Education and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Training and Technology - Essay Example chnology based learning in schools, to help proficiency about more up to date advancements in understudies, to help separation training, and to improve the encouraging procedure by utilizing most recent methods bolstered by ICT (Information and Communication Technology). For grade younger students, that is, key stage 1 and 2, it ought to be the choice of instructors where to utilize ICT apparatuses to help their educating procedure. As indicated by Harriet Price (2008), ICT in early years assists kids with upgrading their autonomy in their utilization of ICT apparatuses like computerized cameras, advanced pictures and pretend toys; create inventiveness in territories like workmanship, move, composing and music; and, improve their open air learning experience utilizing suitable ICT devices. Understudies can be made acquainted with PC helped reproductions and instructive games. For showing math, instructors can download programming projects like christmath which manage making little yo ungsters acquainted with designs, groupings, expansion, deduction, ordinal numbers and memory games. Instructors can utilize spreadsheets and intelligent whiteboards (IWB) to assist youngsters with learning numeracy while collaborating with each other. Math tabletop games, for example, dice games, bingo and mini-computer games, geometry games with intuitive design can be utilized to assist kids with grabbing hold of fundamental number juggling and geometry abilities along with times tables, word issues, proportion, rate and mental expansion. Cd ROMs are another significant asset which educators can use to store their math exercises. For showing science, instructors can utilize exercises like Animal Magic that are effectively accessible on the web. This specific action requests that kids sort out and name creatures. It utilizes movements to draw in light of a legitimate concern for kids. Educators can utilize intuitive science games about existence forms, living things and physical p rocedures. Understudies at key stages 1 and 2 can be urged to utilize computerized cameras and camcorders at zoo outings and afterward compose their encounters with the assistance of recordings they make.

History of Islam in China

I am a piece of the developing populace of individuals of blended plummet, and am both advantaged and rebuffed by identifying with my Mexican legacy yet not taking after the cliché Hispanic. A great many people aren’t mindful, even during circumstances such as the present, that you can be Hispanic whether you are as white as paper or as dull as its remains. I have grown up aware of the considerable number of benefits of an agreeable way of life, ordinarily among Caucasians, both in my neighborhood and praises classes in my country town. However I am helped to remember my legacy by the food I eat, the style of music I wake up to on a Sunday morning, and making a trip to a dusty, hound filled town in Mexico to cover my granddad. I wonder once in a while in the case of taking after my schoolmates in prompt appearance has been a decent or an awful thing. They negligently offer up ‘dirty Mexican’ jokes, just to find that I am not entertained. They trust in me how they would never date a dark young lady or a dark kid, and I can’t bolster their estimations. I wouldn’t be here if such connections didn’t happen. However, I don’t figure I would change the manner in which I hope to dissuade such remarks. What I acquired from my mom is my camouflage nearly, how I can reveal what individuals truly think about the gathering to which I have a place. In the event that they could tell that I was the subject of their remarks, they wouldn’t express it to me, yet they would in any case think it’s OK. It allows me to give them that there are a few things that are rarely suitable, regardless of whose organization they are in, in light of the fact that no one can really tell what is behind the shade of their skin. Their negligent negative remarks about my race don’t trouble me such a great amount in contrast with different things. My zone is known for its extraordinarily high proportion of chickens to individuals, soybeans, and other cultivating industry. This sort of monetary condition doesn’t bring a great deal of culture into my town. The individuals who work in these low-pay occupations are normally Hispanic, and they satisfy a portion of my classmates’ partialities. They are poor, unfit to communicate in English, and have not many decent places to mingle or live. At the point when I happen to see a family strolling, I notice there are numerous little kids, however there are presumably under twenty Hispanic understudies in my whole secondary school. Hispanics are an enormous piece of our populace, however when it wants us to go to secondary school, it looks just as many have just dropped out of school. I feel as if I can't battle partiality around me when Iâ see achie vements of such negative reasoning regular. There are a few focuses in my life I have not been so ready to advise individuals regarding my ethnic foundation. I volunteer in a second hand store consistently, and I have become companions with the more seasoned Caucasian ladies who work there. I have come to be dealt with nearly just as I am a paid representative. At some point, as I was restocking racks, a non-English talking family comes in with three little kids. While I was in the extra space, there is a disturbance in the store and I hear one of my coworker’s irate voice. I heard the story later. The mother of this not so much as one-year-old youngster had watched him pee on the floor of the store, without endeavoring to stop or censure him. She was going to leave him when my associate saw what the young man was doing. The mother didn't deny what her child had done or offer to clean the wreckage. After rehashed endeavors to get a clarification, or even a reaction, the lady just left once more, and away from her neglig ent youngster. The family was approached to leave the store, and my associate wound up cleaning the wreckage. She indignantly murmured about those ‘damn Mexicans.’ This is the point at which it annoys me the most, when I can’t force myself to negate her. There isn’t a clarification I can provide for approve that mother’s activities. Would a white lady let her youngster do that? What's more, I wind up deduction, â€Å"No, she wouldn’t, on the grounds that she would purchase diapers.† In contrast with hearing negative biases about Mexicans, it pesters me a lot more to end up surrendering to them myself. It makes me wonder how might I guard my kindred Hispanics when glancing around, it feels like I’m the just one attempting to break the generalization. However on an increasingly idealistic note, I realize that the mother was only a rotten one in the pack. Only one out of every odd gathering of individuals are on the whole going to be holy people, nor would they be all as impassive as this one individual. But since of her activities in such an open and regarded place, others are going to consider her to be a delegate of my ethnicity. An individual answer for the feeble ethnic pride in the network is to be an open guide to the nearby Hispanics. Be that as it may, even with living in Buenos Aires for a long time, taking Spanish courses in secondary school, and having a large portion of my more distant family living in Mexico, I still can’t communicate in the language easily myself. How might I impact them in the event that I can’t relate at all? I’m not comparative financially, scholastically, not even through a typical language. I just know a little piece of what concerns them throughout everyday life. My present inability to change their circumstances irritates me more than any oblivious slur I hear. It appears to be ordinary I ask myself that clichã ©d inquiry, â€Å"How would i be able to make a difference?† I don’t know how right now. When I’m helping individuals in the second hand store, they don’t see a Mexican young lady. The Hispanic clients see a white young lady with dim hair and eyes, communicating in a language they don’t comprehend, who once in a while offers exhortation in broken Spanish. Different clients don’t see whatever would change their assessment about ‘those Mexicans.’ Growing up white, however with minority loyalties, has given me a one of a kind point of view on prejudicial perspectives. I know, through my own understanding, that you can’t envision or know an entire individual just by observing or being in class with them. There is something that you won’t think about them and won’t anticipate. I am not a special case to the standard, and I realize I have my own biases of individuals I see, anyway unwanted those contemplations are. In my Mexican legacy there are occurrences of racial segregation. Her folks and network abandoned my extraordinary distant grandma when she wedded somebody a lot darker than her and of a lower station. The inclination for preference isn't disconnected to simply appearance. It’s among each gathering of individuals, from the American-conceived blacks’ oppression the Haitians in my school, to the rural children discussing the ‘white trash.’ As a general public, we will consistently discover some approach to separate ourselves from others, from individuals who look or act not the same as us. I am cheerful for change, and I need to be a piece of that change through making progress in my calling as a Hispanic. Growing up encompassed by preference in each structure, I am increasingly practical about humanity’s capacities and additionally sympathetic of such offenses that are found out from our older folks. Regardless of this, I am as yet sure that with time, regardless of where one lives, all types of bias will be viewed as unsuitable to communicate or to hold.

Tragedy for MIT and Boston

Tragedy for MIT and Boston It has been a tragic week here. On Monday, the Boston Marathon was bombed. Among the dead was 8-year old Martin Richard. Among the injured were Eric and Ann Whaley. Last night, an MIT Police officer was killed on campus, apparently by one of the Marathon bombers. As of the time I write this (8:15am on April 19), one of the bombers is reportedly dead, and another is reportedly on the run in Watertown, a city that borders Cambridge and Boston. MIT and Boston people are following the news on the local ABC affiliate, boston.com, and Reddit. In light of these events, MIT has cancelled classes today, and is urging employees to stay home. The Office of Admissions is closed today, April 19, and our information sessions and campus tours are cancelled. You can read more on the MIT homepage. There are some nice stories coming out of this. For example, MIT sophomore Emily TenCate almost immediately put together an initiative to buy all of the MIT Campus Police officers breakfast this morning, given the circumstances. She planned to buy the breakfast from the awesome nearby cafe Flour. Proving their awesomeness, Flour decided to just donate the breakfast, so now all the money donated to Emilys initiative will go to the fallen officers family. Also, MIT students are wearing black today in honor of our fallen officer. Students are passing around these images on Facebook: We are a strong community.   We will remember the sacrifice made by the Campus Police on our behalf. Thank you to all members and friends of the MIT community for staying strong. #BostonStrong #MITStrong

The Human Resources Code �� 533-042 Evaluation Of Elderly

The rights described in this chapter are cumulative of other rights or remedies to which an elderly individual may be entitled under law. 4) Texas Human Resources Code  § 533-042 - Evaluation of Elderly Residents, which states: (a) The department shall evaluate each elderly resident at least annually to determine if the resident can be appropriately served in a less restrictive setting. Can Mr. Grant receive appropriate Medicare healthcare services at his home? If not, Why? Is Mr. Grant’s medical condition so severe that he can no longer have visitations to his home? (b) The department shall consider the proximity to the resident of family, friends, and advocates concerned with the resident s well-being in determining whether the resident should be moved from a department facility or to a different department facility. (c) In evaluating an elderly resident, under this section and to ensure appropriate placement, the department shall identify the special needs of the resident, the types of services that will best meet those needs, and the type of facility that will best provide those services. (d) The treating physician shall conduct the evaluation of an elderly resident of a department mental health facility. The appropriate interdisciplinary team shall conduct the evaluation of an elderly resident of a department mental retardation facility. (e) The department shall attempt to place an elderly resident in a less restrictive setting if the department determinesShow MoreRelated_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 Pagesretrieval systems, or in any other manner—without the written permission of the publisher. Thomson Higher Education 10 Davis Drive Belmont, CA 94002-3098 USA For more information about our products, contact us at: Thomson Learning Academic Resource Center 1-800-423-0563 For permission to use material from this text or product, submit a request online at http://www.thomsonrights.com. Any additional questions about permissions can be submitted by e-mail to thomsonrights@thomson.com. Printed

Types of Scholarships

College education is very important for young people in modern society. It is already known that people, who have higher education, have bigger potential for professional growth. The only problem that occurs now is that education in college or university is extremely expensive and not everyone can afford it. That is why government and private facilities offer scholarships available for students. Scholarship is a financial help provided for students on various bases. Applying for scholarship is one of the most effective funding options. The reason for this is that scholarships do not have to be paid back. Every year scholarships become available for undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students. Most of the scholarships and grants are usually given to need-based students, while also there is the number of opportunities to win the scholarship on other basis. Students have a chance to apply for different kinds of scholarships. In the United States there are 8 principal categories of scholarships: First one is Major Scholarship. It is sponsored by specific departments in college or private colleges which offer particular major. Another category is State Scholarship. It is granted to some particular states. This means that only people who live in the specific state can get this kind of grant. Non-Represented Scholarships are private or corporate kinds of grants. There are also Minority Scholarships, primarily offered to African-Americans, international students and women. Precise scholarships sponsored by religious organizations, called Religious Scholarships. One more type of scholarship which is very helpful for young people is Athletic and Special Talent Scholarships. It is sponsored by talent and sports programs. Fraternity or Sorority Scholarships are financed by national or local fraternities or sororities. People with some disabilities (blind or handicapped) can also get a scholarship. They can apply for Special Scholarship, which is financed by college special needs programs. Each category of scholarship has different requirements for the person who apply for it. Such great variety of scholarships allows students to find the one that is the most suitable for them. It helps young people to get higher education even if they are not able to pay for their education themselves. The most well-known federal programs that provide various scholarship grants are: The Federal Pell Grant, The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Federal Work Study Program. The Scholarships have a lot of advantages comparing to other funding options, like savings, borrowing etc. One of the main advantages is that scholarship doesnt have to be paid back. Scholarships usually cover the full cost of educations in the particular college, while it may be difficult to borrow or to save such an amount of money. Another advantage is that everyone can try to apply for scholarship. Even though scholarships can be a very good way to get college education they also have some disadvantages. For example, some scholarship programs give money at the end of the academic year, which is not very practical. Also some scholarships offer only partial financing and do not cover all the costs at college. There is the number of kinds of scholarships. Which one to apply for, is up to you. The process of getting a scholarship is not easy, but if you will try hard enough, you will reach a success and will get a chance for FREE education.

Rapid Regeneration of Chelated Iron Desulfurization Solution Free Essays

Effect of rotation speed of electrode on the regeneration rate Figure 3 illustrates the effect of rotation speed of 138 Figure 2 Experimental process flow diagram I?power supply; 2?motor; 3?quid distributor; 4?cathode; 5?ceramic membrane; 6?gas distributor; 7?anode; 8?air steel container; 9?regenerated solution tank; 10?original decentralization solution tank; 11?pump is too high, the contact time between the collated iron elution and electrode is shortened, and the electrochemical oxidation reactions will be not complete, so the regeneration rate decreases slightly. Moreover, it is well known that higher rotating speed will cause in industrial applications. In this experiment, the regeneration rate can reach a maximum value of 84. We will write a custom essay sample on Rapid Regeneration of Chelated Iron Desulfurization Solution or any similar topic only for you Order Now 9% when rotation speed of electrode is equal to 180 rain-l, which is about 1. 6 times that achieves in the static electrode environment. The experiments demonstrate that the rotating electrode has significant advantages in improving the regeneration rate. Figure 3 Effect of rotation speed of electrode on the regeneration rate electrode on the regeneration rate at a voltage of 4 V, an inlet air flow rate of 2 MPH-1 and an inlet liquid flow rate of 80 Lo-l . A higher rotating speed of electrode is favorable to increase the regeneration rate, resulting in higher regeneration efficiency. At lower rotating speed, the air bubbles in solution and the bubbles created during electrochemical reactions can adhere easily to the electrode surface and reduce the electrode activity area, which will decrease the electrochemical oxidation efficiency. With an increasing rotating speed, the bubbles can be timely detached from the electrode surface, and the thickness of diffusion layer decreases and the concentration difference can be eliminated rapidly. The increase of current density enhances the electrochemical regeneration effect. At the same time, the gas-liquid mixing degree and turbulence intensity will be enhanced to favor the mass transfer at a higher rotating speed, which can lead to the quick supplement of the dissolved oxygen consumed in the regeneration process. Thus, the regeneration rate increases with increasing rotating speed. However, when the rotating speed of electrode 3. 2 Effect of voltage on the regeneration rate Figure 4 shows the influence of voltage on the regeneration rate at a rotation speed of electrode of 180 rain-l, an inlet air flow rate of 2 MPH-1 and an inlet liquid flow rate of 80 Lo-l . The regeneration rate increases as voltage increases due to that the current density increases rapidly at the initial stage with the increase of voltage, resulting in an increased electrochemical reaction driving force. The increase of voltage is favorable to the regeneration rate in both of he rotating electrode and the static electrode environments. But the regeneration rate in the rotating electrode environment is higher than that in the static electrode environment at the same voltage due to that the rotating electrode can provide a great and rapid renewed surface of the electrode to strengthen the electrochemical oxidation process. When the voltage regeneration rate increases slowly probably due to that the current density and the electrochemical reaction driving force increases slowly. Moreover, too high voltage easily leads to higher energy consumption and more side reactions. Thus, an appropriate voltage of 4 V is selected and the regeneration rate is 84. 8%. The new electrochemical reactor can be considered as the 139 strengthens the micro-mixing efficiency of the air and solution, resulting in excellent mixing and higher mass transfer rate. When inlet air flow rate increases to higher than 2 MPH-1, the regeneration rate increases slowly. The reason may be that the residence time of air becomes shorter in solution and the gas-liquid mass transfer efficiency decreases with a too large inlet air flow rate. Therefore, an inlet air flow rate of 2 MPH-1 s appropriate and the regeneration rate is 84. 8%. The experiments indicate that the rotating electrode has significant influence on improving the regeneration efficiency of air oxidation. Figure 4 Effect of voltage on the regeneration rate rotating electrode; A static electrode traditional tank-type reactor on condition that the voltage is O V in the static electrode environment. Under the optimum conditions, the regeneration rate of the new electrochemical reactor is increased from 45. 3% to 84. 8% compared with the traditional tank-type reactor. The experiments indicate that the rotating electrode can dramatically improve the efficiency of electrochemical oxidation. 3. 3 Effect of inlet air flow rate on the regeneration rate Figure 5 shows the effect of inlet air flow rate on the regeneration rate at a rotation speed of electrode of 180 rain-l, a voltage of 4 V and an inlet liquid flow rate of 80 Lo-l . With increasing inlet air flow rate, the regeneration rate first increases rapidly and then changes slightly both in the rotating electrode and static electrode environments due to that the dissolved the rotating electrode environment, the regeneration rate is always higher than that achieved in the static electrode environment because the rotating electrode Figure 5 Effect of inlet air flow rate on the regeneration rate rotating electrode; A static electrode 3. Effect of inlet liquid flow rate on the regeneration rate Figure 6 illustrates the effect of inlet liquid flow rate on the regeneration rate at a rotation speed of electrode of 180 rain-l, a voltage of 4 V and an inlet air flow rate of 2 MPH-1. The regeneration rate first decreases slowly and then decreases rapidly with the increase of the inlet liquid flow rate in the rotating electrode environment, which shows the same trend as he case of the static electrode environment. The smaller the inlet liquid flow rate is, the longer the residence time of liquid in the electrochemical reactor will be. Long residence time can benefit the regeneration of the collated iron decentralization solution because the gas-liquid contract time and the electrolysis time are one of the most important influence factors of the regeneration process. When inlet liquid flow rate is less than 80 Oh-I, the regeneration rate remains at over 84. 6%. When inlet liquid flow rate continues to increase to higher than 80 Lo-l , the residence time of quid in the electrochemical reactor becomes shorter gradually, resulting in rapid decrease in the regeneration rate. Under the condition that the treatment capacity is bigger and the regeneration rate is higher, an optimum inlet liquid flow rate of 80 Lo-l is selected and the regeneration rate reaches 84. 6%, which is about 1. 6 times that in the static electrode environment. The Figure 6 Effect of inlet liquid flow rate on the regeneration rate rotating electrode; A static electrode 140 experiments demonstrate that the rotating electrode has significant advantages in increasing the treatment opacity of regeneration process. A new type of electrochemical reactor with rotating cylindrical electrodes exhibits better regeneration performance for the collated iron decentralization solution than the traditional tank-type reactor due to its good electrochemical oxidation property and gas-liquid mass transfer performance. The novel electrochemical reactor can not only provide a great and rapid renewed surface to accelerate the regeneration process of electrochemical oxidation, but also provide an excellent gas-liquid mixing environment to strengthen the regeneration recess of air oxidation, overcoming the poor mass transfer effect and the low oxidation regeneration efficiency in the traditional tank-type reactor. Under the optimum conditions, the regeneration rate of collated iron decentralization solution is increased from 45. 3% to 84. 8%. How to cite Rapid Regeneration of Chelated Iron Desulfurization Solution, Papers

Business Springer International Publishing -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Business Springer International Publishing? Answer: Introduction Both New Zealand and Czech Republic are unique in their diversity, customs and traditions. The following PESTLE analysis enhances the clarity of the readers in terms of the prospective country, which would upgrade the standards of companies and organizations like Aldi. The several factors provide a critical touch to the analysis, assessing the effective and appropriate channel for Aldi in terms of achieving a sustainable growth. PESTLE analysis of Czech Republic The political factor is most important for Aldi in terms of setting their business in the threshold of Czech Republic. This is because stable and efficient governmental infrastructure is the greatest advantage for countries like Czech Republic in terms of penetrating into the foreign markets. Moreover, the absence of political unrests is an additional assistance in terms of carrying out the importing and exporting activities. Low labor costs have increased the employment rate in Czech Republic. Typical evidence of this lies in the year 2011 when $214.6 billion GDP was produced (Vlada.cz 2018). Innovative plans in further lowering the labor costs have escalated the GDP by $279 billion by the end of 2017. This fact places Czech Republic in alignment with the Western European countries in terms of labor costs. Along with this, the economic parameter is very important for Aldi. A strong PPP value places Czech Republic in the 34th position in the stable economies of the world. Social parameter is important, as the Aldi services revolve around catering to the needs, demands and requirements of the customers (Refer to Appendix 1). As a matter of specification, most of the people belonging to the age group of 15 to 64 are the residents of Czech Republic. Therefore, it would be advantageous for Aldi, if they set up their business in Czech Republic. The people of this age group are very passionate towards the new and creative products and services. These people are highly skilled and qualified. Effective utilization of the latest and modern technologies, through ages, has produced innovative products for the people. Therefore, technological parameter is most important. This is because adoption of latest technologies would help the Aldi personnel to attract more customers towards the brand image ( Refer to Appendix 1). Along with this, legal and environmental parameters are also the most important considerations for Aldi business set up in Czech Republic. This is because legal compliance towards the environmental directives would safeguard the brand from illegal instances and scandals. Maintaining consistency in the innovations would act as an opportunity for Czech Republic in terms of gaining the tag of Smart City (Vlada.cz 2018). Czech Republic has bagged the 24th position in terms of recycling the wastes. Implementation of the landfill taxes has increased the recycling from 1% to 16%. Free trade movements have enhanced the stability in the relationship between Czech Republic and the associate countries. PESTLE analysis of New Zealand The political factor is most important for Aldi business in New Zealand as the Government elections after 3 years prove beneficial for New Zealand in terms of introducing new rules and regulations. Stability in the political system possesses flexibility towards financially aiding the companies and organizations. Harsh tax obligations hamper the import and export activities. The economy of the country is very stable. Typical evidence lies in the reasonable rates of the products and services, which allows enough space to the people for exercising their purchasing power (Govt.nz 2018). This makes the economic factors most important for the Aldi personnel to consider while setting their business in New Zealand. In spite of a low population, the people are skilled and highly educated. An interesting fact is the introduction of attractive tourism packages, which has increased the tourist visit in New Zealand. The government is keen on ensuring the wellbeing of the citizens. Herein lays the appropriateness of the social factors, being tagged as the most important. The technological parameter is also the most important, as the adoption of latest design technologies are an indicator for adding to the stock of customers. For operating these technologies, the companies and organizations need to have legal compliance towards the marketing activities and the environment (Govt.nz 2018). Therefore, the weightage of these parameters are most important and less important. The reason for environmental factor being less important is because the New Zealand government is responsible for regulating the environmental activities of the companies and organizations. Environmental directives are a part of the governmental initiatives, therefore, it does not need separate mention in terms of Aldi business set up in New Zealand (Refer to Appendix 2). Rationale for the selected target market After comparing the macro environmental analysis of Czech Republic and New Zealand, it can be concluded that Czech Republic would be an effective option for Aldi in terms of foreign market penetration. Stable political infrastructure would help Audi personnel to introduce lucrative offers for the customers. Countering this, alteration in the governmental structure of New Zealand would seem more beneficial for Aldi in terms of coming up with lucrative offers, schemes and discounts for the customers. In terms of economy also Czech Republic is the best option (Vlada.cz 2018). This is because of the low labor costs. Indulging in partnership with the members of the trade union would enable the Aldi personnel to set up reasonable labor costs. This step would be a wise step towards luring the employees towards the brand image. This partnership would be important in terms of averting the instances of inflation, high exchanges rates. The population of Czech Republic is densed. This is an advantage for Aldi in terms of achieving greater customer satisfaction through the provision of quality products and services. The presence of skilled and qualified people alarms the Aldi personnel regarding refraining from the use of wrong and unfair means for marketing. A little mistake would compel the personnel to encounter customer turnover (Aldi.com 2018). Being highly qualified would also result in an efficient and prospective communication between the company and the customers, leading to the production of customer centric goods. On the contrary, investing in New Zealand would not bear positive results for Aldi. This is because of the low unemployment rates. Any new innovation would not make the people, as they are satisfied with the treatment they are getting from the government. Therefore, placing target on the people of 15-64 years would enable the Aldi personnel to generate high revenue. This is because; the people of this age group are very passionate towards innovative products. Herein lays the appropriateness of the technologies of latest designs, which would help the Aldi manufacturers to produce innovative quality products (Aldi.com 2018). The past ages of Czech Republic carries the evidence of professional people in the research and development team. This would act as a keystone for the Aldi personnel to research the efficient and effective means of catering to the specific needs, demands and requirements of the customers. Effective utilization of the latest and modern technologies is the evidence of the competitive advantage, which Aldi would achieve upon settling their business here. Typical examples of this are the computers, laptops and other machines, which Aldi has adopted in other countries (Aldi.com 2018). On the contrary, the introduction of internet in the rural areas would be an advantage for Aldi, if they invest in New Zealand. Getting technological skills would broaden their perspectives. This enhancement would prove beneficial for Aldi personnel in terms of creating corporate minds out of poor people. Environmentally also, Czech Republic is suitable for Aldi. 24th rank in recycling wastes would definitely generate an urge among the Aldi personnel regarding the practice of eco-friendly business. Landfill taxes would be an additional assistance in terms of averting the instances of environment scandals. Following the environmental directives would prove fruitful for Aldi personnel if they settle their business in the threshold of Czech Republic (Vlada.cz 2018). Viewing it from other perspective, recycling would lure more number of customers. Absence of tax tariffs on movement of goods in Czech Republic would enhance the reputation of Aldi. Along with this, adherence to the competitive policies would enable the Aldi personnel to carry out transparent marketing. Transparency in the business transaction would enable the stability in the relationship with Aldi and the associate partners. This would result in the introduction of lucrative deals and offers for the stakeholders and shareho lders. Legal compliance is very important, if Aldi aspires to enhance their reputation. In this perspective also Czech Republic gets preference. This is because of the absence of tax tariffs on the import and export of goods (Vlada.cz 2018). However, this does not the marketing activities of ALdi would not be monitored. On the contrary, New Zealand governments success in curbing the corruption would allow Aldi personnel to carry out their business smoothly. This would ensure the security of both the marketers and the customers, which is crucial for setting in some other country. Obligation for paying the lending charge to the government makes Czezh Republic a better option than Zealand. This is in terms of the free trade movement of the goods. If Aldi thinks of New Zealand, there are high chances of encountering an empty treasury, which would be a negative sign towards enhancing the productivity. However, recently the government has lifted this obligation, which provides space to Aldi for thinking rationally in terms of investing in the market of New Zealand (Govt.nz 2018). Moreover, legal coverage on the business activities would enhance the security of companies like Aldi. This analysis is based on the macro environmental analysis of New Zealand and Czech Republic. However, the Aldi personnel need to conduct more market research in term so assessing the beneficial challenges towards the attainment of competitive advantage over the contemporary brands. The score of PESTLE analysis in case of Czech Republic is 170 and that of New Zealand is 162. The scores clearly indicate that Czech Republic is the best option for Aldi in terms of expanding the scope and arena of their business. The major drive behind this is the stability political system of Czech Republic, which ensures the overall wellbeing of the citizenship (Vlada.cz 2018). Legal compliance to the marketing legislations would enable Aldi to maintain a stable relationship with the government. Exposing rational and strategic approach towards marketing would assist Aldi in enhancing their fame and glory over Czech Republic. Porters five forces of Aldi in the chosen market Porters five forces enhance the clarity of the readers regarding the competitors of the companies and organizations. The number 5 may not be that long; however, the intensity of the number is enough to assess the complexities of brands like Ali in terms of settling their business in the threshold of countries like Czech Republic (Vlada.cz 2018). The following is an analysis of the competitor analysis of Aldi. Aldi faces a very high competition from the contemporary brands like Woolworths, Coles and Walmart. The ground of this competition is the cost of the products and services. Slight difference in the prices of the product is seen as a blunder of Aldi by the competitors. Mistakes from Aldis end provide space to the competitors for accumulating lions share in the market. One of the striking facts is the customers are deceived with the false promises of high advertising costs. However, Aldi is a deviation from this category, as it makes plans of renovating the fixed prices (Aldi.com 2018). This reflects the adherence to the competitive policies, which enables Aldi and the contemporary brands to indulge in fair trades and transactions. Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is medium for Aldi. Huge capital investments obstruct the entry of startups of other brands. This is an advantage for Aldi in terms of executing the business activities efficiently and effectively. However, the local supermarkets and native farmers of Czech Republic would hamper the attempts of Aldi personnel regarding the accumulation of share in the market. If the localites overpower Aldi, it would adversely affect their productivity. As a matter of specification, the local people prefer the local products. Intrusion of retailers like Aldi would affect their buying power and behavior (Aldi.com 2018). The common outcome would be disinterest in the products of such retailers. Bargaining power of the suppliers The bargaining power of the suppliers to retailers like Aldi is low in its intensity. Aldi, through their marketing strategy controls the suppliers, who supply quality products. It is an advantage for Aldi in terms of selling quality goods to the customers at prices, which sometimes align with the market price or are less than the market price. Switching between the suppliers is very low, as the suppliers are in search of retailers, who introduce innovative discounts, discounts and schemes for the stakeholders and shareholders. Therefore, the suppliers are the puppets in the hands of retailers like Aldi (Aldi.com 2018). This control provides them the opportunity to execute the marketing activities smoothly. Rationality in the execution of marketing activities would be advantageous. Bargaining power of the Buyers Aldi operates in such countries, where the demand for quality products is very high among the customers. They exercise their purchasing power through pressurizing the brands to reduce the cost price of the products. Negligence towards catering to such demands of the customers compels the customers to switch over brands. This is not a difficult task, due to the close proximity of the contemporary brands to the location of the customers. The introduction of lucrative loyalty schemes and bonus places Aldi out of the context, as no such initiative have come from their end (Aldi.com 2018). Threat of substitutes Uniqueness lacks in the products and services of Aldi. This provides the contemporary brands the opportunity to lure the customers with same products at cheap rates. Strategic approach towards advertising and marketing provide competitive advantage to brands like Coles, Woolworths and Warmart. This is the greatest barrier for brands like Aldi in terms of having a firm settlement in the market. Allowing these startups in the threshold of countries like Czech Republic would make the market position of retailers like Aldi vulnerable. Moreover, if the customers start liking the products of the startups, the Aldi personnel would be compelled to encounter instances of customer turnover (Aldi.com 2018). This would oush the company into utter loss. Critical insight into the five forces If Aldi plans to settle their business into the markets of Czech Republic, the greatest hurdles for them would be competition from the contemporary brands, high bargaining power of the buyers and the substitute products. Luring the customers by renovating the products of the other brands would be foolishness. Selling these products at low prices would not earn them a good reputation. High threat of substitute contradicts the aspect of medium threat of new entrants. The more startups penetrating into the market of Czech Republic would bar the entrance of retailers like Aldi. Counter arguing this, strategic planning by Aldi before penetrating into the markets of Czech Republic would enable the personnel to gain competitive advantage over these new entrants through the means of controlling the suppliers (Vlada.cz 2018). Application of VRIO framework VRIO framework is an important tool in terms of peeking into the internal environment of a company or organization. As a matter of specification, there are four components in the tool- value, rarity, imitability and organization. These components are viewed as questions in terms of assessing the potential of the personnel forThis component assesses the approach of the company or organization in terms of overcoming the competitive threats. This is done through by measuring the extent to which the personnel are conscious towards the preservation of organizational values. In Aldi, the personnel lay stress on serving the customers with quality good at low prices. This is done without compromising with the values of honesty in the execution of the marketing activities (Aldi.com 2018). Along with this, they are also conscious towards valuing the needs, demands and requirements of the customers. In this, the capability of the personnel is measured in terms of producing innovative quality products through the effective and judicious utilization of the organizational resources. Taking into consideration, Strategic Capability Component Framework helps Aldi to utilize the resources according to the capability of the manufacturers. This is a wise step towards mitigating the waste and as a result contributing to the environmental pollution. Moreover, this practice results in the production of customer centric goods, which is beneficial for Aldi in terms of generating high revenue and profit margin (Aldi.com 2018). Low labor costs help the Aldi personnel to attract the youths towards the brands for enhancing their professional career. Imitability Maintaining unity in the pricing system along with promise of high value returns provide enough space to the customers to exercise their buying power. Satisfaction of the customers resulted in salary hike of the employees. This is the self produced efforts of the Aldi personnel for standing out from the contempoprary brands in the competitive ambience of the market (Aldi.com 2018). Organization Aldi is run through divisional organizational structure. The managers equally divide the business activities among the various departmental units. The performance of the employees is controlled by the three level managers collaboratively. The managers hold meetings with the stakeholders and shareholders for evaluating the appropriateness, effectiveness and feasibility of the undertaken steps. Consistency in the execution of evaluation helps Aldi to upgrade the standard and quality of their performance (Aldi.com 2018). Recommendation on suitable modes of entry In order to enter into the markets of Czech Republic, the Aldi personal need to take conduct market research. Search engine optimization would directly take the personnel to the prospective channels, through which revenue can be generated and profit margin can be enhanced. This market research should cover the parameters of political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental as a whole. Taking into consideration, social media would act as a cornerstone for Aldi in terms of enhancing the scope and arena of their business. Uploading the images of the newly launched products in the official website and the social networking sites would make the personnel aware of the customer approaches. The responses of the customers would be crucial for Aldi in terms of setting up their business in the threshold of Czech Republic. Herein lays the appropriateness of marketing mix, which would help the personnel to ensure the effectiveness and appropriateness of the identified target mar ket. Aldi needs to maintain stable relationship with the research and development team. This would be beneficial in terms of introducing lucrative offers, schemes and discounts for the customers. Involving the suppliers of Czech Republic in this research would bestow quality products on Aldi, which is an indication towards the achievement of large scale customer satisfaction. Moreover, happiness and satisfaction of the customers would enhance the reputation of Aldi in the threshold of Czech Republic. Along with this, Aldi personnel need to maintain stable relation with the members of the trade union. This is in terms of averting the instances of inflation, high exchange rates and fluctuation in the prices of the raw materials. Stabilizing the financial parameter is of prior importance in terms of increasing the trafficking of the customers towards the brand image. Seeking innovative means in the pricing system would enable the Aldi staffs to introduce lucrative offers, schemes and discounts for the customers. This innovation would provide Aldi with the opportunity to enjoy competitive advantage over the contemporary brands. Training the staffs would be one of the wise steps in terms of achieving infrastructural development. Training would enhance the preconceived skills, expertise and knowledge of the Aldi staffs regarding the basic management skills. If the managers provide the training to the staffs, it would be beneficial for the employees in upgrading their knowledge and approach towards execution of the assigned duties and responsibilities. Taking post training tests would help the managers to assess the capability of the employees to make practical application of the learnt skills in carrying out the allocated tasks. The performance of the employees would be crucial in terms of making estimates regarding the time till when the project of foreign market penetration would be successful. References Aldi.com (2018). About us. Availiable at: https://www.aldi.com/ [Accessed on 13th February 2018] Alon, I. and Lattemann, C., 2016. Tchibo Goes Global: Implementing a Hybrid Franchising Strategy at Germany's Leading Coffee Retailer.Global Business and Organizational Excellence,35(2), pp.18-30. Berman, B., 2015. How to compete effectively against low-cost competitors.Business Horizons,58(1), pp.87-97. Burmann, C., Riley, N.M., Halaszovich, T. and Schade, M., 2017. International Identity-Based Brand Management. InIdentity-Based Brand Management(pp. 291-312). Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. Burt, S., Johansson, U. and Dawson, J., 2017. Dissecting embeddedness in international retailing.Journal of Economic Geography,17(3), pp.685-707. Gassmann, O., Frankenberger, K. and Csik, M., 2016. Innovation Strategy: From new Products to Business Model Innovation. InBusiness Innovation: Das St. Galler Modell(pp. 81-104). Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. Goodson, L., 2017. Quick takes.Strategy Leadership,45(5), pp.56-62. Govt.nz (2018). New Zealand Government. Available at: https://www.govt.nz/ [Accessed on 13th February 2018] Gruber, V., Kaliauer, M. and Schlegelmilch, B.B., 2017. Improving the Effectiveness and Credibility Of Corporate Social Responsibility Messaging: An Austrian Model Identifies Influential CSR Content and Communication Channels.Journal of Advertising Research,57(4), pp.397-409. Haar, J. and Ernst, R. eds., 2016.Innovation in emerging markets. Springer. Lee, H.J., 2015. The Sourcing Strategy Decision for Private Brands in Grocery Retailing.International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences,5(11), pp.175-185. Muruganantham, G. and Priyadharshini, K., 2017. Private label retailers: Systematic review of winning strategies.The Marketing Review,17(1), pp.117-143. Ododo, C., Mulholland, G. and Turner, J., 2015, November. Can Discount Pricing Be A Comeptitive Brand Strategy? An Evaluation of Aldi. InInternational Conference on Marketing and Business Development(Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 241-251). Bucharest University of Economic Studies Publishing House. Reinartz, W. and Kuferle, M., 2015. Value Creation in International Physical Retailing.Journal of Creating Value,1(1), pp.72-78. Steenkamp, J.B., 2014. How global brands create firm value: the 4V model.International Marketing Review,31(1), pp.5-29. Steenkamp, J.B., 2017. The COMET Framework: How Global Brands Create Value. InGlobal Brand Strategy(pp. 19-43). Palgrave Macmillan, London. Steenkamp, J.B., 2017.Global Brand Strategy: World-wise Marketing in the Age of Branding. Springer. Turban, E., Outland, J., King, D., Lee, J.K., Liang, T.P. and Turban, D.C., 2018. EC Strategy, Globalization, SMEs, and Implementation. InElectronic Commerce 2018(pp. 537-572). Springer, Cham. Turban, E., Whiteside, J., King, D. and Outland, J., 2017. Implementation Issues: From Globalization to Justification, Privacy, and Regulation. InIntroduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce(pp. 383-413). Springer, Cham. Van Zon, H., 2016.Globalized finance and varieties of capitalism. Palgrave Macmillan. Vlada.cz (2018). Government of Czech Republic. Available at: https://www.vlada.cz/en/ [Accessed on 13th February 2018] Voigt, K.I., Buliga, O. and Michl, K., 2017. Striving for Customer Benefit: The Case of Aldi. InBusiness Model Pioneers(pp. 11-24). Springer, Cham. Voigt, K.I., Buliga, O. and Michl, K., 2017.Business Model Pioneers. Springer International Publishing. Yoder, S., Visich, J.K. and Rustambekov, E., 2016. Lessons learned from international expansion failures and successes.Business Horizons,59(2), pp.233-243.

With close Reference to the Language of Specific Characters Essay Example

With close Reference to the Language of Specific Characters Essay Written by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy based around the concepts of love and conflict. Within the play, each different character brings with themselves their own unique attitudes towards love, sex and marriage, ranging from the aggressive views of Sampson and Gregory to the passionate and sensitive views of Romeo and Juliet. It is the intention of this essay to explore and analyse the opinions of the main characters in the play, along with how they are presented by Shakespeare. The first characters to be introduced in the play are Sampson and Gregory, an uneducated and violent double-act with an obsession with sex and no thoughts of love or marriage. Being lowly servants of the Capulet family, they speak in prose tainted with rude and aggressive language: Women being the weaker vessels are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montagues men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall (Act One, Scene One, Lines 14-17) We will write a custom essay sample on With close Reference to the Language of Specific Characters specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on With close Reference to the Language of Specific Characters specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on With close Reference to the Language of Specific Characters specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This quote clearly shows that they regard women as being nothing more than sexual objects to be used at ones leisure and then disposed of. The word vessels here implies that women are only suitable to carrying children, again demonstrating to the audience that Sampson and Gregory regard women as being inferior. When the actor delivers his lines, he would emphasise the word thrust in order to convey Sampson and Gregorys vulgar and misogynistic attitude to the uneducated peasantry, who would appreciate the crudeness. In addition, their bawdy and rude sense of humour, which is shown by their phrases Tis known that I am a pretty piece of flesh and my naked weapon is out would have appealed to most of the audience. In direct contrast to Sampson and Gregory is one of the heroes of the play, Romeo, who is of noble status within the Montague family. We observe Romeos attitudes to love changing rather drastically as the play progresses; he goes from being the classic Petrarchan, negative lover to a passionate and soulful one. Before he meets Juliet, the person who inspires this change within him, he talks about his unrequited love for Rosaline (who, incidentally, the audience dont actually see in the play). He describes his love elaborately and excessively, using phrases such as She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair. The audience think that Romeo is being over-the-top and insincere, a notion thats heightened by his apparently confused views of love, demonstrated by his use of oxymorons: O brawling love, O loving hate, O anything of nothing first create! (Act One, Scene One, Lines 170-171) Not only do these contradictory terms show Romeos inability to think straight, they also show him blinded by his apparent love for Rosaline. However, when Romeo meets Juliet for the first time, he changes from having a negative view of love and being in a state of emotional turmoil to being positive, light and soulful. His language suddenly transforms from a dark and depressing mood into a more lifted one. This becomes apparent to the audience when they hear Romeo say: This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this, My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss (Act One, Scene Five, Lines 93-95) His language, though no longer overly elaborate, still has some Petrarchan qualities, though Romeo expresses his love positively rather than through depression, which informs the audience that his love is passionate and pure. His description of Juliet as holy shrine suggests that she is his world, his religion, his life, and tender kiss emphasises his caring love for her. Through language such as this, Shakespeare makes clear that Romeo is no longer in love with the idea of being in love (as he was before), but is well and truly in love with Juliet. Although Juliet returns Romeos affections, their views on love and marriage were rather different before they met. Juliet was the classic example of a dutiful daughter, pleased to obey her parents in almost every aspect of life, including love. When Lady Capulet proposes Paris offer to her, Juliet says Ill look to like, if looking liking move But no more deep will I endart mine eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly (Act One, Scene Three, Lines 98-100) At this point in the play, Juliet is being obedient and is allowing her parents to guide her in the matter of love as they see fit. However, when Juliet meets Romeo, her views change so drastically that she goes against all social norms and proposes marriage herself (an idea that was simply unheard of in Elizabethan culture the man was supposed to propose). Juliet even goes so far as to offer to abandon her family for Romeo (and hence, risk abandonment), making the audience realise that her love for Romeo is greater even than her love for her parents and her life, which serves as a great contrast to the previously shy and dutiful Juliet: Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And Ill no longer be a Capulet. (Act Two, Scene Two, Lines 35-36) Both Romeo and Juliet share a passionate, true love for each other, harbouring no obsessions with sex (unlike Sampson and Gregory). When they meet, they begin to realise just how powerful love can be, and devote themselves to the other. The fourth character to be discussed is the Nurse, of the House of Capulet. She is of low social status, which is reflected in her bawdy (though unaggressive) sense of humour. However, Nurse treats Juliet as her own daughter (something Lady Capulet never did), a fact which is made apparent to the audience when Lady Capulet says Thou knowest my daughter of a pretty age. Also, although Nurse displays a strong parental for Juliet, her views of love are rather superficial, and based upon appearances. A man, young lady! Lady, such a man As all the world Why hes a man of wax (Act One, Scene Three, Lines 76-77) The above quotation (describing Paris) shows that Nurse considers appearances to be of utmost importance; the phrase man of wax implies perfection in looks. She also refers to Paris as a flower and doesnt mention anything about his character when persuading Juliet to marry him. Nurses views on marriage are influenced by fond memories of her late husband God be with his soul and she also says to Juliet: And I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish (Act One, Scene Three, Lines 63-64) This tells the audience that she has positive views on marriage and has a motherly wish to see Juliet married. Furthermore, Nurse uses a lot of sexual innuendo, talking about wormwood on my dung and Juliet falling backward when thou hast more wit. Making such casual remarks in the presence of a person such as Lady Capulet was considered improper in those times, but the Nurses disregard for this also reflects her low social standing. Another pair of characters from Juliets family is Lord and Lady Capulet, who, surprisingly, have contrasting views of love and marriage. Lord Capulet believes that Juliet should be older before she is married, and wants her to choose her husband. Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride. (Act One, Scene Two, Lines 10-11) The above quote shows that Lord Capulet is quite prepared to wait another few years for Juliet to get married, which is the complete opposite of what Lady Capulet thinks: Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers. (Act One, Scene Three, Lines 70-72) Lady Capulet clearly has no patience, and wants Juliet to marry Paris straight away. This implies that Juliets father is more loving and protective, while her mother is superficial and uncaring. Furthermore, the views of the two contrast on the point of love too: But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart My will to her consent is but a part. (Act One, Scene Two, Lines 16-17) This suggestion from Lord Capulet tells us that he wants Juliet to love her husband, and shows that he doesnt really want to impose his own will upon her. Lady Capulet, on the other hand, wants Juliet to marry immediately, so that she can share all that he doth possess and add to the family fortune. The next character to be explored is Mercutio, Romeos best friend. He is of noble status but uses crude and vulgar language in spite of his standing. He has a negative attitude towards love and regards it as a foe that must be beaten down: If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. (Act One, Scene Four, Lines 76-77) However, he displays a strong filial love for Romeo, and his view on love could be influenced by Rosalines harsh treatment of his best friend. Another explanation could be that Mercutio has never experienced love before; therefore he doesnt know how to deal with it properly. His cynical attitude makes Mercutio dismiss Romeos fantasies, because he is supposedly succumbing to the evil powers of love. Another character with a negative view of love is Benvolio, Romeos other friend. When attempting to comfort Romeo, he suggests that he should simply find someone else to replace Rosaline in his affections. Compare her face with some that I shall show, And I will make thee think thy swan a crow. (Act One, Scene Two, Lines 88-89) Within the above quotation, Shakespeare informs us of the superficial attitudes to love and women within Benvolio. The use of the word compare suggests that women are merely objects, and the casual suggestion to replace Rosaline shows Benvolios shallow opinions. However, he does display a strong filial love for Romeo, which is shown when he tries to comfort him over the unrequited love. Even though the advice is not very good (Benvolio has probably never been in love himself), the gesture is still there. He also believes that love seems to be a good thing on the outside but on the inside it is an evil enemy: Alas that Love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof (Act One, Scene One, Lines 163-164) Contrasting with Benvolio is Tybalt, of the House of Capulet, who displays absolutely no filial love. He despises everyone of the House of Montague and displays a rather fiery personality. It fits when such a villain in a guest: Ill not endure him (Act One, Scene Five, Lines 74-75) This quote referring to Romeo shows that Tybalt cannot stand any Montagues, and his previous order, Fetch me my rapier, boy along with other such statements littered throughout his dialogue suggest that he is very violent and aggressive. Later on in the play, he challenges Romeo to a fight to the death, demonstrating his obsession with his familys honour. The final character to be explored is Friar Lawrence, who, despite having two sons, treats Romeo like one of his children, giving advice and encouragement. He refers to Romeo as good son, which tells the audience of his fatherly feelings. Friar Lawrence doesnt differentiate between the two houses of Capulet and Montague, unlike most of the other characters, and agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet in the hope that it will unite the conflicting families. To conclude, William Shakespeare delivers to us an array of moral values and attitudes to love, sex and marriage in Romeo and Juliet. One of his greatest works, the play expresses the views of all social classes, using marvellous linguistic tools that are unparalleled to this day. The audience are greeted with the violent and aggressive attitudes of Sampson and Gregory, juxtaposed by the passionate and sensitive views of love of Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the play, Shakespeare masterfully weaves humour and sadness, peace and conflict, love and hate, together into an intricate and entertaining plot that will be performed and studies for generations to come.

3 Great Options for Online Homeschooling Support

3 Great Options for Online Homeschooling Support SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The magic of the internet has dramatically increased the resources available to the average homeschooler. Through online homeschooling resources, homeschools can supplement their existing coursework, parents can get curriculum support, and students with irregular schedules can stay enrolled in high school! In this complete guide to online homeschool, we’ll introduce online homeschooling, discuss the pros and cons to online homeschool, and go over the types of online homeschool and the benefits and drawbacks to each type. We’ll also provide examples of each type of program! An Introductionto Online Homeschool Online homeschooling refers to a homeschooling program (so, no going to a brick-and-mortar building!) where some or all of the learning is done through the aid of an online program. Other than that, it’s a pretty broad term. Online homeschooling could mean you are doing a complete, comprehensive program at an online high school. It could also mean one or both of your parents are your primary teachers, but you are supplementing their teaching with one or two online homeschool classes. It could even mean your parents are getting their homeschool curriculum from an online source, which they are then teaching to you. Thus, â€Å"online homeschool† can refer to pretty much any internet-based homeschooling coursework resources. Should You Use Online Classes in Your Homeschooling Program? There are both pros and cons to making use of online material and courses in your homeschooling program. Benefits of Online Homeschooling There are several benefits to online homeschooling: It's Flexible Online homeschool allows for increased flexibility in schedule. This is really important for students who may be engaged in lots of travel for athletic competitions or who have other constraints that cause them to have irregular schedules. Being able to work on the road and at unusual times is a must for students who are pursuing activities that aren’t compatible with a typical Monday-Friday 8 am-3 pm school schedule. It Doesn’t Rely Solely on Parent Expertise Even if your parents are amazing homeschool teachers, there may be areas where they don’t have enough knowledge to effectively teach you, especially when you get older and start taking advanced and AP classes. In this case, online homeschool classes can fill in the gaps and make sure you get the instruction you need for advanced coursework. Can Have Engaging, Interactive Teaching Methods Some online homeschool programs will mostly involve you reading an online textbook and doing standard exercises. However, there are some programs that strive to present material in an engaging and interactive way using the online/computer-based medium. This can help keep you from getting bored. Validated Grades A benefit to online homeschool programs that give grades is that it helps validate your grades beyond just a parent transcript. If an online, independently run and graded course gives you high marks, that’s going to serve as evidence to colleges that you really know the material and help validate your homeschool grades and achievements. If you're a competitive ice-skater, you might need online homeschool so you can skate and graduate! Drawbacks of Online Homeschooling Here are some of the drawbacks: Self-Motivation Is Required The less structured and monitored a program is, the more self-motivated you’ll need to be. So if you’re doing a very self-guided program without too many deadlines or checkpoints along the way, you will really need to keep yourself on track. A parent can help with this, of course, but it will ultimately be up to you to make sure all the work gets done. Quality Control The landscape of online education is very uneven, so you need to really make sure that whatever online homeschooling program(s) you use are high-quality. Ideally, they would be accredited in some way and have good reviews from other students. Other things to look for include instructor availability, quality and comprehensiveness of content, and workload. Less Curriculum Flexibility Online homeschooling, particularly complete online high school programs, offer less curriculum flexibility than traditional homeschooling, where parents can create the entire curriculum tailored to student interest. For example, parents can arrange every subject in short units around single topics or make all of your math work relate to cooking and baking to keep students interested. With online programs, it’s less individualized and more outside of parental (and student) control. Cost In general, most online homeschooling resources cost money, and they can be quite expensive! At some providers, an individual course can cost a thousand dollars, and enrolling in a complete online high school can cost several thousand dollars a year! Unfortunately, it takes more than a simple stamp to guarantee quality. The 3 Types of Online Homeschool: Pros and Cons There are three overall categories of online homeschool: single classes, complete online schools or programs, and online curriculum support for homeschooling parents. Single Classes As a homeschooler, you can take single classes in specific subjects from a variety of online course providers to supplement your home learning without having to enroll in a complete online high school. Pros: By taking single online courses, you can pick and choose from a variety of sources. This allows you not only to try out different providers and formats but dramatically expands your potential course catalogue! If you can find an online provider that offers a course, you can take it! Taking single courses is also, in general, going to be more cost-effective than enrolling in a complete online high school. You can select only those courses that you absolutely need an online provider for and save money on the ones where you don’t. Cons: The more different providers you take courses from, the more logistically complicated it will be! Not only will you have to make sure that none of your courses clash in terms of scheduling, deadlines, and so on, you will need to request transcripts from all of your coursework providers when it’s time to apply to college! Examples: Here are several examples of providers that offer single classes for online homeschool. Note that many online high schools also offer the option of taking single classes. PA Homeschoolers - This homeschool-student only provider offers robust online AP courses for high-schoolers. Reviews of the site praise the individualized attention that students get from instructors and the overall quality of the curriculum and learning experience. Florida Virtual School - This public online course provider has both single course and complete curriculum options; with FLVS Flex, homeschoolers can supplement their coursework with select online courses. UC Scout - The University of California system offers this online course provider specifically so that students can satisfy California universities’ A-G requirements online (the A-G requirements are fairly standard high school college prep course expectations). But anyone can enroll in their courses! Taking single classes gives you access to a whole buffet of online courses! Complete Online Schools/Programs You can also enroll in a complete online high school program and take all of your courses through the same provider- like a regular high school, but in cyberspace! Pros: This is a great option for students in rural areas or with unusual schedules who still want to be connected to some kind of high school community. Some online high schools really make an effort to connect students, too, through things like extracurriculars. You will get a more consistent, cohesive academic experience from an online school as opposed to if you patch together classes from various online course providers, homeschool, and community college. Some online high schools even have pretty robust institutional resources like guidance counselors to help you apply to college! An online high school gives you the benefit of one simple, complete transcript from the school- which you won’t have if you take classes from multiple sources. This will make it logistically simpler down the line when you start applying to colleges. Cons: You have much less control and flexibility in an online high school versus traditional homeschooling or select online courses. You have to comply with the school’s rules about how many courses you can take, when you can take them, any prerequisites you need, and so on. You’re limited by the school’s course catalogue- if they don’t offer it, you can’t take it. Complete online high schools can be expensive! Many are private schools, in which case you may find yourself paying thousands of dollars annually. However, some states offer free public online high schools to students, so be sure to look into that. Examples: There are hundreds of online high schools out there. These are only a few examples. But if you are going to use an online high school, make sure that it’s accredited! Stanford Online High School - This rigorous, application-only online high school was created by Stanford University and features a lot of interaction with other students as a main selling point. It is fairly expensive, though! Connections Academy - This is a free, accredited online public high school. The Keystone School - An accredited, online private high school based in Pennsylvania but available to students everywhere. Also check out our massive list of over a hundred free online high schools! If you need to keep irregular hours to fuel your frog-hunting passion, online homeschool may be just the thing for you! Online Homeschool Curriculum Support If you’re a parent who is looking for predesigned homeschool curriculum to use with your children, there are tons of online homeschooling curriculums available out there. Pros: The major pro, of course, is that this can be an incredible time-saversince you don’t have to design the entire curriculum yourself. If you can find a well-designed, high-quality, positively-reviewed curriculum for a course, you can confidently use it yourself! Pre-designed curricula can also be helpful when you are familiar with the subject, but not an expert. It will give you a little boost in knowledge and effectiveness if the curriculum is high-quality. Cons: Quality control is an issue for any online homeschool curriculum. Since most curricula aren’t offered by accredited institutions, it can be hard to know that what you’re getting is the real deal. Ideally, you’d be able to look over some of the curriculum before purchasing or using it so that you can validate it. You’ll also want to try to find reviews from other users. Examples: Here are a couple of curriculum support options. Note that it may be the hardest to separate the wheat from the chaff with curriculum support sites because anyone can start up a website and upload a curriculum with little possibility of outside validation. Bridgeway Academy - In addition to single courses and an online high school program, they also offer a program for parents to connect with homeschool curriculum that meets their needs. Calvert Education - Calvert Education offers homeschool curriculum to parents with an online management tool and a support line. They also claim President Barack Obama as an alumnus! Imagine a 24-7 curriculum support line for all your 2 am math-instruction questions. Online Homeschool: Key Takeaways Online homeschooling resources are available from many sources. You can take individual courses, enroll in a complete online high school, or get homeschool curriculum online! Here are some of the pros and cons to online homeschool: Pros: It can offer flexibility for students with unusual schedules. It allows you to get taught by trained experts in a variety of subjects. Teaching methods can be interactive and engaging. An online course transcript helps validates other homeschool grades. Cons: You need to be self-motivated to learn in the online format. Quality control for online learning resources can be a problem. Less flexibility than traditional homeschooling. It can be expensive! There are also pros and cons to the different kinds of online homeschool: Single courses allow youtry out multiple providers and have access to more classes and are more cost-effective than a complete online high school. However, the more providers you take classes from, the more logistically complicated it is! A complete online high school keeps you connected to a high school community, gives a cohesive academic experience, and gives you just one simple transcript, but uou are limited by the high school’s regulations and course catalog. Complete online high schools can also be very expensive. Curriculum support is a less extensive option that can still be ahuge time-saver for parents, but quality control is often an issue with these resources. Online homeschool for everyone! Yay! What's Next? Get more guidance on deciding if online high school is right for you, and a list of 100+ free online high schools to consider. And be sure to learn more about getting a high school diploma online! Thinking about a private online school? See our full expert review of Stanford Online High School. Need to register for the ACT orprep for the ACTas a homeschooled student? Or what aboutpreparing for the SAT as a homeschooler? Considering taking AP courses online? See our guide to 12 pros and cons of online AP courses. And see expert reviews of the best and worst online AP courses. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Nursing 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing 101 - Essay Example Therefore, clinical care delivery and clinical learning experiences of a student nurse like me would ideally also drift from the conventional system. I am too novice to comment on this, and I am sure once my studies go in a full throttle, things will appear as they are. As is evident, in a healthcare setting dominated by specialists and super specialists, there is possibility of some kind of fragmentation of the care, and in my opinion, to avoid such, a holistic concept of people, health, wellness, and healing needs to be used. I know, a holistic perspective focuses on all dimensions of an individual, including physiological, psychological, social, cultural, cognitive, and spiritual. It has a philosophy inherent in this, and this philosophy, I believe, creates the fundamental paradigm of nursing as a profession. Although I am new in this field, I am given to understand that nursing is an art and science of caring and healing that promotes health. The spiritual aspect of nursing is very much relevant to even modern healthcare in the sense that at least spirit may indicate a will to live. This is the life force within a person and spirituality indicates the presence of this phenomenon. However, this is intangible and cannot be located. Without going in to the debate whether it is related to religious aspects of human life, scientific evidence suggests that loss of this life force is detrimental to survival. This concept encompasses a concern or caring that extends from ourselves to others, meaning as the nurse has care and concern for her won existence and survival, they should face the other with an equal concern for their existence and survival (Bunkers, SS., 2008). Disease is a process that expresses in a human being as a result of reaction to the environment, and according to my philosophy, nursing is a process by which the art of caring is manifested. This art of caring, of course, is guided by the philosophical approaches to define

Business to business (marketing plan) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business to business (marketing plan) - Essay Example In light of this, the company would have to put in a lot of effort in identifying where its major strengths are so as to take advantage of the potentials. In this regard, a comprehensive research and development program in the short to medium term is recommended. What is more, the company must be poised with the introduction of new strategies and competitive advantages that will not seem too familiar to end users. Once this happens, potential customers would have no justification to trade off their existing companies for the new entrant. 1 Comparison of B2B to B2C B2B has largely been used to stand for business to business marketing whiles B2C has also been used to represent business to customers marketing. A critical understanding of these forms of marketing is very importation in the creation of market of market segments for any identified setting. This is because with an understanding of which of the two works best for a given company, it becomes easier for the company to select o ne of the two principles in creating the segmentation (quote). Generally, B2C has larger and broader sales prospects than B2B (quote). To this extent, B2C assure larger markets than B2B. In terms of segmentation also, demographic segmentation is more favourable for B2B whiles demographic segmentation is favourable for B2C (quote). This is so because B2C deals directly with customers and so need specific characteristics of customers to undertake business. B2B, which on the other hand deal with businesses needs to target a larger geographic scope in order to achieve successful patronage. Best basis of segmentation for each NEW market As stated earlier, the B2B is more favourable with geographic segmentation whiles B2C is more suitable for demographic segmentation. For each of these new markets therefore, there is a level of basis for the selected segmentation. In the business to business marketing for instance, because the company deals directly with other businesses, it does not real ly have to have the specific demographic make up of the setting into consideration. Rather, it would rather have to look at the business prospect of the market and strength of competitors in the area. With the business to customer, because the customer is the direct focus, it is always virtually impossible to think of succeeding without knowing the specific demographic qualities of customers. In most instances, the demographic characteristics that are considered for the demographic segmentation include race, nationality, gender, family size, religion, education, occupation, and income. Identify target segment and its estimated value From the discussions so far, the most suitable target segment for LumiCore is the London market. This way, it is clear that business to business (B2B) has been selected over business to business (B2C). This is because business to business makes use of segments such as states, regions, nations, countries, cities and in some cases, zip codes and neighbourh oods. Judging from the fact that London in the United Kingdom is a city, it qualifies and comes under business to business marketing. With London selected as the target segment, there are several estimated values that the company can be assured of having. Because the remaining aspects of the report shall give a closer diagnosis of the London segment, not

International Legal English Certificate Test Of Writing English Language Essay

International Legal English Certificate Test Of Writing English Language Essay 1. Introduction This assignment evaluates the Test of Writing of the International Legal English Certificate (ILEC). ILEC is an examination produced by Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) in collaboration with Translegal, a firm of lawyer-linguists. The target candidature for ILEC is legal professionals and law students, operating in the area of international commercial law, who need to demonstrate proof of their language proficiency in English. The assignment will first consider relevant issues for the development of tests for specific purposes and then examine validity aspects of the ILEC Writing paper in detail. (1) 1.1 Tests in Language for Specific Purposes Testing Language for Specific Purposes (LSP), such as a Test of English for the legal profession refers to language assessment in which the test content arises from an analysis of specific target language use situations: these often (but not always) correspond to the language needs of a particular occupational group. Devising LSP tests presents test developers with a number of issues, including the relationship of test specificity to test generalisability; the importance of ensuring authenticity of test content; the interaction between background content knowledge and language knowledge, and for some domains, the difficulty in gaining access to relevant information on the nature of language use in that domain. (2) 1.2 Specificity vs Generalisability LSP tests have often been directly contrasted with general purpose tests. This is now, however, generally acknowledged to be an oversimplification of the issue and there is growing consensus that tests do not fall into one grouping (specific purpose) or the other (general purpose), but that, in the words of Douglas (2000:1), there is a continuum of specificity from the very general to the very specific: all tests are devised for some purpose and fall at some point along the specificity spectrum. The concept of a spectrum or continuum of specificity raises the question of where on the continuum a test should be placed and the related issue of how generalisable the LSP test is intended to be. Generalisability is often held to decrease in proportion to the specificity of the test: the more specific a test (such as English for Air Traffic Controllers), the less possible to generalise from that to other language use situations. This is accepted as a fundamental issue in LSP, to which the re are no straightforward answers. (3) 1.3 Background content knowledge In general purpose language testing, background knowledge of topic or cultural content is viewed as a confounding variable, which should be minimised as it has the potential to lead to measurement error. For LSP tests, however, subject specific content is arguably a defining feature of the test. Nonetheless, the question of separability, that is, how to distinguish between language knowledge and specific background knowledge in analysing candidates results on a specific purpose language test, has been a recurring concern. Bachman and Palmer (1996) argued in relation to a test for trainee doctors, that it should be possible to control for background medical knowledge in interpretation of performance on a language test, by, for example, the administration of knowledge tests alongside the LSP test. The difficulty in assessing the extent of the test takers background knowledge and its interaction with language proficiency has been addressed by Clapham (1996) who concluded that background knowledge was undoubtedly a significant factor in the process of testing reading, but the extent varied with the specificity of the test and the language proficiency of the candidate. There has more recently been an acceptance that until more is known about how the mind deals cognitively with ability and knowledge, specific background knowledge and language performance need to be treated as being inextricably linked (Douglas 2000:39). (4) 1.4 Access to information on language use within the domain With an increase, in the second part of the 20th century, in the number of people needing to learn English for education, technology and commerce, the main drive behind the development of LSP was practical rather than theoretical. As a result, LSP itself may be said to have suffered from a lack of theoretical underpinning. A key analytical tool has been the use of Needs Analysis to assess the linguistic requirements of a particular target group. Some analyses resulted in long detailed lists of needs for which empirical verification was held to be lacking. Widdowson, for example, described many LSP Needs Analyses as being made up of observational lists with no basis in theory (Widdowson 1983:8). Alderson, Davies and others have raised similar concerns (Alderson 1988, Davies 1990, Skehan 1984). A further criticism of some needs analyses was that they lacked objectivity, were influenced by the ideological perceptions of the analysts (Robinson 1991:7) and took insufficient account of the students themselves. Nonetheless, assessment of language needs can still inform LSP course and test design. As Clapham has said, We now know that such analyses can become too detailed, and also paradoxically, too limited in scope. However, this does not mean that they areunnecessary (Clapham 1996:5). Analysis of texts and spoken discourse from particular target language use situations is important in revealing how the target language use (TLU) community communicates and disseminates information. The growth of corpus linguistics and the corresponding development of electronic databases of texts can help in enabling the identification of specific syntactic patterns and use of specific lexis among particular occupational groups or discourse communities. At present, however, there is a limited number of such corpora available and genre analysis plays an important role when considering communication between members of the occupational group or discourse community in question. According to Swales (1990), texts belonging to a particular genre share common features with regard to the organisation of information, rhetorical conventions and lexico-grammatical patterns which practitioners within that discourse community need to access and use in order to operate with any degree of effectiveness. Bhatia (1993) developed earlier work by Swales and has extensively researched language use in professional contexts, particularly discourse within business settings. Nonetheless, due to the confidential nature of the work done by some occupational groups (such as lawyers), access to texts from those domains may not be easily acquired. Swales (1996 cited in Flowerdew and Wan 2006) refers to such texts as occluded, genres to which access is normally denied to those outside the participating discourse community. One task for the test developer in such circumstances therefore lies in obtaining subject-specific assistance and advice. Bhatia (1993) reports on how the subject specialis t or specialist informant has played a role within LSP genre analysis. (5) 2. The ILEC Writing Test: considering the validity issues A copy of the ILEC Writing Test is attached in Appendix 1. The test will be evaluated according to its context, theory-based, scoring and consequential validity. (6) 2.1 Context Validity The term Content Validity was traditionally used to refer to the authenticity and content coverage of the task. Context Validity is now a more widely used term as it also takes into account the discoursal, social and cultural contexts as well as the linguistic content. Context validity in the case of writing tasks also relates to the particular performance conditions under which the operations required for task fulfilment are performed such as purpose of task, time available, length, specified addresses. (7) 2.1.1 Authenticity of task and content coverage Authenticity of task means that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the LSP test tasks should share critical features of tasks in the target language use situation of interest to the test takers (Douglas 2000:2). Bachman and Palmer (1996:23) describe a task as being relatively authentic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ whose characteristics correspond to those of the Target Language Use (TLU) domain tasks and define authenticity as the degree of correspondence of the characteristics of a given language test task to the features of a TLU task (1996:23). In terms of the TLU situation, ILEC is a test of English in an international, commercial law context, the design of which is based on the following characteristics of the language environment of the target candidates: Areas of the law: law of associations; contract law; sale of goods; debtor-creditor law; commercial paper; employment law; intellectual property law; property law; remedies; civil procedure; administrative law; public international law; family law. Types of lawyer: lawyers practising (and law students who intend to practise) in a commercial law context with elements of international commercial business dealings. Types of environments that target lawyers work in: business law firms and other law firms with international dealings; in-house corporate counsel; governmental organisations; international organisations. Types of people that target lawyers must communicate with in English: other international lawyers; members of the international business community; governmental representatives; client form other countries. The choice of materials in the Writing Test is based on an analysis of the kinds of tasks that the target lawyers are likely to encounter in their working environment. (8) In a legal context, for example, a legal writing test must engage the test taker in writing tasks which are authentically representative of the situations they might plausibly encounter. The technical characteristics of language employed in a legal professional context has very specific features that lawyers operating in the field of law must control: There are lexical, semantic, syntactic, and even phonological characteristics of language peculiar to any field, and these characteristics allow for people in that field to speak and write more precisely about aspects of the field that outsiders sometimes find impenetrable (Douglas 2000:7). Interestingly, Douglas goes on to provide an example of legalise characterised by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the arcane lexis, the convoluted syntax, the use of Latin terminology, and the interminable cross-references to previous laws and cases in legal texts (2000:8) as an example of the requirement for precise, specific purpose language. Clearly, such language has consciously evolved, developed by the legal fraternity enabling its members to dynamically engage with each other in an attempt to communicate effectively the exact meaning of the law. (9) A legal test also needs to identify and cover its relevant content domain. Coverage of the appropriate domains of language use is attained through the employment of relevant topics, tasks, text types and contexts. The domains, therefore, need to be specified with reference to the characteristics of the test taker, and to the characteristics of the relevant language use contexts. This is the case with the ILEC Writing paper. (10) 2.1.2 Interactional and Situational Authenticity As a general principle it is now argued that language tests should as far as is practicable place the same requirements on test takers as involved in writers responses to communicative settings in non-test real-life situations. The purpose for writing in this paradigm is essentially about communication rather than accuracy (Hyland 2002:8) emphasising validity, particularly the psychological reality of the task, rather than statistical reliability (ibid:230). These views on writing reflect a concern with authenticity which has been a dominant theme in recent years for adherents of a communicative testing approach as they attempt to develop tests that approximate to the reality of non-test language use (real life performance) (see Hawkey 2004, Morrow 1979, Weir 1993 and Weir 2003).The Real-Life (RL) approach (Bachman 1990:41) has proved useful as a means of guiding practical test development. It is most useful in situations in which the domain of language use is relatively homogeneous and identifiable (see OSullivan 2006 on the development of Cambridge Business English examinations). Its primary limitation, however, is that it cannot provide very much information about language ability and hence cannot demonstrate validity in the broadest sense. The RL approach has been regarded as encapsulating the notion of communicative testing as it seeks to develop tests that mirror the reality of non-test language use (real life performance). Its prime concerns are : the appearance or perception of the test and how this may effect test performance and test use (face validity) and; the accuracy with which test performance predicts non-test performance (predictive validity). A number of various attempts have been made to characterise communicative tests (Morrow 1979, Alderson 1981, Porter 1983). Weir (1988), however, points out, there are inherent problems involved in basing test specifications on empirical research and observes that: the more specific the tasks one identifies the less one can generalise from performance on its realisation in a test. The concern with situational authenticity requires writers to make use of texts, situational contexts, and tasks which simulate real-life without trying to replicate it exactly. The interactional authenticity (IA) approach is concerned with the extent to which test performance reflects language abilities. In other words, the concern is with construct validity. Bachman (1989) summarises the IA approach arguing that it encapsulates the essential characteristics of communicative language use by reflecting the interactive relationship that exists between the language user, the context and the discourse. The major consideration shifts from that of attempting to sample actual instances of non-test language use, to that of determining the most appropriate combination of test method characteristics. For Bachman, an interactionally authentic test involves the following: some language function in addition to that of demonstrating the test takers language knowledge; the test takers language knowledge; the test takers language schemata; the test takers meta-cognitive strategies. (11) 2.1.3 Purpose of task Task setting (such as Purpose, Response Format, Weighting, Known Criteria, Order of Items, Time Constraints) and Linguistic Demands (such as Channel, Discourse Mode, Text length, Writer-reader Relationship, etc.) are normally conveyed through the rubric/instructions supplied to the candidates. It is generally accepted that the presentation of information in the task rubric should be made as explicit as possible in terms of the production demands required of the test taker. (12) The writing task rubric must present candidates with clear, precise and unequivocal information regarding the purpose for completing the writing task and the target audience for it. This purpose should provide a reason for completing the task that goes beyond a ritual display of knowledge for assessment. It may well involve suspension of disbelief but having a clear and acceptable communicative purpose in mind is thought to enhance performance. The way the prompt is worded has been shown to affect what the candidate sees as the purpose of the task (Hamp Lyons 1991 and Moore and Morton 1999). For example a term like discuss is open to different interpretations unless further specified (see Evans 1988). (13) The ILEC Writing test gives a clear role to the candidate in each task (eg You are a lawyer representing Ms Sandra Meyer.) and a clear purpose and target audience for the task (eg Write a letter to Robert Woodly on behalf of your client, Ms Meyer. Write a memorandum to your colleague to brief him on the case.) (14) 2.1.4 Time Constraints In writing we are concerned with the time available for task completion: speed at which processing must take place; length of time available to write; whether it is an exam or hand in assignment, and the number of revisions/drafts allowed (process element). Outside of examination essays, in the real world, writing tasks would not necessarily be timed (although there is a case for speed writing in a working context on occasions especially in a legal or professional setting where deadlines must be met). Where time in the workplace is not of the essence, students would be allowed maximum opportunity and access to resources for demonstrating their writing abilities. However considerations such as time constraints and reliability issues make longer, processà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœoriented tests impractical in most situations. (15) Weir (2004) points out that the texts we get candidates to produce obviously have to be long enough for them to be scored in a valid manner. If we want to establish whether a student can organize a written product into a coherent whole, length is obviously a key factor. He notes that as regards an appropriate time for completion of productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœoriented writing tasks in an actual examination setting, Jacobs et al. (1981:19), in their research on the Michigan Composition Test, found that a time allowance of thirty minutes probably gave most students enough time to produce an adequate sample of their writing ability for the purpose of assessment. (16) One might reasonably expect that time-restricted test tasks cannot represent what writers are capable of in normal written discourse where time constraints may be less limited. Kroll (1990:140-154) reports on research comparing timed classroom essays and essays written at home over a 10-14 day period. Contrary to what one might have expected the study indicated that, in general, time does not buy very much for students in either their control over syntax the distribution of specific language errors being remarkably similar in both or in their organisational skills. (17) In the case of ILEC, common tasks are presented to a candidature comprising both B2 and C1 candidates who must complete the test in 1 hour and 15 minutes. (18) 2.1.5 Text Length Text length potentially has an important effect in terms of what Weir (2005) calls the executive resources that will be called into play in cognitive processing. These resources are both linguistic and experiential and need to be as similar as possible to those made by equivalent tasks in real life language use for use to generalise from test performance to language use in the domain of interest. ILEC Writing comprises two tasks, one of between 120 and 180 words and one of between 200 and 250 words. (19) 2.2 Theory-based validity Theory-based validity involves collecting evidence through the piloting and trialling of a test before it is made available to candidates on the cognitive processing activated by the test tasks. (20) Theory-based validity of a test of writing is a function of how closely it represents the cognitive processing involved in performing the construct in real life. Weir (2005) details how establishing theory-based validity for a writing task involves producing evidence on the nature of the executive resources and executive processing activated by the task. Executive resources involve linguistic resources and content knowledge. Content knowledge may already be possessed by the candidate or might be available in information supplied through task input. The Executive process refers to cognitive processing and includes the procedures of goal setting, topic genre modifying, generating, organizing, translating and reviewing. (21) Planning relates to a number of stages in the writing process: macro-planning; organisation; micro planning (Field 2004). Macro-planning entails assembling a set of ideas and drawing upon world knowledge. The writer initially establishes what the goal of the piece of writing is to be. This includes consideration of the target readership, of the genre of the text (earlier experience as a reader may assist) and of style (level of formality). Grabe and Kaplan (1996) refer to this stage as Goal Setting. Goal setting involves setting goals and purposes, offering an initial draft of task representation and connecting context with verbal working memory (1996: 226). During the Organisation stage the writer provisionally organises the ideas, still in abstract form, a) in relation to the text as a whole and b) in relation to each other. The ideas are evaluated in terms of their relative importance, and decisions made as to their relative prominence in the text. The outcome may be a set of roug h notes. Grabe and Kaplan (1996:226) describe Organizing as grouping, categorizing ideas, establishing new concepts and putting ideas in suitable order. At the micro-planning level, the writer shifts to a different level and begins to plan conceptually at sentence and paragraph level. Throughout this stage, constant reference back to two sets of criteria is made: to decisions taken at earlier stages and to the manner in which the text has progressed so far. Account is taken of the overall goals of the text; of the organisational plan and the direction in which the text is currently tending; and of the content of the immediately preceding sentence or paragraph. At this stage, the writer needs to give consideration to whether an individual piece of information is or is not shared with the reader a) by virtue of shared world knowledge or b) as a result of earlier mention in the text. These processing procedures are described in detail by Hayes and Flower (1980), Bereiter Scardamalia ( 1987), and Grabe Kaplan (1996). (22) ILEC Writing tasks require candidates to undertake writing tasks which engage these processing abilities. The Needs Analysis revealed that correspondence between legal firms and and clients is a written form of communication frequently needed by professionals. Furthermore, correspondence is often in the form of a response to an earlier letter and includes reference both to this text and to other documents or texts, such as tax statements, procedural documents, company accounts. This reflects the concept of intertextuality as identified by Kristeva (1980:69); research by others (Flowerdew and Wan 2006) has confirmed the prevalence of the interaction between texts in the corporate world. To reflect the findings of the ILEC Needs Analysis 9see Appendix 2), one task on the Test of Writing requires candidates to draw on a previous text and compose a response to it with the use of notes. Composing the response requires the candidate to use a range of functions including clarifying, refutin g, requesting information, referring the target reader to other documentation. (23) 2.3 Scoring Validity Scoring Validity is linked directly to both context and theory-based validity and accounts for the extent to which test scores are based on appropriate criteria, exhibit consensual greement in their marking, are as free as possible from measurement error, stable over time, consistent in terms of their content sampling and engender confidence as reliable decision making indicators. (24) The assessment criteria for ILEC Writing (see Appendix 3 ) are based on those of a General English test at the same levels related to the CEFR. As Douglas points out: contrary to the cases of LSP test content and method, LSP assessment criteria have not usually been derived from an analysis of the TLU situation (Douglas 2001:174). In the same article, he goes on to make a case for basing LSP assessment criteria on an empirical analysis of the TLU situation. It is also the case with ILEC, that examiners for both the ILEC Writing and Speaking papers, are not required to have a background in Legal English*. It may be argued that this is a weakness in the underpinning scoring validity of the ILEC Writing paper as assessment by a subject specialist may differ from that of the layperson (ie general marker). (25) Jacobs et al. (1981:3) identify aspects of this relating to cognitive process and social interaction: The direct testing of writing emphasizes the communicative purpose of writing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (it) utilizes the important intuitive, albeit subjective, resources of other participants in the communicative process the readers of written discourse, who must be the ultimate judges of the success or failure of the writers communicative efforts. If candidates self-assessments of their language abilities, or ratings of the candidate by teachers, subject specialists, or other informants (Alderson et al 1995) differs from that of the non-specialist Examiner, predictive validity may be compromised. (26) 2.4 Consequential Validity Messick (1989:18) argues that For a fully unified view of validity, it must à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ be recognised that the appropriateness, meaningfulness, and usefulness of score- based inferences depend * personal information from ILEC Writing subject staff as well on the social consequences of the testing. Therefore social values and social consequences cannot be ignored in considerations of validity. Consequential Validity relates to the way in which the implementation of a test can affect the interpretability of test scores; the practical consequences of the introduction of a test (McNamara 2000). Shohamy (1993:37) argues that Testers must begin to examine the consequences of the tests they develop à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ often à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ they do not find it necessary to observe the actual use of the test. Weir (2005) provides a comprehensive treatment of these key elements within the Socio-Cognitive Validation framework. (27) ILEC has achieved recognition by a number of different legal entities, including universities and law practices in 36 countries (see Appendix 4). Furthermore, the initial market research and viability study was administered to a number of stakeholders in the field including international and local law firms, large companies with their own legal departments; university law faculties and legal training providers and language schools. Although the exam fee may be considered to be costly which is arguably an implication of the social consequences of testing, it may be argued that within the domain of corporate/commercial law, the consequential validity in this respect is not unsound. (28) 3. Conclusion This assignment has examined the ILEC Test of Writing. The development of ILEC saw collaboration between assessment specialist and legal content specialists, with each bringing expertise to the process. This has arguably resulted in a test which authentically simulates the TLU situation and as a result, it may be concluded that the test is sound in terms of Context, Theory-based and Consequential validity. Where the test is arguably less strong is in the area of Scoring Validity (and the resulting impact the issue may be said to have on Consequential Validity), in the use of assessment criteria and examining personnel unrelated to the TLU and specific LSP domain. (29) Word Count: 4, 125