How does college experience affect future experiences Essay

How does college experience affect future experiences - Essay Example Students learn to listen and pass their ideas articulately with good communication skills. In order to score good grades, students must be committed to attending all the classes. This is also true at the workplace. Employees are expected to be at their work place every day with few off days. Results are what matters in colleges in spite of how hard one works. At the workplace employees are also expected to deliver on their targets without excuses. Time keeping is a critical factor in our college lives. Both in college and workplace we are required to observe time and be punctual always. (Staley & Staley, 2012) observes that students should be able to exhibit the work ethic they had in college in their work life. The way they worked hard to achieve good grades should be the same way they will strive in their work places to meet the standards set by the organization. Most students have at one point been given a group work assignment. This experience prepares them to work in committees in future. They are also expected to be good team players from the experience they gain through the group work. In college students meet others from different races and cultural backgrounds. This enables them to appreciate and co-exist peaceful with other people from different backgrounds in their future endeavors. It helps them develop socially and intellectually. The extra co-curricular activities students participate in help in drilling discipline and enhancing self esteem. It also develops students socially since they interact with many people. Students are also thought to obey rules which in turn them into responsible citizens once they grow up. The values and characters developed in college can have a huge influence on success in the professional life. As (Staley & Staley, 2012) summarizes it â€Å"Thanks to having gone to college, you can begin your career with ready-to-go professional

Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Information Systems Essay An information system (IS) collects, processes, stores, analyzes, and disseminates information for a specific purpose. Like any other system, an information system includes inputs (data, instructions) and outputs (reports, calculations). It processes the inputs by using technology such as PCs and produces outputs that are sent to users or to other systems via electronic networks and a feedback mechanism that controls the operation. Information systems generally are classified into five categories: office information systems, transaction processing systems, management information systems, decision support systems, and expert systems. McD Information system There are many types of information systems used in McDonalds such as : Transaction Processing System (TPS) First transaction happens when two people make an exchange, and collecting data about it called transaction processing, so transaction processing is collecting, storing, modifying, and retrieving the transactions of an organization. Transaction system is important to answer routine questions, and it helps to conduct business such as payroll, employee record keeping or paying an employee. Its important to store the data of the transaction save and protected because transaction generally involves an exchange of money which is critical to any organization. How Transaction Processing System is implementing in McDonalds? McDonalds everyday sells a huge amount of hamburgers ,so McDonalds should order raw material from its supplier , each time McDonalds place an order with its supplier , a transaction happens , and the transaction processing system records the relevant information such as supplier ‘name , address , the quality of the items purchased and finally the invoice amount. Decision support system (DSS) Decision support system is used to model data and make quality decision based on the data , making the right decision is usually based on the quality of the data and ones ability to analyze the data , Decision Support Systems are usually computer applications with a human component. They can sift through large amounts of data and pick between the many choices and supports the non – routine decision. How decision support system implemented in McDonalds? At first McDonalds began as a small restaurant, selling foods to customers , the business expanded slowly ,then McDonalds analyze the market well to come with opportunity, as we know we live in the time of technology , so McDonalds thought of providing wireless services , so the company gather information about the customer usage of wireless services , length of stay and sales level , then the decision support system analyze the data to come up with the decision of providing wireless service in their restaurant. Management Information Systems (MIS) Management information system is a system that provides information needed to manage organizations effectively. Management information systems involve three primary resources: technology, information, and people, and the most important resource is people, the information that we get supports the routine decision making in the functional areas How Management Information System is implemented in McDonalds? In McDonalds they implement MIS system which is used to produce periodic reports such as a daily list of employees and the hours they work, or a monthly report of expenses as compared to a budget. McDonalds used MIS because the purpose of MIS is to provide profitability and information to help managers and staff understand the business performance and plan its future direction.

Yukio Mishimas The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea - Existent

Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea -   Existentialist Views On Death    Cultures all over the world have different convictions surrounding the final, inevitable end for all humans - death. In the United States, and in most Westernized cultures we tend to view death as something that can be avoided through the use of medicine, artificial respiration machines, and the like. To us, death is not a simple passing, and usually, we do not accept it as a normal part of life. Death, to Westernized folk, is not celebrated, but is rather something to be feared, something that haunts us all in the back of our minds. However, this mentality is not held through all cultures -- in Mishima's The Sailor, a Japanese novel steeped in traditional Eastern values, death is a very proud, honorable part of life. Its inevitability is accepted and, at many times, even celebrated and brou~ht about willingly. Throughout existentialist literature, the belief is held true that death, in and of itself, is a most crucial determinant of life's meaning, or in this case meaninglessne ss. This is what Noboru and his gang attempt to construct through causing the death of the kitten, and more importantly, of Ryuji. Throughout the Sailor, our Western convictions concerning death are brutally challenged. Death, in the Sailor, was something to be proud of, something to look forward to. Our first look at death is through the eyes of a child, our absurdist hero, Noboru. He, with his gang, proceeds to kill a kitten with his gang, an attempt to find meaning in what they believed to be a meaningless, fleeting existence. "How are we going to do it?" he asked. After he killed the kitten, and the boys performed a type of twisted surgery on the corpse, ... ... end, if Ryuji had remained an "authentic person" and died as he wanted to, in a glorious death on the sea, he would not have been killed by a gang of young boys. Throughout existentialist literature, the belief is held true that death, in and of itself, is a most crucial determinant of life's meaning, or in this case, meaninglessness. With Ryuji's death, the boys attempt to find meaning, but instead, they find revenge against Ryuji for the cnme he committed - against himself. Bibliography 1. Heuscher, Julius E., M.D. Existential Crisis, Death, and Changing "World Designs" in Myths and Fairy Tales," The Journal of Existentialism, 1966. 2. Heuscher, J. Existentialism. Vol V., N. 20, p. 371, 1965. 3. Feifel, H., ed "The Meaning of Death." Mc-Graw Hill Publications, 1959. 4. Grimm, J. and W., Grimms' Fairy Tales. Ch. Thomas., Publ. Springfield, Ill., 1988.    Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea -   Existent Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea -   Existentialist Views On Death    Cultures all over the world have different convictions surrounding the final, inevitable end for all humans - death. In the United States, and in most Westernized cultures we tend to view death as something that can be avoided through the use of medicine, artificial respiration machines, and the like. To us, death is not a simple passing, and usually, we do not accept it as a normal part of life. Death, to Westernized folk, is not celebrated, but is rather something to be feared, something that haunts us all in the back of our minds. However, this mentality is not held through all cultures -- in Mishima's The Sailor, a Japanese novel steeped in traditional Eastern values, death is a very proud, honorable part of life. Its inevitability is accepted and, at many times, even celebrated and brou~ht about willingly. Throughout existentialist literature, the belief is held true that death, in and of itself, is a most crucial determinant of life's meaning, or in this case meaninglessne ss. This is what Noboru and his gang attempt to construct through causing the death of the kitten, and more importantly, of Ryuji. Throughout the Sailor, our Western convictions concerning death are brutally challenged. Death, in the Sailor, was something to be proud of, something to look forward to. Our first look at death is through the eyes of a child, our absurdist hero, Noboru. He, with his gang, proceeds to kill a kitten with his gang, an attempt to find meaning in what they believed to be a meaningless, fleeting existence. "How are we going to do it?" he asked. After he killed the kitten, and the boys performed a type of twisted surgery on the corpse, ... ... end, if Ryuji had remained an "authentic person" and died as he wanted to, in a glorious death on the sea, he would not have been killed by a gang of young boys. Throughout existentialist literature, the belief is held true that death, in and of itself, is a most crucial determinant of life's meaning, or in this case, meaninglessness. With Ryuji's death, the boys attempt to find meaning, but instead, they find revenge against Ryuji for the cnme he committed - against himself. Bibliography 1. Heuscher, Julius E., M.D. Existential Crisis, Death, and Changing "World Designs" in Myths and Fairy Tales," The Journal of Existentialism, 1966. 2. Heuscher, J. Existentialism. Vol V., N. 20, p. 371, 1965. 3. Feifel, H., ed "The Meaning of Death." Mc-Graw Hill Publications, 1959. 4. Grimm, J. and W., Grimms' Fairy Tales. Ch. Thomas., Publ. Springfield, Ill., 1988.   

School life

Every day seems never- ending. It feels like if we were at school a thousand hours instead of eight. Routine is heavy, always doing the same, waking up at 7 am then going to school at 8 am. After that we have to survive boring teachers and useless subjects for the next seven or eight hours with only a few breaks between them. Once we arrive home all we want to do is sleep. But no, we can ‘t, we got to do our homework.Teachers think we do not have enough at school so they give us work to do at home. It seems like a Joke. We have no time for our interests or hobbies such as arts like learning how to play an instrument, learning to paint or draw or whatever we want to do. Our schedule is full of things. Most of them have to do with school. All what I have said is what a student would say if I call him right now, but if he took some seconds to think, he would realize school give us lots of possibilities.Thanks to school is that we've got friends. Students often said things such as â€Å"Hey teachers, you know we have a social life, don ‘t you? † that ‘s that ‘s very rough, they (school) gave us the possibility of having a social life. Of course we got one outside school! Personally, I think that we must stay positive and see the great things school life offers. Yes, it's kind of tough but also it will be our work life. That ‘s school life porpoise, to prepared us for what is coming ext.Yes, I will not discuss sometimes It is boring, but remember all the time you laugh at school, with your friends and why not with your teachers too. School life Is hard, but it's a good thing. Nelson Mandela once said: â€Å"Education Is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. † And he Is correct. Education is the key to success, and by â€Å"success† I do not only mean being a great doctor or businessman but also to reach happiness.

How has Sweatshops Affected Ciudad de Juarez Mexico?

What are sweatshops? Labor Departments around the world defines sweatshops as workplaces that violate two or more basic labor laws – it includes child labor, minimum wage, overtime and safety laws. Sweatshops conjures up vivid images of unsatisfactory working conditions, factories that are dirty, cramped reminiscent of turn of the century New York tenements where majority of immigrant women worked as seamstresses (Given).True to the assessment, sweatshops workers report horrible working conditions, below minimum wages, no benefits, non-payment of wages, forced overtime, sexual harassment, corporal punishment and illegal termination. In some instances children are found working in sweatshops, instead of going to school as mandated by local laws (â€Å"Definition of Sweatshop†).Most sweatshop operators thrives on notoriety as they force women workers to regularly take birth control pills to avoid pregnancy; or abortion; and for those women who defy the orders, are not giv en maternity leaves and most often terminated. These conditions are the result of women’s illiteracy, ignorance of workers rights and access to workers union (Given).Why do sweatshops continue to proliferate? In more advanced countries, sweatshops are not tolerated by government, in fact they have line agencies that process reports of violation of existing labor laws. In the process manufacturers have to follow mandated codes that results in products that are not price competitive in the world market.Upon the fall of Communism, â€Å"free market† followed and the marked rise in anti-union sentiment. Governments likewise pushed for the encouragement of free trade that actually hastened the globalization process. This also brought the creation of the government initiative known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which seeks to abolish all known trade barriers among countries (â€Å"Sweat Shop Labor†).In so doing, large corporations are now free to seek labor outsourcing; particularly on the poor and impoverished countries with oppressive dictatorial regimes. Through suppression of workers freedom of speech and the right to workers union, low wages are offered that appeal to most large corporations. The NAFTA as an agency can enforce a minimum standard for workers rights only to some extent, but never on â€Å"free trade zones† (Mexican maquiladoras), where the workers rights provisions of the agreement simply cannot be enforced (Given).The Juarez, Mexico Maquiladoras (Sweatshops); The city of Juarez in Mexico lies along the border with the United States, in fact only a 15foot wall separates the two countries. Because of the NAFTA provision on the creation of â€Å"free trade zones† (maquiladoras), Juarez became the center of trade with American multi-national companies. 90% of all the products churned out in Juarez are destined for the United States (â€Å"Delegation Objectives†).In the Juarez maquiladora s alone thousands of young women are hired and are recipient of poverty level wages. Since the NAFTA provisions are not binding, inferior environmental regulation permeates the manufacturing plants and agricultural farms coupled with low tariffs, thus the maquiladoras had amassed prosperity and massive amounts of wealth.To maintain the level of efficiency in the maquiladoras, workers are brutally treated. Those who manifest resistance and disloyalty are subjected to torture, some are abducted and raped and still others are murdered. This has been the situation of Mexican women hired in the maquiladoras, as present records would reveal that over 400 victims had disappeared from Juarez alone. Although these cases have been going on since 1993, yet nothing has been done about it and this violent disappearance and crime remains unsolved and continues unabated to this day (â€Å"The Tragedies†).Even with evidence of the gruesome crimes already brought into the open, authorities in practically all levels of the Mexican government continues to exhibit indifference about the matter. Strong evidence suggests that some high level officials may be part of the conspiracy. Corruption at the higher level of government offices allow these criminal acts to be committed with impunity, secure in the belief that there will be no consequence (Hanna).Though minor advances have been made in the struggle for justice due in part to the determination of the victim’s families who can never submit to the state and federal authorities bullying to keep them quiet. This has reached significant breakthrough because international non-government organizations are spearheading the campaign so justice can finally be meted out. The grassroots group working with the NGO’s often work under a climate of fear, threats and defamation by government officials.Stand and be counted To be honest, I abhor the atrocities committed on the countless women workers in Juarez, Mexico. What h appened to them is a form of exploitation perpetrated by supposed to be a sane society in this modern era. So, all forms of legal remedies must be laid out to stop these senseless disregard for human rights and violations of the moral framework.After being presented with a lengthy account of women workers conditions at the various maquiladora (free trade zones) companies, I can only sympathize with the victims and families for the fate that befalls them. What happened to them was a gruesome tale inflicted to them by their own kind. It could have been more understandable if such treatment happened during the war and succeeding invasion, but from a countryman simply because they are motivated by greed, is the lowest form of inhumanity. Such atrocities should be condemned and perpetrators brought to the bar of justice so a commensurate punishment could be meted out.Women who work in Mexican maquiladoras are paid wages that vary from $25 to $50 a week, a rate that is not even classified poverty level since pants costs $15 to $20. How can you live with this income, while most American’s believe that Mexican workers can survive with lower wages simply because their living expenses are cheaper. Baloney, because basic commodities such as milk, bread, sugar are much cheaper across the border in the U.S.Workers have to scrimp to make ends meet, most live in shacks constructed from packing crates which are usually sold (not given free) by companies. How can you expect workers to be comfortable in this situation, they do not have running water, and the water they use are stored in containers previously used by toxic chemicals, further contributing to health risks. How can these flimsy shacks protect these workers from the harsh elements, particularly heat from the sun and severe cold at night (Dr. Kayann).In the workplace the same miserable condition exists, workers are always subjected to dangerous and inhumane working conditions, such as exposure to toxic chemica ls without any form of protection because owners cut costs to increase profitability. Workers are made to stand long hours and not even allowed to turn their heads and converse with a neighboring worker. When a quota is placed it has to be completed and workers have to put in extra hours without additional compensation. The situation borders on slave labor of the past, only that this time they are paid with diminutive wages. Is this practice correct? (Dr. Kayann).Despite the gruesome treatment, what have NAFTA done to ease the suffering of the workers. Proponents of the NAFTA have always maintained that the U.S. backed Treaty would literally improve wages and conditions of the Mexican workers, the contrary has happened however, since wages have plummeted and the working conditions have turned from bad to worst. Part of the emergency plan at the time (1994) was the devaluation of the peso to provide relief during the Mexican economic crises. It cuts the purchasing power of the peso i n half and resulted in untold misery to the workers. The Mexicans suffered in the trade-off, but it brought prosperity to the multi-national companies based in the U.S (Wikipedia Contributors).Where then is the ethical conducts that the NAFTA treaty envisioned. Can you be morally correct if your company profited at the expense of the hapless Mexican workers at the Juarez maquiladora? We are the bastion of democracy around the world, we encourage free and equal opportunities for all, yet we deprive our neighbor Mexico the right to co-exist with us and put the question of survival of its workers to the brink. How can we do this?While NAFTA was promoted as the magic potion to heal the ailing Mexican economy, the contrary has happened, it brought the economy to its knees. When heavily subsidized American agri-business products entered the mainstream Mexican economy it forced Mexican farmers off their land because of the low-priced imports. This single blow alone forced some 2 million fa rmers out from agriculture and suffered the pangs of poverty (Bybee & Winter).Again with NAFTA’s service sector rules, it enjoined giant firms like Wal-Mart to enter the Mexican market, it sold low-priced goods made by China that totally displaced the local based manufacturing firms. It is reported that a total of 28,000 medium sized Mexican firms have been eliminated. How can Mexican businesses compete in a playing field that is grossly one sided, naturally the weak suffered. Mexico is not a David that can slew a Goliath.Due to the economic shortfall and the demise of the medium-sized manufacturing firms there is now an oversupply of workers and guided by the governments policy of crushing labor unions, it resulted in sweatshops along the border that pays wages of 60 cents to a dollar an hour. Wages have actually gone down since the NAFTA provisions came into effect.The overall consequence of the NAFTA provision on the people of Mexico have been the cause of marked reduction in industrial wages, peasant’s were forced off the agricultural lands, small manufacturing businesses closed shop, and the incidence of growing poverty. This would explain why so many desperate Mexicans were lured into the border to find a decent way to make a living under the U.S backed maquiladora (Bybee & Winter).Those who didn’t find work risked their lives to cross the border to provide for their family. Records would show that there were 2.5 million illegal Mexican immigrants in 1995 and 8 million more have crossed the border thereafter. In 2005, around 400 desperate Mexicans died while attempting to cross the border. A tragedy that should have been averted had the tenets of the NAFTA been willfully designed (Grieco & Ray).In effect NAFTA failed to discourage illegal immigration for the simple reason that it was not designed as a genuine development program. Had it been devised as such, NAFTA could have raised the standard of living; provided health care; encour aged environmental clean-up; and instigated workers rights in Mexico. Economically speaking, Mexico has now been annexed by the U.S. as the manufacturing base for cheap labor. (Bybee & Winter).These are the very reasons why I express displeasure over the continued existence of the maquiladora in Juarez, Mexico. And to think that America had a hand in its creation, in the guise of globalization is doubly embarrassing.ConclusionThe effect of globalization has been grossly exercised in Mexico, as balance of trade was compromised. The NAFTA, the vehicle that was supposed to bring equal economic directions to both countries was glaringly one sided, bringing prosperity to one and misery to the other. The economic tug of war manifested with the closure of businesses in Mexico and the creation of â€Å"free trade zones† near the border.As the Mexican economy was reeling because of unfair competition, the labor force quadrupled and to make ends meet, people were forced to work within the maquidora. Mexican officials took advantage of the economic recession and took its toll on the hapless Mexican labor force, by instigating low wages, harsh and brutal treatment on workers. Some endured in order to survive but the rest crossed the border to seek a better life.I am really for the dismantling of the maquidora and return the dignity to the Mexican labor force. What happened to the workers in Juarez is morally oppressive, considering that they were forced out of their normal work routine, because of the failure of the NAFTA to provide for the essentials in order to remedy the effects of a floundering economy.The Mexicans had placed hopes in the American inspired economic bailout system and even acceded to the devaluation of the peso to finally rise from the ashes. Only to be confronted with the evils of the Juarez maquiladora as inspired by the provision of the NAFTA (Paul).Looking now at the dilemma of the Mexican people, it is only morally right that well-intention ed government agencies correct the failures that had been perpetrated. Make a thorough evaluation of the crimes that has been committed to the hapless women workers of the Juarez maquiladora and expedite justice. Above all a valid rectification and restitution program must be extended to the victims of the atrocities so they can live anew with dignity and self respect.Bibliography â€Å"Definition of Sweatshop.† Yahoo! Education. 2000. Houghton Mifflin Company. 11 December 2007. < http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/sweatshop>.â€Å"Delegation Objectives: Congressional Delegation to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.† Latin America Working Group. 2003. Latin America Working Group. 11 December 2007.â€Å"Sweat Shop Labor.† InterReligious Task Force on Central America. 11 December 2007.â€Å"The Tragedies of Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico.† Spark. 11 December 2007. .Bybee, Roger & Winter, Carolyn. â€Å"Immigration Flood Unleashed by NAFTA’s Dis astrous Impact on Mexican Economy.† Common Dreams. 25 April 2006. Common Dreams org. 11 December 2007. < http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0425-30.htm>.Dr. Kayann. â€Å"Who Makes It?† Why Shop? Colorado University. 11 December 2007. .Given, Olivia. â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions About Sweatshops and Women Workers.† Feminist Majority Foundation Online. September 1997. The Feminist Majority Foundation. 11 December 2007. .Grieco, Elizabeth & Ray, Brian. â€Å"Mexican Immigrants in the US Labor Force. Migration Information Source. March 2004. Migration Policy Institute. 11 December 2007. .Hanna, Erin. â€Å"NOW to Protest the Brutal Murder of Juarez Women.† National Organization for Women. April 2005. National Organization for Women. .Paul, Ron. â€Å"The Mexican Bailout.† Project Freedom. 1997. 11 December 2007. .Wikipedia Contributors. â€Å"1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 10 December 2007. Wikimedia Fou ndation, Inc. 11 December 2007. .

High School and Mel Thomas Essay

High School and Mel Thomas Essay High School and Mel Thomas Essay Idalis Pooooi Mel Thomas’ hard work and dedication marks her as an inspirational and admirable role model. Mel Thomas is from Cincinnati, Ohio, born on August 26, 1985. It was in Sixth grade, that she fell in love with the sport of basketball. It became the central focus of her life. Mel joined the UConn Huskies in 2004, where she continued the tradition of UConn women's basketball student-athletes who have succeeded at the highest levels both academically and athletically. She was a three-time Big East Academic All-Star, and is a graduate of UConn's highly regarded School of Business. Mel was named co-captain of her team in both her junior and senior seasons. Geno has been scouting her since she was a sophomore in high school. â€Å"My dreams of a National Championship started early.â€Å" During Mel’s senior season at Mount Notre Dame High School, she led her team to a perfect 28-0 record and the school’s first Division I Ohio State Basketball Championship. â€Å"Mel Thomas will always be remembered as one of the toughest kids ever to play at UConn. That is saying a lot, considering the many great players who have played here! â€Å" Says her coach, Geno. Mel finished her career with 1,098 points and ranked fourth in UConn history in three-pointers made with 224. Mel was a member of the United States Pan American Games team in the summer of 2007 as the U.S. won the gold medal for the first time since 1987. Thomas struggled during her freshman season. In her sophomore season, she was named the Big East’s Most Improved Player. She started all of the Huskies’ first 28 contests before sitting out the final two games of the regular season with a sprained right ankle, which she got in the Syracuse game on February 2, 2006. The next season was her breakout season. Thomas started in all 36 games as the Huskies’ shooting guard and tallied double figure points in 16 games, including three 20-plus scoring efforts. She made at least one 3-pointer in 35 of 36 games. In her junior and senior seasons, she co-captained the team with Renee Montgomery. She spent the summer prior to the start of her junior season playing for the USA Pan American Games Team, which became the first U.S. squad to capture the gold medal at the Pan American Games since 1987. In her senior season, Thomas scored her 1,000 point of her career against the Virginia Cavaliers on December 5, 2007 in a 75-45 UConn win. Nine games later, her season was cut short due to tearing her ACL and lateral meniscus against Syracuse on January 15, 20 08. On January 21, 2008, against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, Thomas was honored with her 1,000th point ball in front of a sold-out crowd at Gampel Pavilion.While sidelined with the injury during her senior year she wrote in a diary everyday and it later was made in to a book that she published called "Heart Of A Husky". She finished her UConn career

Role of Government in Capitalism Essay Example

Role of Government in Capitalism Essay Example Role of Government in Capitalism Paper Role of Government in Capitalism Paper Free market capitalism is a system of  economics  that minimizes government intervention and maximizes the role of the  market. A free market economy is based on supply and demand with little or no government control. A completely free market is an idealized form of a market economy where buyers and sellers are allowed to transact freely (i. e. buy/sell/trade) based on a mutual agreement on price without state intervention in the form of taxes, subsidies or regulation. Government  regulations, trade barriers, and labor laws are generally thought to distort the market. In practice, no country or jurisdiction has a completely free market. How Much Government is needed in the free capitalism arena? Should we expand our faith in free market capitalism, or do we need government intervention in each and every aspect of business economy? The role of government just considered is to do something that the market cannot do for itself, namely, to determine, arbitrate, and enforce the rules of the game. Railroads, Parks, Highways are an excellent example. A good society requires that its members agree on the general conditions that will govern relations among them. The basic roles of government in a free society is to provide a means whereby we can modify the rules, to mediate differences among us on the meaning of the rules, and to enforce compliance with the rules. According to Adam Smith, self-interest (not selfishness), property rights and division of labor are three important interrelated pillars of economic growth. Some of the market values include the below and the failure can happen if we miss any of the below qualities. * Discipline * Honesty and trustworthiness * Tolerance * Cooperation * Courtesy * Enterprise * Responsibility Market failure occurs due to many reasons. Some of those reasons are: * Monopoly power * When producers do not fully bear total costs of products or are unable to capture all benefits of producing products. * When there is a common property resource. Common property is nobodys property, hence the property is misused. * Lack of information, misinformation or asymmetry of information. * Risk and/or uncertainty * Economic Bubbles * Environmental Pollution. * Exploitation of Workers. * Unsafe and Ineffective Products. * Corporate Fraud and Theft. * Neglect of Public Goods. * Neglect of Social and Public Investments. * Hidden Information. * Inability to Plan. Boom and Bust Cycles. * Lack of Markets. * Poverty and Economic Inequality. * Lack of Opportunity and Economic Mobility. There are a host of other areas where free markets will not work efficiently and promote public welfare without some government intervention. For example, areas of product safety, workplace safety, airwaves allocation, oil and gas exploration. Therefore gov ernment intervention is essential for the working of free and competitive markets. Role of a government in a market economy should: * Provide a legal system to make and enforce laws and to protect private property rights. Provide public goods that individuals or private businesses would not provide. * Correct market failures such as external costs and economic slowdown (unemployment) * Maintain competition by regulating monopolies * Stabilize the economy by reducing unemployment and inflation and promoting economic growth. We can give two great examples where government intervention is needed 2001 dot. com bubble and subprime mortgage crisis. For 2001 . com bubble, government has to step in and put some regulations in the market to curb the crisis. In late 2008 US financial markets seemed near collapse. The financial community’s near collapse had been most directly ignited by the subprime mortgage crisis; a situation in which the nation’s housing bubble burst and millions of Americans were no longer able to pay their home mortgages. Lending had essentially frozen. A great name in banking, Lehman Brothers, went bankrupt while Wall Street powers Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch, facing failure, were sold. One estimate is that the total Federal Reserve aid package, at its peak, reached $3. 3 trillion. Through its Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and other initiatives, the government assisted companies considered â€Å"too big to fail. The government undertook various stimulative measures including tax breaks, bond sales, and direct injections of federal money to prop up the badly faltering economy. In a centerpiece of the stimulus effort, about $800 billion was spent on such projects as road construction, extension of unemployment benefits, help to states in meeting Me dicaid costs, and high-speed rail transportation. National unemployment was in the 10 percent range, and the government decided to use all of its powers to quickly build jobs and otherwise rescue the economy to avert a total crash. Some of the government programs might put the country in more and more debt situation and for example cash for first-time homeowners, cash for clunkers, payroll tax reductions a year at a time, Obama Care, subsidies for electric vehicles, cash for investments in green energy, taxes on medical devices, a Fed that now is not just managing inflation, but also trying to improve the economy through artificially low interest rates over a very long period of time and a major increase in new regulations. All of these interventions have impacts on the costs of products and services, prices of those products and services. Even biggest democratic countries like India are planning to privatize lot of government sectors for example trash, transportation. The government currently ties a noose around the neck of the free market in a multitude of ways. It has rules and regulations, favors to special interest groups, currency debasement by inflating the money supply etc. , All these things disrupt the free market. There is no doubt that government alone cannot make an economy work for the betterment of all its citizens. It does need to partner with a  progressive  private sector to make that happen. Limited government and show the presence wherever needed, makes government the strongest ally in the business world and we can create a better business together. References: http://books. cat-v. org/economics/capitalism-and-freedom/chapter_02 http://highered. mcgraw-hill. com/sites/dl/free/0073525006/928301/McAdams_10e_Chapter_1. pdf governmentisgood. com/articles. php? aid=13;print=1

A Perspective on Why Abortion Isnt Murder

A Perspective on Why Abortion Isn't Murder The question of whether or not abortion is murder is one of the most contentious social and political issues of the day. Although the United States Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in 1973, the morality of terminating a pregnancy has been debated in the U.S. since at least the mid-1800s. A Brief History of Abortion Although abortions were performed in colonial America, they were not considered illegal or immoral. Premarital sex, however, was outlawed, which may have contributed to abortion being considered taboo by some. As in Great Britain, a fetus was not considered to be a living being until quickening, usually 18 to 20 weeks, when the mother could feel her unborn child move. Attempts to criminalize abortion began in Britain in 1803, when the procedure was outlawed if the quickening had already occurred. Further restrictions were passed in 1837.  In the U.S., attitudes toward abortion began to shift after the Civil War. Led by physicians who saw the practice as a threat to their profession and people opposed to the emerging womens rights movement, anti-abortion laws were passed in a majority of states by the 1880s. The outlawing of abortion in the U.S. did not make the practice disappear, however. Far from it. By the middle of the 20th century, it is estimated that as many as 1.2 million abortions were performed annually in the U.S. Because the procedure remained illegal, however, many women were forced to seek out abortionists who worked in unsanitary conditions or had no medical training, leading to the unnecessary deaths of countless patients due to infection or hemorrhaging. As the feminist movement gained steam in the 1960s, the push to legalize abortion gained momentum. By 1972, four states had repealed their abortion restrictions and another 13 had loosened them. The following year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7 to 2 that women had a right to an abortion, although states could impose restrictions on the practice. Is Abortion Murder? Despite or perhaps because of the Supreme Court ruling, abortion continues to be a hotly debated issue today. Many states have imposed severe restrictions on the practice, and religious and conservative politicians often frame the issue as one of morality and preserving the sanctity of life. Murder, as it is typically defined, involves the intentional death of another human person. Even if one were to assume that every embryo or fetus is as sentient as a grown human being, the lack of intent would still be enough to classify abortion as something other than murder. A Hypothetical Argument Lets imagine a scenario in which two men go deer hunting. One man mistakes his friend for a deer, shoots him, and accidentally kills him. Its hard to imagine that any reasonable person would describe this as murder, even though we would all know for certain that a real, sentient human person was killed. Why? Because the shooter thought he was killing a deer, something other than a real, sentient human person. Now consider the example of abortion. If a woman and her physician think theyre killing a non-sentient organism, then they would not be committing murder. At most, they would be guilty of involuntary manslaughter. But even involuntary manslaughter involves criminal negligence, and it would be very hard to judge someone criminally negligent for not personally believing that a pre-viable embryo or fetus is a sentient human person when we dont actually know this to be the case. From the point of view of someone who believes that every fertilized egg is a sentient human person, abortion would be horrific, tragic, and lethal. But it would be no more murderous than any other kind of accidental death. Sources Ravitz, Jessica. The Surprising History of Abortion in the United States. CNN.com. 27 June 2016.  BBC staff. Historial Attitudes to Abortion. BBC.co.uk. 2014.Carmon, Irin. A Brief History of Abortion Law in America. BillMoyers.com. 14 November 2017.Gold, Rachel Benson. Lessons from before Roe: Will Past be Prologue? Guttmacher.org. 1 March 2003.

Proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Research Proposal Example Hacko limited a company that deals with production of stationary and office accessories to other companies in the market. Company sales have been falling due to competition from other players in the market. Low production has also affected the company due to the loss of human hours due to parental leaves. The company has two hundred workers of which a third of the work force are women. Building a nursery in the company will enable the company to save almost a third of its staff from prolonged parental leave (Cohen 52). The company owns a building thus needs only to create a small facility in to house the nursery. The cost of furniture and fittings will be around300 dollars for a facility that can easily cater for sixty workers in the company. The facility will cost the company 200 dollars on a monthly basis for running the facility. This is not comparable to the 2000dollars lost every month due to low sales and loss of business to the competition. Using the cost factor to evaluate the efficiency of the proposal, it is evident that the company is likely to save almost 1700 dollars by implementing the proposal. A more active workforce is likely to be the benefit of the nursery. The parents can take time to check on their kids thus knowing that they are okay will increase their efficiency in the work place. The proposal drastically cuts short the man hours lost during the parental leaves by half. The company gives the mother four months maternity leave while the father two moths. With the introduction of the nursery, the company will be able to cut the leave period by half to save on work force (Porter 112). I have studied economics and social behaviour and experience in my previous work place shows the method proposed will lead to increased productivity in the workplace and also employee satisfaction. Adequate research has also been conducted in the area to ensure

Gary Kulesha Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gary Kulesha - Essay Example In 1995, he joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as a composer-advisor. The Orchestra took his ‘Gates of Times’ on their American tour in 1999 while his ‘The True Color of the Sky’ was taken the next year on the European tour. He is the youngest composer to be named as the Composer of the year by PROCanada. For his achievements, Gary Kulesha was honored with the first National Arts Centre Orchestra Composer Award. He has been nominated twice for the Juno award, once for his ‘Third Chamber Concerto’ in 1990 and again in the year 2000 for ‘The Book of Mirrors’. In 2002, he took part in the international Double Reed Convention and co-directed Chamber Orchestra Program of the new Banff centre (Gary Kulesha Biography). Presently, Gary Kulesha is a teacher at the renowned University of Toronto where he teaches composition and theory and holds the position of the director of the Contemporary Music ensemble. He has earned great repute in h is lifetime and is an asset for his country. Works Cited â€Å"Gary Kulesha Biography.† Banff centre. 26 04 2011 .

Loaded Spring Oscillator, Hooke's Law Assignment

Loaded Spring Oscillator, Hooke's Law - Assignment Example The motion involves attachment of simple harmonic oscillator to the spring with the other end on the wall or any other rigid support system. The oscillator’s motion is repetitive at constant frequency hence periodic (Serway & Jewett, 2006 p 54). When the oscillator passes through the equilibrium its velocity is maximum and zero when passing through the extreme positions in its oscillation. The acceleration experienced by the oscillator is proportional to the negative of its displacement from the midpoint of its motion. A system in equilibrium and at rest has no net force acting on the mass. Displacement of the mass from equilibrium causes a restoring elastic force which obeys Hooke’s to be exerted by the spring. The restoring force F, is found by multiplying the spring constant K, to the displacement from equilibrium x; F=-Kx. The extension of a spring is directly proportional to the load applied to it. This is referred to the Hooke’s Law of elasticity. The mater ial’s elastic limit is the maximum load that when exceeded the material will not be able to gain its original form. Therefore, Hooke’s Law do not apply on the material. The elastic limit varies among the materials. The materials following Hooke’s Law are known as Hookean materials or linear elastic materials. The materials regain their original form after deformation by the load on it. In the formulae used to determine Hooke’s Law a negative sign is added because the restoring force acts in an opposite direction of displacement. The formula was stated by Robert Hooke, a British physicist in the 17th century hence its name; Hooke’s Law. A spring of length L and cross-sectional area A, is considered a linear elastic material since its extension is linearly proportional to tits tensile stress by a constant. Materials such as rubber are regarded as non-linear or non-Hookean since the load is not proportional to the extension that occurs. The material c hanging least in extension when load is applied is regarded to have the greatest elastic force. Elasticity would be described in four ways; compression, flexure or bending, stretching or extension, torsion or twisting. Elasticity has two main kinds namely elasticity by volume and elasticity of form or shape. For example, elasticity of volume is mainly experienced by the gases and liquids. Elasticity of the two is considered perfect since when the load is applied or removed there is no lost of volume. Increase in temperature of the material would cause increased extension. Therefore, factors such as temperature are to be kept constant during the experiment to ensure the results are not misleading. The graph is expected to be as shown below: Figure 1 The springs are found to obey the Hooke’s law in combinations. Therefore the springs can be combined to cater for specific spring constant. For springs in series, the equivalent constant is equal to the following: 1/Keq = 1/K1 + 1/ K2 Therefore the equivalent spring constant is the reciprocal of the answer from above. If the springs are in parallel the equivalent spring constant is equal to the sum of the spring constants of the springs used. Keq = K1 + K2 The Apparatus The requirements for the experiment are the steel springs, tensile. Mass hangers with slotted masses, 100g. Retort stand base, rod, boss and clamp. Short length of stiff wire to combine springs in parallel. G-clamp if the retort stand base is

In-Home Internet Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In-Home Internet - Coursework Example It is as a base station and distributes internet to the surrounding areas. Varied cells are assigned different frequencies from that closer to prevent signal interference and ensure reliability is in existence. Frame relay does the implementation without any error or control of flow. Here the data rates are up to 4 Mb/s and more depending on the provider. When handling frames, the latency is reduced, and precautions have to be taken to ensure that there is no build -up at switches occurring at intermediate points. Since these relays are identified uniquely by a DLCI, they ensure that there is communication from both directions of the DTE device. However, most of the connections concerning Frame Relays are based on PVCs other than SVCs. The provision from Frame Relay is permanent with bandwidth being medium thus its ability to carry data and voice traffic. It is thus suitable for Local area networks since the router only requires a single interface even with use of many VCs. Asynchronous Transfer Mode on the other hand came up due to standards for transfer of data, voice, and video at the same time (Mollenkopf, KloeÃŒ , Olbermann, Klumpp & Redecker, 2010). The speeds of operation were extremely fast than what had been previously attained without these standards. ATM has even better speed transmission capabilities than what Ethernets have achieved in local area networks. It also finds use in cell switching handling fixed-length. It involves multiplexing many packet switches that originate from varied cells that exist in different sources. The breakup of AT&T is the start of a season of smaller communications in the world. The resultant effect is a shift in the nature of competition. Local companies on phone will offer competition spanning regions and businesses. The advantage will be the high speed of connection. Opportunities are in providing products that are standardized with better improvements. It also

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

History - Essay Example Globalization is a continuous process that is yet to be realized in some developing nations. However, historians believe that it began in Europe, during the BCE. This discourse is about the history and the demand among other relevant aspects of globalization. History records that the earliest globalizations were realized when there was need to expand the trade links and capacities between two major trading partners, namely Indus and the summer during the 3rd millennium B.C.E. This occurred during the Hellenistic era, associated with the introduction of Greece culture into commercialized zones like India and Spain among others. Some historical records that Alexandria is among the first cities to embrace globalization, even though others believe it adopted globalization few decades after the initial globalization was recorded. Greece main force to expand its operations and trade with other regions was the issue of importing wheat among other major raw materials. The commodity was entir ely transported by the ships and canoe among other water transport vessels that existed during the Hellenistic era. Several trade links were later established and the three main links were the Han dynasty, the famous Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire among others. There was an expansion in transport routes from the borders of ancient China to Rome to enhance international trade. Furthermore, there was increase in Greece Ships sailed to the furthest corner of India among other Asian nations, in search of wheat among other raw materials. First globalization was meant to enhance international trade between the earliest Asian and European nations; however, it came with several negative implications to the societies involved. The Chinese from the Han Empire developed some conflicts that led to ancient war with other Asian Kingdoms like the Persians and the Indian Kingdoms among other Asian kingdoms. Han who was the ruler of Wu Empire declared war with the Yuezhi Kingdom, with the main aim of taking control of the Tarim Basin. Globalization was further enhanced by the Muslims during the golden age, when more trade routes or links were established between the Radhanites or Jewish and the Muslim community. The two communities developed their technology, trade and agricultural practices after some interactions. Muslims resolved in producing large volumes of Sugar, cotton and wheat among other crops. Small part was internally consumed while the rest was transported to European region, for international trade purposes. The second phase of globalization also called proto-globalization occurred in the 16th and 17th century when European Empires explored other developing regions and this resulted to influence of the European culture and trade among other aspects. Portuguese and Spanish empires were the first to make such movements or initiatives and they colonized the United States and Horn of Africa among other territories. The British and the Dutch also followed and th e expanded or rather global trade links which further led to establishment of multilateral companies like the Dutch East India among others. There was an increased trade trend in food and slaves to the European regions. Slave trade promoted the spread of communicable diseases in both Africa and Europe, more so along the trade routes. The final stage of

Assessment Of Resource Capabilities Of BMW Assignment

Assessment Of Resource Capabilities Of BMW - Assignment Example In an effort to uphold quality inventory in its earlier years, BMW ensured that it had innovative technology that would also help the company reach a larger audience. The easy to navigate website captured the attention of many customers making it very simple for people to order commodities As years have gone by, the company has incorporated modern age technology in an effort to increase the market value of its products. In 2009, BMW introduced a software package that would assist in monitoring its workflow and make forecasts on the effects caused by various real estate decisions made. Moreover, it acquired a system that would help intensify its e-commerce trades by faster processing of orders.   With the advent of new technology, the company is bound to make even higher sales (Fleisher, 2008, 48).With relation to tangible resources, it is important to note that the company has made numerous strides in an effort to keep in touch with advancements in the industry. The company has had the ability to buy new machinery that has assisted in cutting down the costs per production. This is the fact that in earlier years, the company had faced numerous challenges having to outsource some of its departments facing the uneven market demographics. Human resource has also worked to ensure that the company gets back to its high market position that it enjoyed in the 1990s. This is from the increased number of retail shops around the world majoring in the sale of BMW products  

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

History - Essay Example Globalization is a continuous process that is yet to be realized in some developing nations. However, historians believe that it began in Europe, during the BCE. This discourse is about the history and the demand among other relevant aspects of globalization. History records that the earliest globalizations were realized when there was need to expand the trade links and capacities between two major trading partners, namely Indus and the summer during the 3rd millennium B.C.E. This occurred during the Hellenistic era, associated with the introduction of Greece culture into commercialized zones like India and Spain among others. Some historical records that Alexandria is among the first cities to embrace globalization, even though others believe it adopted globalization few decades after the initial globalization was recorded. Greece main force to expand its operations and trade with other regions was the issue of importing wheat among other major raw materials. The commodity was entir ely transported by the ships and canoe among other water transport vessels that existed during the Hellenistic era. Several trade links were later established and the three main links were the Han dynasty, the famous Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire among others. There was an expansion in transport routes from the borders of ancient China to Rome to enhance international trade. Furthermore, there was increase in Greece Ships sailed to the furthest corner of India among other Asian nations, in search of wheat among other raw materials. First globalization was meant to enhance international trade between the earliest Asian and European nations; however, it came with several negative implications to the societies involved. The Chinese from the Han Empire developed some conflicts that led to ancient war with other Asian Kingdoms like the Persians and the Indian Kingdoms among other Asian kingdoms. Han who was the ruler of Wu Empire declared war with the Yuezhi Kingdom, with the main aim of taking control of the Tarim Basin. Globalization was further enhanced by the Muslims during the golden age, when more trade routes or links were established between the Radhanites or Jewish and the Muslim community. The two communities developed their technology, trade and agricultural practices after some interactions. Muslims resolved in producing large volumes of Sugar, cotton and wheat among other crops. Small part was internally consumed while the rest was transported to European region, for international trade purposes. The second phase of globalization also called proto-globalization occurred in the 16th and 17th century when European Empires explored other developing regions and this resulted to influence of the European culture and trade among other aspects. Portuguese and Spanish empires were the first to make such movements or initiatives and they colonized the United States and Horn of Africa among other territories. The British and the Dutch also followed and th e expanded or rather global trade links which further led to establishment of multilateral companies like the Dutch East India among others. There was an increased trade trend in food and slaves to the European regions. Slave trade promoted the spread of communicable diseases in both Africa and Europe, more so along the trade routes. The final stage of

Power and Politics in Organizational Development Essay

Power and Politics in Organizational Development - Essay Example The concepts of power and politics are two areas of organizations that can be very difficult to define and understand. However, in order to be successful in organizational life and development these areas must be explored. In the past Organizational Development has been criticized for not taking these factors (French & Bell, 1999, pg. 282). French & Bell (1999) explain that the understanding of Power and Politics is still in very early stages in OD. However with recent research we still continue to derive theories and applications for the OD field. Organization development is influenced by and depends upon politics and power, culture and effective performance of the management team. Organization development is complex process which relies on high moral values that transcend both the organization and the individual. The shared values that underlie a high-performing organization's strategy and bring meaning to the individual employee's work are reflected in both the decision-making and the goal-setting processes. Power is the potential to influence behavior, "to change the course of events, to overcome resistance, and to get people to do things that they would not otherwise do (Pfeffer, 1994, pg. 30). In short, it is a way to get things done; not the only way, but at least a major way, and one that is often used in organizational life. ... 283). Managers use power to accomplish goals all the time. The use of power is sometimes called "organizational politics" as managers use power and influence to produce results. Because of its association with politics, power is many times looked upon with disdain, as a dirty word. At the same time, we admire managers for what they achieve, and while we may not like it, we acknowledge that the ability to willingly wield power is often a prerequisite to managerial success. Following David McClelland, "positive faced of power is characterized by a socialized need to initiate influence and lead" (French and Bell 1999, pg. 282). Power is used frequently when the necessity to accomplish goals requires us to rely on those on whom we depend. It is especially important when they have a different point of view and cannot otherwise be relied on to do what we want them to do (Pfeffer, 1994, pg. 39). The greater the degree of difference in point of view, the greater the resistance and conflict and the more important it is to use power, influence, and organizational politics as a way to get things done. If everyone has the same goal and is in agreement about how to achieve it, there is no need to use power. Studies have shown that the more agreement there was on the goal and the means to attain it, the less political activity occurred (Pfeffer, 1994, pg. 39). There is no need to engage in politics or exercise power when there are no differences in perspective or w hen no conflict exits. The time and energy can, in these situations, be more productively employed toward goal accomplishment. To the extent that organizations can agree on goals and on the means to attain them, organizational politics can be reduced. In the absence of this

Benefits of Non Verbal Communication Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Non Verbal Communication Essay Non verbal communication is defined as certain ways that a person communicates his thoughts and meanings without actually saying anything. These are the subtle clues that can help an investigating officer uncover a truth while questioning a suspect or witness or can lead him to more questions that will aid the investigating team. Programs such as CSI have shown us how police officers and crime scene investigators utilize contradicting, complementing, substituting, accenting, or regulating verbal messages. An investigating officer will benefit immensely from being familiar with these methods because of the way a crime scene is most often chaotic and witnesses who are being questioned are dealing with fear of being implicated in the case or perhaps, trying to cover their own involvement in the case. A sample of a contradicting non verbal communication that he can look out for has to do with the way a witness recalls the events as it transpired in a certain case. When a witness is looking down while relating the events transpired, that witness is most likely creating a memory. A person recalling a memory usually looks upward when trying to remember events, places, and situations. Under such circumstances, he should take notes and make sure to verify all the events by interviewing other people who might attest to the validity of the statements previously made. He may also consider the tone of voice of a person being interrogated. When a person is trying to hide a truth, there is a certain intonation and nervousness in the voice that usually causes it to raise in tone by a pitch or so. The officer must make sure to gain the trust and confidence of the witness or accused prior to questioning to keep the person off guard in order to get the most truthful answers out of them. A parole officer on the other hand must be highly observant and familiar with the psychological profile of his parolee that could indicate his behavior during certain situations in order to easily recognize the signs being displayed by the parolee when he comes in for his weekly reports. While meeting with the parolee, he should observe his complementing and accenting behavior. Particularly the first time the person enters the room. Does he shake your hand? Does he make eye contact? Does he seem nervous and on the edge? All of these could add up to a specific non verbal message that will give one an insight into the real score behind what the parolee wants to portray as truth. He should then react accordingly by enticing the person to become more open and share more information with him. In the event that the parolee begins to display accenting behavior such as hitting the table or throwing something, he must be prepared to restrain the person and try to snap him out of his mood. The one non verbal communication that both an investigating and parole officer must be quick to realize are the regulating non verbal communication tools. Such actions could be a simple look of question, a hint of despair in the eyes, or the wringing of hands of the person spoken to. Once recognized, he must be prepared to follow up on the subtle messages either by asking follow up questions or reassuring the person that the officer is in charge and everything is under control. People say that there is no such thing as the perfect crime. I have to agree with that statement because any officer who is familiar and highly observant when it comes to non verbal communication cues will easily be able to follow up on subtle clues not included in the physical evidence present at a crime scene or parole interview.

Designing an Oral English Teaching Course

Designing an Oral English Teaching Course Introduction: Context Defining context is necessary for developing any course plan because the students, stakeholders and setting of the course have a large impact on all that is taught and learned. The very concepts of teaching and learning are culturally dependent and therefore care must be taken to match student and stakeholder expectations. Or in some cases it may appropriate to gently push the boundaries of what is acceptable and in so doing reveal a new way of learning and thinking. A cursory knowledge of the context is often not enough to push such boundaries. â€Å"The more information you have about the context the more able you will be to make decisions and to plan an effective course† (Graves 2000, p 18). This oral English course will take place at Leshan Teachers College in the mid-sized city of Leshan, in Sichuan province, China. This institution could be considered a 3rd tier college which grants bachelors and associates degrees to students headed for careers as secondary and elementary teachers. A minority of these English majors will go on to careers in translation, business or tour guiding. A minority will also go on for further study in various graduate fields. The institution offers no guidelines for the course except that the textbook titled Challenge to Speak by Wilson, Olson, Li, Chen and Yao (2005) be used as a text. The teacher is required to develop their own test for use in the course. The 1st year students enrolled in this course come directly from high school and the majority of them are from rural areas of Sichuan province. Many of their families work in agriculture or serve as migrant workers in factories or on construction projects in the eastern provinces. Students are often disappointed at being assigned to study at Leshan Teachers College. Many had hoped to attend somewhere with more prestige, but in spite of some initial disappointment, most are willing to study hard to improve their English. Previous to having this class, many of the students have not had a foreign teacher. Though they have studied English for at least 6 years in elementary and high school, they generally dont see English as a way to build relationships. Most of their focus in their English studies had been on reading and writing with the goal of doing well on the college entrance exams. Most of them lack the oral ability or confidence to consider beginning a conversation with the foreigners that they may occasionally see in their daily life. Though educational philosophies are gradually changing throughout China, the college entrance exam still dictates that much rote learning take place. In foreign language teaching, theories of grammar-translation and audio-lingualism predominate. Generally, students are not taught to question their textbooks, their teachers or their learning methods. Students typically follow their teachers recommendations and assignments very closely and rarely initiate studies on their own. That being said, their powers of memorization and grammar knowledge are usually quite good in comparison to their ability to speak extemporaneously in conversation. The course meets one time per week for two 45 minute periods. Due to a late arrival on campus and a week of military training, the 1st year students semester lasts only 12 weeks. With the distractions that come with adapting to life in new surroundings, the 1st semester of the 1st year typically features a lighter academic load. Many of these students have not been away from their parents before and this obviously affects students in different ways; some embrace their new-found independence while some long for home. I. Teacher Beliefs Though a course or a language program is set in a specific locale, and may try to incorporate the desires and needs of many students and stakeholders, ultimately the composition of the course or program flows from one source: the beliefs and identity of the teacher. Successful teaching requires knowledge beyond just the subject being taught; only through self-knowledge can a teacher fully inhabit the combined public and private persona that a teacher must assume (Palmer, 1998). The beliefs of a teacher regarding the subject being taught and nature of teaching and learning will have significant implications in the design of a course; however, a teachers worldview may impact his or her teaching approach in ways that are just as significant, but perhaps less apparent. Since language teaching often involves cultural differences between teachers and students, teachers may need to adjust some of their beliefs when or if they significantly violate the cultural norms of students (Graves, 2000; Lingenfelter Lingenfelter, 2003). While Johnson (1998, as cited in Graves, 2000) points out that many of a teachers beliefs can be difficult to articulate or can hide under the surface of his or her teaching, my experiences with the cross-cultural frictions found in language classrooms have often raised to my consciousness beliefs and values that would have remained hidden in monocultural classrooms. As teachers engage with different student populations, study language acquisition theory or perform action research, they may alter some aspects of their beliefs. This is only natural. The possibility of change ought to propel a teacher toward constant reevaluation of their beliefs because only an intimate acquaintance with ones beliefs allows a teacher to articulat e why a particular lesson was effective or ineffective (Graves, 2000). Nature of Language Just as language is constantly evolving and adding new words from a multiplicity of sources, so my beliefs about the nature of language continue to evolve. Originally, I had viewed language as primarily driven by the lexicon. Through performing action research on form-focused approaches, I have come to realize that grammar plays a role that is nearly as important as vocabulary (Eberly, 2008). But, language goes beyond mundane concerns such as conditional forms or definitions extracted from dictionaries; when forms and words are artfully rendered into literature, the result is somehow more than the sum of its parts. Language is capable of exquisite beauty, but it is not only in its ability to represent the physical world where this beauty is apparent. Its ability to capture the minute inner-workings of the self is peerless among the fine arts, at least in my view. As a literature major in my undergraduate years, I may be biased, yet Ive found the habit of reading literature and writing a journal to be the best means of understanding myself. Language is not only something one engages in alone, it is also a means to develop relationships. Though meanings occasionally get obscured in our speech with others, language is what separates us from animals and allows us to work together as villages, countries and with people from around the world to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. Love, as a supreme human experience, would be incomplete or impossible without language as a means of expressing that love. Language Learning My beliefs on language learning grow out of my view of language and out of my awareness of myself as a learner. The relational nature of languages and my level of connection to native speakers have played a large role in my success in learning Chinese and Korean, and my comparative failure in learning Spanish in high school and as an undergraduate. Coming from a largely monocultural area of Ohio limited my exposure to native Spanish speakers. So, during my high school and undergraduate days, I saw Spanish as book-bound and irrelevant to daily life perhaps akin to how some of my students feel toward English today. Yet living in Korea and China while I have studied those respective languages has allowed me to know the people that are connected with the languages. It has been my relationships to those native-speaking people friends, colleagues, students and above all teachers that have energized my studies and made me successful. This is very much in line with Vygotsky (1978) who first noted the crucial role that sympathetic interlocutors play in forming L1 competence in children (as cited in Lightbown Spada, 2006). Brown (2001) carried this into the L2 arena with his interactive approach which in essence declared that it is through meaningful interaction that learning occurs most effectively. Curran also recycles some of these relational ideas in his Community Language Learning approach (Brown, 2001). World View Not only do my beliefs on this issue arise out of my experiences as a language learner, they are also rooted in my spiritual understanding of my relationship to God. The Bible is a record of mankinds relationship with God and according to the Bible, humans were created for the express purpose of being in relationship with God. The arrival of Jesus on earth heralded the willingness of God to send and sacrifice his only Son so that believers might relate to more than just a book or a set of laws; through Jesus, an intimacy with God is possible. My life has been a gradual discovering of just how fulfilling this relationship can be. But though Jesus calls everyone into relationship with Him, He does not force anyone into a relationship they may not desire. This freedom of choice is an important element in any relationship and endues the weaker party with an agency, or freedom of choice, which is a necessary element in establishing an inquiry-based educational environment (Freire, 1996). Language Teaching This type of mutually respectful relationship causes not only an increase in knowledge about the other with whom one is in relationship, it also forces a reevaluation of the self as the two mutually define and refine each other. Language teaching approaches that do not in some way promote learner introspection run the risk of creating automaton learners, who, when left to their own devices, lack the ability to carry on with their learning. Undoubtedly, some implicit learner reflection on teaching and learning philosophies is inevitable when the teacher is from another culture. Yet, deliberate activities and assignments which nudge students toward greater reflection of their learning processes and preferences have been shown to lead to greater student proficiency over the long term (Snow, 1996; Brown, 2001). A host of surveys and inventories like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Rebecca Oxfords Strategy Inventory for Language Learners (SILL) have frequently been incorporated into l essons as a way to make learners more self-aware (Brown, 2001). However, the simple insertion of these surveys into a lesson does not a reflective learner make, as I have found in the past. The teaching approach itself must be designed to give students some experiential knowledge of whatever declarative knowledge such surveys may inculcate. By introducing learner-reflective strands into an approach, a teacher can foster one of the paradoxes which Palmer claims must be present in a successful classroom; the space of the classroom â€Å"should honor the ‘little stories of the student and the ‘big stories of the disciplines and tradition† (Palmer, 1998, p. 74). II. Needs Assessment Feeling that I know myself well after articulating my beliefs, there is a temptation for me to take some aspects of needs assessment for granted, especially since I have taught at the Leshan Teachers College (LSTC) for nearly 3 years. This is my 2nd year teaching freshman oral English and though I didnt do extensive formal needs assessment last year, I feel very cued-in to student needs in terms of affect, pragmatics and pronunciation. Also, part of my action research (Eberly, 2008) involved significant assessments of the grammaticality of my students speech, so I feel especially familiar with struggles the students may face in this area. Through classroom activities and conversations outside of class, I have learned much about the future plans, hopes and dreams of many of my students. Yet, student populations are not monolithic and even though the collectivist nature of Chinese culture makes it tempting to paint different groups of students with the same pedagogical brush, there wil l undoubtedly be subtle and not-so-subtle differences from year to year or group to group. The foregoing introduction has largely ignored what is potentially the biggest advantage, for experienced teachers in familiar environments, in incorporating well-planned needs assessment into their course: the effect on the learner. In addition to providing the teacher with information about how to structure the course initially or alter it as it progresses, needs assessment helps the learners to reflect on their learning, to identify their needs, and to gain a sense of ownership and control of their learning. It establishes learning as a dialogue between the teacher and the learners and among the learners. (Graves, 2008, p. 98) The dialogic nature of assessing needs is one way in which students can be â€Å"heard to speech,† a process which Palmer (1998) describes as necessary not only for the development of interpretive and analytic skills, but also as an affirmation of the humanity of the student. My hunch is that needs assessment rarely takes on a dialogic quality in traditional Chinese classrooms, which tend to be teacher-fronted or hierarchical (Hu, 2002; Pratt, 2007). Yet the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks that may stem from students initial confusion or discomfort when facing the task of assessing their own needs. Pre-course Needs Assessment Dialogue often is thought to occur between two parties, yet there are other interlocutors who contribute to the process of analyzing needs. Though they may not participate directly in the classroom, they nevertheless have important contributions to make to the direction of the course. The overarching goal of oral English classes in the view of the administration of the LSTC is to prepare students for the TEM4 oral English exam during their sophomore year. For this reason, the foreign teachers at LSTC rarely teach courses to students beyond their sophomore year. For teachers who are unfamiliar with their setting, a discussion or interview with the dean or other departmental leader would be necessary as an initial needs assessment to help establish the criteria for the course. Though I have not spoken to many parents of my students during my time here, my hunch is that they would see test preparation as the main objective of any oral English course, or any other course for that matter. A secondary concern for administrators and parents alike is the oral English requirements for any post-graduation job that the student may deign to pursue. As future elementary and secondary teachers, the students will likely need good facility with pronunciation, but fluency will not be as important. This is slowly changing though, and more and more top secondary schools are demanding teachers who can teach in English. For students who opt for other careers involving English, including business, tour guiding and interpretation, all facets of their oral English will need to be well-developed. I see the value of washback from the TEM4, which is scored on the basis of student competence in pronunciation, grammatical accuracy and fluency through the modalities of an impromptu speech, dialogue and story retelling (Wen, Zhao Wang, 2001). Yet I would seek to augment the criteria of the TEM4 with several of my own. As a firm believer in the value of relationships, I would argue that pragmatic, cultural and confidence-building activities are necessary to promote relationships between the students and foreigners. Though students and other stakeholders may not see much need for these skills, the day of Chinas full integration into the international community is fast dawning. Ive seen almost exponential growth since my arrival here in opportunities for students and recent graduates to go abroad. Also, as Chinas economic growth rate continues to outpace much of the rest of the world, foreigners flock here in increasing numbers to work, study and tour. Beyond these potential encounte rs with speakers of English, the students will have 3 or 4 other foreign teachers during their 4 years of study at LSTC and the ability to form relationships with these native speakers of English will to some degree determine a students success in those courses. The following table consists of stakeholder data collection procedures and descriptions. The procedures contained therein do more than just provide the teacher with a means to assess the needs of students, they also seek to enable students to self-assess. Though student self-assessment is not a significant facet in Chinese pedagogy, I feel these assignments will benefit them in their future language studies and in their life in general. Table 1: Stakeholder Data Collection Procedures Pre-field needs assessment Since my course is a mere 14 hours of total class time not counting the test, incorporating student input into my needs assessment will have to be done as efficiently as possible.   As a way to collect basic initial information, a survey questionnaire will be distributed on the first day of class and assigned for completion as homework. (see appendix A)   Assigning the survey as homework will allow students to use their dictionaries and work at their own pace.   The questionnaire has 2 main foci in addition to basic information needed for classroom administrative purposes.   One focus is students self-perceived weaknesses and strengths in relating to native English speakers.   Another focus is pronunciation; in what ways have students learned pronunciation, successfully or unsuccessfully, in the past? Because the Challenge to Speak 1 textbook by Wilson E., C. Olson, H-Y. Li, X-N. Chen B-H. Yao (2005) will be used in the course, the initial survey includes a list of the language functions included in this text and students are asked to rank their top three preferences in terms of functions to study during the semester as well as designate any of the functions they already feel comfortable performing.   In addition, a significant portion of the initial pronunciation needs assessment will occur in the second week with a recording and transcription project that will test students self-awareness of their pronunciation and spoken grammar. Field needs assessment In conjunction with an action research project on pronunciation, much of the on-going needs assessment will be performed concurrently with end-of-cycle data collection.   These attempts to gauge students feelings on both pronunciation and wider classroom issues will have to be done delicately to avoid overwhelming students who may have difficulty seeing the purpose behind providing the teacher so much subjective feedback.   Each of these short end-of-cycle questionnaires will feature 2 questions requiring written answers and 5 Likert survey items as well as opportunities for students to write further questions or comments about the course.   The initial 2 questions about pronunciation are likely to change from cycle to cycle; however, the Likert statements will remain the same.   Interviews with 3 students will be performed at the conclusion of each cycle, with the intention of gaining deeper insights into some of the issues raised in the surveys. Objective feedback will be obtained through the use of in-class recordings.   Though checking pronunciation will be the overarching goal of this technique, secondary information will be gleaned about the students ability to stay on task, interest in the activity, comprehension of directions, etc†¦ Recordings will be made in both small-group and whole-class settings. Post-field needs assessment My hope is that a large portion of the assessment and analysis at the conclusion of the course can be accomplished through a repeat of the initial recording and transcription project assigned during the second week of class.   By having students record and transcribe a passage which incorporates the gamut of English phonology as well as respond to several prompted questions, I hope to gauge their pronunciation and awareness of themselves as speakers.   If they produce fewer errors overall and are better able to articulate their pronunciation and grammar errors the second time through, I will consider them successful learners who have completed a successful course. III. Developing Learning Outcomes The challenge in developing learning outcomes is to balance the learning space between an authoritarian approach in which the teacher is constantly forcing their goals upon the students and an anarchist approach in which each student pursues their own agenda.   Undoubtedly needs assessment plays a role in giving the students a voice in planning the outcomes of a course.   Yet I have found in my particular locale in China that students accustomed to a teacher-centered approach may have difficulty in articulating what they hope to learn in a course.   Thus in attempting to maintain a space that is both â€Å"bounded and open,† in the words of Palmer, (1998, p. 74) I have often erred in the bounded direction.   I hope in this course, through dialogic needs analysis and attempting to articulate that which my students may find difficult, to be â€Å"open to the many paths down which discovery may take us, to the surprises that always come with real learning† (Palmer, 1998, p. 75). Of course this is not to say that the teacher should approach every course with a blank mindset and allow the students to do all the leading.   Taking into account the context of the course and the beliefs of the teacher will start a teacher down the road of formulating goals for a course.   But it is important to follow up on this start and define the course goals as precisely as possible.   A course â€Å"will be effective to the extent that its goals are sound and clearly stated† (Richards, 2001, p. 112).   The better able the teacher is to articulate the goals, the more succinctly they will be able to inform their students of the direction of the course an important consideration for a course with less than 14 hours of class time. While there are a plethora of philosophies and frameworks to draw on when establishing goals,   I find myself most adherent to theories of cultural pluralism as defined by Richards (2001) and the framework of ATASK formulated by David Thomson (as cited in Graves, 2000).   Obviously, there are pieces from each of the 5 philosophies described by Richards that I find attractive, yet my setting and beliefs make cultural pluralism the most relevant and accessible to me and my students.   I think the inclusion of a teacher parameter in the ATASK (Awareness, Teacher, Attitude, Skills, Knowledge) acronym allows me to articulate learning goals that I may have for a particular course.   Though social reconstructivists or critical pedagogues may wish to explode the teacher/student dichotomy, I dont think we can throw all power structure out the window.   The ATASK framework allows me to view myself as a learner and my students as teachers, which is something likely to be beneficial to both of us. The following table briefly outlines my goals and objectives according the to ATASK framework.   The pre-course portion of my needs assessment informs some of these goals and objectives.   Table 2: Though it is te Designing an Oral English Teaching Course Designing an Oral English Teaching Course Introduction: Context Defining context is necessary for developing any course plan because the students, stakeholders and setting of the course have a large impact on all that is taught and learned. The very concepts of teaching and learning are culturally dependent and therefore care must be taken to match student and stakeholder expectations. Or in some cases it may appropriate to gently push the boundaries of what is acceptable and in so doing reveal a new way of learning and thinking. A cursory knowledge of the context is often not enough to push such boundaries. â€Å"The more information you have about the context the more able you will be to make decisions and to plan an effective course† (Graves 2000, p 18). This oral English course will take place at Leshan Teachers College in the mid-sized city of Leshan, in Sichuan province, China. This institution could be considered a 3rd tier college which grants bachelors and associates degrees to students headed for careers as secondary and elementary teachers. A minority of these English majors will go on to careers in translation, business or tour guiding. A minority will also go on for further study in various graduate fields. The institution offers no guidelines for the course except that the textbook titled Challenge to Speak by Wilson, Olson, Li, Chen and Yao (2005) be used as a text. The teacher is required to develop their own test for use in the course. The 1st year students enrolled in this course come directly from high school and the majority of them are from rural areas of Sichuan province. Many of their families work in agriculture or serve as migrant workers in factories or on construction projects in the eastern provinces. Students are often disappointed at being assigned to study at Leshan Teachers College. Many had hoped to attend somewhere with more prestige, but in spite of some initial disappointment, most are willing to study hard to improve their English. Previous to having this class, many of the students have not had a foreign teacher. Though they have studied English for at least 6 years in elementary and high school, they generally dont see English as a way to build relationships. Most of their focus in their English studies had been on reading and writing with the goal of doing well on the college entrance exams. Most of them lack the oral ability or confidence to consider beginning a conversation with the foreigners that they may occasionally see in their daily life. Though educational philosophies are gradually changing throughout China, the college entrance exam still dictates that much rote learning take place. In foreign language teaching, theories of grammar-translation and audio-lingualism predominate. Generally, students are not taught to question their textbooks, their teachers or their learning methods. Students typically follow their teachers recommendations and assignments very closely and rarely initiate studies on their own. That being said, their powers of memorization and grammar knowledge are usually quite good in comparison to their ability to speak extemporaneously in conversation. The course meets one time per week for two 45 minute periods. Due to a late arrival on campus and a week of military training, the 1st year students semester lasts only 12 weeks. With the distractions that come with adapting to life in new surroundings, the 1st semester of the 1st year typically features a lighter academic load. Many of these students have not been away from their parents before and this obviously affects students in different ways; some embrace their new-found independence while some long for home. I. Teacher Beliefs Though a course or a language program is set in a specific locale, and may try to incorporate the desires and needs of many students and stakeholders, ultimately the composition of the course or program flows from one source: the beliefs and identity of the teacher. Successful teaching requires knowledge beyond just the subject being taught; only through self-knowledge can a teacher fully inhabit the combined public and private persona that a teacher must assume (Palmer, 1998). The beliefs of a teacher regarding the subject being taught and nature of teaching and learning will have significant implications in the design of a course; however, a teachers worldview may impact his or her teaching approach in ways that are just as significant, but perhaps less apparent. Since language teaching often involves cultural differences between teachers and students, teachers may need to adjust some of their beliefs when or if they significantly violate the cultural norms of students (Graves, 2000; Lingenfelter Lingenfelter, 2003). While Johnson (1998, as cited in Graves, 2000) points out that many of a teachers beliefs can be difficult to articulate or can hide under the surface of his or her teaching, my experiences with the cross-cultural frictions found in language classrooms have often raised to my consciousness beliefs and values that would have remained hidden in monocultural classrooms. As teachers engage with different student populations, study language acquisition theory or perform action research, they may alter some aspects of their beliefs. This is only natural. The possibility of change ought to propel a teacher toward constant reevaluation of their beliefs because only an intimate acquaintance with ones beliefs allows a teacher to articulat e why a particular lesson was effective or ineffective (Graves, 2000). Nature of Language Just as language is constantly evolving and adding new words from a multiplicity of sources, so my beliefs about the nature of language continue to evolve. Originally, I had viewed language as primarily driven by the lexicon. Through performing action research on form-focused approaches, I have come to realize that grammar plays a role that is nearly as important as vocabulary (Eberly, 2008). But, language goes beyond mundane concerns such as conditional forms or definitions extracted from dictionaries; when forms and words are artfully rendered into literature, the result is somehow more than the sum of its parts. Language is capable of exquisite beauty, but it is not only in its ability to represent the physical world where this beauty is apparent. Its ability to capture the minute inner-workings of the self is peerless among the fine arts, at least in my view. As a literature major in my undergraduate years, I may be biased, yet Ive found the habit of reading literature and writing a journal to be the best means of understanding myself. Language is not only something one engages in alone, it is also a means to develop relationships. Though meanings occasionally get obscured in our speech with others, language is what separates us from animals and allows us to work together as villages, countries and with people from around the world to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. Love, as a supreme human experience, would be incomplete or impossible without language as a means of expressing that love. Language Learning My beliefs on language learning grow out of my view of language and out of my awareness of myself as a learner. The relational nature of languages and my level of connection to native speakers have played a large role in my success in learning Chinese and Korean, and my comparative failure in learning Spanish in high school and as an undergraduate. Coming from a largely monocultural area of Ohio limited my exposure to native Spanish speakers. So, during my high school and undergraduate days, I saw Spanish as book-bound and irrelevant to daily life perhaps akin to how some of my students feel toward English today. Yet living in Korea and China while I have studied those respective languages has allowed me to know the people that are connected with the languages. It has been my relationships to those native-speaking people friends, colleagues, students and above all teachers that have energized my studies and made me successful. This is very much in line with Vygotsky (1978) who first noted the crucial role that sympathetic interlocutors play in forming L1 competence in children (as cited in Lightbown Spada, 2006). Brown (2001) carried this into the L2 arena with his interactive approach which in essence declared that it is through meaningful interaction that learning occurs most effectively. Curran also recycles some of these relational ideas in his Community Language Learning approach (Brown, 2001). World View Not only do my beliefs on this issue arise out of my experiences as a language learner, they are also rooted in my spiritual understanding of my relationship to God. The Bible is a record of mankinds relationship with God and according to the Bible, humans were created for the express purpose of being in relationship with God. The arrival of Jesus on earth heralded the willingness of God to send and sacrifice his only Son so that believers might relate to more than just a book or a set of laws; through Jesus, an intimacy with God is possible. My life has been a gradual discovering of just how fulfilling this relationship can be. But though Jesus calls everyone into relationship with Him, He does not force anyone into a relationship they may not desire. This freedom of choice is an important element in any relationship and endues the weaker party with an agency, or freedom of choice, which is a necessary element in establishing an inquiry-based educational environment (Freire, 1996). Language Teaching This type of mutually respectful relationship causes not only an increase in knowledge about the other with whom one is in relationship, it also forces a reevaluation of the self as the two mutually define and refine each other. Language teaching approaches that do not in some way promote learner introspection run the risk of creating automaton learners, who, when left to their own devices, lack the ability to carry on with their learning. Undoubtedly, some implicit learner reflection on teaching and learning philosophies is inevitable when the teacher is from another culture. Yet, deliberate activities and assignments which nudge students toward greater reflection of their learning processes and preferences have been shown to lead to greater student proficiency over the long term (Snow, 1996; Brown, 2001). A host of surveys and inventories like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Rebecca Oxfords Strategy Inventory for Language Learners (SILL) have frequently been incorporated into l essons as a way to make learners more self-aware (Brown, 2001). However, the simple insertion of these surveys into a lesson does not a reflective learner make, as I have found in the past. The teaching approach itself must be designed to give students some experiential knowledge of whatever declarative knowledge such surveys may inculcate. By introducing learner-reflective strands into an approach, a teacher can foster one of the paradoxes which Palmer claims must be present in a successful classroom; the space of the classroom â€Å"should honor the ‘little stories of the student and the ‘big stories of the disciplines and tradition† (Palmer, 1998, p. 74). II. Needs Assessment Feeling that I know myself well after articulating my beliefs, there is a temptation for me to take some aspects of needs assessment for granted, especially since I have taught at the Leshan Teachers College (LSTC) for nearly 3 years. This is my 2nd year teaching freshman oral English and though I didnt do extensive formal needs assessment last year, I feel very cued-in to student needs in terms of affect, pragmatics and pronunciation. Also, part of my action research (Eberly, 2008) involved significant assessments of the grammaticality of my students speech, so I feel especially familiar with struggles the students may face in this area. Through classroom activities and conversations outside of class, I have learned much about the future plans, hopes and dreams of many of my students. Yet, student populations are not monolithic and even though the collectivist nature of Chinese culture makes it tempting to paint different groups of students with the same pedagogical brush, there wil l undoubtedly be subtle and not-so-subtle differences from year to year or group to group. The foregoing introduction has largely ignored what is potentially the biggest advantage, for experienced teachers in familiar environments, in incorporating well-planned needs assessment into their course: the effect on the learner. In addition to providing the teacher with information about how to structure the course initially or alter it as it progresses, needs assessment helps the learners to reflect on their learning, to identify their needs, and to gain a sense of ownership and control of their learning. It establishes learning as a dialogue between the teacher and the learners and among the learners. (Graves, 2008, p. 98) The dialogic nature of assessing needs is one way in which students can be â€Å"heard to speech,† a process which Palmer (1998) describes as necessary not only for the development of interpretive and analytic skills, but also as an affirmation of the humanity of the student. My hunch is that needs assessment rarely takes on a dialogic quality in traditional Chinese classrooms, which tend to be teacher-fronted or hierarchical (Hu, 2002; Pratt, 2007). Yet the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks that may stem from students initial confusion or discomfort when facing the task of assessing their own needs. Pre-course Needs Assessment Dialogue often is thought to occur between two parties, yet there are other interlocutors who contribute to the process of analyzing needs. Though they may not participate directly in the classroom, they nevertheless have important contributions to make to the direction of the course. The overarching goal of oral English classes in the view of the administration of the LSTC is to prepare students for the TEM4 oral English exam during their sophomore year. For this reason, the foreign teachers at LSTC rarely teach courses to students beyond their sophomore year. For teachers who are unfamiliar with their setting, a discussion or interview with the dean or other departmental leader would be necessary as an initial needs assessment to help establish the criteria for the course. Though I have not spoken to many parents of my students during my time here, my hunch is that they would see test preparation as the main objective of any oral English course, or any other course for that matter. A secondary concern for administrators and parents alike is the oral English requirements for any post-graduation job that the student may deign to pursue. As future elementary and secondary teachers, the students will likely need good facility with pronunciation, but fluency will not be as important. This is slowly changing though, and more and more top secondary schools are demanding teachers who can teach in English. For students who opt for other careers involving English, including business, tour guiding and interpretation, all facets of their oral English will need to be well-developed. I see the value of washback from the TEM4, which is scored on the basis of student competence in pronunciation, grammatical accuracy and fluency through the modalities of an impromptu speech, dialogue and story retelling (Wen, Zhao Wang, 2001). Yet I would seek to augment the criteria of the TEM4 with several of my own. As a firm believer in the value of relationships, I would argue that pragmatic, cultural and confidence-building activities are necessary to promote relationships between the students and foreigners. Though students and other stakeholders may not see much need for these skills, the day of Chinas full integration into the international community is fast dawning. Ive seen almost exponential growth since my arrival here in opportunities for students and recent graduates to go abroad. Also, as Chinas economic growth rate continues to outpace much of the rest of the world, foreigners flock here in increasing numbers to work, study and tour. Beyond these potential encounte rs with speakers of English, the students will have 3 or 4 other foreign teachers during their 4 years of study at LSTC and the ability to form relationships with these native speakers of English will to some degree determine a students success in those courses. The following table consists of stakeholder data collection procedures and descriptions. The procedures contained therein do more than just provide the teacher with a means to assess the needs of students, they also seek to enable students to self-assess. Though student self-assessment is not a significant facet in Chinese pedagogy, I feel these assignments will benefit them in their future language studies and in their life in general. Table 1: Stakeholder Data Collection Procedures Pre-field needs assessment Since my course is a mere 14 hours of total class time not counting the test, incorporating student input into my needs assessment will have to be done as efficiently as possible.   As a way to collect basic initial information, a survey questionnaire will be distributed on the first day of class and assigned for completion as homework. (see appendix A)   Assigning the survey as homework will allow students to use their dictionaries and work at their own pace.   The questionnaire has 2 main foci in addition to basic information needed for classroom administrative purposes.   One focus is students self-perceived weaknesses and strengths in relating to native English speakers.   Another focus is pronunciation; in what ways have students learned pronunciation, successfully or unsuccessfully, in the past? Because the Challenge to Speak 1 textbook by Wilson E., C. Olson, H-Y. Li, X-N. Chen B-H. Yao (2005) will be used in the course, the initial survey includes a list of the language functions included in this text and students are asked to rank their top three preferences in terms of functions to study during the semester as well as designate any of the functions they already feel comfortable performing.   In addition, a significant portion of the initial pronunciation needs assessment will occur in the second week with a recording and transcription project that will test students self-awareness of their pronunciation and spoken grammar. Field needs assessment In conjunction with an action research project on pronunciation, much of the on-going needs assessment will be performed concurrently with end-of-cycle data collection.   These attempts to gauge students feelings on both pronunciation and wider classroom issues will have to be done delicately to avoid overwhelming students who may have difficulty seeing the purpose behind providing the teacher so much subjective feedback.   Each of these short end-of-cycle questionnaires will feature 2 questions requiring written answers and 5 Likert survey items as well as opportunities for students to write further questions or comments about the course.   The initial 2 questions about pronunciation are likely to change from cycle to cycle; however, the Likert statements will remain the same.   Interviews with 3 students will be performed at the conclusion of each cycle, with the intention of gaining deeper insights into some of the issues raised in the surveys. Objective feedback will be obtained through the use of in-class recordings.   Though checking pronunciation will be the overarching goal of this technique, secondary information will be gleaned about the students ability to stay on task, interest in the activity, comprehension of directions, etc†¦ Recordings will be made in both small-group and whole-class settings. Post-field needs assessment My hope is that a large portion of the assessment and analysis at the conclusion of the course can be accomplished through a repeat of the initial recording and transcription project assigned during the second week of class.   By having students record and transcribe a passage which incorporates the gamut of English phonology as well as respond to several prompted questions, I hope to gauge their pronunciation and awareness of themselves as speakers.   If they produce fewer errors overall and are better able to articulate their pronunciation and grammar errors the second time through, I will consider them successful learners who have completed a successful course. III. Developing Learning Outcomes The challenge in developing learning outcomes is to balance the learning space between an authoritarian approach in which the teacher is constantly forcing their goals upon the students and an anarchist approach in which each student pursues their own agenda.   Undoubtedly needs assessment plays a role in giving the students a voice in planning the outcomes of a course.   Yet I have found in my particular locale in China that students accustomed to a teacher-centered approach may have difficulty in articulating what they hope to learn in a course.   Thus in attempting to maintain a space that is both â€Å"bounded and open,† in the words of Palmer, (1998, p. 74) I have often erred in the bounded direction.   I hope in this course, through dialogic needs analysis and attempting to articulate that which my students may find difficult, to be â€Å"open to the many paths down which discovery may take us, to the surprises that always come with real learning† (Palmer, 1998, p. 75). Of course this is not to say that the teacher should approach every course with a blank mindset and allow the students to do all the leading.   Taking into account the context of the course and the beliefs of the teacher will start a teacher down the road of formulating goals for a course.   But it is important to follow up on this start and define the course goals as precisely as possible.   A course â€Å"will be effective to the extent that its goals are sound and clearly stated† (Richards, 2001, p. 112).   The better able the teacher is to articulate the goals, the more succinctly they will be able to inform their students of the direction of the course an important consideration for a course with less than 14 hours of class time. While there are a plethora of philosophies and frameworks to draw on when establishing goals,   I find myself most adherent to theories of cultural pluralism as defined by Richards (2001) and the framework of ATASK formulated by David Thomson (as cited in Graves, 2000).   Obviously, there are pieces from each of the 5 philosophies described by Richards that I find attractive, yet my setting and beliefs make cultural pluralism the most relevant and accessible to me and my students.   I think the inclusion of a teacher parameter in the ATASK (Awareness, Teacher, Attitude, Skills, Knowledge) acronym allows me to articulate learning goals that I may have for a particular course.   Though social reconstructivists or critical pedagogues may wish to explode the teacher/student dichotomy, I dont think we can throw all power structure out the window.   The ATASK framework allows me to view myself as a learner and my students as teachers, which is something likely to be beneficial to both of us. The following table briefly outlines my goals and objectives according the to ATASK framework.   The pre-course portion of my needs assessment informs some of these goals and objectives.   Table 2: Though it is te