Comparison of How Shusaku Endo in Wonderful Fool and Albert Camus in the Outsider Have Used Moral Issues to Develop Their Works Essay Example

Comparison of How Shusaku Endo in Wonderful Fool and Albert Camus in the Outsider Have Used Moral Issues to Develop Their Works Essay Example Comparison of How Shusaku Endo in Wonderful Fool and Albert Camus in the Outsider Have Used Moral Issues to Develop Their Works Essay Comparison of How Shusaku Endo in Wonderful Fool and Albert Camus in the Outsider Have Used Moral Issues to Develop Their Works Essay Essay Topic: In Cold Blood Comparison of how Shusaku Endo in Wonderful Fool and Albert Camus in The Outsider have used moral issues to develop their works It is debatable whether morality is a code of conduct that is considered right by society or whether it is a code unilaterally decided upon by an individual. When we consider morality as a tool used by both Shusaku Endo in Wonderful Fool and Albert Camus in The Outsider, this debate holds immense relevance. Wonderful Fool, heavily influenced by Christian doctrine, addresses the degeneration of Japanese society and the way moral issues are presented in the novel reflects this. In Wonderful Fool Shusaku Endo looks upon morality as the value system defined by the Bible, where Jesus Christ is regarded as the epitome of true goodness. In his portrayal of the main character he draws upon examples from Christ’s life to recreate a character whose morality is nearly flawless. The Outsider as a philosophical social commentary uses moral issues to demonstrate the absurdity of existence. Camus chooses to present morality as the code of conduct that an individual chooses to uphold regardless of the views of society or religion. He creates a character that lives according to his own â€Å"morality†. Although supposed by most readers to be amoral, this character, Meursault appears to be true to his personal convictions of objectivism. Meursault’s commitment to objectivity makes him moral in my opinion. Coined post-Camus, moral objectivism in this context refers to objectivity being used to guide one’s actions as opposed to subjective emotions or traditions. Both writers utilize characterization to present moral issues concerning honesty, consistency and non-conformity in a manner that supports their respective viewpoints. In both texts characterization is frequently used as a vehicle through which morality is presented. In Shusaku Endo’s novel Gaston is presented as a clumsy ‘horse-like’ (Endo 43) Frenchman who is incongruous with the modern slick Japanese city of Tokyo. This ‘fool’ who descended from greatness (Napoleon) is very much like Jesus who is also an unwelcome descendant of a ruler (King David). Gaston, like Jesus, is not physically attractive . Both were rejected by people in society, especially the fashionable, rich or powerful. Jesus was rejected at Nazareth his hometown. People scoffed, â€Å"He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary† (Mark 6:3), whilst Gaston is constantly referred to as the â€Å"foreigner,† never integrating into Tokyo. His rejection is best characterised by Tomoe. â€Å"’hope you are satisfied†¦bringing that fool into our home,’ she said with deep resentment† (Endo 51). She did not welcome his presence in her house. Gaston makes companions of the lowliest members of society: prostitutes, murderers, and stray dogs. In this way he resembles Christ who befriended the outcasts of his society, such as lepers and prostitutes. He demonstrates selflessness and patience as he attempts to befriend a thug that was beating him up. â€Å"No matter what trick†¦he was of such a temperament that he could not hate his persecutors† (Endo 83). This demonstrates a parallel with Christ who forgave those who taunted him on the cross. His self-sacrificing, unconditional ‘childlike faith’ (Psalm 116:6) in the goodness of people bears a strong resemblance to Jesus and this presents him to the reader as being morally good. Shusaku Endo uses Gaston’s character as a foil, against which he shows the individualistic nature of Japanese society. Endo conveys his disapproval of this societal trait by painting a positive picture of Gaston’s selflessness against the gloom of Japanese hedonism. Gaston is seen by the reader as being altruistic and therefore the reader is led to feel that Japan is self-seeking because of the harsh contrast between his magnanimity and the city’s self-absorbed nature. This contrast is created through other character’s response to Gaston as well as the scenes in which Gaston’s tale is told. The other characters in the novel respond to Gaston’s actions with disdain. For instance, when â€Å"Gaston took food from his own plate and threw it to the dog†¦Tomoe and Matchan looked away in disgust† (Endo 51). His simple act of kindness disgusted them. This contrast between the ideal (embodied by Gaston) and reality (of the character Japanese society) demonstrates Shusaku Endo’s disapproval of the judgemental society that Japan had become. Contrast is further evident in the following examples: the scene at â€Å"Hilltop Hotel† (a brothel), the incident at Sanya where â€Å"even the police†¦close their eyes to prostitution† and â€Å"extortion, theft and other such crimes flourish† (Endo 115). By playing out Gaston’s story in these places, which are hedonistic, dark and cruel, Gaston’s kindness and compassion is even more apparent as he unwittingly helps the prostitute in need. The writer places Gaston in the company of a murderer, Endo, â€Å"who was able to kill a man in cold blood† (Endo 118). Endo (the character) embodies the Japanese in a way that suggests they are self-serving as he acts without regard for Gaston trying to satisfy his own needs. Despite Endo’s aggression Gaston’s response to Endo is one of concern for him as opposed to worry for himself. This relationship further emphasises the idea of the Japanese being too egotistical by contrasting Endo’s selfishness with Gaston’s unselfishness. Albert Camus has a similar approach in his choice of characteristics for his principle character. Meursault, as the title implies, is an outsider and apathetically goes about life. Meursault appears not to concern himself with the conventions of his society. When his mother died Meursault’s response was one of indifference as he concerned himself more with the date and logistics than acknowledging the gravity of her death. â€Å"Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday†¦I’ll come back tomorrow† (Camus 9). However he is not completely indifferent; truth is of great importance to him. Like Gaston he never wavers from his belief system, upholding objectivity without compromise. He is honest and true as a result. By the end of the text when Meursault is offered an alternative to execution in exchange for his faith in God he refuses. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦with God’s help he would do something for me† (Camus 67) †¦ [he asked] me if I believed in God. I said no† (Camus 68). He sees no need for a lawyer, â€Å"I could answer for myself† (Camus 66). His unwillingness to compromise or immersion in his ‘simple’ belief system turns Meursault almost into a martyr, dying for his belief. Meursault’s commitment to honesty to himself overrides the instinctive response of self-preservation. He is a non-conformist and does not understand society. This emphasizes how this judgmental society imposes its own belief system on individuals, requiring assimilation. Meursault, like Gaston, is consistent in his conduct, not lying once in the text, making him moral in his own mind. Similar to Shusaku Endo, Camus uses the contrast of the ideal characterised by Meursault to highlight a fault in the society he presents. Meursault’s objectivity demonstrates, through juxtaposition, the absurdity of our society. He comments on how murder is murder, thus it makes no difference if a man is shot once or four times, or if a man is killed by a stranger or his own son. During the trial his lawyer asks, â€Å"Is he being accused of burying his mother or of killing a man? † (Camus 93). This question showing how the court or society was judging him based on â€Å"exposing the dark workings of this criminal soul† (Camus 96), as opposed to the arbitrary shooting. The murder was not malicious. He only killed the man as a response to â€Å"a red hot blade gnawing at [his] eyelashes† (Camus 60). Although Meursault speaks the truth he is judged by a system which does not recognise his moral code. This system views murder as immoral regardless of the intention, whilst Meursault sees no shame in his action as it wasn’t borne from malice. In effect he is convicted for not conforming. In the Afterword Camus says â€Å"the hero of the book is condemned because he doesn’t play the game† (Camus 118). Meursault pulled the trigger out of tension from the heat and was not out of revenge or hatred towards the Arab. If morality is an individual’s set code of conduct, independent of society, a society’s morals could then be called ‘ethics’. Camus creates a character that is moral as he is true to his own beliefs, whilst at the same time the character is unethical. It was the skill involved in playing a character’s private beliefs against those of a society that made me enjoy these texts. In each text, a character’s personality conflicts with a society’s personality and to me this was a most effective way of exploring the society’s flaws. Both writers utilize characterization to present moral issues concerning honesty, consistency and non-conformity in a manner that supports their respective viewpoints. As these characters show the ideal, society is painted as being imperfect. Through characterisation both writers present the flawed world and a consistent character to the reader. The reader then chooses which is right and which is wrong based on the biased information given by the writer. This then means the reader identifies the society as flawed and the writer has fulfilled his purpose and conveyed his message. Word Count: 1,497 words Bibliography Camus, Albert. The Outsider. English Translation: Joseph Laredo. Penguin Books Ltd, London; 1983. Endo, Shusaku. Wonderful Fool. English Translation: Francis Mathy. Peter Owen Publishers, London; 2002.

Shrimp Treadmill - How Much it Cost Taxpayers

Shrimp Treadmill - How Much it Cost Taxpayers The famous shrimp treadmill study (video), conducted by researchers at Pacific University and College of Charleston, came under scrutiny during debates over the federal deficit and wasteful spending in 2011. Yes, the shrimp treadmill research cost taxpayers more than $3 million over the course of a decade. That includes a $559,681 grant for research into Impaired Metabolism and Performance in Crustaceans Exposed to Bacteria. But dont blame Congress, as the AARP did in a major television ad buy in 2011. The decision to fund the research actually came from the National Science Foundation. Shrimp Treadmill Grilled The AARP suggested the shrimp treadmill was but one of many examples of wasteful spending in a commercial it ran in the spring and summer of 2011, as Congress debated ways to trim the nations debt. The ad read: If Congress really wants to balance the budget, they could stop spending our money on things like a cotton institute in Brazil, poetry at zoos, treadmills for shrimp. But instead of cutting waste or closing tax loopholes, next month Congress could make a deal that cuts Medicare, even Social Security. I guess its easier to cut the benefits we earned than to cut pickle technology. AARP was not the first to cast the shrimp treadmill in a harsh light, though. About the Shrimp Treadmill Study The shrimp treadmill and National Science Foundation were initially targeted as an example of pork by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma in 2011, though the research had begun years earlier. As a practicing physician and a two-time cancer survivor, I have a very personal appreciation for the benefits of scientific research, Coburn wrote in a report titled The National Science Foundation: Under the Microscope. Investing in innovation and discovery can transform and improve our lives, advance our understanding of the world, and create meaningful new jobs. He added, though: The theory in Washington all too often tends to be if you throw enough money at a problem, you can solve all our nations problems. But when Congress commits the nation to significant increases in spending, Congress owes it to the U.S. taxpayers to pay careful attention to how those dollars are being spent. Researchers developed the shrimp treadmill to test whether sickness would impair the mobility of the crustaceans. It remained unclear, however, what the practical impact of such research would be. Sick shrimp have more limited mobility, which may mean they are less likely to avoid being eaten. A decrease in performance may mean the difference between life and death, Scholnick was quoted as saying. About the National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense†¦ Under its congressional mandate, the NSF funds fundamental research and education in all fields of science and engineering. With a budget of just over $7.5 billion in fiscal year 2017, the NSF funds about a fifth of all federally supported basic research conducted at U.S. colleges and universities. NSF funding for research is distributed through grants, and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the United States. Of the more than 48,000 competitive requests for funding it receives every year, the NSF awards about 12,000 new research grants. At the time, the NSF responded to Sen. Coburns criticism of the â€Å"Shrimp on a Treadmill† study by pointing out that the projects it funds have advanced the frontiers of science and engineering, improved Americans lives and provided the foundations for countless new industries and jobs. About the National Institutes of Health As another major source of congressionally authorized research funding, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), agency of the cabinet-level U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), bills itself as nation’s medical research agency. Currently, the NIH awards nearly $32.3billion in grants annually for medical research in support of its stated mission of seeking â€Å"fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.† Almost 50,000 research studies funded by NIH grants are being conducted by over 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 universities, medical schools, and other research institutions in every state and around the world.

Reg Vardy PLC financial analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reg Vardy PLC financial analysis - Essay Example The company, which is named after founder Reg Vardy, is one of the leading motor retail groups in the United Kingdom. Reg Vardy was initially established as a haulage business at Houghton-le-Spring. Due to the success of the business, it diversified into the sale of vehicles (Yahoo! Finance 2005). Under the leadership of the founder's successor, Chief Executive Officer Sir Peter Vardy, the firm acquired franchises from a number of the finest motor and car manufacturers in the world. Through the course of the company history, Reg Vardy was appointed as the sole distributor of Aston Martin for the North of England. This was followed by the company's franchise of Ferrari and Rolls Royce. Reg Vardy was also awarded the main dealer franchise for other marques such as Jaguar/Daimler, Mercedes and BMW among others. (Company History 2005) In 1989, Reg Vardy became listed in the London Stock Exchange. The initial flotation has raised about 5 million and allowed for expansion outside North East Heathen. With this, the company expanded further as it acquired more dealerships from other volume marques. (Company History 2005) To finance its expansion binge, the company issued rights in 1998 and raised 26 million. The fund was used to acquire Trust Motor Group, the firm's largest acquisition to date. In the same period, the company also established Vardy Contract Motoring, which is focused on the contract hiring and leasing operations (Company History 2005). This year, Reg Vardy pushes through with its strategic acquisitions given the upcoming purchase of five dealerships from the Priory Motor Group. This highlights the company's strategy of acquiring performing and high quality business that accounts from payments of goodwill. (Reg Vardy PLC Annual Report 2005) So far, Reg Vardy sells about 200,000 vehicles annually and employs around 6,000 workers. It has also substantially increased its total franchises to 98 dealerships in 2005 from only 63 dealerships in 1998 (Reg Vardy PLC Annual Report 2005). The company continues to distribute new and used cars for Aston Martin, Renault, Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Citroen, Fiat, Mercedes and Jaguar. Its major shareholders include the Vardy family (28%), Deutche Bank (20.6%) and Aegon (3.59%). (Yahoo! Finance 2005) Financial Highlights Table 1 - Balance Sheet Balance Sheet (in millions) 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Assets Current Assets Cash and Equivalents 39.2 24.3 45.5 39.7 12.0 Receivables 73.6 66.6 61.9 52.6 64.0 Inventories 243.2 247.5 174.8 123.1 128.2 Other Current Assets 14.5 12.0 15.0 6.5 8.5 Total Current Assets 370.5 350.4 297.2 221.9 212.7 Property Plant and Equipment-Net 180.9 181.7 154.8 162.0 165.6 Intangible Other Assets 3.5 3.2 1.3 1.3 1.8 Other Assets 3.5 3.2 1.3 1.3 1.9 Total Assets 555.0 535.3 453.3 385.2 380.3 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current Liabilities Accounts Payable 186.2 184.3 146.9 96.5 78.8 Short-Term Debt 34.1 38.7 70.1 42.3 35.7 Other Current Liabilities 44.4 37.0 28.8 25.6 47.3 Total Current Liabilities 277.2 271.3 256.8 174.5 169.3 Long-Term Debt 47.9 49.7 12.7 53.0 57.1 Provision for Risks/Charges 5.4 1.2 1.4 2.8 4.0 Deferred Taxes 6.4 5.9 5.1 4.1 4.8 Other Liabilities 12.6 10.8 6.3 1.7 12.4 Total

Sustainability at ASDA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Sustainability at ASDA - Essay Example Supermarkets in Europe are investing time and effort into the accomplishment of sustainability in their operations since this is the new competitive advantage they ought to possess. The paper discusses the drivers as well as the sustainability initiatives to be undertaken by ASDA in its shopping centre at Wolverhampton, keeping in view dynamics of the industry as well as social, political, legal, economic and other factors. Before delving into the concept of sustainability, it is useful to understand the nature of the grocery industry in the U.K. The U.K supermarkets industry was worth more than ? 150.8 bn in 2010 which showed considerable increase of 3.1% compared to the last year (Schnedlitz et al., 2010). Food and grocery expenditure accounted for 0.52% of retail expenditure (Schnedlitz et al., 2010). Of this 0.53%, 21% is roughly spent shopping for the same in convenience stores (Schnedlitz et al., 2010). The private label brands, including Tesco, Asda, Morrison’s and Sain sbury’s have their unique brand identity and are not me-too or imitations of their branded competitors (Schnedlitz et al., 2010). The U.K retail market seems to be on the maturity stage of its lifecycle, however, growth is still quite prominent. The market is on its verge to a 15% growth in the next 5 years (IGD, 2010). Economic dynamics such as rising interest rates and consumer prices, house prices as well job insecurity are only few of a plethora of factors affecting firms in this sector (IGD, 2010).The new government following the election in May, 2010 also seems to bear impact by way of its proposed contractionary fiscal and monetary policy which could mean tough times for the high end markets. The history of ASDA can be traced back to the 1920’s when farmers in Yorkshire created the Hindell’s dairies in 1920 (ASDA, 2011). The company was an instant hit and diversified and expanded to become the Associated Dairies and Farm Stores Ltd in 1949, hence the name ASDA (ASDA, 2011). At the same time, in 1958, two brothers came up with The Asquiths store which offered, to some extent, convenience shopping to customers at a single place (ASDA, 2011). In 1965, the Asquiths merged with Associated Dairies and Farm Stores Ltd. to create ASDA (ASDA, 2011). Thereon, the company was named as ASDA in 1970 when The Asquiths was acquired by Associated Dairies and Farm Stores Ltd (ASDA, 2011). Today, ASDA is known as a subsidiary of Wal-Mart, and is a merchandising and grocery retailing giant in the U.K. The company owns about 583 stores that stock various items ranging from grocery to apparel (ASDA, 2011). ASDA has its headquarters in Leeds, U.K and is home to approximately 178,000 workers (ASDA, 2011). The company is widely known for its staunch sustainability initiatives and has undertaken massive reforms in the same area in order to maintain its competitive edge over competitors such as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose. Sustainability is defined as the ability to survive or sustain. Popularly, the term environmental sustainability is being used to represent efforts to sustain and prolong the survival of all species and the ecosystem in the environment. A more comprehensive definition of sustainability encompasses all three foundations of sustainability, including the people, economy and the environment (Dunphy, 2000). The relation between these three foundations suggests that there exist limitations on the

Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville: An Analysis

Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville: An Analysis Bartleby the Scrivener was written by Herman Melville in 1853. The book is about a scrivener named Bartleby, and he continuously answers peoples questions with I would prefer not to (Melville 9). In this short story, Melville is asking his readers what makes people stand out from the crowd, and what makes us individual, independent, and unique? Independence and individuality definitely both have a big role in this story. While being independent and unique are two great things to be, there is a point when you can take it too far, to the point where it starts to affect your life. Conflict often produces character and at times will reveal it. Bartleby is an efficient copyist for a successful lawyer at an office building, but he is a quiet and anti-social man. Though he continues to work well as a copyist, he refuses to help or do any other tasks for the office people, and/or repeatedly says I would prefer not to (10). Bartleby is always in the office either working or looking out of dim window (19) in the sad, and dark world he lives in. The workers then find out that he lives at the office, and his refusal to do nothing but work grows at a much larger scale. As this problem grows, Bartleby announces that he will no longer work as a copyist, and then prefers to stay and live in the office building and do no work. Finally, he is strictly and firmly asked to leave by the lawyer and his workers, but, he still does not leave. Rather than taking more severe measures to get Bartleby out of the office, the lawyer moves his operation to a different office. After that, another practice moves into the building and they find out tha t Bartleby, the copyist from the previous practice is still living there. The new people complain, but the new people are told that Bartleby does not seem to be able to leave. After trying to deal with Bartleby staying there, they call the police to arrest him and bring him to prison. The story concludes with Bartleby refusing to do anything and not eat in prison, and Bartleby dies from starvation. To conclude things, the narrator/lawyer informs his readers/workers that Bartleby was previously a clerk in a dead letter office who sorted through the mail, leaving readers wondering if these dead letters somehow influenced Bartleby. In the short story, the characters attitudes towards Bartleby changes as Bartleby changes. In the beginning, the lawyer, Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut do not really pay attention to him, but since he refuses to do other work for the office, they start to get mad. Except Turkey seems to have the same attitude towards Bartleby throughout the story, he is a drunk copyist who has an uncontrollable temper, and through the story, he continues to hate Bartleby and wants to get violent. Also, Nippers, like his coworker Turkey, is just an ambitious, discontent, irritated, non-morning person and exactly like Turkey, he stays this way through the entire short story. The lawyer says, Nippers, the second on my list, was a whiskered, sallow, and, upon the whole, rather piratical-looking young man of about five and twenty. I always deemed him the victim of two evil powers-ambition and indigestion (7). Ginger Nut, does not have a pretty big role in the story, he is just a 12-year-old, the youngest worker, his biggest job/role is to get snacks and food for all the copyists. But there is the lawyer, and his attitude towards Bartleby is described in the next paragraph. The lawyers attitude towards Bartleby changes throughout the book from kind, to angry, to firm, to caring. The lawyer at first is kind like a gentleman would be when he first meets and hires Bartleby. He pays more attention to his work in the beginning and knows he is doing good at his job, but then he notices Bartleby and gets concerned when he will not do any other office tasks, then he gets quite angry when he finds out that Bartleby is living there. After that, Bartleby says he will not work as a copyist anymore, but he stays and lives in the office anyway, and now the lawyer must make a decision whether to kick him out, or to be nice and think of something else. The lawyer decides to be nice and offer Bartleby a place in his home, but Bartleby does not take his offer. Then, the lawyer gets strict and firmly asks him to leave the office, but he says no, so the lawyer moves the whole operation to a different office. The lawyer and the workers move to a new office, but Bartleby sta ys there. Afterward, the new people at the building call the police on Bartleby and take him to prison where he does not want to do anything, eat, or talk to anyone. Lastly, the lawyer goes to visit him and try to talk to him but Bartleby does not want to talk to him, the lawyer tries to talk some sense into him but it does not work, Bartleby continues to not eat and he starves himself to death. The lawyer becomes very curious how this all started and he finds out what may have started all of this weird behavior from Bartleby. The behavior of Bartleby is a mystery and it is kind of funny but in a weird way, but besides his seriousness and the level of his refusal, he does not change at all throughout the whole story. He starts off like a pretty normal guy, he does his work right, but then he refuses to do anything, eat, or leave the office. He dies and not much happens after that, the lawyer finds out that his previous job was working as clerk in a dead letter office sorting the letters for years. Possibly the dead letters influenced and changed his definition of life. Bartleby symbolizes a dead letter because the Lawyer thinks that after reading all those letters that were supposed to go to someone who is now dead or gone must have influenced Bartlebys perspective on life. Because Bartleby worked at a dead letter office for years, reading and sorting all of them, he is in the state of a dead man, like a dead letter that has never been opened. Bartleby also represents a dead letter because the narrator/lawyer is the sender of the letter, and he wishes to communicate with Bartleby but he can never get through him. This is one of the stronger explanations that explains Bartleby as a dead letter. The idea of undeliverable letters that speed to death, even when they go on errands of life (29). Finally, think about how conflict produces character and sometimes reveals it. There was some conflict between the lawyer and Bartleby, or between life and Bartleby. Because he feels like the lawyer possibly just added more stress in Bartlebys position, making him feel dead, this was kind of an example of failure to communicate. Nearly everything that happened leading up to Bartlebys death goes back to failure of communication or just more stress in the situation. This all revealed the character of Bartleby to the narrator since he found out that he worked in a dead letter office for years, reading and sorting letters, hundreds of failures to communicate entirely changed Bartlebys perspective on life and the meaning of working hard. Word Count: 1266

Learning and Development

Introduction With globalization and modernization, education has become a universal right for all, atleast, at the basic level.   This has seen many students traversing from country to country in pursuit of education.   The introduction of distance learning, technologically mediated learning as well as online courses have made it possible for students from different parts of the world to share classroom. The fact that the teachers largely remain stationed in same countries and are rarely involved in the exchange programs means that teachers are continually under the pressure to instruct students from diverse cultures all with varied English proficiency.   Of significance to the teachers is the fact that despite the different proficiency levels of the students in a single classroom, the teachers are expected to effectively teach the students.   This has seen the rise of integrated classes whereby learners whose English is not their first language are integrated in the same classrooms as their native English speaking students. Teachers are faced with stumbling blocks and numerous challenges in teaching integrated students.   Of all challenges for teachers is the need to provide a free learning environment in which the students can learn without the fear of being incompetent in the English language.   The presence of fear in the students who are not proficient in the English language can reduce the ability of the learners something which can make otherwise intelligent students to perform dismally academically.   To overcome such barriers, teachers can use the following strategies.   According to (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1994) there are several research-based strategies to overcome learning barriers for emergent language learners as well as limited English proficient learners. Therefore for optimal learning to take place the following research based strategies are important for English language learning.   Use of music and jazz chant activities, use of repeat and rephrase approach, use of cooperative groups and peer coaching, use of visual learning aids such as realia, maps, pictures and the multimedia.   Finally pre-instruction activities such as semantic webbing, graphic organizers and KWL charts are all equally important for teachers who are keen on ensuring that English learning benefits all learners inspite of their English proficiency levels. According to (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1994) pre-instruction activities are important to English language learning in that they level the playing ground for students who have different English proficiency levels.   In a research carried out by (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1994) on 15 students with varied English proficiency 80% of the emergent language learners observed that they had significantly benefited from the use of pre-instruction activities such as semantic webbing, graphic organizers and KWL charts.   75% of the students with limited English proficiency recorded satisfaction from the use of pre-instruction activities while 40% of native English speaking students noted that pre-instruction activities played an important role in learning.   The study overwhelming supports the use of the pre-instruction activities as a research based English language learning strategy for integrated classes. Teaching Math can be challenging even in class whereby all students are native English speakers.   It even becomes hard to teach Math in an integrated class in which English presents a communication barrier.   In a class of 30 students whereby only half of students are English speakers with a quarter of the learners being emergent and a further quarter of the class having English proficiency of between Basic Interpersonal Communication (BIC) and Cognitive Academic Language (CALP) presents numerous challenges.   The solution to the above is the application of the research-based strategies such as pre-instruction activities.   This calls for the teacher to prepare in advance semantic webbing with Math concept for students to learn regardless of their English speaking abilities. According to (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1994) the use of semantic webbing greatly increases the ability of the students to grasp Math concepts and formulae.   Graphic organizers are also very effective in teaching some Math concepts especially on geometry and algebra topics.   Visual aids such as realia, maps, pictures and multimedia are important in teaching integrated classes.   As (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1994) notes, visual aids are important in that they increase the attention span of learners, they simplify complex and abstract concepts as well as the fact that visual aids lead to efficiency in the synthesis of complex concepts especially in Math class.   Visual aids have been particularly important and effective for introduction of new topics in integrated classes whereby students face challenges due to increased anxiety, fear and tension (Bowman, & McCormick, 2000). Use of visual aids calls for carefulness so that the visual aids are not as ambiguous and therefore become a source of obstruction.   Visual aids also are advantageous in that they can depict a lot of information at once, which is not possible while using the traditional lecture methods, and are not expensive and are easy to use (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1994). Cooperative groups as well as peer coaching are research-based strategies which involve students forming discussion groups in which they discuss hard topics and concepts during their free time or in the class with the supervision of teachers.   Cooperative groups have been found to be very effective in overcoming fear amongst learners and therefore aiding learning (Bowman & McCormick, 2000).   Cooperative groups are important when there is a shortage of staff in that teachers can oversee the learning over a big group of students. Usually students are able to understand their peers with learning difficulties than teachers and therefore they are able to assist them and overcome the learning difficulties.   According to (Bowman, & McCormick, 2000) cooperative groups presents the teachers with an opportunity to easily assess several outcomes in students such as critical thinking, level as well as communication skills and commitment to learning (Bowman, & McCormick, 2000). Cooperative groups are particularly useful in teaching Math which many students have problems because peer assessment is more welcome by students than teacher assessment and is easily acceptable since it reduces chances of teacher bias (Bowman, & McCormick, 2000).  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to (Bowman, & McCormick, 2000) peer coaching as a research based teaching strategy is effective because it allows for a degree of confidentiality whereby students are not afraid to make mistakes.   The expected learning outcome of using cooperative strategy in the classroom is that, learners increase in their capability to grasp hard concepts (Bowman, & McCormick, 2000). In addition, the approach is non-evaluative which is important to students given the fact that students fear evaluations and assessments.   Repeat and rephrase has been found to highly increase the retention ability of students (McHugh, Catherine & Kevin, 1997).   This is very important for students who are supposed to retain introductory concepts as these develop as the students’ progress to next levels. Therefore, repeat and rephrase are important to an integrated class whereby students whose English proficiency prevents them from progressing at the same level with native English speakers. Music and Jazz chant activities have found to reduce stress levels in learners as well as creating a soothing effect (McHugh, Catherine & Kevin, 1997).   Therefore, incorporating music and Jazz chants in a class especially in a Math class can improve learning in that it creates a good environment for learning. The expected learning outcome of using cooperative strategy in the classroom is that, learners increase in their attention span (McHugh, Catherine & Kevin, 1997). Conclusion Research based strategies are a must use for teachers of integrated classes. In order to ensure that, the environment for all students is ideal in spite of their English proficiency levels, teachers must constantly identify challenges and obstacles to learning so as to overcome all the challenges associated with English language learning environment. It is also important that, teachers choose wisely the suitable strategies to teaching integrated learners as not all approaches are suitable for every subject. Reference Bowman, C., and McCormick, S. (2000).   Comparison of Peer Coaching versus Traditional Supervision effects.   The Journal of educational Research 93 (4). Johnson, D., Johnson, R. and Holubec, E., (1994).   The nuts and bolts of corporative learning. Edina MN: Interaction Book Company. McHugh, Catherine, E., & Kevin, W. 1997.   Using technology to promote student learning:   Opportunities for Today and Tomorrow. Jossey- Publishers.

Frederick Douglass Process Essay - 1012 Words

Douglass Process Essay Slavery has always been one of the most, if not the most, shocking phenomenons of our world. Slavery, by itself seems very unnatural and entices mixed feelings various different people especially in our country during the 1800s which had been divided into the north and south due to this controversial issue. In the north, for the most part, people had believed that slaves had the right to be free and slavery was unjust which is why it was abolished in 1804. This differed from the south in that generally, it was believed that the slaves were incapable of doing anything other than slavery and thus should be kept as they are that is until 1865 when the 13th amendment ended slavery in the south. Some people, however, are descendants of those who used to be slaves years ago. Some faced â€Å"slavery†, or forced labor that would classify as the equivalent of slavery, even in the contemporary times. While others simply do not understand the possibility of one hu man being considering another human being its slave. By definition, slavery is one of the first historical forms of exploitation, under which a slave becomes the private property of the slave owner. In other words slavery converts an individual human being into a â€Å"belonging†, if you could call it that. This phenomenon has done a lot of harm to millions of people, in that it takes away lives and destroys the fate of the people who could have otherwise been happy. It is common knowledge that slavery wasShow MoreRelatedHow I Learned to Read and Write by Frederick Douglass and Mother Tongue by Amy Tan1178 Words   |  5 Pages How I Learned to Read and Write by Frederick Douglass and Mother Tongue by Amy Tan are essays that share a common theme. The theme is opposition and how it is necessary to build strength. 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