Future of Rural Communities Essay Example for Free

Future of Rural Communities Essay Will today’s small rural towns be the ghost towns of tomorrow? Will what’s now a moderately busy main street be overtaken by grasses and tumbleweeds? According to the CEDS â€Å"Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy†, which was compiled in 2003 by the South Central Economic Development District, Franklin County ranks last in housing unit counts, wage and salary income, employer establishments. County population has declined over 34% from 5,449 in 1960 to 3,574 in 2000. Is the future of Franklin, Nebraska a steady decline with an end as a ghost town in the future? Franklin has a chance to reverse this trend with lots of community involvement, and by taking immediate action. There are many obstacles in the way of meeting the goal of making our small communities more livable and desirable. In the case of Franklin, there is a core group that has been in charge for many years and that is not easily convinced of the need to change. â€Å"Why change what has worked for many years? is only one of the questions that are heard many times. People don’t understand that in order to attract new families to move into our community, there has to be something to draw their attention to the area. Resistance to change is one of the greatest obstacles people that try to introduce change to small towns face (Gorman). Here in Franklin, ideas are often turned down, only because they may have come from an â€Å"outsider†. In this small town, everyone that has not been born in the community or in the next few towns up or down the river valley is an outsider. Unfortunately a distrust of strangers and their motives can be a great hindrance when making an effort to encourage growth. Massive change in a community often requires a great financial effort, and funds that are not readily available to communities. Often the city council votes against a project because of lack of money in the community. They are unaware that there may be grant money available for community improvement projects, or that someone in the community may feel strongly enough about a project to finance it with a donation. Problems must be dealt with honestly in order to find solutions that work. To turn ideas into concrete plans, a professional economic planner may be needed. There may be people within the community that are already equipped to do the necessary research and work with the many State-run and private organizations that are available to assist with rural development. Another option is to get together with other towns that may face the same problems, or have already taken forward steps to becoming a thriving community. Another secret to success lies in supporting existing businesses and encouraging entrepreneurs to follow their dreams (Brhel 1). A local bank that is open to working with new and existing businesses can be a great asset in keeping businesses in town and gaining new business ventures. Filling empty storefronts on main-street and keeping existing businesses open is a vital part of keeping downtown alive. Making a plan for business succession is another priority. There needs to be a plan for what happens when owners of existing businesses retire, in order to keep these businesses from permanently closing. Isolated counties may not be able to attract large businesses, due to a lack of skilled workers. It may be wise for small towns in these counties to attract families with an array of recreational opportunities. (Duggan, 12) Many workers are not tied to their office anymore; telecommuting and the internet give them the choice to live where they want to live. Making a community an interesting place with many recreational opportunities and marketing these opportunities can interest new families. The promise of affordable living with a great quality of life could act as a magnet to newcomers. There are many requirements that have to be met in order to turn a small rural town around. It takes people with a vision to see a potential in such a town. The community needs to pull together and find a group of volunteers that are also concerned with the community’s progression (Brhel, 2). It helps to find volunteers that are involved only in a limited amount of activities, since â€Å"professional volunteers† are often stretched so thin that they do not have the necessary time and energy that needs to be invested in community activism. A strong leader is needed to encourage volunteers but who is also able to deal with city and state officials. Franklin has found such a strong leader in Jim Gorman, who only moved to town about three years ago, after marrying Randee Emerson, a longtime Franklin resident. After living here in the community for a while he noticed that there are many individuals within our community that are quite willing to work hard for the community. He also noticed that there are many civic and other organizations in town that are basically idle or inactive. He founded the County Stimulation Initiative for Franklin County (CSI Franklin), an organization that is concerned with stimulating the growth, and improving the health and well being of our community on an economic and quality of life basis (Gorman). Jim Gorman is active in a number of organizations that have the economic growth of rural towns at heart. His activism in this town is strengthened by his being associated with the South Central Nebraska Economic Development District, a consortium of twelve rural Nebraska counties who see improving rural economies as a regional rather than purely local issue(SCEDD). CSI Franklin is what Gorman calls his group. They have already taken action in modernizing some signs at the local museum, and are now working on new museum exhibits and on the preservation of current artifacts. The Franklin Museum now also offers broadband internet access that was made possible with the help from Glenwood Communications. A new community website will help market the city of Franklin, and hopefully instill an interest in people to relocate to this area. Gorman states he hopes that by marketing our fantastic hunting opportunities, and our wonderful quality of life, marketing the modern workplace with broadband internet access for telecommuters and new businesses, people will be attracted to this area, and we will see an influx in people moving to this area. Possible future projects include restoration and renovation of the Dupre Music Hall, a historic building in the middle of the Franklin City Park and the Lincoln Hotel, a three story structure that was built in 1918 and is in dire need of repair. Both buildings are not usable at this time, but would make wonderful community centers. Making either one of them useable would be a great enrichment to this town. It would also instill a sense of pride in the people of this town, which might make them more likely to volunteer for community improvement projects. With a handful of dedicated volunteers, a good leader, and a solid plan, Franklin has a good chance of not only survival, but may even have the opportunity to flourish. There are many resources available to us and we need to make good use of them. Organizations like CSI, SCEDD, the University of Nebraska Rural Initiative are there to assist with these activities, and people like Jim Gorman are essential in reaching our goals.

Vocabulary Learning On Low Proficiency Learners English Language Essay

Vocabulary Learning On Low Proficiency Learners English Language Essay In many research on second language classroom, the role and influences of mother tongue or first language (L1) on second language (L2) learning has always been a hotly debated issue. There have always been contradicting views about whether or not to use L1 of the students in the second language classroom. During the past 30 years, in the late seventies to early eighties, the idea of using mother tongue in language classroom was not a favored one. Majority of the language classroom used solely L2 while the use of L1 is avoided totally (Liu, 2008). In fact, many supported the use of L2 only so as to provide full exposure to that language. The use of L1 in the language classroom is deemed as depriving the learners input in L2 (Ellis, 1984). Despite the many arguments from both proponents and opponents of the use of L1 in the L2 language classroom, linguistic researchers failed to provide a conclusion for this issue and could not reach a common ground on whether the use of L1 is considered as a facilitator or a barrier in the acquisition of second language. According to Nation (2003), L2 should be fully utilized as much as possible in a foreign language classroom (in this context, English). Though L2 should be the core language used in classroom management and learning, the use of L1 should not be abandoned as it has a minute but significant role in language learning (Nation, 2003). Apart from Nation (2003), there are many linguists and researchers in the field of second language acquisition who agreed that L1 should be utilized in the language classroom in particular with students who are not highly proficient in the target language (Swain Lapkin, 2000; Tang, 2002; Mattioli 2004). This suggests that L1 plays an important role in the language classroom especially for the low proficiency learners. However, not many empirical studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of using L1 as a tool for low proficiency learners in L2 classroom (Bouangeune, 2009). Therefore, this paper seeks to find evidence to support the theory that L1 can facilitate the learning of L2 in the classroom learning. Classroom learning for languages encompasses four language skills, for example, reading comprehension, writing, and vocabulary learning. As a head start, this paper will examine the use of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning. 1.2 Research Objectives Liu (2008) did a rather straightforward and comprehensive research on the effects of L1 use on L2 vocabulary learning. In his study, he managed to prove that bilingual vocabulary teaching method is actually suitable for Chinese EFL learners (Liu, 2008). Inspired by his research, this study aims to address the problem of low proficiency learners in Malaysian secondary government school. This study will replicate the research done by Liu (2008) to investigate the role of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning. Also, this study intended to identify whether L1 is a facilitator or a barrier to the L2 vocabulary learning in Malaysian context and how L1 facilitates the language learning. The main objective of this study is to examine the effects of L1 use in L2 vocabulary learning on low proficiency L2 learners. 1.3 Research Questions Based on the objective, this study seeks to measure how L1 facilitates the low proficiency L2 learners to understand the meanings of new words. This study aims to answer the following questions: What are the effects of using L1 in L2 vocabulary learning classroom? To what extend does the use of L1 increase the performances of L2 vocabulary learning. From here, we propose the following hypotheses: There are significant differences between the performances of students with different language approach in the vocabulary learning. The bilingual approach (incorporating L1 in L2 classroom learning) is suitable to low proficiency L2 learners. 1.4 Purpose of the Study This study sets to focus on L2 vocabulary learning due to the reason that acquisition of vocabulary has a fundamental role in learning a second language (SÃ ¶kmen, 1997). In other words, vocabulary learning is inter-related to other language skills. A number of studies claimed that L2 learners need to have extensive knowledge of vocabulary as it is useful in the long term run (Nation, 2001). Since the acquisition of vocabulary is so important in learning a second language, effective ways of teaching and learning vocabulary should be emphasized. Research has confirmed that proper application of L1 can effectively assist the memorization of new words during L2 vocabulary learning process. Liu (2008) used the fact that L1 is present in L2 learners mind, therefore, whether the teacher uses L1 or not, the L2 knowledge that is being formed in their mind is linked in all sorts of ways with their L1 knowledge. This observation is supported from the sociocultural theory perspective that L1 meanings continue to have a persistent effect in the L2 learning (Lantolf Thorne, 2006). Therefore, it is hope that through this study, we are able to draw some insights concerning the role of L1 and how L1 provides a familiar and effective way for acquiring and understanding the meaning of new words in L2 vocabulary learning. 1.5 The Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework for this study is based on three prominent second language acquisition theory, namely the Krashens Monitor Model (1985), Swains Output Hypothesis (1985) and Comprehensible Output (1995) and Longs Interaction Hypothesis (1981, 1996). It has been widely acknowledged that the three constructs of these theories, the input, interaction and output are closely related elements in L2 learning (Zhang, 2009). The input is vital for language acquisition. However, input alone is not sufficient. In addition, interaction comes into play as an equally important role in the process of learning. As for output, it is the final result or the goal in learning L2. According to Krashen , the input and output of L2 learning and production is reflected by the model in Figure 1 below: Figure 1: Krashens combined model of acquisition and production Learners need to receive comprehensible input the L2 acquisition. Before the input is being processed into the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), it may or may not be filtered as the Affective Filter Hypothesis explains. With comprehensible input and low affective filter, learners will be able to acquire the L2 knowledge and produce output. However, the notion of output is not strongly stressed in this model, therefore a model of second language acquisition is also adopted. The model is reflected in Figure 2 below: Figure 2: A model of second language acquisition and use (based on VanPatten, 1995) Based on the above Krashens combined model of acquisition and production (Figure 1) and a model of Van Pattens second language acquisition (Figure 2), the framework below (Figure 3) is conceptualized to represent the relationship between Krashens comprehensible Input and Affective Filter Hypothesis, Longs Interaction Hypothesis and Swains Output Hypothesis in second language acquisition process in the context of using L1 in L2 teaching of vocabulary. Figure 3: Conceptualized framework based on combination of input, interaction and output 1.6 Significance of study Since there has been few studies done by the language teachers and professionals in identifying whether the use of L1 in the learning of L2 vocabulary on low proficiency students, this study will serve as a groundwork to determine the effectiveness and to gain insight of whether there is any differences, of how well the low proficiency students response and improve by using L1 in vocabulary learning. This paper hopes that the result from this study would add to the betterment of interest and motivation among the students and improve their proficiency in second language vocabulary learning. 1.7 Limitation of the Study This study examines only the low proficiency students who are studying in form 5, who are selected because they have been receiving below C grade for their English result. Due to insufficient representations of students of other level, generalization is applicable only to the form five students of the particular school. There is also the matter of class control. Since the students were from low achievement class, they are also the possibilities that they had discussed the answers among themselves. The research also suffers from time constraints. The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine the usage of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning on low proficiency students. Further studies may carry out in different samples for identification of different strategies and method use. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 History of language learning on L1 use in L2 teaching Throughout the history of second language acquisition both in the context of learning and especially teaching, the role of L1 has long been the most long-standing controversies in the history of language pedagogy and this, according to Stern (as cited in Anh,2010) . This was further supported by Hitotuzi (2006) who stated that first and foremost, to further understand the important and significance of the relationship of L1 and L2 in second language acquisition, one should start as early as one could in the periodic the role of the learners first language in the process of foreign/ second language learning and acquisition. The issues of whether or not to use the L1 in the L2 teaching have left a debate among teachers with some feeling that under certain limitations, the L1 could be used as a tool while the other teachers feel that L1 should not be involved in the teaching of L2 (Stapa Majid,2009). According to Anh (2010), the attention given to this matter has been increasing and ha s garner a lot of interest in research and studies carried out to further develop the methods and issues concerning to the qualities of using L1 as a resource in the language classroom and also among the language teaching profession. The history of L1 usage in L2 teaching can traced thought history and it could be considered to have started as early as in the nineteenth century in the western countries, where the Grammar Translation Method dominated the L2 classroom (Anh, 2010). Howatt (as cited in Hitotuzi, 2006) also stated that the Grammar Translation Method enjoyed a widespread acceptance excessively in the late nineteenth-century until the World War II, this is according to Bowen, Aden and Hilferty (as cited in Hitotuzi, 2006). Here, it can be seen that the usage and issues of L1 usage in L2 language acquisition has long started and practiced throughout history. According to Larsen-Freeman (as cited in Anh, 2010), the Grammar Translation Method derived from the teaching of the classical languages, Latin and Greek, where, through this method, L2 was used in grammar illustration, bilingual vocabulary lists and translation exercises and was a fundamental goal in helping learners be able to read literature (Anh, 2010). Since then, as stated by Hitotuzi (2006), many other significance occurrence can be seen in the development of L1 in L2 acquisition such as of Howatts Direct Method which focused on the extremisms in the usage of the mother tongue a movement that occur in the twentieth century and was according to him, was shortly preceded by Lambert Sauveurs Natural Method and followed by the Armys Method, or the Audiolingual Method (ALM). The matter of L1 usage in L2 teachng has a deep root in Second language and Hitotuzi (2006) further mentioned that During these centuries of controversy over the role of L1 in the L2 learning context, many untested teaching, practice and sinvolving (or excluding!) Learner L1 has been adopted; they rely essentially on popular beliefs. Anh (2010) also stated with the aim of developing post-communicative methods which regard L1 as a classroom resource, several studies connected to the role of L1 in the teaching of L2 have been conducted. 2.2 Krashens Monitor Model In the theories of second language acquisition, the Input Hypothesis by Stephen Krashen (1985) is said to be one of the major theories frequently referred to (Zheng, 2008). This hypothesis aims to explain how learners acquire a second language. It claims that language input (vocabulary) is important to acquisition. For the acquisition of L2 vocabulary, comprehensible input is an essential factor. According to the hypothesis, second language acquisition happens when the learners understand input that contains grammatical forms at i+1 (Zhang, 2009). In simpler terms, if learners are able to understand the explanations and instructions given by teachers, then their current competence i will be promoted to i+1. Learners tend to achieve optimal acquisition when they are able to understand most of the input while being challenged by some new vocabulary (Castro, 2010). It would be a waste of effort for a teacher to keep on speaking in L2 if the students are low proficiency L2 speakers. The teacher might be carrying many classroom activities but without the help of L1, the students cannot understand the instructions and participate in the activities. Therefore, it is crucial for teachers to provide sufficient comprehensible input to their students in the language classroom. When Krashen came out with the Input Hypothesis, he further described acquisition with another closely related hypothesis, the Affective Filter Hypothesis. The Affective Filter Hypothesis explains that learners need to receive the comprehensible input into their brains. However, learners tend to filter or block out the target language if they become tense, confused, angry or bored (Lightbown Spada, 1999). In order to prevent learners from having high affective filter towards target language, they need to be fed with acceptable taste of food. Previous studies have reported that teachers tend to fine students for using their L1 in English language classroom (Weinberg, 1990). If the students speak their L1 (Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian or Farsi) in the English language classroom, they will be fined 25 cents. This reminds me of my primary schooling days where we were made compulsory to communicate in English during the English Week and if we fail to do so, we will b e fined 10 cents for each word spoken in our mother tongue. As a result, many students dared not speak much or speak out loud during that week because they could not converse in English language fluently. This situation clearly explains that when learners become frustrated, upset, angry and resentful at the environment of the language classroom, their learning stops. Therefore, it is critical for teachers to consider the barriers faced by the L2 learners especially lower proficiency learners and provide comprehensible input to lower their affective filters. 2.3 Longs Interaction Hypothesis The other important element in L2 learning is interaction. Long (1981, 1996) influenced by Krashens theory on input developed the Interaction Hypothesis. In addition, Long (1981, 1996) focused on the link between the language learners and their language development. Since early 1980s, researchers have been concentrating on studying the role of interaction and considered it as important for second language acquisition (Xu, 2010). The central focus of the Interaction Hypothesis is on the negotiation for meaning (Castro, 2010). Comprehensible input must be accompanied by interactions to yield a more desirable output. The occurrences of interaction produce significances, feedbacks and input modifications that help to increase comprehension of content. Long (1996) noted that interaction facilitated comprehension and acquisition. In other words, interactive input is more important than non-interactive input (Ellis, 1994). Interactions in the language classroom are very important for both teachers and students. L2 learners should be given chances to interact with the teachers for clearer understanding. There should be possibilities for L2 learners to clarify requests, check comprehension and request for repetition in the classroom learning. Long (1981, 1996) noticed the differences in communication exchange between the native speakers and non-native speakers. For native speakers, they tend to continue communication despite the non-native speakers language limitations. Therefore, the non-native speakers need frequent negotiations for better understanding (Zhang, 1010). As such, the language used in delivering contents needs to be comprehensible to the learners so that their attention can be drawn in the classroom learning. Besides, L1 should be used as a tool to sustain the interactions between L2 low proficiency learners and their teachers so that both parties can enter into negotiation for meaning. 2.4 Swains Output Hypothesis In response to the Input Hypothesis by Krashen (1985), Swain (1985) argued that comprehensible input may not be sufficient for successful second language acquisition (Zhang, 2009). Furthermore, in order to produce comprehensible output, comprehensible input alone is not sufficient to L2 learning process. Research has been conducted using the Output Hypothesis and the results show that there is a link between language use and language learning (Zhang, 2009). From here, we know that in order to yield desirable output, we have to consider the factors that contribute to a more effective learning process. 2.5 Low proficiency L2 learners and vocabulary learning According to Anh (2010), due to the controversial of the impact of L1 usage in L2 teaching, many studies and research have been done on it. Although most of the research have been on the subject none really focused on how L1 usage in L2 teaching in the context of Low proficiency L2 learners. As stated by Latsanyphone and Bouangeune (2009), few experimental research and studies has been done on L1 to observe to find out whether it is an effective tool for teaching low proficiency learners. They further stated that The many agreement by professionals from the field of second language acquisitions such as Nation, 2001; Swain Lapkin, 2000; Atkinson, 1987; Tang, 2002; Auerbach, 1993; Mattioli, 2004 that stated and agree L1 usage would be an advantage with low proficiency students in a target language suggested that L1 plays an significant function in language teaching, particularly for the low proficiency learners. According to Latsanyphone and Bouangeune (2009), result from a study cond ucted by Ramachandran and Rahim (2004), who studied the effectiveness of using L1 in translation method, suggested that using L1 in the course of translation method was more effective than not using L1 in developing ESL learners vocabulary knowledge ability, and could also advance elementary ESL learners skill to recall the meaning of the word that they have learnt. They further stated that Based on the above, it seems necessary to look at the approaches for vocabulary teaching. Such implication could only mean that L1 in the teaching of L2 in the context of low proficiency students could prove to an advantage and should be further investigate the effectiveness of using L1 in teaching vocabulary to low proficiency learners despite the controversy of L2 teaching should only used L2 language as the medium of teaching. 3.0 Methodology 3.1 Introduction This section presents the study design and sets of procedures that were employed for the data collection of this research. The sample for this research was taken from a secondary school in Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru. Only the Form five students from the low proficient class are involved in the study. 3.2 Subjects The subjects for the study were selected of form five students in a secondary school in Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru. They were selected from the classes that have the lowest result of English (c and below). 3.3 Instruments Two tests (pre-test and post-test) were used to obtain and collect data in this study. The students literacy was measured using language tests. Two vocabulary tests were conducted in the classroom within 1 week. The students were instructed to tick or cross depending on whether they know the meaning of the word. If yes, then they need to provide the meaning using their own words and the answer in L1. Their test results were collected and analyzed. 3.2 Procedures This approach is based on a questionnaire survey conducted on the target group. The main instrument used for this study is an open-ended vocabulary questionnaire that consists of ten chosen English vocabulary from SPM level essay. Where the students are instructed to tick or cross depending on whether they know the meaning of the word. If yes, then they need to provide the meaning using their own words and the answer in L1. A pre-test was conducted on the students. After the pre-test, the students were divided into two groups, experimental and control. The control group received explanation and discussion of the vocabulary and its meaning in English while the experimental group explanation and discussion were conducted in L1 (Bahasa Melayu). A post-test was done a week later. Both the experimental and control group were given the same format of questionnaire with the same questions/words as previous test. The purpose of the second test was to see how many words were acquired one week before could be remembered, and to see whether there was any difference in the vocabulary acquisition of the new words between the two groups. 3.3 Data analysis A quantitative method was used in processing the data. The data collected in the study was inspected. Tests were objectively marked by the researchers. For each correct answer/ meaning, they were given 1 mark. Data scores were carefully typed into the SPSS data table in order to gain the desired data and analyzed using independent sample T-test analysis. 4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Pre-test The objective of the analysis of the questionnaire is to answer the two questions of What are the effects of using L1 in L2 vocabulary learning classroom? and To what extend does the use of L1 increase the performances of L2 vocabulary learning. The results were interpreted independent sample T-test analysis shown in the graph below. The distribution of pre-test score by Class 1 (Experimental Group) is skewed to the right. It has a range from 0 to 2. IQR is 1. The mean and median are similar at 1.1 and 1 respectively. According to this graph, two of the students received 0 marks, 5 of them with 1 mark, and three of them with 3 marks. This could probably due to lack of knowledge of the given words and their meaning. However, from the answered questionnaire received, it could be seen that they do showed sign of positiveness and effort when they do try to answer each words in direct translation using L1 for example homeless, answered as kurang rumah. The distribution of pre-test score by Class 2 (Control Group) is skewed to the right too. It has a range from 0 to 8. IQR is 1. The mean and median are similar at 2 and 1 respectively. Accordingly, I students with 0 mark, 5 students achieved 3 mark, 2 student with 2 mark, I student with 3 marks and only 1 students received 6 marks. This group also showed poor comprehension of the given word although fared slightly better than the experimental group. From the above result, we can see that the post-test mean of Experimental Group (Class 1) is 14.2 and the post-test mean of Control Group (Class 2) is 11.8. Compare with the pre-test mean of Experimental Group (Class 1) is 1.1 and the pre-test mean of Control Group (Class 2) is 2, Experimental Group (Class 1) improve mean of 13.1 and Control Group (Class 2) improve mean of 9.8. The Improvement of Experimental Group (Class 1) is higher than Control Group (Class 2). 4.2 Post-test The distribution of post-test score by Class 1 (Experimental Group) is skewed to the left. It has a range from 11 to 15. IQR is 1. The mean and median are similar at 14.3 and 15 respectively. For this post-test, there seems to be an improvement according to the data results. Eight of students in the experimental group achieved 15 words correct, compared to the previous test where the highest is 3 words correct. The usage of L1 had further enhanced their understanding of the word and therefore resulting them to perform better in the post-test. The distribution of post-test score by Class 2 (Control Group) is skewed to the left too. It has a range from 7 to 13. IQR is 1. The mean and median are similar at 11.8 and 12 respectively. We could see from the result that there is improvement from the pre-test. Eight of the students had managed to get 12 and 13 correct. From the result above, we could see that the usage of L1 in the learning of vocabulary on low proficiency students do have a differences. 4.2 Problems with this study There were also problems and limitation that needed to be addressed in regards to this study. First and foremost, are the time constraints. As we progress with the research, we found that the duration of one week interval is not sufficient to test their understanding and memory. Another matter that concerns us is the insufficient representations of subjects; therefore, generalization could not be made for all form five low proficiency students. From the questionnaires that received back, we could not guaranty on the class control since we, the researcher are not there our self. Therefore, we could not be positive that the test was done under control situation, meaning, the teacher had made sure that the students had answered all the questions on their own. 5.0 CONCLUSION From the independent samples test, p-value was not above 5%, we have found a statistically significant difference between the true population mean post-test result by Experimental Group (Class 1) and Control Group (Class 2) at the significance level. This means that the Experimental Group (Class 1) has the sufficient evidence to suggest that they should teach the students base on their mother tongue language. However, from the result, by using L2 in vocabulary learning, could also achieve improvement. Therefore, it is hard to conclude which of the method is most effective if we were to compare them. However, the result remains that L1 usage do enhance the vocabulary acquisition. Taken together, the effects of using of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning classroom is encouraging and constructive. L1 should be used as a facilitator in the L2 vocabulary learning especially with students of lower proficiency.

Personal Narrative - Suicide and the Death of My Father :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

The Death of My Father My father and I went hiking together just about every year since I was born. Some years it would be just the two of us, and some years my brother David would come too. When we first begin doing this, we used to stay in our own tent that we would carry upon our backs, but as my father got older, we gradually shifted from tents to staying in lean-tos, then log shelters, and finally to the comfort of the huts that the Appalachian Mountain Club runs on some of the ranges in the White Mountains. With these huts, you get to the top of a peak and find blankets and a hot meal waiting for you. My father and I left three days ago for our annual hike. On our second day, two days ago, we had had a long, but good, day. We had made it most of the way up Mount Lafayette on the edge of the beautiful Pemigwaset wilderness, and we pulled into the Appalachian Mountain Club hut there for a meal. We were enjoying our dinner together, and he was looked comfortable and content. Just before dessert was to be served, my father suddenly slumped forward in his seat and died. Halfway through our hike on the day that he died, I thought my father might have looked a little tired, and I suggested that perhaps we should turn around and take an easier route to a different hut, but he didn't want to. He said that he was doing fine and that besides, we had already made reservations at this particular hut. I said to him: "If something happens to you, do you want people to say `He kept on going because he didn't want to lose his hut reservation?" And he replied, "I think that if something happened, they'd say: `he did it because that's who he was.'" I can say that he died peacefully in a beautiful place and I can say that he probably died proud, not just proud of the determined recovery he had made from a car accident this past winter, but proud of living his life as he always had - making his own choices and choosing his own path. But these things will never be any real consolation to us for the 20 years more that my father should have been with us, sharing his unique mix of stubbornness, humor, wisdom, cynicism, and especially love - a love of life, a love of his family and a love of his community.

Cleopatra Essay example -- essays research papers

History is full of reputable individuals. The stories of their lives will forever live in our history books. Whether being remembered for their strength, courage, or honor, or even for their treachery, we remember those who came before us. If one character could stand out in Egyptian history, none other would be so worthy as Cleopatra would. Cleopatra was an intelligent, political, and ambitious woman who changed the history of Egypt. She was only seventeen years old when, by the will of her father, Ptolemy XI, she was forced to inherit and share the throne of Egypt with her twelve year old brother, Ptolemy XII. In accordance to Egyptian law, the two were also married. Disagreement between the two began early in their reign. Julius Caesar, seizing the opportunity to take over Ptolemy's forces during this moment of weakness, soon defeated the young king and befriended Cleopatra. She had wanted the throne to herself, believing that she was "the successor of the pharaohs and like them descended from the sun god Ra. (CAV 166)" Egypt and Cleopatra are terms so closely related they are almost synonymous. However, Cleopatra did not have any Egyptian blood in her; she was purely Greek. Cleopatra would become the last ruler of the Ptolemy dynasty, which was founded by Alexander the Great, a Macedonian general who strived to unite the East and West under one great empire. Cleopatra wish...

Educating Rita By Willy Russell and The Social, Historical And Cultural Context Of Britain In The Late 1970s :: Educating Rita russell Essays

"Educating Rita" By Willy Russell and The Social, Historical And Cultural Context Of Britain In The Late 1970's 'Educating Rita' by 'Willy Russell relates to the social, historical and cultural context of Britain in the late 1970's throughout the play and this extremely strong and believable reference to these three subjects contribute to a good piece of drama. 'Willy Russell' makes these references in everything, from the smallest detail, Rita's hair colour to the extreme stereotyping of each of the two classes. These experiences are based on 'Russell's' own life and the character of 'Rita' is a mirror of him, because of this it is a strong and realistic account of the 1970's. 'Rita' has shared the same experiences as 'Russell' in both school and work, they were both under pier pressure not to do well and school and would be singled out if they studied. Rita: "But studyin' was just for wimps, wasn't it? See, if I'd started takin' school seriously I would have become different from me mates, an' that's not allowed." Because of this attitude to school, or the attitude school gave them, both 'Rita' and 'Russell' ended up in a dead end hairdressing job, but both of them decided they would change there life and both began to break away. I think that because so much reference is realistic due to the above, an audience of 1979 or 1980 when they play was shown would have been able to relate so well to the characters, especially people in there twenties or forties now because they would be able to remember what it was like for them when they went to school or university and they would be filled with past memories and emotions, a sign of good drama, something that can evoke emotions. During the play the characters of 'Rita' and 'Frank are the biggest demonstration of cultural difference. Rita represents the working class culture and stands for what they were, a class who strived to escape their dead end jobs and make a better life for themselves, Frank, on the other hand is the representation of the working class. Although some might say he is a disgrace to his culture he is a perfect example of the middle classes, someone who has it handed to them on a plate and they take it for granted. These differences are first noticed at the beginning of the play, in 'Rita's' opening scenes. She misses the ends off of her sentences that are usually grammatically in correct; she speaks in restricted code. Frank, the middle class man speaks in grammatically correct sentences and also uses, elaborate code.

The Collapse of Ronan Point

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to consider the perceived failures associated with the famous collapse of Ronan Point on 16 May, 1968. Following a gas explosion, an entire corner of the 22 storey tower block in East London collapsed, killing 4 people and injuring 17. In order to analyse the failures that occurred, the paper will firstly look at the history of the building, its design and construction, before looking at the collapse itself and the perceived failures that were identified after the event. The building was named after the chairman of the housing committee of the relevant London Borough, Newham, and was one of many tower blocks built during the 1960s in a budget-driven and affordable way to deal with the growing demand for affordable housing in the region (Levy and Salvadori 1992). The very ethos of this affordable housing and the use of cheaper materials and cheaper construction approaches is arguably one of the first and fundamental contributory factors to the disaster (Griffiths et al 1968). Design and Construction The actual design and construction of the building was mooted as far back as the end of World War II, when much of the housing available in the London region was destroyed as a result of the war and there was a rapid demand for a large amount of housing. Other factors such as a lack of skilled labourers, as well as the changing housing policy which enabled multi-stories to be established, created a demand for the design and construction of buildings such as the one in question here. A prefabricated construction technique was used which involved the creation of much of the high-rise building which was then transported to the area for final construction (Cagley, 2003). The actual construction approach that was used here was that of the Larsen-Nielsen system which was composed of factory-built, precast concrete components designed to minimise on-site construction work. Walls, floors and stairways are all precast. â€Å"All units, installed one-story high are load bearing† (ENR, 1968 at p.54). Although this system was tried and tested, the approach was not designed to be used in a building of more than 6 storeys high. However, the building of this tower block was 22 storeys high and there was no recognition, at the construction phase, that this could potentially jeopardise the validity of the construction technique. The basic construction approach involved a precast concrete structure frame, with each floor of the multi-storey building being supported by the load-bearing walls directly beneath each other, floor upon floor (Bignell et al 1977). Collapse The collapse itself happened at 5:45 am in the morning when the tenant of one of the apartments on the 18th floor lit a match, unbeknownst that there had been a gas leak overnight. By lighting the match, an explosion took place and this ended up damaging the load-bearing wall which was present on the 18th floor and was acting as the only support for the corner of the 19th floor. When the corner of the 19th floor collapsed, this had the effect of the 20th floor collapsing. Once the floors above had already collapsed the pressure on the floors became unbearable and the domino effect continued downward, destroying the entire corner of the building (Delatte, 2009). The way in which the collapse took place meant that, essentially, it destroyed a portion of the living room all the way down the building, but left the bedrooms intact in most cases, with the exception of floors 17 to 22 the room which were in the immediate vicinity of the explosion. It was on these floors that all of the fata lities happened and due to the fact that the explosion had taken place early in the morning, the majority of the individuals who were in their bedrooms were unaffected (Delatte, 2009). Perceived Failures When looking at the perceived failures and causes of failure, it can be seen that the analysis is largely split into two distinct areas: first, considering the immediate cause of failure; the second looking at the fundamental flaws in the design and construction of the building that allowed such a dramatic reaction to the immediate event (Griffiths et al 1968). The actual investigation into the event which took place involved a government panel which was formed in order to look at the causes of failure and to consider whether or not there were other buildings which potentially could suffer from a similar eventuality, in the future. As stated previously, the construction approach taken for Ronan Point was replicated in many other buildings, with eight other exact replicas in occupation. Therefore, establishing the reason for the collapse is crucially important (Pearson and Delatte, 2003) One of the key factors that took contributed in the immediate event itself was found to be a substandard connection used in order to connect the gas stove in the relevant apartment. Whilst this meant that the gas leak had presented itself in a way that would not have been likely, had they used a different connection, as well as having the incorrect connection, it was found that over tightening had occurred during installation. This probably weakened the connection and allowed gas to leak out. Despite this, the evidence gathered suggested that the explosion itself was not substantial, as there was no permanent damage to the hearing of the individual in the apartment. This suggests that relatively little pressure was involved, although there was sufficient pressure to move the external walls of the building and to create a progressive collapse within the building (Levy and Salvadori, 1992). Broadly speaking, the progressive collapse is thought to have occurred due to the fact that there was a lack of alternate load paths available and there was no support for the structural frame available on the higher floors (Wearne, 2000). This meant that when there was an explosion on level 18, this took out the only support so that the floors above level 18 failed and this placed excessive pressure on the lower floors, until it ultimately collapse to ground level. Perceived failures, can be split into two distinct categories, the first being the cause of the explosion itself; the second looking at the repercussions of the explosion, which were extensive, given the magnitude of the explosion, which was relatively low. Procedure and Project Management Unsurprisingly, as a result of the collapse here, building codes, guidelines and regulations were advised not only in the United Kingdom, but across the globe. The building regulations, changed in 1970, state that any building with more than four storeys needs to have a design structure in place that would resist a progressive collapse of this nature (Pearson and Delatte, 2005, pp. 175). Apart from the construction mechanisms themselves, there were also concerns that failures had occurred in the project management, as well as failures to check procedures. The gaps between the floors and in the walls meant that the building had not been established in a way that was part of the original design and planning. In addition to the actual failure in the design of the property, concerns were also raised in the report in relation to the need for quality control of the construction processes taking place. For example, it was proven that during the construction, certain design factors had been ignored, with unfilled gaps between the floors and walls, throughout the premises, which meant that the building had little in the way of separation between the flats. Furthermore, in high rise buildings of this type, a relatively narrow staircase is acceptable, as there is thought to be enough fire protection between the floors. In the absence of this fire protection, narrow staircases w ould be unacceptable, in the event of a fire or explosion of this nature. Key Failures The analysis above indicates that there are several failures which together created the dramatic collapse at Ronan Point. These are: social pressures on the construction company to establish a large amount of housing accommodation, rapidly and cheaply; the use of constructions not aimed at high storey buildings of this nature; failures to put in place methods whereby there was no secondary support structure in place, in the event of a failure with any of the load-bearing walls; failures with the processes being followed, which resulted in the wrong processes being followed in the connection of the gas pipes, as well as other omissions during the construction process, with the failure to follow the design provided. It can be seen, that the project management would have, at least in part, dealt with many of these failures and would have either prevented the explosion, in the first place, or would have seriously reduced the impact of the explosion, once it did take place. The crucial factor in this analysis is that the explosion itself was relatively minor, yet the repercussions were large and it is this chain of events that requires attention when it comes to better project management, in the future. Recommendations for Better Project Management Certain failures took place at the design phase, when the design construction of the premises was selected, yet was not entirely suitable for a 22 storey building. This was arguably the first and crucial failure which could have been avoided with further research into the limitations of this design. However, the main focus of the recommendations presented here is in relation to the project management process, from the point at which the design was presented for the construction, to the point at which the building was completed (Pearson and Delatte, 2005). At the outset, when the project team came together, there was an opportunity to run scenarios and to check the validity of the chosen construction, given the design that were being presented and the need to establish a 22 storey building. By running these types of scenarios, it is likely that it would become apparent that the chosen construction design was simply inappropriate. Even without this element of the project management being undertaken and risk assessments being carried out, the next stage of the project management should have involved a strong quality control check for every aspect of the work. The fundamental design of the building was proven to be flawed; however, there were also errors during the actual construction phase, for example the use of the wrong connections when it came to the gas pipes installed. Although this, in itself, did not lead to the catastrophic collapse of part of the building, it did create a minor gas explosion which started the chain of events. Quality control processes at every phase of construction and fitting would have potentially prevented the chain of events from emerging, in the first place (Shepherd and Frost, 1995). Next Steps and Conclusions Bearing this in mind, there are several proposed changes and next steps which could be taken to prevent a similar failure happening in the future. Firstly, although the design used was accepted during this era, it was known that it would simply not be appropriate for the type of building which was being planned. This should have been noted, at the outset, with additional safety structures then planed so as to prevent this type of progressive collapse from taking place. Secondly, worst-case scenarios should be run, at the outset, to enable the project managers to ascertain whether any weaknesses existed. Moreover, although the rest of collapse in this case resulted in the building being destroyed, it was also not able to withstand strong winds and this also, ultimately, could have resulted in the building becoming uninhabitable. By running scenarios, such as high winds or explosion, these issues would have been highlighted and changes in the design could have been incorporated, from the outset (Pearson and Delatte 2003). Finally, quality control during the construction process was also not suitable. This should have been done with much greater consistency, to ensure that the smaller processes, such as the fitting of connections, was carried out to an appropriate standard, thus preventing the minor incident that ultimately led to the overall disaster. By following these clear project management approaches and ensuring that an individual was put in place, in order to manage quality and control, as well as any variables in this area, the collapse of the building could have been avoided, or at least the cause of the collapse mitigated against, so as not to cause loss of life and injury. References Bignell, V., Peters, J., and Pym, C. (1977). Catastrophic failures. Open University Press, Milton Keynes, New York. Cagley, J. R. (2003, April). The design professional’s concerns regarding progressive collapse design. Building Sciences, 27, 4-6. Delatte, N. J. (2009). Beyond failure: Forensic case studies for civil engineers. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Reston, Virginia, 97-106. Engineering News Record (ENR). (1968). â€Å"Systems built apartment collapse.† ENR, May 23, 1968, 54. Griffiths, H., Pugsley, A. G., and Saunders, O. (1968). Report of the inquiry into the collapse of flats at Ronan Point, Canning Town. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London. Levy, M., and Salvadori, M. (1992). Why buildings fall down: How structures fail. W.W. Norton, New York, 76-83. Pearson, C., and Delatte, N. (2003). Lessons from the Progressive Collapse of the Ronan Point Apartment Tower. In Forensic Engineering, Proceedings of the Third Congress, edited by Paul A. Bosela, Norbert J. Dellate, and Kevin L. Rens, ASCE, Reston, VA., pp. 190-200. Pearson, C.,and Delatte, N. J. (2005) Ronan Point Apartment Tower Collapse and Its Effect on Building Codes. J. Perf. of Constr. Fac., 19(2), 172-177. Shepherd, R., and Frost, J. D. (1995). Failures in Civil Engineering: Structural, Foundation, and Geoenvironmental Case Studies, ASCE, New York. Wearne, P. (2000). Collapse: When Buildings Fall Down, TV Books, L.L.C., New York, 137-156.

Anatomical Organization Review Sheet

Answer the following questions using pigs. 13-16 and various organ system chapters of your text. A. Which is lateral: the tall or fibula? Fibula b. Which Is more distal: the ankle or knee? Ankle c. Circle or underline the correct statement: 1. The heart is ventral to the spinal cord. The heart is dorsal to the spinal cord. 2. The head is superior to the leg. The head is inferior to the leg. 3. The scapula is dorsal to the heart. The scapula is ventral to the heart. 4. The cranium is superficial to the brain. The cranium is deep to the brain. 2. Answer the following questions sing pigs. 7-18: a. What are the 3 regions of the thoracic cavity? Superior meditations, pleural cavity, pericardia cavity within the meditations b. What organ is housed in the pleural cavity? Lung c. What organs are housed In the meditations? Heart, esophagi, trachea, d. What organ Is found In the pericardia cavity? Heart e. What muscle separates the abdominally cavity from the thoracic cavity? Diaphragm f. What are the two regions (or spectacles) of the abdominally cavity? Abdominal and pelvic g. What organs are found in the abdominal cavity? Stomach, intestines, spleen, liver, and others h.What organs are housed in the pelvic cavity? Urinary bladder, some reproductive organs, and the rectum I. What organ is housed in the cranial cavity? Brain j. What is the viscera? Internal organs k. What is the peritoneum? Serous membrane lining the interior of the abdominal cavity covering the surface of abdominal organs l. What are the mesenteric? Double layer extensions of the peritoneum that support most organs in the abdominal cavity m. During surgery, the surgeon would encounter which layer first? 1. The visceral peritoneum or the parietal peritoneum (circle correct answer) 2. He stomach wall or he parietal peritoneum (circle correct answer) 3. The visceral pleura or the parietal pleura (circle correct answer)? 3. Answer the following using pig. 19. A. What organ(s) are housed in the orbital cavi ties? Eyes b. Synopsis cavities are found where? Within fibrous capsules that surround freely movable Joints of the body c. Now for a much harder question: Are the kidneys housed in a body cavity? If not, where are they specifically found? Yes, abdominal 4. Write the term each phrase describes. A. Extends from the stomach and drapes over the intestines. Greater momentum b.Attaches the heart to the body cavity. Arose c. Covers the surface of the lungs. Serous membrane d. Covers the surface of the abdominal organs. Serous membrane e. The lubricating liquid In serous cavities. Serous fluid f. Extends between the superior part of the stomach and the liver lesser momentum. G. Attaches the small intestines to the posterior body wall intestinal mucosa . H. Spleen, adrenal glands, abdominal aorta, inferior even cave, stomach. 5. List the nine abdominally regions and the location of each. Umbilical region – conferment region deep to and surrounding the naval.Epigenetic region – superior to the umbilical region Hypocrites region – inferior to the umbilical region Right and left iliac – lateral to the hypothermia region Right and left lumbar – lateral to the umbilical region Right and left hypochondriac regions – lateral to the epigenetic region 6. Name the quadrant(s) that the following organs predominately occupy: IRIS, LICK, RL, LLC. A. Liver rug b. Stomach lug c. Spleen rug e. Appendix RL d. Gall bladder rug f. Left kidney lug g. Uterus RL h. Pancreas RL 7. Write the anatomical terms that the phrase or word describes using pig. 14 and the chart on the website.Phrases or words referring to nouns are indicated. All other harass refer to adjectives. A. Navel (noun). Umbilical b. Pertaining to the area between the neck and abdomen. Thoracic c. Pertaining to the palm of hand. Palmary d. Pertaining to the high point of the shoulder. Cranial e. Pertaining to the anterior surface of the elbow region. Electoral f. Pertaining to the ne ck. Cervical g. Pertaining to the posterior surface of the knee. Politely h. Wrist (noun). Carpal I. Pertaining to the area between the elbow and wrist. Interracial J. Back (noun). Dorsal k. Armpit area (noun). Auxiliary l. Pertaining to the mouth. Oral m.Pertaining to the anterior surface of the knee. Tattler n. Breast bone (noun). Mammary o. Pertaining to the hip. Coal p. Pertaining to the side of the leg. Femoral q. Pertaining to the calf. Surreal r. Pertaining to the fingers or toes. Phalanges s. Pertaining to the cheek. Mental t. Pertaining to the heel. Cleaned u. Pertaining to the sole of the foot. Plantar v. Pertaining to the head. Chalice w. Pertaining to the foot. Metatarsal x. Pertaining to the eye. Orbital y. Pertaining to the genital area. Pubic z. Pertaining to the area between the hip and knee. Femoral b. Pertaining to the spinal column. Vertebral c.Pertaining to the inferior back of the head. Capital ad. Pertaining to the anterior surface of the leg. Fibular e. Pertai ning to the area of the lower back or loin. Sacral if. Pertaining to the area of the back that contains the shoulder blades. Scapular g. Pertaining to the posterior surface of the elbow region. Electoral h. Arm (noun). Brachia 8. Write the name of the plane that the phrase describes. A. Divides body or organ into unequal right and left sections. Modalities b. Divides body or organ into anterior and posterior sections. Frontal c. Divides body or organ into superior and inferior sections. Transverse d.Divides body into right and left elves. Stagiest e. Which planes when passed through the body would result in two sections, with each section containing a piece of the heart and a piece of each lung? Oblique 9. Match each directional term on the left with the correct description on the right. _g_3. _J_6. Anterior lateral proximal inferior posterior medial distal superficial superior e_10. Deep a. To the side b. Away from a point of attachment c. Close to the body surface d. Front e. Away from the body surface f. Above, on top of toward a point of attachment g. H. Below, a lower level I. Back J. Toward the middle 10.