Improving Speaking Skills Essay

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

Inspector Calls Essay

Imagine tasks – you must use language that shows the character and reflect the character’s perspective at the time. Try to pin point where in the text you are being asked to comment on. Try to explain your responses in as much detail as possible and try to comment on the effect of specific words on the reader / audience. Don’t forget to comment on stage directions, body language and reported clauses wherever possible. Timing and planning. Do both please (plan points, find quotes, consider paragraphing for all longer tasks) Summary Act 1- The Birlings have just finished a dinner celebrating Sheila’s engagement to Gerald Croft, (the son of one of Arthur Birling’s business rivals). Arthur Birling makes a speech giving his views on the world and then Gerald, Birling and Eric have a chat about current affairs. Their evening is interrupted by the Inspector, who tells them that a young woman (Eva Smith) has died at the Infirmary after swallowing disinfectant. Arthur is the first to be interrogated and he admits that he sacked Eva as punishment for he having been on strike. Arthur Birling’s ruthless business sense is clear here as he fails to see he has done anything wrong and that his sole duty is to â€Å"keep labour costs down†. The Inspector says that it is not just Arthur who is responsible for Eva and begins to interrogate Sheila  who recalls having a shop girl sacked from Milwards department store. She is horrified and embarrassed that her vanity and jealousy contributed to the girl’s death. The Inspector mentions that after this, Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton, which shocks Gerald. He admits to Sheila that he too knew the girl and she guesses that he had an affair. Act 2- Gerald explains how he came across ‘Daisy’ and helped her out, giving her money and accommodation. He had an affair with her, which he ended after the summer. Sheila gives her ring back to Gerald, but says she respects his honesty. He leaves for a walk. The Inspector then begins to question Mrs Birling, who runs the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation for women in distress. He reminds her of a meeting she chaired two weeks previous. She recalls that she used her influence to refuse assistance to ‘Eva’, who came giving the name â€Å"Mrs Birling† and was pregnant. ‘Eva’ said that the father was from a higher class and a drinker who had offered her marriage, which she had refused, feeling him too immature. She also said that he had offered her stolen money. Mrs Birling is adamant that she did the right thing and is not responsible for Eva’s death and that the man who got her pregnant is. Sheila realises it is Eric and tries to silence her mother but it is too late. Act 3- Eric explains how he met Sheila in a bar and slept with her. He continued to sleep with her, even though he admits that he â€Å"wasn’t in love with her or anything.† He says that she refused to marry him when she found out she was pregnant and she treated him â€Å"as if (he) were a kid.† He stole money from his father’s office and when she found out, she refused to see him. Sheila tells Eric that their mother turned ‘Eva’ away and Eric accuses her of â€Å"killing them both†. The Inspector makes a speech about their shared responsibility for ‘Eva’s’ death and Arthur Birling offers â€Å"thousands† of pounds to atone for the family. The Inspector leaves. The Birlings bicker amongst themselves and Mrs Birling and Arthur begin to question whether he was a real Inspector. Gerald returns with the news that the Inspector wasn’t really an Inspector and rings the hospital that report that no girl has been admitted. Arthur is relieved that it was a â€Å"hoax† but Eric and Sheila see  that it changes nothing. The play ends with Arthur Birling answering a telephone call. It says that a girl has been rushed to hospital after swallowing disinfectant and an Inspector is coming round to talk to them. Key Quotes Setting â€Å"large suburban house†, â€Å"heavily comfortable, but not cosy or homelike† The maid is removing â€Å"champagne glasses, dessert plates† and replacing them with â€Å"decanter of port, cigar box and cigarettes† They are all dressed in â€Å"evening dress of the period† Arthur Birling â€Å"rather portentous†, â€Å"rather provincial in his speech† To Gerald: â€Å"You’re just the kind of son in law I wanted. Your father and | have been friendly rivals in business for some time..† â€Å"I’m talking as a hard headed, practical man of business. And I say there isn’t a chance of war.† On the Titanic: â€Å"absolutely unsinkable† â€Å"There’s a fair chance I might find my way onto the next Honours List.† â€Å"a man has to make his own way – has to look after himself† â€Å"The way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to took after everybody else†¦. Community and all that nonsense† â€Å"I can’t accept any responsibility† â€Å"It’s my duty to keep labour costs down† On sacking Eva: â€Å"She had a lot to say – far too much – so she had to go† â€Å"If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth† â€Å"I was quite justified† â€Å"The press might easily take it up† â€Å"Most of this is bound to come out. There will be a public scandal.† Mrs (Sybil) Birling â€Å"a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior† â€Å"I don’t suppose for a moment we can understand why that girl committed suicide. Girls of that  class – â€Å" â€Å"I did nothing I’m ashamed of. I consider I did my duty† â€Å"I accept no blame at all† Sheila Birling â€Å"pretty†, â€Å"very pleased with life and rather excited† On getting Eva sacked: â€Å" I felt rotten about it at the time, and now I feel a lot worse† To Gerald about the Inspector: â€Å"Why – you fool – he knows. O f couse he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet.† â€Å"I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry† â€Å"We really must stop these silly pretences†. â€Å"He (the Inspector) is giving us the rope, so that we hang ourselves.† (Sarcastically, to Gerald about Eva) â€Å"You were the wonderful fairy prince. You must have adored it Gerald† On Gerald’s confession: â€Å"In some odd way, I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before†¦.You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here.† To her father: â€Å"I remember what he said, how he looked and what it made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish. And it frightens me the way you talk and I can’t listen to any more of it.† Eric Birling â€Å"not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive† On Arthur sacking Eva â€Å"I call it tough luck† On the night he met Eva: â€Å"I’m not very clear about it, but afterwards she told me she didn’t want me to go in, but that – well, I was in that state where a chap easily turns nasty – and I threatened to make a row.† â€Å"I wasn’t in love with her or anything. But she was pretty, and a good sport.† â€Å"I hate these fat old tarts I see around the town. The ones I see your (Birling’s) respectable friends with.† â€Å"In a way, she treated me like a kid.† (To Birling): â€Å"You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble.† Gerald Croft â€Å"attractive†, â€Å"rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy, well bred young man-about-town† (On Eva) â€Å"She was pretty and warm hearted – and  intensely grateful† Inspector Goole â€Å"creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness† â€Å"speaks carefully, weightily and looks hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking† â€Å"What happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards, and what happened to her afterwards may have driven her to suicide. A chain of events.† Looking at the dead body: â€Å"A nice promising life there, I thought, and a nasty mess somebody’s made of it† â€Å"One line of enquiry at a time† (Gerald: â€Å"we’re respectable citizens, not criminals† Inspector: â€Å"Sometimes there isn’t as much difference as you think. Often ,if it was left to me, I wouldn’t know where to draw the line.† â€Å"You see, we have to share something. And if there’s nothing else, we have to share our guilt.† â€Å"Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.† â€Å"this girl killed herself, and died a horrible death. But each of you helped kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.† â€Å"But remember this. One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all entwined with our lives. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.† Background / Cultural Context John Priestley was born in Bradford born in 1894 and died in 1984. He served as a soldier in WW1 and was a socialist – he believed that the British ‘community’ (people living together) should not be dominated by the rich and powerful (capitalists) Priestley wanted the poor to have a stronger place within the community The play is set before the war. Themes Social responsibility / community / accountability Family / Deception (lies) / Guilt / Abuse of power / Rich vs poor Responsibility Sin and morality Possible questions / Revision tasks 1What impression of the Birling family does the writer want the audience to have in the opening scene? 2 â€Å"We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.† In Act 1, how does the writer try to get this message across to the audience? 3. How is the theme of social awareness explored through different characters? 4. How does Sheila’s reaction to key events create tension in the play? 5. To what extent do you feel sympathy towards Mrs Birling? 6. To what extent do you feel sympathy for Eric? 7. What do you think is the importance of Eva Smith to the play as a whole? 8. You are Inspector Goole before your visit to the Birlings. You write in your notebook: what you plan to do during the visit; why you are doing it; and what you expect to happen. 9. How does the presentation of Arthur Birling, before the arrival of the Inspector, add to the dramatic impact of the whole play? 10. You are Sheila and you have kept a diary. Write two of the entries – one  for the day when you got Eva Smith sacked from Milwards, and one for the night on which the play takes place. 11. What changes occur in the relationship between Sheila and Gerald? 12. Describe the way in which the Birling family begin to believe that the Inspector is not a genuine policeman. 13. The action of the play takes place on just one evening, and in just one room of the Birling house. What do you think the play gains, or loses, as a result? 14. Explore the theme of deception in the play? 15. How is the idea of sin explored in the play? 16. Is An inspector Calls a play about morality? 17. ‘In the play, it becomes clear that the responsibility is shared amongst the characters.’ How far do you agree with this statement? 18. â€Å"By the end of the play, lessons have been learnt.† Explore this statement in regards to the play. 19. Discuss the role of Inspector Goole in the play. 20. â€Å"The responsibility lies with the older generation.† Discuss.

Product Adoption and Innovation Diffusion Free Essay Example, 1500 words

In the literature of buyer behavior theories, a distinction is made, at least implicitly between the buying behaviors of organizations and consumers. The distinction stems primarily from the assumption that while consumers act as willful individuals when they buy products while organizations act as a rational group and make purchases . The intentionally made subtle distinction between buying and purchasing essentially evinces at the attitude of envisioning individual consumers as idiosyncratic and organizations as a group of professional decision makers in the process of transactions. Because of such differentiation, a bifurcation has been observed in the process of buyer behavior related to theoretical development. Although beneficial for the purpose of teaching and planning, according to the author, such divergence has prevented the development of theoretical structures that act as generic to both forms of buyer behavior. Although traditionally consumers are distinguished from organizations particularly in case of buying behavior due to the implicit understanding that while the consumer as an individual decision maker tends to be whimsical and responsive to sudden bursts of irrationality, organizations do not and professional organizational behavior is bound to be rational as it is the result of joint decision making in the presence of constraints like set objectives and priorities which prevent irrational and indulgent choices, the author argues against such distinctions pointing out the individual buyer although does not have to abide by constraints faced by professional organizations, has to make choices always being constrained by being a part of another organization society. We will write a custom essay sample on Product Adoption and Innovation Diffusion or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

The Ultimate Toefl Essay Topics 2011 Trick

The Ultimate Toefl Essay Topics 2011 Trick The Basic Facts of Toefl Essay Topics 2011 All you have to do now is to choose an example to support every one of your points. Use particular reasons and examples to back up your selection. Use reasons and specific examples to back up your answer. Use certain reasons and examples to back up your answer. The majority of the questions are on current topics, therefore staying updated with what's going on in the world is really going to help you think of ideas. Since there's no other side to cope with, you have more time to spell out the 1 topic you chose. There are a few unique means by which you might structure an essay like, but the simplest one could be the very best. We have a tendency to delay our writing thinking that's it isn't the proper time to begin, and we'll have better ideas later. The Hidden Treasure of Toefl Essay Topics 2011 With the assistance of technology, life is easier today than before. 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Psychology Questions on Cognitive Development - 1557 Words

__A__ 1. The briefest period of prenatal development is the: a. germinal stage b. embryonic stage c. fetal stage d. baby-making stage _C___ 2. Motor development involves the acquisition of: a. sensory abilities including hearing and taste b. reflexive movements and abilities c. the muscular control necessary for coordinated movement d. language and speech patterns necessary for communication _A___ 3. Piaget called the incorporation of new objects into existing knowledge: a. assimilation b. object permanence c. conservation d. formal operations _D___ 4. For Jean Piaget, children deal with and adjust to the world through twin processes he called: a. conservation and revisionism b. motor learning and cognitive learning†¦show more content†¦19. Describe the effects of smoking and alcohol on prenatal development. Smoking increases low birth weight, pre-term deliveries, physical problems, SIDS, and respiratory infections and alcohol results in poor feeding habits, deficiencies in cognitive tasks, academic skills, fine motor speed, and coordination, and physical abnormalities, neurological changes, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, deficits in information processing, 20. Present a summary of the sensory abilities of vision, hearing, and smell of a newborn. Newborns recognize eyes and prefer their mothers faces over strangers, can discriminate small sound vibrations with their keen sense of hearing, and can discriminate a few odors like citrus and floral. 21. Briefly summarize the important aspects of the four stages of cognitive development according to Piaget. Sensorimotor stage- interact and learn about environments by relating sensory experiences to motor experiences, develops over 9 months and things still exists if they cant be seen or touched anymore. Preoperational stage- children use symbols to solve problems and think or talk about things that are not present, uses conservation and egocentric thinking and lasts from age 2 to 7 years. Concrete Stage- Children perform logical mental operations on concrete objects, useShow MoreRelatedJean Piaget s Theories Of Cognitive Development1360 Words   |  6 PagesPiaget was a Swiss psychologist. He worked in the fields of Developmental Psychology and Epistemology. He’s known for his works and theories in the field of child development. His theories of cognitive development and epistemological views are called, â€Å"genetic epistemology†. Piaget placed the education o f children as most important. His works and theories still play a huge role and influence the study of child psychology today. Jean Piaget was born on August 9, 1896 in Neuchatel, SwitzerlandRead MorePsychology : Psychology And Psychology1519 Words   |  7 PagesPsychology has been defined by many as the study of mental disorder or behavioral problems but discoveries and developments, points to psychology as the study of human mind and its functionality which includes the way we think, act, perceive things and be able to make decisions; all these makes man a complex being. Psychology isn’t just a phenomenon; it is a scientific study. Psychology as a science answers the question â€Å"why†, proposes a theory and sets experiment to test the hypothesis. The researchRead MoreEvolution of Cognitive Psychology1105 Words   |  5 PagesRunning head: EVOLUTION OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY PAPER Evolution of Cognitive Psychology PSYCH 560 Latrice T. Colbert Julie Bruno, Psy.D September 6, 2010 Cognition is a term referring to the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension, including thinking, knowing, remembering, judging and problem-solving. Not only is cognitive psychology central to everything a person does in his or her everyday life, it is also central to psychology’s quest to understand how peopleRead MoreEssay about Understanding Piaget’s Theory and Current Criticism1370 Words   |  6 PagesSeveral years ago, an insightful and profound man, Jean Piaget, established a theory of cognitive growth during childhood. This theory was viewed as a major model for understanding the intricate steps of mental development from the thinking to understanding for a child. This theory also gave rise to the mentality that cognitive processes during childhood are not minuscule versions of adults but rather an irrational yet unique process with its own rules. Even though Piaget’s theory seems quite reasonableRead MoreJean Piaget: Biography and Theory of Cognitive Development1601 Words   |  6 PagesPiagets Theory of Cognitive Development: Jean Piagets theory of cognitive development is a description of the four distinct stages of development of cognition in children. The theory was developed at a time when Piaget was employed at the Binet Institute in the 1920s in which his main responsibilities were to develop the French versions of questions on the English intelligence tests. During this period, Piaget became increasingly concerned or interested with the reasons children gave for theirRead MoreCognitive Psychology Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesEvolution of Cognitive Psychology Plynia Welty Psych 560 June 11, 2012 Brian Uldall Evolution of Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology embarked on a revolutionary journey since the era of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Dr. King, 2012). St. Aquinas was the pioneering mind behind the idea that behavior can be divided into two areas, cognitive and effect. Logging empirical research on a subject provides practitioners a comprehensive view of the subject matter (Dr. King, 2012). In relationRead MoreComparing Childhood Studies And Child Psychology1368 Words   |  6 Pages Part 1: Comparing and contrasting childhood studies and child psychology a. What are the main features of childhood studies? (400 words) Childhood studies is a subject area surrounding the study of children’s lives through many different concepts or ideas with many different features. It is related to many different fields such as law, history, sociology, health, anthropology and much more as Martin Woodhead (Open University) said â€Å"It uses multiple methods rather than just singular methods† andRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory And Theory1673 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is a theory? A theory is an organized set of ideas that is designed to explain development. These are essential for developing predictions about behaviors and predictions result in research that helps to support or clarify the theory. The theorist I am choosing to talk about is Jean Piaget who discovered the cognitive development theory and who broke it down into different stages. The different stages are the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational thoughtRead MoreDiscovering Psychology1356 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Course Design Guide College of Social Sciences PSY/211 Version 3 Essentials of Psychology Copyright  © 2013, 2012, 2009 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course overviews the foundations of psychology as the field applies to everyday life. The physical and mental aspects of psychology are traced through lifespan development with emphasis on psychological health and wellness. Further study focuses on personality; thinking, learning and memory; motivationRead Morepsy 3601407 Words   |  6 Pages Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Introduction Cognitive Psychology/PSY360 Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes surrounding learning, memory, perception, and thought. Though it is still a relatively new formal branch of psychology, its roots extend back to Descartes who sought a way to explain how the mind worked, proposing the analogy of a â€Å"hydraulic system of nerve function† (Willingham, 2007, p. 26) after he observed animated statues

Role of Operations management Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Role of Operations management. Answer: Operations management is defined as how a business organization creates various types of services and products, designs them effectively and finally delivers them successfully (Brandon et al. 2016). In my professional life as well as personal life, the importance of operation management have been realised by me. Todays business world is a highly competitive one. In order to survive the competition successfully, it is essential that effective management of operations be given adequate importance. Operations management activities have to be taken up effectively in every kind of business organizations (Brandon et al. 2016). Be it a consulting firm or automobile assembly factory, fast food chains, disaster management or any other business sector. Irrespective of the size of the business organization, operations management activities have to be taken up successfully. In large business organizations, individual personnel are assigned with the responsibility of management of operations (Bra ndon et al. 2016). However, in small organizations, the roles are often not vividly defined. However, that does not curb down the significance of operations management. I have realised that the organizational size does not matter for the management of operations (Brandon et al. 2016). The effective operation management activities include creation or procurement of resources, using the resources effectively. Using the resources successfully to create outputs, such that they are able to fulfil the demand created in the market. In my current business organization, I have understood the importance of effective operations management. In the recent days, one of the new activities that have been incorporated in the agenda of operations management is the extensive use of technologies, to enhance the operation management activities (Brandon et al. 2016). Use of modern technology will be useful in automating the process of operations management. For example in case of a fast food chain industry, the procurement of raw materials is an essential part of the operations management. However, this process could be automated with the use of technology. With modern technology, the inbound logistics could be tracked using the GPS technology attached to the trucks. Thus, the position of these inbound logistics could be easily tracked, thus enhancing the process of operations management. Moreover, I can now track the reason of delay of delivery of the raw materials, with the assistance of technology (Brandon et al. 2016). Th e main motive behind the operations management is to ensure that the inputs are ultimately transferred to outputs. Thus, the input processes have to be maintained effectively, in order to assure that the output processes are achieved on time. Operations management is considered effective only if the inputs and the resources could be fully utilized to achieve the desired output (Brandon et al. 2016). I have witnessed that, if the operations management activities are implemented effectively, then the whole process of production could be completed successfully. Along with operational management, operations performances also have a major role to play in business organizations. The various components of operations performances include quality of operations, speed, dependability, flexibility as well as cost. In any business organization, it is essential that the operations performances are also considered along with operations management (Brandon et al. 2016). The qualities of the operations have to be ensured. In the quest of effective operations management the quality of the operations should not be neglected. I have seen in my personal and professional life that the qualities of operations are also important (Brandon et al. 2016). The speeds of performance have to be ensured as well. For example, in operations management, each activity has a specific time, within which it has to be completed. Thus, the speeds of performances have to be maintained. The operations management have to be flexible enough to change the flow of operations as and w hen required by the business organization. While operations management activities are being performed, the costs of operations have to be optimised. If the operational costs are excessive, then the business might run in loss (Brandon et al. 2016). Hence, cost management is also a part of the operations management. Thus, it is seen that operations management has a vital role in the high competition business world. While the operations take place in sequence and in the most appropriate manner, the organizational goals will be achieved. If the costs of the operations are more than that of the cost of the product or service, then the business organization will run in loss. Moreover, adequate flexibility in the operations has to be ensured, such that changes in the operations could be made, as and when required. References Brandon-Jones, A., Slack, N., Chambers, S., Johnston, R., Lysons, K., Farringhton, B., Stevenson, W., Russell, R., Taylor, B., Krajewski, L. and Ritzman, L., 2016.Operations Management. Pearson Education Limited.

Summary Education and Sesame Street free essay sample

Nail Postman, who has written many books on the effects of aspects of popular culture on children, claimed that television program runs counter to the purpose of education. To illustrate his point, Nail Postman offer two example: Sesame Street and The Voyage of the Mimi. In 1969, Sesame Street was embraced by children, parents, and educators. To children, Sesame Street was believed to be â€Å"the most crafted environments on TV† and â€Å"a series of commercials as teaching material†. To parents, Sesame Street relieved them of the responsibility of restricting their children’s access to television and teaching their pre-school children how to read. To educators, Sesame Street appeared to be â€Å"an imaginative aid in solving the growing problem of teaching Americans how to read† and encouraging children to love school. However, we now know that Sesame Street encourages children to love school only if school is like Sesame Street. Yet, it’s not the Sesame Street but the inventors of television to be blamed, because as a good television show, Sesame Street was â€Å"made to encourage children to love television†. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary: Education and Sesame Street or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Moreover, the idea of teaching children letters and numbers is irrelevant, as John Dewey once wrote: â€Å"We learn what we do†, on the other hand, â€Å"television educates by teaching children to do what television-viewing requires them†. Furthermore, the invention of television in America leads to the third crisis in Western education. â€Å"The classroom is still tied to the slow-moving printed word†, meanwhile, television has gained power to control youth education. As a result, television is accurately a curriculum, which â€Å"competes successfully with the school curriculum†. First, television contributes the idea that â€Å"teaching and entertainment are inseparable†, which is nowhere to be found in educational discourses. Television offer three commandments opposite to the idea of education: no prerequisites, no perplexity and no exposition. Second, we can see â€Å"a massive reorientation toward learning is taking place† not only in the decline of the potency of the classroom but also in the refashioning of the classroom. For example, the experiment in Philadelphia, where the classroom is reconstituted as a rock concert; teachers from primary grades through college are increasing the visual stimulation, reducing exposition and relying less on reading and writing assignments. Also, The Voyage of the Mimi, a synthesis of New Education, â€Å"depicts the adventures of four young people who accompany two scientists and a crusty sea captain on a voyage to monitor the behaviour of humpback whales off the coast of Maine†. It is believed to be the flagship and financial savings, but in fact, the idea of The Voyage of the Mimi is similar to â€Å"audio-visual aids†, which is used by teachers for years, and the project Watch Your Mouth several years ago. Nonetheless, the Department of Education claimed that â€Å"learning increases when information is presented in a dramatic setting† (Ms. Richard), which is ironically opposite from the 3 commandments of television and in fact, differs from many reputable studies. Last but not least, the educational shows are often not made for their value, but for television, which means, only televisible material would be created. In conclusion, television program runs counter to the purpose of education.