EFL Learners

Fun Survey for ESL/EFL Learners A common comment made by new English students is that they want to improve their conversational skills. In fact, many students complain that their grammar is OK, but, when it comes to conversing, they feel they are still beginners. This makes sense - especially in academic settings where the emphasis often tends towards structural knowledge. As a first year, enthusiastic ESL/EFL teacher, I can remember striding into class ready to help students converse - only to find out that what I had chosen was of little or no interest to my students. I stammered through the lesson, trying to cajole my students into talking - and, in the end, doing most of the talking myself. Does this scenario sound slightly familiar? Even the most experienced teacher runs into this problem: A student wants to improve his/her speaking ability, but getting them to state an opinion is like pulling teeth. There are many reasons for this common problem: pronunciation problems, cultural tabus, lack of vocabulary for a given topic, etc. In order to combat this tendency, its good to gather a little background information on your students before you begin your conversation lessons. Finding out about your students well ahead of time can also assist in: planning out longer arcs of learning topicsunderstanding the personality of your classgrouping students for activitiesfinding the right authentic materials that will hold your classs attention through the tough bitssuggesting individual research topics for class presentations Its best to distribute this type of fun survey during the first week of class. Feel free to distribute the activity as homework. Once you understand the reading and study habits, as well as the general interests of your class, you will be well on your way to providing engaging materials that will actually encourage your students to say more than yes or no the next time you ask them to make a comment. Fun Survey for Adult ESL/EFL Learners Imagine you are having dinner with your best friend. What topics do you discuss?Imagine you are having a work lunch with colleagues. What topics do you discuss that are non-work related?What do you like best about your profession?What do you like least about your profession?What do you like to read? (circle items)FictionAdventure storiesHistorical fictionScience fictionComic booksThrillersShort StoriesRomance novelsOther (please list)NonfictionBiographyScienceHistoryCookbooksSociologyComputer manualsOther (please list)Do you read any magazines or newspapers? (please list titles)What are your hobbies?What places have you visited?What type of things do you like: (circle items)GardeningGoing to museumsListening to music (please list type of music)MoviesWorking with Computers / Surfing the InternetVideo gamesWatching TV (please list programs)Playing sports (please list sports)Playing an instrument (please list instrument)Other (please list)Think about your best friend, husband or wife fo r a minute. What do you have in common with him/her? Fun Survey for Student ESL/EFL Learners Imagine you are having dinner with your best friend. What topics do you discuss?Imagine you are having lunch with classmates. What topics do you discuss that are school related?Which courses do you most enjoy?Which courses do you least enjoy?What do you like to read?  (circle items)FictionAdventure storiesHistorical fictionScience fictionComic booksThrillersShort StoriesRomance novelsOther  (please list)NonfictionBiographyScienceHistoryCookbooksSociologyComputer manualsOther  (please list)Do you read any magazines or newspapers?  (please list titles)What are your hobbies?What places have you visited?What type of things do you like:  (circle items)GardeningGoing to museumsListening to music  (please list type of music)MoviesWorking with Computers / Surfing the InternetVideo gamesWatching TV  (please list programs)Playing sports  (please list sports)Playing an instrument  (please list instrument)Other  (please list)Think about your best friend for a minute. What do you have in common with him/her

Colima and Maya's Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Colima and Maya's Cultures - Essay Example A vessel in form of a dog that considered being an exemplar of Colima culture and vessel with palace scene that determines a Maua culture are fallen under analysis. What should be mentioned is that these works of art have a lot in common, still cultural specialties are visible.  Colima culture or co-called Capacha refers to the territory of West Mexico and â€Å"dated there to the early to middle Formative period† that is 200 BCE-300 AD (Evans and Webster, 95). Death was regarded as a transfer to another world, and burials have attracted special attention in ancient times. â€Å"Ancient West Mexicans used a unique shaft-chamber tomb, an underground series of rooms reached by a narrow, vertical opening, or shaft† (IMA, n.p.). Such vessels have been surrounded the deceased and have put there with a special aim. Dogs have remained to be servants as guides to assist the dead person in his/her trip to the underworld (IMA, n.p.).   In addition, dogs are considered to be a source of food for Colima people that is why such vessel has been of great significance according to the beliefs of that population. The vessel has a dark brown color and rather and size a really small dog. The example of Maya culture belongs to the Late Classic Period in the existence of discussed culture, more exactly 600-900 AD (Foster, 17). â€Å"The culture reaches its artistic zenith† in those times (Foster, 18). That is why the vessel with palace scene is regarded as an important example of Maya culture. This is considered to a vessel for a drink with a painting scene showing â€Å"a ruler sitting on a throne, wearing a jade necklace and a headdress with exotic feathers† (IMA, n.p.). Such vessels also have buried with the people they belong to, usually that have been rich residents of those territories. The vessel is in the different tones of brown and beige color with the size of normal pot or mug.

Ethics - Strength and weaknesses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics - Strength and weaknesses - Essay Example The theory of moral obligation emphasizes on the significance of understanding and comparing dialogues associated with morals and rights. That is to say what actions are obligatory and what are the morally right attitudes The moral fiber behaviors in virtue of ethics are constant, predetermined and dependable. Hence, an individual that posse the virtue of kindness has to operate kindheartedly in all types of situation, to all individuals and for a long time regardless of the intricacies involved, whereas in the obligation theory disputes the irrelevancy of asserting and defending one-dimensional division of relativity versus entire moral essentials. For instance helping others depends on the real world experiences where moral and right materialize, (Regina et al.2008:319-1016) The ethical virtue believes in the individual ethical behaviors development is a long term occurrence encouraged by the influence of friends, teachers, and role models, revelations to diverse situations or parents. This is so because different individuals are born with all kinds of propensities which are either positive such calm and affable or negative attitudes like envious and irritable.

Buss low Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Buss low - Essay Example The case involved Apple and Samsung in argument of products manufactory. The jury found Samsung guilty by willfully infringing Apple patents. Apple requested to triple the compensation, but the lawyers defended the claim. Apple requested the court to prevent Samsung to ship products infringing Apple’s patents. The court decision favored Apple. Samsung penalty served as a deterrent effect to worn other companies trying to manufacture products similar to their competitor. The court ruling that Samsung should compensate Apple for damages was right, since Samsung had made profit from Apples products (Wingfield, p. 4). Apple did not make the products for their competitors to flagrantly copy but for delighting their customers. I strongly agree with the courts decision. Each company should use skills but not to copy other company’s product. The ruling served as a warning to Samsung and other companies trying to copy their competitor’s products. Nick Wingfield. Jury Awards $ 1 Billion to Apple in Samsung Patent Case. Viewed on August 24, 2012 from

Evaluating The Theory Of Socialist Economy Politics Essay

Evaluating The Theory Of Socialist Economy Politics Essay If one wants to examine the experience of socialist economies of the twentieth century, one need must examine the socio-economic meaning of the term socialism. This ought to be subject to a scientific analysis, primarily with respect to increasing problems in the socialist countries and to discussions and reform efforts that have been underway at various points in time over the last century in those countries. In this context, the analysis in the essay must restrict the notion of socialism to that of a social system whose characteristics have been molded both by specific theoretical works and by practical political, legal and economic institutions and measures in socialist countries. This has to be limited a little further and the essay will therefore primarily focus on the socialist economic system and its crucial connection with the political system. Proceeding from this framework, this essay shall first deal with the theoretical and practical evolution of the general basic charact eristics that are typical of the socialist economic system. Subsequently, it will examine the economic results or rather the recurring deficiencies caused by the socialist system. This will then lead to a detailed analysis of how these deficiencies may have had their earliest roots in errors contained in the very theory that was the starting point of communist practice. The genesis of the socio-economic meaning of the term socialism has its roots in theoretical works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. How this concept has satisfied the fundamental criteria of the development of socialism in the course of its practical realization in Soviet Union, China, Yugoslavia, Cuba and other socialist countries must be examined, and whether it has resulted in the socio-economic development expected by the above-mentioned theorists. After the shock and disillusionment from the collapse of the Eastern bloc, the disasters of neoliberal economic policies, East and West, have given new urgency to rethinking the socialist alternative to capitalism. Whatever one says about the feasibility of socialism, however, at some point the collapse of `actually existing socialism has to be explained. The centrally planned economy was certainly successful for a period, based on extensive growth with ample supplies of labour power and raw materials. The system collapsed when it attempted to shift toward a more intensive mode of growth. Permanent consumer goods shortages and the alienation of workers sealed its fate. In attempting to broaden the debate on the feasibility of socialism, the essay shall embark with the origin of the concept in Marx. To begin with, it must be made amply clear that the term socialism refers to the social system which Marx referred to as the first and last phase of communism  [i]  . Marx inferred the characterization of this lower form from the historical necessity of the development of communism, and from the fact that communism would directly emerge from capitalism and would be therefore characterized by capitalism for a relatively long time- the first phase. Marx and Engels substantiated the historical necessity of the development of communist society by saying that capitalism would increasingly impede the further development of productive forces and only new economic and social conditions, that is, socialist conditions, would cause productive forces to evolve at a substantially faster rate than they could under capitalism. This historical materialist perspective gave rise to the fundamental criterion for the development of the socialist economy also held by Lenin. He was convinced that the expropriation of capitalists would result in an immense extension of social productive forces and in a higher degree of labour productivity. Following the nationalization and redistribution of land consequent upon the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, a brief period of workers control was realized in the Soviet Union. However, state ownership and control of industry and financial institutions were rapidly extended, along with a ban on private trade, and the whole economy moved towards an economy in kind, a moneyless economy. These eventualities could again be traced back to Marxs conceptualization of socialism as an associated set of producers. In modern capitalist society, according to Marxs analysis, the social relations of production, which establish the framework of a distinct mode of life, are constituted by the capitalist ownership of means of production and by wage labour; and the essence of the socialist alternative had always been the transformation of private ownership into so cial ownership which Marx expressed by referring to a future society of associated producers. This associated mode of production  [ii]  was not treated in the socialist literature of the nineteenth century as having only an economic significance, but as a vital element in the constitution of a new form of society in which individuals would no longer be dependent upon the dominant minorities, but would be able to develop freely in a social environment which they took a full and equal part in creating. Socialism, therefore, was meant to obviate its fundamental opposite, capitalism, by substituting social ownership of the means of production for their private ownership. Market relations would have to be eliminated, and production as a whole would have to be oriented towards future developments of demand with the help of economic planning. Direct social labour on the part of the working population would result in a faster growth of labour productivity than under capitalism. This preoccupation with rapid increase in economic growth had its genesis in several factors. The advent of socialism in countries which were for the most part economically backward, agrarian and peasant societies, and the perceived need for extensive and rapid industrialization was the first of these. Next, the rapid post-war expansion of organized capitalism, characterized by large-scale state intervention, partial planning and very high rates of growth and the need for socialist countries to compete effectively with capitalism in the provision of high material levels of living ensured that an extraordinary stress was laid on rapid economic growth through industrialization. Lenin also pointed out that the economy is something like a giant enterprise owned by the people, who are represented by the socialist state. The activity of all the parts, the overall production by all enterprises, as well as the distribution of the means of production and the labour force among them would have to be determined with the help of one single overall plan. Although Lenins shift towards the New Economic Policy (NEP) resulted in the reintroduction of market relations in the economy, it did not change the idea of substituting systematic planning for market relations in socialism. Lenin justified the reintroduction of market relations on the strength of the existence of private producers, chiefly farmers, during the transition to socialism.  [iii]  The old bourgeois producers had to be transformed in the new socialist economy. This could be done by socializing the populace, an act which needed active state-intervention. Stalin, however, understood economic retention of market relations only in terms of formal commodity- money relations, and eliminated market mechanisms. During Stalins rule, some characteristic features of the socialist economic system developed, whose theoretical reflections bordered on being dogmas. According to him, the means of production must not be in private ownership. Rather they must be in state ownership to a decisive extent. The development of production must not be determined by market mechanisms. Rather, it must be fixed with the help of central plans. Prices must only be retained for the exclusive purposes of formal planning and calculation. They must, however, be fixed by a central state authority and must not be changed by enterprises in accordance with market conditions. Such and further fundamental dogmas were meant to preclude the reappearance of capitalist ownership and the re-emergence of economic anarchy, while ensuring the fast, effective and proportionate development of socialist production determined by pla nning. The communist parties began to label such a system organized along such economic lines as real socialist. However, not one of the objectives ever aimed at by a socialist development process was reached. This was not chiefly a consequence of subjective mistakes made by party and state leadership with regard to economic policies, rather, it was the result of defects inherent in the conceptualization of the system, which had already been embodied in Marxist-Leninist theory. In comparison with capitalist production, socialist production in Soviet Union and Yugoslavia suffered from several deficiencies which caused them to lag behind. The production showed a lower degree of efficiency than a free-market system. The production grows in a predominantly extensive manner while its intensive growth (through technological progress and the qualitative development of the production factors) is absolutely inadequate. Here, there is an assumption at work which is evidently a capitalist construct- that of measuring productivity by taking recourse to such accepted yardsticks as GDP (Gross Domestic Produc t) rates. The GDP rates are a criteria adopted by intensively capitalist countries to measure productive economic growth, not the ideal parameter to judge the growth in a country with accepted socialist status. Nevertheless, if the material levels of living in the socialist and capitalist countries be taken as a uniform criterion, the socialist nations do demonstrate the relative inefficiency of the state to meet these needs on parity with capitalist countries. Another set of deficiencies in the socialist economies of the twentieth century concerns the nature of production. Production was not sufficiently geared to demand; on the one hand it produced quantities of non-required goods, while on the other, it did not satisfy concrete demand to any large extent. Moreover, production supplied few high quality and fashionable consumer goods, and the technological standards of capital goods were far behind those of capitalist countries. The proportion of consumer goods in production was substantially smaller than Western free-market economies. The official economic theory or more accurately, the ideological propaganda of the USSR and Yugoslavia, as well as of other socialist countries, ignored or concealed these economic defects for years. They only worked with the fast growth rates of production volumes in the initial years, overlooking the losses in efficiency which were increasing from the beginning. Ever since its inception, the planning system prevented a highly efficient investment development, not only because of slow technological progress, but also because it rendered impossible a selection of the most profitable investment projects which are numerous in a free-market economy. Central investment planning and the allocation of investment funds is affected by means of a primitive accounting of input and output without, crucially, an optimal profitability selection.  [iv]  Most important, however, is the fact that the planning system from the start prevented consumers from influencing the development of productio n through the market and from assessing the performance of individual enterprises with the help of market selection. Both in the free-market and in the planned economy systems, lack of balance between supply and demand is inevitable with regard to certain commodities. In a free-market system, however, producers are compelled to overcome these imbalances as soon as possible if they are to achieve profits rather than sustaining losses. In a planned economy system, the extent of the imbalance is substantially greater, and is overcome considerably slowly- if at all. It is at this crucial juncture that one needs to realize that there is a great difference between those societies in which the greater part of productive resources are publicly owned and central planning has a major role, and on the other hand, the societies in which there is only limited public ownership and planning and the construction of a socialist economy involves some extension of planning in diverse forms, along with restrictions on market mechanisms.  [v]  It is the former group of countries that includes the Soviet and Yugoslavian experience that this paper posits as a contrast to the latter Chinese experience with socialism. Even within the group of socialist countries in Eastern Europe (Soviet Union and Yugoslavia) there are important differences arising from distinctive economic, social and cultural conditions, which are revealed in a very different course of post-war development. Two socialist countries in the last century undertook a fundamental and complete restru cturing of the economy- Yugoslavia (where the phase of centralized management was very brief, and hence provides a contrast of sorts to the Soviet experience) and Hungary. The economic system that Yugoslavia adopted provided the model for several economies. The theoretical framework which the Yugoslav is based on is clearly formulated by Horvat who, after rejecting the eclecticism of a mixed economy, continues: We wish to preserve essential consumer sovereignty because socialism is based on the preferences of individuals who control the society. We also wish to preserve the autonomy of producers, since this is the pre-condition for self-management. When these are taken together, we need a market. But not a laissez-faire market. We need a market that will perform the two functions just stated, neither less or more. In other words, we need the market as a planning device in a strictly defined sphere of priorities and planning as a precondition for an efficient market in order to increase the economic welfare of the community.  [vi]   Yugoslav society, thus, unlike Soviet socialism, was constantly caught in a dilemma between the plan and the market, which not only reflects the unclearly defined principles and aims of economic policy, but also is a manifestation of the actual balance of forces in society; that is to say of the clash between advocates of centralized planning and those who uphold the absolute validity of market laws. The dilemma is irreconcilable and the question which remains to be explored is whether the Yugoslav experience demonstrates that there are formidable difficulties in achieving the integration of planning and markets in any regime of public ownership, or more broadly, in a socialist society. In considering this crucial question, one should remember that for two decades the Yugoslav system functioned quite effectively, producing high rates of economic growth and an impressive development of social and cultural life. The turning point, as it were, came, theorists believe, with the rise in o il prices and the Western recession of the early 70s. It may also be argued that the subsequent economic decline was due in large measure to the failure of planning to deal effectively with the consequences of these events, and in particular with the massive growth of external indebtedness. It is certain, therefore, that the economic development of Yugoslavia and other socialist societies had been adversely affected by the their close links with the capitalist world, and by the failure of policy-makers to take a due account of the cycle of growth and recession in capitalist societies which is, after all, at the heart of Marxist economic analysis. As Golubovic claims, Socialism with markets is here to stay  [vii]  . The countries in Western Europe, which could be labeled Socialistic or tending towards being socialist, faced problems which were very different from those faced by socialist ones. Nevertheless, some issues were of common concern, highlighting certain universal facets of a socialist economy as it took shape in the twentieth century. The common concerns were centered on the particular forms which public ownership of productive resources, and economic planning should take in the future. In these countries the movement towards socialism got retarded by the advent of conservative governments. And, going by the experience of Yugoslavia one would imagine that treading a middle path between plan and market was indeed the only way to go for countries claiming to be socialist. The Chinese experience with socialism, however, not only contrasts with the Yugoslav experience, but it seems to be hinged on lessons learnt from the experience of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalins rules. The Chinese and the Cuban methods alert us to Marxs central issue: the proletariat must not only change the relations of society but in the process change itself. Here, the present analysis calls for a contrast between the Soviet and Chinese experiences. The Cuban experience shall be scrutinized later. The October Revolution proved the validity, under conditions existing in Russia in 1917, of the first half of the Marxist-Leninist theory of transition to socialism. The industrial proletariat was able, under resolute revolutionary leadership, to overthrow the bourgeois regime which had come to power in the erstwhile February revolution. However, with regard to the second half of the theory- the capacity of the proletariat to lead the way in the construction of socialism- the Russian experience is at best inconclusive. One must remember that small to begin with; the Russian proletariat was decimated and dispersed by the four years of bloody civil war, hunger and chaos which followed th e revolution. The Bolshevik government was forced to rely on the erstwhile antisocialist bureaucratic administration, overrun as it was with problem of survival and economic recovery. Under the circumstances, revolutionizing practice tending to produce socialist human nature almost totally disappeared. Instead the reconstituted and expanded proletariat which came with forced industrialization was repressed and atomized, deprived of all means of self-expression, and terrorized by an omnipresent secret police. The notion that abolition of exploitative private property in the means of production ushers in an essentially classless society which, given a sufficient development of the forces of production, will evolve in a harmonious way towards communism is exploded once and for all through the Soviet experience. As Nicholas Poulantzas points out, in a society divided into classes, the relations of production consist of a double relation which encompasses mens relations to nature in material production- economic ownership and possession. The first of these relations, that of economic ownership, is the real economic control of the means of production. In the socialist countries, formal, juridical ownership of the means of production belong to the state, which is held to be the peoples state, but real economic control rests in the hands of the directors of enterprises and the members of the party apparatus.  [viii]  Socialist ownership by the whole people has degenerated into ownership by a privileged stratum. It is a privileged stratum- what Charles Bettelheim has called a new state bourgeoisie  [ix]   which controls the means of production and thereby decides how the fruits of production are to be utilized. This unholy collusion at the highest levels of governance killed the revolutionary urge of the proletarians who had effected the revolution a decade back (1917). While the Russian experience thus throws light on the positive side of constructing revolution (a real revolution of the proletariat), it does provide devastating proof of the impossibility of infusing seemingly socialist forms with genuine socialist content unless the process, as Marx delineated, goes hand-in-hand with the formation of socialist human beings.  [x]  It also alerts us to the undesirable effects of bureaucratization that took the wind out of the sails of the socialist regime. A different choice of means could have yielded drastically contradictory and possibly, favorable, results f or the Soviet Union under Stalinist rule. More equality and fewer privileges to the bureaucracy, lesser incentives for the erstwhile bourgeois class, more trust and confidence in the masses, greater inner party democracy are some factors which could have been the steering principles of a course which could have ensured the survival of socialist Soviet Union. It wasnt just these negative lessons from the Soviet experience that impelled the Chinese to pioneer a different path to the construction of socialism. The situation and the proletarian background in China formed the basis of these differences. For one thing, the Chinese proletariat, though smaller than the Russian counterpart, was never plagued by economism. This is explained by Mao who wrote, Since there is no economic basis for economic reformism in colonial and semi-colonial China as there is in Europe, the whole proletariat, with the exception of a few scabs, is most revolutionary.  [xi]  Moreover, the prolonged civil war in China, combined with the war against Japanese invaders fostered a vast growth in both size and the maturity of the revolutionary forces, while a much shorter period of civil war and resistance to foreign invaders in the Soviet Union seriously weakened the revolutionary forces there. The result was China was much more socialised, in as much as the people were more imbued with the ideals of socialist revolutionary fervor than in Russia. When one has to evaluate the Chinese experience, it may well be stated at the outset that its most important contribution to the advance of Marxist thought was to suggest an alternative to the Soviet and east European experience with socialism. In the first years after they came to power, the Chinese Communists set out to follow the Soviet model of collectivization of farms but soon discovered that it put demands on the agricultural sector which could not be met. In the 1920s the Russians decided to squeeze the needed surplus out of the peasants, with the fearful consequences of a decimated and atomized proletariat. This option did not even exist for the Chinese. With a reordering of priorities under Maos regime, industry was to be geared to the needs of agriculture and developed not only in the cities but especially in the countryside, beginning the process of introducing the peasantry to modern technology. This meant the capital needed to develop the Chinese economy was to come from a general increase in the productivity of the Chinese labour force. This in turn, required a vast and historically unprecedented innovation in the form of the agricultural communes and the introduction of a Chinese version of the Green Revolut ion. The economy thereafter worked really well by world standards: China became essentially self-sufficient in agricultural production; and industry developed, in terms of both rapidity and geographical distribution. In recent decades China has opened its economy to foreign investment and to market-based trade, and has experienced strong economic growth. It has carefully managed the transition from a planned socialist economy to a market economy, officially referred to as the socialist market economy, which has been likened to capitalism by some outside observers. As a result, centralized economic planning has little relevance in China today. The current Chinese economic system is characterized by state ownership combined with a strong private sector of privately owned enterprises that generate about 70% of GDP.  [xii]   The Cuban experience with socialism was also illuminating as it highlighted the role of national integrity, nationalization of the populace and the cultivation of the spirit of patriotism in the masses as prime factors leading to a socialist revolution along the lines Marx postulated (1986). The revolutionary government under Fidel Castro found socialism to be the most viable means for freeing Cuba from domination by capitalist countries, guaranteeing in a way Cubas sovereignty. The mission also involved mobilizing and educating the populace even as anti-capitalist changes were vibrant in the party apparatus (again, as in Marx, the ideal ground for a socialist revolution and consolidation of the means of production after the revolution was the party apparatus). Socialism, through the Cuban alternative, has been demonstrably shown to be a process that is premised on unleashing the power of the people, who learn how to change themselves under circumstances and able leadership.  [xiii ]  This consensus and subsequent legitimization of the Cuban state has been shaped by the revolutionary, patriotic and political behavior of the masses. The power of the state is, in the Cuban experience with socialism, shown to be the one with appropriate means to produce change. The way there are deficiencies as with any other socialist regime but these are being tackled in Cuba are paradigmatically different. The debates with respect to deficiencies in Cuba do not reflect the need to replace the regime, but the need to improve it by deepening its ideals and the socialist project. This desire to stand by the ideology of socialism is what sets the Cuban experience apart from all others. It was thereby shown, through the Chinese experience, and the ideologically successful (not equally economically successful, however) Cuban experience that the Soviet and East European experience with socialism, far from being an embodiment of the laws of socialism, was merely one possible path to economic development and as history has demonstrated, one which is in irreconcilable contradiction with the requirements of a socialist transition to communism. Nevertheless, it was only after the creation of the first socialist society in 1917 consequent upon the Bolshevik revolution that central planning (with the concomitant, unintended consequence of bureaucratisation) came to occupy a central place in the definition of the socialist economy. The importance of the Bolshevik revolution is thus paramount. The optimum mix of planning and markets, however, has not been demonstrated neatly by any socialist economy till date. Yugoslavia came close but the dilemma whether to opt for a centralized plan or market mode was irreconcilable to say the least, as demonstrated in the essay. This general sense of disillusionment with the origin and evolution of socialist economies in East Europe has given rise in the countries burdened with it to search for new models of a socialist economy. The chief factors contributing to the disillusionment were probably three: the increasing recognition that a socialist organization of production would be not more but much less productive than private enterprise; an even clearer recognition that, instead of leading to what had been conceived as greater social justice, it would mean a new arbitrary and more inescapable order of rank than ever before; and the realization that, instead of the promised greater freedom, it would mean the appearance of a new despotism. A significant development, hence, was the presentation of the decentralized model whereby the decisions regarding current economic operations would be largely decentralized while the government would retain control over new investment.  [xiv]  This model constituted a p artial departure from Marxian socialism (For in Marxs terms, market socialism is a contradiction in terms), since it allowed some elements of the market to slip into the regulation of current production. Nevertheless, the problems involved in restructuring the socialist economies are multiform and complex. What assumes pre-eminence in such a remedy is not the question of ownership or the excessive promotion of competition, but the decentralization of economic decision-making by giving enterprises greater independence in a controlled environment of market relations. Developing new, indirect modes of planning the economy as a whole have to be devised simultaneously. Economic changes in a socialist economy are thus closely bound up with political manouevres. Political reforms are necessary which require for their success the holistic socialization of the populace, a new spirit of individual enterprise, responsibility to production and administration. Public ownership of the major productive resources is essential for the construction of a socialist economy and then a socialist society. This is so because on one hand is the need to eliminate domination by a capitalist class or a privileg ed bureaucracy as a necessary precondition of classlessness; and on the other hand is the need to extend democratic participation as widely as possible, which is simply another aspect of classlessness or egalitarianism. The postulation of participation in decision-making, however, is accompanied by a controversy concerning the conflict between goals of participation and efficiency. This is primarily with regard to publicly owned enterprises concerning their efficiency and ability to innovate, which is related in most discussions to the question of incentives for both management and workers. This criticism is not totally fair for two reasons. Firstly, it should be amply clear that what is being dealt with is a relative inefficiency  [xv]  and that too not in all cases, as this essay has demonstrated. Moreover it is a fact universally acknowledged that socialist countries as a whole (with a few exceptions) were very successful in the earlier periods in achieving rapid industrializ ation and major technological innovation in some spheres. The central message of the paper is that there is no single ideal model of socialism. Once capitalism is overturned and there is public ownership of the means of production, people will be free to choose democratically among a variety of models of socialist organisation of the economy- as has demonstrably happened in the countries chosen for analysis. Options could range from the completely centralised state rationing of all products (Stalinist Russia) to market socialism (Yugoslavia and later China) with an integral role for money. But a socialist society could also opt to let the full product of peoples labour accrue back to them (Early China after the revolution and Cuba), taxing workers appropriately in order to effect redistribution and investment. Or it could allow only part of the total product to accrue directly to workers, at th

Willa Cathers Short Story Pauls Case Essay example -- Willa Cather P

Willa Cather's Short Story "Paul's Case"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Willa Cather’s short story Paul’s Case we learn of a young man who is fighting what he fears most: to be as common and plain as his world around him. How others perceive Paul only encourages him to fulfill his dream of escaping his monotonous lifestyle. Paul feels he is drowning in his everyday environment and his only breath of air is his savior: the theater.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul has very little interest in his class studies. This leaves him open to distraction and eventually criticism. Although Paul’s appearance is that of a perfect gentleman, his teachers find his behavior inappropriate and unacceptable. The narrator draws particular attention to Paul’s eyes describing them as â€Å"remarkable for a certain hysterical brilliancy†(Cather 245); this is followed by the response of his teachers who find it â€Å"peculiarly offensive in a boy†(Cather 245). Paul’s meeting with the schools principal continues as each of his teachers get an opportunity to voice their disgust with Paul. The whole time Paul stands there never losing his smile. This is dubbed â€Å"irritating to the last degree† (Cather 246). For Paul this is his sign of strength. He refuses to allow his teachers, of such simple minds, to tear at his soul. They have no understanding of Paul’s behavior and do not wish to learn. A fter the meeting his teachers felt remorse for their onslaught against this mere boy. One remarked on the similarity to a â€Å"miserable street cat set at bay by a r...

Education Essay

Sure Start Childrens Centre-Family based centres who not only provide early years education but offer help and support to parents too. Day Nursery-These are independently run businesses. Childminder-You would normally take your child to the childminders’ home. They can look after upto 6 children but no more than 3 of these can be under the age of 5. Nannie/Live in carer-Would look after your children in your home. There are four main types of State schools which are funded by local government. They all follow the National Curriculum and are monitored by Oftsed. Community School- Community schools are run by the local government, which employs school staff, owns the land and buildings, and sets the entrance criteria that decide which children are eligible for a place. Foundation and Trust schools- Foundation schools are run by a governing body which employs the staff and sets the entrance criteria. Land and buildings are owned either by the governing body or by a charitable foundation. Trust schools are similar, but are run together with an outside body – usually a business or charity – which has formed an educational trust. Voluntary aided school- Voluntary-aided schools are religious or faith schools. Just like foundation schools, the governing body employs the staff and sets the entrance criteria. School buildings and land are usually owned by a charity, often a church. Voluntary controlled schools- Voluntary controlled schools are a cross between community and voluntary aided schools. The local authority employs the staff and sets the entrance criteria, like a community school, but the school land and buildings are owned by a charity, often a church, which also appoints some members of the governing body. Other types of schools are; Specialist- State secondaries often specialise, which means they have an extra emphasis in one or two subjects. Schools can specialise in: the arts, maths and computing, business and enterprise, music, engineering, science, humanities, sports, languages, and technology. They would usually gain extra funding for these departments. Academies- Academies are independently managed schools set up by sponsors from business, faith or voluntary groups in partnership with the local authority and the government Department for Children, Schools and Families. Special school- Pupils at a special school have usually been assessed and given a statement of special educational needs (SEN). These may include learning disabilities or physical disabilities. Some special schools are funded by the local education authority. These could be community, voluntary-aided or controlled, or foundation special schools. Some special schools are independent. Free school- Free Schools are normally brand-new schools set up by teachers, charities, community or faith groups, universities and groups of parents where there is parental demand. They will be set up as Academies and will be funded in the same way, directly from central government. They also share with Academies a greater control over their finances, the curriculum, and teachers’ pay and conditions. There are several post16 options for young people and adults to consider. During the course of year 11 at school you should have met with a careers advisor who has a wealth of information that they can share regarding the different options available. Depending upon choice and exam results there are different routes that could be taken. Staying on at your own school to retake exams or partake in new subjects. Or sixth form at a new school to do the same thing. College is also another option for either the retaking of exams or to study something new. University is available for those who wish to take their education to another level. Employment is obviously an option immediately for some people who have been able to gain required exam results to obtain a position at work straight away. Volunteering to do work is an opportunity to gain invaluable experience that may be needed to clinch a position of employment. Task 2 The strategic purpose of the school governors, senior management team, other statutory roles, teachers and support staff is primarily to provide a safe, secure environment to provide an excellent range of teaching and learning. However they all have their own roles in facilitating this. School governors- Are responsible for how the school is performing, for staffing and budgeting. Challenging the head and/or teachers about any issues and ensuring that the school is meeting all of its pupils needs. Senior Management team- The head, deputy and heads of departments usually make up this team. The SMT will ensure that they keep the rest of the staff up to date with any issues and help to motivate staff and students in trying to lead by example. SENCO- Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator will oversee all of the pupils on role who have any sort of educational need and is usually directly involved with the management and deployment of the support staff. Teachers- Are responsible for providing students with the best education possible. They are role models to all students and their teaching will have a direct impact on them. They will help motivate students and colleagues. Support staff- Will work under the guidance of the Teacher either in the whole class setting, with small groups or indeed on a 1:1 basis. Again will be looked upon as a role model and supports both students and staff alike. Other professionals who may work with a school include; Educational psychologist, The Educational Psychologist’s role is to work closely with the Senco and parents to support children who are experiencing on going difficulties with learning. The Police, In our school we actually have a Police officer on site who all pupils get to meet and who also works closely with the local community. School nurses work closely with the school and various pupils who may have certain medical requirements. They also provide drop in clinics within school for confidential help such as quitting smoking. The ethos, mission, aims and values of a school should be reflected in working practices by leading through example. The Ethos of the school should be recognisable when entering the school setting as it is part and parcel of the environment of the school and the daily practice of the staff and pupils there. All adults who work at a school have an important esponsibility in modelling standards of behaviour, both in their dealings with children who attend the school and amongst colleagues, as their own example has a great influence on the children. Good associations and strong collaborations between adults will encourage the good behaviour in children. All adults within the school should aim to create an optimistic and positive environment that holds high but reasonable expectations of ev ery child who attends the school, emphasise the significance of being respected as an individual within the school as well as outside. Encourage, through example, truthfulness and politeness while encouraging children to have relationships based on fairness, kindness and understanding of the needs of the other children within the school. The ethos and mission of a school are often referred to as the same, however, they are both different. The mission of a school is based upon what the school intends to achieve in a more physical and academic way, as set out by the head teacher. This is often seen as a motto and slogan as you enter a school. Ours is â€Å"Inspire, Believe, Achieve†. The Ethos of a school is more related to the beliefs and feelings of a school. The Ethos of the school should be recognisable when entering the school environment as it is part of the nature and daily practice of the staff and pupils who work there. The ethos is set out for the whole school to be aware of and is reinforced through daily activities. It enforces that children’s safety is paramount and that the children are at the centre of everything. The aims of the school are set out by the head teacher in partnership with the parents, staff and the community which should provide all members of the school community with a safe and respected environment which is paramount in obtaining a successful learning environment. The aims for the children at our school are to provide each pupil with the appropriate balance of both challenge and support in their learning, to provide for the spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical development of the pupils regardless of their gender, race, ethnic background or disability. The roles of regulatory bodies relevant to the education sector which exist to monitor and enforce the legislative framework, including; General bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive. Health and Safety Executives (HSE) is a UK government body that is responsible for enforcing Health and Safety at work legislation. The HSE plays an additional role in producing advice on Health and Safety issues and guidance on relevant legislation. The HSE mission is to prevent ill health, injuries and to ensure that professionals within education or elsewhere are managing any significant risks arising from school activities and off the school premises. The HSE will check a number of things within a school e. g. toilet facilities for both staff and pupils, the condition of the school premises, medical rooms, water supplies, weather protection, lighting, heating and ventilation. Properly maintained flooring and that the appropriate measures are in place to prevent slips on wet surfaces. In the playground, the equipment that the children play on or use is not faulty or rusted and that the playground surfaces are adequate. On school trips and off site visits HSE will be carried out on any special educational or medical needs of the students. The age, competence and fitness of the pupils, along with the usual standard of behaviour. Adult to student ratio. The proficiency and experience of the accompanying adults. Modes of transport, journey routes and location visits as well as any emergency procedures. School specific regulatory bodies. School specific regulatory bodies (OFSTED for England) are responsible for carrying out inspections of colleges, children’s homes and schools to ensure that the quality of the service provided is adequate for every individual child and young person. During an inspection they will gather evidence based on the practice they are observing as well as what they learn from the people using the service. They then use this evidence and other information that is gathered to make a professional judgement on the service offered and it will then be published in an Ofsted report. The report will contain the quality of provision in the National Curriculum subjects and aspects of childcare, social care, education as well as learning and skills. Ofsted will also act as a regulator in checking that the people, premises and the services that are provided are suitable to care and educate children and potentially at risk young people. If childcare or a child’s social care provider does not meet the adequate or required standards then Ofsted will need them to take the necessary actions to improve their facilities. Policies are important because they help schools establish rules and procedures and create standards of quality for learning and safety, as well as expectations and accountability. Without these, schools would lack the structure and function necessary to provide the educational needs of students. Ultimately, policies are necessary to the success and safety of a school. Policies for staff are put in place to protect the staffs’ welfare and their rights within a school setting and to support staff in their management of situations they may be involved in. Every policy should outline its aims, purpose and responsibilities the staff will have. Examples of policies staff may have relating to; Anti-bullying policy: will outline what the school will do to prevent and tackle bullying. How the school will discuss, monitor and deal with bullying. Whistle blowing policy: will provide avenues for staff to raise genuine concerns about other members of staff and will allow a member of staff to take the matter further if they’re dissatisfied with the governing body or local authorities response. The policy will also assure staff of the steps that will be taken to protect themselves from reprisals in whistle blowing real worries. Pupil welfare policies will include; Discipline policy: which will show that the school will encourage positive behaviour which will enhance opportunities for children to learn and develop, and establish acceptable patterns of behaviour that will encourage a sense of responsibility towards others. Child protection policy: will consist of key elements in protecting children and young people, these elements being: To ensure that the appropriate steps will be taken in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers who work with children and young people in a school environment. Raise awareness of child protection issues and providing children with the skills and knowledge they require to keep themselves safe. Develop and apply procedures to identify and report cases, or suspected cases of abuse. Support victims of abuse in accordance with their arranged child protection plan. Establish safe surroundings in which children and young people can learn and develop to the best of their ability. Teaching and learning: will include curriculum policies, special educational needs policy, planning and assessment policy and marking policy. The aims and missions of these policies are to provide safe, stimulating learning environments for pupils and teachers. These policies are put in place to ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to the school curriculum so that learning is differentiated to fit each child’s individual learning needs and capabilities. Equality, diversity and inclusion: the following policies are set in place to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, abilities or disabilities, race or religious beliefs have equal access to the school and its curriculum and to be treated equally in every aspect of school life. The Gifted and Talented policy outlines the way that the school identifies what ‘gift and talented’ means and also identifies the procedures and measures that are used in supporting a child or young person who is gifted and talented. An Equal Opportunities Policy is set in place in education to ensure that children and staff recognise that discrimination on the foundation of colour, culture, origin, sex or ability is not acceptable and to ensure that all staff feel valued, supported and have the appropriate advice and encouragement for professional development. Children are to be seen as an individual and each child‘s education is to be developed in relation to their needs and abilities. Parental engagement: parents and families play a fundamental role in helping children achieve their full potential in education by supporting them in their learning and developing within their own homes. By working together with the child’s school parents can create a learning environment to help reinforce lessons that are learned at school. Homework policies contribute towards building responsibilities and self-discipline in a student. Homework should provide a student with the opportunity to apply the information they have learned in class, complete unfinished class assignments and develop independence. Home School Agreement: can raise standards and contribute to school success by providing structure for partnerships between home and schools on issues such as; pupils progress, information on what pupils will be taught and any concerns that may affect the pupils ability to learn. Parents are able to support and help their child’s learning at home with more success and confidence. Schools need to ensure that policies and procedures that are in place are regularly revised and updated. Each policy will be dated and have a date for its revision. There are model policies available on the internet through local education authorities to assist the schools in drawing them up as this can be a time consuming process. Depending on the policy, the person responsible for a curriculum area (for example, the numeracy coordinator) may produce a draft policy and then have it checked by other staff during a meeting. It will then need to be agreed or ratified by the governing body before it takes effect. The revised/new policies or procedures would be communicated/distributed in the appropriate way ie. If it was an updated mobile phone policy for pupils then letters would be sent to parents and the new version posted on the school website. National Government. The Department for Education is responsible for education and children’s services. Basically, this means that they are responsible for setting the national curriculum and early years foundation stage, which the schools and nurseries operate and also looks into new ways to develop the quality of service available to children. Other roles and responsibilities of the Department of Education include funding research into Education based projects concerning children and young people. Developing workforce reform such as the 2020 children’s workforce strategy. Promoting integrated working for those who work with children and young people. Developing the role of the third sector, which are non-government organisations, such as voluntary, community organisations and charities that work with children and young people. Local Government. Are responsible for providing services to all the schools in the community. The local Education authority is responsible for providing, school management issues, behaviour management, the development of school policies, staff training and development and special educational needs. The LEA will have policies which communicate their own leadership for schools in the community. The local authority will employ specialist advisers for different aspects of the curriculum. They will also have people with their own area of expertise in place for pupils with challenging behaviour and special educational needs. The majority of these services will be provided free to schools by the LEA, but in some circumstances the school could be expected to pay, this will be when specialist teachers need to come into the school setting. The LEA will be responsible for informing the schools in the community of changes to the education policy and they will then be given extra training within the area of changes. It is the responsibility of all schools to make sure they are up to date with all the current policies which are put in place for children, young people and their families. There are a large range of organisations that work with children and young people. All these organisations will delegate with each other as a team and share their knowledge and experiences to achieve the best interest of children and young people. Social services will work with schools if certain information comes to light about pupils or if they need to gather information for court reasons. Children’s Services. Are based on the framework Every Child Matters. These are basically based in different areas of professionals including; Education, health, early years, child care, social services and youth services. These will work with secondary schools, but will be more involved with the training and provision of young people from the age of 14 and beyond. National Health Services. There are many different services which will work with and within the school setting. These may be employed by the national health services and the primary care trust. This will include; Speech therapists, Occupational therapists, Physiotherapists.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Style Analysis Essay

Plot:â€Å"Pretty soon he†¦ it was Miss Watson’s Jim! I bet I was glad to see him. I says: ‘Hello, Jim! ’ and skipped out. † (Twain 40) â€Å"Who do you reckon ‘t is? † â€Å"I hain’t no idea. Who is it? † â€Å"It’s Tom Sawyer! † (Twain 203) Point of View: â€Å"It didn’t take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn’t no kings nor dukes, at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds. † (Twain 115) â€Å"Well, I couldn’t see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn’t try for it. † (Twain 6-7) Micro: Figurative Language: â€Å"I never see such an old ostrich for wanting to gobble everything– and I a trusting you all the time, like you was my own father. † (Twain 189) â€Å"BOOM! † I see the white smoke squirt out of the ferry-boat’s side. † (Twain 36) Allusion:â€Å"ONe was â€Å"Pilgrim’s Progress,† about a man that left his family it didn’t say why. † (Twain 93) â€Å"Why, hain’t you ever read any books at all? † – Baron Trenck, nor Casanova, nor Benvenuto Chel -getting a prisoner loose in such an old- maidy way as that? No;† (Twain 216) Imagery:â€Å"There was a clock in the middle of the mantel-piece, with a picture of a town painted on the bottom half of the glass front, and a round place in the middle of it for the sun, and you could see the pendulum swing behind it. It was beautiful to hear that clock tick. † (Twain 93) â€Å"†¦ and a streak of butter come a trickling down my forehead, and Aunt Sally she see it, and turns white as a sheet. † (Twain 245) Themes: In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry FInn finding the truth yourself is wiser than believing what others tell you. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain he portrays how differences bring people closer together and make peace. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Style Analysis Essay Macro: Plot:â€Å"Pretty soon he†¦ it was Miss Watson’s Jim! I bet I was glad to see him. I says: ‘Hello, Jim!’ and skipped out.† (Twain 40) â€Å"Who do you reckon ‘t is?† â€Å"I hain’t no idea. Who is it?† â€Å"It’s Tom Sawyer!† (Twain 203) Point of View: â€Å"It didn’t take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn’t no kings nor dukes, at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds.† (Twain 115) â€Å"Well, I couldn’t see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn’t try for it.† (Twain 6-7) Micro: Figurative Language: â€Å"I never see such an old ostrich for wanting to gobble everything– and I a trusting you all the time, like you was my own father.† (Twain 189) â€Å"BOOM!† I see the white smoke squirt out of the ferry-boat’s side.† (Twain 36) Allusion:â€Å"ONe was â€Å"Pilgrim’s Progress,† about a man that left his family it didn’t say why.† (Twain 93) â€Å"Why, hain’t you ever read any books at all?† – Baron Trenck, nor Casanova, nor Benvenuto Chel -getting a prisoner loose in such an old- maidy way as that? No;† (Twain 216) Imagery:â€Å"There was a clock in the middle of the mantel-piece, with a picture of a town painted on the bottom half of the glass front, and a round place in the middle of it for the sun, and you could see the pendulum swing behind it. It was beautiful to hear that clock tick.† (Twain 93) â€Å"†¦and a streak of butter come a trickling down my forehead, and Aunt Sally she see it, and turns white as a sheet.† (Twain 245) Themes: In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry FInn finding the truth yourself is wiser than believing what others tell you. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain he portrays how differences bring people closer together and make peace.