The Role of Fear Depicted in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible Essay

The play â€Å"The Crucible† is an allegory for the McCarthyism hysteria that occurred in the late 1940’s to the late 1950’s. Arthur Miller’s play â€Å"the crucible† and the McCarthyism era demonstrates how fear can begin conflict. The term McCarthyism has come to mean â€Å"the practice of making accusations of disloyalty†, which is the basis of the Salem witch trials presented in Arthur Miller’s play. The fear that the trials generate leads to the internal and external conflicts that some of the characters are faced with, in the play. The town’s people fear the consequences of admitting their displeasure of the trials and the character of John Proctor faces the same external conflict, but also his own internal conflict. The trials begin due to Abigail and her friends fearing the consequences of their defiance of Salem’s puritan society. The witch hunt in the crucible is initiated when Abigail and her friends fear the consequences of their ‘dancing’ in the forest. This connects to McCarthyism as the HUAC is represented by the judges and the ‘accuses’ (the girls) are representatives of Elia Kazan and others like him. The theocratic society of Salem is what the girls fear as the forest is seen as the devils resting place and the puritan nature of the town forbid dancing as it was seen as ‘vain enjoyment’ which as Miller himself states at the beginning of the novel to not be allowed. The character of Mary Warren begs the girls to just admit they were dancing as â€Å"†¦you’ll only be whipped for dancin’†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , but as Abigail is questioned and Parris mentions the kettle and how he believed â€Å"†¦there to be some movement- in the soup†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , the devil becomes prominent in the conversation. This is due to Abigail fearing that she will be bl amed for devil worshipp... ...h, his wife, does not want to admit her husband’s deceit, proctor is accused of lying to the court. When Proctor confesses his sin of lechery he feels better and his internal guilt is freed. This is different to the end of the play where he signed the confession to witchcraft. He later rips it up as could not live with himself if he were to allow Abigail to get away with her lies, through confessing to something he did not do. In ripping up the confession he is also able to keep his good name which he says at the end is all he has left, his name, and he does not want to give it away. In conclusion, the fear generated by Abigail and the other girls, which began initially with their own fear of punishment, caused the town’s fear and lead to John proctor’s external and internal conflict. Therefore making true the statement the prime instigator of conflict is fear.

Heredity Determines Personality

Heredity determines  personality Argument supporting  Heredity  determines  personality Introduciton: Personality is defined as the sum total of beliefs, behaviors, attitudes andvalues that distinguishes an individual. Each of us has unique personalitieswhich distinguish us from the others. Even twins who look alike and arereared in the same environment differ in personalities. A number of factorsdetermine a person’s personality. These include environment and genetics. Our personality is the product of the interaction of these two factors.It is notexclusively molded by the environment or genetics but a combination of  both. Body: Heredity is the main factor which determines a person’s personality. TheDNA makeup of a child have all those characters and personality traits thathis parents had. Its no doubt that person’s learn through learning andenviornment which affects their perosnality but the point is, a person willlearn what he has percieved in his mi nd and that comes from heredity. Hereditary, or the genetic transmission of characteristics from parents tooffspring, determines personality to a certain extent.Hereditarycharacteristics manifest at birth such as hair and eye color, skin color andbody type. Hereditary also includes aptitude or the capacity to learn a skill orinclination for a particular body of knowledge. It establishes the limits of  one’s personality traits that can be developed. This aptitude creates the desire for a person to learn something. Forinstance, the son of a sports hero like a boxer superstar is expected toinherit the genes of his father.His capacity for growth in the boxing arena isimmense because he is born with the ability. Or, take the case of a daughterof a writer. Obviously, with her genetic predisposition to write she will bemore inclined to study or learn writing compared to other endeavors such assports. Behavioral geneticists, Behavioral geneticists believe that the genesdo not act a s the exact blueprints that determine every detail of ourpersonality and behavior; rather, they think that heredity or these enesreveal through a person’s actual interactions with the environment. Thegenetic make-up of a person brings out particular reactions to things andpeople which in turn determine the person’s personality. To further explain this, it is important to know how DNA works. The DNA of aperson is responsible for a certain kind of nervous system such as one that isalarmed at new situations, one that wants new sensations and one that isslow to react.In different situations, children react according to the one that would be most suitable for their genotype or genetic endowment. The abilityto choose reactions though increases as a person grows older. Conclusion: The personality of an individual is mix of both inherited factors and learningand enviornmental facotrs but heredity plays a bigger role in determiningthose traits which affect our personality and o ur perception and how wepercieve things and learn them. http://www. scribd. com/doc/23710964/Heredity-Determines-Personality

Standards Of Care And Emergency Preparedness Essay

10/15/16 – Standards of Care and Emergency Preparedness Unit 1 The nursing professional of today, have come a long way in achieving the Standards of Care (SOC), participating in the decision making of policies. Ethics learning according to the Code of Ethics should be practiced with every patient you come in contact with, advocating and providing the right treatment for your patients. This unit was informative about the Standards of Care, which is an important guideline for the nursing profession to follow. Standard of care gives a direct instruction of what is required of each member. Studying this unit have given me a better understanding of what is expected of nursing professional in our many different roles. There was a surgical nurse responsible for counting and retrieving all of the sponge during the surgery. However, one sponge was left in the patient, causing a major infection. In this case SOC wasn’t followed by the surgical nurse or the surgeon. Focusing on t he many different roles forces me to reflect on how external and internal standards should be followed no matter what the situation. After reading the many different cases, about court ruling when the standards of care were being cross examined, these cases are a real eye opener to how important it is to follow the guidelines for your organization and the board of nursing. After completing the simulation in the Riverbend City of ethics, emergency preparedness, made me realize how important it is prepared forShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Current Issues In Healthcare904 Words   |  4 Pagesamount of new regulations and has decreased reimbursement when quality standards are not met. Thus, healthcare organizations must find a way to increase quality of care while decreasing costs. The newest wave of regulations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have created an enormous financial burden on healthcare organizations. Just one section of these new regulations related to emergency preparedness has raised concerns that the cost of compliance could further strainRead MoreDisaster Preparedness1589 Words   |  7 PagesDisaster Preparedness Plan A disaster is generally defined as an event in which illness or injuries surpass resource capabilities of a community or medical facility (Ignatavicius Workman, 2010). Disaster preparedness is a process of ensuring that an organization has complied with the preventive measures and is in a state of readiness to contain the effects of a predicted disastrous event to minimize loss of life, injury, and damage to property. Disaster preparedness can also provide rescue, reliefRead MoreThe Importance Of A Perioperative Nurse Is Patient1535 Words   |  7 PagesVarious other patient care departments also have immediate access to surgery details, enhancing the continuum of care. The Home Health Care team consist of several disciplines including; the referring physician, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, physical and occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, home health aides, and medical social workers. This multidisciplinary team works together to provide high quality care by coordination of a personal care plan. The EMR enablesRead MoreDisasters Caused Destruction On The Health Of The Public1290 Words   |  6 Pagesstage, the communities should focus on planning and preparedness activities. With proper preparation and timely response, the cost of the disaster can be greatly reduced, and saving of human lives can be accomplished. Moreover, the disaster planning attains better communication and reduces confusion when the disaster occur. â€Å"One of the nation s key preparedness challenges has been determining appropriate state and local public health preparedness priorities† (CDC website).State health departmentsRead MoreEmergency Preparedness and Disaster Response in Schools979 Words   |  4 PagesEmergency Preparedness and Disaster Response in Schools Jennifer Cox Walden University NURS 4010 Section 06, Family, Community, and Population-Based Care May 5, 2013 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER RESPONSE IN SCHOOLS The professional nurse uses clinical judgment and decision making skills to provide appropriate nursing care and collaborates with other health care professionals responding to the emergency or disaster. The purpose of this paper is to outline the professional nurse’sRead MoreHat 1 Task 11541 Words   |  7 Pages1: Task 1 Merced County Health Status A community’s health can be established through a myriad of differing factors. Three specific factors that will help to determine the health of the county in which I live are community safety, disaster preparedness, as well as an analysis of the population. The community under review, Merced, is located in central California and made up of seventeen cities and communities whose individual populations do not exceed more than 75,000 and covers an area of approximatelyRead MorePreparedness Training Within Hospitals For Wmd1181 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract There is a need for preparedness training within hospitals for WMD. As it stands, there are currently a few set standards in place that would help deal with deal WMD threat within their hospitals or outside threat that could be coming towards their facility for treatment because they are the close. The type of threat they could be expose too for example are, Ebola, Anthrax’s, SARS etc. WMD that are released within a hospital only has one agenda which is to kill. Because the types of WMDRead MoreResponsibilities Of Virginia Beach During A Disaster1021 Words   |  5 PagesResponsibilities of Virginia Beach during a disaster. The City of Virginia Beach upholds an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that defines all roles carried out during an emergency. Procedures are utilized throughout each stage of the disaster by all involved agencies, in order to decrease any adverse effects on the community. The state of Virginia utilizes the Incident Command System for all large emergency response efforts. This system is a structured system that coordinates local, regional, andRead MoreImproving The Effectiveness Of Public Health Workers Response1357 Words   |  6 PagesAlarming Emergency: Improving the Effectiveness of Public Health Workers Response Humanitarian emergencies affect millions of people annually and they can be in the form of either conflicts or disasters. Since 1990, natural disasters have affected more than 217 million people annually and about 300 million people live in the midst of violence and unsecure environment (Leaning Guha-Sapir, 2013). In mission cases for countries that are experiencing conflict, refugees and internally displaced individualsRead MoreEmergency Management Act Of 1934 Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesEmergency Management begin in the 1800’s. New Hampshire had a fire that destroyed most of the city. The city needed financial aid to help with the recovery efforts. In 1803, a Congressional Act was passed in order to help the town recover from the devastating loss. This is an example of what would be the Federal government participation in a local disaster. In the 1930’s, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Bureau of Public Roads was given the ability to give disaster loans to aid in

The Real Shape of Raindrops

Much like the snowflake symbolizes all things winter, a teardrop is a symbol of water and rain. We see them in illustrations and even on weather maps on TV. The truth is, a raindrop assumes several shapes as it falls from a cloud—none of which resemble teardrops. What is the true shape of a raindrop? Lets follow it along its journey from cloud to ground and find out! Droplets Raindrops, which are collections of millions of tiny cloud droplets, start out as small and round spheres. But as raindrops fall, they lose their rounded shape thanks to the tug-of-war between two forces: surface tension (the waters outer surface film which acts to hold the drop together) and the air flow which pushes up against the raindrops bottom as it falls.   Sphere to Hamburger Bun When the drop is small (under 1 mm across), surface tension wins out and pulls it into a spherical shape. But as the drop falls, colliding with other drops as it does so, it grows in size and it falls faster which increases the pressure on its bottom. This added pressure causes the raindrop to flatten on the bottom. Since the air flow on the bottom of the water drop is greater than the airflow at its top, the raindrop  remains curved on top, the raindrop resembles a hamburger bun. Thats right, raindrops have more in common with hamburger buns than falling on them and ruining your cookout—they are shaped like  them! Jelly Bean to Umbrella As the raindrop grows even bigger, the pressure along its bottom increases further and presses a dimple into it, making the raindrop look jelly-bean-shaped. When the raindrop grows to a large size (around 4 mm across or larger) the air flow has pressed so deeply into the water drop that it now resembles a parachute or an  umbrella. Soon after, the air flow presses through the raindrops top and breaks it apart into smaller drops.       To help visualize this process, watch the video, Anatomy of a Raindrop, courtesy of NASA.    Visualizing the Shape Due to the high speeds at which water droplets fall through the atmosphere, it is very difficult to see the variety of shapes it takes in nature without the use of high-speed photography. However, there is a way to model this in the lab, the classroom, or at home. An experiment you can do at home represents an analysis of raindrop shape through experimentation. Now that you know about raindrop shape and size, continue your raindrop exploration by learning why some rainshowers feel warm and others are cool to the touch.   SourcesAre Raindrops Tear-Shaped?  The USGS Water Science School

Obesity Is A Major Public Health Crisis Among Children And...

â€Å"Almost seven in 10 parents say their child’s school does not provide daily physical education even though experts recommend 150 to 225 minutes per school week† (HSPH). Obesity is a major public health crisis among children and adults, and it is one of the leading causes of death. Over the years, childhood obesity has become an increasing and ongoing concern for many parents, in regards to their child’s health and well being. The lack of Physical Education in public schools has decreased over the years, and it is no longer mandatory for a student to take P.E or even some schools have banned P.E classes. U.S public schools have failed to comply with the recommended guidelines in the CDC for public school physical education, which states one should do â€Å"30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on all, or most, days of the week† (CDC). It is sad to see that most public schools can not even take 30 minutes to work out their students and as obesity concerns rise, physical education classes are being cut. It just does not make any sense. â€Å"Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found just 20 percent of elementary schools in San Francisco’s system were meeting the state’s requirements: 20 minutes per day†(Baker). â€Å"At Anatola Elementary School in Van Nuys, Calif., not only are there no gym teachers, but there is also no gym. Miriam King, the principal has relied on $15-an-hour aides to supervise once-weekly exercise schedules for her 450Show MoreRelatedObesity : A Controversial And Big Medical Issue Within Today s Society991 Words   |  4 PagesCentral Idea: Obesity has become a controversial and big medical issue within today’s society. (Attention Getter): Take a look around you the next time you go to the store, to the mall, the movies, or anywhere that you go. What you will see is what has apparently become the new trend among children and adults. What you will see has become a big problem and it will continue to grow each year. Is obesity the fastest growing condition in the United States. Read MoreThe Effects Of Obesity On American Adults And Children1213 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effects of Obesity Obesity is on the rise in American adults and children. Over 78.6 million Americans are considered obese (CDC, 2014). Health experts believe the obesity crisis has become an epidemic that needs to be controlled. Today many efforts are being made by Federal and state governments and some major companies to combat obesity in adults and children. For example, some major companies are rewarding employees with cash incentives for exercising regularly and maintaining a healthyRead MoreFactors Contributing Factors That Causes Obesity Among Children Essay1364 Words   |  6 Pagescauses of obesity among children in New Zealand? Introduction Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height (Mayo Clinic, 2014). According to Sameera and Amar childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally, which arises because of the differences in lifestyle consequences among different cultural people in New Zealand (2012). This abnormality can cause various health risks suchRead MorePrevalence Of Overweight And Obesity Essay1249 Words   |  5 Pagesoverweight/obesity among parents of children entering childhood obesity treatment and to evaluate changes in the parents’ weight during their child’s treatment (Trier, 2016). The study included the parents of 1,125 children and adolescents (aged 3-22) who were enrolled in a children obesity treatment program. They began by taking the heights and weights of the children and the BMI scores were calculated. After 2.5 years of treatment, the mean weight was taking from the parents of 664 children. The resultsRead MoreFactors Contributing Factors That Causes Obesity Among Children Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesChildhood obesity is a major health issue that takes place when a child is beyond the average weight for his or her age and height (Mayo Clinic, 2014). According to Sameera and Amar childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally, which arises because of the differences in lifestyle consequences among different cultural people in New Zealand (2012). This abnormality can cause various health risks such as diabetes and heart disease (World Health Organisation, 2014)Read MoreCausal Analysis Essay : Childhood Obesity913 Words   |  4 Pagesthat the United States is struggling with obesity. One would be hard pressed to find a community that is not teeming with fast food restaurants. However, it might surprise some that the obesity epidemic in our country has reached the most vulnerable population of all and they aren’t even capable of driving themselves to these bastions of unhealthy food. The childhood obesity level has reached 34% of children in the United States (SHUMEI, 2016).Obesity is caused by consistently consuming more caloriesRead MoreEssay On Fighting Obesity Through Taxation1408 Words   |  6 PagesFighting obesity through taxation: Are fat-taxes effective? 1. Introduction The global growing number of obese among adults and children is alarming and is one of the biggest public health issues that health systems are facing (Laura Cornelsen et al. 2014). In 2014 adults overweight prevalence was estimated at 1.9 billion worldwide of these 600 million were obese and this number keeps increasing at a noticeable pace. Nearly one-thirds of the world population is obese or overweight and 41 millionRead MoreObesity : A Major Issue1472 Words   |  6 Pages OBESITY Obesity is a major issue in the U.S.A. It is among the highest health problems in the U.S.A. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancers, and can also lead to death .Two out of three Americans are considered to be obese. For a better future of the country obesity must be stopped. When the technology was not much advanced and people used to work manually, using their own minds because of which people were fitRead MoreObesity : A Major Impact Of Obesity1715 Words   |  7 PagesObesity as a major impact in America population, approximately 127 million American are currently overweight. The American Obesity Association conduct a survey that shown 9 million adult are â€Å"Harshly Obese† and 17.9 million children under the age of 5 are overweight. (Spurlock, 2005, p 66). The blame for obesity is virtually, constantly and positioned toward fast food restaurant? American as a liberty of choice which is up to the individual who consumed the food should be facing the responsibilitiesRead MoreObesity : Childhood Obesity Epidemic1418 Words   |  6 Pagesno Childhood Obesity Epidemic† discussed the there is a â€Å"stunning† drop in childhood obesity rate. He claims that obesity rates among two to five year olds have plunged over the past decade, and that the so called â€Å"obesity epidemic† had ended. I strongly disagree with Campos view that there is no childhood obesity epidemic, this is due to the researches that was done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which shows that childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled

Conceptual and Methodological Behaviors †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Conceptual and Methodological Behaviors. Answer: Introduction: In any business the microenvironment and microenvironment element determines the sustainability and profit of the business. Similarly, in the chosen case study the microenvironment elements are: For the perfume company Elizabeth Arden, the consumers are chief microenvironment element. It is the consumers who can decide the future sustainability of the company as they are capable of making both profit and loss for the company (Vecchiato 2012). Market is the another microenvironment element for Elizabeth Arden as current and the existing trends in the perfume market and supply of the company accordingly sets the future of the company. The economical factor is one of the prime microenvironment element that refers to the purchasing power of the consumers, and accordingly can affect the companys business. Another microenvironment element is the socio cultural forces that can affect the company (Vecchiato 2012). This factor indicates curtain beliefs of the individual and group which can prevent them from buying perfumes as the raw material of the same may be inconsiderable to them. The three different category of perfumes by Elizabeth Arden refer to the different targeted customers. The company can segment their market for the different category from the thorough research on the market based on the demand and choice of the consumers, gender and age (Wedel and Kamakura 2012). The company targets its consumers according to the market segmentation. The targeted consumers for the business are the young follower of the celebrity for the Celebrity category, upper class people for Lifestyle and Designer category and the general people for the Elizabeth Arden category. For the Celebrity category the positioning of the company refers to creation of the product image to the customers who are followers and fan of the celebrities who have customized their perfume. For the upper class people, the brand image is the prime factor for positioning. Lastly, for the general people the varieties of the fragrance are the most important factor for the positing plan. The marketing mix refers to the four basic components of the business that the is prime factor in determining the profit of the company. Among the four elements in the marketing mix the company has finely and effectively managed the promotion of the company by the celebrity endorsement. The company has been able to provide a fine example to the other companies in the same industry that customizing the perfume for the celebrity is one of the best way for promotion (Huang and Sarigll 2014). However, the company should focus on the management of the product in order to achieve more profit in the business. Undoubtedly the celebrity endorsement in the promotion is one of the better ways in the marketing mix, but focusing on the product can might be able to deliver customer value in better way. Adding more varieties to the product for the general people, improving the quality and the packaging of the products are some of the management that can help the company to add value to the business (Armstrong et al. 2015). Reference: Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M. and Brennan, R., 2015.Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education. Huang, R. and Sarigll, E., 2014. How brand awareness relates to market management outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix. InFashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors(pp. 113-132). Springer New York. Vecchiato, R., 2012. Environmental uncertainty, foresight and strategic decision making: An integrated study.Technological Forecasting and Social Change,79(3), pp.436-447. Wedel, M. and Kamakura, W.A., 2012.Market segmentation: Conceptual and methodological foundations(Vol. 8). Springer Science Business Media.

Information Gathering from Official and Non Official Irish News Media using Task Based Learning

Introduction For many decades, teachers have struggled to find an effective teaching technique to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between students and teachers in language learning. Due to this fact, many teachers have noted that there is a strong need to come up with effective teaching methods that concentrate more on the students instead of the teachers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Information Gathering from Official and Non Official Irish News Media using Task Based Learning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For a group of Hong Kong students in China, it is confirmed that defining learning from a student-centric point of view is the most appropriate way of teaching language (Nunan 2004, p. 92). Such sentiments have been reiterated by Nunan (2004, p. 93) when he affirms that â€Å"teaching efficiency is improved when the learners and their contemporaries are the focus of attention instead of the teache r and his/her teaching†. From this point of view, many teachers have decided to adopt a student centric approach in designing their teaching curriculums. This new learning paradigm has been adopted to increase student-information interaction during learning processes (LouLeaver 2004, p. 1). In language learning, the task based technique is the most commonly known technique that seeks to accommodate the new learning paradigm. Task based learning has been extensively used as a teaching technique in the study of languages because it relies on authentic language understanding, even though it still demands that learners use the target language as the common mode of communication (Branden 2006, p. 1). The technique is task based, in that, it requires learners to perform different tasks, such as calling the police, calling the fire department and such simple tasks using the target language. This technique is unique, in that, learner assessment virtually depends on a learner’s ability to successfully complete a task, instead of his/her ability to use the target language to complete the same task. Nonetheless, the task-based technique has been extensively used to improve the fluency level of learners when using the target language, in addition to instilling a sense of confidence among learners (Hattie 2005, p. 61). As noted from the name of the technique (task based), the core of the task based technique in language learning is the task itself. Practically, the active language components of the learning process are usually deemphasized because learners are expected to focus more on the task instead of the language (Flowerdew 2005, p. 14).Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Several frameworks are usually used to achieve desired results in task-based learning but this study seeks to analyze a framework of learning advanced by Jane Willis. This framework incorpo rates the pre task, task, and post task (output) as the major design components (Wenger 1998). This framework will act as the basis of the second language curriculum design analysis as a critical component of this study. The second language to be used will be English and it is to be taught among a group of Chinese learners. Conceptual Analysis Traditionally, the most commonly used learning model for language teaching was the presentation, practice, and production model (PPM) (Errey 2005). The model was quite different from the task based approach model because in the words of Littlewood (2010, p. 3): â€Å" According to the PPM model, individual language items (for example, the past continuous) are presented by the teacher, then practiced in the form of spoken and written exercises (often pattern drills), and then used by the learners in less controlled speaking or writing activities†. The task-based approach was considered effective by most researchers until its arbitrarines s was discovered (especially in the teaching of grammar) because the technique was noted to fall short of the learner’s needs in language learning (Littlewood 2010, p. 3). Moreover, the production stage of the technique was largely considered inauthentic by many teachers and students because it failed to stick to the chosen learning structure (Littlewood 2010, p. 4). These PPM shortcomings later led to the development of the task based learning technique. Curriculum Design Analysis In analyzing the group of Chinese learners, the task based learning technique will engage the students in a three-step task process (according to Willis model).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Information Gathering from Official and Non Official Irish News Media using Task Based Learning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first stage is the pre-task stage where the learners are required to comprehend or recall the teacherâ₠¬â„¢s introduction of the task or topic to be covered (at this point, the learners also take part in gathering and coordinating important pieces of information which will enable them accomplish their specific tasks). In the second stage, the learners are allowed to proceed with undertaking their tasks either individually or in a group setting. Finally, in the third stage, the learners are required to come up with a report detailing the tasks they have undertaken and the challenges or conclusions they arrive at. After the completion of the task and a submission of the task’s report are done, the learners are then required to focus on the specifics of the language inclusion where important language highlights are carefully analyzed and evaluated (based on how they were or could be integrated into the overall task). Pre-task Stage As a basic task in English learning, students undertaking the task-based technique are required to identify sources of media which fit a number of sel ected profiles. The profiles selected are: identifying official media sources meant for the general population, identifying media sources meant for the youth and identifying media sources meant for children. Despite the fact that the learners are required to identify a specific communicative activity (identifying media sources meant for different age groups), it remains clear that the learners will be learning specific forms of media meant for different audiences. With such a task at hand, the learners are likely to pay more attention to the meaning of the task they arrive at (when carrying out the task). The same situation can also be depicted when the learners have to carry out a given task of publishing their written essays in a specific type of media but fail to agree on the modalities of undertaking specific courses of action. Because of this reason, they have to explain the reasons why they think a specific course of action is better than another. For student A, he thinks havi ng his piece of work published in the local newspaper is the right decision and therefore he has to justify his reasons. Student B thinks her work should be published in a female magazine and has to justify her reasons. Student C thinks his work should be aired on local radio while student D thinks her work should be aired on local television.Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For this task, it becomes a difficult duty to draw a clear-cut difference in understanding the form of the task to be undertaken and comprehending the meaning of the task. Because of this ambiguity, it is advisable to come up with a new continuum where both the form of the task and its meaning are encompassed. Afterwards, it will be easier to quantify where different activities lie along the continuum, since it will be easier to establish whether the activities focus more on the form of the task as opposed to its meaning. The diagram below best represents this comparison since the shaded region represents a stronger focus on the meaning of the task while the un-shaded region represents a stronger reference to the form of the task. (Adapted from www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_3997/task_based.doc) All different continuums are however focused on improving the goal of communicative learning. The diagram below is a representative of the same continuum, only that it is more detail ed on the activities and tasks to be carried out by the learners. (Adapted from www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_3997/task_based.doc) According to the diagram, specific tasks and activities depicted in the left wing of the continuum are representative of exercises, but those on the right side are representative of tasks (Littlewood 2010, p. 5). The middle boxes are nonetheless a representation of both (exercises and tasks). According to the Interim Report of the TOC Evaluation Project, the writers propose that the â€Å"half-and-half’ activities have played an important role in helping Hong Kong teachers to gradually implement task-based learning and they propose placing them into a category of ‘exercise-tasks†. (Littlewood 2010, p. 6) Task: Non Communicative Learning The non communicative learning task is normally centred on instilling a sense of proficiency in grammar among the group of Chinese learners. However, in this task, there is a minimal sense of communication because students are inclined to learn the rules of grammar, based on practical examples of sentences. For instance, in the following example, the learners are required to look for the specific use of the adverbs: always, often, sometimes, usually and never then identify the rules applied in the sentences. The following sentences are representative of the exercise: Customers are usually disappointed when the local newspaper is delivered late. The Herald is never elaborative on its articles. His parents often bought the London Post until the scandal surfaced. I am never sure of whether to buy the Herald or the London post. I sometimes watch the news on Fridays. We never rely on informal media. Larry king often carries out his interviews informally. I always like to quote official sources of media in my academic papers. They have never got back to me since I applied for the job. You can always be sure the news will air political stories. I will never understand why infor mal media is more widespread than all forms of media. Jeremy is often seen writing for two media houses. The students are later required to apply specific rules of language understanding to the following simple sentences by placing the adverbs in their respective right places. They air sports in the evening (often). I can watch the local news at 9 p. m (never). Jack and Jill are good media critics (always). They fail to air sitcoms on Sundays (sometimes). The Washington Post uses American English (usually). Informal media transcends international borders (often). We read newspapers in the morning (never). Informal media is elaborate (usually). Christian media is not secretive (never). Task: Pre Communicative Language Practice In the pre communicative language practice, learners are often required to pay close attention to the discrete components of learning, but at the same time comprehend how various aspects of their meanings are applied. As part of the first segment of this task, the learners have to look at a given table and understand what the subjects have to do and what they would like to do. This task is normally undertaken in groups. In a group setting, practice probing and giving answers to questions about what James and Janeare obligated to doand what they would prefer to do. James Jane Obligations Evaluate media sources Develop a story Post story on the blog Type letters Answer the telephone Do photocopying Desires Go to swim Get a better paying job Leave work Get better treatment at work Take a vacation Start a business The major type of activity practiced in this activity is the question and answer styled activity where the Chinese learners need to probe and seek answers regarding various questions, pictures, or topics they may find of interest to them. Most often than not, the answers are usually already determined, even though the students are normally required to emphasize more on the meaning of the questions. In this type of task, the students are required to provide answers regarding a given topic, such as the ones presented in the following scenario: Learners answer questions about a situation, picture or topic. How much does it cost to buy a newspaper? Do you ever use the internet to read newspapers? Which is the next frontier in broadcast media? Is Informal media better than formal media? Why is advertising in formal media more expensive than informal media? Etc. Why is informal media more extensive than formal media? At what time does the local news begin? Why are newspapers a cheaper form of print media than magazines? When does the sports news end? Is the local news aired live? Etc. Task: Communicative Language Practice The main purpose of this task is to bridge the language gap created by the non-communicative type of information because the communicative language practice is more detailed on the meaning of given tasks. The question and answer type of activity (for example) is more descriptiv e and does not dig deeper into the real meaning of the questions asked. This particular task is therefore important because in a task-based approach, there is more emphasis on the context of the question. For this task, a simple questionnaire is normally used to expose the information gap created by a student’s own experiences with specific forms of media (for example) as described below. Fill in this chart about your Media preferences Name Favorite media type Favorite female presenter Favorite TV actor or actress Favorite TV series Favorite program or article? Perhaps, to provide a follow up to this exercise, the learners may be required to write what they think of their colleagues’ preferences. Alternatively, the learners may be required to use specific images and pictures that symbolize the same meaning as the texts, but which have a different contextual meaning. Task: Structured Communication Already, we know the specific type of language needed to carry out specific tasks from the above examples. From this point of view, we are able to exercise various functions of language in terms of grammar. However, for the next type of task, the learners shift focus and move a step further into the continuum to communicate specific meanings in language communication. Implicitly, this means that it becomes increasingly difficult to establish the type of language to be used in this segment. However, for purposes of this study we will still stick to English language. Nonetheless, it is possible for different teachers to restructure tasks into given languages to improve their students’ proficiencies in the same. For purposes of this activity, students will be required to undertake an exercise regarding the use of future tense. For instance, the task can be titled â€Å"the Media Tomorrow† where students will be required to predict media changes that will happen in the world for the next fifty years (from the date the task is be ing carried out). For instance, how will the working day be? Will every home be connected to the internet? Will the media be exclusively aired through the internet? And such like questions. The learners are hereby expected to write a number of ideas on the given topic, or on a different subject area, after which the ideas will be read out in the class and analyzed among the students. The most commonly agreed ideas can then be written on the board, according to various variations; for instance, students sort out their work in various groups, say, optimistic and pessimistic, or students may decide to use specific topics of high appeal as topics for their next essay. Another common way in which students can develop structured communication is when they are given instructions on what roles to play, but still undertake various interpretations on the same. Post Task (Output) At the post task output stage, the learners are usually required to have completed all the tasks and expected to pr ovide a report, either in oral or written form, to both the instructor and the class. Most of the time, the oral form of presentation is most appropriate because it enables the learners to improve their oral skills in utilizing the foreign language. However, written forms of presentation are also good because they improve the learner’s ability to use English in written form but it is normally assumed that such tasks are already covered when undertaking the earlier tasks. The teacher input at this point of the exercise is basically limited to monitoring the activities of the students and taking questions, or facilitating the exchange of information, questions and answers between the students and the rest of the class. However, at the report stage, the teacher may give an oral or written feedback on a student’s performance (of the tasks). At this point, the teacher may make recommendations on ways through which the student may improve his or her understanding of the lang uage or how the student may better perfect the completion of the work. Renà © notes that in the output stage, â€Å"the focus returns to the teacher who reviews what happened in the task (with regards to language). It may include language forms that the students were using, problems that students had, and perhaps forms that need to be covered more or were not used enough† (Faßbender 2009, p. 3). For poorly performing students, the teacher may recommend all the tasks be redone but this depends on the type of institution and the policies they practice. Conclusion The task based learning technique has a number of advantages, but the most basic is that the technique is authentic and can be used in improving a learner’s ability to communicate using the target language. Also, during the report stage, learners are normally engaged in adopting the target language in a more generalized form, as opposed to the initial specific language utilization, as was evidenced in the PP M technique. When further comparing the advantages of the task based technique and the PPM technique, Littlewood (2010, p. 8) notes that: â€Å"Whereas the aim of the PPP model is to lead from accuracy to fluency, the aim of TBL is to integrate all four skills and to move from fluency to accuracy plus fluency. The range of tasks available (reading texts, listening texts, problem-solving, role-plays, questionnaires, etc) offers a great deal of flexibility in this model and should lead to more motivating activities for the learners†. The major difference between the task based approach and its predecessors is that the task based approach is more random but if correctly analyzed with a systematic analytic language tool, learner needs can be met. Another major advantage identified with the task-based approach is its strong emphasis on student activities (Thornbury 2009, p. 267). In other words, this shows the student-centric nature of the technique. To a great extent, this provid es a more meaningful sense of communication for the learners and in most scenarios; it provides a practical basis where learners can develop their linguistic skills. Even though some observers point out that the technique has its own grammatical weaknesses; in the pre task stage (just after the teacher introduces the language), the learners can adapt whatever grammatical constructs they wish, or use whatever vocabularies they want. This is especially useful in orienting beginners to new language learning because they are allowed to use their primary languages at the beginning stages of the learning process. Studies show that as the students orient themselves with the language, they are likely to be more motivated in using the target language (especially after undertaking the tasks) (Littlewood 2010). Nonetheless, one of the major problems associated with task-based learning is its poor teaching of grammar (Lee 2004, p. 2). This is a particular area of concern for most teachers, cons idering grammar is a major part of the overall comprehension of language. This shortcoming is often exhibited, despite the fact that task based learning is supposed to develop the learner’s ability to communicate and a fluency in grammar is a major part of empowering student fluency in communication. It is one of the most basic forms of communication. Also, the task based learning technique has been faulted by some teachers as lacking a strong relationship between its tasks and the final objective of improving the communicative ability of learners. Nonetheless, the task-based technique has been extensively used to improve the fluency level of learners when using the target language, in addition to instilling a sense of confidence among learners. Due to this reason, most teachers are still of the opinion that the task based learning technique is the missing link between tasks and communication because it is the most commonly known technique that seeks to accommodate the new le arning paradigm. References Branden, K. (2006) Task-Based Language Education: From Theory to Practice. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Errey, L. (2005) Whose Learning Is It Anyway? Developing Learner Autonomy through  Task- Based Language Learning. New York, Garant. Faßbender, R. (2009) Using New Media in the Task-Based German Conversation  Classroom. New York, GRIN Verlag. Flowerdew, J. (2005) Second Language Listening: Theory and Practice. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Hattie, J. (2009) Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating To  Achievement. London, Taylor Francis. Lee, C. (2004) Language Output, Communication Strategies and Communicative  Tasks: In the Chinese Context. New York, University Press of America. Littlewood, W. (2010) â€Å"Task Based learning of Grammar†. www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_3997/task_based.doc . LouLeaver, B. (2004) Task-Based Instruction in Foreign Language Education: Practices  And Pro grams. Georgetown, Georgetown University Press. Nunan, D. (2004) Task-Based Language Teaching. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Thornbury, S. (2006) Conversation: From Description to Pedagogy. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Wenger E. (1998) Communities of Practice. Cambridge University Press, New York. This essay on Information Gathering from Official and Non Official Irish News Media using Task Based Learning was written and submitted by user Allie Frost to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.