English Language A Chief Medium Of Communication English Language Essay

English Language A Chief Medium Of Communication English Language Essay According to Encarta on line, the English language is the chief medium of communication of people in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Since the middle of the 20th century, English language has become widespread around the world. It is often considered the world language. English in South Africa is mainly learned as a means to gain access to knowledge in various fields. THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION AND THE PROBLEMS OF READING SKILL Theoretical considerations in this research, comprises problems of reading skills in first additional language. Lado (1996:159) states that: consider learning to read in foreign language as grasping meaning in the language through its written symbols. Similar views were echoed by Gritter (1977:245) when he equated reading to direct communication from the printed page to the readers mind. The central theme of this study was that reading skills seemed to lose its value due to numerous problems and lack of motivation in reading at schools. Different challenges, such as educators being not well trained in facilitating reading skills; lack of support systems; illiteracy; poor socio-economic; interference of L1 and first additional language; learners environment; and technological systems, seem to hinder the progress and development of reading skill. In the economic sector, employers found that many African job applicants were unable to read and to fill in English application forms. Since there are few native speakers of English in Limpopo Province, Lebowakgomo Circuit in particular, English literacy is limited. Insufficient training in reading skills on the part of teachers. Blame for poor reading result was laid on lack of effective reading instruction on the part of educators. Carlson (1972:32) supports this thus; public schools have been blamed for not having strong programme of organized phonics and lack of instruction in the decoding of sounds the letters represent. The researcher agrees that educators are the cornerstones of reading skill activities. As such, they needed intensive in-service training in order to practise their duties effectively and improve on poor reading results. Devine et al.; (1987:254) confirmed that there is a general agreement among teachers and students that the reading sections are responsible for the high failure rate. The researcher agrees that lack of instruction in the decoding of the sounds is the main explanation why many disadvantaged learners are retarded in reading. It is also the reason for high illiteracy rate among both the young and adults in South Africa, and Limpopo Province in particular. Owen (1992:97) noted that teachers were aware of the limitations of their childrens reading performance in global terms. However, decisions, about the most effective remediation strategies to deploy in particular cases have been hampered by the lack of training. The socio-economic status of the subjects According to Johnson (1992:158), Low Socio-Economic Status in a previous cultural setting was not necessarily associated with low achievement. That is, according to the records, some learners from Low Socio Economic Status perform well in reading L2. They sometimes out shines learners from High Socio Economic Status. The problems in assessment of reading skills in secondary schools Assessment is an important aspect which is viewed as a tool to measure strength and weakness of the learners. It is used as an extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to learners, so that they read more during their spare time. Educators give learners a sense of recognition through reading skill assessment. Assessment helps educators to assess a learners reading skill to make informed decisions about what or where to stress when teaching the learner to read. According to Farr (1970:1), most evaluation programs in reading education are too limited. In assessing the abilities of students, teachers to place more emphasis on the results of standardized reading tests and fail to consider such learners, behaviour as what learners read, attitude toward reading and use of reading to search for answers to personal problem. The research questions include reading attitude. They refer to feelings that results in learners particular approach to reading. Attitude influences the desire to read. Conley (1992:89) states that positive reading attitudes are essential for success in any content area, negative attitudes accompany reading failure. Alexander Filler (1976) add that, when students have favourable attitudes towards reading, they tend to increase in achievement and they read more. The word assessment should mean more than obtaining test scores from learners, it should be seen as a value to what it assesses, and that is challenges in reading first additional language. Reading skill against technology. The other goals of this study are to find if there is a predictable relationship between technological systems and time spent on voluntary reading. The researcher believes that technological system challenges the development of reading skill in a positive and negative way. He enjoys the support of other scholars, such as, Mangieri et al., (1982:172), who maintain that many children today do not enjoy reading in their spare time and seldom choose to read when other activities are available to them. Moreover, Sunday Times (21 May 2006:8) agrees with this statement by stating that, Television viewing has become the predominant leisure of youngsters. Some 77, 4% of them watch TV three or more times a week. The researcher will investigate if this picture portrays is what is happening in the Lebowakgomo Circuit. May (1986:262) also add that, at home, reading frequently competes with the omnipresence of television and its titbits of instant culture and its instant action. May (1986:262) continue to say that, numerous studies have shown that the average elementary child watches television more than we would like him/she to. He continues to say that, one of the reasons why pupils do not do much reading outside the school is that television provides tough competition for books. The researcher also observed that most children are watching television until late in the evening. This tendency was observed during the fifteen years of democracy. It is because after the 1994 elections, having electricity at home was a right not a privilege. This includes rural, semi-rural and urban area in Limpopo Province. As such, some rural learners had the opportunity of having television at their homes. Most of urban area learners move from television viewing to computer games, which is equally a waste of their time. All this leisure happens at the cost of reading their books. Beard (1988:7) supports the statement when he notes that competing activities such as television viewing and home computers are edging out the habit of reading. The problems of relationship between L1 and first additional language reading The cultural aspect or context of reading infers that the educator and learner understand the basic knowledge of their mother tongue: that is, the histories, literature, current world position and changes involving their native languages. These aspects show the importance of the learners background knowledge. This view is supported by Lado (1996:5) who argues that: theoretically, in reading a language, it would mean sharing of a culture in order to be able to appreciate fully the works in the target language. The extent to which reading a language entails reading of a culture would be determined by the purpose for which language was being studied. In South African, there is a national agreement that it is better to learn first in ones native language, in order to build on what has been learned naturally about reading in L1. The advantages of using a childs native language as a bridge in transitional situations are self-evident. It builds on what children know, that is, their home language. Their own language is learned naturally using their own cognitive framework. This will promote their self-esteem, because it accepts what is an integral part of them. It makes them comfortable during the difficult transition of learning to read in first additional language. Mitchell Myles (1998:13) support the above view by saying that everyday observation tells us that learners performance in a second language is influenced by the language that they already know. Pronunciation bears traces of their first language. SPECIALISTS/SCHOLARS OPINIONS ON THE CONCEPT OF READING. The researcher wanted to find out what other researchers and theorist say about reading. What is reading? According to the editor, Horton, and writer, Good Acre (1990:120), this is the most difficult and complex question to answer, and, to some extent, it depends on who is asking the question. There are different kinds of reading. They are, namely, Skimming, Search Reading, Browsing, Careful Reading and Independent Reading. The researcher was interested in doing research on of Careful Reading and Independent Reading. It is because careful reading is associated with reading text, story books and other instructions. Independent Reading helped learners to develop Our lives and environments are surrounded by different kinds of information. Some information is read from the books, newspapers, magazines, instructions from the medications and road signs. Robert (1996:1) points out that reading can make us more aware of our world and more aware of ourselves. It can stretch our imagination and deepen and enliven our experience. It can provoke us to think by challenging our assumptions. Bearne (1998:48) argues that reading is a social and cultural process where not only homes and classrooms play their part, but larger institutions and cultural influence such as governments and the media contribute to what being a reader involves. Bearne views reading as an interactive process that brings meaning to the text that you read. Shelly (1986:50) says that experts agree that reading is not simply a hierarchically arranged set of sub-skills easily taught and tested, but that it is a complex skill requiring the coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information. Shelly (1986:50) further says reading is viewed as the foundation of learning and the key to success in school. The researcher wants to agree with Shelly because if the learners reading skill is well polished, he or she will have minimal problems in coping with content subjects as far as reading is concerned. Grolier (1979:28) argues that reading has to do with the process of attaching meaning to certain written symbols. As the word meets the eye, the reader is stimulated to make a mental picture of the action meaning. The symbols awaken meaning that is already in the mind of the reader. Neil (1988:28) adds that reading is creative, what any reader derives from the printed page is not exactly what some other readers would get or even what the author had in mind. It means that the interpretation of text will always differ from other readers perspective, due to different context, home language and other factors. Carlson (1972:6) found that men of perception and ambition quickly realized that, the art of reading was the lever to free themselves from the bonds of ignorance and gain status in the society. Reading was the basic skill that ought to be mastered by all as the key to sustain an economically self sufficient and effective citizenship. Encyclopaedia (Q-R Vol.16:10) notes that the main goal of education is to teach people to read. Reading is one of the principal ways of transmitting a culture of learning from one generation to another. The failure to read can keep people away from full participation in their society. Devine et al., (1987:2) state that reading is a multifaceted, complex and interactive process that involves many sub-skills and types of readers as well as text variables. Everything about the readers background, especially culture specific knowledge and experiences, are relevant to successful reading and comprehension. Wepner et al., (1988:160) assert that reading is a constructive process, reading must be fluent, strategic, it requires motivation. Reading is a continuous developing skill. A truly top-down approach to L2 reading has been advanced in 1979. The following: Steffensen, Joag-dev Anderson, (1979); Carrell (1981, 1982); Carrel and Eisterhold (1983); Johnson (1981, 1982); and Hudson (1982) agree that top-down L2 reading not only views the reader as an active participant in the reading process; making predictions and processing information, but everything in the readers prior experience or background knowledge plays a potential role in the process. Robert (1996:1) says reading can make us more aware of our world and ourselves. It can stretch our imagination and deepen and enliven our experience. It can provoke us to think by challenging our assumptions. It can help us make sense of our lives and our world by providing us with explanations that relate what we see, hear, think, and learn. It can enrich our understanding of issues that affect our world and lives. The ability to read in first additional language with understanding is an important skill in our modern society. We need to bring together the relevant challenges of reading to build a comprehensive theory of reading. THEORIES OF READING The researcher discusses theories and theoretical frame work of reading skill. The reading theories, their principles and functions will be discussed in details. Larsen (1991:222) states that a theory is more or less formal, more or less explicit, synthesis of what is known at a given point in time about some natural phenomenon, such as factors involved in L2 reading. Theories of reading view reading as cognitive activity which largely takes place in mind. Three types of reading theories are, namely, bottom-up, top down and interactive. The brief explanation of theories is as follows. Top-down theory of reading Goodman (1982) says it is the level at which the reader starts with a general idea or schema derived from previously acquired knowledge and uses this schema in perceiving and interpreting graphic cues. Everything in the readers prior experience or background knowledge plays a potential role in the process of reading L2. The reading text; genre, socio-cultural, general world and linguistic knowledge code of the learner, are included in the background knowledge. Interactive theory of reading True reading involves perception of meaning at different levels. Interaction process is the interaction between bottom-up and top-down levels. When the reader starts with the perception of graphics, but as soon as these are recognized as familiar, schemata derived from both linguistic knowledge of the world in general are brought into play. According to Conley (1992:54), good readers combine knowledge they already possess with information in texts and with feature of the context in order to construct meaning. This is interacting among reader, the text and the context. Patricia (1987:24) confirms that reading is an interactive process between the reader and the text. It has been recognized by Goodman (1967, 1971) Kolers (1969) Smith (1971). It is only recently that the interactive view of reading has been acknowledged in L2 reading. L2 reading was viewed as a decoding process, a reconstruction of the authors intended meaning via recognizing the letters and words, and building up a semantic representation of the texts meaning from the smallest textual units at the bottom to the largest at the top. Bottom-up theory of reading Bottom-up is processes were graphemes are forming words, words forming sentence, sentences forming paragraphs. Devine et al., (1987:24) explain that, early work on L2 reading, by Rivers (1964, 1968); Plaister (1968), Yorio (1971), assumed a rather passive, bottom-up view of L2 reading. Reading was viewed primarily as a decoding process, a reconstructing of the authors intended meaning via recognizing the letters and words, and building up a semantic representation of the texts meaning, from the smallest textual units at the bottom to the largest at the top. Devine (1987:177) states that linguistic schema is the knowledge of the letters and the corresponding sounds; both alone and in cluster, and the ability to predict through the knowledge of syntax, the word or words that will follow, example, phonics, grammar, and letter recognition. Ralenala (2003:54) believes that because of poor language proficiency, learners tend to use bottom-up processing strategies that, in turn, cause them to disregard the context relevant to a coherent interpretation of text. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the above- mentioned theoretical framework of challenges of reading and assessment skills ranges from different concepts. It looked into different writers views on reading, discussed why reading assessment in first additional language is important, covers L1 and first additional language interference. It touched on theories, interdependent systems and strategies that play an important role in reading. In order to promote positive and realistic expectations of first additional language reading, educators should know as about their learners existing knowledge and capabilities of reading in English. Everything in the readers prior experience or background knowledge plays a critical role in the process of reading first additional language.

Social institutions Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the years there have been many social institutions that have made a dramatic impact on society; none more important than families. In today’s modern industrialized societies, families carry out basic necessities that other social institutions cannot. Different skills such as responsibility can also be acquired from families where it can be applied to everyday life. Furthermore families in the past needed to be the most important social institution to ensure their survival. Since the pre-industrialized era, families are considered the most important social institution because they provide for our basic needs, teach us to acquire new skills, and assure our survival.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Families in today’s modern industrialized societies carry out basic necessities that other social institutions are incapable of. In order for more generations of people to come about, protection must be provided for them. Means of protection may include: A safe home, food, money, and clothing until offspring can provide for themselves. Families also regulate reproduction which can also be interpreted as population contribution. Since everybody eventually dies, older members can replace themselves by producing new members in their families and subsequently new members in society. Another necessity that families carry out is the socialization of children. For example: Manners such as please and thank you, and behaviour in public areas are instilled in children at young ages. N...

Technologies role today :: essays research papers fc

Technology is a key element in the world today. It plays an important role in almost everything. Education is no exception to this; technology has been present in education for many years now. The purpose of this paper is to discuss why education is better with the addition of technology. More importantly, I am talking about this so that my audience will become more aware of how technology supports what is being done in education. Technology in schools has made drastic improvements within the last five years. Computers have gone from being in every school, to being in every classroom. Access to computers specifically has become very easy for students to obtain. Technology isn’t restricted to computers; there are also projectors, DVD players, VCR’s, and video screens that are used today. These wide varieties of useful classroom tools have become very common in schools today. Heartland Community College supports the growth of technology in education very well. HCC has stepped up to the highest demands of technology by offering computers in every classroom. Also, the school provides each classroom with overhead projectors, which are run by touch screens placed near computer systems in every classroom. The overhead light show presents the pictures onto the pull-down screen in the front of every classroom, via DVD, VCR, or computer screen. These are many of the options available for students and teach ers to use at HCC. This available technology helps advance the learning process and saves time. Furthermore, the learning process is easily enhanced when technology is used. First, with Internet access in each classroom, it allows the teacher to access massive amounts of information in just a few seconds. This information can be given to the students in a clear, easy to read format as it is projected onto the screen. With such easy access to information, students are able to learn more in a smaller time span, while teachers are able to be more efficient in how they teach. This makes the education a person gets from their school more valuable for their money; and money is important as college costs continue to rise. Most of these new technological advances aren’t cheap. Technology has brought the price of schools to higher levels, forcing the budget of schools and students to be changed. These plans are very well thought out and work in accordance to many of the programs the government has already set-up for schools.

Jean Watson Essay

The purpose of this paper is to explain the association of nurse/ patient interaction in the concept of Watson’s theory. I will explore the transpersonal caring in relation to caring factors. Analyzing major theory assumptions related to person, health nursing and environment in the context of the caring moment. Caring theory will be displayed in the professional aspects of my nursing practice. Caring nurse, health education, healing environment and application of caring affect to person is applied throughout this paper. History Jean Watson has brought to nursing her theory of caring and 10 caring factors. Watson defines caring as the ethical and moral ideal of nursing that has interpersonal and humanistic qualities. It is a complex concept involving development of a range of knowledge, skills, and expertise encompassing holism, empathy, communication clinical competence, technical proficiency and interpersonal skills (Watson, Jackson, & Borbasi, 2005). Watson’s theory traces back through 30 years, the earliest was put in textbook nursing curriculum at the University of Colorado. The theory contains Watson (1999) describes nursing as transpersonal that â€Å"conveys a human to- human connection in which both persons are influenced through the relationship and being-together in the moment. This human connection†¦ has a spiritual dimension . . . that can tap into healing† (p. 290). Transpersonal Caring and Caring Factors Transpersonal caring has four components, self, phenomenal field, actual caring occasion of the patient and the nurse, and intersubjectivity (Davis, 2005). Self is defined in Davis, (2005) as, â€Å"I and me perception of relationship of I and me to others and to various aspects of life together with the values attached to those perceptions.† I am a surgical nurse caring for a four –year- old boy. After receiving, report before going to pediatrics to obtain the patient for surgery. Fortunately, I know much more about him, the child because I cared for him in August 2011. As a nurse, Watson’s theory is displayed my caring healing practice (Alligood, 2005). â€Å"As I enter the room, I remember the first three â€Å"caritas†: (1) practice loving-kindness and Equanimity within a context of caring consciousness (2) be authentically present and enable and sustain my belief system and subjective life world of self and the person being cared for: and (3) cultiva te ones own spiritual practice and transpersonal self, going beyond self.†(p. 127) I bring the three of them together, in conversation with the client, parents, and coworkers, I speak in a professional, caring, confident manner. I have learned from nursing practice and experience to sit in a well light room at eye level with open body language, to be friendly, caring and always use a kind touch. This helps prevent any barriers that may have occurred to transpersonal caring. Transpersonal caring in the nurse, environment and person are expressed. Developing continuity is an aspect to caring for him and is not always possible, it just happened to be my late shift. I was grateful to be there for his care. Intersubjectivity Davis (2005), states â€Å"Intersubjectivity is human to human relationship in which the person of the nurse affects and is affected by the person of the other, a feeling of union.†(p. 2716) I apply intersubjectivity in the following way. It seems we bond quickly right after I initial see him, because we have initially had an encounter. I found that focusing on the patient’s pain is a priority and aids in healthy participation with his care. I use is time together to ask about his health, fears, and pain, to prioritize his care. This helps me to know him more as a person, not just another client .†Upholding Watsons caring theory provides the framework for me to practice the art of caring, to provide compassion to patients and families fears, and to promote their healing and dignity; it also contributes to my own actualization client â€Å"(Alligood, 2005). Phenomenal Field Davis, (2005) states phenomenal field is the person’s subjective reality (p.2617) In speaking with Jojo, the Phenomenal field is reviewed when,† He shares in his statement,† my belly hurts really badly.† His mother is at his bedside, she tells me that he has not been eating, he has had a fever, and abdominal pain. From report, I see his lab work show an increase in his white blood count and his CT scan shows appendicitis. This is the nurse in the caring theory, who has gathered the information pertaining to the patients health condition. I listen attentively and notice that he is holding a bear in his left arm. I comment on the bear that is seems to be a security item for the child. His mother agrees. He continues to hold his bear to make his environment externally and internally sound. This is critical in the caring theory to make his environment healing. Developing a human trusting human care relationship While the anestheologist is speaking to JoJo’ s mother, I use this time to speak with him. I ask him about school, family, friends and pets. I ask open- ended questions to explore his feeling and fears. He tells me of his dog, two brothers and preschool. He tells me that,† he is afraid and does not want anyone to touch his belly.† When he is lying in bed, I make eye contact as I gently touch his abdomen. After examining his abdomen. Discussing his departure from the holding area, he starts to cry. Jojo,† let me tell you what we will do when we go in the back to fix your belly.† He asks, â€Å"What?† †Do you know how to blow up a balloon?† I ask. â€Å"Yes, he explains.† Well we are going in the back I will put a muscle tester on you, a space mask, and you can blow up my balloon. I use my awareness, presence, touch, kindness, and hope to make him feel strong and confident of the situation Alligood (2005) stated.† In this holistic Perspective, each dimension is a reflection of the whole yet the whole is greater than the sum of parts†(p. 132). Finally, I let his mother know that we will be talking more about her concerns after his examination. Assisting with gratification of human needs Alligood (2005) stated, â€Å"Being-in-the –world† entails that I cannot consider Jojo without her context or environment of which I am a part (family, culture, community, nurses, health care team, society) (p. 132). I speak to Jojo’s mother about his support system, culture, and resources. These are important factors to assist her in obtaining the proper resources need while her son is hospitalized, and she will be displaced from her home during his recover. She states, â€Å"We have no means of transportation, my husband is unemployed at this time due to his back injury and I have two young boys at home. †We discuss means of transportation available to her family from the hospital as well as financial assistance. She states,† my husband has no way to arrive here and has no idea that Jojo is to have surgery.† I try to ease her mind. I can tell she is becoming overwhelmed. Knowing she has fears it is my moral obligation to enhance and preserve her, â€Å"human dignity, wholeness and integrity† (Watson, 2005). (p. 131) Alligood (2005) stated †Watson’s theory, which recognizes the whole in the parts, supports a focus on the wholeness of a community, aggregate, or population, while still attending to the individuals and families within it. Watson emphasizes seeking to strengthen the client’s resources and capacities as well as mutually planning and evaluating health actions† (p. 134). Jojo returns from his surgical procedure, his mother is crying at his bedside. I sit down beside her and to show her his bandage. We discuss the proper way to handle dressing changes along with actives and diet. Implication of Watson’s transpersonal teaching and learning caritive factor. His father has arrived giving her some emotional support. We sit in the recovery room at his bedside, while Jojo rest. I take time to listen to their fears, comfort them and educate them on his care. Jojo’s mother wipes her tears away and looks up at me. She, â€Å"states I am so grateful you were her to help with Jojo he have helped my family, listened to be, and treated him as if he was your own child. Thank you.† I tell her, â€Å"I would not have it any other way. This is an example of Watson’s care theory, Davis states† human- to –human relationship in which the person of the nurse affects and is affected by the person of the other† (p.2618 ) Nursing Perspective I have applied Jean Watson’s theory in my practice, examining an interaction between nurse/patient encounter. Transpersonal relationship with caring factors was used in the care of my patient. Applying caring moments related to person, health, nursing, and environment. I practice Watson’s theory in my daily practice of nursing. Learning theorist in school and refreshing them periodically may seem unnecessary. Who would not be kind to another, considerate of their needs, offer a conducive environment, listen attentively, or apply a caring factor. These seem like common sense to a nurse. Theories are practice as early with new theories add throughout career paths. It is the application of these theories and portrayal of them that causes the affect. This has brought to my view of nursing the values taught to me not only at home but also during my nursing education. Educating other on the values of caring factors, environmental adaptation, and the true art of caring for a p atient/person with total regard to the values of the patient without passing judgment, Through this continuing education paper, we were able to learn the essential elements of Watson’s caring theory and explore an example of a clinical application of her work through a clinical story. Aiming to preserve our human caring heritage, this paper offered some suggestions and ideas in order to help nurses grasp and utilize Watson’s caring theory in their work environment. â€Å"Nursing can expand its existing role, continuing to make contributions to health care within the modern model by developing its foundational caring-healing and health strengths that have always been present on the margin† (Watson, 1999, p. 45). References Alligood, M. R. (2005). Nursing theory: Utilization & application (4th ed.), St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier Davis, F.A. (2005).Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. (20th ed.), Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company Watson, J . (1999). Postmodern nursing and beyond. Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone/Saunders Watson, J . (2005). Caring science as sacred science. Philadelphia : F.A. Davis Watson, J., Jackson, D., & Borbasi, S . (2005). Tracing nursing caring: Issues, concerns, debates . In J. Daley, S. Speedy, D. Jackson, V. Lambert, & C. Lambert (Eds.), Professional nursing: Concepts, issues, and challenges. New York : Springer .

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), Kuala Lumpur Program

The MPO concert opened with choir singing with the whole orchestra playing their instruments. In the prelude, there are two movements. Both of these movements are exciting and dramatic in moods. At first, the violinists are playing with the skill of pizzicato . The woodwind part also plays a important part in creating the atmosphere. The musician hit the bass drum and increased the mood of grand in the exciting part. The pianist used the skills of staccato in performing too. In the second part, the music started with the woodwind part which created a contrast mood with the previous part. The musicians blew the French horn with the accompany of the triangles before the choir started singing. It is a peaceful part. In the second movement, the baritone who sit beside the conductor started his solo with the accompany of some percussions such as triangle. Afterwards ,the strings part join the music. In the third movement, it has a drastic change in mood where the moods turn to lively and exciting. More instruments such as tambourine joined this movement and create the joyful environment. In the third part, it started with the strings part. The moods is lively and happy. Then a musician plays the flute alone which creates a short peaceful moment. After that brass joins the music and creates a richer tone color atmosphere. While, in the second movement, the main point is on the choir and they are singing in a repetition style which creates an echo effect. In the third movement, the choir is singing with the accompany of percussions and the moods is relaxing and lively. In the forth part, the baritone starts singing again. This time ,he is singing in a more aggressive mood accompanied with the strings. The mood in this movement is angry and desperate. After that there is a short piece of bassoon solo and the tenor starts singing. I was impressed by the singing skill of the tenor and he sang in a mood of regret and sad. Afterwards, baritone starts singing after the tenor has ended. This part was ended by the choir singing with the accompany of the whole orchestra. In the fifth part, the soprano surprised me with her voice. She is singing accompanied with the strings and woodwind. The mood in the part of the solo of the soprano is sad and hopeless. After a short piece sung by the choir, the baritone sang again in a way like replying to the soprano. This part ended with the solo of the soprano in a extremely high pitch sound. In the sixth part, the choir sang with the accompany of the whole orchestra and the mood in here is peaceful and sacred. Finally in the last part, it is repeated again from the 1st part where it is the most exciting part in the whole ecstasy and it is grand in mood. I enjoyed the previous part as it seem like more interesting to me and I think it is a nice experience as this is my first time listening to an music concert. However I think it will be better if I could understand what is the choir singing about.

Dramatic situations Essay

Examine carefully your chosen scene and discuss how well in your view Shakespeare succeeds in presenting good theatre with a variety of dramatic situations in order to entertain his audience. Shakespeare wrote ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ towards the end of the 16th century. The play was aimed at all social classes, meaning that there had to be humour in the play to suit everyone’s taste. The scene that I have chosen to examine is Act 5, Scene 2. Which is the last scene of the play. This scene follows on from Act 5, Scene 1 where Katherina has just reluctantly kissed Petruchio and Petruchio feels very pleased with the way everything has turned out. It then enters Act 5, Scene 2, where Lucentio is welcoming everyone to the banquet, which was being held to celebrate the three marriages. I chose to do this scene because I think that this scene rounds the play off nicely as nearly all of the characters are there in it and there are a variety of dramatic situations. After Lucentio has finished welcoming everyone Petruchio says â€Å"Nothing but sit and sit, and eat and eat! â€Å". If I was directing the play I would make Petruchio butt in with that straight after Lucentio has finished talking because I think that he is saying it quite sarcastically, as he was wanting to draw attention to himself because previously in the play we learnt that he is quite mad character, for example when he turned up at the wedding he was wearing crazy clothes. I found that quite amusing but in the Royal Shakespeare production that we saw I don’t think they made him say it with enough expression, I thought that they would have made a bigger deal about it. To draw even more attention to himself I think he should say it quite loudly and stand up because the audience would be focused on him. I think that Shakespeare made Petruchio’s character quite a quirky one because all through the play he brings humour and it leaves the audience wondering what strange thing he will do or say next and it is all very unexpected. After that, on line 14 and 15 I think that the tone gets a bit more serious. On line 14 Baptista says â€Å"Paudua offers this kindness, son Petruchio† In the text there is no exclamation mark so if I was directing it I would make him say it in a stern, serious voice. Petruchio says after that â€Å"Padua offers nothing but what is kind† I think that when he says that he should again say it quite quickly and immediately after Baptista did because that brings out his ‘cheeky’ character and it is entertaining because there is an argument and this is an amusing way to start off quite a formal event.

ICRC as an international organization Essay

I. Introduction The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. It is granted a unique role, according to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) as codified by the Geneva Conventions as well as customary international law, to protect the victims of international and internal armed conflicts. These victims include war wounded, prisoners, refugees, civilians and hors de combat. The unique relationship with IHL begins with its creation as a response to an increasing need to provide for care for those caught in the cruelties of war. As an actor in the field of IHL it is also responsible for crafting many of IHL’s norms. In sum, the ICRC is an independent neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of war and armed violence. It has a permanent mandate under international law to take impartial action for prisoners, the wounded and ill, and civilians afflicted by conflict. Based in Geneva Switzerland , the ICRC has bases in 80 countries and has a total of more than 12,000 staff. In situations of conflict, the ICRC coordinates the response by National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and their International Federation. The ICRC is THE origin of INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW, notably the Geneva Conventions. The Red Cross is that rare entity in international relations, a non-governmental sovereign body that is universally respected, crossing borders or battle lines with unusual ease, and possessed of the integrity to solicit funds from public and private entities alike. Willingly or not, hostile parties permit delegations to visit prisoners of war or incarcerated terrorists, attend to refugees (e. g. victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami), protect targets of impending genocide, all while working side by side with local medical and police authorities. In legal terms, the ICRC is specifically acknowledged under International Humanitarian Law as a controlling authority by which is meant â€Å"The power of an organized assemblage of persons to manage, direct, superintend, restrict, and regulate itself.. † outside the ambit of sovereign governments. The latest such affirmation is the Geneva Convention of 1949. In recognition of its non-partisan and cross-border involvements, the ICRC receives special privileges and legal immunities enshrined in the laws of every country that hosts a national chapter. Where multilateral bodies are concerned, international jurisprudence also leans toward many privileges and legal immunities for the ICRC. For example, ICRC delegates who have witnessed abuse and human rights violations in prisons and â€Å"on the ground† are exempted from taking the witness stand in international tribunals. The ICRC may have the characteristics of an international non-governmental organization (NGO) but it was not always so. At the start, membership in the Geneva headquarters was limited to Swiss nationals. As global presence became a fact of life, membership naturally opened up. Nonetheless, the fact is that the Red Cross straddles national borders without benefit of treaty or host government subsidy. Under Swiss law, the ICRC is defined as a private association that, under the terms of a 1993 agreement with the Swiss government, affords this charitable organization the sovereignty, immunity and rights of an embassy. These include the inviolability of Red Cross real property, funds, communications, information archives, and staff members. As well, ICRC personnel have the right to diplomatic-type passports, as well as the related rights of duty-free transfer of goods and services. The ICRC is completely autonomous in the matter of legally recognizing national red Cross or Red Crescent Societies and accepting them into its fold. On admission, a national society gains full standing in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The ICRC and the Federation both work in partnership with the national societies when it comes to marshalling supplemental human, material, and financial resources, and organizing on-site logistics in international missions. By virtue of the 1997 Seville Agreement, the ICRC is the lead Red Cross agency in international conflicts while local chapters take the lead in non-war situations. National societies will be given the lead especially when a conflict is happening within their own country. The scale of its operations is exemplified by the fact that in 2005, the ICRC budget amounted to 970 million Swiss francs, broken down into 819. 7 million Swiss Francs for field work and another 152. 1 million Swiss francs for internal costs. Each year, every single franc has to be sourced from donation drives. In broad terms, the ICRC mounts Headquarters Appeal to cover its internal costs and the Emergency Appeal for individual missions. By country, Switzerland, the United States, the E. U. Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand contribute about 85% of the ICRC budget. Private gifts make up a puny 3% and the balance comes from the national Red Cross societies. [1] WWW. ICRC. org 2 Article 10 Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva , 12 August 1949. available at http://www. icrc. org/IHL. nsf/WebART/380-600013? (Last accessed) 3 ICRC Commentaries on Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva , 12 August 1949. p99 4 Additional Protocol no. I Geneva Convention of 1949. : THE HAND BOOK OF HUMANITARIAN LAW IN ARMED CONFLICTS 316 (Fleck Ed., 1995) 5 Additional Protocol I, art. 18: THE HAND BOOK OF HUMANITARIAN LAW IN ARMED CONFLICTS 316 (Fleck Ed. , 1995) 6 Rome Statute art. 8(2)(b)(vii); THE International Criminal Court: Elements OF Crimes and Rules of Procedure 110 (Lee ed, 2001); Schabas, An Introduction to The International Criminal Court 43-4 (2001) Asian Forum for Human Rights Development, Primer on the International Criminal Court 9 (2000) 7 David P Forsythe , The Humanitarians: The International Committee of the Red Cross, ( Cambridge , NY : Cambridge University Press, 2005), 233. References ________________________________________ [1] WWW. ICRC. org [2] Article 10 Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva , 12 August 1949. available at http://www. icrc. org/IHL. nsf/WebART/380-600013 (Last accessed) [3] ICRC Commentaries on Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva , 12 August 1949. p99 [4] Additional Protocol no. I Geneva Convention of 1949. : THE HAND BOOK OF HUMANITARIAN LAW IN ARMED CONFLICTS 316 (Fleck Ed. , 1995). [5] Additional Protocol I, art. 18: THE HAND BOOK OF HUMANITARIAN LAW IN ARMED CONFLICTS 316 (Fleck Ed. , 1995) [6] Rome Statute art. 8(2)(b)(vii); THE International Criminal Court: Elements OF Crimes and Rules of Procedure 110 (Lee ed, 2001); Schabas, An Introduction to The International Criminal Court 43-4 (2001) Asian Forum for Human Rights Development, Primer on the International Criminal Court 9 (2000) [7] David P Forsythe , The Humanitarians: The International Committee of the Red Cross, ( Cambridge , NY : Cambridge University Press, 2005), 233.