Abstract In this article, the writer notes that the entire world is undergoing a major change with the increase in globalization and becoming a flat enterprise. The writer also discusses that it will be pertinent for future generations to know more than one language to succeed in their careers, regardless of what these occupations may be. In addition, the writer maintains that the U.S. is far behind other countries in terms of knowing other languages. The writer concludes that for the U.S. to remain a successful economically competitive country, it will have to promote more language acquisition among children.
From the Paper "Over the years, as scholars attempted to define bilingualism, different theories were suggested. For example, in order to conceptualize linguistic organization in bilinguals, in 1953 Weinreich made a distinction between compound and coordinate bilingualism. The compound bilingual had one semantic system and two language codes, and the coordinate bilingual had two semantic systems, and two language codes. Compound bilinguals acquire their languages in a joint context and are thought to store linguistic information interdependently. Coordinates instead acquire their languages in separate contexts and are considered to maintain independent linguistic stores. However, this concept was later negated, because semantic systems often overlap and actually sometimes converge. Today, people do not see the difference so much as distinct semantic systems as they do separate cultures."
This paper looks at how understanding the social and political context of the time of Samuel Beckett's play "Endgame" enhances the significance of the play's meaning.
Abstract The paper examines how the play "Endgame" is related to reality and discusses how it is haunted by the prospect of universal death. The paper looks at how "Endgame" is a play on language and shows how, ultimately, the play is a manifestation of the social and political context of the time.
From the Paper "Samuel Beckett's theatre is widely assumed as a no-man's-land, a place at the end of the world, devoid of any humanity. The impression we are left with at the end of his plays is that of a timeless theatre, showing an essential and absolute humanity, which is hardly prone to historical upheavals, or even to historical variations. This is also true of Endgame, Beckett's third play, first written in French and performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1957. The play is haunted by the prospect of universal death. Indeed, Beckett imprisons his characters in a room which might be the only place on earth to house human life."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that Jennifer M. Wilson, the narrator of A.L. Kennedy's 'So I am Glad', has decided to become a voice. The writer discusses that 'So I am Glad' is a romance, but not one of a common type. Besides being an impossible spiritual and sensual journey, it reveals itself as a complex postmodernist work of meta-fiction. The writer notes that Kennedy offers to her readers a meditation on the very power of writing and looks at how it brings her narrator Jennifer from indifference to passionate and compassionate love and self-discovery. The writer of this essay discusses that despite Kennedy's refusal to be pinned down to any literary 'philosophy', the richness of the novel appears to be a perfect example of showing the place that the reader takes in literature in general and, in particular, in relation with the text and its author. Thus, the text being an end in itself from a postmodernist eye, the author shows how independent the reader exists towards the literary text. However, since the text is a medium between the author and its reader, one is drawn to ask whether the author creates the reader or whether the reader is, indeed, another performer of the text.
From the Paper "Jennifer's possessive claim of these very specific moments of inviolability or privacy intensifies the text's self-referentiality, and Jennifer's self-consciousness of being a writer. This almost constant interaction between the intended reader and the text, with the reader entirely created out of the writer's mind, allows us to show the extent to which the reader is present, not only in the writer's mind, but also in the literary text itself. The text, at least in these instances, is what produces the reader. The reader is included within the text and, to some extent, is part of the narrative.
"Since Kennedy's novel So I am Glad is a metafictional work, disclosing to its reader the keys of its own artificial construction, its own textuality, it allows us, through a postmodernist reading of the text, to understand how the writer-text-reader relationship works."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that rhetoric has come to mean the spoken word, in particular those words spoken by politicians. The writer then discusses that a review of the history of rhetoric reveals that rhetoric is quite different from popular definitions. This paper reviews and critiques what classical scholars and philosophers like Cicero, Plato and Aristotle believed about rhetoric. Their view that rhetoric, ethics and philosophy are interrelated is also presented in this paper, along with the New Rhetoric and instructions on how to properly engage in formal communication, which is also an important aspect of rhetoric.
Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
From the Paper "The bigger picture of rhetoric is nothing like the political polemics that play out during campaigns for president. Rhetoric is speaking and writing, hopefully intelligent dialogue or speech making and worthy written narrative. Rhetoric is also a way of healing what hurts inside the heart and the spirit.
"To wit, Payne's points are appropriate because everyone on the planet, no matter what language they speak, no matter the culture or continent, can understand failure. What many individuals do not understand, however, is how to use rhetoric effectively to dig out of the hole created by the failure."
Abstract This research paper discusses a study to identify best practices for the effective delivery of educational services to English literacy learning students using a family literacy program approach. The paper comments that the challenges of educating students who do not speak a societal language are enormous and that educating such students is not just a question of teaching English: It is rather a question of providing large numbers of students with access to the curriculum at the same time that they are learning English. The paper uses a five-chapter format to discuss questions related to the topic with the fifth chapter providing a summary of the research, salient conclusions and recommendations.
Outline:
Introduction
Review of Literature
Design of the Study
Summary And Recapitulation Of Main Themes
From the Paper "The day when a third of America was plagued by apartheid is long gone of course, and "white-only" waiting rooms and drinking fountains are a nasty thing of the past. Today, a black man and a white woman are candidates for the presidency of the United States, and it is clear that although much remains to be done, much has been accomplished in the last five decades to advance the rights of women and African Americans. In fact, there may come a day when blacks and white find themselves at a distinct disadvantage because of shifting demographic patterns in the U.S., and sharing a common language and a common - albeit shameful in some cases -- legacy will bring them closer together in the face of these multicultural trends. Even together, though, blacks and whites may be faced with a new United States in the mid-20th century where Spanish is the predominate language in a majority of the states of the union, and they will be seeking out family literacy programs to help them survive in this new environment just as ELL learners are doing today. Given these trends, it is clearly in the best interests of an increasingly polyglot nation to ensure that everyone can communicate, and the English-only initiatives springing up across the country will not solve the problem. What is needed is a more informed view of the problem by mainstream Americans, particularly since they or their children may well find themselves in the ELL predicament sooner than they might think. All in all, family literacy programs were shown to just be good business. These programs provide an enormous return on their investment, and because the investment is in the nation's future, they are also the right thing to do today to help ensure the viability of a different America in the coming years."
Abstract The paper states that every discipline has its own vocabulary of jargon that assigns general terms like "technology" and "quality" its own specific, contextual definition, depending on the needs. The paper then relates that one of the difficulties of discussing how to improve healthcare may be that economists and healthcare providers speak a different language, or at least attach a series of different meanings to terms such as "technology" and "quality." The paper then reviews the differences between the meanings attached to the same word within different professional contexts in order to understand unspoken and unrecognized tensions.
From the Paper "In economics, the benefits of technology are gauged not so much in terms of their benefits to the consumer (the recipient of the service) but to the producer. For example, an improvement in economics can enable a producer to produce the same amount of a good or service more cheaply, enabling him or her to make a greater profit off of the same items ("Supply determinants," 2008, Amosweb). This can make the life of the consumer better by allowing the consumer to buy more goods at a lower price, but not necessarily. The producer, if demand is high enough, may simply pocket the profit, pass the profit to shareholders, or invest it into research and development of new, profitable products. The aim of technology is to meet consumer desires better to increase profits, even if the technology is of questionable health or lifestyle benefit to the consumer."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that speech and language difficulties accompany a number of diseases of the central nervous system in adults. The writer points out that sometimes the speech difficulty might be the reason for seeking medical help, or it might be one of many factors that cause a person to seek medical attention. Speech difficulties might arise simultaneously with other symptoms, or they might arise at a different time. A myriad of problems fall under the category of speech and language difficulties. The writer discusses symptoms that range from slurred speech, slow speech and other problems that make it difficult to be understood to more serious difficulties, including a total loss of ability to speak at all. The writer looks at related causes, treatment and therapies. The writer maintains that regardless of the severity of the speech or language difficulty, or its cause, these problems make life difficult for patients and their caregivers.
Outline:
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Speech and Language Therapy in CNS Diseases
Role of the Speech Pathologist
Treatment
From the Paper "Parkinson's Disease is a dysfunction of the neurotransmitters between the nerve cells. Parkinson's disease destroys brain cells, resulting in a shortage of dopamine. The first signs of Parkinson's are typically subtle, such as softer or slower speech. As the disease progresses, tremors begin, which eventually worsen until hey cause considerable difficulty performing everyday tasks. Treatments to replace dopamine can help to slow the disease.
"Brain injuries are typically not listed under the category of disease. However, they are included in this research because they can cause certain forms of neurological dysfunction that can have an effect of speech and language."
Abstract This paper discusses language as a verbal communication code. The paper describes language as a labyrinthine set of variables governing the communication process. It looks at some of the theories of language and the areas of language that they focus on. The paper also discusses the different uses of language in different cultures from an anthropological point of view.
From the Paper "As the primary means of social discourse, language is at once universal and parochial. Surviving without language would be akin to living off of berries and nuts; it is possible but not desirable. Human beings are social creatures and language is a staple of interpersonal relationships, the glue that holds friends, families, and societies together. Even individuals who cannot rely on verbal communication like the hearing impaired have languages. Their languages use gestures instead of words but they are still languages with components like vocabulary, structure, synonymy, and semantics. Taking language for granted is easy until we encounter those who cannot communicate. For instance, autistic individuals or persons with aphasia due to stroke become visibly frustrated from their inability to capitalize on language. Unable to feed off of the building block of human communication, being language impaired is like being malnourished. I seek, through a continual enrichment of my vocabulary and awareness of linguistic form and structure, to nourish myself with language."
Abstract This paper explains that, in Hawaii, researchers have been able to follow speakers of Pidgin, Standard English (HE)and Hawaiian Creole English (SE) within the same community. The author points out that the use of HCE has caused significant concern within educational settings. The Hawaiian Board of Education mandated that SE must be the only method of communication between students and staff in all school settings because educators believed that HCE use was associated with low academic achievement, low socioeconomic status and a negative community stereotype. The paper stresses that, within Hawaiian society, it is reasonable to believe that SE is not superior to Hawaiian but rather a more logical choice in that SE is easier to understand by persons outside of the community and more effective in terms of intelligibility.
From the Paper "Hawaiian students were to be encouraged to become primarily fluent in Standard English. This belief was that fluency and subsequent improvement in academic achievement would allow students greater opportunities in education and in life. Teachers were to encourage the speaking of SE in the classroom and model such speaking for their students. Because no provisions were made to support teachers and their students, the board's action essentially maintained the status quo."
Abstract The paper discusses the manner in which language changes when it comes into contact with a different language. The paper relates that this change is frequently thought of as both a necessary function of transition as well as a corruption of both languages. The paper then relates that in the U.S. there is a language phenomena surrounding the amalgamation of Spanish and English, known as Spanglish, in which vocabulary from the two languages are melded together to help native Spanish speakers to be understood by others. The paper then discusses the origins and applications of this phenomena which is present in many largely Hispanic communities all over the United States.
From the Paper "Ardila also points out that Spanglish is not a true amalgamation but a manner in which English actually influences the Spanish that is spoken. In a sense the way it is described by Ardila would leave one to believe that it is truly a corruption of the Spanish rather than the English language. Many speakers utilize English forms, not just vocabulary to express him or herself among a broader community of secondary English speakers. The phenomena may be specific to the community, where members speak a respectable form of Spanish at home and speak Spanglish to be understood by the broader community. Either way, the speaker is rarely understood well by a classical Spanish speaker, with little if any knowledge of English, as form changes dramatically enough to create conflict in usage and understanding. (60-61) Similarly, Ardila contends that Spanglish might well be best understood as a very far reaching Spanish dialect, as it is barely understood by those in a Spanish speaking culture and rarely at all by a completely English speaking culture."
Abstract This paper explains that there are strong similarities between Asian philosophies, such as Daoism and Buddhism, and their views on language, specifically how it shapes thoughts and world views. The paper then discusses the influence of language on and in the human mind to help provide a better understanding of basic Daoist and Buddhist principles.
From the Paper "Another example of this is seen in the difference between English and some of the Romance languages with respect to some of the most common words. The prime example is the use of two verbs in these languages to convey different meanings of "to be." In English, she is a teacher, he is short, she is nice, he is sick, and she is sad. In Spanish, though, ella es una professora, el es bajo, ella es simpatico, el esta enferma, and ella esta triste. A differentiation between permanent and temporary states makes these languages more subtle and precise than English."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that the city of Pittsburgh has long been known as a 'steel' tough city filled with a variety of individuals who are as rough and coarse as the city itself. The writer points out that this perception of Pittsburgh and its inhabitants began to change in the early 1980s with the decline of the steel production for which the city was famous. Pittsburgh, from the time of the Civil War until those early 1980s, was a city filled with steel mills and other factories whose sole purpose was to provide America and the world with the steel it needed to fuel unprecedented growth. The writer then looks at the dialect that developed in Pittsburgh. The writer discusses that with competition and a decline in the need for steel, Pittsburgh had to transform itself from a city of steel mills to a city that provides (primarily) services such as healthcare and medical expertise.
From the Paper "Another important factor in this continued use of Pittsburghese is the media's use of the same words and pronunciations. Many of the immigrants were poor and uneducated and easily fell into the same patterns of language usage as those around them, both at work and at home. Many of them were unable to read, but importantly, they wanted more for their children and because of the available work, they were able to provide the children with the opportunity to become educated. Because the media continued to use the same phrases as they had used earlier, even the now educated offspring spoke in the same manner."
Abstract This paper provides a commentary that demonstrates an awareness of the impact of both written and spoken English in real world contexts. It initially identifies and discusses some of the aspects of written English in a specific piece of text, followed by a more general discussion of some of the features that relate to spoken English. The paper appends the article discussed.
Contents:
Introduction
Appendix 1 - Written Text extracted from www.nufc.com
From the Paper "Thornbury (1997) gives six features (purpose, content, status, style, grammar, lexis and layout) which should be considered in relation to genre and I will cover some of these aspects due to the word limit restriction.
"The purpose is to give a factual account of events from the fans perspective. It is structured so that the 'headline' for the article is the result from the game, which is common in this genre. It is attention grabbing and appeals to everyone with an interest in that particular game. It is organised in such a way that there is a background to the current situation of the team first, followed by a chronological account of the main events throughout the match. In this genre, there is time for reflection and redrafting therefore the text is mainly composed of long, grammatically complex and accurate sentences. This is because the sentences are mostly comprised of at least one main or independent clause that can stand by itself as a grammatically viable simple sentence and one subordinate or dependent clause."
Abstract The paper outlines research that will demonstrate the need to analyze existing data and formulate new research on foreign language retention, why it occurs on a post-secondary level and what obstacles contribute to increased or reduced retention in foreign language programs. The paper first reviews the literature and discusses the methodology to be used. The paper then shows that if the system becomes more open to communication style teaching through collaboration and other learning/teaching styles, and technology in learning is adaptive and appropriate, the post-secondary foreign language academy will likely improve retention and retain diversity. The paper highlights the need for mor research in this area of foreign language study in post-secondary systems.
Outline:
Introduction
Statement of Problem
Review of Literature
Methodology
Conclusion
From the Paper "As the culture in which we live becomes increasingly diverse and highly focused on globalization, concepts of foreign language teaching and learning at all levels of education become much more important. (Gerwin & Osborn, 2002, p. 80) (Whitt, Edison, Pascarella, Terenzini & Nora, 2001, p. 172) Yet, statistics of enrolment and success in post-secondary foreign language education do not seem to play out this growing necessity. "In recent years, the language-instruction profession has seen alarming declines in enrollment in languages other than Spanish .... " (Moser, 2001, p. 3) Creating systems that promote retention of individuals in foreign language learning programs at the post-secondary level is therefore crucial to the development of educators and individuals who are fully prepared for a multi-lingual community and work environment."
Abstract The paper discusses language change and presents the reasons for change. The paper states that literature offers one of the most important ways in which new perceptions are expressed. The paper gives examples of how political power, British culture, post colonial writers and untranslated words had an influence on the change in the English language. The paper comments that using these methods of taking English and changing it into a language that reflects the post colonial experience is one of the ways that the English language is changing.
From the Paper "Another method of replacing language is when the author uses untranslated words in their work. Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin explain that this method is a widely used device that conveys a sense of cultural distinctiveness. It is used both to distinguish between cultural differences but is also important when trying to interpret cultural concepts (63). Jamaica Kincaid uses this method in her story "Girl." She leaves a number of words such as benna and doukona untranslated (564). Deciding to not translate the words for the English speaking reader is a purposeful act, it forces the reader to feel out of the loop and uncomfortable, the way that many postcolonial writers are made to feel when writing in English."
Tags: perfectly, translate, stilted, narrative, fixed, meaning
