Abstract
This paper gives an in-depth evaluation of the controversy surrounding altering sentencing laws for armed robbery.Today, various members of society are seeking to increase the sentence for the offense of armed robbery. According to the paper, this is viewed as a means of providing a stronger deterrence to this crime. The paper further states that longer sentences may send a message to offenders that this type of crime will not be tolerated by the public. Armed robbery is a serious offense because of the various factors that can be present during the process of the criminal act, which may lead to the loss of life due to the presence of a weapon.

From the Paper
"The public, as well as political entities, are currently seeking to increase the sentencing for the offense of armed robbery. This recommendation is viewed as a means of providing a stronger deterrence to the crime of armed robbery, as well as provides the possibility of sending a message to offenders that this type of crime will not be tolerated throughout society. Armed robbery is considered a serious offense because of the various factors that can be present during the process of the criminal act, to include loss of life due to the presence of a weapon. While there may be changes requested to the sentencing in relation to..."

Tags:armed, robbery, criminal

Abstract
The paper first discusses how Wendy Martyna, in her article "Beyond the 'He/Man' Approach: The Case for Nonsexist Language," argues for change towards nonsexist language since sexist language and sexist attitudes are closely connected. The paper then contrasts this to Stefan Kanfer's argument in "Sispeak: A Misguided Attempt to Change History" that a society's language will not affect its sexist attitudes. The paper asserts that Kanfer's article demonstrates an author's unwillingness to address an issue seriously. The writer agrees with Martyna that humans' beliefs, traditions, and actions are so deeply rooted in language that they cannot be anything but be affected by it.

From the Paper
"A society's language is one of its most powerful distinctions. In language, a society's history and present are reflected. When the English language is considered, the language that still contains masculine nouns to describe all humans (mankind) or masculine pronouns to substitute people, men and women, it is difficult not to raise questions about English-speaking societies' attitudes towards gender and gender equity.
"The issue of sexism in language is addressed in two relatively dated articles, and the authors of these articles take opposing sides. One, Wendy Martyna, argues for change towards nonsexist language, while the other author, Stefan Kanfer, argues that changing the language is ludicrous, believing that a society's language will not affect its sexist attitudes if they are present."

Tags:society, attitudes, words

Abstract
This paper focuses on peer assisted learning strategies and how student attitudes affect performance in SLA. It critically evaluates five studies with a focus on how the research methodology might have been improved, what potential bias' researcher might have brought to the study, as well as the implications of the studies themselves. The articles are; "Negotiation for Meaning and Peer Assistance in Second Language Classrooms" by Pauline Foster and Amy Snyder-Ohta, "Impact of Classroom Dynamics on the Effectiveness of Recasts in Second Language Acquisition" by Frank Morris and Elaine Tarone, "Collaborative E-mail Exchange for Teaching Secondary ESL: A Case Study in Hong Kong" by Roseanne Greenfield, "Cooperation and Competition in a Korean Middle School English Class: A Case Study" by Lee Sung-Lim and "The Effects of Reciprocal Peer Tutoring on Graduate Student's Achievement, Test Anxiety, and Academic Self-Efficacy" by Bryan and Marlynn Griffin.

Outline
"Negotiation for Meaning and Peer Assistance in Second Language Classrooms"
"Impact of Classroom Dynamics on the Effectiveness of Recasts in Second Language Acquisition"
"Collaborative E-mail Exchange for Teaching Secondary ESL: A Case Study in Hong Kong"
"Cooperation and Competition in a Korean Middle School English Class: A Case Study"
"The Effects of Reciprocal Peer Tutoring on Graduate Student's Achievement, Test Anxiety, and Academic Self-Efficacy"
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Peer-assisted learning is an educational concept that has long been used to actively engage students in the knowledge acquisition process, and is known by a variety of names, such as collaborative learning, cooperative learning, collective learning, learning communities, peer teaching, peer learning, peer coaching, reciprocal learning, team learning, study circles, study groups, and work groups (adapted from Gross-Davis, 1993:http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html), which, though these terms are not interchangeable, share its most salient feature, peer-assisted knowledge acquisition, in contrast to individualistic study."

Tags:attitudes, circles, coaching, collaborative, collective, communities, cooperative, groups, peer, reciprocal, student, study, teaching, team, work

Abstract
The paper argues that the future of the English language promises to be an eventful one. The paper asserts that for instance, there is every possibility that the language will continue to divide and sub-divide in much the same way as the ancient Indo-European language of which it is a descendant divided and sub-divided over time. Further, the paper posits that one can reasonably expect to see the denotative and, especially, connotative meanings of words change as societal attitudes and perceptual paradigms change. Lastly, the paper proposes that as society evolves and new innovations muscle their way to the fore, new words and expressions will enter the lexicon - helped along by the fact that English has always been very good at borrowing from other languages when striving to find an apt descriptor for a new "thing" or phenomenon. In the end, the paper concludes that the English language will continue to grow more dynamic, larger, and will most likely continue to freely take from other languages.

Tags:future, english, language

Abstract
This paper discusses some of the issues and processes addressed in studies of second language acquisition. It looks at the changes that teaching a second language has undergone over time and what can be expected in the future. The paper describes the basic issues of how we learn a second language and how we might facilitate the process in the future.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Review of Literature
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Eckman, Highland, Lee, Mileham, and Weber (1995) point out that teaching of a second language has had different supports over the last few decades. It at first relied heavily on linguistic theory and on theories of learning, and in the 1960s and 1970s, teachers were trained in contrastive analysis and were often expected to write a contrastive analysis of a portion of the grammars of two languages, based on then-prevalent theories of language teaching. When the theoretical basis was shown to be inadequate, teaching based heavily on this model stopped. There was no concerted effort to evaluate the model. Teachers were then taught that repetition, drills, and memorization of dialogues were unnecessary."

Tags:learning, behaviorism, attitudes, conditioning

Abstract
The paper explains that culture is a learned system of beliefs that are personalized and that affect every aspect of a student's life. The paper further explains that culture is expressed through language, which is often particular to the societal group and requires a complete understanding of cultural values to comprehend. The paper shows how these two factors work hand-in-hand to shape the individual's learning and so concludes that both factors must be supported in the classroom.

From the Paper
"Culture impacts every child that enters the school system because culture impacts how the child thinks, learns and becomes socialized in the educational community. Because the influences of culture on children begin from the time of birth, the information that affects the child's development is significant and so is the potential for conflict to arise within the classroom. This is because the student has learned to value his or her cultural ideas, which often become completely separate from the social norms expected in schools. Therefore, how culture is embraced or denied in the classroom has the potential to have long term affects on the manner in which the student continues a relationship with learning."

Tags:socialization, communication, beliefs, values, experience, history, ideology

Abstract
This paper examines the 18th and early 19th century view of language in relation to the individual spirit or soul. The paper then relates references to duality to American pragmatism's arguments of the bifurcated self that is challenged by unfamiliar values or other 'threats' to the self.

From the Paper
"American pragmatism is said to have accepted a dual understanding of language and belief in that which tends to remain with the person through life, and explorations of one's particular nature through others. This paper investigates what two significant European philosophers had to comment on language in relation to the human soul, as can produce arguments in the present of human thought may or may not have reached a kind of termination, in terms of new directions, or have come to involve the individual's search for self understanding, alone. American pragmatism..."

Tags:herder, humboldt, language

Abstract
This paper describes and explains the theory of the language experience approach. The paper expresses the value of second language acquisition at a young age. The paper then examines the critical hypothesis theory and its relation to second language acquisition. Also discussed, is the importance of the environment in which one is learning a second language and the impact of the environment on learning a new language.

Table of Contents:
Language Experience Acquisition
Secondary Language Acquisition
The Age Differential in Secondary Language Acquisition
Critical Period Hypothesis
Environment of Secondary Language Acquisition
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The best age for the beginning of another foreign language has been a topic of much debate. Leading advocates of secondary language study contend that 'The younger the better' is the best time to begin the studying of secondary languages. This is due to the ease in which young children seem to pick up the new sounds and phrases. It is further recommended that the study being prior to the age of twelve, as in this way there are still a number of years remaining in their school tenure during which to study. However, there is a lower limit, as most elementary schools have found that teaching students a secondary language before the third or fourth grade, ages eight or nine, is not practical, as the primary grades must first focus upon basic skills of literacy in their primary language. (Hildreth 136) The topic has been further researched, with differing opinions in regards to the topic emerging, with those regarding the critical period of life during which a secondary language may be learned being of particular merit."

Tags:speech writing language immersion, oral communication, environment

Abstract
The learning of a second language is something that is most easily carried out in childhood, perhaps as part of elementary education as opposed to secondary school. This paper takes a mainly psychological approach in assessing why early language acquisition is desirable in a world which will increasingly value persons who are able to communicate in more than one medium.

Tags:language, acquisition

Abstract
This paper explains that "Thank You, Ma'm " by Langston Hughes (1902-1967) recalls the genre of 1950s television series in which virtually all young people, across all demographic distinctions, replied "yes sir" and "no ma'am" to adults. Next, the author cites passages in this story that demonstrate conversational tones between adolescents and adults, which were different than they are today. In conclusion, the author argues that this change represents an attitudinal and linguistic evolution, which is much more detrimental than beneficial to American social culture.

From the Paper
"In many ways, the attitude of respect that was common at the time is entirely extinct in contemporary social relations except in the most formal circumstances. In the past, adolescents deliberately used substantially different language to address adults than
the less polite terminology they may have used amongst themselves."

Tags:attitudes language values robbery, ordinary woman