Why America Bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki Essay Example for Free

Why America Bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki Essay It was during the Second World War that the USA dropped two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities of Japan. This caused a lot of destruction with its negative effects being felt up to date. Monuments have been erected on the places where the bombs hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hundreds of thousands of people died in these two cities following the dropping of weapons of mass destruction by the US following a directive from her president – Harry S. Truman. This was after Japan failed to agree to surrender during the war as was agreed in Potsdam where issuance of declaration was done to push Japan to give in to the war (Kennedy, Bailey, 99). Together with the then president of the China Republic and the United Kingdom Prime Minister, Truman came up with a document enumerating ‘terms of surrender’ to Japan upon which if it failed to adhere to would face the consequences. Japan on its part thought it was just a mere threat and therefore failed to surrender. This prompted the USA president to mobilize the bombing of the two cities. According to reports, the dropping of the first atomic bomb- ‘the little boy’ on Hiroshima was a ‘test’ of the capability of destruction. This though did not move Japan, a situation that led to the dropping of the second atomic bomb- ‘the fat man’ on Nagasaki killing and maiming an estimate of 35,000- 80,000 people, some instantly and others afterwards because of after- effects. War had been raging on across the pacific from 1939. Some Japanese cities had been bombed before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U. S.  A, which were spared but for just a while. This is because there was a stalemate between the two countries- Japan and the U. S. A. The US government was also prompted by the acts of Japanese military of attacking the Pearl Harbor. U. S. A decided therefore to force Japan to admit defeat in the war, an event that did not go well with Japan, thus resisting it. Japan’s worry was the inclusion of the words â€Å"Unconditional Surrender† in the pact issued by the U. S. A regarding ceasefire (Walker, 28). Without warning so as not to be prevented on its mission, U. S.  A decided to drop the bombs on Japan. This was on anticipation that because they were fighting for disarmament and dropping of use of nuclear weapons the process of forcing Japan to surrender would not succeed because of interjections by other parties to the war. Japan had waged war against the U. S. A following the Pacific war, a situation that led to many U. S. A citizens to lose their lives and property destroyed. These bombings were not an easy task to accomplish. On humanitarian grounds, using atomic bombs would cause much unwanted suffering and aggression. On moral grounds, it would be really wrong to do it as taking away human life is wrong considering that life is sacred. Though Japan was determined to make peace with the U. S. A, the only thing that hindered this decision was the words â€Å"Unconditional Surrender†. With calls for demonstration of the operation of the bombs to the Japanese civilians unheeded, the bombings were inevitable. Petitions for the withdrawal of the use of atomic bombs by the U. S on Japan were uncalled for and already too late as tests of the effective destruction by the bombs had already been conducted. At this point, nothing seemed to stop the inevitable bombing as the then president of the US (Truman) issued an order to use atomic bombs (Newman, 21). Hiroshima was a communication hub as well as a military center. Nagasaki was an industrial town and a port with plants to make military weapons giving the more reason they should be attacked, the purpose being to derail the Japanese militants. The scientist behind the making of the atomic bombs used on Japan regretted the use of these bombs. Driven by personal conviction and conscience, this scientist never wanted the use of the bombs at all on Japan. This implies that he foresaw the destruction the bombs would cause with regard to human life and humanity. The explanation given by President Truman on the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was that they were military bases and that he wished to avoid the bombing of women and children, reports indicate that over 95 % of those killed and maimed were civilians and not militants. US wanted to end and win the war, but Japan would not accept prompting dire measures to be taken upon it. Another reason given was to save Americans from the war and not only them but also Japanese as well. Resources also were being protected from further destruction. It is for certain that he USA took advantage of her technological advancement to attack Japan with the atomic bombs (Kennedy, Bailey, 101). This is because; it was the first time atomic bombs were being used, just shortly after their discovery. Following the demise of the American soldiers killed by Japanese military forces during the war, revenge seemed another driving factor to the bombing of the two cities. The decision by the USA militants to block entry of oil tankers and food entering the country of Japan could have propelled the Japanese to surrender. This is because it means that people could no live because of lack of food and no traveling as all running engines would be deprived of what is the most important-oil causing everything to go into disarray. More diplomatic tactics would be used as use of excessive force was unnecessary. Chances of arbitration or mediation were there, but US decided on the use of force. It might have been a revenge mission but which cost so many lives with claims of saving even more lives. It might be true the allegations, but where is the rationale behind the bombings considering that Japan had every indication of surrendering in the war? The US troops had largely won the war though a considerable number lost their lives, very little force therefore would be required to claim Japan’s adamancy to surrender. This would include just the normal warfare between militants. The fact that US was fighting back the attack of the pearl harbor did not give her reason to interfere with the internal organization of Japan as a country, it should have just left Japan to continue with its cultural practice of having an emperor and convincing the country’s citizens on the importance of having peace and maintaining it (Wainstock, 12). Forcing the country to abandon its practice which was known and practiced for many years meant resistance with an eminent danger of sparking unrelenting war. Instead of using force, it should have used reasoning and logic to convince the people of the country to refuse tyrannical kind of a rule. Therefore, even though the bombings act was widely acceptable by most of the Americans in solving the stalemate, it brought about gnawing memories to the people of Japan. The resultant situation can best be described as that of devastation and hopelessness to the victims.

Encryptions Essay Example for Free

Encryptions Essay In this report I have discussed that the encryption technology is necessary for citizens to protect their privacy and security when using computer networks. Otherwise, medical records, credit card numbers, trade secrets, as well as personal communications relayed over computer networks are not safe from prying eyes. Also I have presented an arguments in favor of encryption that it offers a method of denying access to adversaries, improves security by protecting against spoofing, offers a device for recovering costs plus imposing fees and protects private DGPS providers from government competition. Furthermore I have also explained some arguments against encryption that to put into practice it would potentially weaken U. S. leadership in GPS by encouraging international augmentations that lacked encryption, need a multifaceted key management infrastructure, need a major redesign and development endeavor, causing delays and escalating costs to the government, make innovative safety risks if the key management system failed, mainly in an emergency. Thus the transaction costs imposed by encryption would have to be balanced against the benefits expected. Introduction Encryption software enciphers data sent over computer networks, in order that merely people with special information for instance a secret key can read the plaintext of the message. The key is a string of numbers. The longer the string, the harder it is to break. In January 2000 the Department of Commerce announced new encryption export policy. Under the new system, U. S. companies may export any encryption product around the world to private-sector end users or commercial firms after a one-time technical review. Encryption products that the Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) determines fall into the category of â€Å"retail encryption commodities and software† can be exported to anyone. In determining which products fit the meaning, the BXA will think about the products function, sales volume, plus distribution methods. Publicly available source code may be exported with no technical review. The relaxation of export controls on products planned for e-commerce merchants, financial institutions, and others is a step in the right direction. However problems remain. First, the â€Å"publicly available† or â€Å"sales volume† tests doom U. S. companies to lag behind foreign cryptographers in offering innovative encryption products. No pioneer product is so far â€Å"publicly available† or has a large sales volume. The revised encryption rules therefore still permit foreign cryptographers to take the lead in developing new crypto products. Second, any encryption products have to be submitted for a technical review before release. This means that encryption will not be built into most mass-market products. For instance, it would make sense to construct an encryption option into a standard e-mail program. However, building encryption into an e-mail program would mean that the e-mail program could not be exported without a long, uncertain technical review. To stay away from the technical review, companies are probable to leave out the encryption function. Network security will carry on to suffer for the reason that encryption will not be built into mass-market products like e-mail or word processing programs. Third, the condition that encryption products be submitted for review before release violates the First Amendment. In April 2000 the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals established that encryption source code is speech protected by the First Amendment. The obligation that encryption products be reviewed prior to release is a â€Å"prior restraint† on speech. Those problems with encryption export controls are extensively recognized. The alternatives to the controls, though, have barely been examined, with the exception of â€Å"key escrow,† or â€Å"key recovery. † Mainly, it is wrong to bar anyone from using nonescrow encryption to communicate when he has done nothing wrong. Demands for obligatory key escrow constitute an unparalleled power grab on the part of law enforcement officials. The police have always had the right, restricted by the Fourth Amendment, to intercept private communications and read them, if they could. The police have never had the right to demand that people change the language in which they communicate to make themselves easier to understand. There are further alternatives to encryption regulations for law enforcement. They comprise increased use of informants and other surveillance technologies for instance the planting of physical bugs or devices such as Tempest, which allows law enforcement to read the screen of a computer through walls or doors. Encryption export controls must be lifted without qualification. GPS-related cryptographic A GPS-related cryptographic system can be used for two reasons: denial of the signal to unauthorized users, as well as protection of the message itself to, prevent alterations or the creation of a substitute message. The former makes a vital portion of the message unavailable to non-authorized users. In military schemes preservation of a one-sided advantage may be of interest; in a commercial setting the capability to eliminate nonpaying users is essential to collect revenue. Authenticating the message through use of an encrypted signature block that may both authenticate the sender of the message and confirm the contents is consistent with application in the civil government sector, where making sure integrity of the message is significant. In a DGPS context, encryption might be inserted at one of several points in the transmission of the signal to the user. Encryption may defend the uplink in a satellite relay, the original messages to the satellite, also the command functions on the satellite. Or encryption might protect the signature region of a message that points out its authenticity and the integrity of the main message payload. A third option might be to encrypt the complete message. Other variants comprise encrypting merely selective portions of the message. Throughout the hearing, there was disagreement over how multifaceted the key management infrastructure needed to be. The underlying policy question was how protected and dependable the encryption must be. As Dr. Denning put it, in any encryption, something must remain secret. (Bruce Schnier, 1994). For some proprietary algorithms, no keys need to be distributed, and this is generally adequate for commercial systems for instance cable TV and the DGPS providers. If an open algorithm is used, keys and a related key management system are required to gain international acceptance. The desired future of electronic, over-the-air rekeying is not yet here. In the case of military systems, both keys as well as classified algorithms are used. There are a number of technical approaches that might be taken to encrypting the signals for local- and wide-area DGPS applications using private-key and Public-key encryption schemes. A few schemes involve over-the-air rekeying devices to enable/disable the capability of specific units to receive messages. Other schemes involve comparatively simple authentication mechanisms that would not have to be tied to individual units and would depend on the capability to avert alteration or forging of a message. As one would think, trying to deny signals to end-users is an involved process from the point of view of managing keys and of keeping track of which unit belongs to which person or group. Nonetheless, if the goal is to permit control of the use of a signal rather than, say, prevention of reception of the signal by cutting of transmissions in a given area, then one is forced to these more elaborate schemes. (Simon Garfinkel, 1995) The objective of encryption must be decided before selecting a particular approach. If the main goal is authenticating the message and preventing false messages, there is no need to go to the expense and intricacy of a system that refutes the fundamental message by encrypting the entire message stream. If encrypting the stream in the future is desired, it may be appropriate to use a more complicated scheme as long as the possible future benefits are expected to offset related costs and possible opposition. The intricacy of denial-focused approaches plus the apparition of selectively controlling the signal will make incentives for alternative standards and systems outside of U. S. control.

Source Of Errors In Language Learning Research English Language Essay

Source Of Errors In Language Learning Research English Language Essay Introduction Errors are integral part of language acquisition. The phenomenon of error has long interested SLA researchers. In a traditional second language teaching situation, they are regarded as the linguistic phenomena deviant from the language rules and standard usages, reflecting learners deficiency in language competence and acquisition device. Many teachers simply correct individual errors as they occur, with little attempt to see patterns of errors or to seek causes in anything other than learner ignorance. Presently, however, with the development of linguistics, applied linguists, psychology and other relevant subjects, peoples attitude toward errors changed greatly. Instead of being problem to be overcome or evils to be eradicated, errors are believed to be evidence of the learners stages in their target language (TL) development. It is through analyzing learner errors that errors are elevated from the statue of undesirability to that of a guide to the inner working of the language lea rning process (Ellis, 1985,p 53) In the field of SLA, there have been three influential approaches to errors with a general movement from approaches emphasizing the product, the error itself, to approaches focusing on the underlying process under which the errors are made. The analysis of error sources has been regarded as a central aspect in the study of learner errors. Researchers believe that the clearer the understanding of the sources of learners errors, the better second language teachers will be able to detect the process of L2 learning. Error Making errors is the most natural thing in the world and it is evidently attached to the human beings. But, how do we define error? There are different definitions of the word as Ellis explains learners make errors in both comprehension and production, the first being rather scantly investigated. All learners make errors which have a different name according to the group committing the error. Childrens errors have been seen as transitional forms, the native speakers ones are called slips of the tongue and the second language errors are considered unwanted forms (George 1972). We use the term error to refer to a systematic deviation from a selected norm or set of norms. According to Lennon (1991) an error is a linguistic form or combination of forms which in the same context and under similar conditions of production would, in all likelihood, not be produced by the speakers native speakers counterparts. On one hand, it was considered to be a sign of inadequacy of the teaching techniques, something negative which must be avoided, and on the other hand it was seen as a natural result of the fact that since by nature we cant avoid making errors, we should accept the reality and try to deal with them. The error-as-progress conception is based on the Chomskys idea that a child generates language through innate universal structures. So, using this symbolic code, one can have access to different pieces of knowledge not as something mechanically learned but as mentally constructed through try and error. The idea is now that the second language learners form hypotheses about the rules to be formed in the target language and then test them out against input data and modify them accordingly. There is an approach which concerns error as being the result of social-cognitive interaction. This means that the error implicitly carries a social norm as well as cognitive process. The error also carries a social and cultural component which makes it different in different societies. Cultural differences in the error Previous research has shown that cultural differences exist in the susceptibility of making fundamental attribution error: people from individualistic cultures are prone to the error while people from collectivistic cultures commit less of it (Miller, 1984). It has been found that there is a differential attention to social factors between independent peoples and interdependent peoples in both social and nonsocial contexts: Masuda and his colleagues (2004) in their cartoon figure presentation experiment showed that Japaneses judgments on the target characters facial expression are more influenced by surrounding faces than those of the Americans; whereas Masuda and Nisbett (2001) concluded from their underwater scenes animated cartoon experiment that Americans are also more likely than Japanese participants to mark references to focal objects (i.e. fish) instead of contexts (i.e. rocks and plants). These discrepancies in the salience of different factors to people from different cultu res suggest that Asians tend to attribute behavior to situation while Westerners attribute the same behavior to the actor. Consistently, Morris Peng (1994) found from their fish behavior attribution experiment that more American than Chinese participants perceive the behavior (e.g. an individual fish swimming in front of a group of fish) as internally rather than externally caused. One explanation for this difference in attribution lies in the way people of different cultural orientation perceive themselves in the environment. Particularly, Markus and Kitayama (1991) mentioned how (individualistic) Westerners tend to see themselves as independent agents and therefore prone themselves to individual objects rather than contextual details. in the second language teaching/ learning process the error has always been regarded as one of the most generally known approaches concerning the error throughout human history is to consider it a negative effect or result, even worth to be punished. According to Corder (1967): A learners errors then, provide evidence of the system of the language that he is using. They are significant in three different ways: first to the teacher, in that they tell him is he undertakes a systematic analysis, how far towards the goal the learner has progressed. Second, they provide the researchers with evidence of how language is learned or acquired. Third they are indispensible to the learner himself because he can regard the making of errors as a device used in order to learn. The sources of error might be psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic, epistemic or residing in the discourse structures. Richards(1971),when trying to identify the causes of competence errors he came up with three types of errors: interference errors, which reflect the use of elements from one language to the other, intralingual errors, subdivided into errors due to overgeneralization, or to ignorance of rules restriction, which is incomplete application of the rules, or finally due to the false concept hypothesis, which demonstrate the general characteristics of rule learning and third developmental errors when the learner builds hypothesis about the target language based on limited experience. Assuming a term hierarchy of errors, Burt and Kiparasky (1974) suggest that there is a difference between global and local errors. They say: Global mistakes are those that violate rules involving the overall structure of a sentence, the relations among constituent clauses, or, in a simple sentence, the relations among major constituents. Local mistakes cause trouble in a particular constituent, or in clause of a complex sentence. They claim that global errors are more serious and rank higher in the error hierarchy than local ones, and they should be corrected prior to all others in language classrooms. Accordingly, errors in tense and aspect are regarded as local errors. They may be minor errors, for they may not cause grave breakdowns in communication. However, they are extremely common mistakes among second language learners of English and very much worth investigating since tense and aspect represent one of the most essential parts of English grammar. Corder (1967) goes a step further to propose different terminologies for these two kinds of errors and stresses that we must make a clear distinction between mistakes and errors; the former refers to non-systematic performance errors of chance circumstances, whereas the latter can be defined as the systematic errors of the learner from which we are able to reconstruct his knowledge of the language to date. In the following discussion, the analysis focuses on competence errors: There are two major approaches to analyzing errors committed by a target language learner. Contrastive Analysis (CA), Error Analysis (EA). Theoretical base of CA lies in Behaviorist Learning Theory; while the EA is closely related with the emergence of Interlanguage Theory (Ellis, 2005) Behaviorist learning theory accounts of errors: The behaviorist learning theory illustrates the TL learning is a mechanical process of habit formation. Habits entail over-learning, which ensures that learning of new habits as a result of proactive inhibition. Thus, the challenge facing the L2 learner is to overcome the interference of L1 habits. Basing on the habit formation, contrastive analysis sought to identify the features of the L2 that differed from those of the L1 so that learners could be helped to form the new habits of the L2 by practicing them intensively. Most errors made by L2 learners were the result of differences between L1 and L2 structure. (Martin 1996) Interference, the CA insists, is the result of unfamiliarity with the rules of a TL and psychological causes, such as inadequate learning (Swan, 2001). Transfer can be positive or negative: linguistic features of the L1 that are similar to those of the TL will facilitate learning (positive transfer); those aspects of the L1 that are different to the TL grammatical and phonological system will hinder SLA and cause the learner to make numerous production errors(negative transfer). Thus difference between the L1 and L2 create learning difficulty which results in errors, while the similarities between them facilitate rapid and easy learning (Ellis, 1985 cited Corder). According to behaviorist learning theory, both types of transfer are the outcome of automatic and subconscious use of old habits in new learning situations (Dulay, Burt Krashen) Rod Ellis (1985) assesses, errors, according to the theory, were the result of non-learning, rather than wrong learning. By comparing the L1 with TL, differences could be identified and used to predict areas of potential errors. The idea of the error as an effect to be avoided has been especially supported by behaviorism, being considered an obstacle to language learning. To them error has been a symptom of ineffective teaching or as evidence of failure and they believed that when they occur they are to be remedied by provision of correct forms; that is to say, use of intensive drilling and over-teaching. It was also believed that interference takes place whenever there is a difference between native mother tongue and the target language. A hypothesis based on Lados suggestion in linguistic across cultures where he states in comparison between native and foreign language lies the key to ease all difficulties in foreign language learning (Lado, 1957) 2. Interlanguage (IL) theory accounts of errors (i) Selinker (1972) coined the term interlanguage to refer to the systematic knowledge of an L2 which is independent of both these learners L1 and the target language. The term has come to be used with different but related meanings: To refer to the series of interlocking systems which characterize acquisition To refer to the system that is observed at a single stage of development To refer to particular L1, L2 combinations. Other terms that refer to the same basic idea are approximate system and transitional competence. (ii) Interlanguage is the type of language produced by second and foreign language learners who are in the process of learning a language, whose errors are caused by several different processes. These include: Borrowing patterns from the mother tongue. Extending patterns from the target language Expressing meanings using the words and grammar which are already known from Richards, Jack et al (1992). (iii)Interlanguage refers to the separateness of a second language learners system, a system that has a structurally intermediate status between the native and target language. Interlanguage is neither the system of target language nor the system of the native language, but instead falls between the two; it is a system based upon the best attempt of learners to provide order and structure to the linguistic stimuli surrounding them. By gradual process of trial and error and hypothesis testing, learners slowly and tediously succeed in establishing closer and closer approximations to the system used by native speakers of the language. (iv)Rod Ellis (2005, 54) views Error Analysis as being based on emergence of IL theory, that is known to be used to explain effectively the errors committed in SLA processes. Slinker (1972) tried to find a way to explain the errors that some students make, have nothing to do with their foreign language; for example a Spanish speaker, an Arabic speaker and a Japanese speaker might all make the same mistake in English which was not related to their respective languages. According to Slinker, L2 learners go through a process of making and testing hypotheses about the target language. They begin with knowledge about language in general, gained from their native language, and move toward the target language. Bit by bit, they readjust their mental model of the new language, improving their communicative competency in that language. Successful hypotheses become mental constructions that correspond to the rules of the new language. Brown(1993) viewed ,truly successful students make the journ ey to a high level of competency in the target language, while less successful students become fossilized somewhere along the IL continuum. For around 35 years Selinker has viewed learners errors as evidence of positive efforts by the learner to learn a new language. This view of language learning allowed for the possibilities of learners making deliberate attempts to control their own learning and, along with theories of cognitive processes in language learning. Errors are indispensable to learners since the making of errors can be regarded as a device the learner uses in order to learn. A modern definition of language transfer is provided by Slinker (1992): language transfer is best thought of as a cover term for a whole class of behaviors, processes and constraints, each of which has to do with CLI (Cross Linguistic Influence), the influence and use of prior linguistic knowledge, usually but exclusively native language knowledge. Selinker (1992) pointed two highly significant con tributions that Corder made: that the errors of a learner, whether adult or child, are not random, but are in fact systematic and are not negative or interfering in any way with learning a TL but are, on the contrary, a necessary positive factor, indicative of testing hypothesis. In 1994 Gass and Slinker defined errors as red flags that provide evidence of the learners knowledge of the second language. The learners developing knowledge of second language may have characteristics of the learners native language, characteristics of the second language, and some characteristics which seem to be very general and tend to occur in all or most interlanguage systems. Interlanguages are systematic, but they are also dynamic, continually evolving as learners receive more input and revise their hypotheses about the second language.L2 learners process through an interlanguage, which is an independent knowledge of L1 and L2 system. Interlanguage Is systematic, because the learner selects the rul es systematically, learners bases plans on the rule system, in the same way as the native speaker bases on the internalized knowledge of L1 system. (iv)One of the crucial contributions of IL was its underlying assumption that the learners knowledge is integrated and systematically reorganized with previous knowledge of the native language. By a gradual process of trial-and-error or hypothesis testing, learners slowly and tediously succeed in establishing closer approximations to the system used by the native speaker of the language. The characteristics of IL are described by many researchers as follows: Permeable, in the sense that rules that constitute the learners knowledge at any one stage are not fixed, but are open to amendment(Ellis1985:50) Dynamic, in the sense that L2 learner slowly revises their variable interim systems to accommodate new hypothesis about the TL system. Systematic, in that L2 learners IL is rule-governed, that is, the learner bases his performance plans on his existing rule system much the same way as the native speaker bases his plans on his internalized knowledge of the L1 system. The variable shape of interlanguage The concept of interlanguage has had a major impact on the field of second language acquisition, studies on interlanguage focus on the linguistic and psychological aspects of second language acquisition research. I will first outline how the interlanguage assumption developed .since the interlanguage concept is not only important for the development of the students grammar system; I will then explore how it applies to other components of language. I will also focus on the consequences of the concept for the teacher and his work in the classroom. Before the 1960s language was not considered to be a mental phenomenon. Like other forms of human behavior language is learnt by processes of habit formation. A child learns his mother tongue by imitating the sounds and patterns he hears around him. By approval or disapproval, adults reinforce the childs attempts and lead the efforts to the correct forms. Under the influence of cognitive linguists this explanation of first language acquisitio n was criticized. Language cant be verbal behavior only since children are able to produce an infinite number of utterances that have never heard before. This creativity is only possible because a child develops a system of rules. A large number of studies have shown that children actually do construct their own rule system, which develops gradually until it corresponds to the system of the adults. There is also evidence that they pass through similar stages acquiring grammatical rules. Through the influence of cognitive linguists and first language acquisition research the notion developed that second language learners, too, could be viewed as actively constructing rules from the data they encounter and that they gradually adapt these rules in the direction of the target language. However wrong and inappropriate learners own language system, they are grammatical in their own terms, since they are a product of the learners own language system. This system gradually develops toward t he rule-system of the target language. The various shapes of the learners language competence are called interlanguage. This draws to the fact that the learners language system is neither that of his mother tongue nor that of the second language, but contains elements of both. Therefore, errors need not be seen as signs of failure only, but as evidence of the learners developing system. While the behaviorist approach led to teaching methods which use drills and consider errors as signs of failure, the concept of interlanguage liberated language teaching and paved the way for communicative teaching methods. Since errors are considered a reflection of the students temporary language system and therefore a natural part of the learning process, teachers could now use teaching activities which did not call for constant supervision of the students language. Group work and pair work became suitable means for language learning. A brief review of approaches to analyses of errors Contrastive Analysis (CA) Contrastive analysis is an approach generated from behaviorist learning theory. Through CA applied linguists sought to use the formal distinctions between the learners first and second languages to predict errors. The basic concept behind CA was that a structural picture of any language could be constructed which might then be used in direct comparison with the structural picture of another language. Through a process of mapping one system onto another, similarities and differences could be identified. Identifying the differences would lead to a better understanding of the problems that a learner of the particular L2 would face. (Corder , 1983). CA stresses the influence of mother tongue in learning a second language in phonological, morphological, lexical and syntactic levels. It holds that L2 would be affected by L1. Here, language is taken as a set of habits and learning as the establishment of new habits, a view sprung from behaviorism, under which langu age is essentially a system of habits. In the course of language learning, L1 learning habits will be transferred into L2 learning habits. Therefore, in the case of L1 transfer into L2, if structures in the MT have their corresponding structures in the TL and L1 habits can be successfully used in the L2, learners would transfer similar properties successfully used in the L2, learners would transfer similar properties successfully and that would result in positive transfer. Contrastively, in the case of negative transfer or interference, certain elements of the MT have no corresponding counterparts in the TL, L1 habits would cause errors in the L2 and learners would transfer inappropriate properties of L1. CA places the environment as the predominant factor in SLA, while learners are believed to play only a passive role in accepting the impositions of the environment. We must not forget that there are numbers of errors made by language learners seem to be unrelated to the learners na tive language. According to SLA researchers non-interference errors were more pervasive in learner performance than CA were ready to recognize. Dulay and Burt (1973) studied the errors made by Spanish-speaking children learning English as an L2 and claimed that all of the learners errors had collected, 85% were developmental (non-interference), 12% were unique and only 3% were results of L1 interference. Primary tenets of CA are: Prime cause of difficulty and error in foreign language learning is interference coming from the learners native language. Difficulties are chiefly due to differences between the two languages The greater the difference s, the more acute the learning difficulties will be The results of a comparison between the two languages are needed to predict th e difficulties and errors which will occur in learning the target language What needs to be taught is discovered by comparing the languages and subtracting what is common to them. (Corder, 1981) 3. Error analysis (EA) It is defined as the study of linguistics ignorance, the investigation of what people do not know and how they attempt to cope with their ignorance, by James (2001).Error analysis was first introduced by Fries (1945) and Lado (1957) who have claimed that foreign or second language learners errors could be predicted on the basis of the differences between the learners native and second languages. They have also suggested that where the aspects of the target language are similar to those of the learners native language, learning will be easy; otherwise, it will be difficult and second language learners are expected to make errors .The field of error analysis in SLA was established in the 1970s by S. P. Corder and colleagues. A widely-available survey can be found in chapter 8 of Brown (2000). Error analysis was an alternative to contrastive analysis, an approach influenced by behaviorism through which applied linguists sought to use the formal distinctions between the learners first an d second languages to predict errors. Error analysis showed that contrastive analysis was unable to predict a great majority of errors, although its more valuable aspects have been incorporated into the study of language transfer. A key finding of error analysis has been that many learner errors are produced by learners making faulty inferences about the rules of the new language. This is the examination of those errors committed by students in both the spoken and written medium. Corder, who has contributed enormously to EA, writes this: The study of error is part of the investigation of the process of language learning. In this respect it resembles methodologically the study of the acquisition of the mother tongue. It provides us with a picture of the linguistic development of a learner and may give us indications as the learning process. Error analysts distinguish between errors, which are systematic, and mistakes, which are not. Corder(1967) made use of Chomskys the competence versus performance distinction by associating errors with failures in competence and mistakes with failures in performance. In his view, a mistake occurs as the results of processing limitations rather than lack of competence. It signifies L2 learners failure of utilizing their knowledge of a TL rule. They often seek to develop a typology of errors. Error can be classified according to basic type: omissive, additive, substitutive or related to word order. They can be classified by how apparent they are: overt errors such as I angry are obvious even out of context, whereas covert errors are evident only in context. Closely related to this is the classification according to domain, the breadth of context which the analyst must examine, and extent, the breadth of the utterance which must be changed in order to fix the error. Errors may also be cl assified according to the level of language: phonological errors, vocabulary or lexical errors, syntactic errors, and so on. They may be assessed according to the degree to which they interfere with communication: global errors make an utterance difficult to understand, while local errors do not. In the above example, I angry would be a local error, since the meaning is apparent. From the beginning, error analysis was beset with methodological problems. In particular, the above typologies are problematic: from linguistic data alone, it is often impossible to reliably determine what kind of error a learner is making. Also, error analysis can deal effectively only with learner production (speaking and writing) and not with learner reception (listening and reading). Furthermore, it cannot account for learner use of communicative strategies such as avoidance, in which learners simply do not use a form with which they are uncomfortable. For these reasons, although error analysis is still used to investigate specific questions in SLA, the quest for an overarching theory of learner errors has largely been abandoned. In the mid-1970s, Corder and others moved on to a more wide-ranging approach to learner language, known as interlanguage. Error analysis is closely related to the study of error treatment in language teaching. Today, the study of errors is particularly relevant for focus on form teaching methodology. EA emphasizes on the significance of errors in learners IL system, Brown (1994) may be, carried out directly for pedagogic purposes. Carl James (1998) viewed, EA developed out of the belief that errors indicate the learners stage of language learning and acquisition.th learner is seen as an active participant in the development of hypotheses regarding the rules of the target language just as a young child learning the first language. Errors are considered to be evidence of the learners strategy as he or she builds competence in the target language. These errors are defined as global which inhibit understanding and local which do not interfere with communication. Error analysis has been criticized as being an inefficient tool for studying the way second language learners develop their target language. It is argued that error analysis deals with the learners productive competence rather than the receptive one, and it is also an imperfect instrument for categorizing errors and explaining them. In the book Error and Interlanguage written by Pit Corder, he stated that various classifications of these error systems have been developed by error analysis researchers, three of which can be helpful for the teacher and are as follows. Pre-systematic; errors occur before the language learner has realized any system for classifying items being learned; the learner can neither correct nor explain this type of error. Systematic; errors occur after the learner has noticed a system and error consistently occurs; learner can explain but not correct the error. This classification relies on three major groups: (1) interference errors; (2) intralingual errors; (3)development errors. Interference errors are caused by the influence of the native language, in presumably those areas where the languages differ markedly. Intralingual errors originate with the structure to TL itself. The complexity of language encourages over-generalization, incomplete application of rules, and the failure to learn conditions for rule application. Development errors reflect the students attempt to make hypotheses about the language from the native language. Post-systematic; errors occur when learner is consistent in his or her recognition of systems; can explain and correct the error. The following steps are distinguished in conducting an EA: collection of a sample of learner language; identification of errors; explanation of errors; error evaluation (Ellis cited in 2005) Richards (1971) focused on the intralingual and developmental errors observed in the acquisition of English as a second language and further classified them into four categories: (i) Overgeneralization; covering instances where the learners create a deviant structure on the basis of his experience of other structure of the TL. (ii)Ignorance of the rule restriction, occurring as a result of failure to observe the restrictions or existing structures (iii) Incomplete application of rules, arising when the learners fail to fully develop a certain structure required to produce acceptable sentences (iv) False concepts hypothesized, deriving from faulty comprehension of distinctions in the TL. from the analyses of errors to the practice of error correction We know that in traditional classroom instruction is laid on accuracy, errors frequently corrected because the teacher thinks the error as a thorn in his/her flesh. Yet with the understanding of IL theory, the role of error correction has changed. Errors are considered natural products in language learning and in fact reflect the modes of learners developing system. What are the sources and causes of Errors? The following factors are identified as the source and causes of Errors Mother tongue interference Wilkins (1972) observes: When learning a foreign language an individual already knows his mother tongue, and it is this which he attempts to transfer. The transfer may prove to be justified because the structure of the two languages is similar-in that case we get positive transfer or facilitation- or may prove unjustified because the structure of the two languages are different- in that case we get negative transfer- or interference. Loan Words

Being The One Who Cares: A Good Teacher Essay -- essays research paper

Being The One Who Cares: A Good Teacher   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to be a good teacher I feel that one needs to be open and understanding of different events that might take place in the classroom. Students today are not treated the same as they were during the beginning of education and we have a variety of students which attend our public schools. There are girls, blacks, whites, Hispanic, and Native Americans and a number of other different races participating in our classroom studies. This is a wonderful accomplishment in our society. The variety of backgrounds which are found in the classrooms gives our young students a better understanding of different races and nationalities. However, with growth there are always problems. Because there are students from different backgrounds, we must cater to all their needs. There may be students in our classroom with completely different religious beliefs or no beliefs at all. Teachers must understand each student and their personal beliefs to make their learning environment comfortable. Every aspect of our society has changed, we live in a more promiscuous society. Our children are having children. We as teachers must educate our student to the deadly effects of unprotected sex. I feel as teachers earn tenure, they are more likely to effect the students in a more personably manner. Having a stable and open classroom, I feel the students will learn more and be a respected citizen in our society. In this project I will discuss, prayer in the classroom, AIDS and tenure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prayer in school is a controversial issue that must be considered and dealt with as quickly as possible. All people should feel free to worship and have loyalties to whichever religion they choose. If no religion is chosen, then the feelings of the person should be considered as will. Everyone has an opinion on this subject, but everyones opinion should not become an issue. Rather, the opinion should be offered in order to be accepted or rejected by the individual. I feel that a time should be set aside during the day to allow for mediation or introspection. This time could be used by the students for thinking, prayer, meditation or for private reflection. Therefore, those who choose to participate can do so privately. Since it is a quiet time, no religion is stressed, so whichever seems to be more importa... ...find out that the students which I have taught remembered me for the excellent job I have done.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel that the student teacher relationship is an important relationship. If the student respects the teacher they will receive the best education possible. If the communication is lost, some students may stray from the classroom activities and loose the sense of the nature of a good student.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If the teacher is a veteran teacher then the students are more likely to come to them regarding any problem. It may be a problem with their studies, a problem with another teacher, or even a domestic problem. Whatever it may be, we as teachers should act In Loco Parentis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can relate to the problems in today's classroom. I feel its important for respected teachers to earn tenure, not only for themselves but for the students as well. Familiar teachers become the students friends, and topics such as sex, AIDS, teenage pregnancy and religion might not be so difficult to discuss. We need personal discussion in our classroom. What goes on inside the classroom directly affect what will happen inside the classroom.

beziehung zwischen deutschland und england :: essays research papers

England ein Land voller Traditionen Trotz allen Beharrens auf liebgewonnenen Traditionen, die manchmal in unseren Augen etwas skurril anmuten – zum Beispiel, dass der Speaker of the House of Commons, der Prà ¤sident des britischen Unterhauses, vor jeder Parlamentssitzung mit einer Handvoll seiner Mitarbeiter im Gleichschritt im Parlamentsgebà ¤ude einen ganz bestimmten, festgelegten Weg nehmen muss, um zu seinem Arbeitsplatz zu kommen, und dass sein Kommen dabei jedes Mal umstà ¤ndlich angekà ¼ndigt wird, wo doch jeder weiß, wann morgens die Plenarsitzung beginnt – also obwohl Tradition immer noch hoch im Kurs steht: Großbritannien ist sehr viel moderner als frà ¼her. Eine neue Generation hat in allen Bereichen, von der Politik à ¼ber die Wirtschaft bis zur Publizistik, den Stab à ¼bernommen. Das ist unverkennbar. Und das hat natà ¼rlich auch Auswirkungen auf das deutsch-britische Verhà ¤ltnis. Schon vor à ¼ber hundert Jahren schrieb Lord Salisbury an Bismarck: "Zwischen keinen zwei L à ¤ndern sollte die Verstà ¤ndigung so gut sein wie zwischen den unsrigen". Und tatsà ¤chlich: Die politischen Beziehungen zwischen Deutschland und dem Vereinigten Kà ¶nigreich sind nun schon à ¼ber mehreren Generationen hinweg stabil gut. Es gibt einen regen Austausch zwischen den Regierungschefs, aber auch auf den niedrigeren Regierungsebenen und zwischen den Parlamenten. Und wie eng unsere Gesellschaften gerade im Bereich der Wirtschaft miteinander verbunden sind, braucht man sicher nicht besonders hervorzuheben. Deutschland ist nach den USA fà ¼r Großbritannien der wichtigste Handelspartner, und bei uns kommt Großbritannien nach Frankreich und den USA auch gleich an dritter Stelle. Es findet also auch hier ein reger Austausch statt. Und dennoch drà ¤ngt sich, trotz der guten politischen und wirtschaftlichen Beziehungen, oft der Eindruck auf, dass Deutschland und Großbritannien im Grunde ferne Nachbarn sind. Zurecht ist von einem gescheiten Beobachter gesagt worden, dass es eine "Illusion der Vertrautheit" in unseren Beziehungen gebe. Hier spielt der Generationswechsel eine Rolle, aber keineswegs nur eine positive. So paradox es klingen mag im Zeichen von Internet und weltweiter Kommunikation: Die Grà ¼ndergenerationen seit Beginn der 50er Jahre wussten in mancherlei Hinsicht wahrscheinlich mehr voneinander als die heutige Generation. So geht die Zahl der jungen Menschen, die in Großbritannien Deutsch lernen – wie insgesamt die Zahl derer, die eine Fremdsprache lernen – seit Jahren immer mehr zurà ¼ck. Inzwischen legen nur noch etwa 1 % der Oberschà ¼ler eine ihrer A-Level Prà ¼fungen – in etwa mit unserem Abitur vergleichbar - im Fach Deutsch ab. Entsprechend wenige studieren anschließend Deutsch, und entsprechend ist auch auf britischer Seite das ohnehin eher bescheidene Interesse an Schà ¼leraustauschprogrammen mit Deutschland zurà ¼ckgegangen.

Representations of Gothic Power in Karl Freunds Mad Love :: essays research papers

Representations of Gothic Power in Karl Freund’s Mad Love (1935)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Karl Freund’s 1935 film, Mad Love, many themes of Gothicism are addressed, such as the dichotomy of science and supernaturalism, the romance of suffering and the intrigue of insanity. However, one particular theme—power through means of superiority—is addressed in thorough detail. In defining this power, Freund specifically utilizes the motifs of sadism, helplessness, and human destruction. Dr. Gogol embodies these motifs as he attempts to win the love of Yvonne, not through courtship, but rather through the use of his self-assigned superiority. In staying true to the history of Gothic art, Dr. Gogol overestimates his supremacy, and ultimately loses his life as the victim of his own destruction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sadism, the most persistent aspect of power in the film, has been a significant feature of Gothic literature and art. As stated by the American critic Mark Edmundson, â€Å"you cannot have Gothic without a cruel hero-villain; without a cringing victim; and without a terrible place†¦in which the drama can unfold† (Davenport-Hines, 8). This description of sadism is witnessed in the character of Dr. Gogol, the only person capable of both saving and destroying the heroine, Yvonne Orlac. As the film opens, the audience is presented with an overt depiction of Dr. Gogol’s incessant passion for Yvonne in the Theater of Horrors. As Yvonne is being brutally tortured on the stage, Dr. Gogol watches intently from his private box, partially obscured by the dark curtain. This initial representation cues the audience to identify Dr. Gogol as a particularly sinister individual. After the play ends and Dr. Gogol is recognized as a regular attendee of the theater , it becomes clear that this performance and its leading actress constitute Dr. Gogol’s infatuation with sadistic pleasures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Stephen Orlac loses his hands, Dr. Gogol realizes his position of power over Yvonne. As such, he personally indulges in sadistic behavior by secretly transplanting the murderer’s hands onto Stephen’s body, and once realizing the dangerous potential of the new hands, he does nothing to stop it. Rather, he manically rejoices in his creation and eventually exploits his medical position by framing Stephen for murder. Not only is Dr. Gogol pleased with the destruction he has caused, he appears to also be aroused after admitting to himself that he has killed Stephen’s father. This overwhelming presence of sadism in Dr. Gogol’s obsession with Yvonne is employed not simply to win her love, but to exert an inescapable power over her.

How the media has affected the youth Essay

What is body image? It is the subjective picture or mental image of one’s own body. People view their bodies differently that’s what makes an individual to have his or her own unique style of dressing. People pick up different styles from different places some have a negative impact while others positive. Body image includes: It takes time for some one to come up with an image that can be spotted a mile away by anybody. Some points to note are how we look at our bodies visually, the feeling we get from our physical appearance, the sense of how others view our body image and how much we are connected to our bodies. Why body image is important? A simple explanation as to why body image is a priority to people is because they want to look presentable and admirable to the rest. Women spend hours in the mirror trying to figure out the best way to dress or apply make up. They end up wasting a lot of time trying to fix themselves unlike men who some of them do not own even a mirror in the house. If some one has a poor body image this can adversely affect the person leading to an increase in weight and no control loss of control of their bodies. This low self esteem have driven many to look for options so as to boost their body confidence. Some opt to do dieting, exercising lot, laxative abuse, vomiting, smoking and use of steroids in order to control weight/body  which is dangerous and leads to negative body image. A quote may can relate with â€Å"There is always a vicious circle here: the more a person focuses on his or her body, the worse a person tends to feel about how he or she looks-obsession leads to discontent†. The human body thrives through compliments from different people this makes a person feel satisfied with the way they look. Negative compliments tend to make some one feel depressed and feel unwanted by the people surrounding them. Good comments about a person’s body image fuel their inner beauty and how they look at the world in general. A lady wants to be told she look amazing every now and then so that she can feel powerful which triggers her mind that she has control of her body entirely. But if a lady receives bad comments relating to how she looks her mind is set that no one likes her and she not worth looking at this is what leads people to do plastic surgery and the recent trend which is bleaching. How to develop a body image? When growing up body image was never an issue because our parents dressed us the way they knew best. Some times a child could wear all colors at the same time that prompted criticism from the friends. At a certain age that’s when a person starts to develop his or her own style. The most common was by watching how other people were dressing and how they looked with a hairstyle or shoes that defined their identity. The people around us mostly our friends help to develop our body image, conversations about clothes, looks and attractiveness provide a context for paying attention to interpreting appearance related information. Friends are very important in body image development because of the sheer amount of time involved, the value of friendships and the way in which  friends create shared norms and expectations about appearance. The Media This is the most powerful tool that has contributed significantly. This is through the various forms of media in the society for example Magazines, Internet (social media platforms available), Television and Radio. Many youth look up to different celebrity figures mostly in the entertainment industry the musicians and movie actors/actresses. I carried out a study to see to what extent the celebrities affect a person image and the results were astonishing. A lady from Nairobi who chose to be anonymous said that she looks up to Vera Sidika who is a famous socialite in Kenya who has earned her money through strutting her body. The lady claimed that anything Vera wears is what she will wear just to look like her. I asked her about if she was going to bleach her skin because her mentor has already done that. The reply I got was surprising â€Å"I have already booked an appointment to with a specialist so that I can get it done†, she said. â€Å"Do you know the reppurcations that are there for bleaching your skin?† I asked her. â€Å"I don’t care as long as I look like Vera Sidika its fine by me furthermore its my life and I can live it the way I want†, she said. This shows that many people are been lead a stray to do extreme and crazy things so that they can fit in the society and in the limelight whereby they must look cool. This is one of the negative effects of the media in establishing a person’s body image. Another negative effect is the modes of dressing most Kenyan ladies are donning skimpy dresses so as to impress and attract the opposite sex. This is causing a lot of noise from the Kenyan men who are saying the women are out to get them. The women seem not to be relenting and they even wear skin tights that reveal all the curves on their body. It might seem fashionable but our ancestors  turn on their graves by the sight of these ladies who claim to be trendy. The negative effects heavily outweigh the positive effects of the media but there are good contributions to the society. The media enables us to get new information about many things. There are programmes on television that talk about the healthy living styles, how to control/check your weight, better eating habits and dangers of using extreme methods to boost ones body image. A young man who I got the chance to socialize with said that his idol was Kanye West a United States rapper who is always on the limelight for wearing ‘man skirts’. Many have copied the trend and have started wearing these types of clothes ignoring the social effects it will have on them. Their only main concern is to look cool in the wears. Here is further explanation on the effects caused by different types of media platforms: 1. Television Our minds are made in a way that we are attracted to colorful and extraordinary things. The television is a powerful device that can build or destroy a person’s image. When celebrities wear any type of cloth it instantly becomes a fashion trend and everybody wants to dress like so and so. For example if a famous singer wears a piece of sack of gumboots on a hot sunny day the youth will emulate that style instantly. Before the television revolutionized people live the youth of the early days used to dress appropriately barely showing their thighs or cleavage. It is considered fashionable to wear the latest designer clothes and a certain style, if you don’t you are considered a fashion outcast who doesn’t have any taste plus lacks the hype of being cool. 2. Magazine Publications have a firm grip on the minds of the youth, which made them like  zombies following things blindly without asking questions. Ladies do to the extreme of cutting faces of models in the magazine and replacing them with their pictures so that they can feel good about themselves. This does not improve ones self esteem one bit but instead creates a cloud of belief that can be blown away by a single negative comment from some one. You find the youth have a number of style magazines that they consult before wearing anything or choosing a particular hairstyle. The youth tend to forget that we were all born differently with unique qualities that no one else has making us stand out to the rest of the world. 3. Internet This is the domain that has constantly dictated how we live our lives and will continue doing so as long as the world is becoming more and more technological. This is a platform where you can find anything you search for example how to bleach ones skin, the best way to seduce a man through the mode of dressing and the latest fashion trends among other many more sites people visit. The main contributor to the widespread use of the Internet is the easy access to the youth and its simplicity to maneuver it. Recommendation: Ways to boost a person’s body. Some ways in which a person can boost his or her appearance is by blocking out all that is advertised or shown in the television or messages from the radio. Another way is to stay off the scale it is not a good attitude to always climb on a weighing scale every time to feel good about your body image. Have a positive attitude of telling yourself â€Å"I feel good†. Realize that you cannot change your body type and appreciate and accept your genetic inheritance. Avoid as much as possible comparing yourself with others, you are physiology unique because you can able to sense your body’s needs and abilities and research show that too much comparing leads to a  negative body image. Move and enjoy your body which makes it feel at peace, strong, and energized plus involving yourself in activities such as swimming, dancing and biking so as to have control of your body. The other recommendation is to reduce the amount of time spent in looking at the mirror everyday because the more you spend lots of time in front of the mirror this charges the negative body image. Spending time with people who have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies is another sure way to boost your body image. This goes a long way to nurturing your inner self, which builds up self-esteem for both men and women. Conclusion: A person’s image can only be affected if he or she pays attention to the media and all that is trending. Feeling good about one self is the only key and ammunition one needs to survive in this world of discouragers by focusing on their own image development without minding what other people say. We were all born wonderfully with God’s image and it is not right to corrupt our images through chemicals or plastic surgeries to look like some one else on earth.