Lessons Form the Classroom Essay Example for Free

Lessons Form the Classroom Essay A. I think my main strength is that I like interacting with people. In my career thus far I have worked in multi-disciplinary teams, made daily presentations and managed teams so working with people is natural and comfortable for me. I’m friendly, inclusive and approachable. I think this is an asset that will carry me far as a teacher. I have experienced teachers who were intimidating and I found it detrimental to my learning. I want my students to feel comfortable to ask me anything, repeat anything, or explain anything. I think that as time progresses in the classroom I’ll be able to develop good relationships with the students where they feel safe and uninhibited. I am naturally and therefore normally well organised and prepared which I think is a key skill in ELT. At my university induction lecture the speaker said ‘fail to plan, and plan to fail’ which I think was valuable advice and which has stuck with me. Planning my lessons appropriately helps me to better understand what I’m teaching, embeds it in my mind so I’m more confident in delivering it and helps me to predict possible problems and their solutions. I think that as my confidence and skills grow I will be able to compose highly detailed lesson plans that will deliver my objectives. I am a creative person and like devising innovative approaches to problems. I like to challenge the standard to create new ways of doing things. The results have engaged and generated new perspectives. I hope this will translate well into the classroom where I can devise games and exercises that will appeal to the students and accelerate their learning. As my confidence, knowledge and skills develop I plan to combine my own methods into my teaching. My main weakness is my inability to express grammar rules and understand grammatical terminology such as ‘present continuous’. Although my primary school was strict with grammar, punctuation and spelling, we were not taught the labels of grammar terms beyond the basics of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. So whilst I can speak and write sentences that are clear and grammatically correct I am finding the terminology challenging. As an English language teacher this is obviously something that I need to remedy as soon as possible! I am studying several grammar reference books from the suggested reading list and using mind mapping to help me understand and learn the rules. I remind myself that I already know the grammar rules I just don’t know that I know them! I have never used an interactive white board (IWB) before and have historically been reluctant to embrace new technology so I have not made full use of it as yet. As the teachers have used the IWB extensively in classes I have seen how convenient and flexible it is. I am keen to address this challenge as I believe it will be enormously beneficial to me in the classroom and therefore improve and accelerate my learners’ experiences. I am going to take advantage of break times to practise using it to build my confidence and then set myself a deadline to incorporate it into a lesson. I am sure that after using it in a few lessons I will feel more composed and will easily integrate it into classes. I would like to improve my ability to communicate with the students in a more concise and succinct way. I have found that my instructions have been too complicated and lengthy and thus caused confusion. As well as cultivating this skill I’m going to try to integrate more gestures, demonstrations and pictures to resolve the issue. My research has produced a checklist for communication, (concise, concrete, clear, correct, coherent, complete), which I will use to test my instructions going forward. B. I have been impressed with the eliciting skills of the Celta teachers. In particular James Johnson has been demonstrating how to proficiently organise materials and structure questions to draw out desired responses. He is adept at posing questions that produce the target language or lexis. His seamless ability has demonstrated how effective this technique is in encouraging the students to think for themselves rather than simply giving them the answer, keeping them alert and assessing their language level as well as understanding of the concept being taught. In this way he truly engages with the students and thus his lessons are memorable. This is a very unnatural communication for me so to be able to smoothly incorporate this skill into my teaching would be a triumph for me. All of the teachers have a very calm, confident and charming disposition, which pervades the classroom. They are clearly highly skilled and experienced, which generates trust. I think these qualities are fundamental for effective learning. These qualities seem to be intrinsic to the instructors but I’m hoping that over time I will ripen or at least acquire the ability to convey a fraction of this demeanour. C. When I have completed my Celta training I will be just at the beginning of my career so continuing professional development will be paramount to consolidate what I’ve learned so far, keep my skills up to date, learn new and different techniques from other teachers and experts, and keep abreast of industry trends. I love learning and developing myself and regularly take classes, workshops and courses for fun and personal development as well as career development, so I am highly motivated to continue my ELT development. My research has made me aware of various online communities, which could be a great way to exchange ideas. I also intend to stay in touch with my peers on the course so we can continue to learn together, share experiences, ideas, problems and solutions.

Self-Acceptance is the Key to Happiness :: Happiness Essays

Is life really about the 'money', the 'cash', who has the biggest gold chain or who drives the shiniest or fastest car, who sells the most albums or who has the most respect? Today happiness is viewed in many different ways. Everyone defines happiness according to their personal perpectives. Each individual describes their inner feelings in a way that you can't compare with another. Happiness originally and logically means the inner state of well being or a pleasurable or satisfying experience. It enables you to profit from your highest: thoughts, wisdom, intelligence, common sense, emotions, health, and spiritual values in your life. What makes you happy and what makes me happy are different things. Whatever it is that gives you warm fuzzes is determined by you, and only you. This difference is what makes the world interesting. Most of the happiness that we experience comes from the feeling of love. So many people look to their love relationships,especially marriage to give them the happiness that they cannot find on their own. Love is not enough to provide happiness, then there must be many frustrated lovers in the world. The belief that love gurantess happiness is left over from the ideology of romantic love that tells us we will live happily ever after if we can only find the right person with whom to spend our life with. If we realize that love by itself will not bring happiness, then hopefully we will be more tolerant of the imperfections of those we love. If our relatioships have their problems and if those we love do not always meet our expectations it doesn't mean that we have lost our chance for happiness. When we do not expect love to give us the happiness we seen, there will be more room for forgiveness of the imperfections and problems that always accompany love. What makes us happy is so varied. To be happy is a fleeting thing, which we enjoy so much and often want it back as soon as possible .The things that make me happy in my life can seem boring to others.My happiness is my health,my success and my marriage. My happiness is to have a shoulder to lean on when my days are going bad. Marriage has helped me look forward for my future. It opened my heart and my mind to the true existing world. It's not like I wasn't happy before I got married.

How to Successfully Expand your Business into the Africa

Import and export figures are also significantly higher for emerging markets and developing economies compared to advanced economies. Looking at these projections as an business or investor should have you seriously considering expanding your business or portfolio into these regions and tap into these revenue. Introduction Today world is becoming less and less defined by its boundaries, the words â€Å"Global Village† and used to reference this evolution. Business is at the fore front of breaking these boarders.Technological advances in communication especially via the World Wide Web have broken down the barriers enabling a business in America to sell rodents in a consumer in China, England, Brazil, Kenya†¦. Anywhere the internet is present can now be included in a business's target market. Not only can businesses sell goods and services anywhere in the world, the can also have operation there and be able to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and other partners m ore efficiently and affordable than even before. Given these facts then why do businesses choice to do trade with one country over another and not both or as many as possible?We the simple answer to this question is that there many other barriers to read with foreign countries that will make it hard or even impossible for foreign business to expand into those regions. African countries have been one of those that many businesses in developed countries have refrained from doing business with. And in their defense it's not without merit. Despite African being blessed with an abundance of natural resources, it has been plagues with wars, and political instability leading to high levels of poverty, lack of education and poor infrastructure.However over the last two decades, many of these countries have made strides in utter there economies, and have registered high economic growth during this period. However even with these changes, not many foreign business have taken note of these reg ion as potentially significant part of the market. Even with slow economic growth rates among developed countries. Africa is poised to be the next big market, especially as things slowly wind down in Asia notably China. The purpose of this project is to establish a successful strategy for American Businesses to expand into the African Market Is this a profitable market?The African economy has seen a significant economic growth of the past two cascades. The economic growth rate is two to three times that of developed countries and still significantly higher than that of other emerging economies like Asia and Latin America. The middle class has shown a sharp rise over the last decade, raising the amount of people with discretionary income thus driving the economy. This growth spike is driven by the growth of the middle class. The middle class growth has happened as Africa makes strides in education, infrastructure, and political stability in many countries.Compared to Just about 10 ye ars ago, a huge economic growth can be noticed. From a similar research project conducted written in 2004 titled † The experience of South African Firms Doing Business in Africa' we can see Just how the economy and other factors have changed. In June 2003, the International Monetary Fund (MIFF) observed that macroeconomic policies in Africa had improved considerably in recent years, although inflation remained a source of worry in a number of countries such as Zombie, Angola, Somalia and Nigeria.In its April World Outlook, the MIFF maintained that the central challenge for Africa remained the establishment of those conditions necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, most notably a sustained reduction in poverty. However, to achieve these goals, an overall growth rate of 7% per annum is required. Far from reaching that goal, Africans economic growth slowed to 3. 1% in 2002, compared with 4. 3% the previous year. (Games 2004) Fast forward to 2013 that goal of 7% gr owth is being attained by several African countries.If you look at the latest MIFF data for economic growth in table 1. MIFF 2013 The average growth for many of the African countries, is at 6. 9% in 2013 and raising up to 7. 9 in 2014. The map further shows where parts are recording these phenomenal growth rates. A 7% average annual growth rate is too significant to Just be ignored. This growth creates an increased demand for goods and services that usually cannot be meet by current businesses and government. Deutsche Bank said the number of households with discretionary income would reach 130 million by 2020 from 85 million now. Cape Argus [South Africa] 14 Novo. 2013) What industries are most profitable? A developing counties or emerging economies the African market has opportunities for business in every industry. This region is playing catch up with developed countries thus means the opportunities for foreign businesses who have already one it can bring with them experience and expertise to contribute to this growth will turning a profit. Retail is one of sub-Sahara Africans hottest sectors, fuelled by expanding populations and fast growing economies.In east Africa, the economies of several nations are growing around 7 percent a year. Real income growth in Africa is averaging 2. 3 percent a year and consumer spending accounts for 60 percent of economic output, the World Bank said in April. Deutsche Bank said the number of households with discretionary income would reach 130 million by 2020 from 85 million now. That's really good news for shops. Daily News [Colombo, Sir Lankan] 14) Africans tourism growth was faster than the average for emerging economies. More than half of Africans tourists arrived by air.International tourist arrivals in Africa had grown almost fivefold since 1990 at a rate of 6. 3 percent a year. International tourist arrivals rose from 15 million a year in 1990 to 50 million in 2011. The growth rate in sub-Sahara African tourism arrival s was nearly 8 percent a year between 1990 and 2011. It is estimated that tourism injects more than $30 billion (Rabin) into the continent a year. Airbus said there had been some positive improvements across the egging despite continued impediments to growth. (Cape Times [South Africa] 1 Novo. 013) What are the barriers? These are: Low levels of development and insufficient investment in people as resources; Political and fiscal risk. A weak private sector, coupled with a strong government presence in the economy; High dependency on donors and other financial mechanisms for aid and the funding of projects; High business costs owing to the lack of basic services, facilities, infrastructure, development, competition and resources; Insufficient air and road links; Poor leadership and bad governance; Corruption at all levels of government;High costs of finance due to high risk and weak economies Currency fluctuations. (Games 2004) This list of barriers to doing business in Africa are fr om a decade ago, at present not all of them have been corrected but significant steps have been taken to fix reduce or eliminate them. In Africa, foreign investors beware: business is often a family affair. Just ask Wall-Mart , the world's largest retailer. Daily News [Colombo, Sir Lankan] 14) Political climate Tunis: The eighth annual African Economic Conference concluded today, calling on development and business leaders to turn Africa into a hub of business and development excellence. The conference, Jointly organized each year by the African Development Bank (BFD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ACE) and the United Nations Development Programmer (UNDO), brought together 500 decision-makers and development practitioners. Daily the Peak Banker 2013) Infrastructure SCALING up infrastructure investments and adopting modern methods of management have been identified as significant benchmark in releasing potentials in the business sector to contribute immensely to economic growth of the East African Community (EACH) partner states. (Tanzania Daily News 2013) â€Å"We need investment n infrastructure, our roads and ports,† (African news service 2013) Countries to avoid Why sub-Sahara Africa and not north?Growth will weaken in north Africa dues to slow down among oil exporters (miff pop) Sub-Sahara Africa is expected to continue growing at a strong pace during 2013-14, with both resource-rich and lower-income economies benefiting from robust domestic demand (Figure 2. 15). The external environment is the main source of risks to growth, particularly for middle- income and mineral-exporting economies. Given the still-uncertain global environment, countries whose policy buffers are thin and here growth is strong should seek to rebuild fiscal positions without undermining productive investment. miff pop) The generally strong per- performance is based to a significant extent on ongoing investment in infrastructure and productive capacity, con tinuing robust consumption, and the activation of new capacity in extractive sectors. (MFC pop) . In sub-Sahara Africa as a whole, inflation is projected to fall further to 7 percent in 2013 (miff pop) The frequency of growth takeoffs in low-income countries (Lies) has risen markedly during the past two decades, and these takeoffs have lasted longer than those that took place before the sass.Economic structure has not mattered much in sparking takeoffs-?takeoffs have been achieved by Lies rich in resources and by those oriented toward manufacturing. A striking similarity between recent takeoffs and those before the sass is that they have been associated with higher investment and national saving rates and with stronger export growth, which sets them apart from Lies that were unable to take off and confirms the key role of capital accumulation and trade integration in development.However, recent takeoffs stand out from earlier takeoffs in two important aspects. First, today's yeoman Lies have achieved strong growth without building macroeconomic imbalances-?as reflected in declining inflation, more com- appetite exchange rates, and appreciably lower public and external debt accumulation. For resource-rich Lies, this has been due to a much greater reliance on foreign direct invest- meet (FED). For other Lies, strong growth was achieved despite lower investment levels than in the previous genera- Zion.Second, recent takeoffs are associated with a faster pace of implementing productivity-enhancing structural reforms and strengthening institutions. For example, these Lies have a lower regulatory burden, better infrastructure, higher education levels, and greater political stability. Looking for- ward, there remain many challenges to maintaining strong growth performance in today's dynamic Lies, including the concentration of their growth in only a few sectors and the need to diversify their economies, and ensuring that growth leads to broad- based improvements in l iving standards.Still, if these countries succeed in preserving their improved policy foundation and maintaining their momentum in structural reform, they seem more likely to stay on course and avoid the reversals in economic fortunes that afflicted many dynamic Lies in the past. miff 97) In particular, the follow- ins have become more important: a more competitive exchange rate, deeper export links with other Modes, higher human capital levels, initial levels of income per capita, and overall economic size.Indeed, as global trade and competition increase, greater external competitiveness, export diversification, and productive- itty improvements may raise Lies' chances of takeoff relatively more than when the global economy is less integrated. The baseline results suggest that the chances of take- off more than tripled during the sass compared with the period before 1990 (Figure 4. 11). The predicted (miff Pl 10) How can barriers to entry be overcome?He said that in order to kick-s tart a major investment drive on the continent, these banks should partner with institutions such as the Bank Guest Francine De Development, the Africa Finance Corporation and Cairo-based Brinkman. Pressed on whether he had considered the Industrial Development Corporation and the Development Bank of Southern African, he said these too should be considered for partnering and leveraging with bigger commercial banks. (Cape Times [South Africa] 1 Novo. 2013) â€Å"Business on the continent is a relationship, not Just a transaction.If you miss the relationship you will have endless trouble with the transaction. † Building relationships in Africa is an important part of doing business, particularly for South Africans who have to work at countering the perception that they are the new colonizers, the bully boys who have taken over markets, pushing out local businesses. (Games 2004) Are other countries already doing business in this region successfully? About 80 business people have been given advice about increasing exports to Africa. The event, held yesterday in Quern, was hosted by Government agency I-J Trade and Investment (KIT).Susann Hutting, of the East Midlands office, said most of the delegates had already traded with Africa and were looking for ways to increase their sales to the continent. â€Å"Lots of people were looking for different information about exporting more,† she said. (Leister Mercury Novo. ) Which developed countries are doing business here? Asks, who was born in South Africa, said â€Å"everyone is keen on Africa†, including investment banks in the EX. and North America. They had billions of dollars available to invest on the continent but did not know the regulatory terrain and the pitfalls of coal investment markets.He had been in discussions with many of the international banks. â€Å"They are all asking†¦ Are you [Airbus] formulating a strategy for Africa? † (Cape Times [South Africa] 1 Novo. 2013) Marrio tt International, the New York Stock Exchange-listed international hospitality group, is planning to acquire the brands and management business of Protean Hotels in South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa. The US group confirmed yesterday that it had signed a letter of intent with Cape Town-based Protean Hospitality Holdings to acquire Protean Hotels' brands and its management business.Protean Hotels operates or franchises 116 hotels across three brands with 10 184 rooms in South Africa and six other sub-Sahara African countries. (cape times 2013) How are other business from other foreign countries doing? Natural growth of African-based aviation would see the number of aircraft needed to serve the markets for flights to, from and within the continent rising from 618 at the start of 2012 to a projected 1 453 by 2031. It was projected that 122 aircraft of the existing 618 would have to be replaced, while 823 would have to be brought on stream. This meant nearly 1 000 new aircraft would be needed in the next 20 years.

Short Story Analysis Where Are You Going Where Have You...

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Introduction Joyce Carol Oatess short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? was first published in the literary journal Epoch in 1966. The story is about beginnings and the rites of passage. This work is an illustration of a coming of age story, also known as an initiation story. In such stories, the protagonist undergoes an important rite of passage, transformation, an experience of transition, usually from childhood to adulthood, or from innocence to experience. The story focuses on that turning point, that trial, or the passage from one state to the other. The story is about a fifteen-year-old girl named Connie, a pretty girl who is in the middle of a rebellious adolescence. She alienates herself from her family, preferring to spend her time with her friends at the local restaurant looking for boys. She enjoys the popular music of the day and tries to appear older and sophisticated beyond her years when away from her home. In many ways she is a typical teenager caught between adolescence and adulthood: Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home: her walk, which could be childlike and bobbing, or languid enough to make anyone think she was hearing music in her head; her mouth, which was pale and smirking most of the time, but bright and pink on these evenings out; her laugh, which was cynical and drawling at home Ha, ha, very funny, but high pitched andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† Essay1018 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish Comp II 30 April 2011 Analysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates In 1966, Joyce Carol Oates published her short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?†. Oates was inspired to write this story after reading about a serial killer that was referred to as â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson†. Oates was disturbed by the number of teenagers that this killer was able to persuade to help him and keep his secrets (Oates 1). Oates uses irony, imagery, and symbolismRead MoreThe Journey to Adulthood in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1119 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† Analysis In the American society, when individuals reach adolescence, they begin to search for their identity by exploring their interests and opening their mind to new notions and ideas. This is the psychological and physical human development that ultimately leads them to their adulthood. Joyce Carol Oates short story depicts a fifteen year old girl with typical teenage concerns. She has to face the realization of the meaning of maturity in the AmericanRead MoreSummary Of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?854 Words   |  4 Pagesrelationship plays a significant role in the story because had Connie and her mother communicated better, Connie, who is still a child, would have be protected from the evil of the world. Barstow also points out that the modern American is unable to distinguish evil from good. Evaluation: This article is useful to me because Barstow effectively shows the theme of loss innocence by using thorough examples to show Connie’s carelessness. Barstow seems to enjoy Oates’ use of childish aspirations, violenceRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates990 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Reality: An Analysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates has kept her true inspiration behind â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† in order to create a willing suspension of disbelief between realism and fantasy. The short story by Oates was released soon after the newspaper published the murders committed by Charles Schmid Jr. in 1966. The story displays numerous resembling details that match the real-life murder case involving â€Å"TheRead MoreEssay about Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been1290 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,† written by Joyce Carol Oates is an unsettling and incredibly formidable story of a young woman’s loss of innocence during a time of social change and turbulent times. The story’s protagonist is Connie, a self-absorbed, yet beautiful fifteen year old girl, who not only is at odds with her family but also the conservative values handed down by her family. She, unknowing to her parents, spends her evenings explo ring her independence and individuality as wellRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?723 Words   |  3 PagesPsycho, Demon, Dreams, Oh My! â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates is a short story about a 15-year old girl named Connie that falls in the trap of Arnold Friend. There are many interpretations to this short story, and many arguments have fought back and forth to find out the true inside meaning to find out what the reason was for Joyce Carol Oates to write this story. There are hundreds of analyses for this story out there, but I am going to just be talking about three;Read More An Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been1902 Words   |  8 PagesAn Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Joyce Carol Oates is one of the most productive writers of our time. Between 1971-95, Oates published twenty-five novels, eighteen short story compilations, three collections of novellas, five volumes of poetry, six editions of plays, eight books of essays, and countless more umcollected works (Kellman 487). As the format for her writing varies, so does her subject matter. Her creations cover a wide range of genresRead More Criticisms of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Oates1950 Words   |  8 Pages A short story by Joyce Carol Oates called â€Å"Where are you going, where have you been?† reflects the writer’s point of view of the way society looked to women in the sixties. The story takes place in the 1960’s when almost everything reached a turning point at that time. It talks about a teenager who wanted boys’ attention, but she ended up leaving her family house with a stranger. Connie represented most teenage girls, and their destiny at that time. The story can be looked at from many differentRead MoreNotes On The Novel Fences And Pied Piper Of Tucson 1080 Words   |  5 Pagesengage and intrigue readers. First, students read short stories and poetry, including a close reading of Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† and Mara Bovsun’s article, â€Å"Pied Piper of Tucson;† they identify and describe ways authors ‘hook and hold’ readers with specific choices. Next, students read the play Fences by Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson and analyze the role of stories within in the story to create tension and advance the plot. Fences is theRead More ‘’Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’’ Essay examples1232 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Connie’s Character and Her Demise There are some stories that capture the reader’s attention and which keep us riveted from the beginning to the ultimate line of the tale. ‘’Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’’, a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates in 1966, is one of those. Inspired by the mythic song of the phenomenal singer Bob Dylan entitled ‘’It’s all over Now, Baby Blue,’’ the author describes the main character as a 15-year-old girl named ‘’ Connie’’, who is obsessed