Research Critical Appraisal Article Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Appraisal Article - Research Paper Example Need for urgent treatment and trauma undermine initiatives for preserving fertility and little knowledge exists on perception of the patients and their decisions on fertility preservation following availed information. The clinical problem was therefore preservation of fertility among cancer patients, who are still in their reproductive age, prior to treatment. The research problem however, was lack of knowledge on perception of cancer among patients of the reproductive age, based on availed information, and use of fertility preservation techniques. This knowledge, among care providers and patients, can inform decisions on preservation of fertility (Peddie, Porter, Barbour, Culligan, MacDonald, King, Horn, and Bhattacharya, 2012). The author established significance of the study through identifying the target population, significance of reproduction to the population, and threat to reproduction due to uninformed decisions into cancer treatment, following diagnosis. Importance of reproduction to the society identifies significance of the problem to every individual who has understood the role of procreation and wish for personal fertility of that of a friend, relative, or an associate. Identification of existence of fertility preservation techniques that were still underutilized also established significance of the study to diagnosed cancer patients and those who have not been diagnosed with cancer because everyone is at risk. The purpose of the study was to expand the audience’s knowledge on factors that influence people’s decisions to preserve their fertility following cancer diagnosis and current application of available fertility preservation methods. The study aimed at developing knowledge on patients’ perception on and use of fertility preservation method and these relate to the research problem of lack of knowledge on patients’ perception on and application of the preservation techniques. The objective

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 18

Human Resource Management - Essay Example This makes me set my direction in the field of information systems only where after completing my Masters in Information Systems, I will enter the corporate world, equipped with my learning, knowledge, skills gained and abilities polished. Talking of my skills, choosing computers at the very beginning of my academic career has imparted a lot of technical skills in me. Further more, computer science involves frequent group projects and team works which has helped me improve upon my communication and interpersonal skills. Now when I am into my Majors, regular presentations, case studies and other assignments are further helping me develop and nurture my managerial skills in the way I manage my time, interact with others and plan my activities to attain short term objectives. This combination of all kinds of skills and knowledge in the fastest growing domain in business presents a plethora of opportunities ahead. Companies are in continuous search for competent computer professionals where I feel I can contribute a lot through my skills and abilities. I am also aware of the growing impetus on employee performance and provision of incentive plans and promotional opportunities based on performance and contribution made. As such, I plan to constantly build up my current inventory of knowledge, skills and abilities through regular training and courses (Rouda & Mitchell 1996). This is important because computer science and information systems is one area where every day new technology comes in, turning the previous one obsolete. Thus to remain competitive in my career, I need to constantly strive to enhance my capabilities and existing skill set. The company will also provide for my training and development but I will also look for regular certification on my own. This will make me more dynamic in my work and in a position to demand more for my services and work. In this light, company and

Local Lit Foreign Lit Essay Example for Free

Local Lit Foreign Lit Essay In this chapter one of the most important early steps in a research project is the conducting of the literature review. This chapter will explain how review of related literature is very important in conducting a study. This is also one of the most humbling experiences youre likely to have. Because youre likely to find out that just about any worthwhile idea you will have has been thought of before, at least to some degree. A literature review is designed to identify related research, to set the current research project within a conceptual and theoretical context. The greatest emphasis on research journals that use a blind or juried review system. The literature review will help to find and select appropriate measurement instruments. It will readily see what measurement instruments researchers used themselves in contexts similar to the study. Finally, the literature review will help to anticipate common problems in the research context. It can use the prior experiences of others to avoid common traps and pitfalls. 2.1 Related Literature Local Literature The Department of Education said Monday â€Å"it’s all systems go† for the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE), adding that it expects some 1.5 million fourth year high school students from both public and private schools to participate. â€Å"The annual conduct of the NCAE gives the students and the parents an idea on the field of endeavor most suited to the graduating students thus, allowing for better decision on their choice of career,† Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said. A major part of the exam consists of the general scholastic aptitude test. It also measures a graduating student’s potentials or inclination in such areas as technical-vocational aptitude, entrepreneurial skills, nonverbal ability and occupational interest. The test components are: scientific ability, mathematical ability, reading comprehension, verbal ability, manipulative skills, clerical ability, non-verbal ability and entrepreneurial skills. The exam results are at best recommendatory and are not a requisite for admission to college. There were 717,232 students or 58.62 percent who obtained high aptitude in entrepreneurship. Some 20,307 students with high general scholastic aptitude scores and 22,879 students with high results in technical-vocational aptitude became eligible. (James Konstantin Galvez, n.d.) It says in the article that the assessment exam will determine which career path is best after graduation from high school based on the individual test results. The examination will also minimize the mismatch in career choices and skills that has affected many college graduates who were not well advised about what career path they should take. *PMA exam passers eye academy’s 300 slots.The 942 passers of the recent Philippine Military Academy (PMA) entrance exams will still have to battle it out to make it to the 300-strong cast of final cut and fulfill their dreams of being a member of the PMA Class 2013. The PMA entrance examination is the just first step of a highly competitive process for cadet aspirants in the PMA. To secure a slot in the academy, examination passers will then have to overcome the rigid and complete physical fitness test and medical examination set in early October. But the good news is PMA’s officials are reportedly planning to talk with the Armed Forces of the Philippines general headquarters to extend the final cut qualifiers by 30 to 50. Those who will qualify the second stage will be notified by the PMA thru mail, while the complete list of passers will be published in some major national broadsheets and at the PMA website at www.pma.ph. And although the exam is just the beginning, PMA Supt. M/Gen. Leopoldo Maligalig appreciated the 18-percent passing rate this year, only a whisker ahead of last year’s 16 percent. Records show that applicants from Baguio registered the highest passing percentage in the entrance exam at 27 percent with 133 passers. There were 8, 449 regulars and 1,834 walk-in applicants nationwide but only 5, 777 have qualified to take the entrance examinations. 5, 652 completed the battery test in mathematics, English and special PMA aptitude test. PMA, considered the country’s top military institution, has been accepting more than 10,000 to 12, 000 applicants in the past years. Academy’s information officer Lady Capt. Agnes Lynnette Flores, however, noted that there has been a decrease in the number of aspiring cadets as a result of PMA’s more rigid training intended to maintain its reputation of producing high-quality cadets and future true leaders.â€Å"The program is also geared to insulate PMA cadets from politics and to mold them into constitutional soldiers who must defend the fundamental law of the land at all costs,† she said. *MMDA chief: Address job mismatch. Saying the education system is failing to produce the skills needed by the private industry, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando yesterday called for joint public-private collaboration to address the problem of job mismatch. â€Å"The government, schools and private business should get together for an exchange of views on dominant and emerging jobs and the skills needed to fill the jobs,† Fernando said. He suggested human-resource planning to forecast the demand for and supply of critical skills. The planning could be done on an industry basis. Fernando proposed that companies provide the necessary training and retraining, while colleges and universities review their curricula to offer business-friendly courses. The government should also enhance its free training program through the Technical and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) by opening more training centers in rural areas and strengthening its vocational training program. Current opportunities, Fernando noted, are in the fields of information technology, retail, manufacturing, tourism, hospitality and accounting, adding that the call center industry has an opening for at least 60,000 jobs this year. Fernando said the Philippine economy should also continue to grow in order to provide more better-paying jobs that would entice Filipinos to stay in the country. While overseas Filipino workers are providing billions of dollars in remittances for the Philippine economy, their absence in the country also contributes to the brain/skills drain and to dysfunctional families, he observed. Local industries have estimated incurring an additional P1 billion for recruiting and training new workers to replace those who have left to work abroad. Foreign Literature DepEd asked not to rank schools in NAT. The Federation of Association of Private Schools and Administrators (FAPSA) is asking the Department of Education (DepEd) not to rank schools in the National Achievement Test (NAT), saying it is not a healthy competition. â€Å"Our group would not mind the intention of Secretary (Jesli) Lapus provided the outcome would not be published,’’ he added. Kasilag made the appeal after the DepEd administered the NAT to sixth graders and second year high school students last March 5 and 12. â€Å"The conduct of the test had paved the way for ingenious access to leakage. Former DepEd secretary Raul Roco had admitted that questions and answers could bought in the provinces,’’ he said. Kasilag said the NAT, being the precursor of NCEE in the 90’s then NEAT and NSAT in 2000, was the same exam for whose abolition his group lobbied for. Roco abolished the NCEE in a bid to allow more students to enter college. He cited the case of a female student in his school (St. Nicholas school in Marikina) who failed to graduate as valedictorian because she didn’t do well in NEAT exam years back. â€Å"The mother asked why should a days exam matter most over the entire six years of study in elementary? Schools already have 4 periodicals, 10 monthly tests, countless quizzes and daily assignments, are these not enough?’’ he said. (Shianee Mamanglu, March 18, 2009) The ranking of schools in a publication had proved to be divisive and resulted in unhealthy competition among private schools. Schools that lagged behind prepared rigorously to recover at the expense of regular academic curriculum. Ofcourse, if the result is published it will only cause disgrace to the schools. The conduct of the NAT is not reliable enough to assess the total performance of students, since students, particularly those from the provinces, can buy questions, answers and grades. *Mandatory psych test for leaving OFWs opposed. We will also stage various mass actions in national level in the coming weeks to show Malacanang and the House members that there is indeed clamor for this, he added. Basas, however, expressed appreciation to Secretary Lapus and the entire DepEd in lobbying for the immediate approval of the proposed bill. He also lauded the Senate for the immediate approval of its counterpart proposed law in the Upper Chamber. TDC claimed that since 2001 public school teachers had only two salary increases amounting to P2, 000 combined. Mandatory psych test for leaving OFWs opposed. Manila, Philippines A coalition of migrants’ rights organizations has opposed the proposal to make psychiatric examination mandatory for leaving overseas Filipino household service workers. Ellene Sana, executive director of the Center for Migrants Advocacy (CMA), said the proposal was made by the Department of Foreign Affairs, citing a study by the Department of Health of mental cases among overseas Filipino workers. She said they got the information from Poe Gratela, private sector representative to the governing body of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), during a consultation meeting on August 6. In Resolution No. 05, Series 2008, the Consultative Council on OFWs (CCOFW), of which CMA is a member, argued that this mandatory psychiatric exam only for household service workers is discriminatory, will be an additional cost to OFWs, and does not guarantee objectivity. *The council also said the test presupposes that the root problem is the workers’ psychiatric disposition. It said this presumption is â€Å"unfounded and illogical.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sound psychiatric test results of a worker cannot guarantee one’s sanity because there are simply too many aggravating factors such as work environment, cultural differences, language barriers, and emotional stress that affect OFWs’ physical and mental conditions,† it said. The council pointed out data which shows that 78 percent of the household service workers deemed mentally unfit were deployed in the Middle East. This indicates that â€Å"what is needed is for the government to look at the working conditions in the Middle East of the household service workers, and not these workers’ mental states,† it said. Instead, the council proposed that the government administer mandatory psychiatric examinations to all government personnel deployed overseas â€Å"to determine their psychological and emotional preparation for overseas assignments, particularly, in handling cases of workers in distress.† *Aside from CMA’s Sana, the other signatories to the resolution are: Fr. Savino Bernardi of the Apostleship of the Sea, Fr. Edwin Corros of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ Ecumenical Commission on Migrants and Itinerants, Luis Andres Maya of the Scalarini Center for People on the Move, Fr. Fabio Baggio of the Scalabrini Migration Center,Gwendolyn Valencia of the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch, Carmelita Nuqui of the Development Action for Women Network, Gina Espinosa of Kaibigan Inc., Francisco Aguilar Jr. of the Fil Migrant Workers Group, Mildred Yamzon and Dr. Gloria Itchon of the Women in Development Foundation, and Luther Calderon of Kampi. *Naveed Azim and Imran Naqvi and Kashif ur Rehman. Learning of student can be assessed by objective type and subjective type questions. Educationists and behavioral scientists declare subjective writing skills essential for senior management positions. Investigation revealed that IT professionals who qualified through objective type online examination and lack subjective writing skills could not earn rise in career to top management positions easily. The study considered ability of a student to express knowledge subjectively as the independent variable and higher management position requirements as the dependent variable. It hypothesized better the student of higher level education in his/her subjective expression, more considerable s/he will be for positions at senior management in business organizations. The study selected 100 private companies engaged in the field of Information Technology (IT) in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan who seek OCP or MCSD or MCSE certified professionals. SalonBooker is the leading online scheduling, point-of-sale and business management software for the beauty industry. Thousands of businesses have joined the GramercyOne family to provide online booking to their customers, manage day-to-day operations and drive new business. SalonBooker is completely web-based, which makes it available from any computer with a browser and internet connection, anywhere at any time, even via an smart phone or iPad. With SalonBooker you will be able to manage your business efficiently by integrating multiple systems in to one, save time through intelligent inventory and commission management and track and report across all activities within your business. (http://www.salonbooker.com/) 2.2 Related Studies Local Studies *According to Wikipedia, â€Å"A test or an examination (or exam) is an assessment, often administered on paper or on the computer, intended to measure the test-takers or respondents (often a student) knowledge, skills, aptitudes, or classification in many other topics (e.g., beliefs). Tests are often used in education, professional certification, counseling, psychology (e.g., MMPI), the military, and many other fields. The measurement that is the goal of testing is called a test score, and is a summary of the evidence contained in an examinees responses to the items of a test that are related to the construct or constructs being measured. Test scores are interpreted with regards to a norm or criterion, or occasionally both. The norm may be established independently, or by statistical analysis of a large number of subjects.† (www.wikipedia.com) According to Lee J. Cronbach, â€Å"Test aid in making many sorts of decisions, including selection and classification of individuals, evaluation of educational or treatment procedures, and acceptance or rejection of scientific hypothesis.† (Essentials of Psychological Testing, Cronbach, p.18) According to Wikipedia, â€Å"An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site. It originated as the modern equivalent of a traditional bulletin board, and a technological evolution of the dialup bulletin board system. From a technological standpoint, forums or boards are web applications managing user-generated content. People participating in an Internet forum may cultivate social bonds and interest groups for a topic may form from the discussions. (www.wikipedia.com) According to WORDIQ, †An Internet forum, also known as a message board or discussion board, is a web application that provides for online discussions, and is the modern descendant of the bulletin board systems and existing Usenet news systems that were widespread in the 1980s and 1990s. An Internet forum typically exists as part of a website and invites users to start topics and discuss issues with one another. Sometimes, a forum even comprises most, if not all, of the content of a site. Compared to wikis, Internet forums dont allow users to edit the forum posts of other users; however, administrators and moderators generally have the capability of doing thisâ€Å". (www.wordiq.com) Foreign Studies College student retention programs tend to focus primarily on students in their first and second year of college as this is the time when the greatest number of students withdraws from postsecondary education (ACT 2004). Such programs vary substantially in design and execution. Examples include: Early alert, assessment, and monitoring systems to identify students at risk of dropping out for early intervention; Freshman Seminar; and HORIZONS. Organizational Theory practices, designed to create an institutional culture conducive to student retention, are another means of encouraging college student retention. Improving college retention rates may have broad impacts: students who complete college degrees have been found to be less likely to need the support of social services, generate higher tax returns, put less stress on the criminal justice system, and have better health status and improved parenting skills. Expected Beneficial Outcomes, Increased college retention rates, increased graduation rates, Evidence of Effectiveness ACT-Student Retention 2004 indicates that emphasis on retention strategies over the past several decades has not had a substantial impact on college retention overall. However, such programs have been effective in some venues and for some students: Dale 1995 reports that 85% of students participating in HORIZON, a Purdue University based student retention program, were retained compared to only 47% of non-enrollee peers. Participants indicated that belonging to a support network, having assistance with effective study methods, and tutoring were most important to their decision not to leave school. According to Wikipedia, â€Å"Career assessments are tests that are designed to help individuals understand how a variety of personal attributes (i.e., interests, values, preferences, motivations, aptitudes and skills), impacts their potential success and satisfaction with different career options and work environments. Assessments of some or all of these attributes are often used by individuals or organizations, such as university career service centers, career counselors, outplacement companies, corporate human resources staff, executive coaches, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and guidance counselors to help individuals make more informed career decisions.†

The Future of British Sign Language

The Future of British Sign Language The future of British sign language: Towards one variety or a variety of languages. When discussing the future of British Sign Language we must first define sign language and British Sign Language (BSL). Sign language is a visually based language that uses signs to represent specific words or phrases. There are numerous different types and varieties of sign language based around the world, some are rudimentary while others are have developed into advanced languages. British Sign Language is the most developed and widely used form of sign language used in Britain. It is estimated that 50, 000 people within the UK use BSL. BSL is the natural language of signs that has developed in Britain over centuries. It is the language used by the British Deaf community. (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 13). Similar to spoken and written languages BSL has grown and evolved since its inception, but unlike many spoken or written languages is not universal. BSL users are restricted to communicating within Britain, or with other signers familiar with BSL, as BSL does not extend beyond Britain’s borders, even to other English speaking populations. Indeed BSL, American Sign Language (ASL), Irish Sign Language (ISL), have all developed different signs for different words and have different structures, thus, someone signing with ASL will not be able to communicate clearly with someone signing with BSL. In addition to variations from country to country, there are dialect variations within each form of sign language. BSL, like spoken language, has evolved through the needs of its users in spontaneous and natural ways. There are wide regional differences in some signs numbers and colours are notoriously variable, however most signs are the same. Many of the variations stem from the schools Deaf people attended; new signs are being coined, and more established signs changing with time and use. Hearing learners may find this a problem in the early stages, but it doesn’t present a problem to native signers. Variations are largely in the vocabulary of signs the words of the language; the grammatical structures that hold it together and give meaning, vary very little. Language has a life of its own, and most attempts to interfere or control it tend to fail. (DeafSign.Com, 2000) Admittedly, it is the nature of language to grow and change, and many dialects and variations have emerged within Standard English. But while dialects in Standard English sometimes lead to confusion if two speakers of different dialects communicate, these differences seldom make it impossible for English speakers, or writers, to communicate with one another. Where as, without a universal form of sign language it makes it difficult for the signing population to communicate with people signing with different variations. This mutual unintelligibly within variations and dialects of sign language leads to deaf populations being not only removed from hearing populations, but also from one another. Because deaf communities tend to be smaller and more contained than other minorities within the hearing community the differences that emerge in sign language are more defined. Where as dialects in spoken English tend to emerge in areas or social communities, there are many more factors that influence dialects in sign language. Sutton-Spence Woll (2004, p. 13) explain that a signer’s age, class, gender, ethnicity, religion, and locale can all effect the way in which they sign. This leads to many different variations within one variety of sign language alone. Thus, even a concerted effort to unify sign language, whether it be the unification of BSL from the current number of dialects and variations within BSL, to a uniform use of the language, or an even greater attempt to unify the varieties within countries, or even worldwide will be an extremely difficult task. There are so many external forces on the development of sign language that it is difficult to control its use and development. The age at which a person learns to sign and whom they learn it from effects the way in which they sign. This is especially notable when comparing the differences between the children of deaf and hearing parents. Exposure to sign language at an early age is different to the children of deaf parents and the children of hearing parents. Those born to deaf parents are more likely to have had early exposure to a fluent model of adult BSL. Those born to hearing parents often†¦ only begin to learn BSL when they start school†¦. Research comparing adult signers from deaf and hearing families has shown that their signing differs significantly. (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 23-24). One of the reasons that signing in BSL differs so dramatically from one person to another is that BSL is a complex, fully developed language, which is extremely different from Standard English. BSL has it’s own grammar, syntax, lexicon, and has many other unique features. BSL evolved naturally, as all languages do. It uses both manual and non-manual components – handshapes and movements, facial expression, and shoulder movement. BSL is structured in a completely different way to English, and like any language it has its own grammar. Linguists generally agree that BSL is a topic comment language. For example, the question in English ‘What is your name?’ becomes the sequence ‘Your name what?’ in BSL. (RNID 2004, p. 4). Anyone already fluent in Standard English, or any other language, that wishes to learn BSL must learn a completely new language structure and way of communicating to be able to sign in BSL. Like with Standard English there is a dictionary and many other texts to assist BSL users. The British Deaf Association’s Dictionary of British Sign Language (1992) is 1084 pages long and includes both pictures of each sign in the language, as well as, English word definitions. Yet people wishing to learn BSL cannot do so from text book alone as there are many features of BSL which must be seen or described to understand, such as, nods of the head, shoulder shrugs, facial expressions and lip patterns. â€Å"There are many mouth patterns that convey grammatical and phonological information in BSL.† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 81). In addition, to knowing the intricacies of each sign, as well as, the structure and vocabulary of BSL, signers must also become familiar with other unique features of BSL. Features include the ability to express metaphors, poetry and humour using signs. Signers must also become familiar with BSL idioms, euphemisms, expletives / insults, as with any language BSL contains exceptions to the language rules and certain taboo words, such as, â€Å"ORAL-SIGNER† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 245). This insult, which is unique to the signing community, reveals the effect of the divide between different varieties and dialects of sign language on the signing community and signing individuals’ opinions of other signers.   Furthermore, because signing languages are completely visual and do not have a written component, like Standard English, this forces people who wish to communicate through both BSL, or other forms of sign language, and also written English to learn two completely different languages. While BSL is currently the most commonly used variety of sign language in Britain, with the internet and email becoming more dominant communication tools by the day. Younger users of sign language may start to tend towards a variety of sign language that incorporates Standard English into its overall format. Currently there are a number of varieties of sign language used in Britain that use Standard English sentence construction and grammar, but these varieties have long been second to BSL. While the reason for the construction of BSL is quite simple and logical, this does not make the language any easier to use. BSL uses signs that often encompass a few words or a phrase, while the grammar and sentence structure work to create shortened sentences. All of these features serve to shorten BSL sentences, and are necessary to ensure timely communication, as it takes longer to form signs than to speak words. There are a number of other forms of sign language and signing used in Britain, these include Cued Speech, the Paget-Gorman Sign System (PGSS), Signed English, Sign Supported English (SSE), and Fingerspelling. All of these visual languages are largely dependent on Standard English. Some users of sign language use BSL in conjunction with these other forms, while others may choose to stick with one variety. Sign Supported English (SSE) is probably the most popular alternate variety of sign language currently used in Britian. This variety of sign language uses BSL vocabulary and Standard English sentence structure and grammar. â€Å"In Sign Supported English (SSE), the key words of a sentence are signed while the person speaks.† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 14). SSE is an advanced variation of Signed English, which uses BSL to sign all of the words in a sentence, using Standard English sentence structure and grammar. There are problems with the use of Signed English. It is very slow, and a message takes longer in Signed English than in either BSL or [Standard] English. This means that spoken English accompanying Signed English becomes unnaturally slow, and many English speakers let speech take over and drop some signs. Many BSL signers using Signed English insert features of BSL grammar so that the grammar is not ‘pure English’ any more. (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 16). Just as SSE and Signed English depend on Standard English so too does the Paget-Gorman Sign System (PGSS). But whereas SSE and Signed English use BSL signs and incorporate Standard English form, PGSS uses â€Å"signs [that] do not come from any sign language, but have been created to represent English words and English grammar† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 14). Because of its focus on Standard English PGSS is easy for native English speakers to learn, but it is not a language used by the deaf community. Similarly, cued speech, which is a system that does not use signs at all, rather â€Å"hand cues are made near the mouth to identify different speech sounds.† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 13). Cued speech is a verbally dominated form of visual language and is thus not commonly used within the deaf community. One of the most basic and widely used forms of signing if fingerspelling, which has one sign for every letter of the alphabet and requires users to spell out the letters in a word or sentence. Fingerspelling is not a language in itself but is often incorporated into sign languages. Most commonly fingerspelling is used to spell words for which there is no sign, such as, names of people or places. Alternately, fingerspelling can be used to draw attention to a word in a sentence or phrase. Although fingerspelling may be the most simple and basic form of signing, it fails to be universal because different countries have different signs for each letter in the fingerspelling alphabet, making it impossible for signers from different countries to understand the words that are being spelt. Edward Finegan (2004, p. 19-20) identifies three modes of linguistic communication in Language: Its Structure Use. He defines these as speaking, writing and signing, yet signing at this point is not a fully developed universal mode of communication as a result of the restrictions the different varieties of sign language put upon their users. Because sign languages have developed and evolved naturally within the relatively small communities within which they are used around they have developed independently and created mutually exclusive varieties. There have been attempts in the past to create or nominate one universal sign language, but up until this point no one variety of sign language has succeeded in dominating the international signing community. In Britain because BSL is the official language of the deaf community, with approximately 50, 000 people within the UK using BSL, it will continue to be the dominant sign language in Britain. Although, with the rise of internet technology and written electronic communication the younger signing community may start to tend towards a Standard English based form of sign language, such as, SSP. The use of SSP would enable signers to communicate in the same language in person and in writing, rather than communicating with BSL sign language in person and Standard English in writing. The current dominance of British Sign Language can be attributed to the same factor which has led to the formation of the so many different varieties of sign language, in Britain and around the world, because signing communities tend to be quite small and isolated from one another, adult signers pass on the language they are familiar with ti younger signers. As a result, younger signers may not be aware of other sign languages available to them. But with the influence email, and the rise of written communication as a result, younger singers will beging to seek out a variety of sign language that incorporates the Standard English conventions they will become more familiar with as they become more familiar with writing. Indeed this may simply lead to the transformation of the current BSL variety into a variety of sign language, which incorporates rather than excludes Standard English conventions. Alternately, the language we currently know as BSL could be replaced by another variety of sign language, such as Sign Supported English (SSE), or another variety altogether. In a world dominated by travel and technology signing communities, both within Britain and around the world, need a language through which they can successfully, and clearly, communicate with one another. The first step towards universal communication between signing communities is to ensure that the sign languages used are simple for hearing people to learn, and that there is as little variation (and as a result confusion) within the varieties. By encouraging hearing people to learn sign language the signing community would broaden the language base and thus provide stability to the language. And although it is difficult to control the growth and evolution of any language, by adopting a sign language which follows Standard English conventions, the language would have to adhere to Standard English and thus evolve with it, creating a more universal and less confusing language. By adopting or creating a sign language based on Standard English, the variations of that sign language would tend be restricted to the variations of Standard English. The evolution of language is a gradual process, therefore the future of British Sign Language will most likely see the continuation of BSL as the dominant language, with the growth of a Standard English based language. The two languages will coincide for a period before the modern Standard English based language gains control. BIBLIOGRAPHY BRITISH DEAF ASSOCIATION, Brien, D. (ed.), 1992. Dictionary of British Sign Language. London: Faber and Faber. CRYSTAL, D., 2003. The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language. 2nd edition. Cambridge:   Cambridge University Press. (p. 222-227) DEAFSIGN.COM, 2000. Is British Sign Language standardised? [online]. Available from: http://www.deafsign.com/ds/index.cfm?scn=articlearticleID=6 [Accessed 25 June 2005] FINEGAN, E., 2004. Language: Its Structure and Use. 4th ed. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth. RNID, April 2004. Introducing British Sign Language. London: RNID SUTTON-SPENCE, R., WOLL, B., 2004. The Linguistics of British Sign Language: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

From My Cold, Dead Hands! :: essays research papers

"From My Cold, Dead Hands!" When anyone mentions â€Å"gun control,† it makes me cringe with disbelief. It is impossible for me to understand why people want to (and might some day) take away my right to gun ownership. They defend their cases by using examples of school shootings and gang violence; this is unremarkably insane to me. The idea that today’s politicians could change the laws of our great land by using the examples of a few misguided youngsters brings back into view other leaders who have done the same. Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Idi Amin, Mao Tse-tung, and Pol Pot were powerful tyrants. After taking power, these men took all guns from the civilian population. Our own government has been taking the necessary steps to abolish the second amendment. Owning a gun is a right not a privilege. We, as citizens, have to protect our rights to gun ownership so we can protect ourselves if necessary. James Madison, stated, "I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." (http://www.kc3.com/editorial/freedom_or_gun_control.htm) Changes are made slowly so that the general population doesn’t notice what is happening until the changes are made. For instance, Lenin started out his carrier with everyone looking at him as a great respectable leader. But, over the 6 years of Lenin’s dictatorship more and more evidence of his cruelty emerged. Most people of his time still believed the notion of the â€Å"good Lenin† and the â€Å"bad Stalin.† When in reality few of Stalin’s policies were without roots in Leninism: Lenin built the first concentration camps; Lenin, who disbanded the last vestige of democratic government, the Constituent Assembly, devised the Communist Party as the apex of a totalitarian structure; Lenin, who first waged war on the intelligentsia and on religious believers, wiped out any traces of civil liberty and a free press. In his short reign, from 1917 until his death in 1924, Lenin created a model not merely for his successor, Stalin, but for Mao tse-tung, Hit ler, and Pol Pot; three of the worst tyrants the world has ever seen. (Remnick, http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/lenin.html) Thomas Jefferson once stated, "When the people fear the government you have tyranny... when the government fears the people you have liberty." (http://www.chvanilla.net/frogquotes.html) Tyranny, it has happened before and will happen again. It is up to us to take a stand, to hold the government back.

Bate Besong’s Beasts of no Nations :: Bate Besong Beasts Nations Essays

Bate Besong’s Beasts of no Nations Drama is one genre in Literature whose functionality in society cannot be under estimated. It is an active and practical genre because; there is harmony and a practical relationship between the audience and the dramatis personae. It thus imitates its society at best. From this, it is difficult to separate drama from politics; politics being a science that deals with the state and the condition of the human society. Bate Besong is one of the most renown Cameroonian playwright of English expression, besides Bole Butake, Victor Epie Ngome and John Nkemngong, who is of the younger generation of Cameroonian playwrights in English. Even then, Bate Besong’s plays have not gained impetus in the eyes of critics. But examining the content and form of Beasts of no Nations,a play he published in 1990, one can rightly conclude that Bate Besong is an experimentalist playwright and a reformer. That is, one who uses art with the hope of changing the state of affairs in his ailing Cameroonian society. It is in this light that he becomes a political writer. I defend the hypothesis here that drama and politics are inseparable. Drama does not only mirror society but plays the role of a conscientizing, since man is only a political being and not a political genius. My goal in this paper will be to assess the relationship that exists between drama and politics and its results in society. The sociological approach would be used to analyse the relationship between drama and politics in Batae Besong’s play. This approach is based on the assumption that literary works are reflections of society. Critics of the approach hold that the understanding of the actual society is very important in the understanding of the textual society. In this case a literary work becomes the product of the community. I find this approach relevant in that I am going to be dealing with a subject, which handles text and societal relationship. This paper has been structured into two broad phases: the first phase looks at drama as a genre, politics as a discipline and their relationship. The next phase looks at how Bate Besong uses the art of drama to handle some burning issues in Post-independent Cameroon Aristotle defines drama as â€Å"action†. Action results from the interaction between the dramatis personae. Through action, the audience understands the conflicts and follows closely how it is resolved. Bate Besong’s Beasts of no Nations :: Bate Besong Beasts Nations Essays Bate Besong’s Beasts of no Nations Drama is one genre in Literature whose functionality in society cannot be under estimated. It is an active and practical genre because; there is harmony and a practical relationship between the audience and the dramatis personae. It thus imitates its society at best. From this, it is difficult to separate drama from politics; politics being a science that deals with the state and the condition of the human society. Bate Besong is one of the most renown Cameroonian playwright of English expression, besides Bole Butake, Victor Epie Ngome and John Nkemngong, who is of the younger generation of Cameroonian playwrights in English. Even then, Bate Besong’s plays have not gained impetus in the eyes of critics. But examining the content and form of Beasts of no Nations,a play he published in 1990, one can rightly conclude that Bate Besong is an experimentalist playwright and a reformer. That is, one who uses art with the hope of changing the state of affairs in his ailing Cameroonian society. It is in this light that he becomes a political writer. I defend the hypothesis here that drama and politics are inseparable. Drama does not only mirror society but plays the role of a conscientizing, since man is only a political being and not a political genius. My goal in this paper will be to assess the relationship that exists between drama and politics and its results in society. The sociological approach would be used to analyse the relationship between drama and politics in Batae Besong’s play. This approach is based on the assumption that literary works are reflections of society. Critics of the approach hold that the understanding of the actual society is very important in the understanding of the textual society. In this case a literary work becomes the product of the community. I find this approach relevant in that I am going to be dealing with a subject, which handles text and societal relationship. This paper has been structured into two broad phases: the first phase looks at drama as a genre, politics as a discipline and their relationship. The next phase looks at how Bate Besong uses the art of drama to handle some burning issues in Post-independent Cameroon Aristotle defines drama as â€Å"action†. Action results from the interaction between the dramatis personae. Through action, the audience understands the conflicts and follows closely how it is resolved.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay

English 1021 Diagnostic Essay Some people believe that writing an essay is extremely hard. They are wrong. If you have the correct information, time, and a cup of coffee you should have no problem. There are many different types of essays, for example, an informative essay, a research paper, or a persuasive essay. Although they all have a different overall theme and purpose for being written, they all have the same outline for how exactly to write it. No matter what you always start off with an introduction, then you move to your supporting paragraphs, and end with a conclusion.Here is the in depth breakdown of what a proper informative research paper should included. First thing’s first, you must always have a topic. The topic of your paper is the focus, the area that you have researched and explored. Once you find your topic, you must make sure that you have sorted out all of the available information. Topics are not always easy to find. There are some that you should avoid using such as topics based solely on one single source, and topics that are brand new or overly broad.Now that you have your topic, you must brainstorm and narrow down the topics to create and issue. The issue of the paper is the question that you are asking. When creating your issue, make sure the avoid issues that can be easily answered by just one single source. Another thing that you need to come up with is a hypothesis or tentative claim, a proposition made as a basis for reasoning, without any assumption of its truth. Test the hypothesis as you continue to research.By having a claim, you can prevent yourself from being overwhelmed by the information that you are finding. Now that you have come up with a topic and claim, you are ready to begin your research and essay. The next step of this process is to direct your essay to your audience. Ask yourself some questions. How much does my audience know about this topic? What are my readers’ expectations, interests, and needs concerning this issue? What evidence have I come up with that will inform them?Once you have asked yourself those questions it is time to start using your sources. Some of the best sources are newspapers, and books. If you are going to use the internet, which most of us do, be careful with the credibility of what you find. Once you have found a source that you believe fits your topic well, ask yourself some questions and see if the criteria of the source meets it. Is this recent information? Is the author credible or an expert on this subject? Does this information seem thoughtful and relative to the topic?Is this evidence reliable? When dealing with web sources make sure that they contain an author or are hosted by a respectable site such as a library, university, or an official association. Now that you have found your sources, it is time to continue. Taking notes on sources can sometimes be difficult. Write down some of the things that jump out to you about the topic that might b e useful. Another thing that you must write down are the page numbers that you are getting the information from.Make sure to think about why you chose to write down a particular idea and always differentiate your ideas and words from that of your source. Never forget to use quotation marks for direct quotations. Your next job is to draft your research paper. Refine your thesis as much as needed. Figure out based on your information where each source may fit in. When writing your draft, avoid using your own comments to hold together another persons idea. Now it is time for you to construct your own essay using the secondary sources that you have found to support your claims.Some things that you may need to know are how to use a summary, paraphrase, and quotation. A summary of something gives a main idea or supporting points. It is short and focuses on the main points to provide background or general support for your point. Paraphrasing put the information that you have found into new words to make sure that you and your audience understand the original information more clearly. A quotation records the exact punctuation and wording of the source that you have received it from and encloses it in quotation marks.You can use quotations when an author’s words are extremely vivid and stand out to you or when the words of that particular reliable authority would lend support to your paper. Now that you know how to summarize, paraphrase, and quote, it is imperative that you do not plagiarize. To avoid plagiarism, document everything you have learned from your sources including their language and ideas. If you express their ideas in your own words you must still give them the credit and documentation. The only exception to this is when something is common knowledge.Now that you know all of the do’s and dont’s of an informative research paper it is your turn to put them into effect. The hardest thing about an informative research paper is finding a t opic and making sure that your sources and information are credible and relative to the topic at hand. Once you have found all of the correct and credible sources for your topic you are ready to write away. Like I said earlier, many people believe that writing a research paper is extremely hard, but if you follow these steps and advice, you will never fail at writing an informative research paper.