CELTA Assignment: Southern Cross Teacher Training

Southern Cross Teacher Training Cambridge University CELTA Skills Assignment |Name |Submission date |Word count | | | | | |Signature to confirm the assignment is your own work | | | These are the criteria by which this assignment is assessed.Before submitting the assignment, double check to make sure you have specifically addressed each area of assessment sufficiently. |Criteria |Trainer Comments | |Correctly use terminology that relates to language | | |skills and sub-skills, e. g. make sure a task you | | |design and name as skim reading is indeed a skim | | |reading task. | | |Relate task design to language skills development, | | |e. . make sure you provide a rationale for each task| | |(e. g. why is the initial task a reading for gist? ). | | |Find, select, and reference information learnt about| | |skills development from one or more sources. | |Use written language that is clear, accurate and | | |appropriate to the task. | | | | | | | | | |Pass 1st submission | Resubm ission required | | | |Fail | | | | | | | | | | | | Skills Related TasksSection 1: Justification of text The text that I have chosen, a critical review of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’, has the potential to be hugely engaging and I could create a very interesting and enjoyable lesson based from it. The film itself is very dramatic and universal to all audiences, and the text depicts this clearly. This allows learners to read the language on offer and use the video trailer in the lead-in as contextual background.Using a film review format, a format that the learners will be familiar with, means that there will be greater focus on the reading skills of the learners, as they maybe put off by an unknown format, such as a legal document or medical journal. In addition the format of a film review is one that all learners would have seen before in a ‘real-world’ context and therefore understand the purpose and delivery of this text. As the film is recent and the whole series of films and books are a worldwide phenomenon, learners may appreciate the relevance and understanding of the basic plot and characters in the film.This maybe an advantage than teaching a previously unknown book or film as extra class time may be required to explain the synopsis and context to the learners. As a film review, the text is specifically designed to inform and entertain the general public about the film in question. This means learners will hopefully enjoy reading the text and will be interested to find out the opinion of a professional film critic, and perhaps compare that to their own opinions of the film.I will get the learners to use their own opinions of films by asking them to write a film review of their own. The learners can use the given text as a film review model so that they know what sort of lexis, register and structure to use for their productive task. This task will allow for free practice, however with a modeled example and a lso practice on forming critical opinions. Section 2 – A means of developing receptive skills and sub skills I will be trying to develop the learners’ reading skills.I will vary the activities so sometimes they maybe reading for certain facts, or reading in depth for a full and detailed understanding of the text. The first task I will give the learners will be a simple and straightforward ‘gist-task’ where learners have to confirm their predictions they made in the lead in task. Learners will be reading for specific information so may not read the full text in detail. This type of ‘gist-reading’ or reading for basic understanding will hopefully get the learners engaged in the text and get them understanding the context of the text.Reading for pre-defined material is another subskill that I could use this text to develop, as Harmer states in Practical English Language Teaching[1] how vital â€Å"extensive reading for the development of our stu dent’s word recognition† is. He thinks that â€Å"students need to be involved in both intensive and extensive reading† and hence the reason why the gist task I have chosen focuses on extensive reading and the detailed task does so on intensive reading.I would ask learners to read again and set some basic comprehension questions, perhaps in a true/false format or multiple-choice format. They will then have the opportunity to confirm this by pair comparison and open class feedback, accompanied by delayed error feedback. Using both types of reading techniques helps to improve both types of reading skills, which is something that learners will need for practically using English outside of the classroom. For a lead-in to this text I would initially show the class the trailer of the film.This will give a good engaging context to the lesson and all learners, irrespective of those who have seen the film, are on a the same level of pre-existing contextual knowledge. This means a greater focus on reading skills and language can occur, rather learners being confused about the plot and characters. I could perhaps use the trailer to elicit predictions form the learners about what happens in the film. I would then go on to elicit predictions about the success of the film and whether it was it would get a positive or negative review.Learners will then be thinking about their own opinions of the film and would find an authentic film review very useful to compare their own ideas. This would then lead straight into me handing out the text and asking learners to complete the gist task. This lead-in should aim to get learners thinking about Harry Potter and then subsequently on the topic of film reviews and critical opinions. As this document is a published in an international newspaper there are a few words that will need clarification for intermediate learners.I plan on highlighting five previously unseen words that are crucial for understanding of the text and not possible for their meaning to be deducted from the context. Only after the gist task will I go to elicit the meanings from these words, perhaps using antonyms, connotations or example sentences, as most of the complex lexis in the text are adjectives. Using these type of methods to clarify meaning I will hopefully be able to increase the knowledge of the learners while giving the learners a higher level of detail in their comprehension.For example I would have to clarify the meaning of ‘grim’. In order to do this I explain it was the antonym of happy/cheery, it is usually meant to describe desperate/bleak situations, and show an example sentence such as â€Å"it was a grim situation when the engine stopped†. If the learners were having further problems with the lexis other than the five specific words, I would write some synonyms on the board. This will allow learners to be able to understand the entirety of the text as well as expand their vocabulary.Th e varied comprehension activities that focus on developing different types of reading skills are attached. The first task (Question 1) is the initial gist question, where the learners have to guess the probable title and subtitle of the text. This means the learners will have to read the content of the text quickly to find out what the theme and approximate content of the text. In addition I asked the learners to write the title in the same style as the text is written, therefore meaning the learners have to scan read quickly for what sort of the language the author is using.This is backed up by the familiarity of the type of text and the content, which gives learners a deeper contextual background. Even if the learners are unsuccessful in guessing the title and its form the pair work comparisons and controlled open class feedback will allow learners to be exposed to other learners ideas and language. Then I would move onto the detailed comprehension task. Once the learners have rea d the text once for the gist task they will have to go back and read it after reading the detailed questions (Question 2).The detailed comprehension questions results in learners having to read the text in depth. However the information in the questions are predefined information that directs the learner to the specific part of the text to read in detail. The learners should be able to complete this task individually but if there are any learners struggling I can pair them up with a stronger partner for the learner-to-learner feedback. After that is complete I will get the learners to mark their own answers by using the key.This is often one of the best way for learners to see their own errors and more importantly why the made the error that they did. After this I would bring the class together again in open class feedback and go through any of the harder questions and explain why the learners made the errors they did. Section 3 – Developing productive skills and sub-skills I am aiming to develop the writing skills, in particular the draft writing skills of the learners. The text I have chosen is a model of a film review, so I am going to ask the learners to write their own film review about a film they have seen recently.Therefore the learners know what type of language, register and lexis is needed to write a film review. The learners will need a good level of writing skills because, as Jim Scrivener in Learning Teaching[2] backs up, â€Å"many learners have a specific need to work on writing skills† and â€Å"writing involves a different kind of mental process, there is more time to think, to reflect, to prepare, to rehearse, to make mistakes and find alternative and better solutions†. After finishing the reading task I would get the learners to write down five different opinions they had about their chosen film.This preparation time would allow learners to formulate ideas and more importantly how to convey them, while also allowing the m to collect their ideas together without being under pressure. From the step I would then set a time pressured situation where the learners have to come up with a draft version of their review. The benefit of this they will not focus on grammar and language but on the actual content. In addition the time pressure means the actual draft writing skills of the learners will improve, as under no time pressure the learners could write an accurate film review but not increase their skills.The next stage would be to give the learners an opportunity to self correct their work. In this step they would focus on grammar and language mistakes. If they can recognize their own errors without prompting then this is an improvement in their writing skills, as they would have to know the correct language to identify a mistake. This also makes them aware of the errors they are making themselves so in future they can get it right first time.Depending on the practicality of the classroom layout, I woul d either put the film reviews on the wall and have the learners read each other’s in a gallery type format or have another learner read their review. This means other learners have the opportunity to correct other learner’s work and the errors that were not spotted in the first self-correction will be made obvious to the learners. I would finally finish the class with some open class feedback and delayed error correction. Again this adds to the learners writing skills development, as it is obvious where the learners can improve

Home Theater Systems

The development of in-home theater surround sound speakers has evolved drastically in the past decade, turning people's generic living areas into replicas of movie theaters. Home theater systems were initially four-channel audio systems created originally by Dolby Digital Surround systems.With the increase in technological advancements throughout the past decade, Dolby Digital has released ts highest speaker system of seven-channels. At first, during the early 50's and 60's the movie industry found that the more channels of sound that was added, the higher enjoyment and response was given back by the audience. Therefore, as a result speakers were added behind the audience for the surrounding sounds and the left and right speakers were then used for the music. The invention of the home theater system generally relates to the reproduction of stereophonic sound.More particularly to the reproduction of the stereophonic sound associated with a video image of some sort. Images and sounds a re reproduced so hat dialog is localized to the video image and ambience or surrounding sound effects are reproduced in a manner that immerses the listener or consumer in realistic or three-dimensional sound field. In previous attempts to reproduce these sounds, numerous monophonic and stereophonic sound systems have been developed in an attempt to achieve reliable sound reproduction. 1] Monophonic audio refers to the reproduction of sound through only one channel. When using monophonic audio you cannot tell which direction the sound was produced.

Analyzing Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Analyzing Aristotle Essay The soul and the body are different forms. While the body is visible and mortal, the soul is invisible and immortal. He suggests that although the body dies and decays, the soul continues to exist. I do believe there is life after death, everyone must eventually die, and it cannot be avoided. However, even though death is a fact of life, it is a topic that many people prefer not to talk about. This avoidance of discussion is usually due to the denial of one’s own death and the denial is usually due to fear. The fear is, for many people, a fear of the unknown. In my opinion i believe that when humans die, the body and the brain dies, but the mind still exists and it creates our afterlife according to our own beliefs and expectations. If a person believes there in nothing after death then there will not be a dream, it will be as if the person is asleep forever without dreaming. 2) Yes, I agree that the universe is purposeful. The purpose of the creation, every though you have is creating your tomorrow. The universe has mysterious ways of revolving what we do day by day. For example Karma: The sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in life. – Aristotle said: â€Å"Yet there is God, though not perhaps the simple and human god conceived by the forgivable anthropomorphism of the adolescent mind. † Aristotle represents God as self-conscious spirit. A rather mysterious spirit; for Aristotle God’s never does anything; he has no desires, no will, no purpose; he is activity so pure that he never acts. He is absolutely perfect; therefore cannot desire anything; therefore He does nothing. His only occupation is to contemplate the essence of things; and since He himself is the essence of all things, the form of all forms, his sole employment is the contemplation of himself. Analyzing Aristotle. (2018, Nov 04).

Types of the Project Management Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Types of the Project Management Policy - Essay Example This paper illustrates that project management is one of the crucial strategic attributes for the organizations. It encompasses the systematic process of accomplishing any project. Mainly, the project managers are implementing information, expertise and sustainable techniques in the project phases. Execution of various projects is more effective and efficient with the help of prior project management policies. Competency of the organization increases gradually with the help of goal orientated project process. In the current study, the researcher has made an in-depth analysis of various project management policies. A major role of the project manager is to monitor and control different project related process. They collect information from the employees and other project members. Then they measure the performance of the employees and disseminate various information regarding the gaps in performance, with respect to benchmark criteria. This information will aid managers in making more feasible assessment process. These factors will help management to outline tendency of projects. Forecasting policy of project manager will carry out remedial actions for the project operations. In addition, risk management will be helping organizations in making the growth. Project managers will suggest some remedial actions for developing project operational policies. In addition, anticipatory actions for possible risk facing during the project will be adopted by the project managers. Project management process will also outline different policies like the prediction of project outcome, detection of faults or defects and change management. Project managers must be able to control the changes that are incorporated along with the project operational policies. Managers control the changes in any project so that they are able to merge remedial measures. In this context, managers are making the approval for any sort of operational changes in the project. They can also reject certain ch anges that would create more risks in the project.

Maths Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Maths Construction - Essay Example At 50⠁ °C the resistance is found to be 25.6 ohms and at 95⠁ °C the resistance is 36.2 ohms respectively. Find R0 and ÃŽ ± both algebraically and using graphical methods. Using graphical methods determines the resistance at 72⠁ °C. d) As an employee of company JR construction you have received a letter from a regarding the project your company is working on. It has a penalty clause that states the contractor will forfeit a certain sum of money each day for late completion. (I.e. The contractor gets paid the value of the original contract less any sum forfeit). If she is 5 days late, she receives  £4250 and if she is 12 days late she receives  £2120. Calculate the daily forfeit and determine the original contract value. Use both algebraic and matrix methods to solve this. e) Excel Electrical specializes in the batch production of electrical switchgear used in building services installations. The company has been asked to tender for equipment to be fitted in several hundred new stores planned by Setco Supermarkets. Data is available from ten previous production runs of components. c) Outline and apply an alternative means of assessing whether or not a linear relationship exists between the variables and determining the equation linking the two variables. Present and explain your conclusions. . (Singh & Baker, 2007, p.

Foreigners Changing China, 1850-1980 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Foreigners Changing China, 1850-1980 - Essay Example 1 The Chinese were even more ashamed by having to let go of legal jurisdiction over segments of these port cities and over foreigners living in China. Chinese were actually ruled out from amenities and areas managed by foreigners. The Chinese were furthermore compelled under the treaties to enable Western Christian missionaries to proselytize in the inside of the nation. Between the first primary battle, the Opium War of 1839-42, and the early 1900s, the British, French, Germans, Americans, and Japanese competed for "spheres of influence" within China until it absolutely was susceptible to getting "carved up just like a melon." A string of natural calamities (drought and famine) and non-natural adversities (particularly floods from eroding water-control functions, made a whole lot worse by over-reclamation of the wetlands, lowlands, and hill slopes which were essential to handle water runoff) strike China in the late 19th century. The weak point of the country and the disturbances of the overall economy on account of the Western existence left China struggling to make available its massive population. A number of rebellions took place across the nation. The Taiping (185l-1864), Nian (Nien) (1853-1868), Moslem (1855-1873), and Boxer (1898-190l) rebellions all occurred in the second section of the 19th century. In the course of the Taiping Rebellion, rebel factors managed a sizable part of China, and set up their capital in the town of Nanking. The potential of the central government was more destabilized as army power was delegated to the provinces to manage these rebellions. 2 Since the onset of 20th Century, China was considered one of the most popular growing marketplaces for international investment. One approximation of whole international budget put into China in 1938 place it at $2.5 billion, third behind India and Argentina as a focus of creating market investment,

Public Relations - The Communication Cycle Essay

Public Relations - The Communication Cycle - Essay Example Apple is a multinational company belonging to the technology sector and subsector computers manufacturing. It engages itself in computer, mobile phone, tablet manufacturing and developing software. It is best known worldwide for its computer brand Imac, tablet computer ipad, mobile phone brand iphone. As a company belonging to the IT sector it comes 2nd after Samsung electronics. It was named as the most valuable company in the United States in 2003, a place which it acquired by surpassing Coca cola. Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1977 and by 2013 has a market capitalization of 170 billion dollar (Apple Inc., 2014). Apple belongs to a sector which is experiencing very rapid changes, particularly in field of innovation. The number of consumers having a mobile device now days has increased tremendously (Hoskisson, Michael, Ireland, & Harrison, 2007). The threat of a new entrant bringing in a new technology is too high these days. So no company in this particular sector can just sit back on its laurels and accolades and relax. Even for a Company like apple, if it stops innovating and comes out with newer product lines or innovation some other player will bring in a new product. Another factor that plagues companies like apple is that its designs may easily be copied by some other company and used to produce a similar phone at a much cheaper price range. In fact there have been instances in the past where Samsung has allegedly violated copyright restrictions of apple’s designs and the two companies have engaged themselves in legal battle. So to successfully hold its position in today’ s market Apple needs to: 1. Trend of innovating newer product lines and there by entering virgin markets. 2. Build a strong association with its customer base (Scott, 2013). 3. Build its reputation in the field of customer service and designing products that

Design for sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Design for sustainability - Essay Example Design for sustainability refers to the philosophy of designing products or objects that are environmentally friendly and conform to the principles of social, economic and ecological sustainability. Design for sustainability is also known as environmentally sustainable design or simply sustainable design The aim of design for sustainability is to completely get rid of negative environmental effects or impacts through skillful and sensitive design. Its manifestation does no want resources that cannot be renewed, has minimal impact on the environment and relate humans to the natural environment. Therefore, when designing a product, companies should incorporate environmental and social factors throughout the life cycle and supply chain of the product with respect to their socio-economic surrounding (McAloone and Bey, 2009). The life cycle of a product begins from extracting, processing and supplying of the raw materials and energy required for the product. It then proceeds to the produc tion, distribution, consumption (reuse and recycling) and ultimate disposal. It is important to note that sustainability has no absolute value; the sustainability of any product is an allusive quality that will differ from one product to another (McAloone and Bey, 2009). Due to global concerns over environmental and social problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, health and pollution, most industries have improved their products to meet sustainability criteria or principles in order to out do or out shine their competitors. However, there are some companies that have not adapted this principles of sustainability and their products seem to be so unfriendly and unsustainable, for instance, the plastic bags (Diehl and Crul, 2007). The plastic bags were initially considered to be more sanitary and friendly to the environment as compared to the deforesting paper bag. They are cheaper to make, sturdy and easy to carry. However, with recent findings, they have proved to be very much environmentally unfriendly and unsustainable. Plastic bags are made from flimsy plastics which are not easy to recycle. They easily blow into trees and water bodies thereby killing marine life. They also take much of the required landfill space. In addition, plastics are made from polyethylene (a by product of oil refining) which is a non renewable resource. According to Mendis (2009), the oil used in making plastics is about 4% of the world’s total oil production. Plastics are also produced using a lot of electricity as compared to the paper bags; they require four times as much energy produce and 85 times as much to recycle (Mendis, 2009). The chemicals and inks used in making the plastics can also leak and pollute the environment, particularly the soil and water bodies. When burned, the chemicals and inks in the plastics produce noxious compounds that are a threat to the human life. Plastic bags are non biodegradable; they take about 400 to 1000 years to disa ppear. Plastic bags also have the tendency of causing suffocation among children. It is estimated that about twenty five children (below one year) in the US suffocate each year because of the plastic bags (Mendis, 2009). The plastic bags are also a threat to the life of most animals. About 105,000 sea animals such as dolphins, penguins, whales and turtles die yearly due to plastic bags. Most of these animals mistake the plastic bags for food, ingest them and eventually die (Mendis, 2009). For instance the turtles always mistake the bags for jellyfish. And since the plastic bag are non digestible, they will intact even after the animal dies and decomposes. Thus, it lies in the sea and gets ingested with another animal. Having mentioned the impacts of plastic bags on the environment and how it is unsustainable, it is wise to explore ways of making it environmentally friendly or give alternative for it. To protect the environment, it is therefore important to consider the following alt ernatives to plastic bags: use

The Recruitment Method and Selection Procedures Applied at the Research Paper

The Recruitment Method and Selection Procedures Applied at the McDonalds Corporation - Research Paper Example This paper seeks to assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of the recruitment method and selection procedures applied at the McDonald's corporation. It will also address the use of the internet as a recruitment tool at McDonald's. it is expected that proper recommendations for improvement will be presented after an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the recruitment policies and procedures applied at McDonald's. McDonald's opened its door to the UK public in 1974 and as of the end of 2004, there were over 1330 McDonald's UK restaurants, with 60 % being company owned, employing 43, 491 individuals and the rest being franchises, employing 25, 000 individuals. For each McDonald's restaurant, its management is responsible for maintaining its own independent operations, accounting, inventory control, training and Human Resource functions. There are two groups of employees; the hourly-paid, also known as the crew members, and are charged with the task of carrying tasks that ensure a restaurant runs efficiently. The other groups are the salaried managers who manage operations and oversee the business and crew members' performance. McDonald's established that for the organization to register improved organizational outcomes, it is imperative that effective recruitment and selection practices are applied.   McDonald's prides itself in being an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate along gender, nationality, race, colour, marital status, age, religion, political affiliation or any other unjustified reason. In 1992, McDonald's put in place the Equal Opportunities Group that was aimed at encouraging a workplace that was characterized by equality and diversity.

Microbes are everywhere Essay Example for Free

Microbes are everywhere Essay The experiment performed in the Lab was isolation of microbes taken from us and the environment. We used Nutrient Agar which is a growth medium used to culture microorganisms or small plants and Sabourand Dextrose Agar plates used to cultivate moulds and yeasts. The objective of it was to demonstrate that microbes are everywhere. We expected to find a variety of bacteria, moulds and yeasts. We were introduced to aseptic techniques as they help ensure that only certain microorganisms are present in the plate. These methods also guarantee that microorganisms do not escape from the specific petri dish, contaminating the laboratory and possibly causing disease. Describe features of colonies. Materials required: Nutrient Agar plate (N. A. ) Sabaround Dextrose Agar plates (S. D. A. ) 4x sterile Swabs 1x Diluent (universal bottle) Method: Firstly, NA plate was exposed to microbes from me using sterile swabs. The swab was scrubbed inside my nails and then rubbed over ? of the plate. Secondly, for the environment- the swab was dipped in diluent to moisten and then applied to the drainage pipe from the laboratory. This swab was rubbed over the second half of the plate. NA plates were incubated inverted at 37oC for 48 hours. We repeated the procedure with the SDA plate at 22oC for 5 days. All plates were labelled with our initials, part of the body/environment swabbed, incubation temperature and media used. Results obtained: Moulds are actually fungi, and they often appear whitish grey, with fuzzy edges. They usually turn into a different colour, from the centre outwards. Examples are shown below: On the right hand side we can see a circular green mould colony and round yeast colonies. Left hand side of the plate shows round bacterial colonies. The dominant colour is cream. However, we can appreciate a round colony in a pinkish colour. We can see mould colonies in a yellowish colour at the top. However, the handle’s side appears to have a darker colour and a green patch. It is interesting the way the mould has divided so rapidly that we can barely differentiate the two halves of the plate. The mould from the air conditioner could have contaminated the handle section. We can also notice small pinkish colonies in the centre of the air conditioner’s sample. The bottom of the plate has black, yellowish and light green patches. In the sample taken from my nails we could see an agglomeration of a larger number of bacterial colonies. Colonies appeared punctiform with a wavy form and cream in colour. Unfortunately we could not see any sign of growth in the sample taken from the drainage pipe. We aimed to see microbial growth of each sample with a variety of bacterial colonies with several shapes and colours. Perhaps microorganisms taken from the drainage pipe were in the lag phase of growth and needed a longer or different type of incubation. As per sample taken from the cheek we can distinguish several bacterial colonies circular in shape. Each distinct circular colony should represent an individual bacterial cell or group that has divided repeatedly. Some fungi and moulds can cause a variety of skin diseases such as athletes foot, jock itch, and ringworm. They can also cause pulmonary and internal infections. However, others are beneficial such as Penicillium which produces the antibiotic penicillin and Saccharomyces is the yeast used to make bread rise and to brew beer. Many bacteria are dangerous pathogens such as Salmonella (food poisoning), Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), MRSA responsible for many serious infections. Nevertheless not all bacteria cause diseases. Lactic Acid bacteria enhance health and protect us against pathogens and carcinogens. There are many different types of bacteria in our mouth and intestines that produce some vitamins and ferment fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids. Microorganisms are essential on Earth. On the other hand, we can appreciate the importance of hygiene in our daily lives to avoid harmful levels of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Advantages Of Internal Combustion Engines Engineering Essay

Advantages Of Internal Combustion Engines Engineering Essay The most widely used heat engine is the internal combustion engine. The advantages that it has over gas turbines have seen its widespread usage in passenger car applications. [1] All the components of internal combustion engines work at an average temperature which is below the maximum temperature of the working fluid in the working cycle. This is because the high temperature of the working fluid in the cycle persists only for a very small fraction of the cycle time. As a result, fluids with high working temperatures can be used to increase thermal efficiency at moderate maximum working pressures. Weight to power ratio is less than that of steam turbine and gas turbines. It is therefore possible to develop reciprocating IC engines of very small power output with reasonable thermal efficiency and cost. Higher brake thermal efficiency can be obtained as only a small fraction of heat energy of the fuel is dissipated to the cooling system. Initial cost is low. Materials used in the manufacture of gas turbines must be strong and heat resistant in order to sustain the heat generated. Machining operations required for gas turbines construction are also more complex. Reciprocating IC engines are more efficient at idle speeds than gas turbines in terms of fuel consumption at idling. Gas turbines have delayed responses to different power requirements changes. Gas turbines must be removed for overhaul and servicing, which is usually not the case in internal combustion engines. Gas turbines require more air than IC engines for its normal operation. It also consumes more fuel whenever the load fluctuates, which is common in the domestic usage. All these explain why passenger cars do not use gas turbine engines, but use internal combustion engines instead. Question 2 Define the following parameters and give typical values for spark-ignition and compression ignition IC engines: Specific fuel consumption, Specific fuel consumption (SFC) is the fuel flow rate per unit power output []. It measures how efficiency of an engine in using the fuel to produce useful work. The equation for the specific fuel consumption is: Where: Ke= specific fuel consumption K: Fuel Consumption, kg/s Pe=Useful work per cycle, i = 0.5 for 4ÃŽ, 1 for 2ÃŽ ne=real efficiency HÃŽÂ ± =Heat of Combustion = 42.000 KJ/Kg Low values of SFC are obviously desirable. For SI engines typical values of brake specific fuel consumption are about 270 g/kWh. Range (345 285 g/kWh) For CI engines, values are lower and in large engines can go below 200 g/kWh. Range (285 190 g/kWh) [2] Mean effective pressure, Relative engine performance measure is obtained by dividing the work per cycle by the cylinder volume displaced per cycle. The parameter so obtained has units of force per unit area and is called the mean effective pressure (mep). Where: W=Indicated Work: Vh=Piston Displacement (cylinder) Volume (cc, cm3, lt) H=Length TDC Length BDC For, Naturally aspirated spark ignition engines, maximum values are in the range 850 to 1050 kPa at the engine speed where maximum torque is obtained (about 3000 rev/min). Turbocharged automotive spark-ignition engines the maximum bmep is in the 1250 to 1700 kPa range. Naturally aspirated four-stroke diesels, the maximum bmep is in the 700 to 900 kPa range Turbocharged four-stroke diesel maximum bmep values are typically in the range 1000 to 1200 kPa Turbocharged aftercooled engines this can rise to 1400 kPa Two-stroke cycle diesels have comparable performance to four-stroke cycle engines. Large low-speed two-stroke cycle engines can achieve bmep values of about 1600 kPa. [2] Power-torque relation as function of engine rpm, Engine torque is measured using a dynamometer. The engine is clamped and the output shaft is connected to the dynamometer rotor. The rotor is coupled electromagnetically, hydraulically, or by mechanical friction to a stator, which is supported in low friction bearings. The stator is balanced keeping the rotor stationary. The torque exerted on the stator with the rotor turning is measured by balancing the stator with weights, springs, or pneumatic means. Fig.1 Brake dynamometer- engine torque test [2] Torque is a measure of an engines ability to do work; and power is the rate at which work is done. The value of engine power measured as described above is called brake power Pb. This power is the usable power delivered by the engine to the load-in this case, a brake. Fig.2 Engine power, torque vs. speed plot [3] Correlation between measured force and engine torque: Measured power: (1 PS = 0.736 kW) Conversion between different units may be necessary for power, torque, or angular speed. For example, if rotational speed (revolutions per time) is used in place of angular speed (radians per time), a factor of 2à Ã¢â€š ¬ radians per revolution have to be multiplied. Dividing on the left by 60 seconds per minute and by 1000 watts per kilowatt gives us the following. mbox{power (kW)} = frac{ mbox{torque (N}cdotmbox{m)} times 2 pi times mbox{rotational speed (rpm)}} {60,000} Volumetric efficiency Volumetric efficiency is the ratio of the mass inside the engine cylinder to the mass of air of the displacement volume at atmospheric conditions. It measures the effectiveness of an engines induction process. Volumetric efficiency is used for four-stroke cycle engines which have a distinct induction process and not for two stroke engines. Where pai is the inlet air density Alternatively volumetric efficiency can also be defined as, Indicative values: 4ÃŽ-Otto: 0.7 0.9 2ÃŽ-Otto: 0.5 0.7 Typical maximum values of ÃŽÂ ·v for naturally aspirated engines are in the range 80 to 90 percent. The volumetric efficiency for diesels is somewhat higher than for SI engines. [2] Engine real efficiency as function of engine power, fuel consumption and fuel calorific value The real engine efficiency of an engine can be found out using the relation Where, ne=real efficiency nth= theoretical thermodynamic efficiency ng=quality coefficient (0.4-0.7 Otto; 0.6-0.8 Diesel) nm=mechanical efficiency (0.8) ni=actual efficiency (nth.ng=Pi/Q) K= fuel consumption Kg/s HÃŽÂ ± =Heat of Combustion = 42.000 KJ/Kg Question 3 Describe with simple terms the main air flow path developing inside the cylinder of IC engines relative to the piston motion; make a simple schematic to indicate them. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) helps us to visualise the charge motion within the cylinder with the help of optically transparent research engines. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can help in validating the average flow field in the cylinder but the process is expensive. One such CFD software is KIVA-4v, which helps to predict the air charge motion. Swirl flow Swirl is defined as the micro mass rotational motion of charge within the cylinder. It is generated by constructing the intake system to give a tangential component to the intake flow as it enters the cylinder. This is done by shaping and contouring the intake manifold, valve ports, and sometimes even the piston face. Swirl enhances the mixing of air and fuel to give a homogeneous mixture in a short time in modern high-speed engines. It is also responsible for very rapid spreading of flame front during the combustion. Fig.3 Swirl flow in the engine cylinder [3] Swirl flow can be generated by changing the geometry of the inlet port Fig.4 Geometry of inlet port affecting swirl flow [3] (a) Deflector wall (b) directed (c) shallow ramp helical (d) steep ramp helical Similarly inlet valve approach geometry can also generate swirl flow by producing net in-cylinder angular momentum of the charge. Fig.5 Inlet valve geometry affecting swirl flow [2] Squish flow When the piston approaches TDC at the end of the compression stroke, the volume around the outer edges of the combustion chamber reduces drastically. New combustion chamber designs have the clearance volume near the centerline of the cylinder. As the piston approaches TDC, the gas mixture occupying the volume at the outer radius of the cylinder is forced radially inward as this outer volume is reduced to near zero. This radial inward motion of the gas mixture is called squish. It adds to other mass motions within the cylinder to mix the air and fuel, and quickly spreads the flame front. Maximum squish velocity usually occurs at about 10 °bTDC. During combustion, the expansion stroke begins and the volume of the combustion chamber increases. As the piston moves away from TDC, the burning gases are propelled radially outward to fill the now-increasing outer volume along the cylinder walls. This reverse squish helps to spread the flame front during the latter part of combustion Piston motion influences squish as in the case of wedge shaped and bowl-in combustion chambers. Fig.6 Piston motion generating squish [2] (a) Wedge shaped SI combustion chamber (b) bowl-in-piston DI Diesel combustion chamber Tumble As the piston nears TDC, squish motion generates a secondary rotational flow called tumble. This rotation occurs about a circumferential axis near the outer edge of the piston bowl Fig.7Tumble- result of piston motion and squish [3] Turbulence Due to the high velocities involved, all flows into, out of, and within engine cylinders are turbulent flows. The exception to this is those flows in the corners and small crevices of the combustion chamber where the close proximity of the walls dampens out turbulence. As a result of turbulence, thermodynamic transfer rates within an engine are increased by an order of magnitude. Heat transfer, evaporation, mixing, and combustion rates all increase. As engine speed increases, flow rates increase, with a corresponding increase in swirl, squish, and turbulence. This increases the real-time rate of fuel evaporation, mixing of the fuel vapor and air, and combustion. Intake turbulent mixture flow Turbulence superimposed on mixture swirl Fig.8 Turbulence of the charge within cylinder [4] Question 4 The Figure below shows a conceptual model of a quasi-steady Diesel combustion plume, as presented by Dec et al in 1997. Indicate the following areas shown on this schematic: liquid fuel , rich vapour fuel-air mixture , fuel-rich premixed flame, initial soot formation , diffusion flame boundary , thermal NO production zone , soot oxidation zone , 25398f1.jpg Fig.9 Quasi-steady Diesel combustion plume [5] The above figure describes the formation and features of a quasi-steady diesel fuel jet. This model is applicable to large bore, quiescent chamber combustion or a free fuel jet without wall interactions. At the point of fuel injection, fuel penetrates into the combustion chamber and air which is at a high temperature due to end of compression stroke begins to mix with the spray. Fuel absorbs energy from the hot air and evaporates. This process continues until a point where no liquid fuel is present. The point at which this occurs is called the liquid length. This liquid length reduces after the start of combustion but thereafter remains constant until the end of injection. Beyond the liquid length, the rich premixed fuel and air are still heated by the surroundings until they start to react in the rich premixed zone. The products of rich combustion continue downstream and diffuse and mix radially outward until reaching the surrounding cylinder gases. At a location where the rich prod ucts and cylinder gases mix to produce a stoichiometric mixture, a diffusion flame is produced. The diffusion flame surrounds the jet in a thin turbulent sheet, which extends upstream towards the nozzle. The axial distance from the nozzle exit to the diffusion flame is the lift-off length. The lift-off length controls the amount of oxygen mixed into the fuel jet and therefore the stoichiometry. Soot is burned out and NOX is produced on the outside of the diffusion flame, where temperatures are high and oxygen and nitrogen are abundant. Question 5 What are the main requirements of the fuel injection system for a direct injection engine? In recent years, significant progress has been made in the development of advanced computer-controlled fuel injection systems, which has had much to do with the research and development activities related to Direct Injected engines being expanded. [6]The main requirements of the fuel injection system for a direct injection engine are: Well atomised fuel spray independent of chamber pressure conditions Injection during the compression stroke against pressures up to 20bar Injection during the intake stroke against atmospheric pressures with stoichiometric homogeneous mixture To have uniform distribution of fuel in a multi cylinder engine To improve breathing capacity of an engine i.e. volumetric efficiency To reduce or eliminate detonation To prevent fuel loss in the form of scavenging in the case of two stroke engines. For an efficient combustion of a stratified mixture, a stable and compact spray geometry is necessary Injection pressure has been determined to be very important for obtaining both effective spray atomization and the required level of spray penetration. Accurate fuel metering (generally a +2% band over the linear flow range); Desirable fuel mass distribution pattern for the application; Minimal spray skew for both sac and main sprays; Good spray axisymmetry over the operating range; Minimal drippage and zero fuel leakage, particularly for cold operation; Small sac volume; Good low-end linearity between the dynamic flow and the fuel pulse width; Small pulse-to-pulse variation in fuel quantity and spray characteristics; Minimal variation in the above parameters from unit to unit. Question 6 Describe the injection process requirements for direct injection Diesel engines and the evolution of the fuel injection equipment over the last few decades. The functional requirements of the fuel injection system are as follows Accurate fuel metering per engine working cycle Injection timing to ensure maximum power, good fuel economy and low emissions Obtain the desirable heat release pattern by control of injection rate Atomisation of the fuel Proper spray pattern to ensure better mixing of fuel and air Uniform distribution of fuel droplets in the combustion chamber Supply equal quantities of fuel to all cylinders, in the case of multi cylinder engines Eliminate dripping of fuel droplets into the combustion chamber by eliminating injection lag between start and end of injection Evolution of fuel injection equipment: In-line pump Fig.10 Layout of In-line fuel injection pump [7] Though in-line pumps are primitive injection systems, they are still in use among heavy duty marine engines. Individual fuel pumps fuel each of the injectors Engine operational speed has a major influence on the fuel injection pressures As a result, there is a hydraulic delay between the pressure increase and the start of injection Fuel flows through high pressure connecting pipes Fuel injection pressures range from 600 1200 bar Injector with discharging in the combustion chamber (the nozzle with one or more holes) Distributor type pumps These are still used in a number of engines Though it started as mechanically operated, now electronic control modifications have been made It has a mechanism which controls the spill valve responsible for cutting off the high pressure generated inside the pumping chamber, and thus, responsible for the termination of injection One pumping chamber delivers high pressure to all the injectors of the engine Pressure depends on engine speed, so a hydraulic delay exists between the pressure generation and start of injection Relatively low injection pressures (up to 1200bar) Fig.11 Distributor type pump (Lucas CAV) [7] Unit injectors Consists of the pump and the injector integrated into one body, which does not require a high pressure connection pipe High fuel pressure is generated close to the nozzle exit, which can be upto 2500 bar. These gave accurate control over injection Each cylinder has its own individual system High pressure developed depends of the engine rpm and the load. Fig.12 General Layout of Unit injector [7] [6]Delphi Diesel Systems electronic unit injectors (EUI fig13.) control the quantity and the timing of injection electronically through a solenoid actuator. The solenoid can respond very quickly (injection periods are of the order 1 ms), to control very high injection pressures (up to 1600 bar or so). The solenoid controls a spill valve, which in turn controls the injection process. The pumping element is operated directly from a camshaft (or indirectly via a rocker), and the whole assembly is contained within the cylinder head. Fig.13 Electronic Unit injector (Lucas EUI system) [7] [6]An alternative approach to the EUI is the Caterpillar Hydraulic Electronic Unit Injector (HEUI, also supplied by other manufacturers). HEUI uses a hydraulic pressure intensifier system with a 7: 1 pressure ratio to generate the injection pressures. The hydraulic pressure is generated by pumping engine lubricant to a controllable high pressure. Similar to CR injection systems, there is control of the injection pressure. The HEUI uses a two-stage valve to control the oil pressure, and this is able to control the rate at which the fuel pressure rises, thereby controlling the rate of injection, because a lower injection rate can help control NOx emissions. Common Rail fuel injection systems One of the last improvements to the fuel injection system is the Common Rail System that was implemented first by the Fiat Company. Fig.14 Common rail fuel injection system [8] Common rail (CR) fuel injection systems decouple the pressure generation from the injection process and have become popular because of the possibilities offered by electronic control. The key elements of a CR fuel injection system are as follows: A (controllable) high-pressure pump The fuel rail with a pressure sensor Electronically controlled injectors An engine management system (EMS) The injector is an electro-hydraulic device, in which a control valve determines whether or not the injector needle lifts from its seat. The engine management system can divide the injection process into four phases: two pilot injections, main injection, and post-injection (for supplying a controlled quantity of hydrocarbons as a reducing agent for NOx catalysts). Common rail injection also enables a high output to be achieved at a comparatively low engine speed Fuel injectors Fig.15 Types of nozzles used in Diesel fuel injectors [1]

Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, there were many lessons that were taught. Atticus was a lawyer who taught his son Jem and daughter Scout many different values. Atticus felt that one of the most important values was to put yourself in someone else's shoes before you judge them. He also taught them to respect others. Scout was a wild girl and always got into fights with other guys; Atticus showed her that fighting doesn't solve anything. Atticus showed the kids that you should not judge other people. You don't know how their life is unless you are walking around in their shoes. You have no clue on how they feel about things and what they see. They may have problems that you don't know about and they don't want you to see. They may act different because of the way they were brought up. You can never tell unless you see what they see. Atticus also felt that you should always respect others. He felt that you should always try to please other people even if it means holding in your opinion sometimes. Mrs. Dubose was a character in the novel who was very disrespectful to the rich. Atticus still made them be kind to her. Jem got mad one day and cut some of her bushes down. As a punishment Atticus made him read to Mrs. Dubose. Later, when they learned she had died, Atticus said: "...She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe...son. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won...she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew." They learned that they shouldn't act mean-spirited just because of their feelings about someone. They might act out of anger and not really understand the person at all. In the beginning of the book, Scout had a bad temper. She got into a lot of fights over little things. Atticus would get very angry with her because he felt that fighting was very wrong. He thought that it didn't prove anything.

Comparing Science and Religion in Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Struggle Between Science and Religion in Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Metropolis From Frankenstein to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to Metropolis, the mad scientist is one of the modern world's most instantly recognizable and entertaining cultural icons. Popular culture's fascination with demented doctors, crazed clinicians, and technologically fanatical fiends have dominated the major motifs of popular literature and film for most of the 20th century and this fascination will continue into the 21st century. An archetypal outcast, the mad scientist represents all that modern culture holds mysterious and fascinating, intriguing and sinful, and, to say the least, romantic. Popular culture has completely desensitized the blasphemous, heretical, epileptic shocks of tampering with "things that should not be tampered with" and has made them, instead, into common, everyday occurrences. The Romantic struggle between theology and science still wages today--only today's theology has become a religion of materialism and the worship of the monetary system; and through mass media this neo-theology has appealed to societies appetite and captivated an audience desirable by any deity. When we think of 'Mad Science,' the modern, stereotypical, Hollywood vision of mad science floods the mind-of Dr. Frankenstein (Frankenstein); Dr. Jekyll (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde); and Rotwang (Metropolis); along with many others-and for good reason. Many of these characters we know by heart, either from literature, theater, or film, while many others we've hardly heard of and are thus marked mundane and unimportant in our minds. Mad science is synonymous with 'the insane scientist' who blew up his lab, but is ecst... ... science and symbolism pertaining to sex roles, marriage, and the family. With the reformed tolerance and leniency of the 19th century, especially that of religion, the gateway was opened and the chaos that is modern horror was set free to terrorize the land. Works Cited Carroll, David , and Kyla Ward. "The Horror Timeline." < http://www.tabula-rasa.info/DarkAges/> October 13, 2003. Lovecraft, H.P. "H.P. Lovecraft Library." William Johns, 2002. October 15, 2003. Perkus, Aaron Keith. Mythos Journal No. 6: Myths of Science and Technology: Dr. Jekyll Hyeding in the Garden of Eden. October 15, 2003. Skal, David J. Screams of Reason: mad science and modern culture. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1998. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2003.

Time in Jane Austens Novels :: Time Austen Essays

Time in Jane Austen's Novels Let’s think about the function of time in Jane Austen’s Emma. As it turns out, time is pretty important for Austen, but also quite problematic. For example, in Emma, Austen uses the word â€Å"time† 278 times within this 160,416 word novel. To make a random comparison, in Wuthering Heights 78,983 words, â€Å"time† is used 84 times, about half as often. Actually, that trend line is fairly representative of most of Austen’s novels. And certainly the novel Emma is fixed in time. It is, after all, the story of a year, from an October of naà ¯ve ignorance to a following October of knowledge and wedded bliss. In other words, not surprisingly, things have happened over time. Yet time is not always a happy advantage for the characters. Note, for example, some of the collocates for the word time. These are words that appear within five words of â€Å"time† in the novel. The Z-score represents a probability factor. The higher the Z-score, the less likely it is that the word is just a random occurrence or, put another way, the more likely it is that the word is directly connected with time. EMMA COLLOCATES OF TIME Collocates Sel. Collocate Type Z‑score Node Freq Freq some 38 265 15.670 at 72 1032 12.911 draws 2 3 8.574 fly 2 3 8.

Applied Linguistics Essay

Learner: * We see learning in different ways (Behavior –habit formation-; Innatism –response to behaviorism- ). â€Å"If we learn through habits, what about children? * Chomsky’s LAD theory: * Universal Grammar * We’re programmed to learn at least one language! Interactionism * Snow: Interaction is a vital factor, not LAD * Evidence: Accommodation of Language: * Language is modified by the kind of subject you’re talking to. * Modifying the way we’re using a language. * When we talk to children, we do it in a different way. * Subconscious act * Between Children and caretakers. * Between Natives and non-natives * The idea is to use a comprehensible input (Krashen) * The only way to learn English is to modify the way we speak – comprehensible input * Communication as a goal * Focus is on problem solving or accomplishing tasks Key concepts (cont. ) Intersecting angles: * Teaching methods and language assessment (Common European Framework of Reference) * Different Benchmarks for competence * International exams and certifications * Relationship between language and teaching * Teaching materials informed by linguistic corpora. * British national corpus * Language and language * Learner’s age * Kids and young people * Critical period * Content based language teaching – more flexible * Older people * It is more complicated to acquire a language when you’re getting old * Different focus of instruction, different reasons e. g. occupational, academic, etc. * You can teach different things in a certain age * Context * Physical locale (classroom or outside? ) * Immersion programmes * Teachers are putted into a context to teach to the target required * Problems: fluent, but no accurate. * Political pressures in some parts of the world e. g. Iraq, Japan, * Multilingualism in American classrooms – is not a priority right now * National language policies * What does it mean to learn a language? Money? Fun? * Tajikistan’s case: change from Russian to English * Future trajectory * Learn other subjects in an L2? How? * Is it possible that Chile would be a bilingual country? * Teaching in a language target * Endangered languages * People stop using a certain language * Reflection of a certain culture. * â€Å"The end of a language is also the end of a culture† * Linguistics Imperialism * We’re acquiring the English/American culture – English language is fixed by the culture: e. g. African English * English as a Lingua Franca * Universal language * Clusters: issues as non-native speakers – in fact, beach, special * Native speakers vs Non-native speakers â€Å"norms† * Technology * Computer-mediated contact with other languages and cultures * Internet-delivered language instruction * Use of corpora to access to the information. An introduction to Applied Linguistics * Language as a powerful tool * It gives access to information * Convincing (ads, politics) * Definition: * Is NOT the application of linguistics * Means many things for many people (Cook, 2006) * A group of semi-autonomous disciplines (Spolsky, 2005) * â€Å"†¦AL (is now) a cover term for a sizeable group of semi-autonomous disciplines, each dividing its parentage and allegiances between the formal study of language3 and other relevant fields, and each working to develop its own methodologies and principles† * Cook, 2003. * â€Å"the task of applied linguistics is to mediate between linguistics and language use† * The academic discipline concerned with the relation of knowledge about language to decision making in the real world * The scope of applied linguistics remains rather vague, but attempts to delimit its main areas of concern as consisting of language and education; language, work and law; and language information and effect. * Two interpretations * The source of applied linguistics. What applied linguistics draws on: * Narrow interpretation * (Linguistics) – Language teaching. * Usage of linguistic elements – semantics, phonology, pragmatics * Broad interpretation * (everything to do with language) * There are the different connotations of language * The target of AL * What applied linguistics equips you to do (SLA) * Language Acquisition (L1 and L2) * Psycho and Neurolinguistics * Sociolinguistics * Humor Studies * Pragmatics * Discourse Analysis and Rhetorics * Text/Processing/translation * Computational Linguistic * Corpus Linguistics * Dialectology BBC Documentary Horizon: Why do we talk? * Humans have a unique feature: we have a different language like animals * We have requests. * Complex process to pronunciate a word when child (â€Å"wa der† to â€Å"water†) * Language is exclusively human * Not much evidence about origins of language * Why chimps can make similar sounds like humans? * There are some parts of the brain involved in creation of words * Roots of language reception: Test on newborn babies * How much a baby is attending to a particular sound * We can recognize sounds from our beginnings * Chomsky’s theory: An innate ability to learn a language * Ability to talk is composed by words, meaning and sounds. It also INNATE * We’re BUILT ON SPEECH. * The KA family: communication in other ways are perfect, neither the speech * A DNA failure to create words * There’s no fossil evidences of speech communication * It is supposed that language was a practical way to defining rules * No one designed any language * Combination of words that can be easily remembered * Make sound to build a meaning * Dominant Theory of learning psychology: Behaviorism * Positive reinforcement * Habits are automatic and difficult to eradicate * If L1 differs to L2, L1 will interfere with formation of L2 habits e. g. use of articles (a/an, the) * Interference manifests itself in error (undesirable). * Learners need to overcome L1 features and replace them Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) * Analysis of L1 and L2 features (grammar and phonology) to determine similarities and differences between languages * Comparisons * CAH prediction * L2 features which are similar to L1: easy features to learn * Present simple, present perfect * L2 features which are different to L2: errors in L2 * People is are * Role of L2 instruction: teachers should focus on features which could be potential errors. Teaching via imitation, practice and error correction. * Mistakes are very dangerous here! – Immediate correction * E. g. â€Å"repeat after me! † Problems with CAH * Researchers trying ti apply CAH in analyzing L2 errors, soon found that: * Many errors could not be explained only by reference to L1 e. g. I goed * Many predicted errors were not made in L2 * Learners from different L1 made similar errors L2 * New weays of loking at L2’s errors Error Analysis * Corder (1967) * Learner language is a system in its own right * Errors are an important reflection of the state of L2 knowledge (system) and processing strategies. * Errors were a good thing; there is a reflection about thinking of new things * Developing rules – trial and fail * Processing: * Learners form hypothesis about L2 on the basis of their exposure to the L2 * These hypothesis are tested receptively and productively * If hypotheses disconfirmed, this leads to the formation and testing of new hypothesis Interlanguage (IL) * Concept created by Selinker (1972) * Coined the term Interlanguage to describe a learner’s language * Is the whole process of learning a language * No competence Native-like competence * Interlanguage is rule governed (systematic) and dynamic (in flux) * U shape performance: * High performance is developed in Beginner’s level and the Advance one * Explaining learner’s errors. * Main processes which can explain errors in L2 * L1 transfer * L1 rules interfering with L2 * Overgeneralization of L2 rules e. g. goed (use regular past tense with all verbs) * It happens a lot with children * Transfer of training errors due to the way L2 was taught e. g. overuse of â€Å"he† because teaching materials contain mainly reference to males * Formal language in formal contexts * Simplification e. g. omission of referent elements (articles, prepositions) * Elision / wanna talk to me? – instead of â€Å"do you wanna talk to me? † Problems with IL and errors analysis. * Focus on errors rather than entire learner language output (i. e. what a learner can do * Oriented to L2 norms – norms are often difficult to define (e. g. variety of acceptable pronunctiations of some words) * Attribution of errors to processes not always clear cut * Doesn’t consider variability Morpheme studies * Morpheme: the smallest unit of meaning in English e. g. plural â€Å"s† (bound morpheme), article (unbound morpheme) * Influential study: Brown (1973) on First Language Acquisition (FLA) * Order of acquisition determined on basis of accuracy i. e. * Most accurate: acquired earliest. * The most developed item is the one which was developed earlier * Findings: although rate of acquisition may differ, order of acquisition same for all children. Acquisition order in FLA RANK| MORPHEME| EXAMPLE| 1| Present progressive| Boy singing| 2| Preposition| Dolly in car| 3| Plural| Sweeties| 4| Past Irregular| Broke| 5| Possesive| Baby’s toy| 6| Articles| A car| 7| Past regular| Wanted| 8| Third person singular| He eats| 9| Auxiliary â€Å"be†| He’s running| * Dulay and Burt (1973-1975) * Suppliance of a set of morphemes in obligatory context * Developmental Secquences. * Longitudinal research on acquisition of grammatical structures (e. g. negation, question formation word order) found: * Learners follow a set of order of stages of acquisition * L1 may affect how long a learner stays at any one stage * Learners cannot skip a stage, regardless of L2 instruction * Instruction can only affect speed of acquisition and whether learners reach final stage. Index readings – Test 1 – Monday 8th!! * Key concepts in language learning and language education * History and definitions * Introduction to SLA * Development of learner language. Developmental sequences Longitudinal research on acquisition of grammatical structures (eg negation, question formation word order) found: * Learners follow a set order of stages of acquisition * L1 may affect how long a learner stays at any one stage * Learners cannot skip a stage, regardless of L2 instruction * Instruction can only affect speed of acquisition and whether learners reach final stage * Naturalistic statement: the most important thing will be communication – people won’t correct anyone Variability in learner language. If IL is systenmatic, we should go thourg different stages. How can we account for variability in a learner’s interlanguage? * Need to distinguish between free vatiation and systematic variation: * Free variation may be due to: * Random errors * Performance factors, e. g. anxiety * Anxiety affects production * Early stage of IL: experimentation * People is is not a taboo * Systemic variation may be due to * Linguistic environment: e. g. omission of final ‘s’ may vary according to what sounds come before or after the letter ‘s’s * Situational context: e. g. the person the learner is speaking to (interlocutor) or setting may affect the perceived level of formality and thus how much attention Is given to accuracy * Fluency is affected by focus on accuracy * Psycholinguistic context: e. g. amount of planning time given before being asked to perform the task Input & Interaction * Input:anything that a learner is exposed to in the environment. Anything that is perceived. * Intake:processing. When you’re receiving language, you realize a certain structure subconsciously. * Uptake: when you do something observable with your input, if you make a mistake and then you have the correct version * Output: production of language – errors and mistakes are included * Comprehensible input:refers to modify the language and make it comprehensible * Negotiation of meaning: looking for answers for what you want to say – negotiatate what someone say: what? Could you repeat that? You said (†¦) or you said (†¦)? * Positive evidence vs. Negative evidence: * NE: corrections. Could be related to grammar * PE: Discrete parts of the language. It’s just language * Implicit vs. explicit feedback * Implicit feedback: we don’t really saying what the mistake is directly, but you’re uttering what you say. * Explicit feedback: correction – looking a language as an object * Recast: implicit feedback – fixing what you’re trying to say. When you’re emphasizing, it turns to explicit feedback. It’s supposed to be implicit. Introduction * Range of perspectives (theories) which explain how language (L1 and L2) is processed and ultimately acquired * All theories agree that learners need exposure to language (input – from a behaviorism focus, is important), but the kind of input and how that input is processed in order to become acquired vary * Today’s seminar focuses on the interaction hypothesis, a very influential theory in the field of SLA INPUT * Input is everything that you can get into the language * Language learner is exposed to (available for processing). * Two types of input: * Positive evidence: authentic or modified language – * Negative evidence: corrections Behaviorist perspective – Lado and Lee * From a behaviorist approach, Learners need positive and negative evidence (both) * Positive evidence: models that learners imitate and repeat (thus forming habits) * Negative evidence: given to prevent formation of â€Å"incorrect habits† * Language learning: process of imitation & habit formation Universal Grammar Perspective * Proponents: Chomsky (L1) White and Schwartz & Sprouse * Learners need ONLY exposure to positive evidence. * Positive evidence triggers processing in an innate language acquisition device * LAD contains principles (general rules about all human languages – e. g. Parts of speech) and parameters (rules which are language specific – e. g. â€Å"no voy† instead of I cannot) * Pro-dropped language * Dummy subjects * Second language acquisition: resetting parameters based on L2 evidence * Some debate in SLA: Is UG fully, partially on not at all available for adult L2 learners? * Is very unlike that is available. Is mostly partially available Krashen. Main argument: learners need only exposure to appropriate input (positive evidence) * Appropiate input: comprehensible input at a level slightly above the learner’s current level (i+1) input + something a bit higher * Comprehensible input will activate LAD: subconscious process * Comprehensible input: acquired knowledge (implicit knowledge used to produce language) * Is comes out, it flows * Conscious learning: learnt knowledge (explicit knowledge used to monitor language production) * If you’re giving negative evidence, they will acquire language * Difference between learning and acquiring language * Explicit knowledge does not become implicit knowledge (the non-interface position) * When you learn, you will not be able to acquire language Long’s interaction hypothesis * Built on Krashen’s notion of the importance of copmprehensible input for SLA * However difference in what makes input comprehensible * Krashen: emphasis on learner’s individual processing i. e. learner uses contextual clues, world knowledge to comprehend i+1 * Long (1983): interactions (negotiation of meaning) make input comprehensible * Findings: * â€Å"Speech modifications alone are rarely sufficient. Native speakers also make a lot of adjustments to the interactional structure of conversations, and it is conversational modifications of the latter sort that are greater, more consistently observed, and probably more important for providing comprehensible input† * Conversational modifications: * Repetitions * Confirmation checks (is that what you mean? ), often involve repetition uttered with a rising intonation * Clarification requests (what do you mean? ) e. g. Sorry? What? * Comprehension checks (do you follow me? ) e. g. OK? I+1: our current level of english Positive evidence: language Negative evidence: corrections Long’s interactional hypothesis Original version (1983): * deductive argument * Conversational modifications make negotiation input (negotiations of meaning) make inupt comprehensible e. g. Having conversations with native speakers will improve development of language THEN * Comprehensible input promotes acquisition (krashen) THEN * Negotiations of meaning -> promote SLA Research based on Long’s interaction hypothesis. * Variables that affect the quantity and type of conversational modifications (negotiation * moves) * Task type e. g. Doughty & Pica, 1986 * Learner variables (L1, proficiency in L2, gender) e. g. Pica et al. , 1991; Polio & Gas, 1998 * Extent to which negotiations facilitate comprehension e. g. Ellis et al. , 1994 * Extent to which negotiations lead to acquisition: results mixed e. g. Iwashita, 2003; Mackey, 1999 * Family will promote more negotiation Criticism of research and interaction hypothesis * Number of assumptions questions e. g. the more negotiations moves the better? * A social nature of research: ignores context and learner’s goals (ie is there always a clear one-to-one mapping of interaction moves and speaker’s intented meaning? * Deductive nature of argument: no mechanism to explain acquisition * Lack of robust evidence for L2 learning * Is anybody learning a language, or acquiring it? Negotiation of languge: Chance to process more the input and do something with that Swain’s outpout hypothesis * Research: language proficiency of students in Canadian immersion program, found that learners fluent but not accurate * Main argument: * Comprehensible input alone insufficient for learners to develop grammatical accuracy * Comprehension requires learners only to process language for meaning, not for syntax * Learners need to be pushed to produce accurate and appropriate language (output) * Students were fluent, but not accurate * Push them to produce more and more INPUT * Grammatical processing: basic to improve accuracy * Long * Role of input * Output provides learners with opportunities to: * Move from semantics, open-ended processing of language prevalent in comprehension to grammatical processing needed for accurate production. * Notice â€Å"gaps† in their interlanguage. * Test hypotheses abput language + receive feedback abput hypotheses * Reflect abput their language use + develop automaticity through practice (Gass, 2004) * Note: focus shifted from focus on positive evidence to negative evidence (corrective feedback) ->negative evidence * Negative feedback may be facilitative of L2 development * MEDIATED BY SELECTIVE ATTENTION: Focus on learner’s internal factors, drawing on work of Schmift’s (1999, 1993) on attention and noticing nypothesis * DEVELOPING L2 PROCESSING CAPACITY: draws on studies on developmental sequences & pieneman’s work on learnability to explain mixedfindings on negotiations and acquisition * NEGATIVE FEEDBACK OBTAINED DURING NEGOTIATION WORK: shift in focus from interactions providing comprehensible input to conversations providing opportunities for negative feedback * MAY BE FACILITATIVE†¦ ESSENTIAL FOR LEARNING CERTAIN SPECIFIABLE L1-L2 CONTRASTS: prediction abput which language structures are most likely to need negative feedback (L1-L2 contrats, e. g. dative alteration, adverb placement) * If the verb comes from latinate origin, is not possible to have dative alternation. If Germanic, it is. Why Long was unwilling to unchanged his hypothesis? * Previous hypothesis: * Krashen’s monitor hypothesis! * IS a contradiction: Monitor check contents to learn, but it doen’t help to ACQUIRE * Closest to BEHAVIORISM * Current Hypothesis: * New ways of correcting * KEY: GIVING FEEDBACK Cognitive accounts of SLA * SLA: acquiring a new knowledge system. Learning new information * Based on cognitive psychology, which models the human mind similar to a computer (up to a point) * Learning& ability for use: * NOTICE NEW INFORMATION, e. g. a vocabulary item (an interesting word such as â€Å"nuts†) or a feature of syntax like 3rd person singular –s * INTEGRATING NEW INFORMATION and comparing with the old one, e. g.relating the vocabulary item to similar ones or 3rd person-s to indicative present tense verb use * PROCEDURALIZING OR AUTOMATIZING, e. g. accessing the vocabulary itam / applying the 3rd person –s rule Areas of interest * A great deal of work in SLA has focused on noticing and attention because it is central to learning (Schmidt) * There is also some work on the interaction of new language information in long-term memory (Bialystok) * The type of knowledge (explicit/implicit) has also been studied, which is related to proceduralization / automatization The human cognitive system Outside world -> sensory register -> working memory -> long-term memory.

Mandatory HIV/AIDS testing for Pregnant Woman

Today, anti retroviral therapies are being developed by several manufacturers, in a bid to finally be able to reduce the number of instances of the transmission of HIV from mother to child. The drug AZT, for example, has been successful at bringing the rate of such direct transmissions down, and this has given rise to a widespread feeling that if testing of pregnant women for the presence of the dreaded AIDS virus were to be made mandatory, then perhaps many lives could be saved. It must be remembered that before the year 1994, when AIDS became renowned for its impact on the human body, not much was known about the disease, often referred to as ‘the scourge of modern man’, and nothing at all was known about the transmission of this disease from a mother to her unborn child.It was in late 1994 that an American clinical trial known as ‘ACTG 076’ was able to prove the assumption that when a drug AZT was administered to a HIV positive pregnant woman, and also to her child immediately after its birth, it was able to lower the rate of transmission from a high of 25 % to a low of 8 %. The trial was based on the fact that the pregnant woman had to be given the drug during her pregnancy, during her labor, during her delivery, and for the newborn baby during his first six weeks of life.Immediately after the results of this trial were published, the US Public Health Service recommended that all HIV positive pregnant women must be given the drug, especially to those women who demonstrated a likelihood of developing the disease. This was to include women who had never taken drugs of any kind against HIV AIDS. The administration of the drug, of course, involved an invasion of the woman’s basic privacy, and this was something that created a stir at the time. Such invasion of privacy was not to be tolerated.   (Yovetich)As stated earlier, making HIV testing mandatory for a pregnant woman, in the hope that the woman’s unborn child could be given a better and more productive and disease free life was not as simple an issue as it may have sounded at the time. There was much opposition from several different quarters. The main reason for the opposition was that the woman’s private life would be exposed, as HIV was a disease that was clothed in much secrecy, and it still is today. Defenders of privacy of a human being fought a long war to oppose mandatory testing of all pregnant women for the dreaded AIDS/HIV virus.To test a woman against her will, and then inform her that she had AIDS, and that she must take the drug so that her unborn child would not develop the disease would be a rather intrusive method to follow, felt privacy defenders, even if such testing meant that the risk of transmission to others would be reduced, and many lives could be saved in the future. However, the several advances in science through the years until today have prompted many individuals to reconsider the issue today.Several peopl e ask themselves today, are the potential benefits of mandatory testing for AIDS/HIV in some contexts outweighing the privacy interests? Or, on the other hand, is such an invasion of privacy completely justified if the unborn child could be saved from a life of disease and eventual death?It must be noted that several experiments and trials have been able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that when a pregnant woman is tested for AIDS, and it is found that she is HIV positive, and she is then offered the drug that would combat the transmission of the disease to her unborn child, and she takes up the offer, then the chances of the unborn fetus being born with full blown AIDS would be reduced dramatically.Statistics have revealed that such therapy would successful bring down the rate of transmission from a high of a one on four chance, to a one in fifty chance. Such evidence has prompted a rash of proposals on the part of the governments to make the testing of HIV/AIDS mandatory for a pregnant woman. To date, it must be noted that only the legislatures of New York and Connecticut have been able to sanction mandatory programs that would impose HIV tests on a pregnant woman, without her consent, wherein she would be able to turn down the ‘offer of testing’ put forth to her.Although it may be true that at first glance, one would not be able to understand why anyone would wish to turn down an offer to save their unborn child, it is indeed a fact that science today has not yet advanced so far as to absolutely guarantee that the young pregnant woman would not pass on the disease to her child, like for example, statistics are able to prove that even if a pregnant woman has no medication at all for her AIDS, she still has only a one in four chance of transmitting the virus to her unborn child.This is because of the simple fact that a mother transmits the disease to her child during the process of delivery, which is the time when the infant would be exposed t o the blood of his mother, without the protection of the umbilical cord that has connected him to his mother all the nine months. In other words, statistics prove that intra-uterine transmission, that is, transference of the virus before delivery, of AIDS to the unborn infant is quite rare, and it does not take place in one out of four cases. AIDS and HIV can also be transmitted to the child after its birth, through breast feeding.Furthermore, it is important to remember that when an infant is born to an HIV-positive mother, HIV-antibody tests carried out on the newborn will always turn out to be positive, for the simple reason that the baby has would have inherited the HIV antibodies of its mother automatically during the birth and delivery processes, and this cannot be taken to mean that the newborn is infected with AIDS and HIV. In these cases, the antibodies that the baby has inherited would stay in his body for the first few months of his life, after which it would be replaced with his own. If the HIV testing is done on the infant at this stage, it would reveal the actual status of the child, rather than if it were to be done immediately after birth, which would often mislead the persons involved.     (The ACLU on HIV testing of pregnant women and newborns 2001)It is a sad fact indeed that the data on AIDS in America and in Canada indicated that almost 766 out of 824 pregnant and HIV infected women from twenty five states of the United States of America were aware of their HIV status much before their deliveries, yet there are about 280 to 370 peri-natal HIV transmissions in the country, every year. Researchers and scientists state repeatedly that the only way in which to control this dismal state of affairs would be to make HIV/AIDS testing mandatory for pregnant woman, despite opposition from several quarters.In Canada, for example, three different HIV testing approaches have been assayed, and medical records and relevant data have shown without dou bt that the so called ‘opt-in’ or voluntary testing approach, in which a pregnant woman is offered pre-HIV test counseling, and must give her consent voluntarily to an HIV test is generally related with lower testing rates than the ‘opt-out’ voluntary testing approach, in which the woman, who has had HIV/AIDS counseling, may choose to refuse HIV testing. As a matter of fact, even the mandatory newborn HIV testing approach proved to be ineffective, and the testing rates were much lower than expected, although they were better than the ‘opt-in’ testing method. (HIV testing among pregnant women, United States and Canada 1998 to 2001 2002)Today, with the governments across the world, especially in developed countries responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, women seem to be at the center of all the attention, and increasingly, global efforts at AIDS prevention seem to center on women, especially pregnant women who may transmit the dreaded AIDS virus to their unborn child, either before or after delivery. Most governments are taking advantage of the fact that medicines and drugs are available today, which would be able to effectively block the transmission of the virus to an infant, and these governments are using the drugs to make sure that the AIDS virus would not spread far and wide. One such government initiative is the ‘PMTCT Program’, or the ‘Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Program’.It must be stated here that although the benefits of this and other similar programs may be tremendous, it is very important that the government takes into consideration the experiences of a pregnant woman who lives with AIDS, and the trauma that she undergoes as a direct result. The government must also learn to adopt a human rights perspective when it deals with a pregnant woman, and issues that concern her privacy. As a matter of fact, several governments seem to have forgotten, state human rights personnel , about the woman with AIDS, so keen are they on the prevention of the transmission of AIDS to the unborn child.Herein lies the crux of the issue: if the woman were to be treated as a patient, who is suffering from a dreaded and fatal disease, who needs treatment for the disease, and who has human rights as an individual, then it would be infinitely easier to deal with the issue. In other words, if the governments were to respect the woman who is harboring the AIDS virus, and treat her with basic human dignity and respect, it would ensure that her unborn child who is the future citizen of the country, and the future of his family would be better served.When this is taken in light of the fact that women are three times as likely as men to develop HIV/AIDS, and that a woman is physiologically more susceptible than a man to developing the infection through vaginal intercourse, it would seem that according a woman the deference that she deserves would be the best approach to the problem . In certain under developed countries, women have been reported to say that when they were diagnosed with AIDS, they were asked to abort their unborn fetuses, as they supposedly ‘had no right to pass on the infection to their unborn baby’.   In such cases, it is evident that the feelings and the rights of the woman were not considered in any way, and this is by no means uncommon.Although PMTCT Programs have today gained in popularity, and it is being touted across the world as being the one surefire method to control AIDS, these programs do implicate a certain invasion of the privacy and dignity of the woman concerned, especially in countries where the woman is denied the right to give informed consent to HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, probably because of a lack of education, and she is also denied her right to confidentiality. When this is taken in context of the stigma associated with AIDS in several countries, it is obvious that the program must be refined and re stated, if it were to be a success.   (Pregnant woman living with HIV n.d)To conclude, it must be said that although mandatory testing for HIV/AIDS may be an excellent idea and that it would help prevent the transmission of the virus to a woman’s unborn child, the program must be implemented while keeping in mind the human rights, the right to confidentiality, and the basic human rights of the woman suffering form the disease. If this were to be done, then one can look forward to a world in which the awful HIV/AIDS virus would be eliminated, and the world would be a safe place once more.Works citedYovetich, Tasha â€Å"Making it mandatory, should HIV tests be required for pregnant women?† The Canadian Women’s Health Network (1999) 13 December 2007â€Å"The ACLU on HIV testing of pregnant women and newborns† HIV testing of pregnant women and newborns (2001) 13 December 2007â€Å"HIV testing among pregnant women, United States and Canada 1998 to 2001â₠¬  MMWR Weekly (2002) 13 December 2007â€Å"Pregnant woman living with HIV† Reproductive Right.org 13 December 2007 (n.d)

Do You Agree That Students Can Bring Hanphones to School or Not?

The relationship between teens and drugs has been around for decades; however, this is not what you would call positive. Substance abusing (which is using drugs or alcohol in ways than can cause physical harm) is often associated with crime. But why do youths take drugs† Youth take drugs for the following reasons: social disorganization, peer pressure, family factors, emotional, or rational choice. Social disorganization deals with drug abuse to poverty and disorganized urban environment. Drug use by youth minority group members has been tied to factors such as racial prejudice, low-esteem, social status, and stress produced from environment.The National Youth Survey found that drug use tends to be higher among urban youths. Peer pressure is the most well-known reason for teens to partake in substance abuse. Some may argue that teen drug abuse is highly correlated with the behavior of close friends especially when family supervision is weak. This relationship, in fact, is recip rocal: substance abusers seek out friends who engage in similar activities. Associating with drug abusers leads to increased levels of drug abuse. Another explanation is that drug users have a poor family life.Studies show that majority of drug users have had an unhappy childhood which included harsh punishment and parental neglect females and Caucasians who were abused as children are more likely to have alcohol and drug arrests as adults. Youths who learn that dugs provide pleasurable sensations may be most likely to experiment with illegal substances; a habit may develop if the user experience anxiety and fear. Other family factors associations with teen drug abuse include parental conflict over child-rearing, practices, failures, to set rules, and unrealistic demands followed by hard punishments.Low parental attachment, rejection, and excessive family conflict have all been linked to adolescent substance abuse. Psychodynamic explanations of substance abuse suggest that drugs hel p youths control or express unconscious needs thus come in taking drugs for emotional reasons. They may use drugs as an escape from real or imagined feelings of inferiority. Substance abuse is one of the many problems that begin early in life and remain throughout the life course. Youth who abuse drugs lack commitment to religious values, disdain education, and spend most of their time in peer activities.Rational choice is when they choose to drugs because they want to: some use them to get high, relax, improve creativity, or increase their sexual responsiveness. Most teens say â€Å"it's my life; I can do what I want. † However, some teens may use to this cover up the fact they do have problems or want to fit in. They don't want to be portrayed a follower rather than someone who can make their own decisions. The top two substances abuse is marijuana and alcohol; alcohol is the number one drug abused respectively.A survey from the Washington Post showcased that: out of 10, 61 6 8th graders: thirty-six percent had tried alcohol and thirteen percent admits to drinking regularly. Out of the 10, 484 seniors interviewed, seventy-two percent had tried and twenty-nine percent still use it. Fourteen percent of them sold drugs at one point while twenty-nine percent said they have came to school drunk or high. A direct relationship has been established between drug use and delinquency. Drug users may commit crimes to pay their habits. A study conducted in Miami found that 563 users annually committed more than 200, 000 crimes to obtain cash.Drug users may be more willing to take risks because of their inhibitions is lowered by substance abuse. Cities with high rates of cocaine are more likely to experience higher levels of armed robbery. Basically they are trying to say that teens who take drugs contributed greatly to the crime rate. With all the reasons for teen to take drugs like social disorganization, for example, I believe that the main reason is because of e motional problems and rational choice. I believe that drug abusers do contribute to the crime rate but not as much as they try to say it does.Studies have shown that the rates of teens that partake in drugs have dropped. Most teens drink and smoke with friends or alone. Some don't go out and commit crimes; they associate getting high as a regular part of hanging out with friends. With several programs like D. A. R. E. , the consequence of doing drugs is being spread out. I believe that's why most teens tend to smoke marijuana since the dangers aren't as high as cocaine and heroin users. However, some will do it out of rebellion and not recognize the link of their actions of today and the consequences they may have tomorrow.

Microeconomics and macroeconomics Essay

Microeconomics is the branch of economics which deals into a more ‘individual’ scope of the study, such as the choices made by people in terms of the utilization and allocation of resources as well as the pricing of goods and services. In addition, it includes taxes and the policies created by governments. This field of economics deals with supply and demand together with other factors that acts as determinants in identifying the price levels for particular companies in specific industries. This is exemplified by how microeconomics focus on a specific company’s potential to maximize its production as well as its capability to lower its prices to better compete in the particular industry that it belong to (Investopedia, n. p. ). On the other hand, macroeconomics deals with the behavior of the economy as a whole. Unlike microeconomics, it does not focus on specific companies but rather takes into account entire industries and economies. This field of economics studies phenomena that take place in a wide scope of the economy like the effects of Gross National Product (GDP) with unemployment, national income, rate growth as well as price levels. A good example is how macroeconomics measures the effects of the rise and fall of net exports in a country’s capital account and also how the unemployment rate affects the status of the GDP (Investopedia, n. p. ). Nevertheless, even though these two fields of economic are different from each other, they are actually interdependent. This is due to the fact that most of the issues that fall under each field overlap and thus, they compliment each other. Basically, microeconomics has a bottoms-up approach while macroeconomics has a top-down approach. Nonetheless, they should be understood and analyzed in order to fully comprehend how the economy works (Investopedia, n. p. ). Distinguish between positive and normative economics. Positive economics is responsible in providing a system of generalizations, which could be used to make accurate predictions regarding the effects of any variation in circumstances. It is free of any ethical position or normative judgments. Keynes further elaborated on this idea by saying that it deals with â€Å"what is â€Å"and not with â€Å"what ought to be† (Economist’s View, n. p. ). Being the case, positive economics is or can be an objective science because it is judged according to precision, scope, and conformity as well as with empirical evidences. Positive economics deals with the interrelations of human beings with each other as well as with the economy (Economist’s View, n. p. ). Normative economics, on the other hand, is different from positive economics because it takes into account subjectivity in its analysis. It deals with â€Å"what ought to be† rather than what is really happening because it is heavily dependent in value judgments and theoretical scenarios. Normative economics tend to represent opinion instead of an objective perspective. Moreover, normative economics could be valuable in establishing goals and new ideas. However, it should not be the basis for policy decisions (Investopedia, n. p. ). References â€Å"Milton Friedman: The Methodology of Positive Economics. † 26 November 2006. Economist’s View. 19 July 2008. . â€Å"Normative Economics. † 2008. Investopedia. 19 July 2008. . â€Å"What’s the difference between macroeconomics and microeconomics? † 2008. Investopedia. 19 July 2008. .

UWS property taxation and finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UWS property taxation and finance - Essay Example UWS property taxation and finance The Mirvac Property Trust has two development funding; Meadow Springs and Seascapes. The Meadow Springs Estate is a residential estate located around and within a championship golf course in Mandurah (Compton, 2000). The estate is located approximately seventy five kilometers south of the Perth Central Business District. Meadow Springs is serviced by the Mandurah railway and Perth, allowing an easy commute for the Perth workers. The area has various shops, stores, and supermarkets located within the area. Mandurah area features various recreational facilities like restaurants, cinema complex, walkways, and parks. Meadow Springs is therefore a residential development site valued at $15.8M. The Mirvac Development Fund for Seascapes is closed end, unlisted, single project fund. The investment strategy for the fund is maximizing the value of investors by offering returns the development and investment of subdivision project and quality land (Harriss, 2008). Seascapes are a residential co mmunity located in Mandurah located seventy five kilometers Perth South. The project is comprised of the development of forty eight hectare land with subunits approval for five hundred and fifty five residential Lots in addition to a Grouped Housing Site. Seascapes are extended to view the foreshore of the Indian Ocean and are celebrated by tourists and residents alike for its relaxed atmosphere, waterways, and beaches. The property type for Seascapes is a residential development site valued at $23.6M... WACC is important for the Mirvac Property Trust because it enables the company to maintain their relationship with investors and grow their revenues. Weighted Average Cost of Capital for Mirvac Property Trust is composed of both equity financing and debt according to Mirvac Property Trust optimal mix of financing equity and debt. Weighted Average Cost of Capital has enabled the Mirvac Property Trust to make decisions about the proposed projects (Harriss, 2003). The Mirvac Property Trust came up with the above figures by computing Weighted Average Cost of Capital using the formula Weighted Average Cost of Capital = wt*rt+wp*rp +ws*rr. Where wt is long-term debt, wp is preferred stock,ws is the common stock, rt is the long term debt cost, rp is the preferred stock cost, and rr is retained earnings stock. Therefore, the projects below the anticipated Weighted Average Cost of Capital are rejected, while those above Weighted Average Cost of Capital were chosen. The weights for Mirvac Prop erty Trust used both the historical and target proportions. The target proportions were the capital mix that the Mirvac Property Trust achieved. Internal Rate of Return The Mirvac Property Trust has a target unlevered ten years IRR Internal Rate of Return of more than 11 percent. This is because the Mirvac Property Trust maximizes the property security and income growth and maintains a portfolio that is diversified (Lindholm, 2004). Mirvac trust has also continued to raise the portfolio quality through the disposal of non-aligned asset above or at valuation. The trust has utilized the development division to come up with commercial assets that are of high