Holden Caulfield Is On His Own Psychological Journey

Throughout the novel of Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is on his own psychological journey. This journey tells a lot about who Holden is as a person and the problems he is dealing with. It all starts when Holden has flunked out of Pencey Prep. His psychological struggles are triggered by the traumatic event of his brother, Allie, dying 4 years prior. The death of Allie has affected Holden in all aspects of his life, including friends, school, actions, and thoughts. This causes concern in Holden’s parents. They are concerned with his health and well-being, therefore send Holden to a rehab center. His parents fear that Holden may have Post - Traumatic Stress Disorder, and have him psychoanalyzed. So, Holden struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder because he shows the causes, symptoms, and effects of the chronic disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event- either experiencing it or witne ssing it (Post-traumatic stress disorder). In Holden Caulfield, the terrifying event was Allie’s death. Holden had to watch Allie suffer through his leukemia, and then deal with the emotional pain after Allie was gone. â€Å"PTSD occurs in all age groups, Although, the lifetime risk for developing PTSD in U.S. adults is 3.5 percent. Increased rates of PTSD are notable in those who have jobs that place them at risk for being part of a traumatic event, such as police officers, nurses, and firefighters.Show MoreRelatedThe Catcher In The Rye Analysis1657 Words   |  7 Pagesdisheartening journey from adolescence to adulthood that Holden Caulfield endures. Although holden seeks the freedoms that mark adulthood, he has yet to take up the role of a truly mature citizen as the society conforming nature of those adults disgust him, leading him to his gradual mental decline. J. D. Salinger uses the immature character of Holden Caulfield as a means of revealing the difficult transi tion from adolescence to adulthood and its psychological effects. Salinger portrays Holden CaulfieldRead MoreA Coming Of Age Story Essay1124 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter, Holden Caulfield, has a bit of an episode, and feels near hopeless at times as he struggles with his own adolescence. In order to tie Holden’s individual strife with the mayhem of every adolescent mind to form one central message, Salinger relies on a number of novel-based elements. Specifically, he illustrates the complexity and uncertainty associated with the transformation into an adult through the details and symbols of Holden’s journey. One way that the author conveys his message aboutRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Catcher Of The Rye 1549 Words   |  7 Pagesstory of a youth named Holden Caulfield, The events of the story take place when Holden is sixteen and is at the end of his fall school term. The novel is a loosely strung set of events that play out over the course of four days in the life of Holden. The psychological aspects of these events and how they affect the hero s mind are the focus of the story which is often supplemented in the form of flashbacks which reveal even more about various characters, especially Holden himself. He faces schoolRead MoreAnalysis Of Catcher In The Rye And The Secret Garden726 Words   |  3 Pagesvastly differ. Holden Caulfield himself narrates his experiences leading up to the mental institution in a colloquial first person. As a first person narrator, Holden’s reliability has to be called into question. Given that Holden is a narrator who addresses the postulated reader as a confidant as he narrates his tale speaks to the high level of personal engagement that Holden has with the topic at hand — which is natural given that the story is centred around his life — and his inability to takeRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye: Holden Caulfields Coming of Age Story2349 Words   |  10 Pagesmain character Holden Caulfield matures throughout the course of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Holden is a juvenile young man. However, through his experiences, Holden is able to learn, and is finally able to become somewhat mature by the end of the novel. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s story represents a coming of age for all young adults. In the beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is an immature teenager. Holden gets kicked out of his school, PenceyRead MoreCatcher In The Rye Analysis1042 Words   |  5 Pagesof universal truth or the purposefulness of human life.†. 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Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, a novel which follows the cynical and apathetic teenager Holden Caulfield, on his journey of self-introspection and a search for his true self. ExistentialRead MoreThe Theory Of Self Orientation1958 Words   |  8 Pageshelp create their own values and give meaning to their own lives. The absurdity of the natural world, authenticity of the individual, and the angst that comes with life, which define existentialism, would manifest themselves with the end of World War II and the onset of the Cold War. These same beliefs can be seen in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, a novel which follows the cynical and apathetic teenager Holden Caulfield, on his journey of self-introspection and a search for his true self. ExistentialRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesUp to the Candidate 169 Selection for Self-Managed Team s Reliability 171 Validity 171 Content Validity 171 Construct Validity 172 Criterion-Related Validity 172 Recruiting: A Global Perspective 146 DID YOU KNOW?: Posting Online Rà ©sumà ©s 147 Your Own Job Search 147 Preparing Your Rà ©sumà © 148 Some Final Remarks 149 Summary 149 Demonstrating Comprehension: Questions for Review 150 Key Terms 150 151 HRM Workshop 170 Key Elements for Successful Predictors 170 Linking Concepts to Practice: Discussion

The Island Review - 961 Words

Elias Chininis English 1102 3 / 14 / 08 Essay 2 The Island In The Island, a dystopian film directed by Michael Bay, we come upon a world in the not so distant future with some serious problems. People of the world now have the ability to purchase the ultimate life insurance in the form of a personal clone; available for any sort of life saving organ donorship that may become necessary. Since the clone is an exact genetic replica of the person, there are little complications when it comes to using these organs. Throughout the film we follow two clones on a journey to find their sponsor, and make a plee for their lives. Throughout the film, Bay uses the simplest of questions to help put us into the minds of these†¦show more content†¦In the literal sense of the allegory Jordan and Lincoln are actually imprisoned in a cave and find a way to escape. Figuratively, Lincoln and Jordan are also released from their way of thinking find a way out of the fake reality they were calling real life. Eerily similar to the allegory, The Island plays out a sequence in which one resident of the cave is able to see outside, and returns to tell another who has yet to see it. (Plato) Lincoln is the one to realize the outside world first, and he tells Jordan what he believes. Exactly as the allegory predicts, Jordan doesn’t believe. It is impossible for her to think outside of the world she knows. Slowly they both discover the outside world, and it all comes together in the scene in which they have finally erupted from the clone stations, and stand â€Å"blinded by the light† (Plato) of their new world. As the story continues, they eventually receive new clothes altogether. When they put on regular clothes they begin to accept their situation, and begin their search for their sponsors. They find Lincoln’s sponsor, Tom Lincoln, and after a series of events Lincoln and Jordan end up becoming intimate. The removal of their clothes is a symbolic representation of their â€Å"birth† into t he real world. Through the discovery of their own sexuality they are finally free of the last hold that the brainwashing had on them. They have become â€Å"human†.Show MoreRelatedLiterature Review On Easter Island1549 Words   |  7 PagesEaster Island has a unique history that outlines key theories of how man can have detrimental effects on nature. With our beliefs, customs and general life needs, societies become dependent on our environment and resources. This can result in an irreversible destruction of an environment and Easter Island has proven this to be posable. With a society becoming hugely dependant on the limited resources available and failure to understand the need to preserve these resources for future generations causedRead MoreThe Shutter Island Movie Review1714 Words   |  7 Pages Shutter Island Movie Review In our society, almost all of us take a person only for face value. Rarely do we ever look past the actions of a person and actually consider their motives or mental state. This is most likely because doing so requires a lot of understanding and knowledge of the phenomena of the human mind. This is where Psychology and Psychiatry come into play. Through these fields of study we are able to expand our knowledge and understanding of the inner works of the human mind. It’sRead MoreFilm Review : Shutter Island1306 Words   |  6 Pages Comparing Dennis Lehane s Shutter Island and Martin Scorcese s adaptation is like comparing a one punch knockout to a 10 round fight. Lehane s 10 round fights keeps throwing these punches and kicks which gives you details and time to think about what is happening, but Scorcese quickly knocks you out, which is a complete surprise. Lehane gave the characters and the plot too much detail while failing to pose the right question at the end. 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Natural Monopoly for Theory and Strategy - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theNatural Monopoly for Theory and Strategy. Answer: Economy of a country is like the oxygen which enables the country to live breathe and prosper. In the world of global economic development China is a country where the monopoly of its economy is kept intact and with great pride (Baldwin, Cave Lodge, 2012). Monopolizing its economy has paid great dividends to the economy of China as it has pulled a large part of its population out of poverty. Workers of China have moved from a low-productivity job to high-productivity jobs which are yielding them higher incomes. Monopoly of economy has its own features such as rapid urbanization, concentration of wealth, disparity among citizens, diversified social status of people and many more. China is endowed with almost all the resources to make it an economic superpower (CHEN ZHU, 2012). But having resources and using them wisely are two different issues altogether. To go in depth of the nature of monopoly discussion on the nature and the way of business done by companies of China should be do ne. In the various research papers about the Chinese economy it is written that it has a comprehensive strategy to keep the monopoly intact and to improve it further. There are many things to be found out in this discussion and the most important thing will be the how and why of the regulation the Chinese government imposes on the price setting of a natural monopoly. In the following discussion, it is imperative that the aspects and characteristics of the Chinese monopoly over its economy will be thoroughly discussed in detail and with proper analysis. It can be easily speculated that when it comes to monopoly of economy everything which Chinese government produces and controls comes in the ambit along with the political and administrative aspect of China as well (Crozet, Nash Preston, 2012). But the emphasis will be on the economic part as the discussion is about natural monopoly on pricing. Natural Monopoly Graph Source: (Created by Author) The first thing which comes into mind when the topic is raised about monopoly of pricing is the natural resources produced in China. Industries which are based in China are dominated mainly by the State Owned Enterprises which gives its government exclusive authority andcomplete autonomy over the natural resources produced. When the survey was done in the Guangdong province of China it was found that the State owned enterprises have access to almost eighty industries whereas foreign companies have access to only sixty out of which private owned companies are allowed to enter only 40 industries (Foster McChesney, 2012). This shows the grip of Chinese government over manufacturing through its own enterprises. When it comes to the Energy Resources Chinese use their franchise to maintain their monopoly as it is also binding by the Mineral Resources Law. This ensures the leash over one part of the energy sector of China. Another vital part of energy sector is the oil industry in which th e roots on monopoly are very deep. China National Petroleum Corp., China National Offshore Oil Corp., China Petrochemical Corp are some of the franchise who have exclusive rights of oil exploration both inside and outside China and without their permission entry of any other company is prohibited (Haucap Klein, 2012). Along with this the corporations owned by foreign partners working with the Chinese franchise are also kept on a tight leash. Another prominent restriction which is applied for doing business is that the procedure of examination for foreign companies. Any foreign entity that wishes to enter into the oil industry has to comply with the contractual terms of the Chinese government which are very rigid. The government authorized state companies negotiate, conclude and execute all the contracts. Apart from this, the investment which is being done by foreign entities is also scrutinized by the investment department. Economies of Scale during Natural monopoly Source: (Created by Author) Due to rapid digitization of the world one industry which has become like a lifeline is the telecommunication industry (Jun-hao, 2013). It is also a prominent part of the economy of China. The country is the most populated one in the world and has been like this for recent decades. The number of telecommunication users derived from its population gives it huge importance and economic value. China exercises the same kind of monopoly on telecommunication industry as it does on the previously discussed industries. All the more, telecom industry provides a much refined example of the monopoly on private and foreign sector infringements in China (Joskow Wolfram, 2012). There is a permit system which restricts foreign and private entities to enter into this industry as the terms and conditions are very firm with very less leverage. The paraphernalia set by the Chinese government is very tough as it includes a registered license, qualification of a legal person, having deep financial resou rces and manpower, decent track record of the company in the field of telecommunication. Other than these, the company should provide a feasibility study reportwhich contains business strategies, analysis of potential market, investment benefit analysis and speculated quality of services (Liangchun Wei, 2012). There are other many clauses in the contract which are very hard to comply with which makes the entire telecom industry highly monopolized. Now coming on to the main part of monopoly of an economy which is monopoly pricing it can be stated that the State controls all the prices which are allowed to be set higher or lower to as per the convenience of the State to maximize the benefits of the stakeholders (Lin Lin, 2015). Price being a dynamic entity is controlled by many implements owned by the State or within a specific domain of the business which can control the volume of production and can set prices according to the volume of products that are produced. There are several methods by which the price control is conserved throughout China. Government pricing, hybrid pricing and directive pricing are those methods (Minamihashi, 2012). At first we will discuss government pricing. The areas where government pricing are deployed are railways sectors, electricity and tobacco. There is an administrative department for Tobacco Monopoly under the council of State which allows only specific brands and the administration departme nt of Price. There are non-representative brands of cigarettes which are also marketed. The prices of these cigarettes are determined by the administrative department of Tobacco monopoly at the level of the provinces. Then the prices are reported to the pricing authority set up for the provincial level. But since 2003, the Bureau for State Monopoly has taken up the system of unified approval of prices. Almost all the pricing monopoly is tackled by the departments of administrations which formulates the feed-in tariff and sale prices and are approved thereafter. There is a Railway Act which provides the mechanism to set up the prices for railway transportation (Paltsev Zhang, 2015). Another technique used for Pricing Monopoly is Government Directive Pricing. It is said to happen when the government bodies or the quasi-government bodies fix the prices of the commodities according to the trends of the market. But the control on the commodities remains with the government and the quasi-government bodies. It was seen before 1982, oil prices were fixed and controlled by the government. But between 1982 and 1994, implementation of dual pricing system was done (Shaikh Ji, 2016). As a result, the monopoly price of oil was limited to 100 million tons and the surplus production was sold to foreign entities at international prices. But as the market status of oil changed in both domestic and foreign markets between 1994 and 1998 merger of prices of both the markets was done. This unified the prices of the oil in both markets which resulted in acute monopoly of the oil prices. After the implementation of these monopolies, in 1998 announcement was made by the National Devel opment and Reform Commission (NDRC) establishing a mechanism for price regulation of crude oil and other products made by oil (TANG GUO, 2012). The policy was to cater the rapidly changing rates of oil prices in the international market. But since China had its own price monopoly under its government it was made clear that from now on the price of crude oil will be determined by the international market. Now, there was a change in the pricing system as the benchmark rate was to be determined by the NDRC according to the international rates of the oil. The prices of domestic oil were to be synchronized with the price of oil in international market on the first day of June every year. The prices of other products of oil were to be geared with the same on fifth day of June every year. The latest amendment in the oil pricing was done on nineteenth day of December 2008 which stated that oil prices of domestic land will be linked to the prices of international market (TANG GUO, 2012). B ut the determination of the oil prices will rest with the government and its authorized enterprises. The last method of pricing monopoly which is executed by the Chinese government is of Hybrid Pricing. It is the type of pricing where there is a coexistence of market prices, directive pricing and government pricing. The most known field where such a coexistence exists is the telecommunication field. The value added prices for telecommunication and the market prices are determined by the government. Since there is much competition in the market the tariffs of the telecommunication industry are regulated. There is another department of Information Industry which manages all the hybrid pricing and tariffs for the services of telecommunication. The department is owned by the State Council which consults with the pricing department of the States Council. Once the approval is given by the States Council, implementation and promulgation of the prices are done. It has been observed that the hybrid pricing is a result of a pricing structure followed before 1978 (WANG WANG, 2012). It was bef ore this period that government controlled all the prices of telecom industry. But later on in the beginning of 1996,China approved various vertical modifications to the tariffs of telecom industry. After that the changes were made in the years 1997, 1998 and 2001 (Minamihashi, 2012). This allowed the competition to flourish with the services to be rationally allocated. But still the government controls major part of the pricing and tariffs of telecom sector. When we talk about the relevance and desirability of a natural monopoly there exists a staunch challenge to the policy of competition. There exists a natural monopoly when the fixed costs far exceed the average costs. But in the case of governments natural monopoly is used as a weapon to exercise complete control on all types of economic affairs. It creates a firewall for the foreign entities who are subjected to severe rules and regulations if they want to do business in China (Zhang Paltsev, 2016). This gives the government enterprises the superiority to talk terms and to bend the terms as per their interests. Most of the enterprises which are deemed to exercise natural monopoly are the ones who provide resources of the services which are very basic to the need of the citizens of China and have a huge market base of consumers. From the beginning till the end everything related to pricing monopoly is in the hands of the government and their enterprises who see to it that their grip on pricing stays strong no matter what the situation comes. Indeed there are regulations and amendments but are very few in number and are done with a huge time gap. It is quite interesting that one government enterprise is able to manage and maintain the entire industry for which it executes the monopoly. As for example energy resources, oil industry and telecommunication industry are such big fields of work where outsourcing or incorporating other foreign entities are required (Zhang, Yang Shackman, 2017). But to maintain the hold on every minute aspect of economy the Chinese government tend to monopolize it. As we can read in the above discussion that there are upsides and downsides of the price regulation of a natural monopoly it is a choice which is made by the Chinese government. It could have allowed investors and foreign companies to take part in the growth of their economy by partnering in their government enterprise or by investing in their ventures. But instead they choose to keep the foreign parties away from their business and do it on their own by exercising price monopoly on almost every segment of business. Since they have been doing this for quite some time, China has mastered the art of monopoly in its true sense. It cannot be negated that they have done anything wrong as the growth of economy has been humungous and majority of the people living in the country have benefitted from it one way or the other.We have discussed earlier that how and why China executes monopoly, the types of methods used for exercising them and the efficiency with which they have done it. Pricing monopoly shows the dominance of the government on its subjects and also at the international level. This shows that they are self-sustainable and can manage the economy by their own. But the downside is also very prominent. Natural monopoly tends to breed corruption in the subjects of government enterprises. There is no sense of competition in the market. The departments know very well that they have to regulate the prices of commodities and thereby can control the economy of the country. It can be concluded that Chinese government should relax their rigid monopolistic rules and let some competition come in the government franchise. This will be more beneficial for the growth of the economy but will be a serious blow to the natural monopoly. References Baldwin, R., Cave, M., Lodge, M. (2012).Understanding regulation: theory, strategy, and practice. Oxford University Press on Demand. CHEN, L., ZHU, W. P. (2012). Economic Nationalization and the Development of Administrative Monopoly System: Study on Economic History from the Perspective of Institutional Change [J].Journal of Finance and Economics,3, 49-58. Crozet, Y., Nash, C., Preston, J. (2012). Beyond the quiet life of a natural monopoly: Regulatory challenges ahead for Europes rail sector.CERRE, Brussels./ Foster, J.B. McChesney, R.W., (2012).The endless crisis: How monopoly-finance capital produces stagnation and upheaval from the USA to China. NYU Press. Haucap, J., Klein, G. J. (2012). How regulation affects network and service quality in related markets.Economics Letters,117(2), 521-524. Joskow, P. L., Wolfram, C. D. (2012). Dynamic pricing of electricity.The American Economic Review,102(3), 381-385. Jun-hao, W. A. N. G. (2013). The Differentiated Regulation and Coordinated Policies after Market Restructuring in Monopoly IndustriesTake China's Telecommunication and Electricity Industries as Examples [J].China Industrial Economy,11, 008. Liangchun, Y., Wei, Z. (2012). Intensity and Efficiency Loss of Industry Administrative Monopoly in China [J].Economic Research Journal,3, 003. Lin, B., Liu, C. Lin, L., (2015). The effect of Chinas natural gas pricing reform.Emerging Markets Finance and Trade,51(4), pp.812-825. Minamihashi, N. (2012). Natural monopoly and distorted competition: evidence from unbundling fiber-optic networks. Paltsev, S., Zhang, D. (2015). Natural gas pricing reform in China: Getting closer to a market system?.Energy Policy,86, 43-56. Shaikh, F., Ji, Q. (2016). Forecasting natural gas demand in China: Logistic modelling analysis.International Journal of Electrical Power Energy Systems,77, 25-32. TANG, J. J., GUO, Y. L. (2012). Sunk Costs, Transaction Costs and Government Regulation in the Case of Chinese Natural Monopoly [J].China Industrial Economics,12, 005. WANG, J. H., WANG, J. M. (2012). Administrative Monopoly in China's Natural Monopoly Industries and Its Regulatory Policy [J].China Industrial Economy,12, 30-37. Zhang, D. Paltsev, S., (2016). The Future of Natural Gas in China: Effects of Pricing Reform and Climate Policy.Climate Change Economics,7(04), p.1650012. Zhang, W., Yang, J., Zhang, Z. Shackman, J.D., (2017). Natural gas price effects in China based on the CGE model.Journal of Cleaner Production,147, pp.497-505.

We the People Essay Example

We the People Essay Unit 1 Speech 2: What are the fundamental characteristics of a constitutional government? Â ·In what ways does constitutional government mean limited government? Â ·Describe at least three provisions of the Constitution that provide a means of preventing the abuse or misuse of government power. Explain how these provisions work in our system of government today. The fundamental characteristics of a constitutional government contain of a written document which establishes the rules, rights, and principles of the government. These characteristics are the establishment of individual rights, federalism, higher law, separation of powers, and checks and balances. The establishment of all these rules, rights, and principles are all an important feature towards the constitutional government because they all make up the Constitution. They are all very important when it comes to making up the Constitution and the government. A constitutional government is a limited government through separation of powers and checks and balances. Separating powers is a primary strategy of promoting constitutional or limited government by ensuring that no one individual branch has excessive power that can be abused, it consists of three branches, legislative, judicial, and executive branch. These branches were put forth so that no one branch has more power than the other, thus, checks and balances. Federalism is the power shared between the states and the national government. This limits the government by sharing its powers amongst the states so it would not be a tyrannical government. We will write a custom essay sample on We the People specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on We the People specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on We the People specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One provision of the Constitution that provides a means of preventing the abuse or misuse of governmental power is checks and balances. Checks and balances give a limit on each branch and its powers by dividing the legislative branch into a bicameral legislature which consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives, the executive branch which the president appoints justices of the Supreme Court and they have to be approved by the U. S Senate, and the judicial branch has no power to make laws only find them or unconstitutional. An example of checks and balances is the two-third vote of Congress to approve a bill that the president has vetoed. Another provision of the Constitution that provides a means of preventing the abuse or misuse of governmental power is higher law which is to be obeyed by the government in the U. S. Constitution. The higher laws were established to protect individual rights. The government cannot use any of its power to take these rights away from any person without due process of law or in times of war. The last but not least provision that prevents the misuse or abuse of governmental power is the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was put into our Constitution to help each person receive the rights they deserve, and to limit the government’s power in order to secure people’s rights. The Constitution is the highest law in the United States, higher law is used in our government today in every aspect because we live based on the Constitution. Checks and balances is used in our system of government today because they still limit each branch and give them certain powers. The executive branch still can veto bills from the legislature, and the judicial branch still may declare a law constitutional and unconstitutional. The Bill of Rights will always be used in the life of Americans. It is used today by giving U. S. citizens the rights they should receive and limits the governments powers on their rights. We still have these rights today, and in which the government cannot take away without due process of law. Many of these rights are used today to help the citizens better their lives and for them to help better our country. The Constitution consists of many fundamental characteristics which make a constitutional government. The characteristics of such fundaments are higher laws that limits the government. The Constitution is very important for each and everyone. The law provides order and security of one’s rights. Nevertheless, the United States Constitution is made up of laws, rights, and a government. We all must abide by these laws and appreciate the rights we are given through out Constitution.

The 10 Most Bizarre Easter Traditions

The 10 Most Bizarre Easter Traditions Whips, water, and fire – not exactly the things you might think of when you think of Easter traditions. In a few days, the U.S. will be filled with children dyeing eggs, eating chocolate bunnies, and making trails out of jellybeans. Still, Easter is one of the few holidays that is celebrated worldwide. Because of this, there are some very unique ways of celebrating Easter that may shock you. 1. Knock-knock, Who’s There? Louisiana Egg Knocking Even though it’s a part of the U.S., parts of Louisiana are more foreign that countries outside of our borders. In some of the deepest parts of the bayou, Easter celebrations begin with an egg-knocking ceremony. Teams of competitors tie their eggs with strings and knock them together. The person whose egg cracks first loses, and the game is played until there is an â€Å"Egg King.† 2. Go Fly A Kite In Bermuda, the weeks leading up to Easter are marked by building kites which are only flown on Easter Day. These kites are made of anything that local kite-makers can find, from crates to ties and old clothing. One of the most important elements of the Bermuda Easter kites is the â€Å"hummer,† which makes a loud buzzing sound when the kite is in flight. 3. Whips and Water? In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, whipping and water are just normal parts of the Easter festivities. On the Monday after Easter, men craft colorful whips from Willow branches and give the women in their lives playful lashes. The whipping is supposed to keep women beautiful and fertile for another year, and also acts as a flirtation device. But, the women aren’t without recourse. The next day, they retaliate by throwing water on the heads of their attackers. 4. A Fair Egg Exchange In places where Hungarian is spoken (Translyvania, Southern Slovakia, and parts of Serbia), there is also a tradition of pouring water. In these countries, the day after Easter is called â€Å"Watering Monday.† Men will traditionally visit families with women and girls and sprinkle them with perfume in exchange for the Easter eggs. 5. Trick or Easter In Finland and Sweden, the one tradition most Americans think of as Halloween-ish are celebrated at Easter. Children in these countries often carry pussy willows on Palm Sunday instead of palms. Then, the day after Easter, they decorate the pussy willows in colorful paint and knock on doors. The community gives children candy in exchange for the beautiful decorations. 6. Light it Up In a number of countries, Easter is celebrated by huge bonfires. Often, children (especially teenage boys) run through town gathering any scrapwood that they can find. These fires act as a competition, with the boy who has the largest fire as the winner. In Italy, the Scoppio del carro lights a fire from shards from the Holy Sepulchre which in turn sets off a huge fireworks display. 7. Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’ In England, Ireland, and Scotland, children participate in egg rolling as a part of their Easter fun. The goal is to roll an egg the farthest which makes the owner of the egg the Easter victor. There is also a superstition that eggs that don’t make it down the hill intact must be crushed completely, or the egg may be used by witches to do evil magic. 8. Pace Egg Plays Although this particular tradition fell out of style for a while, in recent years the Pace Egg Plays have become a fun part of Easter for many English, Irish, and Scots. These plays date back to the Crusades and revolve around the fictitious antics of St. George and a troublemaker named Old Tosspot. Watchers are encouraged to give Easter eggs to the two characters in exchange to see their traveling show. 9. A Man-Made Holiday In Russia, men aren’t allowed to cook, clean, or otherwise work on Easter. In fact, there is a tradition that says men shouldn’t even be allowed in the kitchen at all. If a man does, it’s said that his beard and moustache will immediately turn grey and he will age before his time. 10. Egg-Zellent In Bessieres, France, there is a tradition of feeding the whole town with a single omelet. According to legend, Napoleon stopped in the little village one night and ordered and omelet. He was so pleased with his meal that he asked all the villagers to bring their eggs so that the chef could create a meal for the whole town. Now, the feast is made from 15,000 eggs and 25,000 kilos of oil each year. Easter doesnt seem so boring now, right? This year you can try something new, celebrating Easter abroad or at least trying the weird Easter traditions with your friends in US. Have the Happy Easter, and tell us your stories!

The Wright Brothers Famous Quotes

The Wright Brothers Famous Quotes On December 17, 1903,  Orville Wright  and  Wilbur Wright  successfully tested a flying machine that took off with its own power, flew at even speeds, then landed safely without damage and started the era of human flight. The year before, the brothers tested out a number of aircraft, wing designs, gliders, and propellers in order to understand the complexities of aerodynamics and hopefully create a powered craft capable of prolonged flight. Throughout this process, Orville and Wilbur recorded many of their greatest quotes in the notebooks they kept and interviews they made at the time. From Orvilles thoughts on hope and living to both brothers interpretations of what they discovered during their experiments, the following quotes encapsulate the thrill the Wright brothers felt when creating, then flying, the first self-propelled airplane. Orville Wright on Dreams, Hope, and Life The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our  ancestors  who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through. The  airplane stays up  because it doesnt have the time to fall. No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris†¦[because] no known motor can run at the requisite speed for four days without stopping. If birds can glide for long periods of time, then†¦ why cant I? If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance. We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity. Orville Wright on Their Flight Experiments In our gliding experiments, we had had a number of experiences in which we had landed upon one wing, but the crushing of the wing had absorbed the shock so that we were not uneasy about the motor in case of a landing of that kind. With all the knowledge and skill acquired in thousands of flights in the last ten years, I would hardly think today of making my first flight on a strange machine in a 27-mile wind, even if I knew that the machine had already been flown and was safe. Isnt it astonishing that all these secrets have been preserved for so many years just so we could discover them! The course of the flight up and down was exceedingly erratic, partly due to the irregularity of the air, and partly to lack of experience in handling this machine. The control of the front rudder was difficult on account of its being balanced too near the center. When the machine had been fastened with a wire to the  track so that it could not start until released by the operator, and the motor had been run to make sure that it was in condition, we tossed a coin to decide who should have the first trial. Wilbur won. With 12 horsepower  at our command, we considered that we could permit the weight of the machine with  an operator  to rise to 750 or 800 pounds, and still have as much surplus power as we had originally allowed for in the first estimate of 550 pounds. Wilbur Wright on Their Flying Experiments There is no sport equal to that which aviators enjoy while being carried through the air on great white wings. More than anything else the sensation is one of perfect peace mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost if you can conceive of such a combination. I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then, if possible, add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success. We could hardly wait to get up in the morning. I confess that in 1901, I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for 50 years. The fact that the great scientist believed in flying machines was the one thing that encouraged us to begin our studies. It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill. The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who...looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space...on the infinite highway of the air. Men become wise just as they become rich, more by what they save than by what they receive.

Love and marrage for normal people and gay &lesbian marrige Essay

Love and marrage for normal people and gay &lesbian marrige - Essay Example In your childhood, age all what you ask your parents for is love. A trophy for a little child is a kiss. In addition, when you get angry at children forgiveness for them is a huge. All that they understand is your emotions even if they cannot talk. They become very emotional as they grow up. When a child is three years old he or she become jealous, they want their parents to show this love only for them. At that time, the child is more emotional than any time before. Moreover, they get angry with you when you show love to their older or younger siblings. When Bell Hooks said† I talked to large audiences and even had wee one- on- one conversation with children about the way they think about love†(Yagelski, 256). She mentioned children because the angle they looked at love is concerned with care and trust. Considering children in love, is like defining love as pour emotions that start from youth until our hair is white. Love continuous in it is different stages as we go older. A teenager believes in love as a boyfriend or as a girlfriend. They have a different definition than the one that children had. However, some of them believe that love is all about sex. Moreover, they are confused between love and admiration. However, the presence of love still exists. Not to mention that in this age they become very emotional and sensitive. Teenagers feel that nobody understands them; they feel that the parent’s marriage atmosphere is not suitable for them. Some scientific theories say that they do not manage to control their emotions at this age. In fact, all that they think of in this age is seeking for love. The confusion that drives them to be emotional is due to the fact of building their selves. At this age, you realize what is your interest or what are your goals that you want to approach when you get older. As you become grown, and you get older, you recognize the real definition of love. You understand that love is an endless

Research about Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research about Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The regime uses security forces and the military to crack down on protesters (Amnesty International on human Rights web). According to the International Crisis Group, Saudi Arabia is a troubled place coupled with militant activities. Execution of innocent civilians is the order of the day and the same usually go unreported. The Shiite group, which is the minority group, has been economically displaced in their own country (web). The U.S department of State has echoed the same sentiments about Saudi Arabia. Although many issues mentioned by U.S department of State talk about conflicts, the most discussed issues about Saudi Arabia are political and socio-economic issues (U.S department of State web). Internally Displaced Monitoring Center (web) presents valuable information regarding Saudi Arabia social issues relating to internal displacement. It is claimed that the number of internally displaced citizens is increasing and more aid has been directed towards efforts to sustain the internally displaced persons. With all these conflicts, social, and political issues going on, a viable solution needs to be put in place. Amnesty International. â€Å"Saudi Arabia†. 2012. Web, 5 March, 2012.

Role Of The Citizen On Earth Essay Example for Free

Role Of The Citizen On Earth Essay The role of every element on earth is indeed found in its nature and it is the same for man, but instead of functioning exclusively as humans, we intentionally bludgeon our role as defined by nature trying to be something beyond our reach, and creating more problems than nature itself can solve, calling on us to reverse our course and get back to nature. The Earth is being destroyed by human actions. Deforestation, industrial factory, nuclear industry, dam construction, the use of chemical substances and poisonous gas that pollute the environment and are harmful to the ozone layer, mining, and so on are the dangers that the Earth is facing. Humans are who cause the problems, but they are also who find the solutions. Therefore, the destiny of the Earth is shaped by everyone. If we want to make a difference on the Earth and lead the Earth to the peace and happiness, we need to start now. A citizen could be described as an individual who is born into a country or acquires it through naturalization, which connotes the fact that it is your paternal right to contribute meaningfully towards the development of that nation or country. As far as this true, the context of this essay will enlighten as well as portray the impact and role that I have played as a universal citizen of our beautiful mother earth which is currently faced with environmental destruction, resource depletion, wars, conflicts, poverty among others.

A Comparison of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman and A Raisin

The Value of a Dream in Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun      Ã‚   How does one value a dream? This question arises while reading both Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun.   Although the two novels are very different, the stories and characters share many likenesses.   Death of a Salesman concerns a family’s difficulty in dealing with unrealized dreams.   A Raisin in the Sun focuses on a family's struggle to agree on a common dream.   In each of these stories, there are conflicts between the dreams that each character is struggling to attain.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Death of a Salesman, Happy and Biff are uncertain of where they are in life, and only reach out for the simple, already-tangible things at hand. Biff: "I don't know- what I'm supposed to want", and Happy:   "I don't know what the hell I'm working for", means that they bothh feel they havn't progressed.   All they want to do is work with their hands, with their shirts off and their backs to the sun.   Neither Biff nor Happy have struggled to get to where they feel secure, otherwise they would not be admitting such things.   And both have also dismissed the truth; Biff saying "Never mind. Just don't llay it all to me" and Happy saying, "Just don't lay it all at me feet."   Happy also wants to believe that everything is alright; Happy is fine, so long as he can make himself believe that everyone around him is fine.   Towards the end of the story, when Biff accuses everyone of lying, Happy exclaims, "We always told the truth!" b ut in the beginning, he admitted to Biff, "See, Biff, everybody around me is so false that I'm constantly lowering my ideals."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy Loman wants his dreams so badly that, in his ... ...o survive.   The Youngers never left the house; the house was the only place of action.   It was the pillar, even though it wasn't a great one.   They made it the pillar by their pride and faith.   Willy Loman died with somewhat of a sense of honor and dignity.   He knew he would make his family finally and truly proud, and, most importantly, he knew that Biff loved him, and he always had.   There is no such thing as a wasted life, so long as there are dreams to cloud up reality and, possibly, make them possible.      Works Consulted: Bloom, Harold. Twientieth-Century American Literature. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Draper, James P. Black Literature Criticisms. Detroit: Gale Research Incorporated, 1992. Hansberry, Lorraine.   A Raisin in the Sun.   New York:   Signet, 1988. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman.   New York: Viking, 1995.   

Hamlet-Soliloquy

Hamlet's perceptions of himself and his way of responding to his ‘quest' for revenge? Upon examination, It is clear that Hamlet Is ‘a divided mind' due to his Introspective way of thinking; a typical Renaissance character. Soliloquy 3 reveals that Hamlet has realized that his honor code demands him to exact revenge upon Claudia. However, halls moral code manifests itself Into constant self-recrimination, testament to his character.Hamlet begins by metaphorically comparing himself to a â€Å"peasant slave†, indicating that he has not dressed his honor code, as this distinguished the aristocrat from the peasant in Elizabethan times. The use of the exclamation is the first sign of his denunciation of himself due to his lack of action. This theme is advanced when he classically alludes to Hachure in reference to the play he has Just witnessed. Hamlet is ashamed that â€Å"he should weep to her† and ponders what the actor would do â€Å"had he the motive and the cue for passion that I have? Along with revealing the intellectuality of the Renaissance Hamlet, the classical allusion demonstrates that he is clearly frustrated by his Impotence for revenge. This is consolidated In the simile â€Å"Like John-a-dreams, unapparent of my cause† where Hamlet blatantly admits to Inaction, cutting a self- deprecating Image of himself. The rhetorical question â€Å"Am I a coward† attests to his Introspective nature as he Is self-analyzing whether the last portion of his soliloquy Is true or not.This begins a series of rhetorical questions in an attempt to conjure up a ensue of passion in the demoralizes Hamlet, which culminates with the fragmented sentence, â€Å"Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain! O, vengeance! † We can finally observe Hamlet thinking about revenge and this is affirmed when he begins to devise a plan to catch his Uncle's guilt, so that he â€Å"knows his (my) course†. Despite acquiring this new-found passion, his introspection still comes through when he claims that â€Å"The spirit I have seen may be the Devil†.This religious allusion reminds Hamlet of the mantra, ‘innocent until proven guilty, and Hamlet Is out to rove Claudia' guilt as â€Å"the plays the thing wherein he'll (I'll) catch the conscience of the king†. This rhyming couplet sets the stage for his plan for revenge and affirms that he Is truly â€Å"looking for certainties In a world of Gardner). All in all, soliloquy 3 is a perfect summation of Hamlet's complicated Renaissance mind: a journey from self-deprecation to blatant passion, culminating in the official beginning of his quest' for revenge.Hamlet-Soliloquy 3 By capital responding to his ‘quest' for revenge? Upon examination, it is clear that Hamlet is ‘a divided mind' due to his introspective way of thinking; a typical Renaissance demands him to exact revenge upon Claudia. However, his moral code manifests itself into constant self-recrimination, testament to his character. Hamlet begins by by his impotence for revenge. This is consolidated in the simile â€Å"Like John-a-dreams, unapparent of my cause† where Hamlet blatantly admits to inaction, cutting a self- deprecating image of himself.The rhetorical question â€Å"Am I a coward† attests to his introspective nature as he is self-analyzing whether the last portion of his soliloquy is can finally observe Hamlet thinking about revenge and this is affirmed when he reminds Hamlet of the mantra, ‘innocent until proven guilty, and Hamlet is out to that he is truly â€Å"looking for certainties in a world of uncertainties†(Helen Gardner). All in all, soliloquy 3 is a perfect summation of Hamlet's complicated Renaissance mind; a Journey from self-deprecation to blatant passion, culminating in the official beginning of his ‘quest' for revenge.

The Great Controversy of Newton and Leibniz

The great controversy as to who discovered the Calculus first, either Isaac Newton or Gottfried Leibniz, is indeed a sordid affair, which has sullied the arena of science. Boyer speaks the truth when he says that no invention in science or mathematics can be said to be the accomplishment of one or two persons (1959, p. 187). Newton himself admitted â€Å"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants† (qtd. in Rees 2006, p. 340). Such self-effacement is part of the magnanimity that we expect from a true genius. But did Leibniz conduct himself similarly? This, I believe, is the crux of the debate. Scientists not only stand on the shoulders of the giants of the past, but they also collaborate with each other. The very greatness of science stems from the fact that it is practiced in broad daylight. There should be no place for pride and vanity here. And yet the great controversy involves nothing but vanity. In the first instant it involved the vanities of two personalities, and then embroiled the vanities of two nations. If the accolade of the â€Å"inventor of the Calculus† must go to one among the two, I believe it must go to him who has conducted himself with most honor. And in this duel Newton emerges the winner. I first catalogue all that can be said in favor of Leibniz. He was truly a philosopher, in contrast to the scientific genius that Newton was. If we examine his philosophy we will find that it is in complete harmony with what the science of the calculus describes. He postulated a theory of â€Å"monads†, which are infinitesimal units of reality in which the microcosm contains the macrocosm. Calculus is the analysis of infinitesimals, and we are able to see in it a reflection of the Monadology. Therefore it is very likely that he came to an independent discovery. Calculus was on the verge of being discovered in any case, which the works of Huygens, Barrow and Fermat attest to. It is recorded that Leibniz began work on the Calculus in 1674, independently of Newton (?), and was the first to publish in 1684 (Stillwell 2002, p. 159). His unique approach (the dy/dx notation) demonstrates clearly his originality. And because he starts from a philosophical point of view, his analysis is more intuitive and suitable to demonstration. This is why the Leibnizean notation and approach that has become the norm. But the fact remains that Newton was the first to come a thorough formulation of the Calculus. In a note to a paper written in 1666 we find him deriving a tangent to a curve using his â€Å"method of fluxions†. In this note there is as aside that reads â€Å"This is only a special case of a general method whereby I can calculate curves and determine maxima, minima, and centers of gravity† (Boyer 1959, p. 207). This clearly indicates that Newton had come to a complete formulation. But he has no regard for the vanity of publication, being the consummate scientist that he was. In the height of the controversy Newton is reported to have said, â€Å"I have never grasped at fame among foreign nations, but I am very desirous to preserve my character for honesty† (Brewster 2004, p. 72). Calculus to Newton was merely a tool that he required to come to his universal theory of gravitation and motion, and not something that should be flouted separately. He was even reluctant to publish the revolutionary Principia, and did so only after the prodding of Edmund Halley. Leibniz, on the other hand, was eager to publish and propagate his findings. While we admit to his originality to a large extent, the conduct of Leibniz is highly suspicious in the proceedings. He makes no defense of his integrity, as Newton does, but instead seem entirely intent on pushing the evidence alone, as if defending himself in a court of law, and this makes us feel that he is hiding something. Subsequent scholarship does indeed reveal that he manipulated documents before being released. He is also found to have possessed crucial papers of Newton which he fails to admit of, which C J Gerhardt unearthed in 1849, even though he did make such an admission shortly before his death (Cajori 1898, p. 240). We must judge by circumstantial evidence, because it is all that we have at this distance. When we focus on the conduct of the two disputants, Leibniz is certainly the suspect one. There is no doubt that they both collaborated with each other. But plagiarism must be construed when any one among them fails to be completely honest and forthcoming. From this point of view the accusation falls on Leibniz, who has surely acted suspiciously. Even by his own admission he was aided by Newton’s papers, yet he failed to acknowledge his debt in time. This amounts to plagiarism. And since it is Newton that he plagiarized from, it is fair to name Newton as the inventor of the Calculus. Reference List Boyer C B. (1959). The History of the Calculus and Its Conceptual Development. Chelmsford, MA: Courier Dover Publications. Brewster D. (2004). Memoirs of the Life, Writings and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton Part 2. Whitefish MT: Kessinger Publishing. Cajori F. (1898). A History of Elementary Mathematics. London: Macmillan. Rees N. (2006). Brewer's Famous Quotations: 5000 Quotations and the Stories. New York: Sterling Publishing Company. Stillwell J. (2002). Mathematics and Its History. New York: Springer Publishing Company.   

How Writing at the University Influences Your Future Career

How Writing at the University Influences Your Future Career Academic writing is a skill that you will need in order to increase your chances of gaining a salaried position instead of working for an hourly wage. Almost every position in the corporate world requires the ability to write reports and create other types of written documents. In addition, it is vital that your writing abilities are developed at the university level so that you can better utilize your intellect and make correct decisions. Here are three ways in which academic writing helps you: It organizes your thoughts. It stimulates your imagination. It improves your comprehension. In order to understand these ideas better, it would be a good idea to analyze each one of these points in more detail. This will allow you to apply them practically when you are involved with any sort of task that involves the training and improvement of your academic writing skills. Writing is an Efficient Way to Organize Your Thoughts. Academic writing can be thought of as a tool that allows you to take multiple ideas about a subject and place them in a structured format that allows you to understand how they all relate to each other. Oftentimes, there are many different concepts and approaches that are swimming around in your head. When you write these things down, you solidify them into system that allows you to comprehend everything more effectively. Writing makes all of these moving parts stabilized so that a core understanding can be created, and this foundation allows you to mentally digest everything with greater ease. Writing is a Productive Way to Stimulate Your Imagination Another great thing about academic writing is that it allows your imagination to flow because you are gaining a greater understanding about many different types of topics. When your imagination has new facts to ponder, it can take these elements and create even more ideas. Writing also lets you formulate your thoughts in a way that provides you with the ability to create many new options. When contemplating all of these new choices, you can whimsically juggle concepts and terms you may have never considered before. Writing is an Effective Way to Improve Your Intellect Academic writing is an expressive form of communication that increases your overall ability to think properly because you are exercising your intellectual prowess in a way that allows it to process new data in an improved way. Continual repetition and proper criticism will ultimately produce a superior ability to use your mind. Academic writing is training for your intellect in the same way that physical exercise is training for your body. This is the main reason why writing skills are so vitally important for your education. And if you want to improve your academic writing skills you can request professional help from specialized services like CustomWritings.com. Therefore, it is absolutely critical to gain as many new writing skills as possible while you are in college, so you will have more success when you go out and find a job. When you write well, you not only make yourself more intelligent, you also improve your odds of finding higher quality employment that pays you more money. Academic writing is the key that unlocks the doors to your greatest chances for success, so dont think of writing as a chore; think of it as an investment in your future. It is also important to realize that you cannot stop learning once you do get a job. You will always be required to keep learning new things as technology and ideas develop. Therefore, you need to write well, so you can keep the job you have. If you experience problems with academic writing now, CustomWritings.com essay writing service can help you!

Pacific Island Hopping in World War II

Pacific Island Hopping in World War II In mid-1943, the Allied command in the Pacific began Operation Cartwheel, which was designed to isolate the Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The key elements of Cartwheel involved Allied forces under General Douglas MacArthur pushing across northeastern New Guinea, while naval forces secured the Solomon Islands to the east. Rather than engage sizable Japanese garrisons, these operations were designed to cut them off and let them wither on the vine. This approach of bypassing Japanese strong points, such as Truk, was applied on a large scale as the Allies devised their strategy for moving across the central Pacific. Known as island hopping, U.S. forces moved from island to island, using each as a base for capturing the next. As the island-hopping campaign began, MacArthur continued his push in New Guinea while other Allied troops were engaged in clearing the Japanese from the Aleutians. Battle of Tarawa The initial move of the island-hopping campaign came in the Gilbert Islands when U.S. forces struck Tarawa Atoll. The capture of the island was necessary as it would allow the Allies to move on to the Marshall Islands and then the Marianas. Understanding its importance, Admiral Keiji Shibazaki, Tarawas commander, and his 4,800-men garrison heavily fortified the island. On November 20, 1943, Allied warships opened fire on Tarawa, and carrier aircraft began striking targets across the atoll. Around 9:00 a.m., the 2nd Marine Division began coming ashore. Their landings were hampered by a reef 500 yards offshore that prevented many landing craft from reaching the beach. After overcoming these difficulties, the Marines were able to push inland, though the advance was slow. Around noon, the Marines were finally able to penetrate the first line of Japanese defenses with the assistance of several tanks that had come ashore. Over the next three days, US forces succeeded in taking the island after brutal fighting and fanatical resistance from the Japanese. In the battle, U.S. forces lost 1,001 killed and 2,296 wounded. Of the Japanese garrison, only seventeen Japanese soldiers remained alive at the end of the fighting along with 129 Korean laborers. Kwajalein Eniwetok Using the lessons learned at Tarawa, U.S. forces advanced into the Marshall Islands. The first target in the chain was Kwajalein. Beginning on January 31, 1944, the islands of the atoll were pummeled by naval and aerial bombardments. Additionally, efforts were made to secure adjacent small islands for use as artillery firebases to support the main Allied effort. These were followed by landings carried out by the 4th Marine Division and the 7th Infantry Division. These attacks easily overran the Japanese defenses, and the atoll was secured by February 3. As at Tarawa, the Japanese garrison fought to nearly the last man, with only 105 of nearly 8,000 defenders surviving. As US amphibious forces sailed northwest to attack Eniwetok, the American aircraft carriers were moving to strike the Japanese anchorage at Truk Atoll. A principal Japanese base, US planes struck the airfields and ships at Truk on February 17 and 18, sinking three light cruisers, six destroyers, over twenty-five merchantmen, and destroying 270 aircraft. As Truk was burning, Allied troops began landing at Eniwetok. Focusing on three of the atolls islands, the effort saw the Japanese mount a tenacious resistance and utilize a variety of concealed positions. Despite this, the islands of the atoll were captured on February 23 after a brief but sharp battle. With the Gilberts and Marshalls secure, U.S. commanders began planning for the invasion of the Marianas. Saipan the Battle of the Philippine Sea Comprised primarily of the islands of Saipan, Guam, and Tinian, the Marianas were coveted  by the Allies as airfields that would place the home islands of Japan within range of bombers such as the B-29 Superfortress. At 7:00 a.m. on June 15, 1944, U.S. forces led by Marine Lieutenant General Holland Smiths V Amphibious Corps began landing on Saipan after a heavy naval bombardment. The naval component of the invasion force was overseen by Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner. To cover Turner and Smiths forces, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet, dispatched Admiral Raymond Spruances 5th US Fleet along with the carriers of Vice Admiral Marc Mitschers Task Force 58. Fighting their way ashore, Smiths men met determined resistance from 31,000 defenders commanded by Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito. Understanding the importance of the islands, Admiral Soemu Toyoda, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, dispatched Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa to the area with five carriers to engage the U.S. fleet. The result of Ozawas arrival was the Battle of the Philippine Sea, which pitted his fleet against seven American carriers led by Spruance and Mitscher. Fought June 19 and 20, American aircraft sank the carrier Hiyo, while the submarines USS Albacore and USS Cavalla sank the carriers Taiho and Shokaku. In the air, American aircraft downed over 600 Japanese aircraft while only losing 123 of their own. The aerial battle proved so one-sided that US pilots referred to it as The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. With only two carriers and 35 aircraft remaining, Ozawa retreated west, leaving the Americans in firm control of the skies and waters around the Marianas. On Saipan, the Japanese fought tenaciously and slowly retreated into the islands mountains and caves. U.S. troops gradually forced the Japanese out by employing a mix of flamethrowers and explosives. As the Americans advanced, the islands civilians, who had been convinced that the Allies were barbarians, began a mass suicide, jumping from the islands cliffs. Lacking supplies, Saito organized a final banzai attack for July 7. Beginning at dawn, it lasted over fifteen hours and overran two American battalions before it was contained and defeated. Two days later, Saipan was declared secure. The battle was the costliest to date for American forces with 14,111 casualties. Almost the entire Japanese garrison of 31,000 was killed, including Saito, who took his own life.   Guam Tinian With Saipan taken, U.S. forces moved down the chain, coming ashore on Guam on July 21. Landing with 36,000 men, the 3rd Marine Division and 77th Infantry Division drove the 18,500 Japanese defenders north until the island was secured on August 8. As on Saipan, the Japanese largely fought to the death, and only 485 prisoners were taken. As the fighting was occurring on Guam, American troops landed on Tinian. Coming ashore on July 24, the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions took the island after six days of combat. Though the island was declared secure, several hundred Japanese held out in the Tinians jungles for months. With the Marianas taken, construction began on massive airbases from which raids against Japan would be launched. Competing Strategies   Peleliu With the Marianas secured, competing strategies for moving forward arose from the two principal U.S. leaders in the Pacific.  Admiral Chester Nimitz  advocated bypassing the Philippines in favor of capturing Formosa and Okinawa. These would then be used as bases for attacking the Japanese home islands. This plan was countered by General Douglas MacArthur, who wished to fulfill his promise to return to the Philippines as well as land on Okinawa. After a lengthy debate involving President Roosevelt, MacArthurs plan was chosen. The first step in liberating the Philippines was the capture of Peleliu in the Palau Islands. Planning for invading the island had already begun as its capture was required in both Nimitz and MacArthurs plans. On September 15, the 1st Marine Division stormed ashore. They were later reinforced by the 81st Infantry Division, which had captured the nearby island of Anguar. While planners had originally thought that the operation would take several days, it ultimately took over two months to secure the island as its 11,000 defenders retreated into the jungle and mountains. Utilizing a system of interconnected bunkers, strong points, and caves,  Colonel Kunio Nakagawas garrison exacted a heavy toll on the attackers, and the Allied effort soon became a bloody grinding affair. On November 27, 1944, after weeks of brutal fighting that killed 2,336 Americans and 10,695 Japanese, Peleliu was declared secure. Battle of Leyte Gulf After extensive planning, Allied forces arrived off the island of Leyte in the eastern Philippines on October 20, 1944. That day, Lieutenant General Walter Kruegers U.S. Sixth Army began moving ashore. To counter the landings, the Japanese threw their remaining naval strength against the Allied fleet. To accomplish their goal, Toyoda dispatched Ozawa with four carriers (Northern Force) to lure  Admiral William Bull Halseys U.S. Third Fleet away from the landings on Leyte. This would allow three separate forces (Center Force and two units comprising Southern Force) to approach from the west to attack and destroy the U.S. landings at Leyte. The Japanese would be opposed by Halseys Third Fleet and  Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaids Seventh Fleet. The battle that ensued, known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf, was the largest naval battle in history and consisted of four primary engagements. In the first engagement on October 23-24, the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, Vice Admiral Takeo Kuritas Center Force was attacked by American submarines and aircraft losing a battleship,  Ã‚  Musashi, and two cruisers along with several others damaged. Kurita retreated out of range of U.S.  aircraft but returned to his original course that evening. In the battle, the escort carrier  USS  Princeton  (CVL-23) was sunk by land-based bombers. On the night of the 24th, part of the Southern Force led by Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura entered the Surigao Straight where they were attacked by 28 Allied destroyers and 39 PT boats. These light forces attacked relentlessly and inflicted torpedo hits on two Japanese battleships and sank four destroyers. As the Japanese pushed north through the straight, they encountered the six battleships (many of the  Pearl Harbor  veterans) and eight cruisers of the 7th Fleet Support Force led by  Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf. Crossing the Japanese T, Oldendorfs ships opened fired at 3:16 AM and immediately began scoring hits on the enemy. Utilizing radar fire control systems, Oldendorfs line inflicted heavy damage on the Japanese and sank two battleships and a heavy cruiser. The accurate American gunfire then forced the remainder of Nishimuras squadron to withdraw. At 4:40 PM on the 24th, Halseys scouts located Ozawas Northern Force. Believing that Kurita was retreating, Halsey signaled Admiral Kinkaid that he was moving north to pursue the Japanese carriers. By doing so, Halsey was leaving the landings unprotected. Kinkaid was not aware of this as he believed Halsey had left one carrier group to cover the San Bernardino Straight. On the 25th, U.S. aircraft began pummeling Ozawas force in the Battle of Cape Engaà ±o. While Ozawa did launch a strike of around 75 aircraft against Halsey, this force was largely destroyed and inflicted no damage. By the end of the day, all four of Ozawas carriers had been sunk. As the battle was concluding, Halsey was informed that the situation off Leyte was critical.  Soemus  plan had worked. By Ozawa drawing away Halseys carriers, the path through the San Bernardino Strait was left open for Kuritas Center Force to pass through to attack the landings. Breaking off his attacks, Halsey began steaming south at full speed. Off Samar (just north of Leyte), Kuritas force encountered the 7th Fleets escort carriers and destroyers. Launching their planes, the escort carriers began to flee, while the destroyers valiantly attacked Kuritas much superior force. As the melee was turning in favor of the Japanese, Kurita broke off after realizing that he was not attacking Halseys carriers and that the longer he lingered, the more likely he was to be attacked by American aircraft. Kuritas retreat effectively ended the battle. The Battle of Leyte Gulf marked the last time the Imperial Japanese Navy would conduct large-scale operations during the war. Return to the Philippines With the Japanese defeated at sea, MacArthurs forces pushed east across Leyte, supported by the Fifth Air Force. Fighting through rough terrain and wet weather, they then moved north onto the neighboring island of Samar. On December 15, Allied troops landed on Mindoro and met little resistance. After consolidating their position on Mindoro, the island was used as a staging area for the invasion of Luzon. This took place on January 9, 1945, when Allied forces landed at Lingayen Gulf on the islands northwest coast. Within a few days, over 175,000 men came ashore, and soon MacArthur was advancing on Manila. Moving quickly, Clark Field, Bataan, and Corregidor were retaken, and pincers closed around Manila. After heavy fighting, the capital was liberated on March 3. On April 17, the Eighth Army landed on Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines. Fighting would continue on Luzon and Mindanao until the end of the war. Battle of Iwo Jima Located on the route from the Marianas to Japan, Iwo Jima provided the Japanese with airfields and an early warning station for detecting American bombing raids. Considered one of the home islands, Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi prepared his defenses in-depth, constructing a vast array of interlocking fortified positions connected by a large network of underground tunnels. For the Allies, Iwo Jima was desirable as an intermediate airbase, as well as a staging area for the invasion of Japan. At 2:00 a.m. on February 19, 1945, U.S. ships opened fire on the island, and aerial attacks began. Due to the nature of the Japanese defenses, these attacks proved largely ineffective. The next morning, at 8:59 a.m., the first landings began as the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions came ashore. Early resistance was light as Kuribayashi wished to hold his fire until the beaches were full of men and equipment. Over the next several days, American forces advanced slowly, often under heavy  machine-gun  and artillery fire, and captured Mount Suribachi. Able to shift troops through the tunnel network, the Japanese frequently appeared in areas that the Americans believed to be secure. Fighting on Iwo Jima proved extremely brutal as American troops gradually pushed the Japanese back. Following a final Japanese assault on March 25 and 26, the island was secured. In the battle, 6,821 Americans and 20,703 (out of 21,000) Japanese died.   Okinawa The final island to be taken before the proposed invasion of Japan was Okinawa. U.S. troops began landing on April 1, 1945, and initially met light resistance as Tenth Army swept across the south-central parts of the island, capturing two airfields. This early success led Lt. General Simon B. Buckner, Jr. to order the 6th Marine Division to clear the northern part of the island. This was accomplished after heavy fighting around Yae-Take. While land forces were fighting ashore, the US fleet, supported by the British Pacific Fleet, defeated the last Japanese threat at sea. Named  Operation Ten-Go, the Japanese plan called for the super battleship  Yamato  and the light cruiser  Yahagi  to steam south on a suicide mission. The ships were to attack the U.S. fleet and then beach themselves near Okinawa and continue the fight as shore batteries. On April 7, the ships were sighted by American scouts, and  Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher  launched over 400 aircraft to intercept them. As the Japanese ships lacked air cover, the American aircraft attacked at will, sinking both. While the Japanese naval threat was removed, an aerial one remained: kamikazes. These suicide planes relentlessly attacked the Allied fleet around Okinawa, sinking numerous ships and inflicting heavy casualties. Ashore, the Allied advance was slowed by rough terrain, and stiff resistance from the Japanese fortified at the southern end of the island. Fighting raged through April and May as two Japanese counteroffensives were defeated, and it was not until June 21 that resistance ended. The largest land battle of the Pacific war, Okinawa cost the Americans 12,513 killed, while the Japanese saw 66,000 soldiers die. Ending the War With Okinawa secured and American bombers regularly bombing and firebombing Japanese cities, planning moved forward for the invasion of Japan. Codenamed Operation Downfall, the plan called for the invasion of southern Kyushu (Operation Olympic) followed by seizing the Kanto Plain near Tokyo (Operation Coronet). Due to the geography of Japan, the Japanese high command had ascertained Allied intentions and planned their defenses accordingly. As planning moved forward, casualty estimates of 1.7 to 4 million for the invasion were presented to Secretary of War Henry Stimson. With this in mind, President Harry S. Truman authorized the use of the  new atom bomb  to bring a swift end to the war. Flying from Tinian, the B-29  Enola Gay  dropped the  first atom bomb  on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, destroying the city. A second B-29,  Bockscar, dropped a second on Nagasaki three days later. On August 8, following the Hiroshima bombing, the Soviet Union renounced its nonaggression pact with Japan and attacked into Manchuria. Facing these new threats, Japan unconditionally surrendered on August 15. On September 2, aboard the battleship  USS  Missouri  in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese delegation formally signed the instrument of surrender ending World War II.

Cost of capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cost of capital - Essay Example e returns to the company and the risks involved in the investment on purchasing the supplier has to be analysed and this process is known as the investment appraisal. Investment Appraisal is defined as; â€Å"Evaluation of the attractiveness of an investment proposal, using methods such as internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), or payback period (PP). Investment appraisal is an integral part of capital budgeting, and is applicable to areas even where the returns may not be easily quantifiable such as personnel, marketing, and training† (Gotze, Northcott, & Schuster, 2009, p24). Payback period, as the name indicates, computes the time taken for the project to generate cash flows to break even. In other words, it is the number of years that will be taken by the project to pay back the initial investment to the company (Emery, 2007). The payback period for this proposal is found to be 4 years (4 * $ 500,000). Net Present Value utilizes the discounted cash flows and computes the total worth of the project to the company. The cash flow estimates for the life of the project are discounted to present values and the net sum of the cash flows (including any outflows) provides the Net Present Value of the project (Gillespie, Lewis, & Hamilton, 1997). It indicates that the project will increase the worth of the company by this value. In this case, the NPV of the proposal is computed as shown below: The cost of capital in most cases is volatile and changes during the life of the project. This can affect the returns and the Net Present Value computed during the project start up. The internal rate of return is used to compute a maximum discount rate that can be applied to the project without incurred any losses and gives an indication of the margin of safety of the project (Emery, 2007). IRR calculation works on trial and error basis. Initially the NPV for an assumed rate is determined and based on this value; another rate is selected so that the new NPV

Recording labels and music marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Recording labels and music marketing - Essay Example In the article "Paying the Price" there is a new owner of EMI Universal. Rivals of EMI are challenged with an opportunity to expand all over the world. Moreover, our study looks at UK albums and singles sales between the beginning of 2011 and the artists and assets behind 44% of EMI's album sales, which will have to be divested in 2012 and about 30% of UK singles sales must expand. These impressive figures underline the fact that a challenging environment of the modern music industry sets the pace of a competitive development in this field. This is a complicated background for future performance of the Company internationally. Moreover, divestments experienced by the Company can lead it to huge losses. It is hard to believe, but the artists, whose creative works and developments were rooted in this Company, are now leaving it. Artists and assets are to be sold off by Universal behind 44% of EMI's UK album sales in 18 months to the end of June 2012. This Company sold 20.4 million albu ms in UK between January 2011 and June 2012 with to-be-divested Parlophone label behind more than 3 million of them. The Company must let go albums of very popular artists, such as David Guetta, Kate Bush, Eliza Doolittle and some others. EMI's to-be-divested share of the Now! Franchise equated to more that 2.4 million UK album sales in 18th months period. There are some interests of the competitors in the field of music industry, which are violated. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that some artists stay with the Company.

External and Internal Environments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

External and Internal Environments - Essay Example Segments of General Environment Affecting the Company: Environmental internal and the external factors both affect the function ability of the any company. Internal factors are the controllable factor prevailing within the firm. Whereas external factor accounts for those factors which are beyond the control of any firm. One of the external factors affected the pricing strategy of a single product of Microsoft. The factor was one of the macro environmental factors of the external environment affecting the entire information technology industry. One of the factors was the political and legal forces. This did not directly affect the marketing ability of the company but indirectly clouted the marketing decisions of the company. For Microsoft political and legal external environmental forces lead profound influence on the decision making and strategy department of the company. Changes in the political and legal field hugely affected the marketing decision of the company. These forces are the macro economics forces which affects the overall industries. XBOX 360 is one of the products of Microsoft which comes under the Interactive Entertainment Business division of Microsoft. The issue which came to the picture depicted that the use of lead free solder was the source for lack of strength in the XBOX 360. So prohibitions were brought by government for the usage of lead and mercury cadmium. Following this issue the European Union announced the banning of lead and mercury Cadmium on every product used by any companies in the IT industry. It assures that the external environmental issues affected not only Microsoft but also the entire IT industry (Cornwell, n.d., pp. 1-4). Social and cultural forces of the external environment also affect the marketing concepts of the company. It assures that the firm should take a go ahead in eliminating the detrimental product. As an effect of the same Microsoft stated working to pertain technology to noteworthy environmental issues and collaborated with European Environmental Agency (Microsoft, Corporate Citizenship, 2013). Porter’s Five Forces: Michael Porte’s five forces of competition give a brief of a simple model helpful in assessing and scrutinizing the competitive strength and situation of a certain firm in respect to its competitors. Porter’s five forces lead to a competition of the rivals of the industry. Two of the forces are existing competitive â€Å"entry of competitors† and the second is â€Å"threats of substitute products†. Threats of substitute products are the potential threats from the competitors within the industry regarding the products. Microsoft faced threats from the competitors in the field of personal computer software market. Its close competitors were MAC OS, Sun Solaris, Linux, various structured browser, lotus notes etc. This lead to a high degree of competition amongst the IT companies within the industries regarding their close substitutes. But i n this aspect the government had a different view. As per the government Microsoft did not face any such threats from the competitors regarding he close substitutes. Rather it enjoyed a monopoly in the middle level market due to its pricing strategy. They also added another reason that the software markets are

Using Roleplay To Help Students Learn English

Using Roleplay To Help Students Learn English 1. INTRODUCTION The more students talk, the better they learn; Speaking skill is not given special significance in the teaching of English in Vietnamese universities. Traditional English education in Vietnam focuses heavily on reading skill. Also, many Vietnamese students and even teachers have examination-orientation. In the first semester, students start the elementary level with the textbooks Lifeline set (Hutchinson, 2001). The textbook cover four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. The assessment at the end of each semester is based on a written test involving reading and writing skills only. As a result, pre intermediate students spend more time improving reading and writing skills and mostly ignoring listening and speaking skills. This fact happens at not a single university in Vietnam but across the country. In the first semester, pre intermediate students do not have many chances to communicate in English; therefore, their speaking skill is restricted with lack of naturalness, reaction and pronunciation. Many are shy to speak out in English as they are afraid that listeners cant understand well what they say. Role play is considered one teaching method which motivates pre intermediate students to get involved in speaking lessons. In opinion of James G. Clawson (1997, p.2), role play is a superb vehicle for bringing the distiction between concept and reality to the fore. During role play, students are motivated to perform and act and speak in English class. They are challenged to use their English words in mind to apply into simple conversation in daily life. This indeed enables them to get familiar with normal conversation in their real life. Also, motivation influences how and why people learn as well as how they perform (Chin Chun Shih, 2001). While role play contributes to affect students attitudes positively and improve their English speaking skills, there is little research examining its effectiveness towards pre intermediate students in universities. In Vietnam, much of the research focuses on role play aiming at junior high schools students in foreign countries like Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. There is little research that indicates how role-play could influence students learning attitudes directly. Scarcella Oxford (1992, p.54) also pointed out that most researchers talk about using cooperative learning activities or student-centered learning in order not to put too much pressure on an individual student in front of the class. Therefore, this particular research is intended to focus on the effectiveness of role play in teaching speaking skills for pre intermediate students. Based on the above rationale, this research tends to seek answers to two below research questions: What are pre-intermediate students attitudes toward the role-play activity? In what way does role play improve pre-intermediate students speaking skills? Generally, this research aims at making clear two important aspects of role play: affecting attitudes positively and improving speaking skills properly. Firstly, this research shows how role -play has a direct effect on learners attitudes. Secondly, this research intends to point out how role play help improve their speaking skills in particular. The structure of this research includes the context and methodology as the qualitative method. Data will be collected via oral test, interview and observation, which will then described and analyzed in item data analysis. Next, the content of reflection shows what is gained and which possibly further research questions are. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Definitions of terms Role-play can be divided into role and play. Gillian (2002, p.7) refers role as to play a part (either their own or somebody elses) in a specific situation. He also indicates that Play represents the role is taken on in a safe environment in which students are as inventive and playful as possible (p.5). This teaching method enables students to enjoy the experience of having conversations with people in real life so as to develop their social communication. The function of role-play in language learning Teaching English in Vietnam mostly concentrates on grammar translation methods and is examination oriented. Adian Doff and Maxwell (2002, 1997) pointed out the problems of those English teaching methods, and argued that there is a need to develop more diverse English teaching methods or activities. Vietnamese students have common weakness reportedly as their speaking ability. They have little chance to practice conversation, even in the second language classrooms. In order to encourage students to speak in public, role -play is often used by teachers as one of the teaching methods. Maxwell (1997) holds the opinion that the purpose of role-play is to improve students verbal and nonverbal communication skills and to link and use previously built schemas, in both structured and improvised situations (p.1). This viewpoint shows that role -play could improve students in verbal or nonverbal communication while they are performing the roles in the dialogue. James G. Clawson (1997, p. 4) pointed that A common theme in the benefits of using role play is that the techninque can bring abstract discussions alive, make them live, and in so doing, open up students willingness to learn When taking part in the dialogues created by teachers or extracted from the text books, students will be required to act as the characters in the dialogues, therefore, they will find it easier to use the conversation in daily lives. Daily conversation will create lots of unpredictable situations that make students confused how to deal with. As noted by Salies (1995, p.6), role-play helps learn ers to deal with unpredictability, motivating them by adding emotion and increase the awareness of the listeners. Accordingly, role-play helps create a safe environment for students to practice their language skills. The influence of role play on attitudes Attitude plays an important role in learning English speaking skill. Without adequate and appropriate attitudes, pre-intermediate students are usually unwilling to learn what their teachers try to teach them. To make a change about students learning attitudes, teachers can use role play to increase their confidence because role-play proves to be a good choice for them to understand and handle the learning content. James G. Clawson (1997, p4) indicated that role play helps improve learners abilities to communicate their thoughts and feelings in effective and productive ways among peers. They will find themselves better motivated to learn if they are recognized as a part of the class. Motivation is important because it helps create good start. Role-play can also help reinforce students knowledge gained through constant practice and acting. Also, students learn to how to cooperate well with each other through working and discussing English together, which will lead to mutual affection. He pointed that emotional climate is a good motivation during learning process (Ray, 1992, p.9). Students can gain more confidence in a safe environment brought by role play method. The learning environment ha s become particularly important for students. Ray (1992) also agreed that students prefer a consistent learning environment with good order at which they feel safe. (p.5). In other words, students can learn better in a little pressure environment. Furthermore, role-play helps create peer relationships which have become very important in improving attitudes. Ray said that the main motivational factor for pre intermediate students is the social incentives reflected in peer relationships (1992, p.13). The speaking and practicing subjects would be their classmates, who are familiar to the students and cause them less pressure and nervousness. Students work in small or big groups and there is a competitiveness among these groups. By this kind of stimulus, students are able to increase their learning attitudes, and to learn the second language further. Therefore, in the context of this research study, the findings above show that role-play could affect students attitudes positively in four aspects: improving students confidence, motivating their participation, creating interest in speaking lessons, and improving peer relationships through moderate competition. In conclusion, the literature above may lead to the fact that the main function of role-play is to help students improve speaking skills. Below context will indicate that there is a need to examine how role-play can facilitate students speaking ability in Vietnams education environment. 3. CONTEXT In Vietnam, the teaching of English has been criticized with lack of practice and heavy focus on written examination. In most universities in Vietnam, students are tested in written form, meanwhile, oral tests are ignored since they are time consuming and too difficult for students. Many pre- intermediate students are reported with lack of English communicative ability due to their emphasis on the written exam in previous grades. Adian Doff (2002) stated that teachers would look at prior tests to assure that they covered the subject matter of the test or test objectives (p.2). The Entrance Exam is the main examination for high school students to enter university. There are two parts of questions. The first part include multiple choice grammar questions for each of which students must choose the best answer. The second part is a reading comprehension assessment that includes cloze tests (Ministry of Education and Training, 1999). Thus, students focus on writing and reading rather than speaking skills. Also, starting their learning in universities, pre-intermediate students are lack of chance to improve their speaking skills. They feel shy and can hardly speak and listen to English in their daily lives. Although they are taught the curriculum Lifeline set (Hutchinson, 2001) with four skills, the speaking skills are often ignored due to limited time in one period. Grammar or reading exercises are taken greater priority. Besides, teaching speaking seems to put a lot of effort into and not every teacher will be successful in a speaking lesson. As a matter of fact, so many teachers of English in Vietnam universities are trained with grammar translation method. That is the reason why they will face a big challenge to create an environment in which students are given more opportunities to use English as a means of communication. It has become more and more difficult for Vietnamese teachers when they have to work with large classes which are more suitable to give lectures instead of asking students to work in small groups. Teachers of English make it impossible to control such large classes if they have intention of teaching English in communicative way. A serious problem teachers in Vietnam have to tackle is that although there is a number of a method of teaching speaking skill, it is not easy at all to find out appropriate methods which help Vietnamese students, especially those at pre-intermediate leve l make some improvements in speaking skill. Researchers argue that role-play can help learners improve it. Firstly, role-play helps improve students listening ability. In viewpoint of Salies (1995, p.8), role-play makes students aware of the listener. Therefore, listening ability is as important as speaking ability and role-play might help to improve this skill. Secondly, role -play contributes to improve speaking ability. In order to speak well in a daily conversation, one should take consideration about the pronunciation as well because clear pronunciation helps speaking become two-way communication. In this case, while students are performing in speaking lessons, teachers will be able to listen to each students pronunciation and correct him/her individually during speaking sessions. In conclusion, the context above is critical because it indicates that there is a need to examine how role-play can facilitate pre intermediate students speaking ability in Vietnams universities. 4. METHODOLOGY According to C. Pope and N. Mays (1995), the goal of qualitative research is the development of concepts which help us to understand social phenomena in natural (rather than experimental) settings, giving due emphasis to the meanings, experiences, and views of all the participants. In the researchers viewpoint, qualitative method is proper to discover pre-students attitudes towards role play and how role play motivates them in speaking lessons. This part presents subjects, data collection instruments consisting of oral tests, interview and observation via two role play activities. 4.1. Subjects Participants Six students are randomly chosen. All are between the age of 19 and 20 and study English at pre-intermediate level. Students at pre-intermediate level but not other levels are chosen as they have more chance to take part in communication activities. In order to get an exact result, the participants English speaking ability is different. The backgrounds of participants are stated below. Name Sex Background English Level Nam Male He is quite good at English. He performs enthusiastically and confidently in English class. Good Mai Female Her English is at medium. However, she is willing to learn and perform in class. Medium Trung Male He is a person who is enthusiastic in English lesson even though his English is not as good as others. Medium Hoa Female Her English level is medium. She is very shy. She likes English, especially English speaking skill. But she is too shy to perform in class. Medium Sy Male He likes taking part in all games in class. Although his English is not good, he is not afraid to speak English. Not good Phuong Female She likes to talk loud in class, but not in English. Due to her weakness at English she seems to be very quiet in English lessons. Not good Teaching materials The main pilot teaching material is The New Headway Pre-intermediate textbook compiled by Liz John Soars. There are two dialogues used in this research. The researcher asked the informants to play the roles of the dialogues. Students are voluntarily encouraged to contribute their own ideas to make the play role activities more creative and interesting. 4.2. Instruments of data collection 4.2.1. Oral tests and Interviews Two oral tests and interviews were conducted for this study with the participation of six students. The first oral test was done before the two-week experiment, and the second oral test was held after the experiment of the two-week experiment. Moreover, during the interview the researcher asked them related questions to clarify the purpose of the study. Yes-no questions and WH- questions that students have to answer are included in oral test questions. Yes-no questions are for students who can not have long answers, and WH- questions are for students who are at better learners. The questions are displayed in Appendix A. After finishing the pre-oral test, the study proceeded to the main part, which was role-play. During role-play, I interviewed every student individually. The interview questions were based on some basic questions but might be changed to adapt the situations and students reactions (see Appendix C). Moreover, students were interviewed in their mother tongue so that they felt at ease to express their feelings. When the pre-oral test, two role play activities and interview were finished, it was time to examine how students improve their speaking ability. And the post-oral test was done to compare the students performances from the beginning to the end (see Appendix A). 4.2.2. Observation The researcher observed six pre-intermediate students participation during two role play activities. The observation in this study was done via my note-taking or keeping diary, and tape-recording through the pilot teaching. The purpose of this part is to see what pre-intermediate students behaviors are when role play is employed as a speaking activity. Furthermore, during the pilot teaching, tape recording was also carried out to get the data for the research. The students utterances were recorded and analyzed later to find out how the role play was used and how it motivated students. 5. DATA ANALYSIS Descriptive data are analyzed by qualitative method. 5.1. Descriptive data of oral tests The oral tests were arranged and conducted at the participants convenience. The oral tests (see Appendix A) were given before and after the two-week experiment. In order to give descriptive data of oral tests, interviews and observation, I have based on seven criteria to review pre-intermediate students English speaking ability including: 1) the influency of speaking, 2) the frequency of using words that have been taught, 3) the accuracy of grammar application, 4) the listening skills absorption, 5) the anxiety of students, 6) the accuracy of pronunciation, 7) the pause while interviewing. The oral tests showed that students speaking ability did improve after the use of role-play. Specifically, three fourth of the participants spoke more fluently. While doing the oral test, I also felt that students would try hard to answer in English. They might not give complete sentences, but they would manage to use the words they had learned. They also tried to use correct grammar when giving answers. However, some students who were not good at English such as Sy and Phuong sometimes produced wrong grammar sentences. Moreover, students not only understood what I asked during the oral tests, but also tried hard to listen to whole sentences and digested them. I, myself, had a strong feeling that students tried very hard to pay attention to the post-oral test, because most students had enthusiastic responses with me. Moreover, students anxiety had been decreased during the second oral test. One of the reasons that the researcher postulated was that students were familiar with the res earcher, and might not be afraid to speak English. They also learned how to pay due attention to their pronunciation while performing in front of their classmates. This also made them have better pronunciation during the oral tests. Some of them even tried to improve their pronunciation by making repetition of what they spoke. The pause frequency of interviewees was really high during the first oral tests, but it seemed lower during the second. Some students said I dont know or I have no idea when they could not find the answers to the questions. In general, the oral-tests showed that role-play had a positive influence on pre-elementary students speaking skill. Most students might not have the ability to answer in complete sentences, but they showed positive attitudes during the oral tests. They paid due attention to the questions, and answered the questions using the vocabulary they had learnt, which showed their willingness to attempt to learn English in general and speak English in particular. Therefore, I can conclude that role-play not only stimulated students when they learned English in speaking lessons, but also made them eager to learn more. 5.2. Descriptive data of observation In order to assess the participation and effectiveness of using role-play in speaking lessons, I based on four levels: 1-3 (bad), 4-6 (medium), 7-9 (good), 10 (excellent). In this part, I would like to use two dialogues and asked participants to play role (see appendix B). For the first role play activity, the researcher used the telephone conversation between the receptionist and client in book New Headway Pre-intermediate by Liz and John Soars (p.77, unit 9). I asked the participants to work in pairs which mean three couples did the same role play. In order to make the role play more effective and to have an exact observation, I asked Nam to work with Mai, Trung with Phuong, and Sy with Hoa. Nam, Trung, Sy played the role of the receptionist whereas Mai, Phuong, Hoa played the role of the client. The researcher instructed first and three pairs presented in turn. During the role play activity, I would observe, take notes, and record. The first role play is easy and simple so that students can feel comfortable and confident to take part in. The results of observation basing on the four levels are presented as below. For the second role play activity, the researcher used a more difficult role play activity which was extracted from the book New Headway Pre-intermediate by Liz and John Soars (p.57, unit 7). This role play was an interview with the band Style. Participants had to play the role of an interviewer a journalist and the role of two interviewees Suzie and Guy. In this part, students worked in group of three. Nam, Mai, Sy were the first group. Trung, Hoa, Phuong were the second group. Nam, Hoa who are better at English were the interviewers. The rest were the interviewees in which Mai, Phuong played the role of Suzie, and Sy, Trung played the role of Guy. Similar to the first role play, the researcher instructed first, and the two groups presented in turn. The results of observation from the second role play activity basing on the four levels are stated as below. The second role play After experiencing the two role-play activities, the researcher found that the pre-elementary students English speaking ability has been improved. Specifically, four out of six participants made a clear progress in the influence of speaking ability, and the ability of expressing him/her self. Moreover, half of participants used grammar more correctly. Also, half of participants became more confident such as Mai, Trung, Sy. In addition, Nam the best participant at English speaking improved his vocabulary. Thus, the observations results show that pre-students English speaking skill has been improved when the researcher uses the role play in speaking lessons. 5.3. Descriptive data of interview The interview was conducted during and after role play. All the students were interviewed once. Additionally, the interviews were conducted in Vietnamese. During the interviews, the whole procedure was recorded and taken notes. The questions of interview are available in Appendix C When being asked to compare the traditional teaching method most of the students answered that they really like the role-play teaching method. They explained that role-play gave them a joyful feeling and avoid being sleepy in class. In general, most students feel that role play is an interesting teaching activity and they really like it. In other words, their feeling of this teaching method is positive. For example, one of the interviewees, Hoa, expressed that: Well, I extremely like this teaching activity. It helps me be more confident in speaking English. Especially, it makes me more interested in lesson instead of being sleepy. I always feel bored and sleepy in lessons which are given in a traditional way. Another participant Nam said that: I think using role play in speaking lessons is good because we get more confident when playing role and speaking in front of other friends. I like this teaching method than the traditional method. For the second question Do you think that your speaking skill has been improved after doing role-play in class? all participants answer Yes. For example, Sy pointed out that role-play can help him improve his speaking skill: I thinkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ my speaking is better after doing role-play several times. My speaking ability seems to be more fluent. Andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.I feel more confident. When replying this question, Trung also determined that his speaking English skill had been improved. He said Ummà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.You know that now I can speak English a little bit fluently. I feel more confident to speak in front of other students. Does it mean that my English speaking skill has been improved? Furthermore, I asked the participants whether there are any negative sides when applying role-play in class. And most of them answered that the problem is the class order was not very good in that case. Sometimes, there was too much noise for students to act in class. Participants, however, still show a positive attitude. Mai said: I think noise is unavoidable when we learn speaking skill. I really like this kind of teaching activity. It is fun. It makes me want to study English and want to speak English in class. However, in order to add to the negative sides of using role play in class, Hoa stated that Sometimes role play takes much time. In my opinion, it is a negative side of role play. I asked the students if it was tiring or stressful for them to plan the dialogues beforehand. As a result, most students showed a positive response to the preparation. Phuong who is not good at English expressed that I feel difficult to have a good preparation at first. My English is not very good. I can not study it at home without teachers instruction. However, after preparing for the class for several times, I start to feel that preview is really important. I know the lesson prior to class and I can understand what the teacher talks about in class. Furthermore, as I have had preparation before class, I become less nervous and shy when speaking on the stage in English. Similarly, Trung said eagerly: Well, my teacher also asked us to prepare in advance. For the first time I felt quiet tired because I didnt get familiar with this learning method. But for the third time, everything seemed to be better. And now I have no problem with preparation in advance. When observing participants doing the first role-play, the researcher recognized that some of the students were very extroverted. However when they were asked to perform the role play in class, they started to keep avoiding from this opportunity. I wanted to know what resulted in such a reaction. Some students told me that they were really shy; some of them could not find out the proper way to act. However, after doing the second role-play the participants responses seemed to be more positive. They participated to the activity more enthusiastically. They did not appear to be shy any more. For example, Trung said that I am an extroverted person. However, I dont feel confident when speaking English in class because I know that my English is not good and as a result, I dont want to speak English in class. But now I feel better. After doing the first and the second role-play activities I recognize that theres no reason to be shyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦please take part in the activity, please spea k. Wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is really good. In short, most of the participants hold the positive attitudes to the role-play teaching activity in speaking lessons. For example, students showed more interest in learning speaking English with the role -play activity, students agreed that role-play helped improve their speaking skills, and they showed higher willingness to perform in public. 6. REFLECTION This study was designed to research the effectiveness of using the role-play to motivate pre-intermediate students in speaking lessons. There were six participants in the research. Also, the researcher used qualitative method to do the research in which oral tests, interviews, and observation are used to collect data. Based on the results of the study, the findings have been drawn. These findings are: (1) participants have a positive attitude to role-play in speaking lessons. (2) Role-play motivates pre-intermediate students in learning speaking. Moreover, the findings of this study may offer three practical implications for English teachers in Vietnam to help students develop speaking ability. The first implication for English teachers is that they should apply a communicative teaching technique in English speaking classes such as role play. However, role play should be merged with the traditional English teaching. The second implication is that teachers can affect students learning attitudes/motivation positively by lively activities. The last implication is to provide a safe environment with tender discipline in class because this will make student feel more comfortable and eager to learn, especially to speak English in class. In other words, English teaching in Vietnam should be added lively and interesting communicative teaching methods in class, especially in English speaking class. I believe that the study is successful. Also, it is proper to use the qualitative method for this study. However, there is one limitation which may influence the outcome of the study. The limitation referred in this study is time limitation. Because of limited time, I can only give two role-play activities to experience and test the effectiveness of role-play on pre-intermediate students. Suggestions for further research In order to have a more accurate and complete result, further study can be done with the cooperation of the involved students English teacher. Working with the English teacher is advantageous as he/she might help me understand every students English level in a short time. Moreover, it would be better to have two instructors to review students during oral tests and performances. Besides role-play, I would like to add some other activities to class and think of some interesting topics for students to act in role-play. It would be boring if the whole period of class was proceeding in the role-play teaching activity only, thus, added activities may help students concentrate in class more effectively. The dialogues in students textbooks did not really attract them. Students already had those contents in their regular English classes. It would affect students attitudes/motivation positively if there were more interesting topics for students to discuss and act. Last but not least, in a future research, I may have more chances to videotape the whole process of the experiment which includes the oral tests, interviews and performances. Students gestures, facial expressions or body languages could serve as the sources to interpret their intentions as well. Besides, some non-verbal languages could appear beyond expectation, so those expressions are also important for descriptive data. 7. CONCLUSION I would like to conclude my research in two aspects. Firstly, role play is not beneficial only for the pre intermediate students but even students of upper levels as well as lower levels. Role play proves to be a good way to motivate English learners to speak out what they want to say. In fact, students have to experience different situations in real life. The final and the most important goal of teaching English is none other than helping students use English in those situations. Role-play creates many daily situations for students to practice their English. In addition, it really creates a safe environment and productive learning environment in language class which would be interesting to absorb knowledge. Secondly, although role play works well in speaking lessons as well as with pre-intermediate university students, it is not the only method for teachers to apply in every lesson. In other words, there are numerous different ways Vietnamese teachers are offered to apply to motivate students communicate in English naturally and effectively, to affect their attitudes positively and to increase s