It doesn’t mean no-government, their function is limited to the administration of justice, and they are night watchman. ‘He attacked economic protectionism: the government should meddle as little as possible in trade and industry.’ (Skirbekk, G Gilje, N 2001, p 249) So Smith strongly recommended creating a free-market. ‘In an ideal free market resting on private property, no individual can coerce any other, all cooperation is voluntary, all parties to such cooperation benefit or they need not participate.’ (Friedman 2014, pp. 122-126). He opposed the state intervention in the economy, because he thought the market will automatically adjust. This is what he called ‘the invisible hand’, it will help people maximum their own profits and the society will make progress with individuals in the meantime. So it can make a combine b etween self-interest and public-interest. When the businessmen work hard to do their own business this ‘invisible hand’ will let them to choose the best-fit for the society. This is also help other is help ourselves. ‘Altruism is relegated to no more than delayed self-interest, so, for example, the more we create a good reputation, the more we can exploit it for economic advantage.’ (Hutton Schneider 2014, pp. 13-17.) So as the analyses I have presented above, we can clearly find that self-interest is the necessary and sufficient condition of our society’s thriving and prosperous. The better market can’t leave self-interest, which means they can’t exist without each other. Smith described that the conflict between self-interest and public-interest can be solved by combining them. They made each other! Thus if everyone can motivated by their self-interest, they will try them best to acquire the profits, which can motivate our society’s economy and make the market much more efficient and fairer ultimately.

The Auteur Theory Film Studies Essay

The Auteur Theory Film Studies Essay -The auteur theory, if defined as the ultimate foundation for a filmmakers vision, can be a rather unstable remark for one to give. Who in the beginning of film history declared that a director must adhere to a specific genre with a specific style? It seems, like anything else, that the reasoning behind this theory is for a person to find a way to make sense of it all. However, one could argue that a filmmaker has reasoning behind why they have chosen their career path in the first place, or what kind of themes they want to express to the public. No matter what the genre or screenplay, a filmmaker can become a true auteur if they exhibit the same thematic preoccupations, the same recurring motifs and incidents, and the same visual style and tempo (Wollen 73).   In this essay, I will argue that Andrew Sarriss definition of film auteurism, along with Jim Kitses and Peter Wollen redefinition of its traditional and structuralist conceptions, are displayed in M. Night Shyamalans The Happening (along with his other films) as an example of the filmmakers auteurism. Andrew Sarris assesses a filmmakers auteurism under three pieces of criteria: technical competence, personality evident through oeuvre (director as stylist), and beauty of interior meanings of films. Technical competence, as a notion of value, surfaces the idea that a badly directed or undirected film has no importance in a critical scale of values, but one can make interesting conversation about the subject, the script, the acting, the color, the photography, the editing, the music, the costumes, etc (Sarris 69). In an interview with CNN, Shyamalan insists that The Happening is the best B movie you will ever see, thats it. Thats what this is. With this information, Shyamalan lays out the foundation of the films technical competence in relation to his past films. The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, and Lady in the Water were assumingly created to the best of Shyamalans artistic abilities. Shyamalan premeditated The Happening with the notion that it would not be displayed as one of his ideal aesthetic pieces of cinema. It has been widely known that Shyamalan has had direct influences from science-fiction shows like The Twilight Zone, therefore audiences should be able to suspend moments of realism because, premeditatedly, bizarre and unexplained scenes are going to occur. Its going to test your patience, imagination, and social pressure, meaning that it almost dares you to laugh at inexplicable moments of dialogue and scenarios, and while it would be easy to write them off as bad filmmaking, if more effort is put into discover whats really happening or whats trying to be displayed (Shyamalans B-movie approach) , the stronger the payoff will be. For example, the scene where Mark Wahlberg is talking to a plastic plant, pretty funny right? Sure, if you look at it from the standpoint that its just Mark Wahlberg talking to a plastic plant. But if you think about it abstractly, the scene is completely appropriate to the films narrative. After evacuating New York City, being dropped off in a random town in Pennsylvania, then running from an attacking environmental force thats never fully explained, isnt it crazy enough to think that after all this, a person might begin to lose a sense of normalcy? Why not talk to the plant? It cant hurt to try new approaches to a specific scenario in order to figure out what could be happening, no matter how crazy it makes you look from an outside perspective. Sarriss film auteur definition extends even further, to the filmmakers personality and its visible evidence throughout oeuvre (director as stylist). A director must exhibit certain recurring characteristics of style which serve as his signature. The way a film looks and moves should have some relationship to the way a director thinks and feels (Sarris 69). With The Happening, there is clear evidence of Shyamalans personality. Since The Sixth Sense, he has been become known as the master of suspense. He never sells himself out to violence. Instead, he uses it as a tool to build towards a much more apocalyptic fear. The Happening is never explored from a large-scale angle like War of the Worlds, but rather the larger event that is taking place simultaneously merely peeks from the corners of the screen. Any filmmaker can physically blow things up so long as they have a decent budget. Instead, Shyamalan blows up our imagination. According to Sarris, the auteur theory must have a director with a specific style. Going along with Sarriss quote, the way Shyamalan uses violence in the film fits his personal and socially known filmmaking vision. For example, the scene where multiple bodies hang from hoses on trees is incredibly and meaningfully staged. As a passing car witnesses this, could you imagine sitting in that car and be thinking: What in the hell happened here that caused people to end up like this? Its so much scarier with scenes like this to leave the actual act of violence to the imagination because the imagination has no limits. Thats what makes this all the more horrifying. Shyamalan could have taken the lazy way out by going all Saw on us, producing over the top gore that has no purpose to the story. Theres a difference between horror and violence, and instead, Shyamalan seems to grasp this concept and use violence to enhance the story. He has shown this in every single one of his movies, even with The Happenings limitless R-rating. Sarriss third and final piece of criteria for assessing a directors auteurism is the beauty of the interior meaning behind a film. Sometimes a great deal of corn must be husked to yield a few kernels of internal meaning (Sarris 71). The post 9/11 atmosphere in our society still looms in the back of everyones mind. Shyamalan, instead of abusing this fear, induces it into interpersonal paranoia. The strangeness of each scene allows multiple scenarios of fear. The vibes coming off each character suggests that the events in The Happening are terrorist attacks. Why? Because its the first thing that enters everyones mind. The media has us so convinced that an act of terrorism is the only possible explanation of an attack on American soil that it has become the epitome of mass cultural fear. The standardization of mass culture (in this case, the media of mass culture) dictates the audiences reactions, telling them how to think and feel. Clement Greenberg, an American art critic of the 20th century argues that the Kitsch (German word meaning mass culture) associated in filmmaking has become extremely easy to notice. For example, a clichà ©d horror scene consists of objects jumping onto the screen after moments of eerie noises or silence (The Prom Night example). Formulaically, its the feeling that someone is going to jump out and scream a standardized horror clichà ©d line like boo! or gotcha! Shyamalan on the other hand, takes this persona and reverses it. Instead of forcing the audience into feeling a specific reaction, he allows them to think for themselves. Jim Kitses and Peter Wollen redefine the traditionalists and structuralist conceptions of auteurism in a simplistic manner that remains to this day, arguably, as an odyssey. Kitses claims that genre is to filmmaker as language is to speaker. The very foundation of meaning for an artist to work with is the roots in which they display the most comfort. Kitses explains that the meanings, characters, stories, and imagery come from the structure of the genre and the present culture in which the filmmaker is working within. Applying this to Shyamalans personal authorship, both Kitses and Wollen express their theories: In my view the term (auteur theory) describes a basic principle and a method, no more and no less (Kitses 89) and exhibit the same thematic preoccupations, the same recurring motifs and incidents, and the same visual style and tempo (Wollen 73). Shyamalan, in almost all of his films tackles big social themes, being mostly end of the world scenarios (Signs, The Happening) and/or socially known fears (The Village, The Sixth Sense). In Signs, Shyamalan takes a basic principle (an alien invasion towards planet earth) and applies his own basic method to it (the event is seen through the eyes of an American family trying to survive it). By adding his own layers of substance to Kitsess basic principle and method, Shyamalan ultimately creates his own personal authorship. Signs has the same basic principle as Steven Spielbergs War of the Worlds, but each director has their own vision towards it. Both Signs and War of the Worlds are about an alien invasion towards planet earth in which an American family tries to survive it, but unlike Spielberg, Shyamalan doesnt physically blow up the world, he enforces the imagination on the viewer and only implies physical destruction. Roger Eberts review of Signs furthers this argument: I will not even say whether aliens appear in the movie, because whether they do or not is beside the point. The purpose of the film is to evoke pure emotion through the use of skilled acting and direction, and particularly through the soundtrack. It is not just what we hear that is frightening. It is the way Shyamalan has us listening intensely when there is nothing to be heard. I cannot think of a movie where silence is scarier, and inaction is more disturbing (Roger Ebert). Kitses and Wollen have very similar opinions in the basic elements of the auteur. Kitses expresses that it involves a basic principle and a method, where Wollen argues that it exhibits the same thematic preoccupations. However, the process of getting the film to a concrete medium is where the two differ. Kitses compares genre to filmmaker as language is to speaker. When a speaker speaks a language, they may say it on their own terms, with different tones, dialects, expressions, emotions, speed, etc. therefore in translation to cinema, a filmmaker may express a genre their own way without the interference of an outside medium. While that it very much the case in many situations, the auteur must also face several realities, most evidently the wants and desires of the films financier (in other words, the studio) and the potential incidents that could destroy a films credibility. The director does not have full control of his work. This explains why the auteur theory involves a kind of decipherment, decryptment. A great many features of films analysed have to be dismissed as indecipherable because of noise from the producer, the cameraman or even the actors (Wollen 77). Audiences and critics can become subconsciously superstitious if one is not careful to consider the fact that films undergo realistic challenges like anything else. Shyamalan has experienced these heartaches just like any other filmmaker. In The Sixth Sense, his favorite scene (an alternate ending with an extended version of Bruce Williss wedding video speech) was cut from the film due to a studio decision. In Signs, Shyamalan was disappointed with his cinematographers (Tak Fujimoto) visual representation of the aliens. Furthermore, one must insist that Kitses wrote his analysis on the auteur theory before the Internet world affected the cinema. For example, the definitive twist in Shyamalans The Village was leaked online before its theatrical release date, ultimately allowing the entire world to access the films signature plot twist. This not only directly contributed to the films box-office disappointment, but also its initial critical failure, which discouraged the meaning of Shyamalans message. One could argue that The Sixth Sense would have suffered the same fate of The Village had the Internet been a primary resource and if the films ending was leaked online before its theatrical release in 1999. The structure of a movie is premeditated by an auteur, but a films outcome may have an end that does not justify the means. In a perfect filmmaking world, Kitsess theory would reign supreme on the idea that genre is to filmmaker as language is to speaker, but Wollen understands that things can happen beyond the control of an auteur. It simply means that it is inaccessible to criticism. We can merely record our momentary and subjective impressions (Wollen 77). Perhaps this is why Shyamalans films are becoming more appreciated as time goes on. One example of this is Unbreakable, which was initially a critical and box-office disappointment (in relation to The Sixth Sense) upon its release date in August of 2000, but over the years a cult following on DVD and VHS has sparked rumors of a potential sequel. Sarris, Kitses, and Wollens theories are visible in todays mainstream discussions. Shyamalans statement in the CNN interview stating, The Happening is the best B-movie ever is filled with Sarriss ideas of technical competence in the criteria for a films auteurism. Wollen is seen in Roger Eberts reviews on both Shyamalans Signs and The Happening. Ebert states in his Signs review that in a time when Hollywood mistakes volume for action, Shyamalan makes quiet films. In a time when incessant action is a style, he persuades us to play close attention to the smallest nuances (Roger Ebert). Every Shyamalan film since The Sixth Sense has had a summer release date. The filmmaker has an off-rhythmic beat in a year of Hollywood releases. M. Night Shyamalans The Happening is a movie that I find oddly touching. It is no doubt too thoughtful for the summer action season, but I appreciate the quietly realistic way Shyamalan finds to tell a story about the possible death of man (Roger Ebert). Personal taste aside, a theatrical release of a Shyamalan movie is always a movie event. In many ways, we know what to expect from his films. First and foremost (in accordance to mainstream logic), his box-office numbers are usually very successful (Lady in the Water is his only film that failed to produce a profit in its theatrical run). A Time Magazine interview has Shyamalan defending his financial success. Except for Pixar, I have made the four most successful original movies in a row of all time (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village). If youre not betting on me, then nobody should get money. Ive made profit a mathematical certainty. Im the safest bet you got. Behind his films financial successes are their other obvious components. The science-fiction genre is a must, his release dates are similar (theyve ranged no further in the summer season than June through August), and his characters all embody the struggles of interpersonal and emotional growth.   Through this mainstream discussion, an auteur (in this case, Shyamalan) exhibits the same thematic preoccupations, the same recurring motifs and incidents, and the same visual style and tempo (Wollen 73). Shyamalan, whether or not many believe he has lost his touch, is still a prime example of film auteurism. When watching one of his films, you always know you are watching a Shyamalan movie. It is clear with his setting (every one of his films is set in Philadelphia,) his vision (large scale events shown through a small-scale,) and his themes (the power of love, the fear of violence, and the importance of the imagination). His technical competence, personal evident throughout oeuvre, and internal meeting are all elements in his personal authorship in American cinema. Like anything else, only time has any real ability to create an understanding, in this case behind the man who was once called The Next Spielberg, the elements of his film auteurism, and the theorists who have timelessly argued the notion of the terms infinitely interpreted foundation.

The General Prologue - The Canterbury Tales Essay -- English Literatur

The General Prologue - The Canterbury Tales The General Prologue The most popular part of the Canterbury Tales is the General Prologue, which has long been admired for the lively, individualized portraits it offers. More recent criticism has reacted against this approach, claiming that the portraits are indicative of social types, part of a tradition of social satire, "estates satire", and insisting that they should not be read as individualized character portraits like those in a novel. Yet it is sure that Chaucer's capacity of human sympathy, like Shakespeare's, enabled him to go beyond the conventions of his time and create images of individualized human subjects that have been found not merely credible but endearing in every period from his own until now. It is the General Prologue that serves to establish firmly the framework for the entire story-collection: the pilgrimage that risks being turned into a tale-telling competition. The title "General Prologue" is a modern invention, although a few manuscripts call it prologus. There are very few major textual differences between the various manuscripts. The structure of the General Prologue is a simple one. After an elaborate introduction in lines 1 - 34, the narrator begins the series of portraits (lines 35 - 719). These are followed by a report of the Host's suggestion of a tale-telling contest and its acceptance (lines 720 - 821). On the following morning the pilgrims assemble and it is decided that the Knight shall tell the first tale (lines 822 - 858). Nothing indicates when Chaucer began to compose the General Prologue and there are no variations between manuscripts that might suggest that he revised it after making an initial version. It... ...ed if he does not put people in the order of their social rank, "My wit is short, ye may well understand." This persona continues to profess the utter naivety that we have already noted in his uncritical descriptions of the pilgrims. It is in this way, too, that we should approach the conclusion of the Prologue. Here the Host of the Tabard Inn (Harry Bailey, a historical figure) decides to go with them and ironically it is he, not Chaucer, who proposes the story-telling contest that gives the framework of the Tales. He will also be the ultimate judge of which is the best: "of best sentence and most solas." He is, after all, well prepared by his job to know about the tales people tell! One model for the literary competition would seem to be the meetings of people interested in poetry, known in French as puys, with which Chaucer would have been familiar.

Essay --

A person that avoids any animal products, as in any meats or animal-derived foods is considered a vegetarian. This is the general classification of a vegetarian. It is a challenge to classify a vegetarian; many variations were created to suit certain diets. Lactovegetarians are vegetarians that consume milk and dairy products. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but no dairy products, and some do consume honey. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians exclude meats and seafood’s but consume dairy products and eggs. The lacto-ovo-vegetarian eating pattern also consists of legumes, seeds and nuts. Vegans are the only pure vegetarians; they exclude all animal derived foods. There are also people that classify themselves as near vegetarians, for example macrobiotic diets. The macrobiotic diet consists mostly grains, legumes and vegetables and limited amounts of fish. There is also an instance where people will adopt being a vegetarian occasionally; this is called being a flexitarian. Appropriately planned vegetarian diets can be essential to any one, in any stage of their life. Vegetarian diets are associated with lower risks of cancer, death from ischemic heart disease or any cardiovascular disease. Also lower body mass index (BMI), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, low blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension than those of which are non-vegetarians. Kidney and liver conditions can tell a person whether or not adopting a vegetarian diet can be helpful for their conditions. Those that exhibit lower levels of protein, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, and have an abundant amount of zinc and potassium are better suited to diets that focuses on meats, those that show signs of the opposite levels, are better suited to adopt vegetarianism. However it ... ...results in longer lives. There are many factors to why some want be vegetarians. Many believe that it is more ethical to become vegetarian. That warm-blooded animals being slaughtered have emotions and connections and are sacrificed to satisfy the decedent meat eating lifestyle. Or let it be that we are supporting many genetically modified crops and feeding them to the animals we eat; only supporting an artificial lifecycle. Many vegetarians are born into the lifestyle; most people from India are vegetarians because of the animals they worship. It is called the Asian –Indian diets, which is predominantly lacto-vegetarian. Many choose the lifestyle because of health concerns and concerns of the environment; that we are a product of our environment. What ever we take from the world or put into it is the reason there are so many health problems, like a circle of life.

Ethics in the Workplace Essay

In 1995 Douglas Durand went to work for Tap Pharmaceuticals as vice- president of sales. Several months after starting at Tap Pharmaceuticals, Durand was in disbelief to find out that the company was bribing urologists to purchase the new Lupron drug for prostate cancer. Durand found the culture at Tap Pharmaceuticals to be in misalignment. In order for Durand to protect his good name, he began to document all his findings over a 6 year period and submitting the information to federal prosecutors. The documentation that Durand submitted to the federal prosecutors was so overwhelming that it caused Tap Pharmaceuticals to plead guilty to conspiring with doctors and cheating the government. As result of the guilty plead, Tap Pharmaceuticals paid a staggering $875 million dollar fine, which Durand received 14% of the settlement for his efforts to remedy the situation. The symptoms found in the Tap Pharmaceuticals case are primarily driven by numbers and monetary rewards. The more the top sales reps could sale or distribute the bigger the monetary reward. Durand tried to institute a more structured environment to help remedy some of the illegal practices he encountered. Many of the sales reps at Tap Pharmaceuticals did not accurately track the samples of Lupron given out to doctors. Durand offered a year salary to sales reps to help the company keep accurate records of distribution of the drugs offered. It worked until upper management shut down the bonus program, furthermore; the reps settled back into their old ways. Symptoms of dishonesty, unethical behavior, inadequate record keeping, crooked doctors, and a complete disregard for laws and regulations set forth by the government are derived from the root cause of poor upper management found at Tap Pharmaceuticals. The root cause and unresolved issues that Durand encountered at Tap Pharmaceuticals are a direct result of the monetary driven culture created by then president Yasu Hasegawa and senior management. Durand found that when he tried to implement new policies or practices that Hasegawa and the sales reps were not interested, or he was undermined by senior management. Tap pharmaceuticals primary sales niche was to bribe and payoff the people who prescribed the drugs offered by purchasing televisions, vacations, and  office equipment. The unethical practices are a direct result of a lack of unethical leadership and ethical standards and practices not being in place. Tap Pharmaceuticals did not have a hose counsel to help keep practices ethical and meet government requirements because it was thought to be a sales-prevention department. Durand eventually found himself excluded from marketing and sales meetings and told that he just did not understand the culture. The lack of ethical leadership in the company is the root of the problem found at Tap Pharmaceuticals and left all the issues that Durand found unresolved. Analyze and evaluate alternatives. Decide on the most valid alternative, and make recommendations. When thinking of alternatives, people think of other options that may apply in order to have a different outcome than the current outcome. When Durand was offered the position as Vice President of Sales with Tap Pharmaceuticals, he had no idea what he was getting involved with. All he saw was a potential for a promotion in an industry where he had already served his time and made a name for himself. Durand has a couple alternatives in this ethical situation. He could have kept his mouth shut and adhered to Tap Pharmaceuticals’ policies and procedures and unethical practices. The outcome to this alternative could have proven to be very poor for Durand. If Durand continued to allow Tap Pharmaceuticals to conduct business in the sales department as they always had in the past, eventually, the federal government would have caught on to the unethical practices and levied fines against Tap Pharmaceuticals and Mr. Durand. He could have even been prosecuted for the practices he witnessed at Tap Pharmaceuticals. When employees are directed to blatantly break the law in order to keep sales up and to give out medicine samples without charging for them, there is a huge ethical problem. Tap Pharmaceuticals instructed the doctors to charge Medicare for the samples even though they never paid for them in the first place. It seemed as if Tap Pharmaceuticals planned to break every law of the trade in order to make the most money in the least amount of time. This alternative would not work for Mr. Durand. He had a steady head on his  shoulders and would not stand for the unethical practices he had witnessed. But what would he do about the problem? This question would later come into play when Mr. Durand was faced with a tough decision. A second alternative Mr. Durand had was to leave Tap Pharmaceuticals with a resignation. But a resignation would land him and his family out on the streets. He did not want to jeopardize his family’s lifestyle and affect the way his children would grow up. After all, Mr. Durand did leave a well paying job with a huge medical pharmaceutical company. This alternative would be even worse than staying with Tap Pharmaceuticals and pretending nothing wrong was going on. He had to support his family and to Mr. Durand this was the most important issue to handle. If Mr. Durand resigned from Tap Pharmaceuticals, he would have to start all over again and work his way back up the corporate ladder as he did 20 years before with Merck & Co. Mr. Durand had very few options or avenues to take in his ethical dilemma. He was virtually stuck â€Å"between a rock and a hard place.† He truly made the perfect decision when he decided to file suit against Tap Pharmaceuticals. This was the best possible option he could have used. First, Tap Pharmaceuticals was breaking the law and if they continued to practice unethical business, they could have hurt someone or continued to defraud the United States government and Medicare. Since Mr. Durand was familiar with the practices of the pharmaceutical industry, he had no other choice but to blow the whistle on Tap Pharmaceuticals. TAP Pharmaceuticals, a physician, and 7 employees of TAP Pharmaceuticals were charged and indicted for bribing physicians with kickbacks to use the drug Lupron. The federal grand jury also found them guilty of Medicare fraud, and violation of the Prescription Drug Marketing Act. PSA-Rising (2001) states,The seven individuals charged in the indictment unsealed today are:Alan Mackenzie age 49, of 27068 Wellington Court, Barrington, Illinois, andformerly Vice President of Sales for TAP, Janice Swirski, age 40, of 6 BellinghamDrive, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and formerly a National Account Manager with TAP,Henry Van Mourick, age 43, of 23 Golfwood Court, Roseville, California, andcurrently a District Manager employed by TAP,  Donna Tom, age 37, of 141 East 56thStreet, New York, New York, and formerly a District Manager employed by TAP,Kimberlee Chase, age 35, of 108 Dedham Street, Dover, Massachusetts, and formerly aDistrict Manager employed by TAP, David Guido, age 30, of 131 New London Road,Colchester, Connecticut, and currently a Hospital Account Executive employed by TAP, DR. John Romano, age 48, of 110 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, Massachusetts, an urologistwith a practice in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Four other physicians’ were indicted before the above indictment. TAP Pharmaceuticals bribed urologists to use the drug Lupron by giving them big screen televisions, golf vacations, and free sample of Lupron. The sales representatives also gave the physician’s free samples of Lupron and told the physicians to bill Medicare for full price. Durand tried to change different aspects of how Tap Pharmaceuticals was run, but all to no avail. Whenever he implemented a new structural change, the employees would try it for a short while and return to the way they had done things in the past. Accurate bookkeeping was a logical idea to put into action. This would tell exactly how much each rep gave out to doctors and pharmacies as samples for them to try out. The old way never showed how much they were paid for each sample given because there was no way to know how many had been given out. Whenever new ideas are put into effect, it still takes people to uphold these new rules and regulations. When Yasu Hasegawa failed to show any sort of business ethics, why would any of his employees? A good leader will lead by example. When people follow someone he/she want to emulate his/her actions, not just his/her words. By having a person with little moral fiber lead the company, it allowed some that might have been on the fence about the situation to fall to the same side. Durand’s cultural change effort failed because senior management and older sales reps refused to change the company for the better. They had been doing things their way for too long and the payoff incentive was too great. The shady business practices were much easier than trying to keep records of exactly how many samples were given out and who all had been bought. When  the president of the company would not even change his ways on how he dealt with his business, how could his employees be expected to change as well? In a business that deals with healthcare, the most important aspect should always be the patients. Since nobody truly cared about them and all the employees concerns were with lining their own pockets, the business ended up being sued for quite a large amount of money. The only way for Durand’s changes to succeed, would be if there were a total overhaul of management. The company would need to basically start over in order to weed out all the bad eggs. That would take a great deal of time, not to mention a great deal of money. Even though Durand became a whistle-blower on Tap Pharmaceuticals and the company was fined, there are sure to be employees who were guilty but not indicted. In TAP Pharmaceuticals there was an attitude of a misalignment of culture. The profit driven only environment provided no ethical leadership. Upper management including the CEO, who set the tone of weak unethical leadership, held no interest in change. TAP had no formal cultural system. The bottom line was the only factor and how profits were obtained was of little concern. When Durand attempted to make positive changes to the system through a â€Å"Reward System,† upper management put a stop to it even tough it was working and labeled him a trouble maker. TAP was not interested in positive ethical change. The gifts to urologists and doctors TAP pharmaceuticals participated in set an unethical culture. ConclusionIn the end Tap received one of the largest fines in the pharmaceutical industry and the job of rebuilding its image and reorganizing its business practices. Seven of its senior management team received heavy financial and judicial penalties for their part in the Lupron scandal. Douglas Durand in the end had to start over in a new less lucrative position, furthermore; he did receive a large settlement from the federal government under the Whistle-Blowers Act and currently retired and living in Florida. References: Barrett, A. (2002, June 24). A Whistle-Blower Rocks an Industry. Business Week. RetrievedJune 19, 2007, from http://www.fairness.com/resources/relation?relation_id=9650Nelson, K., & Trevino, L. (2004). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do itright (3rd ed.) . New York: Wiley. PSA Rising (October 3, 2001). TAP Pharmaceuticals Products Inc. and Seven Others ChargedWith Health Care Crimes; Company Agrees to Pay $875 Million to Settle Charges. RetrievedJune 22, 2007 from http://www.psa-rising.com/wiredbird/tap102001.php

Common Errors in English Language Learning and Use – the Philippine Context

For half a decade, I have spent significant time working with and studying English as Second Language (ESL) learners in several contexts – online, corporate, and academic. In the course of interfacing with these different types of students, several interesting features arise in the study of the learners’ language, most especially errors in writing. In this article, I will give a brief background of the errors of the learners. I will also try to encapsulate some of my observations and experiences in dealing with language errors and probably suggest ways on how to appropriately address them. Hopefully, this will be an eye opener to a lot of English language teachers and practitioners that errors are important in both learning and teaching ESL. The Context The influence of mass media, which use English as a medium for communication has greatly contributed in the development of the English language in the Philippines. Several broadsheets and magazines, FM radio shows and late night newscasts in English are just a few manifestations that the language is indeed alive in the local media scene. Furthermore, the prevalence of business process outsourcing (BPO) industries is also a validation that the country is home to thousands of bilingual customer service representatives who deliver quality customer service to English-speaking clients. Philippine education, however, does not have the same story. Through the years, teachers and school administrators have tried different strategies to improve the English language proficiency of their students. But based on observation and research, there is incongruence between the strategies and the language practices in Philippine schools ; for instance, â€Å"most colleges and universities claim that their medium of instruction (MOI) is English but there is often no explicit school policy articulating this (Bernardo and Gaerlan, 2006:21). † This, in return, results in the decline of English proficiency, leaving educators and teachers with unresolved problems regarding standard policies and procedures in using the English language in the academe. On Errors and the Learners’ Language (Interlanguage) Errors are considered significant features in acquiring, learning, and teaching a second language. It has been customary for students and teachers to talk about errors in the language classroom, most especially in writing classes. Teaching professionals often feel frustrated with the quality of the language of their students’ essays. , For some, errors are signs of failure while others believe that they are indications of and opportunities to understand the very complex process of learning to communicate in a second language. One methodology in studying the learner’s error is by doing Error Analysis (EA) or â€Å"the process of determining the incidence, nature, causes and consequences of unsuccessful language† (James, 1998:1). Brown (2000:218) states that errors may result from several sources, two of which are: â€Å"interlingual errors of interference from the native language and intralingual errors within the target language, context of learning and communication strategies. To simply put it, the first kind refers to the second language errors that reflect native language structure while the second one, results in faulty structures that do not follow the standards of the target language. It is also a must to acknowledge the kind of language that learners produce in order to come up with a holistic study of the learners’ errors. Larry Selinker labels this as interlanguage or â€Å"the separateness of a second language learners’ system, a system that has a structurally inte rmediate status between the native and target languages† (1972 in Richards, 1974:31). With this, it will be easier for teachers to understand where learners are coming from and also for them to come up with possible solutions to address these errors. The Classroom Experience In the English classroom, where formal learning takes place, I have encountered several â€Å"unique experiences† in dealing with errors in academic writing. Filipino college students are very innovative in constructing English sentences that often result in several interlingual and intralingual errors. Take for instance the following excerpt from a student’s composition: Me in my friend was stranded at the gate 3 of fort Bonifacio because the jeepney cannot pass over because of the heavy flood that if we measure is in a waistline and in some place in a neckline. Me and my friend was just stay in the jeepney hoping and waiting that the rain would stop for us to go home. † It is quite obvious that the student has committed several intralingual errors such as: a. Misused pronoun (Me and my friend – My friend and I) b. Faulty capitalization (fort Bonifacio – Fort Bonifacio) c. Wrong conjunction (Me in my friend – â€Å"and†) . Incorrect verb tense (was just stay – stayed) e. Lack of punctuation (Me and my friend was just stay in the jeepney (,) hoping and waiting that the rain would stop(,) for us to go home. f. Inventing new vocabulary and usage (pass over which means â€Å"to pass through†; waistline which should be â€Å"waist deep†) The student also used her knowledge of the first language (in this case Tagalog) to write in English. For example, the compound subject â€Å"Me and my friend† is a direct translation of the Filipino phrase â€Å"Ako at ang kaibigan ko†. This is a concrete example of an interlingual error. It is really tedious to mark essays that contain numerous errors but these things must be pointed out in order to improve the language abilities of students. Moreover, by studying these kinds of errors, it will be easier to diagnose certain areas that need reinforcement. Some Possible Solutions As a teacher and researcher, I have realized that it is imperative to put utmost importance to the errors that ESL students commit in academic writing. Studying these errors may mean finding probable solutions to address them. The following are some suggestions that other teachers can do in their own classrooms: 1. Analyze and rectify the errors found in the learners’ compositions by following specific â€Å"linguistic criteria or the formal features of a language† (James, 1998:206). With this on hand, a basis for assessing and correcting the errors of students will be available. 2. After analysis, provide supplementary materials that will help reinforce language proficiency. This can be done by addressing specific areas of concern like grammar, lexis, usage, and mechanics. This will be helpful most especially to struggling students that are having difficulties in understanding the complex rules of the target language. 3. It is also a must to recognize individual differences inside and outside the classroom. Finding time to connect with students will also help in understanding the nuances of the languages that they use. Knowing how they interact and being able to cope with their interests will give the teachers several insights as regards the learners’ language. . Finally, continuous research and error analysis can lead to a development of a standard material based on empirical data. This will help address the most frequent errors that learners commit in specific linguistic areas. References: Bernardo, A. & Gaerlan, M. J. (2006). Teaching in English in Philippine higher education: The case of De La Salle University-Manila. Hong Kong University. Brown, H. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching. England: Longman. James, C. (1998). Errors in language learning and use. London: Addison Wesley Longman Limited. Selinker, L. (1972). Interlanguage in error analysis: Perspectives in second language acquisition. Jack C. Richards, (Ed. ). London: Longman Group Limited. Author’s Profile Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos teaches college English, writing (expository, research and technical), oral communication, and literature at the Far Eastern University – East Asia College and De La Salle – College of St. Benilde in Manila, Philippines. He also works as an English language program facilitator at John Robert Powers International and an IELTS consultant at the PALMS Australian Immigration Services. He used to be a full-time Educational Consultant for the Language and Literacy Programs of Scholastic Publishing. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in English Studies: Language from the University of the Philippines – Diliman. His master’s research focuses on the significance of interlanguage grammar and error analysis in developing ELT materials. You can reach him at [email  protected] com.