Crime Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crime - Movie Review Example f actus reus) is that it comprises all the elements of the definition of the offence except those that relate to the mental element (mens rea) required on the part of the accused." (Allen; p.18) The actus reus of murder requires that a person is killed unlawfully under the Queen's peace. Queen's Peace - in times of peace rather than war time. Unlawful - that there is no lawful excuse or justification. Person means a human being. Lord Lane, C.J. in R v Nedrick [1986] 1 WLR 1025, states: "Where the charge is murder and in the rare cases where the simple direction is not enough, the jury should be directed that they are not entitled to infer the necessary intention, unless they feel sure that death or serious bodily harm was a virtual certainty (barring some unforeseen intervention) as a result of the defendant's actions and that the defendant appreciated that such was the case, the decision being for the jury to decide on a consideration of all the evidence." Mens rea: (Gammon Ltd v Attorney General of Hong Kong, 1985) The above case was decided as: "In their Lordships' opinion, the law relevant to this appeal may be stated in the following propositions: (1) There is a presumption of law that mens rea is required before a person can be guilty of a criminal offence (2) The presumption is particularly strong where the offence is truly criminal in character; (3) The presumption applies to statutory offences, and can be displaced only if this is clearly or by necessary implication the effect of the statute; (4) The only situation in which the presumption can be displaced is where the statute is concerned with an issue of social concern, and public safety is such an issue; (5) Even where a statute is concerned with such an issue, the presumption of mens rea stands... "Murder is when a man of sound memory, and of the age of discretion, unlawfully killeth within any country of the realm any reasonable creature in rerum natura under the King's peace, with malice aforethought, either expressed by the party or implied by law, so as the party wounded, or hurt, etc. die of the wound or hurt, etc. within a year and a day after the same." "A useful working definition (of actus reus) is that it comprises all the elements of the definition of the offence except those that relate to the mental element (mens rea) required on the part of the accused." (Allen; p.18) "Where the charge is murder and in the rare cases where the simple direction is not enough, the jury should be directed that they are not entitled to infer the necessary intention, unless they feel sure that death or serious bodily harm was a virtual certainty (barring some unforeseen intervention) as a result of the defendant's actions and that the defendant appreciated that such was the case, the decision being for the jury to decide on a consideration of all the evidence." (5) Even where a statute is concerned with such an issue, the presumption of mens rea stands unless it can be shown that the creation of strict liability will be effective to promote the objects of the statute by encouraging greater vigilance to prevent the commission of the prohibited

The country pleasures which John Donne mentioned Essay Example for Free

The country pleasures which John Donne mentioned Essay In Donnes poetry, individual desire operates on two levels: on one level, it is the desire which is born out of the lower self and seeks gratification in the pleasures of the senses. On another level desire is spiritual and it seeks to transcend the physical. The country pleasures which John Donne mentioned in The Good Morrow is an example of the physical pleasures which the poet seeks to satisfy in physical activities. However such kinds of pleasures are only mere illusions, that is, fancies. The desire to love is felt like an inner urge in the poet. It is a spiritual force which transcends the physical to meet at a higher level and brings about a unity of souls. His only desire was to be united with his beloved: If ever any beauty I did see, Which I desired, and got, twas but a dream of thee. The strong urge of the desire to love is enacted effectively by the tone of the last two lines in the first stanza of The Good Morrow. The caesuras after see in line 6 of the first stanza and in line 7 of the first stanza enacts forcefully the inner urge which the poet feels. The desire starts in a dream to have a beauty and that desire is fulfilled majestically. The use of metaphysical conceits dominate the last two stanzas. The lovers see worlds of their own reflected in the pupils of each other. Here we can see that the desire is not sensual pleasure, rather it is the new horizon which love opens to the poet which are of significance. Hence, the desire is more of a spiritual nature. The emphasis throughout the second and third stanzas is on the soul rather than on the physical. It is the desire of a soul in quest of divine joy. Harmony and inner tranquillity can only be attained through a union of souls. In Holy Sonnets I, the poets desire for Divine grace is strongly articulated. He appeals to Gods mercy to save him before it is too late and he is eternally dead. 1 It is a prayer of a lost soul seeking divine grace to prevent it from damnation in the fire of hell. The poet realises his helplessness in the face of death. Only divine grace can help him to attain salvation. The sincerity of the prayer is evident throughout the sonnet. Man is a born sinner for he has been created weak. But with the help of the creator, man can strengthen his heart so that he does not fall an easy prey to the art of the arch deceiver who is our eternal foe (Ln. 11), that is, Satan. The desires for physical pleasures are but an illusion: And all my pleasures are like yesterday (Ln. 4). In this line the poets realisation of the fleeting pleasures of this physical world is articulated and at the same time it expresses a sense of regret and despair for having wasted ones life. The damage is almost irreparable, but reparable by the intervention of the divine grace. Hence the poets plea to God to repair (Ln.2) him, that is, to repair the damage which the poet has done to himself by committing sins. The word repair is loaded with meaning. Repair implies that damages have occurred and the reasons for these damages are sins. Desires can thus lead to sin and the individual is constantly being tempted. It is a test of character which the individual is undergoing in this terrestrial life and without the support of God, the poet will not be able to sustain himself for even one hour. The desire to be forgiven and the desire for divine grace is expressed with a lot of fervour. In sonnet 5, the poet once again expresses his desire for salvation. The same fervour and zeal is present as in Holy Sonnet I and the poet asks God to endow him with the capacity to weep so that he can drown his sins in tears. The overall desire in this sonnet is the desire for sincere repentance so that the poet can save his soul. There is the realisation that without divine grace, the poet will lose both his lower self as well as his higher self, that is, his soul. In A hymn to Christ, the poets desire is to be a born Christian again: and make me anew. The desire to be born again is like another chance to be given to sinners so that they can lead a life in conformity with the teachings of Christ, the saviour of humanity. It is the desire to attain an everlasting life. There is the realisation of lost innocence which the poet talks about in the imagery of a usurped town which has been ravished. In sonnet 7 Donne realises his need for repentance. He believes that his sins abound. The life that he has been living is full of sins. The poets urgent desire to be forgiven by God is expressed as: Teach me how to repent . The poet does not really know how to ask for forgiveness to God. In a sense he is waiting for divine inspiration to reach him. It is the thought of death that pushes Donne to seek divine forgiveness for all his past sins. By repenting the poet wants to seek abundance of [Gods] grace. Donne speaks directly to the lord: but let them sleep, Lord. Donne uses a very common religious metaphor in comparing death as a sleep before the end of time, when both good and bad people will be woken up to meet their eternal fate. Also, in this line, the speaker shifts the object of his apostrophe: hes now talking to God. 2 The last two lines introduce an important simile. Learning how to repent is like having the pardon for your sins sealed in blood. Donne conceives the pardon as an official document, the kind that would normally have a wax seal that serves as a kind of signature. But the simile is more complex than that. The speaker is saying that God really did seal his (the speakers) pardon with Gods own blood when He sent Jesus to die for the sins of humanity. The blood on the pardon is a metaphor for Christs blood. 3 So Donnes desire for forgiveness is a means he is seeking to go to heaven. In sonnet 14 the poet desires to start his life afresh. The metaphor of the usurped town is very symbolical in this sense. It is as if the poets soul has been captured by the enemy, who perhaps, is the Satan. The poet does not feel that is still in his own skin. He thinks himself to be a prisoner of his own soul as someone would be imprisoned in a usurped town. Though the sonnet contains many sexual metaphors like oerthrow me, and bend / Your force, ravish, and enthrall, the sonnet aims also at the new start of a spiritual life. The poet asks God to make me new. This is in a sense the inner self calling out to the poet that the way he has been living his life was not appropriate. He therefore needs spiritual renewal to be able to come closer to God. The metaphor or break that knot again is more as an apology and plea for forgiveness4 when an individual is forgiven by God he is like a new born child that has never ever committed sins. This is what the poet is seeking in this sonnet- to be as pure once again as a new born child. So, individual desire in Donnes poetry is more of a spiritual kind. Desire for the poet was not only sensual but rather more associated with God. He is trying in a sense to attain a very high level of spirituality in his life and desires salvation and the eternal bliss, which is paradise. The spiritual height that the poet wants to attain is due to his realization of his sins he committed all through his life. Now he needs to be cleansed. Bibliography.   John Donne poems: A Good-Morrow. Holy sonnets 1, 5, 7,14. Online resources.   http://wednesday1993. wordpress. com/2011/04/17/john-donnes-holy-sonnet-i-the-theology-of-grace/ http://www. shmoop. com/round-earths-imagined-corners-holy-sonnet-7/death-symbol. html   http://www. shmoop. com/round-earths-imagined-corners-holy-sonnet-7/repentance-pardon-symbol. html. http://www. shmoop.com/batter-my-heart-holy-sonnet-14/unhappy-engagement-affair-with-god-symbol. html 1 Quoted online from: http://wednesday1993. wordpress. com/2011/04/17/john-donnes-holy-sonnet-i-the-theology-of-grace/. 2 Quoted online from: http://www. shmoop. com/round-earths-imagined-corners-holy-sonnet-7/death-symbol. html 3Quoted online from: http://www. shmoop. com/round-earths-imagined-corners-holy-sonnet-7/repentance-pardon-symbol. html 4Quoted online from: http://www. shmoop. com/batter-my-heart-holy-sonnet-14/unhappy-engagement-affair-with-god-symbol. html.

Importance Of Set Design Theatre Essay

Importance Of Set Design Theatre Essay Adolph Appia (pictured left) 1862 1928, was a Swiss theorist, pioneer in modern stage design and is most famous for his scenic designs for Wagners operas (Design for act I of Parsifal Pictured left). What set Appia aside from other stage designers was his rejection of painted two dimensional sets. He created three dimensional living sets, which he believed created different shades of light which were necessary as light was important for actors to engage in the setting, time and space. Instead of using the conventional way of lighting from the floor, Appia lit the stage from above and the sides of the stage, thus creating depth and a three dimensional set. Light intensity and colour helped Appia to gain a new perspective of scene design and stage lighting. This helped to set the mood and create an authentic stage set. Appia believed that the reason sets werent successful during his time, was because of a lack of connection between the director and the set designer. He believed that there should be an artistic harmony especially between these two people in order for his theory to be successful. There are three core points which Appia uses to help define mise-en-scene: Dynamic and three dimensional movements by actors. Perpendicular scenery. Using depth and the horizontal dynamics of the performance space. Light, space and the actor are all malleable commodities which should all be intertwined to create a successful mise-en-scene. He used steps, platforms and columns to create depth and manipulated light in order to make the set look real. Light was considered to be the primary element which linked together all the other aspects of the production and Appia was one of the first designers to realise its potential, more than to merely illuminate actors and the painted backdrop behind. This was shown in his staging of Tristan und Isolde (1923). Notice the steps, columns and ramps. Directors and designers of the present day have taken great inspiration from Adolph Appias theory. Perhaps the main reason being the huge advance in technology, which was only just emerging in the late 19th century. Edward Gordon Craig (1872-1966) also like Adolph Appia was an English theatre practitioner. Unlike Appia however he believed actors had no more importance than marionettes. Gentlemen, the Marionette is a writing in which Craig explains how the actors are merely puppets on strings. He had a great interest in marionettes claiming they were the only true actors who have the soul of a dramatic poet, serving as a true and loyal interpreter with the virtues of silence and obedience. (Innes, Christopher, (1998) Edward Gordon Craig: A Vision of Theatre). He built elaborate and symbolic sets, for example his set for the Moscow Art Theatre production of Hamlet (1909) consisted of movable screens. And like Appia, he broke the stage floor with platforms, steps and ramps. He replaced the parallel rows of canvas with an elaborate series of tall screens. Craig left a promising career in acting in order to concentrate on directing and developing ideas about the theatre of the future, which was inspired by Hubert von Herkomers scenic experiments with auditorium lighting and three dimensional scenery in productions at the Bushy Art School. Craigs idea of new total theatre drew on the imagination to create a vision of colour harmony, visual simplicity and an atmospheric effect under the sole control of a single artist. Also inspired by his partner Isadora Duncan, a dancer which inspired him to look into the concept of the rhythms and movements in nature acting as a vehicle for an emotional and aesthetic experience. Craig was very interested in electrical light, something new and only just emerging in his time. An example of this can be seen when he worked on Dido and Aeneas. Craig used a single colour back cloth with a gauze stretched at an angle in front of it onto which light of another colour was projected, an astoundingly three dime nsional effect was achieved (Innes, Christopher, 1998, Edward Gordon Craig: A Vision of Theatre, P. 46). He intensively researched theatre of the past in order to create his new theatre. He imagined a theatre which was a fusion of poetry, performer, colour and movement designed to appeal to the emotions. As he progressed through his work, he followed his symbolist views using movement to create mood and in his studies in 1906 talked of removing elements of sets or props and replacing them with symbolic gestures. For example a man battling through a snowstorm, Craig questioned whether the snow was necessary. Would the actors movements be sufficient to convey what was happening? In 1900 after Craig had developed himself as a set designer he worked on a production of Dido and Aeneas which was ground breaking as a set for theatre design. Due to certain limitations Craig was able to break away from the elaborate Victorian stage designs and experiment with abstract and simpler designs. Craig himself believed that what he was creating was new theatre and wouldnt be widely accepted until the future and this was true. During the 1950s Kenneth Tynan wrote of how Craigs ideas that he expounded fifty years ago, in his breathless poetic prose, are nowadays bearing fruit all over Europe. Craig has influenced practitioners such as Constantin Stanislavsky, Meyerhold and Bertolt Brecht, and he also still impacts many designers and practitioners of the modern day. Although both of these designers worked independently from one and other, they arrived at similar conclusions. They both criticised realistic theatre, arguing against the photographic reproduction as a primary function of scene design. Appia didnt agree with Stanislavskys theory of the fourth wall so he discarded it and designed a theatre building which became the first theatre in the modern era without a proscenium arch. Both theorists believed that the settings should suggest and not reproduce the location. Both also broke the two dimensional view on sets by using platforms and different levels, designing spaces that were practical and functional for performers. Also with the advance in technology, both took advantage of electricity which made it possible for the stage to be lit using bulbs. This helps to develop as an art and both used light as an important part of their visual elements. Appias and Craigs designs focus heavily on stressing contrasts between light and dark creating heavily atmospheric sets. Appia and Craig shared a lot of the same opinions; however they were not in total agreement. Appia Believed that the director, fused theatrical elements and the designer was an interpretive artist, bringing an authors work to life from page to, stage forming a functional environment for the actors. Craig believed that theatre needed a master artist who would create all of the production elements. His designs were frequently thought to be on a larger scale than Appias. Appias designs usually required a set change for each location in the performance, whereas Craig used the modern unit using one basic setting which can represent various locations throughout the movement of its elements with only the need of slight changes such as lighting, props etc. Both Appia and Craig have greatly influenced the way theatre has evolved. Not only as technology has advanced but also at the way the directors, set designers and production teams in general are working. There is a lot more communication and discussion between the directors and the set designers vision into how a set should look. Also Sets on stage are predominantly three dimensional using levels, ramps, stairs and depth. The use of light has perhaps changed the most dramatically moving from the floor to lighting rigs in the ceiling and along the side of the stage. It is safe to say without the ideas and theories that the two had, theatre may not be where it is today.

Shakespeares Macbeth - A Tragedy Without the Tragic Flaw? :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Macbeth: A Tragedy Without the Tragic Flaw? William Shakespeare wrote four great tragedies, the last of which was written in 1606 and titled Macbeth. This tragedy, as many critics of literature consider it, scrutinizes the evil dimension of conflict, offering a dark, gloomy atmosphere of a world dominated by the powers of darkness. Macbeth, more so than any of Shakespeare's other tragic protagonists, has to face the powers and decide if he should he succumb or resist. Macbeth understands the reasons for resisting evil and yet he proceeds with a disastrous plan, instigated by the prophecies of the three Weird Sisters. One may question whether Macbeth is really a tragedy if Macbeth is acting on the impulses stimulated by the prophecies of his fate. Aristotle, one of the greatest men in the history of human thought, interpreted Tragedy as a genre aimed to present a heightened and harmonious imitation of nature, and, in particular, those aspects of nature that touch most closely upon human life. This I think Macbeth attains. Howev er, Aristotle adds a few conditions. According to Aristotle, a tragedy must have six parts: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle and song; however, Macbeth fails to portray the most important part, that of the tragic flaw. Most important [most important what?] is the plot, the structure of the incidents. Tragedy is not an imitation of men, but of action and life. It is by men's actions that they acquire happiness or sadness. Aristotle stated, in response to Plato, that tragedy produces a healthful effect on the human character through a katharsis, a "proper purgation" of "pity and terror† (author’s name page #). A successful tragedy, then, exploits and appeals at the start to two basic emotions: fear and pity. Tragedy deals with the element of evil, with what we least want and most fear to face, and with what is destructive to human life and values. It also draws out our ability to sympathize with the tragic character, feeling some of the impact of the evil us. It is difficult for the reader feel pity for Macbeth because he is merely part of the evil force that has always existed in our world and not the poor, forsaken, fate-sunken man, according to Aristotle's idea of tragedy . The reader can sense the power and greed upon which Macbeth thrives, prospers, and finally falls and therefore the reader sees Macbeth as a bad guy, feeling little or no pity for him.

Democracy or Dictatorship

It is very unfortunate that after 63 years of creation of Pakistan added to the 200 years of struggle against foreign intruders, we are still debating over Democracy and Dictatorship is Pakistan. We were able to get an independent state but failed to give freedom, equality, tolerance, social justice and democracy to its people. Iqbal’s Pakistan was never achieved; we got Jinnah’s Pakistan but lost part of it in 1971. It’s up to us whether we blame it on failed democracy or thriving dictatorship; but truth is that we lost the identity of largest country achieved for Muslim minority of Indian subcontinent. Going through the pages of political history of Pakistan; rather take out just a moment of your time to remember the names of all the â€Å"Democratic Premiers† and all the â€Å"Democratic Presidents† who ruled us over the period of time. I am emphasizing on â€Å"Democratic† because we have seen dictators also produced their own presidents and ministers; I bet you can’t remember them, at least I can’t. On contrary if we start naming dictators; not only names, their time of rule, their duration of rule, even we can write books on their personal lives; why is that? It is not criticism on our general knowledge, rather it is the reminder sad truth we have been living all our lives. I can talk on behalf of today’s generation, the first news we ever heard about politics was the 1999 military coup over democratic government. And then we spent our age of growth and learning under military rule. The other day I was discussing with my father and he told me that when he was in school, Ayub Khan ruled Pakistan; at his professional age Zia-ul-Haq ruled our country and when they got more senior Musharaf came. Just look at history of all the major events or major achievements we ever got were at the time of dictatorship. Don’t think that I am in favour of Dictatorship †¦ no †¦ never ever ever †¦ its not possible; my mind refuses to accept the basic and fundamental concept of dictatorship. How can a country like Pakistan, with its population of more than 18 crore, where more than 70 languages are spoken, where people belonging from various religions, cast and nations be ruled by ONE person with its whole sole powers. Experience has shown that in a working democracy mistakes can eventually be corrected before the society breaks down. The history of dictatorships on the other hand shows that they end all in violent and bloody mess. We have seen in Tunis, in Egypt and now witnessing in Libya. Dictatorship is not made for Pakistan. But the Pakistan’s most successful 5 year plan of 1960-1965 was during time of military dictator Ayub Khan. This plan earned Pakistan 200% profit and it was copied by countries like South Korea. USSR lost its respect as super power at the time military dictator Zia-ul-Haq, that’s separate debate what we got in return but we did it. So-called freedom of press was awarded in another military dictator’s time i. e: Pervaiz Musharaf. On contrary democratic governments failed to give us any constitution for 9 years after creation of Pakistan, we got but it was brutally torn apart many times. Democratic government played with it by making silly amendments. It was during democracy when we lost East Pakistan in 1971. It was democratic government who ordered police to open fire on protestors rallying against electoral fraud of 1977. Army action was taken place in Balochistan during democratic government and city of lights had blood bath because of so-called democratic government claiming to be representing majority. And now during democratic time we are still arguing whether Pakistan needs democracy or dictatorship. So this means, something is wrong and has always been wrong which made Pakistan to see the times in which we are living today. May be we never really understood the meaning of democracy. Seems like just completing your count to show majority is democracy, it’s just a number game for us to have the might of majority; whoever they may be and whatever they do. The objective resolution is 1949 states that Pakistan is a sovereign independent state â€Å"Wherein the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice as enunciated by Islam shall be fully observed†, the classic example of Dasti with fake degree and winning election confirm the democracy as number game. My point is we got the democracy but we were not able to create any democratic system in which democracy flourishes and don’t remain mere number game. What about an example to make it more understandable. A murderer kills someone and was then caught by lets say 20 men. Voting was held to decide the fate of the killer, 15 among 20 votes in favour to hang him and 5 opposes the decision. If democracy is just game of numbers to favour majority then according to this definition of democracy he will be hanged. On contrary if democracy is a system to govern the country where principles of freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice prevails, the murderer can claim it rights and ask the Judicial system, part of democratic system to prosecute him and decide his fate. Let me put forward to you what I believe real democracy is and what it requires to flourish. Concept of democracy existed in 508 B. C with Greeks, but there has been no final definition on which political science students agreed. That’s why we see many different kind of democratic systems with its own way of selections came over the period of time; famous being presidential democracy and parliamentary democracy, wikipedia can list other for you if interested. But there has been points, some basic structures and some basic requirements everyone have agreed upon; the most important being â€Å"Separation of Powers†. The state is divided into branches, each with its separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility so that no one branch has more power than the other branches. The normal division of branches is †¢ Executive †¢ Legislature †¢ Judiciary. In parliamentary democracy like Pakistan the responsibilities of executive is done by Prime Minister along with his cabinet, legislation is done by Parliament with its two houses of National Assembly and Senate whereas Judiciary is definitely a complete system of its own. In Presidential form of democracy the executive is President with his whole power, legislature is Congress and judiciary is judicial system. But we can see in Pakistan cabinet with its large number and corruption, parliament with its fake degrees and suppression of judiciary over the years destroyed and derailed democracy from time to time. Which confirms that whole bunch of other systems has to be defined to ensure proper governance with its real democratic system. I want to put forward the components, rather sub-systems of any democracy but first there are some other basic points of on which different studies have agreed upon. The real democratic system should ensure Shared Respect and Shared Power within its citizens. †¢ Shared Respect Because we all are human and contribute to the society, we should be respecting each other point of view with tolerance and treat everyone equally. Everyone should be given fair chance to learn and develop some skills in order to be useful for the society. And we should all be recognising each other rights irrespective of profession, cast, creed or religion. Thus shared respect ensures thriving democracy. Shared Power A working democratic system ensures shared power between its citizens representing different group of societies. Students unions, factory labour unions, farmer unions and many others represent their respective community thus playing important is democracy of the country. Every citizen voluntarily votes for election of its representative without interference, thus every citizen is sharing bit power indirectly. And most importantly the opposition voices are respected and heard thus ensure their share of power. Beside shared respect and shared power, some conditions of democracy are agreed upon by different political science students’ i. e: Economic balance and Enlightenment. Aristotle believed that the middle income men contribute more to the society thus providing economic balance. Enlightenment is freedom of getting information which is done my public education, books, magazines and most importantly free media. For shared respect, shared power, economic balance and for enlightenment different other systems are put forward in-order to have proper working democratic system which grows and amend itself. I will try to put forward some common and rather most important factors for working democracy. Constitution is the most sacred document in any democratic country. The set of rules put forward by different group of society and agreed upon by the selective representative of society is very important for any successful democratic system. But constitutional history of Pakistan as we all know is very dark and dramatic. For 9 years since the creation of Pakistan we had no constitution, once we had it was brutally raped by dictators. And even last 1973 constitution has been disrespectfully treated by making 19 amendments to it and unfortunately mostly done by democratically elected men. Judiciary should be independent, free from any outside interference. It’s no news for us that how judiciary has been treated. Social Justice is ensured by the judicial system and how it can ensured until unless judiciary is having trouble of its own. Social Security is vital important in any democratic country and is ensured by the security forces or police. Unfortunately in Pakistan the political parties have been assigned different quota to hire its own policemen in-order to confirm the power which totally violates the fundamental concept of democracy. Education system ensures the enlightenment condition of any democratic system. Citizens should be well-aware of laws, constitution and their right. The educational institution should also work as political institution where future leaders or political activist should be created. Student politics should be legal and well governed by the institution itself, otherwise the Family politics will never in country like Pakistan. Election Commission should independent of any political influence and is responsible for free and fare election. The voters list should be error free and encourage its citizen to take part in electoral system. Not only education system, election commission should also be involved in educating the citizens and realising them the importance of voting to decide their future. Last but not least the Accountability. Umer bin Abdulaziz, who was caliph of Ummayid Dynasty and was famously called the fifth caliph once said, â€Å"Rulers usually appoint people to watch over their subjects. I appoint you a watcher over me and my behaviour. If you find me at fault in word or action guide me and stop me from doing it†. The accountability or the check and balance have vital importance in democratic system. This rules out the might of majority and ensures that democracy should not be considered as number game. NAB (National Accountability Bureau) of Pakistan is supposed to responsible for that but unfortunately this institution has never been given its deserved power and been played in hands of politicians. Democracy or democratic system is not heavenly devised system; it is system of government of the people, by the people, for the people; which can have loopholes and can be played with, but proper democratic system grows with time differently from nation to nation. We Pakistanis as independent nation living in independent and sovereign country can, shall and will produce such a democratic system with justice for its citizen, rights of the people, accountability of empowered, education to its youth and proper economic system. No wonder Pakistan can become the country which Allama Muhammad Iqbal wished for.

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere Book Review

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere Book Review In Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana, Armani Curtis, a young African-American girl living in the Ninth Ward district of New Orleans, is completely uprooted from her world when Hurricane Katrina rips through her neighborhood. In her search to be reunited with family members, she discovers personal strengths and the real meaning of community. The publisher lists the book for ages 10 and older. Summary of the Story Its late August 2005 and 9-year-old Armani Curtis, looking forward to her birthday weekend, cannot wait to join the double digits club. Nothing, not even the persistent rumors of a storm, can burst Armani’s excitement until she notices her parents’ apprehension. Focusing on her celebration, Armani is disappointed when the other members of her family, including her beloved MeMaw, seem preoccupied with threats of a dangerous storm. When her older brother Georgie tells her the next door neighbors are evacuating, she makes him promise not to tell her parents until after her birthday. Despite their worries and a stormy black sky, Armani’s parents celebrate her tenth birthday with a Bar-B-Q, a delicious buttercream cake with blue frosting, and a brand new puppy which she promptly names Cricket. The celebration is cut short when a neighbor bursts into the backyard telling everyone it’s too late to evacuate and to prepare for a major storm.   Powerful winds begin to blow shattering windows and panic ensue when Georgie notices a rapidly approaching wave of water rolling over everything in its path and heading towards their home. The levee protecting their Ninth Ward neighborhood has broken and there is nowhere to go. The family flees to the attic to save their lives, but their nightmare is just beginning. Trapped in the attic with the floodwaters rising, Armani’s asthmatic baby brother is gasping for air while there are only a few bottles of water between them.  Their crisis grows more distressing as Armani’s brother and then her father, jump into the fast-moving floodwater to capture her birthday puppy. Stranded, the family of refugees must wait for rescue while worrying about the outcome of those family members who jumped into the water. Once on dry land, Armani is left to watch over the younger kids while her mom searches desperately for a clinic to help the sickly baby. Armani realizes it is up to her to keep her small group together amidst the crisis around her. In the process, she discovers how to trust, how to survive, and how to nurture hope in the face of great despair. Author Julie T. Lamana Julie Lamana knows first-hand the destruction brought on by Hurricane Katrina. In 2005 Lamana worked as a literacy aide in a Louisiana school. In the aftermath of the hurricane, she helped displaced children and found in her experiences the seeds to write a story. As a child growing up in a military family, Lamana moved many times and found it difficult to create lasting relationships and thus found comfort in books. Now retired from education, she spends her time writing and is currently at work on her next middle-grade book. Lamana and her family Lamana live in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana.   Recommendation and Review For readers who like survival stories, Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere is a fearsome read. Real life scenarios based on Julie Lamana’s personal experiences dealing with Hurricane Katrina create the story foundation for those uncertain first few days in the Ninth Ward district of New Orleans, Louisiana.  These experiences provided material for an authentic, emotional story for readers who value accurate detail and realistic characters. The character of Armani Curtis transforms from a self-centered, judgmental child, to a conscientious young girl who learns to accept and trust others. Despite many warnings of the approaching storm, Armani is determined to not let anything take away from her special occasion. Lamana deliberately highlights Armani’s self-centered character (pretty typical of her age) so readers can clearly identify the great emotional changes the hurricane brings about forcing Armani to put aside her childish ways in order to make independent and protective decisions about her younger siblings. Within a matter of days, Armani’s childhood vanishes.  Fear and distrust color her every action, but over time Armani begins to allow others to help her rebuild trust. Like a gathering storm, this story starts out at a leisurely pace gradually building in intensity. A typical day of riding the bus, dealing with bullies, and sitting on the front porch swing with her beloved MeMaw slowly moves into whispered rumors of a gathering storm. Television newscasts, neighbors’ midnight evacuations, and an ever-changing colorful sky take Armani and her family from a birthday celebration to a fight for survival.   A Gentle Warning for Parents Julie Lamana has personal experience with Hurricane Katrina and she witnessed the devastating physical, social, and mental effects of the hurricane. Hence, she gives readers an authentic story where a very young girl must deal with death, disease, and despair. While not graphic in detail, there is no sugarcoating about the dead bodies floating in the water, the mass looting, or desperate â€Å"crazies† that Armani meets as she struggles to make sense of the chaos around her. A worthy book to understand how a natural disaster affects a community and a family, I highly recommend Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere. Be sure to have a box of tissues close by. (Chronicle Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781452124568)

Essay on Hiring and Development Plan part 2Essay Writing Service

Essay on Hiring and Development Plan part 2Essay Writing Service Essay on Hiring and Development Plan part 2 Essay on Hiring and Development Plan part 2Essay on   Hiring and Development Plan part  1Creating a Development PlanIt is known that an employee development plan provides the so-called â€Å"roadmap† to improvement of current job performance and increases the chances for career advancement. Employee development plans can be viewed as a combination of the key items the employee should be ready to improve upon, and the items the company is focused upon (Byars, 2010).   Actually, a development plan is focused on the areas, which require improvement in the employees’ performance.As a Human Relations Manager, I am responsible for the development of an effective individual development plan. This plan helps to identify the best candidates for career advancement and enhanced developmental opportunities. I realize that employees are motivated to perform their duties and tasks, providing the highest levels of job performance, if they evaluate the positive recognition comin g from their managers and colleagues (Byars, 2010).   I will be focused on development planning to meet the needs of our company and ensure that all employees are adapted to the technician and non-technical needs of the company. I realize that flexibility and integration can help to increase employee productivity, improve the company’s efficiency and develop the company’s knowledge and employee awareness of the total commitment to achieve the established goals (Aswathappa, 2005; Byars, 2010).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An effective employee development plan shows the key processes, procedures and methods of identifying the needs of employees and their skill gaps. A well-developed employee development plan helps to improve job efficiency and effectiveness (Aswathappa, 2005; Byars, 2010).Employee Development PlanThe key development objectivesIn this section, it is very important to formulate the major development objectives through a comprehensive asse ssment of the key needs and capabilities of the company. It is necessary to assess the current status of the company, e.g. how the company operates on the competitive market, what the company does better than other companies, and asses the abilities of the employee to perform these tasks in a proper way. This analysis can help to identify the criteria against which the effectiveness and efficiency of the employee development program can be evaluated.The basic information about an employee:The employee nameThe employee positionThe employee departmentThe employee skills’ assessmentThe employee skillsIn this section of the plan, it is very important to identify the employee skills and knowledge, including handling technical challenge skillfully, lack of creativity and originality in presenting new ideas, demonstrating the high degree of intellectual effectiveness, poor ability in solving conflicts, poor communication skills, etc.The employee skills ratingIn this section, it is n ecessary to determine the employee’s computer skills and people management skills.The employee development aspirationsIn this section, it is necessary to describe the required knowledge and skills, stating in detail what skills the employee should develop. As a Human Relations Manager, I will be focused on communication skills, leadership skills and technical skills.The detailed action planThe detailed development programIn this section of the development plan, it is very important to determine the appropriate development program aimed at enhancing the employee’s skills and abilities. There are several types of employee development programs, including various training courses, mentoring, etc.As a Human Relations Manager for the company, I will use special development programs aimed at encouraging the employee’s growth and career development; improving the employee’s skills, abilities and knowledge that can be effectively and immediately applied to the req uired tasks; increasing the employee’s motivation and job satisfaction; creating an effective network of co-employees for problem-solving, decision-making and support;   and promoting   communication practices and planning throughout the company’s department networks.The improvement planIn this section, it is necessary to identify the areas of employee deficiency, as well as the areas of the company’s focus. This improvement plan should become a roadmap for the employee on how the methods used to advance the employee to a better position. It is very important to identify the actions the employee should take to improve, including the training programs provided by the company.The development courseIn this section, it would be better to identify the methods used for the employee development. As a Human Relations Manager, I will use the following training and development methods: on the job methods, simulations, lectures, conferences and seminars, as well as rol e-playing.Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that Human Relations Managers should be equipped with an effective hiring plan, which can guarantee the higher percentage of selecting and hiring top employees for the required job positions. Employee development plan helps to empower employees to perform their duties in a proper way and take responsibility for their personal and professional growth. An employee development plan can be viewed as an effective document created by Human Relations Managers to outline the employee’s objectives, activities, achievements, resources and targets regarding his/her development at the professional and individual levels. As a Human Relations Manager for the company, I have developed an effective employee development plan to meet the company’s needs and achieve the established goals. I have used various methods to model the behavior of the employee I encouraged. I discussed and created an effective employee development plan, which corresponds to the performance planning cycle adopted by the company. I have endorsed the employee to attend lectures, classes and other activities aimed at supporting the established development goals. In addition, I have discussed the key employee development aspirations that can be used to support the employee’s new ideas and methods. Moreover, I believe that it is necessary to provide a comprehensive behavioral feedback on the employee performance and discuss the most appropriate ways to improve and develop employee performance in the nearest future. Thus, the employee development plan discussed in this paper provides massive opportunities for the employees to develop the required skills, abilities and attitudes through effective mentoring, cross-training sessions, training courses, skill assessment programs and other methods and approaches.

Free Essays on Edison

Aside from his amazing history as an adult, Thomas Alva Edison lived an equally exciting childhood. Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847. At the time, his father was owner of a successful shingle and lumber company. However, with new railroads being built through Milan, his father lost customers to the bigger companies that began to open. The Edison’s were forced to move to Port Huron, where he first began his education. When he was only seven years old his teacher, the Reverend G.B. Engle, considered Thomas to be a dull student and was terrible in math. After three months of school his teacher called him addled, which means confused or mixed up. Thomas stormed home. The next day, Nancy Edison brought Thomas back to school to talk to Reverend Engle. He told her that Thomas couldn’t learn. His mother became so angry with the strict Reverend that she decided to home-school him. After a while his mother, a former teacher herself, recognized his unusua l abilities to reason. She quickly got him interested in History and Classic books. Thomas, however, was strangely attracted to the subject of science. By the age of ten Thomas Edison had already been experimenting and by now owned a sizable quantity of chemicals. Unfortunately, his experiments were often quite expensive and he found it his duty to pay for them. Because he didn’t go to school, he had plenty of time to earn money by himself. When he was only twelve, he began selling newspapers on the Grand Trunk Railway; he even printed the newspapers himself. He spent everything he earned on books and chemicals. After about one year, his mother became so sick of the noises of exploding beakers, the smells of burning, and smoke filling the house that he was no longer allowed to perform his experiments at home. Luckily, he was given permission to move to his lab into the train baggage car. He would be able to experiment during the long five-hour layover in Detroit. ... Free Essays on Edison Free Essays on Edison Aside from his amazing history as an adult, Thomas Alva Edison lived an equally exciting childhood. Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847. At the time, his father was owner of a successful shingle and lumber company. However, with new railroads being built through Milan, his father lost customers to the bigger companies that began to open. The Edison’s were forced to move to Port Huron, where he first began his education. When he was only seven years old his teacher, the Reverend G.B. Engle, considered Thomas to be a dull student and was terrible in math. After three months of school his teacher called him addled, which means confused or mixed up. Thomas stormed home. The next day, Nancy Edison brought Thomas back to school to talk to Reverend Engle. He told her that Thomas couldn’t learn. His mother became so angry with the strict Reverend that she decided to home-school him. After a while his mother, a former teacher herself, recognized his unusua l abilities to reason. She quickly got him interested in History and Classic books. Thomas, however, was strangely attracted to the subject of science. By the age of ten Thomas Edison had already been experimenting and by now owned a sizable quantity of chemicals. Unfortunately, his experiments were often quite expensive and he found it his duty to pay for them. Because he didn’t go to school, he had plenty of time to earn money by himself. When he was only twelve, he began selling newspapers on the Grand Trunk Railway; he even printed the newspapers himself. He spent everything he earned on books and chemicals. After about one year, his mother became so sick of the noises of exploding beakers, the smells of burning, and smoke filling the house that he was no longer allowed to perform his experiments at home. Luckily, he was given permission to move to his lab into the train baggage car. He would be able to experiment during the long five-hour layover in Detroit. ...

Population Growth and Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Population Growth and Control - Essay Example In other words, it is a ratio: population over resources. If a given environment has a population of 10, but there is food and drinking water enough for only 9 people, then that environment is overpopulated, while if the population is 100 individuals but there are food and water enough for 200, then it is not overpopulated. Over population can result from increases in births, a decline in mortality rates, which is linked to increases in life expectancy, or from an unsustainable use and depletion of resources. Advances in technology can reduce the threat of overpopulation by making new resources available, or by increasing the productivity of existing resources. Resources to be taken into account when estimating if an ecological niche is overpopulated include clean water and air, food, shelter, warmth, or other issues related to survival. In the case of human beings, there are others such as arable land and, for all but tribes with primitive lifestyles, lesser resources such as unemployment, money or other economic resources, education, fuel, electricity, healthcare, proper sewage treatment and waste management, and transportation. In the context of human societies, overpopulation occurs when the population density is so great as to actually cause an impaired quality of life, environmental degradation, or a long-term shortage of essential goods and services. Overpopulation is not merely an imbalance between the numbers of individuals compared to the resources they need to survive, or a ratio of population over resources. This is because such an imbalance may be caused by any other number of factors such as bad governance, war, injustice and exploitation, etc. When other such factors come into play in a certain locale, and population density cannot be shown to be the major cause, overpopulation cannot be conclusively said to occur. The world's human population is currently growing by more than 75 million people per year. This is down from a peak numerical growth of about 88 million per year in the late 1980s. About half the world lives in nations with sub-replacement fertility, and population growth in those countries is due to immigration. Thomas Malthus (1798) argued that if left unrestricted, human populations would continue to grow until they would become too large to be supported by the food grown on available agricultural land. He proposed that, while resources tend to grow linearly, population grows exponentially. At that point, the population would be restrained through mass famine and starvation. Malthus (1798) also argued for population control, through "moral restraint", to avoid this happening. As the population exceeds the amount of available resources, it decreases, since the lack of resources causes mortality to increase. This process keeps the population in check and

AC2650 cw2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

AC2650 cw2 - Essay Example Every investment comes with different types of risk associated with it. Investors may think that making investments according to the advice of the financial experts are free of risk. But this is not true, as it also comes with various risks. Investors need to understand that to generate wealth over a period of time it needs to accept a high amount of risks. Stock market always fluctuates and it depends on several factors like profitability and performance of the company, political and social factors, and govt. decisions. Share prices of a company always fluctuate due two types of risks – systematic and unsystematic risk. Systematic risks are the market risks and can be measured by beta. On the other side unsystematic risks are those risks which arise from the internal problem of the company like labor problem, problem in managerial decisions and problems in other code of conduct of the company. Unsystematic risks can be measured by alpha. Now we need to consider the various ty pes of risks that are associated with investing in the stock market. There are several types of unreasonable risks that are faced by the investors in the stock market. Evaluating and analyzing the risk that are involved in any investment is very complex. According to the risk taking ability the investors can be differentiated into different category. Risk taking ability of an investor is known as risk portfolio of the investor. There are several types of investors like high risk potential investor, medium risk potential investor and low risk potential investor. Risk tolerance level of an investor depends upon several factors like the age of the investor, objectives of investment, aim of the investment and future goals in life. Thus to discuss about the unreasonable risks we need to consider the several types of risks that can affect the performance of the investors in the stock market. Market risk includes a wider picture which means if an investor wants to

Cultural dimension Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural dimension - Assignment Example The application of in-depth questions in the semi-structured questionnaires drew the study towards the acquisition of the required outcomes since the interviewees were not coerced to answer in a particular controlled manner. Therefore, the research process established the prevalence of a civilised culture in the Japanese society before the documentation of the Austrian culture. 2.1 Two students from Japan and Austria were selected for the interview, which involved the use of open-end questionnaires. The students were chosen because they possessed the most dominant and influential cultures in the history of civilization. With the use of open-end questions and semi-structured questionnaires, they were asked many questions; hence, they stimulated the opportunity of acquiring a wide range of answers in the absence of research bias. This was done by using the most important issues about their cultures. In this questionnaire, the participants were enquired to rate the most significant and particular issues. These questions helped in understanding concepts that hold significance to the respondents, and allowed critical decisions about the countries’ cultures. The two students answered the questions in accordance to their societal perspectives; hence, the results influenced the study to establish that the Japanese and Austrian societies were embracing democratic practices in leadership, with the common objective being the improvement of the lifestyles and economic progression. 2.2 The  next section represents an analytical approach that evaluates the information gathered during the study. Since the application of the qualitative method of survey enhanced the level of participation among the chosen sample population, it was noted that there were many differences and similarities between the Japanese and Austrian cultures. The Japanese culture is exceedingly older than the Austrian culture

Built Environment Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Built Environment - Article Example This will have a negative impact in the future generation. Research has proven that responsible urbanization practices can help reduce the negative effects on the environment. Responsible urbanization involves urban connectivity which has examples like sewer and water contamination, proper disposal of waste materials, recycling, energy conservation and proper management operations. The article describes ways in which sustainable environment can be achieved but does not provide the exact guidelines on how to achieve. Many readers may find the article convincing but they may not gain much because it lacks guidelines. The writer should have explained further on how energy conservation will be achieved and also the methods of avoiding pollution. However the article is very beneficial towards the conservation of the environment for the future. Waste materials should be disposed properly for example recycling of plastic bags instead of burning them in open air. We find that in the recent days climatic changes have been observed. Places which used to receive rainfall are now experiencing drought. This is due to poor environmental conservation practices like carelessly cutting down trees. If contractors are clearing an area for the purpose of construction, they should also think of environmental construction like planting more trees in neighborhood

Maritime piracy along the malacca straits in Southeast Asia Research Paper

Maritime piracy along the malacca straits in Southeast Asia - Research Paper Example Singapore th efeoe ecame a typeically diffent stllemntwioth both Euroeopand and Asian elemntsanndintersts, leading to develop,ntof the Irnum maradduing fgnag thth attcejd Englisgh shipps trading inthis region with a passon leadiong to heacy losses and marginally contgruibuted to declining trade in Singapore at this time ( Wong Lin Ken, 1960 82-83). Singapre as explained was creted as a redistruibutin center by western forces Mills (1966, 223) argue wtht Europen powers emp[loyed draconian approaches to reduce clocal comeotyoninteh area nd enjoy a complte monopoly destroyin the indegneous systems,w hich imprecverisehd he local sn and the merachants, who dweeloped sesdneof ravage and a sense f legitimiston attcks on ships along the strait.t he Maly and ghe Illunun were biter rivals and piracy continued thpoighh atck of ships and was at its peak between 1826 and 1836 (Freeman, 180). There the fact th SIngapiore was a destin f o the west heithned pirate attcks on ships tow the countery an d had almost chocked the port sof Singapore (Freeman, 182). The 1849 bid to elimintate pircacy aliong the striat led by te British though asuslton theassialnts (Freeman, 183) 0was reamrble in crating divides between Sinaopre and the restof the region as a choise fo the westen forces (Mitchel 1976, 178). Piracy thrives ina area where it is culteurally acceptable and in ASoutegh east asia, it has been aemvbraced as as an acceptable way oflivfe eaimed at profvding support for poor local villages (Murphy, 17). This explinsw hry teerrosimis more rampant along Indonesian coast whre poverty is much higher (Young, 61) and is not considered as a global problem (). M,oroever, closelnessof the sttes has been a factrt to heighten sensitvuity ion stte soverignity, which has hampred efforts for cordiotna nd intergraton in coabatig the piracy meannce

Hofstede Cultural Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hofstede Cultural Theory - Essay Example This is the way the top management treat their subordinates in the work place. The inequality treatment of the employees by the management creates a rift between the top management and low ranked employees. Employees are the source of ideas which might make the organization to be more competitive or avoid some risks and uncertainties that may face the organization. Power distance therefore, creates consultation barriers in case the employees have issues that they want to raise to the top management. The decisions are therefore, made by the top management without incorporating the decisions of the low ranked employees and this might bring about resistance in implementation of the proposal. Power distance can be overcome through open offices where employees are free to consult the top management on a certain issue that is of great concern to them. Team work can on the other hand, bring management closer to the employees as it is easier for employees to elect their leader who will take their grievances to the top management (Khastar et al, 2011, p.321) Collectivism is how people in a society or group in an organization feel as belonging to a group. On the other hand individualism is an aspect where each person acts as a single body without involving others. Top managements are prone to this culture where they exclude other people in the organization and act individually without the involvement of other members who also plays an important role in the success of the organization. This aspect demoralizes the other members of the society who feel left out in running the activities of the organization (Khastar et al, 2011). Masculinity versus feminity is a culture that treats different members depending on their sex. Top leaders create up gender disparities in awarding of chores in the organization. This aspect makes one gender to feel less respected an aspect that have an effect on their overall performance of the minority gender (Khastar et al, 2011, p.321). Lastly, uncertainty avoidance is how the organization is structured to deal with future risks. A culture of team work is one strategy that organization uses in order to come up with ways of fighting risks and uncertainties. Team work comes up with strategies and ideas which are important in shielding the organization from any risks that might occur in the future. Organization avoids uncertainty through insuring their employees and organizational structures against any risks. This gives the employees morale to work harder as they are certain about their future (Khastar et al, 2011, p.321) Hofstede theory has brought changes in the organization through bringing gender balance in the organization. Many organizations have eradicated any practices that could bring gender imbalance. Some of these practices start direct from advertising the vacancies in the organization. The organizations have also ensured that the advertisements are gender neutral so as to give all interested applicants an opport unity to try their luck. In the interview level, questions that are asked by the panel are neutral so as not to discourage the minority gender. Countries have also adapted to the cultural model through putting up strategies to ensure that all genders are well represented in the organizations and institutions (Khastar et al, 2

Built Environment Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Built Environment - Article Example This will have a negative impact in the future generation. Research has proven that responsible urbanization practices can help reduce the negative effects on the environment. Responsible urbanization involves urban connectivity which has examples like sewer and water contamination, proper disposal of waste materials, recycling, energy conservation and proper management operations. The article describes ways in which sustainable environment can be achieved but does not provide the exact guidelines on how to achieve. Many readers may find the article convincing but they may not gain much because it lacks guidelines. The writer should have explained further on how energy conservation will be achieved and also the methods of avoiding pollution. However the article is very beneficial towards the conservation of the environment for the future. Waste materials should be disposed properly for example recycling of plastic bags instead of burning them in open air. We find that in the recent days climatic changes have been observed. Places which used to receive rainfall are now experiencing drought. This is due to poor environmental conservation practices like carelessly cutting down trees. If contractors are clearing an area for the purpose of construction, they should also think of environmental construction like planting more trees in neighborhood

Hofstede Cultural Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hofstede Cultural Theory - Essay Example This is the way the top management treat their subordinates in the work place. The inequality treatment of the employees by the management creates a rift between the top management and low ranked employees. Employees are the source of ideas which might make the organization to be more competitive or avoid some risks and uncertainties that may face the organization. Power distance therefore, creates consultation barriers in case the employees have issues that they want to raise to the top management. The decisions are therefore, made by the top management without incorporating the decisions of the low ranked employees and this might bring about resistance in implementation of the proposal. Power distance can be overcome through open offices where employees are free to consult the top management on a certain issue that is of great concern to them. Team work can on the other hand, bring management closer to the employees as it is easier for employees to elect their leader who will take their grievances to the top management (Khastar et al, 2011, p.321) Collectivism is how people in a society or group in an organization feel as belonging to a group. On the other hand individualism is an aspect where each person acts as a single body without involving others. Top managements are prone to this culture where they exclude other people in the organization and act individually without the involvement of other members who also plays an important role in the success of the organization. This aspect demoralizes the other members of the society who feel left out in running the activities of the organization (Khastar et al, 2011). Masculinity versus feminity is a culture that treats different members depending on their sex. Top leaders create up gender disparities in awarding of chores in the organization. This aspect makes one gender to feel less respected an aspect that have an effect on their overall performance of the minority gender (Khastar et al, 2011, p.321). Lastly, uncertainty avoidance is how the organization is structured to deal with future risks. A culture of team work is one strategy that organization uses in order to come up with ways of fighting risks and uncertainties. Team work comes up with strategies and ideas which are important in shielding the organization from any risks that might occur in the future. Organization avoids uncertainty through insuring their employees and organizational structures against any risks. This gives the employees morale to work harder as they are certain about their future (Khastar et al, 2011, p.321) Hofstede theory has brought changes in the organization through bringing gender balance in the organization. Many organizations have eradicated any practices that could bring gender imbalance. Some of these practices start direct from advertising the vacancies in the organization. The organizations have also ensured that the advertisements are gender neutral so as to give all interested applicants an opport unity to try their luck. In the interview level, questions that are asked by the panel are neutral so as not to discourage the minority gender. Countries have also adapted to the cultural model through putting up strategies to ensure that all genders are well represented in the organizations and institutions (Khastar et al, 2

Australian Animals 2 1 Essay Example for Free

Australian Animals 2 1 Essay Unit Rationale: The unit focuses on the topic of Australian Animals, students will explore the local environment first hand to develop knowledge and understanding of the native animals that surround us. Throughout the unit students will engage in lessons that highlight different aspects of Australian animals such as habit, food chain, and physical appearance. In conjunction students will distinguish the relationship between Aboriginals and Australian animals through research and contact with indigenous community members. Using different learning strategies students will be able to identify native animals and their role in the environment; students will also create their own interpretation of dreamtime stories about Australian Animals. Towards the middle of the unit students will attend the Australian walkabout wildlife park where they will learn about Australian animals shelters, see how animals find or build shelters in the bush also interacting with wild animals living naturally, plus visit an ancient Aboriginal site to learn about hand stenciled caves, rock engravings and bush tucker. Class size: 23, 6 who identity as aboriginal, 2 whom are from a Pacific Islander background and 1 whom is from a Korean background. Class Description: Students in our class are of ages 6 and 7 and have seen to display mixed motivation levels when participating in activities. Most students are easily engaged in classroom activities, but only a small proportion of students are disengaged in some activities. Special considerations may need to be put in place in order for students to be motivated and keen to learn. As for scheduling, this unit will run for 1-hour once a week over 8 weeks in the semester. Our classroom will be equipped with a computer, projector and smartboard to support our lessons. School background. Wallace Public school is renowned for providing high quality primary education. The schools success has been the major factor in the growth of the school to its maximum capacity. Wallace Public School ranges from Kindergarten to Year 6 (ages 5-12). Enrollments in the school are 375 students of whom 63 students are identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. The school is supported by a fulltime Administration Manager, an Administration Officer, an Aboriginal Education Officer, Student Learning Support. Officers and a General Assistant. Wallace Public School delivers life skills based learning programs to address the needs of students within the framework of curriculum documents. The school also provides opportunities for community participation and work experience with community access being a major focus. Alilia Sikahele Teigan Power Abbey Bates Learning expectations and indigenous considerations Abbey Class role Name Gender Identifies as Special needs Ashley, Sue Female Aboriginal Bennet, John Male Cossa, Andrew Male Fijian Asthmatic Culler, Fiona Female Edwards, Emily Female Aboriginal Fields, Abel Male Fuller, Samuel Male Gideon, Samantha Female Aboriginal Harvey, Mark Male Loli, Esther Female. Tongan English as 2nd Language – require ESL tuition Luck, Tori Male Mullen, Greg Male Aboriginal Middle ear infection(otitis media) Oscar, Larry Male Palm, Giorgia Female Penny, Kira Female Pritchard, Bob Male Russell, Jack Male Aboriginal English as 2nd Language – require ESL tuition Smith, Luke Male Smith, Curtis Male Sullivan, Terri Female Tand, Kira Female Korean Trevor, Bianca Female Tyron, Aimee Female Aboriginal Wally, Dion Male Williams, Sam Male Allergic to nuts Wright, Amber Female Alilia Sikahele Teigan Power Abbey Bates Unit Lesson Outcomes KLA Lesson Focus Teaching/Learning activity Lesson 1 Lia Sikahele lesson English/pdhpe. Students will be using Australian animals to improve their oral skills by listening to sounds in words and segmenting them into syllables. This will give students an understanding of what animals are around us. An Aboriginal guest will also come in to demonstrate the pronunciation of the animal names in their local language. Lesson 2 Maths Students identify values of Australian coins as showed on the Smartboard. Discuss the Australian animals featured on the coins. WM1. 3. Lesson 3 Art Why did Aboriginal people use dot painting when depicting Australian animals? How did they make the paint? Why did they paint Australian animals? Lesson 4. English/art Aboriginal guest comes in to tell students some dream time stories, students will then go back and draw their interpretation of part of the dreamtime story Lesson 5 Excursion Students will attend the Australian walkabout wildlife park where they will learn about Australian animals shelters, see how animals find or build shelters in the bush also interacting with wild animals living naturally, plus visit an ancient Aboriginal site to learn about hand stenciled caves, rock engravings and bush tucker. http://www. walkaboutpark. com. au/ Lesson 6 Pdhpe. Focusing on ball skills- students to be allocated animal groups and when moving between activities to act like their animal for example kangaroos, wombat, snakes Alilia Sikahele Teigan Power Abbey Bates Lesson 7 Teigan Power lesson HSIE / art Shelters Get students to discuss what shelters do Australian animals live in natural or manmade? Identify what animal’s lives in what shelter and what they might be made out of and how they might make their shelter? Students will then create and construct their own shelter for a particular Australia animal. Lesson 8 English/ pdhpe Plan a sports carnival for 3 Australian animals to participate in. State the animals chosen, which events/races they would go in, who you think would win and why. Draw a picture of the animals in the events Lesson 9 Lesson 10 Individual Lessons Alilia Sikahele Teigan Power Abbey Bates Appendix References: ECU,. (2012) (1st ed. ). Retrieved from https://intranet. ecu. edu. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/510073/8- Aboriginal-ways-of-learning-factsheet. pdf Board of Studies NSW (1998-2014) K-6 Syllabus documents. Sydney: Board of Studies NSW Public Schools. (2009). Retrieved from http://www. schools. nsw. edu. au/gotoschool/a-z/is_ps_staff. php What Works. The Work Program. (2014). Retrieved from http://www. whatworks. edu. au/dbAction. do? cmd=homePage.

Coursebook And Materials Evaluation English Language Essay

Coursebook And Materials Evaluation English Language Essay Introduction English language holds a great significance in Pakistan. It is the second language of our country yet enjoys the status of first language. It is the medium of instruction in the institutions of higher education and is widely used on radio and television in the country. Several newspapers, periodicals and books on different subjects are published in English. It is the official language of all the government departments and private organizations in Pakistan. Most importantly, our body of law is codified in English and the knowledge of English is considered to be essential for getting good jobs as exams and interviews for civil services, armed forces and other attractive posts are conducted in this language. The inevitability of English, not only in Pakistan but in the whole world, lies in its dominance in the three major areas of development: science, humanities and trade. Keeping in view the importance and the need to learn this language, Cunningsworth (1984:5) highlights three main perspectives on English Language Teaching as follows: The students need to learn the language to use it for communicative purposes It needs to be taught as a system of grammar and vocabulary in structural perspective The learners need to develop their four basic skills-reading, writing, listening and speaking in this language ELT materials play a very important role in many language classrooms but in recent years there has been a lot of debate on the actual role of materials in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. A successful course book requires a working balance between the three perspectives mentioned above. Arguments about the textbooks include both the advantages and the limitations of materials for students as well as the needs and preferences of teachers who are using them. Other modern issues regarding material evaluation include textbook design and practicality, methodological validity, the role of textbooks in innovation, the authenticity and the appropriateness of subject matter, and cultural components. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that we establish and apply a wide variety of relevant and contextually appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the textbooks that we use in our language classrooms. This paper aims at an analytical study of a published ELT course book (Stepping Forward) with regards to its underpinning approach and methodological principles to be drawn through an external as well internal evaluation of the book. LITERATURE REVIEW 1- Importance of Textbooks in ELT context: English language instruction has many important components but the essential constituents of many ESL/EFL classrooms and programs are the textbooks and instructional materials that are often used by language instructors. As in their argument to prove textbooks affective agents of change, Hutchinson and Torres (1994) suggest: The textbook is an almost universal element of teachingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦No teaching-learning situation, it seems, is complete until it has its relevant textbook. (p. 315). Many other theorists agree with this observation as Sheldon (1988) states that textbooks not only represent the visible heart of any ELT program (p.237) but also offer considerable advantages for both the student and the teacher when they are being used in the ESL/EFL classroom. Moreover, he believes that published materials are more reliable for the students because they have more credibility than teacher-generated or in-house materials. Textbooks yield a respectable practicality as they are relatively inexpensive and involve low lesson preparation time, whereas teacher-generated materials can be ineffective in terms of time, cost and quality. In this way, textbooks can reduce professional workload and allow teachers the opportunity to spend more time in concentrating on the material available instead of arranging for a new one every time. As Hutchinson and Torres (1994) point out that textbooks play a pivotal role in innovation and support teachers in potentially disturbing and threatening change processes, for they demonstrate new methodologies, introduce change gradually, and create a framework upon which teachers can build a more creative methodology of their own. 2- Reasons for Textbook Evaluation: Since the 1970s there has been a movement to make learners the center of language instruction and it is probably best to view textbooks as resources in achieving aims and objectives that have already been set in terms of learner needs. Therefore, we must make every effort to establish and apply a wide variety of relevant and contextually appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the textbooks that we use in our language classrooms. We should also ensure that careful selection is made, and that the materials selected closely reflect the aims, methods, and values of the teaching program. (Cunningsworth, 1995:7). Another reason for textbook evaluation is the fact that it can be very useful in teacher development and professional growth. Cunningsworth (1995) states that textbook evaluation helps teachers to acquire useful, accurate, systematic, and contextual insights into the overall nature of textbook material. Sheldon (1988) offers justification through several other reasons for textbook evaluation. He suggests that the selection of an ELT textbook often signals an important administrative and educational decision with considerable financial investment. A thorough evaluation, therefore, would enable the management and teaching staff of a specific institution to choose amongst all of the available textbooks in the market. Moreover, it would provide a sense of familiarity with a books content assisting the educators to compare it with the strengths and weaknesses in textbooks already in use. Textbook evaluation, therefore, can potentially be a means of conducting research as well as a form of professional empowerment and improvement. 3- Methods of Evaluating Textbooks: On the subject of textbook evaluation various researchers have suggested ways of helping teachers to be more systematic in their evaluative approach, by presenting evaluation checklists based on general criteria that can be used by both teachers and students in many different situations. Although Sheldon (1988) suggests that no general list of criteria can ever really be applied to all teaching and learning contexts without considerable modification. Thats why, almost all the educational theorists agree that evaluation checklists should be having some criteria pertaining to the physical characteristics of textbooks such as layout, organizational, usable and logistical characteristics. Thus, in this regard, the evaluative criteria presented by McDonough and Shaw (1997), is most suitable and applicable in any ELT context. The model of evaluation offered by McDonough and Shaw (1997) consists of two stages: (A) External evaluation and (B) Internal evaluation. They believe that the teachers should perform an external evaluation first of all in order to gain an overview of the organizational principles involved. After this they should move onto a detailed internal evaluation of the materials to see how far the materials in question match up to what the author claims as well as to the aims and objectives of a given teaching program. Thus, the next section of this paper will present an external as well as internal analysis of an ELT course book (Stepping Forward) based on McDonough and Shaws (1997) model of evaluation. TEXTBOOK ANALYSIS: AN EVALUATIVE STUDY 1- Key Facts about the Book-Authors and Publishers: One of the most useful starting points in any textbook evaluation is an analysis of the authors and publishers details. The authors of Stepping Forward are Heather Jones and Robyn Mann and the publisher is a well-established company based in Singapore, EPB Pan Pacific publishers, a trademark of Times Publishing Limited. Ample information about the publishing company such as the contact address, telephone and fax numbers can be found on the inside front cover. Moreover, information about the authors formal education, amounts and types of teaching, administration, and curriculum/syllabus and materials development experience is also given which presents a clear picture of the authors having a recognized standing in the field of education and a strong reputation for producing innovative materials. 2- Target Audience and Proficiency Level: Stepping Forward by Heather Jones and Robyn Mann comprises a series of textbooks. The book under analysis has been designed for the students of grade six belonging to an age group of around eleven years. The book includes challenging topics, chosen especially for the interest level of the target students. The topics like My Family, Growing Up, Dinosaurs, Tourism, and Science Fiction etc are highly attractive and motivating for the learners. 3- Cost Effectiveness: Another important factor that relates to the choice of a textbook is cost. Some might feel that price is not necessarily an important factor in textbook evaluation, but the fact that most ESL/EFL textbooks are published and manufactured in wealthy English-speaking nations such as England and the United States but used in many less-developed nations like Pakistan suggests that price should play a pertinent role in textbook selection. This is particularly the case in countries in which the economic conditions are somewhat less than desirable and many students with limited incomes are required to purchase the books for language courses. In this case, Stepping Forward is also a little expensive as it costs Rs.365/-, however, the printing standard and paper quality worth the price. 4- Accessibility and Availability: Some additional concerns regarding external evaluation are accessibility and availability. In order to be purchasable for a textbook, it must be currently in print and readily available. Moreover, the publisher should be accessible for additional information, teaching demonstrations, and order requests. At first glance it would seem that Stepping Forward meets many of these requirements for it is a relatively new book that was most recently published in 1995 and then reprinted every year till 2007. Moreover, representatives from the publisher (EPB Pan Pacific) can be easily contacted for ordering information and assistance. 5- Audio-Visual Aids and Supplementary Materials: The book contains several charts, models, and photographs that help clarify and contextualize information. The presence of real life pictures portrays a friendly and motivating atmosphere. The pictures are not merely added for a cosmetic effect, they are rather of an integrative value that they help explaining the theme to the learners. In addition, Stepping Forward contains an excellent package of supplementary materials including items such as classroom tape cassettes or CDs, a student workbook, and a teachers guide. More specifically, the teachers guide includes useful page-by-page instructions, teaching suggestions and instructional input, lesson notes, optional tasks and alternatives, classroom management advice, language notes, general notes about the task and cultural data, expansion activities and game ideas, tests, answer keys, transcripts for listening activities, and opportunities for teacher reflection. The student workbook, on the other hand, provides review exercises an d a variety of practice exercises that help the development of students proficiency in grammar, reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and speaking and has enormous potential for classroom use or for home assignments. 6- Overall Organization of Textbook: The layout and design of a textbook refers to its organization and presentation of language items and activities. In Stepping Forward, for instance, the learning objectives are clear and concise and a detailed overview of the topics, functions, structures/grammar, and skills within each unit can be found in the introductory table of contents. The book follows a thematic/modular format as the course components are effectively and clearly organized in six thematic sections: Personal relations, Nature, Community and Nation, Imagination, Science and Technology and Other people. Four sections contain three units each and two include two units each, which makes it a sum total of sixteen units. 7- Authors Claims- the Methodological Principles underpinning the Book: One of the most important and essential criterion that pertains to the overall textbook evaluation is the authors approach to teaching methodology. Brown (1995) and Cunningsworth (1995) suggest that it is absolutely essential in evaluating any textbook to determine whether or not its inherent methodology matches the aims and objectives and conforms to the classroom context. The simplest and quickest way for initially discovering a textbooks theoretical premises and methodological underpinnings is to examine its back cover (the blurb). So, a closer examination of Stepping Forwards back cover reveals that the authors (Heather Jones and Robyn Mann) claim to adhere to the Communicative Approach and the textbook contains a multi-skills curriculum and follows a topical/functional format. The book also tends to focus on both accurate and fluent communication emphasizing linguistic as well as communicative value of the topics. The promotion of integrated language-skills practice and the incl usion of topical themes, grammatical structures and functions, as well as lexical development are focused. Particular emphasis is placed on meaningful and authentic communication with the goal of establishing communicative competence in production and comprehension as the authors state in the blurb, students as well as teachers will find Stepping Forward an exciting and stimulating language learning experience, one that will result in the learners being competent and confident users of the English language. Moreover, many of the pair and group activities such as role-playing and information-gap tasks are claimed to facilitate learning through genuine interaction and the language skills and sub-skills are presented and practiced through the use of both inductive and deductive approaches. 8- Cultural Biases: The book under analysis, Stepping Forward, can be termed as culturally biased or specific in some regards, for the names of people and places as well as pictures are mostly taken from the Singaporean culture. For example, the travel brochure given on page 131-133 in the textbook, particularly informs about places in Singapore and Malaysia. Similarly, on page 130 the listening activity talks about Hotel Mirimar in Singapore. Moreover, the writing task on page 135 requires drawing the map of Singapore and the pictures shown on page 129 and 149 have also been taken from real life situations in Singapore. 9- Universal Context: Nevertheless, in spite of certain cultural specific data, Stepping Forward, has a universal appeal and generates in a world-wide context. Because the activities and tasks designed around this culturally bound material are not confined to any geographical boundary. Thus, they can be carried out in any context throughout the world. (B) INTERNAL EVALUATION-Units 8 and 9: Since the external evaluation displays a positive image of the book, therefore, an internal evaluation needs to be executed further. The following discussion is going to evaluate the book internally with particular reference to the units 8 and 9. 1- Grading and Sequencing of Materials: The materials in Stepping Forward are organized in a linear sequence within the units of the book. Every unit begins with a Preview of the topic for eliciting the learners background knowledge and activating their schemata. Then, the four language skills are presented and practised in a systematic manner moving from listening to speaking and then reading to writing with grammar and vocabulary coming between the reading and writing activities. The authors truly claimed in the blurb that the book follows a communicative approach which is achieved through task-based learning (TBL). Such an approach creates a need for learners to acquire new language through the setting of tasks that require them to carry out and struggle through a communicative task, before going on to focus on specific language items that the students find difficult or problematic. The communicative tasks such as (in units 8 and 9) working on persuasive travel brochures, completing the crosswords, playing grammar-games, filling in the tables, making cards or using thesaurus and library tend to stimulate interaction as well as require the use of language items. These tasks not only intended to introduce language forms through authentic material but also engage the learners in truly meaningful and effective communication such as negotiation of meaning and ideas. 2- Presentation of the Language Skills: Stepping Forward is a multi-skills syllabus and therefore covers and integrates both productive (speaking and writing) and receptive skills (listening and reading). The authors advocate an integrated, multi-skills syllabus because it considers and incorporates several categories of both meaning and form. A more positive characteristic of the integrated syllabus within Stepping Forward is the fact that the linguistic elements of the textbook such as grammar and vocabulary items are closely connected to the skills-base. So, as the grammar element and the vocabulary base become more demanding, the skills work also gets more challenging. An internal evaluation of the book reveals that material used for each skill becomes more complex as the units progress. An in-depth analysis of the treatment of language skills in units 8 and 9 is presented below. (i) Listening: Listening activities are designed in Stepping Forward for practicing such sub-skills as making predictions, extracting specific items (scanning/listening for detail), acquiring general information (skimming/listening for gist), extracting detailed information, recognizing function and discourse patterns/markers, and for inferring meaning from context. Every unit in the book deals with a different sub-skill in listening. For instance, in unit 8 the learners are supposed to listen for making inferences about the speakers statements as being persuasive or not. However, in unit 9 the students are made to listen for specific information in order to clarify meaning and make corrections. (ii) Speaking: Speaking practice, in this book, is integrated with other language skills. Every time after presenting a Preview of the topic the learners are given discussion questions for the activation of schemata. Then they are required to talk about the information they gather while listening activities. For example, on page 130, the description of the listening task ends on the note: Be prepared to argue your opinion later!. Moreover, after or while doing most of the reading and writing tasks, the learners are required to discuss the information in pairs or groups. For instance, in unit 8 (page 140) after reading a poem the learners are moved on to a speaking task of verse speaking in groups. Similarly, in unit 9 (page 160), the students are required to perform a role-play after reading a dialogue and on page 166 questions for class discussion are given within a writing activity of creating cards. Such tasks match the authors claim in the blurb: Stepping Forward provides numerous activities to enable students to work individually, in pairs, groups as well as class discussion. This provides scope for creative thinking and critical discussion. Speaking tasks and discussions are intended to involve the students in active information sharing, freer cooperative group tasks, and other types of exercises designed to encourage communication skills as they allow the students to extend, refine, and personalize the material they have practised in each unit. (iii) Reading: Reading activities in Stepping Forward are designed to practise sub-skills such as reading for detail or for skimming, scanning, inferring etc. In every unit, reading tasks are divided into two sections: Fiction and Non-fiction. In unit 8, the section of non-fiction contains activities around a travel brochure and the fiction section deals with reading a poem. While in unit 9, non-fiction reading is designed around a feature article and fiction reading presents a dramatic play script. Moreover, in order to expose the learners to the reading material beyond the course book, they are also asked to use thesaurus and library (pg 143, 164, 165). These tasks provide a practice of reading for detail, for meaning and for ideas. Reading activities in every unit follow the practice on grammar and vocabulary further leading to the writing tasks. (iv) Writing: Writing activities in Stepping Forward typically ask students to perform tasks of various kinds such as descriptions, narratives, postcards, reviews, letters etc. It can be suggested, therefore, that the writing skills in Stepping Forward are based on both product and process approaches. Essentially, a product-oriented approach centers on the end-result of writing, whereas a process-oriented approach centers on the process of writing itself. In addition, product-oriented approaches typically engage learners in imitating, copying and transforming models of correct language texts while process-oriented approaches emphasize brainstorming, planning, drafting, revision, and editing. The writing task given in unit 8 (pg 145-146) is based on process approach in which the learners have to write a travel brochure by gathering and organizing information and then revising and editing the first draft. However, in unit 9, the writing activity is designed around the product approach in which the students will be working towards an end-product-the greeting card that they have to create. Despite their differences, both approaches to the teaching of writing skills have their advantages. Product writing, for example, emphasizes sentence structure and grammar and is often utilized as an excellent means of preparing students for written examinations. The process approach, on the other hand, prepares them for the complex procedure involved in writing compositions. For these reasons, the authors of Stepping Forward have included activities that incorporate both product and process approaches of writing in this particular textbook. 3- Different Learning Styles-Self-study: Another interesting feature of this book is the website (www.panpaceducation.com) that has been designed to accompany the textbook. The integration of the personal computer and information technology to language learning is becoming increasingly commonplace in many institutions and it seems as though the authors and publishers of Stepping Forward are well aware of this growing phenomenon. In this particular case the publishers have developed an accompanying web-site that teachers can use to find Internet links to professional articles and that students can use to gain additional practice with the material covered in the textbook. This web-site can be used as a useful teaching and learning tool as it provides teachers with assistance in professional development and also provides students with an opportunity to become increasingly self-reliant and less teacher-dependent. Moreover, the promotion of student self-directed study is integral in allowing students to become increasingly aware of their own abilities to remember, learn, and solve problems and more strategic and reflective in their learning, thinking, and problem solving. 4- Language Type and Content: Language type and content refers to whether the language included in the materials is realistic and authentic and what type of linguistic items are evident in the book. In terms of grammatical structures and functions, Stepping Forward places much emphasis on grammatical accuracy and repetition of structures and functions. Grammar and vocabulary are organized into separate sections in each unit. In unit 8, grammar section deals with pronouns and in unit 9 it provides a practice of simple present and present perfect tense. The section of vocabulary also includes thesaurus use in every unit, so that the students can build on new vocabulary on their own. A fair weightage given to grammar and vocabulary in the book justifies the authors claims as it is stated on the back cover of the book: a wide range of grammar and vocabulary exercises are especially designed to help students acquire the necessary language skills and vocabulary to discuss and write on the topic in each unit. The author s believe that correct knowledge of grammar and functions are an essential aspect of communicative competence and they have adopted the task-based learning technique as a means of accomplishing their objectives. Since the introduction of the Communicative Approach to language teaching in the 1970s and 80s, there has been a growing school of thought that says that authentic reading, speaking, listening, writing, and grammatical language models should be used to teach English language skills as long as the activities or tasks associated with them are also authentic and suitably graded to the level of the students with whom they are being used. Whereas, many researchers belonging to another school of thought believe that authentic content can often create a number of difficulties and problems for students who are lacking in the proper cultural background knowledge or schemata to properly comprehend a messages meaning and content. Moreover, the selection of authentic texts is frequently quite difficult and challenging and a students inability to understand a text can be extremely demoralizing and de-motivating in some instances. Thats why, Stepping Forward presents a combination of both authenti c and inauthentic/scripted materials to ensure the success of the book. CONCLUSION The preceding analysis shows that Stepping Forward is a relatively modern addition to ELT supermarket. The external and internal evaluation traces out a number of notable and worthwhile characteristics of the book. For example, the entire textbook package is well conceived and it contains a wide variety of useful supplementary materials. The book is also very attractive and organized in a clear, logical, and coherent manner. This organization reflects a topic-based (thematic) structural-functional syllabus that is designed with the goal of facilitating communicative competence which is the underpinning objective of the book. In addition, Stepping Forward reflects a multi-skills syllabus, and manages to integrate the four language skills without neglecting other important aspects of ELT such as grammar and vocabulary development which is aimed at integrating the communicative and structural approaches of language teaching. In addition, receptive and productive skills are covered throu gh a wide variety of teaching and learning strategies such as top-down and bottom-up listening and reading exercises and both product and process oriented approaches to writing skills. According to the evaluative model presented by McDonough and Shaw (1997), a successful external evaluation moves onto the internal study and satisfactory results of the internal evaluation further lead towards the adoption/selection of the book. Thus, the positive outcomes of both types of evaluation, validity of the authors claims and its suitability to the learners needs make Stepping Forward a fairly recommendable product for an effective instruction in the dynamic field of English Language Teaching. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦far from being a problem, the textbook is an important means of satisfying the range of needs that emerge from the classroom and its wider context. Education is a complex and messy matter, what a textbook does is to create a degree of order within potential chaosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦around which many forces and demands of teaching-learning process can cohereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for purposeful action in the classroom.