Surrealism and Dada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Surrealism and Dada - Essay Example The essay "Surrealism and Dada" explores such movements as surrealism and dada. To elaborate on how certain aspects inspire the emergence of an art movement, the following study essay will evaluate two art movements; Dada and surrealism, giving their inspiring factors, how they differ, and how they are similar to each other. This art movement emerged around the 20th century in Hannover, Berlin, Paris, New York and Zurich. History has it that the movement was born out of resistance, inspired by the war, World War I, that was going on. Dada art was about provocation and confrontation of the already established (ancient) values of art, going against all the set norms. There is evidence that Dadaists were against the colonialist and bourgeois nationalist interests who to them were the initiators of the war, and as such, resisted much of what society had been accustomed to, and art was not an exception. In short, it was the opposite of what art used to be, and there was no following of an y set rules. Under the wider Dadaism, there was graphic design, poetry, theatre, and most importantly visual arts. The main attribute of Dada art was that it was meant to provoke an emotional reaction from the audience, and particularly outrage or shock, and when any form of art intended to be Dada failed in achieving these attributes, it had to be taken back to the drawing board until it achieved its mandate. Art would only be attributed to as being Dada if it resisted the societal norms, or rather, the type of art that people.

See instructions below CJ220 wk 5 Research Paper

See instructions below CJ220 wk 5 - Research Paper Example Previously, in the early times of policing, officers were not well paid by their respectful departments. The plea of policing lay in the prospect to benefit from the corruption and gratuities that were presented to the police. During the â€Å"professional period,† ranging from 1920-960, this practice distorted. Through the initiative of police unions and the creation of other civil service transformation, police officers received benefits and better pay. This made some changes in this sector. Police officers who may probably fall into the corruption temptation (especially those on drug details and vice) should be routinely transferred to different beats or assignments. The disadvantage of this measure is that it can demolish the human resource expertise, which has been accrued by specific officers. To avoid this loss, administrators only alter a handful of police officers in specific considerations in each rotation. This department exists to ratify a measure of responsibility and quality control on actions of police officers. The department attains information by civilian review boards, criminal investigation of police officers, and public complaints. The creation of correctly functioning internal affairs unit lessens the frequency hiring of corrupt police personnel. These units are restricted solely by resources at their disposal and by the administrators’ relationships with the police

Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Change Management - Essay Example â€Å"While participation in Internet doubled from 1982 to 1992†¦the irony is that the key communication technologies are, at best, in their infancy in developing or less developed countries† (Olaniran 65). Many companies in such developing countries as India and Kenya are reluctant to change the communication practices that have been in use for decades. However, as the workforce is getting more trained and educated, a positive change is expected and has already started to show up in many organizations in these countries. An effective way to reduce the employee resistance is by allowing them to get involved and participate in the change management process. This can be achieved if the employees are taken into confidence. Managers should develop and engage the employees in unfreezing activities. â€Å"Unfreezing activities normally involve group activities designed to confront existing group behavior. These may take the form of training interventions, team talks, evangelic al speeches, or some other form of activity† (Collins 60). Managers should arrange meetings with the employees where they all can be addressed at once. Managers should ensure that all employees attend the meeting. In the meeting, the managers should explain the need of introducing the change to the employees and why and how the old system is not letting the organization achieve its objectives. The managers should not only demonstrate the need of change but also show how individualistic efforts of the employees working at different levels in the organization will contribute to the organizational success. A very important point that a manager should keep in mind while addressing the employees is not to underestimate or overlook the role of any employee in the change introduction and the management process. Ideally, the manager should encourage the employees to come up with ideas that could further enhance the manager’s plan of introducing and managing the change. Construc tive ideas should not only be appreciated but also be incorporated into the change implementation process. This would serve as an incentive for other employees to share their positive opinions with the manager and also boost their confidence as well as motivation to help the manager implement the change. â€Å"Participatory measures such as team working and high-involvement work practices demonstrate improvements in performance†¦Performance changes may occur because participation leads to changed attitudes which lead to higher performance† (Summers and Hyman). Before conducting the meeting, the manager should try to identify the employees whose interests would be affected by the introduction of change, and tend to modify the change plan in a way that causes minimum loss to those employees while enhancing the overall efficiency of other employees and the organization as a whole. However, â€Å"[i]n any change, especially ones that affect a complete organization, it is im possible to involve every employee in each decision† (Heathfield), so the manager should not change the plan in an attempt to satisfy everyone. Once the employees have been sufficiently addressed and convinced through such meetings, the manager shou

Respect Essay Example for Free

Respect Essay I have been told that I need to write a 1000 word essay on disrespecting a Non Commissioned Officer. But it is really hard to write about this because I am having a hard time wondering how I disrespected them. So, where do I start on this and what do I say about it. As far as this essay goes I am just going to write how I feel about respect and how respect works both ways. It is wrong to disrespect a Non Commissioned Officer because they are appointed above me to guide me to the right place and things to do. But it is really hard to respect someone when they do not respect you. Respect works both ways and if that person or leadership does not respect you trying to respect them is difficult. No matter what is said it is disrespect. For example: I am writing this because I was called about a meeting that my squad leader decided he wanted to spring on the squad after we were released for the day. When I asked the squad leader was the meeting about something that we could have discussed the next business day, he replied no, with a sly smirk on his face. As he began to talk it was clearly the same information that was put out at the end of business. I do not know how that was disrespect when it was the truth. In regards to this essay I am not sure what to say about disrespect other then it works both ways. They tell you to respect the rank not the person but when that person abuses the rank it is really hard to respect it. I think that in today’s United States Army no one respects anybody the way that they should be. They are too quick to say that you are disrespecting them and that they are just trying to make you better but they are disrespecting you in the processes. How can you work for someone or some place when all that they do is disrespect you and everything that you do no matter what it is? When I first came in the United States Army a Non Commissioned Officer would work with you on how to be a good soldier and actually sit with you and respect you on what you were doing if you did a good job and worked hard they didn’t try to beat you down to where you just give up on everything. I used to respect everyone that was above me because they cared about you as a person they respected you and helped you with the hard things that were thrown at you and made sure that you were good not just quick to demote them and kick them out of the United States Army. They had an interest in you as a person and if they had something to learn from you then they would respect you enough to ask for help and respect you enough to talk to you. Respect and disrespect is a hard topic because I am a strong believer in respect someone and you will receive respect back or treat someone the way that you want to be treated. The whole time that I have been back in the United States Army the Non Commissioned Officers that were above me were basically like new privates. They were new to the job and they didn’t know a lot about it. I know that I have been in the United States Army for only a short time and I am only a specialist, I have worked with someone above me disrespecting me not just as a soldier, but as a human being. I feel that leadership should stop turning what people say into disrespect it was not that way AT ALL. I was just asking a questioning and stating the obvious, not disrespecting that person. You know they always preach about disrespect but they do not give respect at all. So as far as this essay goes how do I write it to what they want because no matter what is said in here they will one way or another say it is disrespect or some other form of berating them. 1 Respect and disrespect is an important part of a soldier Non Commissioned Officer relationship and needs to be enforced upon not only the soldier but also the Non Commissioned Officer and Officers. I have had a really hard time in this company because I think that people just think that I am just disrespecting them instead of getting to know their soldiers and how their soldiers talk and phrase things. They are quick to just say HA you disrespected me. I have seen way worse disrespect then what I have ever done to anyone. In my eyes disrespect is if you just plainly say hell no or fuck off. I have never done that and yet they automatically think that if you are asking them why you are told to do something it is disrespect but in fact is not disrespect it is that the soldier is trying to learn from them. If I remember correctly the Non Commissioned Officer Creed states â€Å"Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind-accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain tactically and technically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment. † But it seems that only a few of the Non Commissioned Officers respect the lower enlisted. Why should soldiers’ words get twisted and why is that NCO’s are not respecting the soldiers and their needs. We need to be respected that is one of the many needs of the soldiers of today. That is why a lot of soldiers act out against Non Commissioned Officers. Ok so disrespect is all on what that person thinks is being said to them not really how and what is being said. When someone makes a statement and the other person comments on it, it is not disrespect it is just informing them on what they think. How is that disrespecting them? There is also a little thing that Non Commissioned Officers should do and that is lead by example and not respecting a soldier is not leading by example it is showing that that what is good for the goose is good for the gander or do as I say and not as I do! 2

The Role Of Communicative Language Teaching

The Role Of Communicative Language Teaching Introduction Foreign languages play a very important role in our system of knowledge. They are not only an effective tool for us to exploit information to acquire scientific technology, to share experiences with or to learn experiences from others in specialized fields but also a useful means of improving peoples material and spiritual lives. In the sixteenth century English became known as a communication language for people around the world. Its popularity as a foreign language has been increasing since then and been developing into the second language of many countries (Richards and Rodgers, 2002). English is now the most popular foreign language in Vietnam and English competence is considered one of the most necessary characteristics for anyone who would like to integrate themslves into the global society and access the worlds knowlege to be sucessful in life. English gradually becoming the main communication language in parts of education, business, entertainment and culture exchanges with o ther cultures excitingly taking place in daily life in Vietnam require appropriate recognition of English speaking from Vietnamese learners, especially teachers and those who are working in education. Language teaching profession has experienced many changes and a number of different language teaching methods and approaches have been proposed and applied for the sake of teachers and learners benefits in their teaching and learning so far. However, which one is the most appropriate for teachers and their learners depending a lot in their teaching and learning context. Therefore, Communicative Language Teaching has been employed in most of Vietnamese classrooms, especially in PVMTC, for its advantages in improving the speaking skills though it is not the latest one. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND THE MAJOR TRENDS OF LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS AND APPROACHES. Since the begining of the twentieth century, communication between people of different cultures in differrent parts of the world has became urgent request. Teaching and learning a foreign language became more and more popular. However, to teach a foreign language effectively requires a lot of effort from the teachers who have direct and significant impact on their students achievement which is controled by the methodology they choose to apply to their language teaching in different learning and teaching contexts. Understanding the importance of the matter , linguists and teachers themselves have been done a large number of studies on language teaching in order to find out and introduce more practical and effective language teaching methods and approaches that help teachers in performing well their job. The two recent centuries have witnessed ceaseless changes and innovation in language teaching in terms of teaching methods and approaches. These decide how the language is taught and what materials and activities are used in the classroom to help learners get the best achievement in their language learning. Thus, each approach shows its own view of the nature of the language and how the language is learnt. According to Richards and Rodgers (2002, p. 3), Latin was the dominant language of education, commerce, religion and government in the Western world until the sixteenth century when French, Italian and English gradually replaced it to become the languages of communication. However, the tremendous impact of Latin teaching and learning principles and procedures on the way of teaching and learning the newly emerging languages was still occuring until the nineteenth century. This language teaching method has been known as Grammar Translation Method (GMT). As the result, the language lessons occured mostly in students first language, heavily focused on grammar rules which were deductively taught to students in order to guide them to decoding written texts and producing correct writing in target languages (Prator Celce-Murcia, 1979). Translation activities with the assistant of billingual dictionaries were conducted to achieve the accuracy. Students were expected to memorize a number of w ords and their meanings and all grammar rules and then apply them to make sentences. They were also expected to read, comprehend literature and write sentences without errors. Listening skill and speaking skill were completely ignored (Larsen-Freeman, 1986) in GMT classrooms. However, the changes in the society at the time resulted in the change of learners goal of learning languages: learning languages to communicate. The Grammar Traditional Method then couldnt meet the requiement since it appeared to fail to equip learners with interaction and communication skills in the target language (Larsen-Freeman, 2000, p. 23). In 1880 Francois Gouin, a teacher of Latin in France introduced a famous book called Art of teaching and learning of languages to the public. His assumptions of how a foreign language could be taught together with those of Henry Sweet, an English philologist, came together on encouraging students to think in the target language in learning process (Nagaraj, 1996, p. 71-72). This shaped the early version of the Direct method, a revolution in foreign language teaching, which went against the current traditional one. The Direct Method (known as Natural Method) was first introduced in Germany and France and it was the strong response to the dra wbacks of the Grammar Translation Method. It then became popular in The United States in the late of nineteenth century. At the time, Lambert Sauveur, an extraordinary man and his colleage, Gottlied Henness, first applied object lesson technique to teach German and French in their classrooms and they enjoyed great success. Sauveur after that developed this teaching method to the one known as Natural Method and used it widely in his language schools (Howatt, 2004, p. 217). At the same time, Maximilian D Berlitz also used this teaching method in his language schools in the US but in another name: Berlitz Method. Basically, the Direct Method based on the assumption of using the target language to teach itself and that oral practice could help students assess the target language in terms of forms and meanings. It was also the advocacy for the natural language learning principles and teaching of oral skill. So all instructions in the classroom were in the target language. Pronunciation a nd speaking skill were strongly emphasized by conducting question-and-answer activities to motivate and encourage students in using the language confidently (Larsen-Freeman, 1986). Interaction between teacher and students in the target language was considerd a way to present it. Grammar, vocabulary and translation skills which were very important under the Grammar Translation method was now marginalized to guaratee the acquisition of oral proficiency because the proponents of the method had a strong belief that everyday vocabulary used in the classroom could be learnt effectively through visual presentations and that grammar rules could be worked out by students through the teachers inductive grammar teaching. By means of its innovation in language teaching, the Direct method, which negated the effectiveness of the Grammar Translation method, became the first and the most concerned language teaching method that marked the begining of the method era (Richards Rodgers, 2002, p. 14). However, apart from being a breakthrough in teaching interactive speaking skills, the Direct Method also showed its weaknesses in terms of applied linguistics which made the method not take well in public education where the constraints of budget, classroom size, time, and teacher background made such a method difficult to use (Brown, 1994, p. 54) or to Richards and Rodgers it was a dramatic alteration in language teaching which firmly focused on oral skill but lacked a systematic basic in applied linguistic theory and practice (2002, p. 38). In the 1920s and 1930s in Britain, British applied linguists led by Harole Palmer and A. S. Hornby exerted themselves to establish an approach called Oral Approach (or Situation Language Teaching) to language teaching based on more scientific foundation, in which sponken language was important, only general and useful vocabulary was introduced, grammar was graded strictly and all practice took place in situations. The approach also enjoyed the popularity in English for decades there and many textbooks and courses were designed under it principles (Richards and Rodgers, 2002, p. 36-41). Another method became known as the Army method fisrt and then Audio Lingual Method (ALM) as we know it now was a new creative trend in language teaching methodology in The US in the second World War. It was first applied in a special language training programs of Military of the United States. It was devised by an American linguist, Leonart Bloomfield for the servicemen who were going to work as translators, interpreters and quickly needed to have perfect communicative proficiency to perform their jobs in different parts of the world. The method was the combination of language teaching through intensive practice of speaking skills to develop communicative competence with the language learning method based on the disciplines of descriptive linguistics and behaviuor pychology (which considers language learning is a set of language). In this method, immitation, repetition, memorization and reinforcement were impressed within speaking practice with variety of drills. Limited vocabulary w as introduced. Grammar was important but was taught inductively and inexplicitly throughout the conversational dialogues that learners practised orally but no errors were accepted because according to them errors could become bad habits. It was Charles Fries, another American linguist advocating Audio Lingual Method applied the method widely in his English language center, who deserved credit for making this method popular in foreign language teaching in the United States particularly in the 1950s and 1960s (Wong, 2006) and the world. However, the effectiveness of Audio Lingual Method on oral proficiency got questioned in the 1960s. Many experiments were done and according to Scherer and Wertheimer (1964), this effectiveness was not significant. In the 1970s, the new method based on the wiew of language learning as active mental processes, which was advocated J.B. Carroll and K. Chastain in the 1960s, Cognitive-code-Method was born. As Carrol stated, this deductivist method was a modified, up- to-date grammar-translation theory (1966 cited in Stern, 1987, p. 469). It adopted generativist grammatial theory (Danesi, 2003) and focused on grammar structures and all four skills. Clear examples and grammar structure explanation to learners came first. Learners were then asked to pracise them in meaningful contexts. Despite the fact that the method did not win the teachers and linguists favour for long, it deserved merit in leaving contexttualized gramar tranning and the technique of Error Analysis to language teaching ( Danesi, 2003, p. 11). In the early 1980s, the Natural Approach was developed by Tracy Terrell and Stephen Krashen based on Krashens theory about second language acquisition. It looks at language as a set of messages which can be understood. Vocabulary and meaning are primary (Terrell Krashen, 1983 cited in Richards and Rodgers, 2002) and the principles for teaching a language are based on the five hypotheses in Krashens second language acquisition theory. The approach was widely welcomed in the US and around the world for its positive influence on forming more overall principles for effective language teaching that have been considered in the later approaches. In the 1970s, the need for communicative competence continued to increase in line with the changes of economic and political situation in Europe. But teachers and linguists did not satisfy with the current language teaching methods and approaches which were not effective in helping learners use the target language to interact or communicate in real life situations. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) or Communicative Approach to the teaching of foreign languages then emerged as the answer to the problem. It has didfferent features from those of the other approaches since one of the most characteristic features of Communicative Language Teaching is that it pays basic attention to functional as well as structural aspects of language (Littlewood, 1992, p. 1). To serve communicative goal of language learning, the Communicative Approach is based on the premise that what we do in the classroom should have some real life communicative values or it looks at what people do with language and how they responde to what they hear (Flowerdew Miller, 2005, p. 12). Therefore, all activities used in a CLT classroom are appropriately designed based on these principles. Teachers measures language learnerssuccess by looking at their development in communicative competence which is implied in their making use of any means of communication, verbal or nonverbal, within the limited knowledge of the language they have to. To some extent, CLT makes use of presenting and practising speaking and listening in real life situations to help students complete tasks and build their fluency and confidence. The last approach I would like to mention is Task-Based Approach popularized by Prabhu. The method has attracted teachers and linguists in recent years. It impresses on using authentic language in real life, classrooms are managed to take place in real world communicative context in form of tasks and the tasks outcome, not the accuracy of language forms, is used to evaluate students progress and competence. The activities in the classroom mainly focus on speaking and students are required to be highly active and cooperative. The approach is rather new and not very familiar to teachers and students in some Southeast Asian countries. However, nobody who concerns linguistics negates its state of the art in the field and it is considered the development of CLT. ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN VIETNAM: STATE OF THE ART In the last twenty years, the demand for communicating between people of different cultures has pushed English to its recent status as a popular global language. English has become an official languge in Singarpore, India, the Philipines, Hongkong and a popular foreign language in most Asian nations for economic and political reasons. English teaching profession in the region, as the result, receives more concern of teachers, educators and linguists. In line with the current language teaching trends of the world, English language teaching in Asia has also been inspired by a more effective alternative, Communicative approach which emerged in the ash of less effective approachs and methods of language teaching that had big impact on English language learning and teaching for a long time. The wind of changes prevails and results in a lot of other changes related to English language teaching. Teachers have been encouraged to employ CLT in their English classrooms to improve students spea king skill. However, in some Asian countries of ESL where CLT and other later approaches have been imployed in English classrooms and claimed for some success whilst in Asian EFL classrooms whether CLT has been really applied or not, and if it has, how effective it has been, is still questioned. So, what has been the problems? In his study, Hird (1995, cited in Lewis McCook, 2002) stated that the differences in cultures led to the differences in interpreting CLT. The Asian traditionally appreciate the perfection such as acurracy in learning, CLT to their understanding, however, emphasizes more on fluency, appropriateness and spontaneity, not acurracy. Therefore, teachers as well as students were dubious about the effectiveness of CLT. A study of Musthafa Personal author, compiler, or editor name(s); click on any author to run a new search on that name. (2001, p. 1-10) on CLT in Indonesian argued that the communicative approach has failed to help students become any more competent in the use of the English language for real-life purposes. Or Manajitt (2008, p. 83-87) pointed out, although most of the Thai EFL school teachers in Bangkok were very intersted in CLT, learnt about it in many ways and had clear CLT conceptualization, their teaching and their students learning was still a combination between trad itional and communicative approach or still stayed traditional because of difficulties they faced while organizing a CLT classroom. In Vietnam, English became one of the subjects at school in 1987 after Vietnam started Doi Moi in 1986. English appeared in classrooms in some parts of the country. The course books at the time focused on reading skills and grammar and the Grammar Translation Method was applied widely in English teaching in Vietnam (Denham, 1992) beacause the new approaches and methods of teaching English did not reach the country yet and the teachers who were trained before 1986 felt most confident using it (Pham, 1999). Speaking skills were overlooked. Students had to work very hard with grammar rules to past the examinations. Teachers taught to test and students studied to do tests. In 1996, English proficiency at different levels was required to high chool and university students when they finished their study. English joined the rank of major subjects at education institutions. However, teacher-centred or teacher-fronted classrooms remained typical ones in Vietnam (Sullivan, 2000). Students cont inued with their rote learning in teacher-centred classrooms and the English teaching methods of the teachers in Vietnam in the late of 1990s were out-of-date (Kennett Knight,1999). The fact that teaching and learning English in Vietnam for over a dacade was staying the same. Yet the social demands for English for communication purposes were increasing because more and more activities in different fields needing poeple with good communicative English competence urgently required a significient change in language teaching profession. In an attempt to improve the quality of teaching and learning English especially the speaking skill, a movement to transform curriculum, text books, and teaching methodologies (Kim, 2001, p.140) was launched. Now, CLT has been announced to be the best choice to replace Grammar Translation approach in Vietnam. Teachers are annually invited to attend workshops about CLT. The new versions of English text books for students at secondary and high schools have replaced the old ones. The new text books, however, include more every day dialogues as the only evidence for the change since long reading texts and grammar exercies which promise to be the most in typical tests that students are going to take still predominent these books. As a result, speaking skills are skipped in class. Teachers spend most of the time on explaining grammar rules and translating reading texts to students. Students have to work with reading and grammar even harder than ever to survive the exams which mainly compri se long reading texts and extremely complicated grammar points. So, CLT although is officially prefered in Vietnam but whether it is really applied in classrooms to enhance students communitive competence or not is still a big question to anyone who has ever taught English in Vietnam. These lead to far-reaching consequence. At universities and colleges, Communicative course books are also chosen for students like the Lifelines set (Hutchinson, 2001), International Express set (Taylor Lane, 2007). The course books cover four macro skills. However, no oral or listening tests but reading and writing tests are carried out during the course. Inconsistencies between teaching and examinations lead to serious consequence like speaking skills are inorged in such these test-oriented tertiary EFL classrooms, students dont even have oppotunities to use the language verbally inside their classrooms because Vietnamese is used by teachers and students most of the time (Bui, 2006). Under these con ditions, students suffer from the failure in communicating or interacting. In terms of applying effectively new methods to teach English to students to help them use English communicatively, teachers fail to teach their students how to speak or listen but read and write in the target language. According to Pham (1999), there are socio-cultural factors against success in tertiary English language training programs in Vietnam. He emphasizes the fact that not only students but also teachers who lack ability of communicating in the target language get so scared to be in CLT classrooms where speaking skills are focused. The new method required both teachers and students really work actively in class. However, they got used to learning and teaching passively with Grammar Translation Method and they have to struggle to overcome their inherent passiveness, shyness, inferiority and fear to deal with the lesson in the new method. To these teachers and students, their English class put them in a state of panic. These have resulted in the quality of teaching speaking skills at university in Vietnam is still poor. And the explanation of the poor quality speaking teaching in English language tertiary education in Vietnam which results in a large number of graduates who have difficulty with communicating English (Bui, 2006) must take into account the concrete factors such as teachers and students conceptualization and practice of CLT, teachers ability and enthusiasm for their badly paid jobs, budget for language education, syllabus design, material and assessment which are the same in most developing countries (Gorlach, 1995). PetroVietnam Manpower Traning College (PVMTC) belongs to the system of vocational schools in Vietnam but mainly funded by Petrovietnam. For nearly fifteen years, the Streamlines set was used as the main course books and Grammar Translation Method was applied in teaching English in our college. But since 2007, we have replaced the course books with the Lifelines and International Express set. CLT has hardly received any warm welcome from the senior teachers beause they do not want to change the method that they have used for such a long time and as for them, they do not believe in the effectiveness of the new method and they even do not exactly know what CLT is and how to apply it. However, it has enjoyed the popularity among the younger teachers like me. We have been sent to have training courses on CLT together with our colleagues from other schools and colleges. We have excitingly discorvered it and applied or adapted it to our classes when we teach thousands of both types of stude nts studying English there: regular students and project students. Most of the students in PVMTC now are project students who are recent graduates or experienced technicians and engineers from different parts of Vietnam recruited to work for projects of Petrovietnam. They are paid to take a special intensive English course at PVMTC to improve their English skills, especially speaking skills, to perform their job together with foreign experts in their field at industrial facilities or in offices. They are highly motivated because they are given test of four skills and they are expected to achieve at least 650 marks on TOIEC when they finish the training course. They already took a placement test before doing the course and their English proficiency is Pre-intermediate. These are also advantages to us to apply CLT in these classrooms. International Express set is chosen for the course for its characteristics which support teachers and students a lot in conducting a communicative approach classroom. Inductive approach to grammar employed to guide stude nts to work out rules and usage which is usually a foreseen failure to many regular classes for regular students can be acceptable in these classes although both teachers and students have to work extremely hard when dealing with complicated grammar points and occasional failures are inevitable. Students are offered oppotunities speak, to discuss to complete all the task given by the teacher or to solve the problems emerging in the lessons. They are encouraged to use their own experiences, limited language they have learnt and appropriate learning strategies to deal with the English language in particular situations together in pair and group work activities. They are encouraged to keep speaking English with their classmates and teachers as much as they can without caring much about making mistakes when speaking. Authentic materials such as video clips or articles from the internet or newspapers, or any sourses relating to the topics of the lessons can be taken into the classroom to link the language they learn in the cousre book and those in real life. Although English is used by teachers and students most of the time in class, most of the students, especially more advanced and senior ones, generally appear to be successful and get progressed in their learning in terms of using the language communicatively, fluently and confidently. With regard to applying CLT in teaching English speaking effectively in these kinds of classrooms, we proudly claim that both the teachers and students in PVMTC have worked increadibly hard to make it success. We, however, confess our less successful outcome when applying CLT to most of the classes for regular students who are young adults at college and are being trained as workers to work for PetroVietnams subsidiaries. Most of them have been studying English for at least three years at high school but their English proficiency level is still beginner only. They are required to pass an English reading and writing test after finishing 90 hours of learning English in the first semester. Then they are offered a free optional 200 hour course of English to get the A level certificate as the education policy of PetroVietnam. The impacts of the different learning context on English teaching and learning are obvious in this situation. Therefore, as motivated language teachers, we have been doing our best to adapt the most appropriate teaching methods we have known to teach our students to get them improved and to these classrooms, an adapted combination of Audio Lingual Method and CLT has appear ed to be the most appropriate. To a large extent, CLT has enjoyed the popularity in PVMTC for proving itself a more effective method in teaching and learning English speaking skills in PVMTC context in this stage. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FUTURE DIRECTIONS In conclusion, language teaching profession has undergone great changes. Teaching approaches and methods ranging from Grammar Translation to Task-based were born in different stages in teachers, linguists tireless attempts to improve quality of teaching and learning languages. The later coming into the world does not completely exclude of the previous ones but it maintains the quintessence and condemns the drawbacks of them and contributes innovation to the field ensuring its appropriateness for teaching and learning contexts in a particular period. A number of studies have been done for centeries on teaching approaches and methods reflecting increasingly concerns about speaking skills and the recognition of the importance of the the skills in teaching, learning and using the target language. Improving the quality of teaching and learning English are the main chalenges facing Vietnam educators and government beacause it has been considered part of its social, economic and political development strategies. The first step as access to expected success has been made. In Vietnam, CLT has just really been popularized and used in English classrooms to ameliorate learners English competence. A lot of objective and subjective factors impacting on the effectiveness of this communicative method are still existing in Vietnam education system. So CLT will be the most appropriate one to use in the next years in Vietnamese teaching and learning context before trying to exploit the later ones. PVMTC have become aware of the neccessary of choosing and applying CLT in teaching English to acheive the proposed objective of any English courses to satisfy our students need, to prepare them for their future jobs by getting students involved in using English communicatively effectively, And as I mentioned early, we have enjoyed remarkable success but sometimes our teaching ends in falures. In spite of those, I believe that no teaching methos or approaches are perfect to all types of learners and that depending on object of the courses, as asthusiastic language teachers and if we are creative enough in teaching art, we will know how to adapt the methods we have known for use in each of our particular teaching and learning contexts and we will be successful in preparing our students with communicative competence.

Causes of the Increase in FDI Flows Across Countries

Causes of the Increase in FDI Flows Across Countries Growth literature The significant increase in FDI flows across countries is a clear indication of globalization of the world economies over the past 2 decades. Neoclassical model of growth as well as endogenous growth models provides the basis for most of the empirical work on the FDI-GROWH relationship. According to the neoclassical growth theory, economic growth generally comes from two sources: factors accumulation and total factor productivity growth (Felipe, 1997). Growth is easier to quantity and analyse while difficulties abound in the measurement of the Total Factor Production growth due to the lack of appropriate economic modeling techniques as well as lack of appropriate data. Neoclassical growth projected that based on aggregate production function that relates the total output of an economy to the aggregate amount of the labour, human capital, physical capital and level of technology, poor countries will grow faster than rich countries. Neoclassical growth theory implies that return on cap ital stock should be higher in poor countries than in rich countries. This implies that the impact of FDI is limited to its output growth effect in the short run, with no change in the long run growth rate. On the other hand, the Endogenous growth literature state that FDI can not only contribute to the economic growth through capital formation and technology transfers (Blomstrom et al.1996) but also do so through the augmentation of the level of knowledge through labour training and skill acquisition ( De Mello, 1999). Endogenous growth models emphasize on other channels including human capital accumulation and externalities or spillover effect through which FDI can promote growth in the long run. (Romer 1986, Loungani and Razin,2001). The three channels identify through which FDI affects growth; First, FDI increases capital accumulation in the host country by introducing new inputs and technologies (Dunning, 1993; Blomstrom et al. 1996). Second, FDI may stimulate knowledge transfers, both in terms of labour training and skill acquisition and by introducing alternative management practices and better organizational arrangements (De Mello, 1997).Third, FDI increases competition in the h ost country by overcoming entry barriers and reducing the market power of existing firms. Channels of Growth When a country’s foreign investment increase international production also increase rapidly, and thus investment only contribute towards the expansion of national markets but also larger scale regional and global markets( UNCTAD,1990). It is obvious that FDI will convey many benefits to the host country; one of them is economic growth. Hermes and Lensink(2000) has summarized different channels through which positive externalities related with FDI can arise namely: i)competition channel where increased competition is likely to result in increased productivity, investment in human and physical capital and efficiency. Increased competition may lead to changes in the industrial structure towards more competitiveness and more export oriented activities. ii) Training channel through increased training of labour and administration. FDI can also increase the quality of domestic human capital and improve the knowhow and managerial skills of local firms. (learning by watching effect) ii i) Linkages channel whereby foreign investment is often accompanied by technology transfer. FDI can encourage the adoption of new technology in the production process through capital spillovers. According to De Mello (1997) and OECD (2002), FDI affect growth is likely to depend on the economic and technological conditions in the host country. Therefore, technological spillover is possible only when there is certain minimum or threshold level of human capital available in the host country (Borensztein, et al. 1998) iv) domestic firms imitate the move advance technologies used by foreign firms commonly termed as the ‘demonstration channel’. By adapting new technologies and ideas (i.e. technological diffusion) they may catch up to the levels of technology in developed countries. The use of new technologies may be important in contributing to higher productivity of capital and labour in the host country. Local firms have an opportunity to improve their efficiency by learnin g and interacting with foreign firms. Benefits of FDI The economic rationale for offering special incentive to attract FDI frequently derives from the belief that foreign investment produces externalities in the form of technology transfers and spillovers. Spillover effects may take place when the entry or presence of foreign firms leads to productivity and efficiency benefits in the host country’s local firms (Blomstrà ¶m and Kokko 1998). There are two forms of spillover effects that foreign firms bring to the local industries which are Inter- and intra- industry spillover effects. Horizontal spillover also called intra-industry spillovers correspond to technological externalities associated with specific knowledge, such as management strategy and know-how and superior production techniques. Kokko (1996) argue that domestic firms benefits from the entry of foreign firms competition, imitation and workers’ productivity. Local firms will allocate more resources to product development and quality assurance in order to remain competitive. Gorg and Greenaway (2004) state that there are 4 channels through which horizontal spillover might occur Imitation which involves simulation of exclusive technology, management and marketing skills of foreign firms such that it will improve the productivity of local firms( Halpenn and Murakozy,2007) Human capital and labour turnover; Gory and Greenaway (2004) identify two mechanisms through which there is productivity spillover. First a direct spillover to complementary worker, as skilled labour working alongside labour tends to raise productivity of the latter. Second, workers that move carry knowledge with them new technology, new management techniques and consequently can become direct agents of technology transfer. Competition- as competition increase due to foreign firms, domestic firms have to introduce new technology in order to increase their efficiency(Glass and Saggi,2002) Export- local firms can learn penetration tactics which are viewed as essential for the export market. Hence they may experience cost reduction with exportation Recent studies based on micro-level panel data call into question the evidence of positive spillover and find either insignificant or negative intra industry spillovers. Haddad and Harrison (1993) find no significant relationship between the level of FDI and domestic firm’s productivity growth in the same sector for Morocco in late 80s. Aitken and Harrison (1999) find a negative relationship between the two variables for Venezuela manufacturing industries for the period 1970 to 1980. Vertical spillover also known as inter-industry spillovers consists of externalities occurring due to FDI through backward and forward linkages to input market. Usually when MNE make transaction with local suppliers and customers it may lead to the transfer of technology and know-how which subsequently will improve the intermediate product. MNE can increase the demand for the local input as a backward link to intermediate good suppliers hence increasing the productivity of domestic firms. Productivity can also be increase through forward linkages when domestic producers purchase more sophisticated intermediate goods from MNEs. Moran (2001) states that there are case studies which show that knowledge is transferred from downstream foreign affiliates to upstream, training and assistance as well as supervision in implementation of new technologies

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

For some of you graduates, this will be the last ceremony you might ever sit through. Most of us, though, and I regret that I am in this group, will sit through many more ceremonies -- ceremonies longer and more tedious that this or anything else you can imagine. If you think this is bad, try a college graduation. Think, that is, attend a wedding. And, if just for a moment you think that that is bad, just be thankful you have never attended or will attend a Bar Mitzvah. The only ceremony I think anybody would truly enjoy attending is a funeral. But, only if you are lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to be the guest of honor, because, really, that will be the only time you will be able to be honored at a ceremony and not have to make chit chat with a bunch of strangers afterwards. I hate chit chat. Mindless talk, with really no subject to talk about. People love to chit chat after ceremonies, especially after graduations. Be prepared fellow students. Be prepared. Look around at the people in the stands. They are eyeing you, picking you out. They are going to find you, and they are going to chit chat. I think it is these costumes we are wearing. Something about us all dressing alike that makes people tend to think we're all the same person. They look at one of us in cap and gown, and figure they might as well talk to us like we're all the same relative they came to see. Note to guests: Just because you are Uncle Lenny, does not make you my Uncle Lenny. My Uncle Lenny could not attend tonight. He is the guest of honor at a funeral. Well now I am a minute or so into my speech and all I have done is rant and I have said anything of importance, so let me do that, now. Usually people like to choose a quote to use in speeches like the... ... from there my sultry suburbanite. I know what some of you are thinking right now, though. You right there, you are saying, "Hey guy, while I'm over here thinking about how purty I am and how not-so-purty my neighbor is, my neighbor is thinking the same thing about me. It don't work. Your hypothesis is unfeasible." Well, let me tell you this right now, and it is just between me and you. You are the real good-looking one. Let that beastly person next to you think whatever they want, both me and you know who is hot, and who is not. You will all find this helpful in your lives. Just remember that cardinal rule. When two people are next to each other, one of them has to be better looking than the other, and it might as well be you. Unless, of course you're sitting next to me you infectious flap-mouthed scut, you. Thank you all, for your sweetly faked attention.