Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is written by the iconic comedian/actor/screenwriter/banjo aficionado Steve Martin. Set in a Parisian bar at the beginning of the 20th century (1904 to be more precise), the play imagines a comical encounter between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein, both of whom are in their early twenties and fully aware of their amazing potential. In addition to the two historical figures, the play is also populated with an amusingly incontinent barfly (Gaston), a gullible yet lovable bartender (Freddy), a wise waitress (Germaine), along with a few surprises that trounce in and out of the Lapin Agile. The play takes place in one non-stop scene, lasting approximately 80 to 90 minutes. There isnt much plot or conflict; however, there is a satisfying combination of whimsical nonsense and philosophic conversation. The Meeting of the Minds: How to spark the interest of the audience: Bring two (or more) historical figures together for the first time. Plays such as Picasso at the Lapin Agile belong to a genre all their own. In some cases, the fictionalized dialogue is rooted in an actual event, such as (four music legends for the price of one Broadway show). More imaginative revisions of history include plays such as The Meeting, a fabricated yet fascinating discussion between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. One could also compare Martins play to more serious fare, such as Michael Frayns Copenhagen (which focuses on science and morality) and John Logans Red (which focuses on art and identity). However, Martins play rarely takes itself as seriously as the aforementioned dramas. Audience members who dont want to be bogged down with overly-academic monologs and excruciating historical accuracy will be charmed when they discover that Steve Martins work just skims the surface of much deeper intellectual waters. (If you want more depth in your theater, visit Tom Stoppard.) Low Comedy Vs. High Comedy Steve Martins comic stylings cover a broad range. He isnt above a fart joke, as indicated by his performance in the adolescent-pandering remake of The Pink Panther. However, as a writer, he is also capable of lofty, high-brow material. For example, his 1980s film Roxanne, screenplay by Martin, wonderfully adapted Cyrano de Bergerac setting the love story in a small Colorado town, circa 1980s. The protagonist, a long-nosed firefighter, delivers a remarkable monolog, an extensive list of self-insults about his own nose. The speech is hysterical to contemporary audiences, yet it also harkens back to the source material in clever ways. Martins versatility is exemplified when one compares his classic comedy The Jerk to his novel, a very subtle blend of humor and angst. The opening moments of Picasso at the Lapin Agile inform the audience that this play will be making several detours into the land of silliness. Albert Einstein walks into the bar, and when he identifies himself, the fourth wall is broken: Einstein: My name is Albert Einstein.Freddy: You cant be. You just cant be.Einstein: Sorry, Im not myself today. (He fluffs his hair, making himself look like Einstein.) Better?Freddy: No, no, thats not what I mean. In order of appearance.Einstein: Come again?Freddy: In order of appearance. youre not third. (Taking playbill from audience member.) Youre fourth. It says so right here: Cast in order of appearance. So, from the beginning, the audience is asked not to take this play too seriously. Presumably, this is when snobby historians walk out of the theater in a huff, leaving the rest of us to enjoy the story. Meet Einstein: Einstein stops in for a drink while waiting to meet his date (who will be meeting him at a different bar). To pass the time, happily listens to the locals converse, occasionally weighing in his perspective. When a young woman enters the bar and asks if Picasso has arrived yet, Einstein becomes curious about the artist. When he looks at a small piece of paper with a doodle by Picasso he says, I never thought the twentieth century would be handed to me so casually. However, it is up to the reader (or the actor) to decide how sincere or sarcastic Einstein is about the importance of Picassos work. For the most part, Einstein exhibits amusement. While the supporting characters bicker about the beauty of painting, Einstein knows that his scientific equations have a beauty of their own, one that will change humanitys perception of its place in the universe. Yet, he is not too boastful or arrogant, merely playful and enthusiastic about the 20th century. Meet Picasso: Did someone say arrogant? Martins portrayal of the egotistical Spanish artist isnt too far removed from other depictions, Anthony Hopkins, in the film Surviving Picasso, fills his characterization with machismo, passion, and blatant selfishness. So too is Martins, Picasso. However, this younger portrayal is feisty and funny, and more than a bit insecure when his rival Matisse enters the conversation. Picasso is a ladys, man. He is blatant about his obsession with the opposite sex, and he is also unrepentant about casting women aside once he has used them physically and emotionally. One of the most insightful monologs is delivered by the waitress, Germaine. She chastises him thoroughly for his misogynist ways, but it seems that Picasso is happy to listen to the criticism. As long as the conversation is about m, he is happy! Dueling with Pencils: Each characters high level of self-confidence draws him to one another, and the most engaging scene of the play takes place when Picasso and Einstein challenge each other to an artistic duel. They both dramatically raise a pencil. Picasso begins to draw. Einstein writes a formula. Both creative products, they claim, are beautiful. Overall, the play is light-hearted with a few dashes of intellectual moments for the audience to contemplate afterward. As one would hope from a play by Steve Martin there are more than a few quirky surprises, one of the zaniest being an oddball character named Schmendiman who purports to be as great as Einstein and Picasso, but who instead is simply a wild and crazy guy.

Medi Bending The Truth - 938 Words

Media : Bending The Truth Most of all Americans get their news in one form or another, and with the introduction of smartphones and other technology to our daily life, receiving news has never been easier and more accessible. However, not all media outlets are equal. Many news media outlets contain bias and opinions. Some bias can be subtle, while other propaganda can be extremely obvious. Spotting the propaganda is not always easy, however it is important to know the difference between fact and opinion in order to formulate your own opinions. Most Americans receive their news nowadays online from a webpage on some device or another. In fact, 78% of Americans receive their news from a device, such as a tablet or smartphone (The Personal News Cycle: How Americans choose to get news). For media outlets, this is crucial. These websites receive millions of dollars in money from advertising. CNN itself received two hundred-fifty million dollars solely from advertising in the year of 2009 (This Is Where CNN Makes Its Money). The visual appeal and layout of the webpage is extremely important (Idler). This includes pictures and other visual representations such as charts and graphs. These graphs and pictures are directly correlated with content of the web page, such as the news story. Organizing the information into graphs and charts along with pictures aid the point made in the article as well as giving the viewer an opportunity to formulate their own opinions. These

Audit Memo Free Essays

Audit Planning Memorandum for Database Environment Date| 02/04/2013| To| Audit Senior Management| School Board| Temple University| Prepared By| Shan Jiang| ————————————————- Background Types of RDBMS: MySQL 5. 0 – an open-source database used extensively in small or medium-sized web applications. One of the simplest databases to secure from hacking because of the small attack surface it exposes Number of DB servers: 3 Business units rely on the DBs: Sales and Distribution, Financial Services, Procurement, and Accounts Receivable. We will write a custom essay sample on Audit Memo or any similar topic only for you Order Now Organizational structure of the group who manages the DBs: Data Owner, system administrator, and database administrator. 1. 0 Internal Audit Objective and Scope 2. 1 Internal Audit Objective The objective of this review is to audit confidentiality, integrity, and availability of XYZ Company’s MySQL 5. 0 database environment. 2. 2 Internal Audit Scope and Approach The scope of this review includes an assessment of MySQL 5. 0 database environment. Specifically, this review will include: * Physical and administrative control Concurrent access controls * Change controls * Server configuration control * Database checkpoints * Schema Modifications * Redundancy elimination and relationship verification * Database restructuring * Data backup and disaster recovery plan 2. 3 Deliverables Audit deliverables will consist of the following: * Fieldwork documentation * Finding Issues * Audit draft report * Action plan and recommendation * Audit final report It is planned that the above deliv erables will be delivered to you by 02/07/2013 for your review and subsequent discussion. . 0 High-Level Work Program Policy and standards, data backup and procedures, levels of access controls for data, data encryption, confidentiality, integrity, availability of data elements, database checkpoints at junctures, database reorganization, database restructuring procedures and write report. 3. 0 General Information 4. 4 Internal Audit Team The internal audit team, with roles and responsibilities, includes the following people: * Lua Li: associate, audit database basic step and general controls. * Jia Meng: associate, audit database operating system security * Shan Jiang: associate, audit database accounts and permissions management * Zhou Zhou: senior associate, audit password strength and review database privileges * Chao Lang: senior associate, audit data encryption * Jia Yu: manager, verify database auditing and activity monitoring. 4. 5 Duration of Internal Audit The duration of this internal audit will be for one month commencing on 02/11/2013. 02/11/2013-02/15/2013 Planning 02/16/2013-02/20/2013 Fieldwork and documentation 2/21/2013-02/25/2013 Issue discovery and validation 02/26/2013-04/01/2013 Solution development 04/02/3013-04/07/2013 Report drafting and issuance 04/08/2013-04/11/2013 Final report and issue tracking It is anticipated that the fieldwork, working papers and drafting of deliverables will be completed by Internal Audit Team. 4. 6 Location of Internal Audit The location of the internal audit will be performed at XYZ Company. It is predicted that a site vi sit to XYZ Company will be conducted during the course of this review. 4. 7 Temple University Previous Audits Previous Audit Version: March 3, 2012 Previous Critical Findings: Developers have direct access to update production code without permission. Impact: It is fixed. The DBMS team implemented a baseline tool for protecting the production code. The ability to check new code into this tool will be limited to the DBA. The team also documented procedures requiring approval and testing prior to submitting new production code for check-in. 4. 8 Key Contacts Contact| Position| Department| E-mail| Contact No. | Jim Green| Database Administrator| IT| Sdhs11@xyz. com| 435-234-8899| Lucas Xiao| System Administrator| IT| Ass123@xyz. om| 123-324-3211| David Han| Database Developer| IT| Xcv344@xyz. com| 876-123-1234| Ryan Li| System Analyst| IT| Jki678@xyz. com| 542-345-0989| Billy Zhou| Manager| IT| Nhy654@xyz. com| 324-123-4321| 4. 0 High-Level Work Schedule Date| Task| Contact| 02/11/2013-02/15/2013| Verify policies and procedures about database version and available patches| David Han| 02/16/2013-02/20/2013| Determine baseline for ad equate security setting and permissions on the directory and registry keys. | Ryan Li| 02/21/2013-02/25/2013| Verify legitimate accounts creation and password management capabilities. Jim Green| 02/26/2013-02/28/2013| Confidentiality, integrity, availability and encryption of data| Lucas Xiao| 03/01/2013-03/03/2013| Database checkpoints at junctures| Ryan Li| 03/04/2013-03/05/2013| Database reorganization| Lucas Xiao| 03/06/2013-03/08/2013| Database restructuring procedures| Jim Green| 03/09/2013-03/11/2013| Ready to report| Billy Zhou| 5. 0 Key concerns of management. Operating system administrators gains easy access to MySQL Server. SQL Server DBA’s has local administrator privileges on Windows. Data breaches that compromise IP or personal privacy. 6. 0 Manager Sign-off Billy Zhou 02/07/2013 How to cite Audit Memo, Essay examples

Review of the Challenges Affecting English Language

Question: Discuss about the Review of the Challenges Affecting English Language. Answer: Introduction: This review aims to study the issues and challenges faced by Saudi students who are learning English as a second language and how the Australian context is influencing their learning. In order to understand the significance of the Australian context, we will begin by taking a look at the history of exposure to English for the Saudi citizens and the challenges faced by them in learning the language in their native country. We will then study how those challenges fare in Australia, and what factors can help facilitate the learning of English. This review aims to suggest ways of improving the current framework within which students are learning the language. At the same time, the challenges that remain will be uncovered, so that they can, in turn, be managed. There have been a few studies that have studied the English language learning difficulties for Saudi students, however, very few were available that studies Saudi students situation in Australia. This study attempts to bridge this gap in the literature of learning English. Introduction of English Language Learning in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia had adopted English language as a secondary language of learning to integrate them or it? Into the mainstream. English language is one of the main tools responsible for globalization, by bringing the world together through a commonly understood and spoken medium of communication. This linguistic globalization manifests itself in an intensified use of verbal language across all domains of business and personal life across countries. Since the adoption of the Wallerstein? World system by the Saudi state, a comprehensive policy, SELEP- Saudi English Language Education Policy, was devised to facilitate the process. The Wallerstein world system segregates the world into three kinds of countries: Core, Semi-periphery and periphery countries. The periphery countries are the developing nations that rely primarily on their raw materials and physical resources, and the Semi-periphery are those countries which are moving towards increasing development and industrialization. The Cor e countries are the developed nations that have a monopoly over the production of either knowledge or goods, a functional communication with the rest of the world, and good governance of their own citizens (Wallerstein, 2006, pp. 26-29, 42-55). Hence, in order to move from the Semi-periphery to the Core region, it was essential that Saudi Arabia adopts English as their secondary language to facilitate their communication with the world. This drive for assimilation in the Core part of the world began with King Abdul Azizs interventions, along with the help from (first)?, the Great Britain and then, the USA. As a result, English language training was introduced in Saudi much before it had become a State in 1930. However, the growth in English learning was quite slow. Despite its introduction in 1924, till 1949, only one college in Mecca taught English for two hours a week and the first English department was set up only in 1957 at King Saud University. After the Second World War, the United State emerged as the foremost world power and its influence and association with Saudi Arabia, the country with huge oil reserves, became far more intricate then what the Saudi-UK relationship had ever been. Accordingly, the English language also found more takers with increasing economic and infrastructural development. A lot of American expatriates and migrant workers arrived in Saudi Arabia to support the development, bringing t heir language and culture here from the 1970s onwards. Hence, the environment in the country grew increasingly open for communication, giving impetus to English learning. Ministries of Education, Defense, Petroleum, and Interior, all setup English learning centers and a number of institutes teaching the language also, sprung up. The number of English programs broadcast on radio and TV increased, the State tried its best to create a favorable opinion for English among its people and companies began demanding English speaking job candidates. The next step came with the resolve of the State to move from the semi-periphery status to being a Core nation. This was believed to be possible by moving towards becoming a knowledge power. In Riyadh (2009), the Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Abdullah Alireza announced that Saudi Arabia is moving away from simply being a gas station of the world toward a sophisticated laboratory of excellence, innovation, and knowledge (Rasooldeen, 2011). This gave impetus to the growth of higher education in the country. There are 52 Universities in Saudi Arabia currently, with most possessing an English department. The mode of teaching in many Universities, Engineering and Medical colleges is English. The schools have introduced English from the primary school level. In order to gain better acceptance for English among the people, the State has proclaimed it to be a great medium for spreading Islam for improving peace and humanity in the world. Thus, we find that the growth of reach and eminence in the spread of the English language has been possible, due to the sustained, painstaking and methodological steps taken by the Saudi State (Faruk, 2013). The Australian Context In 1990, Australia attracted almost 25000 foreign students for its higher education programs; these numbers grew to over 20 million students in 2003 and 30 million in 2014. Australia is the third most popular world destination for education currently, coming after the US and the UK, and it attracts more than 7% of the worlds students to its higher education programs. The valuation of this industry stood at 15 billion in 2014, making it the fourth biggest export of Australia ( International Students in Australia and their role in the Australian economy, 2014). International students have other benefits for Australia too, they address the shortages in skills availability, and they give an impetus to tourism, and help in jobs creation. Hence, the interest for the higher education authorities to show active participation in language learning for these students is manifold. Moreover, above everything else, these students are inherently valued by Australian teachers as being learners. For the International students, Australia offers not only good education opportunities but a chance to learn the English language well, while immersing in its culture and context. In fact, some studies have found that the learning of the English language supersedes the desire for the education degrees for many students. The Saudi students expect to improve their English language skills to an extent that they become fluent like the native speakers. English is also crucial to performing well in their disciplinary courses (Yates Wahid, 2013). This shows that the inherent desire and motivation to learn the language is very much present in Saudi students. In order to ensure that the International students feel at ease in their country, the Australian government had established a set of Good Practice Principles for the higher education sector (Australian Universities Quality Agency, 2009). Two principles in specific, are related to English language learning: Principle 8: International students are supported from the outset to adapt to their academic, socio-cultural and linguistic environment (Australian Universities Quality Agency, 2009, p. 3). Principle 9: International students are encouraged and supported to enhance their English language development through effective social interaction on and off campus (Australian Universities Quality Agency, 2009, p. 3) These principles acknowledge the concern and interest of the Australian government to help International students learn and adapt to their culture and language. It, also, gives due credit to the role of social interactions between students for enhancing their learning experience. Australia offers far more than a mere classroom instruction and examinations for learning, it offers a native English speaking culture that allows its learners to practice their English speaking and writing skills as they go about their daily lives. The interventions began by the Australian government, show that they consider the difficulties and issues related to English learning, seriously and responsibly. Saudi Students in Australia In 2013, more than seven thousand students came from Saudi Arabia to study in Australia ( International Students in Australia and their role in the Australian economy, 2014). The spurt in the numbers of students going abroad for studies from Saudi has been attributed in part to the King Abdullah scholarship program which was started in 2005. This scholarship program has helped to send a number of students abroad since its inception, catapulting the numbers from hundreds into tens of thousands. The program sponsors the stay, the course fees and aids in finding employment, thus, reducing the financial and mental burden from the students, preparing and supporting them better than how any other International student is. However, for the Saudi students, apart from the regular challenges of adapting to a new nation and language, there are added adjustments required to move from a gender segregated society to a mixed one, which has significant departures from their conservative society (Groves, 2015). In a Doctoral dissertation on male Saudi students in Australia, it was reported that feelings of distance in language, identity and culture were felt extensively by them. Saudi men were content to learn English but, to an extent that it did not conflict with their culture and the practice of their religion (Midgley, 2010). This finding has implications for the authorities and the teachers, because if the teaching of the language is perceived to be at the cost of the existing values and religious teachings, for instance, the practice of Purdah, the restrictions in mixing of gender, and the other socializing norms, then the same will be rejected by these students and cause cognitive dissonance in them. We w ill next take a look at the current challenges faced by these students while learning English. Literature Review The topic chosen for the learning of English of the Saudi students in Australia is having a greater importance in the increasing world. The globalization has come up with the advancement in the society as well as the people which ultimately leads to a whole total development of the nation or the country. This can also be said that English is such a language which binds up the whole world with in a bond by which different culture, different people, and different society were able to mingle up with each other without any hesitation. As Saudi is particularly a different language country having the Urdu language as their main language, therefore there is an urgent need for opting English for the way to open up to the rest of the world for the further world. As there are the periphery, semi-periphery, and the core countries according to their base of development, so, therefore, the main aim for opting this study is to take the Saudi from semi-periphery country to the core country with a d efined development. For this reason, Saudi has selected English as their second language to make it more sophisticated in every term of innovation, knowledge, and excellence. The Saudi students are present in every country and thereby they are usually going on with the processes of the countrys education system and also the education system affects their education structure. So as in Australia, as it is very much popular in providing higher education to foreign students, so there have a higher amount of export of the students to Australia for further studies. Same ways many Saudi students are residing in Australia also need to improve their English language so that they may not face any issues in the continuation of the studies. The improvement in the English language in the Saudi students also helps them to take up the studies to a higher state of the disciplinary courses which is also a resultant of the interest of the Saudi students in the language. Therefore in this research, it is important to unfold the reasons for the Saudi students are lacking and the reasons for their motivation for their development and their improvement. This topic of the English learning of Saudi students makes them continue in the international environment with ease, for which the Australian government has taken many measures to enhance the English learning on the growing globalization. The website of Australian studies give the idea regarding the foreign students residing in Australia and also it shows that students from Saudi in Australia are approximately of 26,764 in numbers. They are there for the enrolment in the various sectors of the world for making their successful career and also the professional growth of the country. This is the reason why Australian government had formulated the principles for the adaptation of the cultures which will be further helpful in the enhancing the learning process with greater experiences. The students will eventually be more active in every situation regarding the speaking of English which will enhance their daily basis skills in their day to day lives. Some research studies have also shown this type of difficulties faced by the Saudi students in the different parts of the world that not only in speaking region but also with the writing part which they must need to develop. In a study submitted to the University of Auckland, it is said that the Saudi students have been facing many challenges in the writing part which is hampering the persuasion of their mainstream studies. Also, the study shows that at first the students have some hard situation for the particular English language which was changed with going time and motivation which will be helpful for the Saudi students to study in any university in the world. In another study of the overview of the English learning in Saudi shows the context of the English learning in the particular region which also gives many indications towards the social, cultural and economic values of Saudi. It also reviewed in the paper that Saudi Government is trying and taking required measures for the increase and enhancement of the Engl ish language in the nation as this is very important key for the advancement of the nation in every aspect. The government also have the idea to take the country into the list of the core countries or the developed countries by increasing the environment with more and innovations and knowledge of the people. Another study shows the motivation of the students of Saudi for the advancement of the country. The paper of the role of motivation and the motivational strategies says about the motivation of the students to enhance their languages and skills which will eventually be helpful in increasing the professional growth of the student and the nation. Therefore the Australian government and the Saudi government both are very much active in helping the students in pursuing the growth of their professional career. The changes in the teaching tradition of Saudi people are a sign of the changing of the national culture by the effect of globalization which eventually changes the individual images of the public to actions. The English learning has intended for the fusion of the eastern and western cultures in the Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Australia both are having bilateral relationship. In this particular scenario the study by Eiman Nather shows about the programs that have been indulged for the student to learn English in their culture. In this study approach the students are supposed to enhance their linguistic confidence by increasing their reading and writing experiences which in ultimate condition increases the competence in the students. The effects of acculturation factor on Saudi Arabian English language learners is a study that shows the parameters by which there is a basis of comparison between the Saudi and Australian who are studying in Australia. The way of integration and assim ilation between the students with respect to their culture describes the particular atmosphere that affects the percentage of acculturation. Generally when the Saudi student goes to Australia, he or she generally faces a wide amount of challenges in the new environment of studying. The basic challenges are the feeling of outsider, which arises due to the language barrier. The language barrier makes the students uncomfortable in sharing their feeling and emotions with each other. For the issue of this language barrier the Saudi students must need to increase or improve their degree of English learning through which the intermixing of culture will be possible. Due to this language barrier, the students newly shifting to Australia generally get into the cultural misunderstandings, which eventually take time to cope up with. Therefore the English learning of the Saudi students in Australia is much important and necessary for the personal and professional growth of the students as well a s the nation. Current Challenges in English Learning International students in Australia cite English language difficulties- both verbal and written, as their number one concern and challenge, surpassing cultural difficulties, homesickness, and other social issues. This is not surprising, as communication is the foundation over which all learning is based. In 2000, Robertson et al. had studied the problems faced by International students in an Australian University and concluded that most of the students had language learning difficulties, exacerbated by the difficulty in comprehension and colloquial uses. The situation has only just improved since then. The English language is very different from Arabic, which belongs to the Semitic language family (Sayidina, 2010). This increases the difficulties faced by Saudi students while learning it. Let us take a look at the other constraints faced by them. Figure 1.1 Source: (Al-Seghayer, 2014, p. 18) Constraints Affecting English Language Learning by Saudi Students The Belief constraints mentioned by Al-Seghayer (2014), consist of the expectations, the perception and the experiences of students regarding the English language. He believes that Saudi students get little opportunity to use the language in their everyday lives, thus their intrinsic motivation to learn it is low. The classroom teaching in Saudi is dry, devoid of interaction and merely an instrument for passing an examination (Al-Seghayer, 2014). This constraint does not exist for the Saudi students present in Australia. Similarly, the constraints in the curriculum, pedagogy and administrative policy do not apply to the students studying in Australia. In fact, the same constraints turn into motivating factors as English becomes a necessity for them to survive and prosper in this country and the pedagogy and infrastructure support their learning. However, a number of issues remain. The history of studying English through rote learning and mechanized responses to exercises creates barriers in learning when faced with a completely different environment of teaching where, critical thinking, problem-solving and greater application of grammar and expression are required (Sawir, 2005, Xiao Tianjing, 2006). The students become stressed as they cannot answer their lecturers or have any proper communication with their peers. This brings their academic satisfaction down (Lalasz, Doane, Springer, 2014). Inter-mixing with students from Australia who are native speakers of the English language would help increase the opportunities for using the language outside the classroom, thus, enhancing the learning and create a more natural, barrier-free method of learning. However, Saudi students tend to stay together, not mixing much with others, no doubt, due to their low confidence with the English language and also cultural constrictions (Ankawi, 2015). Saudi EFL learners have been consistently reported to get the lowest scores in their writing skills in IELTS when compared to their listening, reading, and verbal skills. It has been found that the vocabulary of these students is too limited, their learning of the language too formulaic and the knowledge of grammar too constricted, to allow any meaningful writing skills (Al-Khairy, 2013). Moving these students towards a creative expression of the language and then to argumentative and expository essays will be a very tough challenge (Grami, 2010; Bersamina, 2009). The same picture is apparent when we analyse the reading skills of Saudi students. Saudi students possess weak reading skills at L1 and L2 levels and are de-motivated readers, who can barely comprehend their reading due to a teaching culture that harps on reading aloud more than understanding the text. The lack of teachers and parents interest and absence of any English writing that has closer cultural and contextual ties, has really affected the love of reading in the students adversely (Al-Qahtani, 2016). Facilitating Factors for English learning Having seen the challenges, let us consider the enabling factors for overcoming them. As learning is dependent on an individuals attitude and perception towards it, it is necessary to investigate the same for the students as they embark on their learning journey in Australia. Enquiring about their feelings - positive or negative about learning the language, their education history, the learning method and experience with English in their native country and their expectations from the learning program should be essentially done (Sawir, 2005; Bernat, 2006). This makes an active participation of the tutors in this program, extremely crucial. Unless the teachers believe the merits of the individual approach to learning and wholeheartedly support it, it will not be a success. A detailed discussion at the teacher-student level at the beginning of the semester for clarifying, the student and teacher expectations, the ability and level of comprehension of the student with the language, and a ny fears she may harbor about learning it. This discussion will also help in establishing a working and personal relationship between the two most important stakeholders that will act as the biggest facilitator for future performance. Secondly, enough resources of time, efforts, and money, have to be allocated to the language learning programs. This will ensure that proper emphasis is placed on this in the minds of the students, the tutors, and the educational institutions. Though, language assistance centers have been set up in Australia, but the approach and scope of these centers need more reflection. Similarly, the Saudi State should also, invest in building bridging institutions that prepare students mentally and with language learning courses to ease their passage to Australia. Currently, the bridging institutions that exist in Saudi, are more focused on getting the students to pass examinations like IELTS, rather than any actual learning of the language. Differences in the region wise aptitude to learning were studied by Siebert in 2003. She reported middle-eastern students to underestimate the time required for learning a foreign language and to have greater faith in their own ability to learn the language as compared to Asian students. This finding is encouraging as this self-esteem will help in motivating the students towards their learning. A study by MoskovskyAlrabai (2009) has found that Saudi students in Australia exhibit a high level of awareness of what learning the English language will mean for them. They know that learning English will allow them to enjoy reading English fiction, watch movies, communicate freely with people across the world and get a high paying job. They also enjoy the greater control offered by teachers for their learning in the Australian classrooms and the variety of activities that are part of the teaching process. The students have also, shown a high appreciation of activities that allow working in groups or pairs. These findings have great implications for teachers and curriculum designers if English teaching can be made more participatory, involving a number and variety of activities, trips and involve group work, then better results can be expected. Thus, the natural propensity of the students to learn the language, clubbed with their awareness of its role in their life, should be a goo d springboard for better learning. A doctoral dissertation by Groves (2015), has shown that Saudi students, who were more proactive in starting conversations with Australians, clarifying their social perceptions and cultural mismatches, were more likely to have longer, more meaningful, and more fruitful discourses with their peers, which translates into a better learning of the language. This works on two fronts: it gives more opportunity to practice learnt vocabulary and grammatical rules with a non-threatening figure of a friend or a stranger, rather than a more formal authority figure like a teacher, who helps in correcting mistakes and demonstrating correct use of the language, and by clarifying and removing the inhibitions that are acting as deterrents in these students minds. Therefore, more such opportunities and platforms where such discourses are initiated and sustained amongst students need to be introduced, nurtured, and maintained. One such example has been The University of Newcastles Community Connection s program that has received a lot of success. Another doctoral study of Saudi students in Australia reported that when Saudi students engaged in utilitarian conversations, they were superficial and impersonal in nature and kept their conversations as short as possible. Such conversations did not allow much opportunity for having an in-depth exploration of ideas or words. On the other hand, personal discourses allowed a more meaningful exchange of ideas, consisted of a number of wide-ranging topics, were warmer, and more personal in character, thus serving a better purpose as a learning tool (Groves, 2015). To conclude, the Saudi students (where? In Australia or?) have pointed out the English language learning to be their biggest fear and inhibiting factor, hence, a change in the attitude to learning has to be achieved (Reference). This may be possible only with a right-from-day-one approach to imparting positive feelings about learning English. The paranoia that grips Saudi students about English, needs to be met with a module-based program, with small achievable goals, that helps them feel that learning and mastering this language is very much possible. The fact that the authorities are committing themselves to the students well-being and working with them, should also, instill confidence and motivation. The need of the hour is to design and implement more such learning activities and platforms for social discourse among international students and natives that help in overcoming the challenges of cultural distance, and other challenges to language learning. Further research is also ne eded to devise ways to involve academic communities into taking the learning of the language outside the classroom. This will not only combat the inhibitions of the Saudi students but, also make the transfer of learning easier, create functional and personal friendships among students as they work together and allow a more flexible, hands-on approach to the learning of the English language. References (2014). International Students in Australia and their role in the Australian economy. Policy Note, Group of Eight Australia. Alhazmi, A., Nyland, B. (2013). Saudi International Students in Australia and Intercultural Engagement: A Study of Transitioning From a Gender Segregated Culture to a Mixed Gender Environment. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 43(3), 346-65. Al-Khairy, M. A. (2013). Saudi English-Major Undergraduates' Academic Writing Problems: A Taif University Perspective. English Language Teaching, 6(6). Al-Qahtani, A. A. (2016). Why Do Saudi EFL Readers Exhibit Poor Reading Abilities? English Language and Literature Studies, 6(1). Al-Seghayer, K. (2014). The Four Most Common Constraints Affecting English Teaching in. International Journal of English Linguistics, 4(5), 17-26. Ankawi, A. (2015). The academic writing challenges faced by Saudi students studying in New Zealand. Auckland University. Auckland: School of Culture Society. Australian Universities Quality Agency. (2009). Good Practice Principles for English language proficiency for international students in Australian universities.Report, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Canberra. Bernat, E. (2006). Assessing EAP Learners Beliefs about Language Learning in the Australian context. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 8(2), 202-227. Bersamina, F. V. (2009). English as Second Language (ESL) Learners in Saudi Arabia. Associated Content Society. Faruk, S. G. (2013). English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia: A World System Perspective. Scientific Bulletin of the Politehnica University of TimiÃ…Å ¸oara, 12(1-2), 73-80. Grami, G. M. (2010). The Effects of Integrating Peer Feedback into University-Level ESL Writing Curriculum: A Comparative Study in a Saudi Context. Doctoral Dissertation, NewCastle University, School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences. Groves, O. M. (2015). Language learning as participation: case studies of Saudi Arabian international students. Doctoral Thesis, University of Wollongong, School of Education. Lalasz, M. B., Doane, M. J., Springer, V. . (2014). Examining the effect of prenotification postcards on online survey response rate in a University graduate sample. Survey Practice, 7(3). Midgley, W. (2010). Seeking to understand 'experiences of difference' in discussions with Saudi students at an Australian university. Doctoral Thesis, University of Southern Queensland. Moskovsky, C., Alrabai, F. (2009). Intrinsic Motivation in Saudi Learners of English as a Foreign Language. The Open Applied Linguistics Journal, 2, 1-10. Rasooldeen, M. D. (2011, June 12). We are Laboratory of Knowledge, not Gas Station of World. Alireza Arab News. Robertson, M., Line, M., Jones, S., Thomas, S. (2000). International students, learning environments, and perceptions: A case study using the Delphi technique. Higher Education Research and Development, 19(1), 89-102. Sawir, E. (2005). Language difficulties of International students in Australia: the effects of prior learning experience. International Education Journal, 6(5), 567-580. Sayidina, A. (2010). Transfer of L1 cohesive devices and transition words into L2 academic texts: A case of Arabic students. RELC Journal, 41(3), 253-266. Siebert, L. L. (2003). Student and teacher beliefs about language learning. The ORTESOL Journal, 21, 7-39. Wallerstein, I. (2006). World system Analysis: An Introduction. Durham: Duke University Press. Xiao, L., Tianjing, P. (2006). Bridging the gap between teaching styles and learning styles: A cross cultural perspective. TESL-EJ, 10(3), 1-15. Yates, L., Wahid, R. (2013). Challenges to Brand Australia: international students and the problem with speaking. Higher Education Research Development, 32(6), 1037-1050.

Relevant sociological literature Essay Example For Students

Relevant sociological literature Essay Reflecting on your own personal experience, discuss the ways in which group membership has influenced you in ways you now regret. Support your analysis by making reference to relevant sociological literature drawn from the first three weeks of the course, almost all of which should be useful. For the purpose of this question this essay will focus on a particular period in my life when I was employed as a Business Manager at Ikea. It is important in the initial part of the paper to give a broad overview of the organisational culture and structure. The next section will cover the connections between the organisation and the types of groups discussed in the Sociology course. We will then move onto consider the group that I was a part of, and assess how this affected both my own and colleagues behaviour (whilst in the group environment and outside the group setting). Finally we will look at any regrets I felt due to being directly influenced by the group. The Ikea organisation is a well-known global company that sells home furnishings. Ikeas founder Ingvar Kamprad developed the organisation from humble beginnings in his hometown of Smi land (a poor county in the southern part of Sweden) in 1943 (http://www. anpro. co. uk/ 08/11/03). Culture is (in sociological terms) aspects, which are learned rather than inherited, elements shared by members of society that allow co-operation and communication. Culture is also diverse across many countries and what may be acceptable in the east may not been seen as appropriate in western society and vice versa. (Giddens, 2001:22-24). IKEA has a strong cultural identity. The values that are practiced today at every level of Ikea are based on the principles that have been nurtured from the beginning by Ingvars own personal way of life. Some of these include; equality, empowerment, simplicity a focus on humbleness, value, openness and the Ikea family (Ikea Intranet). Ikea (in 1999) had a total of 143 stores in 22 countries around the world within each store the staffing structure was quite flat in terms of hierarchy (see Fig 1). The next part of this paper will move onto look the group of IKEA and its sub divisions in terms of how they relate to sociological groups. The whole assemblage of Ikea is enormous, in physical number of persons belonging, so taking a narrower view we will focus on one store, the store where I worked Ikea Gateshead. The cultural values that are introduced to each new employee (and then re-enforced at regular intervals throughout their employment in the form of daily meetings, training sessions, days away, visiting the homeland in Sweden) can be aligned to the large-scale indoctrination of such groups similar to that of the Seekers (Jonestown 1978 http://jonestown. sdsu. edu/ 12/11/03). In both cases the methods of keeping such large groups together can be correlated in many ways. Re-enforcement of values and way of life of the group Jargon used to defeat the sceptics amongst the group members, Ikea used such terms as 1trust the process when a question was raised about a particular prospective problem, just as Jim Jones imposed thought terminating slogans on his followers should they question his or their own belief. The long-term members and most persuasive characters were in positions of power. They would intervene in any sub-division of the family norm that may be seen as causing waves e.  g. a click of new employees (of which I was a member) would talk together and discuss the frustrations of working the Ikea way, it was then that an intervention would take place and we would all be spoken to individually about going against the norm and each of us warned that it was best to detach ourselves from this rebel group. Although the ideologies of Jim Jones was poles apart from that of Ingvar Kamprad, how they attain the commitment and maintain the continued togetherness of the group was remarkable similar. .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d , .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .postImageUrl , .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d , .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d:hover , .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d:visited , .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d:active { border:0!important; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d:active , .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue2c2f90d9db0e07853a3734f490b045d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Unemployment EssayMy role in Ikea was that of a Business Manager, during my initial induction I spent 3 months in various departments learning the Ikea way and appreciating my colleagues different roles and responsibilities. As with The Japanese Model where in Japanese organisations managers entering a firm would spend their 1st year in various departments. (Giddens, 2001:363). This type of process engendered equality and encouraged communication across the store both vertically and horizontally. Therefore not forming Webers pyramid of authority, with each level only being responsible for the one below (Giddens, 2001) instead all co-workers were integrated.

Anti Semitism Essays - Chaim Potok, , Term Papers

Anti Semitism Mr. Potok has written scholarly and popular articles and reviews during his publishing career. Mr. Chaim Potok is a novelist, philosopher, historian, theologian, playwright, artist, and editor. All of Mr. Potok's novels explore the tensions between Judaism and the modern society (Kaupunginkirasto). Chaim Potok was born in the Bronx, New York, on 17 February 1929, to Polish Jewish immigrants, and was educated in Jewish parochial schools. Mr. Potok undertook a serious religious and secular education, first at the Orthodox Yeshiva University, New York, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in English (summa cum laude) in 1950. Mr. Potok received his rabbinical ordination in 1954 at Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, and finally at the University of Pennsylvania, he obtained a Ph.D. in 1965(Buning). "Potok transforms Judaic scholarship to drama. Potok explores the tension inside the religious community. He fuses his interests in Jewish education and twentieth century history, a history that had violently touched his family. This novel serves as Potok's primary vehicle for the examination of the modern Jewish experience. The genesis and substance of every Potok novel is the Jewish religious, historic, and cultural experience in a non-Judaic world. The philosophic and ethical views are derived from the Judaic sources. Potok's affirmative vision, veneration of life, positive assessment of human nature, and pervasive striving for meaning in the midst of chaos, for good in the face of evil will be derived from Judaism (Walden 233). It is about growing up in an anti-Semitic environment. David, a young Jewish boy, is growing up in the Bronx of New York City. David experiences the strains that modern, assimilationist America can put upon a deeply religious, orthodox, sensibility. David grew up on the streets of New York and encountered the anti-Semitism that prevailed there at a certain period of time. David appears to be exploring the nature of evil in human affairs. David learns of scripture or history, what he hears about his parent's past, what he endures himself in the way of accident or cruelly all become aspects of a single experience-a Jewish experience. In the fourth year of David Lurie's life, we enter his life and mind, to see how, through a crucible of childhood pain and love, a man's spirit was forged. How a gentle, frail little boy became a young man with the terrible courage to pursue his vision of the truth at the risk of all that was most dear to him: family love, friendship and his passionate identity with the centuries of Jewish tradition. David Lurie lives on sunlit apartments on the tree-lined boulevards of the Bronx. On the city sidewalks, Davey (David Lurie) is playing marbles in perfect communion with Tony Savanola until the six-year-old Eddie Kulanski, raised to hate "Kikes," initiates Davey into the anguishing knowledge that to be a Jew is to be in peril. David Lurie learns that all beginnings are hard. He must fight for his place against the bullies in his depression-shadowed Bronx neighborhood and his own frail health. As a young man, he must start anew and define his own path of personal belief that diverges sharply with his devout father and everything he has been taught (Amazon). In the Beginning as the title suggests is a recapitulation of the Book of Genesis from the Creation to the flood of Noah. Many of the dramatic tensions in the novel develop through David's father Max. Max Lurie is active in leadership in a society to help other emigrants to America. The primary tensions in the novel develop from young David's situation in an environment that cherishes the old ways of life and Yeshiva study. David become more and more conscious of a need to move out that environment into the larger world of non-orthodox, even non-Jewish intellectual life move out of it, moreover, with out relinquishing it utterly (Halio 373). In almost all of Potok's novels, father-son relationships are central to our understanding of the various conflicts that occur. It is the task of the fathers to pass on the Jewish heritage to their obedient sons. Critics have pointed out that the stress put on the authority of the father parallels a similar stress in traditional, patriarchal Judaism on God as King, Judge, and Father; hence the high level of respect, based on mutual love, that the sons display towards their fathers (Buning). Mr. Bader (David's teacher) who guided David in his studies would welcome David warmly into his apartment. Mr. Bader and David would sit at his desk and he would remind David to be

Biofuel - today essays

Biofuel - today essays In todays world day in and day out we see fleets of cars, buses, two-wheelers and trucks on our streets. Poisonous fumes damaging our lungs, noise pollution deafening our ears and harried commuters fed up with their lot. Is this what mankind has come to? Imagine the situation in a few years when the existing sources of fuel are almost exhausted! Shortage of petrol, shortage of cooking gas and scarcity of fuel in industries. Prices of all types of fuel will shoot up making life all the more expensive. Utter chaos! That is what the scenario will be especially in the major cities of the world. Isnt it time we looked out for alternative sources! Energy is the key for food, housing, production and transportation. There is nothing more important for a developing country like India than a good energy plan. Therefore biofuel is todays extreme need. Well, what is this biofuel? In contrast to fuel based on products derived from the petrochemical industry, biofuel is based on raw material derived from living organisms and therefore can be classified as a renewable resource. Biofuel can be of microbial or of plant origin. Of the microbial biofuel products, three basic types are fuel alcohol, biogas which is also known as methane and hydrogen. At present there are 2 main markets for fuel alcohol, Brazil (Proalcohol) and U.S.A. (Gasohol) used either blended with petroleum or as 95% Ethanol) water mixture in purpose-built engines. Biogas is the term used for anaerobic methane production, a biochemical reaction in which CO2 is the ultimate electron acceptor producing either CO or CH4. Since both of these products are volatile they are relatively easy to obtain in pure form. Biological hydrogen production is done mostly during nitrogen fixation. Biofuel has millions of uses as well. One of the first benefits Rudolph Diesel a german engineer said, The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may s ...