More Than Seven Hundred Years Ago, When The Students Of La Sorbonne At

More than seven hundred years ago, when the students of la Sorbonne attended a debating session, those young men from different European countries were speaking in Latin, a then dominant language of the educated. Now at the dawn of a new millenium, we are here exchanging our respective views on the impact of English a language which is now playing an even larger and much more important role than Latin did in the Middle Ages. With its dominance in almost all the domains of this modern society, English is spoken and learned by people all around the globe, albeit their different nationalities, races, religions and ages. Here Id like to tell you something interesting concerning my father. My father is 60 years old and will soon retire. When he was in university some forty years ago, he took Russia as his foreign language. So his English knowledge is virtually limited to merely 26 letters. However, one evening last year, I found that when I sat before the television watching CCTV Internationals English program World Wide Watch, father joined me. Puzzled, I asked him, Daddy, you dont know English, do you No, I dont. But Im thinking about learning it. Whats the use of learning English at your age I bantered. Well, I hate to be embarrassed when a foreigner should come up to me on the street and ask me about the way to Sheraton Suzhou, he said, with a half joking of it. Well, I dont know whether father has ever been embarrassed in such a situation, but I can understand his worries. In fact, in this ever more intimately connected international community, no one can afford to ignore the importance of English, this world standard language, not except my father. I also dont know whether father can ever learn a bit English after his retirement; to tell the truth, Im not so optimistic about it. However, I do know why father should take fancy to this lingua franca. Thats because he firmly believes that, China, being confronted with a general process of globalization, which is bringing world cultures in ever-closer union, can introduce itself to the outside world by means of this world standard language. According to fathers interpretation, English is not merely a foreign language utilized by his young daughter to gain a competitive edge in this challenging world. Rather it is a medium, which renders people an opportunity never experienced by our forefathers to communicate more effectively, to understand each other much deeper, and hence to live more harmoniously together. That is exactly what father expects me, a young woman determined to live a life blessed with the far-reaching benefits of multiple cultures in the 21st century, to cherish forever!

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter,and Spring Essays

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter,and Spring Essays Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter,and Spring Essay Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter,and Spring Essay This is the main drama of the movie and is what most of the movie revolves around. Finally the last point that I want to stress was the Eightfold path and how it explains in what ways the perfect Buddhist should be. It is shown throughout the entire movie and unfolds along with the movie. Going through I want to explore each of these concepts and dive deeper into their meanings and grasp a better understanding while connecting every point with the movie Spring, Summer, Fall, , and Spring. Winter . In the Spring portion of the movie It shows the student as a young child. He Is even the freedom to roam around as he pleases around halls house and In the forest surrounding his home. One day he goes out to play In the forest not knowing that he is being watched by his teacher. In good humor the small boy ties a string attached with a rock around a fish, and then a frog, and finally a snake, making it highly difficult for any of them to move around. The master observes this behavior, however does not make his presence known. Some time later, the master ties a large stone to the back of the child while he is sleeping one night in order to teach him the harm of hat he had done to the animals. Palling says of the Buddhist precept that we have to behave with friendliness, understanding, and loving-kindness towards ourselves, other people, animals, and even plants and the planet we live on (21). In order to behave with friendliness, we have to understand what that entails. The boy was too young to grasp this understanding of friendliness, thus making his master teach him by doing to him what he had done to the animals. In summer of the movie the young child has much progressed from a young boy to a young man. He has lived in isolation from what it appears to be his whole life, just him and his master. A young woman, whom appears to be about his age, is very ill and comes to their house to get well. She stays with them for quite some time and the student tries very hard, however he cannot overcome his temptations. At first every time he had a sexual thought he immediately caught himself and would go pray to the Buddha. Unfortunately though after awhile the temptations become stronger as with his curiosity and one day is overcome with his emotions. Besides he fact that he is giving In to his cravings, he Is also giving less time and thought Into his religious day to day activities. Buddhism does not view the Idea of sex Itself as bad, however what It can become Is what they are against (Palling 25). Buddhist Instead encourage their followers to drop all forms of slavery or burden and discourage giving into and over indulging into temptations (Palling 25). The young man was not In trouble Tort Dealing Involved In a sexual act, want was Drowned upon was the idea that he was sneaking around and not performing his duties because of t. He was no longer able to control himself or his emotions, he acted as if he needed that craving and that is the weakness that is not excepted. Throughout the movie it was hard not to notice the elements that made up the Noble Eightfold Path which consists of perfect vision, perfect emotion, perfect speech, perfect action, perfect livelihood, perfect effort, perfect awareness, and perfect Ashamed (concentration) are crucial at the last scenes of the movie (Palling 50). The young boy that we observed in the beginning of the movie has now completely ransomed into an older man that has gone through life and has made a terrible mistake; murder. He has now returned, after serving time in Jail, to where he grew up to discover his master long gone and his house abandoned. Out of respect he performs a ritual to put his masters soul at rest, and the gets started on what he went there to do. He took out his masters old robes and started to practice Buddhism rituals, reading, writing, and yoga. After a long while of training and much Ashamed, concentration, he starts the great task of putting his past behind him. At his point in the movie is where all of the Noble Eightfold Path ideals are shown. As he puts on his robes and carries a statue of the Buddha with a large stone tied to his back, to symbolize the weight of his past, he makes the tremendous Journey up to the mountain peaks to place the ever watching Buddha on the top of the mountain facing his house. This was a very pivotal moment in the movie showing all of the Noble Eightfold Path ideals but it also showed that he was no longer a student anymore but a person that had made a change and that was ready to move on with his life and become a teacher. In conclusion,

Overcoming Speaking Anxiety When Speaking French

Overcoming Speaking Anxiety When Speaking French Shyness apart, if you feel nervous when speaking French, its probably due to a lack of confidence in your skills: you dont feel you have the grammar, vocabulary, and/or pronunciation needed in order to express yourself. The obvious solution is to improve your French, and this site is filled with resources to help you do just that. Beyond lessons and learning, however, there are other ways to increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French. We All Make Mistakes First of all, you should know that most people are forgiving of mistakes in their native language.* Think about it - when a non-native speaker addresses you in English, are you really thinking what a dummy, his sentence is all out of order, and thats the wrong verb, and the less said about his pronunciation the better? Or do you try to meet him halfway, ignoring or perhaps mentally correcting mistakes in order to understand what he is working so hard to say? For most of us, its the latter, because we appreciate the effort people make to communicate. In my experience, the French much prefer that you speak to them in broken French, rather than being asked to speak to you in broken English - because theyre just as anxious about their English! So dont let fear of how you speak French stop you. Prepare Yourself If youre going to ask a question or buy a train ticket, think about what you want to say and how to say it before your turn comes. Try to anticipate what questions you might be asked and what additional information might be needed. Talk About Yourself Whether youre interested in current events, wine, or traveling around Alsace, read about those topics and make a list of the words and phrases that crop up repeatedly. And if you find that youre regularly getting pulled into discussions about tennis or movies, try to learn some of that vocabulary too. Practice Every Chance You Get Speaking French is like playing the piano or making bread - the more you do it, the more comfortable it feels and the easier it gets. Join the Alliance franà §aise, take a class, or place a classified ad to find someone to chat with regularly, even if s/he isnt fluent or native, but just another nervous French speaker like you. Even introverts can make friends - and have to if you are serious about improving your French. As you practice, youll gradually feel more comfortable and confident. Just Do It Finally, just try to relax, have fun, and remember why youre learning French in the first place. Its all about communication, so get out there and speak!

Culinary history of Georgia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Culinary history of Georgia - Essay Example a Christian nation, Georgia has historically looked more often to the West-so much so that the capital city of Tiflis (Tbilisi) was once known as the Paris of the Caucasus. Lying athwart the major trade routes between East and West, Tiflis maintained a grand caravanserai where merchants could stable their animals, store their wares, and themselves find shelter. Thanks to its agriculture riches and long tradition of hospitality, Georgia was an object of desire for many outsiders, not all of whom were good guests. (â€Å"A Culinary Crossroads† 11) Georgian cuisine is not only influenced by Middle Eastern and European but it also influenced different neighboring and invading nations. According to Plotkin and Gregory, Georgia and Armenia contributed to the Russian cuisine, for instance, chickpeas and pine nuts including dishes such as grilled lamb shashlyk, stuffed grapes leave dolmas and nut pastry, baklava (13). The Georgians date the beginnings of their culture to the sixth century BCE.The ancient Greeks established colonies along the Blank Sea coast in a region they called Colchis.In 66 BCE, when the Roman general Pompey invaded and brought the area under Roman rule, Greek control came to an end, but the outposts in Colchis remained important links in the trade route to Persia†¦By the early Middle Ages Tiflis had become a major stopover on the medieval trade routes, a midpoint between Moslem East and Christian West. (Goldstein â€Å"A Culinary Crossroads† 11) Until nineteenth century, there was no concept of tea in Georgia; it became a major crop in Russian era. It is quite a recent phenomenon as there are no tea consumption traces in history. Georgians prefer Turkish coffee over tea and cups of strong coffee with a glass of cold water are a common sight in cafes (Goldstein â€Å"The Georgian Feast† 6). Tbilisi itself founded in the fifth century when, according to legend, King Vakhtang Gorgaslani, on a hunt near the Kura River, killed a pheasant, which he

Conflict Between Research and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conflict Between Research and Ethics - Essay Example These are countered though by the Nuremberg Code, the Declaration of Helsinki and the acts of the American and other medical associations. The world has been beset and besieged by various viruses and ailments that up to now remedies and cures are not yet available despite medical interventions and researches. While scientists have yet to find a cure for cancer and AIDS, mutated and virulent strains of viruses have cropped up to claim numerous lives while helpless governments watch in desperation as their citizens fall prey to these esoteric diseases. In 1918, Swine Flu made its ghastly entrance in Fort Riley, USA and immediately worked to wipe out half a million people. It reappeared in Russia in 1933 and in 1976 went back to USA to annihilate more people. Medical researchers frenetically worked to find an immunization remedy for this and vaccinated by government edict, some 40 million Americans. But to their horror, a new strain of disease was generated as a side effect which caused serious neurological disorders. This was named Guillain-Barre Syndrome and victimized 1098 people, 25 of whom died (Orr,2007,pp.21,23). R esulting to manifold lawsuits, this was one case where medical research floundered. Meantime, the swine flu made its presence felt again in Mexico in April 2009 and in a new mutated form which is called A(H1N1) and quickly spread to 30 countries infecting 12,515 people, 91 of which succumbed to death (Reuters, http://http://h1n1virus.us). In most of these cases, governments, in their desire to contain the disease, forcibly vaccinate those afflicted with the antiviral drug Tamiflu or Relenza which medical researchers had come up with to fight the mutated swine flu disease (Reuters, http://h1n1virus.us). Other virulent viruses that made medical researchers work against time to halt them before they bring down more people were the Asian Flu which originated in China in 1957 and killed some 70,000 Americans and 2 million people globally (Orr,2007,p.21); the Ebola Virus which internal and external hemorrhagic symptoms were truly frightening but which was contained only within Zaire and Sudan where it wiped out 400 people (Williams & Wilkins,2008,p.1010); the Avian flu in 1997; SARS in 2003(Friedlander,2009,pp.111-7) and HIV/AIDS virus, first identified in 1981 but which up to now continues to rage and has already killed 2.1 million people while infecting 33.2 million people worldwide (UNAIDS,WHO,2007). The Role of Modern Medical Research Hereinabove, it is clear that medical research has to be maximized in order to save lives from all these virulent strains of viruses that threaten to wipe out humanity from the face of the earth. Only the efforts of medical researchers can save humanity from a life-threatening devastation of the magnitude of bubonic plague which once wiped out of existence 1/3 of Europe or 25 million people from 1346-50 alone. The pioneering efforts of medical researchers to discover drugs such as streptomycin, gentamicin, tetracyclines and chloramphenicol in order to put to stoppage the havoc of devastation inflicted by The Black Death all over the world from 542 to 1950, was

Dyslexia Dyspraxia And Dyscalculia

Dyslexia Dyspraxia And Dyscalculia A specific Learning difficulty is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner. Usually this is caused by an unknown factor. The unknown factor is the disorder that affects the brains ability to receive and process information. People with a learning disability have trouble undertaking specific types of tasks if they are not supported or if the task is not differentiated in order for them to complete the simplified version. A child with a specific learning difficulty is as able as any other child, except in one or two areas of their learning. For instance, they may find it difficult to recognise letters, or to cope with numbers or reading. There are many different types of specific learning difficulties, but the best known and publicised is dyslexia. With dyslexia, the child has difficulty with spelling and reading. It may be difficult for parents and teachers to realise that a child has this sort of problem, especially if their development has progressed without concern in their early years education. Often, the child will appear to understand, have good ideas, and join in activities, as well as other children and in some instances better than others. Sometimes it can take years for adults to realise that a child has a specific difficulty. Dyslexia The British Psychological Society (1999) has given a broad definition of Dyslexia: Dyslexia is evident when accurate and fluent word reading and/or spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty. This focuses on literacy learning at the word level and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities. It provides the basis for a staged process of assessment through teaching Dyslexia is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell in their subject language. There are many persisting factors in dyslexia, which can appear from an early age. They will still be noticeable when the dyslexic child leaves school; these include good and bad days for no apparent reason in relation to their attitude and behaviour, short-term memory loss and sequencing, organisation and spoken language skills. It is thought that the reason people with dyslexia have problems with phonological processing is that some areas, their brain functions in a different way than people without the condition. There are number of different theories about the causes of Dyslexia which all tend to support each other. The main point is that it is a genetic condition that changes how the brain deals with information, and that it is passed on through families. Dyslexia is thought to be a genetic condition which means it runs in families. It is estimated that if you have dyslexia there is 40%-60% likelihood that your child will also develop the condition. There are different strategies used for teaching children with dyslexia. For example if you are at a secondary school in a science lab using diagrams it would be easier to label the equipment that is for use, so the students can use this information when writing up laboratory reports. Using computers for a dyslexic child is advantageous as it would be easier for them to type the work rather than writing the work on paper. To support a dyslexic child you need to make sure that messages and day to day classroom activities are written down, and never sent verbally. Also a daily check list for the pupil to refer to each evening would encourage a daily routine to help develop the childs own self-esteem and responsibilities and also encourage good organisational skills by the use of folders and dividers to keep work easily accessible and in an orderly fashion. Tasks need to be simplified down into small easily remembered pieces of information and if visual memory is poor, copying must be k ept to a minimum as notes or handouts are far more useful. Another way of supporting the condition of the child is to sit the child fairly near the class teacher so that the teacher is available to help if necessary so that any support required is not to a minimum. A structured reading scheme that involves repetition and introduces new words slowly is extremely important. This allows the child to develop confidence and self esteem when reading. If there is one or two dyslexics in the class, a short list of structure-based words for their weekly spelling test, will be far more helpful than random words. Three or four irregular words can be included each week to challenge the child and eventually this should be seen to improve their spelling and writing skills. Dyspraxia Dyspraxia is a specific learning difficulty that affects the brains ability to plan sequences of movement. It is thought to be connected to the way that the brain develops, and can affect the planning of what to do and how to do it. It is often associated with problems of perception, language and thought. Dyspraxia is often described as a hidden problem, because children with the condition appear no different to those who dont have it. Up to ten per cent of the population may show symptoms of dyspraxia, with around two per cent being severely affected. Males are four times more likely to be affected than females. Dyspraxia sometimes runs in families. (BBC website 2008) Students who have the learning difficulty dyspraxia will experience difficulties in gross motor skills meaning poor performance in sport, general clumsiness, poor balance, and difficulties in learning skills involving coordination of body parts, e.g. riding a bike or swimming. Also manual and practical tasks like using computer keyboards and mice will prove difficult, along with measuring accurately, slow or poor handwriting, messy presentation of work and problems with craft-work and cookery. During the early formative years, a child suffering from dyspraxia may have difficulty learning to walk, run, and jump. Walking up and down a flight of stairs and dressing up will not be an easy task for them. Developing the ability to speak and communicate effectively is very slow for these children. When the child attends school, mathematics and writing stories are often very difficult. Poor handwriting is among the most prevalent signs of dyspraxia. Other common symptoms include, short attention span, disorganisation, inability to tie shoelaces, tendency to avoid games in PE, and sluggishness in dressing themselves up. During their adult years, routine tasks become very difficult for them to perform. Driving, riding bicycles, personal grooming, and certain household chores are a cause for constant struggle. Dyspraxia sufferers walk in a clumsy manner and encounter problems with sports, especially those that involve the usage of bats. They often avoid work or things that are hard for them to do. Strategies for teaching children with dyspraxia is as follows for handwriting-using pencil grips for better control with the pencil, writing on lined paper so they can write in straight lines and also using stencils. Difficulties with dressing themselves a suggestion for this is to wear loose-fit easy on easy off clothing with Velcro fastenings for shoes. For Difficulties for walking in straight line and bumping into people, balance or wobble boards need to be provided. If a child is unable to remember or follow instructions you need to get the attention of the child before giving instructions, provide time to process the information to the child and use activities, demonstrations and pictures to get the message across. To raise and develop their Social skills you need to use techniques in order to explain the social rules and expected behaviour as a dyspraxia child finds it difficult to concentrate so a distraction free learning environment is essential. A Dyspraxia child has been used to failure repeatedly every effort must be made to raise their self-esteem. It is imperative that you use every opportunity to praise the child in order to raise their self-esteem. This will make the child feel better about themselves they are more likely to relax and learn. This is the obvious situation to strive towards making progress in their learning. It is important to remember that they have difficulty in absorbing information during lessons so allowing them extra time, teaching in small bursts, allowing opportunities to rest is very important and You will be able to tell when each the child requires a rest. However, this will change from day to day and from child to child. Ensure that the child has understood what is being taught, repeat if needed. Check that the student is not falling behind because they cannot copy from the blackboard, Teach on a one to one level, with few distractions, when appropriate. If there is a learning support worker available, allow them to assist the child so they are taught at the same pace alongside their peers. Therapy is a good way of alleviating dyspraxia. Speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, specialist teachers, and psychologists could be relied upon to help patients with dyspraxia. The specialists needed for therapy could vary, depending on the specific problem needs. A set of activities and exercises are given by these therapists to help patients in learning how to perform physical tasks. Reading and writing skills could also be developed with the help of therapists. Dyscalculia Dyscalculia learners may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Dyscalculia is like dyslexia for numbers. But unlike dyslexia, very little is known about the causes or treatment. Current thinking suggests that it is a congenital condition, caused by the abnormal functioning of a specific area of the brain. People with dyscalculia experience great difficulty with the most basic aspects of numbers. Dyscalculia children can usually learn the sequence of counting words, but may have difficulty going back and forth, especially in twos and threes when Dyscalculia children find learning and recalling number facts difficult and they often lack confidence even when they produce the correct answer. Dyscalculia children may find it difficult to grasp that the words ten, hundred and thousand have the same relationship to each other as the numerals 10, 100 and 1000. Dyscalculia children often have difficulty when handling money or telling the time. They may also have problems with concepts such as speed or temperature. Dyscalculia children may be particularly vulnerable where teachers follow an Interactive lesson especially in a whole-class method of teaching, when asking dyscalculia children to answer simple maths questions in the class it will lead to embarrassment and frustration especially when they peers are there or other children . Dyscalculia is a special need and requires diagnos is and appropriate counseling as well as support away from whole class teaching, however, compared with dyslexia, very little research has focused on dyscalculia and how to overcome it. Consequently, there is relatively little ready made support available. Strategies to support learners with dyscalculia is to allow extra time to complete a given task in class, encourage dyscalculia children to make use of calculators when necessary, using visual material to develop an understanding of maths concepts, make use of ICT as an aid to learning, encourage working with a partner to explain methods of working to each others in class. It is important to make the learning fun as dyscalculia children may have behaviour problems and some will resent doing extra math so it is better for teachers to be as upbeat and pleasant through activities as possible. Activities should be taught in short blocks of 10 minutes to maintain the attention of students. Parents should also be involved in the learning and encouraged to participate in the learning and use positive and encouraging language if the child finds it difficult to carry out the task. Children who have a problem with math should be taught in a multi sensory approach in which they say, hear, write and handle numbers simultaneously. Learning difficulties can be a lifelong condition, the best treatment is to provide special or differentiated education where needed. Once a difficulty has been recognised the best approach is to teach learning skills by building on the childs abilities and strengths whilst trying to correct the weaknesses. It is important to help the child learn by enhancing attention and concentration through various teaching strategies that best suit the need of the child ensuring progression is achieved and consistent throughout the subjects.

Brown Tufted Capuchin

Brown Tufted Capuchins are New World primates from South America. They are one of the most widespread species of primates in the neotropics. Like other capuchins, these are social animals, forming groups of eight to ten individuals, and are led by a dominant male. The Tufted Capuchin is more powerfully built than the other capuchins, with rougher fur and a short, thick tail. In the wild they spend most of their time in trees. The goal of my study is to determine whether Brown Tufted Capuchins in zoos spend more time on the ground or off the ground.I did my observations on the Capuchin Troop, which is composed of 7 monkeys, 4 males and 3 females, ranging from the ages of 20 to 23 years old. Their enclosure contains different types of logs, ropes, boxes, rocks, and other materials that are part of their behavioral enrichment. Its measurements are 3. 81L, 3. 8W, 4. 57H and 8. 84L, 3. 8W, 4. 57H. Their diets consist of New World Monkey Chow and mixed vegetables. They are fed every mornin g before 10:30 a. m. and every afternoon after 2:30 p. m. My observations started on September 15th, 2010 and ended October 7th, 2010.I conducted them using the instantaneous sampling method, in which I recorded behaviors in three-minute intervals every 1 minute over an hour. I observed a different monkey every day, recorded every time it got on or off the ground and how much time they spent in each. After concluding my 30 hours of observations and carefully analyzing them, I determined that the capuchin troop spends more time on the ground than off the ground. They spent 10 hours, 31 minutes, and 29 seconds off the ground and 11 hours, 13 minutes, and 31 seconds on the ground. The results I obtained are much different than the ones I would have obtained doing observations in the wild. Although they spend much time foraging on the ground, Tufted Capuchins spend most of their time on trees.REFERENCES1. Article: Hass, M. , Buzzell, C. , Konick, A. J. , Phillips, K. A. 2003. â€Å"Soc ial learning and the acquisition of tool use in brown capuchin monkeys† The Ohio Journal of Science pA-7.2. Internet: Gron KJ. 2009 April 17. Primate Factsheets: Tufted capuchin (Cebus apella) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology . . Accessed 2010 October 13. http://www. rollinghillswildlife. com/animals/c/capuchinbrowntufted/index. html