What are the main constraints for the effective enforcement of the Essay

What are the main constraints for the effective enforcement of the antimonopoly law in china - Essay Example Some businesses, whether private or state owned could monopolize the market activities, from which most small organizations and individual businesses felt strained, and could eventually close the businesses. Having the price of products and services dictated by a specific organization made them monopolize the markets and their shares, such that small and medium enterprises felt inferior, most of them operating under influence of bigger companies and with little as benefits. The Antimonopoly law began operating in early August 2008, making China a vital competition law jurisdiction, for international and domestic businesses, or companies with running activities in China’s territory. Its three broad rules are based on prohibiting abuse of dominant market positions and restrictive agreements, mergers rules preventing mergers or joint ventures that restrict competition as well as control M&A activities, and rules forbidding abuse of administrative powers that end up in competition restriction. The application of the law is viewed differently among the people of China. Some think it applies to all businesses or organizations in dealings of providing goods and services, while others think the complexity of the law has something to enhance leniency in state owned enterprises. However, even after its initiation, several factors have dominated to restrict full enforcement of the law. They include limited transparency, concentration, influence from government involvement, outdated economic planning, unreliable market infrastructure, unnecessary enforcement of law, insider control, and general resistance. So far, the Anti Monopoly Law (AML) is being enforced by three bodies; MOFCOM, NDRC and SAIC, to ensure fair competition, safeguard social public and consumer interest, boost economic efficiency, and restrain monopolistic behavior. The enforcement agencies continue to experience challenges and problems in the law enforcement practice, limiting effective applicatio n and acceptance of the AML by the people. 1. Limited Transparency Over the years, the enforcement agencies have been handling many cases to do with monopolistic agreements, merger control, and price and non price related cases for the companies and businesses operating and showing interest to practice within China. The NDRC and SAIC have faced accusations of hiding investigation results, but MOFCOM has so far been transparent. NDRC and SAIC, which are regulators of anti monopoly law of China have limited transparency to a certain level, raising the need for confidentiality of certain information, with respect to the companies after investigation. For example, the TravelSky, which is a state owned company, was alleged to change its discount policies back in 2009, influencing other airlines in its network to raise airfares that resulted in country wide complaints The NDRC was the enforcement agency responsible for conducting investigations in the case, but the consumers of the airlin e service and the public never got to hear the results of the investigation (Wang, 2011). The controversial issue remains as to why some investigation results of certain companies are disclosed, while those of others never get to be released to the public. Again, most of the cases brought forward are convictions of private enterprises, in areas of cartels and abuse of dominance. Does it mean that the law breakers are private organizations and businesses? Surely, the state owned enterprises (SOE) are no exception, but too many issues to do with them are being ignored, or leniency is being applied to them as a favor. The structure of

Context of Indigenous health Essay Example for Free

Context of Indigenous health Essay Historical context and social determinants of Indigenous health There is a clear relationship between the social disadvantages experienced by Indigenous people and their current health status [1]. These social disadvantages, directly related to dispossession and characterised by poverty and powerlessness, are reflected in measures of education, employment, and income. Before presenting the key indicators of Indigenous health status, it is important, therefore, to provide a brief summary of the context within which these indicators should be considered. The historical context of Indigenous health Indigenous peoples generally enjoyed better health in 1788 than most people living in Europe [2][3][4][5][6]. They did not suffer from smallpox, measles, influenza, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, venereal syphilis and gonorrhoea, diseases that were common in 18th century Europe. Indigenous people probably suffered from hepatitis B, some bacterial infections (including a non-venereal form of syphilis and yaws) and some intestinal parasites. Trauma is likely to have been a major cause of death, and anaemia, arthritis, periodontal disease, and tooth attrition are known to have occurred. The impact of these diseases at a population level was relatively small compared with the effects of the diseases that affected 18th century Europe. All of this changed after 1788 with the arrival of introduced illness, initially smallpox and sexually transmissible infections (gonorrhoea and venereal syphilis), and later tuberculosis, influenza, measles, scarlet fever, and whooping cough [3][4][7][8]. These diseases, particularly smallpox, caused considerable loss of life among Indigenous populations, but the impacts were not restricted to the immediate victims. The epidemic also affected the fabric of Indigenous societies through depopulation and social disruption. The impact of introduced diseases was almost certainly the major cause of death for Indigenous people, but direct conflict and occupation of Indigenous homelands also contributed substantially to Indigenous mortality [7][9][10]. The initial responses of Indigenous people to the arrival of the First Fleet were apparently quite peaceful. It didnt take long, however, before conflict started to occur initially over access to fish stocks and then over access to other resources as non-Indigenous people started to plant crops and introduce livestock. This pattern of conflict was almost certainly widespread as non-Indigenous people spread across the country. Conflict escalated in many places, in some instances resulting in overt massacres of Indigenous people. The 1838 massacre at Myall Creek (near Inverell, NSW) is the most infamous [11], but less well-known massacres occurred across Australia [10]. As Bruce Elder notes, as painful and shameful as they are, the massacres should be as much a part of Australian history as the First Fleet, the explorers, the gold rushes and the bushrangers ([10], p. vi). Prior to 1788, Indigenous people were able to define their own sense of being through control over all aspects of their lives, including ceremonies, spiritual practices, medicine, social relationships, management of land, law, and economic activities [12][13][14]. In addition to the impacts of introduced diseases and conflict, the spread of non-Indigenous peoples undermined the ability of Indigenous people to lead healthy lives by devaluing their culture, destroying their traditional food base, separating families, and dispossessing whole communities [3][4][7]. This loss of autonomy undermined social vitality, which, in turn, affected the capacity to meet challenges, including health challenges; a cycle of dispossession, demoralisation, and poor health was established. These impacts on Indigenous populations eventually forced colonial authorities to try to protect remaining Indigenous peoples. This pressure led to the establishment of Aboriginal protection boards, the first established in Vic by the Aboriginal Protection Act of 1869 [15]. A similar Act established the NSW Aborigines Protection Board in 1883, with the other colonies also enacting legislation to protect Indigenous populations within their boundaries. The protection provided under the provisions of the various Acts imposed enormous restrictions on the lives of many Indigenous people. These restrictions meant that, as late as 1961, in eastern Australia nearly one-third of all Australians recorded as being of Aboriginal descent lived in settlements ([16], p. 4). The provisions of the Acts were also used to justify the forced separation of Indigenous children from their families by compulsion, duress or undue influence ([15], p. 2). The National Inquiry into the separation of the children concluded that between one-in-three and one-in-ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities in the period from approximately 1910 until 1970 ([15], p. 31). It was the 1960s, at the earliest, when the various protection Acts were either repealed or became inoperative. The importance of contemporary social determinants and cultural concepts of Indigenous health The health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous people can be considered historical in origin [14], but perpetuation of the disadvantages owes much to contemporary structural and social factors, embodied in what have been termed the social determinants of health [1][17][18]. In broad terms, economic opportunity, physical infrastructure, and social conditions influence the health of individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. These factors are specifically manifest in measures such as education, employment, income, housing, access to services, social networks, connection with land, racism, and incarceration. On all these measures, Indigenous people suffer substantial disadvantage. For many Indigenous people, the ongoing effects of protection and the forced separation of children from their families compound other social disadvantages. It is also important in considering Indigenous health to understand how Indigenous people themselves conceptualise health. There was no separate term in Indigenous languages for health as it is understood in western society [19]. The traditional Indigenous perspective of health is holistic. It encompasses everything important in a persons life, including land, environment, physical body, community, relationships, and law. Health is the social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of the whole community and the concept is therefore linked to the sense of being Indigenous. This conceptualisation of health has much in common with the social determinants model and has crucial implications for the simple application of biomedically-derived concepts as a means of improving Indigenous health. The reductionist, biomedical approach is undoubtedly useful in identifying and reducing disease in individuals, but its limitations in addressing population-wide health disadvantages, such as those experienced by Indigenous people, must be recognised. Indicators of Indigenous social disadvantage. The key measures in these areas for Indigenous people nationally include: Education According to 2011 Australian Census [20]: 92% of 5 year-old Indigenous children were attending an educational institution 1. 6% of the Indigenous population had not attended school compared with 0. 9% of the non-Indigenous population 29% of Indigenous people reported year 10 as their highest year of school completion; 25% had completed year 12, compared with 52% of non-Indigenous people 26% of Indigenous people reported having a post-school qualification, compared with 49% of non-Indigenous people 4. 6% of Indigenous people had attained a bachelor degree or higher, compared with 20% of non-Indigenous people. An ABS school report [21] revealed, in 2011: the apparent retention rate for Indigenous students from year 7/8 to year 10 was 99%, from year 7/8 to year 12 it was 49% for non-Indigenous students, the apparent retention rate from year 7/8 to year 10 was 101%; and from year 7/8 to year 12 it was 81%. The 2011 national report on schooling in Australia [22] showed: 76% of Indigenous students in year 3 and 66% in year 5 were at or above the national minimum standard for reading, compared with 95% and 93% respectively of all Australian students 80% of year 3 Indigenous students and 69% of year 5 Indigenous students were at or above the national minimum standard for persuasive writing, compared with 96% of all year 3 students and 94% of all year 5 students 72% of year 3 Indigenous students and 69% of year 5. Indigenous students were at or above the national minimum standard for spelling, compared with 94% of all year 3 students and 93% of all year 5 students 71% of year 3 Indigenous students and 65% of year 5 Indigenous students were at or above the national minimum standard for grammar and punctuation, compared with 94% of all year 3 students and 94% of all year 5 students 84% of Indigenous students in year 3 and 75% in year 5 were at or above the national minimum standard for numeracy, compared with 96% and 96% respectively of all Australian students. Employment According to the 2011 Australian Census [20]: 42% of Indigenous people aged 15 years or older were employed and 17% were unemployed. In comparison, 61% of non-Indigenous people aged 15 years or older were employed and 5% were unemployed the most common occupation classification of employed Indigenous people was labourer (18%) followed by community and personal service workers (17%). The most common occupation classification of employed non-Indigenous people was professional (22%). Income According to the 2011 Australian Census [20]: the mean equivalised gross household income for Indigenous persons was around $475 per week approximately 59% of that for non-Indigenous persons (around $800). Indigenous population Based on information collected as a part of the 2011 Census of Population and Housing, the ABS has estimated the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 669,736 people at 30 June 2011 [23]. The estimated population for NSW was the highest (208,364 Indigenous people), followed by Qld (188,892), WA (88,277), and the NT (68,901) (Table 1). The NT has the highest proportion of Indigenous people among its population (29. 8%) and Vic the lowest (0. 9%). Table 1: Estimated Indigenous population, by jurisdiction, Australia, 30 June 2011 JurisdictionIndigenous population (number)Proportion of Australian Indigenous population (%)Proportion of jurisdiction population (%) Source: ABS, 2012 [23] Notes: Preliminary estimates are subject to revision; population projections are expected to be finalised by 2014 Australian population includes Jervis Bay Territory, the Cocos (Keeling). Islands, and Christmas Island Proportions of jurisdiction population have used total population figures estimated from demographic information for June 2011 NSW208,36431. 12. 9 Vic47,3277. 10. 9 Qld188,89228. 24. 2 WA88,27713. 23. 8 SA37,3925. 62. 3 Tas24,1553. 64. 7 ACT6,1670. 91. 7 NT68,90110. 329. 8. Australia669,736100. 03. 0 There was a 21% increase in the number of Indigenous people counted in the 2011 Census compared with the 2006 Census2 [24]. The largest increases were in the ACT (34%), Vic (26%), NSW (25%) and Qld (22%). For all jurisdictions, the 55 years and over age-group showed the largest relative increase. There are two structural reasons contributing to the growth of the Indigenous population: the slightly higher fertility rates of Indigenous women compared with the rates of other Australian women (see Births and pregnancy outcome); and the significant numbers of Indigenous babies born to Indigenous fathers and non-Indigenous mothers. Two other factors are considered likely to have contributed to the increase in people identifying as Indigenous: changes in enumeration processes (i. e. more Indigenous people are being captured during the census process); and changes in identification (i. e. people who did not previously identify as Indigenous in the census have changed their response). Based on the 2011 Census, around 33% of Indigenous people lived in a capital city [25]. Detailed information about the geographic distribution of the Indigenous population for 2011 is not yet available, but figures from the 2006 Census indicated that the majority of Indigenous people lived in cities and towns [26]. Slightly more than one-half of the Indigenous population lived in areas classified as major cities or inner regional areas, compared with almost nine-tenths of the non-Indigenous population. (As well as these two classifications of remoteness in terms of access to goods and services and opportunities for social interaction, the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) has four other categories: outer regional, remote, very remote, and migratory [27]. ) Almost one-quarter of Indigenous people lived in areas classified as remote or very remote in relation to having very little access to goods, services and opportunities for social interaction ([28], p. 3). Less than 2% of non-Indigenous people lived in remote or very remote areas [26]. In terms of specific geographical areas, more than one-half (53%) of all Indigenous people counted in the 2011 Census lived in nine of the 57 Indigenous regions (based largely on the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) regions) [25]. The three largest regions were in eastern Australia (Brisbane, NSW Central and the North Coast, and Sydney-Wollongong), which accounted for 29% of the total Indigenous population. According to the 2011 Census, around 90% of Indigenous people are Aboriginal, 6% are Torres Strait Islanders, and 4% people identified as being of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent [25]. Around 63% of Torres Strait Islander people3 lived in Qld; NSW was the only other state with a large number of Torres Strait Islander people. The Indigenous population is much younger overall than the non-Indigenous population (Figure 1) [23]. According to estimates from the 2011 Census, at June 2011 about 36% Indigenous people were aged less than 15 years, compared with 18% of non-Indigenous people. About 3. 4% of Indigenous people were aged 65 years or over, compared with 14% of non-Indigenous people. Figure 1. Population pyramid of Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, 30 June 2011 Population pyramid of indigenous and non-indigenous populations, 2011 Source: ABS, 2012 [23] References Carson B, Dunbar T, Chenhall RD, Bailie R, eds. (2007) Social determinants of Indigenous health. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin Jackson LR, Ward JE (1999) Aboriginal health: why is reconciliation necessary?. Medical Journal of Australia; 170(9): 437-440 Butlin NG (1993) Economics and the dreamtime : a hypothetical history. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press Campbell J (2002) Invisible invaders: smallpox and other diseases in Aboriginal Australia 1780-1880. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press Webb S (2009) Palaeopathology of Aboriginal Australians: health and disease across a hunter-gatherer continent. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Anderson W (2007). The colonial medicine of settler states: comparing histories of Indigenous health. Health and History; 9(2): 144-154 Butlin NG (1983) Our original aggression : Aboriginal populations of southeastern Australia, 1788-1850. Sydney: Allen Unwin Thomson N (1991) Tuberculosis among Aborigines. In: Proust AJ, ed. History of tuberculosis in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Canberra, ACT: Brolga Press: 61-67 Reynolds H (1982) The other side of the frontier: Aboriginal resistance to the European invasion of Australia. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books Elder B (2003) Blood on the wattle: massacres and maltreatment of Aboriginal Australians since 1788. 3rd ed. Frenchs Forest, N. S. W: New Holland Harrison B (1978) The Myall Creek massacre. In: McBryde I, ed. Records of times past : ethnohistorical essays on the culture and ecology of the New England tribes. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies: 17-51 Howitt R (2001) Rethinking resource management : justice, sustainability and Indigenous peoples. London: Routledge Hunter E (1993) Aboriginal health and history: power and prejudice in remote Australia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Saggers S, Gray D (1991) Aboriginal health and society: the traditional and contemporary Aboriginal struggle for better health. North Sydney: Allen and Unwin National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families (1997) Bringing them home: report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families. Retrieved 17 November 2011 from http://www. humanrights. gov. au/pdf/social_justice/bringing_them_home_report. pdf Long JPM (1970) Aboriginal settlements: a survey of institutional communities in eastern Australia. Canberra: Australian National University Press Marmot M (2004) The status syndrome: how social standing affects our health and longevity. New York: Holt Paperbacks Wilkinson R, Marmot M (2003) Social determinants of health: the solid facts. Denmark: World Health Organization National Aboriginal Health Strategy Working Party (1989) A national Aboriginal health strategy. Canberra: Department of Aboriginal Affairs Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Census of population and housing: characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2011. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) Schools, Australia, 2010. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2011) National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy: achievement in reading, persuasive writing, language conventions and numeracy: national report for 2011. Sydney: Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Australian demographic statistics, March quarter 2012. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics Yap M, Biddle N (2012) Indigenous fertility and family formation: CAEPR Indigenous population project: 2011 census papers. Canberra: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Census of population and housing counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2011. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010) Population characteristics.

The Matrix - Finding Reality In The Matrix Essay -- essays research pa

Movies are wonderful things; they can inspire, spark debate, and even make you believe in what you are seeing. Virtual Reality is a creation of a highly interactive computer-based multimedia environment in which the user becomes a participant with the computer in a "virtually real" world. Movies and virtual reality can do the same thing: make you believe what is presented to you. Although there are several movies which use virtual reality in the plot, such as The Lawnmower Man, and Hackers, the one most prevalent to me is The Matrix. Although this movie contains many aspects of virtual reality, it stands out in my mind so much because it suggests that the world in which we live, is a virtual one. The Matrix has many different aspects of virtual reality and they are incorporated throughout the movie. Virtual reality is involved in this movie in one major way: it suggests that our world is merely a virtual reality program that was created in order to â€Å"control† humans and keep them from the â€Å"real world,† which has been taken over by artificial intelligence who harvest humans for power. The main character in the movie is Gary Anderson, affectionately known to the hacker-world as Neo. He is contacted by people who have escaped the Matrix, and through a series of adventures, joins them. At one point in the movie, Neo goes to a psychic to find out if he is the one person who can save the rest of us from the Matrix. While waiting to see the psychic, Neo encounters a boy, ...

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth

In the middle of St. Louis, Missouri, just northwest of the Gateway Arch, is a vast and vacant fifty-seven-acre woodland. Oak and hickory trees are slowly reclaiming ground and overtaking the scant remains of thirty-three eleven-story apartment buildings, which once comprised the Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex. Completed in the mid-1950s before construction of the Arch even began, Pruitt-Igoe was one of the largest low-income public housing projects in the country. For nearly a decade, the complex distinguished the St. Louis city's skyline and received praise for its innovative modernist architecture that incorporated the planning principles of a radiant city. Yet just eighteen years after residents moved in, state and federal authorities demolished the towers with explosives and abandoned the site. What caused this immense failure in urban planning and public housing? This critical question is at the center of Chad Freidrichs' documentary, The Pruitt-Igoe Myth: An Urban History. The documentary claims that three interconnected issues account for Pruitt-Igoe's collapse. First, the economy essentially abandoned Pruitt-Igoe. After World War II, midwestern cities like St. Louis were flooding with poorer minorities from the southern states farms, where technology in agriculture displaced laborers. When these minorities arrived, the white middle class moving to the suburbs was nearly complete. Coincidentally, the same act that made Pruitt-Igoe possible also fueled this suburbanization via expanded Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans that made houses on the city's outskirts more affordable. The documentary makes it clear that the move to the suburbs was problematic because it caused the de-population and de-capitalization of Midwestern urban centers, where public housing initiatives were underway and premised upon continued urban growth, demands for high density living, and available jobs—all trends that did not come true. The Pruitt-Igoe myth was confirmation of whites disinterest in accepting minorities into their communities. For example, the whites' exodus to the suburbs (getting away from black people) began reversing itself when some minorities began to move into the suburbs and some whites moved back to the city. Throughout St. Louis history, we see countless number of incidents like these in terms of gentrification. Homes are taken away from minority families through gentrification forcing families to leave their only habitats and social support with services and other needs. The history of Pruitt-Igoe sheds light on today's challenges the city of St. Louis faces in regards to racial disparities. Second, the documentary finds fault with the laws that built and maintained the complex. Pruitt-Igoe was a product of the 1949 Public Housing Act, passed to address mounting problems in urban low income neighborhoods by providing safer houses and eliminating profit making landlords. When it first opened, residents dreamt that Pruitt-Igoe could be a â€Å"poor man's penthouse,† offering beds for all family members, privacy, and healthier living conditions. However, as the documentary maintains, it was a naive assumption on the legislatures that better housing alone could fix the broad societal problems that gave rise to the â€Å"ghettos† in the first place. Further, former residents assert that one of the main reasons Pruitt-Igoe fell was the failure of authorities to plan for the future and secure funds for maintaining the large housing complex. Last and not the least, segregation and racism effectively eliminated any meaningful opportunities remaining for the residents of Pruitt-Igoe. From the beginning, authorities planned to officially segregate the complex and use public housing as a tool to prevent what was termed â€Å"negro de-concentration.† When Pruitt-Igoe opened, though, the Supreme Court's decision that same year in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) required a change of plans, but white residents simply left, which resulted in perpetuating the effects of segregation. Moreover, white public housing authorities attempted to control the predominantly African American inhabitants with moralistic rules, such as restricting adult men, single or married, from living in Pruitt-Igoe. This resulted in broken families and no role model black male figures to help guide the young ones. The residents of Pruitt-Igoe brought these and other numerous issues like sanitation, water, heat and electricity problems to the city and housing officials but to no avail. The City and housing officials failed the residents of Pruitt Igoe. The people were living under deplorable conditions and concentrated poverty but because of the color of their skin they couldn't get any meaningful help or attention. Today, the â€Å"Pruitt-Igoe† issues in St. Louis still exist. Houses and complex apartments may not be demolished, but the constant negligence and lack of support from St. Louis City and housing officials is quite stunning considering we're living in the year 2018. It's so unfortunate that the â€Å"Pruitt-Igoe's† racial issue and the affects are still present today.

Athenian democracy similar to American democracy Essay

Our country was called a democracy when we still had millions of slaves. Our nation today is called a democracy when millions of citizens never exercise their right to vote, a few hundred party leaders select our national political candidates, and only those who have million-dollar treasuries can run for political office with a reasonable chance of winning. Latin American military dictatorships are called democracies. South Vietnam with a single candidate for president during the Vietnam War was called a democracy. The word democracy comes from two Greek words: a noun, demos which means †people† and a verb, kratein, which means †to rule,† Its basic meaning is †government by the people† or â€Å"rule by the ruled.† Ideas were expressed directly through the Assembly, which consisted of all male citizens over 18 years of age and who were willing to attend the sessions held about every 10 days. There was no system of representation calling for long campaigns and expensive elections. If you lived in the country you had to get up at the crack of dawn in order to get to the meeting place of the Assembly, a rocky hillside within the city gates. The police chased all the loafers off the Angora, a kind of public park, in order to encourage good attendance. Anyone who had powerful enough lungs to make himself heard by 6000 or more voters could speak to the Assembly. Of course, if you were a well-known and respected leader your chances of being listened to were greater. Whatever this Assembly decided by vote was the law of the land. Athens, both the city and its surrounding countryside was divided into 10 electoral districts called †tribes.† These districts were further divided into precincts or †demes† which had some limited self-government in the rural areas. Each precinct named candidates over 30 years of age for the Council of 500. From these candidates 50 were chosen by lot for each tribe to serve as members of the Council of 500 for a year’ The final choice by lot was one of the most democratic devices imaginable and reduced the danger of political skullduggery. There was no danger that the Council could turn into a private preserve for the wealthy or influential as modern government bodies have a tendency to do, because members served only one year: no man  could be a member two years in a row; and no one could serve more than twice in his lifetime. Just imagine what our legislatures and Congress would be like if we had rules like that.

Free Essays on How To Improve Your English

that we don't know. It makes reading a very enjoyable pastime. Secondly, besides learning to read English, we must learn to understand spoken English, and practice speaking. Try listen to radio stations, if at first you don't understand, keep listening and maintain a regular habit of listening to radio stations. Repeat after the broadcast and learn how to pronounce correctly and frequently. Thirdly, we should try to talk with Americans, find native English-speaking people who will give you conversation practice. Don't be afraid to speak ,afraid to be laughed at. If we never learn to take risks to open mouths, it will be impossible to improve speaking skills. There is no reason to be ashamed of speaking poor English. If we can learn from our mistakes, failure can become part of our success. In fact, the secret of success may come from failure. In conclusion, There is no short cut to learning English. Persistence is the major secrets of success. If you want use English as your native language, don't ever give up trying to achieve your goal. If we are prepared to work hard at it, we will be successful in the en... Free Essays on How To Improve Your English Free Essays on How To Improve Your English How To Improve Your English English is now the international language .So it is very important to learn English well. We should study English in the correct way, so that we can make the most of the time we spend learning English. Discovering ways to improve their English is a problem which baffles many students. There are three ways to improve English First of all, We have to learn many English words and study English grammar in great detail. Reading is the best way to increase vocabularies and learn how to avoid making grammar errors. If we read magazines written in English, regular reading will make it easier for us to remember the many new words we come across. Having a dictionary is just like having a teacher close at hand. We need to use a dictionary to look up those words that we don't know. It makes reading a very enjoyable pastime. Secondly, besides learning to read English, we must learn to understand spoken English, and practice speaking. Try listen to radio stations, if at first you don't understand, keep listening and maintain a regular habit of listening to radio stations. Repeat after the broadcast and learn how to pronounce correctly and frequently. Thirdly, we should try to talk with Americans, find native English-speaking people who will give you conversation practice. Don't be afraid to speak ,afraid to be laughed at. If we never learn to take risks to open mouths, it will be impossible to improve speaking skills. There is no reason to be ashamed of speaking poor English. If we can learn from our mistakes, failure can become part of our success. In fact, the secret of success may come from failure. In conclusion, There is no short cut to learning English. Persistence is the major secrets of success. If you want use English as your native language, don't ever give up trying to achieve your goal. If we are prepared to work hard at it, we will be successful in the en...

Validity and Reliability Essays

Validity and Reliability Essays Validity and Reliability Essay Validity and Reliability Essay My role as a researcher and as a teacher was difficult and there were a lot of issues that I should consider. Different external factors influenced the whole teaching process and it was hard to get over them. As a solo observer researching in the field of my professional area, I was realizing that in a lot of cases there were dangers of bias and assumption that were influencing my observations. Also, it wasnt easy taking notes and teaching at the same time, so my notes during the teaching process were limited. In order to avoid that I asked from a friend to help by taking some notes about specific characteristics that she could observe during the teaching process. I have tried that in one meeting but it wasnt easy since my friend didnt have any knowledge or skills on taking notes about the things that I wanted to observe. Therefore, I found it more useful to take my own notes. Another limitation that occurred in the current research was the fact that students didnt have much time and meetings of each group were narrowed in just two, instead of three that were the initiative purpose. However, even if the time of the study was limited the fact that I was present while students were working revealed to be valuable since I had the opportunity to ask questions during the process in order to gain greater and specific knowledge about the questions that this research seeks to answer. Moreover, the fact that the meetings werent conducted during school time, in a real learning environment with classroom settings, was another restriction. I realized that in some cases students didnt face their participation in the whole process in a similar way that they would see their participation in a school lesson. In addition, students didnt see me as a regular classroom teacher and this made my role more difficult. It was hard for me to make them focus on the teaching process, because they didnt see the whole procedure equally as a real classroom lesson, but as an evening activity. The main criticisms about observations lie in the fields of validity and reliability. According to Foster (1996), coders might be influenced by wrong prior assumptions they might have. For that reason patterns for general human behaviour must be distinguished from expectations and predictions about particular individuals (Sanger, 1996, p.41). The researcher should adopt a dual role and exchanging between been involved and been detached (Simpson and Tuson, 1995). However, as Sanger (1996) indicates is difficult to see with new eyes, or with the eyes of others. Otherwise our very familiarity with the environment blinds us to perspicacity (p.9). Accordingly, being an observer and a teacher involved issues of bias and objectivity that should be considered in order to ensure validity and reliability in my research. I found it difficult to detach myself from the role of researcher and not become biased from what I expect to see. In some cases, I realised that as a researcher I was expecting to see some things and therefore as a teacher I was pushing students to a certain direction so that I could collect more data about this study. Consequently, in order to ensure more reliability and validity in my analysis I tried to act like a classroom teacher rather that a researcher during the period that the meetings were happening. After all the sessions ended I got involved with the transcription and analysis of students conversations as a researcher. With that way my role as a teacher didnt influence much my role as researcher. Ethical Issues  When conducting a survey with children observations there is variety of ethical issues that emerge and need to be thought. One of the most important matters is be careful between invasion and protection of privacy (Cohen et al, 2000). As Richards (2003) advises, you have to keep in mind that you are getting is someone elses world, who is helping you. So, instead of being frustrating you have to be discreet, especially with note taking and recording procedures. Consequently, the first thing that I had to arrange was to ensure parents permission for the participation of their children in the current study. So, information sheets and consent forms were given to parents in order to take their permissions and guarantee that observations would be made under privacy, anonymity and confidentiality. Moreover, during the study and the written report, information about students wont be mentioned, excluding their first names. DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS In the present section of the study results from VAK are illustrated along with the findings from contextual analysis of students conversations during the teaching activities as well as the program strategies they used. Moreover, the results from group interviews that were analyzed in detail are presented, in order to identify students motivations toward the two learning approaches. All the above are mentioned in separate sections for each group, while later on a comparison between the two groups and some discussion takes part.