Thursday, October 31, 2019

Creative use of English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Creative use of English - Essay Example The use of language in Rebecca can be best understood when approached phenomologically as they reflect the perception of the perceiver and seemingly constitutes a prototype that is culturally defined and generated infinitely everytime there is an attempt at understanding it through the process of cognition. Thus cognition and language play are essential categories that wrestle dialogically until a decision in sentence production is taken everytime to fix or anchor authorial intent. But it does not rest there, as cognition is also an attempt to translate all linguistic and communicative possibilities for each level of word play or use at the lexical stage and at the level of poetic metaphor and metonymy at the semantic level. "It is clearly understood that one of the qualities that all languages have in common is their "creative" aspect. Thus an essential property of language is that it provides the means for expressing indefinitely many thoughts and for reacting appropriately in an indefinite range of situations" (Chomsky, 1965) Chomsky unlike Humboldt argues for the necessity of a universal grammar, which must accompany a generative grammar that "assigns to each of an infinite range of sentences a structural description indicating how this sentence is understood by the ideal speaker hearer" and is also "perfectly explicit" (Chomsky, 1965). Humboldt talks about the truly creative aspect of man's cognitive faculty and how man resolves particular creative challenges given to them since language cease to be just syntagmatic and paradigmatic modes of representations and enter the reader's "horizon of expectations" (Jauss, 1982) and self-conscious-ness as Hegel situates it. Thus the cognitive "potentialities" (Jauss, 1982) as per the Reader-response theory are derived out of cumulative responses of readers and hence is rests outside the individual mental struggle with understanding and is thus more result oriented. But cognitive approach concerns itself more with the working understanding of the mind as it tries to derive and synthesize meanings out of language that are creatively distorted beyond their functional and immediate lexical meanings and also not quite semantically or culturally relevant but intertwined with the progress and context or mood of the narrative itself. Thus in Rebecca, word play, unlike say as used in Finnegans Wake by Joyce is less a universalization of the protean qualities of dream. Both the novels use creativity through language to represent the conventions and the workings of the sleeping mind that are communicative but in a many possible ways. Cognition thus comes when language is embedded in a larger social or narrative context and faces danger in a new usage that challenges it to redefine language use and deconstruct all grammatical pragmatism. Thus new semantic domains can be best analyzed through deep introspection and understanding of reader's role in interpreting metaphors while deciphering language. Metaphors are thus the dominant demarcators of new language constructions that lack any objective ready meaning and rests mainly on conceptualization, categorization, grammaticalization and the use of language for communication of meaning. It lacks any older positivist paradigms of linguistics and archetypal expressions. Rebecca uses an archetypal imagery of dream sequence to indulge into creative language play so as to

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Develop a Services Marketing Plan of Fitness First Research Paper

Develop a Services Marketing Plan of Fitness First - Research Paper Example This essay approves that the management of Fitness First should waive the signup fee as sign up is free in almost all other fitness clubs. Also instead of an annual fee membership or bi-annual fee, it should offer tri monthly and bi-monthly memberships as none of the other follow this strategy and this will also attract consumers as they have to be bound with the company for a smaller period of time. It should also offer a discount to those who wish to continue after the tri-monthly or bi-annual membership is completed. This report makes a conclusion that for the improvement of promotion element of marketing mix it is suggested that Fitness First should focus on integrated promotional mix. All the media used should focus on same message and consumers must be attracted towards the services. Focus should be placed on publicity element where Fitness first can take part in different events and sponsor different relevant activities to help grow its name. Another point which is discussed earlier is the risk factors which Fitness First must try to eliminate like risk of death during exercises which pose a bad name on the brand. To eliminate such risks Fitness First should ask those who wish to join it to produce a medical certificate and advertise the same to make people realize how concerned Fitness First is about the safety of its members. Placement strategy is already good as Fitness First is available in 12 convenient locations but still it needs to be figured out if expansion option is available. This can be done more properly by conducting consumer research.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Environmental Analysis Of Brazil Marketing Essay

Environmental Analysis Of Brazil Marketing Essay DAIM Co. is the company that has been operating successfully for the past 15 years providing and manufacturing computer and computer devices and considered as the market leader in the Malaysian market. Due to the high competition in the market, the manager of DAIM Co. intends to persuade companys BOD (Board of Directors) to penetrate Brazilian market. The main idea of the business is to sell computers and computer devices in Brazil. The main purpose of this assignment is to perform environmental analysis of Brazil, to identify possible opportunities and threats, and to analyze how the environmental factors in terms of political-legal, social, economic and technological environment can affect the international operation functions and decision-making of a business. Also, this research paper provides most appropriate market entry strategy. Selected Product: Computer and computer devices Executive Summary flag_of_brazil.png images.jpg Geography It is a country that situates in the South America, and continents largest nation. Borders almost all the countries on the continent except Chile and Ecuador and has exit to Atlantic Ocean that makes country easy to access by the sea. The surface area of the country is 8 547 000 square km. Brazil ranks as fifth largest country. The capital city is Brasilia, while the most important cities are Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Brazils climate is tropical due to the location of the country, with the south being temperate. (Appendix 1, Political Map of Brazil) Demography It is the most populous nation in the South America, and worlds 6 country according to population after China, India, USA, Indonesia and Russian Federation. The population of brazil is equal to 190,732,694 people as of August 2010, which is 2.76% of Worlds Population. And the birth rate is 22.65 births per 1,000 populations. Different ethnic groups can be described as follows: 55% are whites of European descent, 22% are mulattous of mixed European and African Descent, 11% blacks and 0.1% Native Americans. (http://www.ibge.gov.br/english/presidencia/noticias/noticia_visualiza.php?id_noticia=1766id_pagina=1 ) Economic Profile Brazil has best economy among all countries in Latin America. Since its independence September 7, 1822 the economy is rapidly developing. And the result by 2010 is: GDP (nominal exchange rate): $ 2.1 trillion. GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.194 trillion. (Appendix 2, GDP of Brazil) Annual real growth (2010): 7.5%. Natural resources: Iron ore, manganese, bauxite, nickel, uranium, gemstones, oil, wood, and aluminum. Brazil has 14% of the worlds renewable fresh water. Agriculture (6% of GDP):  Productssoybeans, coffee, sugarcane, cocoa, rice, livestock, corn, oranges, cotton, wheat, and tobacco. Industry (28% of GDP):  Typessteel, commercial aircraft, chemicals, petrochemicals, footwear, machinery, motors, vehicles, auto parts, consumer durables, cement, and lumber. Exchange rate (March 3, 2011): U.S. $1 = 1.65 Brazilian reals. International Business Trade balance of Brazil as for 2011 is $20 billion surplus.  Exports: $202 billion.  Major markets of exports are: China 15%, USA 10%, Argentina 9%.  Imports: $182 billion.  Major suppliers are USA 15%, China 14%, and Argentina 8%. (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35640.htm) PESTLE Analysis PESTLE is a strategic management tool that provides useful framework to analyze the environmental pressures on Business (Goyal et al, 2009). Political: Brazil is a federal republic with 26 states and a federal district. The 1988 constitution grants broad powers to the federal government, made up of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Electing Lula da Silva in the 2002 as the president of Brazil has been described as a milestone, a starting point for secured democratic rule in the nation. This was an important in the establishment of economic norms and practices for the country; the more socialist models of state-run industry have been rejected, and significant international debt has been incurred to address the social ills facing the country. During the economic crisis in Latin America, the Brazilian economic situation becomes even more important; the growth of the Brazilian market has come to bear significantly on the worlds economy. After the election there have been significant improvements in the political environment, but political wrangling still exists, and a fragmented congress means economic risks still remain.  Issues surrounding policy implementation mean that expected future benefits from current policies are uncertain. Economic: Brazilian economy is the largest in the South America region; country has well developed agriculture, mining, manufacturing and service sector. From 2003, Brazil improved its macroeconomic situation, built foreign relations, reduced internal debt, kept inflation rate under control. Later during the financial crisis Brazilian economy had a solid performance and its strong and early recovery, including 2010 growth of 7.5%, have contributed to the countrys transition from a regional to a global power. Expected to continue to grow in the 4% to 5% range, the economy is the worlds eighth-largest and is expected to rise to fifth within the next several years. During the administration of former President Lula, surging exports, economic growth and social programs helped lift tens of millions of Brazilians out of poverty. Social: The large and growing consumer market provides a strong basis for considering market entry.      It is unlikely that overall workforce availability will be an issue, given the option of using international labor if requirements cannot be met locally.  Ã‚   Labor costs are attractive but there are significant costs on top of basic wages and requirements for additional training. Technological: Brazil is a leader in science and technology in South America and in some fields a global leader, such as bio fuels, agricultural research, deep-sea oil production, and remote sensing. U.S. Government, private sector, and academic researchers have extensive ties with Brazilian counterparts, and the extent of bilateral scientific and technological cooperation is expanding. The Brazilian Government seeks to develop an environment that is more supportive of innovation, taking scientific advances from the laboratory to the marketplace. Legal: The Legal rules governing business activities in Brazil are basically laid down in federal legislation, but constitution allows Federal Government to legislate on certain matters related to business activities, such as tax, financial and economic issues, liability for environmental and consumer damages. Federal Governments power is limited to enacting basic rules on such issues, whereas States and Federal District have authority to legislate on a supplementary basis, in line with the general rules laid down in the federal legislation. Brazil offers big business opportunities for foreign investors, in light of its economic potential, its diversified economy and its huge domestic market, now considerably expanded as a result of several international trade agreements entered into with economic blocks and countries the World over. Environmental: According to the geographical location of Brazil, it is very easy accessible by the sea, this means the country has an exit to the Atlantic Ocean. The raw materials, equipment, and products can easily be delivered by the sea which is not costly comparing to transportation by air. Also, according to the geographical location of the country there is no natural disaster like earthquakes and tsunami, which may cause stoppage of the business. Due to the large size, the climate of Brazil is different, even though the most part of the country is within tropical zone. The climate of Brazil experiments two seasons: the rainy which is summer and dry season which is winter. There is no cold at all, so the climate is partly same as in Malaysia, and it is very suitable for doing business in this country. Market and Segment Analysis STP (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning) is the essence of marketing. (Kotler, 1994, p. 93) Segmentation is the  process  of defining and subdividing a  market  into clearly identifiable  segments having similar  needs,  wants, or  demand  characteristics. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/market-segmentation.html) Demographic Segmentation refers to a wide study of the potential customers (Kotler, P., 2002). It consists of the variables such as: age, income, occupation and gender. The below diagram demonstrates the age segmentation: 13-25 years for Education and Entertainment 25-65 years for doing business. Segment.jpg The income level is an important part of segmentation, everyone can afford computers and computer devices, because nowadays there to many types of devices and they vary in pricing. It is available for all levels of users, occupation and gender. Geographic Segmentation is done by dividing people (markets) into different geographical locations. (Kotler Armstrong, 2002, p.252) Here, the main target will be main cities like capital Brasilia, and the most important cities in the country Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Targeting Strategy is the  selection  of  potential  customers  to whom a  business wishes to  sell  products  or  services. The targeting  strategy involves segmenting the market, choosing which  segments of the market are  appropriate, and determining the products that will be offered in each segment. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/targeting-strategy.html) Mostly computer devices will be selling to the big companies who need computers to operate their business and customers who uses computers that need devices to coordinate their busy schedules and communicate with colleagues, friends and family. Also, high schools, colleges and other educational institutions will be targeted in Brazil. Positioning Strategy   states  how the  firm  defines  its  business  or how a  brand  distinguishes itself, how the  customers  will benefit from its  features, and how these  benefits  or aspects will be communicated to the intended  audience. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/positioning-statement.html) We are positioning our computers and computer devices as the versatile, convenient, value-added devices for doing business, personal and professional use. The marketing strategy will focus on the convenience of doing business, entertainment with access to the internet. Mode of Entry to the Market The proposed way to enter Brazilian market is through Joint Venture strategy, which is defined as a contractual business undertaking between two or more parties. It is similar to a business partnership, with one key difference: a partnership generally involves an ongoing, long-term business relationship, whereas a joint venture is based on a single business transaction. Establishment of joint ventures is a common practice in Brazil. A major motivation for joint ventures is to pair foreign firms with Brazilian partners to compete in segments of the government procurement market or in other markets subject to government regulation, such as telecommunications, computers and capital goods. Formation of a joint venture can be accomplished through a variety of business entities. Entering a joint venture is a complex, and sometimes, time consuming process. As any type business structure, it holds a good opportunity for anyone to grow and make money fast; but just like any other business type; joint venture also holds threat to anyone who wants to enter. Porters 5 Forces Porters fives forces model  is a model which is using to analyze a particular environment of an industry in terms of Competitive rivalry, power of suppliers, power of buyers, threats of substitutes and threat of new entrants. Competitive rivalry: When entering to the market, the first thing you have to do is to analyze competitive rivalry in the country you going to set your business. If entry to an industry is easy then competitive rivalry will likely to be high. If it is easy for customers to move to substitute products for example from coke to water then again rivalry will be high. Generally competitive rivalry will be high if: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ There is little differentiation between the products sold between customers. Actually, there is not so much difference between computer devices sold in different companies. This means the customers will look for those products which have better quality or long life cycle of the product, in other words durability. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Competitors are approximately the same size of each other. Those companies who are operating as retailers only, will face a big trouble against big companies. The buyers prefer to work with best, well known companies who provide stability and confidence to them. Power of  suppliers Suppliers are also essential for the success of an  organization. Raw materials are needed to complete the finish product of the organization.  Suppliers  do have power. This power comes from:   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ If they are the only  supplier  or one of few  suppliers  who  supply  that particular raw material. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ If it costly for the  organization  to move from one  supplier  to another à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ If there is no other substitute for their product. Power of buyers Buyers or customers can exert  influence  and control over an industry in certain circumstances. This happens when: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ There is little differentiation over the product and substitutes can be found easily. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customers are sensitive to price. The pricing should not be high, it must suit their expectations. The overall life concerns in Brazil are low, this means we have to identify the prices in relation to the customers, are they able to buy our products. If the prices will be high, the customer will switch to another product or company which is not costly for them. Threat of Substitutes This is about the alternative products that customers can purchase over your product that offer the same benefit for the same or less price. Threat of substitute is high when the price of your PC is higher than your competitors price, or when competitors decide to cut the prices of their products. In this industry, we can say that there is high competition, so this can bring to losing customers because customers sometimes are willing to substitute and compare the products or companies itself. Threat of new entrant The threat of a new  organization  entering the industry is high when it is easy for an organization  to enter the industry. An  organization  will look at how loyal customers are to existing products, how quickly they can achieve economy of scales, would they have access to  suppliers, would  government legislation  prevent them or encourage them to enter the industry. Actually, there is high probability that other companies will enter the market and will compete with you in the market. Conclusion Doing business in Brazil may be very profitable to the international companies. All the factors that may affect the business are positively affecting the business. PC industry is developing on Brazil. And there are many drivers to start your own business in the Brazil. International companies have advantage over the local companies, as they are undervalued and in need of restructuring, capital and technology. There is creative and flexible labor force, which is not expensive comparing to other countries. Growth potential of consumer market is very high. Privatization in late stages, inflation is under control in the last 10 years. There is increasing globalization and international trade. Foreign investors are eligible for most available fiscal incentives. And established transportation networks such as railways, highways, ports make it easy to operate in Brazil.

Friday, October 25, 2019

A Home that I Can Point To Essay -- Personal Narrative Moving Essays

A Home that I Can Point To We are moving once again. The new place is barely down the street, but we have to move again. This is the fifth time in six years that I have moved from one apartment to another. Im glad we are finally moving out of the old apartment, because the guy below us constantly banged on his ceiling when I walked from one room to another. Its been awhile since I have had a place to call home, a place I can grow fond of. I have hope that one day we will live in a house and not have to worry about cranky neighbors or stairs to climb before I reach my front door. As I read the short piece from Sandra Cisneross, The House On Mango Street, I began to appreciate everything that I had in life. The story is narrated through the thoughts and emotions of a young girl whose family lives in poverty and struggles to find a decent place to live. The message that Cisneros tries to convey to her readers is that those who have plenty in life must realize that there are people who struggle every day and work hard in order to survive, and they too have dreams and goals of one day living an adequate life. People who have such elaborate homes or even simple homes always want more, never understanding the value of what they have. Once I read the story, I came to terms with what life is like for those who hardly have means of getting water. I have gained more respect for those who struggle, but still make an effort to ameliorate their situation. From my experience, I can relate to her need for a solid ground, but when it comes to the difficulty of living in pove rty, I can only learn to be grateful for what I have. The oldest home that I can remember is an apartment my mother, stepfather, and I lived in. The building was ... ...the place I call home. As a child, one needs to make memories of their childhood and this girl loses that opportunity. In the girls case, she is unhappy with her home, and unappreciative of what her family provides for her. However, she is no different from any other person in society. We all desire more than what we can realistically acquire, and constantly expect better things in life. This is not a negative aspect of human nature; it is simply a mechanism to strive us to do better in life. I knew then I had to have a real house. A real house. One I could point to. This attitude shows the reader that she has used the torment she has endured as a means of reinforcement on striving for a greater future. I hope that someday, my Dad and I can find a place to settle down in, but it will probably be awhile. Like the little girl would say, I know how those things go.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Conflict with Watching Tv

Television viewing is a regular part of American daily life and poses negative effects on children and adults. When television was invented children and adults would only spend a couple hours during the day watching television. Now children and adults are obsessively watching television for more than two hours a day. Television creates multiple health problems. A problem with watching too much television is a lack of movement and sleep. Also, watching too much television can cause a lack of communication inside and outside of the house.Television is extremely distracting when a person is trying to do his or her homework. Television is detrimental because it creates health problems. The television provides many opportunities to be lazy. First, children and adults will stay up all night watching television causing a lack of sleep having an after effect in the schooling department. A negative effect of television is adults and children are missing out on the physical workout that keeps us healthy from being outside and active. Second, it has been proven that television has a connection with weight gain.Children are more obsessive over TV because they mimic what they see on television without understanding the consequences that follow their actions. Children may watch TV shows that contain violence and will mimic it. This could lead to nightmares and acting out. Third, television can lower a person’s self-esteem. The media puts on ads of products portraying the perfect image, as a result making children and adults have low self-esteem. When children watch too much violence they become unaware of reality and try to imitate it.If television does not benefit children it can lead them to behave inappropriately. Other than television creating health problems, it is also detrimental because it makes people communicate less. Without a parent’s guide or adult supervision, shows on television can become a lifestyle for the young ages of today. First, viewers a re unable to carry on a conversation while watching television. People are discarding and ignoring potentially important conversations simply by focusing on the television rather than people talking. Next, people spend us the majority of their time watching television.Television demands vision and hearing to receive images and sounds so that the viewer can get important information to understand programs. Second, some families go as far as letting their children watching television during dinner time instead of sitting around the dinner table and discussing valuable matters. Instead of watching television, the day should be spent productively with family, aside from work and school. A lack of communication will diminish parent-child interaction can have negative effects on children, especially when they are young.Third, this neglect could lead to the breakdown of relationships between family members and lost friendships. Television is a function that is diffusing information but lac ks interaction with other people. The longer a person watches television, the shorter his or her communication skills are. When a person watches TV constantly they do not care for a long meaningful conversation only a superficial conversation. Due to spending most of our daily time watching television, people care less about job responsibility and relationships between families and friends.Not only does television create lack of communication, TV also creates distraction. Children who become addicted to television seem to have worst grades based on the fact that television runs there life’s. First, Television is distracting because it takes away the ability to want to do homework or read. People’s attention spend gets shortened because too much of television. This is where procrastination starts people decide to watch a TV show and then do their homework after the show is finished, but instead they get sleepy and are not able to complete it.Second, continuing to watch TV instead of doing homework will have a major effect on a student’s grades. Some people stay up to watch all the games that play so they do not miss anything. Sleeping in late can cause individuals to be tired the next day of school and can lead to not doing as great on an assignment, quiz, or test the following morning. Third, when watching television, some people are not as likely to be involved with other activities. Television affects children the most. Every child has limited time and resources to put toward personal development.If children fill up all their free time watching television they will miss out on many life lessons learned through experience. Children may learn a little bit from the TV, but not nearly as much as school and playing outside. Having more quantity time to spend on their own development means that our children are starting to seriously excel in certain areas they’ve worked on with their own initiative. In conclusion, television is detrimen tal because it creates health problems by making people lazier.After work these days, a typical father comes home and sits down in front of the television instead of being productive by spending time with their children, or working on projects. Too much television also causes a lack of communication because most people tend to get absorbed in the story of their favorite show, and completely ignore their surroundings including their upset spouse or child. Television can be an addiction that makes people lethargic, anti-social, and distracted affecting many areas of a healthy life.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

How media influences sport

Watching replays we Improve our knowledge and understanding. Participation In sports covered by the media Is always higher than for those that are not. This amount of sports coverage can have positive and negative effects. The first ever Olympic games that were televised were the 1936 games, held In Berlin, Germany, were televised by means of closed circuit television to various viewing halls located across the city. Media coverage of sport helps athletics to have the money to pay to have their rights to show the sporting events on the television.Also athletics being hon.. On the television helps the athletes to gain sponsorship, sponsors such as Aids or Lola who sponsor the Olympic gold medalist Jessica Nines would have seen Jess' potential as an athlete and approached her manager to ask for her sponsorship. Thus giving Jessica money through her sponsors. If there was a ‘face' of London 2012, Ennui's is It, and it's not something she feels particularly comfortable with. She sa ys she felt embarrassed when she went to her local newsagents and saw herself on the cover of a row of glossy magazines.Jess was being promoted by esters, television adverts and anything that the media could put her face on to promote the Olympics. Even In the Olympic village there was no escape for Nines, she was constantly being asked for photos from foreign athletes or to sign things. Jess was constantly in and out of press conferences as everyone wanted to hear what the face of the Olympics had to say. She gave very little away but spoke well, with a nod and a smile at the end of every sentence. Competitors started to see the pressure she was under.To some extent that extra pressure had been created by Team Nines ND the desire to market her. Could she live up to all that love the nation had shown here is what people wondered before the 2012 Games. So why would she do this if its added pressure and almost an embarrassment to see her face everywhere? The career of a athlete Is sho rt lived, to make the most of their career they most make the biggest profile for themselves as possible In the short amount of time. In the Olympics Lola loved her, so used It to sell moisturizer. Jaguar praised her speed and grace and supplied a black five-litter car.Omega took care of her time-keeping needs. Powered, BP and Aviva put their money behind her. Aids gave her a deal said to be the most lucrative of any Team KGB athletics competitor, at IEEE,OHO. So just from the one competition she has managed to gain a awful lot of sponsorship and money. Athletics has a range of deferent events within the sport, each having different rules in which the athletes must abide by. The media give you an idea about these rules because each and every person will witness athletics on the television or read about it in the newspaper.From this people are able to analyses and evaluate the event and main an understanding of the event. For example, a person may pick up the rule the he atheist begi ns the running events from a gun start. The event that receives the highest amount of media coverage at the Olympics games other then the Olympic opening and closing ceremony, was Susan bolt winning the mom finial. Susan Bolt's with the Jamaican historic gold in the 200 meters final taking eighth place in the London games top 10. However, Jamaica may have had an amazing time in the Olympics winning May gold medals but now they are in the media for a different reason.Safe Powell, the former mom world record holder, was the biggest name to test positive, but four others, including Bowel's training partner Sharon Simpson, the Olympic relay gold medalist, also failed tests at the country's national trials in June. Both Powell and Simpson claim they took supplements that might have been contaminated with the banned stimulant Chlorine. This was a big shock o the world of athletics and changes all opinions of the Jamaican athletics team, making people not look up to them as role models any more.Another constructive effect the media has on athletics is it helps to improve the articulation levels at grass roots as these people that enter at grass roots will have witness elite athletes in athletics being promoted as role models by the newspapers. This use of a role model is the reason athletics has 1 million new athletes start each year. Once a athlete has started they can only keep working their way up the performance pyramided to be exactly like their role models. Athletics can be a huge inspiration on people's lives through the media of television.Many people don't have the chance to watch sport on satellite television as there is normally a subscription e or a form of payment. Terrestrial television can bring athletics to those who have no access to satellite TV for one reason or another. People that won't normally see athletics, get the chance to watch it and be inspired. Once inspired, anybody may then be encouraged to get involved into athletics and see how much o f an amazing sport it really is. But what about when television isn't an option?There are a variety of other forms of media that promote sport, such as; newspapers, radio, books or the internet. A radio channel radio five live is a commentary and chat show. During the Olympics this radio station covered every inch of the Olympic Games so when you were driving on the way to and from work you never had the chance of missing a single bit of the 2012 games. Another great form of media is the internet, this is starting to get more and more popular over the years as technology advances. We have a range of different social media options with in Olympic athletes can use to help promote their image.Jess Nines uses the social media site Twitter this allows the athlete to share a bit more of themselves with friends and fans, while teaching hem to behave responsibly and act as an ambassador and role model that she is. Also, by Jess being on the twitter it will benefit her sponsors; fans that fo llow their favorite athletes on social media are 55% more likely to purchase a brand if an athlete mentions it on twitter Have you ever watched athletics and seen Lawrence Kooky do a very technical spin before launching a discus?And thought- I'd love to know how to do that? Through the new technology of the media, we have the ability to go back to that moment and watch it over and over again to look at each and every event, before that throw. We can stop and start our television screens on whatever movement we want to see; hence we have our visual guidance from the professional. Therefore, we can take it to the next level and give it ago. This way, the media has managed to make itself its own coaching aid, so we can use it to help us with our athletics.For example, Sky HAD sports allows you to watch your favorite watch over and over again to see those techniques in action. However, it could be argued that media doesn't always help athletics. To start with, athletics is a popular por t but it seems to still in the shadow of other sports such as: football or rugby. Therefore, it does not get as much attention through the media, such as terrestrial television. Also, we have two very negative, yet different, effects that the media has on athletics. The first being- lack of attendance to live events- take the 2012 Olympics for example.The BBC had said that It sold 7 million tickets to people all around the world, but this was only 80% of the total amount of tickets that they wanted to sell. You may be thinking only 80%? Well it comes down to the media! Every single event at he Olympics was shown on terrestrial and satellite TV, therefore many people chose to watch the events from the comfort of their own home rather than purchase tickets and watch the events live from the different venues. This led to a reduced number of tickets sold and people experiencing the atmosphere and witnessing the sports live.What was amazing though was the support for the face of the Olym pics Jess Nines because on day 1 as she started the crawl two days competing in seven different events in the heptathlon there was a full crowd at the Olympic stadium who came to support her on the opening day of her events. This Just shows how much of an impact Jess had on the Olympics, for a time unusual to see the stadium full- it was jam-packed! Everyone wanted to see this girl compete. She is something special. The second being often the media can over load us with sport on television.Using the Olympics again as a great example- the month that it was on- everywhere you looked, people would be watching the Olympics, listening to the Olympics, talking about the Olympics and thinking about the Olympics. This could be argued-overload. By the time that it had got to half way through the Olympic period many people could abate that seeing another Olympic event was becoming tedious. The media were trying to use the Olympics to get people into sport, when really it could be seen as forc ing people to be interested in sport.The media pushed and pushed that the Olympic Games legacy was it would leave behind for the host city new and upgraded sports facilities and venues. This would create more Jobs, more area for recreational activities and the chance for people to develop into the next athletic star. Carrying on with the media overloading us with sport there were various campaigns set up to peep us involved and interested by the Olympic Games. Nikkei created a television campaign called find your greatness'.They created an ad that showed people from all over the world participating in sports in cities that happened to have London in their name, including London, Ohio, London, Norway, and East London, South Africa. McDonald's, a huge fast food brand known all around the world decided in America they would promote the Olympics by offering when you purchase items that have under 400 calories, you can win prizes, some as big as 25,000 dollars and a trip to London. The w ay it works? An American athlete's name appears on all food items that are less than 400 calories, and if your Olympic athlete wins a gold medal, you win a prize.You may not think of McDonald's to be the best Olympic sponsor as most of its food isn't exactly suitable for a training athlete. Nevertheless, McDonald's best target audience wasn't necessarily athletes, but they were able to create an Olympics campaign that caters to their customer base nonetheless. Often it can feel that the example, in a previous Olympics, the marathon was run at a time which suited TV impasses, even though it was at the hottest time of day! The organizers had no control over when the event was run because they wanted it to suite them.Finally, the media does have an interest in promoting British athletics and other national governing bodies for sport as they are showing high profile sporting events more and more, whereby people can become encouraged to take part in these sports. However, they must be aw are of overloading prime time television slots which could have a negative impact on young sports people of the future Also in this report I want to look t not only the positive and negative effects the media has on sport but ways in which the media can improve our modern sport. The media's improved Olympics over the years. 0-50 years ago most fans would have to wait until the next days papers came out to find out the scores of the day before games. Or they might have access to the radio. The increase in televising the Olympic Games has brought more fans as they are able to follow their favorite Olympic event more closely. Over the years technology has increased to the point where even if your team is not on the television, you can still et up to the second game details through the internet. The media has been the driving force for certain changes in the game as well.For instance the ability to have the world record line run across the pool on our television as the Olympic swimmers travel through the water, has come from the media complaining the swimming wasn't exciting enough as we didn't know what they were fighting for. So now allowing for the possibility of seeing the world record line. The media, by exposing events, teams and athletes more intimately to the public have brought many more fans to the Olympic Games and allowed the Games to drive p the costs of attending a game and in essence that is partly why the facilities are so ridiculously outstanding.The media can account for another reason for outstanding facilities, they have so many commentaries and editorials about every event that the athletes compete in, giving more exposure and their sponsors use this perceived popularity to help them in getting more money. There has been an influence in creating and then helping to correct problems as well. Steroids is a perfect example. In the Olympic 100 meter sprint athletes such as Ben Johnson thought steroids helped create an atmosphere in the game where everyone felt they needed to be improving on their times in each race to gain the approval of the media and the fans.They turned to steroids when natural regimens were not making them enough gains. The media turned a blind eye for a while and then decided to expose the steroid problem in the game. By exposing the problem they basically made it impossible for Ben Johnson not to address the issue. Now there is random testing and ramifications for getting caught. Sports. They promote the Olympic Games and make them more popular without the media the Olympics would not have the popularity they enjoy today.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Study of the key Mergers Acquisitions of Banco Santande (2002-2010) The WritePass Journal

Study of the key Mergers Acquisitions of Banco Santande (2002-2010) References Study of the key Mergers Acquisitions of Banco Santande (2002-2010) ABSTRACT   1. 0 INTRODUCTION  2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW3.0 RECENT HISTORY –3.1 Origins Growth3.2 Main economic and legal environments in main market –3.3 Strategic developments (2002-2010)3.4 Business Opportunities3.5 Long term performance in stock market – 4.0 Empirical Supports 4.5.1 Liquidity ratio4.5.2 Profitability ratio4.5.2.1 Return on equity4.5.2.2 Return on capital employed4.5.2.3 Return on Assets4.5.2.4 Cost-Income ratio4.5.3 Investment valuation ratios4.5.3.1 Dividend payout ratio (DPR)4.5.3.1 Earnings per share (EPS)ConclusionReferencesRelated ABSTRACT Mergers and acquisitions (MA) play a vital role in the corporate finance world. For many companies, M A is source of external growth when company organic growth has already reached at peak. Globalisation of the world economy allows company expanding their operations and also competes against the domestic players through mergers and acquisitions. This study highlights the success story of acquisition of UK bank â€Å"Abbey National† by Spanish Bank – â€Å"Banco Santander† in November 2004.This acquisition profoundly transformed the Group Santanders business profile, provided the growth opportunity in most profitable attractive market, diversified the risk and substantially increased the market capitalisation. This study examines the Santander strategic development post acquisition, impact on their financial performance also their long term performance in stock market. This cross – border M A has been very beneficial for the Santander. Santander continu es to focus on delivering value for shareholders through organic growth and acquisitions. Analysis of the topic has been demonstrated by several examples. The data and the information source are publisher’s websites, literatures, news, and, various articles.    1. 0 INTRODUCTION Privatisation and deregulation have brought substantial changes in the financial markets since the 1970s. In 1980 deregulation was encouraged in the EU which brought major structural change. Introduction of the single currency in Europe was example of further deregulation, which encouraged countries to open their markets to foreign competition. Abbey National had gone through a big transformation in the last century from a building society, to successful bank and finally to a bid on the market. Abbey National was a well-established domestic name in the UK. It has been a successful business in the past. Abbey National proceeded to expand through mergers and acquisition in order to maintain its market position, however, diversification of its core businesses and a lack of focus resulted in large losses for the group from year 2001 had total loss of  £984million in 2003. In 2001 the Lloyds TSB placed offer to takeover, which was likely to result in a large market share ownership within the UK by one bank. This was overturned by Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading as it was against the public interest. Santander realised Abbey National as a safe investment compared to its Latin American banks that have been losing money for the last two years. Moreover, this acquisition for Santander was a new interest in retail banking, which was Abbey National’s strength. Abbey National plc and Banco Santander Central Hispano, SA reached an agreement on the terms of a recommended acquisition by Banco Santander of Abbey on 26 July 2004, which was formally approved by the courts and Abbey became part of Grupo Santander on 12 November 2004.   2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Mergers and acquisitions are source of external growth when organic growth is not possible. For smaller companies there is constant threat to their continued independent existence by the big player/competitor. The terms Mergers takeover are synonymously used although there is narrow distinction between the two. Merger is reorganisation of assets into a new organisation having agreement of both their shareholders. Merger involves company of similar size which reduces the dominance of each other. A take over is acquisition of the ordinary shareholders capital by another company. This may be financed by cash payment, an issue of securities or a combination of both. In acquisition bidding company is larger and dominant than the target company. Broadly takeovers can be classified into following three categories – â€Å"Horizontal takeover† – Company operating in the same industry and similar stage of production â€Å"Vertical takeover† – Operating at different stages production within the same industry. Vertical takeover may be a move forward in the production process to secure distribution outlet, or a move backward in the production process to secure the raw material supply. â€Å"Conglomerate takeover†- Combining two companies operating in different area of business. When there is international dimension involve it is called cross border acquisition. Justification for acquisitions – â€Å"Economic† â€Å"Synergy† – â€Å"When assets and /or operations of two companies complement each other, so that sum of their combined output is more than individual some†. â€Å"Economies of scale† – â€Å"Similar to above as the scale of operation is larger and better efficiencies/ output are experienced1.† â€Å"Elimination of inefficient management† – â€Å"Acquisition helps replacing inefficient manager by efficient managers leading to deliver better performance and output1.† â€Å"Entry to new markets† – â€Å"Entry to new geographical and business area right from scratch may not be an economical option so acquisition is chosen as efficient route to expansion.† â€Å"To provide critical mass† – â€Å"Smaller companies experience lack of credibility because of their small size. Because of the increasing importance of R D and brand investment, merging company’s pool resources to establish critical mass required to provide cash flows to finance such requirements1.† â€Å"Means of providing growth† – When company finds organic growth difficult then this strategy will be a quick solution for providing growth. â€Å"Market Power share† – Horizontal acquisitions increases market share and earn monopoly profits, whereas vertical acquisition increase company power in raw material or distribution. 2.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Financial â€Å" â€Å"Financial synergy† – If the cost of capital decreases as a direct result of acquisition. In conglomerate takeover because of lack of correlation between the cash flows of different companies reduces the volatility of cash flow. These results in reduced business risk and cost of capital may decreases. â€Å"Target undervaluation† – â€Å"Target company’s shares are undervalued where capital markets are not efficient as a result company may be a bargain buys†. â€Å"Tax consideration† – Tax exhausted company will be benefited with the acquisition of non tax exhausted company so that tax allowable benefits can be brought forward which may offset capital allowance interest. â€Å"Increasing earning per share† – â€Å"Earning per share increases if the bidding company has a higher price/earning ratio than its target company†. 3.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Managerial Motives† – This may also arise if managers are more concerned satisfying their own objective rather than with increasing the wealth of shareholders. Sometimes motives behind such acquisitions are to increase managers pay power. Factors influencing takeovers trends are as follows (i)â€Å"Booming Stock exchange† – With the increase in share prices it attracts the bidding company to have acquisition of the target company. (ii) Increase in company’s real liquidity and profitability encourages takeover. (iii)   Deregulation external source of finance (debt) more easily available in the market. 3.0 RECENT HISTORY – 3.1 Origins Growth The Abbey National Building Society was formed following the merger of two long standing building societies in 1944. During the period of 1970 and 1980 it gained reputation for innovation changes. In 1988, Abbey National plc was incorporated as a bank and in 1989 the Society transferred business to Abbey National plc. September 11th attack in New York Enron turned out in 2001 damaged confidence in various financial areas. From this point, Abbey struggled from financial losses and a tarnished image. In 2003, the brand name was shortened to Abbey. There was major reorganization of the bank in September 2003. In 2004 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Santander of Spain After two successive years of losses Abbey returned to profit in 2004 even though there was big cost of reorganization post acquisition charges ( £564 million). Abbey was renamed Santander UK in January 2010. Table 1 – Grupo Santanders Performance comparison in Year 2004 2005 Source – Santander Annual Report 2005 santandershareholder.com/financial-information/reports-and-publications/ Table 2- Abbey Full Year Results for the Year 2004 2005- Source Abbey 2005 Full Year Results – aboutsantander.co.uk/investors/financial-results-and-presentations/2005.aspx 3.2 Main economic and legal environments in main market – There has been a good economic environment for business growth till 2007. Market was hit by deep recession in 2008 which continued till 2009. Year 2010 saw the recovery. Table 3 – Main Economic highlights 3.3 Strategic developments (2002-2010) Santander Consumer continued to develop its two-pronged growth strategy organic and selective acquisitions with excellent results. Banco Santander has expanded its operations aggressively with several acquisitions in the last decade. Santander strategy is to follow the business model of proven success in European and Latin American countries, and was applied in Abbey. The pillars of this model are Focus on retail banking Diversification, efficiency Prudence in risks Balance sheet strength Flexible style of management, which enables them take advantage of business opportunities Adapt easily to the countries where they operate and to the changes and new challenges. 3.4 Business Opportunities On 26 July 2004 â€Å"Banco Santander Central Hispano† announced the acquisition of â€Å"Abbey National plc†, the acquisition was formally approved by the courts on 12 November 2004. In June 2006, â€Å"Banco Santander Central Hispano† purchased almost 20% of Sovereign Bank. In May 2007 consortium â€Å"Banco Santander Central Hispano†, â€Å"Royal Bank of Scotland† and â€Å"Fortis† made an offer to takeover â€Å"ABN AMRO†. In October 2007 acquired â€Å"ABN AMRO†. As part of the deal, â€Å"Grupo Santander† acquired â€Å"ABN AMROs† subsidiary in Brazil and its subsidiary in Italy. On 13 August 2007, â€Å"Banco Santander Central Hispano† changed its legal name to â€Å"Banco Santander†. In November 2007, it sold Banca Antonveneta to Monte dei Paschi di Siena. In March 2008, Banco Santander sold Interbanca, a subsidiary of Banca Antonveneta, to GE Commercial Finance In July 2008   it intended to takeover the UK bank Alliance Leicester, the acquisition was completed in October 2008.This was followed by the acquisition of the savings business of UK bank Bradford Bingley (BB) in September 2008. The banks, along with Abbey, are to be merged together under the Santander name in the UK by the end of 2010 These acquisitions saw Santander managing diversified portfolio which reduced the risk and also provided a profitable growth to emerge as the largest financial in the world. Santander’s continues to focus on the attraction, engagement, development, progression and retention of its senior leaders. 3.5 Long term performance in stock market – Table 4- Stock market Key Performance for Santander 2002- 2010 The above table shows Santander Group robust performance in the last decade. Share prices had doubled prior to the 2008 when there was worldwide recession and stock prices tumbled down. Company has shown a great resilient performance and recovered slowly to a steady growth position. Figure 1 – Share Prices of Banco Santander Figure 2 – Market Capitalisation of Banco Santander 4.0 Empirical Supports Table 5 Key Ratios Performance of Banco Santander 4.5.1 Liquidity ratio Liquidity ratio shows companys ability to repay short-term creditors out of its total cash. The liquidity ratio is the result of dividing the total cash by short-term borrowings. Current ratio = Current Assets/Current liabilities Figure 3 – Current Ratio of Banco Santander 4.5.2 Profitability ratio These ratios express the company ability to generate earnings as compared to its expense. Various measures used in this analysis are Return on equity (ROE), return on capital employed (ROCE), and return on asset (ROA) . 4.5.2.1 Return on equity Return on equity (ROE) – This measures rate of return on the ownership interest. It’s efficiency of generating profits from every units of shareholders equity. This is expressed as following formula ROE = Net profit after taxes/Average shareholders’ equity Figure 4 – ROE of Banco Santander 4.5.2.2 Return on capital employed This measure earning with capital invested in the company. This is expressed as ratio of earning before interest taxes to the capital employed. Capital employed is represented as total asset less current liabilities or fixed asset plus working capital. ROCE = Net profit after taxes/Capital Employed Figure 5 – ROCE of Banco Santander 4.5.2.3 Return on Assets This measures the profitability of company’s assets in generating revenue. This is ratio of Net Income to mode of total asset. ROA = Net profit after taxes / Total Assets Figure 6 – ROA of Banco Santander 4.5.2.4 Cost-Income ratio This is measure of efficiency. This measure change of cost compare to income. It directly affects the profit margin.   As the efficiency decreases means cost decreases or income increase or increase in cost is less compared to income. This results in improved margin. Figure 7 – Efficiency of Banco Santander 4.5.3 Investment valuation ratios Investment ratio is measure of returns in future. This is an anticipated value/Forecast on the investment. 4.5.3.1 Dividend payout ratio (DPR) This ratio measures the percentage of earnings (net income) per common share allocated to paying cash dividends to shareholders. Dividend payout ratio is indicates the earnings of dividend by every share against the earning per share. DPR= Dividends per common share/Earnings per share. Figure 8 – DPR of Banco Santander- 4.5.3.1 Earnings per share (EPS) This express part of a companys profit allocated to each outstanding ordinary share. Earning Per Share is a measure/tool used by investors to asses profitability based on the number of shares they hold/own. EPS = (Net Income – Dividends on preferred stocks)/Average outstanding ordinary shares Figure 9 – EPS of Banco Santander Conclusion In this study the research has been carried out on the M A in general and role of M A on the financial performance of Banco Santander in particular. Deregulation of having single currency Europe wide globalisation opened the market for foreign companies to expand their operation compete against domestic players. This acquisition is a case of cross- border where Santander got opportunity of acquiring diversified portfolio which reduced risk in their business. Ratios such as Liquidity, Profitability, Investors, Gearing Returns have been considered pre post acquisition for analysis in order to understand the financial performance of the bank in the last decade. Santander continued to grow organically and also followed very aggressive cross border acquisitions as a strategy. Santander has shown a very robust performance post acquisition. In 2005 after acquisition of Abbey Santander profits soar group shown 35% rise in profit during the first six months. Overall rise was 44% in the year. Santander continued acquisitions and business growth has been significant year on year basis. Santander performance has been resilient during recession and shown great recovery in 2010. Assets, Market Capitalisation, Profits, Earning Per Share has shown significant growth in the last ten year. High profitability led Santander to pay high dividend to share holders. Santander continues to focus on shareholder values and paid big returns to share holderâ€⠄¢s money. Santander emerged as world’s biggest financial group in a decade. References Watson, D. Head, A (2010) Corporate Finance: Principles Practices, Abbey National (2004) History According to aboutabbey.com Abbey National (2004) Annual Report According to www.abbeynational.co.uk BBC News (2001) A battle for Abbey National According to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1170339.stm BBC News (2003) Abbey National slumps into losses According to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2799905.stm Forbes (2004) Abbey National Shareholders OK Takeover According to www.forbes.com Taylor. G (2003) UK Building Society demutualization motives Business Ethics, Volume 12 Issue 4 Page 394 Webster. J (2001) Final Thematic Report – Retail Financial Services According to www.tcd.ie/erc/Servemploi/reportspdf/FinalThRep/sevthrefiancial.PDF  5th Edition, Harlow: Prentice Hall http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_National aboutsantander.co.uk/ â€Å"www.google.co.uk† aboutsantander.co.uk/investors/financial-results-and- presentations/2005.aspx santandershareholder.com/financial-information/reports-and-publications/

Monday, October 21, 2019

Use of Technology to Improve Listening and Speaking Skills

Use of Technology to Improve Listening and Speaking Skills Free Online Research Papers I think nobody can deny that computers are in the center of our everyday life. Is your answer no? Then, just think again: Computers can divide/multiply or add numbers for us, we can draw money from computer- managed ATMs anytime we like, they work in our digital watches, in ABS ESP systems in our cars, in almost all of the control mechanisms of an aeroplane, in digital cameras, in cellular phones, in cd players, in remote controllers, in photocopiers, in satellite systems, so on and on†¦. Do they sound familiar? If you use any of them, it means that you unconsciously â€Å"managed† by a computer system in your everyday life, because all the things I mentioned here have the same basic controlling system: computer. However, we also use computers – I mean Personal Computers- consciously and directly in banks, offices, schools, homes, and everywhere they are needed†¦ We use computers in any cases, anyway, so this is the awful truth: We are totally surrounded by computers. Believe it or not, this is the reality. As regards education, -in our case it is foreign language education-, do you still believe that foreign language teaching learning process keeps unaffected by this silent computer revolution and is trying to accomplish its aim through so-called â€Å"traditional† methods? I am giving the answer for you: Definitely not! Now, foreign language teaching methods are rapidly shifting from the traditional methods to the methods using computer applications and multimedia environments. These applications and environments are used extensively and successfully in reading, writing, listening and speaking practices by ESL teachers and students throughout the world. Whats more, the tools I mentioned here are truly helpful in practising the four skills of a language (reading, writing, listening and speaking) since these tools give language practisers almost exacly what they need; however, the main focus of interest in this article is developing listening speaking skills via internet mul timedia tools. â€Å"The internet is suitable place to practise languages as it offers the possibility, with the right software, of using images and audio resources at the same time, combining sounds and images as in communicative situations in the real world. It also provides users with a highly appealing and innovative format† (Labayen et. al., 2005, p.9). From now on, I will try to show you what computers, internet and multimedia environments offer and how using these tools can help ESL students practising listening speaking throughout this text. Originally, media environmets high, fast and easy accessibility is what makes them an almost perfectly tailored solution to L2 effective and easy-to-reach learning practising resources. Using media environments is convenient in itself, indeed, because it gives us the possibility to choose what is appropriate for us at a certain period of time. Hoven (1999) asserts that computers allow L2 learners to determine the way and the pace that suits them and their needs. For example, when an ESL practiser is in class, s/he can have access to the internet, TV/video to watch movies or educative programmes in the target language, or study on a listening/speaking application using a computer on his/her own. Ehsani et. al. (1998) emphasize that by combining sound, vision, text, video and animation, this self-paced interactive learning environments create much more educative and creative classroom environments. Whats more, besides individual work, two or more people can work together in a group a ctivity which makes the process more interactive. Hoven (1999) believes that computers allow learners to add up what they know altogether more effectively and support peer correction. Whats more, Ellis et. al. (2005) suggest that technology has shaped the collaborative relationships between students and the way they interact with each other which eventually shape the learning opportunities in a classroom. Frith (2005) indicates that even though some L2 students are often required to speak in English in their social settings, they mostly enjoy listening especially when they are watching television or films. This observation emphasizes the use of multimedia environments in L2 classrooms. Whats more, Frith (2005) believes that video lessons can be very stimulating. This is what is needed to actualize real development. Besides, this is also an enjoyable part of listening development, because for many students, learning is associated with dull and boring clasroom activities. Unfortunately, in this case this generalization does not work, because L2 learners â€Å"do it† on their own in a convenient and different way. Verdugo et. al. (2007) assert that children actively take part in understanding the story because of the interactivity of internet based stories and this makes learning easy. This make the development of listening ability more effective and entertaining, but less effo rt-required. Consequently, this is what leads to real development and learning. The use of the internet in classroom environment is relatively a new phenomenon. However, seeing that it offers almost unlimited resources and choices, it has become widespread all around the world. At this point, the important thing is how to use it effectively in classrooms. Labayen et. al. (2005) emphasize that only when the sources are properly selected can the internet be useful in a learning environment. Then, another problem arises: How to select appropriate web sites to make use of them in a classroom to improve listening and speaking skills of students? Labayen et. al. (2005) show that the best way to find good web sites is to listen to a collegues suggestions who actually searched the site on his/her own or find a â€Å"serious† web site which may actually help. When it comes to speaking practice via the internet, there are cheap, useful and wise solutions available. For example, Skype, MSN Messenger, GoogleTalk and similar VoIP applications can be used to connect a native speaker on the internet and realize a real-time conversation for free. Volle (2005) notes in her research that using MSN Messenger to conduct her online lessons, she observed the development in oral proficiency of her students. Even though VoIP conversations cannot make up for some features of a real face-to-face conversation, it is a precious opportunity for an L2 learner to use VoIP applications considering the hardships of finding a native speaker in the place where the learner lives. Labayen et. al. (2005) indicate that face to face communication has many advantages, so video-audio devices in CALL and on the internet are essential to teach oral skills. The use of computer and the internet in classrooms is essential to actualize development in listening comprehension and oral skills, because computer environment allows fast developmental assessment and fast update. Kruse (2004) indicates that the web content can be updated easily and the information can be in use immediately. So, this allows the lesson contents to be much more updated which may eventually cause high levels of awareness and success. Another point Kruse (2004) makes clear is that the cost of using computer systems and internet can be relatively low. Since many video/audio resources and VoIP applications are available on the internet and the maintenance costs are relatively low, this makes it a wise and effective solution to development of listening and speaking skills of L2 learners. As regards the interaction support of multimedia environments, people of the world are just one click away from each other as is conventionally said and this convenience makes the exploitation of such systems in language education vital as well. LeLoup Ponterio (2007) argue that preventing an L2 learner from being isolated, technology is the ultimate solution to those who lack the speech generated by a native speaker. To illustrate, videoconferencing technology is an example of technologic solutions to this isolation. It has many useful and effective uses in learning environments. In the figure below (see Fig. 1) you can see the use of the application in a classroom environment. Figure 1. The use of videoconference application in a classroom environment. (JFK Middle School, Massachusetts, USA) Cabaroglu Roberts (2006) argue that the use of VoIP applications in the classroom environment boosts the students communication skills and intercultural awareness besides enhancing motivation and classroom performance. For example, Skype application is increasingly used as a part of listening and speaking development process throughout the world today. Skype is an internet-based application that enables Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls (Jenks, n.d.). It has a useful user-interface that enables the users easy and effective use (see Fig.2). Whats more, there are similar online applications such as MSN Messenger and GoogleTalk and the likes. MSN Messenger also has millions of users worldwide and is used to improve speaking and listening skills by L2 students. Hampel et. al. (n.d.) assert that Skype and MSN Messenger increasingly create newer possibilities for the users. These softwares can also transmit video at the same time when the users speak to each other. So, this feat ure raises the level of interaction between practisers. Such level of interaction is also effective because of the highly useful features and user-interfaces of the applications. For the user-interface of MSN Messenger see Fig. 3. Figure 2. A demonstration of Skype software user-interface Figure 3. A demonstration of MSN Messenger application user interface. As an alternative, internet TVs and radios can be used to develop listening comprehension skills of an L2 student in an entertaining atmosphere; however, there is a relatively new emerging phenomenon: YouTube.com! This is a video upload-watch-download site and is increasing its popularity day by day. To have an idea how the site looks like see Fig. 4. According to statistics, the site has more than six million videos and the total time necessary to watch all these videos is 9.305 years! This huge video pool offers priceless opportunities to practice listening in an entertaining and convenient environment. LeLoup Ponterio (2006) allege that television/radio shows, news, documentaries, music videos and any videos beyond the imagination of people are just one click away. All you need is an internet connection. The rest is almost totally free; however, LeLoup Ponterio (2006) also suggest that videos should be carefully selected and prepared by the instructor to maximize comprehension and minimize frustration of learners and they hope that improvement in search tools for videos will allow the teachers to find the right video clip for supporting language class. Figure 4. YouTube.com is broadcasting many listening comprehension improving videos. As BBC has always been seen as a genuine source of â€Å"right† form of English, it cannot be disregarded for English Language Teaching. Being aware of its educative role, BBC has been publishing books, audio/video materials and so on. With the rise of the internet, BBC has prepared an English Learning Page which is one of the best of its kind. LeLoup Ponterio (2006) assert that the site gives ideas to the learner about material development and how to work efficiently with the aural input. Maintaining the publication at bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/ , BBC provides the visitors with quizzes, videos, podcasts and games as well as radio archives and voice recordings. As regards listening activities, there are many activities based on listening comprehension one of which is shown at Figure 5. Figure 5. A demonstration of BBC Learning English web site listening practice section Throughout the article, the entertaining aspect of using multimedia environments is constantly emphasized. So why is it so necessary? Because it makes learning easier and the most important of all it makes learning permanent. For example, cartoons may be a good means of teaching children foreign language and improve their comprehension and the things beyond it. â€Å"Although we usually associate cartoons with entertainment, in fact they can have many more serious applications. Children love cartoons as we all know from the fondness they have for the cartoon networks so why not make this attractive medium work for teaching and learning?† (Hobson, 2005, p.1) When it comes to adults, the use of movies have a great positive influence on their motivation and performance. Frith (2005) suggests that although some L2 students are often required to speak in English in their social environments, they predominantly enjoy listening especially when they are watching television or films . Apart from that, songs can be highly useful for developmental process of listening skills of an L2 student. Lynch (2007) suggests that because music is everywhere in human life to change or boost the emotions and feelings, we can include music and songs in language learning as well. Besides, karaoke is also beneficial in that it requires a recitation which eventually leads to improvement in speaking skill. Lastly, computer aided games can also have striking effects on an L2 students listening comprehension and sentence utterance. Keislar et. al. (1970) suggest that games , especially for children, are proved to be useful during their language education process. When games attractiveness unites with convenience and flexibility of computers systems, it may cause positive results as well. The aim of this article is to discuss some prominent benefits of using computer and multimedia environments to develop L2 students listening speaking skills and how the L2 students are affected from it. Jenks (n.d.) suggests that the internet and internet-based applications have great influence on us; however, since enough research hasnt been made over the issue, we are not certain 100 % about the outcomes of its use. Of course, we know that there are some limitations in its use as well; however, keeping it in our minds, ELT community should eliminate the limitations as much as they can and try to exploit its usefulness in every aspect of language teaching. To do this, much more research and experiments are required in the area. Hampel et. al. (n.d.) assert that finding an effective way to practise speaking is one of the biggest problems in both distant education and also online education. By determining the weak points of the method and fixing them, work force can be used more ef ficiently, more energy and material can be saved and more reliable and permanent development can be achieved. To achieve the better, we all should work very hard and do the best we can for it. As we are going to be totaly in cyber age in the near future, at least we are obliged to do it. REFERENCES Cabaroglu, N. Roberts J. (2006). Using SKYPE to Enhance the Education of Non- native Speaker Student-teachers: â€Å"I thought I couldn’t, but now I know I can† Retrieved May 14, 2007, from drjonroberts.com Ehsani, F., Knodt, E. (1998). Speech Technology in Computer-Aided Language Learning: Strengths and Limitations of a New CALL Paradigm, Language Learning Technology Journal, Retrieved March 5, 2007, from: http://llt.msu.edu/vol2num1/article3/ Frith, J. (2005). Listening Using Authentic Video for Overseas Learners of English, Retrieved March 12, 2007, from www.developingteachers.com Hampel R., Stickler, U., Scott, P. (n.d.). ‘Effective Online Communication?’ Spoken Interaction in a Virtual Learning Environment, Retrieved March 15, 2007, from: developingteachers.com Hobson, M. (2005). The Cartoon Network as a Teaching Aid?, Retrieved May 14, 2007, from animationschoolreview.com/sketches/2005/09/the- cartoon-network-as-a-teaching-aid.html Hoven, D. (1999). A Model For Listening and Viewing Comprehension in Multimedia Environments, Language Learning Technology Journal, Retrieved March 15, 2007, from http://llt.msu.edu/vol3num1/hoven/index.html Jenks, C. (N.D.). Skypecasts, p.1, Retrieved May 14, 2007, from open.ac.uk/baal-cupseminar2007-sole/p1_3.shtml Jeon, G., Debski, R., Wigglesworth, G. (2005). Oral ?nteraction around computers in the Project-oriented CALL Classroom, Language Learning Technology Journal, Retrieved March 5, 2007, from: http://llt.msu.edu/volnum3/jeon/ Keislar, E., Phinney, J. (1970). An Experimental Game in Oral Language Comprehension, Retrieved May 14, 2007, from http://eric.ed.gov Kruse, K. (2004). Using the Web for Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages, Retrieved May 14, 2007, from e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_9.htm Labayen, MJ., Estopanian, L., Olmos M. (2006). Speaking the Internet: an unlikely match?, p.9, Retrieved March 12, 2007, from www.developingteachers.com LeLoup, JW., Ponterio, R. (2007). Listening: Youve Got To Be Carefully Taught, Language Learning Technology Journal, Retireved May 14, 2007, from llt.msu.edu/vol11num1/net Lynch, L. (n.d.), Using Pop Songs to Improve Language Listening Comprehension Skills, Retrieved May 14th, 2007, from http://EzineArticles.com Verdugo, D., Belmonte, I. (2007). Using Digital Stories To Improve Listening Comprehension With Spanish Young Learners of English, Language Learning Technology Journal, Retrieved February 25, 2007, from llt.msu.edu/vol11num1/ramirez/ Volle, L. (2005). Analyzing Oral Skills ?n Voice E-mail and Online Interviews, Language Learning Technology Journal, Retrieved March 5th, 2007, from: http://llt.msu.edu/vol9num3/volle/ Fig. 1 is retrieved on May 13, 2007, from nps.northampton.ma.us/jfk/ Research Papers on Use of Technology to Improve Listening and Speaking SkillsStandardized TestingThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfQuebec and CanadaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalOpen Architechture a white paperAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementMind TravelRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPETSTEL analysis of India

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Different Types of Third-Person Point of View

Different Types of Third-Person Point of View In a work of fiction or nonfiction, the third-person point of view  relates events using third-person pronouns such as he, she, and they. The three main types of third-person point of view are: Third-person objective:  The facts of a narrative are reported by a seemingly neutral, impersonal observer or recorder. For an example, see The Rise of Pancho Villa by John Reed.Third-person omniscient:  An all-knowing narrator not only reports the facts but may also interpret events and relate the thoughts and feelings of any character. The novels Middlemarch by George Eliot and Charlottes Web by E.B. White employ the third-person-omniscient point of view.Third-person limited:  A narrator reports the facts and interprets events from the perspective of a single character. For an example, see Katherine Mansfields short story Miss Brill. In addition, a writer may rely on a multiple or variable third-person point of view, in which the perspective shifts from that of one character to another during the course of a narrative. Examples and Observations in Fiction The third-person perspective has been effective in a wide range of fiction, from the biting political allegory of George Orwell to E.B. Whites classic and emotional childrens tale. At the age of seventeen I was poorly dressed and funny-looking, and went around thinking about myself in the third person. Allen Dow strode down the street and home.  Allen Dow smiled a thin sardonic smile. (John Updike, Flight. The Early Stories: 1953–1975. Random House, 2003)They all remembered, or thought they remembered, how they had seen Snowball charging ahead of them at the Battle of the Cowshed, how he had rallied and encouraged them at every turn, and how he had not paused for an instant even when the pellets from Joness gun had wounded his back. (George Orwell, Animal Farm, Secker and Warburg, 1945)The goose shouted to the nearest cow that Wilbur was free, and soon all the cows knew. Then one of the cows told one of the sheep, and soon all the sheep knew. The lambs learned about it from their mothers. The horses, in their stalls in the barn, pricked up their ears when they heard the goose hollering; and soon the horses had caught on to what was happening. (E.B. Whi te, Charlottes Web. Harper, 1952) The Writer as Movie Camera The use of the third-person perspective in fiction has been likened to the objective eye of a movie camera, with all its pros and cons. Some teachers of writing advise against overusing it to get into the heads of multiple characters. Third-person point of view allows the author to be like a movie camera moving to any set and recording any event....It also allows the camera to slide behind the eyes of any character, but beware- do it too often or awkwardly, and you will lose your reader very quickly. When using third person, dont get in your characters heads to show the reader their thoughts, but rather let their actions and words lead the reader to figure those thoughts out.- Bob Mayer, The Novel Writers Toolkit: A Guide to Writing Novels and Getting Published (Writers Digest Books, 2003) Third Person in Nonfiction The third-person voice is ideal for factual reporting, in journalism or academic research, for example, since it presents data as objective and not as coming from a subjective and biased individual. This voice and perspective foreground the subject matter and diminish the importance of the intersubjective relationship between the author and the reader. Even business writing and advertising often use this perspective to reinforce an authoritative tone or even to avoid creepiness, as the following example from Victorias Secret displays so well: In nonfiction, the ​third-person point of view is not so much omniscient as objective. Its the preferred point of view for reports, research papers, or articles about a specific subject or cast of characters. Its best for business missives, brochures, and letters on behalf of a group or institution. See how a slight shift in point of view creates enough of a difference to raise eyebrows over the second of these two sentences: Victorias Secret would like to offer you a discount on all bras and panties. (Nice, impersonal third person.) I would like to offer you a discount on all bras and panties. (Hmmm. Whats the intent there?)...Unabashed subjectivity may be fine for ever-popular memoirs on incest and inside-the-Beltway intrigue, but the third-person point of view remains the standard in news reporting and writing that aims to inform, because it keeps the focus off the writer and on the subject.- Constance Hale, Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose (Random Hous e, 1999) Personal and Impersonal Discourse Some writers on writing suggest that the terms third person and first person are misleading and should be replaced by the more precise terms personal and impersonal discourse. Such writers argue that third person incorrectly implies that there is no personal viewpoint in a piece or that no first-person pronouns will appear in a text. In works using two of the subset examples cited above, third-person objective and third-person limited, personal perspectives abound. To work around this confusion, another taxonomy is proposed. The terms third-person narrative and first-person narrative are misnomers, as they imply the complete absence of first-person pronouns within third-person narratives....[Nomi] Tamir suggests replacing the inadequate terminology first- and third-person narration by personal and impersonal discourse, respectively. If the narrator/formal speaker of a text refers to himself/herself (i.e., if the narrator is a participant in the events he/she is narrating), then the text is considered to be personal discourse, according to Tamir. If, on the other hand, the narrator/formal speaker does not refer to himself/herself in the discourse, then the text is considered to be impersonal discourse.- Susan Ehrlich, Point of View (Routledge, 1990) Despite such concerns, and regardless of what it is named, the third-person perspective is one of the most common ways of communicating in almost all nonfiction contexts and remains a key tool for fiction writers.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Health communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Health communication - Essay Example sment and intimidation are common when a person is in a new environment, and for that reason, it is essential to use open-ended questions that encourage a person to talk freely (Duggan, 2006). I am not aware of a good policy/procedure to improve interpersonal communication skills specifically. Health literacy is the ability to access health information about diagnoses, treatment, and medication, and use it appropriately and in an informed manner (Duggan, 2006). It is advisable for patients to have sufficient information about the management of their disease. To ensure a patient understands health literacy, it is essential to improve communication skills and create an environment in which one can understand such concepts. Wendy Johnson presents an interesting insight into the argument. The point about understanding other cultures is vital because of the racial and ethnic differences inherent in the society. It is only through passable communication that a patient can gain health literacy and be actively involved in the treatment process. I agree with Shaylee Read’s post, especially about communication skills. At times, it is essential to have an interpreter to ensure a smooth flow of the communication process and to guarantee that the physician understands the exact problems and requirements of the patient. Even so, in case there are no interpreters, a physician must exercise patience, appreciate, and respect all

Friday, October 18, 2019

The film - Crash Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The film - Crash - Essay Example She tells her husband than as soon as he finishes, he will sell the keys from their house to his fellow gang member and they will be in even greater danger. While this example is somewhat similar to the one which was previously analyzed, it is also essentially different. While racial profiling may be seen nothing but an improper attitude towards a person, xenophobia makes the latter dangerous in the perception of the majority. The locksmith was simply doing his job: something that the residents of the house were not able to do themselves, but he was insulted and thought to have brought potential risk. In other words, he was considered dangerous only because he represented a different culture in various aspects. Finally, there is one more seen which is able to present one of the dimensions of racism. The already mentioned character, Farhad, owned a shop, but there was a problem with a backdoor. He did not fix it, hoping that criminals will not notice it. One day he finds his shop in r uins: some people did not simply vandalize it but left offensive graffiti calling the owners Arabs. At a certain point, the wife of Farhad tried to clean graffiti exclaimed: â€Å"When did Persians become Arabs?† This scene depicts a phenomenon that is called the hate crime. Indeed, the criminals caused a considerable amount of damage to the shop and probably took the money, but their attack was racially motivated. They wanted to state that they choose the shop because it was owned by the alleged Arabs who are not welcome in the community.

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Project Management - Essay Example On the other hand processes take the form of a repeatable string of activities, meaning they can occur severally, either simultaneously or against one another. In the management of these two entities, they both function for the common good of the projects, but while the aims of managing projects are achieving the end result, process management focus on increasing efficiency and quality, which is difficult to achieve for the former. Repetitive character of processes gives value to the projects. 2. Project Risks Any project risk is associated with uncertainty and probability of losses that can cause it to fail. There are many risks and can further be divided , based on the risk classification and the type of the project. Cost Risk The risk is associated with the financial resource, which is a vital constraint in any project. Many things can cause cost risks, and though they can be related to the general project, the control of this factor is handled by the management of the project, wh o either underestimate, or overlook the cost associated with the activities in the project. ... When the scheduled plans are not met, more time is definitely required, especially if the activity cannot be run concurrently with others. The risk is caused by poor planning and estimation of resources, and adjustment processes that could end up in shortfalls of resources. It risks failing the project, when the end products is delayed from meeting its objective or market opportunity in the late deliveries. External risks: The risk can occur anywhere and anytime to disrupt the operation of the project, which the management, just as the human resource and other stakeholders have no control of. These factors range from market, economic, legal, political, natural disaster, and social issues that could affect a project (Murch 93). In many cases, projects have had to be stopped due to political instabilities in a country or location, because the project has no guaranteed security. Sometimes, the implemented parts of the projects are destroyed in skirmishes causing additional costs in time and finances allocated to repair and move on. Scope risk: The scope of a project deals with the requirements, deliverables and goals of a project; hence the performance and quality of the project can be influenced by the presence of the risk. Any problem generated in the formation and documentation of these factors can be inherited in the future of the project, because the scope would be used as a baseline for referencing and reaching decisions. It can be associated with unsuitable thought of the scope, poor documentation and lack of unison among the stakeholders over the scope, which affects the technical effort put into place to provide the required level of

Bioethical Research on Stem Cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bioethical Research on Stem Cells - Essay Example Bioethics is a study that deals with all the ethical questions raised due to biological and medical researches and advancements and attempts to answer those questions and satisfy the masses. It also deals with the effect of these biological and medical advancements on the correlation of these fields with other social aspects of life like religion, politics and other social sciences. It talks about the responsibility of the government, the religious leaders, the sociologists and other social figures in regulating and taking notice of any controversial and/or disputed biological or medical issue prevailing in the society. It strives to provide proper arguments and debates to satisfy the concerned and to provide evidence for the importance of the said issue as well as to prove the relevance and unavoidability of the process to make sure that the end result and the eventual achievement is worth the sacrifice.1 Bioethics not only deals with issues related to humans, human rights and research on human issues but also emphasizes on the importance of animal rights and issues related to these non-human species. The examples of the issues related to animals are many, the prime issue being animal testing. This basically concerns the correlation of Bioethics with the animal rights foundations etc and emphasizes on the fact that animals are living beings that cannot be used just like a thing to be tested upon. The bioethical argument to that, however, would be that these tests on animals are conducted to make sure that the complex medicines, remedies and surgical procedures for solving critical health problems related to humans are working efficiently and cause no harm to human life.2 The issues that Bioethics deals with range very widely. It deals with the relationship and effects of biological, especially medical researches with the social issues prevailing in the society, however, these issues can range from being totally based on social grounds like the issue of suicide to being based on complex medicinal grounds like genetics and their effects and influences on the society and people living in it. Having said this, let's observe how vast the bioethical issues can be. Some of the common issues that Bioethics deals with would be: Suicide Infertility Genetic Modification and Gene therapy Cloning (Human and Animal) Abortion Euthanasia (Human as well as Animal) Animal Rights Human Testing Animal Testing Stem cell Research Parthenogenesis Genetic Engineering, etc Recently, the research on stem cells is being questioned on the bioethical grounds quite a lot. First, let's look at what stem cells are and what their function actually is. Stem cells are those cells that have the ability to renew or rejuvenate themselves through mitotic divisions and can transform into differentiated specialized cells of a large variety, however, the extent to which a stem cell can differentiate into a more specialized form varies greatly from one stem cell to another. These stem cells are found in almost all multicellular organisms (organisms having many cells and differentiated cell types for different bodily functions), however, when talking about

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Compare and contrast the approaches taken by John Lewis Partnership Essay

Compare and contrast the approaches taken by John Lewis Partnership and Tesco plc with regard to their social and community resp - Essay Example This management style and culture is analyzed by assessing the social and community responsibilities of both the organizations. As with any company, both the organizations have put a great focus towards their corporate social responsibility. Both the organizations have worked immensely towards the building of society and shown great care towards the environment in which they operate. The only difference between the two organizations is the fact that Tesco plc operates around the globe whilst JLP has just to focus on its UK market community only as it operates over there only. Both the companies are heavily involved in volunteering and fundraising for charities and other local communities. Besides the community, the company has kept a great focus on the environment in which they operate. Both the companies are heavily involved in contributing a great deal towards the environment, both of these companies have a major focus on reducing their carbon footprints, Tesco has kept a long term view in this perspective, it aims to be a zero carbon business by 2050. Both the companies have kept huge objectives for themselves with respect to the environment in which they operate. ... it aims to plant 950,000 trees in Thailand, reducing carrier baggage use by 70% and 20% in UK and Japan respectively. As Tesco is a large organization, it has to cater to all the countries demands and has to focus within every country in which it operates so that it does not lose its appeal and goodwill created amongst its customer. This focus onto the environment is considered to be one of the major steps in creating greater goodwill amongst the customers of both the organizations. Tesco, as opposed to JLP has been really focused on to the climate change factor. Tesco knows that the climate change factor has been highly debatable these days and that is the reason that Tesco has aimed to create awareness amongst its customers about the climate change factor and how the reduced usage of packaging material and high focus of green recycling can help in contributing towards a better climate and environment. As far as the products are concerned, Tesco offers a wide variety of products as opposed to JLP. But as for the method of sale, both the companies have kept great quality standards within their products. Both the companies have ensured that their respective products are of the greatest value to their customers. Proper laws are also followed while selling off these products. Both the companies tend to ensure their customers that the products being offered are produced responsibly. The companies have kept special focus and great relationship with their suppliers as strong bondage with these suppliers ensure long term growth for both the company as well as the suppliers. The companies also have a great focus towards their customers as customers are the only people that generate funds for the company. Both the companies have had a great

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

MPAA Censorship - Research Paper Example MPAA is alternate to federal regulation of motion picture content by United States government. This is because America lagged behind other countries in implementing motion picture rating. After the desertion of Production Codes in the 1950s, (Acland, 2009) movies became explicit all in the name of expressing realism. The realism movement had its significant contribution to the film industry and disadvantages. Realism movement boasts of production of great and timeless movies like Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock. However, it also gave arise to low-budget films that became extremely graphic in their sexual and violence content. The brutal and vicious content of movies such as Straw Dogs directed by Sam Peckinpah startled and troubled most conservative Americans. Moreover, a sequence of movies released later buried the realism movement to its grave by their obscene content. Due to this, a form of regulation had to be established, resulting to the birth of Motion Picture Association of America. In addition, National Association of Theater Owners consented to implement uniform rating system to all the movies shown. The distributors and exhibitors would enforce the system (Sklar, 2009). . The MPAA rates movies according to their content. It assists consumers especially parents to select appropriate movies for their children in different age groups. MPAA works in association with major movie production studios in America like, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studio and many others. The core functions of this rating system body includes, control and of distribution of movies, fighting unlawful copying of films and managing film ratings (Balio, 2000). Submission of movies for rating should be voluntary. Despite this, some producers prefer not to submit their films for rating to avoid incurring losses. To reinforce the submission on movies MPAA has a de facto obligatory position in the film industry. Since independent films do not focus on entertainmen t but rather on the artistic and aesthetic values of a film, they do not submit their films to the rating system. Independent filmmakers argue that their films require no distribution since they already have an existing consumer base. Hence, submission of their films to the rating system incurs unnecessary expenditure. When it comes to the rating process, MPAA does not have publication of a standard requirement of words, actions, or exposed body parts that filmmakers should incorporate in their films to get PG-13 rating (Balio, 2000). If a film contains use of drugs and callous sexually derived words, it gets a PG-13 rating. However, if the film uses such words a couple of times it gets an R rating. After rating, a film, the members submit their verdict to the producer of the film. The producer has the will to re-edit the film or appeal to the Appeals Board of the rating system if the results are not satisfactory. To avoid wrangles during the rating process movie publishers state th e desired MPAA rating with the movie producer. Some of the main rating categories MPAA uses to rate movie include- G— a film to that gets a G-rating should have mild humor. It should not have any form of crude language. There should be no nudity or sex scenes. Drug use and violence should not be present in the motion picture. PG—