How to Spell Exclamations of Laughter

How to Spell Exclamations of Laughter How to Spell Exclamations of Laughter How to Spell Exclamations of Laughter By Mark Nichol How does one spell the sound of an eruption of laughter? It depends on the species of mirth, and the list below offers suggestions based on such subtleties. Whether one seeks to indicate a character’s laughter in the manuscript of a novel or short story or to indicate actual or conjectural laughter in nonfiction, consider these guidelines. The basic expression of laughter is ha, though this onomatopoeic word can also express derision, especially when followed by an exclamation point, so writers should take care to provide context to clarify whether the word indicates amusement or ridicule. The former is more likely to be expressed with ha-ha (also styled â€Å"ha ha† or haha, though, as with many reduplicative terms, hyphenation is recommended). Greater dedication to expressing amusement is demonstrated by ha-ha-ha and so forth, though eventually, with enough reduplication, derangement is implied. Meanwhile, heh, or heh-heh, suggests pointedly mild amusement, or a suggestion of mischievous or smirking, sniggering, or lascivious amusement, so, again, context is helpful. He-he-he, or tee-hee (or tee-hee-hee) also imply mischief, though the implication is that the laughter is high pitched, and the humor is juvenile. Bwah-hah-hah, or mwah-hah-hah, is imitative of a comic book villain’s triumphant eruption of malicious laughter when overcoming the hero and is generally used facetiously to imply that one’s evil machinations have borne fruit. Ho-ho-ho, the form of expression employed by Santa Claus to express Christmas cheer in popular culture, suggests a full-bodied mirth, while hoo-hoo is indicative of obnoxious delight at, for example, being found to be right about something or having caught someone in a lie or transgression. Yuk-yuk-yuk (or, imitative of Curly of the Three Stooges, nyuk-nyuk-nyuk) suggests impish delight, though using the word yuks to refer to laughter suggests sarcasm or at best a comment on how something is not really that amusing. Derived from the Internet-speak acronym for â€Å"laugh out loud,† lol (or LOL) is rarely used as an expression in dialogue or within a quotation, though it may be uttered in conjunction with derisive eye-rolling. (The variations lolz and lulz may express scorn as well.) Many of these terms are ambiguous, so, as stated above, aid the reader with contextual clues to, for example, clarify whether the expression of humor is sincere or sarcastic. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureEnglish Grammar 101: Verb Mood10 Humorous, Derisive, or Slang Synonyms for â€Å"Leader† or â€Å"Official†

Random Science Facts and Trivia

Random Science Facts and Trivia Everyone knows a few fun random facts they can pull out as a party trick or a conversation icebreaker. Here are a few more to add to your collection. Although some of these facts are strange and obscure, they are 100% verified, so rest assured that youll be sharing solid information at that party. Rotation of Earth Did you know that the Earth rotates a full 360 degrees in 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds, not 24 hours? Cataracts Sometimes the crystalline lenses of elderly people become milky and cloudy. This is called a cataract, and it causes partial or complete loss of vision. Berry Interesting Did you know that pineapples, oranges, and tomatoes are actually berries? Pure Gold Pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with your bare hands. Real Life Dragons The Komodo dragon is a renowned giant, with the average male measuring around 8 feet long; some exceptional individuals reach 10 feet long. It is the heaviest lizard of all, with an average weight of 130 pounds and some reaching nearly 180 pounds. Thats So Nuclear The word nuclear is related to the nucleus of an atom. It is often used to describe the energy produced when a nucleus is split (fission) or joined with another (fusion). Hes Lost It Did you know that a cockroach can live for nine days without its head  before it starves to death? He Said No Did you know that the physicist Albert Einstein refused the job of president of Israel? Einstein was asked to be the president when the Israeli president died in 1952. Old Guys The earliest cockroach fossil  is about 280 million years old, 80 million years older than the first dinosaurs. Newts Are Neat Newts are members of the salamander family. They are found in North America, Europe, and Asia. A Little Lithium in Your 7UP? The original formula for 7UP contained lithium citrate, a chemical used today as a treatment for bipolar disorders. The ingredient was removed by 1950. How Many Lightbulbs... The tungsten filament inside an incandescent light bulb reaches a temperature of 4,664 degrees when turned on. Blue as Turquoise Traces of copper  are what give turquoise its distinctive blue color. Brainless Starfish, like many radially symmetric animals, do not have brains.

Baseball Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Baseball - Essay Example The team switches their roles as soon as three members of the defense gets three hitters out in any of the several ways. An innings refers to the turn on offense for each team. The team scoring most of the runs at the end wins the game. The professional Major League Baseball teams of North America are categorized into National League and American League each of which is comprised of three subdivisions – East, West and Central. The champion is decided by the playoffs comprising of four teams. There are three regular season division winners and one wild card team, which is the one with best record out of the league’s non-division winners. The younger players get a chance to develop their skills through experience against opponents on the field with similar levels of expertise. The pitchers played a strong role in the game during the 1960s and early 1970s. Players have attempted strikes but came back when their jobs faced some threats. The baseball at the college and professional level is played in nine innings where every team may get a turn to bat and attempt to score runs. The other team pitches and defends in the field. Baseball at the highschool level is played in seven innings while a six innings game is played in the field. Each inning is divided into two halves where one team (away team) bats in the first half and the home team bats in the second half. The defense in the game always possess the ball and this also distinguishes baseball from other sports. Whenever the defending team gets three players out from the batting team, the teams undergo switching. Pitching is an integral part of the game of baseball. Pitching should be effective and it mainly helps the defensive team to prevent the scores of the runners from getting a base. A proper full game would ensure above one hundred pitches from each team but a pitcher tends to become tired before

National Advocacy Paper (political science) 2 Research

National Advocacy (political science) 2 - Research Paper Example Viral videos of anti-Muslim demonstrations race across social networks daily. Islamophobia started in earnest on September 11, 2001 for reasons that are all too clear. This condition is a reactionary response instigated and perpetuated by fear of the unknown and unfamiliar. The level of outwardly expressed hatred ebbs and flows with the day’s newscast but the underlying causes and effects remain constant. It is a shameful and unnecessary circumstance reminiscent of racial segregation battles of the South and anti-immigrant rhetoric that has persisted throughout the nation’s history. Fortunately, technology is working in favor of reasonable thought and rational behavior. Social networking has enabled the world’s neighborhood to grow smaller and more familiar. We are entering an era of understanding between cultures therefore a lessening of ignorance and its byproduct, angry hate-filled speech aimed at disrespecting those of a different personal history. The argume nt for the critics of anything Islamic usually centers around terrorist actions, that Muslims commit more acts of terrorism than any other religious group therefore Islam is a war-like religion that does not respect life. In addition, many countries with a large Muslim population are theocracies, Islamic States, such as Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Pakistan and Iran. This is unacceptable to many Americans who could not imagine living under a theocratic regime, who consider this way of life medieval in nature, backward and harsh. Of course if many of these same people had their way, the U.S. would officially become a Christian nation. Most, 55 percent, (Stone, 2007) still cannot admit the U.S. is a secular nation with a comparatively liberal democratic government and would argue, erroneously, that the Founding Fathers meant for the country to be a Christian nation. It’s likely that those who are not aware of the Founder’s intent do not bother to investigate anything pertainin g to the Islamic religion or Muslim culture so as to understand rather than fear it. The controversy surrounding the mosque near ‘ground zero’ was and is baseless. The plans were to expand the existing Islamic community center (Park 51) that already housed a mosque. Another mosque is located just down the street. The area is dotted with porn shops, bars and ‘gentlemen’s clubs’ but no one claimed any of these potentially offensive business establishments would tarnish the memory of those Americans who died in the twin tower attack. The controversy was contrived and born purely out of fear, hatred and willful misunderstanding. â€Å"The site has been the scene of frequent demonstrations in which protesters carry signs saying such things as ‘All I Need to Know about Islam, I Learned on 9/11’" (Nachtwey, 2010). The community center is located in a building not unlike the others that surround it, plain and with no visible markings to indicat e is a religious institution. It is not an imposing edifice complete with colorful, spiraling towers one might picture when imagining a traditional Middle Eastern mosque. The outrage is disingenuous and not about the mosque itself or the pain it might cause the families of people who died on 9-11, which included Muslims as well. This false outrage is a by-product of ignorance, fear and bigotry. â€Å"

Google in China Essay Example for Free

Google in China Essay Google is the fastest growing Internet search engine company. Google’s mission is â€Å"to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.†(International Business: Competing in the Global marketplace, pg 148-149) They have a mantra of â€Å"Don’t be Evil.† Google started this mantra to be the main message to show consumers they would not compromise the integrity of its search results. This case reviews the situation under which Google was required to censor its content and chose to launch its new search engine site. The case explains the role of the Chinese government and its regulations in the Internet market which had a negative effect on Googles operations in China. In 2000, Google started a Chinese language service. This service was operated from the United States. Chinese authorities blocked the site in 2002 because China censors information to their citizens. This block surprised Google’s managers. This was a challenge the managers did not plan on. If they done their research of the Chinese Government and culture prior to launching the Chinese language service, they would have known the block would be inevitable and they could have tailored their service to the Chinese regulations, culture, and laws. Google knew China was an advantageous business and they would need to adapt their service in order for it to be acceptable and profitable. Google also had to move the Chinese operations to China. Operating from the United States caused slow connection speed and hinder their operation and growth. This was a good move because it enabled Google to employee Chinese citizens who would be able to help understand and adapt to the Chinese laws, regulations, and censorship demands. Google managers made a mistake by not researching their target market. However, they acted quickly in learning and correcting this mistake. Google still offered Chinese citizens a better search engine, but it was not without censorship. The Google search engine offers more results than its competitors, Yahoo, Microsoft’s MSN, and China’s own company, Baidu. Google states Chinese consumers will â€Å"get more information on their site, though not quite all of it.† (International Business: Competing in the Global marketplace, pg 148-149) In 2006, Google had 30 percent share of China’s internet search engines. Baidu had 40 percent. This left another 30 percent split between Yahoo and Microsoft’s MSN search engines. These percentages are good, especially when one considers Yahoo and Microsoft had entered the Chinese search engine market prior to Google. Baidu has several advantages over Google that are mostly associated with it being a Chinese based company, the search engine has â€Å"competence in pinpointing queries in the Chinese language† (Yin Yulin, 2010, p. 4). Government relations with China are precarious for businesses effectiveness. Google did not have a clear understanding of what they would be involved in. China has become more supported and self-assured due to its increasing economic significance. They are more reluctant to be pressed by Western governments or companies into changing its long term regulations and censorship. Because of this aspect, China does not yet comprehend global strategies and the importance of global public relations. This causes them to be more rigid in their international business dealings. All-in-all, Google has been able to grow successfully in the Chinese search engine market and maintain the number two spot (behind Baidu) in China despite their lack of early research on the Chinese culture, governmental regulations, and laws. References International Business. Competing in the Global Marketplace, Seventh Edition, Chapter 3: Differences in Culture ISBN: 9780073381343 Author: Charles W. L. Hill copyright  © 2009 McGraw-Hill, a business unit of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Antony Flew: The Existence and Belief Of God Essay -- Philosopher Anto

Antony Flew: The Existence and Belief of God Antony Flew starts by telling the audience this story of two explorers that accidentally came upon a garden in a jungle. In this garden, there were many beautiful flowers and weeds. One explorer says, "some gardener must tend this plot". While the other disagrees, "there is no gardener". So, these two explorers tried to figure out who was right and who was wrong. They waited the whole night, but no gardener was ever seen. Then the "Believer" said that there must be a gardener, that he "is an invisible gardener". He tried everything he could to convince to the "Sceptic" that he was right, barbed-wire, electrifying fence, patrolling bloodhounds. But no gardener was ever found. Still the "Believer" was not convinced. He gave the "Sceptic" many excuses as to why they couldn't see the gardener. The "Sceptic" told him that he was crazy because what started out as a simple assertion that there was a gardener, turned into "an imaginary gardener".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This parable that Flew is using is clearly an analogy to the existence and belief of God. The garden represents God, "†¦invisible, intangible, insensible†¦". The "Sceptic" says there is no gardener, just as an atheist denies the existence God. The "Believer" says there is a gardener, like a theist telling everyone that God exists. The "Believer" tries to prove that there was a planter, who planted the seeds for the flowers to grow. This planter takes care of them, a parallelism to God supposedly taking care of "us".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Flew talks about assertions. He states that "what starts as an assertion, that something exists†¦may be reduced step by step to an altogether different status". He uses the example of how if one man were to talk about sexual behavior, "another man prefers to talk of Aphrodite". They don't seem to make sense. How can one confuse the idea of a sexual behavior with Aphrodite? He also points out the fact that "a fine brash hypothesis may be killed by inches, the death of a thousand qualifications". A good example of this is when he said that "God loves us as a father loves his children". He states that when we see a child dying of cancer, his "earthy father" is there, to help him, nurture him, trying his best for his son. But his "Heavenly Father", God, is no where to be found, that he "reveals no obvious sign of concern". The... ...arden in which I find myself, that I am unable to share the explorers' detachment," said Hare. He tried to point out that if he was in the same situation, he would not share the same views as the explorers. Which is a belief in the g ardener, a belief in God. Both of these man had some strong viewpoints. Flew states, if one asserts something, then one must deny something. What Hare is trying to say is that, there is two sides to every idea or "assertions", a blik. That that is a sane blik and a insane blik. Most people have the sane one and those who don't share this view is point as lunatics. But no one is not trying to deny something here. The person with the insane blik is not wrong or that he's not trying to deny something, it's just that his views are different. Flew states, "what would have to occur or to have occurred to constitute for you a disproof of the love of, or of the existence of, God?" Hare's reply to this question is that he calls this "completely victorious." Nothing have to occur because those who does not share this belief in God have an insane blik. They are not trying to deny that God doesn't but rather that they views are just different.

Individual Learner Differences In Second Language Acquisition Education Essay

1. IntroductionThe fact that competence degrees attained by 2nd linguistic communication scholars fluctuate so greatly ( Lightbown and Spada, 2006: 53 ) , raises an challenging inquiry with respects to 2nd linguistic communication acquisition ( SLA ) , why are some persons better at geting linguistic communication than others? A major ground for this fluctuation in L2 proficiency degrees is normally attributed to single scholar differences ( ILDs ) , ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2005: 2 ) . This essay sets out to explicate the of import function that ILDs play in SLA, through an in-depth treatment on the part made by L2 motive. Three influential theories offering different positions on L2 motive: the Socio-educational theoretical account, self-government theory and the Process theoretical account will be discussed in item. I will besides look at the theoretical displacements presently taking topographic point in L2 motive research, before reasoning with a treatment on the schemes that instructors can utilize to instil and nurture motive in their pupils.2. Role of ILDs in SLAIndividual differences are alone larning features which are present in all scholars to changing grades. They can assist to separate acquisition demands and place the extent to which scholars will win in geting a 2nd linguistic communication ( Lightbown and Spada, 2006 ) . These differences are societal, cognitive and affectional in nature, and include aptitude, motive, age, personality, larning schem es, larning manners and anxiousness ( for detailed reappraisals, see for illustration, Naiman et al 1995 ; Skehan 1989 ; D & A ; ouml ; rnyei 2005 ) . Their relevancy to linguistic communication accomplishment has made ILDs, a focal point of considerable attending in SLA research ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2005 ) . Developments in research, particularly in relation to aptitude and motive, has seen a displacement from a product-orientated attack to a more process-orientated stance ( ibid: 6 ) . Recent surveies have highlighted the importance of the temporal nature and situational context of scholar features ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2009 ) . Current statements nevertheless, have suggested that instead than being massive variables, ILDs are complex properties dwelling of a combination of sub-components and sub-processes ( ibid ) . All ILDs are implicated in linguistic communication acquisition, nevertheless they do non work in isolation and some even have elements in common ( Gardner, 2008 ) . A expression at some of the influential theories which have emerged from research on L2 motive over the last 50 old ages will assist to explicate the complex function that ILDs can play in the linguistic communication larning procedure.3. L2 MotivationMotivation is a scholars ‘ orientation towards larning ends ( Gardner, 1985 ) , and is regarded by many as the most influential ILD in the linguistic communication larning procedure ( Ellis, 1985 ) . Therefore its relevancy to the schoolroom environment becomes apparent, and to cognize what drives this motive is of great pedagogic involvement. Many of the scholar features involved in the SLA procedure are dependent on, and in some instances wholly overridden by motive ( Gardner, 2006 ) . A scholar with a natural aptitude for larning linguistic communications, for illustration, may happen it hard to achieve long-run linguistic communication ends without the necessary motive ( ibid ) . On the other manus, high degrees of motive may take to successful acquisition, even where small aptitude exists for linguistic communication ( ibid ) . Theories looking to explicate the function of motive in linguistic communication acquisition have evolved through four chief phases. D & A ; ouml ; rnyei ( 2005 ) categorises these as: the Social Psychological period ( 1959-1990 ) ; the Cognitive-Situated period ( 1990 ‘s ) ; the Process-orientated phase ( late 1990 ‘s ) ; and eventually a period ( last decennary ) consisting of new attacks that have focused on a scholars sense of self-identity. Table 1 summarises the chief L2 motive theories and constructs.3.1. The Social Psychological attack to L2 motiveInterest in L2 motive was initiated by societal psychologists Wallace Lambert, Robert Gardner and associates every bit early as 1959, looking to understand the linguistic communication and culturalApproach to motiveExamplesSocial-psychologicalSocio-educational theoretical account, ( Gardner, 1985 ) .Cardinal constructs: Integrative motive, Integrativeness, integrative orientation.Theory of Linguistic assurance, ( Clement , 1986 ) .Cardinal constructs: Self-confidence – a self-belief of holding the ability to pull off the acquisition procedure. Cognitive – SituatedSelf-determination theory, ( Brown, 1994 ; Noels et al. , 2000 ) .Cardinal constructs: intrinsic/extrinsic motive, amotivation.Attribution theory, ( Weiner, 1992 ) .Cardinal constructs: imputing past success or failure to current actions.Goal puting theory, ( Oxford and Shearin, 1994 ) .Cardinal constructs: Cognitive perceptual experience of ends as a motivation factor.Goal orientation theory, ( Ames, 1992 ) .Cardinal constructs: Goal command andperformance orientations.Motivation and scholar scheme usage, ( Oxford and Nyikos ; 1989, Macintyre et al. , 1996 ) .Cardinal constructs: Motivation as a cardinal factor in exciting scheme usage.Task Motivation, ( Julkunen, 2001 ; Dornyei, 2003 ) .Cardinal constructs: undertaking executing, assessment, action control. Assorted attackI. Willingness to pass on, ( Macintyre et al. , 1998, 2003 ) .Cardinal constructs: Willingness to pass on as a cardinal factor for accomplishing communicative competence. Process-orientatedProcess theoretical account, ( Dornyei and Otto, 1998 ; Dornyei, 2001b ) .Cardinal constructs: temporal nature of motive, which includes a preactional/actional/postactional phase. Current and futureL2 motivational ego system, ( Dornyei, 2005 ) .Cardinal constructs: ideal L2 ego, ought-to L2 ego.Complex dynamic systems, ( Larsen-Freeman, 2007 ) .Cardinal constructs: incorporating different theoretical positions.Table 1. Some of the different attacks used in L2 motive researchstruggles between English and Gallic speech production communities in Canada. Their research adopted a socio-psychological attack, based on the cardinal thought that a scholar ‘s success in geting a 2nd linguistic communication is dictated by an attitude towards the mark linguistic communication community ( Gardner, 1985 ) . Their research on pupils larning Gallic showed that aptitude and motive are closely associated with accomplishment in linguistic communication acquisition ( ibid ) . They concluded that motive is characterised by an person ‘s willingness to be like members of the mark community ( ibid ) . A theoretical account based on a socio-psychological attack that has been really influential in L2 motive research is Gardner ‘s socio-educational theoretical account ( see for illustration, Gardner and Lambert, 1972 ; Gardner, 1985 ; Gardner and MacIntyre, 1991 ) . The most recent version of this theoretical account is shown in figure 1.LANGUAGE ACHIEVMENTOther Factors( for illustration, Learning schemes, linguistic communication ANXIETY ( Gardner, 2001 ) )Other SupportLANGUAGE APTITUDEINTEGRATIVE MOTIVATIONINTEGRATIVENESSMotivationATTITUDE TOWARDS THE LEARNING SIITUATIONFigure 1. A basic theoretical account of the function of motive in SLA ( adapted from Gardner ( 2001b ) ) .The most luxuriant and researched facet of Gardner ‘s theoretical account is ‘integrative motive ‘ , which he defines as the motive to larn a L2 because of a positive attitude towards, and a desire to incorporate with that community ( Gardner, 2001b ) . The three variables that constitut e integrative motive are ( ibid ) : Integrativeness – this represents a desire to larn a 2nd linguistic communication to place with the mark community, and is reflected in a scholar ‘s behavior through the followers: An integrative orientation, stand foring the ground for acquisition, which in this instance is an involvement in larning an L2 to interact with the mark community. A positive attitude towards the mark linguistic communication group. An involvement in foreign linguistic communications or a general openness to all linguistic communication groups. Attitudes towards the acquisition state of affairs ( ATLS ) – this refers to attitudes towards the linguistic communication instructor, the class in general, the class stuffs and other factors related to the larning context. Motivation – this is a scholar ‘s end driven behaviour. A motivated scholar: makes a conjunct attempt to larn a linguistic communication, for illustration by making excess work and seeking more learning chances, displays a strong desire to larn a linguistic communication and is focused on accomplishing the end, enjoys acquisition and has an overall positive attitude towards the acquisition procedure. An integratively motivated scholar is hence: motivated to larn a 2nd linguistic communication, lament to interact and be associated with the mark community, and has a positive mentality on the learning state of affairs. To prolong consistent degrees of motive, integrativeness and/or a positive ATLS are indispensable features, nevertheless, it is the motive component of the ‘Integrative Motivation ‘ composite that is the active variable and which straight influences ‘Language Achievement ‘ ( Gardner, 2001b: 6 ) . Therefore, a scholar who has a high degree of integrativeness and/or a positive attitude towards larning, but is low in motive is improbable to accomplish high degrees of proficiency. The affect of instrumental factors on L2 motive was non included in Gardner ‘s nucleus theory, but he suggests that they could be one of the ‘other supports ‘ impacting motive ( Gardner, 2001a: 7 ) . Based on this, it is possible to replace integrativeness with instrumentality in the representation of the theoretical account in figure 1, to give what Gardner calls ‘Instrumental Motivation ‘ ( ibid ) . This is a motive to larn a L2 for instrumental additions, such as better employment or instruction. An instrumentally motivated scholar has specific communicative demands, which provide a intent for larning and an drift for successful linguistic communication acquisition ( Gardner and Lambert, 1972 ) . Gardner ‘s theoretical account makes small mention to other properties, for illustration, personal aspirations and past experiences, which could impact an integratively motivated scholar. However, empirical research in different contexts is continuously conveying to illume the possibility of including more factors in the general L2 motivational concept. To look into Gardner ‘s theoretical account for adaptability, Tremblay and Gardner ( 1995 ) integrated other measurings of motive, such as anxiousness and goal-setting schemes. Empirical testing of the drawn-out theoretical account showed that add-on of the excess variables did non impact the construction of the original theoretical account ( ibid ) . Research on motive in different context has led some applied linguists to propose the impression of the linguistic communication community associated with integrative motive is indefensible for international scholars of English ( Ushioda and D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2009 ) . In a multi-lingual society like China, for illustration, few chances exist for interacting with native English communities. In such a context, instrumental motive or external factors ( for illustration, tests and employment ) are more prevailing among scholars than a desire for incorporating with native talkers of English ( Warden and Lin, 2008 ) . For this ground, other research workers have suggested that the integrative concept should at least be re-examined by including the planetary L2 larning context and the multi-dimensionality of a scholar ‘s individuality. D & A ; ouml ; rnyei and Csizer, ( 2002 ) suggested that instead than placing with an external linguistic communication community, the integrative construct could be more accurately linked to a scholar ‘s internal procedure of designation with a self-concept. D & A ; ouml ; rnyei ‘s ( 2005 ) motivational self-system which developed from this thought is discussed in subdivision 3.4.3.2. Self-government Theory and SLAInfluenced by progresss in motivational psychological science, and a demand to understand the classroom-situated nature of motive, L2 research moved on from a socio-psychological attack, to look at affects of classroom-situated factors on motive. Self-government theory ( SDT ) is a extremely influential attack in motivational psychological science, and several surveies have attempted to integrate some of its constituents to explicate L2 motive ( for illustration, Brown, 1994 ; Noels et al. , 2000 ) . Harmonizing to this theory there are three types of scholar motives: intrinsic motive, extrinsic motive, and amotivation ( Deci and Ryan, 2002 ) . These motives form a continuum depending on the grade of scholar self-government, where self-government is as an person ‘s sense of pick and control over the learning procedure ( ibid ) . Intrinsic Motivation ( IM ) refers to an person ‘s motive to set about an activity, strictly for personal feelings of pleasance and enjoyment associated with that activity, and is driven by a desire for competency and self-government ( Noel et al. , 2000 ) . Intrinsically motivated pupils are considered more likely to accomplish liberty, competency and fulfil long-run linguistic communication ends ( Ramage, 1990 ) . Extrinsic motive ( EM ) , on the other manus, relates to actions carried out for: instrumental additions, in hunt for wages or to avoid penalty ( Noels et al. , 2000 ) . This motive can change in degree depending on the extent to which the activity is controlled by the scholar or other variables ( Deci and Ryan, 2002 ) . Vallerand et al. , ( 1993 ) have suggested six subtypes of IM and EM which lie on a continuum of self-government ( see table 2 ) . Christmass ( 2001 ) suggests that L2 learner motive can be assessed utilizing the intrinsic and extrinsic concepts. These motives nevertheless, do non needfully hold to be sole, for illustration, a scholar whose behavior is consistent with ‘identified ordinance ‘ may besides exhibit some of the next motives on the continuum ( ibid ) .Self-governmentType of MotivationDescriptionHigh Nothing Intrinsic Motivation to cognize Performing an activity for the pleasance associated with acquisition or researching new cognition. E.g. , when reading a new book. Intrinsic Motivation to carry through Performing an activity for the pleasance associated with carry throughing or making something. E.g. , a pupil making more prep than is required. Intrinsic Motivation to see stimulation Performing an activity for the stirred esthesiss ( e.g. pleasance and exhilaration ) associated with battle with the activity. E.g. , a pupil who goes to category for the pleasance of take parting in treatments. Extrinsic Motivation – Identified Regulation Extrinsic motive is internalised to the extent that learner behavior is regulated by a sense of value and utility of the activity to the ego. E.g. , a pupil who surveies the dark before an test because they think it is of import to them. Extrinsic Motivation – Introjected Regulation Learner behavior is regulated by internalization of past external agencies. E.g. , analyzing the dark before an test because it is expected of a good pupil. Extrinsic Motivation – External Regulation Learner behavior is regulated wholly by external agencies ( wagess or restraints ) – demoing the least self-determined signifier of extrinsic motive. E.g. , Analyzing the dark before an test because of force per unit area from parents. Amotivation A deficiency of extrinsic and intrinsic motive. A scholar feels their behavior is regulated by factors out of their control, and may finally drop out of the acquisition procedure.Table 2. Language Learning Orientation Scale: Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation and Amotivation ( adapted from Vallerand et al. , ( 1993 ) ) .Intrinsic motive is characterised by a strong sense of self-government, and is closely associated with integrative motive ( Noels, 2001 ) . This suggests that pupils larning a linguistic communication for pleasance may besides be seeking interaction with the L2 community. Intrinsic motive nevertheless, is identified more with attitudes towards larning, than the mark community ( ibid: 54 ) . The societal environment ( for illustration, the instructor, household members and the L2 community ) has considerable influence on a pupil ‘s perceptual experience of self-government. A instructor plays a important function in this respect, and can advance intrinsic motive by promoting learner liberty and supplying positive feedback ( Noels, 2000: 55 ) . Similarly, pupils larning for intrinsic grounds are more sensitive to the instructor ‘s instructional manner ( ibid ) . In contrast, the less self-determined external ordinance constituent of extrinsic motive is linked to instrumental behavior ( Noels, 2001: 53 ) . A restriction of extrinsic behavior is that it can hold short-run features. A survey carried out by Ramage ( 1990 ) showed that pupils who learnt a linguistic communication for academic grounds are more likely to stop future linguistic communication categories. Extrinsic class force per unit areas, for illustration, compulsory reading, can besides negatively impact a scholar ‘s intrinsic involvements ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 1994a ) .3.3. A Process-orientated attack to motiveD & A ; ouml ; rnyei and Otto ‘s ( 1998 ) procedure theoretical account of motive integrates assorted theoretical positions of L2 motive, and draws attending to the temporal nature of motive in schoolroom acquisition. The theoretical account is influenced by Heckhausen and Kuhl ‘s Action control theory, which proposes two consecutive stages of motivatio nal behavior: an person ‘s motive to organize an attending, and a motive to originate and prolong the intended action ( Heckhausen, 1991 ) . D & A ; ouml ; rnyei and Otto ‘s theoretical account interruptions down the motivational procedure into three temporal stages. The first relates to the transmutation of initial desires to ends, and so purposes. The following sees these purposes being enacted, taking to the successful/unsuccessful achievement of ends, and the concluding stage is an overall rating of the acquisition procedure ( see figure 2 ) .Preactional Phase( Choice Motivation )Motivational Functions: generate motive to choose a end ; organize an purpose to move ; choose an action program to ordain the purpose. Possible factors act uponing motive: end belongingss ; attitude towards the acquisition procedure ; attitude towards the mark community ; perceptual experience of self-ability ; societal environmental encouragement or disheartenment.Actional Phase( Executive Motivation )Motivational Functions: transport out sub-tasks to keep motive ; ongoing assessment of accomplishment ; action control ( self-regulation to assist persist with larning ) . Possible factors act uponing motive: quality of the learning experience ; grade of liberty ; teacher, learner group and household influence/support ; schoolroom construction ( competitory or co-operative ) ; cognition and ability to utilize self-motivating, goal-setting and learning schemes.Postactional Phase( Motivational Retrospection )Motivational Functions: property grounds to success or failure ; elaborate internal criterions and action-specific schemes ; disregard original purpose and farther planning. Possible factors act uponing motive: personal ascription manner ; assurance ; feedback.Figure 2. Process theoretical account of L2 larning motive ( adapted from Dornyei, ( 2003: 19 ) ) .An of import averment made by the process-orientated theoretical account is that motivational behavior is influenced by different factors. Consequently, different theories of motive can be associated with each stage ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2003: 18 ) . Integrativeness, for illustration, may be the motivational influence on end scene in the preactional phase. In the executive stage, situated facets of motive drama a greater function, mechanisms of the undertaking processing system are more relevant here ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2003 ) . The retrospective links that scholars make between the original end and existent accomplishment in the post-actional phase are likely to be attributed to past acquisition experiences, a motivational behavior addressed by Weiner ( 1992 ) in the ascription theory. Two facets that the theoretical account overlooks are: the possibility of several actional procedures running at the same time, or an actional procedure with multiple motivational influences ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2003 ) . This is likely in a school scene, where pupils frequently have multiple ends ( for illustration, societal and academic ) and overlapping motivational influences ( for illustration, undertaking, class or course of study related ) ( ibid ) . The theoretical account assumes that the actional procedures have defined boundaries, nevertheless in an educational context it may be hard to place where one actional procedure starts and the following Begins.3.4. Present and future: The motivational self-system and a Dynamic systems attack.Since the socio-psychological period of motive research, the planetary world of English has changed vastly. The rapid globalization of English has challenged the cogency of many SLA theories ( Kachru, 1988 ) , because these theories fail to see the context of the universe Englishes scholar ( Sridhar and Sridhar, 1992 ) . With limited or no contact opportunities with the native mark community, the impression of a ‘self-concept ‘ ( mentioning to an person ‘s images and knowledges of the ego ) suggested by D & A ; ouml ; rnyei and Csizer ( 2002 ) , is perchance a more relevant motivational characteristic in many EFL contexts. D & A ; ouml ; rnyei developed this thought farther, in his L2 motivational self-system, which equated integrativeness with an ‘ideal L2 ego ‘ ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2005 ; 2010 ) . The chief constituents of this system are: ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2010 ) ‘Ideal L2 Self ‘ – a L2-specific image of the properties that one would wish to possess. For illustration, hopes, desires, aspirations. ‘Ought-to L2 Self ‘ – a self-guide which refers to those properties one thinks one ought to possess to run into outlooks and avoid negative results. ‘L2 Learning Experience ‘ – this refers to the executive motivations ( similar to those identified in the Process theoretical account ) associated with the immediate acquisition environment and experience. For illustration, impact of the instructor, other scholars, the class, the experience of success. The hypothesis behind the self-system is that a scholars desire to go a individual proficient in the L2, serves as a powerful actuating force to larn a linguistic communication ( Ushioda and D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2009: 3-4 ) . A recent survey in the Nipponese context showed that this desire represented by the ideal L2 ego is tantamount to the construct of integrativeness in Gardner ‘s socio-educational theoretical account, but the ideal L2 ego is likely more accurate in explicating motivated behavior ( Ryan, 2009 ) D & A ; ouml ; rnyei ‘s thought of puting the ‘self ‘ at the Centre of the conceptual function of motive offers a new position, nevertheless it overlooks the process-orientated, and contextually dynamic nature of motive. Justifying this complex nature of L2 motive, can merely be possible by incorporating more than one attack ( Macintyre et al. , 2010 ) . A possibility of uniting different positions of motive is suggested by Ushioda ( 2009 ) with her person-in-context, relational position of emergent motive. She suggests that incorporating relevant theoretical models to back up future analysis of the complex nature of interactive procedures and contextual factors in motivational behavior can assist to supply a better apprehension of how L2 motive is shaped ( ibid ) . A similar possibility is offered by the theoretical paradigms of dynamic systems theory ( for a elaborate reappraisal, see Larsen-Freeman and Cameron, 2008 ) . This theory involves a survey of systems, where the system is analysed as a whole instead than as its single parts ( ibid ) . Learner fluctuation is seen as the consequence of a complex system of relevant factors working in unison, instead than as a consequence of differences in single determiners ( for illustration, aptitude or motive ) ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2009 ) . As an illustration of an application of a dynamic systems attack to L2 acquisition, D & A ; ouml ; rnyei suggests the possibility of placing an optimum combination of motivational, cognitive and affectional factors with respect to task behavior, that map as an incorporate unit ( for a elaborate reappraisal see, ibid ) .4. The practical value of theory – motivational schemes for the schoolroomChomsky ( 1988 ) emphasises the critical function played by ins tructors in scholar motive by proposing that 90 nine per cent of learning involves acquiring pupils interested in larning. A linguistic communication instructor ‘s motivational pattern is besides linked straight to increased degrees of scholar motive ( Guilloteaux and D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2008 ) . Therefore, the demand to utilize appropriate schemes to pull off schoolroom motive is highly relevant to L2 practicians. Motivational schemes are techniques used by a instructor to pull off learner motive, or used by single scholars to modulate their ain motive degrees ( Guilloteaux and D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2008 ) . Although, several motive schemes have been proposed in L2 literature ( for illustration, Williams and Burden, 1997 ; D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2001a ; Alison and Halliwell, 2002 ) , really few are supported by empirical grounds. Self-motivating schemes for scholars are an even less researched country of L2 motive ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2006 ) . An illustration of an luxuriant, theory-based model which looks at motivational schemes from both a instructor and leaner position is proposed by D & A ; ouml ; rnyei ( 2001a ) . This theoretical account consists of four stages ( ibid ) : Making the basic motivational status, by set uping a good student-teacher relationship, a relaxed acquisition atmosphere and a cohesive scholar group. Generating initial motive by: Strengthening linguistic communication related values and attitudes ( intrinsic, integrative or instrumental values ) . Increasing the anticipation of success. Increasing goal-orientedness, for illustration, by doing scholars cognizant of the practical ( non-syllabus related ) grounds or value of making an activity. Making learning stuffs relevant. Making realistic scholar beliefs. Many new scholars have inaccurate beliefs about linguistic communication acquisition, a realization of their falsity can hold a demotivating influence. Keeping and protecting motive, to maintain sight of ends, and keep involvement and concentration. The most relevant schemes in this stage include: Making the acquisition procedure stimulating and interesting. Showing undertakings in a motivation mode, doing them exciting and relevant. Puting specific scholar ends. Continuing the scholar ‘s self-esteem and advancing their assurance. Making scholar liberty. Promoting self-motivating scholar schemes in order to: Continue the original end committedness, for illustration, by promoting scholars to retrieve favorable outlooks or positive wagess. Maintain concentration, for illustration, by promoting scholars to: place and pull off distractions ; and concentrate on the first stairss to take when get downing an activity. Eliminate ennui and add excess involvement in a undertaking, for illustration, by demoing scholars how to add a turn to a undertaking and utilizing their imaginativeness to do it more stimulating. Manage riotous emotions and bring forth a positive emotional province, for illustration, by acquiring pupils to self-encourage and presenting them to relaxation techniques. Remove negative and utilise positive environmental influences, for illustration, by promoting pupils to take distractions and inquiring for equal aid. Promoting positive retrospective self-evaluation, by: Promoting positive scholar ascriptions ( an thought supported by the Attribution theory, Weiner, 1992 ) Supplying motivational feedback, that is enlightening and encouraging. This can assist to increase learner satisfaction and assurance, and encourages constructive self-reflection on failings. Using wagess and classs carefully, as they can deflect the scholar from the existent intent of the undertaking ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2006:730 ) . When they are used, they should be offered in a motivational mode. The most motivation of instructors are considered to be those who rely on a few simple and carefully selected techniques ( D & A ; ouml ; rnyei, 2006: 730-731 ) . Therefore, accomplishing optimum degrees of scholar motive are more likely if motivational schemes are matched by a instructor selectively, to scholars ‘ specific demands.5. DecisionThis essay discussed the important function that motive, as an illustration of an ILD variable, plays in the long and backbreaking undertaking of 2nd linguistic communication acquisition. I presented three influential theories that have approached L2 motive from different positions, and looked at some of the current tendencies in motivational research. A expression at some possible motivational schemes demonstrated how theoretical constructs can be applied to better the quality of schoolroom acquisition. The motivational features of the L2 scholar highlight the complex but influential function played by ILDs in SLA. Many of the variables involved in L2 motive have a grade of convergence, and interact both with each other and other ILDs ( Gardner, 2008 ) . In order to understand the true nature of these webs of interactions and their affect on L2 accomplishment, the possibilities offered by a dynamic systems attack is likely the best manner frontward.

“Sleep Improves Memory: the Effect of Sleep on Long

Journal Article Critique of â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Long Term Memory in Early Adolescence† Comprehension Purpose The Purpose of â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Long Term Memory in Early Adolescence† by Katya Trudeau Potkin, Willsiam E. Bunney, JR was to assign the selected students to sleep and no sleep conditions and compare tested results about adolescents on how getting sleep and not enough sleep could affect the memory. The results were an increase of 20. % in long-term memory (Figure 1) was found as measured by the number correct in the paired-associate test following sleep, compared to the groups which was tested at the same time interval, but without sleep. Results/Conclusion The study showed that older adults performance did not improve following sleep. Sleep dependent memory consolidation decreases with age. Lack of sleep can cause the subject to not be able to reach his or her full potential on â€Å"cognitive p erformance† which was not observed in the sample (4). Analysis and EvaluationStrengths One of the strengths was that the groups tested were divided into two groups, â€Å"Twenty females and twenty male adolescents† (1). I feel that it was evenly distributed to find out if it affected male or female differently. Each subject had a better experience of testing with the comfort of his or her home and was able to eat a good meal before testing. Subjects were asked about how good of nights rest did they get and most of the answers were good to very good which made the testing a little bit more accurate.The students were also given the test over the weekends and school breaks inside a quiet room, away from all distractions. The sleep group’s mean age was 12. 9 compared to 12. 4 for the non-sleep group (t= (1. 52), df (1,38), p =0. 14). (See Table 1 for demographic characteristics and performance scores). There was no statistically significant sex difference in performa nce for either task (2). The test used to test memory on the subjects is called the paired-associate test. This test is the standard way to monitor memory. The memory is measured by using this scale (2).The results that were given were compared to another outside study group and after comparing the two, the outcomes were consistent. The studies showed that it didn’t matter what time of day, but periods of sleep helped enhance the declarative memory. Taking a nap at different times of the day is just as good as getting a full nights rest, not saying that its better than a full nights rest but it helps to build and repair memory. Weaknesses The author stated that â€Å"It is important to have data on the effects of normal sleep† (4). There are so many different types of sleep disorders that can keep someone from getting a good night’s rest.One paragraph states â€Å"Sleep disorders are even more prevalent in adolescents with psychiatric disorders and developmenta l disabilities† (4). Twenty five to forty percent of adolescents have sleep disorders. It’s very important to get data on the effects of normal sleep. There are consequences from having lack of sleep and bad sleep patterns, none of these things were talked about in the studies of the subjects. All of the subjects that were chosen were healthy and didn’t have any health issues. If there were to be someone with these issues, then the numbers would be different.Some other studies of sleep that effects other types of memory wasn’t used in this article, for example visual, procedural and emotional memory. The chart used in this article is very hard to understand but this is the standard chart to use for documenting memory. This chart is hard to understand when looked at for the first time; it just looks like numbers on a page. Another issue that I had with the article is the studies ended with using adolescents. Synthesis and Evaluation One of the major changes that I feel should be done is to create a longer sample. One paragraph stated â€Å"Our study was limited as the sample was pportune† (4). There were a lot of sources that could have been used but wasn’t. Memory would be more understandable if there were more included. People with sleep disorders could have been included to show how that affects memory. Another thing that could help understand memory is if adults, middle age and the elderly were used. The older you get, your memory starts to taper off and remains the same then it declines as you grow even older. Memory is at its greatest when you are an adolescent and memory is at its worse when you are elderly. Alzheimer is a big factor when dealing with the elderly.The mind can deteriorate if rest is needed over a long time period. If the body continues to go without rest over the years then it will be hard for the mind to repair itself. This topic would have been something to help us understand memory as we age. I would have added a formula to the chart to show how the numbers come about. The bar graph was something good as a visual but how did we get those numbers? I would have shown step by step process on how to make these calculations. The research results were compared to another study from an outside source, on the same subject and the outcomes matched.We can’t come to conclusion that these answers are right because it is simply not enough information to say these results are true. I think that if the results were compared to even more outside sources to see how the results compare would give us a wider range and more accurate results. These are just a few ways that I think would have made this article stronger and better to understand. Works Cited Potkin KT, Bunney WE Jr. â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Longterm Memory in Early Adolescents†. Plos one 7. 8 (August 2012): 1-4. Academic Search Complete PsycINFO. EBSCO. Wake Technical Community College, Ra leigh, NC. 28 Feb 2013

Jonathan Edwards Essays - Christian Philosophy, Hell, Free Essays

Jonathan Edwards Essays - Christian Philosophy, Hell, Free Essays Jonathan Edwards The Puritan man must tread lightly and avoid sins in order to enter the good graces of God. Otherwise, the undeserving man will plunge by Gods own hand into the pits of hell. Mercy is not easy to come by and those sinners who are not embraced by the kingdom of Heaven will live in eternal, painful misery. Jonathan Edwards sermon was obviously not intended to encourage his congregation, but to frighten them into good, pure submission. He sears his point onto their brains by using extensive figurative language, including multiple gothic metaphors and similes. For example, Edwards repeatedly preaches about how each man walks on Gods thin hand, which is all that holds the man above the fiery lakes of Hell. If the man becomes or is a sinner, God releases the man into Hell, not because of His wrath, but because the man has chosen his own path by his sins. Edwards God seems, in fact, to be somewhat indifferent towards the fate of each human and only releases or embraces the man when his acti ons warrant it. God plays no part in the fate of men. Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards Hell. Edwards implies that no matter how righteous or healthy a man is, wickedness counts for more in the eyes of an angry God. Each transgression adds weight to the sinners shoulders, and when God releases the man to Hells fiery depths, his good qualities weaken under the burden of the sins and can no longer hold him out of the pits of Hell. Edwards compares the fragility of a mans righteousness and the weight of his sins to a spiders web trying to hold up a heavy rock. Both are futile attempts that will only end in the rocks fast descent to the earth. Whatever the situation, no man wants to suffer the wrath of God. According to Edwards, the wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present, rising higher and higher until they are released and flow slowly over. As the water continues to flow, it become s stronger and more powerful to the point where it overcomes the lives of men. However, until evil and wickedness surface in Puritan society, His vengeance remains trapped behind His hand, rising and gathering, much like the guilt of sinners. If God decides to release His floodgate, all dishonorable men will be swallowed by wrath and descend to fire and brimstone. Edwards reiterates that his God acts on whim, sometime merciful, sometimes cruel and pitiless. In fact, Edwards says, it is nothing but His mere pleasure that keeps you from being this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction. Not only do Edwards uses of figurative language contribute to the black mood of his sermon, they enhance it. His sermon was meant to instill terror in the hearts of his congregation, and as he spoke of Hell, brimstone, and a merciless God, his audience could probably see the dark clouds of guilt above their heads. Edwards was a powerful, persuasive speaker, and each dark metaphor created fear t hat was great enough to convince his audience never stray off of the path to the gates of Heaven. The Puritans seemed to be greatly concerned with guilt and an entrance to Heaven, so Edwards stressed that mercy is hard to come by from a God who sees his creations only as worthless insects who are easily dropped into eternal misery. Most importantly, when the day of judgement actually arrives, many sinners will be left behind, or, as Edwards described it, dropped from the hand of God into Hell. In conclusion, the Puritans had a very thin line to walk between righteousness and wickedness, and it was necessary to tread on the line very lightly. Barely moving onto the evil side of this moral line could plunge a man into shame, possibly getting him shunned from both his village and the gates of Heaven. Jonathan Edwards knew exactly how to herd his frightened congregation onto the pure side of the imaginary line entirely through the use of black, horrific, figurative language. The

How to Find SAT Scores by High School and District

How to Find SAT Scores by High School and District SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’ve found this article, I assume you’re a student or parent considering your options for your or your child’s high school education. When comparing high schools, average SAT score can be an extremely useful metric since it can give you a sense of the quality of the education and the caliber of students at that high school. There are several methods for locating a school’s average SAT score, each of which I'll outline in this post. I'll also explain in more depth why you should care about average SAT score and what it can tell you about how high schools compare. How to Find SAT Scores by High School: Your Options There are several ways to track down a high school’s average SAT score. The best option for you will depend on your home state. For all states, you can order SAT reports for graduating seniors by high school from the College Board, but it costs $95/report, and you must be a school officer (e.g. a principal or school counselor). If you're a school officer or are good friends with a school officer, you should consider this option. Unfortunately, this is the only method that will work to find the SAT scores for all schools in all states. For many states, if you’re looking for the data for public high schools, the best method is to track it down through the Department of Education’s website for your state. Later on, I’ll explain how to find a district’s or specific public high school’s average SAT score using this method. This method will guarantee you’re getting up-to-date, correct, unbiased information, but the Department of Education only has the data on SAT scores by high school for public schools. This method will not work for the following states: Alabama Arizona Arkansas Colorado* DC Hawaii Illinois* Iowa Kansas* Kentucky* Louisiana* Michigan* Minnesota* Mississippi* Missouri* Montana* Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma* Oregon South Dakota* Tennessee* Utah* Wisconsin* Wyoming* *NOTE: while these states do not provide SAT data, these states do provide ACT data. For information on how to find that data, read our guide to finding ACT scores by high school. For these states and for private high schools, you should try one of these alternate search methods: look on the high school’s website. send an email to an administrator at that high school asking for the average SAT score. send an email to the Department of Education in your state asking for the data. Google search for "[High School Name] Average SAT Score." However, the search/school websites often have unreliable or outdated information (i.e. SAT score averages from three years ago). Many schools only remember to update statistics on their website every few years, and administrators may give you the same outdated information. Also, it may take administrators or Department of Education employees a while to respond to your request, especially if they’re on summer vacation. How to Use the Department of Education’s Website to Find a School District’s or Public High School’s SAT Score Start by conducting a Google Search for your state’s Department of Education. Search â€Å"[State Name] Department of Education.† As an example, I searched for Florida’s Department of Education (see screenshot). Typically, that state’s Department of Education website should be the first search result as it was below: Once you’re on the Department of Education website, there should be a search box in the upper right-hand corner. In this search box, type â€Å"SAT score† or â€Å"SAT data.† That search should bring up the SAT data for the state (see below). Make sure you select the option to view the most recent SAT data. For example, the first link above says ACT, SAT, and AP Data. The second link says ACT, SAT, and AP Data Archive. The first link is where I’d look first for the most recent data. The ACT, SAT, and AP Data Archive link most likely provides the data from past years. The first link brought me to the page below: If you’re looking for data or a specific public high school, select the option that will show you SAT School Participation and Means. It may not be labeled the same for your state. However, it should say School in the title. This link will provide you with school specific data. If you’re looking for data to compare different school districts, select the SAT District Participation file. The district option only provides you with the average SAT scores for each district in the state (without breaking it down by high school). You’ll have to download the file to your computer (which it should start to do automatically when you click on the link). A large Excel file should open that looks something like this: What this document shows will vary by state, but all of them should list the high schools and SAT scores either as a composite score or as separate section scores (Math, Critical Reading, and Writing). In the Florida document, it provides the average section score by high school with a breakdown of average section score by race and the number of SAT test-takers by high school with a breakdown by race. To locate the schools you’re interested in, use the Command + F function on your keyboard to search the file (as I’ve done below). When you find the data for the school you’re searching for, add together the 3 mean section scores to approximate the average composite SAT score for that school. I grabbed the below numbers from the brown highlighted columns (which had the average SAT section scores for the high school) in the Florida SAT spreadsheet. 580 + 593 + 561 = 1734 If you’re having trouble accessing this SAT data for your state through the Department of Education website, I recommend you contact your state’s Department of Education (the contact information should be on the Department of Education’s website). Typically, they have a specific phone number or email to contact if you’re in search of data (which you are!). If you’re having trouble getting in contact with the Department of Education or if you want information on private high schools, then I’d recommend you reach out to the high school administrators or, as a last resort, try doing a Google Search for "[High School Name] Average SAT Score." Though, as I mentioned above, websites and administrators may give you outdated information. Why Does a High School’s Average SAT Score Matter? You should care about a high school’s average SAT score because the SAT measures not only intelligence but also perseverance. For the SAT, student perseverance in SAT preparation can drastically change their score. If a student has just slightly above average intelligence, with enough SAT preparation, he or she could get a perfect score on the SAT. Through extensive studying and practicing of test content and test format, test-takers can do very well without being geniuses. If a high school’s average SAT score is high, it suggests 2 things: the quality of education is better and the students at that high school care more about their education (or more specifically the pursuit of higher education). Since the SAT does measure your intelligence to some degree and your education is responsible for how much innate intelligence you possess, the better the quality of education you receive, the better you’ll perform on the SAT. However, as I said earlier, your SAT score is also affected by how much you prepare. If a high school’s average SAT score is above average, you can bet the students at that school are also more invested in their education and more committed to getting into a good 4-year college. These students likely study more and spend time preparing for the SAT. If you're concerned about your child receiving a quality education and being surrounded by hard-working students, consider sending them to a school or school district with a higher average SAT score. Devil’s Advocate: Why Shouldn’t You Care About Average SAT Score? While SAT score can be an indicator of education quality and the quality of students, SAT score may not give you a full picture of the high school. Many public schools have magnet programs (or gifted programs) which you apply to that are separated from the â€Å"regular† track at that high school. These programs often have a higher caliber of student and better quality of education than the rest of the school. For example, my public high school had an International Baccalaureate magnet program. The program had rigorous qualifications to be accepted while the â€Å"regular† high school track had no entrance qualifications. As a result, I’d guess that students in the IB program had higher average SAT scores than the students on the â€Å"regular† high school track. However, the published average SAT score mixed the scores of IB students with the non-IB students at the same school. Therefore, you can’t figure out what the caliber of education and student will be within a magnet program at that school from the average SAT score. Also, as I said before, a big part of your SAT score is how much effort you put into preparing for the exam. If you attend a school with a low average SAT score, that does not mean you’re doomed to have a low SAT score. If you attend a school with a high average SAT score, that does not mean you'll get a high SAT score. No matter what high school you attend, you need to work hard and learn the test format and strategies to reach a high score on the SAT. What’s Next? If you're planning for college applications, learn about the new SAT and some general tips on how to prepare for the SAT. Before you start studying for the SAT, figure out what’s a good score for your target college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Confidentiality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Confidentiality - Research Paper Example xviii ). They fear that they will be considered weak and dependent if they show their ‘real’ feelings to others (Aveline, 1997, p. xviii ). Hence, the only option that remains with them is to seek professional counseling to heal themselves from psychological and emotional problems. The assurance that the intimate emotions and thoughts they share with the counselor will remain confidential, is a huge driving force behind people going for counseling. Hence, confidentiality is one of the strongest foundations of the relationship between the counselor and the client and hence, the counselor should take every care to maintain confidentiality. Only confidentiality assures open and positive involvement of client in the counseling process. However, the concept of ‘confidentiality’ has a potential to create huge ethical dilemma in the mind of a counselor. Hence, the true test of counseling profession comes when counselors face the ethical dilemma of confidentiality, and only those counselors are considered competent and efficient who know when to follow the code of confidentiality, and know when to breach it. Definition ‘Confidentiality’ in counseling has wide range of ethical aspects attached to it. To honor and maintain ‘confidentiality’ in the process of counseling, it has to adhere to certain requirements regarding the information discussed in the counseling sessions. ‘Confidentiality’ is an agreement between the counselor and the client that the information and the learning that takes place in the session will not be disclosed to anyone outside the session by the counselor (MacLennan & Dies, 1992, p. 88). When the information given by client is kept secure and its disclosure is controlled by the counselor, then it can be said that he is maintaining confidentiality in the counseling (Bond & Mitchels, 2008, p.13). However, the requirement of ‘confidentiality’ does not end here. Maintaining ‘confidentiality’ in the counseling process also requires the counselor not to disclose to anyone that the client is undergoing counseling or therapy (McLeod, 2004, p. 102), as this information can harm the reputation and social position of the client. Even though people take counseling because they are not able to fulfill different roles in their lives properly, they wish to portray socially that they are functioning efficiently in every aspect of their lives (Bond & Mitchels, 2008, p.15). Hence, as there are high stakes attached to the importance of confidentiality in counseling, it has become a legal duty of the counselor to keep client’s information safe (Corey, 2009, p. 41). Moreover, confidentiality is considered a core of counseling as it helps in creating the most important aspect of counseling and that is, a feeling of trust. Importance Of Confidentiality People seek counseling when they are in psychological and emotional distress. They approach counselo r only when they realize that they won’t be able to handle the situation, or find the solution to their problem, on their own. However, discussing personal matter with a ‘stranger’ is not an easy thing to do. Hence, the client’s right to privacy gave birth to the concept of confidentiality in the field of counseling and psychotherapy (Corey, 2009, p. 41). Even in case of group counseling, sharing the personal information of the client with others in group without his permission can be destructive and damaging to the relationship and the goals of counseling

Hip-hop and the link between industry, media, fans Essay

Hip-hop and the link between industry, media, fans - Essay Example Cultural theory is a branch of knowledge that applies experience based techniques, in a quest to develop theories that give an explanation of different elements of human expression. Human beings use communication techniques to express, emotions, feelings and different states of mind acquired in their daily activities in respect to the environmental set up they are in. The term expressions denote forms of communication that human beings use to pass certain information from one person to another. The existence of these forms of communication forms the base for cultural theory. The need to explain how human beings relate with their environment, adapt to it and communicate their experiences to successful generations’ forms the relevance of cultural theory.Human beings use different forms of expression to communicate formation from one person to another. These forms include language, signs, art, music and dance, and observation. Language is used to communicate information either or ally or through written work. Signs and dances, on the other hand, are used to transmit information through the use of visible sense, where ideas are encoded in gestures, body movements and other forms of physical signs. Art involves the use of carefully developed carvings and drawings to communicate ideas (Giddens 1997). Music is a complex form of communication that carries cultural information usually expressed in a coherent mix of the other forms of communication. Music involves combined use of language, dance, musical instruments, signs and art in a good proportion to communicate information from one person to another. All those music elements determine its variation. Music is a cultural phenomenon and can only be understood from a well organised study of cultural elements that build it. Music is also made of key components which include industry, genre formation, media, and fans. The interrelationship between the components can be understood through the cultural theory (Negus 1 996). The theory also analyzes the interrelationship that exists between different people to establish the ideologies that govern their interactions. Cultural theory has a number of elements that outlines several ideologies that govern the interrelationship of different parties in the music. Racism is one of the elements of cultural theory that analysis music with the aim of understanding how music industry, genre formation, media, and fans interrelate. Racism refers to prejudice and discrimination of people based on physical differences that exist between them. Members of a community can discriminate other people based on some physical variations such as the skin colour (Longhurst 2007). This discrimination is seen in the behaviour of a particular group toward another. For instance, in United State the white people may disqualify the black people from access public swimming pools for entertainments. For instance, as revealed by the photo below. Such swimming pools may be linked wit h a particular music genre where fans come to swim while enjoying the entertainment from that music genre. Since the black fans may be limited from participating in those entertainments, then it determines the kind of funs to get involved in the music genre. This kind of racism also influences genre formation, for instance, the black people may find that they are being discriminate by the white people, and decide to form music genre that fit their race. Racism creates an ideology that some people are superior to others based on physical differences. The instincts of superiority felt by a tribe create an environment where one tribe is abusive to the other. This result into one tribe exhibiting behaviours that directly disqualifies others in different areas of life. Mase says that racism is evident in music and society in three interdependent dimensions. The first one is the structural where there is social and economic discrimination against