Manufacturing strategy and operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Manufacturing strategy and operations - Essay Example The adoption of this approach has a number of benefits to an organisation and the overall consumer satisfaction. In analysing this option of production, the paper will provide a case study of Nike, a company that has operated sweatshops in various parts of the world including Asia and South America. The benefits of this geographically distant manufacturing strategy adopted by the company will be evaluated in line with the principles of this approach. Geographically-distant low cost manufacturing impacts on global customer service expectation The current crave with geographically-distant low manufacturing location has led to the emergence of manufacturing units in china and other countries. This is attributed to the low cost of labour and materials in these countries, which lead to production of low cost goods. Through this approach of manufacturing, a number of organisations have significantly increased production of low cost goods and services, which has affected positively on the o verall costs of the product (Tengstam, 2008). Nike through its units in Asia and other parts of the world where the cost of labour and materials are low, have increased its production of low cost footwear. As one of the largest manufacturers of sports footwear in the world, the company has improved its global customer satisfaction through 100% outsourcing of its production processes. Through this process, the company focuses on research and development and leaves the engaging processes of manufacturing and large-scale production to offshore-outsourced companies. This ensures that the company presents well designed and consumer taste based footwear, which improves the organisation’s market influence (Kumar, 2001). One of the open costs of long distance manufacturing processes to customers is the low cost of goods produced due to the low production costs and raw materials. As a company that uses raw materials from china, Indonesia and India, Nike has increased its market contro l due to the relatively low costs of its products. The intensive cost of installing and maintaining a production unit increases the overall cost of production and this is responsible for increased cost of products in a number of multinationals. This does not however occur with Nike as it focuses on research and development processes which results into production of high quality-low cost goods. The capital costs of installing more production machinery are thus bypassed and this enables the business to produce low cots footwear and other sport accessories (Harzing, 2005). Nike’s logistic and manufacturing strategy The manufacturing strategy of Nike has remained its core strength and reason for dominance in the global market as it has enhanced its core competiveness. As an approach that seeks to eliminate initial capital and the need to manage production cost, Nike developed the use of offshore sweatshops operated in Asia and southern America. These contracted companies have the capacity to produce high quality footwear and sports accessories, which enhances its competitive strength in the market. Within these sweatshops in Asia and South America, Nike monitors the production quality and sends expatriates to these factories to manage their production proces

How to Write a Bad Essay Essay Example for Free

How to Write a Bad Essay Essay It is very easy to find any sort of information in the books or internet sites, which can be helpful for those students, who want to write a good essay. Our professors explain us how to organize our work on the essays, how to do a good research or how to create a clear thesis statement. From our friends or classmates we can get a good piece of advice on how to plan, reference and format our writing correctly. However, it is really very difficult to find some useful information for those students, who intend to write a really bad essay. There are no good books or articles, which can help or at least give some ideas for such students. That is why those students, who want to make their essays really bad and unusable, have to spend a lot of efforts and be very creative. In order to write a bad essay, the first and very important steps are to avoid looking for any relevant information and not to do any sort of academic research. It is recommended also not to visit any lectures and not to use any notes of the classmates on the subject. Second, for producing a bad essay it is absolutely essential to spend as less time as possible for your writing. It is good to start working on the essay right before the deadline: this will help you to avoid the temptation to go to a library, consult your professor or look for some reputable scholar sources. The third step is not to do any planning of the writing, especially not to write any outline or summary. The next step of producing a terrible essay is to avoid coming up with any idea or point of the writing. It is also important to keep away from answering the questions of the essay clearly and concisely. Instead, you can write down everything which is unrelated or is currently in your mind. The further step for those students, who want to write a terrible essay, is to be sure that it has no certain clear thesis statement or proper structure, as well as no such components as an introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. The next essential step is not to be concerned about any plagiarism and stealing someone else’s ideas or thoughts for your essay. Usual â€Å"copy-paste† from an internet source, from a magazine or a book, incorporated into your writing without any citing or referencing, is one of the greatest ways to produce a bad essay. More to the point, it is essential to remember that a bad essay never has anything like a reference page or works cited page. At last, the next stage is to ignore any rules and standards of formatting and place your text randomly on the pages. Furthermore, for making your essay as worse as possible, it is crucial not to spend time for revising or re-reading your writing and ignore all possible rules of English grammar, errors, typos, run-on sentences and other imperfections. It is effective to use wrong words and numerous repetitions in the essay. As a final stage, it is very important not to allow any of your friends or classmates to help you and check out your essay for clarity and content. Finally, the very last idea is to print out your essay on dirty or used paper and be sure that it is late for submission. The majority of people are convinced that it is very easy to write a bad essay, because no special skills or talents are required. Nevertheless, taking into account everything mentioned above, it must be clear for every student that producing a bad writing is, actually, very hard and exhausting job. It takes a lot of attention and a lot of hard work, therefore, not everyone can complete this assignment successfully. In my opinion, writing a bad essay definitely takes more efforts than writing a good essay. Maybe that is why a great deal of students prefer not to get into a trouble and choose not to deal with bad essays. Therefore, I am sure that it is always safer, more interesting and challenging to write good, readable, clear, laconic and fully referenced essays. Works Cited: How to Write a Bad History Essay. Keele University. History School of Humanities. 19 Apr. 2008 http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/hi/resources/Indexes/HowToWriteAGoodHistEssay.doc .

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Intorduction What is leadership?. If I look at my life, how I see leadership, what impact did something or somebody have on my life. What characteristic do I have or does a person need to make you a good leader?. Furthermore what is my role of being a good leader and am I successful in this role as a good leader or do I have gaps?. How do I close the gaps to become a great leader?. Can I say at the end I am a good leader in what I’m doing or am I on the right track of becoming a good leader. What is leadership Leadership is all around us, there are leaders at schools, at home, at work, on the sport field, in the government. The word leaders have many meanings, it can be somebody leading others by guiding them in a direction, showing them where to go, and then you have leaders who control or rule a group a good example is president. A leader can be somebody specific to a group; this could be the general manager of a company. Therefore, we can see leadership is everywhere. Where do leadership start for me? If I have to look in to my history from child wood until now, was there any leadership fundamental in me. I’m oldest of three brothers in the family, with a 7 year gap between us. So I would say as the elderly brother I always look out for them in a protective kind of way leading them away from harm and danger. As the year go on the focus of leadership change, I had to think of my way forward and not so much in holding their hands. For me at that time it was all about vision and passion, what impact I could have on the team. When I play sport I went out and gave 120% because of my passion and proudness, I think this has to do with me not having any support from my parents, I had to proof to them that I have something in me to ... ...art of my success is that I had a couple of dreams; one was to becoming somebody in sport and the other was to be somebody from whom others could learn. As for the rest of it is there, but still need to work on them, bringing them together so that they can work as one. With dreams you have to have a vision, how you going to make this dream become a reality. Share your vision with others, your team wants to work with you to complete the vision. Ownership, make them believe it is there goals and vision. Communication, you need to have a good, effective communication with the right attitude. Furthermore, you need to be flexible, open-minded, thinks outside the box, and know that not all problems have the same solution. Conviction, a strong vision, and the willpower to see it through, because your team will not support or respect your vision if you don’t believe in it.

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Coltan Downey Ms. Littlefield AIDS Research Paper 16 December, 2013 Haitian Success HIV/AIDS has become so prevalent throughout the world that it is now rated as the second deadliest infectious killer behind tuberculosis. Over 35 million people in the world are currently living with HIV/AIDS and approximately 262 new infections occur every hour. On the small island nation of Haiti, in 2005, about 190,000 citizens lived with HIV/AIDS, which was approximately 3.8% of the entire population. Since then, there has been a dramatic decline in the percentage of the infected population. It has recently been recorded that the disease currently infects about 120,000 citizens, which is only just over 1% of the entire countries population. Since 2005, there has been more than a 47% decline in HIV/AIDS related deaths, showing that a country, suffocated by poverty, and disease, as well as overcoming the overwhelming earthquake, can do something to lower the infection rate of HIV/AIDS and raise awareness with little to no medical technology or healthcare. Haiti also has a very uns table political center, which begs the question†¦ Why can’t any other countries do the same thing? HIV/AIDS emerged in Haiti in the late 1970’s, which was just about the same time that the disease started to break out in the United States. At about this time, in the United States, the disease was discovered in Haitians who immigrated to the United States in search for a better life. When this was discovered, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) did not want to believe that the disease that infected homosexual men and drug users in the United States was the same disease that had infected Haitian immigrants. In 1982 however, the CDC named four risk factors for the disease... ... news about AIDS all the time, but we can give you some good news about AIDS in Haiti.† Yes the rates in Haiti have declined but not all of the news in Haiti surrounding HIV/AIDS is positive. The rates have decreased but only mostly in rural areas and, children in Haiti are becoming sexually active at a younger age and only about 28 females and 15 males ages 15 to 24 are educated about HIV prevention. This lack of knowledge as well as the younger population becoming sexually active may cause the rates in Haiti to spike if the situation is not controlled or, if education is not a primary concern in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Haiti. Haiti has been a â€Å"Top Prospect† when it comes to countries fighting HIV/AIDS and has shown promise but the declining rates of infection may not last long if Haiti does not keep up with educating the population on HIV/AIDS prevention.

Comparative Politics: Uk and Us

At base, a congress and a parliament seem to be very similar things the legislative branches of the majority of the world's democracies which are filled with popularly elected men and women who come together to decide the legislative issues of their home nation. However, despite the initial impression of sameness, the two are very different in two key areas: how one is elected to the body and what one does once elected. The difference can begin to be seen in the origins of the words. Congress is based on an ancient Latin word meaning â€Å"a coming together,† which is precisely what happens in a congress representatives from all the parts of a nation coming together to discuss matters of state. Parliament, however, has its roots in a French word meaning â€Å"To talk,† and there certainly is a great deal of talking going on in any parliament. In fact, this simple linguistic difference leads one to the chief difference in the election process. A congress is based upon primary elections in which the general populace selects their candidates more based upon their personalities and individual plans for office, while in a parliament, the delegates are chosen to run by their own political parties based almost entirely on their willingness to follow party standards. While party certainly comes into play in any congress, the individual really does mean more in elections to that body. And it is that sense of individuality that leads to the second main difference between the two. In a parliamentary government, the Prime Minister and his cabinet (The leaders of the nation) are chosen from the majority party in the country's parliament. Thus, if the members of that party begin voting against their party's ideals in the body, the entire government can come apart, forcing an election of a new Prime Minister. With this in place, many parties very carefully restrict the freedoms of their delegates to ensure the safety of their Prime Ministers. In a congress, however, the executive branch is entirely separate from the legislative, allowing the members to vote freely based on the wishes of their constituents and own consciences, with no fear of doing permanent harm to government itself. Their increased individual power leads to many interesting phenomena, not the least of which being that they receive a much larger salary than parliamentary delegates individual congressmen are simply more important. And thus do the two differ from one another in many ways, making each a great deal more than a simple collection of delegates arguing about issues of state.

Improving Scope Definition Through Project Performance Information Technology Essay Essays

Improving Scope Definition Through Project Performance Information Technology Essay Essays Improving Scope Definition Through Project Performance Information Technology Essay Essay Improving Scope Definition Through Project Performance Information Technology Essay Essay the work that must be performed to present a merchandise, service, or consequence with the specified characteristics and maps )[ 7 ]. Project range definition is the procedure by which undertakings are defined and prepared for executing and It is at this important phase where hazards associated with the undertaking are analyzed and the specific undertaking executing attack is defined[ 8 ]. It follows from above definitions that if the work to be done in a undertaking is non clear or non decently defined, the executing of such undertaking will run into jobs. One of such jobs is cost overproductions. Poor range definition and loss of control of the undertaking range rank as the most frequent lending factors to be overproductions [ 9 ]. 2.3 Work Breakdown Structure ( WBS ) and WBS Dictionary A range is better understood when interrupt down into smaller manageable spots or constituents and the WBS helps to make this. The WBS is a tree construction of in turn farther dislocations of work range into constituent parts for planning, delegating duty, managing, commanding, and describing undertaking advancement[ 10 ]. The top of the tree represent the whole and subsequent degrees represent divisions of the whole on a degree by flat footing until the smallest component desired is defined[ 11 ]. What the WBS contains are scope deliverables and non the activities and undertaking to carry through the deliverables. These undertaking and activities are covered in the undertaking agenda. However a agenda draws from the lowest degree of the WBS which is the work bundle. The WBS is farther defined as an effectual show technique for specifying and forming undertaking work. For the proprietor, the WBS represents what is being bought while for the contractor, it contains all work being performed on the undertaking [ 12 ]. The WBS is derived from the Asset Owner s range statement. The WBS does non stand entirely, as a lexicon of existent range must attach to the WBS construction[ 13 ]. The WBS dictionary describes the particulars and exact range of each deliverable. While the WBS is an effort to decently specify range its success has nevertheless been limited. The chief ground is that its elements and descriptions are non standardized even within the same organisation. Some organisations and undertaking directors are even confused about the proper usage of the WBS. Humphreys, G, 2002, alluded to this confusion when he asked the inquiry, If this structured attack to forming the range of work ( mentioning to WBS ) is normally used, why is there confusion? [ 14 ]. Humphreys reply is that some individuals use the WBS to reflect the organisation that is carry throughing the work instead than the work itself[ 15 ]. Other misconceptions are comparing the WBS with a agenda or list of activities to present the plants. The terminal consequence of these misconceptions and deficiency of criterions is hapless range definition. 2.4 Poor Scope Definition and Reasons for it. Poor range definition refers to scope whose definition is uncomplete, unequal, inaccurate or obscure. As before stated hapless range definition is the root cause of many undertaking failures. One may desire to inquire, what are the grounds for hapless range definition? I province below a few of the grounds: Absence or non usage of a range definition tool Absence of standardised WBS The hastiness to acquire budget blessing Poor interface between Engineering ( Design ) and undertaking squad Customers/Client non doing up their heads on clip. Incompetence of design squad Misinterpretation of clients demands For 1st clip plus proprietors ; non grasp of the terminal merchandise from the beginning. Owner non willing to perpetrate resources for full range definition 3 THE NEED TO IMPROVE PROJECT SCOPE DEFINITION The demand to better undertaking range definition arises from the impact hapless range definition has on undertakings. Where range definition is hapless a undertaking is impacted in several ways. Some of these impacts are summarized here below: 3.1 IMPACTS OF POOR PROJECT SCOPE DEFINITION Impact on cost estimations: Poor scope definition leads to detain in the bringing of estimations, over or under appraisal, high degree of eventuality allowance and uninterrupted alteration of the estimations as omitted points are added or inaccurate points are corrected. Furthermore concluding cost will be higher than budgeted. Harmonizing to OConnor and Vickroy 1986, concluding undertaking costs can be expected to be higher because of the inevitable alterations which interrupt undertaking beat, cause rework, increase undertaking clip, and lower the productiveness every bit good as the morale of the work force[ 16 ]. Impact on agenda: Poor scope definition leads to schedule slippage and accordingly late bringing of the undertaking. A typical illustration is the add-on of necessary work points that were omitted from the range the agenda was based on. These will necessitate extra clip to be after and put to death. There would besides be holds ensuing from the integrating of the new plants into the bing plants as the undertaking beat will be disrupted and some points reworked. Poor range definition leads to an unrealistic agenda and this will give false information during advancement measuring. This means that a contractor could be overpaid or underpaid when earned value measuring is based strictly on the agenda. Another impact is that resources will be wrongly allocated to activities as their exact range is unknown. Impact on hazard appraisal: One of the hazard events that undertakings cater for is deficiency of, or hapless range definition. This hazard is mitigated by the usage of eventuality, pecuniary in instance of cost estimations and extra resources or longer continuances in footings of agenda. Contingency is an sum added to an estimation or agenda to let for alterations that experience shows will probably be required[ 17 ]. These are normally referred to as Known Unknowns . Experience has shown that one time a eventuality is provided, it is frequently used up. Furthermore the cost of the alterations covered by eventuality for points that are non similar to bing plants are higher because of clip difference and deficiency of competition during the executing stage, therefore the plus proprietor pays more than he should hold paid if the range was wholly defined before executing stage. Claims and many alteration orders: Poor scope definition leads to schedule slippage which in bend leads to contractual claims for extension of clip every bit good as extended undertaking direction, caput office operating expense and site indirect cost. Apart from clip extension claims, there would besides be claims for loss of net income, underutilization of planned resources, standby clip necessitated by many range alterations and outstanding work range definitions and elucidations. Where there is schedule slippage, the undertaking proprietor may order acceleration steps to unclutter out the slippage. The cost for this acceleration is recoverable by the contractor if the cause of agenda slippage is due to hapless range definition. The undertaking proprietor ends up paying more than he should hold paid if range was good defined. Undertaking Abandonment: If the impacts discussed above are extended, the undertaking may be abandoned as the proprietor may non hold the necessary financess to go on with the plants. This is normally the instance with many authorities undertakings. Furthermore the return on investing ( ROI ) may no longer be attractive coercing the proprietor to abandon or suspend the undertaking. If we must avoid or minimise the above impacts, a batch more work demand to be done at specifying the undertaking range. Following this demand for improved undertaking range definition, the Construction Industry Institute ( CII ) funded a research which resulted to the development of a undertaking definition tool, called the Project Definition Rating Index ( PDRI ) , Industrial version in 1996. The Building version followed in 1999. The following section of this paper will discourse the Project Definition Rating Index and how it is used to better undertaking range definition 4 PROJECT DEFINITION RATING INDEX ( PDRI ) 4.1 WHAT IT IS The Project Definition Rating Index ( PDRI ) is a undertaking direction tool designed to increase the likeliness of undertaking success by bettering undertaking range definition, specifically by placing lacks in range definition early during the front-end planning procedure[ 18 ]. Cho C. S and Edward Gibson Jr described it ( PDRI-Industrial ) as a range definition tool that is widely used by contrivers in the industrial undertakings sector[ 19 ]. Edward Gibson Jr ( 2004 ) described it as a hazard direction tool as it identifies and steps hazards related to project range definition[ 20 ]. There are two versions of this tool, the PDRI Industrial undertakings and PDRI Building undertakings. PDRI Industrial was developed in 1996 for Industrial undertakings such as refineries, chemical workss, power workss and heavy fabrication while the edifice version was developed from the Industrial version in 1999. It covers assorted constructing types such as offices, schools, flat edifices, hotels etc. The construction of the PDRI is as follows: Table 1: PDRI Structure[ 21 ] Version Sections Classs Elementss PDRI Industrial 3 15 70 PDRI Buildings 3 11 64 Please see Appendix 1[ 22 ]for description of the subdivisions, classs and elements ( PDRI Buildings ) The elements are critical range definition elements divided into classs and subdivisions as shown in table 1 above. The elements are arranged in a leaden mark sheet format and supported by 38 ( 34 for PDRI Industrial ) pages of elaborate description and checklist[ 23 ]. The elements covers all range countries expected in a typical undertaking. The leaden mark sheets show the subdivision, the class, elements with their weights and the range definition degrees every bit good as a column for component mark. The range definition degrees are 6 in figure runing from 0, which means non applicable, to 1, intending complete definition, 2 minor lacks, 3 some lacks, 4- major lacks and 5- incomplete or hapless definition. The weights were determined via workshops sing the comparative importance of each component to each other and its possible impact on the undertaking. Each component has a alone weight under each of the definition degrees ( degrees 1 5 ) , flat 0, being an component that is n on applicable to the undertaking under consideration. If all degree 5 ( uncomplete range definition ) assigned weights are added together for the 70 elements of PDRI Industrial ( 64 for PDRI Building ) we would hold a entire leaden mark of 1000 points which is the worst instance. Similarly if all elements are wholly defined i.e at degree 1 definition, the add-on of the assigned leaden tonss for the 70 elements ( or 64 PDRI Buildings ) under this definition would give a sum of 70 points, which is the best instance. In a typical undertaking appraisal utilizing PDRI, the undertaking mark would be between 70 and 1000 points. It follows that the lower the undertaking score the better defined the undertaking is in footings of range. A mark of 200 points or below utilizing this tool was shown to statistically increase the predictability of undertaking result. A sample of 40 undertakings utilizing the industrial version of the PDRI indicated that those undertakings hiting below 200 versus those hiting above 200 had: Average cost nest eggs of 19 % versus estimated for design and building Schedule decrease by 13 % versus estimated for design and building Fewer undertaking alterations Increased predictability of operational public presentation [ 24 ]. Table below is an infusion of a leaden mark sheet. Table 2: Infusion of PDRI weighted score sheet ( Buildings )[ 25 ] Definition degrees 0 = Not Applicable 2 = Minor Deficiencies 4 = Major Lacks 1 = Complete Definition 3 = Some Deficiencies 5 = Incomplete or Poor Definition A undertaking squad utilizing this tool reviews each of the 70 or 64 elements ( industrial or edifice ) along with its item description and compares them to the range definition bundle of the undertaking under consideration and scores the completeness of the element definitions. The mark for each component is recorded in the mark column and added to give the class mark and the class tonss are added to give the subdivision mark, subdivision tonss are added to give the undertaking PDRI mark. The lower the PDRI score the better the range definition. How existent marking is done will be discussed subsequently in this paper. Benefits of the PDRI The PDRI has many benefits or utilizations. Harmonizing to Cho, C.S and Gibson, G. Jr, 2001, it can be used as: A checklist that a undertaking squad can utilize for finding the necessary stairss to follow in specifying the undertaking range A listing of standardised range definition nomenclature An Industry criterion for evaluation the completeness of the undertaking range definition bundle during the planning procedure in order to mensurate advancement, buttocks hazard, and re-direct hereafter attempt. A agency for undertaking squad participants to accommodate differences utilizing a common footing for undertaking rating A tool that aids in communicating and alliance between proprietors and design contractors by foregrounding ill defined countries in a range definition bundle A preparation tool for organisations and persons A benchmarking tool for organisations to utilize in measuring completion of range definition versus the public presentation of past undertakings, in order to foretell the chance of success on future undertakings. [ 26 ] Using the PDRI to measure undertakings degree of definition This subdivision deals with the existent marking of a undertaking to find its degree of definition. A undertaking squad meets at any point during the pre-project planning stage to carry on the appraisal. Amongst them is an independent facilitator who is sooner non portion of the undertaking squad but has good cognition of the undertaking. The undertaking squad and facilitator are provided with the range definition bundle of the undertaking ( scope statement, WBS, surveies, design sketches/drawings, specifications etc ) an un-weighted PDRI mark sheet, elaborate PDRI elements description and a leaden mark sheet sooner for merely the facilitator. It is non advisable to supply the leaden mark sheet to team members at the hiting session as they may be tempted to aim a peculiar mark. An un-weighted mark sheet for Buildings is shown in Appendix 2[ 27 ]. Each component and its description are read from the PDRI and this is compared to what is provided in the range definition bundle of the undertaking being assessed. See infusion of element description in Appendix 3[ 28 ]. The undertaking squad by consensus selects a degree of definition ( 0 to 5 ) that fits the component under consideration and checks the box under the definition degree that correspond to the component. The facilitator picks the leaden mark that corresponds with the checkered definition box ( in un-weighted mark sheet ) and transportations it to the mark column of the leaden mark sheet and that becomes the mark for the component. This procedure is repeated for all the PDRI elements. The elements score so derived are added together to give the class mark and the classs score added together give the subdivisions mark and subdivisions mark added gives the PDRI mark for the undertaking. The lower the entire PDRI mark, the better the undertaking range definition. Higher weights signify that certain elements within the range bundle deficiency equal definition and should be re-examined anterior to building paperss development. [ 29 ] Improvement of range definition utilizing PDRI The PDRI 70 or 64 elements ( Industrial or Building ) are comprehensive descriptions of all range issues to be encountered in a undertaking. They are issues that need to be addressed in pre-project planning[ 30 ]. If Undertaking proprietors and design squads work with the PDRI elements, they are non likely to hold skips of critical elements in the undertaking range. It serves as their checklist in specifying the undertaking range. With the elaborate description of the PDRI elements a installation proprietor is made cognizant of the extra information he needs to supply to guarantee undertaking success. When these are provided scope definition is improved. One of the ways to better undertaking range definition is the usage of standardised work interrupt down construction ( WBS ) . An acceptable standardised WBS has been an semblance both in the Building and Industrial Sector. The hierarchy of PDRI subdivisions, classs and elements can organize the footing of a work dislocation construction ( WBS ) for proper range planning[ 31 ]. This can be adopted as a criterion topic to some amendments discussed subsequently in this paper. The PDRI hiting procedure throws up points that are ill defined and therefore necessitate farther action. So instead that travel with uncomplete range into the following gate or executing stage, a better definition is sought and achieved before proceeding. When making a PDRI appraisal equivocal statements or definitions are identified and clarified from relevant stakeholders, therefore bettering on the range definition. Some Examples of Current Application of PDRI The US Army Corps of Engineers in its Engineering and Construction Bulletin No. 2010-17 dated 29th July 2010 issued a guideline for the execution of Project Definition Rating Index. It states Get downing with the FY11 USACE managed MILCON Program, execution of PDRI will be a demand. [ 32 ] The US Department of Energy besides issued a usher for the usage of PDRI for its Traditional Nuclear and Non- Nuclear Construction Projects, dated 22nd July 2010. It stated, This Guide assists persons and squads involved in carry oning appraisals of undertaking definition ( i.e. how good has front terminal planning been conducted to specify the undertaking range ) utilizing a numerical undertaking direction tool developed by the Construction Industry Institute ( CII ) that has been tailored for DOE usage. The tool is called the Project Definition Rating Index ( PDRI ) [ 33 ] PDRI IN AN INTEGRATED PROJECT DELIVERY APPROACH The PDRI has by and large been applied to traditional building undertakings that follow the design, command and concept attack. In this attack the design squad coatings their work and handover to the building squad. The building squad foremost interface is normally after the completion or partial completion of the elaborate designs. At this point the executing is ready to get down, and clip and budget are already firmed up. Any disagreements noticed between assorted drawings and skips and or add-ons at this point forth translate to bespeak for alteration orders. The consequence of hapless range definition begins to attest. Construction today is traveling from the traditional attack described above to Integrated Project Delivery attack. Integrated Project Delivery ( IPD ) is a undertaking bringing attack that integrates people, systems, concern constructions and patterns into a procedure that collaboratively harnesses the endowments and penetrations of all participants to cut down waste and optimize efficiency through all stages of design, fiction and building[ 34 ]. In an incorporate procedure hazard and benefits are jointly shared. Cardinal demands in the IPD procedure are coaction and early engagement of assorted stakeholders. The proprietor, designer, applied scientists, contractor, subcontractors are assembled at the origin of the undertaking and they jointly work through the clients brief or statement of range, doing parts from their assorted subjects. This collaborative attack is continued through the assorted stages of the undertaking until the plants are completed and handed over to the proprietor. Scope definition in this attack is a joint work devising room for varied and comprehensive thoughts ; points that would hold caused disagreements on site are thrown up and resolved. Those who normally asked for information elucidations at executing phase are all portion of the squad developing the range and are therefore able to indicate out those countries that are normally uncomplete in range definition utilizing the traditional building attack. In this attack the PDRI in its current signifier can be used as a benchmark for the completeness of the information that the elaborate design would be based on. PDRI IN A BUILDING INFORMATION MODEL ( BIM ) ENVIRONMENT BIM is an Integrated Project Delivery Approach with practical theoretical accounts and informations bases. A edifice information theoretical account ( BIM ) is a digital representation of physical and functional features of a installation. As such it serves as a shared cognition resource for information about a installation organizing a dependable footing for determinations during its life-cycle from origin onward [ 35 ]. The basic theoretical account is 3D but when sequence of building is added, it becomes a 4D theoretical account. When linked with gauging package it becomes a 5D theoretical account. The usage of 3D theoretical account in BIM enhances visual image and provides lucidity peculiarly for individuals with small accomplishments in reading building drawings. As an IPD procedure the undertaking stakeholders are assembled early in the planning procedure and working collaboratively are able to bring forth a batch of diverse and comprehensive range information within a short clip. Based on the generated information, the Architect, Engineers, and fiction contractors/subs develop their practical theoretical accounts which are shared with the squad members. By this attack countries of struggle are identified and fi xed while still in the design development phase. In the traditional building attack these struggles are non identified until the executing stage and they by and large lead to alter orders and hence cost overproductions. BIM is based on information and information which must be organized, stored, retrieved, and transmitted through out the life rhythm of a undertaking. One of the pictured tools for forming information in BIM is the Omniclass Construction Classification System ( OminClass or OCCS ) . Harmonizing to the US National Institute of Building Sciences, OmniClass is applicable for forming many different signifiers of information of import to the NBIM Standard, both electronic and difficult transcript[ 36 ]. OmniClass has 15 tabular arraies for categorization of building information. For illustration building information can be classified by elements ( table 21 ) , merchandises ( table 23 ) , subjects ( table 33 ) etc. Entries in the OmniClass tabular arraies can be explicitly defined in the IFDLibrary one time and reused repeatedly, enabling dependable automated communications between applications a primary end of NBIMS[ 37 ]. IFD Library is a sort of lexicon of building industry footings that must be used systematically in multiple linguistic communications to accomplish consistent consequences. The PDRI can happen look in BIM if its 64 elements are aligned with the OmniClass elements table. But herein besides lies the restriction as the information in BIM can be organized with several other tabular arraies. Where this is the instance the PDRI will non be utile. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The PDRI is a range definition tool that can be used on any undertaking with enormous benefits as before highlighted. Its usage minimizes the effects of hapless range definition on a undertaking. However the use is still limited to America and some parts of Europe. Sing its part to project success I recommend that the tool be widely publicized for usage by a greater audience. Many people already use one signifier of WBS or the other for range definition, the job nevertheless is the non standardisation of the WBS and its dictionary. OmniClass is turn outing to be a dominant categorization system whose elements can be used to organize the edifice blocks of a standard WBS alongside the IFD Library. It is recommended that the PDRI elements be updated and aligned with the OmniClasss elements to guarantee its continued utility in a fast changing building Industry. The PDRI is most suited for traditional building attacks. With modern undertaking bringing attacks such as IPD and BIM, the demand for the recommended alliance of PDRI elements with OmniClass can non be over emphatic. The PDRI in its current signifier has limited application in IPD and BIM environment. The Project Definition Rating Index ( PDRI ) is a undertaking direction tool designed to increase the likeliness of undertaking success by bettering undertaking range definition, specifically by placing lacks in range definition early during the front-end planning procedure[ 38 ]. Analysiss of tonss from a undertaking appraisal utilizing the PDRI isolates ill defined elements of range for which farther action can be taken. When this farther action is taken it leads to betterment in the overall definition of the undertaking range. I hence recommend this tool for anyone who wants to better undertaking range definition and guarantee success in his undertaking.

Know The 7 Elements of Art and Why They Are Important

Know The 7 Elements of Art and Why They Are Important The elements of art are sort of like atoms in that both serve as building blocks for creating something. You know that atoms combine and form other things. Sometimes theyll casually make a simple molecule, as when hydrogen and oxygen form water (H2O). If hydrogen and oxygen take a more aggressive career path and bring carbon along as a co-worker, together they might form something more complex, like a molecule of sucrose (C12H22O11). The 7 Elements of Art A similar activity happens when the elements of art are combined. Instead of elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, in art you have these building blocks: LineShapeFormSpaceTextureValueColor Artists manipulate these seven elements, mix them in with principles of design, and compose a piece of art. Not every work of art contains every one of these elements, but at least two are always present. For example, a sculptor, by default, has to have both form and space in a sculpture, because these elements are three-dimensional. They can also be made to appear in two-dimensional works through the use of perspective and shading. Art would be sunk without line, sometimes known as a moving point. While line isnt something found in nature, it is absolutely essential as a concept to depicting objects and symbols, and defining shapes. Texture is another element, like form or space, that can be real (run your fingers over an Oriental rug, or hold an unglazed pot), created (think of van Goghs lumpy, impasto-ed canvases) or implied (through clever use of shading). Color is  often the whole point for people who are visual learners and thinkers. Why Are the Elements of Art Important? The elements of art are important for several reasons. First, and most importantly, a person cant create art without utilizing at least a few of them. No elements, no art- end of story. And we wouldnt even be talking about any of this, would we? Secondly, knowing what the elements of art are enables us to: describe what an artist has doneanalyze what is going on in a particular piececommunicate our thoughts and findings using a common language Musicians can talk about the key of A, and they all know it means a pitch relating to 440 oscillations per second of vibration. Mathematicians may use the very basic word algorithm and feel confident that most people know they mean a step-by-step procedure for carrying out computation. Botanists world-wide will employ the name rosa rugosa, rather than the much longer that old-fashioned shrub rose - you know, the one that leaves hips in the fall - with the five-petaled flowers that can be yellow, white, red or pink. These are all specific examples of a common language coming in handy for intelligent (and shortened) discourse. So it is with the elements of art. Once you know what the elements are, you can trot them out, time after time, and never put a wrong foot forward in the art world. Does your instructor want you to write a few words and/or pages on a painting of your choice? Choose wisely, and then wax euphoric on form, lines, and color. Have you found an unidentified work in your great-aunts attic/toolshed/outhouse? It is helpful when describing the piece to someone who may be able to supply you with further information, to throw in some of the pieces elements of art along with: Its an etching. Its on paper. Stumped for conversation at a gallery show? Try The artists use of ________ (insert element here) is interesting. This is a much safer course than attempting to psychoanalyze the artist (after all, you may be standing in a clump of people that includes his or her mother) or using words which leave you a bit uncertain of exact meanings and/or pronunciations. The elements of art are both fun and useful. Remember ​line, shape, form, space, texture, value and color. Knowing these elements will allow you to analyze, appreciate, write and chat about art, as well as being of help should you create art yourself.

Divorces Affects Childrens GPA

Divorces Affects Childrens GPA Free Online Research Papers The first article that I will review to assist my research is by Mulholland, Watt, and Philpott. This article analyzes whether or not divorce will have an effect on the academic achievement of the children of divorce. It does so by analyzing scholastic data collected from over 96 middle-school students from a school district in Denver, Colorado. The article is based around a basic theory which is that children from divorced families would have lower grades (G.P.A.) than those from intact families. The results reported indicated that the children of divorce did indeed have lower overall G.P.A.s than those from intact families which therefore concludes that divorce does in fact have an effect on children’s education and that it is not a positive one. Although the grades were significantly lower most other areas were fairly equal as Mulholland, Watt, and Philpott (1991) stated â€Å"Corresponding patterns of scholastic aptitude scores, absence from school and comportment reveale d no systematic differences over time†. This article as a whole was very strong and both presented a theory and proved it to be fact by showing that divorce does indeed affect the children of the involved family and it does so in a negative way showing decreases in their G.P.A.s. The article was sufficient in studying middle school kids mostly because at that age they are neither too young to understand the concept of divorce or old enough to have gotten past the issue. The study was also thorough in doing its research in one selected area, even though some could believe that the research was isolated, I believe that the smaller area led to more sufficient information and reliable facts. There were however some limitations as the article did not really go into much explanation as to why the divorce effected the children’s education as it did and simply stated that it did. In further readings I hope to discover more information and why it affects the children as well as how. The next article is by Potter. This study focuses on the psychosocial well being of the child after the traumatic event of divorce as well as tries to explain reasons for the effect on the children and the children’s grades. Some of the reasoning given for the change in behavior include changes to the family income and finances, unstable parenting, raises in conflict between the parents and deterioration of the parent-child relationship. All of these are said to have stemmed from the divorce itself. With this the article also presents a similar theory to the previous article which states that the children of divorce will in fact have hard times academically. Potter (2010) uses the Early Childhood Longitude Study to prove this and states â€Å"I examined the role of psychosocial well-being in the relationship between divorce and childrens outcomes. The results suggest that divorce is associated with diminished psychosocial well-being in children and that this decrease helps ex plain the connection between divorce and lower academic achievement†. This statement both shows the negative effect that divorce can have on children’s education and gives a brief example of why this is so. Overall this article was very insightful and both explained why and how divorce effects children’s academic achievement. I think that it successfully presented a theory and proved it to be correct in stating that divorce would negatively affect the children and their performance academically as well as going the further step and explaining why through a study of post divorce psychosocial behaviors. Although it did give a very reasonable explanation to why this occurs it was very limited and focused a lot on the psychosocial element of the children and did not present many hard fact such as actually grades as evidence. With that said this article was very helpful and did provide sufficient information and assisted the task of proving the negative effects of divorce on children’s education. The third article I used in my research is by Sun and Li. This article not only focuses on the relationship between divorce and academic performance in children but also focuses on the sibship size(number of children)of the families and how that too can effect children’s academic performance post divorce. The article presents two hypotheses which are that divorce will affect children academically and that as the number of children in the household grows the affect will become worse and worse. The author collected data from almost 20,000 students from the National Educational Longitudinal Study and came to the conclusion that due to lower G.P.A.s that divorce does affect children’s education negatively and that when the number of children in a divorced family was larger that those children did in fact do even worse. Sun and Li(2009) came to this conclusion by stating that a single parent with numerous children has â€Å"varied financial, human, cultural, and social reso urces†, these strains can lead to less opportunities for the children to succeed. This article was very helpful in my research as it gave explanations as to why children of divorce can struggle and how the number of children involved can have a large effect on their achievement. The author successfully presented numerous theories and through research was able to prove them as fact. I found it very interesting that a one parent home with numerous children could face so many strains whether it be financially or culturally especially coming from a one parent household with numerous children myself. The one thing it could have done better was perhaps go into even further research as it was so interesting and could possibly lead to some form of resolutions to these academic struggles by locating the source and assisting change. The next article that assisted my research is by Ham. This article focuses on the affects that divorce and remarriage can have on a high school student’s grades and attendance as compared to those of intact families. The author presents two hypotheses which are that divorce will negatively affect the G.P.A.s and attendance of the high school students and that remarriage will have the same affect. Using high school seniors from a middle class school the author discovered that divorce negatively affected the grades of the students as both their G.P.A.s and attendance were significantly lower than those from intact families. However after analyzing data from both students from remarried families and from intact families there was not much of a difference found in either G.P.A.s or attendance. Ham (2004) than went on to discover that â€Å"females were more negatively impacted by family structures resulting from divorce and remarriage than were males†. Although this was not explained in full it is likely to be due to the fact that females tend to be more emotionally attached than males. I believe that this article more than any of the others was most helpful and did a very good job of both providing a hypothesis and proving it to be fact through excellent research and explanations. The most interesting aspect of this article was the fact that there was a large difference in academic achievement between divorced families and intact families but no difference in intact families and remarried families. I also found it very interesting that females were more susceptible to being academically affected than males. Although I found this interesting I also thought that this was the one weak point of the article as it did not go into detail or give an explanation as to why this is, which I thought would have made the article that much better. The final article that I used in my research was by Cherian. This article is a comparative study that took over one thousand students from a city in South Africa and studied the academic achievement differences between the students from either divorced or separated families and those of intact families. According to Cherian (1989) â€Å"The Subjects were In the Age Range of 13 to 17 Yr., With a Mean Age of 15.6 Yr. And They were Chosen at Random†. The study began by giving each student a survey to assist in determining which students came from divorced families and those who did not. After the survey was completed it was discovered that 242 of the students came from divorced families and the rest from intact ones. Following the separation of the groups came the analyzing of the academic achievement or G.P.A.s. The author had proposed that the children from families of divorce would have lower G.P.A.s than those that were from intact families and after separating groups and goi ng through records it was found that his hypothesis as correct and the South African students from divorced families did indeed have lower G.P.A.s. Although it did present some sort of hypothesis it wasn’t a very clear one and it did not provide much information. It did state that children of divorce did have lower levels of academic achievement but it did not mention why, it simply took a survey and looked over grades which was to me not much of a study at all. I believe that the article was weak and gave me limited information on the topic at hand, but with all that said it is a very dated article so perhaps for the time it was published it was helpful. Research Papers on Divorce's Affects Children's GPAEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized TestingHip-Hop is ArtThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationResearch Process Part OneRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThree Concepts of Psychodynamic

What does a Cap Mean Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

What does a Cap Mean - Case Study Example As the paper highlights the children of patient could be giving this statement to avoid heavy medical bills which would result from the operation. Moreover there have been cases when children are interested in will’s money of the deceased rather than their well being. Moreover recent medical back ground of the patient should be analyzed and discovered. This record would shed light on her chances at surviving the operations and conditions after a successful operation. The best method is to contact her previous physician for past medical records. This paper stresses that the feelings of the family and friends are relevant to this decision. The important factor however is to analyze and discover any selfish feelings on part of family and friends. These self interests can motivate the participant involved to negatively influence the decision. The best method is to conduct complete interviews with different members of the family in order to cross check point of views and reach the truth. This cross check would enable us not only to understand the perceptions and feelings of family members involved but also reliability of their accounts and representation. These emotions should be judged and included in the decision making process on the basis of their integrity. Over the years different laws have been established when it comes to euthanasia or mercy killing. The doctor in charge would have to establish the fact that the nature of his actions. The prevention of giving the patients treatment which is available could be considered a crime. If the intention of this prevention of treatment is intended to reduce suffering at a later time it would be considered as euthanasia. There the laws which govern the state of affairs in the state of the hospital would be relevant. If the doctor does not adhere to these laws he could be charged with mal practice or even murder. Therefore it is very important to consult a lawyer who has practiced local law and can identify the dangers in the current situation.

Profiling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Profiling - Research Paper Example In this case, these experts are expected to undertaking their profiling in a way that do not violate people’s privacy or have an aspect of discrimination. In fact, these practices are applied professionally in order to help people as tools for security, through they are based on historical grounds and statistics. Profiling is perceived to have an aspect of discrimination, thus developing controversy around the issue, whereby people think that it should not be undertaken based on gender, race, color and people’s appearances. Therefore, there is nothing right with condemning due to the actions done by other people in the past, who they share similar patterns. This has resulted to case such as people being stopped in the airport for investigation since they share similarities with people who did wrong in the past. On the other hand, the subjects of the profiling should be treated with respect through the provision of an explanation for the profiling, and unless they have done nothing wrong, they are expected to have nothing to hide. A psychological profile can be created through an investigation in the absence of physical evidence or description of eyewitness to supplement with a description. Therefore, the experts apply their knowledge and the things they know about unknown suspect concerning his actions and try to generate information. For instance, in a case involving serial murderer killing female employees in a certain company, the experts may presume that murder is a male former employee or a client. Other issue that has brought controversy relates to racial profiling, which is a practice that has involved a significant risk to the basic principles of the constitution. Racial profiling is perceived to be targeting people of certain skin color through investigations, thus alienating communities and preventing them from participating in policing efforts. This has also caused the law enforcement to lose credibility and trust in the

Cultural studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural studies - Essay Example Representation of males in the advertisements is also related to American symbols. The taste of this cigarette may be heavy. Only men could enjoy such heavy tastes. That is the reason for using male models. The connotation or idea behind the slogan come to Marlboro country has double meanings. They are the western countryside and America itself. This truly resembles American identity (Wang. 1998.). The advertisement of parliament cigarettes contains some symbolic as well as subliminal message. This type of message is transmitted through plainly visible images as well as objects. These messages aim to appeal the basic instincts of customers. Of course these advertisements have multiple meanings. One view of this ad is that the presence of a female holding a cigarette packet, depicts the importance of smoking in the lives of men is in par of woman. Cigarettes and women have some common case of attraction in the perspective of men. The other meaning could be that parliament cigarettes are not as heavy as other cigarettes. This is evident due to presence of woman in the advertisement. The main difference between the two advertisements is that, the first one depicts masculinity. It is totally male oriented advertisement. The advertisement shows hardness of the situation. However the second ad is not too hard and masculine when compared with the first one. The presence of a woman and a formally dressed gentleman clearly gives the idea that it is lighter in its context as well as attractive to all genders (Ad Analysis Parliament Cigarettes). In politics the chances of err and lie committed by people are quite high. Such behaviour is instrumentally as well as epistemically rational in nature. The practices that are followed in liberal democracy are difficult to improve so that the above mentioned problem can be overtaken. The contemporary political philosophy is an unsuccessful attempt to vindicate on moral and symbolic grounds

Criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Criminal justice - Essay Example As an account to the shaking history of humanitarian catastrophes as well as undoubtedly horrifying awakening to the 20th century in the face of the events leading to World’s FIRST WORDL WAR and the events following it, this article will look into the region most recently in headlines for its problems coming undisturbed straight from the time of start of the century, the BALKANS. The rest of the article also discusses the phenomenon that has now deeply rooted itself in the labyrinths of our minds as an everlasting memory which is being refreshed time and again by the terrorists. We will also look into the impact of the fall of soviet unionand its effect on global terrorism.Balkans is the transit of civilization. It is seen as a connection between three great cultures, the Asian, European and the African culture. And when we have such a strategic and delicate place to be living in, there are bound to be some rifts and discontent among the people who don’t recognize themselves with respect to the region of their birth. Anything can happen right from local interests up to the global interests fighting for the domination over the whole area. And whenever we have wars resulting from the rift, we have political fragmentation and making more states. The initial ottoman empire that was thrown out of the power by the mutual wars that the surrounding countries exercised upon it could not stand up from there and was thrown out along with its rich and ancient culture (along with its historical domination with respect to culture, people and the heir). ... Separation , cruelty and hatred between small ethnic groups developed end of 18th and 19th century because that was the time when the European power: the balance between Russian and Turkish powers was very important and the small Balkan nation demanding its own authority was not given a thought and expectations from Europe to decide upon some conclusion was depressing. The Balkan word is of Turkish origin meaning rocky mountains and this area consists of five states namely Albania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania. The geographical condition Criminal justice 4 of Balkans divides the east from the west Europe. The Balkans is under equipped in terms of communication it is cut off from Adriatic coast, lacks fertile land and the people of the area are separated and there is a tendency towards social isolation and further complimented by divergent temperatures. The Balkan region is primarily dependent on agriculture and the industrialization is on a very small scale, and there is a scarce rainfall and larger density of population lives on cultivable land, which is very less. There is wide variety of languages, religions and races that contribute to political divisions and social schisms and historical events have resulted in perpetual minority problems. Due to this varied pedigree of people there was tension and rivalry among them but even after the balkan wars of 1912-1913, the concluding WWI peace treaties around 6 million people were under the permanent ethnic minority groups and these were the sources of tension and rivalries. Poor economic conditions have usually led to political instability, power politics and dictatorial regimes.[1] TERRORISM IN BALKANS Terrorism and the Balkan

Inquiring & Exploring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Inquiring & Exploring - Essay Example In light of the above, there are many who have seen utilitarianism as the solution to man’s moral and ethical problems. Sidgwick postulates that utilitarianism remains the best solution to many ethical and moral puzzles since it merely seeks happiness and fairness for the greatest number of people. Sidgwick continues that this has always been an important consideration in the discharging of civil responsibilities by the government, the individual and many other major powers. The crux of the matter herein is that utilitarianism addresses happiness and fairness, in lieu of morals and ethics. Because of this, utilitarianism is passed on as being more pragmatic and therefore, suitable for the discharging of public, civil and personal obligations. The fact that ethics and morality are too relative (being specific to ethno-linguistic groupings) to be absorbed in the operations of the government and other major powers underscores this argument (Sidgwick, 256). Conversely, Sidgwick wa xes polemical in favor of utilitarianism, on the account that utilitarianism takes consequences of all actions into consideration, and this consideration is essential in setting up and maintaining a civilized society. If a people would be bereft of the awareness of the consequences of crime, then there would be an absence of deterrence to crime. Herein, the accusation that utilitarianism is silent on moral and ethical issues is conclusively addressed, since the consequences of all actions are considered and thereby providing the society with deterrence (Sidgwick, 258). Closely related to the argument above, is the observation that utilitarianism does not heavily borrow on controversial and unverifiable metaphysical and theological claims or principles. This makes utilitarianism accessible and practical to all. Likewise, utilitarianism strengthens and promotes democratic approaches to decision making since minorities are not accorded the chance to dominate over the majority (Sidgwick , 259, 260). However, it is still debatable if the reasons presented above would be enough to give utilitarianism the cleanest bill of health. Fundamentally, utilitarianism is aimed at happiness. It is uncertain whether this happiness should be measured according to the quantity of pleasure as Bentham proposed, or according to the quality of happiness which would ensue from an action, as Mill envisioned. The lucidity of the argument that utilitarianism encourages and upholds democracy is also very questionable. This is because, utilitarianism seeks the greatest happiness of the greatest number as the guiding moral principle, meaning that it solely considers the majority. Democracy is not just about the majority having their way, but the interests of the minority also being safeguarded. As a matter of fact, labeling an act as morally right because the greatest number derive happiness from it, is lacking since many a time, history is replete with the whims of the majority being wrong. Galileo Galilei was persecuted by a representation of the majority for stating that the earth was not flat, but round, for instance (Ewing,

Criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Criminal justice - Essay Example As an account to the shaking history of humanitarian catastrophes as well as undoubtedly horrifying awakening to the 20th century in the face of the events leading to World’s FIRST WORDL WAR and the events following it, this article will look into the region most recently in headlines for its problems coming undisturbed straight from the time of start of the century, the BALKANS. The rest of the article also discusses the phenomenon that has now deeply rooted itself in the labyrinths of our minds as an everlasting memory which is being refreshed time and again by the terrorists. We will also look into the impact of the fall of soviet unionand its effect on global terrorism.Balkans is the transit of civilization. It is seen as a connection between three great cultures, the Asian, European and the African culture. And when we have such a strategic and delicate place to be living in, there are bound to be some rifts and discontent among the people who don’t recognize themselves with respect to the region of their birth. Anything can happen right from local interests up to the global interests fighting for the domination over the whole area. And whenever we have wars resulting from the rift, we have political fragmentation and making more states. The initial ottoman empire that was thrown out of the power by the mutual wars that the surrounding countries exercised upon it could not stand up from there and was thrown out along with its rich and ancient culture (along with its historical domination with respect to culture, people and the heir). ... Separation , cruelty and hatred between small ethnic groups developed end of 18th and 19th century because that was the time when the European power: the balance between Russian and Turkish powers was very important and the small Balkan nation demanding its own authority was not given a thought and expectations from Europe to decide upon some conclusion was depressing. The Balkan word is of Turkish origin meaning rocky mountains and this area consists of five states namely Albania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania. The geographical condition Criminal justice 4 of Balkans divides the east from the west Europe. The Balkans is under equipped in terms of communication it is cut off from Adriatic coast, lacks fertile land and the people of the area are separated and there is a tendency towards social isolation and further complimented by divergent temperatures. The Balkan region is primarily dependent on agriculture and the industrialization is on a very small scale, and there is a scarce rainfall and larger density of population lives on cultivable land, which is very less. There is wide variety of languages, religions and races that contribute to political divisions and social schisms and historical events have resulted in perpetual minority problems. Due to this varied pedigree of people there was tension and rivalry among them but even after the balkan wars of 1912-1913, the concluding WWI peace treaties around 6 million people were under the permanent ethnic minority groups and these were the sources of tension and rivalries. Poor economic conditions have usually led to political instability, power politics and dictatorial regimes.[1] TERRORISM IN BALKANS Terrorism and the Balkan

Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumers Dissertation

Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumers - Dissertation Example The advent of globalization and liberalization in the world markets has brought increased competition at the local level as well. Now, there are products and services that are available anywhere in the world and the customers are given a wide array of choice to choose from. There are a variety of products, substitutes, prices and overall value packages that are now made available to the customer due to the rapid development of information and communication technologies as well as logistics management. The changes in the technological and the global business environment have brought additional pressures on the organization to remain viable and competitive in the market. Organizations now have to invest in new product development strategies, look out for ways of reducing costs and expanding distribution channels and reaching out to the largest number of customers using their limited budgets. Consumer awareness, consumer acceptance and retention and consumer feedback have become an impo rtant guiding factor for the organizations to develop products and markets (Perrault et al, 2000). Researchers have increasingly found that the customers are greatly influenced by the fact that they can easily attain more information about the product or service, that they are able to recall the product or the brand and that their friends or family are already using the product. This means that the more the brand awareness, the greater the chance that the products will be bought by the customers and also recommended to others by them.

Documentary films Essay Example for Free

Documentary films Essay Documentary films have paved way to show the reality of life. More often than not, it provides awareness of the present situation that was not addressed accurately in films and television shows alike. Documentary, like other discourses of the real, retains a vestigial responsibility to describe and interpret the world of collective experience, a responsibility that is no small matter at all (Nichols, 1991 p. 10). In making a documentary film concerning the community life in a distant foreign country, several issues would need to be addressed. The first thing that we need to discuss is the culture of the people living in that place. It would be an important factor as it tells a lot about the people and the place itself. Its history would generally be included in determining how the culture came about. Social norms and practices should also thoroughly discuss to identify the difference and uniqueness of their society. Furthermore, the documentation should explore the different beliefs of the people and how it affects the way they live and how their society copes up with modernization. The main focus of the documentary is how the culture and beliefs would affect the health of the people in that certain area. It would thoroughly explore the different misconceptions and traditional health management that these people have. This is a critical issue to discuss because it may directly or indirectly affect their socio-economic progress and their lifestyle. If by chance, the documentary could discover the need to re-educate the people regarding their health beliefs and fallacy, then proper authority should be inform. This is to insure that people would have the opportunity and the appropriate resources to improve their knowledge as regards to their health condition. REFERENCES Nichols, B. (1991), Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary, Indiana University Press, p. 10

Teaching English As A Foreign Language

Teaching English As A Foreign Language The aim of this study is to assess the performance of the teachers of English for the first year of the secondary schools in Missalata in: the new textbook. It also investigates other factors that influence teachers presentation, such as: the time allocated to the teaching of English and the lack of important materials such as tape recorders, dictionaries and other teaching aids. The main tool through which the researcher collected data is checklists adopted from a well known figure in teaching English as a foreign language named Jack Richards. The study consists of five chapters. Chapter one looks at defining some of the concepts involved in the TEFL teaching process as well as emphasizing the role of the teacher. Chapter two examines the background to TEFL teaching in Libya. It also includes a literature review. Chapter three outlines the background to the study and introduces the learning environment of it. It also discusses the methodology of the study and looks at the applied checklist as well as the parameters used as part of the research. Chapter four analyses the collected data. The last chapter comprises the conclusion and recommendations which are thought to be helpful to improve the English language teaching in Libyan schools. Chapter one 1.1- Introduction Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is a complicated process because it comprises a number of elements where the absence or the weakness of any one would affect the whole process. Al-Akhdar (2001: 1) says in this context The success of a course of English as a FL depends on several factors He discusses the issue of methodology in detail as one of the factors influencing the successful outcomes of the teaching operation. Another factor is to be discussed here: it is the teacher. This study examines the important role of the teacher in relation to the methodology employed. The reasons behind the important role played by the teacher in the teaching process is illustrated by the following points: 1. The teacher can compensate for any shortage of material or poor material, either by using other sources, or by tailoring the material to suit his particular class. 2. The teacher can balance the variations of the students levels. It is natural for the teacher to notice this heterogeneity in any class. It is the teacher who knows how to deal with such a situation. 3. He is also the one who deals with oversize classes (i.e. classes with more than 16 students) when it is quite difficult to carry out certain tasks and activities. Harmer (2002: 128) maintains that: In big classes, it is difficult for the teacher to make contact with the students at the back and it is difficult for the students to ask for and receive individual attention. He goes on to give reasons for the difficulty in teaching big classes by saying: big classes mean that it is not easy to have students walking around and changing pairs etc. Most importantly, big classes can be quite intimidating for inexperienced teachers. Ur (1997: 303) also lists some problems in teaching large classes such as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Discipline à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Correcting written assignments. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Effective learning for all. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Materials. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Individual awareness. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Participation. 4. It is the teachers responsibility as well to overcome the problem of the shortage of classroom timetabling. Some syllabus timing is longer than that allocated by the Education Authority. All of the above points encompass the teachers responsibilities and distinguish him as a crucial factor in the educational process. Dubin and Olshtain (1986:31) however, put it well when they said: The teacher population is the most significant factor determining success of a new thinking and what it involves in practical terms are crucial. Alien and Valette (1977: 3) also stress the important role of the teacher. They say that: The teacher is the key figure in the language course. It is the teacher who sets the tone for the learning activities. They add that: The teacher plays a prime role in effecting student progress or lack thereof. The teachers role, therefore, in creating a successful learning environment for EFL secondary school students studying in Libya is of paramount importance to the successful completion of their course. This dissertation examines the teachers role and undertakes an analysis of the complications involved and the possible solutions to these difficulties. This analysis takes the form of an evaluation of teachers lessons at secondary schools in Missalata, Libya. 1.2-Elements Involved in English Language Teaching: Before this analysis is undertaken, however, the process behind EFL teaching in general needs to be examined in some detail. This will place the teachers role in context and illustrate the overall complexity inherent In the EFL process This process according to Al-Mutawa and Kailani (1998: 6) consists of central determinants which include the pupil, the EFL teacher, the method of teaching, the teaching materials and the classroom environment. These EFL learning and teaching elements are briefly discussed from a Libyan perspective in the following section: 1. 2.1-The Pupil: There are two types of English language learners in the Libyan environment; a full time student in an academic institution (school, college or university) and those who are enrolled on private courses which are run by private language centres. The objective behind learning English at these types of language centres is either to fulfil the need of the learner himself or that of his employer for work requirements, or to develop further the learners capability in a specific field such as, English for medicine, English for engineering, etc. The difference between the two can be summarised as follows: A. The syllabus for the learner at the academic institutions is a standard one which is taught all over the country, while the syllabus for the private institutions varies from one organisation to another. B. The learners age at the academic institutions are fairly similar Whereas it can vary at the private centres. C. Private language centres care a lot about the number of learners in one class, but public classes are always oversized which in turn can affect their learning process. 1.2.2- The EFL Teacher: Each job has its own specification or what is called a job description. Accordingly it is necessary, when recruiting a teacher to fill a position in any school to match him against the requirements for the job. But what are the criteria that we can apply in this process? It is quite difficult to base the answer on a checklist of a number of criteria such as a university degree. However, Richards (2001: 209-210) points out that two main factors should be considered carefully in employing EFL teachers: 1.2.2.1- The Teachers Knowledge. In this respect he outlines the following: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ practical knowledge: the teachers repertoire of classroom techniques and strategies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ content of language knowledge: the teachers understanding of the subject of TESOL, e.g., pedagogical grammar, pronunciation, teaching theories, second language acquisition, as well as the specialized discourse and terminology of language teaching contextual knowledge: familiarity with the school or institutional context, school norms, and knowledge of the learners, including cultural and other relevant information à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ pedagogical knowledge: ability to restructure content knowledge for leaching purposes, and to plan, adapt and improvise à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ personal knowledge: the teachers personal beliefs and principles and his or her individual approach to teaching à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ reflective knowledge: the teachers capacity to reflect on and assess his or her own practice. 1.2.2.2- Teaching Skills: Teaching skills refer to knowledge or the ability to perform certain skills. A similar taxonomy is provided by McDonough and Shaw ( 1993: 297) who lists the following: Knowledge of the language system Good pronunciation Experience of living in an English-speaking country Qualifications (perhaps further training taken, or in-service development) Classroom performance Evidence of being a good colleague Length of time as a teacher Ability to write teaching materials Careful planning of lesson Same LI as students, or a sound knowledge of it Experience of a variety of teaching situations Personal qualities (outgoing, interested in learners and so on) Publications Knowledge of learning theories Wide vocabulary Ability to manage a team of teachers. In addition to the above points education authorities at all levels (planners, inspectors and headmasters) are asked to follow up and assist English language teachers in order to improve further their ability and make cope with any development that might arise. Richards (2001: 218). Lists a number of conditions to achieve and maintain good teaching standards: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Monitoring: in this respect he states that to upgrade the level of teaching, monitoring can play a major role through: group meetings, written reports, classroom visits, and student evaluations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Observation: This can also play a part in upgrading teaching and he proposed different ways to implement this task. He suggests: self-observation, peer observation or supervisor observation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Identification and Resolution of Problems: problems that may face the teacher should be identified well in advance and should be tackled immediately in order to be avoided in future. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shared Planning: This task can be done through the collective work among teachers on planning a course of study. EFL teachers in Libyan secondary schools are prepared to teach a certain syllabus not teaching English. Moreover, they are not taught how to teach the new textbooks. 1.2.3-The Method of Teaching: Before discussing the different methods it is worth distinguishing between the two terms method and approach. Richards et. Al. (1985: 228) give very simple definition. They say method is: (in language teaching) a way of teaching a language which is based on systematic principles and procedures, i.e., which is an application of views on how a language is best taught and learned. They go on to say that these views include: a. The nature of language b. The nature of language learning c. goals and objectives in teaching d. the of syllabus to use e. the role of teachers f. the techniques and procedures to use As with regard to the definition of approach, Al-Mutawa and Kailani (1988: 12) say in this respect: The term approach refers to principles or assumptions underlying the process of language teaching and learning. They give the following clear example to illustrate their definition: one of the assumptions underlying descriptive linguistics is that language is a set of habits, i.e. habit formation which is acquired by the process of stimulus, response and reinforcement. Below is a discussion of the major teaching methods. 1.2.3.1- Grammar Translation Method: The history of Grammar Translation method dates back to the decades of teaching Latin in the nineteenth century. The objective behind The application of this method includes as Rivers says ( 1983: 29) an understanding of the grammar of the language and training the student to write the new language accurately by regular practice in translating from the native language. It aims at providing the student with a wide literary vocabulary It aims training the student to extract the meaning from texts in the new language by into the native language. Students are taught, according to this method, deductively by having sufficient explanations of the rules as well as long lists of vocabulary and asked to memorise them by heart in order to translate texts. The teachers role however, is exemplified in the use of the learners first language to explain the rules and the vocabulary of the targeted text and then assists the learner to translate it. (Baker and Westrup: 2000). Less emphases is made on accurate pronunciation thus listening and speaking are ignored in this method. The Grammar Translation method is known to be very useful as Baker and Westrup( 2000: 4)) point out: in teaching academic work and for passing written exams . 1.2.3.2- The Direct Method: The Direct Method was brought to existence by the end of the nineteenth centaury in rejection for the ignorance made by the Grammar Translation method to listening and speaking skills. Voices started to be heard at that time for reform and that is why the direct method was known as the Reform method. The method is also known as the Natural or the Psychological Method for the fact that it makes an analogy between the child who learns his mother tongue and the way the learner learns L2. In contrary to the Grammar Translation Method, the Direct Method stresses the need to use the target language right from the regaining and to avoid the use of the mother tongue. In this respect Rivers (1983: 32) says: This renewed emphasis on the target language as the medium of instruction in the classroom meant that correct pronunciation became an important consideration. The classroom teaching concentrates on practising the target language through the use of listening and speaking while reading and writing are considered less important. Students are encouraged to memorise phrases and dialogues. Baker and Westrup( 2000: 4) list the following limitation in learning L2 through the use of the Direct Method: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Students may not always understand what they are repeating; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Students cannot make their own responses in new and different situations; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Teachers may not be confident enough to use English throughout the lesson; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ They are not so useful for advanced learners. 1.2.3.3- The Audio-lingual Method: One of the main reasons for the emergence of The Audio-lingual Method came as a result of the need of the American forces to use and understand the language of the invaded countries in the 40s and 50s. Kara (1992: 82) says in respect of the application of the Audio-lingual the Following: then being used by the American Army to train their men to understand a native speaker and speak a Language with a near-native accent. She goes on to describe the mechanical application of the method by saying: Classes were small and staffed by linguistic by linguistic experts who taught using graded materials based on structural analysis and demanded long hours of drill and active practice with native speakers as models for imitation. This method has based its grounds on the Behaviourist Psychology where the following assumptions are embedded: a) Language learning is primarily mechanical habit formation. b) Language is a form of verbal behaviour. c) Priority goes for mastering spoken first in order for the other skills to be effectively gained. d) Analogy is a better foundation for language learning than analysis, therefore pattern practice in context precedes the presentation of rules. e) Teaching language involves teaching the cultural norms of native speakers of the target language. The major criticism addressed to the Audio-lingual method is represented in Rivers (1981: 47) words as follows: If Audio-lingual training is given in a mechanical way, students may progess like well trained parrots-able to repeat whole perfectly when given a certain stimulus, but uncertain ,;t meaning of what they are saying and unable to use ::^.zed materials in contexts other than those in which they earned them. Student must be trained from the first lesson to apply what they have memorized or practiced in drills in communication situations contrived within classroom group. 1.2.3.4-The Communicative Approach: The Communicative approach first emerged in the UK in the mid to .ate 1970s. It was brought up as a result of the dissatisfaction with the structural and behaviourist methods of language teaching. This is the methodology which is currently widely used in text books not only in the West but even in our schools and training centres in Libya. Besides the preparatory and secondary schools text books, most of the oil sector and banks training centres are applying this approach in their teaching of English. The focus, in this approach, is on using language for communication while accuracy is seen as secondary. The function of language, or the way it is used, is considered more important than the form. As with regard to classroom teaching, the communicative approach gives a large proportion of class time to student-centred activities. Students are given the chance to use the language in realistic situations where they must use the language for real communication. The use of authentic materials and realia is encouraged wherever possible. The role of the teacher however, is seen as a group manager and activity leader or facilitator. In this case, he is advised to allow considerable time for the learners to work at their pace and ensures that the learners should proceed from guided to freer practice of language items. The teacher has also to encourage group and pair work. 1.2.3.5- The Eclectic Approach: Some teachers however, prefer to adopt an eclectic approach. The teacher in this case adopts some of the above mentioned methods during one single lesson. The teacher in this situation carries out a certain task in the class using grammar translation methodology and the other task performed through the audio-lingual method. In this regard Al-Mutawa and Kailani (1988: 27) say: Teachers often incorporate features of different approaches in their particular methodology. Most of the English language teachers nowadays think that teaching grammar is the objective of teaching the language. Functions and notions for them are considered as secondary targets or they are used mainly to illustrate or highlight grammar rules. 1.2.4- The Teaching Materials: Teaching materials include; textbooks, workbooks, newspapers and magazines, posters, blackboards, whiteboards, language laboratories, overhead projectors, tape recorders, videos and realia (such as real fruits, Vegetable, Kitchen objects) etc . Teachers can always try to create in the use of these materials. Some schools may lack some of above if not most. The teachers, therefore, can manage this shortage of materials. They can for example use his personal items from home or bf can seek the help of his students. 1.2.5- The Classroom Environment: Most of the classrooms in Libya are built compatible with educational specifications. That is all of the classrooms are large enough to accommodate (between 25 to 30) students in each class. They have enough windows to provide light and fresh air. The physical building itself is not enough, however. There are of course, other things complementing the physical structure such as ventilation, particularly in winter when these classes need to be warm enough, and electricity supply that is just as important. Students and teachers desks as well should be convenient. All of these compose an environment that might help create an appropriate educational atmosphere. Further to the above discussion, it is necessary for purposes of clarification to discuss other terminology that can appear confusing. Terms such as curriculum, syllabus, methodology and teaching materials are interrelated and are sometimes mistaken for one another. Since this study uses these terms very frequently, it becomes essential to define what each one of them means. 1.2.6.Curriculum: Nunan(1988:6) defines curriculum as follows: curriculum is a very general concept, which involves consideration of the whole complex of philosophical, social and administrative factors, which contribute to the planning of an educational programme. On the same line, Lim (cited in Richards 2001: 41) also includes the following parameters as part of the curriculum process: needs analysis, goal setting, syllabus design, material design, language programme design, teacher preparation, implementation of programmes in schools, monitoring, feedback and evaluation. Curriculum can be divided into three different groups: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Planned Curriculum à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Implemented Curriculum à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Realized Curriculum Nunan (2000) describes these stages as follows: I like to draw a distinction between the planned curriculum, the implemented curriculum, and the realized curriculum. The planned curriculum includes everything that is done prior to the delivery of instruction. The implemented curriculum refers to what happens in the moment-by-moment realities of the classroom. The realized curriculum refers to the skills and knowledge that learners actually acquire as a result of instruction. This study will be mainly dealing with the implemented curriculum. Chapter Two Literature Review 2.1.- Secondary School Syllabus (Past and Present): 2.1.1- Introduction. The teaching of English as a foreign Language has attracted great interest in Libya since the mid 40s. Imssalem( 2001: 8) said in this context: Since the start of British administration in 1943, English was introduced into the school system and has become the first foreign language. English is also currently a core subject from the first year of preparatory school to the university stage. It is also a core subject in all university colleges. The preparatory and secondary school English textbooks in Libya, however, have seen remarkable developments. These developments fall into two main stages: 2.1.2-Secondary School Syllabus Before 1996. Libya was one of the Italian colonies and it was very much affected by the Italian imperialistic policy, particularly in the field of education. In this regard, Mahaishi (1999: 9) maintained that: education was affected by the policies made by the colonisers, where they had abolished the schooling system created by the Ottoman rule during the last years of their empire. Consequently the colonisers imposed an Italian curriculum from the early education stages in order to Italianise the life of the Libyan Arab citizen through imposing the Italian language. This stage lasted nearly half a century. Afterwards, and by the start of the British administration in Libya in 1943, English language started to take its place in the Libyan school curriculum in a different way to that employed by the Italian invaders. Whereas the Italian curriculum aimed at Italianising the Libyan education system, English language during the British administration was introduced as a school subject. Other subjects such Maths, Chemistry etc, were introduced in Arabic. Moreover, education in Libya, generally, was very limited for many reasons, for example, poverty and the fact that the country was the scene of ferocious imperialistic wars between foreign forces, to the extent that John Wright (1972: 206 ) in his book The History of Libya put the rate of illiteracy at 90%. until 1964 the English Language syllabus was exemplified in English textbooks imported from Egypt. Imssalem (2001: 8) says that: The curriculum for English language teaching in Egypt was introduced into Libya by British-trained Egyptian teachers. In the late 60s, M. Gusbi in collaboration with R John produced a new syllabus, which lasted around three decades as reliable, local Material used in Libyan secondary schools. Mr. Gusbis material (Further English for Libya, Revised edition 1974) was based on the audio-lingual method, which was characterised by concentration on structure and form rather than on meaning as an objective of teaching. This approach has relied on introducing a topic, familiar to the learners culture, followed by some drills and exercises. The lessons were gradually graded in linguistic complexity, aimed at consolidating the rules in order to develop the learners linguistic competence. For instance, if you look at the exercises used in Lesson One (Gusbi and John, Seventh Impression, 1983: 4-5) only section C is different with the introduction of some comprehension questions. One finds them concentrating on grammar, for example, Section D (Make sentences from this table), Section E (Put these sentences into negative etc. With regard to the skills, the focus was only on listening and speaking in the first stages. Reading and writing, however, were postponed to the advanced stages until the first two skills were mastered. This method implies a teacher centred approach, where he/she finds himself/herself taking the big share of talking and directing as well as correcting any type of error that might arise to ensure the development of the learners accuracy. The case of the Libyan English textbook, (Further English for Libya) which was built on structural bases, was almost the same as that in some other Arab countries. Kharma and Hajjaj, (1986 : 60) describe the syllabus in the Arab Gulf States before the mid 70s by saying: With the introduction of the structural approach the syllabus continued to be thought of as materials content in terms of lexical and grammatical items, and particularly sentence patterns. At that time the Communicative approach was introduced into the curriculum in Europe and the USA. 2.1.3-Secondary School Syllabus After 1996: In order to discuss the secondary school syllabus in Libya after 1996 this section highlights the development of the communicative approach since the Libyan secondary school textbooks are now based on a communicative approach of teaching. The communicative approach came into existence by the end of 1960s and early 70s as a result of the dissatisfaction with the then current approaches and methods, such as the Grammar-Translation method, Direct method, Audio lingual method etc, that concentrated on language structure instead of the real use of the language itself as means of communication. Richards (1995: 66) in this context quoted Littlewood when he describes the communicative language teaching by saying: One of the most characteristic features of communicative language teaching is that it pays systematic attention to functional as well as structural aspects of language. This approach has incorporated the teaching of the four language skills besides grammar and vocabulary which according acknowledges the interdependence of language and communication. Thus it supersedes the previous methods in unifying these two concepts i.e. language and communication. This shift however, from merely teaching language structurally to teaching it communicatively met with different views, some in favour and others against. In China for instance, Xiao Qing Liao (10/10/2001) says: In spite of the resistance [to the introduction of the communicative approach in China], there were still many teachers in favor of CLT. Although communicative language teaching was introduced to the Libyan secondary school textbooks in 1997, which is considered relatively late, it can be said that these textbooks are improved for the following reasons: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ They can be described as comprehensive multi-strand textbooks i.e. they introduce in each unit of the books; vocabulary, grammar and the four language skills listening, speaking, reading and writing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The textbooks content of vocabulary, grammar and the four language skills serve the theme of each unit in a communicative way. The authors (Tankard and Tankard 2001:1) give an example of this point in their introduction to the First year Secondary School Textbook by saying: Unit 5 has the theme Countries and Regions. In this unit the vocabulary relates directly to the theme: the students learn new words and expressions to describe geographical regions. The grammar point covered is comparative adjectives, and the communicative functions are comparing people and things and talking about countries and regions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The variation in the topics included in the course book supports the learners command of the language and can help him to use English in real life situations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Contrary to the previous textbook (Further English for Libya by Gusbi and John 1970 Longman publications), which dominated the process of teaching English as a foreign language in Libyan schools for nearly three decades, the new textbook can also be considered as a dynamic one and not static. For instance, in terms of student participation, most of the tasks were set in order for the students to interact among themselves, to play certain roles or to solve a problem, whereas the old textbook concentrates mainly on grammar issues where there is no chance for group work. The possibility of performing the exercises in the old text book can only be done between the teacher and a student or one student and another. Accordingly, the chance for involving the whole class group work or pair work is not available. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The other advantage of the new textbook is represented in the use of Visual aids. The pictures are very helpful and very motivating for the learner to learn, to understand the task and accordingly participate actively in the class. For instance, in Unit Two (p. 6,7and 8) the topic is about Towns and cities in which the authors introduced the city of Bath in England as an example. At first they present an introduction about the city on page 7, supported by a map of the city using colours (red, blue and green) to show the most famous places like the museum, Post office, car park and recreational park. The objective behind the passage, in page 7, is to provide the learner with necessary vocabulary. In page 8, the picture is used for further drills of the vocabulary in listening and speaking e.g. giving and following directions. These drills are of course, supported by drawings. Besides dealing with vocabulary, listening speaking and reading, it also deals with grammar in clusively (using WH questions and demonstrative pronoun there). Pictures in the old syllabus, however, were very limited and did not serve the theme or any learning activity. In spite of this improvement of the new English Language textbook in Libya, it did not take into account the other elements of the learning and teaching process i.e. the pupil, the EFL teacher, the method of teaching applied in the Libyan schools, teaching material, and the classroom environment. So the questions that should have been posed by the authors of English for Libya (Alan and Fiona Tankard) and the Libyan educational authorities before writing the textbook could have been: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Is the teach