Using Shaping to Mold Child Behavior

Using Shaping to Mold Child Behavior Shaping (also known as successive approximation) is a teaching technique that involves a teacher rewarding a child as she or he successfully improves the acquisition of a target skill. Shaping is considered an essential process in teaching because behavior cannot be rewarded unless it first occurs. Shaping is intended to lead children in the direction of appropriate complex behavior, and then reward them as they complete each successive step. Best Practices for Behavior Shaping First, a teacher needs to identify the students strengths and weaknesses around a specific skill, and then break the skill into a series of steps that lead a child toward that target. If the targeted skill is being able to write with a pencil, a child might have difficulty holding a pencil. An appropriate assistive step-wise strategy might start with the teacher placing his or her hand over the childs hand, demonstrating to the child the correct pencil grasp. Once the child achieves this step, they are rewarded and the next step is undertaken. The first step for another student who is uninterested in writing but does like to paint might be providing the student with a paint brush  and rewarding the painting of a letter. In each case, you are helping a child approximate the topography of the behavior you want so that you can reinforce that behavior as the child grows and develops. Shaping may require a teacher to create a task analysis of the skill in order to create a roadmap for shaping the behavior or meeting the final skill goal. In that case, it is also critical for the teacher to model the shaping protocol for classroom para-professionals (teachers aides) so that they know what approximations are successful and which approximations need to be cleared and retaught. Although this may seem like a painstaking and slow process, the step and reward process deeply embeds the behavior in the students memory, so that he or she will be likely to repeat it. History Shaping is a technique that arose from behaviorism, a field of psychology established by B.F. Skinner and based on the relationship between behaviors and their reinforcement. Skinner believed that behaviors need to be reinforced by specific preferred items or food, but can be also paired with social reinforcement like praise. Behaviorism and behavioral theories are the foundations of applied behavior analysis  (ABA), which is used successfully with children who fall somewhere on the autistic spectrum. Although often considered mechanistic, ABA has the advantage of allowing the therapist, teacher, or parent to take a dispassionate look at the specific behavior, rather than focus on a moral aspect of the behavior (as in Robert should know that its wrong!). Shaping is not restricted to teaching techniques with autistic children. Skinner himself used it to teach animals to perform tasks, and marketing professionals have used shaping to establish preferences in a customers shopping behaviors. Examples Maria used shaping to help Angelica learn to feed herself independently, by helping Angelica use the spoon hand over hand - moving to touch Angelicas wrist until Angelica was finally able to pick up her spoon and eat from her bowl independently.While teaching Robert to use the toilet independently to urinate, his mother, Susan, saw that he had difficulty pulling up his pants. She decided to shape this step in her task analysis by praising and reinforcing his ability to pull his pants up to his knees, then stretching out the elastic waist to finish the step, and then helping Robert by using hand over hand to complete the pulling up pants step.One shaping experiment that Skinner conducted was when he and his associates decided to teach a pigeon to bowl. The target task was to get the bird to send a wooden ball down a miniature alley toward a set of toy pins, by swiping the ball with a sideward movement of its beak. The researchers first reinforced any swipe that looked like what they had in mind, then reinforced any that approximated what they wanted, and within a few minutes, they had succeeded. One way modern marketers use shaping is to provide a free sample of a product and include a coupon for the large discount on the purchase price. In the first purchase, the consumer would find a coupon for a smaller discount, and so forth, until the consumer no longer needs the incentives and has established the desired behavior. Sources Koegel, Robert L. Assessing and Training Teachers in the Generalized Use of Behavior Modification with Autistic Children, Dennis C. Russo, Arnold Rincover, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Wiley Online Library, 1977. Peterson, Gail B. A Day of Great Illumination: B. F. Skinners Discovery of Shaping. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 10.1901/jeab.2004.82-317, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, November 2004, Bethesda, MD. Rothschild, Michael L. Behavioral Learning Theory: Its Relevance to Marketing and Promotions. Journal of Marketing, William C. Gaidis, Vol. 45, No. 2, Sage Publications, Inc., JSTOR, Spring 1981.

Tips on Mandarin Chinese Pronunciation

Tips on Mandarin Chinese Pronunciation One of the first steps in learning Mandarin Chinese is becoming accustomed to the languages pronunciation. Learning how to pronounce Mandarin Chinese helps with speaking and listening skills as it is a tonal language.   What Makes a Syllable? The Mandarin language has 21 consonants and 16 vowels. They can be combined together to create more than 400 mono-syllabic sounds. There are also four tones that change the meaning of the syllable, so in theory, there are about 1600 possible syllables. Only around 1000 of these are commonly used, however, which means that Mandarin words actually are more similar than words in English. Similar to English, you should learn to hear the tone differences and work on learning how to pronounce Chinese sounds. Sound Chart Here is a chart of the 37 sounds of Mandarin with a sound clip of each. Practice these as much as you can- they will provide the foundation learning how to pronounce Mandarin. The sounds are given in Pinyin, but please be aware that each letter does not represent just one sound.  Just like how in English, the vowel a is pronounced differently in different cases. For example, compare the more nasally-sounding ant to the elongated a in at. There are also  many tricky cases you need to learn  in Chinese! Pinyin Explanation Sound Clip b similar to 'b' in the English 'boat' - softened to approach a 'p' sound audio p similar to 'p' in the English 'top' - with more aspiration audio m same as 'm' in the English 'mat' audio f same as 'f' in the English 'fat' audio d similar to 'd' in the English 'down' - softened to approach a 't' sound audio t similar to 't' in the English 'top' - with more aspiration audio n similar to 'n' in the English 'name' audio l similar to 'l' in the English 'look' audio g similar to 'g' in the English 'go' - softened to approach a 'k' sound audio k similar to 'k' in the English 'kiss' - with more aspiration audio h similar to 'h' in the English 'hope' - with a slight rasp as in 'loch' audio j similar to 'j' in the English 'jeep' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth audio q similar to 'ch' in the English 'cheap' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth audio x similar to 'sh' in the English 'sheep' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth audio zh similar to 'j' in the English 'jam' audio ch similar to 'ch' in the English 'cheap' audio sh similar to 'sh' in the English 'ship' audio r similar to 'z' in the English 'azure' audio z same as 'ds' in the English 'woods' audio c similar to 'ts' in the English 'bits' audio s similar to 's' in the English 'see' audio (y)i similar to 'ee' in the English 'bee' audio (w)u similar to 'oo' in the English 'room' audio yu purse your lips and position the tongue high and forwards audio a similar to 'ah' in the English 'Ah-hah!' audio (w)o similar to 'or' in the English 'bore' audio e similar to 'er' in the English 'hers' audio (y)e similar to the English 'Yay!' audio ai similar to the English 'eye' audio ei similar to 'ei' in the English 'weigh' audio ao similar to 'au' in the English 'sauerkraut' audio ou similar to 'ou' in the English 'dough' audio an similar to 'an' in the English 'fan' audio en similar to 'un' in the English 'under' audio ang a Mandarin 'a' followed by the 'ng' sound like in the English 'sing' audio eng a Mandarin 'e' followed by the 'ng' sound like in the English 'sing' audio er a Mandarin 'e' with the tongue curled back audio

Management Information Systems at Wal-mart Essay

Management Information Systems at Wal-mart - Essay Example The intention of this study is Wal-mart as the largest retail company in the world that has been on the top of Fortune’s 500 list for several years. It is also the largest employer in the world. Wal-mart deals in general merchandise as well as specialized product lines such as pharmacy, tire and lube express and photo processing. Wal-mart sells high quality branded products to its customers at the lowest prices. Wal-mart achieves this seemingly contradictory combination right using advanced management information systems. In addition, it makes special long term contracts with big suppliers and removes middlemen. The basic idea behind Wal-mart’s business is discount merchandising that is keeping margins low by selling at a large discount but improving the top-line by selling a very large volume of products. In realizing Wal-mart’s corporate strategies in practice, management information systems have played the most significant role. Wal-mart’s supply chain is considered the best in the world due to a very efficient use of information technology. This is the company’s core competency. Wal-mart has been a pioneer of many supply chain management practices based on advanced information systems. The use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is the biggest and most recent of these. The following sections discuss the use of management information systems used by Wal-mart and the strategic advantages derived by the company as a result of them. 3. Wal-mart’s Inventory Management System Wal-mart uses an inventory management system called Retail Link. This system allows the suppliers to have a look at the number of products of each type at the shelves in each retail store of Wal-mart at any given time. In addition, the system gives information about the sales rate for any period say an hour, a day, a week or a year. The suppliers also get real time information about the time of the day their products sell, the accompanying produ cts which it sells and other details. All this information helps the supplier companies in efficient inventory management. In many cases, Wal-mart leaves the stock decisions entirely to the supplier companies. This saves considerable costs in administration. The inventory risks such as stock-outs are hence transferred to the suppliers. This leads to a significant cost reduction (PriceWaterHouseCoopers, 2010). 4. Channel Partnership with big companies through information systems Wal-mart has forged several strategic partnerships with major supplier companies. These partnerships have been facilitated by modern information systems and flawless execution. A prominent case study is the strategic partnership between Wal-mart and Procter & Gamble. Both the companies are major players in their sectors. They have developed a common supply chain information sharing channel to better co-ordinate the supply chain activities. What began as a data sharing activity slowly permeated through strateg ic, operational and tactical levels in the two organizations. For achieving their objectives, Wal-mart and P&G together came up with a data highway that allowed the companies to share information on sales at all stores, types and time of sale, shelf information and so on. This drove down costs of both companies and increase customer satisfaction. The conceptual diagram for the data highway is shown in Figure 1.4.1. Figure 1.4.1: Channel Partnership Data Highway between Wal-mart and P&G Source: Grean, Michael; Shaw, Michael J. Supply Chain Integration through Information Sharing: Channel partnership between Wal-mart and Procter & Gamble In this approach, Wal-mart used scanners inside its retail stores to study their own business. The observations were critically analyzed. P&G used consumer buying patterns and compared it with the customer information available from market research or other activities. All the information collected and analyzed by the two companies was collected. This led to

History response 10 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History response 10 - Assignment Example The sudden halt of opium trade greatly affected the British since they were the main exporters and therefore the new rules meant that they would no longer conduct any opium trade with the Chinese citizens who were their main clients (Gibson). It is because of this that the Britons took up their weapons and headed for china in one of the most controversial war that has ever happened, â€Å"the opium war† (Gibson). The war resulted to massive loss of lives all in the name of free trade between China and Britain. Trade between China and Britain resulted large acquisition of wealth, this is because whereas the British obtained their wealth from the selling of opium to the Chinese, Conversely, the Chinese also benefited a lot from the trade since they also took this position to sell their tea to the Britons who were their major clients as well (Gibson). The British were real lovers of the Chinese tea to the extent that by the 18th century they would import about six million pounds of tea on an annual basis. The opium that was being exported to China was mostly used in the manufacture of drugs but the reason why the Chinese government suddenly decided to declare the trade illegal was the fact that the drug was being mixed with tobacco then smoked for more pleasure which later resulted to drug abuse and opium addiction(Gibson). Although the opium war caused massive loss of lives, but finally it resulted to development of a much greater China- Britain relations both in terms of trade and economic boost. Trade between the two nations received a boost after the construction of five ports in a move to promote foreign trade

How to minimise the chance of project failing Essay Example for Free

How to minimise the chance of project failing Essay Introduction Here I am going to explain using examples many different kinds of ways that can be prevented from projects failing. In order for a project manager to detect something wrong happening in a project, they have to always double check it and also see if it works just the way the client wants it to work. Project managers always need some kinds of backup, if a project all of a sudden goes horribly wrong, they need some kinds of backup which can include extra members of staff or maybe working long hours to achieve their goal. Lack of staff expertise. When hiring new members of staff, a project manager has to always be careful when checking whether they have the right qualifications or not, by giving a new member a small test to see if they are worthy of using different kinds of tools can help to decide whether to hire them or not. Going over the budget If the project goes over the budget and more money is being wasted on different kinds of things such as tools etc, then the project manager will have to work harder over the time that they are paid; they may be then awarded a bonus if the project succeeds. To minimise this there are softwares that can be used such as Microsoft Office Project to keep track on the budget so that it can be easier to avoid going over the budget. Insufficient details from client or Poor or No Requirements If there is simply not enough details from the client, then as a result the project would most likely be unsatisfactory for the client, in order to avoid this it would be very important if the mangers warns the client if any further requirements are needed, otherwise the client will be warned that no changes will be carried out during the process of the project. Not enough proper time to research and plan Before starting any project, planning is extremely important to be taken out so that simply managers will know and have an idea of what to do. If no planning has been taken out then if would be essential to ask the client for a later deadline, if the client refuses then they will need to be warned that errors may occur and the project may arrive late anyway. Using the wrong kind of tools In order to stop confusion from ordering the wrong kind of tools, managers will have to explain clearly to members of staff what exactly is needed, the tools will then have to be researched and studied in order to find out if it has the requirements to create the project they are working on. They can over-run (passed the deadline) In order to minimise project from passing their deadline, manager will need to carry out plans before the project even starts. Managers will also need to hire extra members of staff if there is enough money in order to complete the project early. Members of staff could also learn how to fully use the potential of product such as software to help the project by being less time-consuming. Poor communication Project mangers will always have to make sure that member of staff are properly communicating with each other, there are many methods that can be used for communication, and these can include email, word of mouth, and mobile phone and maybe even by post. Members of staff will need to speak to each other once in a while in order to understand and learn what is going on in the project in order to prevent any errors from occurring. Lack of User Involvement Staff should be informed that if they are not truly involved with the project then they will automatically be given a warning or maybe even fired from their job because they are simply not working up to the standard as they should be working. What is also very important is the managers should be doing walk around which involves checking whether members of staff are working properly and doing things correctly and is truly involved in the project. Changes in the requirements As you know clients may all of a sudden change the details in the requirements of the product. In any of these cases a project manager has to decline those extra details because it can lead to missing out deadlines which can result in a loss of money and also time. A manager will have to warn their client that there cannot be any changes during the operation of the project, clients should also be advised to carefully give the requirements specification for their product that they are expecting to come out of a project. Long or Unrealistic Time periods A manager will also have to make sure and to double check to see if the time given to the project is realistic and achievable, otherwise the project will be known to fail and could have an impact on the organisation because they may need it desperately. Projects should normally take months to create or even years, if a big project was given and the deadline was only for a short time period, managers have to then immediately decline the project or warn the client that they will need more time. Scope Creep In order to minimise this, project managers will have to check and double check the project to see if it is working fully and if there isnt any problems that may be growing or might happen. For example if an error is found during the production of a product and not treated, could result in the product not working completely and permanently and therefore the project may need to be restarted, so to prevent this if an error is found that the mangers should straight away stop the product or pause it and treat the error as soon as possible. Poor Testing Normally testing is not done properly simply because either the client or manager is probably does not have the time to do it, another reason as to why testing may not be carried out because project managers may be too confident and therefore assume that everything will go well. Testing may also be poorly done because there of Insufficient details from the client or Poor or No Requirements, in order to avoid or minimise or prevent this, project managers should train users that do not know the purpose of the system, always give plenty of time to plan and ask the client for better requirements. Bad decisions being made Every single little decision that is made by the manager has to be carefully planned out and thought out, a manager will also have to consider the consequences and also plan for back-ups just in case the idea or plan back-fires.

Twinning In Cattle :: essays research papers fc

Twinning in Cattle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to the continual fluctuation of the cattle market cattle producers have been searching for ways to improve their production and increase their profits any way possible. For years genetic engineers have been working hard on improving economic efficiency in cattle. It is their hope that through genetic research they can improve the yield and the income of cattle producers around the world. Research has shown that twinning is one way that farmers can increase their yield . Twinning has a significant influence on producers as well as people who are involved in all realms of agriculture. The reason for this large impact at this time is the fact that the occurrences are limited. However, many producers have a vision that twinning can be more than a once in a blue moon occurrence. These producers see twinning as a way to dramatically increase their yield per calving season. Producers will increase their income due to more weight per year per cow. It is necessary ;however, that the producer be well educated on how to handle twinning, in order for it to be successful for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many agencies see twinning as an economic move upward. The American Breeder Service has made efforts to produce semen as well as embryos with high predicted breeding values available to producers. They have been recorded based on twinning probabilities and ovulation rates. A large amount of work on twinning has also been done by the Meat and Animal Research Center. Since the early eighties, they have located cattle with a high frequency of twinning and been forming a breeding foundation based on this characteristic. â€Å"We believe the time has come to make some of these unique genetic resources available to the beef industry through artificial insemination and embryo transfer† (Gregory 23). An extensive amount of research has been done using embryo transfer in cattle. In one study recipients were implanted with either a single embryo, two embryo in one uterine horn, or one embryo in each uterine horn. It is also possible to split embryos using a micro manipulator and implant each half to produce identical twins. On the average about 16% of the cows implanted with two embryos produced twins. When two embryos were implanted, and one was placed in each horn, conception rates were comparable with the prior method, however the twinning rate was much higher when the embryos were in separate horns (73% vs. 45%). For the most part, when one embryo was split in an attempt to produce identical twins, only one of the offspring survived birth (Davis 302).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many producers see twinning as a possible advancement in

‘Manila amendments’ to the STCW

As examples: The 24 hour period should start at midnight; The 24 hour period should commence at the time a seafarer starts work immediately after having any period of rest of one hour or more; The period should start from the seafarers' first period of work on each calendar day Apparently, such variations in the interpretation can lead to substantial differences in the number of non-conformances detected and recorded, which then may potentially lead to a fatigue and subsequent accidents caused by the related human error factor.In accordance with mentioned above it could be still stated that fatigue is being considered as a significant contributory factor to many incidents in the shipping industry since the policy of monitoring of rest and work hours, that was designed as a very important tool to fght with fatigue, is not effective enough. Moreover, in a real life it creates problems with proper understanding of approach for calculation of rest and work hours, analysis of the workload and real fatigue caused by the Job.And last but not least, existing form of record keeping of hours of work and rest creates a lot f paper work for the crew and Ship managers and take of their times that could be spend for more important issues. In the meantime, the fatigue prevention policy cannot be ideal since measurement of fatigue is extremely difficult due to the large variability of causes.In accordance with Guidance on Fatigue Mitigation and Management there are many ways to categorize tne causes 0T Tatlgue. 10 ensure tnorougnness ana to prov10e good coverage 0T most causes, they have been categorized into 4 general factors: Crew-specific Factors; Management Factors (ashore and aboard ship); Ship-specific Factors; Environmental Factors.Even if all of these factors can be considered with the same weighting coefficient in determination of level of fatigue, the most important factors will be still related to the crew specific factors such as Sleep and Rest, Quality, Quantity a nd Duration of Sleep, Sleep Disorders/Disturbances, Rest Breaks, Biological Clock/Circadian Rhythms, Psychological and Emotional Factors, including stress, Fear, Monotony and Boredom, Health, Diet, Illness, Stress, Skill, knowledge and training as it relates to the Job,Personal problems, Interpersonal relationships, Ingested Chemicals, Alcohol, Drugs (prescription and non-prescription), Caffeine, Age, Shift work and Work Schedules, Workload (mental/physical), Jet Lag, etc. In view of the above stated it should be concluded that matter of fatigue is not only related not only to the shipping industry and consequently prevention of fatigue has been already addressed in other industries, such as aviation for instance.In accordance with the ‘Fatigue in Aviation' of Federal Aviation Administration, causes of atigue can range from boredom to circadian rhythm disruption to heavy physical exertion'. In simple terms, fatigue can be simply defined as wearisomeness, which in most cases ca used by the lack of rest. Weariness, at the same time, may vary even for the crew maintaining the same tasks on different type of ships or in a different area of trading. Thus it seems to be logical that industry must use various methods for ‘measuring fatigue of their workers, but not standardising their hours of work and rest.At the same time modification of existing fatigue prevention policy should be more ocused on implementation of new technical devices in line with the proven objective approach that will not create extra paperwork but will really measure fatigue and improve effectiveness of fatigue prevention. As an example of new methodology for detecting attention lapses or impaired ability of the crew to perform their tasks measuring technique so called Blink Rate (electrooculography) can be considered being good alternative to the current paper exercises.Ponder and Kennedy in their research in 1927 have concluded that blinks are controlled by the central nervous yste m rather than peripheral processes; for this periodic, spontaneous blink, the rate of blinking is closely related to ‘mental tension' of the subject at the time, and that in all probability the movements constitute a kind of relief mechanism whereby nervous energy, otherwise unutilized, passes into a highly facilitated path 0. A. Stern, 1994). There are some other technologies that help to define the level of fatigue at the start o a s ITt or contlnuously tnrougnout task perTormance.In researcn I-atlgue RISK Management in Aviation Maintenance: Current Best Practices and Potential Future Countermeasures, the following technologies are presented as possible systems that facilitate fatigue measurement psychomotor performance tests that are usually installed on a handheld device or and typically measure the person's speed of response to a stimulus. Voice analysis also may be considered as a method to detect fatigue in operational personnel, particularly in settings where verbal co mmunication occurs via radio or telephone.Different monitoring systems for measurement of alertness have been as well developed for the road transport industry, and several odels of vehicles now come equipped with systems designed to detect drowsy drivers. (Hobbs, 2011) Several of technical innovations are already being widely used in different industries and shows possibility to move from paper calculation and bureaucratic approach in fatigue management to innovational and objective approach of fatigue management. History shows that several regulations adopted before in aviation industry later were transferred into the shipping industry to assist in improvement of safety management.

Public transport

Are there more advantages or disadvantages to this change? In many countries around the world there is considerable debate about the role of public transport. One suggestion that is commonly put forward is that it should be made free of charge. My belief is that while this policy might be difficult to implement in practice, there are at least two strong reasons for considering it.The ne significant problem with making public transport free of charge is financial. Councils and local governments need sufficient revenue not only to pay bus drivers and other ancillary staff, but also to maintain the transport infrastructure. There is a real danger that allowing people to travel for free would deprive transport authorities of much needed funds and lead to a lower standard of service. This financial difficulty in free public transport is counterbalanced by a potential benefit to the nvironment.The fact that so many people use cars nowadays means that our cities are suffer from rising level s of pollution from car exhaust emissions. One way to address this problem would be to encourage more people to use buses and trains by abolishing fares. If more commuters chose to travel to work on public transport, our cities would almost certainly be cleaner places to live in. Another way in which free public transport could improve our quality of life relates to congestion.Currently, the trend is for increasing numbers of people to choose to drive to work. This means that in many cases the rush hour is several hours long and it is sometimes almost impossible to travel across a city. It is probable that this level of congestion would be reduced by making public transport free. My conclusion is then that there are more advantages than disadvantages to free public transport, but this policy may be financially impossible to implement.

Speaking Strategies for English Learners

Speaking Strategies for English Learners Many English students complain that they understand English, but dont feel confident enough to join a conversation. There are a number of reasons for this, which we include here along with possible solutions: Students try to translate from their native language into English. How to Fix  It? Identify the Little Man/Woman in Your Head  -   If you pay attention, youll notice that youve created a little person in your head that translates. By insisting on always translating through this little man or woman, youre introducing a third person into the conversation. Learn to identify this person and ask them nicely to be quiet! Production blocking occurs due to nervousness, lack of confidence, etc. How to Fix  It? Become a Child Again -   Think back to when you were a child learning your first language. Did you make mistakes? Did you understand everything? Allow yourself to be a child again and make as many mistakes as possible. Also accept the fact that you wont understand everything, thats okay! The speaker is looking for a specific word, rather than using simple language to describe what is meant. How to Fix  It? Dont Always Tell the Truth  - Students sometimes limit themselves by trying to find the exact translation of something theyve done. However, if you are learning English, its not necessary to always tell the truth. If you are practicing telling stories in the past, make up a story. Youll find you can speak more easily if you arent trying to find a specific word. There arent enough conversation opportunities in or outside of class. How to Fix  It? Use Your Native Language  - Think about what you like to discuss in your own native language. Find a friend who speaks your language, have a conversation about a topic you both enjoy in your own language. Next, try to reproduce the conversation in English. Dont worry if you cant say everything, just try to repeat the main ideas of your conversation. Students arent able to speak to peers (for example: mixed classes of adults and teenagers). How to Fix  It? Make Speaking Into a Game -   Challenge each other to speak in English for a short period of time. Keep your goals easy. Perhaps you can begin with a short two-minute conversation in English. As practicing becomes more natural, challenge each other for longer periods of time. Another possibility is to collect some money for each time you use your own language with a friend. Use the money to go out for a drink and practice some more English! Exam preparation focuses on grammar, vocabulary, etc. and leaves little time for active use. How to Fix  It? Create a Study Group  - If getting ready for a test is your primary goal for learning English, put together a study group to review and prepare - in English! Make sure your group only discusses in English. Studying and reviewing in English, even if its just grammar, will help you become more comfortable in speaking English.   Speaking Resources Here are a number of resources, lesson plans, suggestion pages, and more which will help you and your students improve English speaking skills in and outside of class. The first rule of improving speaking skills is to speak, converse, talk, gab, etc. as much as you can! However, these strategies can help you - or your students - make the most out of your efforts. American English Usage Tips - Understanding how Americans use English and what they expect to hear can help improve conversations between native and non-native speakers. These next two features help you understand how words stress plays a role in both understanding and being understood: Intonation and Stress: Key to UnderstandingWord Stress - Changes in Meaning Register use refers to the tone of voice and words that you choose when speaking to others. Appropriate register use can help you develop a good rapport with other speakers. Register UsageRegister Use in English Teaching Conversational Skills will help teachers understand specific challenges involved when teaching speaking skills in class. Social English Examples Making sure that your conversation starts well often depends on using social English (standard phrases). These social English examples provide short dialogues and key phases necessary. IntroductionsGreetingsSpecial DaysSpeaking to StrangersTraveling Phrases Dialogues Dialogues are useful in learning standard phrases and vocabulary used in common situations. These situations are some of the most common youll find when practicing your English. A Busy DayWeekend SportsAt a Restaurant Here are a number of dialogues based on level: Beginners DialoguesIntermediate Dialogues Conversation Lesson Plans Here are a number of lesson plans which have proven quite popular in ESL/EFL classrooms around the world. Well start with debates. Debates can be used in class to help motivate students and use phrases and vocabulary that they may not use on an everyday basis. Here are a few to start off with: Men and Women - Equal at Last?Multinationals -   Help or Hindrance? Games are also quite popular in class, and games which encourage to express their point of view are some of the best: Creating a New SocietyGuilty!Lego Blocks This page will lead you to all the conversation plans located on this site: Conversation Lesson Plan Resource

About the Reconstruction Era (1865â€1877)

About the Reconstruction Era (1865–1877) The period of Reconstruction took place in the southern United States from the end of the Civil War in 1865 until 1877. The era was marked by intense controversies, which included the impeachment of a president, outbreaks of racial violence, and the passage of Constitutional amendments. Even the end of Reconstruction was controversial, as it was marked by a presidential election which many, to the present day, contend was stolen. The main issue of Reconstruction was how to bring the nation back together after the rebellion of the slave states had been ended. And, at the end of the Civil War fundamental  issues facing the nation included what role former Confederates might play in the US government, and what role freed slaves would play in American society. And beyond the political and social issues was the matter of physical destruction. Much of the Civil War had been waged in the South, and cities, towns, and even farmlands, were in runs. The infrastructure of the South also had to be rebuilt. Conflicts Over Reconstruction The issue of how to bring the rebellious states back into the Union consumed much of the think of President Abraham Lincoln as the Civil War came to an end. In his second inaugural address he spoke of reconciliation. But when he was assassinated in April 1865 much changed. The new president, Andrew Johnson, declared that he would follow Lincolns intended policies toward Reconstruction. But the ruling party in Congress, the Radical Republicans, believed Johnson was being far too lenient and was allowing former rebels too much of a role in the new governments of the South. The Radical Republican plans for Reconstruction were more severe. And continual conflicts between the Congress and the president led to the impeachment trial of President Johnson in 1868.   When Ulysses S. Grant became president following the election of 1868, Reconstruction policies continued in the South. But it was often plagued by racial problems and the Grant administration often found itself trying to protect the civil rights of former slaves. The era of Reconstruction effectively ended with the Compromise of 1877, which decided the highly controversial election of 1876. Aspects of Reconstruction New Republican controlled governments were instituted in the South, but were almost certainly doomed to fail. Popular sentiment in the region was obviously opposed to the political party which had been led by Abraham Lincoln. An important program of Reconstruction was the Freedmens Bureau, which operated in the South to educate former slaves and give them assistance in adjusting to living as free citizens.   Reconstruction was, and remains, a highly controversial subject. Southerners felt that northerners were using the power of the federal government to punish the south. Northerners felt the southerners were still persecuting freed slaves through the imposition of racist laws, called black codes. The end of Reconstruction can be seen as the beginning of the period of Jim Crow.

Antigone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Antigone - Essay Example Haemon is in love with Antigone. Creon rules that he will spare Ismene and bury Antigone alive were not for the intervention of Tiresias, the blind prophet. The twist of events results to Antigone hanging herself while Haemon kills himself together with her mother, Eurydice. Antigone has the character of a rebellious girl that is noble and wise. She is defiant of the rules that are given by Creon and goes on to have her way. She is truthful, she does not refuse that she buried her brother. She is courageous since she took the body to go and bury. In addition, she is an intelligent character. Her sister, Ismene is a coward; she is not easily persuaded and is a person that likes to play safe. Besides, she is submissive, kind and obedient. Creon’s pride is evident, he refuses to intervene after the prophesy causing him the life of his son and wife. Eurydice, on the other hand is demonstrated as weak hearted and emotional. Haemon is bold and stands with his lover despite his father’s decrees. Antigone is a play that arouses emotions as well as leaves some lessons to be learnt. The character Antigone inspired me to take up anything that I commit myself to do irrespective of the consequences, only given that it is done for the right motive. Being a woman and having lost her brothers, falling apart with her sister having not yet married could have discouraged hence making her obey the decree. She risked her life and went ahead to have her way. On the other hand the essence of humility has been emphasized irrespective of the social or political status. If Creon heeded to the prophet’s advice, he would not have lost his family. Finally, the play ends on a sad mote with the death of a potential couple that had demonstrated heroism in the play, Haemon and

Presenting for the Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Presenting for the Future - Essay Example Immigration accountability requires earnest action beyond executive orders unleashed by President Obama. The remedy will stabilize immigration procedures, boost tax, and offer fight illegal crossing at national borders. Organizational influences immigration through the structure in place. An organization structure for example within United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will influence ethical behavior of the staff working in various departments. An immigration system that has rigid and hierarchical structure will limit the capacity of employees towards implementing reforms in the documentation process. An autonomous decision-making process will result in a department that offers employees relevant experience and moral development in handling immigration dilemmas. Flexible structure allows immigration departments to make high-level decisions irrespective of their level to realize the sound and ethical practices; hence, the need for such a structure. An organization that handles immigration should hire employees legally. The human resource department will be charged with implementing immigration policies and reforms if it adopts a legal process to acquire employee fit for the job. Compliance in a public office is essential as opposed to labor costs that will be saved after hiring unqualified employees. Decentralization and ad hoc structure defines the human resource department of USCIS. The structure has hampered efforts to modernize immigration procedures and match the economic and national security agendas. The department has shielded efficient transformation initiatives that have the potential to heal the immigration wound. Restructuring of USCIS human resource department has paved way for critical immigration practices entrusted with the organization. Structure does not foster anti-fraud and homeland security measures as required by state and federal governments. Department of Homeland