Learning English as a Second Language Essay Example for Free

Learning English as a Second Language Essay From the content in the introductory part of the WebQuest, It is true that English is common language for the native people but for the non native people it is challenging and requires one to go through a series of classes compounded by determination and willingness to learn in order to understand it well. The thesis statement of the web quest gives an over view of what the rest of the content is all about. It gives the fundamental steps of learning English which involves understanding the meaning of different vocabularies provided and using them in a well structured and grammatically correct sentence. As a teaching material, this WebQuest highlights the main objectives, which will serve as the yard stick of determining whether the intended purpose of the WebQuest is achieved. In addition to this, I give a positive feed back to the way the learning process is arranged. Understanding a word and pronouncing it correctly is indeed the fundamental step in solving the complexity in English as a language. This is because it creates a dovetail for the construction of grammatically and structurally perfect sentences to fit. Team work is undoubtedly important in building confidence among the students. It also enables them to share their difficulties and hence understand the challenges a head of them. Provision of resources is of importance because it gives the whole learning process the originality and reliability it deserves. The evolution process cannot go unaccredited because it will enable the lecturers to know if the objectives were met. However, the WebQuest fails to show what the students should do if they fail the second step of understanding the meaning of the words in the sentences. This in my opinion is crucial for the process of learning English as a second language.

The Effects Of Climate Change In North America Politics Essay

The Effects Of Climate Change In North America Politics Essay Climate change is one of the biggest issues of discussion in the world today and is already affecting societies around the globe. North America, being one of the most influential areas of the planet, has the added pressure of setting the proper example in preparing its society to adjust for the possible changes to be made in regards to climate change. Given the economic power that North America holds over various countries worldwide, the decisions and actions that are taken are going to have a direct impact on the other nations as well. The US is put in a place of control when it comes to the matter of climate change, and as a result, if the US continues to deny the changes that are occurring in the world of today, other countries will continue to suffer and will not be able to take the necessary actions in order to prevent the downfall of their own societies. Actions are starting to be taken by both the government and non-governmental organizations, who are trying to inform the gene ral public on what the current situation is with climate change and the possible outcomes. There is a clear effort being made to help slow down, or even prevent climate change from making a large impact on society, but if there is a major impact, unfortunately society will not be able to cope accordingly. The programs to prepare society for the worst to come exist, but there is not enough focus on these programs to get the message across. If this information is not distributed around the world, and if this subject is not taken seriously, human civilization could very well already be on its way to downfall. North America is taking steps in order to prepare its population for change in order to deal with climate change and make sure that society is affected as little as possible. In order for the world to be able to tackle the subject of climate change, all nations will have to come together and educate their own people on the dangers and potential problematic outcomes of this ongoing shift in the worlds climate, starting with the United States. The governments of North America have programs which are made to inform the general public about the current situation of climate change; however, there is not enough emphasis put on these programs to convey this message to societies. It is a known fact that climate change is one of the main issues of discussion in the world today, and that it is going to take a global effort in order to get results. North America is one of the leading polluters of today, and therefore it is extremely important for the US to be aware of what is happening in terms of climate change. The United States government has programs that are specifically designed to inform the general public about what is going on with climate change and what can be done to prevent it, cope with it, and prepare for the worst. This is despite the fact that the reports of several governmental agencies in the United States and around the world cite human activity as one of, if not the primary driver of global climate change, (Nag el et al, 2008). The programs exist, the government is aware of what needs to be done, but there is simply not enough focus on these programs. For example, on June 16th, 2009, the White House helped launch the Global Climate Change Impacts on the United States report, which is a representation of thirteen agencies that, in the course of a year and a half, focused on potential climate change impacts on the United States. Yet, a large group of the United States public is completely unaware of the fact that this report was written. Sadly, the government knows this and even takes it into account, as stated in the document Responses to climate change impacts in the United States will almost certainly evolve over timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Implementing these response strategies will require careful planning and continual feedback on the impacts of policies for government, industry, and society, (Waple, 2009). Non-governmental organizations are the ones at the front lines, informing the general p ublic one person at a time, letting people know what steps need to be taken in order to cope with, or even prevent climate change. Even though these organizations are putting in the hours of effort to inform the public, the majority of people shy away from the NGOs and choose to not take them seriously and not regard this as a real problem that will eventually have an impact on the world. In order for the human race to respond appropriately to the results that climate change will have on society, people have to be made aware of the expected outcomes. As stated by the National Assessment Synthesis Team in Washington, D.C. Climate change will affect different segments of society differently because of their varying exposures and adaptive capacities (NAST, 2000). There are many different environmental issues that the world is being faced with. Some are local, where others will have an impact on a global scale. Environmental issues are comprised of social interactions and natural phenomena, in this sense, they are hybrid issues of society and the environment, (Giddens, 2009). Due to the amplification of social awareness dealing with environmental problems in the 1970s, sociology has focused part of its reasearch on global climate change, known as environmental sociology. Environmental sociologists study the complex and versatile relationship between human beings and their natural environments, which also covers the question of why social systems have a tendency to exceed their ecological carrying capability. The report done on understanding climate change suggests that there are certain areas of research that scientists must take as a priority. These areas include 1) human activities that alter the earths environment; 2) forces that drive these activities; 3) consequences of environmental changes for societies and economies; and 4) how humans respond to these changes, (Nagel et al, 2008).The main issues that the world has to deal with are pollution and waste, resource depletion, genetic modification of food, and global warming. Air pollution clearly has a global influence, and is mainly caused by outdoor pollution, produced mainly by industrial pollutants, and indoor pollution, causes by burning fuels at home such as heating. Human societies depend on natural resources from the planet wood, water, plant life, animals. These are mainly classified as renewable resources, however, if there is no balance between consumption and reproduction, there is a risk that there will be no more left. Rapid population and economic growth in the arid and semi-arid regions of Southern California, the central valley of California, and the front range of the Rocky Mountains has radically increased exposure to water shortages (NAST, 2000). Along with consumption rates, population shifts and development choices are making more Americans vulnerable to the expected impacts of climate change, (NAST, 2000). North America being one of the more heavily populated areas in the world also raises the vulnerability of the specific regions that are densly populated. The four most populous states in 2000 California, Texas, Florida, and New York accounted for 38 percent of the total growth in U.S. population during that time, and share significant vulnerability to coastal storms, severe drought, sea-level rise, air pollution, and urban heat island effectsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Over 80 percent of the U.S. population resides in urban areas, which are among the most rapidly changing environments on Earth, (N AST, 2000). In some cases the negative outcomes of climate change do not directly affect North America, but the nations that supply North America with their export. Which in turn also has a negative affect on North America. The main component of climate change, which is global warming, has the most noticeable impact on societies, scientists have recently estimated that global warming kills about 160,000 people every year (Giddens, 2009). In general, the groups of people that are going to be affected the most are the youth, the elderly, and the economically disadvantaged (NAST, 2000). This is due to the fact that people who are at a disadvantage, socially and monetarily, are unable to acquire the resources necessary in order to cope with these changes. The rise in global temperatures during the summer and the fall of temperatures during the winter are at an all time high and low, respectively, and human beings are not prepared to the best of their abilities, and consequently human beings are the ones who are losing the battle against the shift in climate. Another problem area that is beginning to arise is that of health and the mutation of pre-existing disease and viruses, public health researchers have begun to note variations in seasonal diseases, like the flu, and the geographic spread of malaria and diarrheal diseases resulting from ill-equipped sanitation services and a lack of access to clean, fresh water, (Nagel et al, 2008).Yet, with these facts, there is still no drastic change or effort being made to prevent this from happening; and there is further research that must be done before scientists will be able to estimate how much these changes will result in negative societial outcomes. Other areas of the world are also making an effort to inform the general public about climate change and the potential changes that will have to be made in order to prevent negative outcomes. The Kyoto Protocol was created in 1997, in Kyoto, Japan and was put into action in February 2005, and since then 187 states have signed the protocol. The Kyoto protocol is a convention that was created in an attempt to fight global warming and lower greenhouse gas emissions by restricting countries gas emission percentages. Ironically enough, the United States is the only nation that has not signed and has no intention to ratify the protocol. The Kyoto Protocol was created when George W. Bush was still president of the US, and he was of the firm opinion that climate change not only was not a problem, but did not even exist as an important global issue. As a result, the US has been put far behind the rest of the world in terms of acknowledging and acting on this matter. This is a set-back to the global effort in fighting climate change and will continue to create problems, in the long run, if there is no agreement reached on this subject shortly. If information about climate change does not reach the majority part of the planets population or the subject is not kept in mind with the main events that are yet to come, human civilization may as well accept the steady downfall of our planets wellbeing. With North America continuing to play its role in the world regarding the issues of climate change, noticeable actions need to be taken for the prevention of climate change, from a societal perspective. The reactions to the impacts of climate change in North America will transform over time as people learn more about what they are dealing with, and the extent to which it will affect the population. In addition, there have to be more comparative studies of the political dynamics of climate change across multiple nations. Evidently, this is not left up to the hand full of people in a position of power in the world to do; there are other factors that can also contribute to this evolution. Cultural habits, religion, and personal norms and values are able to influence the majority, if not, everything from population growth to beliefs about the environment as a whole. There has to be a better understanding of how and where these social groups stand, in terms of the global movement, towards a better environment, and how the general public, political powers, and non-governmental organizations can work together to effectively improve it. North America has huge potential to deal with these issues, compared to other countries in the world, however their methods of informing the population and the advice that they give to their people as a means of being able to improve their situations is not yet at its best. Although North America has considerable adaptive capacity, actual practices have not always protected people and property from adverse impacts of climate variability and extreme weather events, (Parry et al, 2007). There is still much that must be shared between people of power and people who belong to those societies. Climate change is a real issue that will eventually affect the entire world, and measures must soon be taken, on a serious level, if societies worldwide are to try and overcome this new life threatening obstacle.

san antonio miss :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tour of San Antonio The Missions of Texas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While in San Antonio there are five missions you, as a tourist, need to see. These missions are the mission of Nuestra Senora de la Purissima Concepcion, the San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, the Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Franciscode la Espada, and Mission San Antonio de Valero, The Alamo. They are all a great part of the state of Texas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Mission Concepcion was first built in East Texas in 1716, but they only stayed there for fifteen years do to hardships. After this it and two other missions moved to San Antonio. The missions were rebuilt on the San Antonio river on March 5, 1731. While Concepcion was built in east Texas just out of logs and thatch the new Conception was built to last it is still standing today. It was built so well it is the only mission in San Antonio that the walls, roofs, and other major structures have never collapsed. The Concepcion is not only the oldest standing stone church in Texas but in the nation. â€Å"Father Habig, historian for the Franciscan Order, states un-equivocally that ‘it is the oldest church of the Immaculate Concepcion of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States† (saconservation 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many Indians came with Concepcion mission to San Antonio to start a new life. The Padres and the Indians built rough temporary structures made of thatched roofs to accommodate their living and worship needs. They planted crops and dug irrigation ditches for their food to eat. As they built permanent mission. They built the Concepcion mission in the design of the general mission plan of the time period. In time the Mission became a community. The Indians and the Padres built a stone wall around the mission compound. (saconservation 1) â€Å"Inside the enclosure were the usual buildings of the missions: a stone granary, a friary or convento for the priests apartments along the outer walls for the Indian families, various workshops and, of course, the church itself † (saconservation 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While the permanent church was being built the people of the Concepcion Mission were having worship in temporary structures. The church was started in 1740, and completed and dedicated on December 8, 1755. Early church record describe the church in detail. (saconservation 1) â€Å"It was cruciform building of stone and mortar, having a vaulted roof with cupola, or dome, and two similar towers topped by crosses of Iron.

Gay Marriage Will Help America Essay -- argumentative, persuasive

Why is gay marriage such a big deal? Why are there so many people against it? Most of the time it is easy to presume where to draw the line when interfering with someone else’s rights. Simply, do not do it. Everyone has the right to get a driver’s license or has the freedom of speech, but why on earth do some people have the right to wed and think that he or she has the right to tell somebody else that he or she does not have that same right? Gay marriage is not traditional, gay relationships are immoral, and marriage is for procreation. Gay marriage is a perfectly acceptable decision that any citizen should be able to make for themselves. A gay California man, whose partner died in the September 11 terrorist attacks has become "legally vulnerable in ways he could never imagine". Keith Brodowski lost his life partner, Jeff Coleman, to American Airlines flight 11, which was the first plane to hit the World Trade Center. Coleman was a flight attendant. Brodowski is now battling the state and the nation for survivors' benefits, granted to the widows of those who died. It took powerful words of Keith’s testimony to move legislation to grant partial inheritance rights for registered domestic partners in California. Married couples had to go through nothing of this caliper for their benefits. In a survey conducted by Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples, over fifty percent of lesbians and forty percent of gay men had faced problems obtaining employment benefits, lower tax rates, and insurance breaks because civil unions are not recognized as a legal marriage. Other discriminations included employment, hospital visitation, adoption, and many more. These problems could have been eliminated if the couple had been legally m... ...y not believe in the same sexual likings as us, they are still people who live among us. People with different religions do the same and they are allowed to get married and spend a life together. Why shouldn’t gays? References Bidstrup, S. (2000). Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives. Veritas Et Ratio - Truth And Reason. Retrieved from website on March 19, 2011. From . Head, T. Arguments against same-sex marriage - Debunking 10 Arguments Against Same-Sex Marriage. Civil liberties at about.com - Your guide to civil liberties News and Issues. Retrieved from Website on March 19, 2011. From . Should gay marriage be legal?. Gay Marriage ProCon.org. Retrieved from website on March 18, 2011. From .

Executive Information Systems :: Technology Work Technological Essays

Executive Information Systems Executive Information Systems (EIS) is a system designed to supplement the current company’s information system for their executives. The standard textbook definition of executive information system is â€Å"an information system that provides strategic information tailored to the needs of executives and other decision makers† (O’Brien 24). EIS is thought to help with knowledge management. Knowledge management is the â€Å"set of practices aimed at discovering and harnessing an organization’s intellectual resources – fully utilizing the intellects of the organization’s people† (Bateman, Snell 8). In research there is one other basic term that is used to interchangeably with Executive Information System. That term is Executive System Support (Kaniclides, Kimble 3). Executive Information Systems software expands on all of the other business software out there for managers. There are some main differences between EIS and other information systems. The main difference is that EIS is aimed towards executives so it is specifically customized towards their needs. Another difference is that EIS is â€Å"able to access data about specific issues and problems as well as aggregate reports† (Kelly 2). EIS is not as limited to a particular field or area of the business. Executive Information Systems allow for access to an array of data from both inside the company and outside from difference sources. EIS also is user friendly so the senior management members do not need assistants to access the information for them and they can make use of their assistants for other tasks. The systems usually can be used with a mouse or a touch screen computer and information is presented in a graphic format (Kelly 2). The people that use EIS have been mentioned above. These people are those who are senior level managers, such as CEOs, CFOs, COO, Presidents, and so on, with loads of information to sort though. The executive information system helps them sort though the information provided to them by lower level managers. This information usually includes such things as efficiency reports and other production reports relevant to the field of the corporation. These senior level managers use this information that has been summarized and put into a form that the manager wants to make important decisions for the company. For executives that do not utilize executive information system might feel overwhelmed with the papers and reports they receive daily.

Lenovo

1. What is the staffing policy that Lenovo is pursuing? A: Staffing policy is concerned with the selection of employees for particular jobs. At one level, this involves selecting individual who have the skill required to do particular jobs. At another level, staffing policy can be a tool for developing and promoting the desired corporate culture of the firm. The goal was to transform Lenovo into a truly global corporation with a global workforce.Lenovo made an effort to create a firm that was neither Chinese, nor American, but instead global in its orientation, a firm that is positioned to compete head-to-head with other players in the global PC market. 2. What strategy do you think the company is pursuing? Does its staffing policy match its strategy? A: The Company is pursuing a transnational strategy. The staffing policy matches its strategy. For example, when Lenovo is deciding who should hold management positions, the national origin of the candidate is not an issue.Rather, the d ecision focuses on whether the person has the skills and capabilities required for working in a global enterprise. Lenovo is committed to hiring the very best people, wherever they might come from. Lenovo seeks the best people for key jobs throughout the organization regardless of nationality; this enables the firm to make the best use of its human resources. 3. What are the strengths of Lenovo’s staffing policy? Can you see any potential weaknesses or problems that the company might encounter as a result of this policy?A: Lenovo uses the same set of principles to guide workforce management in all locations, this maintains a unified corporate culture. If Lenovo’s employees are predisposed toward the organization's corporate norms and value system, the firm will be able to attain higher performance. Lenovo’s staffing policy is complicated by the profound differences between countries in labor markets, culture, legal systems, economic systems, and the like. The co mpany must also deal with a host of issues related to expatriate managers (citizens of one country working abroad).A prominent issue in Lenovo’s staffing policy is expatriate failure (the premature return of an expatriate manager to his or her home country). Furthermore, the immigration policies of national governments may limit the ability of the company to pursue this policy. Moreover, since Lenovo’s staffing is global, it will need a compensation structure with a standard international base pay level, higher than national levels. 4. What should the HRM function do to enable Lenovo to become a truly global enterprise?A: Human Resources will have to be very astute about how its principles are applied in every local market so that it remains responsive to the needs of people in different environments. Lenovo is following a geocentric approach to human resources, one in which the best people are sought for key jobs throughout the organization, regardless of nationality. For example, the company appointed an American to the position of CEO because it felt that none of the firm’s existing Chinese executives had the capabilities to manage a truly global enterprise.

Antenatal Leaflet Plan

I have been asked as my resource task to make an antenatal leaflet for a young mother to help her with her pregnancy. Antenatal care is important for a pregnant mother because it makes sure that both the baby and the mother are well and that the pregnancy is all going well and if the mother has any questions or problems, she can ask her GP. The information I will include in the leaflet will be made suitable for a young pregnant mother by making to leaflet look attractive and interesting. I will use colour and pictures to also make it look eye-catching and stand out so that if there are lots of other leaflets to choose from, the mother will choose mine. I will make sure that the writing is not too small and I will also make the font simple and easy to read. I will also try not to put in too much writing which may even put the mother off reading the leaflet. The type of information which I will put inside the leaflet will be about and give advice on: o Smoking o Clothing and footwear o Diet o Medicines and drugs o Hygiene o Rest and exercise o Benefits I will try to make the leaflet look eye-catching by using pictures and animation. On the front of the leaflet I will put a photo of a young mother with a baby and throughout the leaflet I will include pictures of pregnant mothers so that the young mother feels as comfortable as possible with how she looks and so she knows she looks normal for someone who is pregnant. The information and pictures which I will put into my leaflet will be from: o Internet as there is a large variety of information and it is easy to access. o Text books as I know it's all accurate o From other antenatal leaflets as I know there is a large variety o Parents who have has children as they have had experience o And lastly magazines as they have a lot if information inside them. When I have finished I will design 5 questionnaires and give them to different people who have had children and who haven't and the leaflets will help me evaluate my leaflet. My plan of action is: o Collect information from different sources o Select relevant information which is needed for leaflet o Make leaflet using information I have selected o Evaluate leaflet using questionnaires o Hand in my finished leaflet by the deadline.