Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Reflection - Essay Example Additionally, the PowerPoint also help to present the understanding that racial profiling is basically an ineffective means of accomplishing whatever task the individual sets out to do. In short, racial profiling only helps due to the fact that it creates a situation in which expectation for a given activity or behavior is created within the mind of the profiler. Another powerful complement of understanding this was the fact that racial profiling oftentimes helps to make stereotypes more powerful. By treating an entire group of people within a certain way, it becomes more likely that these individuals would begin to identify with the way they are treated and exhibit more and more signs of adherence to these stereotypes. Ultimately, within everyday life and within an increasingly globalized world, the extent and level to which racial profiling can be used for any positive benefit is all but nonexistent. Similarly, although there was a great deal of information presented with regards t o diversity and different communication styles that men and women often times engage, the most important aspect of this particular piece of research was due to the fact that it is necessary for the reader/participant to always be mindful of the fact that different people communicate via different styles. Although such an understanding is somewhat dangerous due to the fact that it can create an expectation that men and women are inherently different and behave/communicate via entirely different standards, this is not always the case. Rather, it is important for the stakeholder to realize that women and men are able to express themselves in different ways and two different extents. This mere ability does not mean that they will always do so. From a leadership perspective, it is important to understand this due to the fact that the reader will both be leading man and women regardless of the organization or business entity to which they are responsible. In this way, within one’s personal life, it is necessary to always seek to interact with others so that a type of baseline of communication is represented within the conversation. Although this may seem somewhat obvious, it is oftentimes neglected and can ultimately result in a breakdown of communications and/or a misunderstanding of key information with regards to stakeholders within either of the genders. Lastly, with respect to the PowerPoint presentation concerning extroverts and introverts, the most powerful understanding that this student gained from this presentation was with regards to the fact that neither being an introvert nor an extrovert is necessarily better than the other. All too often within our culture, we are taught that an extrovert will succeed whereas an introvert will ultimately fail within the business environment. However, as the PowerPoint noted, a diversity of these individuals required within disbarment as a means of ensuring that specific strengths within the organization can be spoken to leverage. Whereas the extroverted personality is more likely to engage with others and be outgoing/bold, the introvert is more likely to be a problem solver work quietly within their own respective field. Most importantly, from the information that was provided within the particular PowerPoint presentation, it was noted that both introverts and extroverts have the potential to make exceptional leaders. Whereas leadership has almost always been understood as something that was needful of an extroverted person,

The Poetry Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Poetry Project - Essay Example The inner world of the lover will always be like the ocean in storm till such time the love is fructified. The imprint of her memory is so strong, the poet compares it to the fossil, which are the evidence of life since time immemorial that are preserved in sedimentary rocks. That imprint is impossible to erase because its vibrations are permanent and strong. Calligraphy is artistically and beautifully written words or features. He refers to her beauty as â€Å"rimmed calligraphy.† The beautiful frame adds to the beauty of the writing. Wise people say ‘silence is the sweetest sound on Earth.’ The poet refers to her invisibility as â€Å"a mouthing out of silence.† The poet creates a beautiful scenario, an appealing ambience when he writes, as if some important pronouncement emerges out of her silence. The lover does not have the benefit of her immediate presence in the bedroom. She is somewhere, out of his reach and the poet describes â€Å"where you lie a lone.† He presumes that she is suffering in silence just like him and both lead a lonely existence in their respective destined positions. Thus a picture is created, in which both the lovers are not in a happy position and time has broken the bond in which they used to remain together. Circle and label 5 of the formal poetic devices Alliteration happens when the opening resonances of a word, beginning either with a consonant or a vowel, are repeated in close succession. Example: â€Å"Beyond the bedroom.† The words are close to one another and they highlight the beauty of language in a particular context. Alliteration is more or less is like the rhyme. Image is a picture or a carving, something tangible and depictive and literal images that appeal to our sense of representative perception. Example: â€Å"Like fossil shells embedded in a stone.† Such comparisons appeal to the emotions of the reader. Metaphor relates one object or idea with another. This is an impo rtant element for the success of a metaphor and adds to the grandeur of the poem. Example: â€Å"Rimmed calligraphy.† A good metaphor immediately adds dazzling effect to the poem. They are brilliant tools to communicate with the reader to win the approval and bring forth a confident picture before his mind’s curtain. Rhyme occurs when two words sound alike. It helps to link one concept to another. They may also thematically similar. Rhyme may occur in the same line or at the end of some other line. Example: â€Å"Cold gales; diving whales.† It is easy to identify the rhyme scheme in a poem and this poetic device is very popular in children poems. Symbol is an object or action that means more than its literal meaning. Example: â€Å"Go wreck yourself once more against the day.† The action indicates the state of mind and frustration of the lover The discussion of how these formal devices function Poetic devices electrify the reading experience and add to th e beauty of the poem. The canvass of the poem is limited and within the shortest possible time, the poet has to grab the attention of the reader through the flow of the poem. When the poet repeats the words he does so with a purpose, which is to enhance the development of the image created by the words and augments the fluency of the poem. They enable the poet to introduce a theme or mood noticeably and function as punch line and tender answer to the issue raised by the poet. They also assist the poet in the emotional buildup,

The Relationship Between Ideas And The Historical Context Essay Example for Free

The Relationship Between Ideas And The Historical Context Essay During the Qin Dynasty, the commencement of the Imperial China begun under the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang in 221 BCE in which the said period, the Imperial China, continued until the Qing or Manchu Dynasty, the ruling dynasty of China. Furthermore, in this dynasty that Legalism became the vital prevailing inspiration that wraps up in the confederacy of China. According to the history, Pinyin Shang Yang, a Chinese statesman and thinker, generated the idea of Legalism in China in order to unify and reorganized the Chinese empire. He supposed that having a very authoritative and influential power would maintain the integrity of the country. Shang Yang made ‘a body of Legalism writings’, which was now known as ‘The Book of Lord Shang’ and this passed through the whole nation strengthening the Legalism policy that accentuated on the sectors of agriculture, war, rewards and chastisements and in dwindling the people in order to reinforce the government that time. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2007) Legalism – its Application Legalism is the application of philosophical ideologies and political beliefs in governing the people in China. Many people supposed legalism as a demonic movement in the Chinese history, however, the practice of legalism left a major impact in the nature of Chinese government. According to the thoughts of Confucius, humanity or jen, a key term, caused to be â€Å"goodness†, â€Å"benevolent† or â€Å"love†. Confucius believed that this humanity is very necessary for a man to continue for so long the multiplicity and take pleasure in the riches of the world (de Bary, et al, p11). On the other hand, it is assumed by Hsun Tzu that the goodness of one’s person is acquired and the man in evil in nature (de Bary, et al, p20), the exact reverse of Confucius thought that man is basically good in nature. Han Fei Tzu, a student of Hsun Tzu began his perceptions from his master’s point of view but modified that with the laws of state, goodness in the people can be determined. Thus, establishment of the rewards and punishment is strongly given the focus to recompense those people that offered advantages to the state and to penalize those who violated the rules. As stated by Han Fei, this law should be superlative even that of the power of the emperor to direct individual self-interests. Here with, the written laws alone were enough to preside over the whole state. This practice of Legalism dominated the imperial power of Qin Dynasty that gave birth to ‘totalitarianism’ in which the creation of the famous Great Wall of China was attributed to the long labor of the people in accordance to the law of the Legalists. Unity, commitment to the states and absolutism were the common words in the said era. (Hooker, 1996) Conversely, Confucius answered one man who questioned him about the killings of those acting outside the law that as one desire the good, people will follow like the wind. He even compared those outlaws to a ‘weed’ that when being forced, the more they bend to the laws. (de Barry, et al, p13) As it was, the native people began repulsive to the way the government was regulated and policies being implemented, therefore led to the collapse of the Qin Dynasty. This period in the Chinese history was marked distasteful and obnoxious to the Chinese populace. Nonetheless, the way of the Legalist in ruling one’s state was overpoweringly influential to the succeeding administrations. Utilitarianism, rule of law and uniform standardization of the law and culture were some of the ideas of Legalism that were adopted in the Han Dynasty, the successor of the Qin Dynasty. These adapted ideas tended to standardize and to have a centralized government in merging the rival schools of thought into single system that gave birth to the Han Synthesis. Reference http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9067124/Shang-Yang

Gift Card Bring Advantages And Disadvantages

Gift Card Bring Advantages And Disadvantages A discussion text can be defined as a text which presents a problematic discourse. This problem will be discussed from different viewpoints. Discussion is commonly found in philosophical, historic, and social text. Generic Structure of Discussion The structure of a discussion text comprises: Statement of issue: Stating the issue which is to discussed; List of supporting points: Presenting the points in supporting the presented issue; List of contrastive points: Presenting other points which disagree to the supporting point; Recommendation: Stating the writer recommendation of the discourse Language Feature of Discussion Introducing category or generic participant Using thinking verb; feel, hope, believe, etc Using additive, contrastive, and causal connection; similarly, on the hand, however, etc Using modalities; must, should, could, may, etc Using adverbial of manner; deliberately, hopefully, etc Example 1 Hacking: Pro and Contra? Do you know what a hacker is? Well, a hacker is a person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems on computers and they like to stretch the capability of the systems. And you know what, the activities they do in the computers are called hacking. So, whats the problem with hacking and its hackers? Well, the problem is whether hacking and its hackers is legal or illegal? What I mean is that people in the world have many different views about hacking and the hackers. Some of them take sides, but many object. To get back to what I was saying previously, let us see the positive points of a hacker, shall we? Although in most places breaking into computer systems is considered illegal, I believe that hackers dont do anything illegal because they only want to know and try the systems. I dare to say that a hacker likes finding the strengths and the weaknesses of a computer system. They feel proud if they can find the weaknesses. So I dont really see the crimes in this case. In addition, these hackers sometimes help the police catch the white collar criminals, such as bank robbers, money launderers, credit card forgers. For example, in 2000, the U.S. hackers caught some Singaporean hackers who made Virus Love to break up the programs of the U.S. National Security system. Nevertheless, those who object to the good points of a hacker say that hacking is a crime. The reason is that some hackers use their brilliant skills to break into banks and other vital institutions where they can get money, destroy information, and the worst thing is they can get secret information and sell it to another country. This is a treachery. Take for example, in 1994, The U.S. government broke a conspiracy of computer hackers out of Majorca, Spain. These hackers were responsible for accessing and eliminating 190,000 telephone credit card numbers over computer bulletin boards in America and Europe. Seeing this fact, I dont blame those who think negatively about hackers. To put the whole thing in a nut shell, I personally think that hackers are not bad people with their brilliant skills. However, they could be bad because of money orientation to get the wealth. Thats just the point. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 2 Birth Control Most people agree that some form of family limitation or spacing is desirable for the good of the family and society. But individuals and groups-especially religious groups-differ sharply on the methods of birth control that they consider moral and acceptable. Couples that practice birth control do so for various reasons. They may want to limit or space their children, or to have no children at all. Young couples often postpone having children so that both partners can work full-time. Other couples space their children so they can give each child as much attention as possible. Some women are advised by their doctors to avoid pregnancy for health reasons. In many countries with rapidly growing populations, the government encourages couples to limit the size of their families. Even though birth control has gained in acceptance, opposition to the practice is continuous. Some people fear that birth control encourages sexual relations outside marriage or that government might impose birth control. Some religious groups oppose birth control on moral grounds. Some religious groups teach that artificial methods of birth control are immoral because they separate the two purposes of intercourse in marriage-conjugal love and the procreation of children. Although they oppose all artificial birth control, they consider natural family planning acceptable. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 3 Convenience or Care? When something issued by someone, we say it has been consumed. We as consumers use many things, both natural and processed. We consume more of the Earths resources than other animals do and, as a result, we cause problems for the environment. Like all animals, we need clean air and water, food and shelter for survival. Unlike other animals, however, we have certain want. These are items that are not necessary for our survival, but that we want because they make our lives easier or more enjoyable. Environments claims that a great deal of waste is created by both the production and the consumption of these items or product. Disposable products, such a pens, take away food containers, plates, shavers and cutlery, are made using the Earths resources. When these products are thrown away, the resources are lost. Another example of waste is the unnecessary packaging on many products. The material is often not recycled and used again. Throwing thing away also increases pollution. The amount of disposable plastic litter that ends up in waterways is a serious problem. When this waste reaches the oceans, it can kill marine life. Industrialist counter these arguments with their own point of view. They claim that consumers expect to be able to purchase food which is attractively presented, prepackaged to extent its life and easy to store. In a busy society, convenience is a priority. Products which make life easier, era in demand. Industrialist argue that they cater to this perceived need. Packaging is also big business and provides jobs for many people who might otherwise be unemployed and a burden to society. Environmentalist declare that for thousands of year, people survived perfectly well with re-usable products. However, people of the twenty-first century have become used to wing in a thrown-away society. It is up to each one of us to dispose of waste products carefully, recycle as much as possible and to reduce the stress on our environment. Think when buying pre-packaged goods and consider whether the same products can be bought without the extra wrappings. Lets make the best of what we have. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 4 Gift Card Bring Advantages and Disadvantages Gift cards become more popular during recent years. For example, in one season of holiday, sales reach $19 billion in United Stated and seem to grow more in the following season due to their convenience in the side of consumers and retailers. In retailers side, gift cards bring them some benefits. Selling gift card in simply selling product. When the cards are sold, they will get benefit. Additionally, gift card tends to be a matter of image and trend which means it is not strictly influenced by the functionality. Since gift card is the trend, the sales will increase significantly. However, there is potential disadvantages in the side of consumers. For example, itune gift cards apply process in the way of completing the shopping. they need do one step to another steps in processing the shopping. Likely, most of the steps apply time and date of validity or expiration. When certain step loose that validating date, the gift cards may be in risk. The gift card can be rejected to redeem. Again, in retailers side, producing card its self is costly. It means that there is additional cost which retailers have to pay. In whatever thing, we need to be wise. if we can use that gift. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 5 The advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning A few years ago, distance learning was seen as an inferior way but nowadays even famous and established traditional colleges and universities are providing distance learning courses and it is generally considered a way to improve ones life. However, people still argue whether distance learning give more advantage or disadvantage. Some of them who see the benefit of distance learning will say that distance learning needs no commuting. Of course it saves money and time that students would take. Furthermore, distance learning can be done at any students convenience. Mostly of the classes of distance learning are asynchronous. It means that students do not have to attend a lecture at a fixed particular time and place. Students can review the assignments and do their homework during off-hours or from home. Additionally, distance learning gives more accessibility. No one can deny it. People with limited mobility may encounter the problem when they take traditional class. With the online class system, the problem is absent. Despite the many advantages, the other people will see that distance learning is costly and needs complex technology. To attend online learning, student must have a computer with possibly access to the internet. Admitted or not, such technology devices are not always available for common students. Another disadvantage of distance learning is that it does not provide immediate feedback. Unlikely traditional classroom, students have to wait for the feedback and comment until the instructor has review the works and sent response to them. Most of the time students will study alone. Distance learners may feel isolated or miss that social physical interaction that comes with attending a traditional classroom Regarding the individuals learning style, some students are able to learn when there is a live interaction between them and the available of accompanying teacher while others dont really need it. So before deciding a choice of attending distance learning or not, each student needs to do a fair analysis regarding the kind of person he/she is. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 6 Pros and Cons National exam becomes the hot topic in most of discussions. Though the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the go-vernment on the organization of the national exams, the controversy over whether it is necessary to maintain the national exams (UN) has continued. Some debates include the primary questions such as; does the quality of Indonesia education depend on the national exam?, will the quality of the Indonesian education system worsen without natipnal exam? People, who support the national exam explain that the quality of the Indonesia education system will drop without the national exam, so they try to defend the current system. Hoever there are people who disagree with the opinion. Those who against this national exam kept in our high school education say that it doesnt need the national exams because the quality of education does not just depend on the national exam. Further, the national exam only measures a small portion of students competence in specific subjects, and does not measure students competences throughout the semester. In fact, the national examination can still be useful as an instrument to evaluate or detect the level of students cognitive competence in several subjects, on a national scale. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 7 The Advantage and Disadvantage of Nuclear Power Nuclear power is generated by using uranium which is a metal mined in various part of the world. The first large scale of nuclear power station was opened at Calder Hall in Cumbria, England in 1956. Some military ships and submarines have nuclear power plant for engine. Nuclear power produces around 11% of the worlds energy needed, and produces huge amounts of energy. It cause no pollution as we would get when burning fossil fuels. The advantages of nuclear plant are as follow: It costs about the same coal, so it is not expansive to make. It does not produce smoke or carbon dioxide, so it does not contribute to the greenhouse effect. It produces huge amounts of energy from small amount of uranium. It produces small amount of waste. It is reliable. On the other hand, nuclear power is very, very dangerous. It must be sealed up and buried for many years to allow the radioactivity to die away. Furthermore, although it is reliable, a lot of money has to be spent on safety because if it does go wrong, a nuclear accident ca be a major accident. People are increasingly concerned about this matter. In the 1990s nuclear power was the fastest growing source of power in many parts of the world. Note on the Generic Structure of Discussion Text Discussion is a process to find the meet point between two different ideas. It is important to to get the understanding between the two differences. In many social activities, discussion is the effective way to calm down any friction and difference in thought, perception and recommendation. This example of discussion text present the two poles, between the advantage and disadvantage of using nuclear plant to fulfill the energy needed. It is a case which need to be talked and discussed from two points. They are represented in the generic structure which is used: Stating the Issue: In the first paragraph, it is stated that using nuclear power can be the choice in fulfilling the needed energy. Supporting Point: In the second paragraph, it is presented the advantages of nuclear power plant to be used as the source of the worlds energy needed Contrastive Point: The third paragraph shows the balance. It gives the contradictory idea in using nuclear power plant as the resource of energy. Recommendation: This text is ended with a similar recommendation on how people should concern in the matter of nuclear energy. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 8 Hunting Fox Foxhunting is a subject that provokes very strong feelings. Many people believe that it is cruel to hunt a fox with dogs and totally agree with its ban. Many farmer and even conservationists, however, have always argue that the fox is a pest which attacks livestock and must be controlled. (Taken from: www.bbc.co.uk) Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text?

The Great War And The Shaping of the 20th Century Essay -- Essays Pape

The Great War And The Shaping of the 20th Century Another man is killed; Another family receives a telegram saying that a loved one was killed in battle; The family will never be the same again without the presence of this man. This is an effort to explain some of the impact that World War I had on millions of individuals. This sequence of events was conducted over and over millions of times during WWI. So why were there so many deaths?Who were the instigators of a war that caused so much suffering, not just in family life, but in society in general? What were some of the effects that war had on society? To answer these questions, it is necessary to look at history, prior to the war, and examine the actions of certain individuals and explain the effects that these actions had on European society. For example, the â€Å"Black Hand†, the Serbian nationalists who assassinated Austria’s Archduke Francis Ferdinand, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Count Leopold von Berchtold all are specific individuals who greatly contributed to the beginning of the war.[i] The first instigator of WWI to be discussed is the "Black Hand." The Black Hand was a group of Serbian Nationalists that were convinced that Serbia was not receiving the attention that they deserved from the bigger country of Austria-Hungary, led by Austria’s Archduke Francis Ferdinand. The tension between Serbia and Austria-Hungary had greatened when Austria- Hungary took over the two provincesof Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, before Serbia could claim the land. Gavrilo Princip, a member of the "Black Hand," assassinated Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 when he went into Sarajevo to review the newly acclaimed territories. The price he paid for refusing to give "a bigger place in the su... ...otten during its reign.†[xiv] [i] Camille Bloch, The Causes Of The World War (New York: Howard Fertig Inc., 1968), p. 9. [ii] S.L.A. Marshall, The American Heritage of World War I (American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., 1964), p. 17. [iii] Marshall, p. 17. [iv] Marshall, p. 8, 9. [v] Bloch, p. 48. [vi] Bloch, p. 49. [vii] Bloch, p. 59. [viii]Marshall, p. 26. [ix] Marshall, p. 25. [x] Rene Albrecht-Carrie, The Meaning of the First World War (New Jersey: Prentice- Hall Inc., 1965), p. 57. [xi] Marshall, p. 28. [xii] Anver Offer, The First World War: An Agrarian Interpretation (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989), p. 345. [xiii]Offer, p. 342. [xiv] Albrecht Mendelssohn Bartholdy, The War and German Society: A Testament of a Liberal (New York: Howard Fertig, 1971), p. 15.

Poem Comparison of Mr bleaney by Philip Larkin and In Memory of My Gran

Poem Comparison of Mr bleaney by Philip Larkin and In Memory of My Grandfather by Edward Storey The two poems that will be conveyed and compared will be 'Mr Bleaney' (by Philip Larkin) & 'In Memory of My Grandfather' (by Edward Storey). Both verses describe the character of the poem. The character in the poem on the Grandfather has admiration, but Mr Bleaney is disturbed. In this essay I will compare the character, poets feelings and attitude to each man. Furthermore, the similarities and differences in structure, language and image between the two poems will be compared and lastly my preference and emotional responses. To begin with what each poem is about. Mr Bleaney is a descriptive and narrative verse. There are two voices the landlady's and the poets, Mr Bleaney is given in the view of the depressed lyricist. Mr Bleaney is given the life of the writer through his lonely years. It is about a man named Mr Bleaney who lives through a lacklustre yet ordinary life, but the place he lives in is shown through a kitsch light. On the other hand the Grandfather is compared to a tree and the whole poem has the description of his appearance through the grandson's observation. Now I shall move on to the characters. Mr Bleaney has a sad life because he lives in a place called 'The Bodies.' The word body is used when someone is departed. So this means who ever lives in this house is nobody. They are metaphorically deceased. The poet describes Mr Bleaney using environments and surroundings. He suggests Mr Bleaney is not intellectual, 'sixty watt bulb' very dim, has a restricted life. Additionally he has no possessions of his own, 'behind ... ...uthor achieved his expectations of the character by evaluating him with a tree, 'his voice rough as the bark of his cracked hands.' So both artists have achieved their prospect to an extent. The reactions and images that I received from this poem vary from the writer. My preference is that I had learnt a lesson from the Mr Bleaney's poem is 'we treat ourselves the way we tell other people to treat us.' The grandfather poem did not give me many lessons except that he is the most respected character in the lyric and the whole sonnet is personified, with the tree. Additionally I blemished many disparity and distinction between the poems. There weren't numerous resemblances though. In conclusion the Mr Bleaney has told me he was a lonely and a middle class man, but the grandfather was a free sprit and lived life his way.

Linguistics research Essay

1. Linguistics: Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language. 2. Phonology: The study of how sounds are put together and used in communication is called phonology. 3. Syntax: The study of how morphemes and words are combined to form sentences is called syntax. . 4 Design features: it referred to the defining properties of human language that tell the difference between human language that tell the difference between human language and any system of animal communication. 5. Psycholinguistics: The study of language with reference to the workings of mind is called psycholinguistics. 6. Language: Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. 7. Phonetics: The study of sounds which are used in linguistic communication is called phonetics. 8. Morphology: The study of the way in which morphemes are arranged to form words is called morphology. 9. Parole: it referred to the actual phenomena or data of linguistics. V. Answer the following questions as comprehensively as possible. Give examples for illustration if necessary: 1. Language is generally defined as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. Explain it in detail. First of all, language is a system, because Elements of language are com ­ bined according to rules. Secondly, language is arbitrary because there is no intrinsic connection between form and meaning, or between the sign and what it stands for. Different languages have different words for the same ob ­ject in the world. This fact is a good illustration of the arbitrary nature of language. This also explains the symbolic nature of language: words are just Symbols; they are associated with objects, actions, ideas, etc. by conven ­ tion. Thirdly, language is vocal because the primary medium is sound for all languages, no matter how well developed their writing systems are. The term â€Å"human† in the definition indicates that language is possessed by human beings only and is very different from the communication systems of other living creatures. The term â€Å"communication† means that language makes it possible for its users to talk to each other and fulfill their commu ­ nicative needs. 2. What are the design features of human language? Illustrate them with examples. 1) Arbitrariness As mentioned earlier, the arbitrary property of language means that there is no logical connection between meanings and sounds. For instance, there is no nec ­ essary relationship between the word elephant and the animal it symbolizes. In addition, different sounds are used to refer to the same object in different languages, and even within the same language, the same sound does not refer to the same thing. However, language is not entirely arbitrary. There are words which are created in the imitation of sounds by sounds, such as crash, bang in English. Besides, some compound words are also not entirely arbitrary. But the non-arbitrary words are quite limited in number. The arbitrary nature of language makes it possible for language to have an unlimited source of expressions. 2) Productivity Language is productive or creative in that it makes possible the con ­ struction and interpretation of new signals by its users. This is why they can produce and understand an infinitely large number of sentences, including sentences that they have never said or heard before. They can send messages which no one else has ever sent before. Productivity is unique to human language. Most animal communication systems appear to be highly restricted with respect to the number of different signals that their users can send and receive. 3) Duality The duality nature of language means that language is a system, which consists of two sets of structure, or two levels, one of sounds and the other of meanings. At the lower or the basic level, there is the structure of sounds, which are meaningless, discrete, individual sounds. But the sounds of language can be combined according to rules into units of meaning such as morphemes and words, which, at the higher level, can be arranged into sentences. This duality of structure or dou ­ ble articulation of language enables its users to talk about anything within their knowledge. No animal communication system has duality or even comes near to possessing it. 4) Displacement Displacement means that language can be used to refer to things which are present or not present, real or imagined matters in the past, present, or future, or in far-away places. In other words, language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situations of the speaker. Animal calls are mainly uttered in response to immediate changes of situation. 5) Cultural transmission Human beings were born with the ability to acquire language, but the details of any language are not genetically transmitted or passed down by instinct. They have to be taught and learned, but animal call systems are genetically trans ­ mitted. 3. How do you understand the distinction between a synchronic study and a diachronic study? The description of a language at some point in time is a Synchronic study; the de ­ scription of a language as it changes through time is a diachronic study. A synchronic study of language describes a language as it is at some particular point in time, while a diachronic study of language is the study of the historical development of language over a period of time. 4. Why does modern linguistics regard the spoken form of language as primary, not the written? First, the spoken form is prior to the writ ­ ten form and most writing systems are derived from The spoken form of lan ­ guage. Second, the spoken form plays a greater role than writing in terms of the amount of information conveyed and it serves a wider range of purposes finally, the spoken form is the medium through which we acquire our mother tongue. 5. What are the major distinctions between langue and parole? The distinct, ion between langue, and parole was made by the famous Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure early this century. Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community, and parole refers to the realization of langue in actual use. Langue is the set of conventions and rules which language users all have to follow while parole is the concrete use of the conventions and the application of the rules. Langue is abstract; it is not the language people actually use, but parole is concrete; it refers to the naturally occurring language events. Langue is relatively stable, it does not change frequently; while parole varies from person to person, and from situation to situation. 6. (1) What if there were no language? (2) What if there were only one language the world over? (3) What can we learn from this Bible story? Language is powerful as a tool of human communication. 7. (1) What measures do you suggest for protecting dialects as well as languages? (2) Do you think that someday people all over the world will speak only one language, or someday no dialect will exist? 8. Can our pets learn human languages? Why or why not? No. They are genetically not endowed with the 9. What role does body language play in language commun