Market Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Market Reaction Paper - Essay Example I could see that all kinds of vegetables and meat products were available at this market with fair pricing policies. I visited the market twice to observe how its vendors work and perform their duties. Once I went there in the morning. Citarella market usually remains open from 10am to 6pm. I went there at 10am, right at the time and I could see the vendors were decorating their baskets with vegetables, fruits and other products. On the corner side of the market, a mini-bakery shop was full of rush. I could not even believe that this market is going to be crowded with people so early but it was. The people were mostly buying breakfast items from the mini-bakery. I loved to spend most of my time among the vendors who were raising their voices to attract the people for the purpose of selling their items. Then I left the market at 12pm and again came here at 4pm. Only two hours were left before this market could shut down. I decided to spend the two hours wandering into the adjoining streets. The market is surrounded by residential area so I could easily find various restaurants, houses and business buildings around. It was a nice time to spend at Citarella market and I loved the way its vendors and sellers deal with buyers. Mostly the buyers were Asians, as the market is situated in the hub of the town where Asians

Japanese Comfort Women Essay Example for Free

Japanese Comfort Women Essay It is estimated that between one and two hundred thousand female sex slaves were forced to deliver sexual services to Japanese soldiers, both before and during World War II. These women were known as comfort women and the Imperial Conference, which was composed of the emperor, representatives from the armed forces and the main Cabinet ministers, approved their use by Japanese soldiers. Walkom) The term comfort women refers to the victims of a premeditated systematic plan originated and implemented by the government of Japan to enslave women considered inferior and subject them to repeated mass rapes, said Michael D. Hausefeld, one of over 35 lawyers in his firm representing the former sexual prisoners in a class action lawsuit currently pending against the Japanese government. (Eddy) Since ancient times, prostitutes in Japan chose to sell their bodies either for family, poverty, or for saving her husband and her children. More or less, their sacrifices were seen as positive. But, being forced to become comfort woman by Japanese is seen as negative. The difference between the Japanese prostitutes and comfort women is that the comfort women did not choose to be trapped as a sex slave and they were not paid for what they did. In 1931, when the Japanese army invaded Manchuria, â€Å"comfort houses† made their first appearances. These comfort houses were created to provide the Japanese soldiers with outlets for their sexual needs. In the beginning, there were only a few comfort houses but after the Nanjin Massacre occurred in 1937, many more were added, basically to every place that the Japanese were stationed. (Walkom) After the Japanese soldiers slaughtered thousands of Chinese people in the Nanjin Massacre, they barbarically raped an insurmountable number of women. As a result, anti-Japanese sentiments grew and it became harder to fully occupy these lands. The government set up comfort houses to decrease disorder and give the approximately two million soldiers a place to satisfy their sexual needs. The Japanese did not have enough prostitutes to supply the needs of the soldiers so they commissioned civilians to develop comfort houses. At the time, only a small percentage of Japanese women were mobilized to â€Å"work† in comfort houses and they were all prostitutes to begin with. The majority of the comfort women were actually Korean women, who were forcibly taken from Korea to service the needs of the Japanese soldiers. After the war, the Japanese government destroyed all evidence of their involvement in Japanese comfort houses, enforcing that commercial businessmen were responsible for the movement of women. Many of the comfort women were kidnapped or deceived into voluntarily working in comfort houses. Once they were there, they were trapped and forced into prostitution. Some women reported that Japanese agents offered them good jobs or education. Others were told that each family in the village had to donate a daughter to the war effort. Many others were offered food, shelter and factory jobs. The Japanese also kidnapped young, unmarried girls when they had a shortage of comfort women. The ages of the girls in the comfort houses ranged from 15 to 19, with the minority exception of some younger girls and some older, married women. The girls were transported between military bases like cargo, under heavy guard in army trucks, trains, ship and bus. They were forced to lose their virginity before arriving at the bases to prepare them for having sexual intercourse with tens of soldiers every day. Many women contemplated death after this, as they believed their virginity to be more precious than life. (Henson) When living in the comfort houses, the comfort women lived in fear and desperation. They were unable to leave, as they were heavily guarded. Each day, they were penetrated by as many as 50 soldiers, until they were sore and bloated to the point of not being able to open their legs. If they were infected with a sexually transmitted disease, they received injections known as Injection 606. If infected enough times, they lost their fertility. In Japan, infected women were killed. Their food was mixed with cyanide, their bodies taken to a cave and finally, the cave was blown up with a grenade. The comfort houses made money off these women and it is believed that the Japanese government paid them, as most of the soldiers paid by coupons. As soon as the war was finished, the Japanese Imperialist guards disappeared without trace. Most comfort women describe the experience this way, Suddenly, the soldiers came no more, and upon asking we found that the war had ended. In other regions, as the Japanese committed â€Å"harikari, the women were forced to do the same. In extreme cases, the women were put in a cave and blown up. After the war, many of the comfort women were too sick to be moved and were taken under the care of the American army. Most of the women were left with no place to go, as they were in a strange country with no money, and were too humiliated to go home. According to one comfort woman, my bodys wasted, therefore I do not dare go home in fear of being ignored and looked down upon. Even after the war ended, the comfort women were not free. Their guilty minds and inferiority complexes kept them from returning home and they stayed in foreign countries. The small amount that married, were often forced to separate after the fact that they were comfort women was known, or they were divorced because they could not have children. The victims are still suffering the pain physically and psychologically. More than half of them could not get pregnant, and most of them have chronicle diseases. Furthermore, the psychological impact on these women made them felt themselves dirty, ashamed that they disgraced themselves and isolated themselves from others. They are either afraid of getting married, or unable to ask for any commitment from their lovers. For those who got married, their marriage was unstable and unhappy due to their past. Some thought that they must have done something evil in their previous life that they have to be punished in this life. (Hicks) They go to tempos to chant sutras, to confess, to pursue liberation, and they even commit suicide. Although the period of time they spent at the Japanese military base was a small part of their life, what they had experienced caused an incurable impact on their health, marriage, mind, and social adaptation. Although the Japanese government continues to deny or minimize their involvement with comfort women, their defense is unraveling. A conference on Japanese Crimes Against Humanity: Sexual Slavery and Forced Labor was held last year, in which Japanese researchers delivered papers which claimed that the Japanese military, the rest of the government, and Japanese industry were all involved in the decision to provide sex slaves for the countrys soldiers. (Chunghee) Japanese historian Hirofumi Hayashi said: The establishment and development of the military comfort women system as not only carried out by the total involvement of every section of the military but also by administrative machinery at every level of the Japanese state In addition, we should not overlook that Japanese companies were their accomplices. (Chunghee) Researchers from the Center for Research and Documentation of Japans War Responsibilities in Yokohama showed that Japanese rubber companies were under government contra ct to supply 20 million condoms a year to armed forces once the decision had been made to provide sex slaves to the soldiers. Rumiko Nishino wrote that high-ranking adjutants commissioned by Cabinet and sub-Cabinet-level government officials implemented the distribution of the condoms. The availability of condoms to the general population became almost nil. (Chunghee) Last year, the Japanese appeals court overturned an earlier ruling that orders the government to compensate women who were forced to serve as sex slaves during World War II. Both sides had appealed that ruling. The plaintiffs because they thought the compensation was too small, and the government because they refused to pay. Duke) In deciding in favor of the government, the Hiroshima High Court said abducting women to use them as forced laborers and sex slaves was not a serious constitutional violation. Tokyo has admitted that its wartime army had set up brothels, and forced thousands of Koreans, Filipinos, Dutch and Chinese to serve as prostitutes, but it has refused to compensate these victims. Historians say as many as 200,000 women were f orced into sexual slavery during World War II.

Oral Reading And Reading Comprehension Performance English Language Essay

Oral Reading And Reading Comprehension Performance English Language Essay Reading ability has always been considered as a critical measurement in language education. It involves both reading behaviours and reading comprehension. Among all the different reading behaviours, there are many debates around whether oral reading has any influence on the reading comprehension performance or not. Hence, this study has been focused on the relationship between oral reading and the comprehension performance of second year students in Shandong Normal University, China. The grades of participants who participated in two reading comprehension tests, before and after a 6-week oral reading practice experiment had been measured and compared. Results had revealed a significant correlation between everyday oral reading practice and reading comprehension performance in late-teen and early-twenty EFL/ESL university students. The practice of oral reading showed significant influence on reading comprehension performance in the test. Most of groups showed that oral reading practic e had positive influence on the reading comprehension performance. Feedback suggested that oral reading experiment was successful because it helps in improving the scores of the reading comprehension test. It is recommended that English as foreign language or second language (EFL/ESL) teachers and students use oral reading as a practicing method and reading method during English learning. And also employ it as a reading method in reading comprehension outside examination. Beside the benefits of the oral reading method on reading comprehension performance, a clear bottleneck was also observed in this method during the investigation. As a consequence, to improve reading comprehension performance in EFL/ESL study, more factors such as vocabulary capacity, analysis ability of sentences and the understanding of the background culture would need to be taken into consideration, apart from the oral reading practice. 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Reading methodologies take an important part in both first language and second/foreign language learning (Alshumaimeri, 2005; Grabe, 1991; Jackson Coltheart, 2001; McCallum, Sharp, Bell, George, 2004; Prior Welling, 2001). In general, there are three reading methods used in language learning and teaching, oral reading, silent reading and subvocalization. Oral reading usually refers to the act of reading aloud, either to oneself or to audience. Silent reading, as stated in the phrase itself, it is the act of reading to oneself without pronouncing words out aloud. Subvocalization, which is similar to silent reading, however, is defined as the internal speech made when reading word, thus allowing the reader to imagine the sound of the word while reading (Carver, 1990). The term refers to the movement of muscles associated with speaking originally. But most subvocalization is undetectable even by the person using it (Carver, 1990; Rayner, et al, 1994). Reading comprehension refers to the ability of understanding of a written text or message (Keith, et al, 2001). This understanding of the writing comes from the words themselves, and the knowledge outside the written text can be triggered (Keith, et al, 2001). Reading comprehension performance is one of the essential criteria in language education (Bernhardt, 1991). There are many different methodologies of teaching reading comprehension throughout the centuries (Adams, 1994; Keith, et al, 2001). Modern methodologies usually stressed on using model strategies to analyse or interpret the passages (Pressley, 2006). There is no definitive set of strategies, but general ones include summarizing what you have read, monitoring your reading paragraphs, and analysing the structure of the text (Pressley, 2006). Some programmes teach students how to self monitor whether they are understanding and provide students with tools for fixing comprehension problems. These kinds of methods have also be en highly used in English education in China, in order for students to target high reading comprehension scores in the examination. This study was focused on the influence of reading behaviour on reading comprehension performance; hence, these technical strategies and their effects on the reading comprehension performance of EFL/ESL students would not be discussed further in this dissertation. 1.2 Previous literatures and researches on Oral Reading Previous studies on the effects of reading methods on the comprehension performance had shown significant differences between the different reading methodologies. Oral reading had the best effect on comprehension performance among the three reading methods (Alshumaimeri, 2011). In Alshumaimeris research, all groups stated that oral reading was the most preferred reading method with the most of students reporting it was the best method to support reading comprehension. Feedback suggested that this method was preferred because it helps in memorizing words and texts, concentration, and practicing and pronouncing words for real world encounters (Alshumaimeri, 2011). For decades, investigators have stressed the importance of oral reading to children in first language teaching situations in many cultures, not only as a method of encouraging children to read, but also of developing their reading comprehension ability (Alshumaimeri, 2005; Grabe, 1991; Jackson Coltheart, 2001; Juel Holmes, 1981; McCallum, Sharp, Bell, George, 2004; Prior Welling, 2001; Rowell, 1976, Yang, 2008). Oral reading has been considered as an essential approach in teaching pronunciation, vocabulary recognition and memorisation, during the early stages of foreign or second language (EFL/ESL) learning. There are many debated around the topic for decades. With the fast-developing technologies involved in the teaching activities, traditional teaching and learning strategies like oral reading, had been considered as an out-dated methodology, and discouraged by some EFL/ESL teachers (Amer,1 997). Hill and Dobbyn pointed out in their research that oral reading could be a waste of class time in 1979 (Hill Dobbyn, 1979). This situation is especially is especially critical in Chinas education system, since the focus is generally on improving the examination grades, rather than using a language practically. Another reason for oral reading has been overlooked by many teachers is because of lacking scientific instructions; consequently, students could not use oral reading as an efficient method to practice a foreign language after class in a non-native speaking environment (Yang, 2008). On contrary, researches had demonstrated that oral reading with scientific techniques could be beneficial in proof-reading, pronunciation practice, and fluency of conversations (Cho Choi, 2008; Gibson, 2008; Rennie, 2000; Reutzel, Hollingsworth, Eldredge, 1994; White, 1982). A survey conducted by BBC on the influences of oral reading on EFL/ESL at the EFL/ESL forum (Gao Xia, 2006), in which 98% of the 314 EFL teachers thought that oral reading had essential functions on English learning (Gao Xia, 2006) The majority of EFL/ESL teachers suggested oral reading as an essential English learning method based on teaching experiences (Gao Xia, 2006; Yang, 2008) 1.2.1 Oral reading in English Learning In China, or other countries where students learn English as a foreign language, the input of the target language is very low in daily life. The output of a language requires the understanding of large amount of the input first (Krashen, 2009). Oral reading is generally considered as an essential and effective way of the foreign language input. In China, the purpose of learning English as a second language has moved from understanding and using the language, to target high scores in various examinations in order to gain high grades, or get into and graduate from universities. As a consequence, the most of English teachers in China, especially the ones in secondary schools, colleges and universities, focus the English teaching and learning on the grammar, writing skills and reading comprehension test skills. Few teachers are actually taken oral reading or reading aloud as a regular teaching strategy during classes or as a regular practicing method for students. The lack of oral readin g practice in long term could result in a lack of the language input in a non-native speaking environment. Therefore, many students in China who have learnt English for many years have a good amount of vocabulary and well understanding of the grammar, and had passed many examinations including CET-4 and CET-6, still have troubles to use English fluently when needed. The lack of the language input during foreign language learning would result in lack of the scenes of the target language. Therefore, as suggested by many educators, oral reading is an effective, concentrated, and enhanced input route for language information. It could help EFL/ESL students to enrich their information pool of the target language and also provide the base of imitating and expressing the language for students language output. From imitating the reading material, the information in the texts would be converted into their natural and fluent expression and communication. Educators suggested that there are several reasons why oral reading takes an important part in English teaching and learning. Firstly, oral reading is a method to improve pronunciation and speaking ability. With the correct direction from English teachers, students could be benefit from oral reading practice for their pronunciation, voice tone. Additionally, during the oral reading behaviour, students eyes, mouths, and ears can all be involved. It can enhance the corresponding area in the brain to process the sound. So effective reading aloud practice is also a good foundation for listening. Thirdly, oral reading can improve the sense of phrase during foreign language learning in a non-native speaking environment. The process can also help student to concentrate on the text and memorise vocabulary (Alshumaimeri, 2011). With all the advantages of oral reading practice above, as suggested by Halliday in his An introduction to Functional Grammar, reading texts aloud would help the reade r to understand complicated contents (Halliday, 1994). Moreover, it has also been suggested that oral reading to help foreign language learners to improve their written communication skills. By imitating the language during oral reading, students could overcome the effect of their first language on the writing skills. Correct guidance of oral reading is essential in English learning. Reading aloud without wise strategies would not have any positive input in the learning process, which is a great waste of time and energy. As suggested by researchers, ESL/EFL teachers should pay attention to oral reading during the class to inspire students interests in oral reading. Teachers should also provide clear demonstration of the correct pronunciation and tone. And also explain the differences between the first language and foreign language. In addition, students are encouraged to practice oral reading regularly outside the class spontaneously. Furthermore, the reading materials should be well-selected. Articles, passages or books written by the native speakers of the target language with approximately 5% of new vocabulary are suggested to be suitable reading materials. To sum up, oral reading is an essential methodology that can improve many skills in English learning, including pronunciation, vocabulary, intonation, voice tone, and the sense of the language. Many researchers and educator believe that oral reading can improve the reading comprehension performance. Therefore, this study would like to investigate the relationship between oral reading practice and the reading comprehension performance of Chinese university students, through a series of designed oral reading practicing experiment. 1.3 Previous literatures and researches Reading Comprehension The research of reading comprehension has begun to increase rapidly in 1970s (Thorndike, 1973). It has then increasingly become the main standard in language understanding. As mentioned above, reading comprehension is described as the level of understanding of a content or text. In this thesis, the word text is used to refer to the written materials, which have specific meanings in semantics, informative in pragmatics, coherent in logic and cohesive in linguistics; it carries out the communication functions and conveys the interactive purposes between the writer and the reader; it depends on context, linguistic or non-linguistic, in which the textural meaning can be perceived by the reader. 1.3.1 Reading Comprehension of Text Reading comprehension is generally a fundamental mean for people to get information. Readers integrate and comprehend the text information on the basis of al parts of information. They complete their comprehension according to part and whole understanding of the text. Therefore, reading comprehension relies on the interaction of meaning between local and whole information. Text theory has become central to contemporary linguistic sciences. Text is considered as central to the construction of reality as entities are brought into existence, given meaning and significance. The purpose of reading is to uncover the meaning underlying in texts, and to examine the pattern of text and to link them to social backgrounds. Through the past few decades, the research on reading comprehension of text has been made more progress through the efforts of many text linguists (Gao, 2010). Reading comprehension of the text requires perceiving auditory and visual inputs, process these inputs in their highly complex cognitive systems (Anderson and Pearson, 1984). Reading comprehension began with the studies on memory and representation. The current researches of reading comprehension involve in the study on the retrieval of central concepts, different dimensions of situational models and different processing of text information. English reading comprehension theories developed from the earliest Grammar-Translation theory to current situational model theory. Through the empirical researches and English reading teaching theories, the above two research fields tend to draw together. Both fields had developed from linguistic micro aspect to semantic macro aspect. In the field of psycholinguistics, reading comprehension of text refers to the capacity to construct new knowledge from the written text (Anderson and Pearson, 1984) and apply the acquired information to new situations (Kinstch, 1998). The Propositional Theory, the Schema Theory and the Mental Models are considered as the three most influential psycholinguistic theories of reading comprehension of text (Gunning, 1996). 1.3.2 Brief Comparison between Reading Comprehension Theories The three main reading comprehension theories identified by Gunning in 1996 will be described and compared briefly in this section. Propositional Theory: According to Gunning, the Propositional Theory engages the reader constructing a central idea as they process the text. These central ideas are organised in a hierarchical pattern with the most important factors given the highest priority to be memorised (Gunning, 1996). Schema Theory: Schema, came from Greek which means shape or plan. The term has been introduced into education by Bartlett in 1932 (Bartlett, 1932). According to Bartlett, a schema was defined as a complex knowledge structure which groups all the information an individual knows about or associates with a particular concept. The term was linked with reconstructive memory by a series of experiments demonstrated in Bartletts work (Bartlett,1932). By presenting participants with information that was unfamiliar to their cultural backgrounds and expectations and then monitoring how they recalled these different items of information (stories, etc.), Bartlett was able to establish that individuals existing schemata and stereotypes influence not only how they interpret schema-foreign new information but also how they recall the information over time.(Wikipedia) The Schema Theory in had been studied and developed by many researcher ever since. In 1980, Rumelhart had taken an important breakthrough of the sche ma theory in reading comprehension, by portraying individuals understanding of tales and stories (Rumelhart, 1980). Later, the schema in text theory refers to content schema, where the the readers understanding of the text might depend on having a clearly established context for the text. Gunning (1996) defines a schema as the organized knowledge that one already has about people, places, things, and events. Kitao (1990) says the schema theory involves an interaction between the readers own knowledge and the text, which results in comprehension. This schema, as Gunning defined, can be very broad, such a schema for natural disasters, or more narrow, such as a schema for a hurricane. Each schema is filed in an individual compartment and stored there. In attempting to comprehend reading materials, students can relate this new information to the existing information they have compartmentalized in their minds, adding it to these files for future use. Based on the Schema Theory, depending on how extensive their files become, their degree of reading comprehension may vary. (website) For instance, the researches of reading comprehension sometimes term as formal schemata, which reveal previous experience of a certain text type. For instance, readers usually expect to see an abstract, a background review, a methodology and analysis and discussion of data in a scientific paper. This kind of schema provides the expectation about the style of the text. Schema could also be used to represent the meaning representation built up by a reader during processing a particular piece of text. People begin to read texts with expectations about the content, which can be derived from the title or from the purpose of the texts. These enable people to develop a text-specific schema even before reading. More information might be added to the original schema, or the initial schema might be revised during the reading. (Sample Paper) Schema is different between languages. There are three possible changes of schemata. The change is involved when small adjustment is made temporarily in order to confront immediate needs. Accretion modifies a schema gradually but when new information is acquired or repeated examples of contrary evidence are accumulated, the schema may be changed. Restructuring occurs when a sudden insight or new piece of knowledge leads to radical reorganisation of existing knowledge structures. (Sample Paper) To sum up, the schema theory, as the mental representations of typical situations, are used in text processing to predict the contents of the particular situation which the text describes. The idea is that the mind which is stimulated by key words or phrases in the text, or by the context, activates a schema of knowledge, and uses this schema to understand the text. Mental Model Theory (Dominican.edu website) Another major theory we would like to discuss is the Mental Model. This model can be thought of as a mind movie created in ones head, based on the reading content. Gunning gives a detailed description of this process, stating that a mental model is constructed most often when a student is reading fiction. The reader focuses in on the main character and creates a mental model of the circumstances in which the character finds him or herself. The mental model is re-constructed or updated to reflect the new circumstances as the situation changes, but the items important to the main character are kept in the foreground according to Gunning, (1996). Perkins (1991) identifies that sometimes misconceptions about important concepts reflect misleading mental models of the topic itself or the subject matter within which it sits. There are, however, interventions the teacher can do to help the reader to stay on track and create a more accurate picture. One suggestion is for the teachers to ask the students to disclose their mental models of the topics in question, through analogy, discussion, picturing, and other ways. This information gives the teacher insight on the students knowledge gaps and misconceptions, therefore allowing them to help students reconstruct a more accurate picture. 1.3.3 Reading Comprehension in Foreign Language Study Reading comprehension is one of the critical teaching objectives in all foreign languages education. The ability of reading comprehension is also an important factor to evaluate the learners language competence. Studies on first language learning showed that the comprehension performance is better when reading silently (Bernhardt, 1983; Leinhardt, Zigmond, Cooley, 1981; Wilkinson Anderson, 1995). Nevertheless, recently study from Teng suggested that reading comprehension results had no significant difference between oran and silent reading (Teng, 2009). In EFL/ESL learning, Al-Qurashi et al had proposed that oral reading was only beneficial in acquisition; for reading comprehension, silent reading is better strengthened (Al-Qurashi, Watson, Hafseth, Hickman, Pond, 1995). While researchers continue to explore the effectiveness of oral reading on both language acquisition and comprehension, many questions remain unanswered. Further research on the relationship between oral reading s and reading comprehension is needed in order to enhance EFL teaching methodologies and to improve learning outcomes. This research furthers understanding of the relationship between oral reading and comprehensio n performance at later stage of EFL/ESL learning. As such, findings would assist colleges or universities, the EFL/ESL researchers, educators and students. 1.3.4 The Previous Research on the Correlation between Oral Reading and Reading Comprehension Oral reading and reading comprehension are different reading activities that are related and interact to each other. Research had been done on the two aspects from various perspectives, including psychological linguistics, neurological linguistics, cognition and the functions in foreign language education. Oral reading is a reading activity that expresses the emotions using reading skills, such as stress, rhythm or tone, in the linguistic materials. It involves reading out aloud the words, sentences or passages, with eye sight focusing on the texts. It is different from a mechanical word-to-word articulating process. Oral reading is a more complex and cognitive process which engages not only pronouncing, reading, and listening, also language perception, comprehension and production of the reader. Previous research suggested that oral reading represented a complicated and dynamic performance that indicate the individuals sensorial skill at automatically recognising orthographical representations, unitising those components into recognisable wholes and automatically accessing lexical representations, processing meaningful connections within and between sentences, relating text meaning to prior information, making inferences to supply missing information, and his production skill the form ulation and execution of speech plan, the performance on which characterises the readers overall language proficiency (Gao, 2006). The psychological process of oral reading had also been investigated. During the activity of oral reading, the reader could formulate the phonetic plan and convert it into vocal sound after comprehending the text (Gao, 2007). Then the input of information could activate the lemma in the mental lexicon  ¼Ã‹â€ Yang, 2008 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Text is a language phenomenon based on psychological activites and also a product of psychological process. Reading comprehension of the text involves how people recognise auditory and visual inputs, process and understand the input information in the highly complex cognitive systems. In the field of psycholinguistics, reading comprehension of the text refers to the capacity to construct new knowledge from the written text (Anderson and Pearson, 1984) and apply the acquired information to new situations (Kinstch, 1998).] Furthermore, the performance of reading comprehension is an indicator of the foreign language students competence. If one has difficulty in the comprehension of reading, his or her execution of phonetic plan, mechanisms of articulation and monitor cannot work together simultaneously and effectively. His or her oral reading performance could be stumbled and mistaken as well. Thus, the process of both oral reading and reading comprehension are relevant to cognition and psychology of human. 1.4 Significance and Aims of the Study The main aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between oral reading and comprehension performance. Previous literatures suggested that the oral reading method is correlated to the comprehension performance during language studies among young children and teenagers (Alshumaimeri, 2005; Rowell, E.H. (1976).). Alshumaimeri s research on the effects of different reading methods on the comprehension performance in 10th grade Saudi male students indicated that, reading comprehension performance could be benefited from oral reading method because it could help students to concentrate on the passages and memorise new vocabulary (Alshumaimeri, 2011). The research from Alshumaimeri was conducted among teenagers. Additionally, the experiment was designed to investigate the reading comprehension performance after oral reading the passages (Alshumaimeri, 2011), i.e. the immediate effect of oral reading on comprehension performance. However, the experiment was designed differently in th is study to investigate the long-term effect of oral reading on reading comprehension performance. Therefore, this study has been carried out among second year students in Shandong Normal University in China, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This study has aimed to investigate the influence of oral reading practice on reading comprehension performance, in ESL/EFL students with relatively long English learning history and who already have relatively higher ability in English. Because with the development of English teaching and learning strategies, and the ability of self-learning and gaining resources by students, oral reading is more neglected with the age increasing as well, especially for college and university students, who despise oral reading as a leaning method because it is time consuming, childish and shows no immediate improvements in examination grades. Therefore, the ability of reading comprehension would be measured by two designed multiple-choice tests, before and after a 6-week oral reading practice experiment. The scores from both tests would be ana lysed to investigate the relationship between oral reading practice and the reading comprehension performance. Besides the quantitative data comparison from the reading comprehension tests, the opinions from both students and English teachers participated in this research on oral reading and reading comprehension would be collected by questionnaires. This aimed to investigate the attitude of oral reading and reading comprehension from both learners and teachers point of views during EFL/ESL education. These results would be valuable for future English as a foreign language education. Theoretical exploration and quantitative analysis would be illustrated in the thesis; experimental data would be processed with SPSS to support the theory as well. 2. Methodology The study mainly focused on discovering whether the students performance of oral reading would have any positive influence on students reading comprehension performance. Additionally, the work of EFL/ESL teacher in China put in teaching correct oral reading techniques to improve their ability in reading comprehension performance. In order to get reliability and validity data and results, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in this research. In the foreign language education field, quantitative research is objective, noticeable, and outcome-oriented, which can be generalised. On contrary, qualitative research is more subjective, contextual and process-oriented, during which the process is based on systematic methods. In this section, the key questions involved in this study would be discussed, followed by research subjects (university teachers and students), research procedures (experimental design, implement process and data collection), and measurements (pre-test, post-test, questionnaires and teaching experiments). 2.1 Research Questions The study was designed to investigate the influence of oral reading practice on reading comprehension performance, and the relationship between the two. The key questions in this study are as follows: How to use oral reading as an effective teaching method in English classes regularly? How often do students use oral reading as an exercise technique in their self-study time? What is the relationship between oral reading and reading comprehension performance? Would the oral reading experiment have positive influence on the reading habit of students? The research of these questions would be illustrated in the Results section, and the answers to these key questions would be discussed further in the Discussion section. 2.2 Research Subjects The experiment around the topic was carried out in second year student in Shangdong Normal University, China. A full-time university could be used to represent the majority of universities in China. A group of 120 non-English department students were chosen as the research subject in this study. They could represent most of the English learning students in China. As second year university students, they usually have a good understanding in English by passing the National Entrance Examination of China, and had leant English for approximately 9 years since the fourth grade in primary schools. The average age of the chosen students was around 19 to 21; and participants were selected from both genders. More importantly, they have similar education background and English level in the reading comprehension. The non-English-specialised College English Test Band 4 (CET-4), which is a national English as a Foreign Language test in China, could be used as a standard to measure the ability of t he participants in the reading comprehension study. The purpose of the CET is to examine the English proficiency of undergraduate students in China and ensure that Chinese undergraduates reach the required English levels specified in the National College English Teaching Syllabuses (NCETS). The level of CET-4 could be considered as around 5.5 to 6 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The 120 participants were selected from 300 non-English-specialised students from different departments who join the research on their own will. Their scores were fall between 25% and 40% in the pre-experimental reading comprehension test (details in the next section). This score range represents a group of students who have certain understanding in English but with lower level in the reading comprehension. As a consequence, there is a big gap to see the improvements in this study. After the selection, there were 79 female students and 41 male students were chosen for the next step experiment. The reason for the difference in genders was due to that the female student proportion was naturally higher in this University. However, since the purpose of this study was not focus on the effect of oral reading on reading comprehension performance between genders, this big difference could be accepted in this research. The gender proportion information is illustrated in Tabe.1 below. Gender Number Percent

Valentine, by Ann Duffy and First Love by John Clare :: English Literature

Valentine is by Ann Duffy. The first thing that caught my attention was the title â€Å"Valentine†. Usually when you would hear that word your head would be thinking hearts, love, romance, and choclates etc but not in this case. In this poem it describes love as an onion and this is the constant imagery. The poets aim was to use the onion as a symbol of love rather than the everyday, typical gifts. I think the poem might have been written by a male but adapted by a female poet. My reason for saying this is mainly because when you read the poem it sounds as though it’s a male word because it talks about giving gifts which is normally from the man. Never the less it has more deep and emotional feelings in it which makes it sound like a female words. However we will never know for sure. The language that the poet uses whether it’s a male or a female is very powerful and strong because even if don’t enjoy the poem you would still remember parts of it because its so blunt and straight to the point .The poem also uses at some point simile and metaphors which also makes it very affective. In this poem it also constantly compares love to an onion. It uses the same words that can describe love as well as an onion , doesn’t really use sweet and fragile words or phrases that you would normally expect in a love poem but in my opinion having a bit of a change is always a good thing. â€Å"Blind you with tears† The word blind and tears show the nature of love and how love can hurt which leaves you heartbroken and in rivers of tears. However in cooking wise the onion would blind you and make you cry when you cut it, so the poet bought these two things together and joined them up to make his or her point more interesting for the reader. The language makes me feel very moved at some points because its very emotional and descriptive .My favourite verse was the last one because it uses strong words but with passion and a deep full meaning. â€Å"Lethal† Its scent will cling to your fingers, Cling to your knife Lethal means dangerous and I think this would describe love best because in reality love is romantic however if you don’t play it right and don’t abide by the rules then it could turn into a very nasty game. This is why love shouldn’t be messed about in the first place as it not a game in real life it could mess a persons life forever.

Girls’ State Essay

I hope to attend the Rhododendron Girls State Program. My attendance would drastically assist me in all of my future endeavors. It would provide me with an opportunity to join the over 30,000 girls who have already benefited from the citizenship, leadership, and patriotism training. This nationally recognized program would help me academically excel above others. Besides looking great in general on my college application, it could provide me with a chance to receive scholarships. After high school, I currently plan to continue my education at either West Liberty University or Ohio University.I want to take a dual major of biology and chemistry; these majors are important because I want to be Pre-Medicine. Along with a rigorous curriculum, I hope to play collegiate softball. After college, I will again further my education by going to a school of medicine in order to become an orthopedic surgeon. When I apply for admittance into these schools, they will take into account programs such as Girls State causing them to perceive me as a better choice than those who did not attend such programs.Since I will soon be of voting age, I am interested in acquiring a better understanding and deeper regard for my nation’s legacy of freedom and democracy. Running for offices, registering to vote, and delivering speeches will give me first-hand experience for the real world. My nation’s history is unique and the founding fathers of America would be proud to see youth learning about the government they created.

Digital Fortress Chapter 45

David Becker wandered aimlessly down Avenida del Cid and tried to collect his thoughts. Muted shadows played on the cobblestones beneath his feet. The vodka was still with him. Nothing about his life seemed in focus at the moment. His mind drifted back to Susan, wondering if she'd gotten his phone message yet. Up ahead, a Seville Transit Bus screeched to a halt in front of a bus stop. Becker looked up. The bus's doors cranked open, but no one disembarked. The diesel engine roared back to life, but just as the bus was pulling out, three teenagers appeared out of a bar up the street and ran after it, yelling and waving. The engines wound down again, and the kids hurried to catch up. Thirty yards behind them, Becker stared in utter incredulity. His vision was suddenly focused, but he knew what he was seeing was impossible. It was a one-in-a-million chance. I'm hallucinating. But as the bus doors opened, the kids crowded around to board. Becker saw it again. This time he was certain. Clearly illuminated in the haze of the corner streetlight, he'd seen her. The passengers climbed on, and the bus's engines revved up again. Becker suddenly found himself at a full sprint, the bizarre image fixed in his mind-black lipstick, wild eye shadow, and that hair†¦ spiked straight up in three distinctive spires. Red, white, and blue. As the bus started to move, Becker dashed up the street into awake of carbon monoxide. â€Å"Espera!† he called, running behind the bus. Becker's cordovan loafers skimmed the pavement. His usual squash agility was not with him, though; he felt off balance. His brain was having trouble keeping track of his feet. He cursed the bartender and his jet lag. The bus was one of Seville's older diesels, and fortunately for Becker, first gear was a long, arduous climb. Becker felt the gap closing. He knew he had to reach the bus before it downshifted. The twin tailpipes choked out a cloud of thick smoke as the driver prepared to drop the bus into second gear. Becker strained for more speed. As he surged even with the rear bumper, Becker moved right, racing up beside the bus. He could see the rear doors-and as on all Seville buses, it was propped wide open: cheap air-conditioning. Becker fixed his sights on the opening and ignored the burning sensation in his legs. The tires were beside him, shoulder high, humming at a higher and higher pitch every second. He surged toward the door, missing the handle and almost losing his balance. He pushed harder. Underneath the bus, the clutch clicked as the driver prepared to change gears. He's shifting! I won't make it! But as the engine cogs disengaged to align the larger gears, the bus let up ever so slightly. Becker lunged. The engine reengaged just as his fingertips curled around the door handle. Becker's shoulder almost ripped from its socket as the engine dug in, catapulting him up onto the landing. David Becker lay collapsed just inside the vehicle's doorway. The pavement raced by only inches away. He was now sober. His legs and shoulder ached. Wavering, he stood, steadied himself, and climbed into the darkened bus. In the crowd of silhouettes, only a few seats away, were the three distinctive spikes of hair. Red, white, and blue! I made it! Becker's mind filled with images of the ring, the waiting Learjet 60, and at the end of it all, Susan. As Becker came even with the girl's seat wondering what to say to her, the bus passed beneath a streetlight. The punk's face was momentarily illuminated. Becker stared in horror. The makeup on her face was smeared across a thick stubble. She was not a girl at all, but a young man. He wore a silver stud in his upper lip, a black leather jacket, and no shirt. â€Å"What the fuck do you want?† the hoarse voice asked. His accent was New York. With the disorientated nausea of a slow-motion free fall, Becker gazed at the busload of passengers staring back at him. They were all punks. At least half of them had red, white, and blue hair. â€Å"Sientate!† the driver yelled. Becker was too dazed to hear. â€Å"Sientate!† The driver screamed. â€Å"Sit down!† Becker turned vaguely to the angry face in the rearview mirror. But he had waited too long. Annoyed, the driver slammed down hard on the brakes. Becker felt his weight shift. He reached for a seat back but missed. For an instant, David Becker was airborne. Then he landed hard on the gritty floor. On Avenida del Cid, a figure stepped from the shadows. He adjusted his wire-rim glasses and peered after the departing bus. David Becker had escaped, but it would not be for long. Of all the buses in Seville, Mr. Becker had just boarded the infamous number 27. Bus 27 had only one destination.

The Man with the Twisted Lip Essay Example

The Man with the Twisted Lip Essay Example The Man with the Twisted Lip Paper The Man with the Twisted Lip Paper This story is unusual, although not unique, for not containing any crime at all, although at first it seems to be dealing with a murder. When Mr. Neville St Clair disappears in a house full of opium dealers the police came to the conclusion that he had been murdered and blamed it on a hideous beggar named Hugh Boone who was immediately arrested. Sherlock Holmes then became involved and with a little bit of detecting came to the conclusion that the coat weighed down with coins were all part of a disguise and that the hideous beggar and the missing man were both one and the same person. The structure is a little unusual in this case which can be seen from the fact that the opening of the story starts in Watsons own house whereas normally it starts on Baker Street with people calling on Sherlock Holmes. At the beginning of the story a woman named Kate Whitney bursts into the house seemingly in hysterics and addresses Watson himself in an effort to get help. This is a small case which even Watson can solve by himself, after some detecting the womans husband is found in an opium den. The story is stronger in atmosphere in its opening sections which describe the sinister ambience of the opium den and the streets leading off it; Upper Swandan Lane is a vile alley between a slop shop and a gin shop approached by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave I found the den of which I was in search. The simile comparing the entrance of the opium den to the mouth of a cave is especially eerie because it combines the idea of a mouth swallowing up a victim with the wildness and savagery of an animals lair. The evil looking disguise that Neville adopts is not his real appearance He turns out to be a sad, refined-looking man. However in a way it symbolises the ugly, immoral course he has chosen to earn his living, a course which is criminal and unethical. Once again Conan Doyle creates a stray interest in an odd character with a strange background, rather then the brilliant deduction which Holmes generally uses to solve a mystery. Typically a woman features in the story, a distressed Mrs Sinclair who appears in the story as the client and as usual Holmes solves the case for her. At the end of this story justice is not done due to none needing to be done because there is the absence of a crime. But even though there is no crime Neville St Clair has deceived his family and has become a dishonest beggar. Holmes insists that if the matter is to be hushed up Neville must abandon his dismal disguise and become a refined gentleman once more. Again we see Holmes acts as an agent of morality rather then an instrument of the law, and shows lenity when the man promises to repent. This brings out the kinder side of his nature which isnt so apparent in stories when the emphasis is on his brilliant deductive skills. At the same time the Victorian reader would be satisfied that justice is indeed brought out in the end.

Free Essays on Bill Fords Long Hard Road

Bill Ford’s Long, Hard Road In the article Bill Ford’s Long, Hard Road Home, Kathleen Kerwin discusses the problems that have been plaguing the Ford Motor Company over the past view years. She particularly focuses on William Clay Ford Jr. and the changes that have been intact since he took the ob of CEO of the auto giant. His plan is to return the Ford Motor brand back into one of the premier auto companies in the world. So far as CEO the company’s profits are up and there have been no recalls. There has also been an increase in the quality and productivity of the vehicles produced in Europe. As far as stakeholders in the company, the employees love Bill Ford. When Bill Ford took the job as CEO some of the employees gave him a standing ovation. Although William Clay Ford’s tenure looks promising right now, there are still some bumps in the road. For one, the company has a bad history with its suppliers. This relationship may be healed in time due to Bill Ford’s commitment t o improve the corporation. Another problem stems from environmentalists claims that the company isn’t doing enough for the environment. As we speak, the Ford Motor Company is testing a new Japanese technology that improves fuel economy in cars. With the odds stacked against him William Clay Ford Jr. is sure to have some failures. Hopefully, he has the vision and planning that his great grandfather had in order to turn the declining Ford brand back to dominance.... Free Essays on Bill Ford's Long Hard Road Free Essays on Bill Ford's Long Hard Road Bill Ford’s Long, Hard Road In the article Bill Ford’s Long, Hard Road Home, Kathleen Kerwin discusses the problems that have been plaguing the Ford Motor Company over the past view years. She particularly focuses on William Clay Ford Jr. and the changes that have been intact since he took the ob of CEO of the auto giant. His plan is to return the Ford Motor brand back into one of the premier auto companies in the world. So far as CEO the company’s profits are up and there have been no recalls. There has also been an increase in the quality and productivity of the vehicles produced in Europe. As far as stakeholders in the company, the employees love Bill Ford. When Bill Ford took the job as CEO some of the employees gave him a standing ovation. Although William Clay Ford’s tenure looks promising right now, there are still some bumps in the road. For one, the company has a bad history with its suppliers. This relationship may be healed in time due to Bill Ford’s commitment t o improve the corporation. Another problem stems from environmentalists claims that the company isn’t doing enough for the environment. As we speak, the Ford Motor Company is testing a new Japanese technology that improves fuel economy in cars. With the odds stacked against him William Clay Ford Jr. is sure to have some failures. Hopefully, he has the vision and planning that his great grandfather had in order to turn the declining Ford brand back to dominance....

How Slavery started in the United States Research Paper

How Slavery started in the United States - Research Paper Example This is what the Romans did and the Greeks before them, it was the Europeans’ turn for imperialistic conquest. The New World conquest yielded new lands, riches and slave labor which set-off an imperialistic hunger that spread to Africa. It was closer, larger and the natives from that continent were preferred as slaves over the natives of the Americas. Initially, when the Spanish controlled the Caribbean islands, their interests were only in the mining of silver and gold. When the riches of the mines had been exhausted, the search for additional wealth moved inland and the Spaniards adopted a plantation based economy (Meyer, 2003). Products from the Americas such as tobacco, cotton, cocoa and sugar were becoming increasingly popular in Europe which caused the Caribbean plantations growing these commodities to grow accordingly. The shortage of man-power to operate these ever-growing plantations required many numbers of slaves from Africa to be imported. As the Spaniards were rea ping the rewards from its colonization of the Americas, their need for additional labor in the mines and plantations continued to grow. However, the local population was dwindling with the influx of disease and abuse and this, combined with Spain abolishing the enslavement of natives in the Americas in the mid 1500’s, necessitated a need to acquire Africans to fill their labor requirements (Meyer, 2003). By the early 19th century, the New World wealth had been well plundered and it was widely feared that the slaves emanating from there could spread new diseases in Europe or contract European diseases and die themselves. Africa was an attractive target to quench the Europeans’ new thirst to create far-away empires and control territories that held the raw materials needed to maintain and grow their prosperous economies which were built upon imperialistic tactics. New territories also meant the opportunity to trade with new markets. By the mid 19th century, the conquest for Africa was well underway. Gaining and controlling new territories outside the original country was justified by many explanations. A certain amount of national pride fueled the desire for an expansionist agenda. Obtaining new colonies was widely viewed as a gauge of a nation’s global prominence. Another justification was based on the prevalent racist attitude. â€Å"Europeans thought that they were better than Africans† (McDougal-Littell, 1999). Church officials and missionaries encouraged imperialism because the natives of conquered territories could be more easily coerced to convert to Christianity. In the initial phase of slavery in the New World (1519-1580), colonies were being formed and the trade of slaves was somewhat limited. From 1580 to 1650, slave trade from Africa soared because of the massive Native American deaths due to disease, the growth of the economy in the colonies and the unification of the Portuguese and Spanish governments (Palmer, 1976). The early era of colonization in the New World was a time of enormous changes as â€Å"the native Indian populations were decimated by disease and increasingly dominated by the Spanish social and economic structure† (Meyer, 2003). Slavery declined steadily during the years 1650 to 1827. â€Å"From New England to Virginia to Jamaica, the English planters in seventeenth-century America developed the habit of murdering the soil for a few quick crops and then moving along. On the sugar plantations, unhappily, they also murdered the slaves†

Third World Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Third World Countries - Essay Example Accordingly, underdevelopment emerges as a consequences of culture, politics, dependency and colonialisation, although not necessarily in that order. Dependency theorists look towards history for the clarification of the reasons why some countries have successfully attained economic development while others have displayed a persistent failure to do the same and, are immediately influenced by Wallerstein's world systems theory. The aforementioned may be defined in the following terms (DuPlessis, 1988: 222): "Wallerstein's method, is premised on two linked propositions: first that social change occurs only in social systems and second, that the social system appropriate as an object of analysis is a world system Hence, his concern is with the evolution of structures of the whole system,' understood as entirely distinct from its component parts, rather than with the histories - even if treated comparatively - of the various regions, nations or people that it includes. A world system, is a real, identifiable, analyzable thing: bounded and substantially self-contained, it consists of a unified economy founded on a well-developed division of labor yet incorporating a multiplicity of cultures." As may be deduced from the above quote, the World Systems Theory (WST) defines the global political economy as a single whole, but comprised of numerous distinct categories. The first category is the core, who "benefited the most from the capitalist world economy," because they were the colonial powers and motivated colonialism in order to expand both their economic and political influence over the globe, using their strong military forces to do so ("Modern History Sourcebook", n.d.: n.p.). The second category, the Periphery, can be defined as the exploited and the oppressed compared to the exploiter and oppressor status of the core. As Lachman (1988) argues, the periphery countries did not have the strong and stable political systems which the core did, also lacking the military force which the core had. Consequently, this left them vulnerable to forced political and economic exploitation. Even with the demise of colonialism, the systems theory remains very active for two reasons. The first is that the economic effects of imperialism are long-term. This historical era gave the North or the core, a tremendous head start over the South in terms of development, even culminating in the regression of the economies of the South and limiting their potential for development. As stated in the "Modern History Sourcebook," according to Wallerstein's systems theory, "an analysis of the history of the capitalist world system shows that it has brought about a skewed development in which the economic and social disparities between sections of the world economy have increased rather than provided prosperity for all." The second is that colonialism was ultimately followed by neo-colonialism, whereby the multinational corporate representatives of the core continued the drainage of the south's resources and its transference to the North (Li, 2000). As per the presented argument, representing the stand of the dependency theorists on the question of the South's continued underdevelopment, underdevelopment is rooted in historical circumstances which effectively ensured the impoverishment of the South and its

Putting Man on the Moon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Putting Man on the Moon - Essay Example This paper tells that the news of man going to the moon came about during the Cold War. The Cold War was characterized by a fierce competition between the then Soviet Union and the United States to obtain superpower status and world dominance. The competition involved a show of strength and this invariably necessitated showing proof that one country had better and more destructive weapons and better technology than the other. It is therefore conceivable that the claims of putting a man on the moon were no more than a hoax to convince the world of technological superiority. Be that as it may, both the US and the Soviet Union claim to have accomplished this feat and no scientist stepped forward to state that man cannot land on the moon. Neither have scientists denied that man can orbit in space. Moreover, there is no evidence that the media stories depicting a man on the moon were manufactured. Any view to the contrary is purely speculative. However, it does give one food for thought. Does competition drive success? In other words, if we are in a race to outdo an opponent, can we accomplish anything to show the rival up? It would certainly seem so. The old man’s analogy began to eat away at me and left me pondering several ironies. Every day we are saturated by media reports of national and international conundrums with no sign of relief. For instance, the world recession is spreading and man is powerless to resolve the problem. Likewise, children go missing every day and try as we like, man is powerless to find them and return them to their families safely. Yet man was able to travel to the moon and return safely.

HR and CSR connection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HR and CSR connection - Essay Example The employees, staff, and other personnel make up the bulk of the organization. The HR department serves as the glue that binds all employees together to form one strong team. Without the HR department, the company would definitely fall apart. In addition, the HR staffs ensure that what the organization projects in public is consistent with how the employees are being treated internally. More often, people are seeking for a company that â€Å"walks the talk†. For employees to remain working for the company and forge a sense of loyalty for the organization, their basic employment needs such as timely release of pay checks, health benefits, provision for salary increments, and the like must be attended to. Rewards and compensation packages for those who show outstanding performance must be offered. This way, it is easier for the company to encourage the employees to adhere to the organization’s CSR goals. CSR policies serve as the company’s guiding principles for the proper compliance to legal, ethical, and social standards in delivering services to the public. By ensuring that every employee acts and works according to the CRS policies of the company, the mission and vision of the organization will be realized. Since CRS policies must be acted upon by the staff and employees of the organization, the HR department is seen as an indispensable body in making sure that these policies are being followed by the employees. By showing to the staffs that they are appreciated and recognized, their efforts can easily be directed towards achieving the company’s CSR

Corporate Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Accounting - Essay Example In this paper we look at impairment of assets from the view point of Transfield Services. The report starts with an introduction about Transfield Services and the business they are in. then it goes on to analyze the impairments done in 2009 wand 2007 and provides a brief explanation of the differences in the same. A detail analysis about the impairments done in the year ending 2009 has alson been provided alongwith the reasons for the sudden increase in the amount of impairment loss, a comment on the methods of impairment followed by Transfield Services and its sync with the AASB 136 standards. The report ends with a view on Impairment of Assets as a whole. Transfield Services Limited provides various services to key industries in the Resources and Industrial, Infrastructure Services and Property and Facilities Management sectors. (Transfield Services (Australia) Pty Limited, 2008) It provides maintenance, and asset and project management services globally. (Transfield Services (Australia) Pty Limited, 2008) Providing a range of structured business processes together with skilled management to help clients achieve maximum value from their existing assets. (Transfield Services (Australia) Pty Limited, 2008) Undertaking of significant maintenance, shutdown, turnaround and engineering projects to optimize clients capital expenditure and achieve goals efficiently within budget. (Transfield Services (Australia) Pty Limited, 2008) Providing information to clients regarding the best practices followed in the industry as well as outside it to instill a culture of continuous improvements in the client. (Transfield Services (Australia) Pty Limited, 2008) Providing Operations Systems Manual (OSM) to monitor issues relating to health, safety, environment, quality and risk to effectively manage and control HSE risks within the workplace. (Transfield Services (Australia) Pty Limited, 2008) Yes, Transfield Services did undertake

History of Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of Germany - Essay Example Although nominally a league of equals, in practice the empire was dominated by the largest and most powerful state, Prussia. The period of Bismarck was considered a golden era under whom, Germany rose to become one among the greatest powers of the world. The imperial crown was hereditary in the House of Hohenzollern, the kings of Prussia. The last king in the Prussian era was William II. William became internationally known for his aggressive foreign policy positions and strategic blunders which pushed the German Empire into political isolation and later into World War I. Under William II, Germany no longer had long-ruling strong chancellors like Bismarck. William II wanted Germany to have its "place in the sun" like the British Empire and set Germany to begin colonial efforts in Africa and the Pacific. With much territory in Africa colonized, Germans got only a small share. This created a fight for power, which eventually triggered World War I. Emperor William II abdicated the throne and then Government received an armistice on November 11, 1918 which marked the end of World War I. It also signed the Humiliating Versailles treaty. The imperialism was succeeded by the democratic, yet flawed, Weimar Republic. It was doomed from the beginning since even moderates disliked it and extremists on both the left and right loathed it. It eventually brought Nazis led by Adolph Hitler to power. Nazism or National Socialism refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party under Adolph Hitler; and the policies adopted by the government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. It established a kind of imperialism on Germany and despised Jews and communists. It ruled Germany during the pre-war period and Hitler became "The Fhrer". He started World War II citing the humiliation of Germany in World War II. Germany was defeated by allied forces in the War. Following Germany's defeat in World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, Germany was split, representing the focus of the two global blocs in the east and west. International plans for the unification of Germany were made during the early years following the establishment of the two states, but to no avail. During the summer of 1989, rapid changes took place in East Germany, which ultimately led to German reunification. Only in 1990 would Germany be reunited. Towards end of the Century, Germany became the centre of attraction in European Union. It is one of the most industrialized and developed nations of the world. (The Causes of World War One (2004)) German Education: The German Empire had a strong influence on German culture, including its education. Kingdom of Prussia was among the first countries in the world (if not the first at all) to introduce free and generally compulsory primary education, consisting of an eight-year course of primary education, Volksschule. Under the German Empire the school system became more centralized. More secondary schools were established, and the state had the right to set standards and to supervise the newly established schools. Four different types of secondary schools developed: A nine-year classical Gymnasium (focusing on Latin and Greek or Hebrew, plus one modern language), a nine-year Realgymnasium

HR and CSR connection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HR and CSR connection - Essay Example The employees, staff, and other personnel make up the bulk of the organization. The HR department serves as the glue that binds all employees together to form one strong team. Without the HR department, the company would definitely fall apart. In addition, the HR staffs ensure that what the organization projects in public is consistent with how the employees are being treated internally. More often, people are seeking for a company that â€Å"walks the talk†. For employees to remain working for the company and forge a sense of loyalty for the organization, their basic employment needs such as timely release of pay checks, health benefits, provision for salary increments, and the like must be attended to. Rewards and compensation packages for those who show outstanding performance must be offered. This way, it is easier for the company to encourage the employees to adhere to the organization’s CSR goals. CSR policies serve as the company’s guiding principles for the proper compliance to legal, ethical, and social standards in delivering services to the public. By ensuring that every employee acts and works according to the CRS policies of the company, the mission and vision of the organization will be realized. Since CRS policies must be acted upon by the staff and employees of the organization, the HR department is seen as an indispensable body in making sure that these policies are being followed by the employees. By showing to the staffs that they are appreciated and recognized, their efforts can easily be directed towards achieving the company’s CSR

History of Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of Germany - Essay Example Although nominally a league of equals, in practice the empire was dominated by the largest and most powerful state, Prussia. The period of Bismarck was considered a golden era under whom, Germany rose to become one among the greatest powers of the world. The imperial crown was hereditary in the House of Hohenzollern, the kings of Prussia. The last king in the Prussian era was William II. William became internationally known for his aggressive foreign policy positions and strategic blunders which pushed the German Empire into political isolation and later into World War I. Under William II, Germany no longer had long-ruling strong chancellors like Bismarck. William II wanted Germany to have its "place in the sun" like the British Empire and set Germany to begin colonial efforts in Africa and the Pacific. With much territory in Africa colonized, Germans got only a small share. This created a fight for power, which eventually triggered World War I. Emperor William II abdicated the throne and then Government received an armistice on November 11, 1918 which marked the end of World War I. It also signed the Humiliating Versailles treaty. The imperialism was succeeded by the democratic, yet flawed, Weimar Republic. It was doomed from the beginning since even moderates disliked it and extremists on both the left and right loathed it. It eventually brought Nazis led by Adolph Hitler to power. Nazism or National Socialism refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party under Adolph Hitler; and the policies adopted by the government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. It established a kind of imperialism on Germany and despised Jews and communists. It ruled Germany during the pre-war period and Hitler became "The Fhrer". He started World War II citing the humiliation of Germany in World War II. Germany was defeated by allied forces in the War. Following Germany's defeat in World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, Germany was split, representing the focus of the two global blocs in the east and west. International plans for the unification of Germany were made during the early years following the establishment of the two states, but to no avail. During the summer of 1989, rapid changes took place in East Germany, which ultimately led to German reunification. Only in 1990 would Germany be reunited. Towards end of the Century, Germany became the centre of attraction in European Union. It is one of the most industrialized and developed nations of the world. (The Causes of World War One (2004)) German Education: The German Empire had a strong influence on German culture, including its education. Kingdom of Prussia was among the first countries in the world (if not the first at all) to introduce free and generally compulsory primary education, consisting of an eight-year course of primary education, Volksschule. Under the German Empire the school system became more centralized. More secondary schools were established, and the state had the right to set standards and to supervise the newly established schools. Four different types of secondary schools developed: A nine-year classical Gymnasium (focusing on Latin and Greek or Hebrew, plus one modern language), a nine-year Realgymnasium

Meaning of life - 2006 singles Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life 2006 singles Essay Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is, the purpose of our existence. Life is truly a mystery we know very little of our own selves. Something beautiful as a life is something amazing to watch. A life is considered priceless. Life is a treasure among treasures. I consider it a miracle that I am alive and talking to all of you today. The chances of me being here is 1in 5 million, and yet I am here. The same goes for all of you present here today. All of us should feel blessed that we get to experience the privilege of living. The miracle of life begins with the love of two people because of this love a life is created. One good thing leads to another. They’re maybe time that we are challenged, but we should never yield instead we take these challenges as an opportunity to grow in life. If somehow you fall all you need to do is simply stand up again and again. Life is not just a bed of roses we need to fight for what we want and stand for whatever we believe in. Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings. Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going. Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily. Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Our generation is so attached to technology that we become like machines. We spend so much time on our gadgets that we fail to notice the things around us. We fail to see the beautiful world around us. Living is not simply eating and breathing is if we spend so much time on our cell phones and playing computer games then we were never alive in the first place. Our life is the greatest gift we are given. The memories we make with our friends and family. We laugh, cry, love and hate these are the proof that we are truly alive. Each and every one of us is irreplaceable all of us are one of a kind. Don’t think of your life as something insignificant maybe just by the act of living you are making someone happy. There is one thing to remember Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

PolyProd: Organisational Problems and Solutions

PolyProd: Organisational Problems and Solutions It appears that Roberta Jackson is trying to make improvements to the current information management practices. Roberta is an experienced first-level manager working in the headquarters site for the manufacturing and distribution divisions for PolyProd. Although she has acknowledged it will not be an easy task to make such improvements, she identifies that not making such improvements could impact PolyProd millions of dollars in future cost of direct expenses. It could also impact long-term market shares because they would decline in PolyProd products. The task/goal is to change the documentation processes and procedures because there is so much room for errors and manipulation of documents as it goes through many hands of people (Cummings Worley, 2012). There are many obstacles when trying to improve the way some tasks are done, they include, but limited to, an organizations resistance to change, culture and trust issues, and the willingness to learn. Further details will be provid ed within questions 2-4. Problem and Diagnosis: Very similar to many other organizations, creating change in the way a business handles its procedures is always difficult. Due to the size of an organization, the number of employees, the various beliefs and personalities, missions and visions, creating change can be very challenging and difficult. One of the main problems with PolyProd is that it is a big organization that rapidly grew and continues to for 11 years. Because of this rapid growth, PolyProd focuses on increased speed intricacy, and expense of their unique high-volume automated manufacturing processes that produces products. The system that is currently in place at PolyProd is struggling to keep up with the growth; with exponential increase in locations, sales, capital equipments, product lines and personnel support systems such as information and knowledge management system. Secondly, PolyProd has hired temporary and inexperienced personnel which also contribute to the problem. Hiring temporary and inexperienced employees makes it difficult for PolyProd to maintain their culture. According to the case study, over the last several years, there has been friction between the headquarters and the other locations, and the friction is getting worse. There is a disconnect between them both because the other locations feel that the headquarters have demanding attitudes and are also patronizing them. The headquarters on the other hand feel as those they dislike the individualism of those locations. One thing that is evident in the case study is that the headquarters have a strong resistance to change and synchronizes the other locations when it comes to single processes or technology. The case study also acknowledges that there were attempts to create change in the past but have been doomed to failure for the headquarters find such change to be too risky. The key organizational problems at PolyProd are (1) the culture of an organization is difficult to change, because it is what molds the organization. PolyProd has a long history of being a conservative organization who resists change. (2) PolyProd has been rapidally growth in and it makes it hard for the organization to maintain some type of order and conformity. A hard and expensive task that can be done includes creating a new information management system that can update and conform itself and then maintaining that system. (3) The organization experiencing some type of difficulties in having a unified culture because of rapid hiring, insufficient mentoring for employees, promotions, massive outsourcing and also downsizing certain competencies. The organization extensively hires temporary employees which impacts the culture at PolyProd. Since PolyProd is growing rapidly, it is imperative to have a strong culture foundation. If nothing is done from the three listed, PolyProd can exp erience a great impact on revenue and profits which comes from the expansion of the manufacturing and distribution departments; and needs to be addressed in order for the organization to be successful. Problems with Documentation: there is a lack of trust for the documentation system. Since there has been bad past experiences on outdated and incorrect information, there has been a lack of trust for the documentation system. The design department, employees and management at the headquarters are dissatisfied with the documentation system. Secondly, the high manufacturing system, that allows products to be scanned for quality is to high-controlled and could possibly deem products as bad causing a huge loss in quantity in products. In order for me to convince Stewart Jones, it is important to present him with facts, proves, examples, on information that is accessible to employees. Assuming that Stewart Jones is a very busy man, it is a great idea to present the information in a manner that gets straight to the point and provides much detail that he can look after our meeting. Providing a small 3-5 page recommendation report and visual aid should be created during a 30 minute meeting. Within that recommendation report, it is important to create a successful strategy that provides positive outcomes to implement a general organization vision, mission, and/or strategy in creating a documentation system. Also addressed would be the differences within each department and how there is a huge lack of information sharing and communication among departments and locations within the organization. The first solution is implementing a system that can gain the approval and trust among the headquarters management. It is up to them to be willing enough to change their minds and be open to a new and improved program. In order for this to be achieved, awareness needs to be created (Cummings Worley, 2012). Showing how the change is imperative to the success of the company will be an ongoing process and should be reflected in the actions of throughout all management at PolyProd. Failure to do so can destroy the organization slowly. When trying to implement change, leaders are needed to motivate their employees and show them the right way of doing things, and this cannot be done unless the leaders themselves truly believes and trust the change also. Next, PolyProd should create a stronger vision and conformity among the different departments within the organization. Because the organization is growing so rapidly, the lines of communication among employees is diminishing and lack of shared information and knowledge. Empowering managers in the shared vision and shared knowledge to higher needs can be done in hopes of bringing the departments together and having meetings and share the new information technologies. With PolyProd being a huge company, empowering managers and leaders to shift power down from the top of the organizational hierarchy is a great weigh in creating new leaders among their subordinates. The third solution is to implement and sustain a successful and competent hiring of new permanent employees while maintaining a standard for current employees (Cummings Worley, 2012). The culture of PolyProd is changing because of the separation of a shared culture and beliefs. With the ongoing hire of temporary employees, t he organization will continue to breed a culture where temporary employees that lack the skills, knowledge and abilities to connect to the shared goals of the organization. Management has to understand the importance of personal qualities for leading diverse employees. With PolyProd having so many locations worldwide, having a personal, long-term and long-range vision will recognize and support a diverse organizational community. Adaptation is a great way to bring many diverse backgrounds together. It is not forcing them together but slowly integrating them to work as one body. With the organization having interest in a unified culture and emphasizing it, PolyProd can develop a strong culture that encourages teamwork, collaboration, and trust. There are many reasons for failure to change and adapt, according to authors Thomas Cummings and Christopher Worley. A primary solution is better change leadership. Leaders are role models for change and they can provide the motivation and communication that keeps the new change moving forward in the positive direction (Cummings Worley, 2012). There are five important steps when implementing change, they include: motivating change, establish a vision, develop political support, manage the transition and sustainability within the change. My solution would be to focuses on leadership, the system, and the trust and willingness within upper management. It is a great ambition to overcome resistance to change. Leadership can help Roberta by implementing a vision for PolyProd that all employees can understand. Next, a strategy should have the ability to empower all managers within each location and departments to make sure that everyone is on the same track. Apart of implementing change ca n assure that PolyProd has established that there culture has shared vision and beliefs. Besides leadership, sharing knowledge and technology is key to a successful organizational change. The next step would entail leadership to manage the change transition from its current state to the new ideal/desired state. Implementing the information management system can help share networks among all locations including the headquarters and will create a positive and successful change at PolyProd. After implementing the change, the managers can closely monitor and also participate in the employee feedback surveys that will be distribute to employees at least three times a year, or the preference of leadership (Cummings Worley, 2012). Data will be collected to view the progress of PolyProd. With the new system, and sharing a culture of knowledge and technology, PolyProd can maintain unified and can achieve goals and obtain profits from their products.

no pretty pictures :: essays research papers

"Nominated for a 1998 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War is Anita Lobel's gripping memoir of surviving the Holocaust. A Caldecott-winning illustrator of such delightful picture books as On Market Street, it is difficult to believe Lobel endured the horrific childhood she did. From age 5 to age 10, Lobel spent what are supposed to be carefree years hiding from the Nazis, protecting her younger brother, being captured and marched from camp to camp, and surviving completely dehumanizing conditions. A terrifying story by any measure, Lobel's memoir is all the more haunting as told from the first-person, child's-eye view. Her girlhood voice tells it like it is, without irony or even complete understanding, but with matter-of-fact honesty and astonishing attention to detail. She carves vivid, enduring images into readers' minds. On hiding in the attic of the ghetto: "We were always told to be very quiet. The whispers of the trap ped grown-ups sounded like the noise of insects rubbing their legs together." On being discovered while hiding in a convent: "They lined us up facing the wall. I looked at the dark red bricks in front of me and waited for the shots. When the shouting continued and the shots didn't come, I noticed my breath hanging in thin puffs in the air." On trying not to draw the attention of the Nazis: "I wanted to shrink away. To fold into a small invisible thing that had no detectable smell. No breath. No flesh. No sound." It is a miracle that Lobel and her brother survived on their own in this world that any adult would find unbearable. Indeed, and appropriately, there are no pretty pictures here, and adults choosing to share this story with younger readers should make themselves readily available for explanations and comforting words. (The camps are full of excrement and death, all faithfully recorded in direct, unsparing language.) But this is a story that must be told, from the shocking beginning when a young girl watches the Nazis march into Krakow, to the final words of Lobel's epilogue: "My life has been good. I want more." (Ages 10 to 16) --Brangien Davis From Booklist Gr. 6^-12. The truth of the child's viewpoint is the strength of this Holocaust survivor story, told with physical immediacy and no "pride of victimhood." Lobel's ebullient, gorgeously colored illustrated books--from the Caldecott Honor Book On Market Street (1982) to Toads and Diamonds (1996)--give no hint of her dark, terrifying childhood.

Angels, an objective view :: essays research papers

A poll that was published in TIME magazine showed that 69 percent of people believe in Angels, 46 percent of which believe they have a personal guardian angel. Descriptions of these angels include a wide range of appearances. Some are only lights or a hovering golden halo; while others describe their angel as human, half human, or even animal! Angels are said to descend upon those who are in need of salvation (from evil or hell), or who need direction in life, in pain or suffering physically or emotionally, or to those who need simple things such as directions or a winning lottery ticket. Angelic encounters are sometimes life-changing, but always leave the experience spiritually/physically/emotionally revived, comforted, and less negative. "Rocky" situations in one's life are handled easier and with less stress. "Angel contactees" usually describe an instance when things are so bad that they go to a solitary place alone (a bedroom, etc...). An angel then appears. Heavenly music and/or joyful music is heard, a warm, tingly light is felt, sometimes invisible arms are felt embracing the person in distress. Communication is usually telepathic, not always in words but emotion (like a transfer of positive energy). There are numerous other angel stories which involve deceased loved ones visiting those they left behind to reassure the grieving of their well being after death. Or someone will get a vivid image or sudden thought of a close friend or family member minutes before learning about their death. Other stories include lights from familiar sources "forming" into angels (or angelic shapes), a halo suddenly hovering over one's head, or even a mysterious person who saves one's life or helps them out in any way. The "angel" then disappears before being thanked, giving the bewildered a conclusion that they were "touched by an angel". Sometimes angels are not seen but felt. For example, someone may be approaching unseen danger when they are suddenly yanked or pushed out of harm's way by an unseen force. An old wives tale says that when you hear your name called, and you look around to find yourself alone, your guardian angel just saved you from danger or temptation. Angels or angelic-like beings are mentioned in many other religions including several middle-eastern religions, often as animal spirit guides in native American or pagan cultures. However, the majority of angels are reported by people of Catholic or Christian (Protestant) faiths.

Managing People Essay

Introduction Hiring employees is a crucial task for any company, since every employee has a significant role within the firm. It is for this reason that the recruiter(s) must make the right choice while selecting the candidates and make sure that the future employee fits the best the job offer. In order to achieve this essential task, most companies use the selection interview which is a method that allows the recruiter or manager and the candidate to meet each other in order for the recruiter to evaluate the different candidate’s aspects. The selection interview method is the most frequently and extensively used approach for employment selection. However, despite its universality, it has raised numerous issues regarding its reliability especially the perceptual errors involved in the evaluation process. Throughout this document, the general selection interview’s benefits and issues will be mentioned in order to justify its popularity in comparison to other selection methods and identify its main pitfalls. The next part will aim to underline the relation between the selection interview and the eventual perceptual errors engendered during the recruitment. Finally, the legal implication of the selection interview will be discussed with regard to government policy and legislation. The selection interview Torrington and Hall (1995) describes the selection interview as a controlled conversation between one or many interviewers (managers) and one or many candidates with a purpose of: * Gathering information in order to predict how well the candidates would perform in the job offered, by measuring their abilities according to predetermined criteria established by the interviewers. * Facilitating the candidates’ decision-making by providing them with full details of the job opportunity they have applied for and information about the organisation. * Giving each candidate an equal opportunity or a fair hearing. Benefits In an interview, both parts meet each other. This allows a certain assessment to be made that can not be established in any other way (Torrington and Hall, 1995) such as the compatibility of two parts and their ability to work together, or the aptitude of someone to perform efficiently within a team without altering the whole group performance. Moreover the selection interview gives the candidates the ability to ask the interviewers any questions, such as information about the working hours, contract negotiation and so forth, in other words, it creates a public relation between both parts. In a second hand, it allows the recruiter to answer the candidates’ questions, and often to increase the perceived attractiveness of the job (Barclay, 1999) such as high salary etc†¦ In addition, the selection interview costs much less than the other methods such as testing and consultants use. Problems with using selection interview The major issues concerning the selection interview are related to its unreliability, invalidity and subjectivity (Torrington and Hall, 1995), although Webster (1964) conducted research that allowed identifying the following problems: * If the interviewers make their decision very early in the interview’s progress, they will deceive their final decision to the candidate. * Interviewers tend to find out the evidence that the candidate is unfavourable rather than favourable which can be called as overweighting negative information. * Most interviewers make their choice within the first three or four minutes of the interview, and then spent the rest of the time looking for evidence to confirm their first impression. * Primacy and Recency which is the tendency to recall the first few candidates and the last few. Therefore those in the middle of the queue become forgotten by the interviewers. * All the perceptual errors made in the interview selection, which include, stereotyping, Halo effect, discrimination and so forth. The next part will entirely be focused on those major issues with significant examples regarding the selection interview’s situation. The perceptual errors in the selection interview According to (Rollinson, 2002:110) who defines the perception as: â€Å"A mental process involving the selection, organisation, structuring and interpretation of information in order to make inferences and give meaning to the information† Perception plays a significant role in organisations, since it is used by individuals to make judgements, inferences and interpretations. Moreover it reflects how the people respond to what we do and what we say. However the differences in perception result for people seeing different things and inferring different meaning to same stimuli. The manner that people perceive things differs from one individual to another, therefore perception becomes a person’s reality and this can lead to misunderstandings (Mullins, 2001). The selection interview has raised several concerns regarding to its validity and reliability, those issues has been directly associated with the perceptual errors that may occur in a selection interview. The main areas where problems are encountered are: * Stereotyping: This is where people are regrouped in a same category according to various criteria such as their age, gender and race (Racial stereotyping). Stereotyping is also attributing a person with qualities supposed to be general of members of a particular group (Rollinson, 2002). In our selection interview context, a female candidate who applies for a building site engineer job would not get the offer because the interviewer might thing that all females are weak and fragile, even thought the candidate has got better knowledge and education than any male candidate. Another example could be a small computing business ran by young managers supported by young computer engineers. If an older candidate applies for an engineer job, the interviewers might discriminate he or she because of his or her age, in the fear that he/she would not fit into a young working team and that might affect the entire group’s overall effectiveness. A number of studies concluded that interviewers are more likely to give higher ratings on some traits to candidates who are more similar to themselves. For example a study demonstrated that females were generally given lower ratings than that of males by male interviewers (http://www.shlusa.com/litigation/BestPractice/bpg_selectioninterviewing.pdf). * The Halo Effect: This is the assumption that a person has a certain characteristic, therefore he or she will have other characteristics (Rollinson, 2002). If a candidate has good communication skills. This does not mean that he or she will perform effectively as a manger or a group leader. It can happen that the panel member is impressed by one candidate’s criterion, and then the interviewers will give him/her positive evaluation for all other criteria regardless the performance. * Self-fulfilling prophecy: in our selection interview perspective, the Self-Fulfilling prophecy can be thought as the interviewer’s feelings regarding the interviewee. If this first person feels negatively about the candidate, he or she might ask more difficult questions in order to confirm his/her first assumptions. Therefore the candidate will feel uncomfortable when providing. This concern is also valid in the other sense which is the positive interviewer’s positive feeling and the straightforward questions to candidate in order to confirm it., The interviewers will basically tend to confirm their first impression whether it is positive or negative. This issue has a relevant impact on the validity and reliability of the selection interview in the sense that the interviewer’s first impression has a considerable effect on both candidates’ self-confidence and interviewers’ final result. * Attribution Theory: The attribution can be internal or external to a person, i.e. people attribute causes to other people’s behaviour. The internal attribution can be the person’s abilities; intentions etc. whereas the external attribution is the environment, luck etc. To simplify this theory throughout an example, a candidate is sweating during a selection interview, the deduction the interviewer might have is: Does this person sweat because the room is hot (External attribution) or because the candidate is nervous and struggle to answer the question (Internal attribution)? In fact there is a significant difference between those two factors that affects the interviewer’s perception and therefore his/her decision making. Government policy and legislation While organisations are totally free about how they choose their employee, legislation has a significant role in the recruitment and selection methods, especially in attempts to prevent different discriminations such as ethnic origin, sex, age and disability and to guaranty equal opportunities in recruitment (Beardwell and Holden, 2001). The first act was elaborated in 1974 and concerned the discrimination against people with criminal records (The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974). This stipulates that after a certain time, the offender has the right to not reveal his or her sentence to any organisation, and should have the same recruitment chances that everybody else has. Followed by that, sex discrimination Act 1975 (including marital status) and race discrimination Act 1976 were introduced in the United Kingdom in order to protect people from direct and indirect discriminations. Since those acts, women and people from different origins have taken important part within organisations; however the evolution has been done relatively slowly according to national statistics (EOC Annual Report, 1998 and IDS 1997) which indicate the distribution of employment on the grounds of gender and race has slightly changed since those acts; for instance, people from ethnic minority are two and a half times more likely to be unemployed than white population. More recently, the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) was enforced in order to protect people with physical or mental impairment that affect them carrying out normal day-to-day activities and tasks. National statistics (Sly et al.; 1999) reveal that the unemployment rate for disabled people is almost twice that the non-disabled people for the working age. Conclusion We have seen that the reliability of the selection interview is affected by perceptual errors. However it this issue that can be overcome by using a structured interview, which makes the interviewer more involved in the job analysis. It is important to remember that the validity of the interview is improved by building a strong relationship between the content of the job and the structure of the selection method. The questions are relevant to the job requirements, and candidates are assessed according to a unique and specific scoring procedure in other words the same questions are asked to each candidate and rated according to pre-elaborated rating scales (Barclay, 1999). Moreover, the interviewers should have special trainings and practices in order to let them know the various pitfalls met in selection interview and overcome their weaknesses regarding the different aspects of the interview. Despite the existence of other recruitment methods such as testing, group selection, assessment centres, and consultant agencies which reveal to be more expensive and less accurate; the selection interview approach remains the most popular and flexible method used by organisations. Bibliography Barclay, J. (1999) â€Å"Employee Selection: A question of Structure†, Personnel Review, 28 (1/2): 134-151. Barclay, J. (1999) â€Å"Improving Selection Interview with Structure†, Personnel Review, 30 (1): 81-101. Beardwell, I. et al. (2001) Human Resource Management, Edinburgh: Prentice Hall. Mullins L. (2001) Management and Organisational Behaviour, UKPrentice Hall. Rollinson, R. (2002) Organisational Behaviour and Analysis-An Integrated Approach, Edinburgh: Prentice Hall. Thair, T. and Risdon, A. (1999). Women in the labour market: Results from the spring. 1998 labour force survey. Labour Market, March. The Office for National Statistics. Torrington, D. et al. (1995) Human Resource Management, Edinburgh: Prentice Hall. SHL Group plc (2000) http://www.shlusa.com/litigation/BestPractice/bpg_selectioninterviewing.pdf 7/11/2003.