Saturday, February 15, 2020
Picture of Mona Lisa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1
Picture of Mona Lisa - Essay Example The painter himself, Leonardo Di Vinci, lived in Europe, Italy, and is world renown for his paintings all over the world. In his pieces of art, he usually made use of the natural angles, proportions and various patterns that gave him an edge over other painters of his time. This is one of the many pieces of arts that has been gifted to the world by the genius. Every angle of the picture holds some interest for the students of art and has led to various assumptions on each angle. For example, in case of eyebrows, it is being often said that they were removed unintentionally during the course of art-making. A scrupulous review of the picture reveals that there is hardly any hair on the face, the only one that can be detected is probably through the employment of single use of the brush. Regarding the subject of picture, the lady herself, on many occasions is being termed as a lady named Lisa Gherardini (Klein 15), who was born in the late XV century and the painter did not even give th e portrait to her just because he was totally obsessed with the art that he had crafted. The face expression has held attention of many over number of years through decades. The background of the picture equally compliments the facial expressions and beauty surrounding the face. Many pieces of his art were incomplete, however, due to his personal interest and fascination of the subject of the picture, the incumbent brought it to the level of perfection that has many in intrigue. Though exact date of this picture is unknown, yet it is being believed that picture sketching took place somewhere in the early days of the XVI century (between 1503 and 1506) (Goyer and Yorkey 210). The lady on the picture is often named as La Gioconda. It is being said that the entire portrait took nearly three years to reach the final point of completion or the point where it is today.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Tyco international Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Tyco international - Essay Example government. After its incorporation, the firm involved itself with high-tech science materials and conversion of energy products for use in the commercial sector. Over time, Tyco International was involved with various corporate strategies such as mergers and acquisition to become a leading manufacturer of industrial products. Corporate Level Strategies According to Porter (2008), corporate strategy includes all strategies that an organization employs as it diversifies. The strategy involves the combination of enterprises that a firm should compete in integration and modes through which to subsidiaries are coordinated. The four common corporate strategies applied by many firms including Tyco International include the portfolio strategy, restructuring, skills transfer and activity sharing (Tyco, 2011). The portfolio strategy as applied in the context of Tyco international is the ability of the firm to choose the best strategy exploits the strengths of the organization with the ability to exploit existing opportunities. The aim is to maximize shareholder returns. The analysis of the existing business portfolio and making decisions on suitability of the firm in receiving any further investment is a major step that should be accompanied strategy evaluation. In order to achieve the intended strategy, various methods are used, two of which is the BCG matrix and the General electric/shell strategy. Through the application of these strategies, Tyco International has been able to diversify over time (Tyco, 2011). Tyco International was established as an experimental laboratory/organization conducting experiments for the government. However, over time, the firm was able to experience both internal and external growth with diversity in its operations in different fields with the latest being a split. Internal growth was experienced through increased revenue that was used to pursue external growth through mergers and acquisitions. For instance, mergers began as early as 19 66 when the firm acquired Industrionics Control Inc. the 1970s saw the firm acquire Simplex and Grinnell. The firm continued its external expansion and ended acquiring more firms in the course of its growth (Porter, 2008). However, the firm realized it potential growth prospects and exploited the corporate strategy of split in 2006 where it was split into three independent companies that were Covidien Ltd, Tyco Electronics Ltd and Tyco International Ltd. Before splitting, Tyco International utilized the BCG strategy that could be used to establish the product portfolios of the firm as explained in the next section. While diversifying in international markets, Tyco International utilized strategies such as the export strategy, franchising and joint ventures and licensing among others. BCG Matrix as Applied to Tyco International The BCG matrix categorizes products of an organization based on the market share and the market growth rate. Based on these two axes, four quadrants are drawn representing stars, cash cows, dogs and cats. The matrix postulates that Stars represent products of the firm that depict high growth rates in the market such as healthcare products and services of Tyco International. Electronic products that have a large market share although they perform moderately in the market while question marks and dogs represent products of low market share operating in high growth markets and
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Film Analysis of Under the Moon Essay -- Analysis Movie Film
Introduction The sacrifices of a mother for her child can never be underestimated. The film Under the Moon depicts this precise example of a mother’s unconditional love for her son to the point of sacrifice. According to Lynch this mother followed the normal process for migration: preparatory stage, the decision to leave; act of migration, the process; the period of overcompensation, realizing the changes and doubting the decision; the period of decompensation, conflicting times and transgenerational impact, the migration process (Marci Hanson and E. Lynch, Developing Cross Cultural Competence, p.185). The family is Mexican. This line has roots in El Paso, Texas but Rosario, a single parent has migrated to Los Angeles, California in hopes of providing a better life for her nine year old son, Carlitos. California was the state of choice for many Mexicans, as many as 57 percent were legal immigrants according to Taylor (R. Taylor, Minority in the Families, p.89). Carlitos is left with his grandmother, who apparently has health issues. His godmother also has agreed to care of him as well. Carlitos watched his godmother’s calculating plans assist Mexicans in their escape to the United States; he wanted to receive the same assistance because he wanted to join his mother in the United States. The Structure of the Family This Mexican family is unique in that Rosario was a single mother. The culture of the Mexicans was very family oriented, and it was not common to have single parents among their culture during this time. According to Taylor the population of female headed household has steadily increased in the last decade but less appropriate in the Hispanic population (Taylor, p. 93). Her mother, apparently very ill too... ...as working for, seemingly was running the household. It is interesting not a father to come into focus until Carlitos has almost completed his journey and yet his father, Oscar doesn’t step up to do those things that would be expected of a machismo male. This review does not fit the practical norm of the Mexican culture according to the reading as I understood it. I would say this family was more Americanize although they held some views Taylor and Hanson shared they were not overwhelming. Works Cited Lynch, Eleanor W. & Hanson =, Marci J, (2004). A guide for working with children and families: Developing cross-cultural competence (3rd edition). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Taylor, Ronald L. (2002). Minority families in the United States: A multicultural perspective (3rd edition). Upper saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Analysis of Feminism in Pride and Prejudice Essay
Abstractï ¼Å¡Pride and Prejudice is a marvellous novel of Jane Austen. Although in her age, women are regarded as emotional, weak, nurturing, and submissive, Austen depicts her heroine, Elizabeth as a woman who has her own perspectives, feelings, and opinions. This paper analyses feminism in Pride and Prejudice from its progressive and conservative aspects. The former is reflected from the perspective of the way of narration and depiction of Elizabeth, while the latter is illustrated when this novel is confined in patriarchal society, that is, it compromises with custom and tradition of its time. Key words: feminism, female’s narrative perspective, depiction of Elizabeth, compromise. 1. Introduction Pride and Prejudice is famous as a masterpiece of Jane Austen for centuries. Many factors contribute to the success of it. The plot is absorbing: it tells how the hero, Darcy gets rid of his pride and the heroine, Elizabeth gets over her prejudice and to know each other and how they finally get married. The writing technique is noticeable as well. Narrative perspective from Elizabeth influences readers’ judgement, which causes readers’ misunderstanding of Darcy at the beginning. The correction of Elizabeth’s understanding of Darcy’s real character in the last chapters creates one of the climaxes in this novel. Austen’s language is witty and concise, and many words are full of wisdom and humor. We can observe Austen’s feminism in Pride and Prejudice, although she may not realize it. The narration from a female’s perspective is worth mentioning. It provides us with a different world from a male’s view. Women are placed in the center of narration. In the novel, Elizabeth is outstanding among those women. She is a woman who thinks she is equal with men. However, feminism in this novel is conservative, for Austen did not go beyond social custom in her day. There is something against feminism. Women are passive and dependent on man economically. I will analyze the progressiveness and conservatism in this novel. A rough knowledge of Austen’s writing background is helpful for us to understand the analysis better. The story happens in the late eighteenth or the early nineteenth century in a British rural country which is similar to Austen’s life environment. In Austen’s day, for women did not work outside like men, their economic status is quite low. Lack of economic independence also suggests that women have to rely on men after marriage if they want to live decently. Inequality in economy leads to women’s dependence. Inequality caused by social custom also affects women’s social status. The inferior position long occupied by women in patriarchal society has been culturally, not biologically, produced. (Hornsby, 257) Men were regarded as governors of society, while women as objects governed by them. Even women themselves did not think they were as equal as men. They accepted it as a truth that men were innately superior to them. However, in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth is against this traditional view. She has much confidence on her intelligence and judgment and at the time she is against tradition to some extent. Elizabeth’s distinction is a statement of Austen’s awakening of feminism. This paper appreciates the female’s perspective of narration in Pride and Prejudice and the way that Austen depicts Elizabeth as a woman who has similar viewpoint with feminists. Meanwhile, this paper notices that the novel has its limitation in terms of feminism. This paper analyses feminism in Pride and Prejudice from its progressive and conservative aspects 2. Progress in Terms of Feminism 2.1 The Female’s Narrative Perspective Special viewpoint is important to convey the idea and life experience of the narrator and even the writer. (Min Jie, 65) In traditional novels, the narrators are almost males, and male characters are usually in the center of narration. Then it is not strange that men’s thoughts and experience are talked about but those of women are neglected. In a man’s narration, females are objects of observation; they are passive and have no discursive power. (Cheshire, 158) The image of females is simplified and polarized. There are only two kinds of girls: good girls or bad girls. Good girl accepts her traditional gender role and obeys the patriarchal rules, while bad girl is the opposite. (Tyson, 38) The well-rounded character of females in real life does not get much attention. The image of women is materialized, partly out of men’s imagination. They build the image according to their expectation, taking for granted women’s real feelings. Therefore, women’s feelings are not hearkened and their feelings not perceived. This is a kind of neglect and even more discrimination. Fortunately Austen made a bold try in the men-governed novel world. Virginia Wolf once said that men and women’s concerns are significantly different. (Min Jie, 25) They understand things differently. Something that is trivial in men’s eyes is probably very important in women’s eyes. Austen transformed the narrative perspective from male-centred to female-centred, emphasizing the consciousn ess of female subjectivity. She shows to readers how females react to the world. The story goes not with the affairs around the males, but with females’ life experience and feelings. Women are given discursive power, which is a rare case in traditional novels. Austen made great efforts to change the rules in patriarchy. In this novel, Austen purposely limits her privilege of narration. In the first ten chapters, the novel has an omniscient narrator who takes care of all the things and people. It shows basic background information to readers. As the story goes on, we get interested in Elizabeth and therefore the view begins to be concentrated on her naturally. She becomes the heroine and the whole narration is confined to her world. What she sees and hears is the only way for us to obtain information. Her attitudes and thoughts inevitably influence our judgment. In other words, females that are narrated and controlled in traditional novels are endowed the discursive power. They have the right to talk about their opinions and make judgment. In the Bible, God takes out a rib from Adam to create Eve. This archetype all the time underlies the domination and superiority of males. In contrast, females are repressed and even they themselves could not see their identity clearly. They are as daughters, wives and mothers. In short, they live for men. Nevertheless, in Pride and Prejudice, men are observed and judged. They become the â€Å"other†, which Simone de Beauvoir called women. Austen’s description of males also impacts on the authority of patriarchy. Elizabeth points out Darcy’s pride and after self-reflection, he corrects it. He gets improved with the help of Elizabeth. To some extent, Elizabeth plays the role of his tutor. (Zhang zhisong, 12) This is quite unusual in traditional novels. Austen changes the fact that males are placed above females. In Pride and Prejudice, females become the subjects of narration and men are learned. The discursive power mastered by men is now shared by women as well. Austen deconstructed the male-centred narration and helped eliminate the discrimination against women in writing tradition. In the novel, the narration from a female’ viewpoint is a challenge to the authority of patriarchy. Meanwhile, Austen made a big step in the history of female literature. 2.2 Depiction of Elizabeth Austen’s feminism is mainly embodied in her depiction of Elizabeth. Different from traditional women, Elizabeth is no longer someone to please males, nor one to obey patriarchy. She is confident and independent and charming in personality. Austen starts to mould Elizabeth from the view that women are born equal with men in intelligence. This view reflects the confidence Austen has on women. She had a new view of women, which is shown in the description of Elizabeth’s character from different aspects. In Jane Austen’s day, an accomplished woman must have a general knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and modern languages. Besides, she must pay attention to her manners, dress and expressions. (Cai Lanlan, 85) Girls are educated in this way not for their sake or to cultivate their minds. However, the accomplishments are to attract a good husband, especially a wealthy one. Girls practice these skills to acquire a key to open the door of a happy marriage. Once they get married, these accomplishments are usually abandoned. Nevertheless, Elizabeth is quite different from traditional women. She does not learn the accomplishments tradition and society encourage girls to acquire. She is elegant in a special way. She prefers extensive reading to cultivate her mind. She admits frankly that she does not sing or play the piano well. She does not think it is a shame, either. Her rebellion against traditional accomplishments shows that she is conscious of the identity of females. She rejects to be the tool to please males. She prefers pursuing spiritual fulfilment. She would like to be a fully developed person whose mind is really educated, rather than just someone’s wife. Austen does not approve women’s absolute obedience. She rebels against it when necessary. Elizabeth is special for she is bold enough to challenge the feudal ethics. To ensure the health of her sister, Jane at Netherfield, Elizabeth walks three miles in a bad day by herself regardless of her mother’s opposition. â€Å"With weary ankles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise†, (Austen, 31) she entered Netherfield, leaving the Bingley sisters despise her successfully. She does not care about her indecent dress, or Bingley sisters’ contempt. From that point, we can see Elizabeth’s detachment from traditional shackles. Elizabeth does not feel humble when encountered with people who are in higher position. She is courageous to refute unjustified reproaches to her as well. To some unreasonable requirements, she can respond forcefully. In Austen’s eyes, Elizabeth is the embodiment of self-esteem and courage. When Lady Catherine forces her to promise that she would refuse Darcy if he asked her to marry him, she refutes that she will pursue her happiness without reference to Lady Catherine or anyone unconnected with her. (Austen, 367) She is not threatened by someone who has higher social rank. She does not feel shy or cowardly when marriage is mentioned before her, although traditional women in her day are asked to behave in opposite. Elizabeth is intelligent and insightful. She is good at studying character and analyzing herself as well. What concerns her most is not something superficial, such as wealth or status when making judgment on others, but something in nature. She also reflects herself. It is her self-analysis that makes her notice her prejudice against Darcy and then rebuilds her knowledge about him. Elizabeth is somewhat â€Å"a studier of character†. (Austen, 88) This is quite precious for in previous novels, women are observed by others and women’s perspectives on the world are seldom mentioned. Elizabeth is independent and strong-minded, which come from her confidence. Once she defines something is right and worthy to be done, no one can change her mind. She has strong faith in her judgment, though she does not always make the right decision. This forms a contrast with Jane, who is a representative of traditional girls. She knows her own mind less than Elizabeth does. There is another example to show Elizabeth’s good will. When her younger sister, Lydia elopes with Wickham, it is Elizabeth who plays a crucial role in solving the problem, while her mother just falls in illness due to worry. Her independence makes her less influenced by others and she can behave on her own will. Her confidence leads her to deal with emergency calmly and orderly. Her attitude towards marriage is worth mentioning. She perceives that love should be an important element in marriage, which is quite important. That can be seen in her refusal of Mr. Collins’ proposal. Though she is poor and her family suggests her joint with a man who is to inherit her father’s property, (Carson, 21) she refuses to marry a man who she despises. She rejects marriage which does not include love. In her eyes, marriage is not a transaction, in which a man exchanges a wife with fortune. It seems a humiliation to her that people regard marriage as a trade. She insists that love be the foundation of marriage. That forms a contrast with her intimate friend, Charlotte, who marries Mr. Collins to get rid of possible poverty in later life. There is something else that matters in marriage for Elizabeth. She believes that marriage should also be based on equality and respect between husband and wife. Elizabeth does not accept Darcy’s first proposal for she feels his sense of her inferiority and she is annoyed by Darcy’s pride. After realizing her misjudgement on Darcy and Darcy’s change of his pride, they both become more mature and understand each other more. They help each other improve their personality. They are lovers as well as friends. Therefore, not only love but also esteem exists between them. Men and women are free to choose their spouses, but their affection should be tempered by reason and with respect. (Cai Lanlan, 19) Elizabeth has a lot of courage to pursue her happiness, which is precious in her day. Elizabeth is wise, independent, confident and strong-minded, and much feminism is reflected on her character. Austen does not mould her as a perfect figure. Elizabeth commits prejudice against Wickham and Darcy, which makes big mistakes. However, Austen means no criticism to her imperfection but a challenge to the traditional creation of heroes or heroines, who were perfect in many priory novels. Austen made a change. The imperfection on Elizabeth makes her more real and distinctive; she is even more charming due to her shortcomings. Meanwhile, this kind of writing is more valuable according to aesthetic. (Ma Wenting, 69) 3. Conservatism in Terms of Feminism Austen did make much contribution to feminism. She advocated that females should be sensible and independent. Elizabeth is a figure whose consciousness of feminism is much more advanced than that of other women in her day. However, limited by social custom and education she received, Austen was not radical as some feminists of nowadays. She was a pioneer in the field of feminism, but her consciousness was weak and conservative. Influenced by patriarchal culture, she could not escape from tradition thoroughly. She made a compromise with social custom, so there is something against feminism in this novel. In love, females are objects of being chosen. In marriage, women still depend on men in material. Only by males’ approval can females fulfil their values. This paper also explains the conservatism in terms of feminism in this novel. In patriarchy, women nearly have no rights to choose the ones they are fond of. They are not allowed to be active in love. Women are asked to show as few feelings as possible. When Elizabeth sheds her prejudice against Darcy, she falls in love with him immediately. However, instead of telling her feelings to him at once, she has to wait until Darcy makes a proposal to her again. If Darcy got offended by her refusal and never asked her to marry him again, probably Elizabeth would miss the chance. (Ji Ying, 47) Elizabeth is the best-loved figure by Austen, but she still can not get rid of the confinement from social custom. Jane pretends to be detached from Bingley’s affection due to the restraint of the rules. It is her restraint that puzzles Bingley and almost ends their relationship. All women can do is to wait for the coming of love and sometimes even accept a proposal against their will. They have no freedom to choose husbands, not mention to pursue them. In marriage, for men and women are not equal in economy, women have to rely on their husbands. At the beginning of the story, Austen mentions that a man with good fortune must need a wife. (Austen, 1) In fact, the story proves reversely that a woman if not to be raised by her parents must find a husband with much property. Elizabeth is surprised by her sensible and rational friend Charlotte’s marriage with contemptible Mr. Collins. Actually, except that Elizabeth finds someone who appreciates her and is wealthy as well, there is no point for her to be amazed by Charlotte’s choice. Elizabeth pursues independence and liberty in spirit, but after marriage, she still has to live like other women, depending on their husbands in material. Austen depicts Darcy as a wealthy man, unconsciously proving that she still thinks a man with wealth is advantaged. Austen used the archetype of Cinderella. The difference from the original one is that Cinderella in Pride and Prejudice is not fragile and the prince is not charmed only by his Cinderella’s beauty, but also by her personality. It seems to resist against the discrimination that women are just beautiful in appearance, for what concerns Austen most is the description of Elizabeth’s character. Nevertheless, women are still evaluated by men; it is men who have the right to announce how a woman is. Without the appreciation of Darcy, probably Elizabeth would stay as Cinderella forever. (Liu Xueqiong, 3) She is not able to change her status by herself. Elizabeth is witty and different from other girls, but what Austen expresses to us is that Elizabeth is worthy to get married with. Elizabeth is envied not for she is a totally independent person as a woman, but for she will be Darcy’s wife. The psychology of depending on men is rooted in contemporary custom. It was acknowledged that there was nothing wrong for w omen to be raised by men. Even though Austen found that spiritual independence was not enough for women, she was powerless to change the situation. Social system did not reach the point that Austen could not bear so that she attempted to overthrow its standards totally in her writing. Confined by social custom in her day, Austen did not catch the real meaning of equality between men and women and independence of women. Limited by contemporary social tradition, Austen gave in to it. There is something against feminism. In the novel, women are passive when dealing with love and they have to rely on men after marriage. Furthermore, they need men’s appreciation to fulfil their life. Feminism is observed in Elizabeth, but it is vague. 4. Conclusion Austen is insightful into society in which she lived. Pride and Prejudice is excellent in many aspects. Her knowledge of feminism is advanced in her day. She uses female-centred narration, which is different from traditional narration, which is male-centred. She depicts Elizabeth as a woman shining with the glory of feminism. In this novel, Elizabeth is independent, intelligent confidant and strong-minded, which does not meat men’s expectation. These factors state feminism of this novel. Meanwhile, her feminism is quite conservative. She gave way to social custom of her day. Women are passive, for they are not allowed to make decisions on their own marriages; they have to depend on men economically, which affirms their inferiority. These elements expose the conservatism of this novel. Austen challenges the rules in patriarchy but unfortunately she is confined by them as well. Above all, she as a pioneer contributes a lot to feminism, and the depiction of Elizabeth is so successful that girls of nowadays have much to learn from her.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
King Lear Crisis Of Faith Essay - 1490 Words
The beliefs of people are often influenced by the environment they live in. Sometimes, an individual is forced to act out of necessity and not on principles. In the play, King Lear, Shakespeare gives a clear illustration on how the hidden human intentions are bound to be exposed at the right time. The ever changing world has seen the beliefs and nature of man change alongside it. In the long run, a person may not be sure of what to believe in anymore. The essay will look at how King Lear and Edmund suffer from ‘crisis of faith’ as well as demonstrate how time and experience changes the beliefs of man, and how even the most trusted people can lead to one’s downfall. The phrase crisis of faith can be defined as a situation in which one†¦show more content†¦She is honest and makes it clear that she loves her father, just like any other daughter would. Cordelia, aside says â€Å"What shall Cordelia do? Love and be silent†(1.1.68). Sadly, the king mis reads his actions and words and sees her as rude. She is immediately banished from the kingdom and the King of France successfully asks for her hand in marriage. Immediately the youngest daughter is sent away, the two remaining daughters begin to plot for the downfall of their father. They are actually scheming to kill him. Goneril says â€Å"Not to be overruled. Idle old man†(1.3.17). The king’s help comes from a person he had also sent away but decided to disguise himself and just stay around. He was called Kent. Kent, after receiving warning from Gloucester, decided to take the king away to Dover. At this point, he revealed his true identity and King Lear must have regretted his earlier action on him. The climax of Lear’s crisis of faith is revealed when Cordelia, the daughter he had earlier rejected organizes French troops to come and rescue him from the other two daughters who he believed were of good Popa 3 character. When the eldest daughter is finally defeated and killed during the conflict, the king falls on top of her body and also slips away. The pain and regret were obviously too much for him to take. King Lear says: â€Å"And my poor fool is hanged. No, no, no life? Why should aShow MoreRelatedAnalyzing the Characteristics of Kind Lear Essay4690 Words  | 19 PagesCharacteristics of Kind Lear Lear is the protagonist, whose willingness to believe his older daughters’ empty flattery leads to the deaths of many people. In relying on the test of his daughters’ love, Lear demonstrates that he lacks common sense or the ability to detect his older daughters’ falseness. Lear cannot recognize Cordelia’s honesty amid the flattery, which he craves. The depth of Lear’s anger toward Kent, his devoted follower, suggests excessive prideâ€â€Lear refuses to beRead MoreFrom Salvation to Self-Realization18515 Words  | 75 PagesSalvation To Self-Realization: Advertising and the Therapeutic Roots of the Consumer Culture, 1880-1930 T. J. Jackson Lears Lears, T.J. Jackson 1983. From salvation to self-realization: Advertising and the therapeutic roots of the consumer culture, 1880-1930. In The Culture of Consumption: Critical Essays in American History, 18801980, ed. by Richard Wightman Fox and T.J. Jackson Lears, New York: Pantheon Books, 1-38. Reprinted with the permission of the author. 1On or about December 1910, VirginiaRead MoreHuman Resources Management150900 Words  | 604 Pagespractices consider these pressures. Otherwise, in many cases, the organization loses valuable human resources who do not want to continue working in a â€Å"family-unfriendly†environment. Closely related, HR professionals spend considerable time on HR â€Å"crisis management†dealing with employee problems that are both work and non-work related.11 Another facet of employee advocacy is to ensure that fair and equitable treatment is given to people regardless of their personal background or circumstances.12Read MoreDamodaran Book on Investment Valuation, 2nd Edition398423 Words  | 1594 Pagesprice/earnings multiple to use to value Paramount Corporation by looking at the average price/earnings multiple of comparable firms. The following are the price/earnings ratios of firms in the entertainment business. Firm Disney (Walt) Time Warner King World Productions New Lin e Cinema P/E Ratio 22.09 36.00 14.10 26.70 Firm PLG CIR GET GTK P/E Ratio 23.33 22.91 97.60 26.00 A. What is the average P/E ratio? B. Would you use all the comparable firms in calculating the average? Why or why not? C
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
English progressive form - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 18 Words: 5356 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Does English progressive form denotes subjectivity in written and oral production of the language for Mara College Banting students as English L2 learners; and how does it differs in terms of gender, educational background, and English proficiency level? INTRODUCTION Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "English progressive form" essay for you Create order              In daily conversations and writings, it seemed that English second language (L2) learners have more tendencies to write and speak while considering the grammatical construction and aspectual meaning of verb rather than it attitudinal meaning. However, grammarians have agreed that English progressive form is a genuinely emotive language device[1] where it will denote subjectivity in it usage. Subjective, in this case, means that the language user shows attitudinal meaning and put emotional colouring in the sentence while using the language. There were several studies by universities or institutions on the subjectivity of English progressive form, however, does English progressive form denotes subjectivity among Mara College Banting students as English L2 learners and how it will differ in term of gender, educational background, and English proficiency level? The study on the second language learner seemed to be missed out to formulate whether the English L2 learners view the progressive form as an indication to attitudinal meaning and subjectivity whether in written and oral production of the language.              As grammarians suggested that English progressive form is a genuinely emotive language device, therefore it is an important feature that can be applied in writing newspapersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ report, political speeches, and other writings in which the language feature can be used in order to influence the readers or the listeners more. The progressive form can be used by people in writings or conversations to show more sincerity and true feelings of the person involved. However, to what extent this is expected to be true to the English L2 learners is not proven yet. As most of the study proven to the native speakers, however, there is no study to specify whether the result of the study is similar to those non-native speakers. Therefore, this study is important to suggest whether English progressive form may contain similar feature as an emotive language device to the English L2 learners. If the result is positive, therefore it shows that the usage of English progressive form may have subjective emotional impact on both the users (writers and speakers) and the receivers (readers and listeners), therefore it will make different in emotional value when using it in writings or conversations.    AIM OF THE STUDY.              This essay is based on the study of English progressive form or the so-called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"ing form. Throughout the study, the aim is to identify whether verbs in progressive form will denote subjectivity in the sentence; in which emotion is involved; for Mara College Banting students as English L2 learner. In other mean, the study focuses on the way in which emotion affect the language used; while in this case it will focus on the usage of verbs in progressive. Besides that, the intention of the study is also to investigate whether the subjectivity of the sentence will change when the verb is being written or spoken. Further study will include the discussion on how other factors: gender, educational background, and English proficiency level will affect the hypothesis. The study will seek out the answers of the following research question: 1) Does the usage of verb in progressive form will denote subjectivity in the sentence for English L2 learners? 2) Does the subjectivity of the phrase changes when it is written or spoken? 3) How does the subjectivity differ among students of different gender? 4) How does the subjectivity differ among students of different educational background? 5) How does the subjectivity differ among students of different English proficiency level? METHODOLOGY 1) Questionnaires Questionnaires were distributed to 40 MCB students. In the questionnaires, respondents were determined their gender, educational background, and IELTS[2] result. They were asked to answer several questions to see whether the usage of progressive form has different mean of applications to them. 2) Interviews 15 students who prefer the progressive form the most were interviewed to observe whether there were shifting of preference. Several questions were being asked according to module while some were spontaneous to trigger conversation. The students was also being asked on their views whether they are aware of other mean of applications of the English progressive form in the production of the language Below are the indicator used in determining the studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ preference: Preference percentage (%) Preference 0à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤x20 Non-progressive 20à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x40 40à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤x60 Mix 60à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤x80 Progressive 80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤x100 FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS              From the research carried out[4] In this case, students were required to make simple decisions whether to apply progressive form or attempting to use non-progressive form.              The questions given could be regarded as emphasising the respondentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ attitude. Therefore, progressive could be seen as expressing the respondentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ feelings about the situation. However, some students may opt for other options depending on the studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ commitment in producing the language too. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Non-progressive form appeared to be a better option with less personal commitment or less prominence on temporality. The neutral choice by more fact-oriented students would be the non-progressive.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢[5] Thus, it depends on the verb form preference of the students too rather than depending solely on the studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ implicit and explicit knowledge. The result of the research has proven to be positive on the research question. About 24 students out of 40, which is more than half prefer to use English progressive form in most cases while 10 students are consistently prefer non-progressive form while 6 students mix their preference of using progressive form in their question papers. This not only shows that most MCB students are aware of the subjectivity of English progressive form in its usage, but also prefer to use it in most situations. But, there is also a possibility that the respondents may also not aware of the subjective meaning of progressive form of verb, but rather choose the first thing that came into their mind. Since the students are young, they may be influenced by new or extended use of the progressive. Many learners fail to understand that there are many other possible reasons of using the progressive[7] Short interviews were conducted with some of the respondents to see whether they might shift from using progressive to non-progressive or vice versa while using the language in speaking. However, the result showed that the respondents tend to use non-progressive form rather than the progressive while producing the language orally[8]. Out of 15 respondents, 13 of them prefer the progressive form in most cases than the non-progressive in their English oral production. They tend to use simple tense when speaking or making decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. If they are not sure about something, they also tend to use the phrase à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I think à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? rather than à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I am thinking à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. All 15 respondents for the speaking test were taken from those who answered the questions with more than 80% of using the progressive form during the written test. This indicates that most students are likely to shift from using the progressive form in English written production to the non-progressive form in the oral production of the language. It is because they have used to write in English since childhood but not speak and therefore, encounter difficulties in placing emotional colouring or using the progressive form in the orally-produced sentences at instant. These phrases were used the most by the respondents when answering questions orally: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I think à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I hopeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. In some cases, the students also made mistakes or incorrect usage of grammar while replying to the questions orally. Even though some questions being asked were in the progressive form, the respondents somehow use the simple verb in their replies. While producing the language orally, they tend to make flaws while putting aside grammatical construction in conversation. The translation of words in their mind have been the only priority in time of verbalising an instant reply such as in conversation as English L2 learners rather than undergoing the process of translating from first language, arranging words, and checking grammar, then only producing a reply.Â à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Variability in learner language is determined by a variety of factors such as linguistic context, situational contexts, and the availability of planning time.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[9] When respondents were being asked about the usage of progressive form, most respondents have a vague idea and mostly claimed that it has something to do with an ongoing event or verb. When being asked about how they choose whether to use the progressive or non-progressive forms to denote subjectivity, they simply cannot explain the reason of why did they use either forms. That means the idea of progressive form as an emotive language device is still not widely recognised by MCB students as English L2 learners. Therefore, it can be deduced that most of Mara College Banting students prefer the usage of the English progressive form to denote subjectivity in English written production. While in the oral production of the language, the students prefer using the non-progressive form the most in which they shift from their preference from the written production. Even though they are not really exposed into the function of progressive form as an emotive language device, however, they made their decision based on how they define the usage of the form itself to denote subjectivity.   EFFECT OF GENDER              Referring the data acquired[10], there is noticeably a marginal difference between the usages of progressive form among students of different gender except from 40% to 60%. It is apparently shows that female students have the higher tendency to use progressive form compared to the male students. However, more female students do not prefer using progressive form than male students and is shown by its preference from 40% and below. It is shown that there is significant difference in the number of students who prefer using progressive form 40% to 60% in their questions. However, there is still lot of male and female students prefer more than 60% of using progressive form in written production.              My early hypothesis is that gender does affect the usage of English progressive form in written production because generally women have a more soft feeling or what is called feminine compared to men. Therefore, I assume feminism may have some effect the subjectivity of the language used. However, the result indicates an opposite outcome. Among both genders, the usage of English progressive form is almost similar. The most probable reason that leads to this outcome is the treatment and gender equality within the education system in Malaysia. Mostly, students in Malaysia were taught according to syllabus regardless of gender. Even though some respondents who previously came from all-female schools or all-male schools, however, most of them were taught using similar syllabus, consistent with any students over the country.              Besides that, it cannot be denied that some students may have used to be using progressive form in their writings and therefore gender factor is irrelevant in affecting the usage of progressive form in written production. The least number of female has the preference in using the progressive form from 40% to 60% compared to the male. This shows that female respondents are interested whether to prefer progressive form consistently or non-progressive form consistently and do not prefer to mix both progressive and non-progressive.              When interviews were conducted[11], there were 13 out of 15 who used more of the progressive form than simple form. And the other 2 students were from the female group in which they tend to use progressive form in oral production. These two students stay firm on using the progressive form to denote subjectivity whether in written or oral production. However, most of the respondents interviewed shifted their preference from progressive form in the written production to non-progressive form while speaking. The possible explanations are due to the reasons that have been explained before and there is nothing to do with gender. This is because most of the respondents shifted their usage preference regardless of gender. Only two female respondents stay on using the progressive form, however, this is too insignificant to develop an inference.              Therefore, it can be deduced that the factor of gender do not affect the usage of the progressive form in denoting subjectivity whether in written or oral production among MCB students. So, gender has no relationship with the frequency of usage of English progressive form among MCB students as English L2 learners. EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND              Based on Sapir-Whorf hypothesis: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The worlds in which different societies live are distinct worlds, not merely the same world with different labels attached. We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation.[12] At first, I assumed that due to different educational background, there should be significant difference on the number of students who prefer progressive form in their sentences due to different study environment.              However, from the result obtained[13], it shows that the students previously studied in daily or boarding schools have no influence on the progressive form usage in denoting subjectivity in English written production. Looking at the percentage of 20%-40% and 60%-80%, there are huge differences between the boarding and daily schools that prefer progressive or non-progressive in their written production. I take this as my limitation due to small sample size for the experiments. The number of students previously from boarding schools is not equal to the number of students from daily schools. However, splitting those as two different results will help to display the distribution of students who prefer the usage of progressive form to denote subjectivity; however, due to marginal difference between the results and also unequal distribution of students studied in boarding and daily schools within the sample space, it is hard to make an inference from the data. But, it can be seen that the number of students previously from boarding or daily schools, both share similar feature in which more number of students prefer in the usage of progressive form in their written production to denote subjectivity. The students from boarding schools who prefer using the progressive form is 13 students which is more than 11 students who prefer using the non-progressive form. For previously daily school students, those who prefer using the progressive form is 5 students which is more than 3 students who prefer using the non-progressive form.              During the interview[14], most students from daily schools can speak English better than those from boarding schools. From my point of view, for English L2 learners to speak very well, they may have been in the environment where most people around them speak in English. Daily schools usually have well-mixed races environment where there are Malay, Chinese, Indian, and the others. From my personal observation, Chinese and Indian students are likely to speak English at home and at school. When more people engage and interact in English, it will develop and improve the speaking skill of the people involved. Students from boarding schools usually live in an environment where all people are interacting by using the first language. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the reason of some boarding schools students cannot engage in English very well. Due to that, even they want to express their emotion or opinion by using the second language, they might have some difficulties in placing certain words to show an attitudinal meaning in what they want to express. Rather than placing emotional colouring in the sentences verbalised, they are more susceptible to deliver it by placing more emphasise on pronunciation and vocabulary of words. This explanation can be also applied to some of the daily school students.              In general, even though daily school students usually engage in English, depend on to whom they speak, however, their case is similar to those studied in boarding schools. It seemed that most of them didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know the function of the progressive form as an emotive language device and theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d rather mix the usage of progressive and non-progressive or else constantly use the non-progressive since the construction of the sentences would be easier and simple.              From the experiment conducted, it can be deduced as a general that educational background has nothing to do with the application of English progressive form to denote subjectivity, be it in written or oral production among MCB students. OFICIENCY LEVEL Most MCB students are at intermediate or high level of English proficiency since they have been selected from many students who had going for the sponsorship interview before entering the college. Their English result in the General Certificate Examination is at least 4B. Categorisation is made into 3 groups according to their first IELTS result: Competent, Good, and Very Good.              My early prediction is most students of better English proficiency will prefer the usage of progressive form in the written production while those with intermediate and competent level of English proficiency will prefer either to mix or use the non-progressive form. This is because students with higher English proficiency should have the knowledge and used to using the progressive form to bring attitudinal meaning or emotional emphasis in the language. Good users might rather choose whichever does suit them while competent users had rather to make the sentences using the simple form because they had rather make it simple and very straightforward.              It is clearly shown that students of high level of proficiency mostly prefer the usage of progressive form to denote attitudinal meaning with 10 students chose more than 60% in their written production than 2 students used less than 40% of the progressive form.[15] This might be due to the exposure and recognition of progressive form to denote subjectivity. Analysing the data for Good users of the language, most students have a high preference in using à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"ing form of the verb in their written production to show subjectivity. There are 12 students preferring the usage of progressive form than 2 students mixed the preference of progressive and non-progressive form and 2 other students less prefer the usage of the progressive form. 2 Competent users of the language are in the preference of the progressive form while 6 students preferred the usage of non-pr ogressive in their written production while 4 students mix their preferences.              Therefore, it can be suggested that Good and Competent users of the language do not view the progressive form to denote subjectivity in written production. This is due to the fact that their formal learning in school had never introduced the students on the association of English progressive form with showing attitudinal meaning and emotional value in the utterance of words. As for learning English at secondary schools, some students claimed not to have learnt grammar thoroughly and even so, they do not grasp much of the grammatical rules. The choice of word forms they based on is only the form that they think appropriate.              Even though there are more likely students that possess better command in English to prefer the progressive form in the written production, however, they changed into using more of the non-progressive while speaking[17] According to Elina Ranta: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"attractivenessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ of the progressive resides in the grammatical form itself à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" that L2 speakers have realised its à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"communicativeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ value in interaction. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦adding the ending à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"ing to a verb gives the verb more prominence and salience in the speakerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s utterance. It makes the verb stand out, so to speak, and draws the interlocutorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s attention as a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"heavierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ periphrastic structure.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[18] The studentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s preference in using the progressive form might be due to this even if they do not have the knowledge of the subjectivity of the progressive; it is still reasonable to choose à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"ing form as an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"attention-catchingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ form.              Therefore, it can concluded that the English proficiency level do affect the studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ decision whether English progressive form denotes subjectivity in written and oral production of the language for MCB students. LIMITATIONS              Throughout the study, the biggest limitation is that the sample size (number of respondents) is not large, in which some data might be biased since it does not represent the whole college population. Time is a factor of limitation because the respondents took a longer time to hand in their answers back and interviewing the students would never been easy. Therefore, it is quite hard to obtain more data or to increase the sample size of students due to time limitation. The sample size for the interview and the questions are also quite small; however, due to majority of preference, conclusion can still be made. Increasing the number of respondents and questions would be a great help to develop a more significant conclusion. The number of respondents should be increased more so that the distribution of the data is more towards normal.[19] Other than that, book reference o n subjectivity of English progressive form is hard to find, but previous researches from the internet have helped a lot as academic readings to justify certain things.              Besides that, the respondents might be confused with the rural, developing, and urban areas in which they lived in. Some places have the look of developing areas, but in fact it is not in the process of developing. Furthermore, biasness might happen if the respondents do not answer the questions according to their own judgement, but rather follow friendsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ answers especially for general questions. Hence, future studies should consider these limitations and seek for other better option to categorise the respondents and make effective use of resources and the respondents. CONCLUSION              In general, English progressive form denotes subjectivity in written production for MCB students as English L2 learners; however it does not apply in oral production of the language. This is displayed from their shifting in preference of using more of progressive form in written production while non-progressive in oral production.              It is stated that gender of the students does not affect the view of subjectivity as an indication of subjectivity in written and oral productions among MCB students as English L2 learners. This is displayed from the minor difference in the data between male and female students in the written production while for the oral production; it shows no correlation between gender and the usage of progressive form to denote subjectivity.              Educational background has been also concluded showing no correlation to the indication of English progressive form to denote subjectivity among MCB students. This is displayed from the distribution of the data that is quite similar between previously daily and boarding schools students.              However, English proficiency level does affect the view of English progressive form to denote subjectivity in written and oral production of the language. This is shown by large difference between those who possess better command in English language than those who does not. BIBLIOGRAPHY Catherine J. Doughty and Michael H.Long, 2003: The Handbook of Second Language Acquisition; published by Blackwell Publishing. Rod Ellis, 1997: Oxford Introductions to Language Study: Second Language Acquisition; published by Oxford University Press. Linda Duvsten from LuleÃÆ' ¥ University of Technology, Department of Languages and Culture. Masterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Thesis: The Subjective Progressive in Everyday Written English (A study on Pragmatics) (https://epubl.luth.se/1402-1552/2007/087/index.html 12/11/2009) Margareta Westergren Axelsson and Angela Hahn: The Use of Progressive in Swedish and German Advanced Learner English à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a corpus based study (https://icame.uib.no/ij25/axelsson.pdf 13/11/2009) Elina Ranta from University of Tampere: The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Attractiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Progressive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Why Use the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"ing in English as Lingua Franca (https://gupea.ub.gu.se/dspace/bitstream/2077/3150/1/5-2-Ranta.pdf 9/12/2009) Daniel Chadler: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (https://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/whorf.html 17/1/2010) 8.0 APPENDICES 8.1 Appendix 1 Table of the number of students in refer to the percentage usage of progressive form in 20 questions Percentage usage of progressive form Number of students / Frequency 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 20 3 20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 40 7 40 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 60 6 60 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 80 17 80 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 100 7 8.2 Appendix 2 Table of the effect of gender on the number of students in refer to the percentage usage of progressive form in 20 questions. Percentage usage of progressive form Male students Female students 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 20 1 2 20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 40 3 4 40 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 60 5 1 60 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 80 8 9 80 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 100 3 4 8.3 Appendix 3 Table of the effect of educational background on the number of students in refer to the percentage usage of progressive form in 20 questions. Percentage usage of progressive form Boarding schools Daily schools 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 20 4 3 20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 40 7 0 40 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 60 4 4 60 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 80 10 3 80 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 100 3 2 8.4 Appendix 4 Table of the effect of English proficiency level on the number of students in refer to the percentage usage of progressive form in 20 questions. Percentage usage of progressive form Level of English user Number of students / frequency 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 20 Very Good 2 Good 1 Competent 0 20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 40 Very Good 4 Good 1 Competent 2 40 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 60 Very Good 4 Good 2 Competent 0 60 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 80 Very Good 2 Good 7 Competent 8 80 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ x 100 Very Good 0 Good 5 Competent 2 8.5 Appendix 5 Result for interview questions Respondents Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5 Question 6 Total 1 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 5 2 ÃÆ'– 1 3 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 2 4 ÃÆ'– 1 5 ÃÆ'– 1 6 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 3 7 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 2 8 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 2 9 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 2 10 ÃÆ'– 1 11 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 3 12 ÃÆ'– 1 13 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 2 14 ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– ÃÆ'– 6 15 ÃÆ'– 1 Indicator: Total questions involved in progressive form feedback Preference 1 to 3 Non-subjective 4 to 6 Subjective 8.6 Appendix 6 CATEGORISATION OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY LEVEL BY IELTS              IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System, which is an internationally recognised standardised test of English language proficiency level. IELTS is mainly divided into two categories: the Academic version and the General Training Version. It is generally acknowledged that the reading and writing tests for the Academic Version are more difficult than those for the General Training Version, due to the differences in the level of intellectual and academic rigour between the two versions.[20]              For MCB students, since they are doing preparation programme (International Baccalaureate) before going overseas, it is a must for each students to take the IELTS- Academic version to identify their English proficiency level for university placement requirement. IELTS consists of 4 tests: speaking, writing, listening, and reading and all modules have to be completed before the test report is printed out.              Besides that, each module also has a range of band from 0 to 9 which indicate the English proficiency level of the students for each module. The overall band is the total average band level which places the English proficiency level of the students in average. However, mostly students in Mara College Banting obtain a result ranging from 6.0 to 8.0 only for the overall band while the lowest band for each separate module is 5.5 and the highest is 9.0.              Taking the overall band as the main indicator for the English proficiency level, the range of band is therefore only from 6.0 to 9.0. IELTS has also classified the result into several classes as tabulated in the following page:[21] Band Level Description 9 Expert user Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding. 8 Very Good User Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well. 7 Good User Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. 6 Competent User Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. 5 Modest User has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field. 4 Limited User Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Have frequent problems in using complex language. 3 Extremely Limited User Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur. 2 Intermittent User No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. 1 Non User Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. 0 Did not attempt the test No assessable information provided. 8.7 Appendix 7 Below are the abbreviations used throughout the essay: Abbreviations Meaning L2 second language MCB Mara College Banting IELTS International English Language Testing System Appendix 8 Sample of Questionnaire Part 1 Answer the question with more than 8 words. Make your sentences to be reflective of whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s happening. 1. You just went back from UK. Express your current feeling when you get back home. 2. Your aunt just died. You pay a visit to her house and express your condolence to her family. 3. Express your feeling of sorry to your friend who got a bad result in SPM. 4. You met your best friend coincidentally at the shopping mall. Express what do you feel after meeting him/her. 5. You felt stressed. How do you say to a friend who annoyed you at that time, threatening with a punch if he/she wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stop talking? Part 2 Fill in the blank with any possible answer. The suggested root word given might help. You may have more than one word per entry. 1. The first time I had to sit for an oral examination, I was all tensed up a day before the actual examination. I ___________________ (worry) about how should I they behave in front of the examiners. 2. There is an old Indian couple who lives opposite my house. Both of them are retired and they __________________ (spend) their twilight years pottering around their little garden. 3. I once read somewhere that the present living population on Earth is more than combined population of all the people who had ever lived in history! The population of the human species on Earth that had increased tremendously over the past few decades ___________________ (become) a serious problem. 4. Crime rates have been rising sharply nowadays. If we do/are not ________________ (prevent) this scenario from going on continuously, we have to do something! 5. Communists are still free out there. A Chinese man claimed that they have encountered the communists setting up their camps in the forest. The police speaker said that they are/will _______________(go) to the forest next week to assault the communists. Part 3 Circle the suitable word to be placed in the blank. Consider no wrong answer provided. 1.                           Have you already forgotten                           What are you waiting for 2.                              you should be doing                                       have to do 3.                 Was beginning                                       began 4.                    I am going to punish you now                          I have to punish you now 5.                 was shrinking                                                    shrank 6.                  crowded                                                    were crowding Part 4 Choose the best option that you will use when you are in that situation. There is no wrong answer. 1. What is your back-up plan if the football match is cancelled today? A) If that really happen, I am going to go to Golden Screen Cinema to watch movie. B) If that really happen, I will go to Golden Screen Cinema to watch movie. 2. What time is it now? You always be the last person before I close the door every time. A) Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sorry to be late today, teacher. B) Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sorry for being late today, teacher. 3. Darling, what promise do you want to say before our marriage next week? I am kind of nervous. A) Haha donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t worry my dear. I will not call off the wedding. B) Haha donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t worry my dear. I am not going to call off the wedding. 4. How do you feel today? A) Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m feeling very well. B) I feel very well. [1] Masterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Thesis: The Subjective Progressive in Everyday Written English (A study on Pragmatics) by Linda Duvsten from LuleÃÆ' ¥ University of Technology, Department of Languages and Culture. (https://epubl.luth.se/1402-1552/2007/087/index.html 12/11/2009) [2] Refer to Appendix 6 [3] Refer Appendix 1 [4] Catherine J. Doughty and Michael H.Long, 2003. The Handbook of Second Language Acquisition, 326; Blackwell Publishing [5] The Use of Progressive in Swedish and German Advanced Learner English à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a corpus based study; by Margareta Westergren Axelsson and Angela Hahn (https://icame.uib.no/ij25/axelsson.pdf 13/11/2009) [6] ibid [7] The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Attractiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Progressive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Why Use the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"ing in English as Lingua Franca; by Elina Ranta from University of Tampere (https://gupea.ub.gu.se/dspace/bitstream/2077/3150/1/5-2-Ranta.pdf 9/12/2009) [8] Refer Appendix 5 [9] Rod Ellis, 1997. Oxford Introduction to Language Study: Second Language Acquisition, page 28; Oxford University Press [10] Refer Appendix 2 [11] Refer to Appendix 5 [12] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? by Daniel Chadler (https://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/whorf.html 17/1/2010) [13] Refer to Appendix 3 [14] Refer to Appendix 5 [15] Refer to Appendix 4 [16] Refer to Appendix 5 [17] The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Attractiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Progressive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Why Use the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"ing in English as Lingua Franca; by Elina Ranta from University of Tampere (https://gupea.ub.gu.se/dspace/bitstream/2077/3150/1/5-2-Ranta.pdf 9/12/2009) [18] ibid [19] Statistical term to describe data that cluster around the mean of data in which it produce data distribution that closer to the population distribution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IELTS 12 January 2010) [21] ibid
Monday, December 23, 2019
Anti-Asian Sentiment in Early 20th Century America
In the wake of the Civil War and the major improvements in the lives of African Americans during Reconstruction that followed, America saw its inequitable treatment of minorities shift from African Americans to Asian immigrants. To clarify, African Americans were still subject to much racial terrorism and many civil rights abuses, but they had recently gained major legislative victories with the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the 14th Amendment in 1868 that had helped to ensure their legal citizenship and equal rights in America. During this same time period, Asian immigration to America had begun to increase. Due to the nativist feelings that still pervaded in post-Civil War America and concerns about the labor market brought about by†¦show more content†¦Its primary legislative objective was to ensure that the Civil Rights Act of 1866 would remain intact and efficient. The Civil Rights Act had ensured that all people born in the United States would be guaranteed â€Å"f ull and equal benefit of all laws.†However, the 14th amendment took this idea much further and stratified the act. Citizenship was reaffirmed for all people born or naturalized in the country, regardless of race; states were given much more limited power in addressing and amending these same laws of equality for all citizens; â€Å"life, liberty, and property†were guaranteed to all as a right with the â€Å"due process of law†as the basis; and no one could be denied â€Å"equal protection of the laws.†The major implication of the amendment with regard to Asian immigration is that African Americans were now (supposedly) guaranteed all of the aforementioned rights of the 14th amendment, but the Asian immigrants that would arrive over the next few decades would not necessarily be able to have the same freedoms since they were not born or naturalized in the U.S. Indirectly, the 14th amendment would make it easier for the United States to employ its dis criminatory practices against immigrants simply because it failed to account for them and only recognized citizens as privileged to the rights the amendment guaranteed. 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