Media Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Media Business Plan - Assignment Example This firm shall be established as per the provisions of Partnership Act 1890 and operating in the capacity of a subsidiary of BPM UK Private Limited but shall be operating independent of JUNCTURE PRODUCTIONS. The name "BLANK PAGE MEDIA UK PRIVATE LIMITED" has been assessed and found to compliant to the regulations by Company Names (GBF2) version 20 (as per enactment and subsequent modifications by the Companies Act 2006 and as per the terms stated in version 20 of GBF2 and version 17 of GBF3). However, the feasibility of using this name shall be verified by a reputed independent consultant to assess and report any possible claim of this name as a brand or intellectual property that may cause possible breach of laws (example, Law of Intellectual Property, Law of Confidentiality or any such equivalent law that may expose the organization to risks of local or global litigation) if we use this name for our company. The other two names are being used in the form of partnership firms. These names need not be matched with the existing list of companies as they are going to be established in the capacity of Partnership firms; however the external consultant would be requested to verify if these names do not breach anyone's intellectual property rights or confidentiality rights (and also are in compliance with the rules stated in version 17 of GBF3). [Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). 2008] The following section presents the proposed Management structure of the three companies: MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE BPM UK Private Limited shall have two members in the management - David Beckford and Shavan Sharif. Both the members shall be entitled for 40% shares each in the company whereby 20% shares shall be reserved for providing share options to employees in future. The organization structure of this company is presented in Figure 1. David Beckford and Shavan Sharif would form the board in the capacity of Directors. In addition, a company secretary and legal advisor shall be involved in the board on a part time basis. The financial auditors shall be kept out of the board due to conflict of interest aspect of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Figure 1: Organization Chart of BPM UK Private Limited The following four documents shall be prepared in accordance with the regulations of Company Formation (GBF1) version 22 (as per enactment and subsequent modifications by the Companies Act 2006 and as per the terms stated in version 22 of GBF1), reviewed by a hired Attorney and presented to Companies House: (a) Memorandum of Association (b) Articles of Association (c) Completed Form 10 (d) Completed Form 12 Post formation of the company, the organization shall be established as presented in Fig

Why I write Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why I write - Essay Example 5th , 1976) that she has stolen the title of â€Å"Why I write† from the great author George Orwell because she liked the sound of the â€Å"three short ambiguous words.† Didion states that the act of writing is nothing but the imposing of the author’s views and ideas on a particular audience. She calls writing â€Å"an aggressive and even a hostile act† because though the author tries his best to veil or camouflage the writing, yet one cannot get away from the salient fact that the author is a â€Å"secret bully† by imposing his â€Å"sensibility on the reader’s most private space.† Didion, goes on to enumerate her experiences at Berkeley where she did her majors in English and speaks of her inability to deal with different ideas. She always dwelt on the periphery and the physical act of things around her, such as those that had to do with the sense of seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting and touching. In other words, she traveled in the world of writing on a ‘shaky passport† because she was no â€Å"legitimate resident in the world of ideas.† It had taken her a great length of time to realize that she was passionate about her writing and wanted to be a writer. In sharp contrast to Didion, George Orwell knew from the onset that he wanted to be a writer. He had a very lonely childhood and because of this he had â€Å"developed disagreeable mannerisms which made him unpopular in school. Loneliness also led him to make up stories and hold imaginary conversations. The feeling of being undervalued and isolated led to the cementing of his literary career. This cocoon to which he transported himself when he wrote, helped to serve as a sort of catharsis where he could get his own back after facing the many failures in his life. When the war broke out during 1914 – 18, he had written a patriotic poem which got published in a local newspaper, but when he attempted nature poems or short stories during that period he failed

Analysis Of Divine Command Theory Philosophy Essay

Analysis Of Divine Command Theory Philosophy Essay Divine command theory is an ethical view based on theism or the belief that God exists. Followers of the theory accept that all moral judgment is derived from an understanding of Gods character or his direct commandments. In other words, what is in accordance with Gods command is moral and what is contrary to that command is immoral (Farnell, 2005). The holy books of each religion (e.g. The Bible, Koran, and Torah) contain Gods directions. Therefore, they can be used as guides to distinguish between morally good and bad actions. The idea that ethics and religion are connected is far-reaching, and it leads us to examine religions role in our society. Advantages Although divine command theory has been rejected as a working ethical theory, there are a few ways in which it does provide an advantage as an ethical framework. First, Gods commands set forth universal moral rules. The rules can be applied to anyone, at all times and places. The belief that God is eternal and never changes means that his commands are as relevant today as when they were first recorded. Second, Gods commands dont depend on what others think are right or wrong. His commands are completely objective. For example, one of Gods commandments is not to commit murder (Exodus 21:13). Even if your friends believe that murder is acceptable (for instance, capital punishment), they are still wrong because their beliefs oppose Gods will. Under this theory, morality exists outside of human reasoning because God is the ultimate authority. Third, if you disobey God, you will be punished. If you follow his commands, youll be rewarded. God is both omnipotent and omnipresent. If you choose to disobey, your punishment is inescapable. If you obey, God will bless you with eternal life and a place in heaven. Those who believe have a strong incentive to follow his commands. Finally, traditional religions are centuries old and have recorded many of Gods commands. Religious texts allow us to know and understand the character of God, and they make it easier to know how to act morally. For Christian believers, the Word of God is in The Bible and they are secure in the concrete, moral teachings written in its pages. Critiques There are several reasons why divine command theory falls short as a working ethical viewpoint. One objection focuses on the sheer number of world religions and their different interpretations of the nature of God (or their gods). How does a divine command theorist know that their Gods commands are the right ones to follow? It is impossible to prove that the insights of Allah overrule the laws of Yahweh. Even within Christianity, a schism has existed between Catholic and Protestant believers since The Reformation in 1517. Under divine command theory only one religion can be correct and the followers of that God are the only ones leading moral lives (Austin, 2006). This leads into the next objection. Gods commands can be easily misconstrued. That is, how do we determine the correct interpretation of the sacred texts? When God states that we should not commit murder, does that mean murder is always immoral, or should we take into account the specific context in which God gave this command? During this process of interpretation, we are actually exercising our own sense of morality. We must rely on our own understanding of Gods goodness and act on moral laws we deem consistent with Gods commands (Adams, 1999). We cannot take ourselves completely out of the picture when determining Gods position on ethical issues. Perhaps the most convincing argument against divine command theory is that it leaves open the idea that immoral acts might not be wrong. That means Gods commands are arbitrary in nature. Murray and Rea (2008) state that, the [divine command] process that determines what is moral or immoral does not actually involve moral considerations. If God omitted the command forbidding murder, then it would no longer be an immoral action. On the other hand, if God is restricted from commanding the murder of children or stealing from the poor, then the logic behind divine command theory falls apart. God is no longer the sole source for moral knowledge and some knowledge outside of God makes those acts immoral. Platos Euthyphro Platos classic dialogue Euthyphro will always be brought up in discussions about the relationship between God and ethics. The dialogue features a discussion of piety between Socrates and Euthyphro. Socrates is on trial for corrupting the youth of Athens by leading them away from their belief in gods. Euthyphro is prosecuting his own father for manslaughter in the death of a servant. About midway through the dialogue, Socrates asks his famous question: Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods? (Plato Church, 1987) This is the same as saying: Does God command an action because it is morally right, or is it a morally right action because God commands it? If the latter is true, then God can either command or refuse to speak against immoral acts and that will make them moral. In the Bible, God commanded his most devout follower, Abraham, to sacrifice his favorite son Isaac (Genesis 22:1-24). Abraham bound Isaac on a hilltop and was just about to commit filicide when an angel of the Lord came down to stop him. There is no doubt that Abraham would have murdered Isaac had God not intervened at the last second. Although there is a happy ending to this parable, the inferred message here is that God has the power to upend morality at any time. If God is the ultimate authority, then nothing should stop us from honoring his will not even our ethical boundaries. If the former is true, then morality has a source outside of God. Of course God will command what is morally right every time, because God is all-knowing. In fact, he already knows what is right or wrong before he even commands it. That means Gods commands are in line with an independent moral standard. Gods perfect nature restricts him from making immoral acts moral. Thus, right and wrong are not based on Gods will alone. This places God in the same situation that we are in. We also base our behavior on an ethical standard that we discover rather than invent. We have just made God irrelevant when it comes to moral authority. Faith vs. reason Faith in God seems diametrically opposed to reason and common sense. The main allure of religion is the intense passion that believers bring to their faith. Christianity is a powerful force in our society because it asks for the most suspension of disbelief in its followers. The commitment involved in maintaining that the Son of God was born a mortal man infused with the Holy Spirit is enormous. On the other hand, if faith fell directly in line with reason then it wouldnt inspire the passion it has throughout the ages. There are many who keep faith and reason as separate and distinct parts of their lives. St. Thomas Aquinas believed that reason alone is sufficient to understand between right and wrong (Clark Poortenga, 2003). He also believed that human reason was an expression of Gods will. If God did create us in his image, then our understanding of morality is an extension of that. God could have chosen to create us some other way, but ultimately, our human nature demands that we lead a good and moral life to be fulfilled. As an ethical construct, divine command theory fails under rigorous, philosophical critiques, but that doesnt mean ethical reasoning and faith cannot coexist. Those who believe in God can use reason to responsibly determine how best to conform their behavior to his commands.

Essay --

Nathan Vail November 8, 2013 Dr. Reeve Meaning and Language: Plato’s Cratylus Plato was a pioneer in nearly all the topics philosophers have dealt with ever since the 4th century BCE. Language is no exception. Plato was perhaps the first person to tackle the philosophy of language in the Cratylus, a subject that, since the German philosopher and logician Gottlob Frege, analytic philosophers have been extremely interested in language. The dialogue doesn’t tackle all of the problems of language, but it directs its attention toward the questions: How to words get meaning? Do they exist a priori in nature or do we agree on the basis of convention? To answer this question is to show how words (or symbols) get their power to communicate and to establish something fundamental about what language is. The obvious starting point is that someone has to say that a sound represents a particular item. If I say, â€Å"Guhgaska,† that means nothing, it is gibberish. But if I say the name â€Å"Plato,† then that has meaning, especially if the listener know s what that sound/symbol is a reference to. In this paper I plan on showing that Socrates encourages Cratylus to adopt some of Hermogenes’ views, and vice versa, through a conversational dialectic that adopts both points for consideration (which are unmistakably sophist). What Socrates concludes the dialogue with is a mixture of naturalist and conventional claims, and nominalist and realist philosophies. Cratylus was a devout follower of Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher who said that you can’t step into the same river once, and you can’t talk about things because they keep changing—you can only point at them with your finger. As we are introduced to Cratylus, we discover that he thinks a name is ... ...(making them concede to certain points to the other’s argument), language is then naturalistic and conventional, and this, it turns out, is the most logical and pragmatic approach. There may be an arbiter of words and grammar, but not even she or he can stop words that spring naturally into existence. For example, every language has some form of onomatopoeia, but in different languages the sounds they are trying to imitate vary wildly. In one way, Cratylus is correct in assuming that words and symbols have a nature and attempt to represent objects in the external world. Yet imitation cannot match the original â€Å"form† of the object—so there is a degree of failure. The rest of the language is dictated by convention (numbers, grammar, etc.) and through the dialectic between Cratylus and Hermogenes, Socrates creates a marriage between nominalist and realist philosophy.

Is It Cruel to Keep Animals in Cages Essay

I will be stating my reasons to why I think it is cruel to keep animals in cages. My definition of this topic is: cruel: Causing pain or suffering to innocent animals or living organism. Cages: A structure of bars or wires in which animals is confined. I will now state my arguments: There are examples all over the world where animals have been taking from their homes and then stuck in cages for the entertainment and pleasure of humans. For example in 2006 a group of giant pandas in China were taken from their bamboo forest home and taken into captivity for tourists, but no one ever realised the harm this made to the pandas until wildlife experts finally took action and put them in their natural habitat. By the time that they got them out of captivity and took them back in the wild it took years for the pandas to rehabilitate and adapt to their natural habitat. If we keep more and more animals in cages not only will the species become extinct or endangered but the animals will lose their natural way of life from being in a natural habitat to being locked up in cages. Animals are just like human they eat, sleep and drink like us. They can run, walk and swim like us. They speak a certain language and they all have male and female genders. So why it is that factory farm & circuses have to keep these animals, which are just like us in nearly every single way, in cages? How would you feel being stuck in a small, cramped and uncomfortable cage with little food and water and no one to play with or talk to? I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t like it. Animals have feelings and emotions just like us; just because they don’t have a voice to speak does mean we should take away their rights as a living creature. It would be much more pleasurable to see the animal in its natural habitat, living its life being happy opposed to a small cramped, overcrowded cage. Some animals have died just from the conditions that their cages have been kept in. Do factory farmers and circuses like seeing animals suffer in these conditions? Most people in 1st world countries would not even think of locking human in cages but yet just down the road at their local zoo or circuses helpless animals are being kept in that claustrophobic cage so us human beings can have the privilege to see those animals. If we wouldn’t do it to other humans why is it right to do it to animals, what makes that right? In conclusion I personally believe it is wrong to keep helpless animals in cages for most or all of their lives and should be released into the wild where they belong. jacynta ammoun

Defects of Education in India

EDUCATION in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Education as a science cannot be separated from the educational traditions that existed before. Adults trained the young of their society in the knowledge and skills they would need to master and eventually pass on. In pre-literate societies this was achieved orally and through imitation and story-telling etc . Oral language developed into written symbols and letters. Schooling in this sense was already in place in Egypt between 3000 and 500BC The gurukula system was the ancient system of education. A gurukula is a type of school in India, residential in nature, with shishyas living in proximity to the guru, often within the same house. In a gurukul, shishyas reside together as equals, irrespective of their social standing, learn from the guru and help the guru in his day-to-day life. They did not accept fees ONLY ASMALL GURUDAKSHINA WHICH MAY NOT BE MONETARY. INDIA S ANCIENT GURUKUL SYSTEM IS WORTH EMULATING BY ALL INTERESTED IN IMPARTING EDUCATION. THE GURUKUL SYSTEMBRINGS A SENSE OF RESPECT AND COMMITMENT FROM THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS Nalanda and Takshishila universities were the oldest university-system of education in the world. Indian education suffered a huge blow as Western education became ingrained into Indian society with the establishment of the British empire. the British so cleverly played their cards that even after fifty years of independence we still continue to exist in a state of stupor, unable unwilling to extricate ourselves from one of the greatest hypnoses woven over a whole nation. Indian curriculum is criticized for being based on rote learning. Our present day education system gives no chance to creativity. It is marks , grades and competition all the way . It should inculcate good values in the minds of students. Emphasis should also be given on physical and vocational training. Teaching of ethics should be incorporated in the curriculum right from kindergarden through high school. Children should be allowed to choose their own subjects acc. to their interests. They must be made to interact with each other in groups and express their views on various topics. Instead of taking notes from voluminous books , teachers etc they must be made to get information by themselves and share it with the class. This will help them to develop good analytical skills and reading habits . Children must have practical experience . They can be taken on trips to museums, labs, etc where they can learn by interacting with experienced people. Education is to gain and share knowledge. Sharing without communication is impossible. English should not be banned at the primary level as it remains the global language. Learning hindi, the national language and the state language helps in internal communication. The system of Education in India should focus on learning and not exams. Unfortunately Education has become a lucrative business destroying the real purpose of itself. The bad quality of education in govt schools have given a thrust to the the rise of commercial coaching classes all over India. Students today hardly think of being a teacher due to less perk†¦ many who are hardly passionate about engineering and medicine are studying just for the sake of getting a fat salary and package along with it. Middle class parents pay what is demanded by the coaching classes, this has alarmingly turned out to b an industry in our nation. Statistically 25% of the Indian population is illiterate, only 7% of the population that goes to school manage to graduate and 15% manage to make it to high school. 80% of schools are managed by the Govt. , private schools are expensive and out of reach for the poor Another reason for poor quality of education is the poor quality of teachers in government schools . Government schools are unable to attract good quality teachers due to inadequate teaching facilities and low salaries. To improve the quality of education , the government needs to spend more money from its coffers on education. The really critical aspect of Indian public education system is its low quality. The actual quantity of schooling that children experience and the quality of teaching they receive are extremely insufficient in government schools. A common feature in all government schools is the poor quality of education, with weak infrastructure and inadequate pedagogic attention. Conclusion School teachers SHOULD BE PAID high SALARIES and, every care is to be taken that these teachers keep on upgrading. The government should realize that these are the people who shape their future generations. All over India the syllabus must be same, because partiality occurs between students. . Frankly it would be foolhardy to believe that a syllabus consisting a bit of maths bit of science, arts and literature is a foolproof way to educate whole of India. Our present day system of education can be revamped and changes incorporated by getting a group of experienced teachers from various parts of our country. The task is best done by them and not by a bunch of politicians who do not have any training in education. Hope to see the Indian system of education reach its zenith like it did in ancient times!

What are the regulatory, developmental and manufacturing barriers associated with the future availability of biogeneric products in oncology The WritePass Journal

What are the regulatory, developmental and manufacturing barriers associated with the future availability of biogeneric products in oncology Introduction What are the regulatory, developmental and manufacturing barriers associated with the future availability of biogeneric products in oncology IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction Biopharmaceutical products began to expire since 2004. This has resulted in the development of biogenerics as second generation products. The term biogenerics is used to define a product that is equivalent to a currently marketed biopharmaceutical product that is a recombinant DNA-derived product (Enrico and Little, 2001 and Chamberlain, 2004). Biogenerics are follow-on products of a brand (reference) drug. They may have different physicochemical and/or biological properties to the reference drug, however, they are expected to have similar clinical effects and safety profile when compared to the reference drug. This may be because they may contain the same active ingredient used in the original brand product (Chamberlain, 2004 and Kirmani and Bonacossa, 2003). However, they may have different excipients of non-active ingredients to the original brand drug (Kermani and Bonacossa, 2003). Biogenerics are found to be beneficial in aiding large companies in saving the large amount of money being spent on health care when prescribing a brand product. For example, in 2005, around 5.3 billion dollars has been spent on health care in which almost of 2 billion dollars of this was spent on prescription drugs (Fredrick, 2007). The similar quality, safety, efficacy and the reduced cost of biogenerics compared to the reference brand product have arisen the interest of developing biogeneric products in oncology. However, there are a number of regulatory, developmental, and manufacturing barriers associated with the generation of biogenerics. Such issues are the lack of specific regulatory guidelines for biogenerics. Having regulatory standards may avoid the large sum of money from being spent to develop a biogeneric file (Enrico and Little, 2001). However, having eligible abbreviated procedures for biogenerics is not solving the issue as the Committee on Similar Biological Medici nal Products (CHMP), 2005, has recommended the need of carrying out comparability studies in order to generate evidence of the similarity in quality, safety and efficacy of biogeneric products to the original branded products (Rathore, 2009). Unfortunately, studies have failed in proving biogenerics essential similarity to the original brand products already being marketed (Kermani and Bonacossa, 2003). Furthermore, biogenerics are protein products in which their complexity is the central to challenges associated with safety and efficacy (Enrico and Little, 2001). Biogenerics are heterogeneous products and may exhibit sensitivity towards a specific manufacturing process and may degrade during freezing, melting, formulation, sterile filtration, filling, freeze-drying, and assessment. Moreover, the presence of impurities during manufacturing processes may reduce the efficacy and increase immunogenicity of the product. Immunogenicity may also be affected when handling the product. This may occurs during purification, exposure to light, distribution, or adding excipients, or may be due to the route and frequency of administration (Rathore, 2009). Since such changes may result in alteration in the product quality, safety, and efficacy profile, the need of carrying out extensive clinical trials are important in order to achieve regulatory approval (Enrico and Little, 2001). Also, other factors such as the therapeutic target, and patient’s immune status and clinical condition may be used in determining the immunogenicity of the product (Rathore, 2009). The quality of a biogeneric product is not only affected by the variability between the different steps of manufacturing, but may also be affected by the inconsistency of the starting materials (Kirdar et al, 2008). For example, minor changes in manufacturing biogenerics, such as the use of different DNA vectors, cell culture and purification processes compared to what is being used in the original brand product may result in undesirable effects in the quality of the product (Sharma, 2007). Also, leachable of vulcanising agents from syringes may affect safety and efficacy of the product. The use of phthalate plastic and latex rubber surfaces may result in leaches which may contaminate the product resulting in allergic reactions and enhanced immunogenicity. Therefore, it may be safer if glass surfaces, air-liquid interfaces, and lubricants are used instead (Sharma, 2007). The high complexity of the products, processes and untreated materials are the key challenges in manufacturing. However, having a designed experiment process to carry out experiments and perform data may result in better quality products (Rathore, 2009). Moreover, the interest of customers including patients and healthcare professionals to biogeneric products may also act as a potential barrier. The majority of biopharmaceuticals available in the marker are indicated for chronic diseases, for example cancer, in which switching the patient into a biogeneric product may be unacceptable by healthcare professionals. This may be due to the insufficient evidence of biogenerics quality and the lack of policies relating to such products (Enrico and Little, 2001). The majority of generic medicines depend on the clinical trial data obtained from the original brand drug studies. Only simple tests are required though for these generic medicines to prove bioequivalence of the product quality, safety, and efficacy to the reference drug. However, biogenerics failed in proving bioequivalence to the original brand drug using simple tests, hence, more studies may be required for biogenerics approval (Miller, 2009). Miller, 2009, has stated that the nature and the percentage contamination of biogeneric product is mainly relates to the host systems used to generate the drug and the purification methods used. A 100% purity is unachievable, however, avoiding any source of purity limitation may result in a high quality product. But this does not solve the problem, as protein folding and enzymatic modifications may lead to unacceptable results. Also, biogeneric mechanism, toxicity and contamination human cells are unknown. Therefore, the need to carry out standard sophisticated screening tests or the use of animal studies to ensure drug purity and quality may be necessary (Miller, 2009). Moreover, the FDA stated for a biogeneric to be approved, once bioequivalence tests are successful, safety and efficacy tests are required. This may involve sophisticated analytical chemistry, preclinical (animal) studies, as well as clinical studies (Miller, 2009). However, it is unacceptable to expose patient to unnecessary clinical trials in order to get the approval, and that bioequivalence tests must be decided on a case-by-case basis (Fredrick, 2007). The Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biochemistry, FDA, 1986, stated that new marketing applications are required for biogeneric products. This may be due to that biogenerics are characterised by having different structures, heterogeneity, and the possibility of contamination avai lability, which may affect the safety and efficacy profile of the drug. Biogeneric products may be better if developed in big pharmacy companies rather than a start-up company. This is may be because big companies may already have the experience and resources to carry out the necessary testing. Hence, less money will be spent to develop biogenerics in big pharmacy companies compared to a start-up company (Miller, 2009). Since cancer treatments are very expensive, focus has been shifted on producing biogenerics that would control the large sums of money being spent in biologic cancer treatments. However, it is important to ensure that patients get high quality of care and evidence-based medications. Therefore, principles of approval of biogeneric use in oncology have been published. The principles state the need of clinical trials being carried out to order to test similar efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of biogeneric to the reference biologic drug. This would clear the essential processes to patients and healthcare professionals. Guidance documents may be necessary in order to ensure standards consistency. However, FDA would never accept a system that would limit clinicians’ choices amongst biogeneric products. Biogenerics must be of high quality and fully tested for efficacy. Interchangeability of biogenerics that allows substitutions without affecting the product safety and efficacy mus t be determined through clinical trials (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2007). The key issue of scientific and regulatory approval of biogeneric products is the lack of understanding of how different quality aspects of a product may result in changing the product safety and efficacy. Also, the lack of being successful in collecting data, analyze and report, and the insufficient non-clinical tools which may help in predicting clinical safety and efficacy of the product. Moreover, the complexity of biogeneric products and the biotechnology processes are extra challenges added to the development of biogenerics (Rathore, 2009). Finally, biogeneric guidelines are still unclear. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has decided the future of biogenerics will still require a comparability studies between the biogeneric and the reference brand drug. It may be possible that clinical studies will be carried out instead of bioequivalence studies for the purpose of proving the safety and efficacy of the biogeneric drug, and in particular immunogenicity of the product. Moreover, less non-clinical studies might be carried out and post-market pharmacovigilance plans may possibly be needed as a measurement of authorization promises (Zuniga and Calvo, 2009). In conclusion, the decision on approving biogenerics will remain to be dealt on a case-by-case basis, and will rely on a number of different factors including manufacturing processes, structural similarity to the original product, mechanism of action, pharmacodynamic assays, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity, and quantity and quality of clinical data. Even though, the major improvements in our knowledge on biogenerics production processes and analytical technology have been achieved, key barriers remain to hinder the development of biogenerics. However, the overall of science and biotechnology fields is rapidly developing (Enrico and Little, 2001). References American Society of Clinical Oncology. (2007). Principles for Legislation to Establish Approval Process for Generic Versions of Biologic Agents. Available: asco.org/ASCO/Downloads/Cancer%20Policy%20and%20Clinical%20Affairs/Biogenerics/Biogenerics%20Principles%20FINAL%205%205%2008.pdf. Last accessed 29th March 2011. Chamberlain, P. (2004). Biogenerics: Europe takes another step forward while the FDA dives for cover. ELSEVIER. 9 (19), p817-820. CHMP. (2005). Guideline on similar biological medicinal products. Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. 437 (4), p555-561. Enrico, T. P. and Little, A. D.. (2001). The future of biogenerics. Available: contractpharma.com/articles/2001/10/the-future-of-biogenerics. Last accessed 29th March 2011. FDA. (1986). Coordination Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology. Available: http://usbiotechreg.nbii.gov/Coordinated_Framework_1986_Federal_Register.html. Last accessed 27th March 2011. Fredrick, J. (2007). Leaders speak out on benefits of biogenerics. Available: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3374/is_6_29/ai_n27227920/?tag=content;col1. Last accessed 27th March 2011. Kermani, F. and Bonacossa, P. (2003). What next for biogenerics. Pharmagenerics. 1 (1), p1-4. Kirdar, A. O. et al. (2008). Application of multivariant data analysis for identification and successful resoution of a route cause for a bioprocessing application. Biotechnology. 24 (4), p720-726. Miller, H. I. (2009). Biogenerics: the hope and hype. ELSEVIER. 27 (8), p443-445. Rathore, A. S. (2009). Follow-on protein products: scientific issues, developments and challenges. ELSEVIER. 27 (12), p698-705. Sharma, B. (2007). Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Biotechnology. 25 (15), p318-324. Zuniga, L. and Calvo B. (2009). Regulatory aspects of biosimilars in Europe. ELSEVIER. 27 (7), p385-387.

The Consent Decree and its change of Floridas Education System.

The Consent Decree and its change of Floridas Education System. Before the creation of the Florida Consent Decree there were many other laws that were created to protect students as well as minorities. A few include Equal Education Opportunity Act and Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Equal Education Opportunity Act was developed in 1974 and was created to prohibit discriminatory conduct such as separating students based on their race and color. This act also protected discrimination against faculty and staff members. The Equal Education Opportunity Act also required districts to take action in overcoming language barriers that students faced that often caused problems with equal participation within education programs. One of the most important acts in US history as well as education history is that of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act's Title VI pretends to education. The act prevents elementary and secondary schools as well as colleges from discriminating anyone based on race, color, sex, religion or national origin.Civ il Rights Act of 1964The FloridaThe Florida Consent Decree was created in order to better serve the ever changing student population in the public schools of Florida. The decree came about after the State of Florida was sued by minority groups. These groups felt that their children were not getting the fair treatment they deserved with the laws of the Equal Education Opportunity Act, Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Florida Educational Equity Act, and other federal and state laws. The decree was developed in order to have mandated standards and guidelines throughout the state's school districts to provide services for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students.There are six main issues that the Consent Decree covers. These six main issues are Identification and Assessment, Equal Access to Appropriate Programming, Equal Access to Appropriate Categorical and other programs...

Converting VB6 to VB.NET

Converting VB6 to VB.NET VB.Net has a built-in migration tool, but converting VB6 code to VB.NET isn’t as easy as loading it to the newer software. The migration tool does a lot of the work, especially with syntax, but nowhere near all of it. You must work on your VB6 code before you try to load it in VB.Net. Should You Upgrade the Code? Some types of programs are best left in VB6. If your projects use WebClasses, DHTML pages, and UserControls, the migration to VB.NET may not go smoothly. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t try. The migration wizard will list any critical issues, and you can go back and fix them. Preparing Your VB6 Code for Migration Remove any dead code that your program doesn’t use and join any duplicated code to reduce the code more. You can do this manually if you are patient or your program isn’t lengthy, or you can use a source code analyzer program to locate the duplicated or unused code. Fix Any Data Declarations If you used undeclared variables in your program, you have a lot of work ahead of you. Add proper type declarations to every Dim statement and add Option Explicit statements. This will smooth the import process. Don’t worry, if you miss any, you’ll find out later. VB.NET Wizard Goes to Work Open your program in VB.NET and wait while the migration tool does its work. Expect to receive a lengthy report listing all the upgrade issues- the ones the wizard fixed and the ones it didn’t. There will also be comments in the code near spots that need extra work. Try to Compile Don’t even hope for your code to compile the first time through. It won’t, but you’ll receive a long list of compile errors that you can go back and fix. Work on Your Code Using the reports, return to your code and fix the critical issues. When you’ve done them all, load the code into VB.NET again. You may receive another list of critical issues to fix, but eventually, it will make it through the wizard and the compiler. You’re not done yet. Look for comments the migration tool left in your code and do whatever the comments say. Now, run and test your program in VB.NET.

Read the instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Read the instruction - Essay Example I always thought that piano concerts were boring without any other background music because I like some other instruments. I liked the first few pieces of music that were played. The composer for these pieces was Liszt. I did not know any of the pieces but I did like listening to them. Overall there was seven musical pieces from Liszt. My most favorite piece from this guy was the very first one. It felt a little bit upbeat compared with all of his other pieces. All of his pieces were played in reverse order from when he composed them. Perhaps the reason why I liked the first one was because it was the most modern. I dont really enjoy those old styles of music because I like music to have more of a beat to it. The next three pieces of music were from three different composers. I did not really know any of them, but I recognized that the styles of music were the same. That era of piano music has a distinct style that even someone like me, with very little musical background, can pick up on. After these three pieces of music, there was a short break. This gave everyone time to go outside and take the mind off music. When I came back into the hall, there was only music from one composer for the rest of the evening: Frederic Chopin. I had heard of this name before somewhere because I think this guy is quite famous, but I didnt really know any of his music. There was four main pieces from him, but the third one was played many different times in a number of minor and major keys. It was interesting to listen to the same song played many different ways. By the sixth one, I could pick up the small differences between all of the styles. After Chopins music was finished, the evening ended. I did like this concert because although the music was from the same era, there were many different styles from all of the composers. I now appreciate the effect that these composers had on music, specifically the piano. Next time I would like to hear some different music so that

Creative Action Plan XM Satellite Radio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Creative Action Plan XM Satellite Radio - Essay Example Client: XM Satellite Radio Holdings Target: Description of the target audience. Mobile Commuters. Early adopters of technology. Age 20-45years. Music lovers who appreciate variety. Techno savvy generation â€Å"Y†. Middle to upper class social strata. Competitive snapshot: Direct competitors as Sirius and WorldSpace (international competitor). Indirect competition from all providers of traditional AM FM radio, Internet Radio, cable music channels and other GPS mobile services that can offer music. CDs and MP3 Old thought/New thought: â€Å"When on the move, listening to my favorite stations becomes interrupted with coverage limitations. What’s more, the traditional AM /FM stations offer limited variety and high advertising clutter. But now with XM Satellite Radio I can listen to over 100 channels, uninterrupted in every corner of the country with crystal clear digital sound clarity† Competitive advantage: Specifically, what our product does that other brands donà ¢â‚¬â„¢t do as well. Offers technology innovation and program variety in digital sound quality anywhere within the country.

Collaborative Practice for Special Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Collaborative Practice for Special Needs - Essay Example According to Johnson at al (2008, 55) successful Strategic Management depends on three factors namely: suitability, feasibility, and acceptability. This means the manager must project if the plan will address the key strategic issues [suitability]; whether the resources required for it are available [feasibility]; and, whether it will meet the expectations of the main stakeholders [acceptability] (Buzzell & Gale, 1987, 44) ( Lynch, 2006, 38). On the other hand, Professor Tony Booth and Professor Mel Ainscow et al (2000) developed an index for inclusion utilized by educational institutions to ensure that the school optimizes the performance of its students, staff, and stakeholders in the educational process. The aim of such an index is to build supportive communities and foster the highest possible levels of achievement among the school staff and students. This index when used in planning that the learning system is inclusive to all those involved and does not discriminate on the basis of cultural background or academic ability, but encourages all to participate and progress to the best of their ability based on their own unique circumstances. Meanwhile, Lanchat and Smith (2005, 333-349) postulate that an accurate and relevant collection of data in schools helps the teaching fraternity to improve the performance of students. This is because they can correctly predict what will help in improving work performance based on previously recorded experience. This approach eventually results in the improvement of the overall attainment of excellence by the institution.  This interview is based on the theories mentioned above in determining the successes and challenges encountered in the process of educating child A.     

Hybrid Power System Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Hybrid Power System - Coursework Example The paper tells that the power system of choice which best suits this project is â€Å"Hybrid Power System†. This system employs combination of Off grid renewable energy technologies among which we are going to use a combination of Solar, Wind, Hydropower and for an emergency back up a gasoline/diesel generator is also provided. Hybrid power system is selected due to two reasons, firstly because it can be established off-grid to satisfy small demand of electricity and long distribution infrastructure can be avoided. Secondly as we are aware that none of the available sources of energy ie Solar,Wind or Hydropower are available continuously and change due to sunshine, high and low flow of wind and water, hence they cannot meet the base demand of the facility and have to be used intermittently. On a macro scale the Hybird system work in three phases, production, Power electronics and Consumption. The production is done by the Renewable Energy system, stored by batteries and in ca se of backup by generator. Then the Power Electronics regulates the supply and transmission of the power to the appliances where the load is required. To meet the base demand of 100KVa at a power factor of 1, thus energy requirement of 100KW we will include a system setup which will include three complete 20 kW solar panels. The photovoltaic systems that are available in the market are of 20kW, 50 kW and 100 kW and thus it has been concluded that three 20 KW panels are used. In case of failure of one, the system does not collapse completely. The next component in the Hybrid system’s energy input is the wind turbines. ... For which it is suggested that Volute axial flow water turbine generator is employed and several similar assemblies of this turbine is used for the production. It is calculated, that with Volute axial flow water turbine generator, a head of about 2 meters and flow of 85 liters/sec a power of about 1 KW can be generated. Where as in our case the flow of 1800 to 2500 liters/sec several similar assemblies can be installed.It can be concluded that about 25 KW energy can be generated by Hydropower. The picture, details, specifications and references of Volute axial flow water turbine generator are given in Appendix 3. Lastly the question arises that how is this whole system going to work as one and deliver the requirements. To explain the whole working of the Hybrid System the following flow diagram is presented which shows how the required AC current and load is produced and transmitted in the system. The figure shows how the AC main bus line is used to produce, store and then transmit t he load. This is the complete power system under consideration. 2. Explain the scientific principles involved in your choice of power system. The scientific principles involved in the individual power system are as follows. Solar Power System The solar energy depends on two things, firstly the solar radiance and secondly the nature of the PV cell materials. The PV cells have two types of materials p-type silicon and n-type silicon. When the light strikes the cell surface, it transmit energy and ionize the atoms in the silicon material, due to this there is development of internal fields and then a junction separates the positive and negative charges in the PV cell. The positive charges go into the P-Layer and the negative

Job Analysis Compensation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Job Analysis Compensation - Research Paper Example Yet, this brings us to another point of concern, which is whether those employees are right for the position or the work that they are being compensated. It is true that there are those who have been promoted as managers even without the proper degree because they have been in these companies for so long and they managed to move from bottom up. In some situations, they own the companies, and for this reason they are being given the preferential option to determine what part of the company they would want to be. In this case, the point of compensation would be in vain because they would not be really compensated with the work they render but rather with the position they occupy. Also, in the years when companies have been shifting from manual to IT based, they have recruited or pirated IT employees (Gullo). Since there were only a few IT employees they were able to demand their price or the ones who pirated them were of course generous enough to give them more than they expect or even deserve. The objective of this paper is to strongly communicate the importance of compensation strategy in the workplace for the benefit of both the company and the employees. This is achieved by presenting related literature on the need for equitable compensation and of course on the question of â€Å"How much is too much?† Review of Literature This review includes articles published from reputable scholarly journals searched from ProQuest and ScienceDirect databases. These articles were selected using the keyword compensation strategy and topics selected for inclusion in this review were based on their content and type – news articles were not included except for those that provide background on the issue. Factors considered in compensation strategy Several articles have discussed factors to be considered in compensation strategy. The usual practice would have been to determine what the company is able to give, what the prevailing rate for the given position and/or what the employee may demand. In the normal hiring process (no pirating or ownership involved), the employee does not usually have the chance to demand for his compensation. However, there are some situations where in the company has the discretion not to follow the given or existing compensations like for instance when they create a new position to address environmental and organizational concerns. It is in instances like these where the compensation process may go wrong - toward overcompensation or undercompensation. The following articles discuss the suggested factors to consider in compensation strategy. Brooks, in his article, presents that compensation should not be seen as a mere company expense. In reality this value changes the behavior of how employees dictating also whether they have the potential to be satisfied or not. As such he suggests that companies should look into these things in determining whether they are paying their employees well: What do the competitors pay ? Meet them or beat them? How much should I pay for performance? What targets should I set? Like in the case of pirated IT employees, in the haste to invite them to the company, most have disregarded how much they should really be paid. Ferracone and Gershkowitz on the other hand focused on those who are in the executive compensation committees of

Education in China and America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Education in China and America - Essay Example Literacy can be achieved through many ways which some include cultural, visual, internet, and information. Although many people in the society lack literacy skills, literacy remains an elusive target to all people. This paper discusses in depth about the difference between China education and American education. Although China has a high population, it has managed to excel in its basic education. It is depicted that China attaches a great significance to education. Education remains the first priority in China. Chinese high schools differ immensely with American high schools primarily in structure. An American school day tends to be shorter compared to a Chinese school day. Scholarly research denotes that American students spend only seven hours in school during the weekdays whereas as a Chinese student, I used to spend stay in school spending most of my time studying at times even until 10.00 at night. The class structure too varies between the two countries. In contrast to the Chin ese system where students remain in the same room all day, the teachers rotating in and out, the American students have each class in a different classroom with different classmates unlike Chinese students who have a set of the same classmates all day. This becomes advantageous to the students since the students are able to form a strong social bond between each other. I could have the same classmates even for the whole grade division. This made us live as a family like brothers and sisters. The two countries portray a different system of grade division. In essence, America’s most common system starts with kindergarten then proceeds to fifth grade as elementary school, sixth through eighth grade as junior high school, and ultimately ninth through twelfth grade as high school. In contrast to the American system, Chinese system begins with kindergarten through the sixth grade called the elementary school and finally the seventh grade through the twelfth grade, which is called t he middle school. The two countries differ in the way information passes from the teachers to the students. America always prefers a high personal expression. Most of the classes entirely revolve around discussion materials where the teacher expects the students to engage in dialogues. American education encourages classroom participation that contributes greatly to the performance of the students. In China, teachers do not put much emphasis on class discussions. As a Chinese student, observed the quietness in the room as the teacher came and lectured as we all listened. This reduces the teacher-student relationship since it was very rare to find a student engaging in a talk with the teacher. Some students even went to an extent of fearing the teacher. The students maintain respect amongst themselves and their teachers. The classroom is quiet as compared to the American classroom that is noisy and boisterous. Chinese classrooms emphasize on a more formal atmosphere compared to the A merican classrooms. American education always lays its basis on technology. It is depicted that in America, the progress in the field of technology and knowledge occupy’s about three-quarter of their productivity output. Unlike American education

Job Analysis Compensation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Job Analysis Compensation - Research Paper Example Yet, this brings us to another point of concern, which is whether those employees are right for the position or the work that they are being compensated. It is true that there are those who have been promoted as managers even without the proper degree because they have been in these companies for so long and they managed to move from bottom up. In some situations, they own the companies, and for this reason they are being given the preferential option to determine what part of the company they would want to be. In this case, the point of compensation would be in vain because they would not be really compensated with the work they render but rather with the position they occupy. Also, in the years when companies have been shifting from manual to IT based, they have recruited or pirated IT employees (Gullo). Since there were only a few IT employees they were able to demand their price or the ones who pirated them were of course generous enough to give them more than they expect or even deserve. The objective of this paper is to strongly communicate the importance of compensation strategy in the workplace for the benefit of both the company and the employees. This is achieved by presenting related literature on the need for equitable compensation and of course on the question of â€Å"How much is too much?† Review of Literature This review includes articles published from reputable scholarly journals searched from ProQuest and ScienceDirect databases. These articles were selected using the keyword compensation strategy and topics selected for inclusion in this review were based on their content and type – news articles were not included except for those that provide background on the issue. Factors considered in compensation strategy Several articles have discussed factors to be considered in compensation strategy. The usual practice would have been to determine what the company is able to give, what the prevailing rate for the given position and/or what the employee may demand. In the normal hiring process (no pirating or ownership involved), the employee does not usually have the chance to demand for his compensation. However, there are some situations where in the company has the discretion not to follow the given or existing compensations like for instance when they create a new position to address environmental and organizational concerns. It is in instances like these where the compensation process may go wrong - toward overcompensation or undercompensation. The following articles discuss the suggested factors to consider in compensation strategy. Brooks, in his article, presents that compensation should not be seen as a mere company expense. In reality this value changes the behavior of how employees dictating also whether they have the potential to be satisfied or not. As such he suggests that companies should look into these things in determining whether they are paying their employees well: What do the competitors pay ? Meet them or beat them? How much should I pay for performance? What targets should I set? Like in the case of pirated IT employees, in the haste to invite them to the company, most have disregarded how much they should really be paid. Ferracone and Gershkowitz on the other hand focused on those who are in the executive compensation committees of

First-order logic Essay Example for Free

First-order logic Essay 1. (Philosophy) the academic discipline concerned with making explicit the nature and significance of ordinary and scientific beliefs and investigating the intelligibility of concepts by means of rational argument concerning their presuppositions, implications, and interrelationships; in particular, the rational investigation of the nature and structure of reality (metaphysics), the resources and limits of knowledge (epistemology), the principles and import of moral judgment (ethics), and the relationship between language and reality (semantics) 2. (Philosophy) the particular doctrines relating to these issues of some specific individual or school the philosophy of Descartes 3. (Philosophy) the critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a discipline the philosophy of law 4. (Literary Literary Critical Terms) Archaic or literary the investigation of natural phenomena, esp alchemy, astrology, and astronomy 5. any system of belief, values, or tenets 6. a personal outlook or viewpoint 7. serenity of temper phi†¢los†¢o†¢phy (f l? s ? fi) n. , pl. -phies. 1. the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct. 2. a system of philosophical doctrine: the philosophy of Spinoza. 3. the critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge: the philosophy of science. 4. a system of principles for guidance in practical affairs: a philosophy of life. 5. a calm or philosophical attitude. Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason,mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument. [3] In more casual speech, by extension, philosophy can refer to the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group. The word philosophy comes from the Ancient Greek (philosophia), which literally means love of wisdom. [5][6][7] The introduction of the terms philosopher and philosophy has been ascribed to the Greek thinker Pythagoras. [8] https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Philosophy http://www. thefreedictionary. com/philosophy Branches of Philosophy Main branches of philosophy Traditionally, there are five main branches of philosophy. They are: †¢ Metaphysics, which deals with the fundamental questions of reality. †¢ Epistemology, which deals with our concept of knowledge, how we learn and what we can know. †¢ Logic, which studies the rules of valid reasoning and argumentation †¢ Ethics, or moral philosophy, which is concerned with human values and how individuals should act. †¢ Aesthetics or esthetics, which deals with the notion of beauty and the philosophy of art. http://www. philosophy-index. com/philosophy/branches/ Aesthetics Aesthetics is the area of philosophy which covers the concepts of beauty and art. â€Å"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder† There are two basic standings on the nature of beauty: objective and subjective judgement. Subjective judgement of beauty suggests that beauty is not the same to everyone — that which aesthetically pleases the observer is beautiful (to the observer). Alternatively, those partial to the objective description of beauty try to measaure it. They suggest that certain properties of an object create an inherent beauty — such as symmetry and balance. Both Plato and Aristotlesupported the objective judgement. Some, such as Immanuel Kant, took a middle path, holding that beauty is of a subjective nature, but there are qualities of beauty which have universal validity. Classical and Modern Aesthetics The classical concepts behind aesthetics saw beauty in nature, and that art should mimic those qualities found in nature. AristotlesPoetics describes this idea, which he develops from Platos teachings. Modern aesthetic ideas, including those of Kant, stress the creative and symbolic side of art — that nature does not always have to guide art for it to be beautiful. Epistemology Epistemology is the area of philosophy that is concerned with knowledge. The main concerns of epistemology are the definition of knowledge, the sources of knowledge (innate ideas, experience, etc. ), the process of acquiring knowledge and the limits of knowledge. Epistemology considers that knowledge can be obtained throughexperience and/or reason. Defining Knowledge A primary concern of epistemology is the very definition of knowledge itself. The traditional definition, since Plato, is that knowledge is justified true belief, but recent evaluations of the concept have shown supposed counterexamples to this definition. In order to fully explore the nature of knowledge and how we come to know things, the various conceptions of what knowledge is must first be understood. Definition of knowledge Sources of Knowledge The sources of knowledge must also be considered. Perception, reason, memory, testimony, introspection and innate ideas are all supposed sources of knowledge. Scepticism There also seems to be reason to doubt each of these sources of knowledge. Could it be that all knowledge is fallible? If that is the case, do we really know anything? This is the central question to the problem of scepticism. Ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is the branch of philosophy concerned with human conduct and its moral value. There are generally three branches of ethics: †¢ Meta-ethics, which is concerned with questions about what whether or not morality exists, and what it consists of if it does; †¢ Normative ethics, which is concerned with how moral values should be developed; and †¢ Applied ethics, which deals with how moral values can be applied to specific cases. Logic Logic is the systematic process of valid reasoning through inference — deriving conclusions from information that is known to be true. It is the area of philosophy that is concerned with the laws of valid reasoning. Symbolic Logic Symbolic logic is the method of representing logical expressions through the use of symbols and variables, rather than in ordinary language. This has the benefit of removing the ambiguity that normally accompanies ordinary languages, such as English, and allows easier operation. There are many systems of symbolic logic, such as classical propositional logic, first-order logic and modal logic. Each may have seperate symbols, or exclude the use of certain symbols. Logical Symbols The following table presents several logical symbols, their name and meaning, and any relevant notes. The name of the symbol (under â€Å"meaning† links to a page explaining the symbol or term and its use). Note that different symbols have been used by different logicians and systems of logic. For the sake of clarity, this site consistently uses the symbols in the left column, while the â€Å"Notes† column may indicate other commonly-used symbols. |Symbol |Meaning |Notes | |Operators (Connectives) | | ¬ |negation (NOT) |The tilde ( ? ) is also often used. | |?|conjunction (AND) |The ampersand ( ) or dot (  · ) are also often used. | |? |disjunction (OR) | This is the inclusive disjunction, equivalent to and/or in English. | |? |exclusive disjunction (XOR) |? means that only one of the connected propositions is true, equivalent to either†¦or. Sometimes ? is | | | |used. | || |alternative denial(NAND) |Means â€Å"not both†. Sometimes written as ^ | |v |joint denial (NOR) |Means â€Å"neither/nor†. | | |conditional(if/then) |Many logicians use the symbol? instead. This is also known as material implication. | |- |biconditional (iff) |Means â€Å"if and only if† ? is sometimes used, but this site reserves that symbol for equivalence. | |Quantifiers | |? |universal quantifier |Means â€Å"for all†, so ? xPx means that Px is true for every x. | |? |existential quantifier |Means â€Å"there exists†, so ? xPxmeans that Px is true for at least one x. | |Relations | |? |implication |? ? ? means that ? follows from? | |? |equivalence |Also ?. Equivalence is two-way implication, so ? ? ? means? [pic] ? and ? [pic] ?. | |? |provability |Shows provable inference. ? [pic] ? means that from ? we can prove that ?. | |? |therefore |Used to signify the conclusion of an argument. Usually taken to mean implication, but often used to | | | |present arguments in which the premises do not deductively imply the conclusion. | |? |forces |A relationship between possible worlds and sentences in modal logic. | |Truth-Values | |? |tautology |May be used to replace any tautologous (always true) formula. | |? |contradiction |May be used to replace any contradictory (always false) formula. Sometimes â€Å"F† is used. | |Parentheses | |( ) |parentheses |Used to group expressions to show precedence of operations. Square brackets [ ] are sometimes used to | | | |clarify groupings. | |Set Theory | |?. |membership |Denotes membership in a set. Ifa ? ?, then a is a member (or an element) of set ?. | |? |union |Used to join sets. If S and T are sets of formula, S ? T is a set containing all members of both. | |? |intersection |The overlap between sets. If S and T are sets of formula, S ? Tis a set containing those elemenets that | | | |are members of both. | |? |subset |A subset is a set containing some or all elements of another set. | |? |proper subset |A proper subset contains some, but not all, elements of another set. | |= |set equality |Two sets are equal if they contain exactly the same elements. | |? |absolute complement |? (S) is the set of all things that are not in the set S. Sometimes written as C(S), S or SC. | |- |relative complement |T S is the set of all elements in T that are not also in S. Sometimes written as T \ S. | |? |empty set |The set containing no elements. | |Modalities | |? |necessarily |Used only in modal logic systems. Sometimes expressed as [] where the symbol is unavailable. | |? |possibly |Used only in modal logic systems. Sometimes expressed as where the symbol is unavailable. | Propositions, Variables and Non-Logical Symbols. The use of variables in logic varies depending on the system and the author of the logic being presented. However, some common uses have emerged. For the sake of clarity, this site will use the system defined below. |Symbol |Meaning |Notes | |A, B, C †¦ Z |propositions |Uppercase Roman letters signify individual propositions. For example, P may symbolize the proposition â€Å"Pat is | | | |ridiculous†. P and Q are traditionally used in most examples. | |? , ? , ? †¦ ? |formulae |Lowercase Greek letters signify formulae, which may be themselves a proposition (P), a formula (P ?Q) or several | | | |connected formulae (? ? ? ). | |x, y, z |variables | Lowercase Roman letters towards the end of the alphabet are used to signify variables. In logical systems, these | | | |are usually coupled with a quantifier, ? or ? , in order to signify some or all of some unspecified subject or | | | |object. By convention, these begin with x, but any other letter may be used if needed, so long as they are defined | | | |as a variable by a quantifier. | |a, b, c, †¦ z |constants |Lowercase Roman letters, when not assigned by a quantifier, signifiy a constant, usually a proper noun. For | | | |instance, the letter â€Å"j† may be used to signify â€Å"Jerry†. Constants are given a meaning before they are used in | | | |logical expressions. | |Ax, Bx †¦ Zx |predicate symbols |Uppercase Roman letters appear again to indicate predicate relationships between variables and/or constants, | | | |coupled with one or more variable places which may be filled by variables or constants. For instance, we may | | | |definite the relation â€Å"x is green† as Gx, and â€Å"x likes y† as Lxy. To differentiate them from propositions, they are| | | |often presented in italics, so while P may be a proposition, Px is a predicate relation for x. Predicate symbols | | | |are non-logical — they describe relations but have neither operational function nor truth value in themselves. | |? , ? , †¦ ? |sets of formulae |Uppercase Greek letters are used, by convention, to refer to sets of formulae. ? is usually used to represent the | | | |first site, since it is the first that does not look like Roman letters. (For instance, the uppercase Alpha (? ) | | | |looks identical to the Roman letter â€Å"A†) | |? , ? , †¦ ? |possible worlds |In modal logic, uppercase greek letters are also used to represent possible worlds. Alternatively, an uppercase W | | | |with a subscript numeral is sometimes used, representing worlds as W0, W1, and so on. | |{ } |sets |Curly brackets are generally used when detailing the contents of a set, such as a set of formulae, or a set of | | | |possible worlds in modal logic. For instance, ? = { ? , ? , ? , ? } | Systems of Logic A system of logic, also known as a logical calculus, or simply a logic, is a method by which to express and evaluate information in a logical manner. Formal Language and Rules of Inference Logical systems consist of a formal language of symbolic logic. This language defines: †¢ A set of symbols to refer to formulae, including propositions and operators. †¢ Grammar, that is rules of well-formation, on how formulae must be expressed. The formal language of a system consists of, on one hand, the syntax of the language, and on the other, a method for expressing semantics within the system. The semantics of a system may be as simple as assigning truth-value to propositions and formulae, or more complicated, using predicate symbols to define non-logical relationships between formulae. Systems also consist of rules of inference, which determine how expressions in the language may be used to draw new, previously unstated conclusions. Common Systems of Logic †¢ Classical Logics, the most common form of logical expression, including: o Aristotelian logic o Propositional logic o First-order logic o Second-order logic o Higher-order logics †¢ Contextual Logics, which deal with non-truth-functionaloperators, and include: o Modal Logic, which deals with modal operators neccessarily and possibly. o Epistemic Logic, which reasons about knowledge o Doxastic Logic, which reasons about belief. o Deontic Logic, which reasons about ethical obligation and permissibility o Temporal Logic, which reasons about propositions over time †¢ Free Logic, which rejects the assumption that the domain is non-empty, that something exists †¢ Fuzzy Logic, which rejects the law of the excluded middle †¢ Intuitionistic Logic, which redefines truth values based on proof †¢ Paraconsistent Logic, which allows contradictions without entailment of any other formulae †¢ Relevance Logic, which requires a stronger link of relevance between premises and conclusion Metaphysics Metaphysics is the area of philosophy which deals with the ultimate nature of reality. Metaphysics can emcompass large areas of philosophy, and most other philosophical schools turn back to it for basic definition. In that respect, the term metaphysics is a broad one, encompassing the philosophical ideas of cosmology and ontology. Metaphysics or First Philosophy The term â€Å"metaphysics† comes from Greek, meaning â€Å"after the Physics†. Although the term metaphysics generally makes sense in the way that it partially refers to things outisde of and beyond the natural sciences, this is not the origin of the term (as opposted to, say, meta-ethics, which refers to the nature of ethics itself). Instead, the term was used by later editors of Aristotle. Aristotle had written several books on matter and physics, and followed those volumes with work on ontology, and other broad subjects. These editors referred to them as â€Å"the books that came after the books on physics† or â€Å"metaphysics†. Aristotle himself refers to metaphysics as â€Å"first philosophy†. This term was also used by some later philosophers, such as Descartes, whose primary work on the subject of metaphysics is calledMeditations on First Philosophy. Branches of Metaphysics The main branches of metaphysics are: †¢ Ontology †¢ Cosmology Ontology is a branch of metaphysics which studies being. Ontology is concerned with the ultimate nature of being, and of all reality in general. The process of studying ontology generally consists of describing being as well as determining how reality may be organized and categorized, and how different types of beings relate to one another. The term â€Å"an ontology† refers to the things counted as being in a metaphysical system. Generally, an ontology is a list of things that exist — the â€Å"furniture of the universe† as it is sometimes put. Differences in ontology among philosophers generally deal with whether or not there are non-physical entities, and whether those things can be counted as being, existing, both or neither. Examples of candidates for ontological status as non-physical being include the mind, mathematical objects and universals. Ontologists Philosophers who do work on ontology are referred to asontologists. The following are some of the prominent ontologists discussed on this site: †¢ Aristotle †¢ Saint Anselm †¢ Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel †¢ Martin Heidegger. †¢ Immanuel Kant †¢ Plato †¢ W. V. O. Quine †¢ Jean-Paul Sartre †¢ Baruch Spinoza Cosmology Cosmology is the area of metaphysics and science that studies the origin, evolution and nature of the universe. Cosmology is concerned with the contents and astrophysical phenomena of space and time, as well as their origin and progression. Although cosmology is most often concerned with physics and astronomy in the scientific world, it directly relates to a number of philosophical and theological views. The scientific theories related to . While ontology studies the nature of being and reality itself, cosmology is the study of those things that are in reality, and how they, and perhaps reality, came to be. Divisions of Philosophy Abstract: Philosophy, philosophical inquiry, and the main branches of philosophy are characterized. 1. What is Philosophy? 1. The derivation of the word philosophy from the Greek is suggested by the following words and word-fragments. ? philo—love of, affinity for, liking of ? philander—to engage in love affairs frivolously ? philanthropy—love of mankind in general ? philately—postage stamps hobby ? phile—(as in anglophile) one having a love for ? philology—having a liking for words ? sophos—wisdom ? sophist—lit. one who loves knowledge ? sophomore—wise and moros—foolish;i. e. one who thinks he knows many things ? sophisticated—one who is knowledgeable 2. A suggested definition for our beginning study is as follows. Philosophy is the systematic inquiry into the principles and presuppositions of any field of study. ? From a psychological point of view, philosophy is an attitude, an approach, or a calling to answer or to ask, or even to comment upon certain  peculiar problems (i. e. , specifically the kinds of problems usually relegated to the main branches discussed below in Section II). ? There is, perhaps, no one single sense of the word philosophy. Eventually many writers abandon the attempt to define philosophy and, instead, turn to the kinds of things philosophers do. ? What is involved in the study of philosophy involves is described by the London Times in an article dealing with the 20th World Congress of Philosophy: The great virtue of philosophy is that it teaches not what to think, but how to think. It is the study of meaning, of the principles underlying conduct, thought and knowledge. The skills it hones are the ability to analyse, to question orthodoxies and to express things clearly. However arcane some philosophical texts may be †¦ the ability to formulate questions and follow arguments is the essence of education. 1. The Main Branches of Philosophy are divided as to the nature of the questions asked in each area. The integrity of these divisions cannot be rigidly maintained, for one area overlaps into the others. 1. Axiology: the study of value; the investigation of its nature, criteria, and metaphysical status. More often than not, the term value theory is used instead of axiology in contemporary discussions even though the term â€Å"theory of value† is used with respect to the value or price of goods and services in economics. ? Some significant questions in axiology include the following: 1. Nature of value: is value a fulfillment of desire, a pleasure, a preference, a behavioral disposition, or simply a human interest of some kind? 2. Criteria of value: de gustibus non (est) disputandum (i. e. , (â€Å"theres no accounting for tastes†) or do objective standards apply? 3. Status of value: how are values related to (scientific) facts? What ultimate worth, if any, do human values have? ? Axiology is usually divided into two main parts. 1. Ethics: the study of values in human behavior or the study of moral problems: e. g. , (1) the rightness and wrongness of actions, (2) the kinds of things which are good or desirable, and (3) whether actions are blameworthy or praiseworthy. 1. Consider this example analyzed by J.O. Urmson in his well-known essay, Saints and Heroes: We may imagine a squad of soldiers to be practicing the throwing of live hand grenades; a grenade slips from the hand of one of them and rolls on the ground near the squad; one of them sacrifices his life by throwing himself on the grenade and protecting his comrades with his own body. It is quite unreasonable to suppose that such a man must be impelled by the sort of emotion that he might be impelled by if his best friend were in the squad. 2. Did the soldier who threw himself on the grenade do the right thing? If he did not cover the grenade, several soldiers might be injured or be killed. His action probably saved lives; certainly an action which saves lives is a morally correct action. One might even be inclined to conclude that saving lives is a duty. But if this were so, wouldnt each of the soldiers have the moral obligation or duty to save his comrades? Would we thereby expect each of the soldiers to vie for the opportunity to cover the grenade? 1. ?sthetics: the study of value in the arts or the inquiry into feelings, judgments, or standards of beauty and related concepts. Philosophy of art is concerned with judgments of sense, taste, and emotion. 1. E. g. , Is art an intellectual or representational activity? What would the realistic representations in pop art represent? Does art represent sensible objects or ideal objects? 2. Is artistic value objective? Is it merely coincidental that many forms in architecture and painting seem to illustrate mathematical principles? Are there standards of taste? 3. Is there a clear distinction between art and reality? 1. Epistemology: the study of knowledge. In particular, epistemology is the study of the nature, scope, and limits of human knowledge. ? Epistemology investigates the origin, structure, methods, and integrity of knowledge. ? Consider the degree of truth of the statement, The earth is round. Does its truth depend upon the context in which the statement is uttered? For example, this statement can be successively more accurately translated as †¦ 1. The earth is spherical 2. The earth is an oblate spheroid (i. e. , flattened at the poles). 3. But what about the Himalayas and the Marianas Trench? Even if we surveyed exactly the shape of the earth, our process of surveying would alter the surface by the footprints left and the impressions of the survey stakes and instruments. Hence, the exact shape of the earth cannot be known. Every rain shower changes the shape. 4. (Note here as well the implications for skepticism and relativism: simply because we cannot exactly describe the exact shape of the earth, the conclusion does not logically follow that the earth does not have a shape. ) ? Furthermore, consider two well-known problems in epistemology: 1. Russells Five-Minute-World Hypothesis: Suppose the earth were created five minutes ago, complete with memory images, history books, records, etc. , how could we ever know of it? As Russell wrote in The Analysis of Mind, There is no logical impossibility in the hypothesis that the world sprang into being five minutes ago, exactly as it then was, with a population that remembered a wholly unreal past. There is no logically necessary connection between events at different times; therefore nothing that is happening now or will happen in the future can disprove the hypothesis that the world began five minutes ago. For example, an omnipotent God could create the world with all the memories, historical records, and so forth five minutes ago. Any evidence to the contrary would be evidence created by God five minutes ago. (Q. v. , the Omphalos hypothesis. ) 2. Suppose everything in the universe (including all spatial relations) were to expand uniformly a thousand times larger. How could we ever know it? A moments thought reveals that the mass of objects increases by the cube whereas the distance among them increases linearly. Hence, if such an expansion were possible, changes in the measurement of gravity and the speed of light would be evident, if, indeed, life would be possible. 3. Russells Five-Minute-World Hypothesis is a philosophical problem; the impossibility of the objects in the universe expanding is a scientific problem since the latter problem can, in fact, be answered by principles of elementary physics. 1. Ontology or Metaphysics: the study of what is really real. Metaphysics deals with the so-called first principles of the natural order and the ultimate generalizations available to the human intellect. Specifically, ontology seeks to indentify and establish the relationships between the categories, if any, of the types of existent things. ? What kinds of things exist? Do only particular things exist or do general things also exist? How is existence possible? Questions as to identity and change of objects—are you the same person you were as a baby? as of yesterday? as of a moment ago? ? How do ideas exist if they have no size, shape, or color? (My idea of the Empire State Building is quite as small or as large as my idea of a book. I. e., an idea is not extended in space. ) What is space? What is time? ? E. g. , Consider the truths of mathematics: in what manner do geometric figures exist? Are points, lines, or planes real or not? Of what are they made? ? What is spirit? or soul? or matter? space? Are they made up of the same sort of stuff? ? When, if ever, are events necessary? Under what conditions are they possible? 1. Further characteristics of philosophy and examples of philosophical problems are discussed in the next tutorial. http://philosophy. lander. edu/intro/what. shtml.

Speech Act Theory Implications For English Language English Language Essay

Speech Act Theory Implications For English Language English Language Essay Speech act theory was introduced by J.L Austin in How to Do Things with Words. Later John Searle further expanded on the theory, mostly focusing on speech acts in Speech Acts: An Essay In The Philosophy Of Language (1969) and A Classification Of Illocutionary Acts (1976). Searle further defined speech acts and categorised them. First of his five classifications were Representatives, where the speaker asserts a proposition to be true, using such verbs as affirm, believe, conclude, deny, and report. The second category is Directives, when the speaker tries to make the hearer do something, with such words as ask, beg, challenge, command, dare, invite, insist, request. The third is Commissives, where the speaker commits to an action, with verbs such as guarantee, pledge, promise, swear, vow, undertake, warrant. The next category is Expressives, where the speaker expresses an attitude to or about a state of affairs, using such verbs as apologize, appreciate, congratulate, deplore, detest, regret, thank, welcome. And the last category is Declarations, where the speaker alter the external status or condition of an object or situation, by making the utterance, for example: I now pronounce you man and wife, I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you be dead, I name this ship.and so on. (Searle, 1976 ) There have been additions to this list, however, the focus of this essay is on how meaning is communicated from the speaker to the listener(s), how it is interpreted and how they are related to TEFL. It will focus on the three types of meaning an utterance has, but it will not explain the types of speech acts in detail. According to Austin (1962) speech act is a functional unit in communication. Its an act that a speaker performs when making an utterance. (LinguaLink website) Utterances have three kinds of meaning (ibid) which are Locutionary, Illocutionary and Perlocutionary. (Schmidt, R. Richards, C. 1980, Cohen, 1996) Locutionary act is saying something with its literal meaning. (Searle, 1969) For example, in saying I am cold. the locutionary meaning is that I feel cold. Illocutionary meaning is the social function of the words or the way they are intended to be understood (Ibid). For example I am cold. may actually be a way of asking the other person to close the window. If this is the intention an Indirect Speech Act (Austin 1962 Searle 1975) had been performed because the meaning is dependent on the hearers interpretation of what has been communicated. The Perlocutionary meaning (ibid) is the effect or the aim of the utterance on the feelings, thoughts or actions. The Perlocutionary force of the utterance I am cold. could be that the listener closes the window. If it was the intended outcome from the words the perlocutionary force (result or aim) matches the illocutionary meaning (intention). This may not always be the case, which is called Perlocutionary failure (Leech, 1983: 204-5). A very c ommon example is that Could you pass the salt? (Searle, 1969) is a request rather than asking about ability (Fraser 1983: 29). Also the sentence Why are you so sensitive? is more likely to be a criticism rather than a question. (Pinner, 2008). There are a number of empirical research on practical applications of speech acts for language teaching. Bardovi-Harlig Hartford, Blum-Kulka Kasper, Olshtain Cohen, Schmidt Richards and Wolfson researched and evolved the implications of speech acts for English language teaching. The teaching of speech acts becomes more intriguing regarding cross-cultural pragmatics. The findings from a cross-cultural study by Cohen, Olshtain, and Rosenstein (1986) showed that non-native speakers (NNS) were not aware to certain sociolinguistic distinction that native speakers (NS) make, for example excuse me versus sorry or really sorry versus very sorry. One of the first studies that focused on first language (L1) and second language (L2) speakers while performing speech acts was The Cross Cultural Speech Act Research Project (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). It was observing and analysing the differences of seven languages in how they use the speech act of request and apology. (1989: 11). The study looked at social distance and dominance (Wolfson, Marmor and Jones, 1989: 191). The findings revealed that the foreign speakers responses were quite different from native speakers answers and that not just low but advanced level learners can make sociolinguistic errors. Furthermore according to Boxer Pickering (1993: 56) sociolinguistic errors are gaps in etiquette or as Bachman terms in sociolinguistic competence(1990). He states that these errors are more serious than grammatical errors (Crandall Basturkmen 2004: 38) Hence explicit teaching of pragmatics would be beneficial to language learners, (Rose Kasper, 2001) because acquisition of native like production by non-native speakers may take many years even if they are in the target culture (Schmidt, 1993: 25-6). There is a divergence between the responses of native and second language speakers of English, therefore the explicit teaching of illocutionary meaning and conducting certain types of speech acts has value for s tudents (Blumka-Kulka, House, Kasper 1997, Schmidt ,1996, Bardovi-Harlig,1999). Cohen (1998: 66-7) also advocates the need for explicit teaching and notes that it does not take a long time for students to put the knowledge from speech act training into use, if the learners want to fit in and to be accepted in the target culture. Cultural contrast does not only exist between speakers of different languages. There can be also a cultural contrast when the native language of the speaker is the same but the culture is different. For example, Creese (1991) discovered differences between American and British speakers of English in dealing with compliments. Gumperz (1982) looked at variations between British-English and Indian-English speakers when performing speech acts in institutional settings. These studies have implications for TEFL and for English as a Global Language .They also introduce the limitations of appropriateness. A number of studies (e.g., Boxer Pickering, 1995; Bouton, 1994; Kasper 1997, DÃ ¶rnyei, 1997 Bardovi-Harlig, 2001) have shown that language learners with high grammatical proficiency are not always competent in pragmatic aspects of the foreign language (FL). As Boxer Pickering (1995) point out grammatically advanced learners may not know how to use appropriate language in different situations and digress from pragmatic norms of the target-language. They might directly translate speech acts from their mother tongues into the target language when they are trying to get the intended meaning across. Teachers often disregard pragmatic failures and they sometimes assign them to other causes, for example to disrespect. (p. 47) The contrast in cultural norms may reduce speech act theory being universally relevant to language, but there is a definite need for teaching them in the language classroom. Bardovi-Harlig and Hartford point out that theories related to teaching and learning are cultural and they are usually not shared when teacher and students have different backgrounds (1997: 129). Boxer and Pickering (1993:45) states that the appropriate speech behaviour depends on the rules of the societies. On the side of overtly teaching illocutionary force and meaning Schmidt (1993: 25-26) discusses the value of making learners conscious of the meanings or functions of various speech acts. He talks about consciousness perception and lists examples from his acquisition of Portuguese. He observed how to end a phone conversation. Before this observation he was not confident of what to say when finishing a phone conversation, but after he was able to make use of this new knowledge (Ibid: 29). From my own experienc e it was really useful when someone explained the different phrases to me that I should use in English, because I came across as being rude at many times without me intending to be rude or even knowing about it. It is important to make the students aware of expressions and phrases, such as Id better let you get back for saving face of both parties when closing a conversation as learners often express difficulty.(Schmidt 1993: 29).Cohen (1996: 411) also states that explicit teaching of speech acts helps learners in communicating with native speakers in real life. Widdowson (2003: 04) points out that theory and practice in ELT should not be separated. Teachers should not go into explaining the theory in details, but this does not mean the two should be separated. If learners are to be effective in acquiring a language they need to have a certain amount of sociolinguistic competence (Bachman 1990) of the learnt language or they would fail using for example English language as they will not be able to communicate their real intentions without a loss of face (Brown and Levinson, 1978). I agree with the above mentioned theories of Cohen and Schmidt that speech acts and particularly the illocutionary meaning behind them can help language learners in becoming more skilled speakers and avoid them from losing face. I also think that it is important to give the student a chance to make some observations and come to their own conclusions, without telling them what is right or wrong. As Ellis (1998) states let the student be the researcher. This way the students learn to make their own decision based on their own observations of what is appropriate. McConachy (2007) analysed the dialogues which contain speech acts in several English language course books. For example, dialogues which present the speech act of suggestions, but without any contextual information. He suggests that the teacher need to add to these the dialogues by asking questions about the speakers relationship to one and other and asking students to guess any illocutionary information. This asks the students to make their own judgement on the situation and it makes them aware of illocutionary meaning. It seems that speech acts are finding their way into classroom materials (Bardovi-Harlig MayhanTaylor, 2003), but there is still a lot that teachers need to add to make them more comprehensible. At first teaching speech acts it is important to determine the students level of awareness in general by eliciting. Dialogues are useful to show student how speech acts are used, also the evaluation of a situation is a good technique to reinforce the awareness of the learners. Activities such as role plays are good for practicing speech acts. At the end feedback and discussion are useful so students can tell their understanding. Again the idea is to encourage the learner as researcher (Ellis, Bardovi-Harlig et al, 1989) approach and assist students to make their own observations. The most practical implication of speech act theory in teaching is the idea that the literal meaning of the words might not agree with the intended meaning. As I understand speech acts focus on communicative intentions in a language. It is useful for language learners to teach them, because they provide an insight into the study of language as it is used in a social context, and also because they can be applied when learners need to discuss different meanings in a certain context. Bardovi-Harlig Hartford (1997: 114) report that the difference between speech acts and language functions is not always recognised in language teaching, and that the two have a distinct difference. This point might be argued because the study of speech acts comes from the idea that communication is a performance of certain acts, such as making statements, thanking, asking questions, apologizing, complaining and so on (Blum-Kulka, House Kasper 1989: 2). These are functions within a language, which means that speech act theory is about teaching functional units of language with the aim of an understanding of possible illocutionary meaning present. Materials do not always follow this, however there is a progression towards presenting speech acts with contextual information. Teachers need to simplify the speech acts and the sociolinguistic norms around them by breaking them down into easy terms, so the language learners can use them. Although this does not mean it should be separated from the theory. The best way to teach speech acts might be to make students more aware of pragmatic variables and to give them enough information to be able to make their own observations. This allows learners to work out themselves the best way to perform a speech act in any given situation.

Spread of Islam Essay -- Religion, Muhammad

Islam began in Mecca when the Prophet Muhammad began to spread the word of God (292). The Prophet â€Å"sought to warn his people against worshipping false gods and all immortality, especially injustice to the poor, orphans, widows, and women altogether† (293). The first converts of the religion were Meccan townsfolk and farmers (292). While some prominent Meccans joined him, the aristocracy generally resisted his teachings (293-94). According to the Qur’an, paradise lies in gratitude to God as well as in his guidance and forgiveness (293). Muhammad is accepted as the last of many prophets chosen to spread the word of God (293). Unfortunately, the Prophets’ teachings did not readily spread and succeed (293). Still, many peoples followed his wife, Khadija, and recognized him as a â€Å"chosen reformer† (293). After Muhammad’s death in 632, the lack of a successor or son led to a political struggle between the Meccan and Medinan peoples. This ended wh en Abu Bakr was selected as the successor to the Prophet (297). However, as in most previous cases, many Arab tribes renounced allegiance to the Prophet after his death (297). Nonetheless, the rule of Abu Bakr â€Å"reestablished religious conformity for much of Arabia and forced Arabs to recognize the faith and practice of Islam as opposed to a certain leader; the Prophet Muhammad in this case† (297) Following Bakr, Caliphs Umar and Uthman pushed Arab armies beyond the peninsula and conquered Byzantine and Sasanid territories, Egypt, and most of Iran by 643 (297). This success can be accounted to the leadership of the first caliphs and field generals as well as the weakness of the Byzantine and Iranians (297). By 651, Arab armies defeated the last of the Sasanid rulers (297). The fourth caliphate; ... ...sian oppression (298). Muslims were accepting of other religions and allowed Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian groups to live under protection of Islamic rule â€Å"provided they recognize Islamic political authority, pay a non Muslim head tax, and not interfere with Muslim religious practices† (298). The head tax and other divisions on non-Muslims encouraged many to convert (298). Islamic culture was also highly adaptable and open to blending of cultural traits, allowing it to spread in even hostile societies (346). Muslims could exchange ideas and goods with Muslims of radically different backgrounds and â€Å"encounter them as brothers and sisters of the Umma† (347). Thus, Islam primarily spread through the conquests of Arab armies and successfully spread due to its tenets, high adaptability, the weakening of Byzantine and Sasanid Empires, and its immense leadership.