Attitudes to Language Essay Example for Free

Attitudes to Language Essay Language clearly plays a major role in all aspects of society. The most obvious is its social role of allowing people to relate to each other in all facets of their lives: to share information, emotions and ways of life. We use language as a means of navigating our daily lives and it plays an integral role in most of our interactions. Perhaps for this reason, French is regarded as an elegant and romantic language, while German is considered to be guttural. Additionally, ever since mankind evolved into different language communities, it is commonplace for people to adopt various attitudes towards the language(s) spoken by others, as well as towards the dialects of the language they speak. These attitudes are motivated by different factors, including pride in or shame regarding one’s own language, confidence or embarrassment about how one sounds, nationalism and a sense of personal dignity, one’s status and values as well as the prestige some languages are given in international interactions. A well known attitude is the desire for foreign speech patterns; another is the rejection of certain dialects. People form impressions of your personality, emotional state, geographic origin, education, experiences, age or socioeconomic status from the language you use and the way you use it. We often witness the amusement of an audience when someone speaks in the creole, for not only does the system of sound evoke laughter, but the assumption that the speaker is an uneducated serf is then made. Ridicule and contempt for the vernacular, creoles and dialects are common responses from some members of society, even within the Caribbean society, where dialects are rich, strong and the first language. Dialects develop under various circumstances as well as geographical locations and are varieties of languages. A creole could be a dialect within a language. Because of our history, people of the region tend to place a high premium on the standard languages (the language of power and economic might). Many  people believe that upward mobility is largely dependent on one’s ability to fit in with the predominant socioeconomic class, and language is the main signifier of this fit. Many Caribbean writers have described scenarios of people who went overseas, were generally expected to return with a new command of the target language and often demonstrated their new found ‘status’ by emphasizing their foreign accent of ‘twang’. While some might be impress ed by the ‘twang’, others view such pretensions with derision. Attitudes to language may vary from one sector of the society to another and some people demonstrate self-conscious behavior when speaking the standard language. This is largely a result of the fact that in most societies one is often judged on the basis of the variety of language that one speaks. This is even more prevalent in societies with a colonial legacy, like the Caribbean, where certain dialects are associated with the institution of slavery or conquest. Increasingly, educators are becoming aware that a person’s native language is an integral part of who that person is and marginalizing the language can have severe damaging effects on that person’s psyche. Many linguists consistently make a case for teaching native languages alongside the target languages so that children can clearly differentiate among the codes ( a term used synonymously with language or dialect but generally refers to a linguistic system of communication. A code can also be non-linguistic such as a dress code or code of conduct) and hence be less likely to mix the two. This approach has been adopted in Haiti, where schools teach both Standard French and French Creole (Haitian) and children are expected to be fluent in both. Additional prominence has been given to Caribbean Creoles with the publication of Creole dictionaries and with the translation of the New Testament from the Christian Bible into French Creole in St. Lucia. A similar project is under way in Jamaica. While attitudes to local dialects have been slowly changing, many people still associate the use of Creole with negative images and believe that its use should be relegated to specific circumstances and occasions. However, the fact that non-standard language varieties are the most widely spoken in the Caribbean makes them the choice of persons trying to get information to large sections of the society. For example, many advertisers use the Creole language to ensure that their message appeals to most people. At the same time, because of the prestige attached to the standard language, it tends to be the language of choice on formal occasions, like church services. A language variety is usually chosen because of its perceived social functions. You may have noticed that, the more formal the occasion, the more likely the use of the standard language, while for everyday interaction, popular music or emotional appeals, people tend to gravitate towards the non-standard varieties. You would have noticed that, even in a formal situation, non-standard dialect might be used for anecdotes, to inject humour or in a quotation. In the Caribbean, people switching from one code of language to another, often without thinking. However, there are times when the use of standard langue would seem totally out of place and would even interfere with semantics. For example, folk stories, folk songs and proverbs seem to lose a certain essence when translated into standard. The role of language as a vehicle for sharing culture is indisputable. Caribbean writers, singers and oral poets have played a major part in fostering acceptance of the Creole languages of the region, by incorporating them into their work and exposing them to the world. Nonetheless, negative attitudes to these languages persist in the minds of many.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Cell Phone Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Cell Phone Essay In the world we live in today, everyone owns a cell phone. Whether it is pre-paid, contract, or a jitter bug they have it. Some are so easy to use while others might take a week or so to learn. Children as young as six or seven even own this very common form of technology. These things do almost everything. They have games, texting, GPS, MP3 players, and much more. Cell phones have many great advantages well as many disadvantages. As for me, the GPS on my cell phone is one major advantagee. By me traveling all over the place to attend many out of town church services, looking for hotels, and more my cell phone makes it so I will never get lost. Not only does the GPS on my cell phone tell me where to go, it also speaks back to me. Buying a cell phone with a GPS has saved me money by not having to by a navigation system. It is also easy and simple to use. I love the convenience of it too. Very often, I travel alone. If I have car problems my cell phone is there so I can call for help. Just last week my car broke down on a dark back road. Thank God I had my cell so I could have called for help. This awesome form of technology was put to use. Cell phones are always good to have when you leave the house or simply traveling alone. By my phone coming with a camera is also a great advantage. They save money and again I love the convenience of it. Just like a normal camera, you can print pictures out through your cell phone. Not only that, you can share them on Facebook or Twitter so everyone else could see. These cell phone cameras are not just any ole camera. Some are even better than the ones one would buy at a camera store. Sometimes we might want to search the internet and at the time we are away from a computer. Most cell phones today have internet access. We can check emails, shop, and everything else we can on the internet with a cell phone. I find this a big advance for those who love the internet. It can also cut off an internet bill at home. Like most things with many good advantages there are also disadvantages. One major disadvantage of a cell phone is texting while driving. Research proves that tons of people die every year as a result of texting while driving. I too find texting and driving very dangerous. It keeps your focus off the road. While driving, one’s focus should be on the road at all times. It is always important for anyone to keep their focus on the road. Cell phones also can take ones attention off their studies. With all the things a cell phone has to offer, it is easy to get carried away with it. There are always new games and fun apps that one can find on their cell phone. The fact that these things are hand held and can go pretty much anywhere can get many students into trouble at school. It can also become a distraction for learning. While most teachers are teaching, many students wish to use there cell phones instead of taking notes or learning. Another common disadvantage of a cell phone is that it keeps you from seeing your friends and family face to face. With the text messaging and calling you can do on a cell phone cuts back the face to face talks with family and friends. Spending time with family and friends should be very important in a person’s life. With a cell phone it is very easy to send a text messages or call them instead of seeing them in person. One should practice less texting and talking on a cell phone and more face to face conversations. Over all, cell phones have many great advantages. They have GPS, camera, and are great for traveling. Also they have many bad disadvantages such as texting and driving, distracting students from their studies, cut away face to face time with family and friends. To me cells phone are great to have and seem to get better each day. As long as you are careful and mindful of the harm a cell phone can do, you will be good.

Features of a Successful Brand

Features of a Successful Brand The word brand is derived from the Old Norse brandr, meaning to burn. It refers to the practice of producers burning their mark (or brand) onto their products. A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan. A brand represents many more intangible aspects of a product or service: a collection of feelings and perceptions about quality, image, lifestyle and status. It creates in the mind of customers and prospects the perception that there is no product or service on the market that is quite like yours. In short, a brand offers the customer a guarantee and then delivers on it. A legally protected brand name is called a trademark. The word brand has continued to evolve to encompass identity it affects the personality of a product, company or service. For a successful brand there are lot many thing to do that are as follows: First of all you should know about the market that are you are going to target also a very clear idea about which target segment you are eyeing. People usually think that making a brand is just having a logo, tagline, and business card; youve completed your branding. But, unless youve carefully considered and defined ALL five of the key brand elements-position, promise, personality traits, story, and associations-you still have work to do. And, until youve infiltrated your brand into every level of your organization and built the discipline of consistency into every behavior, action, or communication-both internally and externally-you are not yet on the path to a successful brand strategy. Five Key Brand Elements Brand Position: Positioning is the art of creating a brand that can persuade and realistically demonstrate its relevance to a customers daily life to become his or her regular choice. The Brand Position is the part of the brand that describes what your organization does and for whom, what your unique value is and how a customer benefits from working with you or your product/service, and what key differentiation you have from your competition. Positioning is not created by the marketer or the individual brand itself, but by how others perceive it. Marketers dont create the positioning; rather, they create the strategic and tactical suggestions to encourage the customer to accept a particular positioning in his or her mind. For instance, bread and milk are not branded items, and despite companies push to try and brand the two products, no company has found much success building brand equity. When customers want either one of those staple items, they usually choose what is on sale or w hat is available on their local grocers shelves. Beer and cola, on the other hand, are heavily branded product categories: Consumers have formed a relationship with and will search out their preferred brands. To position your offering properly, you need to identify the key attributes or benefits that represent the value of your product or service. That will, in turn, create trust in your brand. As you begin to understand the relationship that your customers have with your brand, you will be able to more efficiently meet their needs, wants and desires through your brand. Brand Promise: The Brand Promise is the single most important thing that the organization promises to deliver to its customers-every time. To come up with your brand promise, consider what customers, employees, and partners should expect from every interaction with you. Every business decision should be weighed against this promise to be sure that a) it fully reflects the promise, or b) at the very least it does not contradict the promise. Benefits need to be backed with some sort of persuasive reason to believe the products hype. Many times, products or services have some formula or patent that is unique from all the other brands out there. Why do we trust Pantene shampoo, for instance? Because we believe in the brands revolutionary Pro-V formula that leaves hairs strong and healthy. Why do we believe Secret antiperspirant will keep women smelling sweet? Because its pH balanced for a woman, and not a man. Ask yourself: What promises are you making about your brand? Can my products or services follow through on those promises? Brand Personality: Brands that carry with them a true persona, and the beliefs and experiences similar to a personality make a brand rise to a new level. After all, its hard not to like someone with a good personality. In matters of branding, a personality helps to humanize an otherwise inanimate object or service so that a prospects defenses are lowered. An attractive brand personality can pre-sell the prospect before the purchase, reinforce the purchase decision, and help forge an emotional link that binds the buyer to the brand for years to come. In such cases, you are more willing to overlook flaws and search for strengths. A brands personality can offer the single most important reason why one brand will be chosen over another, particularly when there are few product or service features that are different between competing brands. The personality gives the consumer something to relate to that can be more vivid than the perceived positioning of the brand. Although a strong ident ifiable personality is not imperative, it can make it easier for customers and prospects alike to understand what the marketer has to offer. Even more important, a brand with a distinctive personality presents the would-be buyer with something he or she can relate to as an individual, a practical prerequisite for success in an increasingly individual-driven marketplace. Personality is usually shown in three ways. Provider-driven Provider-driven images are popular with services because there is a greater need to build confidence between the provider and seller since there is usually an intangible product on the table. Brands that lean heavily on the provider image include insurance companies and financial institutions. Prudentials The Rock and Allstates Youre in good hands, show that the brand is trustworthy and their brands reflect the same attitude. Image of the user Other brands like to show that the people who use the brands are people that you could be friends with, relate to, or want to be like. Many companies with branded products geared toward Generation X and Y use this tactic. However, these generations are also skeptical of marketers and are keenly aware of when a brand is targeting them. Image of the product or service As strange as it may sound; packaged products often take on a personality that consumers can relate to. Whether through a mascot or an animated figurine, products come to life to give consumers more than just a brand to trust, but also a face. For instance, the Pillsbury Doughboys laugh reinforces that the product will make your family feel good. Brand Story: The Brand Story illustrates the organizations history, along with how the history adds value and credibility to the brand. It also usually includes a summary of your products or services. The story and meaning of your brand is its most valuable and irreplaceable asset. Great brands large or small have a story that conveys both a truly valued attribute and an attitude which in combination sets them apart. You can rarely make up a great brand story, its usually already there. Our role is to uncover that story for you, bring it to life and then integrate it throughout your business. Most brands today dont have the financial muscle to buy awareness or market share and operate in arenas where consumers are no longer spectators. Instead they are constituents that ask increasingly tougher questions of brands. This makes it critical to ensure that brands not only encapsulate a business or products unique story but also work as hard as possible at every touch point. Brand Story has a wealth of experience gained from working with blue chip top 100 company brands to absolute start-ups and were equally comfortable and motivated in both scenarios. Brand Associations: Brand Associations are the specific physical artifacts that make up the brand. This is your name, logo, colors, taglines, fonts, imagery, etc. Your brand associations must reflect your brand promise, all of your brand traits, and support your brand positioning statement. Brand Associations are not benefits, but are images and symbols associated with a brand or a brand benefit. For example- The Nike Swoosh, Nokia sound, Film Stars as with Lux, signature tune Ting-ting-ta-ding with Britannia, Blue color with Pepsi, etc. Associations are not reasons-to-buy but provide acquaintance and differentiation thats not replicable. It is relating perceived qualities of a brand to a known entity. For instance- Hyatt Hotel is associated with luxury and comfort; BMW is associated with sophistication, fun driving, and superior engineering. Most popular brand associations are with the owners of brand, such as Bill Gates and Microsoft, Reliance and Dhirubhai Ambani. Brand associations are formed on the following basis: Customers contact with the organization and its employees; Advertisements; Word of mouth publicity; Price at which the brand is sold; Celebrity/big entity association; Quality of the product; Products and schemes offered by competitors; Product class/category to which the brand belongs; POP ( Point of purchase) displays; etc One Mantra Once youve developed and defined a relevant brand, you must begin building the brand with employees, customers, prospects, partners, etc. through consistent execution. Repetition is the key to the success of the branding process. Now after building up of your brand you must check out these three things at regular interval of time and that is your employee, customers services that you are offering. Because building up of any brand your employee play a very vital role. No one, including your employees, will ever really know or remember what your brand is, unless it is the same every time they are exposed to it. They only present your brand to the customers by direct conversation. If your product is good enough then customers will come again again and also convey the same to their friends relatives. Whether it is planned or not, word of mouth is well worth the effort it takes to generate it. Word of mouth is still considered the most potent marketing communication of all because its dispensed by the most credible sources of all ordinary citizens who dont carry a built-in bias of commercial sponsors. When your company is lucky enough to be the beneficiary of word of mouth, your identity problems may be over, and your capacity problems may just be beginning.

Lonliness In Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

Lonliness in Of Mice and Men The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinback deals with many themes that are reflective of the time period in which the novel was written. Loneliness is one of the many themes in this novel that are reflective of the time period in which the novel was written. It is shown in many of the characters in the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loneliness is a theme in this novel that is reflective of the time period in which the novel was written. Loneliness haunts the characters in the novel Of Mice and Men. Nearly everyone in this book is a loner, and all are suspicious of George and Lennie’s companionship. Loneliness is said to cause people to become mean and afraid of everyone else. This theme is relevant in the time period in which this novel was written, the Great Depression. To make money during the Great Depression many people had to travel around to work which did not allow companionship to develop because they always moved around to different places and lacked a true home. Another cause of loneliness during the Great Depression is discrimination because of age, race, or sex.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loneliness is demonstrated in this novel by many of its characters. One character, Crooks has to live in an isolated shack next to the barn because he is black, his only companions are his books. He shows his loneliness when Lennie and Candy comes into his room and even if he says he does not want them in his room he cannot conceal his pleasure with anger. Curly’s wife is another character that shows loneliness because she is stuck in the house often and alone.

How Entrepreneurs Differ from Other Business Owners Essay -- business

There has been a large amount of attention paid to the subject of entrepreneurship in the last few years; mainly because most people have chosen to go from working for somebody else to be their own bosses and work for their dreams. Yet, many still wonder what is entrepreneurship and what is that sets entrepreneurs apart from other regular business owners? Free-lance writer and expert in economic issues Jeanne Holden suggest: â€Å"There is no one definitive profile of an entrepreneur. Successful entrepreneurs come in various ages, income levels, gender, and race. They differ in education and experience. But research indicates that most successful entrepreneurs share certain personal attributes, including: creativity, dedication, determination, flexibility, leadership, passion, self-confidence, and smarts." (Principles of Entrepreneurship) These attributes are what characterize entrepreneurs and set them apart from other business owners. The first one is creativity, which refers to the way entrepreneurs can come up with different and innovative business ideas; they create, develop and ...

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: Racism Race Kill Mockingbird Essays

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee â€Å"You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?† (Lee 197) A quote from Harper Lee’s award winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which says so much. It shows the prejudice present in the 1920’s and 1930’s and how a black man could not feel sorry for a white woman because he was black. Negroes were not treated as equals. In fact, Negroes were believed to be less than second-class citizens, even level with the animals on the social ladder and biologically inferior to whites. Negroes were lynched often in many states, without reason, by white mobs. Blacks weren’t treated right in any part of American society including the courtroom. , with both the lynching in the streets and the prejudice in the courtroom this was a time where blacks did not have a fair chance both in and out of court. Many things happened throughout the past to create racial disharmony in the early 1900’s. Since the first slaves were brought to America whites have seen the Negro race as inferior and unequal. They were merely chattel purchased for the sole purpose as to provide for his master. Slaves were beaten to ‘keep them in line’ or killed to set an example for the rest. As time passed Negroes gained more freedom but also more hatred from the white populace. The formation of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in 1866 greatly heightened tension between the black and white races. They preached White supremacy, â€Å"It is simple reality that to be born White is an honor and a privilege.† () To treat a Negro as an equal was viewed not only wrong but also as a direct insult and threat to the white race. â€Å"We must secure the existence of our race and a future for White children† () When a black was accused of a crime or a white person didn’t like him he could be punished by the KKK or mob through lynching, burning, dismembering, and or torturing. Nearly none of the time did the lynchings ever go to court. â€Å"A Mississippi lynch mob of 2,000 burns an accused black rapist alive a coroner’s jury returns a verdict of death †due to unknown causes.† And Mississippi governor Theodore G. Bilbo says the state has â€Å"neither the time nor the money† to go into the matter.

Developmental Psychology Paper Essay

Piaget, Erikson, and Kohlberg. I decided to conduct personal interviews and relate my findings to these three theories. Piaget’s theory explained the four stages of cognitive development. Erikson divided psychosocial development into eight stages, describing how the people and the environment affects how we gain our personality. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development was to understand the reasoning to why we make the decisions we do. Below are how my finding relate to these various developmental psychological theories. Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development start with the sensorimotor stage. This stage is from birth to around two years of age when the infant creates their first understanding of the world around them by taste and touch. At two years of age to six or seven years, the child transitions into the pre-operational stage. In this stage the child’s thinking is still egocentric. Even though this age group has stable concepts and mental reasoning, they lack the logic for mental operations and can only think in their point-of-view. Then the concrete operational stage begins at about seven years old and lasts until the child is, approximate, eleven years old. During this stage, the child can understand and form simple mathematical operations. Egocentrism will be eliminated and they will no longer be able to see life from one perspective (their own point of view). Not only in mathematical operations, the child can perceive multiple aspects when solving a problem. At this stage, they begin to form a sense of responsibility for their pets and/or personal belongings. Formal operational, Piaget’s final stage, begins around age twelve and continues through adulthood. Formal operational phase is when the chid develops into an adult and is capable of abstract thought and moral reasoning influences decision making. The trial-and-error method begins here, along with the start of considering future outcomes and consequences from decisions. Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development begin with birth to the first year of life. During this time an infant is completely helpless and relies off their caretaker for everything. For this first year it is crucial for the caretaker of the infant to form a relationship for socialization development. The second stage extends from the first year of the child to age three, when there is a conflict between doubt or shame and autonomy. The genital, or third stage lasts from age four to age five. The conflict here is between imitative and a feeling of guilt. The fourth stage, the latency stage, lasts from six to eleven years old. This is when a child learns to reason, create, and earn. The conflict is be tween industry and inferiority. These first four stages are more dependent on others and the individual is easily influenced by their environment. The last four stages of Erikson’s developmental theory occurs when the individual begins to search for their mature self and a sense of direction. The fifth stage begins with adolescence, that lasts from age twelve to age eighteen. Here, the conflict is between identity and role confusion. The adolescent transitions into the young adulthood stage, lasting from age eighteen to twenty-five. This is a time when developing a sense of identity and career success. This is when the individual is on the path to maturity and independence. Adulthood lasts approximately from thirty-five, to fifty five years old. During this phase the adult starts to pass on their knowledge to another. The conflict is between generality or self absorption. The final stage of development is maturity. This stage lasts until death, when the individual struggles to look back on life with a sense of satisfaction and evaluate our life. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development provides us with a clearer understanding of why we make choices. This theory was divided into three stages of moral reasoning. The most basic stage, is pre-convention. During this stage the idea that we make our decisions due to fear of punishment or desire for reward occurs. A child is most likely to made decisions with this stage, due to a fear or obedience to authority. Next, conventional morality is less of a fear to an authority figure, more the individual wanting to do the right thing. This is society conforming us to play nice to maintain social order. Post-conventional may be the opposite of conventional. Post-conventional does not mean we do something wrong to beat conformity, but an individual will follow what they believe to be good even if it conflicts with the laws or mores of society. According to Piaget’s second stage, the pre-operational stage, the child’s thoughts and actions are egocentric and lack logic for mental operations. The child I interviewed had a self-centered outlook on life, lacking realistic goals and a chievements. At this time in the child’s life, they are also at Erikson’s latency stage, when they learn to reason, create, and earn, thus explaining why one of this child’s biggest accomplishments was mixing two sodas to create one. In conclusion, Piaget’s and Erikson’s theories can accurately predict a child’s thoughts and behaviors. Teenagers are more complicated, for they have moved past the latency stage into the adolescence stage. Identity development and role confusion are the larger conflicts. Also at this point, they transition into the formal operational stage, when they can think abstractly and make their own decisions. When asked if she had gained or lost self-confidence over the years, the girl I interviewed, Ashley, responded: â€Å"So I lost it throughout middle school, but gradually started gaining it through high school.† This is due to Ashley struggling and beginning to find her identity. She had already goals that she wanted to achieve and was able to predict what she wanted to do in five years. As a teenager, Ashley can make decisions for other reasons than fear of punishment or desire. A step away from adulthood, at adolescence Ashely is almost able to act and think like an adult. Adulthood is similar to adolescence in a way. Due to the fact that both adolescences and adults are able to make decisions using any of the previously mentioned moral reasoning strategies and both are in the formal operational stage. Whereas, adulthood continues to branch away from adolescence is only evident using Erikson’s developmental stages. The young adult I interviewed, Dustin, is on the fence of two stages: young adulthood and adulthood. By now, Dustin should have a sense of self and independence. â€Å"Back then I had no ambition, I just wanted to lay video games. I mean I still want to play video games, but I also want money and to be successful,† said Dustin when I asked him how different he was from when he started high school. Over the years his desires and goals changed as he matured with his career. Yet, at forty-seven with four kids and a career, the woman I interviewed had no problems understanding her identity ulike a teenager or young adult might have. Her conflicts are generality, feeling worthless or without purpose in life. According to Erikson, at this stage middle-aged adults have the desire to pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generation. When asked what she wanted to achieve in the next five years, she responded: â€Å"I want to get all four my kids financially independent and start saving money for retirement.† She also shared her hopes about her children getting married and having kids: â€Å"I’ll be able to play with them but not have to worry about all the responsibilities.† Towards the end of our lives when we reach elderly adulthood, various experiences can be fulfilling or disappointing. The final stage of Erikson’s theory, maturation, when the individual struggles to look back on what they have done with a sense of satisfaction. When I asked my grandma what she wanted to achieve in the next five years, there was a pause in her voice and I could tell the answer she blurted out was not genuine. Perhaps my grandma had been through so much, she no longer wanted to challenger herself with more life hurdles. â€Å"I think kids had more fun and didn’t worry about material things,† she said after I asked how things were different now compared to when she was a teenager. My grandma looked back on her past fondly, and offered me advice how I should act in the future. She had more advice and knowledge to pass on than plans ahead of her. Over the course of the implementing these theories into my personal interviews, I have learned that the development of the brain works in stages, and the three scientific studies could accurately predict the behaviors of the various age groups I questioned. In conclusion, the studies were very effective in explaining how our behaviors and development increase over time, and in which order they do.