Opinion Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Opinion Portfolio Essay 1. Are the media a real cause of violence and crime, or do they simply report what they see? The Media does not create the news it merely reports it.   It sensationalizes events, but cannot take responsibility for its impact on viewers.   In general the media has a responsibility which is married to society’s right to the free flow of information.   The irresponsible manner in which the media reports information can have both a deterrent and encouraging impact on the masses. But in the end criminal conduct is a creature of conscience and each member of society is responsible for his own conscience.   The greatest fault that can be attributed to the media’s role in reporting violence and crime is one of desensitizing the viewing public. 2. Should the media be used to fight crime? The media is viewed as an instrument of social control and in that sense it can and should be used to fight crime.   The key to successful detection, investigation and prosecution of criminal conduct is primarily attributed to information sharing.   The mere nature of the mass media’s role in information sharing puts it in a unique position to influence the commission of crimes.   The freedom of the press can be exploited to such an extent so as to reduce recidivism in a number of useful arenas and to deter criminal conduct in general. 3. Should the exclusionary rule be abolished? The exclusionary rule exists as a safeguard against public abuse of powers in respect of innocent persons.   All evidence presented at a criminal trial is required to be relevant.   If evidence is collected in an arbitrary manner it becomes suspect and therefore not relevant to the issue of guilt or innocence.   This is so because its probative value is outweighed by its prejudicial effect. When one piece of evidence is tainted it has the capacity to taint all other evidence no matter how relevant it is even if that other evidence was collected and preserved with integrity.   It is therefore essential that the exclusionary rule remain a part of the criminal justice process. Does a racial disparity exist in regard to the application of the death penalty? Many surveys conclude that blacks are more likely to receive the death penalty than whites while just as many surveys reveal that whites are more likely to receive the death penalty than blacks.   The end result is that the surveys merely reflect the demographic variables relative to the specific surveys conducted and do not reflect a prejudiced criminal justice system. 5. Are sexual assault cases under prosecuted? Sufficient data exist to support a contention that sexual assault cases are indeed under prosecuted.   This fact is married to the fact that sexual assault cases are by and large under reported.   Experts conclude that the under reporting and under prosecuting of sexual assault cases is directly linked to society’s general view that sexual assault only happens to others and the survivor’s reputation and credibility becomes as central to any sexual assault prosecution as does the suspect’s. 6. Should parole be abolished? Parole by its very nature is an important tool for the reintegration of the offender into society.   A prisoner has to meet very structured requirements in order to be eligible for parole. If parole is abolished a very important element necessary for the success of rehabilitation within the criminal justice system would be compromised. 7. Does the Patriot Act infringe on civil liberties? The Patriot Act was passed in response to national security issues following the September 11 terrorist attacks on US soil.   It is fails to adequately balance the need for increased protection of the homeland and citizens ‘right to protection of the law in respect of civil liberties.   Under the fear of increased statutory government powers of surveillance, search, seizure and arrests the Patriot Act may have by application given citizens more reasons to fear acts of terrorism against a government who has as its agenda the deterrence, detection and prevention of terrorism. 8. Is the US prepared for acts of terror or national emergencies? The United States is as prepared for acts of terror or national emergencies as much as it is possible to be prepared.   The requisite laws have been passed increasing police and government powers and certainly the United States has in place a military and medical response mechanism that can cope with practically any level of national emergencies. The unpredictable nature of terrorism and national emergencies makes it impossible for any nation to have a perfect response system in place.   The United States is no exception.

Impact of the Internet on Political and Social Change

Impact of the Internet on Political and Social Change Placing the rise of the World-Wide Web in its historical context, assess the extent to which the Internet has been a force for positive social or political change. Word count: 996 words This essay deals with the extent to which the rise of the internet has been a force for positive social or political change when placed in its historical context. Considering the factors that have been influential on social change, it will then go on to assess the extent to which there has been an impact on political change. In addition to this, it will outline the counter arguments that oppose the positive development of the of the world-wide web, and assess the extent to which positive social and political change has been established.Then it will draw conclusions to evaluate the true extent to which the rise of the world-wide web has been a force for positive social and political change or to what extent the process has been hindered. Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist who is credited with writing, at the time, his own private program for storing information that went on to form the main structure of the World Wide Web. As the source (Tim Berners-Lee, 2012 ) reads in 1989, he proposed a global hypertext project, to be known as the World Wide Web; it was to be designed to allow people to collaborate by combining their knowledge in a web of hypertext documents. He wrote the first Web server and the first client, a hypertext browser-editor and advocated to ensure that CERN would agree to make the underlying code available on a royalty-free basis, for ever. Two of the most significant impacts that the world-wide web has had in terms of being a force for social change is in the form of connections and communications. These networks are not a tool for concealment of identities, but alternatively, exhibition of a real person. There is a close connection between virtual networks and networks in society, meaning sociability is easily adaptable between reality and virtuality. (Castells, 1997) As Tyler (2002, pp.196) writes the internet allows people to more easily work from their home, to form and sustain friendships, romantic attachments and to manage bank accounts. They are also essential in enhancing initiatives to promote political and social-issue-based discussions with others in their communities from home, and to pursue other social connections. Academics have been hugely influential in providing evidence that the world wide web indeed enhances this sociability (Castells, 1997), (Rainie Wellman, 2012). Academic research into this has presented a positive correlation between the conitued use of the internet with indicators of personal happiness. Another impact that the rise of the world-wide web has had on social change is that it has increased the ability for all sized businesses to advertise. This means that regardless of its size every business can still play a role in shaping society whether thats by making us aspire to be something or making us want something. (Kumar, V., Gupta, S. 2016, pp. 302) reference Jaishri and Shruti (2006) by stating, Digital advertising has an ability to move markets and minds, products and perceptions. It builds a relationship between customers and brands. The world-wide web has also developed into a place where political change has occoured. As Kenski, K. and Stroud, N.J. (2006, pp. 174) identified, results they obtained from the National Annenberg Election Survey, studying the relationships of access online and relative exposure to information surrounding presidential campaigns and political value and engagement. Political efficacy is a determinant of political behaviour-without feelings of competency and beliefs that ones actions are consequential; one has little incentive to participate in politics. (Kenski, K. and Stroud, N.J. 2006, pp. 174) During the American presidential election, the social media site Twitter was used frequently by the two main candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. They shaped the perceptions of the people of America via the use of tweets against the other party to obtain popularity using powerful rhetoric. As (Graham et al., 2013, pp. 694-695) writes politicians who use Twitter regularly tap into the intimacy Twitter fosters. Additionally, social network sites develop reciprocal relationships (Graham, 2013) due to engagement through public input on political dilemmas. The rise of freedom and independence, has enabled the growth of the world wide web for mass communication and self-promotion purposes, politically and socially. (Rainie, and Barry Wellman, 2012). While the world-wide web has been a force for both postive social and political change, it has also become influential in a negative way too. The world wide web is addictive and this often means that people find themselves spending vast periods of time online. As Shotten, M. (1991, pp. 219 ) writes many early Internet users were computer hackers, who were characterized as preferring the machine to people. Often social outcasts, they turned first to the computer and then to the internet in lieu of people. Another reason why the rise of the internet has caused a negative impact in terms of political and societal change is people nowadays are more likely to make final decisions based off of what they see online rather than what their common knowledge tells them to. Digital technologies dont produce effects by themsleves, but instead form the platform from which these social and political effects can come about by altering the communication capacity. One significant societal change is the impact seen on communications and connections on an exponential level, enabling people and businesses to establish a physical presence. Additionally, political change can be seen through an increase in social media usage surrounding political events, through which participation and interaction with voters allows the candidates to assert power and mediate perceptions. Although, contrasting ideas such as the addictiveness of the internet, argue that the rise of the world-wide web has also been a force for change in a detrimental way with it being the cause of factors such as social outcasts and the damaging of peoples intellectual abilities. However, the rise of the world-wide web has most certianly had more of a positive impact than a negative impact on both pol itical and societal change. References: Graham, T., Broersma, M., Hazelhoff, K. and van t Haar, G. (2013) between broadcasting political messages and interacting with voters, Information, Communication Society, 16(5), pp. 692-716 Kenski, K. and Stroud, N.J. (2006) Connections between Internet use and political efficacy, knowledge, and participation, Journal of Broadcasting Electronic Media, 50(2), pp. 173-192. Kumar, V. and Gupta, S. (2016) Conceptualizing the evolution and future of advertising, Journal of Advertising, 45(3), pp. 302-317 Shotten, M. (1991). The costs and benefits of computer addiction. Behavior and Information Technology, 10, pp. 219-230 Columbia University Press (2012) Tim Berners-Lee. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition,. Available at: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?sid=68ad9a68-9b77-40f1-ac06-702a6564089d%40sessionmgr4006vid=5hid=4205bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=39047085db=lfh (Accessed: 12 December 2016). Tyler, T.R. (2002) Is the Internet changing social life? It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same, Journal of Social Issues, 58(1), pp. 195-205. Castells, M. (1997) The information age: Economy, society and culture: V. 2: Power of identity. 2nd edn. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers. Rainie, L. and Wellman, B. (2012) Networked: The new social operating system. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Self Regulation Theory In Relation To Motivation Education Essay

Self Regulation Theory In Relation To Motivation Education Essay Learning and acquiring a second or foreign language can be difficult for some people and at the same time easy for others. Factors influencing this observation may be explained in terms of individual differences in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). These individuals differences may include personality, intelligence, language learning strategies, attitude, emotion and motivation. Some researchers believe that motivation may impact learners whole process of learning a second language (L2) (Gardner Lambert, 1972). One theory which has long been recognised in the field is called self-determination theory (e.g. Brown 1981, 1990), and it examines intrinsic/extrinsic motivation in L2 learning. However, there has also been a development of a more process-oriented theoretical approach namely the process model of L2 motivation by Dà ¶rnyei Ottà ³ (1998). They have highlighted the importance of developing self-regulatory strategies to manage, reinforce or sustain ones motivation during the course of learning. Accordingly, L2 self-regulation theory was later proposed by Dà ¶rnyei (2005), and the theory represents a major reformation of previous motivational thinking. This essay, therefore, will discuss the extent in which motivation plays a key role in second language learning. The focus of this essay is specifically on the linkage between self-regulation theory and second language learning, using the authors personal experience in Persian language learning as a case study. Research Objective The aim of this essay is to examine the authors experience in Persian language learning and analyse, based on self-regulation theory, to what extent motivation contributes to the learning of a second language. Methodology The essay employs a qualitative analysis based on theories and the authors personal experience in Persian language learning. First, definitions of the term motivation will be briefly demonstrated, and the most appropriate definition for this essay will be chosen. Second, theories and constructs of motivation in relation to self-regulation will be explored. Third, the role of motivation in the authors Persian Learning Experience will be evaluated based on self-regulation theory. Finally, a conclusion will be presented with a further discussion on future recommendations. CHAPTER TWO DEFINITIONS OF MOTIVATION Motivation is a broad concept, and definitions of motivation vary according to research and findings. The aim of this section is to explore several definitions of the term motivation and conclude on the most appropriate definition in second language (L2) learning which will contribute to this essay. To begin with, motivation comes from the Latin verb movere which means to move. It can be described as the driver inducing a person to take a certain action, make a decision, or invest efforts toward carrying out certain behaviours (Dà ¶rnyei Ushioda, 2011: 3). In a psychological perspective, motivation is often defined as the psychological quality that leads people to achieve a goal. For language learners, mastery of a language may be a goal. For others, communicative competence or even basic communication skills could be a goal. In a socio-educational framework, motivation to learn the second language is viewed as requiring three elements: effort, desire, and enjoyment. First, the motivated individual must expend an effort to learn the language. There must be a persistent and consistent strive to achieve success in learning such as by doing homework, practicing the language whenever there is an opportunity, etc. Second, the individual must demonstrate the desire to achieve the goal. Such individual will do all that is necessary to achieve the goal. Third, the motivated individual will enjoy the task of learning the language. Such an individual will say that it is fun, a challenge, and enjoyable, even though at times enthusiasm may be less than at other times. All three elements-effort, desire, and enjoyment-are necessary in order to differentiate individuals who are more motivated and those who are less motivated. However, each element, by itself, is seen as insufficient to reflect motivation. Some students may display effort, even though they have no strong desire to succeed, and may not find the experience particularly enjoyable. Others may want to learn the language, but may have other things that detract from their effort, etc. Motivation in Second Language Acquisition In the field of Second Language Acquisition research, motivation has been identified as one of the key factors which determines L2 achievement and attainment. Motivation initially serves as an impetus to generate learning and later as a sustaining force to ensure that the learner remains on-track with acquiring the target language (Cheng Dà ¶rnyei, 2007). According to Gardner (1985: 50), he posits that motivation in learning is based on four characteristics: a goal, effortful behaviour, a desire to attain the goal and favourable attitudes toward the activity in question. Dà ¶rnyei and Ottà ³s definition of L2 motivation (1998: 65) has a broader sense; they defined motivation as the dynamically changing cumulative arousal in a person that initiates, directs, coordinates, amplifies, terminates, and evaluates the cognitive and motor processes whereby initial wishes and desires are selected, prioritised, operationalised and (successfully or unsuccessfully) acted out. According to Dà ¶rnyei and Ushioda (2011: 4), the by far definition that most SLA research, including this essay, would agree on concerns the direction and magnitude of human behaviour, that is, motivation accounts for: why people decide to do something (choice), how long they are willing to sustain the activity (persistence), and how hard they are going to pursue it (effort). It is important to note that although choice, persistence, effort are the three key issues allowing learners to regulate their own motivation, Ushioda (2003: 99-100) further demonstrates that in order for motivation to grow in a positive way, it cannot be seen as a progressive attempts to regulate behaviour from outside. There needs to be supportive interpersonal processes which foster the development of autonomy and the growth and regulation of motivation from inside. Thus, with this in mind, this essay will consider the issue of motivation in relation to self-regulation in the following chapter. CHAPTER THREE REVIEW OF SELF-REGULATION THEORY IN RELATION TO MOTIVATION IN SLA It has been widely accepted that motivation plays an important role not only in general academic learning, but also in the process of achieving the goal in a second language learning. According to Dà ¶rnyei (2002), L2 motivation has been seen as a dynamic construct that directs and enhances learning behaviour. There are many theories that devoted to motivation in relation to autonomy and strategy use, and two most-cited theories are self-determination theory and self-regulation theory. The self-determination theory, which was developed from the education psychology approach, examines about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in relation to the learners behaviours and regulation. It denotes a sense of choice, personal responsibility, and self-initiation of behaviours. While the self-regulation theory, a more recent development within the field of SLA research, refers to self-generated thoughts, feelings, and actions that are planned and cyclically adapted to the attainment of personal goals. Other well-known related theories are Language Learning Strategies (LLS) and L2 Motivational Self System. LLS is another approach which relates to strategic behaviours and keys attribute of good language learners. This theory has been trying to establish a link between strategic behaviour and actual learning gains, to demonstrate that strategies are not culturally biased, and to explain why poor strategies user differs from good strategy users only in how they use strategies in context but not in the kinds or frequency of strategy they use (Ortega, 2009:214). Though self-regulation is a more recent alternative study that replacing the traditional emphasis on sheer frequency of strategy use. Its emphasis on the creativity of efforts employed to control ones learning processes is the main issue I would like to point out in this essay. L2 Motivational Self Systemis another important recent theory of L2 motivation proposed by Dornyei (2005). It concerns motivation especially in terms of the theory of possible selves and the self-discrepancy theory (Dornyei Ushioda, 2011). Drawing on theoretical paradigms from both motivational psychology and L2 motivational research, Dornyei (2005)s L2 Motivational Self System model has three main dimentions: the Ideal L2 self, the Ought-to L2 self, and the L2 Learning Experience. Rationale of this Essay: Self-regulation Theory in Relation to Motivation Despite the fact that there are many theories on motivation in the context of SLA, self-regulation theory seems to best fit this essay. The self-regulatory approach allows for the combined study of motivation and strategic behaviour, and of cognition and affect, under a single theoretical framework. As supported by Ortege (2009: 211) who demonstrates a clear relevance of self-regulation theory to SLA and individual differences when learning another language poses a high-anxiety and complex challenge that demands cognitive as well as affective self-regulation, and individuals differ in their capacity to self-regulate. There have been concerns about the clear-cut of LLS, as according to Dà ¶rnyei (2005: 162), there is a change of perspective that the LLS are immensely ambiguous phenomena and nothing is clear-cut about them. Furthermore, Dà ¶rnyei (2005: 190) stated that researchers started to accept that examining the LLS was not important as much as the fact that the good learners choose to put creative effort in their own learning and that they have the capacity to do so. Thus, because of learning strategies examine the outcome of these forces, I decided to draw self-regulation theory which is looking at the initial driving forces. The L2 Motivational Self System also does not fit in my context of describing a short language experience. It concerns more in terms of primary sources of the motivation to learn another language which are the Ideal L2 Self, Ought-to L2 Self, and L2 learning Experience. Review of Self-regulation Theory in Second Language Acquisition The starting point of self-regulation theory is that human endeavours are always goal-directed, intentional, effortful and voluntary (Boekaerts et al., 2006). In the face of multiple goals and ensuing environmental challenges, humans are capable of achieving the ends they choose to pursue because they are able to self-regulate their behaviour (Ortega, 2009: 211). In the context of SLA, L2 self-regulation is a process by which individuals direct their efforts, thoughts, and feelings toward the attainment of their personal goals, and self-regulation is neither a discrete mental ability nor an academic skill (Zimmerman, 2000). In other words, self-regulation involves processes, responses, and strategies that students initiate and regulate (Zimmerman, 1986) to activate and sustain both their behavioral conduct and their cognitive and affective functioning (Boekaerts, Pintrich, Zeidner, 2000; Zimmerman, 2001). Self-regulation theory became the recent developments in the field of L2 individual differences as there has been a need to reconceptualize the strategic behaviour into a theory over the past decades. The two main proponents for this urge are Dà ¶rnyei and Skehan (2003) who have pointed out that the L2 learning strategic behavior should not be limited to OMalley and Chamot (1990)s taxonomy of observed heuristic and reported mental process or Oxford (1990)s inventory of self-reported frequencies of strategy use. Then, in 2005, Dà ¶rnyei pushed forward the solution to theorizing learning strategies and claimed self-regulation theory as a framework for SLA research about strategic behaviour during L2 learning. Self-regulation Strategies Dà ¶rnyei has created a model of motivational strategies based on the psycholinguistic concept of selfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ regulation which is intended to reà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ theorize language learning strategies by examining strategic learning in the paradigm of selfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ regulation (see Dà ¶rnyei, 2005; Tseng et al., 2006). This taxonomy of strategic learning is based in the framework of motivation control strategies (Dà ¶rnyei, 2001) and consists of five categories. Dà ¶rnyei (2006) notes that his system was based on Kuhls (1987) and Corno and Kanfers (1993) taxonomy of action control strategies. The categories are defined below: 1. Commitment control strategies Commitment control strategies examine the students ability to set and reach goals in their learning. It helps to preserve or increase the learnersoriginal goal commitment. For example, students may keep in mind favourable expectations or positive incentives and rewards, or students may focus on what would happen if the original intention failed. 2. Metacognitive control strategies Metacognitive control strategies involve the monitoring and controlling of concentration, and the curtailing of any unnecessary procrastination e.g. identifying recurring distractions and developing defensive routines, and focusing on the first steps to take when getting down to an activity. 3. Satiation control strategies Satiation control refers to students capacity to control boredom and dissatisfaction in a learning task, and the ability to cope with these negative feelings (Dornyei, 2005). For example, students may add a twist to the task or using ones fantasy to liven up the task. These strategies can help to eliminate boredom and add extra attraction or interest to the task. 4. Emotion control strategies Emotional control strategies examine how learners cope with emotionally charged feeling such as stress, depression and disappointment that may hinder their language development. For example, students may use self-encouragement or using relaxation and meditation techniques. 5. Environment control strategies Environmental control strategies refer to how a student controls their learning environment in order to facilitate study. Learners with good environmental control are more aware of how their environment affects their learning and have strategies to curb these negative effects. For example, students may try to eliminate distractions or asking friends to help. Such activities will help in eliminating negative environmental influences and exploiting positive environmental influences by making the environment an ally in the pursuit of a difficult goal. CHAPTER FOUR PERSIAN LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE Learning Context Persian Language Experience is part of the Second Language Teaching and Learning module. The aim of this language experience is not primarily for future use but to exemplify, and make more real, some of the issues connected with the language teaching and learning with which the modules deal. The instructor gives the reasons for choosing this language as follows: It is unlikely that any of the module students has learned it before. It is an Indo-Europeaen language, and so its grammatical categories, and some of its vocabulary, will be relatively familiar to students. The course runs eight weeks, covering the first six lessons of the textbook. The students will learn in romanised transcription not the Arabic script version as the purpose is to learn a limited amount of conversational Persian (Farsi), with associated grammar and vocabulary. There will be a review session at the end of each two-lesson section. (See Appendix 1 for more details) The class consists of about 30 students from various nationalities, mixed with females and males, aged approximately from 20 to 25, and all the lessons are taught in English. The instructor is the native speaker of the target language. I am a complete beginner-level learner as I have no previous knowledge in Persian language or culture. Though, I still show a great interest in learning a new language. I see this as a challenging task, and I am highly motivated by the thought of using the language as a mean of exploring Persian culture and people. Persian Language Learning Experience in Relation to Self-regulation Theory Personally, I aware that learning a second language is considered as a challenging task which requires time and effort. As I am highly motivated to use the language not just only for the purpose of the module, I developed my own goal to learn the language as much as I could within the time limit. In order to achieve the goal, keeping my learning on track is very important and the following strategies are how I regulate my Persian language learning in accordance to self-regulation theory: Commitment control strategies During the first two weeks, I was very interested to learn the language when the instructor began to introduce the lesson with an easy to remember greeting phrase. I became more motivated to learn Persian when the instructor presented about the tourist places and the culture. Hence, I made up my mind that I have to take this as an opportunity to learn the language as much as I could in order to travel to the area in the future. With this in my mind, I committed myself to buying a Persian textbook, so I would have to fully utilise the book and study thoroughly throughout the course. Metacognitive control strategies After the result of the first quiz, I became aware that maintaining my motivation through culture exploration was insufficient, and I needed to review more grammar and vocabularies periodically. In other words, I needed to structure my Persian learning by setting frequent goals. To illustrate clearly, I set mini-goals for myself to complete one or two exercises in the textbook per day. I also had a specific goal for each week that I must finish studying one chapter in the textbook before every Monday class. In the case that there were other deadlines from other courses and I could not finish one chapter by weekend, I told myself to devote a Sunday evening to complete the chapter. These mini goals provided me an opportunity to reflect and monitor my own progress each week and helped providing the motivation to focus on my tasks. Satiation control strategies During the course, I was always looking for a new inspiration or a new motivation in learning the language. I enhanced my interest by searching about tourist places or Persian culture online. I also recorded my own voice to overcome boredom while learning new vocabularies or practicing pronunciation. Emotion control strategies It was obvious that I experienced negative feelings such as anxiety, frustration, and discouragement after the result of the quiz. I avoided interacting with the instructor in the following lesson. However, I understood that I could not keep avoiding the interactions, and it would be better if I had prepared for the lesson ahead. I tried to get rid of negative feelings and cheered myself up by reminding myself about the real aim of the course, which is to point out some issues in the teaching and learning of a second language, and that the quiz mark was simply a way to reflect on my L2 learning progress. Environment control strategies As the Persian lesson runs only one hour per week, learning in class would be insufficient to achieve my personnal goal. to complete the book. Therefore, I tried to have extra lessons and/or sought out additional sources of input and interactions. I look for a good environment that have easy access to time and place to avoid procrastination such as the internet; I practice Persian pronunciation through YouTube videos and study more about Persian grammar and vocabulary through free lessons online. Self-evaluation Due to the fact that I needed to reflect on my daily progress in order to incorporate received feedback on the prospective assignment, it helped me to monitor my progress and observe my strategies whether the way I self-regulate has been improving my learning or not. In terms of commitment control strategies, I had a high amount of motivation in the beginning that I wanted to learn as much as I could. I had a very high expectation of myself and even bought the textbook in hope to study further the requirement. Although, this might not be strong enough to keep myself commit to my goal, in fact it kept me engaged in the tasks for a short period. Part of this failure was due to the fact that I did not have a definite schedule of my Persian learning and that I was distracted by other subjects. Another part might due to high intrinsic motivation, I was too ambitious to learn and did not examine my ability thoroughly. However, even though my motivation was dropped after the quiz, when I later set up the mini goals for each week, my process of learn became more structure and sustain my motivation throughout the week. In other words, these strategies help me minimizing procrastination or distraction and maximizing concentration and keeping goals in focus. This can be said that metacognitive control strategies are essential to develop a learner autonomy. As Wenden (2001: 62) demonstrates that a recognition of the function of metacognitive knowledge in the self-regulation of learning should contribute to a clearer understanding of learner autonomy, especially how it can be developed and enhanced. Wendens findings on the role of metacognitive knowledge in self-regulatory process also corroborate Chamot and OMalleys (1994: 382) observation that explicit metacognitive knowledge about task characteristics and appropriate strategies for task solution is a major determiner of language learning effectiveness . In addition to my satiation control strategies, the way that I always look for inspiration from different sources for my own learning can keep my learning on process. In my opinion, this strategy should be a way to increase my motivation when I feel procrastinated or bored. However, I found myself spending too much time browsing on the internet about Persian culture and had less time to review the task. I should be careful that it would not take up too much time of my daily Persian learning otherwise it would not be effective. So, it seems that this strategy might not be helpful to me sometimes because I can use it as an excuse to procrastinate. My emotion control strategies, particularly to my positive self-talk is also mentioned in a study by Bown (2009) that this technique helped learners maintain perspective on their language learning. It alleviated feelings of frustration or anxiety. Bown divided that learners used self-talk for two primary purposes: (a) to remind themselves of their own motivation for learning the language and (b) to encourage themselves when they felt that they were not making enough progress. The use of this self-talk also served to help learners keep their expectations of themselves realistic, as informed by their beliefs about language learning. Learners would tell themselves that mistakes are part of learning or that it takes longer to learn Russian than other languages they may have studied previously (Bown, 2009). Though it is true that the use of this strategy became effective when I had a low quiz mark, in my case it must be combined with other strategies (such as metacognitive control strateg ies) at the same time in order to completely encouraging myself. I must have a definite plan (the mini goals) to support my positive self-talk. For my environment control strategies, Wolters (1998), citing research from Corno (1989, 1993), Corno and Kanfer (1993), and Kuhl (1984, 1992), pinpoints a self-regulation technique I employed: (1) environmental control, for example a student who decides to go to a quiet place conducive to studying (225). In my opinion, the way that I always try to turn my surrounding environment into a learning environment for me makes me sometimes enjoy learning by myself rather than studying in the classroom. It helps me complete the mini goal I set for myself in each day. In addition, this can be supported by the study from Bown (2009). The findings suggested that effective self-regulation depended on the learners sense of themselves as agents in the learning process. Learners who recognized their role as authors of their own learning transformed the learning environment to meet their individual needs (Bown, 2009). CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION It is believed that motivation is essential in learning a second language as it can be a driven force for the learners to start their second language acquistion and it can be a force that sustain the learning throughout the acquisition. However, motivation, according to Dornyei and Ushioda (2011), is a dynamic and complicate factor which concerns about the choice, persistence, and effort of the learners in regulating thier own motivation. From this, motivation can be seen as a factor that correlate to the learner behaviour which can contribute to the learner autonomy. There are many theories which were developed to examine about motivation in relation to L2 learner behaviour and strategy use. Self-determination theory (SDT) is one of the theories that has a broad framework for the study of human motivation and personality. It is concerned mainly with intrinsic motivation and the way to which the individual is self-motivated and self-determined.Language Learning Strategies (LLS) is another approach which examines the strategies that the good language learner employ. The L2 Motivational Self System is another recent approach in relation to L2 motivation and the self framework. It concerns three self dimensions: Ideal L2 Self, Ought-to L2 Self, L2 Learning Experience. Self-regulation refers to the degree to which individuals are active participants in their own learning. It is a more dynamic concept than learning strategy, highlighting the learners own strategic efforts to manage their own achievement through specific beliefs and processes (Dà ¶rnyei, 2005). In the context in this essay, it is found that motivation became a critical factors on how the learner will choose the strategies to regulate his/herself and keep the learning process going in order to achieve goal of learning a second language. In other words, it can be argued that self-regulation of L2 learning is multidimensional, including cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and behavioral processes that learners can apply to enhance achievement. The deliberative, adaptive process of self-regulation enables learners to handle tasks effectively and prepares them to take responsibility for their learning (Wenden, 2001). In chapter 4, based on the Self-regulation theory, my Persian Learning Experience has been evaluated in relation to motivation. According to the four self-regulation strategies I employed, it is found that I depend much or less on motivation to regulate or control the four strategies. For instance, motivation became a crucial factor on how I use the metacognitive control strategies to change the way I learn the language. While motivation has been rarely concerned on how I chose the place to study as in the environment control strategies. Nevertheless, I could not agree more that both motivation and the four self-regulation strategies are the two essential factors that cannot be overlooked in learner autonomy and the development in the process to enhance individual learning in order to achieve the goal. Though the aim of the Persian Language Learning class was merely to experience the issues that can be raised in L2 learning and teaching, the fact that the class is conducted only one hour per week might not be enough to motivate some learners to engage during the lesson. In order to have a more effective class, the instructor could raise an awareness of using self-regulation strategies which I believe will be fruitful for the students themselves to have an opportunity to monitor their learning progress and develop their learning autonomy in L2 learning. As Hurd (2008) emphasises, awareness-raising of self-regulation in L2 learning is equally if not more important in independent learning setting (e.g. online environments and distance learning), where students lack the kind of social-affective support provided by regular interactions with other learners and the teacher, and typically may be engaging in language learning on top of full-time study and personal commitments.

Tori Amos Biography :: essays research papers

Tori Amos, Goddess of Rock and Roll, and the piano. The girl who has been through so much, but still lives to tell about it and share all of her life experiences through her songs. Her life is almost like a song itself, with all of the trials and tribulations one can imagine.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amos, who was born in Newton, North Carolina on August 22nd, 1963 wasn’t originally called Tori. Her given name was Myra Ellen. The change of her name came later in her career. Right from the beginning, her talents on the piano were recognized. At the young age of three, before her legs were even long enough to reach the pedals, she was climbing up to the piano bench to play a song. By the age of five, she was the youngest student to ever be accepted to the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. She stayed at the Conservatory for several years, but by the age of eleven she was asked to leave because she didn’t want to play the music that was required of her. She once stated in an interview on the Rosie O’Donnell Show, â€Å"Those guys are dead, why do I want to play that crap! I want to be a composer...don’t we all...but I did.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After getting kicked out of the school she began playing at piano bars. Her father always was tagging along, because she wasn’t old enough to go alone. She played at the bars, in addition to a Marriot hotel, until she graduated from high school. Sometime after that Ellen, as she was called, changed her name. One of Tori’s sisters brought her boyfriend to one of Tori’s shows one night to see her play. After the show the boyfriend told Amos that she indeed was not an Ellen. She looked like a Tori, and that is how it all began.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After high school, she joined a band called Y Kant Tori Read. The band signed to the Atlantic record label, and worked on the release of their first album. Their CD release flopped, and the band broke up. When their CD was first released, not many people wanted it. Amazingly enough, the CD now goes for around one hundred dollars as a Tori collectors item.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During this time, Tori was still doing little gigs here and there. One night after a show, something happened that changed her life dramatically. Tori offered a member of the audience a ride home after the show, and he raped her in the back of the car with a gun to her head.

Essay --

Political systems in Latin American countries have been ever-changing. Long periods of dictatorship were often followed by long periods of democracy in an on-going cycle that is one, if not the main reason as to why Latin American countries have not been able to develop quickly. Political instability has affected many aspects in countries such as Peru and Argentina, one of these aspects is freedom of the press. Freedom of the press has played a key role in Latin America, serving not only as a voice for the people, but as a trail of evidence for some of the most heinous crimes committed throughout the Cold War and post-Cold War eras. Many people have been punished and even died all in the struggle to freely criticize political, economic, or even religious issues in their own countries. Freedom of the press, a right that should always be preserved, has often dwindled in the light of dictatorships and governments that do not take criticism lightly. Freedom of the press is called by many a â€Å"negative† freedom or liberty. While positive freedoms are described as rights that allow people to take action about their own lives, negative freedoms are rights that no other person or entity is allowed to put constraints on. The government is not allowed to put obstacles on the people’s rights to communicate their sentiments. Nations were built under the principle of democracy, where people are granted the liberty to express and publish their criticisms and where it is the people who decide who stays on top and who leads them. For Peruvians and Argentineans, it has been a constant struggle to maintain this right. Through and after the Cold War, freedom of the press was easily taken away by oppressive governments, which is why freedom of the pr... ... the simple lack of it at times. The conclusion is simple: a country with no press and with no freedom for its citizens to express their opinions or discontent is a country with no democratic values. In the aftermath of the Cold War and the era of dictatorships, freedom of the press has taken its time to flourish once again. Slowly, Latin American countries such as Peru and Argentina have managed to recover and to trust the press as they previously had. It seems like this time around however, democracy has become a permanent feature in the political systems, and will be for a long time. Even though both of these countries are only partially-free at the moment, one hopes the future is a bright one. For too long the story reflected by the freedom of the press in Latin America has been the story of oppression and disillusionment, it is time for the story to change.

Coase(1972) †durable and monopoly[2] Essay

R. H. COASE Universityof ChicagoLaw School that A SSUME a supplier owns the total stock of a completely durable good. At what price will he sell it? To take a concrete example, assume that one person owns all the land in the United States and, to simplify the analysis, that all land is of uniform quality. Assume also that the landowner is not able to work the land himself, that ownership of land yields no utility and that there are no costs involved in disposing of the land. If there were a large number of landownersand the price were competitively determined, the price would be that at which the amount demandedwas equal to the amount of land in the United States. If we imagine this fixed supply of land to be various amounts either greater or smaller, and then discover what the competitively determinedprice would be, we can trace out the demand schedule for American land. Assume that this demand schedule is DD and that from this a marginal revenue schedule, MR, has been derived. Both schedules are shown in Figure I. Let the total amount of land in existence be OQ. Then, if the price were competitively determined,the price would be OB (see Figure I). We now have to determine the price which the monopolistic landowner would charge for a unit of land in the assumed conditions. The diagramwould seem to suggest (and has, I believe, suggested to some) that such a monopolistic landownerwould charge the price OA, would sell the quantity of land OM, thus maximising his receipts, and would hold off the market the quantity of land, MQ. But suppose that he did this. MQ land and money equal to OA X OM would be in the possession of the original landowner while OM land would be owned by others. In these circumstances, why should the original landownercontinue to hold MQ off the market? The original landownercould obviously improve his position by selling more land since he could by this means acquire more money. It is true that this would reduce the value of the land OM owned by those who had previously bought land from him-but the loss would fall on them, not on him. If the same assumption about his behaviour was made as before, he would then sell part of MQ. But this is not the end of the story, since some of MQ would still remain unsold. The process would continue as long as the original landowner retained any land, that is, until OQ had been sold. And if there were no costs of disposing of the land, the whole process would take place in the twinkling of an eye. 143 144 THE JOURNAL OF LAW AND ECONOMICS Figure D I z mj A † _ o Q : D 0 M Q QUANTITY MR It might be objected to this supposedbehaviourunder which land is sold in separate transactions involving blocks of land, probably of diminishing size, that it would be even better if the landowner sold the land by infinitesimal units, thus maximising his total revenue. But this is neither here nor there. Whatever the intermediatesteps are assumed to be, OQ land will be sold. And given that OQ is going to be sold, the value of a unit of land is going to be OB and given this, no buyer of land will pay more than OB for it. Although the demand schedule may be correctly drawn in that, if the quantity of land is OM, the price would be OA, the landownerwould find himself in the position that, if he were charged more than OB, he would sell nothing. The demand schedule facing the original landowner would be infinitely elastic at the competitive price and this even though he was the sole supplier. With complete durability, the price becomes independent of the number of suppliers and is thus always equal to the competitive price. DURABILITYAND MONOPOLY 145 How could the landowner avoid this result? He could do this and obtain the price OA from the sale of OM land by making special contractual arrangements with the purchasersof land by which, as a condition of sale, he agreed to hold unsold in perpetuity the quantity of land MQ. Alternatively, he could agree to buy back any land that was offered to him in the future at a price just under OA, thus making it against his interest to sell more than OM land. Another way in which essentially the same result could be obtained would be for the landowner not to sell the land but to lease it for relatively short periods of time. It would then be comparatively easy for him to assure lessees that no increasein supply will occur during the lease period either by entering into all leases at the same point in time, or by announcing that he would not change the rental price during the lease period or by agreeing to adjust the prices charged to existing lessees if a lower charge is made to others during the lease period. In any case, even if such contractual arrangementscannot be made, lessees have some reason to believe that the landownerwill not, in fact, lease more than OM land by charging lower prices for some of the unutilised land (after having entered into contracts at OA) because it would not be in his self-interest to do so. With this kind of leasing, the total earnings of the landowner depend largely on the rents at which land can be leased in future periods and the yield from these rents will tend to be higher the greater the confidence the lessees have that the amount of land leased during the lease period will not be more than OM. That confidence would obviously be weakened and the rent that could be charged in future reduced, if extra land above OM is leased during the current lease period. It is this which would tend to give lessees confidence that such extra land will not be leased. Of course, the negotiating of such rental contracts for short periods for each piece of land might be extremely costly and indeed might be so costly as to offset the gain in revenue from the limitation in the amount of land utilised. But, if not too costly, leasing would tend to ensure that only OM land was utilised. Another alternative would be for the landowner to give MQ land to someone who is less concernedabout money-makingthan he is. For example, the landowner might donate MQ land to the government to be used â€Å"in the public interest†. Some such contractual or institutional arrangementsas these would enable the landowner to charge the monopoly price. But in the absence of such arrangements,the price charged will be the competitive price. It may be thought that this argument does not apply if the permanently durable good is produced by a monopolist supplier rather than being part of nature. But this is not so. Assume that the demand schedule for this good is DD, representingthe present value of its future services for various quantities of the good. Assume that it is produced by a single firm and that marginal costs are constant. MR representsthe marginal revenue schedule and MC the 146 THE JOURNAL OF LAW AND ECONOMICS marginalcost schedule. All schedulesare shown in Figure II. Cost and demand conditions are assumed to remain the same in the future. In effect, this means that if the competitive output, OQ, is produced originally, nothing will be producedin later periods. A similar argument to that used in the case of the landowner will demonstrate that the price that this producer will charge (assuming outright sale) will not be OA, the apparentmonopolyprice, but will be OB, since the demand for his output of this good is infinitely elastic at this price up to the output OQ. Again, it is possible to introduce conditions into the contract for sale which would avoid this. An agreement not to produce any more of the good afterOM has been produced,an offer to buy back the good at any time in the future at a price just under OB, or the use of leasing rather than outright sale, would all have the effect of making it possible to charge OA (just as similararrangementswould enable the monopolist landowner to achieve the monopoly price). Figure 1T A QB CL MC 0 /l M IA ! Q M-r-rvMR ~U-lM 11 I DURABILITYAND MONOPOLY 147 Some of these arrangementsmay not be legally enforceableand, in any case, are likely to involve additional costs as against those incurredin outright sale. There is, however, an alternative which was not available to the hypothetical landownerand that is to make the good less durable. This may raise the costs of providing the stream of services affordedby the durable good, may result in charges over the future which have a present value greater than OA and a supply of services less than that affordedby OM of the durable good. Profits will also be less than they would be if this firm could sell OM at price OA. But this is not a real alternative in the absence of the various contractual arrangementsmentioned. If the durable good is produced, the output will be OQ at price OB. If a less durable good is produced, a higher price can be charged because consumers do not have to fear an increase in supply if they buy at the monopoly price. The productionof a less durable good as against a more durable good is very similar to a policy of leasing since, by making the good less durable,the producersells the services providedby the good for short periods of time (because the good wears out) whereas in leasing the same result is achieved by selling the services of a given durable good in short period segments. The reason why making a good less durable enables a producer to charge higher prices than he could if the good were extremely durable is that it makes it in his self-interest not to increase supply since, if he did this, it would tend to lead consumers to believe that he might do this again in the future, a belief which would make it impossible for him to charge the monopoly price (as was explained in the case of land for leasing). Another circumstance reinforces the conclusion that making a good less durable will enable the monopolist producer to charge a higher price. What a consumer has to fear is an increasein supply during the period in which he (or someone to whom he transfers the good) is deriving services from the good. The less durable the good, the shorter is this period. But the shorter the period that the supplierhas in which to increase supply, the greater will be the additional costs of increasing supply. Lessened durability reduces the gain from an increase in supply and thus reduces the likelihood that it will occur. The analysis up to this point has proceededon the assumption that marginal costs were constant for the durable good. It needs modification if marginal costs rise with increases in the rate of output. With constant marginal costs, production would take place in the first period and would then cease. With rising marginalcosts, productionwould extend over a period of time, although, since price would fall as the stock of the durable good increased, the rate of production would decrease as time passed. Since sales occur sequentially, in setting the price in later periods, the producer will not take into account the fall in the value of the existing stock (which is, of course, owned by others). To this extent the behaviourof the producerwill inevitably be com- 148 THE JOURNAL OF LAW AND ECONOMICS petitive in character and the stock (and price) will move towards the competitive level. Because of this, consumers will pay less (and the producer’s profits will be less), than they would if, throughan agreementas to the total quantity that could be produced or an agreement on a re-purchaseprice or through the use of leasing, production were limited to the monopoly output. Reducing the durability of the good is an alternative policy which might be more profitable (as was argued in the case of constant marginal costs). There is an additional element introduced by the fact that production will continue over a period of time. The producerwill have to consider the effect his actions have on the expectations of consumersabout his actions in future periods. He can in general be counted upon to refrain from expanding output when any gain that he might make through disappointingconsumers’expectations (if they thought he would restrict production) would be less than the loss he would suffer in future from not fulfilling them. However, there is no reason why conditions should not be such that it would always pay to disappoint consumers’expectations of a restrictionin output (if they held such expectations) and in such circumstances,output in all periods would be such as to make marginalcost equal to price (if some of the arrangementsmentioned earlierwere not used). This result is particularly likely since, in the assumed conditions of rising marginal costs, prices and production will decline over time. Even in conditions in which the producer would not wish to disappoint consumers’expectations of a restrictionin production, it is by no means easy to say how things would work out in practice since neither the producer nor the consumers would necessarily have clear, or the same, ideas about the future. A full analysis of this situation would be very complicated but could not affect the main contention of this note, that with durability some contractualor institutional arrangementof the type mentioned earlier may be a less costly and perhaps the only way of achieving a monopoly price or that reduceddurability may prove to be a better way out of the difficulty. Oneother qualification should be mentioned. The analysis up to this point has assumed that demand and cost conditions remained unchanged, in effect, that the economy was in a stationary state. The present value of any given amountof the durablegood will always take into account future demands,but if demand remains the same, the present value of its future services (for any givenamount of the durablegood) will remain the same as time passes. However,with increasing demands present values will rise and future production will be greater than has been assumed (with constant marginal costs there willbe some future productionas against none). This enhances the importance ofthe considerationsdiscussed in the previous paragraph,since the future loss fromnot restricting output will tend to be greater. Whether the expected increasein demand would be sufficient to lead the producer to restrict output DURABILITYAND MONOPOLY 149 in earlier periods depends on its extent, on the rate of discount, on the nature of the cost schedule, on whether costs are expected to increase in the meantime (and by how much) and on the confidencewith which these views about the future are held. An expected increase in demand may or may not obviate the need for the contractual arrangementsmentioned earlier (or a reduction in durability) if the monopolist producer of a durable good is to secure the monopoly price. The business practices which I have suggested as devices which a monopolist supplier might use to cope with the problem of durability may, of course, be adopted for reasons which have nothing to do with my argument. A land developer, in selling land on which houses are to be built, may agree to hold neighbouringland off the market to improve the amenities; the supplier of a durable good may agree to buy it back at some specified price in the future because consumers are willing to pay for this reduction in risk; leasing is often a less costly way for the consumer to obtain the services of a durable good; a reduction in durability may enable a supplier to provide a given stream of services at lower cost. Even when these practices are adopted to avoid the consequencesof durability on demand, they are not necessarily undesirable-an agreementnot to produce more than a certain quantity may be a necessary condition in the competitive supply of a durable good for which marginalcost is less than average cost. Nevertheless, these business practices, including reduced durability, may be essential elements in securing a monopolistic price. However, these practices have their costs and they may not, in fact, always be feasible. Furthermore,some of the contractual arrangements will not be enforceable over a long period. In such circumstances, the competitive outcome may be achieved even if there is but a single supplier.

“Midsummer’s Night Dream”: Themes, Symbolism, And Contrast Essay

The fundamental themes of a Midsummer’s Night Dream are magic, dreams, and the difficulty of love. Throughout the play, these universal concepts are nourished in every scene by the recurring use of contrast. Shakespeare’s ideas are represented by his use of symbolisms. A Midsummer’s Night Dream conveys the themes of love, dreams and magic through use of contrast and symbolism throughout the play. When Lysander comments, â€Å"The course of love never did run smooth,† he declares the most important theme in the play, that of the trouble of romance. The romantic situations of the play are out of balance because Lysander and Demetrius are both in love with the same woman, Hermia. This leaves Helena by herself to ponder the nature of love. She says, â€Å"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,† because she feels that Demetrius does not see her own beauty because he is so busy thinking about Hermia. In the same way, the relationship between Tatiana and Oberon is out of sync because Oberon wants the Indian boy. Also, an imbalance in nature occurs when Tatiana falls for Bottom’s ass-head. These contrasting scenarios all have in common the potential for harmony amongst all the lovers and finding harmony is the basis of the play and necessary for the expected happy ending. Shakespeare uses magic as a theme when he uses the fairies magic, symbolized by the love potion, to create hilarious situations in the play. The potion is symbolic of the supernatural power of love and contributes to the surreal and fantastic atmosphere of the play. The potion causes havoc, but in the end creates balance amongst the lovers. Dreams are an important theme in the play because they go hand in hand with the magical chaos in the forest. The recurring theme of dreams is evident when the characters try to explain bizarre events in which they are involved. For example, when the lovers are found in the forest and awakened by Egeus, Hyppolyta and Theseus, Lysander says, â€Å"My Lord, I shall reply amazedly, half sleep, half waking; but, as yet, I swear, I cannot truly say how I came here.† It seems that Shakespeare was interested in Dreams and sought to convey that to his audience by the use of fairies and magic in the forest. At the end of the play, Puck says, â€Å"If we shadows have offended,  think but this, -and all is mended, -that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream.† This gives the play a sense of illusion necessary for the audience to experience the play’s surreal and fantastical atmosphere. Contrast or opposition is used throughout the play to develop the structure of the play’s themes. Oberon is the King of the fairies is ruler over the magical forest. His desires revenge on Titania leads to chaos. In contrast, Theseus, the duke of Athens represents power and order. Also, he is only seen in the beginning and end of the play, and is removed from the happenings in the forest. The land they rule over is also in contrast. Athens symbolizes reason, whereas the forest symbolizes a place of mystery. The best example of visual contrast in the play is when the beautiful, graceful Tatiana falls for the grotesque and clumsy Bottom with the asses-head. Symbols represent abstract ideas. In A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Theseus and Hippolyta represent order. The realm they rule over is that of reason. Oberon and Tatiana rule over a dream realm that symbolizes mystery and uncertainty. The love potion symbolizes the fickle nature of love. The play-within-a-play symbolizes a mirror held up to A Midsummer’s Night Dream itself. In essence, the play is making fun of itself. Shakespeare’s uses powerful themes, symbolism and contrast to create a fantastical realm of dreams and illusion. The lighthearted structure of the comedy lets the audience know that a happy ending is at hand and leaves the spectator at ease to ponder over love’s difficulty, the magic or supernatural power of love, and what is illusion or dream.