Monday, September 30, 2019

Oedipus the King by Sophocles

Karina Lazcano Oedipus the King by Sophocles English Literature Anderson Many will argue that fate cannot be escaped in Oedipus the King by Sophocles, where the main character is portrayed as a tragic hero with a predetermined fate. Both the concept of fate and freewill played an innate part in Oedipus' downfall. The play suggests that fate dominates over free will. Oedipus never had control of his fate; the day his mother gave birth to him, his parents attempted to kill him in order to prevent the prophecy. â€Å"True: it is not from me your fate will come.That lies within Apollo’s competence, as it is his concern† (75, 159-160). Oedipus fate was the God’s will that damned him since birth. Fate mastered free will when Oedipus’ pride overruns his arrogance and leads him to leave the parents he thought were his biological parents. Only to come that his arrogance drove him closer to his biological parents and doomed by the curse of Thebes. Consequently, Soph ocles points out that as much as free will takes place, life is predetermined. Oedipus tries his best to avoid the prophecy that Teiresias predicted; that he will murder his father and marry his mother.Oedipus tried to change his fate by moving away, in reality it only brought him closer to his crossroads fate. Jean de La Fontaine once said, â€Å"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it. † Oedipus confronts his biological father in an intersection, then killing his father with his bare hands, just as the oracle that was told to him. Killing King Laios started a new problem; Thebes was now under a new plague that leads Oedipus the King to find the murderer of the King Laios. â€Å".. The Sphinx was performing here, What help were you to these people?†¦But I came by, Oedipus, the simple man, who knows nothing- I thought it out for myself, no birds helped me! †(75, 175-182) Pride and confidence led Oedipus, the King of Thebes to guide and pro tect his people but in reality Oedipus’ free will only created a path, for which prolonged the search of the murderer of Laios. Oedipus promises that â€Å"once more [he] must bring what is dark to light† (71, 134). Creating new problem that he will save the people from the plague by finding the murderer of King Laios, in which ironically he is trying to save from himself.According to Fosso, â€Å"thebe’s plague, and have lived on in happy albeit plague-ridden ignorance†¦. his happiness would simply be that of not knowing that he had fulfilled his horrible destiny†. Even though the plague was caused by Oedipus himself he finally figured out the truth about his birth, Iocaste also figured out before her suicide that fate itself was inevitable. Even though Laios, Iocaste, and Oedipus all tried to escape their fate, it was bound to be sooner or later. Iocaste told Oedipus she was positive his fate was not to become true, because she is skeptical of prop hecies.Since at first Iocaste thought that her son was dead, she sent for his death and her husband was killed by a group of thieves but she slowly uncovers the truth and tries to slowly tie Oedipus down for comfort. â€Å"Why should anyone in this world be afraid, since fates rules us and nothing can be foreseen? A man should live only for the present day. Have no more fear of sleeping with your mother: how many men, in dreams, have lain with their mothers! No reasonable man is troubled by such things† (84, 64-69). She becomes upset of Oedipus’ attempts to find out the truth about his birth.Iocaste plays two roles in the play, as a mother and as a spouse. When Iocaste realizes that the prophecy did come true, she tries to tell him that the future does not matter. At the end Oedipus does not take in mind her advice, it is brutal for her as she knows what will happen and kills herself. Teiresias also plays a big role in the play as he has Oedipus begging for the truth. â€Å"But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind: You cannot see the wretchedness of your life, nor in whose house you live, no, nor with whom. Who are your father and mother? Can you tell me?You do not even know the blind wrongs that you have done them but the double lash of your parents’ curse will whip you out of this land someday, with only night upon your precious eye†(75, 196-205). Tiresias predicts that Oedipus will end up blind and out of Thebes . Oedipus denies almost all of it and disrespects him. But Teiresias himself knows his inevitable fate. The play shows that fate is unavoidable without regard of the things done to avoid it. When Iocaste and Oedipus himself try to avoid the truth, Iocaste finally realizes that her ex-husband Laios, and herself could not defy fate. Everything that I say is for your own good! †(86, 147) Iocaste then tries to become a mother figure for Oedipus and intends to steer him away from his promise to the people of Th ebes. King Oedipus used his power to help him find the truth, in which he was blinded himself from. Seeking the truth was Oedipus own free will, nobody else made the decision to seek the murderer of Thebes but himself. His arrogance did not allow him to question himself. In a nutshell, Oedipus feels a sense of remorse as he realizes all the pain he has cause for his family and himself. But the blinding hand was my own! How could I bear to see when all my sight was horror everywhere? † (90, 112-13) However, now that he is blind he can now â€Å"see† his madness. At this point we see all pride, all arrogance set aside as Oedipus confesses that his freewill worked hand in hand with his fate. Oedipus was ultimately controlled by fate and not free will. Oedipus lost his wife, he lost his eyesight, and he lost his children, and lost his crown. To a certain extent, we see Oedipus downfall, his pride and arrogance led to this discovery which resulted in him losing everything th at he had.Oedipus’ overall attempt of free will to raise his level of the gods and trying to avoid his own fate failed. Works Cited Dudley, Fitts, and Fitzgerland Robert. â€Å"Oedipus the King (. 430 B. C. ). † Trans. Array. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1977. 67-93. Print. Apr. 2013 Fosso, Kurt. â€Å"Oedipus crux: reasonable doubt in Oedipus the King. † College Literature 39. 3 (2012): 26+. Literature Resource Center. Web. Apr. 2013. Jean de La Fontaine . â€Å"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it. † Think exist. Web. Apr 2013.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Critical Success Factors of Six Sigma Implementation in Indian Automobile Components Manufacturing Industries

Chapter 5 RESULTS & A ; DISCUSSIONS 5.1 Consequences and treatments This chapter shows the consequences of methodological analysis used to happen the CSFs, weightages of CSFs and barriers of Six Sigma execution in Indian car constituents fabricating industries. 5.1.1 Critical Success Factors of Six Sigma Table 5.1 Gap analysis of CSFs of Six SigmaCritical Success factorsImportancePracticeAManagement engagement4.42.8BacillusOrganizational substructure3.92.5CCultural alteration4.12.1CalciferolEducation and preparation4.12.5TocopherolVision and program statement4.12.5FAssociating Six Sigma to client4.22.4GramAssociating Six Sigma to concern scheme4.02.6HydrogenAssociating Six Sigma to employees3.82.9IAssociating Six Sigma to providers4.02.5JouleCommunication4.12.7KUnderstanding of Six Sigma4.02.9LiterProject direction accomplishments3.82.9MeterUndertaking prioritization and choice4.03.0This undertaking work presents the consequences of the study conducted to place CSFs of Six Sigma within a medium graduated table car constituents fabricating unit and the consequences are used to compare with the findings of other research workers. The study consequence is represent the spread analysis revealed that there is the important spread between the sentiment of the employees of the company and t he existent pattern of CSFs within the company. It is shown in table 5.1 and at that place graphical representation is shown in figure 5.1 Figure 5.1 CSFs of Six Sigma executionConsequences oforganisational public presentationTable 5.2 Organizational public presentation standards to mensurate the success of Six SigmaOrganizational public presentationMeanStd. DeviationProductiveness2.20.8Defects Reduction2.10.8Warranty claim cost as a % of entire gross revenues3.10.9Cost of quality as a % of entire gross revenues2.90.8Delivery on clip to client3.50.8Net income betterment1.50.8Gross saless betterment1.70.7The consequences and benefits of Six Sigma execution within the administration were assessed in footings of organizational public presentation and attitudinal/perception alterations in the employees and clients. The organisational public presentation component of Six Sigma focuses on quality public presentation, operational and concern public presentation indexs, the inside informations of which are provided in table 5.2 and figure 5.2. attitudinal/perception alterations shown in table 5.3 and figure 5.3 that all the sof t factors have got low evaluation from the respondents. The average values of factors are below 3, with occupation engagement and organizational committedness holding the lowest evaluation of 2.6. The highest evaluation of 3 for the acquisition factor shows that administration public presentation in footings of supplying preparation and coaching. Figure 5.2 Graphical representation of organisational public presentation Table 5.3 Attitude/Perception alteration after Six Sigma deploymentAttitudinal ChangeMeanStd. DeviationEmployee satisfaction2.90.7Customer satisfaction2.80.5Organizational committedness2.60.7Job engagement2.60.6Learning3.00.7Work environment2.70.6 Figure5.3 Attitude/Perception alteration after Six Sigma deployment 5.1.3 Impeding factors in the execution of Six Sigma The respondents were asked to place three largest issues that they have faced during Six Sigma execution. Several obstructions to the acceptance of Six Sigma programme were highlighted as shown in figure 5.4 Figure 5.4: Factors suppressing the execution of Six Sigma 5.1.4 Consequences of AHP analysis The AHP Analysis is performed to place the critical successful factor for Six Sigma execution in car constituents fabricating industries. For AHP attack 6 factors are selected, they are Education and Training, Associating Six Sigma to concern scheme, Cultural Change, Associating Six Sigma to client, Vision and program statement, Management Commitment and engagement. It is found that the Management engagement and committedness ( F ) has got highest weightage i.e. 0.2586 and it is in first precedence. The standards, Associating Six Sigma with client has 2nd precedence and Associating Six Sigma to concern scheme has last precedence as it got lowest weightage i.e. 0.1255. Table 5.4 Average precedence and weightages for Six Sigma execution in car industrySuccess FactorsWeightsPrecedenceAEducation and preparation0.143165BacillusAssociating Six Sigma to concern scheme0.1255356CCultural Change0.151264CalciferolAssociating Six Sigma to client0.16892TocopherolVision and program statement0.1524853FManagement engagement and committedness0.2586615.1.5 Barriers for Six Sigma execution Table 5.5 shows the barriers to the effectual execution of Six Sigma. The consequences of the analysis show that the six reacting companies felt merely fiscal restraint to be important at 0.1 degree of significance. This indicates the fact that it is easy to implement Six Sigma plan in the Indian car constituents sector, as merely one barrier is found to be important out of the eight. Table 5.5Barriers for Six Sigma executionBarriersMeanS.D.t-valueFiscal Constraint3.330.521.58Time Constraint, Difficulty in Understanding Complicated3.001.100.00Statistical Tools3.001.100.00Lack of Management Exposure2.001.10–2.24Work Force/Union Resistance1.830.75–3.80Improper Training1.830.75–3.80Expensive Consultation Charges2.000.63–3.87Trouble in Understanding Six Sigma Methodology1.830.41–7.005.1.6 Analysis of benefits with Six Sigma execution Table 5.6: Benefits of Six SigmaexecutionBenefitsMeanS.D.t-valueDecrease in COPQ4.170.417.00Increase in profitableness4.330.526.32Improved merchandise quality3.830.415.00Improved company image3.830.415.00Decrease in procedure variableness4.000.633.87Addition in productiveness4.000.633.87Decrease in client ailments4.000.892.74Decrease of rhythm clip3.831.171.75Improved work civilization3.170.750.54Improved employee morale/ motive3.000.630.00Improved gross revenues2.330.523.16Decrease in review2.330.523.16Table 5.6 shows the assorted benefits of the Six Sigma plan The consequences of the analysis show that, in line with the Six Sigma doctrine of bottom line consequences, these Six Sigma companies have besides derived important fiscal benefits through reduced Cost of Poor Quality ( COPQ ) . Increase in profitableness, a 2nd important benefit, is a natural result of the decrease in COPQ. 5.1.7 Statistical analysis of CSFs for Six Sigma execution Table 5.7: Critical success factors for Six SigmaCSFsMeanS.D.t-valueTraining4.670.527.91Associating Six Sigma to clients4.670.527.91Undertaking Prioritization and Selection4.670.527.91Project Management Skills4.330.526.32Cultural alteration3.830.415.00Management Involvement and Participation ( Leadership )4.000.633.87Understanding of Six Sigma Methodology4.000.633.87Associating Six Sigma to Business Strategy3.670.523.16Organizational Infrastructure3.330.521.58Associating Six Sigma to Employees3.170.411.00Associating Six Sigma to Suppliers2.670.821.00As shown in Table 5.7 preparation, associating Six Sigma to clients, undertaking prioritization and choice topped the list of CSFs, followed by undertaking direction accomplishments. Cultural alteration came following. Management engagement and engagement, and understanding Six Sigma methodological analysis stood at the 4th degree. Associating Six Sigma to concern scheme and organisational substructure are besides rated as important. Asso ciating Six Sigma to employees and providers were rated as non important. This shows that companies have non linked their Six Sigma plan to their employees and providers. 5.1.8Comparison ofcritical successful factors analyzedwith literature Table 5.8 Comparison of CSFsanalyzedwith literatureFactorPresent survey IndiaPrevious Study ( Antonyet Al. , 2010 in UK )RankRankTrainingISixAssociating Six Sigma to CustomersITwoUndertaking Prioritization and SelectionISevenProject Management SkillsFourEightCultural ChangeVoltEightManagement Involvement and ParticipationSixIUnderstanding of Six Sigma MethodologySixVoltAssociating Six Sigma to Business StrategyEightThreeOrganizational InfrastructureNineFourAssociating Six Sigma to EmployeesTenElevenAssociating Six Sigma to SuppliersElevenTenThese findings were rather contrary to the findings from the old surveies carried out by Antonyet Al. [ 51 ] in little and moderate-sized UK fabrication endeavors Results of that peculiar survey show that direction engagement and engagement, associating Six Sigma to clients and associating Six Sigma to the concern scheme of the organisation are the most of import factors for the successful execution of Six Sigma, followed by organisational substructure, apprehension of Six Sigma methodological analysis, developing on Six Sigma, and undertaking prioritization and choice. Table 5.8 gives the comparing of the present and old survey. This difference in the precedence attached to CSFs can be to due to the fact that India is a developing economic system and the industrial civilization and environment environing India are different from that of UK. 5.1.9 Model for Six Sigma execution Six SigmaEngagement of EmployeesOrganizational InfrastructureDevelopment of TeamworkFocus on CustomerFocus on Supplier RelationshipUnderstanding of Six Sigma MethodologyTop direction committedness and leadingAssociating Six Sigma to CustomersQuality Improvement Tools & A ; TechniquesTraining and EducationFigure 5.5 Model for Six Sigma execution The top direction demands to be proactive in implementing Six Sigma and concentrate on incorporating Six Sigma with TS 16949. Associating Six Sigma plan to employees will assist in acquiring better cooperation, improved work civilization and morale. Associating Six Sigma to providers will assist in bettering coaction, which shall ensue in the effectual execution of Six Sigma. Organizations can derive much by volunteering to implement Six Sigma instead than waiting for it to be imposed. Evaluation and comparing of CSFs of Six Sigma aid organisations in the sector to attach the needed importance to assorted CSFs. Barriers of Six Sigma execution in Indian car constituents fabricating industries ISM modeling is performed. The consequences of ISM modeling shows Lack of Management Exposure and Expensive Consultation Charges are at first degree. The consequences of the Statistical analysis show that the companies felt merely fiscal restraint to be important at 0.1 degree of significance. Th is indicates the fact that it is easy to implement Six Sigma plan in the Indian car constituents sector, as merely one barrier is found to be important out of the eight. Harmonizing to the analysis, pillars of Six Sigma are arrived and general model for Six Sigma execution is developed. It is shown in figure 5.5.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Jay Gatsby the Tragic Hero Essay

The great flaw in Gatsby’s character is his excessive obsession. We find out towards the middle of the book Gatsby is obsessed with Daisy to the point that his life is ‘Daisy’. He throws extravagant parties in hopes her being there. He purchases a palace of a mansion simply because it is close to Daisy’s home. He makes a living only to prove himself worthy to Daisy. He lives for ‘Daisy’, but he does not live for the living Daisy. Gatsby is so infatuated with ‘Daisy’ that he is bent on the magnificent fantasy of a Daisy to which no human can compare. He chooses to remain loyal to the young Daisy of eighteen, who was â€Å"by far the most popular of all the young girls of Louisville†¦dressed in white, and had a little white roadster† (Fitzgerald 72-73). In the words of Fitzgerald: â€Å"No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart† (93). This is very true, as the real Daisy served no other purpose to Gatsby than to bear a faint resemblance to the fantastical angle he had conjured out of his shattered dreams. Neither Gatsby nor anyone can gain anything from such a delusional happiness. Gatsby has many nemeses in the novel. George Wilson can be considered a nemesis because it is at his hands that Gatsby meets his death. Another rival of Gatsby’s is Tom Buchanan, our protagonist’s adversary in love who also had a hand in the hero’s downfall. In my opinion however, the arch-nemesis of Jay Gatsby is none other than Jay Gatsby. I believe Gatsby’s own actions and flaws in character have brought about his demise. Gatsby was the one who built his entire life gravitating around a single ideal of a girl he once loved. Gatsby was the one who took the initiative to meet Daisy. Gatsby was the one who, having already gained the affections of Daisy, pressed her, on page 126, to testify that she’s never loved Tom. In the words of Daisy, â€Å"you [Gatsby] want too much†¦I can’t help what’s past† (126). Indeed, Gatsby asked for too much, and in return, if not retribution, everything blew up in his face with nothing left b ut a dying dream. Gatsby’s ending in The Great Gatsby was certainly anything but happy. For one thing, he was murdered. On top of that however, lays an even crueller fact. That is, Daisy never called. Gatsby would have died just a little more at ease if he had known that the object of his fascinations for 4 long years  showed any hint of remorse that they may very likely be torn apart. She did not. Gatsby’s soul would have rested easier as well if the person for whom he died showed any sign of sorrow for his departure. She did not. Nor did any of his many acquaintances, save one, turn up to pay respects to the man whose generosity they had often molested. If this is not tragic, what is?Gatsby’s demise is so metaphorical and symbolic that it is hard to pinpoint exact what Fitzgerald was trying to say. Gatsby, a prosperous and extravagant self-made man, was killed by a downtrodden worker of the slums. Could this be alluding to a communist-style revolution? Daisy is quite similar to the American Dream, both being glorious and full of promises to he-who-wins-it. If Gatsby died in trying to get ‘Daisy’, is Fitzgerald denouncing the American Dream? There is, however, evidence that Fitzgerald still believes in the American Dream, as Daisy bears a few dissimilarities to it. That is, Daisy, in principal, is far more superficial, cursory, and lax than the â€Å"white picket fence† American Dream. Could Fitzgerald also have been trying to convey that the Dream has been perverted to such an extent that he-who pursues-it shall fail tragically, just as Gatsby had? The possibilities are endless, but one thing Fitzgerald was trying to express is certain: do not follow in the footsteps of Jay Gatsby, or we too will meet a tragic demise.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Risk & Value Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Risk & Value Management - Essay Example As the discussion highlights, political risk may be defined as the risk to the assets of an entity due to exposure to a political event. Political risks are related to a specific action from the government which can reduce the profitability of the firm. Political risks can be of 2 types – macro level political risk and micro level political risks. A macro level political risk is related to the general business environment of the country whereas a micro level risk is associated with the politics of a particular place and is site specific. The risk faced by AutoPlast is clearly a micro level risk. Due to the pollution caused by the chemical leak from the site and the fire outbreak; the resentment against the factory among local population is on the rise. This resentment can force the local administration as well as various political parties to take action against the factory .Possible risks include expropriation of property, repudiation of the contract for the factory and civil disturbance in the form of protests against the factory. The likelihood of the risk is medium as the factory has been in existence for the past 25 years. Although people may be angry due to the current issues but long term relationships will help the factory tide over the risk. Mitigation plans for this risk can be taking the political representatives into confidence; making the people aware of the contributions by the factory and working with the administration to ensure no future repeat of the disasters take place. AutoPlast faces economic ri sks due to two factors – one is the competition from cheaper products from Eastern Europe which places a question mark over the viability of the factory and other is the possibility of additional investment to safeguard the factory from further hazard.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 169

Summary - Essay Example When going through an essay, it is always advisable to draft how you understand the essay. These may be in terms of questions regarding why the author selected the subject and the essays thesis, what we can tell about the author based on the language and tone of the essay, and what about the work has contributed to its success, the target audience and the strategy used by author to organize the ideas. Analyzing a sample essay is the best way to gain in-depth understanding and appreciation of an essay or any reading material. This enhances writers’ skills as it goes along way into teaching how to go through their work as authors. This also helps to enhance the scope of strategies that the author may use as well as proposing subjects upon which his or her essay may be based. When writing, first draft the thesis statement in a few paragraphs. This refers to the main idea the author wishes to address. The author may identify the thesis before writing or during the writing process. It helps to guide the author in sourcing for information and to have a sense of direction with respect to the contents of the paper and their organization. The thesis expounds on the essays’ subject based on the author’s comprehension of the same. Prepare the outline of the contents of the essay with regard to the thesis statement and write them down. This is essential as it helps in organizing and planning the flow of the essay into the introduction, body, and

Segmentation, targeting, and positioning of hotels Assignment

Segmentation, targeting, and positioning of hotels - Assignment Example Market segmentation therefore relies on the principle that individual customers have need for a variety of products or services (OUP). Any market segmentation endeavour initially needs the identification and selection of the most suitable variables on the basis of which the potential customers are grouped. The identified variables form the platform for the segmentation basis. Whether the market is targeted at consumers or if it is a business to business organization decides the selection of the appropriate variables which however cannot be consistent and be decided in a single stroke on the basis of an identified factor. Appropriate market segmentation therefore requires research and analysis by considering a range of data from different sources (OUP). After a proper market segmentation has been achieved, the next step is the targeting the identified market segment with the product line which the consumers need. Targeting is the focussing of attention on identified segments, directing resources in that direction and taking business decisions accordingly. There has to be an optimum relationship between the resources/capabilities against the attractiveness of an identified segment on the basis of which targeting strategy can either be differentiated, undifferentiated or concentrated (OUP). Targeting is therefore the selection of one or more of the marketing segments which the company intends and decides to enter. After the targeting strategy has been developed, the next step is the positioning of the product by creating marketing offers that serve the targeted customer in the best possible manner. This is achieved by establishing, highlighting and communicating the key factors and the distinctive advantages of a company’s pro duct in relation to the competition. The hotel industry is one of the largest hospitality industries in the world which has thrived due to the large scale movement of

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Semiotic Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Semiotic Analysis - Case Study Example He interpreted the sign to be a physical object with meaning, consisting of the 'signifier' and the 'signified'. The 'signifier' according to him, was the material vehicle for the sign and the 'signified' was the mental concept it represented which was a common factor between every member of the same culture, sharing the same language. (Fiske 1990:43) While on the other hand, paradigmatic analysis deals with the examination of paradigms embedded in the text. Commutation tests are often used in paradigmatic analysis. Commutation test involve the analysis by substituting words of the same class or type to regulate the shifts in connotation. They help in analyzing an advertisement from different perspectives through signs. They take into consideration different aspects of the 'signifier' and 'signified'. To interpret the message of the advertisement in the context of different themes, genres or mediums, a paradigmatic approach should be used. (T. Vestergaard, and K. Schroder, 1985) Connotative meanings are those that are not purposeful representations of the object, but, new usages that have been produced by the language group. Connotative meaning examines the associations, the feels and overtones of a concept, and rather does not see it explicitly. Taking a close look at the definition given Saussure (1857-1913), a sign consists of two parts: Being a signifier entails, it will have a structure that a person can witness through his senses of touch, smell, sight and hearing, and Being the signified implies, it will symbolize an idea or mental build of a thing instead of the object itself Whereas on the other hand, according to Chandler, Daniel. (2001/2007), a denotation is the literal or surface meaning preset to a signifier. Meanings that are connotative are developed by the masses and do not show the inherent qualities of the thing or concept in actuality signified as the meaning. The accumulation of such meanings introduces complexity into the system of coding. If a signifier has only one denotational meaning, the use of the sign will always be unambiguously decoded by the audience. But connotative meanings are those that are dependent on the context, i.e. the addressee must learn how to make both the meanings correspond; the meaning intended by the sender and the multiple probable meanings in memory. While the syntagmatic analysis, analyzes the textual aspect which compares a shot particularly in photography with other preceding and succeeding shots. On the other hand, paradigmatic analysis compares shots, but not against other alternative kinds of shots, as far as photography is concerned (C. Bazalgette, 1991). The theories of semiotics are thus regarded as a unifying matrix which underlie most of the so-called humanities, as well as many of the social and behavioral sciences. Thus it informs and impinges the important segments of the behavioral sciences, such as psychological studies, and the hard sciences, such as biology and physics

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

ASME code Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ASME code - Essay Example Engineer B later requests Engineer B to visit B’s offices so that he may demonstrate to the company’s technical and management officials how the system works. Engineer A obliges and does the demonstration in detail. Engineer B asks Engineer A to prepare another proposal including the details of all costs involved. After some time, Engineer B’s company calls to inform Engineer A that the company will not need Engineer A’s company’s services since Engineer B’s company has achieved the capacity to make their own system. An analysis of the case presented above shows that Engineer B acted unethically in obtaining technical (and patented) information from Engineer A and using it without his consent. This act amounts to a breach of copyright/patent laws given that Engineer B uses the information they gain from A to his company’s advantage without seeking Engineer A’s consent. In the fundamental canons as stipulated in by the American S ociety of Mechanical Engineering (ASME), the engineer is required always to give respect to the intellectual property and proprietary information of other persons including professional bodies and charitable organizations (ASME 2006 No 6; ASME 2008 No 5). Engineer B’s company has proved through its actions not to be reputable given that it disrespects the property of Engineer A’s

Monday, September 23, 2019

Anthropology Assignment Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anthropology Paper - Assignment Example Linguistics helps to explain the connection between language and culture as well as social behavior by tracing origins, deviations and similarities of language groups. Ethnology is the examination of similarities and differences of current societies and it helps to understand contemporary issues from legal and political point of views through data collection, recording, researching and testing of theories (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2009). Chapter 2 discussed the attempts by early anthropologists to describe race biologically. Describe the typological and population models. The typological model the 19th and 20th century explained the variation of human differences into racial types. The observation of traits like skin color, hair form, boy build, shape of head, shape of nose body stature and others were seen as markers of a ‘race’. Therefore particular traits would explain a group of people and hence the emergence of whites, blacks, darks and reds which was flawed (Scupin, 20 03). The flaw in this model was corrected by the Population model through anatomical and physiological traits. Thus, this model introduced population genetics which assumed that people who had close relationship in distance had similar appearance hence the explanation that their ancestors must have mated for along time hence the idea of breeding population. Describe the impact of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution on studies of divisions of humans. Darwin’s theory of evolution based its claim on variations of human beings. Origin of species suggested that in nature natural selection existed. The weak species got eliminated by the environment and other human factors to live the strong that were well suited for survival. His theory led to greater racism and conflict in class as those considered less civilized races were seen not fit to exist with the civilized world. In the result, the civilized theorized through eugenics that it was inherited from their ancestors and therefore the savages ere not fit to live. The theory impacted view from economics, religion, politics, culture as well as others that wanted to advance the cause of racism hence more division in human kind. This spread all over the world with serious repercussions (Haycraft, 1895). The scientific racialism experiment of the 18th and 19th century resulted in the concept of eugenics. Describe this term and its social consequences. Eugenics was introduced by Francis Galton a cousin of Charles Darwin. He that human beings could opt to choose only the best of their strong species through natural selection. According to him, the highest in the society comprised of the most favored and best while the lowest were poor savages (Downs & Bleibtreu. 1969).The term eugenics came to be associated with the views of those who proposed that population control should be based with the best of the society and eliminating those who were at the lowest. It led to the rise of positive and negative eugeni cs and the poor people were considered not important in the society. Social consequences took the form of social conflict between those were rich and those who were perceived poor (Zirkle, 1959). Describe Franz Boas’ influence on the theories of scientific racialism. Franz Boas’ influence on scientific racialism was that of demolishing the deductive approach used to theorize about races. He felt that it was wrong for those theories to go

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Technology in Reading Comprehension Essay Example for Free

Technology in Reading Comprehension Essay Rationale Over the decades ago, Seymour Papert (1980) wrote Mindstorms and advocated a revolutionary philosophy in which technology was as seen as a fulfilling two major roles in education: (a) a heuristic role in which the presence of the computer was seen as a catalyst of emerging ideas and (b) an instrumental role in which the presence of the computer would carry ideas into a world larger than the research centres where they were incubated. When the Children’s Machine was published, Papert (1993) looked back over the decade since Mindstorms and asked question, â€Å"Why through a period when so much human activity has been revolutionized, have we not seen comparable change in the way we help children learn?† Technology’s exponentially increasing power, decreasing costs, portability and connectivity have gone beyond what it have been started. Yet, inside classrooms across the country, there is such a problem on how technology is being used for the enhancement of reading comprehension. It is not the unavailability particularly of computers but how they are being used in the classroom discussion. In teaching reading, technology is one of the available effective approaches. However, the use of technologies to enhance reading instruction is still its infancy. This reflects that the technological capabilities that are known to have potential in helping children to read, such as computer, have only become sufficiently affordable and available in widespread use. Even though it can support students, effective instruction needs to be interactive. This is Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Related Literature This chapter looked into the literature and studies about the effects of technology in enhancing reading comprehension. Only few that related to the present study are presented in this section. There are researchers’ standout positive effects of technology in education most especially in the improvements of reading comprehension. Some of them are Boster et.al. (2004), Tracey and Young (2006). Technology is the science of industrial arts. It is the making, usage and knowledge of tools, techniques, crafts and systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or serve some purposes. (www.wikipedia.com) In addition, technology refers to any valid and reliable process or procedure that is derived basic research using the scientific method. (Dale, 1969) Technology in education is nudging literacy instruction beyond its oral and print-based tradition to embrace online and electronic text as well as multimedia. Computers are creating new opportunities for writing and collaborating. The internet is constructing global bridges for student to communicate, underscoring the need for rock-solid reading and writing skills. By changing the way that information is absorbed, processed and used, technology is influencing the people how to read, write, listen and communicate. (www.wikipedia.com) Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY This chapter contains the methods and procedure used in the study. These are: the research design; subject of the study; research locale; data gathering procedure; data gathering instrument; and the statistical treatment. Research Design The research method used in this study was the two- group posttest- only randomized experiment. In design notation, it has two lines – one for each group – with an R at the beginning of each line to indicate that the groups were randomly assigned. One group gets the treatment or program (the X) and the other group is the comparison group and doesn’t get the program. Subjects of the Study Two groups were involved in this study. These two groups were all fourth year students of BCNHS (Bislig City National High School) namely; Roca- IV and Depay-IV both have 25 students. The research conducted during their English class session from Monday- Friday at 8:00 – 9:00 in the morning, respectively during the Second Quarter period of the school year 2011-2012. Chapter 4 PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA This chapter presents and discusses the results of the study. The Part I includes the scores and interpretations of scores from the control and experimental groups; Part II is the discussion of the difference of the scores between control and experimental groups; and Part III is on the correlation test of hypothesis. Table 1 Rating Scale of the Fourth Year High School Students Scores Scores 1-101-15InterpretationDescription 9-1013-15Highly FavorableThe scores of the respondents show very high result through the use of high technology 7-810-12FavorableThe scores of the respondents show high result through the use of high technology 5-67-9Moderately FavorableThe scores of the respondents show satisfactory result through the use of high technology 3-44-6Less FavorableThe scores of the respondents show less satisfactory result through the use of high technology 0-20-3Not FavorableThe score of the respondents do not show satisfactory result through the use of high technology Table 2 shows the interpretations of the scores of the students by test depending on the level of comprehension. This was used to determine the results of which technology must be used in enhancing reading comprehension. CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENTATIONS This chapter presents the summary, findings, conclusions and recommendations of the study. Summary The principal purpose of this study was to determine the effects of technology in enhancing reading comprehension of the fourth year students of Bislig City National High School.   The study utilized two sections of the fourth year students’ population. On section was chosen as the experimental group and the other one was the control group. Both groups were given a posttest with the same reading text and types of test: Test I- Question and Answer (10 items); Test II- Vocabulary Test (10 items); Test III- Depth of Meaning (15 items) and Test IV- Logical Inference (15 items). The researchers introduced to the experimental group the high technology using Microsoft Power Point through Power Point Presentation with pictures. The control group used the traditional way through pen and paper test. The research specifically answered the following questions: 1.What are the effects of using technology in reading comprehension? 1.1. What changes will occur on the reading comprehension of the students when exposed with technology?

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Marshall’s Theory of Citizenship

ï » ¿Marshall’s Theory of Citizenship Marshall’s theory of citizenship and its relevance in Britain in 2017 Introduction Marshall’s citizenship theory is concerned with social rights, education, and voting. Marshall’s theory on citizenship is compatible with Britain in 2017 due to the fact that schools are influenced by ideological, economic, and cultural forces, and citizenship considers the way in which education functions in class formation, struggle, capital accumulation, and the legitimation of the privileges of dominant groups (Apple, 2017:4). In fact, there is no doubt that schools are institutions of economic and cultural reproduction (Apple, 2017). Similarly, Marshall (2009:149) opines that the institutions most closely connected to citizenship and civilisation are the educational system and the social services. Citizenship has also raised questions on the sense of social solidarity and integration in any given community (Turner, 1990). Thus, citizenship, and every idealised version of it, holds relevance today. Marshall’s theory in particular, has relevance in 2017 due to the fact that there are several distinct forms of citizenship, and each can be understood by taking Marshall’s vision of citizenship as a whole, rather than a sum of parts. Turner (1997) notes that society is faced with two contradictory principles: scarcity and social solidarity. Scarcity results in exclusionary events such as gender divisions, social classes, and status groups, whilst social solidarity requires cohesive community structures, regardless of one’s social standing (Turner, 1997). Gender divisions are the one area that Marshall’s theory on citizenship fails to consider. In addition to the above characteristics of Marshall’s theory, Marshall’s theory on citizenship considered legal rights as the first form of citizenship (Turner, 1997). In the 19th century, political rights and their institutionalisation in parliament was Marshall’s second notion of citizenship (Turner, 1997). Next, Marshall believed that citizenship was related to social rights, and that those social rights were institutionalised in the welfare state (Turner, 1997). When considering these three forms of rights, Marshall argued that citizenship mitigates the inequalities created by capitalism (Turner, 1997:11). Marshall referred to modern industrialist capitalist societies as ‘hyphenated societies,’ due to the fact that such societies have some degree of democratic redistribution of wealth through the institution of citizenship. Marshall’s theory on citizenship relies on post-war societies and their relationships between social class, welfare, and citizenship (Turner, 1997). At the heart of Marshall’s theory on citizenship is identity. For instance, contemporary Britain has faced anxiety in granting unconditional comprehensive citizenship to Hong Kong nationals (Turner, 1997). Turner (1997:7) describes this concept as ‘social closure’ in which citizenship is determined on an inclusion/exclusion basis, in an attempt to exclude ‘outsiders’ and drive out diversity. The idea of social closure is still a pervasive concept in 2017, as evidenced by â€Å"Brexit.† Openness to diversity and difference is an essential component of a liberal democracy (Turner, 1997), yet the sentiment of some UK citizens is in conflict with the idea of diversity. Brexit and immigration are discussed later in the essay. Critique of Marshall’s Theory Marshall’s theory of citizenship has been criticised for being Anglocentric and evolutionist (Mann, 1987). Mann (1987) suggests that emphasis should be placed on understanding ruling class interactions and anciens rà ©gimes rather than rising bourgeois and proletarian classes, which has been the status quo in previous political studies (Mann, 1987). Other critics discount Marshall’s concept of citizenship due to the fact that his theories were developed in the mid 70’s (Bulmer & Rees, 1996) and the post-World War II political dynamic is much different than it is today. While this may be the case, it does not negate the fact that Marshall’s lived experiences as a prisoner in Germany and as a social worker, provides a knowledge and culture that can only be subsumed from such experiences. Such experiences can be triangulated to the adversity that many UK citizens feel today; it is not an overseas war that many in the UK are fighting- it is an internal war at which the will of the underclass of Britain and Britain’s diminishing middle-class is threatened. It is arguable that Marshall’s theory on citizenship will always have relevance, whether it is in the year 2017, 2060, or later. For instance, in 1978, some scholars pointed out that the concept of citizenship had gone â€Å"out of fashion† amongst political thinkers (Kymlicka & Norman, 1994). Yet, 15 years later, citizenship has become a â€Å"buzz word† in political discourse (Kymlicka & Norman, 1994). Considered even minimally, it is arguable that Marshall’s theory is relevant in a cyclical nature. During certain points in time, it could be more relevant than in other time periods, although the concept itself is always relevant. Marshall has considered the entitlements of economic structure and capitalist society (Turner & Hamilton, 1990: 199), and these concepts will always be a constant. Social Class & Welfare Reform Social class, like citizenship, is a system of inequality (Marshall, 2009). Thus, Marshall’s theory on citizenship takes account of the impact of citizenship on social class (Marshall, 2009). In fact, Marshall (1950) notes that citizenship and social class are in conflict. The paragraphs below discuss social class and welfare reform. Social welfare reform has been a central part of Britain’s political agenda since Margaret Thatcher’s policies of the conservative government (McLaughlin, 2000). Thatcher’s social welfare reforms included less governmental intervention and less social assistance so as to allow citizens to be more active in their social and economic standing. Thatcher’s policies also known as ‘Thatcherism’ encouraged greater citizen freedom and free market (McLaughlin, 2000). The idea of a free market is in line with Marshall’s view on citizenship. Following Thatcher’s policies, the Labour government reinvented social welfare after their 1997 win (McLaughlin, 2000). Given the stark contrast between the Conservative government’s policies and the Labour Party’s policies, it is arguable that Marshall’s understanding of citizenship is very much relevant to today’s Britain. Marshall’s hypothesis rested on an economic calculation that the cost of providing education for all would increase a country’s productivity (Marshall, 1950: 6). Although Marshall’s hypothesis was calculated at a time in which physical labour was heavily utilised, affordable access to education is a concept that many in Britain worry about (Yuan & Powell, 2013). While Liberals and the Labour Party push for more social services such as education bursaries and grants for lower income families, Conservatives hold the view that education should not be a part of the social welfare system (Counts, 1978). Thus, this is the very notion of citizenship in which minimal access to education further widens inequality and inequality is inversely correlated with citizenship. Inequality is inversely correlated with citizenship due to the fact that the higher the inequality that exists, the lower the [participation] of citizenship, due to the fact that individuals faced with economic hardship are less likely to vote (Rosenstone, 1982). Arguably, the higher the citizenship, the lower the inequality of citizenship. Prior to the Labour’s win in 1997, the Labour Party stated that welfare reform would be one its major campaign promises that it kept (Powell, 2000). The Labour’s rhetoric was said to be a new and distinctive method that differed from both the old left and the new right (Powell, 2000). At the heart of the party’s campaign, however, was the need for social change and reform. Marshall’s concept of citizenship is relevant to that period and today’s period due to the fact that social reform is still a heavily debated concept in 2017. Another element that points to the relevance of Marshall’s theory on citizenship is welfare fraud. Welfare fraud is a hot-button topic for many political campaigns, despite its occurrence on a small scale. The British public believes that 27% of the UK’s welfare budget is lost to fraud (Trade Unions Congress, 2013) while the government’s records of funding lost to welfare fraud is 0.7% (TUC, 2013). And according to a poll conducted by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Ministers should not assume that voters will continue to support Ministers’ plans to cap welfare benefit rises. The TUC’s research further notes that voters who are least able to provide accurate results on benefits are most likely to back the government’s plan to cut benefits (TUC, 2013). The poll results paint a bleak picture on citizen perception on unemployment. For instance, the TUC poll shows that once citizens learn that the benefits cap will hit workers in low paid jobs the most, support moves away from the government (TUC, 2013). The poll also demonstrated that 61% of individuals polled believed that 41% of the entire welfare budget goes to unemployed people, while the true figure is 3% (TUC, 2013). Overall, the results of the poll demonstrate that misconceptions on poverty and unemployment are what fuel misleading news stories and sensationalised campaign points. This is relevant to Marshall’s notion of citizenship because people need to understand the real causes and issues plaguing social welfare and unemployment: welfare fraud is not one of them. By remaining uninformed, an electorate may very well vote against their better interests, and in turn, this foster inequality. Marshall (1950) suggested that it was the state’s social responsibility to help the working class and poor to utilise their political and civil rights, and this can only be accomplished with an informed voter base. This is especially true due to the fact that cuts in social security programs have disproportionately affected women (Shelley & Gavigan, 2004). Cuts to these programs have affected single mothers in particular (Shelley & Gavigan, 2004). Shelley and Gavigan (2004) make a critical point when they note that public discourse and social images on welfare fraud erroneously link poverty and welfare to crime. Brexit & Immigration Prior to Brexit, many political analysts suggested that the determining factor on attitudes for leaving or staying in Britain was immigration, while others suggested that the determining factor was the advantage versus the disadvantage of EU membership (McKee & Galsworthy, 2016). Although ‘Brexit’ took place in 2016, the effects of the vote are apparent in 2017. Tied to Brexit is immigration. As immigration is a global concern, minority groups and liberal assimilationist concepts of citizenship have dominated political discourse. The same can be said for Britain’s immigration â€Å"problem.† The public vote to leave the EU brought about issues of citizenship and ‘otherness’ (Goodwin & Milazzo, 2017). In fact, a poll conducted by the British Election Study (BES) demonstrated that anti-immigration rhetoric shaped public support for Brexit (Goodwin & Milazzo, 2017). For instance, increases in the rate of immigration in the UK were key predictors of the vote for Brexit (Goodwin & Milazzo, 2017). It is not surprising that Britain has taken issue with immigration for several years. Journalists and reporters have seen increased attacks on EU migrants and minorities in record number, and it appears that this problem has only increased subsequent to Brexit (Goodwin & Milazzo, 2017). Further to the violence and anti-immigrant sentiment, the anger and xenophobia against immigrants are expected to become more intense (Goodwin & Milazzo, 2017). In considering the other side of the argument, Marshall’s theory may not be as relevant to the year 2017 due to the fact that Marshall’s theory focused on the exercise of political power and voter turnout for Brexit was low (Goodwin & Heath, 2016). Marshall noted that citizens exercise participation of political power by voting, and if citizens do not exercise this right, they cannot be said to be involved in the political process. Arguably, a lack of participation points to apathy or ‘hopelessness.’ Marshall argued that citizenship â€Å"is a status bestowed on all those who are full members of a community.† (Marshall, 1950:28). Such members carry out their responsibilities by voting and completing civic obligations. On the other hand, Banks’ (2008) theory on citizenship which is still evident in today’s society is similar to Marshall’s notion of citizenship as Banks rejects assimilation, arguing that citizenship should reflect diverse cultures and languages. Further, diverse groups rights can aid individuals in attaining structural equality. Education Reform Education reform has been a hot button issue for the past 20 years (Torres, 1998). Education reform and citizenship are interrelated concepts due to the fact that citizens exercise their rights to vote on education. Education is not only a human right, but it is a concept that is at the forefront of the electorate. While some authors note that the discussion of schools in the UK remain marginal to the policy process or they are heard minimally through teaching unions (Bowe, Ball, & Gold, 2017), the consensus is that educational reform is an important campaigning point, and this is acknowledged by political pundits. Another reason why education reform and citizenship are linked is because the social division of labour and educational systems are connected. This is in line with Marshall’s theory on citizenship due to the fact that discussions on educational reform have centred around schools and their ability to reduce the division of labour and lessen existing inequality (Apple, 2017). The UK’s Housing Crisis The current housing crisis in the UK is another issue that is related to citizenship, due to the fact that it is a social phenomenon that the electorate holds a stake in. The housing crisis also exacerbates inequality, and inequality is a fundamental precept of citizenship, as noted by Marshall. The housing crisis in the UK is a problem that began after World War II (Gurran & Whitehead, 2011). Post-war planning legislation was instated in order to ensure that there was adequate supply of housing land, but much of the legislation failed to account to for Britain’s growing population (Gurran & Whitehead, 2011). Since the passing of such legislation, there has been a widening gap between housing demand and supply in the UK, leading to the housing crisis (Gurran & Whitehead, 2011). The question of whether Marshall’s theory on citizenship pertains to today’s housing crisis in the UK, rests on government intervention. While Marshall was largely against state intervention in some respects, Marshall supported the state using its power for education and basic assistance (Marshall, 1950). Proponents of improved and affordable housing conditions suggest that the government should vigorously be involved in the planning process and provide adequate housing provisions for low-income households (Gurran & Whitehead, 2011). While Conservatives believe that the private market should be able to balance development and the interests of the UK citizens, Liberals believe that state intervention will provide equitable and socially beneficial forms of housing for those that are most in need (Gurran & Whitehead, 2011). Gurran and Whitehead (2011) argue that state intervention is the only solution that will ease the housing crisis due to the fact that less land will be available for activities that generate negative externalities, resulting in higher housing prices, whilst more land will be available for uses that include greater social benefit. Stone (2006) also notes that affordable housing is a social issue that must take account of current incomes in the UK. Affordable housing can mean subsidised housing and liveable housing conditions (Stone, 2006). Thus, Marshall’s theory would include support for affordable housing, given the inequalities that exist in the housing shortage. Feminism As feminism has gained steam in the last 20 years, so has the quest for equality (Brooks, 1997). Postmodern feminism and citizenship moves beyond the mainly white, male, middle-class perspective that much of history has been based on. Further, the absence of gender causes problems for understanding citizenship (Walby, 1994). Walby (1994) argues that discussions on citizenship must consider the ways in which gender can be integrated into citizenship (Walby, 1994). Thus, citizenship must consider a dynamic theory of gender relations and political citizenship that destabilises patriarchy and restores equal citizenship (Walby, 1994). Some scholars note that Marshall’s theory of citizenship is not applicable today based on Marshall’s linear view on citizenship. These scholars argue that Marshall’s perspective on citizenship is that of a white, heterosexual male, and that it does not take account of minorities, women, lesbians, or homosexuals (Turner, 2009). Lister (2003) notes that active citizenship can be accomplished by questioning deeply entrenched dichotomies and understanding the more coercive forms of active citizenship which are dominated by political agendas. The other way that active citizenship can be accomplished is by refusing to accept unfounded definitions and constructions of â€Å"insiders† and â€Å"outsiders† in relation to individual rights on citizenship, and this requires a deep regard for gender equality. Postmodernist feminist also allows issues of child care, education, and work-life balance to be considered as a matter of both genders, despite those issues being considered as ‘female’ issues. Lister (2003) has allowed poor gendered versions of citizenship to be questioned, which is what Marshall’s theory on citizenship fails to do. Conclusion While Marshall’s theory on citizenship focused mainly on the free market, Marshall also considered with the inequalities that came with citizenship. On this end, Marshall’s theory is still applicable to Britain in the year 2017, due to the fact that inequalities linked to citizenship still exist in Britain. The housing crisis has also demonstrated the applicability of Marshall’s theory. Brexit has demonstrated that there is anti-immigrant sentiment, despite the fact that the selling point for joining the EU was the free movement of people and goods. The one area that Marshall’s theory on citizenship may not apply to, is feminism. In regards to gender and inequality, the negative historical treatment of poor women on welfare have clouted public discourse (Shelley & Gavigan, 2004) on the real social welfare issues. The criminalisation of poverty in Britain raises theoretical questions on the regulation and control of Britain’s welfare state. Thus, Marshall’s theory on citizenship fails on this particular point due to the fact that Marshall’s perspective considers that of the white male, while largely ignoring women and their struggle and position as second-class citizens. As citizenship has re-emerged as an issue which is central to political concerns regarding healthcare, education, and social security (Turner, 1990), it must also consider the fight for equality and feminism- otherwise, citizenship is not truly considered in its totality. Bibliography Apple, M.W. 2017. Cultural and Economic Reproduction in Education: Essays on Class, Ideology, and the State (London: Routledge). Banks, J.A.2008. Diversity, Group Identity, and Citizenship Education in a Global Age. Educational Researcher, 37(3), 129-139. Bowe, R., Ball, S.J., Gold, A. 2017. Reforming Education and Changing Schools: Case Studies in Policy Sociology (UK: Routledge). Brooks, A. 1997. Postfeminisms: Feminism, Cultural Theory and Cultural Forms (NY: Routledge). Bulmer, M., & Rees, A.M.1996. Citizenship Today: The Contemporary Relevance of T.H. Marshall. (London: Routledge). Chunn, E.D., & Gavigan, S.A.M. 2004. Welfare Law, Welfare Fraud, and the Moral Regulation of the ‘Never Deserving’ Poor. Social & Legal Studies, 13(2), 219-243. Counts, G.S. 1978. Dare the School Build a New Social Order? (London: Southern Illinois University Press). Faulks, K. 1998. Citizenship in Modern Britain (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press). Trades Union Congress. 2013. Support for benefit cuts dependent on ignorance, TUC-commissioned poll finds. [Accessed: 5 May 2017]. Available from: https://www.tuc.org.uk/social-issues/child-poverty/welfare-and-benefits/tax-credits/support-benefit-cuts-dependent Goodwin, M., & Heath, O. 2016. The 2016 Referendum, Brexit and the Left Behind: An Aggregate-level Analysis of the Result. The Political Quarterly, 87(3). Goodwin, M., & Milazzo, C. 2017. Taking Back Control?: Investigating the role of Immigration in the 2016 vote for Brexit. British Journal of Politics and International Relations. Gurran, N., & Whitehead, C. 2011. Planning and Affordable Housing in Australia and the UK: A Comparative Perspective. Housing Studies, 26(7-8). Jones, H., Gunaratnam, Y., Bhattacharyya, G., Davies, W., Dhaliwal, S., Forkert, K., Jackson, E., & Saltus, R. 2017. Immigration Controversies and Performative Politics. (UK: Oxford University Press). Kymlicka, W., & Norman, W. 1994. Return of the Citizen: A Survey of Recent Work on Citizenship Theory. An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy, 104(2). Lister, R. 2003. Citizenship: Feminist Perspectives. 2nd Edition, (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan). Mann, M. 1987. Ruling Class Strategies and Citizenship. Sociology, 21(3). Marshall, T.H. 2005. Developing the Global Gaze in Citizenship Education: Exploring the Perspectives of Global Education NGO Workers in England. International Journal of Citizenship and Teacher Education, 1(2), 76-91. Marshall, T.H. 2009. Inequality and Society, edited by Jeff Manza and Michael Sauder (NY: W.W. Norton and Co.) McKee, M., & Galsworthy, M.J. 2016. Brexit: A Confused Concept that threatens Public Health. Journal of Public Health, 38(1), 3-5. McLaughlin, E. 2000. New Managerialism, New Welfare? Eds. John Clarke, Sharon Gewirtz. (London: Sage). Powell, M. 2000. New Labour and the third way in the British welfare state: a new distinctive approach? Critical Social Policy, 20(1) Rosenstone, S.J. 1982. Economic Adversity and Voter Turnout. American Journal of Political Science, 26(1), 25-46. Stone, M.E. 2006. What is Housing Affordability? The Case for the Residual Income Approach. Housing Policy Debate, 17(1), 151-184. Torres, C.A. 1998. Democracy, Education, and Multiculturalism: Dilemmas of Citizenship in a Global World. Comparative Education Review, 42(4), 421-447. Turner, B.S. 1990. Outline of a Theory of Citizenship. Sociology, 24(2). Turner, B.S., & Hamilton, P. 1990. Citizenship: Critical Concepts, Volume 1. (London Routledge). Turner, B.S. 1997. Citizenship Studies: A General Theory. Citizenship Studies, 1(1). 5-18. Turner, B.S. 2009. T.H. Marshall, social rights and English national identity. Citizenship Studies, 13(1), 65-73. Walby, S. 1994. Is Citizenship Gendered? Sociology, 28(2), 379-395. Yuan, L., & Powell, S. 2013. MOOCs and Open Education: Implications for Higher Education, A White Paper. (UK: Centre for Educational Technology & Interoperability Standards).

Friday, September 20, 2019

Essay --

Skepticism In Meditation 1, Descartes is confronted by the idea that throughout his life he has been taught numerous false truths. As his metaphysical knowledge is based on the things which he has been taught, they too are proven false and he is left without any indubitable ideas or beliefs. After Descartes puts all he knows under doubt, he begins to attempt to regain his knowledge of the world by thinking exclusively of absolute truths. On this mission, he encounters three arguments for accepting knowledge and beliefs as true and unfaltering. Through the course of the following paragraphs, I plan to dissect the different arguments and show how each of them test the validity of true knowledge. Having been faced with the idea that his current wisdom is false, Descartes begins doubting his ideas and opinions as he feels that it will allow him to seek a studier foundation for knowledge. Rather than doubt every one of his opinions individually, he reasons that he might cast them all into doubt if he can doubt the foundations and basic principles upon which his opinions are founded. By comparing his beliefs to an apple basket and a rot in an apple to the falsity of opinion, Descartes reasons that by dumping all the apples/ beliefs, it will be easier to remove the rotten ones. He wants to remove all the false belief he currently wrongly holds true because having one false belief leads to having other false ideas as well. Descartes thinks this method of investigation and trial is defendable as beliefs are not independent of one another and only by doing this will he be able to attain indubitable knowledge. Starting from a blank slate, he plans to build back his knowledge one clea r and distinct proposition at a time. While Descartes is... ...nto doubt beliefs based on sense perception and on scientific ideas. Ideas such as gravity get dismissed because one doesn't know if it is simply something that occurs in dreams and whether instead levitation is a reality. Descartes in the beginning of Meditation 1 says that â€Å"arithmetic, geometry and other subjects of this kind, which deal only with the simplest and most general things, regardless of whether they really exist in nature or not, contain something certain and indubitable. For whether I am awake or asleep, two and three added together are five†. He goes on to also explain that a square has only four sides in both a dream state and not dream state. Therefore, we can still trust other beliefs of the world, such as concepts that deal with the most simple and general things; just not on the beliefs that are based off the senses. This brings us to the third

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Dancing Queen :: essays research papers

As I stand in my starting pose, after the judges have called the name of my dance group, and we have walked out to onto the stage. I can hear the people in the audience applauding and talking. I can hear my heart beating. I can also feel it. I feel like it's about to jump right out of my chest I am so nervous. I have been here once before but never for this age group and we have never been this group. We are the junior tap lines we are one of the best in Arkansas. As the music starts I forget everything and everybody around me .I can no longer see the people watching my every move I can no longer see the judges facial expressions or try to read there lips. All I can hear is the music I am dancing to, all I can see are the bright lights shinning down on me, the blur of people, and my feet moving, dancing like they've never danced before. Before I know it the dance is over and the music has stopped, and I can see, and hear the people clapping and screaming .I am no longer scared. I could do it again and again. I love it. It gives me a rush that I can only get from a huge roller coaster. As I walk off the stage I am greeted by a hug from my dance instructor and the rest of my dance group we are all so happy .At the end the awards are giving out we get second place we are all so happy we have made it to the top ten now for the high point spots we wait for our division it comes slowly but it comes. Impatiently we wait number ten is called soon number seven we hope they will call our names number two is called it still isn't us one spot is left to go and if we don't make this one we are not going to nationals it isn't called we are al disappointed. After we get back to magnolia we hear the taps of the judges talking and telling us their opinions we work on what needs to be worked on and improve in time for up coming events we are to perform at.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

evilmac Protagonist Becoming Evil in Shakespeares Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Macbeth: Protagonist Becoming Evil The story Macbeth is like no other in plot and poetry. It sets itself apart from the rest by having a protagonist becoming evil. What makes Macbeth such a complicated character is the way his outlook keeps on changing throughout the play. This essay will prove that Macbeth is an evil man and was not overpowered by ambition to get what he wanted. This essay will also determine that certain characters like the witches did not force him to do evil; they simply triggered it. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is shown as a hero in the Scottish army, that is ironic because Macbeth has defeated a traitor and he will become one. We feel that a person of his loyalty could never commit evil unless he had a good reason or if he would be provoked. After Macbeth's first meeting with the witches, we learn from his aside that he has thought about killing Duncan " My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical" 1(Macbeth 1.3.152). Macbeth also says " If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me Without my stir." 2(Macbeth 1.4.157-159) which means that maybe he does not have to murder the king to gain that title. Luck has been very generous to him and might continue and make him king. Macbeth's true evil thoughts about being king are first shown when he finds out that king Duncan has named his son Malcolm as Prince of Cumberland. He now shows his evil and his true feelings. " Stars, hide your fires; Let not night see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see." 3 (Macbeth 1.4.57-60) Macbeth is actually seeking help from the dark and supernatural. Macbeth is saying that he does not want to see the evil that he will commit until it is done. It is now known that Macbeth is capable of evil and would commit it. Upon meeting Lady Macbeth, we can assume that any evil done by Macbeth would be contributed by her influence. Lady Macbeth is a very powerful women and she has a-lot of power over Macbeth's decisions. After Lady Macbeth reads the letter from Macbeth, she says that he is in fact too noble to kill Duncan in cold blood but he would like to. " It is too full o'th'milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

English Speaking

englishbanana. com’s Talk a Lot Spoken English Course by Matt Purland A Great New Way to Learn Spoken English Elementary Book 1 Complete 12-week spoken English course All materials, instructions and answers are included Brand new and unique learning method Learn and recall questions, answers and negatives using 8 common verb forms †¢ Learn 400+ essential vocabulary words †¢ 100% photocopiable †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ englishbanana. com’s Talk a Lot Spoken English Course Elementary Book 1 This book is dedicated to Anna and Julia, with love and thanks xx nd also: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (Insert the name of the teacher who has most inspired you to learn. ) English Banana. com [email  protected] com ISBN-13: 978-0955701511 English Banana. com Copying Licence: You may freely print, copy and distribute this book, subject to our Copying Licence (visit our website at www. englishbanana. com for full details) First published in the UK by English Banana. com 2008  © Copyright Matt Purland 2008 Talk a Lot Introduction Welcome to a new kind of English course!Talk a Lot is a great new way to learn spoken English, and quite a departure from the standard ELT course book. Instead of spending hours reading and writing, students have the opportunity to engage in challenging and fun speaking and listening activities with their friends. On this course students learn how to think in English as well as Talk a Lot! The Talk a Lot course objectives are very simple: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Every student talking in English Every student listening to and understanding English Every student thinking in English, and Every student taking part in classTalk a Lot is structured so that every student can practise and improve English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation, word and sentence stress, and interpersonal skills, by working in pairs, groups and one to one with the teacher. The main benefits of Talk a Lot are: †¢ †¢ †¢ Students have to think in English during lessons in a controlled and focused way Students learn how to memorise correct English structures naturally, without abstract and unrelated grammar lessons Students learn how to construct eight different common verb forms, using positive, negative and question forms, as well as embedded grammar appropriate to their level.The verb forms studied are: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Present Perfect, Modal Verbs, Future Forms, and First Conditional Students learn 400+ essential vocabulary words by heart Students enjoy following a simple and effective method that produces results quickly †¢ †¢ The ten lesson topics studied in Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1 are: Town, Food, Shopping, Health, Transport, Clothes, Work, Family, Home, and Free Time. Thanks to all of ou r students who have been trialling this course in recent months. Remember, teachers can download and print all the blank forms hat are necessary for running an English course, such as blank registers and enrolment forms, individual learning plans, and initial assessments, all for free, from our website at www. englishbanana. com. We’d love to hear from you about how you have used this book and how your course went, so please feel free to contact us via our website feedback form or by emailing [email  protected] com. We’d also be really excited to hear about your ideas and proposals for new Talk a Lot topics and activities that we can use in future Talk a Lot books.With best wishes for a successful course, th Matt Purland, Ostroda, Poland (6 April 2008) For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com i Talk a Lot Contents i ii Introduction Contents 1 1 How to Use this Course How to Use this Course: Course Outline Lesson Outline Assessment Methods, Tests and Examination Sentence Blocks Discussion Questions Role Plays Discussion Words and Question Sheets 8 13 14 15 17 18 19 Student Course Report Sentence Blocks – Q & A Sentence Blocks – Six Great Tips for Students 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Sentence Blocks Town – Sentence Blocks Food and Drink – Sentence Blocks Shopping – Sentence Blocks Health – Sentence Blocks Transport – Sentence Blocks Family – Sentence Blocks Clothes – Sentence Blocks Work – Sentence Blocks Home – Sentence Blocks Free Time – Sentence Blocks Sentence Block Extensions 34 4 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Discussion Questions Town – Discussion Questions Food and Drink – Discussion Questions Shopping – Discussion Questions Health – Discussion Questions Transport – Discussion Questions Family – Discussion Questions Cl othes – Discussion Questions Work – Discussion Questions Home – Discussion Questions Free Time – Discussion Questions 44 44 45 Role Plays Town – Role Plays Food and Drink – Role Plays For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. nglishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com ii Talk a Lot Contents 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 57 Shopping – Role Plays Health – Role Plays Transport – Role Plays Family – Role Plays Clothes – Role Plays Work – Role Plays Home – Role Plays Free Time – Role Plays Role Play Extensions Role Plays – Mood Chart 58 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 Discussion Words and Question SheetsTown – Discussion Words Town – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Food and Drink – Discussion Words Food and Drink – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Shopping – Discussion Words Shopping – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Health – Discussion Words Health – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Transport – Discussion Words Transport – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Family – Discussion Words Family – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Clothes – Discussion Words Clothes – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Work – Discussion Words Work – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Home – Discussion Words Home – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) Free Time – Discussion Words Free Time – Discussion Words (Question Sheet) 78 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 Vocabulary TestsTown – Vocabulary Test Food and Drink – Vocabulary Test Shopping – Vocabulary Test Health – Vocabulary Test Transport – Vocabulary Test Family – Vocabulary Test Clothes – Vocabulary Test Work – Vocabulary Test Home – Vocabulary Test Free Time â €“ Vocabulary Test 88 88 Lesson Tests Lesson Test – Town For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com iii Talk a Lot Contents 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 Lesson Test – Food and Drink Lesson Test – Shopping Lesson Test – Health Lesson Test – Transport Lesson Test – Family Lesson Test – Clothes Lesson Test – Work Lesson Test – Home Lesson Test – Free Time 98 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 Verb Forms Practice Present Simple Present Continuous Past Simple Past Continuous Present Perfect Modal Verbs Future Forms First Conditional 106 End of Course Oral Examination 06 110 111 End of Course Oral Examination Talk a Lot Course Certificate – Template 1 Talk a Lot Course Certificate – Template 2 112 Answers 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 119 121 122 123 124 125 126 Sentence Blocks Town Food and Drink Shopping Health Tra nsport Family Clothes Work Home Free Time Sentence Block Extensions Discussion Words and Question Sheets Town Food and Drink Shopping Health Transport Family Clothes For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com iv Talk a Lot Contents 127 128 129 131 Work Home Free Time Lesson Tests Town Food and Drink Shopping Health Transport Family Clothes Work Home Free Time 132 133 34 Sentence Stress 134 137 140 What is Sentence Stress? Sentence Blocks – Sentence Stress Sentence Stress Activity Cards 141 Sentence Block Verbs from Elementary Book 1 142 Discussion Words from Elementary Book 1 147 The 48 Sounds of English with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com iv How to Use this Course Talk a Lot How to Use this Course Course Outline: †¢ Before the course be gins perform an initial assessment with each student to check that they are at a suitable level for the course, and then enrol them onto the course.This course is aimed at students who are at a good elementary level or preintermediate level. For this course we recommend that there are no more than ten students per class. The course is divided into twelve three-hour lessons. The first ten lessons each have a different topic; while lesson 11 is intended for the revision of material studied over the ten weeks, and lesson 12 is reserved for the students’ examinations and an end of course review. We recommend that you hold one lesson per week, making this a twelve week course comprising 30 guided learning hours, plus 6 hours of guided revision and examination. It’s up to you what order you do the lessons in; you don’t have to follow our order of topics!If your students need more than three hours of study per week, why not offer them two 3-hour lessons per week: one T alk a Lot lesson, as described below, and one lesson using traditional teaching methods, which include conventional reading, writing and grammar-based activities that could complement the intensive speaking and listening work of the Talk a Lot lessons. You could follow a standard EFL or ESL course book such as New English File or New Headway, using material that complements the Talk a Lot lesson, so that in Week 2, for example, both 3-hour lessons are on the subject of Food and Drink. This would then give you a course with 60 guided learning hours.The lesson topics are: Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6 Lesson 7 Lesson 8 Lesson 9 Lesson 10 Lesson 11 Lesson 12 Town Food Shopping Health Transport Clothes Work Family Home Free Time Revision Exam & End of Course Review †¢ †¢ †¢ Lesson Outline †¢ In our lesson outline, each lesson lasts for three hours (180 teaching minutes). This can vary according to your needs, for example, in some English langu age classrooms one teaching hour is equal to 45 minutes, and so 3 teaching hours would be 2? hours. Or it may be that you have only 2 hours per week with your group of students. You can still use Talk a Lot activities to serve up a satisfying and stimulating lesson – just in a shorter timeframe.For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 1 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course †¢ Each lesson focuses on a specific vocabulary topic, for example â€Å"Town†. For each lesson the teacher can draw from seven different activities: Sentence Blocks Discussion Questions Role Plays Discussion Words Vocabulary Test Lesson Test Show & Tell It is not necessary to use every activity in every lesson. We believe that there is more material in this book for each lesson than is needed to fill 3 hours, so the teacher can mix and match, using different activities in different lessons.Similarly, it i s not necessary to do the activities in the same order (as given below) in every lesson, but mix things up each time so that students don’t become used to a set lesson order. †¢ Bearing that in mind, here is an example of how you could structure a 3-hour long Talk a Lot lesson: 15 mins Welcome and vocabulary test (see page 5) based on the previous lesson’s topic. The teacher reads out the twenty words to the students in their native language and they write them in English. The teacher gives back lesson tests, discusses the answers with the students, and can also ask random questions from the previous lesson’s sentence blocks to check how much the students have remembered. The teacher introduces the topic of this lesson, for example, â€Å"Home†. Each student has to show and tell an item to do with this topic, e. g. or â€Å"Home† a student could bring a utility bill, or a cushion from their favourite chair, and then tell the class about it. Th e teacher also brings something to â€Å"show and tell†, and then introduces the eight new sentence block starting sentences and wh- questions on the board or on the handout (see page 8). It is essential that the teacher checks that the students understand the sentences, so that they are meaningful to students when they practise them later on. The teacher asks different students to model one or two of the sentence blocks, which will act as a reminder to students of how to make the sentence blocks. 15 mins 20 mins Students make the sentence blocks in pairs, for example, sitting back to back without eye contact.They don’t write anything down and must not copy the sentence block starting sentences from the board. For this activity all the talk flows from the students making the sentence blocks from the starting sentences and wh- questions on the board or on the handout. Next, the teacher introduces the eight discussion questions for this lesson to the whole class (see pag e 13). Again, it is important that the teacher checks that their students understand the vocabulary that is used. Students should be encouraged to use their dictionaries to check new words. 10 mins For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 2 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course 0 mins Working in pairs or small groups, students practise the discussion questions. This is free speaking practise – the antithesis of having to make pre-set sentences using the sentence blocks. The students can change partners several times in order to get a good variety of practice, then the whole class comes together and feeds back to the group, with the teacher asking additional follow-up questions. During this time the teacher removes the sentence block sentences from the board, or asks the students to return their sentence block handouts. We’re halfway through! Have a cup of tea and some fresh air â €“ or just hang out! 25 mins After a relaxing break it’s time for some brain work – the lesson test (see page 5)!The aim of this test is for the teacher to find out what vocabulary the students can remember from the previous lesson and to get an idea of how well they are coping with making the sentence blocks. The teacher could decide to use this slot for activities with the discussion words (see page 15) or for making role plays (see page 14) – or for both, if your students are up to the challenge! The students practise the sentence block sentences again, but this time without any written record – nothing on the board and no handout. The teacher monitors each pair and helps them where necessary, making sure that they are making the sentence blocks successfully.Towards the end of this time the whole class comes back together to give each other feedback. The teacher asks questions from the eight sentence blocks to different students, who should give a correct, or nearly correct, sentence – all from memory. In the early weeks this will be more difficult for the students, but after a few lessons with this method students should be able to answer confidently, having memorised some or all of that lesson’s sentence blocks. Open question time – students can ask any English-related question. The teacher looks at the students’ workbooks (this can be any suitable course book that students work through at home and which complements the lesson) and checks students’ progress.The teacher sets the topic for the next lesson and gives out the handouts for the next lesson’s vocabulary test. The teacher could either give or spend a few minutes eliciting the twenty new words in the students’ first language. The teacher should encourage students to keep all of their handouts in their own file, for revision and further study at home. 25 mins 30 mins 10 mins Assessment Methods, Tests and Examination The overall course mark for each student is reached by continuous assessment and an end of course oral examination. Individual students are monitored throughout the course and their progress recorded in a number of different ways.The aim of using continuous assessment is to encourage students to work hard in every lesson – because every lesson counts and effort is rewarded along with accuracy – and to work hard at home, e. g. learning the vocabulary words each week. Each student gets a combined mark out of 80 for each lesson which is based on the following: For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 3 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ vocabulary test: lesson test: student’s lesson mark – accuracy: student’s lesson mark – effort: total lesson mark: maximum of 20 marks maximum of 40 marks maximum of 10 marks maximum of 10 marks maximum of 80 marksThe lesson marks are added together on the individual Student Course Reports as the course progresses. Students don’t have access to their lesson marks as they are added together, but they do see their marks for the vocabulary and lesson tests, as well as getting feedback on these tests and on their general performance each week. Teachers should award marks out of 10 to each student for every lesson based on the level of their achievement during the lesson (accuracy) and their commitment during the lesson (effort). It goes without saying that teachers should strive to be wholly objective and not give in to favouritism when awarding these marks.Over the ten lessons all of the lesson marks are added together to give an individual total for each student, to which is added the score from their final exam. This gives each student a grade for the whole course, ranging from A to U (ungraded fail): †¢ †¢ †¢ maximum lesson mark of 80 x 10 = 800 marks + maximum final exam mark of 100 = maximum course mark of 900 marks Grade system: Grade A = 800-900 marks Grade B = 650-800 marks Grade C = 550-650 marks Grade D = 400-550 marks Grade E = 250-400 marks Grade U = less than 250 marks First Class Very Good Good Fair Pass Pass Fail Grades A-E are passes. Grade U is ungraded and means that the student has failed the course.The student’s grade is recorded on their course certificate, for example: â€Å"Grade: A† â€Å"Achievement: First Class† You could use one of the course certificate templates at the back of this book (see pages 110-111), or create your own. Lesson Assessment During pair and group work the teacher monitors the students, checking and correcting grammar and vocabulary where necessary, e. g. during discussion questions and sentence For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 4 Talk a Lot How to Use t his Course block practice. In all such â€Å"free practice† work the teacher should keep referring students back to the grammar that is being learned by making the sentence blocks, for example if a student says: â€Å"What you want? †, remind them that: â€Å"You must have a verb after a wh- question. In this way the free practice work will help to consolidate what is being learned from the more structured practice of forming the sentence blocks. Written homework based on the topics and activities from each lesson could be given, checked and marked by the teacher. However, written work must be kept to a minimum during the lesson and students should not to write out full sentence blocks. This is Talk a Lot, after all! The students may instinctively begin to write down the starting sentences from the board, or make notes about the sentence blocks, but discourage this because it is a waste of lesson time in which they have a valuable opportunity to talk in English.The Ta lk a Lot method encourages students to use their memories as a learning tool and to activate the grammar that they already know before they join the course. When a student writes down the sentence blocks, they give full permission to their memory to forget this information, since they know it is safely recorded somewhere. Without the safety net of pen and paper students have to challenge themselves to work harder to make the sentence blocks (which are, after all, simply question forms and answers, based around individual verb forms). The time for writing out sentence blocks is at home, where students can write to their hearts’ content! They also get a chance to see full sentence blocks in written form when they do the lesson test – once per lesson.As we have seen, the Talk a Lot certificate is based on marks gained during continuous assessment along with a final oral exam at the end of the course. Lesson assessment also includes more formal testing with regular vocabul ary tests and lesson tests, the marks from which are added to each student’s running total of marks. The teacher keeps track of each student’s progress by adding the results of their tests and other marks to their individual Student Course Report (see page 17). Vocabulary Tests All Talk a Lot tests should be run in exam conditions, with folders and dictionaries closed, no talking, and no copying. The vocabulary test could be held near the beginning of the lesson, as a way of quietening students down and getting them into study mode.We recommend that the teacher runs the vocabulary and lesson tests in the same positions during the lessons each time so as to give a sense of structure and routine to the tests which can be reassuring for students. Teachers should try to mark the vocabulary test during the lesson break and give students their results in the same lesson. The teacher keeps a record of the students’ scores on their Student Course Reports and measures pr ogress made, as well as spending time during and between lessons addressing issues with individual students. Lesson Tests The primary aim of the regular lesson test is to consolidate the work done in the previous lesson. If you run this test immediately after the break it will help to settle students down and get their minds focused again on learning English. Set a time limit of no more than 25 minutes and stick to it.As with the vocabulary tests, the aim of the lesson test is to check students’ progress and both identify weaker students who may need extra support, e. g. help with making the sentence blocks, and identify stronger students who may need a greater challenge during lessons. For example, to maximise the effect of pair work the teacher could pair a stronger student with a weaker student. Lesson tests are marked by the teacher after the lesson and the results given to students at For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 5 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course the beginning of the next lesson, when there is time for a brief discussion of incorrect answers and other points raised by the test.The results from both tests enable the teacher to see not only who is paying attention during lessons, e. g. when making the sentence blocks, but also who is working at home: learning the vocabulary words, both meanings and spellings, and writing out sentence blocks. At their discretion, a teacher may allow students who have missed a lesson to catch up on course marks by taking both tests at another time, e. g. after the present lesson. Or the teacher may decide that the student has missed the lesson and so cannot catch up on the marks, a scenario that will affect their final course score. However, if the latter applies the teacher should give the student in question the material to study at home in their own time.Verb Forms Practice These pages can be introduced by the teacher as extra worksheets at any time during the course if students are having problems with sentence blocks based on a particular verb form, or if they need more focused verb forms practice. A follow up activity would be for students to imagine their own sentence blocks based on particular verb forms, e. g. the teacher asks students to work in pairs and make four new sentence blocks using present perfect form – orally, without writing anything down. In general, it’s better for students to use a variety of different verb forms in a normal lesson, rather than studying a different verb form each lesson, because if a student misses one lesson they won’t have missed out on studying a complete verb form.End of Course Oral Examination General Notes on the Examination: The Talk a Lot end of course exam is a one to one oral examination with the teacher reading the questions and the student answering. The exam should last for a maximum of 20 minutes. The exam is recor ded onto tape and marked by the teacher. The results are added to the student’s individual Student Course Report and their overall course score and final grade can be calculated, which are then added to the student’s certificate. At no time should the student see the examination paper, whether before, during or after the examination. Nor should the student write down anything during the exam. The teacher writes the starting sentence and question word (printed in bold) on the board for each sentence block question.The examination questions are taken randomly from the course work studied and include material from every topic covered during the course. During the examination the teacher should not prompt the student for answers or help them in any way, apart from to explain the instructions so that the student understands what they have to do. Students may not use a dictionary during this examination. At the end of the course the teacher could give a prize to the student (or students) with: †¢ †¢ the best course score overall the best vocabulary test grades overall For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 6 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course †¢ †¢ the best lesson test grades overall the best attendance record the most improved student (comparing the beginning and the end of the course) Marking Guide: There are four kinds of question that form the examination: 1. Make sentence blocks (questions 1, 5, 9, and 13) The maximum score is 8 marks. Students score one mark for each fully correct line, with correct intonation and sentence stress, and one mark for naming the correct verb form. Students get only half a mark if the intonation and/or sentence stress of a line is incorrect. In the last two lines of each sentence block the answers will vary as students have to change part of the original information to produce a negative answer. Accept an y answer that is grammatically correct and makes sense within the given context.Don’t penalise students for making contractions, or not making them. For example, if the answer on the examination paper says â€Å"No, he doesn’t†, but the student says â€Å"No, he does not†, don’t mark them down. It is still an accurate answer. 2. Answer discussion questions (questions 3, 6, 11 and 14) Students can score up to a maximum of 4 points for each question based on the following criteria: The student should answer the question and speak for approximately 1 minute: 4 marks: the student produces sentences which are completely or almost completely correct in terms of grammar, pronunciation, intonation, and sentence stress. There are between 0-2 errors.Excellent use of vocabulary and interesting subject matter the student produces sentences which are good in terms of grammar, pronunciation, intonation, and sentence stress, but there are between 3-4 errors. Good use of vocabulary the student produces sentences which can be understood in terms of grammar, pronunciation, intonation, and sentence stress, but there are many errors the student attempts to answer the question, but not using full sentences nor correct grammar, pronunciation, intonation, and sentence stress. Part of their answer can be clearly understood, but there are many errors the student has not attempted the question or the answer is incoherent 3 marks: 2 marks: 1 mark: 0 marks:The teacher should make a note in the box provided of several examples of the student’s performance, including errors as well as correct structures. 3. State ten vocabulary words on a given topic (questions 2, 7, 12 and 15) When students have to list ten vocabulary words, the teacher could keep a tally in the box provided, e. g. IIII IIII †¦ Give a half mark in the event of wrong word stress or incorrect For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 7 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course intonation and/or pronunciation. When stating ten different vocabulary words the student cannot include the example word which is given in the question. 4.Answer discussion word questions (questions 4, 8, 10 and 16) The answers and marks for these questions are provided on the examination paper. Give a half mark in the event of wrong word stress or incorrect intonation and/or pronunciation. Sentence Blocks Designed specifically for the Talk a Lot course, the sentence block method is a brand new way to teach English grammar with speaking practice. The main benefit of this method is that the students have to do all of the work. They must listen, think hard, and remember. They must produce eight sentences, both positive and negative, using a given verb form, and two different question forms, using wh- questions and questions with auxiliary verbs.They must produce the eight sentences based on a given st arting sentence and a given wh- question word, using a pre-agreed set of rules. When they are working on the sentence blocks students are speaking and memorising correct English. They are learning to use key verb forms in English, forming questions and responses organically as they focus all their attention on making the sentence blocks successfully. They are also learning new vocabulary and have to produce their own ideas to make the last two negative sentences work. So what is a sentence block and how do you make one? A sentence block is a group of eight consecutive sentences, made up of seven lines, that forms a two-way conversation.There are strict rules governing how a sentence block must be made, which students should learn. At the beginning of the course: The students receive two handouts explaining the basic terminology used when talking about sentence blocks and some helpful rules for making them (see pages 18 and 19). The teacher should spend time discussing these pages wi th the students, in particular explaining: †¢ †¢ †¢ When we use each of the eight verb forms that are explored during the course What we mean by subject-verb â€Å"inversion† How auxiliary verbs are used, and the rule for using â€Å"do† as an auxiliary verb In the first lesson or two the teacher will need to train the students to make the seven lines that form a sentence block.In the ensuing lessons students should be able to form the sentence blocks themselves, based on the given sentences on the board or handout. It is very important that in each lesson the teacher ensures that students understand the vocabulary used in the sentence blocks before they are let loose on the task of making them. This is an example of how an individual student could be coached to form a sentence block for the first time. When coaching groups, ask a different student for each of the lines. The teacher has written the first starting sentence on the board; for example, this one from the â€Å"Shopping† lesson: I used my debit card to buy a pair of shoes for work. For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now!Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 8 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course The teacher: OK, we’re going to make a sentence block. There are seven lines in a sentence block and eight different sentences. [Pointing to the board at the starting sentence. ] This is the first line. Can you read it for me, please? [The student reads it out loud. ] Do you understand this sentence? The student: Yes. The teacher: OK. [Writes â€Å"What† underneath the starting sentence. ] To make the second line can you ask a â€Å"what† question based on the starting sentence? The student: What did you use to buy a pair of shoes for work? The teacher: Good. Very good. Excellent.Note: if a student has a problem producing any part of the sentence block, the teacher should prompt them with the first word, then the next, and in this way â€Å"coax† the sentence out of them by, if necessary, saying the whole sentence and getting the student to say it with them, then to repeat it without the teacher’s help. The teacher: And what is the short answer? The student: My debit card. The teacher: OK. Great. Note: it is very important that the teacher praises the student as they get sentences right and gently encourages them when they have taken a wrong turn. It is also important for the teacher to keep the momentum going so that the sentence block is made with a sense of rhythm and an almost urgent pace. This will keep the student focused and thinking about the task in hand. The teacher: So now we’ve got three lines. Can you repeat them for me? [The student does so correctly. ] Now, let’s get to five lines.Ask a question with inversion. The student: Did you use your debit card to buy a pair of shoes for work? The teacher: Good. And the short answer? The studen t: Yes. For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 9 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course The teacher: Yes, what? The student: Yes, I did. The teacher: Good. Very good. So now we’ve got five lines. We’re almost there. Can you repeat the five lines, please? [The student does so correctly. ] OK, so, to complete the sentence block, let’s ask the same kind of question with inversion but this time to get a negative answer.Look at the question word. Focus on the â€Å"what†. Change the â€Å"what† to get a negative answer. The student: Did you use cash to buy a pair of shoes for work? The teacher: And give a short answer in the negative. The student: No, I didn’t. The teacher: Then a full negative answer. The last line is made up of two negative sentences. The student: I didn’t use cash to buy a pair of shoes for work. Note: students have to invent some thing here (â€Å"Did you use cash†¦? †) that makes sense in the same context. They should try to think of a sensible option to get a negative answer. For example, the teacher must not accept: â€Å"Did you use a car to buy a pair of shoes for work? because it doesn’t make sense. Students often struggle to remember to make two negative sentences for the last line. Encourage them and stress the two negative sentences. The teacher: Excellent! Now tell me all seven lines†¦ Throughout, the teacher should help the student to achieve the correct pronunciation, word and sentence stress (see page 134), rhythm and intonation. If a student makes a mistake during a line, ask them to repeat the whole line again. Of course, in the example above the student has given almost all of the correct answers straight away. This is purely to serve a purpose in this guide – to give a clear example of what the students should aim for.The teacher should also encourage the stud ents to think about word and sentence stress and to emphasise the correct words in each sentence, for example: Did you use your debit card to buy a pair of shoes for work? Yes, I did. Did you use cash to buy a pair of shoes for work? No, I didn’t. I didn’t use cash to buy a pair of shoes for work. For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 10 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course Students may have a tendency to try to say all seven lines with a questioning intonation at the end of each line. For example, they might say: The student: Did you use cash to buy a pair of shoes for work? No I didn’t? Ask them to think about the meaning of what they are saying and to make definite statements without the questioning intonation.Some students may try to gabble and deliver their lines very quickly without apparent thought of what they mean – wholly focused on their goal of rememb ering each line and forming the sentence blocks as quickly as possible. Ask them to slow down and to focus on what each sentence means. So, in the example above the seven lines and eight sentences of the sentence block are: 1. I used my debit card to buy a pair of shoes for work. (starting sentence) 2. What did you use to buy a pair of shoes for work? (wh- question) 3. My debit card. (short answer) 4. Did you use your debit card to buy a pair of shoes for work? (question with inversion) 5. Yes, I did. (short answer) 6. Did you use cash to buy a pair of shoes for work? (question with inversion to get a negative answer) 7. No, I didn’t.I didn’t use cash to buy a pair of shoes for work. (two sentences – a short negative answer and a long negative answer) The teacher should ensure that the students follow the sentence block structure and that they recap each group of sentences after the 3rd and 5th lines. If a student has a tendency to â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â €Å"Er†¦Ã¢â‚¬  their way through each line, challenge them to say the lines without doing this. As they monitor the pairs engaged in making the sentence blocks – saying one line each – the teacher will sometimes need to be firm with the students, and ask them to keep focused when it looks as though their minds are beginning to wander, and of course the teacher also needs to keep focused!For example, when leading sentence block practice at the front of the class, the teacher will need to be one step ahead of the students and know the next sentence in their mind – what they want the student to produce – before the student produces it. Embedded Grammar: In each lesson students will practise making positive sentences, negative sentences and question forms using the following verb forms: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ present simple present continuous past simple past continuous present perfect modal verbs (e. g. can, should, mu st, have to, etc. ) future forms (with â€Å"will† and â€Å"going to†) For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 11 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course †¢ first conditional While doing sentence block practice the students may be unaware that they are using eight different verb forms.It is better not to focus on this and blow their minds with grammar, but instead make sure that the students are making the sentence blocks correctly. For example, it is essential that students understand the eight starting sentences on the board or handout at the beginning of the lesson, and also know how to make a sentence block, before they begin pair work with a partner. The starting sentences all contain embedded grammar, which means grammar that occurs as a natural part of the sentence block as it is being spoken and automatically memorised, rather than grammar that is explicitly presented to students as an isolated grammar topic, such as: â€Å"In today’s lesson we are going to study wh- questions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  etc.The embedded grammar in the sentence blocks at Elementary level includes: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ positive and negative forms use of articles use of auxiliary verbs a variety of main verbs in each unit subject and object pronouns yes/no questions wh- questions active and passive sentences punctuation marks prepositions of place and time some/any singular/plural nouns: common, proper, abstract, countable, uncountable, etc. intensifiers – too, really, very, completely, etc. use of infinitives adjectives adverbs of frequency and manner possessive pronouns determiners – this, that, those, these, etc. there is/there are formal and informal situations use of gerunds comparat ives and superlatives relative clauses – that, which, who, where, etc. The teacher could pick up on any or all of these grammar topics in more detail if they run the course as a 60-hour course (see page 1).Miscellaneous Notes: †¢ As well as with students in groups and pairs, this method can also be used successfully with students on a one to one basis, with the teacher prompting the student to produce the sentence blocks, first with the sentences on the board or handout, and later from memory. For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 12 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course †¢ Teachers (or students) can also imagine their own starting sentences based on the verb form or vocabulary that they wish to practice. Different Ways to Practice Forming Sentence Blocks: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ In a circle – the teacher or a student leads and chooses each student in turn to form the complete sentence block. The students sit back to back in pairs and say one line each, then reverse who starts.The students chant a complete sentence block altogether as a group. The students say one line or one word each, going around the group in a circle. The teacher says a random line from a sentence block and asks a student to produce the next line. Note: every sentence block can be said or chanted in a continuous way by adding an eighth line at the end that begins with â€Å"So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and continues with the question on line 2. For example: Line 1: Peter walks two kilometres to his office every day. Line 2: Who walks†¦ [etc. ] Line 7: No, he doesn’t. Jeff doesn’t walk two kilometres to his office every day. Line 8: So, who walks†¦ [then, continuing with line 3, â€Å"Peter does. † and so on] Discussion QuestionsStudents work in pairs with student A asking student B the first question, then student B asking student A the sa me question, before moving on to the next question. After between 510 minutes the students change partners and repeat the process with a different student. Where there are empty boxes on the handout – for example questions 1, 3, 4, and 6 on the Town Discussion Questions handout – the students should write down their partners’ answers. This is partly to encourage the students to focus on the task in hand, and partly so that the teacher, who should be monitoring all the pairs, can see written evidence that the questions are being asked and answered.Before the students move off to work in pairs the teacher should look at the handout with the whole group and ensure that everybody understands the task and vocabulary used in the questions before they begin. For example the teacher could pre-teach some of the more difficult words and there could be a dictionary race to see which student finds each word the fastest. Extension activity: pairs that have finished the activ ity early could think up their own new discussion questions based on the same topic, or the teacher could prepare additional questions for the students. At the end of the activity the whole group comes back together for group feedback, where the teacher chooses a student to read a question and tell the class both their own answer and their partner’s answer.The teacher should highlight errors that have occurred and elicit the answers from the group. Interesting structures could be explored in more detail on the board. Assessment: This activity is assessed by the teacher checking and correcting students as they monitor each pair, listening in and making comments where necessary, e. g. challenging incorrect question forms, and writing down notes for later exposition on the board during the group feedback period. The students’ achievement in this activity is recorded as part of their overall lesson score (for accuracy and effort) by the teacher at the end of the lesson. Fo r more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now!Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 13 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course Role Plays Students work in pairs or groups of three to develop and rehearse a short role play with three scenes, based on the information given to them on the handout, which is then performed to the rest of the class. They have to include the title of the outline somewhere in their role play, e. g. Family role play 1: â€Å"You did that on purpose! † The role play can be fully acted out, with props and costumes, or be simply a dialogue, but students shouldn’t be writing during this activity. Writing can be done at home. In the Talk a Lot classroom the focus should be mainly on spoken English.As with the discussion questions activity the teacher should ensure that students understand what they have to do and are confident with the vocabulary used on the role play handout before they begin. The teacher s hould insist that each group produces three different, distinct scenes, teaching them to think of the role play as three parts of a whole, with a through-line and a logical progression through the scenes, for example: †¢ †¢ †¢ Scene 1: Setting up the situation Scene 2: Action Scene 3: Result To make this task more challenging, you could agree as a group that all role plays have to include certain things, as well as what is in the outline, for example: a) a person’s name b) a place name c) an object (e. g. n aubergine or a giraffe’s toothbrush) d) a certain phrase e) a prop f) a costume The teacher could provide a costume box and a prop box in the classroom with plenty of dressing up clothes or objects for students to use in their role plays. If your students particularly enjoy doing role plays, they could try the role play extensions (see pages 54-56) in addition to the role play outlines on the handouts, but role play must be only one element of a Talk a Lot lesson. Make sure that in each lesson there is a balance of activities, for example: tests, sentence block building, discussion questions, role plays, etc. It’s fine when students want to veer away from the outlines given on the handouts. The aim of the activity is for the students to put the flesh on the bare bones of the outlines.For example, they should suggest character names, place names, names of businesses, and so on. The suggested outlines are only there to get ideas flowing. The teacher could suggest new situations for role plays or more imaginative groups of students could think up new role plays of their own, but based on the same lesson topic. The Mood Chart: Use the mood chart on page 57 to add an extra dimension to the role plays. Print the page onto card, cut up the cards and put them into a bag. Each student picks one card – one mood – and they have to act out their role play using this mood exclusively. When watching each role play the aud ience have to guess which moods the actors have picked.In another variation, the audience pick the moods that they want to see used in a role play, or all the groups have to rehearse the same role play using different moods, and the audience have to For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 14 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course guess the moods. Assessment: As with the discussion questions activity this activity is mainly assessed by the teacher checking and correcting students as they monitor the groups, listening for errors that could be dissected later on in a group feedback session, and correcting grammar in line with the work being done on forming sentence blocks.Again, the students’ achievement in this activity is recorded as part of their overall lesson score (for accuracy and effort) by the teacher when they sit down and write each student’s course report. Because this ac tivity is drama-based, the audience could make their opinion heard too, giving marks out of ten for each role play based on: a) language accuracy b) effort c) imagination d) best costumes, use of props, lighting, sound, etc. Or they could give thumbs up (1 or 2) or thumbs down (1 or 2). The audience feedback is just for fun and not recorded on each student’s course report. Discussion Words and Question Sheets It’s amazing how much you can do with forty cut-out vocabulary words!We have outlined many activities for using these words with students on the discussion words question sheets. First of all, print the discussion words page onto thin card and cut up the cards with scissors. If possible you could laminate them to make them extra sturdy. The main activity goes as follows: sit down with the whole class around a large table and lay out all the cards face down. Students take a number of cards each. The number they take depends on the number of students in the class an d for how long the teacher wants the activity to last, e. g. for a ten minute activity ten students could each take two cards. Go around the group one student at a time. Each student picks up a card and has to describe the word in English without saying it.The other students have to guess the word. The students could use dictionaries to find new words that they don’t know. It’s possible for students to make this activity deliberately harder for their peers by giving a more cryptic description! Using the Question Sheets: The teacher reads the questions out loud in a random order. Or one or more of the students could read the questions out. The teacher should use as many of the questions as is necessary to fill the time that they have allotted to this activity. For example, if you have 25 minutes for this activity it’s unlikely that you will need to use the main activity as described above as well as all twenty questions on the handout.As with the Talk a Lot cours e in general, there is more material here than will probably be needed; but as all teachers know: it’s better to have too much material planned for a lesson that not enough! For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 15 Talk a Lot How to Use this Course Extension Activities: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The students work on the main activity with the words in pairs or small groups. The students have to think of ten, twenty, thirty or forty additional words on the same topic, e. g. Home, and make their own discussion words cards. The teacher or the students invent new questions based on the original/new words. Have a game of vocabulary bingo.Each student writes down fifteen words from the forty words in three lines: five on the top, five on the middle and five on the bottom. The teacher reads out words from the group at random. The students cross out the words they have written down when they hear the teacher say them. The students race to see who can cross off the first line, then two lines, then all the words. â€Å"Yes/No† questions: one student takes a card with a word on it, keeping it secret from the others, who have to ask â€Å"Yes/No† questions in order to find out what the word is. The first student can only answer â€Å"Yes† or â€Å"No†. For example, for food and drink words the other students could ask: â€Å"Is it a vegetable? †, â€Å"Is it green? †, â€Å"Does it grow in a field? †, etc. ntil they are able to guess the identity of the word. This is a great activity to get students making questions with inversion. The students match the phonetic and English spellings of different words (see page 142), translate words into/from the IPA, or group words by the sounds they contain. A student mimes different words without talking, while the others have to guess them. Word association activities: a) the teacher (or a student) chooses a word and each student has to say six words that they associate with this word, or each student in the group has to say one word. For example, if the word is â€Å"car† the students could say â€Å"wheel†, â€Å"engine†, â€Å"driver†, â€Å"gears†, â€Å"Ford†, â€Å"garage†, and so on. he teacher (or a student) chooses a word and the first student says the first word that comes into their head, followed by the next student and the next in a kind of word association chain. See how long your group can go for without running out of steam. You may be surprised where you end up! For example: â€Å"supermarket† > â€Å"shopping† > â€Å"centre† > â€Å"middle† > â€Å"school† > â€Å"work† > â€Å"job†, and so on. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ b) †¢ Make any of these activities into a competition – individual or team – with points given f or correct answers, and prizes. The teacher could even deduct points for incorrect answers. Prizes could be awarded for the first student to answer a question correctly, or the student who wins the vocabulary bingo, or who can think of the most new words on the same topic without a dictionary.For a fun group competition there could be a league, with the same teams competing in each lesson for points that accumulate towards a running total. It depends on how competitive your students are! Assessment: As with the other free practice activities in Talk a Lot (show and tell, discussion questions and role plays) assessment is performed by the teacher checking and correcting during the task, giving individual and group feedback, and referring students back to the grammar learnt from forming the sentence blocks. The students’ achievement in this activity is also recorded as part of their overall lesson score (for accuracy and effort) by the teacher on each student’s course re port.For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 16 Talk a Lot Student Course Report Name: ___________________________________________________________ Lesson Town Food & Drink Shopping Health Transport Family Clothes Work Home Free Time Final Exam /100 Course Total Mark Course Final Grade Attendance /30 GLH Vocabulary Test /20 Lesson Test /40 Lesson Mark – Accuracy /10 Lesson Mark – Effort /10 Start Date: ________________ Total Marks /80 Class: ________________ Teacher’s Comments Attendance as a % Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 17 Talk a Lot Sentence Blocks – Q & A Q: What is a sentence block?A: A sentence block is a group of eight consecutive sentences, made up of seven lines, that forms a two-way conversation. It consists of positive and negative sentences, and two question forms – a wh- question and two questions with inversion (â₠¬Å"yes-no† questions). Q: What is a starting sentence? A: The first sentence in a sentence block. Q: What is a wh- question word? A: A question word that begins with â€Å"wh-†. For example, â€Å"what†, â€Å"where†, â€Å"when†, â€Å"who†, â€Å"why†, â€Å"whose†, and â€Å"which†. â€Å"How† is also a wh- question word because it contains the letters â€Å"h† and â€Å"w†. Wh- questions are asked to obtain information, rather than a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† answer.They have a falling intonation, which means that the tone of your voice does not go up at the end of the question, as it does with â€Å"yes-no† questions. Q: What is a question with inversion? A: Also known as a â€Å"yes-no† question, because the answer is usually â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†, a question with inversion is a question where the subject and verb have been swapped around (or â€Å"inve rted†). They always start with an auxiliary verb (be, have, or do), a modal auxiliary verb (e. g. can, will, must, should, etc. ), or verb â€Å"to be†. For example, this sentence is a statement: â€Å"John is a DJ†. To make this statement into a question with inversion we need to swap around the verb (â€Å"is†) and the subject (â€Å"John†) to make: â€Å"Is John a DJ? Questions with inversion always have a rising intonation, which means that the tone of your voice has to go up at the end of the question. Q: What is an auxiliary verb? A: Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs. They don’t have any meaning of their own in the sentence, but they help the main verb to form a verb phrase. For example, in this sentence: â€Å"Ellen was talking about her sister who loves fish and chips†, â€Å"was† is an auxiliary verb (from verb â€Å"to be†) which works together with the main verb â€Å"talking† to make the past continuou s verb form. There are three primary auxiliary verbs in English: â€Å"be†, â€Å"have† and â€Å"do†, as well as modal auxiliary verbs such as â€Å"can†, â€Å"will† and â€Å"must†. Q: What is each of the eight verb forms used for?A: The uses of the verb forms studied during this course can be summarised as follows: Present Simple: Past Simple: Present Continuous: Past Continuous: Present Perfect: Modal Verbs: Future Forms: First Conditional: to talk about regular actions and things that are always true to talk about completed actions in the past to talk about what is happening at the moment to talk about continuous actions in the past: what was happening when†¦ to talk about past actions which are quite recent or relevant to now to talk about permission, possibilities, ability, and probability to talk about future plans, predictions and intentions to talk about what will happen if a certain condition is met For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 18 Talk a Lot Sentence Blocks – Six Great Tips for Students 1. During each lesson we work with the same verb forms in the same order. Look for patterns. Each lesson try to apply what you have learnt in previous lessons. 2. After a â€Å"wh† question or phrase (such as â€Å"What time†¦? † or â€Å"How long†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) there must follow an auxiliary verb or main verb â€Å"to be†. 3.Questions with inversion always start with an auxiliary verb or main verb â€Å"to be†. 4. In questions with inversion the subject of the sentence must follow the auxiliary verb. 5. If there is either auxiliary verb be or have in the starting sentence, use it to make the questions and answers that follow. If there isn’t, you must use do as an auxiliary verb to make the questions and answers. 6. Use as much of the starting sentence in the resulting questions and answers as you can. For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 19 Sentence Blocks For full instructions see page 8 Talk a Lot TownSentence Blocks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. (Present Simple) Peter walks two kilometres to his office every day. Who (Present Continuous) We’re waiting patiently for the bus at the bus stop opposite the church. Where (Past Simple) Jennifer bought a couple of cakes at the bakery, then ran to the post office. What (Past Continuous) The department store was opening until 10 o’clock because they were having a massive sale. Why (Present Perfect) I’ve agreed to meet Dan in the old market place outside the library. Who (Modal Verbs) We could drive to the lake and go fishing. Where (Future Forms) The new optician’s next to the bank will open next Friday. When What First Conditional) If the tennis court is busy we can go to the gym in stead. For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 20 Talk a Lot Food and Drink Sentence Blocks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. (Present Simple) The best kind of bread is white sliced bread. What (Present Continuous) Michelle is having salad and pasta because she doesn’t eat meat. Why (Past Simple) Daniel gave himself the largest portion of ice cream. Who (Past Continuous) Ellen was talking about her sister who loves fish and chips. Who (Present Perfect) Jenny has just put the cheese in the fridge. Where Modal Verbs) Potatoes can be boiled, mashed, fried, chipped, roasted or oven-baked. How (Future Forms) We’re going to buy some fruit at the supermarket this afternoon. When (First Conditional) If you eat too much chocolate you will put on weight. What For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 21 Talk a Lot Shopping Sentence Blocks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. (Present Simple) Emma is the manager of a small Italian restaurant. Who (Present Continuous) Simon is visiting the new shopping centre near St. Mark’s Road. What (Past Simple) I used my debit card to buy a pair of shoes for work. What Past Continuous) Jan was leaving the car park because she had finished her shopping. Why (Present Perfect) I’ve looked everywhere in this shop for a tin of vegetable soup, but I can’t find one anywhere. Where (Modal Verbs) We should take the lift to the fifth floor. What (Future Forms) After we finish buying groceries, we’ll go to Nero’s for a quick coffee. When What (First Conditional) If the checkout assistant offers to pack my bags I’ll let her. For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now! Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 22 Talk a Lot Health Sentence Blocks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. (Present Simple) Being healthy is very important to me. What Present Continuous) Sammi is sitting in the waiting room with her mum and brother. Where Why (Past Simple) I phoned my doctor this morning to make an appointment. Who (Past Continuous) Ella was telling the receptionist about her husband’s painful arthritis. How many (Present Perfect) I’ve taken two tablets three times a day for a week, but I still don’t feel any better. When (Modal Verbs) Kenny has to take his prescription to the pharmacy tomorrow. (Future Forms) Simon is going to visit the optician’s for an eye examination. Why What (First Conditional) If you ask the doctor she will give you some good advice about your problem. For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www. englishbanana. com now!Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1  © English Banana. com 23 Talk a Lot Transport Sentence Blocks: 1. 2. 3. 4. (Present Simple) I usually get the train at 7. 28. When (Present Continuous) Gemma is drivin g to the airport to pick up her grandmother. Where (Past Simple) I flew from Heathrow to Copenhagen last night. What (Past Continuous) Oliver was crossing the road when he was hit by a bus. Who 5. 6. 7. 8. (Present Perfect) We’ve cancelled our flight because our daughter is ill. Why (Modal Verbs) All passengers must show their passports and boarding passes at the gate. What (Future Forms)