Model analysis of Perfume Extract Terrier and Baby Grenouille Essay Example for Free

Model analysis of Perfume Extract Terrier and Baby Grenouille Essay Paragraphs Synopsis: this extract reveals both the character of Terrier and reveals his response to Grenouille as a baby. Through omniscient narration, we share his feelings and physical responses to the child in his arms. His early rapture quickly turns to revulsion and this analysis will examine the ways that Suskind constructed his characters and our response. 1. The first description of the babe, smallredtwitched sweetly Our first response to the baby is almost protective, he is described as sweet and small and we can visualize a tiny innocent baby held in the arms of a protector, a man of God, a kind man with strong values. He is a normal citizen.who had taken a warm and fragrant wife This insistence upon smell links us to our emotional response throughout the extract. The act of smelling and the use of our senses conveys his response to the baby and the romantic idyllic life he was fantasizing about. 2. Terrier indulges in a fantasy, changing his role from that of a monk to a normal man, a father and protector Terriers character is constructed by what he is thinking and how he responds to the baby. Through the use of third person omniscient point of view, we see his rapturous response to this lost child, this sweet babe, who is so dependent on his protection. For a moment he is swept up into a fantasy of a real life, which in turn reveals to us his inner torment, torn between a demanding God and church rules and the normality and warmth of family life Terrier felt his heart glow with sentimental cosiness. 3. The use of language positions us in the present, as the action takes place. Through the use of baby talk we respond to his actions poohpoohpoohpeedooh.The thought of it made him feel good. Terriers clumsy yet sincere attempts to cuddle the child are revealed through language poohpoohpoohpeedooh.The thought of it made him feel good. We feel for him and his lost chances. At the same time, this glowing description of his feelings is in stark contrast to the end of the extract. It sets us up to expect a loving, positive outcome. The shock of his final response makes us resist the appeal of the so called sweet babe at the end. 4. Then the child awoke. The babe is now called a child. It has lost its innocent appeal, its dependence and cuteness is replaced by a growing sense of unease. It is described in animalistic terms, Its nose awoke firstIt sucked air in and snorted it back out | Our warm response to Terrier and the child changes slowly yet drastically from this point on. The babe is renamed the child and through language it is transformed into an inquisitive demanding animal like creatureIts nose awoke firstIt sucked air in and snorted it back out. The child is no longer a beautiful desirable babe, it is now ugly the childs dull eyes squinted into the void, the nose seemed to fix on a particular target, This makes Terrier feel like he is the intended target and begins to foreshadow his growing discomfort and disillusionment. 5. The description of the child is gross: The eyesoyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a .slimy film Instead of being sweet and red the child is now described as having The eyesoyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a .slimy film. The reader is revolted by the physical description. We can perceive a picture of an ugly, blinded mole like child, who squints, sniffs and targets Terrier. The reader can share in his appalled response as the child awakens and behaves in a rodent like manner. Thereby destroying his fantasy and making his protection unnecessary and indeed threatening his spiritual and psychological well being. 6. The use of language is fairly modern yet set in an 18th C setting. Suskind uses modern expressions and language to create the character of Grenouille. An example of this is poohpoohpoohpeedooh, and the almost scientific description of : The eyesoyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a .slimy film which create an immediacy and a sensory perception of the child. 7. The nose seemed to fix on a particular targethe himselfwas that target. Terriers growing sense of unease foreshadows his rejection of the child as he thinks, The nose seemed to fix on a particular targethe himselfwas that target. This ominous description of Terriers growing panic makes us feel extremely uncomfortable. He appears to be an ignorant man, we are modern readers, yet Suskind has managed through the use of sensory images to make us feel uncomfortable and to empathise with Terrier. 8. Irony as tiny is juxtaposed with fear The description of the childs nose, waking, seeking, targeting is both similar to the unfolding of a carnivorous flower and a predator. Ironically, the juxtaposition of the use of Tiny with fear adds to our growing sense of horror and revulsion. Tiny wings of fleshtiny holes in the childs facecreate an eerie suctionthe child saw him with its nostrils this use of description as the child wakes up, coupled with Terriers imaginative response positions the reader to understand his response and to share his opinion of the seemingly innocent child/monster in his arms. 9. Metaphor carnivore and death As the childs face is compared metaphorically with a carnivorous plant similar to a Venus fly trap, we see how Suskind has objectified Grenouille. He is an it, not a person, an anonymous being, semi human, semi animal. A predator who is seeking to cling to Terrier like an incubus, to devour him. His panic stricken response is a natural response to danger. Through punctuation we can see his fear smelling at him shamelessly, that was it! the use of exclamation marks emphasizes his fear and anger. His changing tone foreshadows his rejection. Through the use of language Terrier creates an image of the child as the Other an alien, threatening to his dogmatic view of normality and romance view of the role that children should play in the world. 10. metaphor death Terrier becomes convinced that the child is going to kill him, Using its nose to devour something wholeIt was establishing his scent! At this stage, I felt that Terrier was exaggerating, yet the repetition of his imaginative response grew on me and I felt a sense of revulsion towards this child also. Grenouille appears to be hunting the man who out of the goodness of his heart saved him. From this moment, our response to him becomes negative, wary, revolted by his physical description regardless of the illogic of it all. 12 Like a rape Terriers response becomes similar to that of a rape, an intensive personal invasion which cannot be avoided, His most tender emotions, his filthiest thoughts lay exposed. He can no longer accept that this is an innocent child. He feels invaded, tainted by corruption and victimized, all by this child. 13. Structure Terrier no longer felt safe, Gone was the homey thought that this be his own flesh and bloodidyll of father and son and fragrant mother. He regarded the babe/child/it as a creature a non human being A threat to his spiritual and physical wellbeing A strange, cold creature lay there on his knees, a hostile animal he would have hurled it like a spider from him. Terriers final rejection of Grenouille was significant on many levels. This may have been the only chance of a normal upbringing or real affection lost. It creates a Gothic like fear of the unknown, the rejection of people who do not fit in or conform. There is a gap between the values of the church dogma and the rights of the individual as this child is not a person, it becomes a monster in the eyes of the monk. The reader is encouraged to support Terriers decision to reject the child, yet with the advantage of a modern upbringing, it seems inhuman to totally abandon an innocent child regardless of how strange they look or behave. At this stage the beginning is juxtaposed with the ending. The idyllic father/son image is destroyed and a spider/rodent like child has emerged from the cocoon of our literary expectations. Conclusion Suskinds text introduces both characters, themes and conflicts. We see the emergence and transformation of Grenouilles character, like a butterfly he is transformed from a baby to a spider. Our response changes from empathy to horror. His eventual fate is set by this earlier abandonment on so many levels.

Gaming in Education

Gaming in Education EDUCATION RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The effectiveness of game playing activities helps students retain English vocabulary CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Vocabulary is a key element in the second language class. Without vocabulary, no message is conveyed. In communication, vocabulary plays an important role, it requires learners have to acquire many of the words and know how to use them to communicate effectively. Although Vietnamese students realize the importance of learning vocabulary, they neglect in some English courses. In a vocabulary lesson, a vast amount of teaching time is consumed by explanation and definition, classroom blackboards are often littered with masses of new lexical items, and students compile page upon page of word-lists that they rarely have chance to practice. Obviously, vocabulary arises in the classroom regardless of the chosen activity, and in spite of any conscious design on the teachers part. As the result, most students, not just those with learning problems, rarely retain the meaning of vocabulary items. That is why, for most students, learning vocabulary in language lessons is time of failure and disappointment in which they gradually feel boring, often resorting to misbehavior in the classroom and a gradual rejection of the work that the teacher is doing for them. Nguyen Khuat (2003) state that students study the second language, vocabulary learning is regar ded as boring because of remembering unfamiliar vocabulary and their learning habits. With the increasing emphasis on vocabulary in foreign learning, nowadays, various vocabulary teaching methods have been introduced to help students to retain vocabulary items. And it is my experience, as a teacher of English, that vocabulary has to be presented in a way that helps students find language lessons, especially vocabulary lessons more interesting and comprehensible for them to learn, I have chosen the topic: The effectiveness of game playing activities helps students retain English vocabulary. Game playing activities not only can help reinforce students vocabulary, grammar, but also can create a non- stressful and effective learning atmosphere. This paper will aim to investigate the effectiveness of game playing activities in English teaching in my College. 1.1. Background of the school and the students. As a teacher of English for non-major English students at Viet Hung Industrial College (VIC), I can clearly see the present situation of students English knowledge and vocabulary at VIC. The students ability to use English for communication is still limited. This is due to: the students level of English when entering college is low and of mixed ability. Many of the students come from the rural areas, they did not have a lot of chances to practice English at the high school. Some of them have learnt English for the three years or seven years at the high school where only written English is taught. Therefore, they can hardly ever communicate in English. They often feel shy because of poor English knowledge and vocabulary. As a result, the teachers often find it confusing to teach to improve individual skills for the students. Thus, my school has used basic material to teach, that is: New English File Elementary. This material integrates four skills, it helps students revise knowledge and practice skills, which is important to their career. 1.2. The aims of the study. The study aims to investigate the effect of using game playing activities in teaching and learning English vocabulary at VIC. It is also to find out the students interest and progress toward game playing activities in lessons. 1.3. Research questions. 1. Are game playing activities effective in teaching and learning English vocabulary at Viet Hung Industrial College? 2. How do the students react upon the use of games in lessons? 1.4. The scope of the study. There are a lot of activities that help students to retain vocabulary. However, in this study I would focus my research on game playing activities in term of English vocabulary teaching and learning in order to help students at VIC to learn vocabulary effectively. 1.5. The significance of the study. It is hoped that the findings of the study will be useful for the researcher as well as other teachers at VIC to help students vocabulary retention be effective. It is also hoped that students and teachers will have a good habit of using interesting and active activities in teaching and learning vocabulary at VIC. 1.6. Structure of the report. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Teaching and learning vocabulary. 2.1.1. What do learners need to known about words and word learning? Gain Redman (1986) show that learners should attend to two large aspects when studying a word: Word meaning (conceptual and affective meaning, style, sense relation, collocation, idioms etc). Word formation (grammar, word building, and pronunciation). For word meaning and word formation, we find: 2.1.1.1. Word meaning. In teaching the meaning of word, teachers should teach students that a word have more than one meaning when used in different contexts. For example, the word â€Å"string† has at least fourteen different meanings when used in context. It has four meanings as a verb, five meanings as a noun, and five different meanings when used with prepositions as phrasal verbs. One can say â€Å"The string is very dirty†; another â€Å"He strings in the tree†. Teachers should make the teaching and learning vocabulary process clear and easy for their students when learning any meaning, otherwise students feel bored with learning vocabulary. Nation (1990) suggests that teachers teach meaning to students, they can use techniques and activities to motivate students such as: demonstration, pictures or verbal explanation. 2.1.1.2. Word formation. Students also need to know word form like word grammar and word building in order to use them. For example, for the common prefixes and suffixes, if students know the meaning of un-, dis- and able, this will help them guess the meanings of words like unhappy, disadvantage and sustainable. Another way, vocabulary items are built by combining two words (two nouns, a gerund and a noun, or a noun and a verb) to make one items: a single compound word, or two separate, sometimes hyphenated words (bookshelf, stand-by, air letter). Lewis (1993) points out that vocabulary, which includes not only the single words but also the word combinations that we store in our mental lexicons. Therefore, word formation is a very important in teaching vocabulary. In conclusion, relating to words students have to attend to variety of lexical areas such as word meaning, word formation, word grammar and word use, etc. However, which of these areas the teachers choose to highlight depend on the item they are teaching and the level of their students But to whatever word or what level the students are, word meaning and word formation are the first two areas they must acquire well. 2.2. Games for teaching and learning. Linguists, teachers and students think that language games are a negative activity or a waste of time. Many of them, who have not tried using language games yet, still doubt if these language games would be useful or practically possible with their students. However, there are views which are far different from those above. For them, in teaching and learning, games are one of the most useful strategies to encourage language acquisition. They have been used to promote students language proficiency in variety of aspects: grammar, vocabulary, writing, speaking etc. â€Å"Games should not be regarded as a marginal activity filling in odd moments when teacher and class have nothing better to do† (Lee 1979: 3). In this part, we will explore a clear understanding of game in the classroom. 2.2.1. Definition of games in teaching. In order to understand the concept of games in teaching, we see ideas of the researchers about games in general. Deesri (2002) gives the definition to game as one kind of effective activity that you do to have fun. Hadfield (1990) says that game is a language activity with the rules, goals and elements of fun carried out by cooperating and competing players. Greenal (1990) also defines games as an element of competition between students or teams in the language practice. Thus, we can see that games consist of plays governed by rules, relaxation, cooperation and competition. Games can motivate the students to focus on learning, because they do not feel forced and stressed. For this, games are used for developing skills, vocabulary, or grammar, etc. 2.2.2. Advantages of using games in language classes. Games have advantages and effectiveness in the language classes. What are these advantages? Games are used to motivate students very highly, whenever they have opportunity to play a game, they are encouraged to choose their players and this motivates them to participle in playing game. However, sometimes, choosing the player is made by the teacher in order to help the weaker students interact with the more able ones. As a result, the weaker students are helped to gain confidence or knowledge by being guided by their fellow students. Games are also an element of competition between players. According to Saricoban Metin (2000), games provide competition to enhance the motivation of the students. I-Jung (2005) also suggests that games create the competition for students having opportunity to work together and communicate using English with each other. Thus, competition will help students pay attention to learning and engage in the activities in the class much more. And Nguyen Khuat (2003) also point out that games involve friendly competition and they make students intereste d. These help the motivation for students of English to get involved and participate actively in learning. Students always feel tired of grammatical lessons, words and long time learning periods. Games are used to change learning atmosphere to help students reduce the stress in the classroom. As a result, games will bring students fun and relaxation, they will study more effectively. Richard-Amato (1988:147) shows that â€Å"games can lower anxiety, thus making the acquisition more likely†. It is clear that students naturally want to play language games because these games can help them practice their language through playing. Therefore, it is the right time to offer them a game when they are tired of acquiring new lessons that they do not want to continue. Carrier (1990) suggests that games can be used to emphasize long formal teaching units and renew students energy before returning to more formal learning. Games stimulate students to work together in role-playing, talking, arguing and debating, and using the language in a variety of contexts. Even when played competitively, games demand a high degree of cooperation. It proves that student-student communication is created. On the other hand, when using a game, the teacher acts as a helper. He helps his students what they need to complete the games, such as: new words, new structures or some suggestions. Carrier(1990) claims that games are often used in the classroom to encourage students participation and corporation and can remove the inhibitions of those who feel intimidated by formal classroom situations. When using games with classmates in groups students do not worry too much about mistakes or they will be corrected by other students. In addition, to each game more proficient students or less proficient ones have their strong points so they can corporate to one another to get their teams goal. Therefore, games help students improv e their team-working and group-working spirit. Finally, games help increase students proficiency, so when students play a game they have to work with others, they interact and use skills concerning language. To complete the game, all the members work together to score as many points as possible. To win the game or to solve the problem, students have to think and answer the questions addressed by the teacher or other students. In order to do so they must understand that the teacher or the classmates order to practice. Games in the language classes can enhance students ability in practicing language because students can use language in the situation provided (Deesri, 2002). Zdybiewska (1994) agrees that games are the good way to practice language, they supply for learners to use the language in the real context. Kim (1995:35) summarizes the advantages of using language games as follows: 1. Games are a welcome break from the usual routine of the language class. 2. They are motivating and challenging. 3. Learning a language requires a great deal of effort. Games help students to make and sustain the effort of learning. 4. Games provide language practice in the various skills-speaking, writing, listening and reading. 5. They encourage students to interact and communicate. 6. They create a meaningful context for language use. 2.2.3. Advantages of Vocabulary Games It is not enough if only advantages of using games in language classes are considered in this study. I have decided to study the advantages of vocabulary games, too. These advantages can be understood as follows: Vocabulary games make fun and relaxation for students in learning words because they are not alone in learning process, they are learning in exciting atmosphere of groups. This activity motivates students to enrich their vocabulary. Nguyen Khuat (2003) also affirm that games create relaxed and fun atmosphere for learners, thus, they help learners learn and remember words more easily. According to Urberman (1998), after learning and practicing vocabulary items, students have chance to use language in an unstressed way. Vocabulary games help English used in the classroom be flexible and communicative through real world context which is useful and meaningful. Frost (2002) says that using pictures, interesting contexts and stories can help memory and giving the students the opportunity to practice the new vocabulary in personalized and meaning tasks are also essential tools. The idea is that if the students are asked to analyze and react personally to new information, it will help them process the language more deeply, facilitating their ability to retain it better. Vocabulary games provide students some chances to discover the meaning of words and the form of words by themselves and efforts to understand them, therefore, new words will be remembered and understood much faster and better. Hadfield (1990) states that when introducing word games paid much attention to reinforce vocabulary. In his opinion, to retain a word in one memory after presentation of it, learners should go through three distinct processes: fixing the meaning of the word in their mind, making the word their own by personalizing it so that it takes on a color and a character for them and become part of their individual word store, and then using it creatively in a context for themselves. Therefore, he classified the games in accordance with these processes: memorization games, personalizing games and communication games. Vocabulary games include many encouraging exercises that really help students revise the learned words effectively. â€Å"Word games are useful for practicing and revising vocabulary after it has been introduced† (Haycraft 1978: 50). Frost (2002) suggests that some activities and games as using word cards, word bag, word tour, etc and with which students can revise words in a funny and meaningful ways. He emphasized that by encouraging the students to retrieve the words in subsequent lessons and repeatedly re-exposing them to what has been presented, teachers are able to counteract the effects of forgetting. Teachers are advised to do this as many times as possible. Uberman (1998) also agrees that games are useful for revising any types of words or aspects of word in a more amusing way than most of the other techniques. Playing a game is a great opportunity to repeat the material in a way which is encouraging and not intimidating. Therefore, games in teaching and learning vocabulary are very useful in the classroom and the use of vocabulary games is a factor to create the lessons more enjoyable, interesting and effective to motivate students to learn vocabulary. 2.2.4. When to use games? Games are necessary for language practice opportunities for both general and specific language skills, and they should be seen as a necessary part of a teaching program, and their use should be planned and monitored. Carrier (1990) suggests that games can be used to open or close a lesson, to relieve tension after a test or concentrated practiced session. Rixon (1981) also shows that games can be used for stages of the lesson. Thus, games can be use at any time that the teacher feels appropriate. It is important they are used positively, to give students enjoyment and useful practice, as well as being used as a thing that reduces harmful aspects in situations where students interest or motivation is flagging. Although games should be used regularly, this should not become a meaningless habit. The elements of surprise and variety should be carefully maintained. However, the mount of teaching time for games will depend on the individual teaching context, but it will probably be a relatively small proportion of the total teaching time. According to Deesri (2002), teachers have to cover contents and materials that the curriculum asks, and it is difficult to combine games into the class. Nevertheless, games become one of the means to achieve teaching objectives and improve students communicated ability and help them gain their goals. The difficult task for a teacher is how to choose the suitable type of game, the time devoted to it, and the opportunity of using it. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY This chapter provides readers the detailed description of the study, namely the research methodology, the data collection instruments, the data analysis and discussion of the findings. 3.1. The English teaching and learning situations in VIC. English have been taught in VIC for.years, however, English department has been formed for 4 years with 14 teachers. The learners in VIC are mainly vocational students; their need of English learning is very low. In particular, the students of technical departments with about 100 percent male students, they almost have no interest in learning foreign languages. In recent years with the development of the college, VIC has trained a lot of students in tourism and business administration, who with high need of English learning. It is a good signal for the college in general and the teachers of English in particular. The course book is being used in the college is New English file-Elementary. This course book consists of nine lessons with grammar structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, and skills to get students speaking English. A curriculum has been designed to teach the units in the course book in 1 semester and in 75 lesson periods. During the semester, students are required to do three tests that concentrate on grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing to be given marks. At the end of the semester students have to do the written final semester test and the speaking test that of course given marks to be qualified together with 3 marks mentioned above. 3.2. Research methodology 3.2.1. The subjects. The subjects in this study were the teachers and the students in VIC. 3.2.1.1. The teachers: There were 14 teacher subjects in this study. They were all trained in universities in Vietnam with MA in English. Among of these, two teachers have had BA and three have been doing a BA course. They are teaching English to non-English major learners at VIC. They are from 30 to 52 years old with at least 5 years of teaching experience. 3.2.1.2. The students: In this study, there are 100 student subjects were selected randomly from different classes represent different departments in VIC. Their ages vary from 18 to 25. 3.2.2. The instrumentation. 3.2.2.1. Interview: The interview questions (Appendix.) were formatted and used for all the subjects in two separate group interviews (the group of the teachers and the group of the students) to discover their opinions, problems and progress toward the games in vocabulary teaching and learning. 3.2.2.2. Observation: 3.2.2.2.1. A self-observation: A self-observation checklist was created (Appendix.) to ask the teachers and students about their teaching and learning abilities. 3.2.2.2.2. Real observation: The researcher observed the classes of three teachers at VIC to discover how they teach vocabulary and how their students learn. 3.3. Data analysis and discussion of the findings. CHAPTER 4: CONCUSION 4.1. Summary and review of the main findings Games have much more advantages, they are used both entertainment and educational purposes. Using game activities is a useful technique in teaching and learning the English language to non-native students because it creates fun, interesting and motivation in lessons. The research aims to investigate the effectiveness of game activities and the real situation of teaching and learning of Viet Hung Industrial College. The experiment was carried out with the participation of two groups (the group of the teachers and the group of the students) at VIC during a period of 8 weeks. An interview and observations were used as data collection instrument. The result of the experiment shows that in retaining vocabulary, games are the most effective and games also receive positive attitude from the students in the experimental group. Although few students did not really like games, the majority of the students agreed with the use of games in vocabulary classes. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that games should be used for vocabulary teaching and learning at VIC because they can bring about a great deal of benefits to learners. However, the teachers have to pay more attention to some unanticipated problems during the conduction of the activity in order to get successful results. 4.2. Limitation and suggestions for further study. Although the paper has accomplished the objectives set at the beginning, the research can not avoid some limitations. The shortcomings of the present study are essentially about the subject of the study and the content of interview and observations. Apart from that the interview and observations focus mainly on the investigation into games activities based on teaching techniques, so there are possible inadequateness of their content. Besides, the research is carried out in a very limited scope in term of classroom based vocabulary teaching and learning: game activities that help students retain vocabulary. In fact, there are a number of activities that help students of all level retain vocabulary. The research will serves for further research on activities that help students retain vocabulary. REFERENCES I-Jung, C. (2005). Using Games to Promote Communicative Skills in Language Learning. The Internet TESL Journal, 11(2). Retrieved November 5, 2009, from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Chen-Games.html Frost, R. (2002). Presenting vocabulary. British Council. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/vocabulary/present_vocab.shtml Uberman, A. (1998). The Use of Games: for Vocabulary Presentation and Revision. English Teaching Forum, 36(1). Retrieved November 5, 2009, from http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol36/no1/p20.htm Richar-Amato, P. A. (1988). Making it happen. New York. Longman. Saricoban, A,. Metin, E. (2000). Songs, Verse and Games for teaching Grammar. The Internet TESL Journal, 6(10). Retrieved October 30, 2009, from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Sarecoban-Song.html Greenal, S. (1990). Language Games and Activities. Hulton Education Publications Ltd. Hadfield, J. (1990). Intermediate Communication Games. Hongkong: Longman. Rixon, S. (1981). How to use games in language teaching. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Lee, W. R. (1979). Language teaching games and contests. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Haycraft, J. (1978). An introduction to English Language Teaching. Halow: Longman. Zdybiewska, M. (1994). One-hundred language games. Warszawa: WSiP. Deesri, A. (2002). Games in the ESL and EFL class. The internet TESL Journal, 8(9). Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Deesri-Games.html Kim, L. S. (1995). Creative Games for the Language Class. 33(1), (p.35). Retrieved October 22, 2009, from http://eca.state.gov/forum/vols/vol33/no1/P35.htm Lewis, M. (1993). The Lexical Approach. Language Teaching Publications. Gairn, R., Redman, S. (1986). Working with words A Guide to teaching and learning Vocabulary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nation, ISP. (1990). Teaching and learning vocabulary. New York: Newbury House. Nguyen, T. T. H. Khuat, T. T. N. (2003). The Effectiveness of Learning Vocabulary Through Games, Asian EFL Journal, 5(4). Retrieved October 19, 2009, from http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/dec_03_sub.Vn.php

William Blake | Critique Of Organized Religion

William Blake | Critique Of Organized Religion William Blake is known to be a lunatic of his time, from 1757 to 1827, for producing imaginative engravings and mystical poems with radical opinions regarding society and fundamental beliefs. For this reason, his work was not appreciated by the general public at that time even though they eventually became extremely influential on the literary movement known as Romanticism. His condemnation of the authoritarianism nature of organized religion is blatantly shown in Songs of Experience through the depiction of relentless suffering because of the belief that organized religion and social injustice are essentially conflated. For instance in The Garden of Love from Experience, Blake creates a contrast between the innocence and carefree nature of children [playing] on the green, which is also seen in The Echoing Green in Songs of Innocence, and criticism of the Church represented by the metonym, Chapel. The reference to green represents the centre of the village community before the Indust rial Revolution and more importantly, to the innocence of the prelapsarian. In addition, the fact that the Chapel is built in the midst illustrates the view that the Church predominantly causes corruption and hardship in society where contentment is a thing of the past as implied by the expression used to. Consequently, the binary opposition of innocence, the idyllic nature of childhood and experience, the corruption of mankind in the titles of the volumes is an ironic contrast to symbolize the constraints of religious doctrines and the agony inflicted on people as a result. Gaining worldly experiences and knowledge will ultimately distort our innocence; so Blake criticizes the Church and its part in causing as well as upholding social injustice during the Industrial Revolution. This is worthy of exploring because Blake is a poet of the first generation of romanticism so he wrote passionate poems as a protest during the Industrial Revolution when values are shifted and oppression of the poor was a norm. Therefore we are able to get an insight into what people felt during that time of adversity through Blakes powerful lyrical delivery using poetic language, rather than having to interpret meaningless facts and figures. The isolated Songs of Innocence was first published in 1789, and the combined volume of Songs of Innocence and of Experience was later published in 1794, which turns out to be one of the most famous illuminated books Blake has ever composed. He brought about a groundbreaking technique at the time, relief etching, which enabled him to combine visuals and words to present a holistic representation of his vision to the reader. The combination of the two volumes includes an extra subtitle Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, to illustrate the two extremes of mankind; innocence which can be associated with the prelapsarian before The Fall of Man and experience, usually associated with the postlapsarian. This can be seen in the engravings on the title page of this volume of flames representing Gods wrath blasting over Adam and Eve who are covering their loins, illustrating their state of experience. As well as that, the additional heading emphasizes the importance of Blakes intention for the two originally separated books to be read side by side, so a complete argument is offered because Without contraries is no progression, he insisted. For instance, complementary poems of the same name like Introduction can be found in both Songs, acting as commentaries on each other with diverse viewpoints. The poem from the Innocence collection is simple with an optimistic tone, showing life through the eyes of children. In the first two lines, we sense that the narrator is youthful and untainted by the world because the repetition of Piping suggests a purely spontaneous and natural form of music. In addition, the fact that the songs are without lyrics symbolizes that in this period of innocence children are not confined to the complex meanings spoken words denote. As a direct contrast, in Introduction of Experience, The Holy Word has been heard by people; signifying complexity is brought into life after gaining experiences and they are subjected to exploitation an d suffering. Other than that, we can observe from the title pages of both Songs the graduation of life. This is because the young children portrayed in Innocence receive education from a nurse, which represents joy and innocence as shown in Nurses Song, the nurse says My heart is at rest within my breast And everything is still when she watches children play on the field. A similar form of innocence is evident in her because she takes pleasure in watching her children in their carefree spirit. However on the title page of Experience, the young children from Innocence are grown up and shown to be weeping by the deathbed of their parents. This symbolizes that children eventually have to grow to endure the harsh experiences life brings, for example death as signified by Runs in blood down Palace walls in London. In addition, they are prone to experience suffering that life as well as society brings to them, the latter being ironical because of the exploitation of children during that period in jobs like chimney sweeping. This is suggested in the Introduction of Innocence where the progression of the last two stanzas foreshadows a transformation from innocence to experience. An element of purity is brought forward when the narrator uses water as ink to write, since it is typically used to represent purity. As t he narrator staind the water clear it is also implied that sins will eventually corrupt the purity of the child, and the inevitability that innocence will turn into experience is first proposed. Therefore, Blake seems to be suggesting that we find our own balance through these subtle comparisons between the two states and to enhance his disapproval of the treatments of people at that time by painting a model scenario of what would be more desirable. In the pairing of The Lamb from Innocence and The Tyger from Experience, a realistic perspective on religion is put forward when the naÃÆ' ¯f ignorant view of children is set against a cynical experienced view. The Lamb is structured like a catechism, which is used to be used to teach children religious teachings, with questions and answers in the first and second stanza, respectively. The central question from the narrator is Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? This happens to be one of the fundamental and controversial problems of humanity, concerning the creation of life and the universe. The repetition of Little Lamb, Ill tell thee in the first two lines of the second stanza shows the narrators confidence in his answer. Blake illustrates the link between the lamb and Jesus Christ, whom is symbolically the Lamb of God, in the lines: For he calls himself a Lamb. He is meek, he is mild. The alliterative adjectives meek and mild are a conventional belief of Christs traits and the emphasized connection between the Lamb and Christ is evident. Therefore, this depicts the simple and innocent faith that is typical in children because they do not question their beliefs or authorities, even though the idea of a little child being the creator of the Little Lamb should seem absurd to an innocent mind. On the other hand, in The Tyger there are a series of rhetorical questions posed, rather than one central, focused one, and the tone seems slightly interrogative, adding more tension to the poem. The question which explicitly relates it to The Lamb is in the fifth stanza: Did he who made the Lamb make thee? The poem presents a questioning of whether or not the same divine being or immortal hand or eye is the creator of both the lamb and the tyger, if so; why would He create such a terrifying creature anyway? The destructive nature of the tyger is expressed throughout the poem, for example in the second stanza. The imagery of the fire burning within its eyes exudes a sense of ferocity and danger, which is also suggested by its fearful symmetry. As well as that, the regular iambic meter with a stressed first syllable on each line gives the poem an aggressive and pounding rhythm. This brings the tyger to life, conveying its movements and the reader can feel the beating heart in the poem , adding a layer of intensity, whereas in The Lamb, there is a resemblance to songs and hymns with a calm rhythm to it. This is due to the soft vowels and repetitive couplets, giving the poem a sense of flowing continuity. Consequently, the tyger is essentially a symbol for the evil and darkness of human nature which eventually is responsible for instigating the social evils, as opposed to innocence and goodness represented by the lamb. According to that, the poem offers the reader a more experienced issue so to speak, that God produces suffering and violence in the world too, challenging the typical and conventional beliefs of God that innocent Christians would possess. Another point worth noting is that the tyger portrayed in the poem is in some ways reminiscent of the devils of the Industrial Revolution. The reason behind this is that God is presented as a blacksmith with the craftsmanship of divinity, suggested by the lexes: hammer, chain, furnace and anvil in the fourth stanza which can be associated to the tools and noises that may be heard during that period. The simple union of the two concepts of an imperfect God creating good and evil embodied in the lamb and the tiger, and the endless suffering the Industrial Revolution resulted in, gives the reader a glimpse into Blakes ideology of the relationship between organized religion and social injustice. The conflict between the discussions of creation in the two aforementioned poems leads to the imminent theme of social injustice, which Blake regarded to be made available by the Church which he also accuses to be responsible for repression. This is explored in the two different The Chimney Sweeper poems as Kathleen Raine delicately puts it: The Chimney Sweeper of Innocence can escape in dreams into a heavenly country; but Experience reminds us that the crimes of society against the children of the poor are none the less for that.  [1]  First of all, in the poem in Innocence, even though the sweeper is abandoned as implied by the lines [his] mother diedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And [his] father sold [him], he seems to be content with his situation. In contrast, the narrators conscious awareness and blame of his parents betrayal and their part in his abject circumstances in Experience is apparent in the lines: Where are thy father mother? Say? They are both gone up to the church to pray. To hide their guilt, the parents go to church and praise God, perhaps so that their sins of abandoning their child to a dangerous job can be forgiven. Optimism is first shown in Innocence in the dialogue the narrator has with Tom, Hush, Tom! Never mind it, for when you heads bare You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair. A sense of hope in shown in this speech, which is typical of children but it can also mean that nothing can remove the innocence of children, through the juxtaposition of white hair symbolizing purity and blackness of the soot which can not only represent evilness of man that led to this suffering but sins too; also beginning with the letter, s. However, Blake proves this to be untrue in other poems as the innocent will eventually get exposed to the corruption and distortion that comes with age and experience. On the other hand, The Chimney Sweeper in Experience acts as a complaint of the exploitation of children to be chimney sweepers with bitterness, presenting the hard reality. Rather than believing that So if all do their duty they need not fear harm like the chimney sweep in Innocence believed, which is full of naivety because he is hopeful in the cruelty of his situation and faithful that being obedient will eventually get him to the place he wants to be Heaven; he believed that Because I was happy upon the heath, And smild among the winters snow, They clothed me in the clothes of death, And taught me to sing the notes of woe. Blake uses a half rhyme in this stanza to stress the atrocity of the situation and the extent of the narrators suffering. Therefore, the narrator acknowledges that he is made a victim because his parents envy his happiness so he is clothed in the clothes of death which may resemble the black soot that covers a chimney sweepers body and clothes, or it can illustrate his life of endless suffering that resembles death anyway. As well as that, the belief of the narrator in Innocence is twisted and ironic in a way since the nature of the job is dangerous, as implied in the poem in Innocence through coffins of black conveying death, so in reality they are constantly being harmed. Therefore this may suggest that organized religion sometimes makes it possible for children to be made victim of their own innocence. Similarly in Experience, the chimney sweep has been dehumanized to A little black thing and the stark contrast of colors between the snow and him is indicative that he is corrupted to simply a spot of impurity upon the snow. Blakes contempt and skepticism for parents who fail to protect their children, and authorities in England at that time are evident in the final stanza. After the exploitation of children, the parents think they have doneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ no injury which shows their ignorance because in fact the children are not only physically harmed but also psychologically. The plate of this poem paints a realistic picture of a chimney sweep looking at the sky full of gloom, with a bag on his back presumably filled with soot. The effect of this design is that it gives the poem a quality of poignancy because the boy is alone, after knowing that his guardians have disregarded his safety. Other than that, the last two lines of the poem are a powerful accusation due to the fact that Blake condemns God his Priest King. In other words, the Church and the government are criticized for endorsing and upholding the chimney sweep trade, but God is also reproached for his callousness and for condoning the suff ering of His children, His lambs. Blake seems to be suggesting that the Church and the government are conspiring to oppress the weaker communities in society, for instance the poor, perpetuating their misery. The conclusion of the poem, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ make up a Heaven of our misery evokes much thought since it is the narrators realization that the authorities who provoke the suffering makes certain promises of Heaven, of eternal joy, if hed be a good boy as told by the Angel in Innocence. However, these may merely be a form of illusion designed to make the agony and cruelty of the world seem plausible and even honorable. A reference to chimney sweepers is also made in the famous poem London in Experience, bringing to light the exploitation of children at that time and the social degradation that resulted. This is shown in the third stanza where the victim, Chimney-sweepers, along with the others such as the Harlot and Soldier, is shown as a proper noun to enhance the scrutiny of the suffering they are made to endure. The cry refers to the line Could scarcely cry weep! weep! weep! weep! in The Chimney Sweeper of Innocence, which not only echoes innocence because it acts as a plaintive cry but it also urges the reader to empathize with the boy. However it also indicates that the boy is unable to correctly pronounce sweep, which comes with age. Therefore it deepens the effect of the poem since a young innocent boy has to seek ways to escape from the atrocities in life that he needs to face; which in reality he should not have to. The second line reminds the reader of Blakes criticism that the Church con dones chimney sweeping, which covered the children with black soot. Plus, the word blackning symbolizes the corruption and wearing down of the reputation of the Church and its morality which appalls Blake, as well as the citizens of London and the reader. The choice of vocabulary is very interesting here, as appalls acts as a pun insinuating death; a pall being a cloth to cover a coffin, further suggesting that the Church condones death which is also used in Holy Thursday of Innocence. On the contrary, The Ecchoing Green of Innocence, which can be considered to be the counterpart of London, depicts a day in the life of children enjoying the freedom of nature as indicated by the first line The Sun does rise representing dawn and in the last stanza, dusk: The sun does descend. Consequently, it is possible that this reflects the cycle of life as well and the graduation of childhood to maturity. Other than that, the freedom of nature is evident through the repetition of words that gives a sense of happiness throughout, for instance happy, merry, chearful, laugh and so on. It is apparent that the delightful tone conveys an idealistic love for nature and life as opposed to the revulsion of what has become of ones existence in London. The form of London is crucial in understanding the main theme; the alternate rhyming lines, and consistent number of lines and syllables with a simple rhythm throughout evoke a feeling of limitation. Consequently, it provides an initial idea that the poem will contain numerous images of restriction and an in-depth study of the fears of the people during that period of time. The Ecchoing Green however, has three verses of ten short lines with an alternating rhyme scheme. The effect of the short lines is that the rhyme is heard more frequently so the ambiance of the poem is more lighthearted instead of the dark, bitter tone of London. Other than that the rhyme enables the poem to flow, and producing the echo as suggested by the title at the same time, which brings to mind a raw setting. The notion of confinement of London is further dealt with in the ambiguity of the word that appears in the first line charterd, which is also repeated in the next line, as it can convey freedom as well as constraint and control. However when the word is put against the phrase Thames does flow, an oxymoron is created by implying that a flowing river is being restrained; further developing the notion of a lack of freedom in the city. In addition, the progression from a visual imagery in the first stanza Marks of weakness, marks of woe, to aural in the next In every Infants cry of fear makes it virtually impossible for the reader or audience to shy away from the grave topic. Blake makes use of a pun in mark where it is first used as a verb in mark in every face and next as a noun to emphasize the commonality of misery. On another note, the numerous cases in which deliberate repetition is used in the poem not only give emphasis to the subject but it also reinforces the idea of human degradation that should not be overlooked. In every cry of every Man, In every Infants cry of fear, In every voice, in every ban, The mind-forgd manacles I hear. The insistent repetition of every in this case emphasizes that the suffering and agony presented is a social norm, begging for the readers concern and attention. Yet, the last line of the stanza brings to mind the psychological torment the Church endorses; the restriction of thoughts and desires as implied by the mind-forgd manacles that bind the mind from thoughts and any outbursts of rebellion. Also, this can be related to The Garden of Love mentioned beforehand, since it alludes to the fact that organized religion and the Church has a major role in oppressing the poor. For instance, the imagery Blake uses to portray this is the Garden of Love which is now filled with graves,/ And tomb-stones where flowers should be. The graves and tomb-stones signify death after the loss of innocence, represented by the sweet flowers of the past, due to religious authorities. This conclusion can be drawn because of the imperative quote, Thou shalt not written on the door of the Chapel, a biblical allusion to the Ten Commandments, and an instrument to make repression and prohibition of expression appear acceptable whereas at the same time showing the extent of the restriction imposed by religious doctrines. Although this poem has an implicit link with London, a more obvious connection can be found between it and The Ecchoing Green, which is why many critics claim that the latter is the true counterpart assigned to it. The line that draws immediate connection to The Ecchoing Green is: Where I used to play on the green in the first stanza, where the comparison of the tranquility of The birds of the bush,/ Sing lounder around is made against the garden which is destroyed by the regimentation of organized religion. A stark contrast is shown between The Ecchoing Green and London with regards to love within a family. For instance, in the former poem the children return to their mothers and through a simple simile Like birds in their nest, Blake is able to convey innocent love in family life whereas in London even the most fundamental relationship one between mother and child, is tainted. This is evident in the last stanza where a prostitute is portrayed as a representative of women who were victims in England during that time. Plagues implies that the prostitute will pass on venereal disease to her children and family, hence the curse on the infant and the paradoxical expression: Marriage hearse. This is because a hearse is associated to death and funerals; implying that she will wreck the marriage. Other than that, the disease she carries illustrates the corruption of physical self which Blake intended to be a criticism of societys lack of support for this community. Additionally, the pun made on curse can be of the cussing due to her self-loathing for the distress she causes her child, or it can be the horrors that the child will eventually have to face in the world. As opposed to the affectionate mothers in The Ecchoing Green, she is responsible for passing on a disease. The curse can also be on society because everyone is potentially cursed; the total degradation of life and health gives a poignant yet powerful indictment on the social injustices the blackning Church makes allowances for. Furthermore, a powerful condemnation is made in the final two lines of The Garden of Love, And Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, And binding with briars my joys desires. Throughout the poem the first and third lines of each stanza rhyme but the last line is inconsistent with this rhyme scheme, hence highlighting its importance. An anti-priest view is stated when the connection between Priests and black gowns are made because it suggests that organized religion is responsible for the death and the graves that are previously discussed. The internal rhyme in these two lines is significant because it shows the restriction imposed by the Church and it connects important words together, such as briars and desires. Consequently it reflects the suppression of thoughts and the dictatorship of the Church over peoples freedom. Similarly, the two Holy Thursday poems form an accusation against society for hypocrisy and for the grim lives of children living on charity when read collectively. The two poems depict children from charity schools setting out to St. Pauls Cathedral on Ascension Day, also known as Holy Thursday. However, each of the poems offers a different perspective of the occasion. For instance in the poem in Innocence there are repetitions of words such as Innocent, white, flowers, radiance and lambs, suggesting innocence and delight. At first look the poem seems to be of children singing praise like a mighty wind to the authorities that help the poor the wise guardians of the poor, however the readers interpretation of it may shift after reading the more realistic view in the poem in Experience. The mighty wind of their voices has now become a trembling cry which is ironic since the children shown in Innocence are full of power but in reality they are powerless when being exploited. As well a s that the wise guardians are now compared to being a usurous hand. This effectively demonstrates Blakes criticism that the supposed guardians lack the attention and compassion for the wellbeing of children as they are figuratively compared to a hand. Therefore these two examples show Blakes use of duality in his symbolisms and metaphors to enhance his complaint of society. However, the difference between the experiences of the world of the narrators from each of the poems may be due to the difference in their beliefs and their exposure to reality. Blakes usage of contrasting colours of the uniforms in red blue green with the grey-headed beadles in the first stanza of the poem in Innocence suggests that innocence is in the hands of abused authority. Furthermore, the wands as white as snow may evoke a sense of innocence but the wand can equally suggest rigidity and regimentation. Other than that, the repetition of the quantity of people participating in the occasion in the words: multitude and thousands, shows the large amount of poverty that existed, on a literal level. It also urges us to question why the charities are necessary in the first place, therefore challenging the quality of life people had at that time. On the other hand, a more explicit condemnation is made through the rhetorical questions and partial answers in Experience. Firstly, in the first stanza the flowers are now Babes reducd to misery, which shows the vulnerability of the innocence to be exploited and it makes clear of what they have become victims. Th e rhetorical question presented therefore is whether or not it is a holy thing that some people are still so miserable in such a well-developed country. Also, this can emphasize the views brought forward in The Tyger, challenging the conventional God which brings pain and torture as suggested by the phrase filld with thorns, as well as evil to the world. The answer to the question seems to be in the second stanza, where the repetition of poorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ poverty! creates an emphasis on the hostile conditions, where the relentless suffering of the children are also illustrated through the repetition of And their in the third stanza. Therefore the ironic contrast between a rich and fruitful land and a land of poverty is formed, where the latter may in actual fact suggest the spiritual poverty of the system which appears to be the root of the problem. This is also suggested in the puns of the last stanza where the words sun and rain bring to mind son and reign, respectively. These w ords can be related back to Jesus and it shows that as long as Jesus is present in the people there will be spiritual fulfillment. As a result, the reason for the exploitation of children is suggested to be due to peoples lack of spiritual welfare so they compensate by being materialistic. The two lines in which these puns are used, For where-eer the sun does shine, And were-eer the rain does fallà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ present a vision and hope for the future where children are no longer abused by the system. Plus, references to the nature are made as opposed to the eternal winter caused by men and industrialization, which shows the bleakness of the children. The structures of the two poems contribute a lot to their purposes too; for example the iambic heptameter and relatively longer lines in Holy Thursday in Innocence informs the reader about the gravity of the matter being dealt with, whilst the short lines of the poem in Experience is more upfront about the bitter indignation it offers. The rhyming couplets in each verse of the poem in Innocence give a sense of the march of the children that is being depicted. As well as that, the plates paint a melancholic and authentic picture of the reality of the situation where in Innocence children are being lead by the beadles whereas victims of poverty are depicted in Experience. The latter plate gives a picture of dead children and their helpless mothers in horror at the sight of them. Consequently, if we look at the two plates together they imply that the beadles or establishment symbolically led the children to their death and suffering, which may be Blakes intention after all. In conclusion, through the exploration of these various sets of poems, a deeper understanding into Blakes critique of the social conditions and exploitation that are condoned by a supposed guardian of society, the Church, is evident. This is apparent through the blatant portrayal of suffering and darkness in the poems in Experience, most notably in London where the depths of despair is shown through the Marks of weakness, marks of woe. He emphasizes that this act of inducing misery on others by the Church is despicable through his numerous allusions towards it, mentioning that Every blackning Church appalls. As a result, it makes a bold and unashamed denigration of organized religion in the 18th century. However, due to the dualism and the binary opposites that Blake makes use of through the concept of contrary states, he is also able to form an ironic satire out of certain poems in Innocence to emphasis that children are easily exposed to the evils of the world so we as readers must look deeper and help the victims. This is apparent in the last line of Holy Thursday in Innocence: Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angel from your door where Blake attempts to tell the reader to be compassionate. The concept of dualism is with the intention that the extreme conditions can be laid out and the magnitude of the problem can be recognized, especially the social evils made possible and upheld by the Church, thus the reader can empathize with the victims. Therefore, it is possible that Blake merely aims to bring the harsh conditions to light whilst advising the reader to proceed to make a change to rid of the evils of the authoritarians. Functionalism and conflict: Sociological theories Functionalism and conflict: Sociological theories Sociology is a social science that studies society and the individual in perspective of Society. The origins of Sociology lie in the 19th century but during the 1960-70s, it became a major social science subject, taught in universities and colleges, and schools. The scope of sociology has only become more scientific with time. (Sociology Guide, no date) Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. It is a dazzling and compelling enterprise, having as its subject matter our own behavior as social beings. The scope of sociology is extremely wide, ranging from the analysis of passing encounters between individuals in the street up to the investigation of world-wide social processes. (Giddens cited on Sociology guide, 1989). Sociology enables to gain a better understanding on how the interaction among the society members works. Through the knowledge on sociology, we are able to improve our networking which is very useful and important for businesspeople. The study of sociology today focuses on three primary theoretical perspectives: the symbolic interactionist perspective, the functionalist perspective, and the conflict perspective. 1.2 Functionalism Functionalism views society as a system that is a set of interconnected parts which together form a whole (India, 2009). It emphasizes on the macro level of society and its various parts are understood mainly in term of their relationship to the whole. The founder, Emile Durkheim suggested that social consensus takes one of two forms: namely mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity. Mechanical solidarity is a situation where people with similar vision and beliefs together achieve goal in the society. In contrast, organic solidarity said that although people in the society are interdependent they hold different values and beliefs. 1.3 Symbolic Interactionist Perspective The symbolic interactionist perspective, directs sociologists to consider the symbols and details of everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other (Cliffsnotes, no date). According to this theory, people attach meanings to symbols, and then they act according to their subjective interpretation of these symbols (Cliffsnotes, no date). Early Conflict Theory Conflict theory was introduced by a great German theorist and political activist, Karl Marx (1818-1883). The founder of this conflict mentioned that history of social life began from providing the basic necessities of life such as- food, clothing and shelter (McClelland, 2000).In order to survive in the danger, humans realize the need to work together to improve the social structure (Hatch and Cunfille,2006, p.28). Karl Marx insisted that all things with values in society are the contribution of labor through their engagement in creating the society for their own existence (McClelland, 2000). According to Marx, the society is divided into two classes, the bourgeoisie which is the owners of capital and the proletariat- the labors. Division of labor refers to breaking down of large jobs into many tiny components (Dhamee, 1995). Division of labors, therefore, leads to alienation that is the disenfranchising of workers from the product of their work efforts (Hatch and Cunfille, 2006, p.29). Labor, in fact, is defined as the cost of production rather than merely the means to achieve a collective benefit for the society (Hatch and Cunfille, 2006, p.29). It gives humans a purely instrumental relationship based on their economic value of potential to do work (Hatch and Cunfille, 2006, p.29). Therefore, when the capitalists accepted this alienation, exploitation will take place. As The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language (2000) cited in The Free Dictionary (no date), exploitation refers to the utilization of another person or group for selfish purposes. The central institution of a capitalist society is private property, the system where the capital owned by the dominant groups is controlled by the small minority of the population (McClelland, 2000). The major conflict is on whether which group should get the biggest share of profit. The owner of the land argued that they are entitled as they are the providers of the factors of production whereas the labor stressed that they are the involving in all production. Recent Conflict Theory 3.1 Max Weber Due to the weakness of Karl Marxs conflict theory which is too ideal, Max Weber reformulated the conflict theory and thus he is also known as bourgeois Marx (http://www.change.freeuk.com/learning/socthink/weber.html, no date). In the process of formulation, Weber concerned so much with testing, reassessing or developing Marxs ideas and thus, also known as the bourgeois Marx (Marxism: Structural Conflict Theory, no date) . From his study of the society, Weber went beyond ideas of Marx, for example, Weber focuses on the action in the social institution which is not the same as Marx and Durkheim who viewed the society as an object in itself (http://www.change.freeuk.com/learning/socthink/weber.html (no date). Although Weber agreed with Marxs view that class is economic in its origin, stratification in the opinion of Weber, includes also the consideration of status, power and political parties (Marxism: Structural Conflict Theory, no date). Weber (1924) cited in http://www.change.freeuk. com/learning/socthink/weber.html (no date) states that status is social estimation of labours and the development of seen lifestyles. According to Weber, conflict is occurring in any social relationship when an action within it is oriented intentionally to carrying out the actors own will against the resistance of the other party or parties (Henderson and Parsons, 1947). In the society today, communication has becoming an important cause of conflict. As defined in Websters dictionary, communication involves sending giving, or exchanging information and ideas, which is often expressed nonverbally and verbally (Relationship- with -self.com, no date). For non verbal communication, messages are expressed through facial gestures, body languages and the impression through dressing, body imaging and so on. Verbal communication, on the other hand, means expressing what is on ones mind through voicing out. 3.2 Communication: Government and Media The communication between government and media today has become an important focus and struggle in our society. Governments as the standing pillars of a country, plays a vital role in ruling and maintaining a country in a prosperous state. In order to maintain the harmony, fairness and truthfully are the keys to the stability. In other words, government should treat all the society in a same way and fair. Besides that, government may manage the economy in a good way, so the society can live in a wealthy environment. However, the written communication in Malaysia is implying that the status quo and special treatment of the dominant groups, the Malays cannot be questioned. For instance, Malays are better treated by government than other races. On the other view, the media plays an important role in delivering the governments message to the public. Therefore, nowadays, everyone gains current situation on politic, economy and so on through mess media such as television, radio and newspaper. People can know the actual situations or what is currently happen in the society through the news spread by media. However, media is highly dependent on government. The media is in deep dilemma as they want to spread the truth on the other side, while being controlled by government. Intentionally, government possesses power on the media in order to secure the public trust and to build a positive image of themselves for the public. To further elaborate, government restricts and control media not to spread out government scandal and only spread good or something that is benefit for government, The information needed by the media is so scarce. Therefore, media with limited resources to spread for society is required to obey governments laws and orders and since government is the minority that owns the information. Since media is depending on government to provide them information, government has the power to control and restrict what media can spread out to society. From the explanation above, we can see the interplay of conflict between government and media. The government whom possesses the resources is possesses the power as well. The Overlapping Between Early and Recent Conflict Theories The first overlapping is that both of the conflict theories emphasizes on economic factors. In the olden days, labor and capital are competing over resources. In the world today, labor and capital still exist. The terms just are slightly different. Labor in those days is todays employee. For example employees are competing for job advancement and position in an organization or company. The second overlapping between the early conflict and recent conflict theory is on the reason of occurring is due to scarcity. Bs relationship to A when A possesses something that B requires. For example, government got the power over media because government contains the information that media needs to be included in their newspaper, program and so on. Another example in US, many of the candidates are participating in filling the position of a president. But, it is rare. Only one person is entitled, in other words, it is scarce and thus leads to competition. Dependency increases when resources are important, scarce and non-substitutable. The third overlapping between early and recent conflict theory is inequality. For example in US, there is obviously inequality, the discrimination of the Black by the White. The white always been perceived as the dominant party. As defined in Dictionary.com (2010), discrimination is an act of treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit. The common discriminations are racial, gender and religious intolerance. Until today where the Black has becoming the president, the Black is still being treated as the lower class despite of the fact the situation is slightly improving. Conclusion In a nutshell, conflict theory is a theory that sees the society as a place with inequality which then leads to evolution and social change. In the early conflict theory, an investigation on social class in the free market economy was conducted. It emphasizes merely on the capitalist and the labor as the cause of inequality, which is too ideal. Therefore it leads to the reassessment of the conflict theory by Max Weber. Max Weber, being the supporter of bureaucracy, highlighted more detailed by stating that there are different types of capitalists and skills of labors are vary as well. From our discussion above, semi-struggle between government and media is unavoidable. In my view, conflicts resulted in positivity because it stresses on competition. In order to survive, people will strive to gain the limited resources which then consequence in the improvement of the society.

Fried Green Tomatoes Human Nat :: essays research papers

Coping with situations within FRIED GREEN TOMATOES Human Nature, it’s our instinct, our reaction, our thoughts, and our ability to make decisions. It has been examined from every conceivable angle. It has been scrutinized, interrogated, glorified and even corrupted by every medium in the world, but none so extensively as the written word. Literature has explored every component of human nature from pride to envy and insecurity to depression. Fannie Flagg’s novel FRIED GREEN TOMATOES pays particular attention to human nature and specific ways we choose to cope with the situations that life places before us. Flagg explores humor, nostalgia, and avoidance as common examples of how, not only her characters, but humans in general confront the circumstances surrounding their lives. Humor is and integral part of human nature. It has the ability to lighten almost any situation and put people at ease. Humor is a common bond between any person on earth, from the very wealthy to the impoverished. Idgie Threadgoode is the perfect emb odiment of humor. Her wisecracks and tall tales helped her to face a number of less-than-comfortable situations throughout the novel. A prime example of her use of humor was with Smokey Lonesome. When Smokey first comes into the cafà © for a bite to eat, he is so nervous that he can’t stop shaking and he most certainly cannot eat. Idgie, seeing his discomfort, introduced herself and proceeded to tell Smokey a joke. “On November, a big flock of duck, oh, about forty or more, landed right smack in the middle of that lake, and while they were sitting there, that afternoon, a fluke thing happened. The temperature dropped so fast that the whole lake froze over, as solid as a rock, in a matter of three seconds. One, two, three, just like that…. They just flew off and took the lake with ‘em. That lake is somewhere in Georgia, to this very day…'; Idgie’s exaggerated use of humor allowed the wanderer to settle down and relax. Later, when her nephew Buddy jr. is run over by a train and loses his arm, Idgie once again uses her sense of humor to help him look at the situation from a lighter side. “When he was little and there was somebody new in the cafà ©, Idgie would bring him in and have him tell this long story about going fishing on the Warrior River, and he’d get them all caught up in the story and the Idgie would say, ‘How big was the catfish Stump?

Food Recipe Essay -- Nutrition, Traditional Food

This chapter first enlightens definition of traditional food. Many researchers in previous studies define traditional food in many ways of thoughts. Generally, traditional food is connected with locality, whether from its ingredients, method, formulation or people who handle it. As well, some researchers address traditional food has a strong relationship with cultural and heritage of the place whereby it is produced. In addition, authenticity is an important element that contributes to the uniqueness of traditional food. As traditional food embraces culture and heritage instead of relating to authenticity hence it gives a lot of advantages to tourism industry within the country. Terengganu is chosen as a state within Malaysia, which represents the variety traditional foods that contain the elements of authenticity. Lastly, explanations about traditional food, authenticity, relationship between food and tourism along with Terengganu as an authentic food representative in Malaysia will be discussed a detail in this chapter. 2.2 Definition of Traditional Food Food is commonly acknowledged as something that contains nutritional values which beneficial to human health. On the other hand, Bassiere (1998) defined food as a component of physio-logical, psycho-sensorial, social, hygienic, and symbolic environment. The author symbolized food in different guises whereby as: (a) basis of fantasy and symbolic virtues (bread, wine and dark blood of the game); (b) communication (food sharing influence social link), class marker (champagne, wine, caviar or tripe); and (c) emblem of culinary heritage. In terms of traditional food, Iglesias et al. (2003) defined it as food which is fully elaborated from traditional ways of processing or ... ...s a strong relationship between local food and tourism as today culinary tourism has become wider and popular almost in all countries. Chen-Tsang and Jeou-Shyan (2011) commented food might be just a part of economy but marketing of food which collaborate restaurants, markets and products is the essential component of tourism. Similarly, Gustafsson et al. (2005) revealed that regional food culture is an advantage to the economy as it seems to spawn successful rural food businesses. Therefore, producers, marketers even government need to have a great effort to examine the existing culinary resources so that any potential benefits could be identified. Sound framework which taken in consideration pros and cons should be established to ensure tactical form and style of culinary tourism appropriates for certain place could be developed (Chen-Tsang and Jeou-Shyan, 2011).

Object-oriented Programming and Recommendation Summary

Clark College of Science and Technology SNS Bldg. , Aurea St. Samsonville Subd. , Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga A project study presented to the Faculty of the Computer Programming In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the title of Object Oriented Programming Language Tungol, Axel-Yor Gomez, Christallane Velarde, Patrick John Santos, Renato Astraquillo, Angelo Clark College of Science and Technology SNS Bldg. , Aurea St. Samsonville Subd. , Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga A project study presented to the Faculty of the Computer Programming In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the title ofObject Oriented Programming Language Tungol, Axel-Yor Gomez, Christallane Velarde, Patrick John Santos, Renato Carino, Joy Valerie Astraquillo, Angelo AKNOWLEDGEMENT DEDICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: Project and Its Background Introduction Theoretical Framework Conceptual Framework Statement of the Problem Objectives of the Study Significance of the Study Scope and Delimitation CHAPTER I I: Review on Related Literature Review on Local Literature Review on Foreign Literature CHAPTER III: Research Design and Procedures Research Methodology Research Instrument Context Diagram Zero Diagram Data Flow Diagram System RequirementsCHAPTER IV: Photographic Documentation Screenshots Description and Codes Database Table Project Schedule CHAPTER V: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation Summary Conclusion Recommendation FIGURES Figure1Context Diagram Figure2Zero Diagram Figure3Data Flow Diagram Figure4Splash Form Figure5Log-In Forms Figure6Main Menu Figure7Farrowing Schedules Figure8Pay Roll CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION PROBLEMS AND ITS BACKGROUND DCTHILLSFARM is a farm bought by Domie C. Tungol and Erlinda V. Tungol in year 1998, located in Sapang Bato, Angeles City. DCTHILLSFARM’s business just got approved and it needs a system for it to start.Surely because of the news that DCTHILLSFARM is going to start its business, many people will want to join, and it will need a system to keep track of the employees and their payroll. Because the business is just about to start, there’s yet is no system for the farm to use. Through studying the problem, the researchers came up with an idea to make a computerized payroll system with a special feature that helps the farm keep track of the farrowing schedules of the pigs. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Minimum Hardware Requirements: Processor: Pentium IV or Higher Hard Disk: 80 GB or HigherMemory: 512 MB or Higher Monitor: SVGA Monitor (800Ãâ€"600 and 32-bitcolor) Keyboard: Standard Keyboard Mouse: Optical Mouse Printer: Printing Device (Ink Jet / Dot Matrix) Software Specification Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP or Higher Application Software: CHAPTER V SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATION THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Now a days, technology became very essential in all establishment. From the early days, people are capable of using pens and papers on their daily dealings. The transfo rmation of this setup improved because of the different technologies.Computerized Payroll system is an application that will help the DCTHILLSFARM’s to keep track of the payroll of its employees. The system can be useful in computing the payroll of the employees especially to the owner it minimize their works. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The researchers of the study are developing a kind of proposal, which is the Computerized Payroll that can easily compute the salary of the employees to make their works easier and more accurately. In order to solve the problem of the DCTHILL’SFARM’s, the people behind the study gathered information on how these things to be done.The system can be useful in computing the salary of the employee especially to the owner it minimize their works. STATEMENTS OF THE PROBLEM The study seeks to find solution and betterment with the manual payroll. Because of the said system, problems occur. GENERAL PROBLEM The manual payroll system of the DCTHI LLSFARM’s makes the owner more stressful, sometimes they created Human errors in computing the salary of their employee and the works of the owner are process in a slowly manner. SPECIFIC PROBLEM * Difficulty in Computing Because of the manual system the owner is having difficulty in computing the salary of the employees one by one. Time Consuming Through the manual system, the owner consumes time in computing all of the salary of the Employees OBJECTIVES OF THE PROBLEM GENERAL OBJECTIVES SPECIFIC PROBLEM * Rapidness in Process * Easy in Computing * Less Consume in Time SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY TO THE STUDENTS TO THE TEACHERS TO THE SCHOOL TO THE FUTURE RESEARCHERS SCOPE AND DELIMITATION SCOPE DELIMITATION CHAPTER II REVIEW ON LOCAL AND FOREIGN LITERATURE REVIEW ON LOCAL LITERATURE REVIEW ON FOREIGN LITERATURE CHAPTER III RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURES RESEARCH METHODOLOGY RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

Wider Professional Practice

Task 1 Wider Professional Practice We were selected to deliver a learning activity on the concept of Professionalism in the LLS. Tasked to investigate the meaning of professionalism, using the perspective of organisations such as the Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK), the training and Development Agency (TDA), Institute of Learning (IfL) and also considering the broader context of business. In order to broaden the scope of research the group were allocated specific tasks.We gathered the definition of professionalism from a eight separate sources such as traditional dictionaries, the internet, business sources, including government bodies’ interpretations. This was beneficial as I learned the range of definitions and how professionalism is interpreted in different sectors. The group dynamics were completely normal, with some members not meeting dead lines for submission of resources, others being too dominating with unrealistic expectation, members not being regular attendees, some c ontributing too little others contributing too much.I would say that it was a typical group mix and as the groups were selected randomly; the result was the best mix. I was very happy to work with all the members. We were able to agree on the most comprehensive definition as â€Å"continually achieving excellence through a willing, eager and responsible approach to: †¢enhancing one’s own relevant qualifications and competence (LLUK); †¢the development of one’s own knowledge and the application of good practice relative to teaching and learning (CPD); †¢developing people and improving young lives (TDA)’.It was also agreed that a teacher should follow some principles of professionalism; Teachers should take a responsible and proactive approach to: 1. Improving knowledge; 2. The application of good practice; 3. Addressing quality, diversity and inclusivity issues; 4. Complying with the law; 5. Respecting professional codes of practice; 6. Accepting governance and accountability; 7. Being altruistic in professional duty and 8. Embracing change and making it work.Through our research we came across the business idea adopted by the Japanese methodology where the process of work has been organized into five stages, so in-order to understand work there are 5 phases or the 5 ‘S; 1. Sorting, 2. Straightening or setting in order, 3. Sweeping or systematic cleaning, 4. Standardising, 5. Sustain the discipline or self discipline. We looked at a report by Ashwin Kini (2011) who gave his view on professionalism and distilled this into the 3 â€Å"P’s† of Passion, Persistence and Professionalism. Therefore qualities an individual should have to perform well and gain authority.However when I looked at a report from Brown and Turk (1998) the mmisuse of power can happen when a professional person takes control of a situation. People on the receiving end of power misuse feel powerless. Brown and Turk (Brown, 1998) suggest t hat children and vulnerable adults can be subject to physical abuse because of an abuse of power. These vulnerable people are usually in care and because of their special needs, the professional have access to their bodies beyond what would be considered typical (Brown, 1998, p114).We all were included in the discussions and opinions were heard but clear boundaries were laid down to which the group was able to follow set targets. The planning was clear and developed a good foundation to which we were able to include a good volume of material with varied critical opinions. Learning took place when we introduced the concept and coupled with our level of interest we were able to engage the learners, with our idea.We also handed out a very comprehensive amount of additional critical material in order so that the learners could refer back to it for future reference. Furthermore, if I had to do this again we would organize our handout material in either one simple handout, so that the lea rners could follow the speaker or have the other group members stand at the back of the class, to hand out information. In order not to overshadow the main speaker and keep the noise level down as mentioned on the evaluation feedback sheet (see Appendix1). In the findings t was clear that predominately the individuals felt that the presentation, the group activity was fit for purpose. The group aim was to ensure we structured the presentation in a comprehensive way and at the same time handout more than enough information for the individuals to have and read in there own time. I understand that a level of professionalism is an important part to the role of a teacher and although it is incorporated in the standards, guidelines and policies of organizations, is often not implemented nor highlighted in practice.Certainly in respect to my currently college and I feel this acts as a restraint on my progression and my ability to be â€Å"professional†. The importance of this subjec t I feel goes beyond what a teacher may know, but if they lack a clear understanding of professionalism they are missing a broad area of the profession. As teaching is such a demanding profession, careful consideration needs to be given to how effort is distributed so that every student gets equal attention. As a professional it is important that consistency is maintained.When teaching students they will need to know what the learning objectives are so I clearly explained at the beginning of the lesson and recapped at the end. These are some of the patterns of behaviour that I have adapted in my practice. I have discovered that these simple practices help to make students aware of how the topic connects to the Big Picture. Ginnis (2002:32) proposes, ‘if pupils are allowed to see the big picture, the purpose of the lesson, what it contains, how it fits with what’s gone before and where it is going, then more interest and motivation will be shown in lessons. As teachers w e demonstrate a passion that stimulates learning by giving examples, ensuring clarity, providing individual as well as whole class practice in applying knowledge. These are some of the ways that I am able to support students in lessons to think for themselves and gain a better understanding of the subject, thereby applying knowledge in light of other situations. Appendix 1 – Peer feedback Feedback #1 †¢Group facilitator should have hovered instead of walking & talking within group instead of letting us just get on with it. 0 handouts disturbed flow but also good resources & research!! Professionalism – looked & delivered well Feedback #2 †¢The overall presentation was very good. Evidence of research was evident, you seemed to have confidence in what you were doing and your findings will help me in my own professionalism. Learning took place but there were too many distractions handing out handouts. Feedback #3 †¢Group member should not be speaking whilst one member is delivering. Handouts could have been sent via email really Feedback #4 Please do not talk to other group members whilst one of your group is giving the presentation Feedback #5 †¢If we had more time on the activity, would’ve been more useful. I know you were pressed for time. I really enjoyed it, otherwise everything was very professional. I want to know more. Thanks. Feedback #6 †¢Lots of handouts which were given out at the same time as the information which proved a little distracting. Very well planned & executed presentation. Feedback #7 †¢I thought it was put across very professionally, very good, sharp and interesting – well done!!Feedback#8 †¢Too much/many pieces of paper. References: Brown. H, TurkV, (1998) ‘Defining sexual abuse as it affects adults with learning disabilities’ in K100 Understanding Health and Social Care, Offprints Book, Milton Keynes, The Open University Ginnis, P. (2002) The Teachers Toolkit. Wales. Crown House Publishing. Kini. A. A Personal View of Professionalism @ http://www. ipthree. org/blog/professionalism-what-does-it-mean? start=5 (Last accessed 22. 05. 11) http://tlp. excellencegateway. org. uk/tlp/cpd/puttingcpdintoa/putting (Last accessed 29. 4. 11) http://www. ifl. ac. uk/(Last accessed 29. 04. 11) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/5S_(methodology) (Last accessed 29. 04. 11) Task 2. The role of Quality Assurance in LLS. Following the brief introduction by the group we were asked to address the question â€Å"How would you evaluate the role of a teacher in terms of quality assurance? † Following this statement the group continued to move to the group activity. The activity charted out a â€Å"time-line† in which individuals were asked to see what there role at each stage.I found this a little challenging initially as I haven’t considered my role in term of quality assurance in terms of the complete cycle of the learner on a course of study. The aim of the learning activity was useful in as much as it increased my understanding of the full range of a learner’s route broken across a time line, which I have not seen demonstrated in this form. I would recommend that the introduction be extended on the simple fact that the time used by the individual to understand the activity and its purpose the group could have eased the learners in to the activity without disrupting engagement.But it did not give a simple explanation of Quality Assurance, something like â€Å"is a type of quality improvement, which provides provisions with recognition that they have achieved quality against a set of standards. This provides settings with satisfaction and shows parents/carers that the provision has raised standards above minimum. † (National Children's Bureau 2007). Clearly the subject was well researched by the group being demonstrated through the material provided as well as the delivery of the presentation had a good rapp ort, which allowed for a smooth transition between group members.As a result of having participated in the activity I now realize the importance of quality assurance at a number of different stages. Also that the aim of the quality assurance in education is to provide a framework for reviewing, measuring and improving the quality of the work being done by approved institutes. I also learned that the systems operate on a number of process’s which measures the quality of provided by the service and identifies areas for ongoing quality improvement.With the ultimate aim of these quality assurance systems for learning providers to promote and ensure quality outcomes for learners. But the learning activity did not cover the possible methods which can be used to increase and improve Quality Assurance in institutes by increasing its awareness to teachers. I feel that this can only be achieved through a shared understanding of service aims, priorities, policy developments and monitori ng and evaluating mechanisms. This requires everyone involved to have a clear vision of what they are working towards and commitment?I would like the group to also be specific and maybe tried addressing the issue of whether it is possible to provide an overall service for learners which encompasses every learner in every aspect of society. Furthermore I would have liked the group to mention the definition of what constitutes ‘quality’ as I have found out that it has been the subject of an ongoing debate particularly in relation to the balance between parent-led and professional-led services for children and families. Overall having participated in the activity I now realise the importance of quality assurance across a much wider range of events.I have in the past given little attention to quality assurance and certainly following the presentation I have further investigated this topic in relation to broadening my own learning. It has been an important experience for me to investigate further the areas that I may not have considered very important but where now for me a Tutorials can be seen as a form of quality assurance as they offer the learner advice and give feedback on their learning journey – how far they have come, where they are now and where they are going to.Reference: National Children's Bureau (2007) Putting children and young people first [online] Available from: http://www. ncb. org. uk/Page. asp (Last accessed 22. 05. 11) Group 3 An aspect of equal opportunity policy and its impact in LLS It was clear that this group had done there research and demonstrated a relatively competent understanding of equal opportunity. Through there presentation the aim was to get the information concisely delivered to the class by means of power point material as well as by a main speaker.A colorful leaflet was also created. The contents were, concise bits of information regarding the definition of â€Å"disability† under the Equality Act 2010. The leaflet was very concise and I feel that under the circumstances the information that I got was very limited and in order for me to get a stronger grip with the subject I would certainly require further research in the area, in my own time. I felt this to be a negative aspect to the material and would have hoped to get a more detail list of resources.As for the presentation, this group decided to hand out a group activity. This involved a list of three open questions designed to draw from the group its understanding on issues relating to equal opportunity. I felt that the initial request to undertake the questioner was very vague in its instruction announced to the class. Following this the supervising staff I felt were a little too keen to get the group started in there discussion, rather than allowing the groups a moment to absorb the requirement.The aim of the learning activity was useful in as much as it increased my understanding of barriers of education, equal oppor tunity for all for an inclusive classroom by setting achievable targets, managing facilities and differentiation related to diverse learning needs and of the relevant Acts of law related to equal opportunity but these area did not cover any in-depth explanation on these areas which I could refer to at a later date. Question one required a list of potential barriers to learning and assessment.For the initial question our group was able to chart out a number of barriers. Although the second question took relatively longer to understand, one reason could be that it was not to the point. I felt that the group also realized this fact as they attempted to ask an additional two questions in order to lead to the desired outcome. The final question required the group to list relevant Acts relating to equal opportunity, with the ability to use the internet to gather the answers.Under the circumstances this was not practical as it was a class activity limited by time, I was in a group of matur e individuals who through their long experience in teaching have come across a number of the government Acts. Listing the Government Acts related to equal opportunity was useful in as much as it highlighted my understanding of what they are, but it would have been better if they could have given a simple Executive Summary, which would have helped me more. As a result of me participating in the activity I now realize that it is important for me to investigate further Policies in the education sector.Group 4- A government policy- Every Child Matters (ECM/ELM) The group introduced the activity which was an introduction to the government green paper Every Child Matters (Children Act, 2004). In 2003, the Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters’ was published and designed to protect children and maximise their potential in response to the death of Victoria Climbie[1], This opening sequence had me completely engaged. I learned that the tragedy of Victoria’s death uncovered the weaknesses in our ability to protect the most vulnerable pupils.This publication sets out a framework for the new approach to the well being of children and young people from birth to the age of 19[2] and it is aimed at helping reduce the number of educational failures, offences and anti social behaviour and those who suffer from ill health, teenage pregnancy and abuse. I learned that although the current coalition government has moved away from the term ECM and withdrawing its funding, it has simply replaced the term to ELM (Every Learner Matters). Although the principle of ECM is preserved by the Children Act (2004) and even though the terms have changed the organizations linked with ECM i. social workers, health workers, and the police continue to base there practice on ECM ideology. Regarding the activity, the instructions could have been more clear and concise to avoid asking the group to repeat the instructions. The group members demonstrated a competent understanding of the subject area as they were able to share there knowledge confidently and answer all questions. The group worked well together as they were able to demonstrated a smooth transition from each member. I felt that the learning activity was extremely helpful but I think they could have explained in detail the Government aim for a learner.This resulted in me finding out that the Governments aims for all young people whatever their background may be: 1. To be healthy 2. To stay safe 3. Enjoy and achieve 4. To make a positive contribution 5. To achieve economic wellbeing The aim of the learning activity was useful in that it increased my understanding of how and why the policy of ECM was introduced but it did not cover in-depth the main outcomes of this policy. I would have liked to have more information to allow me to further investigate this area and i feel if a critical material list was provided it would have been very helpful in my learning.This has clearly highlighted a need for me to extend my understanding with the regulations of ECM/ELM. Reference: [1] BBC News : www. news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2002/victoria_climbie_inquiry/default. stm (Last accessed 22. 05. 11) [2] http://www. everychildmatters. gov. uk/aims/ (Last accessed 22. 05. 11) Task 4. In light of the experience of the other group discussions I was very much interested in the subjects covered. I personally feel that these subjects although covered before were far more effective when delivered by peers in this format.The interest and passions was certainly palpable in there delivery. I learned something new with each subject either through the group activity or through the presentation. The area of the Life Long Learning Sector (LLS) is constantly changing and in order for me to keep up with the changes I plan on investigating further ongoing progress. I would be certainly looking deeper in to the idea of professionalism in the context of my teaching and college. The aim being I incorporate it more heavily in my future teaching and development for the future.The Every Child Matters initiative is integrated into the college system. But it is not openly publicised and following the presentation I feel it’s certainly something I need to incorporate in my personal understanding. Currently the college that I work at is undergoing radical and extensive changes with the introduction of regular staff training days and I will make sure to attend are the ECM/ELM initiative. The systems are under constant review to match this initiative and as a result the college has adapted various approaches to ensure learners receive the best support and guidance.The aim of each and every new development I pursue is to ensure that I learn that each pupil is considered on their own merits and that where help and assistance is required I enable the pupils to access the curriculum to achieve their full potential. In addition I will need to explore the following reports in greater depth, Suc cess for All (2002), Skills for Life (2001), 14-19 Education and Skills The Tomlinson Report (2005), The Foster Review (2005) looking at the future of further education colleges. Further: The National improvement Strategy (2007) from the quality improvement agency.These are just a few of the significant material that I feel can further enhance my future development. Education: Raising Skills, improving Life Chances (2006), Raising expectations and Pursuing Excellence. Furthermore I will like to investigate why it is that in the current political and economic climate the government is sending contradictory messages, where on the one hand major cuts are being implemented to the university funding in the LLS initial teacher education. Whilst on the other hand sending and supporting a message of the importance and magnitude for the country to have a qualified, fully trained and professional LLS workforce.