Differences between Pidgins and Creoles

Differences between Pidgins and Creoles Discuss some of the basic differences that characterize pidgins and creoles, based on your understanding of what is meant by the following quote: â€Å"Pidginisation is second language learning with restricted input, while creolisation was first language learning with restricted input.† (Mesthrie et al, 2009, p. 287) Pidgins are defined as a type of spoken communication with two or more languages. It has fundamental grammar and vocabulary. It is also meant to facilitate people who do not speak a common language. Lastly, it is not spoken as a native language. An example is the â€Å"Lingua Franca† which was first created among traders. This is called business language. They are created because traders come from different places and have different tongues; therefore a common language is formed. Creoles, on the other hand, refer to any pidgin language that becomes the first language in a speech community. A creole is â€Å"created† when the utterer of a pidgin language become gains a strong hold over utterers of another. This can be in the form of social or political hold over. Therefore, the pidgin language used in speech between these two groups may become the first language of the minority community. One such example is â€Å"Gullah (derived from English), spoken in the Sea Islands of the southeastern U.S.† http://www.reference.com/browse/creole Differences between Pidgins and Creoles: 1) Pidgin is a linguistic communication that comprised of components of two or more other languages and is used for communication among people. It can also be called business language. It is not a first language. Whereas, creole is a language that was at first a pidgin but has â€Å"transformed† and become a first language. 2) Structural difference: Creole languages have the â€Å"Subject Verb Object† word order whereas Pidgin can have any possible order. Also, reduplication is a common and general process in Creole languages but its very not very often found in Pidgins. 3) One important difference between Pidgins and Creoles is that pidgins do not have first language speakers while creoles do. However, this is not easy to make out because there are more and more extended pidgins beginning to acquire native speakers. Extended pidgins refer to when a pidgin becomes a creole. The cultural â€Å"side† of a pidgin usually defines this. This means that more pidgins are becoming first languages. 4) Another difference is that creoles may originate through abnormal transmissions but as children acquire them, they must, therefore, comply with the ‘blueprint of language that can also be referred to as how the language is going to constructed and formed. Blueprint here is comparable to how we relate to a blueprint of a house. However, for pidgins, as they are a result of a second language, although they have to be learnable by adults, they do not have to be acceptable by children. This means that pidgins do not have to comply with the ‘blueprint of language. Pidgins before they become accomplished languages in a community, are always second languages and usually after teenage. Explanation of quote: According to the definition, what Mesthrie et al meant when he said â€Å"Pidginisation is second language learning with restricted input† is that pidgins is not used as a first language. Following the definition laid out above, it is a language that is borne out of the contact between two different languages. As such, it has restricted contact as the contact between the speaker and the second language is not frequent. Also, it has been noted that pidgins are nothing close to the foreign language as it has only rudimentary grammar and vocabulary. As mentioned above, research has shown that all creole languages have the â€Å"Subject Verb Object† language rules whereas any possible order is allowed for pidgins. This means that while creole languages need to follow a given set of rules for word order, pidgins do not have to. Instead they can be formed in any way. For example, the pidgin â€Å"Ojibwe† has a free word order. This shows that pidgins is second language learning because learners do not follow a given set of language rules as the grammar is still not fixed and internalized. This goes to show as what Mesthrie has said; pidgins are essentially second language learning with restricted input from the native speakers of the second language themselves. The second part of the quote claims that creolization is first language learning with restricted input. As mentioned in the definition, through creolization, a pidgin becomes a language on its own. This language is then similar to non-creole languages in terms of grammatical and language rules. This claim stems from the crucial difference between creoles and pidgins the presence of native speakers and also a need to follow the â€Å"blueprint† of the foreign language. In creoles, the presence of native speakers now means that there are more interactions between both languages. Also, reduplication is a usual process in Creole languages but its rarely seen in pidgins. The repetition of a root to show â€Å"intensity, plurality, duration and frequency† shows that the second language learner has become more familiar with the foreign language. This implies that the learners are now almost on the same level as the native speakers in terms of familiarity with the first language and its grammar. This shows us that creoles are in effect first language learning. The need to now follow a blueprint of the foreign language and the added presence of native speakers means that creolization is in effect, a first language learning. To be a native speaker, one must be able to follow that languages linguistic rules. In creoles, we see that it is a requirement to follow the foreign languages rules. Thus, this tells us that the learning of creoles now assimilates to the foreign language as compared to pidgins. The later part of the second quote requires us to explain why there is still â€Å"restricted input†. The previous second language speakers who are now native speakers of the foreign language means that the people who still speak the foreign language as a second language now have immediate role models they can learn from. However, as these native speakers are still few in numbers, creoles are therefore said to be first language learning with restricted input.

The Island of Crete Essay -- Crete Island Geography Geographical Paper

The Island of Crete Although once a strategic military site even up through World War II, Crete is now a wonderful Greek asset full of history, culture, and beauty. Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and is located in the southeast of the Mediterranean Sea. Crete is not only home to more than 550,000 Greek citizens; it is also the destination for more than one quarter of all visitors that come to Greece. Crete is an island full of culture and celebration. Each town celebrates the day allocated to their patron saint, and there are cultural and wine festivals throughout the summer. The most important festivals on Crete are the Renaissance Festival in Rethymno, the Kyrvia Festival in lerapetra, Sitia?s Krnaria Festval, and Irakio?s summer arts Festival and the Lato Festival in Agios Nikolas. Important holidays on Crete are, of course, Easter, which is taken very seriously by all Greek orthodox believers. Other than Easter, Epiphany on January 6th, independence Day on March 25th, May Day on May 1st, the Battle of Crete during the last week of may, and Assumption Day on August 15th (Crete) .? Geography Crete is located in the southeast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is 3038 square miles, 161 miles long by about 38 miles wide in its widest part.? Crete is divided into four different districts, or ?Naomoi? in Greek.? From west to east these districts are Hania, Rethymnon, Iraklion, and Lassithi. In each of these districts are several municipalities and each of those municipalities is further broken down into several towns and villages. The major tourist spots are on the north side of the island, and subsequently all major towns are also on that side of the island. The east side of the island is by far the driest with... ...ligious, and enjoy traditional Greek food.? Crete is a fascinating place with a unique culture, interesting sites, rich history, and natural beauty which anyone would be fortunate to experience during their lifetime. Works Cited: Crete (2003).? Lonely Planet World Guide. Retrieved December 14, 2003. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/crete/ Greece (2003). Country Reports. Retrieved December 14, 2003. http://www.classbrain.com/cb_cr/geos/gr.html The Monastery of Touplou (2003).? Climb in Crete. Retrieved December 13, 2003. http://www.climbincrete.com/EN/homepage/archives/000229.php The Palace of Knossos (2003). Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Retrieved December 13, 2003. http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21123n/e211wn01.html The Samaria Gorge (2003). University of Crete. Retrieved December 13, 2003.http://www.uch.gr/crete/places/samaria.html

Vet Essay -- essays research papers fc

Veterinarians   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The topic I chose was veterinarians. What is a vet (short for veterinarian)? â€Å"Vets are animal doctors† says Dee Ready. They care for sick animals. â€Å"Just as people visit the doctor when they are sick, animals need help of doctors too† says Betsy Imershein.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What do veterinarians do? The vet may operate, fix a broken bone or give an animal a shot. Whatever is wrong with an animal is what the vet has to do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are different kinds of vets. Some care for pets. This includes dogs, cats, birds and things of that nature. Others care for farm animals. This includes cows, pigs, goats, sheep, horses or other things you would find on a farm. â€Å"The large animal vet makes house calls† says Rod Bellville and Cheryl Walt Bellville and they also said that â€Å"large animals vets frequently vaccinate small animals during a farm visit.† Other vets work at the zoo and they never know what they have to work on, like lions, tigers and monkeys.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What do veterinarians wear? When they are in a lab, they wear lab coats. When they are on a farm, they wear coveralls and tall rubber boots, according to what environment they are in decides.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What tools do veterinarians use? They use the same type as human doctors but made for animals like a stethoscope and syringes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &nbs...

American shipbuilding World War II

World war II was a global military conflict fought in every one of the five continents and involving combatants from every continental region. Fought in two phases, the first phase involved Asia in 1937 and also known as Sino Japenese war. The second phase began in Eupore in 1939 with Germany voilating the treaties and by being aggressive, without any previous declaration invaded poland. The globe was divided into two military alliance: the allies and the Axis powers. Allies primarily were formed by the union of United Kingdom and France, whereas the Germany, Japan and Italy dominted axis powers.World War II involved over 100 million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in history, and placed the participants in a state of total war, erasing the distinction between civil and military resources. This resulted in the complete exhaustion of a nation's economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities for the purposes. Tension cretaed due to great depression that swept t he world in early 1930s sharpened national rivalries, increased fear and distrust and made masses susceptible to the promises of demagogues.Also the condition created by post world war I settlement, led to the this global military conflict of world war II. After world war I, defeated germany and ambitious Japan and Italy anxious to increase their power, eventually adopted forms of dictaorship. In Gemany the National socialist Adolf Hitler began a rearming campaign on a massive scale and in mid 1937 and following a marco Bridge incident Japan invaded China. Some tolerance was shown to these invasions as they were of anti communist nature but soon entering of Soviet to aid China marked the division of the global scenario.America in world war II Through the global turmoil for the power and series of conqest,United states chose to be a isolationist and passed neutrality act in August 1933, a dyanamic impulse to stay aloof from all Europeon politics . But in November 1939, the American n eutrality act was amended to allow cash and carry, to support Allies. United stated, to protect and aid china, implemented a series of embargos, including oil, iron, steel and mechanical parts, against Japan.The Tripartite pact between the Axis powers served as a warning to United States of the consequences resulting in war if it continued extending help to the allied power. But regardless of the pact, the United States continued to support Britain and China, further, by introducing the lend-lease policy and creating a security zone spanning roughly half of the Atlantic Ocean, where the United States navy protected British Convoys. Though attacks on America were rare by the Axis power, but ultimately, it was attack on pearl harbour in 1941 that drew United States into direct war .In later years of 1942 Japan repeatedly attacked America in wars of Aleutian Islands and fort Stevens attack. America- Japan relations Attack on china, led Japan into series of trouble when the move prompte d America embargo on oil exports to Japan, which in turn caused the Japanese to plan the takeover of oil supplies of Dutch east India. The attack on the Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack of Japan against the United States naval base on December 7; 1941, also called â€Å"a day of infamy† by President Roosevelt .The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, dramatically heralded the new age of naval combat, divided into two phases, the first attack wave targets airfields and battleships. The second wave targets other ships and shipyard facilities. It was intended as a preventive action to remove US pacific fleet that was involved in protection of British Convoys and Dutch East India, and also to wage war against United States. Both the U. S. and Japan had long-standing contingency plans for war in the Pacific, continuously updated as tension between the two countries steadily increased during the 1930s.Though numerous sanctions were imposed on Japan as a result of steadily growing ten sion, and America under the export control act halted the shipments of machine tools, high octane gasoline to japan, but the oil export was continued to japan in early pre war years to resist undue provocation. Assets were to be frozen till Indochina was declared as neutral. The Japanese high command was certain, though mistakenly so that an attack on the United Kingdom’s colonies would bring the U. S. into the war. So a preventive strike appeared to be the only way to avoid US interference in the Pacific.. With the Pacific cleansed of American ships, Japan would have an unchallenged defensive perimeter, stretching from the North Pacific through mid-ocean to the South Pacific. The attack wrecked two US Navy battleships, destroyed several aircrafts, and US suffered huge personnel losses though the, Vital fuel storage, shipyard, maintenance, were not raided. The japanese suffered minimal losses in artiliary and personnels. While it accomplished the intended objective, the attac k was pointless. US Navy The new Navy 1890-1909 A crucial date in the reconstitution of U.S. naval shipyards is 1890 . From about 1850, American shipping and shipbuilding rose from a position of superiority to near international significance. Until the late 1880s the United States possessed no modern warships, and the technological gap widened, where European progress was rapid with the assembly of armor plate, guns, torpedoes, high-speed propulsion systems, and steel hulls. By 1890 American shipyards lagged far behind their European counterparts in techniques and in speed of construction. Progress started in year 1885 with the funding of â€Å"new navy†.Warships of the new American navy built between 1890 and 1909 were steel hulled, purpose-built for steam power, and substantially more complicated than their predecessors. In its first thirty years, armored ships dominated new American naval construction. Between 1910 and 1929 a much wider range of warships was built. Battles hips still dominated tonnage figures, and the pace for construction of new ships steadily increased. Both the number and the size of these ships amplified, in the competition to build better warfare compared to European powers, also called â€Å"dreadnoughts fever†.Shipbuilding in World War II World War II saw the U. S. Navy emerge as the world’s largest naval force, a commanding role that would be maintained for the next fifty years. Hallmarks of the two decades included an intensified effort of existing private shipbuilders, massive new construction at government navy yards, and the development of new private shipyards, in new locations, to produce large numbers of small- or medium-sized warships. At a time of near-total national commitment, almost 1. 5 million workers built American warships in dozens of locations.Destroyers were numerically were the most important warships built during the period. More than 550 full-sized destroyers were eventually launched, becaus e of the German submarine threat, these ships held a very high priority. Pacific produced majority of warships, and some of the mass produced warships were â€Å"escort aircraft carrier† at Todd- pacific, and at Kaiser Yards, Vancouver. Also, pacific were specialized war- damaged ships. Submarines were built at a number of yards, but majorly at two locations, Portsmouth Navy Yard, near Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Electric Boat, at Groton, Connecticut.Another in land production included the fabrication of almost 1,051 large landing ships, most of them tank-landing ships out of which, more than 60 percent were constructed along inland waters by five major steel-fabricating firms. World War II encompassed a massive national effort for production of massive warships. Pacific fleet A Pacific Fleet was created in 1907 and was marked as the largest naval construction effort ever undertaken by any nation.. Building warships for the U. S navy was a major sector of the American defe nce industry over a hundred year period during which the growth of the US navy was substantial.It was also the chief activity of most large American shipyards and had a sizable influence on regional economy and identity. Until May of 1940, this unit was stationed on the west coast of the United States . During the summer of that year, as part of the U. S. response to japanese expansionism and prevent its intrusion into Phillipines, it was instructed to take an â€Å"advanced† position at Pearl Harbor,Hawaii. During the time of attack the pearl harbor strength consisted of, nine battleships, three aircrafts, eight light crusiers, 50 destroyers, 33 submarines and 100 patrol bombers.American battleships can be roughly divided into four groups, pre-dreadnoughts, dreadnoughts, standards and World War II ships Japanese Imperial Navy Japanese imperial navy was one of the most powerful and world third largest navies. Initially, it was built overseas in England but soon Japanese yards built ships on English designs. The advancement in the concept resulted in Ships that were at par or better than any ship afloat. Early years of the war were dominated by the Imperial navy, however in later years it succumbed to the pressure of huge opponent power.Its naval aviation corps, consisting of 10 aircraft carriers and 1500 topnotch aviators, was the most highly trained and proficient force of its kind. Victory of American Navy over Japanese Imperial Navy America had a period of economic depression prior to commencement of the War, though Japan was also â€Å"economically disadvantaged† in waging a war against allies but, its misplaced sense of superiority in economic and military areas, against the allies, led to its ultimate downfall.While, America in the midst of seemingly interminable economic crisis, still had almost seven times more coal production, five times more steel production, eighty times the automobile production compared to the production of Japan. Th ere is no doubt, however, of the abundance of American resources even though in the depth of depression, it had much more capability for war production compared to any other nation. Also US had nearly twice the population of Japan and hence, the manpower was never a setback.Around one million people had engaged in war production in America and furthermore, it was ever willing to utilize its women population in the war effort counting work of 6. 5 million women as a tremendous advantage, a concept not acknowledged till later years by the Axis powers. Also, America had some hidden advantages that didn't show up directly in production figures. First, the U. S. factories were, on average, more modern and automated than those in Europe or in Japan. A rapid boom to the industrialization and technological advantage worked significantly in favor of the US navy.Additionally, American managerial practice at that time was the best in the world. Together taken, the per capita productivity of th e American worker was the highest in the world. The average income of America was seventeen times more compared to that of Japan. By mid-1942, even before U. S. force of arms was being accepted as a most powerful force globally, American factories were nevertheless beginning to make a material effect in the war's progress. The U. S. churned out seemingly endless quantities of equipment and provision, which were then funneled to forces and provided an endless support.By 1944, most of the other powers in the war, though still producing furiously, noticed a decline in the economic front and also the production was steadily decreasing from destruction of industrial bases and constriction of resource pools. But the enormous productive apparatus of the U. S. economy was pouring out war munitions in overwhelming volume Especially in Japan, the oils supplies had cut down to a trickle owing to decisive battle of the US against the Japanese imperial navy. And unless Japan could ward off obvio us enemy retaliatory blows designed to capitalize on her greatest weakness, vulnerability to blockade,seizure of the southern areas would be just a hollow and ephemeral event, improving but little the basic weakness of Japan's economy. The American submarines had specially targeted the oil carriers of Japan, and its only source left was from the Dutch East Indies behind a screen of islands that ran from the Philippines through Formosa and the Ryukyus. . After that the Japanese economy, with the possible exception of oil, was based on the continent and upon Japan proper. Resources proved much less than the expansionist propaganda had previously anticipated. . Inadequate rail facilities made it difficult to bring resources to the coast.And from mid-1944, due to the attack on shipping, only a small percentage of the material that reached the coast could be transported to Japan proper further leading to commotion. Owing to its large resources backup and abundant manpower, America suffer ed none of these problems and as a consequence its economy grew at an annual rate of 15% throughout the war years. It is perhaps not surprising that in 1945, the U. S. accounted for over 50% of total global GNP. Battle of Midway. Midway is often cited as the ‘Turning Point in the Pacific', the ‘Battle that Doomed Japan,' and a string of other stirring epithets.And there's no question that it broke the offensive capability of the Japanese Navy and led to major crisis. The United States built more merchant shipping in the first four and a half months of 1943 than Japan put in the water in seven years and there was really no noticeable increase in Japanese merchant vessel building until 1943, by which time Japan was deeply involved in war with US and was not able to do much. Just as with their escort building programs, the Japanese were operating under a tragically flawed national strategy that dictated that the war with the United States would be a short one.Again, the Uni ted States had to devote a lot of the merchant shipping it built to replace the losses inflicted by the German U-Boats. But the battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history markedly changed the prevalent condition and favored US more than the axis powers. Underlying the Six naval forces, four Japanese and two American, were converging on, a titanic clash spread over three days and 100,000 square miles of sea, engaging 282 ships and 200,000 sailors. In the condition of loss of massive number of war ships and the inability to produce adequately, the Japanese war front was further deteriorated..Japan's own ability to produce basic materials was completely inadequate to support a war against a major in ¬dustrial power. In retrospect, it is difficult to comprehend how Japan's leadership managed to rationalize their way around the economic facts when they contemplated making war on the US. The war ended with Japanese Imperial Navy defeated in shortage of material and person nel resources, while the resources of US were just warming up and could continue for years to come. , Bibliography Keegan John; Who’s who in World War II; routledge; 2002World War II; Article; The Columbia Encyclopedia; sixth edition 2007 Rohtermund Dietman; Global impact of great depression 1929-1939; routledge; 1996 Heinrichs Waldo; threshold of war: Franklin Roosevelt and American entry into World War II; New York; Oxford university press; 1988 Cull John Nicholas; selling war: the British propaganda campaign against American â€Å"neutrality† in World War II; New York; Oxford University press; 1995 Kimball warren F; the most unsordid act: lend-lease, 1939-1941; Baltimore; Johns Hopkins press; 1969Gregory Urwin; the siege of Wake Island; University of Nebraska press; 1997 Gailey A Harry; The war in the pacific: from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay; Presidio press; 1995 Sluimers Laszlo; Japanese military and Indonesian independence; Japanese Journal of Southeast Asian studi es; Vol 27; 1996 Walters. D. William; American naval shipbuilding 1890-1989; Journal article; the geographical review; Vol 90; 200 Hector C. Bywater; sea power in the pacific: a study of America-Japanese naval problem; Houghton muffin company; 1921Lindberg Michael; Anglo-American shipbuilding in World War II: A geographical perspective; 2004; Daniel Todd Praeger Padfield peter; the great naval race: The Anglo-German naval rivalry 1900-1914; Birlinn; 2005 George Q Flynn; the mess in Washington: manpower mobilization in World War II; greenwood press; 1979 Kennedy M David; Victory at sea; magazine article; Atlantic monthly; vol 283; March 1999 Barrett Judy, Smith C. David,; US women on the home front in world war II; Journal article; The historian; Vol 57,1994

Perspectives in the Implementation of the Enhanced K-12 Basic Education Essay

I. INTRODUCTION The Philippines is the last country in Asia and one of the three nations that has a ten year pre-university education program before the implementation of the K-12 system. K-12 program indicates a good quality of education especially for the standard of our education system worldwide, qualification to work abroad and development of skills in employment. The problem in implementation of K-12 in the Philippines is the preparedness of the Filipino people to study with this procedure of quality education. For furthermore information let’s define first what is K-12. a. WHAT IS K-12 The K to 12 Program covers kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.[1] It means that there will be additional two levels in high school. It is believed that K-12 would place the Philippine education system at par with the international standard and contribute to the improvement of a better educated society that is capable of pursuing productive employment, entrepreneurship, or higher education studies. The adoption of the program is in response to the need to improve the competitiveness of our country’s graduates as the ten-year basic education cycle is seen as inadequate for work and higher education. In fact, overseas Filipino workers are not automatically recognized as professionals in other countries in the view that ten-year education program in insufficient. The Philippines is the only country in Asia and is one of only three countries in the world with a ten-year basic education cycle.[1] b. CONTENTS The K-12 basic education curriculum is said to be enhanced to become learner-centered, responsive and enriched. The education must be learner-centered, focusing on the optimum development of every Filipino student. Another thing is to be responsive in our local needs to enrich the integrative, inquiry-based, constructivist, and technology-enhancement of our society. Here’s the sequence of accompanying K-12 from kindergarten to new high school years 5-6. In kindergarten, they’re going to teach the fundamental learning that a child need. From grade 1 they are going to teach the core learning areas such as mother tongue until grade 3, starting grade 3 focusing on major subjects like science and learning about edukasyong pantahan at pangkabuhayan that will start at grade 4 up to 6. Grades 7- 8 (new high school year 1-2) will be focused on Core Learning Areas and Exploratory Technology & Livelihood Education, next is grade levels 9-10 (new high school year 3-4) which is focused also in Core Learning Areas plus elective Technology & Livelihood Education. Last is the additional two year levels the grade 11 and 12 which is focusing on major subjects like Math, Science, English, Contemporary issues and specializations. c. FEATURES (Learning Areas) i. The new Features of K-12 basic education curriculum are: * Vertical continuum and horizontal articulation of competencies * Mother Tongue as a learning are and medium of instruction * Spiral progression in Science and Math * MAPEH(Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health) begins in Grade 1 ii. LEARNING AREAS * Mother tongue – this is the native language of the students in the region. It is used as the medium of instruction in all subjects except Filipino and English, it is also taught as a separate subject from Grades One to Three. * English & Filipino – from Grade four onwards this is used to enhanced listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The ultimate goal is the communicative competence of Filipino to both oral and written in three languages. * Mathematics, Araling Panlipunan, MAPEH – From grade 1, these subjects are given to know the basic concepts and ideas, skills, and values necessary for artistic expression and cultural literacy. * Science, and Technology & Livelihood Education – From Grade 3 Science is now implied to develop scientific literacy among students that will prepare them to be informed and participative citizens who are able to make judgments and decisions regarding applications of scientific knowledge that may have social, health, or environmental impacts. For the Technology & Livelihood Education that will start at Grade 4 to involve students to develop knowledge, skills, values and attitude in Agriculture.[2] II. GENERAL BACKGROUND a. CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS (Article XIV , Section 1 and 2) The constitutional basis of the implementation of K-12 is found at Article XIV, Section 1 and 2. Section 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. Section 2. The State shall: (1) Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society; (2) Establish and maintain a system of free public education in the elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural right of parents to rear their children, elementary education is compulsory for all children of school age; (3) Establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives which shall be available to deserving students in both public and private schools, especially to the underprivileged; (4) Encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning systems, as well as self-learning, independent, and out-of-school study programs particularly those that respond to community needs; and (5) Provide adult citizens, the disabled, and out-of-school youth with training in civics, vocational efficiency, and other skills.[3] This article of the Philippine Constitution supports the endeavor of improving the quality of education in the Philippines. It also aims to uplift educational standard to produce competent Filipino students that can compete and be at par with other countries. b. Reasons for implementing K-12 Why add two more years? Adding two more years will decongest the basic education curriculum and will provide better quality education for all. K to 12 is not new, the proposal for it dates back to 1925. It will be minus 2 instead of plus 2 for those families who cannot afford a college education but still hoping to have their children find a good paying job. With this, parents spend for at least 4 years of college to have an employable child. In this form, parents will not consume for 2 years of basic education that will give them an employable child. In effect, we are saving parents 2 years of expenses. The plan is not â€Å"Plus 2 years before graduation† but â€Å"Minus 2 years before work†. What will society gain from K to 12? K to 12 will assist in accelerating the economic growth since it directs students to choose courses that response to the local needs of the society. A better educated society provides a sound foundation for long-term socio-economic development. III. ANALYSIS c. Positive aspects of K-12 i. Argument No.1 (Philippines will have a 12-year basic education program) In adding two more years in our educational system in the Philippines, I think there’s no problem because we need to upgrade the standard of our education just like the other country have. Because in Asia, only Philippines has a 10-year educational program and Philippines is one of the three countries in the world didn’t already have a 12-year educational system, which is the basis of some other countries abroad in ignoring Filipino to work for them or they don’t recognized the professionalism of the Filipino because of their educational background, for some countries 10-year educational program is insufficient. Some other thing in K-12 educational program, the procedure for further learning is much more productive because it applies Mother Tongue which is the language spoke by a person in his province or territory. ii. Argument No.2 (Includes MTBMLE or Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education in the curriculum) This process will be the medium of instruction from kindergarten up to grade three. English and Filipino is the medium of instruction in grade four.[2] For grades 1 to 3 It’s easy to learn topics when the speaker is using the language from their province. Mother Tongue is used as the first point for literacy development of the student. d. Negative aspects of K-12 iii. Argument No.1 (Insufficient qualified teachers to teach in the K-12 program and availability of more classrooms) Lack of teachers and classrooms are the most common problems before the implementation of K-12 program, and then until now this problem I think will continuously on going because of K-12 program. There will be additional 2 years so it means number of classrooms in each school must increase. Number of teachers since then was not enough to fulfill the needs of our country in education. So where are we going to seek for teachers to teach In the K-12 program? The government must pay attention for this argument if they really want to implement K-12. iv. Argument No.2 (Unavailable materials such as textbooks and curriculum designed for K-12) Textbooks using Mother Tongue is one of the problems to be pursue by an action in implementing K-12. Government must produce textbooks that will act as the guide of the students to their studies. For example a Filipino Mathematics book or Bicolano Fundamental Mathematics book. Those are only example but that’s the truth in this argument, textbooks using Mother Tongue. IV. CONCLUSION I therefore concluded that lets give a chance in implementing K-12 basic education program in the Philippines, it’s not just going to add two more year levels to suffer more in our education but also it standardize our educational system worldwide, strengthen our academics subjects, enhance our literacy through multilingualism, and also work readiness using Senior High School(SHS). As far as I know several schools already produced teachers to teach in the K-12 program but they are few, we need thousands of teachers. Just give a chance then let’s see what will be the result of this program. We don’t know, if K-12 is the way for a better quality and accessible education here in the Philippines. Let’s be responsible in our local needs and especially in our education. V. REFERENCES [1] The K to 12 Education Program . (2012) . K-12 . Retrieved august 19, 2012 , from http://www.gov.ph/k-12/ [3] The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines . (1987) . Article XIV , Section 1-2 . Retrieved September 4, 2012 , from http://www.gov.ph/the-philippine-constitutions/the-1987-constitution-of-the-r

Good Health Essay

It is common to hear people talking about the state of their health. Some say they are in good health, while others talk about their ill health or that of others. But what exactly is good heath and how do we know when we are experiencing it? This article takes a look at that aspect of our lives and explains it in simple terms. Good Health When we are enjoying good health, we feel good, we look good with a good health image and everything about our lives seems to be going well with no major upsets. It means we have plenty of energy to do the things we want to do and we feel happy and contented with our ability to do those things. There is no pain or feeling of stiffness in our body and we are able to exercise freely every day if we wish. Often, when we are in good health it is common to be more active and exercise forms part of the day’s activities. When we are free of pain, we are able to do a lot more and we feel motivated to do a lot more than when we are experiencing pain. So maintaining a good level of health is important to our lives because it means the absence of pain totally or at least for the majority of the time. Promoting Good Health So what can we do to promote good health? There are lots of things we can do and similarly lots of things we should avoid doing. We should make sure we eat a healthy diet, because we are what we eat and when we only put good things into our bodies, those bodies respond by simply being in better health. That includes healthy meals made up of fresh ingredients as well as any healthy snacks we may want to eat during the day. We should exercise and be active every day, getting plenty of fresh air outdoors and sunshine. Fresh air boosts our energy levels while natural daylight and sunshine boosts our mood, makes us feel happier and also boosts our bodies ability to manufacture its own vitamin D. If we live in a city, we should make a point of getting into the countryside as often as possible to get fresher air and avoid all the pollutants that city air generally tends to have. We should try and be as happy as we can be, facing life with a positive, upbeat attitude and try not to let stress into our lives. We should avoid living a sedentary lifestyle and make sure we get up off the chair as often as we can. Avoiding foods that are processed, contain ligh levels of refined sugar and refined white flour as well as those that contain artificial additives. That usually means eating only fresh produce, fresh fruit and vegetables along with lean meat and fish (if we are not vegetarian), nuts, seeds, legumes and some dairy produce, although this should be kept to a minimum. We should also avoid drinking soda and flavored drinks because of the dangerous levels of refined sugar and/or artificial sweeteners and other additives. Alcohol consumption should be moderate and smoking is a totally bad idea. If we can use our common sense and make sure we live as healthily as we can, then we should enjoy a far better level of health. If we can also keep stress levels down and stay happy, our health will reflect our mood and we will have a longer, happier and healthier life.

Equity & Expectancy Theory of Motivation Essay

Motivation Explain Adams equity theory Adams’ equity theory is a motivational model that attempts to explain the relationship between what an employee puts into their job (input), what they get out of it (output) and the fairness and justice exchanged between the two (Cosier & Dalton, 1983). Inputs include all factors that are perceived as necessary to obtain a return, such as effort, loyalty, hard work, commitment, skill, ability, flexibility, tolerance, determination, heart and soul, enthusiasm, trust in the employer and personal sacrifice. Whilst outputs include all factors that are seen as a return of the job such as financial rewards, perks, benefits, pension arrangements, recognition, reputation, praise, interest, responsibility, travel, training, development, sense of achievement and promotion (Cosier & Dalton, 1983). A fair and equitable balance of the two are based on the employees own perception, thoughts and beliefs and are formed through comparing the employees own situation with other employees in the market place along with opinions and comparisons from colleagues, friends and partners (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2010). Ultimate Software has been able to provide an equitable balance between the inputs and outputs of their employees through implementing some of the key principles of equity theory. For example they are providing a strong leadership role model through Scott Scherr-the CEO, they are being attentive to their employees’ perception of fairness and more importantly they are involving their employees in the decision making and policy process. In return this has promoted cooperation and team work within the company (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2010). More specifically Ultimate Software application of being attentive and involving their employees was demonstrated when their employee suggested that they offer paid adoption leave to their employee and they consequently implemented the benefit (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2010). This particular employee was about to adopt herself so she perceived that the output of â€Å"adoption leave† was a fair and equitable reward for her inputs of effort, loyalty, commitment, skill, ability and work (Cosier & Dalton, 1983). Thus by listening and implementing her suggestion Ultimate Software met her sense of fairness. In addition they al so conveyed to her a sense of  involvement with the decision and policy making process. Consequently the employee regarded Ultimate Software as a fair, observant and appreciative  employer. So much so that she has remained with the company for four years and has since used the â€Å"adoption leave† again. Conversely the company could have chosen not to listen to this particular employee’s suggestion. As a result Ultimate Software would not have implemented adoption leave and the employee would have felt that her inputs of effort, loyalty, commitment, skill, ability and work were out-weighed by her received outputs. This would have been even more apparent if another company in the industry offered such a leave for adopting children. Consequently the employee would have felt underappreciated and would have become demotivated. This would have resulted in the employee reducing their effort and application, and even seeking an alternative job, perhaps one where adoption leave was available (Cosier & Dalton, 1983). Another example of the principles of equity theory at work in Ultimate Software is the use of benefit schemes to motivate employees. These schemes endeavour to provide employees with working conditions and policies that give additional rewards above and beyond the basic requirements to meet the perceived outputs of different individuals (Katzell & Thompson, 1990). For example an employee who perceived education as a fair and equitable output to their inputs is able to benefit from the company’s annual tuition reimbursement. Whilst an employee who perceives providing health cover for themselves and their family as an equitable output for their input will acquire a sense of fairness and organisational justice through the use of Ultimate Software’s fully paid health premium scheme. These, along with the other schemes mentioned, cater for the differing perceptions, values and sensitivities amongst the company employees. This variation exists because what one employee sees as an adequate reward for their input may not even register with another employee (Blakely et al, 2005). We all have differing sensitivity and to achieve organisational justice and fairness between the inputs and outputs of individual employees the company needs to comprehend what makes their employees tick to enable them to perform their role (Wilson, 2005). Basically Ultimate Software has applied the principles of equity theory to motivate their employees. The company has provided outputs which meets their employees perception of fairness against what they input into the company (Katzell & Thompson, 1990). This balance between input and output has not  only been achieved individually but also with in the work place and the industry. Consequently Ultimate Software has raised the level of employee satisfaction and performance. Explain Vroom;s Expectancy Theory Vroom’s Expectancy Theory is another motivational model but slightly more complex in its application. The model uses the three variables expectancy, instrumentality and valance to explain how an employee is motivated to behave in ways that will produce a desired combination of expected outcomes (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2010). The first variable, expectancy is the belief that an ones effort will result in the attainment of desired performance goals and is based upon the employees past experiences, self-confidence and the perceived difficulty of the goal. The second variable, instrumentality is the belief that one will receive a reward if the performance expectation is met and is connected to the employees’ levels of trust in leadership, control over rewards and the company’s formalised policy. The final variable, valence is the value that one places on the rewards and is based upon an employee’s needs, goals, values and sources of motivation (Lee, 2007). It is Vroom’s belief that these three variables interact psychologically to create a motivational force that will cause employee to acts in ways that will bring pleasure and avoid pain (Pearson & Hui, 2001). An example of Ultimate Software using the principle of expectancy theory to motivate their employees is through the use of their education benefit. For this to be a motivational force the three variables of expectancy, instrumentality and valance must be perceived by the employee to be met (Pearson & Hui, 2001). That is to fulfil expectancy an employee will need to believe that their extra effort and time put into studying a degree, or similar educational course, will result in them completing the program. To fulfil instrumentality the employee must believe that  once completed they will be rewarded with either a higher pay and or a promotion within the company. And finally to fulfil the third variable valance, the employee will need to value that the pay rise and/or pr omotion are important enough to apply extra effort and time. Basically they will need to desire the outcome enough so that they will achieve it (Pearson &  Hui, 2001). Jose Chinea of Ultimate Software was able fulfil the three variables of expectancy, instrumentality and valence. Firstly Jose believed that the masters’ degree in management and information systems was achievable. Secondly he believed that the extra effort put into studying a master’s degree would lead to the reward of obtaining a promotion with Ultimate Software. And finally because he personally understood and valued education as an opportunity to grow he therefore believed that the efforts he put in, along with the rewards obtained from Ultimate Software, would be worth it. Conversely, if Jose was not able to fulfil any one of the three variables then there would be no motivational force for him to study and therefore use the educational benefit. This would happen only if he believed that he was unable to complete the master’s degree, the company was not offering a suitable reward and he perceived education and the rewards of education to be of no value. Conse quently, the internal attributes of the employee which incorporate their attitude and value systems are an extensive determinate of motivational force in the expectancy theory model (Pearson & Hui, 2001). Another example of Ultimate Software using the principles of expectancy theory is the CEO’s, Scott Scherr’s leadership role (Isaac et al, 2001). Scherr adopted the principles to equip himself with tools to influence the psychological process resident in his employees. He implemented rewards systems that are uncommon. These rewards include matching 30% of employee superannuation contributions and also stock options and both are applied in an appropriate fashion to pull or influence his employees. This strategy enhances the level of personal motivation of his employees as they wish to maximize their own self interests. For example an employee who wishes to boost their retirement savings would opt for the reward scheme of matching superannuation contributions. Whilst an employee who wishes to boost their immediate wealth, or even just considers investing to be of value, would opt for stock options. In applying a strong leadership style Scherr has created an environment within his company that inspires his employees to achieve a level of performance that meets the company expectations, and even perhaps exceed the employees own personal expectations. This has been achieved through Scherr consciously choosing a leadership strategy that pulls rather than pushes  (Isaac et al, 2001). The positive implications of using a motivational model such as expectancy theory include reduced employee turnover, improved morale and higher productivity (Pearson & Hui, 2001). For Ultimate Software this has resulted in the company obtaining the title of best medium company to work for in America.