Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Globalization - Essay Example There is virtually no area of business that is not opportunistic for globalization if the organisation is focused on finding new market opportunities, identifying opportunities for exportation, and strengthening global business relationships with foreign organisations. Consumer behaviour characteristics, related to a variety of products produced both domestically and internationally, also play a role in defining globalization. These are cultural elements that are driven by social characteristics and the economic status of a region. As the need for raw products continues to grow, new procurement avenues and education regarding manufacturing drives globalization efforts. New trade agreements support globalization as businesses spread their knowledge in the form of acquisitions, mergers and other business partnerships in order to enhance competitiveness. By most practical definitions, globalization is taking a self-sustaining industry and extending it beyond borders to improve the socia l well-being of local and foreign citizens and improving the infrastructure that drives business activities in a variety of segments. Four drivers of globalization in Belgium One aspect associated with Belgium that drives globalization efforts is the local cultural dimensions that exist as related to business practices and social identity. Belgium, under Hofstede’s model of cultural practices, maintains a culture that is risk averse, known under this model as uncertainty avoidance. Belgium business leaders demand its internal political structure that drives the hierarchy to consist of clear choices with a strong rationale, expects senior leadership to produce detailed plans before launching any effort linked to finance, and develop contingency plans in the event of potential failure (Donnison, 2008). The Uncertainty Avoidance Index consists of Belgium business cultures that have little tolerance for ambiguity and demand a very rigid structure in most business objectives. This risk-averse culture drives globalization in a way that is unique from other countries with less uncertainty avoidance. Rather than extended business into multiple foreign markets, Belgium demands its partnerships to include very detailed schematics and plans before making an investment decision. Belgium businesses would rather maintain control over its organisational principles and financial decision-making, therefore it allows much more foreign direct investment directly into the country rather than seeking expansion to foreign territories. As one example, Belgium’s culture dictates a need for domestic controls, therefore when new business acquisitions or mergers are necessary in order to achieve higher profitability or improve domestic production capabilities, Belgium will seek out partners to bring their own knowledge and skills directly into the country. This has provided many opportunities for investors in a multitude of industries to enter the Belgium consumer and indu strial markets, without Belgium having to sacrifice its long-standing social and business principles. This has opened new market opportunities for foreign countries to expand their marketing and sales presence, along with industrial exports, thus improving supply chain, expanding international knowledge in management and technology, and

Report on employability position Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Report on employability position - Essay Example The word â€Å"employability† is simply pertaining to each individual’s capabilities of being able to be hired for the job post a person wishes to apply. The concept of employability does not necessarily stop with the idea of being hire but also a person’s ability to maintain his/her competitiveness in order to maintain such employment for a long period of time. Considering this point-of-view, employability would somehow indirectly refer to the qualities and skills each person has in order to be able to outstandingly perform a particular task. Globalization has somehow triggered the market competition within the labour market. In order to compete effectively with other small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or large multinational companies, HR managers are being challenged to maintain a number of self-efficient employees who are capable of multi-tasking in order to keep the overhead or cost of labour as low as possible. qualification requirement from each job post has become more complex in the sense that job applicants who were able to acquire multiple skills and has the ability to easily cope with the continuously changing demand in the labour market are the ones who could easily be hired for their preferred job post. For this reason, each person has to consider the knowledge, skills, and attitude (KSAs) they have acquired over the years in order to learn more about their individual employability for a potential employment. Employability of each individual is more than the academic backgrounds they have acquired from school and universities. Specifically the knowledge of each person outside the scope of academic subjects and attitude are equally important to enable a person be hired or be able to maintain their preferred employment. For example: The job of a bar tender does not stop with having knowledge about mixing cocktail drinks. In most cases, it also requires special skills like juggling some empty bottles as a form of

Rough Draft Puritans Essay Example for Free

Rough Draft Puritans Essay In the middle of the 1600’s, from around the 1630’s to about the 1660’s the Puritans were fleeing to America for mostly religious reasons. Many of them came to set up what is called the Massachusetts Bay colony. John Winthrop was the leader of this colony. They believed religion was the key to the perfect community. Puritans had many influences on the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies using their religious values. Puritans had so many influences on the political outcome of the New England colonies. The form of government they had created was almost like a theocracy, where God’s law is law. A lot of the New England colonies didn’t want this at all. Nathaniel Ward (doc G) was trying to tell them that the state laws needed to go along with the morals of the church, or a lot of bad things might happen. Even though Ward stated this, a lot of the colonies already had religious tolerance so they didn’t base the laws from the church morals. In â€Å"Limitation of Government,† John Cotton (doc H) is saying that the government shouldn’t be all that good because any ‘mortal’ man will abuse it. This is sort of like a democracy, which the New England colonies will develop a government almost like this. Roger Williams (doc F) says that states should only have one religion each. If they acquire more than one religion, it could only begin a war. This basically shows that puritans were not very tolerant of other religions. Quite a few people believed there should be religious tolerance, people like Roger Williams, who was sent to Rhode Island by the Puritans. Then Rhode Island became one of the first colonies to obtain a separation of religion and state, which made it a colony for freedom of religion.

A Critical Evaluation Of Selected Teaching Materials English Language Essay

A Critical Evaluation Of Selected Teaching Materials English Language Essay This assignment is aimed at providing a critical evaluation of one of the modules (units) in the textbook New Cutting Edge, Pre-intermediate level in a relevant context for its possibly best use. This is an internal evaluation of a unit, in McDonough and Shaws (1993) terms, rather than just an external evaluation based on the statements of the publishers. It is well known that no textbook can be so generic to function in an ideal manner in all specific contexts, but if chosen with tact, textbooks can provide a general framework for an optimal use of time and resources at the hand of teachers and learners. The lack of an objective standard to evaluate textbooks should not bring this significant investigation to a halt because in the long run nothing can replace the care and discretion in selection of the best available resource. Experience together with skill in this area would definitely serve learning. Introduction There are different views on the use of textbook, from those who put it at the heart of English language programmes (Sheldon 1988: 237) to those who consider their use as problematic (Swales 1980). A reasonable stance is a halfway between a long standing and extreme arguments on whether textbook makes all the difference or makes no difference whatsoever. Despite being far from perfect, textbooks remain the most suitable means of providing structure (Hutchinson and Torres 1994) and they currently are regarded as an inevitable resource for language learning with its capacity and relative effect depending on context and the situations (Cunningsworth 1979, McGrath, 2002). Reasons for evaluation of textbooks A general perception is formed, as Sheldon (1988) have noted, that regards coursebooks as temporary goods for profit rather than treating educational quality. McGrath (2002) relates the utility as a direct function of informed judgement of a teacher on the appropriateness of a particular textbook for a given classroom. Selection, rejection, addition and modification are four processes that teachers can use to adapt coursebooks to their needs (McGrath, 2002: 59). Richards (2001: 260) contends that because most teachers are not material writers themselves, they should adapt already available textbooks to fit students needs and seek ever opportunity to be creative and supplement the textbook exercises or activities whenever necessary. a teacher will find the need to modify, or expand some parts while omitting other parts, or reorganising the content in textbook as appropriate, a fact which is also very true for Cutting Edge. It should also be noted that book may be perfectly suitable for one situation but short of most parameters of a fair selection in another situation. Thus, its evaluation in isolation is impossible. Thats why Richards (2001: 256-257) explains that studying the role of textbook, teachers and learners in the curriculum takes precedence over textbook evaluation. Methods for evaluation There are various methods and several perspectives for implementing evaluation. One perspective to textbook evaluation is what Hutchinson and Waters (1987) present simply as an analytical matching process to available solutions, but a generally agreed upon criteria for evaluation can be summarised as the focus on design, linguistic content, topic, and logistics (McGrath, 2002). Evaluation an also be done internally or externally. The fundamental methods to evaluate a textbook are listed by McGrath (2002) as the impressionistic, the checklist, and the in-depth methods. Evaluation using impressionstic method Cunningsworth (1995) holds that impressions are useful as a general introduction and a quick overview which helps choosing the coursebook. The coursebooks title New Cutting Edge may not be very revealing but it is exciting combined with its cover images. The size is convenient and the representations look multicultural. Following Cunningsworths checklist (1995), the topic of the module, important firsts, is a key point to consider whether the as it suggests variety and raises real interest, and enables learners to expand their cultural awareness. It provides great potential for student interaction. Tomlinson (2003) argues that graphic details such as opening pictures have a great impact on learners. In module 2, the photo of women in very chic dresses is not readily connecting to the topic or the other one near that, too. Images with more motion could disclose the energy of the topic. The photos in the first two pages are not the units strongest point since they are culturally loaded or at best unfamiliar to foreign language learner but photos in page 3 and onward are very engaging, funny and expressive. Another good point is the balanced focus on form and meaning which go side by side, and column by column. Following is an adapted evaluation checklist (drawn from McGrath 2002). It provides a brief overview of appearance and physical details based on an impressionistic method. Practical considerations affordable Yes weight (for transportation purposes) Yes Support for teaching and learning Teachers book available? Yes Cassettes/CD-Rom available? Yes Suitable for self-study? Yes Context Relevance Suitable for length of course? No Suitable for aims of course? Yes Suitable for learners level? Suitable for learners cultural background? Suitable for teachers? Required resources available? Likely appeal to learners Layout Visuals Topics Yes Yes (partially) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (partially) The impressions may be more accurate for experienced teachers but they are often very subjective and simplistic. The in-depth methods, on the other hand, deserve such a space which is beyond the confines of this paper. The practicality of checklist method is highlighted in Cunningsworth (1995: 2). Therefore, several methods and perspectives including checklist methods worth consideration in this paper. To evaluate the book part I selected which is followed by an evaluation from external and internal perspectives as well as a micro analysis. Evaluation through Checklists Cunningsworth (1995) developed a checklist which is widely used for evaluation of textbooks. This is one the first checklists that gives a broad analysis (Tomlinson 2003). It should be noted that any checklist has its own advantages and disadvantages and they should be adapted to meet the needs of a specific context (McGrath, 2002: 27). Cunningsworths checklist (1995) is powerful in addressing language content, skills, topics as well as methods but ignores the role of culture and institution. McGrath (2002) pinpoints the principles underlying the design of materials. Checklist is adaptable such as the questionnaire Rahman and Sinha (2010) used. It is given to both teacher and students after background information, to elicit their appraisal of the textbook via several items assessing its layout and physical make up, subject matter, vocabulary and structure, exercises and activities. The questionnaire given to teachers has an extra section on their evaluation of aims and goals and has more items on each of the above mentioned sections. Almost any quality that teachers and language teaching methodology would deem essential for textbooks can be evaluated through a checklist. For instance, learner-centeredness is a quality that can be fostered in a textbook in a form of gradual independence from teacher and developing students self confidence in using English (Cunningsworth, 1995). Jun, Hua and Huiru used an evaluation questionnaire to this effect from which applying a gist would be useful. Firstly, communication skills are developed fairly well through the New Cutting Edge since we have two speaking task about important firsts through both an open-ended personal and a picture-aided controlled activity. A scaffold for doing this task is in the 3rd page where a sentence completion task required pair work and comparison activity about personal information an earlier in the module. Most other tasks are fill-in-gap grammar, vocabulary and writing exercises as well as pronunciation practice. Pair work encourages cooperativ e learning and pronunciation practice leads to an awareness of linguistic skills. The topic important first can relate very well to students lives, views and feelings and offers options to cater for learner differences. Answer key on page 158 is a helpful reference material, but there is little sign of indexing and internet technology that enhance independent language learning. External Evaluation The publishes claims that New Cutting Edge follows a Communicative Language Approach to teaching English which supports learners all-inclusive development in their language by incorporating all language skills. Students are promised to see improvement in their functional English and their ability to communicate on a daily basis. It is also said that the contents hold the interest and respond to the needs of students at this level. Topics are wide-ranging, attractive and up-to-date and designs and images are so vivid that makes this book superior to other coursebooks. The activities in each unit are described as so engaging that can lead students to a comfortable use of English outside classroom in real life situations and that exercises both focus on essential grammatical points and help learners to communicate spontaneously enriched by an authentic sample of reading, listening, writing, speaking, listening and pronunciation activities. Units of  New Cutting Edge  correspond to the Common European Framework which allows students and teachers to simply check the learning outcomes against a generally recognised standard. The coursebook also boasts of a very clear and cumulative structure in consecutive modules that gradually build on each other to improve grammatical points, key vocabulary, and various skills as well as revision and practice opportunities. The supplementary materials for New Cutting Edge are in sufficient, supply which is deemed as suitable because of its interactive nature  and its various features which contains class/ student audio cassettes and CDs, a workbook with key, as well as teachers books, tests, videos, mini dictionary and links to other companion websites. (www.longman.com/cuttingedge) Internal evaluation The New Cutting Edge series have the characteristics of modern textbooks Haines (1996) lists such as being multi-componential (grammar, vocabulary, reading, speaking, writing and a study tip in one module), commercialised, and culturally sensitive as well as having a rich design which consist of lively pictures, visual aids and diagrams, indentations, word clouds, bullets and numbering. The first page begins with a catchy headline and itemised summary besides pictures at the top. Even in grammar section simple pictures and design are intended to help learning while in vocabulary section, more expressive images are used (human faces for words of feeling). The visually attractive cover of this book is a plus like Headway series because as McGrath (2002) claims, the cover, title or sizes of a book are important factors in motivating learners. Evaluation of textbook with micro-analysis of the chosen module (unit) New Cutting Edge, Pre-intermediate by Cunnigham and Moor taps several language skills and subskills. It is a textbook intended for teaching English as a Foreign Language. The New in title suggest maturation from an earlier version besides having a tricky commercial effect. The authors claim that it just got sharper and fresher and easier to use (New Cutting Edge, Pre-intermediate Students Book, back cover). The book is composed of fifteen modules, each containing eight pages, with additional resources such as tapescripts, mini-dictionary and consolidation material. Auxiliary matter consists of a teachers resource book, workbook with and without key editions, CDs and audio cassettes for students use and a separate cassette for classroom use as well as an accompanying website, tests and videos. The book under review is in general support of an integrated skills approach and this second unit has a particular emphasis on pronunciation. Texts for reading are kept short. Writing is practiced at the end of module after speaking tasks. This means productive skills are last in order of presentation. The colourful layout and reasonable placing of items makes it look smart but the photographs are not of highest quality but the illustrations are and cartoons are lively. Closer scrutiny follows in a tabulated form. Topic: Important Firsts. Potential to enhance speculation, but may be too short. Language Focus: Past Simple and Time Phrases A good continue to a tense in previous module (unit). Timely to introduce time phrases (matching with topic) Vocabulary and Wordspot Thematic presentation of new vocabulary with visuals is very engaging. Diagrams in wordspot can consolidate that but it may be difficult for learners at this level. Speaking The first task with questions which makes learners to talk about generally activates the outgoing and breaks the ice for other students who seem to be clueless. The second task is aided with pictures and scaffolds the shy to talk about other people. Pronunciation There are three areas in this unit to deal with pronunciation of past tense regular and stress, a bit above the right size, relatively. Listening There are 11 parts for which there is need to listening and tape, which is relatively high. They address not only the listening part itself but also pronunciation and stress practice as well as checking answers to vocabulary and grammatical exercises. Reading Reading parts are short which may be good at this stage of course if it helps fast pace. May be a supplementary reading is required for faster students. Writing The writing practice comes at the end and reading writing integrated activity. Review In the practice section, grammar and vocabulary exercises dominate and there is no pronunciation exercise despite the weight it has throughout the unit. i: Sequencing ii: Methodology i: Sequencing of skills is generally good with some skills practice between. An exception should perhaps be made for writing: it should not be the last or the least or seem so. Because of its learning potential for foreign language learners that often go unrealised. ii: it follows a task based syllabus and a mixture of communicative approach to language teaching with form-focused instruction as it brings language focus into attention. Conclusion This evaluation once again confirm the point that a quest to find a perfect coursebook maybe unrealistic, but there will be a best book for any situation (Grant 1987). The organization of the material in this units as a sample of the book in question, suggests ways that language can be integrated in the diverse aspects of life.  However, students with more enthusiasm can be given an opportunity to produce more output. My recommendation is to supplement the material with more tasks requiring productive language use such as writing and speaking and that there be more room for discussion and illustrations or examples. They can be set as homework, or if time allows, at the end of session. In all, I found this book very inspiring and highly recommend it for use in an appropriate level and context.

Sandro Botticelli: The Renaissance Artist Essay -- essays research pa

Sandro Botticelli, born Alessandro Mariano Filipepi, was the son of a tanner. He was born in Florence around 1445 and showed a talent for painting at a very early age. Botticelli was first apprenticed under a goldsmith named Sandro, from whom it is believed he derived his nickname. At the age of sixteen, he served an apprenticeship with the painter Fra Filippo Lippi (Durant, 1953). From Lippi he learned to create the effect of transparency, to draw outlines, and to give his pictures fluidity and harmony. He also worked with painter and engraver Antonio del Pollaiuolo, from whom he gained his sense of line. By 1470, Botticelli had his own workshop and had developed a highly personal style characterized by elegant execution, a sense of melancholy, and a strong emphasis on line. Botticelli spent most of his life working for the great families of Florence, including the Medici family. Botticelli’s name appears regularly in the account books of members of the Medici family, for whom he painted banners, portraits, and altarpieces along with paintings of allegorical or mythological subject matter. Likenesses of the Medici family are found in various paintings including â€Å"Judith,† â€Å"Madonna of the Magnificat,† and â€Å"Adoration of the Magi.† Apart from his works for members of the Medici family, Botticelli received many commissions from other prominent members of the Florentine society, including the Vespucci family. Botticelli first made a name for himself by his paintings of the Virgin and Child, and was given a public commission to paint â€Å"Fortitude† which was to be hung in the Trade law court. In about 1481, Botticelli, along with Ghirlandaio, Perugino, and Cosimo Rosselli, was called to Rome by Pope Sixtus IV to decorate the walls of the Sistine Chapel with scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Botticelli controlled the scheme and executed three of the frescoes. The large scale of these works and the attempt to include several stages of narrative in one composition were not fully mastered and remain confused and disorganized (Gowing, 1983). In his paintings, Botticelli retained enough objects and paid enough attention to the human body to create a sense of realism, but it is evident that he was more concerned with the spiritual presence of his subjects (Magill, 1989). Because of this, his subjects were less individualized in terms of their clothing or bodily st... ...rty. Sandro Botticelli died in 1510 after painting â€Å"Scenes from the Life of the Virgin,† The Last Actions of St. Zanobi,† and â€Å"Mystic Nativity† a few years earlier. . References Beckett, W. (2000, March). A meaningful life. U.S. Catholic, Vol. 65 Issue 3, 51. Bull, G. (1968). The Renaissance. New York: The John Day Company. Durant, W. (1953). The Renaissance: A history of civilization in Italy from 1304-1576 A.D. New York: Simon and Schuster. Gowing, L. (1983). A biographical dictionary of artists. New York: Facts on File, Inc. Magill, F. N. (1989). Great lives from history: Renaissance to 1900 series. (Vol. 1). Pasadena, California: Salem Press. Milani, J. (1996, March 7). Botticelli to Tiepolo. The Tampa Tribune, pp. 1. Moffat, A. (1999, December 6). A picture doesn’t tell the whole story. New Statesman, Vol. 128 Issue 4464, 53. Stapleford, R. (1994, March). Intellect and intuition in Botticelli’s Saint Augustine. Art Bulletin, Vol. 76 Issue 1, 69. Harden, M. and Gerten-Jackson, C. Botticelli, Sandro [12 paragraphs]. Retrieved March 08, 2001 from World Wide Web: <a href="http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/pain/auth/bottice">http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/pain/auth/bottice

Islam :: essays research papers

--The Prophet Muhammad (p) was asked by his contemporaries about Allah. The answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur’an that is considered the essence of the Unity of God or the motto of monotheism. â€Å"Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him.† [Al-Qur’an 112:1-4] --Having achieved this knowledge of the One True God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny the truth. When true faith enters a person’s heart, it impacts the person’s outlook and behavior. The Prophet said, â€Å"Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds†. One of the striking results of faith is the feeling of gratitude towards God, which could be said to be the essence of Ibada (worship). The feeling of gratitude is so important that anyone denying the Truth is called kafir, ‘one who is ungrateful.’ A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the bounties He bestowed upon him. He is aware of the fact that his good deeds are far from being commensurate with Divine favors, and therefore he is always anxious to please God. He remembers God often. The Qur’an promotes this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of God very frequently. â€Å"Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colors). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.† [Al-Qur’an 59:22-24] â€Å"Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them.

Morality and Person Essay

Now I want to tell you a few words about myself. I am 168 sm tall a nice-looking girl with a fair complexion. As for my figure, in my view I am not fat, but I am exceedingly well-fed. My face is oval, I have green, warm eyes and regular, large features. My eyebrows are arched and bushy and my hair is brown, waved and luxuriant. I have got even teeth, a round chin, a broad, open forehead and curving eyelashes. I am a Sagittarius by a horoscope. Frankly speaking, I trust others easily and expect in turn to be trusted. I like exchanging ideas and see the bright side of things. Generally speaking, I am imaginative, creative, and well-read. But I can be hot-headed and cruel with enemies. Apparently, I am a gambler at heart and risky. My parents believe that I am individualistic, very shy and intelligent. From their point of view I am a calm and composed person. But they also think that I can be very idle and irresponsible, because I don’t always help with the household chores. As for my teachers, they think that I am a hardworking, quick on the uptake, average, funny student. They tell me that I seem to be really trying my best to finish my school work and maintain my good grades. Unfortunately, sometimes I don’t pass all my work in on time, and to be quite honest, my teachers think that I am a bit lazy person. And they don’t think I work as hard as I am capable of. My friends think of me as a ball of fire, cheerful and a mixed up person, because I love sports, serials, different kinds of books, films and I am fond of almost everything which connect with mysticism. All in all, just talking and walking with my friends makes me very happy. Some of my friends think that sometimes I am a mean person and a bore. I fully agree with the fact that usually I can me an awful bore but I don’t know why they are sure that I am a mean person. I am a person with strong morals who desires to do the right thing to the entire humanity. As for my plans about my future, I haven’t decided yet. I am very interested in learning different foreign languages. And that’s why I think a lot of becoming a translator or a reporter. It’s not ruled out that I will become a lawyer. My life challenges and experience since childhood have given me an opportunity to develop a good understanding of the person I am. Because of my ideals, my ambitions to see these ideals in society and even to help put these ideals into play sometime in the future, I believe myself to be an idealistic person. In conclusion, I do not regret my good moral standing. I appreciate my strict and loving parents who contributed to the person I am today. I remember hard decisions that I made to remain honest and they have come a long way in improving my personality. All in all I am a person who believes that honest is the best policy.