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The Operation Of The Smart System Construction Essay

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Sunday, January 26, 2020

Does Language Influence Our Ethnic Identity English Language Essay

Does Language Influence Our Ethnic Identity English Language Essay In this essay I will argue that language influences and does play an important role in our ethnic and social identity. Language has many definitions, here are a few that have been proposed over time, Henry Sweet, an English phonetician and language scholar, stated: Language is the expression of ideas by means of speech-sounds combined into words, words are combined into sentences, this combination answering that of ideas and thoughts (Crystal, 1987:6). The American linguists Bernard Bloch and George L. Trager stated, A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group cooperates and the Study of the relationship between language and culture; it usually refers to work on languages that have no written records (Crystal, 1987:7). The scholar Benjamin Whorf has noted language shapes thoughts and emotions, determining ones perception of reality (Pei, 1996:21). John Stuart Mill said, language is the light of the mind (Pei, 1996:21). Despite the research of e arly scholars in this field, it was discovered what they felt to be important relationships between languages, thought, and cultures. Some characteristics of language include à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦different linguistic levels (phonological, intonation and rhythm, lexical semantic, syntactical and socialinguistics), language is a dynamic (changes constantly), has dialects (language variation), is sociolect (language depending on social class), and idiolect (individual language in which no two people speak exactly in the same way) (Pei, 1965:33). Language expresses many faces of a persons individuality or identity through speaking, belonging, providing the most natural badge, or symbol, and of public and private identity, the relationship between language and the many faces is very important to our identity as it shows how we interact with others. Ethnic and social identity plays an important role on the way in which language exercises a dominant influence on our perception, whatever our mother tongue. The most distinctive feature of ethnicity in groups is not their mother tongue, but the foreign accent and dialect that characterize their use of the majority language (Pei, 1965:35). Over the movement of time, many of these features have become established, resulting in new varieties of language. Well known cases include the range of English language and dialects associated with the Indian sub-continent, from the West Indies, even from Puerto Rico. A non-regional example would be people with a Jewish descent, whose speech has had a large influence on many European languages. Why would language play an important role in ethnic identity? Because language is such a widespread and evident feature of community life, to choose one language over another also provides an immediate and universally recognized badge of identity, language also provides a particular clear link to the past, often the only detailed link, in the form of literature. But this link exists even after the ability in language has been lost; for example, many present day Italian-Americans know very little Italian, but they still see Italian as a symbol of their ethnic identity. Ethnic identity is a commitment to a group with which one has ancestral links. Once a group becomes conscious of its ethnic identity, it will wish to preserve and strengthen its position. There is also a drive for language to act as a natural barrier between cultural groups, promoting conflict rather than cooperation. For example in bilingual communities, this factor is less important; but even here, language can focus the sense of political grievance in a clearer way than any other factor. Between the 1960s and 1970s, Western Europe and North America experienced an ethnicity thriving. Considerable progress was made in integrating immigrant groups within their communities and there was a widespread rising of consciousness about ethnicity issues. This was especially noticeable in the United States (US), where a census showed that 17% of the American population claimed a mother tongue other than English, and the largest claims relating to Spanish, German, Italian, French, Polish, and Yiddish. However, during the 1970s a further change took place, where there was still an overall increase in the number of people claiming a mother tongue other than English. The Spanish still had to find their identity within the culture, because they were less accepted and were more aware of the importance of maintaining traditional linguistic ties in order to find their identity within the culture. Language plays a crucial role in both the external perception of an ethnic group by outsiders and in the self-identification of an ethnic group (Schmidt, 2008:2). Language is explicitly mentioned in most academic works related to ethnic identity at the same time, it is emphasize that although identity is deeply anchored in a society, this leading to a strong emotional attachment to identity markers, is not the only crucial aspect of group identity (Schmidt, 2008:4). The major tendency is to regard ethnicity as composed of self-identification of a group, as well as its external perception by others. Ethnicity is considered the property of a group, associated with ancestry, culture, and of course language. There are other views that emphasize the importance of ethnic boundaries and regard ethnicity as an aspect of relationship which often consists of ancestral, cultural (and at times racialized) traits that are commonly associated with particular ethnic groups, both by the members of groups themselves and by others. There are subjective and objective characteristics of ethnic groups. For example, Jenkins states, the belief in common decent is of subjective nature, whereas language and cultural practices are objective means of facilitating a groups formation (Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996, :13). He concludes that ethnic identification arises out of and within interaction between groups. Whereas Francois Grin considers ethnicity as the result of subjective assignation or self-assignation (Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996:13). He defines ethnicity as a two-tier social construction in which one tier is non-elective (composed of ancestry, mother tongue, and cultural models internalized d uring childhood), and two-tiers result from assignation (by themselves and by others). His definition is consistent with Fishermans for whom ethnicity is made up of three elements: paternity- the perception of intergenerational continuity, patrimony linguistics and cultural substance of what is passed on and gives substance expression to this continuity, and phenomenology- the self-perceived character of ethnicity. No matter if those traits are subjective or objective, they are all means of facilitating a groups information. Why would language play an important role in social identity? Because social identity refers to the membership or association of an individual with a primary and other human groups, ranging from immediate family and expanding outward based on such factors as the individuals capacities, experiences, mobility, and location (Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996:15). A groups native language spoken by an individual is likely the strongest social identity; it is usually corresponding with immediate family and extended family. The strength of language group identity resides with the fact that language provides the primary means to categorize, think about, make sense of, and express our understanding of reality. When distinct groups that are each homogeneous are closely located and their differences are significant the psychosocial concept of the other frequently becomes powerful. This means that the membership in ones group is regarded superior to the other and that the blame for a range of dissatisfactions or circumstances is assigned to the other group ((Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996:18). Nationality, in the geographical sense of identity with or without a foundation can be a redoubtable social identity, especially in more developed countries with great mobility. Probably the clearest way people have of their desire to be close to or different from those around them is through their choice of languages. Few societies are wholly monolingual, and it is this possibility for different languages to act as symbols of the social structure to which they belong. The use of different languages is often a sign of a distinct religious or political group. Switching from one language to another may also be an indicator of distance in everyday circumstances, as can be seen in different bilingual areas. Languages have developed a wide range of varieties for handling the different kinds and levels of relationships, which identify the social structure of a community, for example, occupation, subject matter, social status, and setting, but may also have been used as signs of social identity. The role in which language plays in social and ethnic identity is the only way we have to acquire conceptual concepts (e.g. love, freedom, power, etc.) and to increase out knowledge, other than direct physical experience. Language offers belonging with those who share it, and the smaller the language group, the stronger the bond will be. Language is knowledge, and in todays world knowledge is one of the key factors in being competitive. Knowledge is what creates the successfulness and growth we tend to take for granted. In an advanced industrial society and in an increasingly co-dependent world, the knowledge of other languages becomes essential. Just think of how the Internet has changed our lives, millions of people all over the world, that share common interests are able to converse with each other and exchange ideas. Not only are they able to do this because of all kinds of various technical advances, but also its because they share a universal language. Language is obviously a v ital tool, not only is it a means of communicating thoughts and ideas, but also it forges friendships, cultural ties, and economic relationships (Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996:42). Throughout history, as Ive shown, many have reflected on the importance of language. There would have been no poets, philosophers, political leaders, writers, and other forms of art introduced in the world if language was not there. Therefore it can rightly be said that language fulfills the basic human need of talking and enabled us to depend on others for its various needs in order to live. Language is a tool of communication in ones hand. Language has played a significant role in the service of mankind and it can be considered as a pioneer in the progress of human civilization. Crystal, David (1987) The Use of Language. pp.6-70 Schmidt, Ulrike (2008) Language Loss, and Ethnic Identity. pp.1-4 Duranti, Alessandro (2009) Journal of Linguistic Anthropology. pp.204-209 Pei, Mario (1965) The Story of Language. pp.21-38 Dwyer, Denis and Drakakis, David (1996) Ethnicity and Development. pp.13-45 Jannarone, August (2006) Journal of Social Identity. pp.1-2

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Form and Structure Essay

`A Taste of Honey’ is in two acts, both containing two scenes, and set in two flats. The play could be described as episodic, due to the fact that within the same situation by using a blackout, the play has moved on months from the previous scene (i.e. Jo’s pregnancy in Act II). Delaney has used a Brechtian device with using episodes to show different aspects of the characters lives, and how they fit together in the plot. The structure of the play is fairly basic as it follows the Brechtian influence of a Linear plot(beginning, middle, end) i.e. the play is easy to follow which symbolises the characters lives – monotonous and basically the same situations arising from one day to the next. However, a element of Stanislavski is used as the technique of naturalistic/realistic drama (soap opera effect) is apparent. `A Taste of Honey’ follows the life of a young girl call Jo over the period of approximately 12 – 18 months. It is realistic in the sense th at it portrays how working class people live and the struggles they have to endure, which would therefore allow the audience to relate to this and affect them emotionally. This relates to Stanislavski’s aim of wanting to depict the working class and show the rich and privileged how they live (realities of society). This idea is also indicated throughout the outcome of the play – the initial characters in the play Helen and Jo end up as they begun, rejected and the relationships they developed throughout the play have failed( Peter has gone off with another woman, Jimmie left Jo pregnant and does not come back to see her, and Geof leaves Jo). There is only Jo and Helen left, and Helen portrays selfishness and illustrates dislike towards her daughter, as shown on the final page( 86), which was the case in the opening of the play. This situation of the characters not progressing in their lives symbolises the genre of the play as they have no hope for the future because of the lives they lead. Due to their lack of education, morals and the general way they conduct their lives, (e.g. Jo dating a coloured man) they are outcasts of society. However, due to their working class status in the 1950s, they wouldn’t be given the chance. Therefore, I feel the that Brechtian idea of current political factors playing a part in this play when written, is illustrated by the characters lives due to their working class status, the feminist issue of two of the male characters(Jimmie and Peter) only after Helen and Jo for sex, and the racism and discrimination towards coloured people. Stanislavski uses methods of traditional, realistic drama such as method acting, where the actor becomes emotionally involved with their character to gain a deeper understanding. Delaney intended on using this idea, as in the early rehearsals for the play, improvisation lessons were used. Avis Bunnage, who played Helen in a `Taste of Honey’ described this experience as an actor: â€Å"When we came to bits that didn’t seem to work, we ad-libbed around the ideas, made it up as we went along. We used things that were around like an aspidistra that someone had left on the stage which became incorporated in the production. I said some of my lines to it. Jean gave us hell during the rehearsals. She had us running from the stage to the paint bay and back over and even again, to give us feeling of real tiredness† Example of method acting used in rehearsals for the play I would describe the genre of this play as â€Å"kitchen sink’ as it has certain characteristics such as being set in a working class environment (Salford, Manchester – in a flat). It deals with domestic issues such as conflicts between people who live in these poor conditions (e.g. Jo and Helen). The language even insinuates this genre of theatre, as it is simplistic and could be described as ordinary, everyday language, which is sometimes crude. An example of this is in Act II, scene I, where Helen and Peter have come to see Jo: Helen: â€Å"Take your bloody money and get out† Peter: â€Å"Thank you† Helen: â€Å"You dirty bastard† (Act II, scene 1, page 66 ) Another example of the language reflecting the genre of the play is Helen’s description of the flat: â€Å"There’s a lovely view of the gas works. We share a bathroom with the community† (Act 1, scene 1, page 7) Another element of this drama is the conflicts which arise due to the conditions in which the characters live (Jo and Helen). Helen kicks Geof out/makes him leave without Jo knowing about this, and she knows Jo wants him there. Another example is Helen arguing with Peter for touching her. Peter ( touching her) †Now you know I like this mother and son relationship† Helen: â€Å"Stop it† Peter: â€Å"Aren’t you wearing your girdle?† (Act 1, scene1, page 18) Helen argues with Peter about this because really she likes him touching her. This relates to Jo ‘s situation as she doesn’t want `boy’ (Jimmie) to touch her, due to the fact that she enjoys it too. This dismissal of affection is due to both the female characters not being really used to affection, as their relationship as mother and daughter certainly doesn’t entail this behavior. Therefore, the characters don’t know how to conduct themselves in a loving relationship, and are unaware of how to respond to affection, care and attention. The hostile relationship between Jo and Helen is established due to the many arguments they have, for example, when Jo tells Helen she’s getting married, Helen is angry. Jo: â€Å"My boyfriend, he asked me to marry him† Helen: â€Å"Well, you silly bitch. I could choke you† (Act 1, scene II) The domestic relationship is between Helen and Peter (mother and boyfriend). For example, when Peter finds out that Helen has a daughter he states: â€Å"That puts another 10 years on her† (Act 1, scene 1) This portrays Peter’s attitude towards Helen, as he talks about her here in a rather disparaging tone as he knows Helen always tries to act and look younger than she actually is. This idea of making fun of characters is displayed again in Act II, scene 1, when Peter finds out Jo is pregnant: Peter (singing): â€Å"Who’s got a bun in the oven? Who’s got a cake in the stove?† Within the play the Brechtian device of including music is used, as there is many musical interludes which represent the beginning or mark the ending of a scene. For example, in Act 1, scene II the boy (Jimmie) exits whilst singing to the audience. This music within the play seems to be a contrast to the harshness and reality of it – i.e. the characters are portraying happiness or humour when singing. However, even at times with the singing there is comic – sarcasm intended. For example; when Peter finds out Jo is pregnant, he sings: â€Å"Who’s got a bun in the oven? Who’s got a cake in the stove?† This idea of music being an important factor in the play is indicated in Act 1, scene 1, when Helen is reminiscing about her experience of working in a pub, and she starts to sing a song she use to apparently perform, at which she asks the orchestra to join in and play the piece. The fact that the script indicates that there is an orchestra in the play gives us the impression that Delaney intended to make music a definite aspect of the play. Singing is also a element frequently used in the play, as Helen performs a old song she used to sing in the pub, Peter portrays his sarcasm by singing many statements, i.e. ‘Walter, Walter, take me to the alter!’. We also see boy (Jimmie) in Act 1, scene 2 (page 26) singing to the audience as he exits. This Brechtian device portrays the characters mood and temperament at the time, which also adds to the overall atmosphere. Another example of this is when Jo is reminicing about Jimmie in Act two, scene one(page 53) which indicates to the audience that she still thinks about him and how she regards him as a liar. Another Stanislavski device used is sub-text. For example; is Act 1, scene 1, when Jo has gone to make coffee, Helen talks about her daughter to the audience: † I suppose I’d better clear some of this stuff away. She wouldn’t think. Well they don’t at their age, do they. Oh! it gets me right here when I try and do anything when I bend you know. Have you ever had it? This device allows us (the audience) to witness Helen’s personality and how self-obsessed she is, moaning about her cold and generally ordering Jo around. There is no real silences in the play, due to the fact that this portrays the monotony of their lives, always doing something, moving from one place to another, arguing, fighting, different relationships etc. The relationships throughout the play are fuelled by anger, where every couple seem to have disputes which lead to rash decision making, with no real thought of the consequences, i.e, boy asking Jo to marry him, Geof kissing Jo due to confusion etc. Therefore, the suspense is built up by the language, how the tempo of the dialogue speeds up as arguments take place, and the questions raised by the characters. For example, Jo inquires about her father and Helen divulges to her that he wasn’t exactly normal. This leads the audience into thinking what actually was wrong with him and how will it effect Jo in later life? This device links to Stanislavski’s idea of realism and how, for example, Helen is ashamed to admit firstly being adulterous and how this changed her life,(turned into a whore) and that she slept with the apparent village idiot, which in the 1950s would have been the gossip of everybody (fits in with the era). An element within the play which has had the influence of Brecht is the idea of Forum theatre. Brecht liked the audience to be involved in the play and in ‘A Taste of Honey’, Delaney has tried to incorporate an aspect of this by having the some of the characters speaking and interacting with the audience. For example, Helen addressed the audience frequently in Act one, scene One: †She can’t do anything for herself, that girl.† (page 10) Another example is Jo on page 7: †You packed ’em. She’d lose her head if it was loose.† This device allows the audience to actually get feel a of what the atmosphere is actually like for the characters, and therefore this incorporates Stanislavinski’s idea of wanting the audience to be able to react emotionally to the play.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Responsibility for Personal and Professional Development Essay

Effective personal and professional development is the result of co-operative and co-ordinating working at all levels in the University and also with the individual members of staff. At the strategic level the personal and professional development implications of strategy and vision must be recognised and resourced. Overall responsibility for the development and delivery of Personal and Professional Development policy and strategy rests with the Director of Human Resources and the Personal and Professional Development Unit. The Director of Academic Professional Development and the Academic Professional Development Advisory Group, convened by the Director of Human Resources, acts as a central focus for the co-ordination, planning and provision of a range of learning and teaching development activities. The Deans and/or Associate Deans for Learning & Teaching, as appropriate, liaise with the Director of Academic Professional Development in order to consider appropriate ways in which de velopment needs can be met, including delivery at department/section/unit or Faculty level, or through central delivery. The link between centrally delivered and Faculty-based development activities is supported by regular and ongoing contact between the Director of Academic Professional Development and Faculty contacts for Academic Professional Development, normally the Associate Dean for Learning & Teaching. Heads of department/section/unit ensure that all staff employed in their area receive appropriate advice so as to ensure direct and substantial benefits are achieved for staff undertaking any development, support towards identifying their developmental needs through the review process and by other means, and ensure that adequate time is made available within workloads to allow staff to engage in identified and agreed development activities, as appropriate, to address these needs. Faculties and departments/sections/units are expected to expand upon the centrally delivered personal and professional development programme by making effective use of any monies devolved to them for this purpose. Day-to-day management of university-wide generic personal and professional development and training, as well as management training and development, is the responsibility of the Director of Management and Personal Development. Generic personal and professional development and training comprises those  activities which serve a widespread need in the university such that is efficient and effective to provide them centrally, either in-house, bought-in or externally provided, rather than ask departments or Faculties to source them. They include interpersonal skills, administrative skills and management skills. They do not include skills narrowly applicable to only one specialist function or discipline, which are best sourced through a department’s or individual’ s links, perhaps to the research community or a professional society.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Reasons to Learn French

There are all kinds of reasons to learn a foreign language in general and French in particular. Lets start with the general. Why Learn a Foreign Language? Communication An obvious reason to learn a new language is to be able to communicate with the people who speak it. This includes both the people you meet when traveling as well as people in your community. Your trip to another country will be greatly enhanced in both ease of communication and friendliness if you speak the language. Speaking anothers language shows respect for that culture, and people in every country prefer it when tourists make an effort to speak the local language, even if all you can say in it is hello and please. Also, learning another language can also help you to communicate with local immigrant populations at home. Cultural Understanding Speaking a new language helps you to get to know other people and their culture, as language and culture go hand in hand. Because language simultaneously defines and is defined by the world around us, learning another language opens ones mind to new ideas and new ways of looking at the world. For example, the fact that many languages have more than one translation of you indicates that these languages (and the cultures that speak them) place a greater emphasis on distinguishing between audiences than does English. French distinguishes between tu (familiar) and vous (formal/plural), while Spanish has five words that indicate one of four categories: familiar/singular (tà º or vos, depending on the country), familiar/plural (vosotros), formal/singular (Ud) and formal/plural (Uds). Meanwhile, Arabic distinguishes between nta (masculine singular), nti (feminine singular), and ntuma (plural). In contrast, English uses you for masculine, feminine, familiar, formal, singular, and plural. The fact that these languages have such different ways of looking at you indicates cultural differences between the people who speak them: French and Spanish focus on familiarity vs. formality, while Arabic emphasizes gender. This is just one example of many of the linguistic and cultural differences between languages. Also, when you speak another language, you can enjoy literature, film, and music in the original language. It is extremely difficult for a translation to be a perfect replica of the original; the best way to understand what the author meant is to read what the author wrote. Business and Careers Speaking more than one language is a skill which will increase your marketability. Schools and employers tend to prefer candidates who speak one or more foreign languages. Even though English is widely spoken in much of the world, the fact is that the global economy depends on communication. When dealing with France, for example, someone who speaks French will have an obvious advantage over someone who doesnt. Language Enhancement Learning another language can help you to understand your own. Many languages have contributed to the development of English, so learning those will teach you where words and even grammatical structures are from, and augment your vocabulary to boot. Also, in learning how another language differs from your own, you will increase your understanding of your language. For many people, language is innate—we know how to say something, but we dont necessarily know why we say it that way. Learning another language can change that.Each subsequent language you study will be, in some respects, a little easier, because youve already learned how to learn another language. Plus, if the languages are related, such as French and Spanish, German and Dutch, or Arabic and Hebrew, some of what youve already learned will apply to the new language as well, making the new language that much easier. Test Scores As years of foreign language study increase, math and verbal SAT scores increase. Children who study a foreign language often have higher standardized test scores in math, reading, and language arts. Foreign language study can help to increase problem-solving skills, memory, and self-discipline. Why Learn French? If you are a native English speaker, one of the best reasons to learn French is to help you understand your language. Although English is a Germanic language, French has had an enormous impact on it. French is the largest donor of foreign words in English. Unless your English vocabulary is much higher than average,  learning French  will greatly increase the number of English words you know. French is spoken as a native language in more than two dozen countries on five continents. Depending on your sources, French is either the 11th or the 13th most common native language in the world, with 72 to 79 million native speakers and another 190 million secondary speakers. French is the second most commonly taught second language in the world (after English), making it a real possibility that speaking French will come in handy practically anywhere you travel. French in Business In 2003, the United States was Frances leading investor, accounting for 25% of the new jobs created in France from foreign investment. There are 2,400 US companies in France generating 240,000 jobs. American companies with offices in France include IBM, Microsoft, Mattel, Dow Chemical, SaraLee, Ford, Coca-Cola, ATT, Motorola, Johnson  Ã‚  Johnson, Ford, and  Hewlett Packard. France is the second leading investor in the United States: more than 3,000 French companies have subsidiaries in the US and generate some 700,000 jobs, including Mack Trucks, Zenith, RCA-Thomson, Bic, and Dannon. French in the United States French is the 3rd most frequently spoken  non-English  language in US homes and the second most commonly taught foreign language in the United States (after Spanish). French in the World French is an official working language in dozens of  international organizations, including the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Red Cross. French is the lingua franca of culture, including art, cuisine, dance, and fashion. France has won more Nobel Prizes for literature than any other country in the world and is one of the top producers of international films. French is the second most frequently used language on the internet. French is ranked as the 2nd most influential language in the world. Oh, and one other thing—Spanish is  not  easier than French! Sources Admissions Testing Program of the College Board. France in the U.S.  Franco-American Business Ties Rock Solid,  News from France  vol 04.06, May 19, 2004. Rhodes, N. C., Branaman, L. E. Foreign language instruction in the United States: A national survey of elementary and secondary schools. Center for Applied Linguistics and Delta Systems, 1999. Summer Institute for Linguistics Ethnologue Survey, 1999. United States Census, Ten Languages Most Frequently Spoken at Home Other than English and Spanish: 2000, figure 3. Weber, George. The Worlds 10 Most Influential Languages, Language Today, Vol. 2, Dec 1997.