The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by HG Wells and the Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler Essay Example

The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by HG Wells and the Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler Essay Example The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by HG Wells and the Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler Paper The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by HG Wells and the Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler Paper Essay Topic: Literature Ray Bradbury Short Stories I have been asked to read two stories from the science fiction genre and discuss and comment on the similarities and differences. The two stories that I have read are; The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by H. G. Wells and The Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler. Both of these stories are of the same genre, but science fiction is difficult to define. In order for me to complete this essay, and compare the two stories to their full extent, I feel that I must comprehend what science fiction means and what makes a good science fiction story. Different writers have their own definitions. I have chosen two, which I believe to express simple but different views. Ray Bradburys definition states; Science fiction is really sociological studies of the future, things that the writer believes are going to happen by putting two and two together. Whereas Bruce H. Franklin said; In fact, one good working definition of science fiction may be the literature which, growing with science and technology, evaluates it and relates it meaningfully to the rest of human existence. Both of these definitions are comprehensive and frequently used, although, we have to recognise that they represent the writers own opinions and are therefore subjective. Although the definitions vary, and are influenced from different sources, they could prove useful in considering the likeness of the stories to the definitions and provide a good framework for assessing them. Studying definitions is not the only way to classify the stories as being good science fiction. There are main elements which all good science fiction stories contain that fit into the science fiction genre. They are set in the future, contain a moral and there are often twists in the plots. Usually the human behaviour is determined by the era in which it was written. By both comparing the stories to the main elements and the definitions I shall be able to consider the factors of each story that provide good science fiction. I feel that to help me with the task set it is necessary to know background information about the authors and the time of their writing. The authors upbringing and way of life before and during novel writing is one very important factor that I have to consider when making comparisons between the stories. It is very clear when reading both, that they have been heavily influenced by previous experiences encountered, as well as their general perception of the world around them. Both writers are also heavily influenced by the era in which they grew up and lived, there are many references to aspects unique to these times, as well as to aspects in which each author is opinionated on. These influences affect the way the stories are written as well as the way the characters behave and the language that is used. The influences are shown in many ways throughout both stories. The Case of the Stolen Bacillus was written by H. G. Wells. He was born in 1866 into the cramped life of Victorian lower middle class of Bromley, Kent. Due to unfortunate circumstances involving his father, at the age of thirteen H. G. Wells was sent to work in a drapers shop. His passion for science grew as he got older and he frequently sneaked off to the library to study. His hard work finally paid off when he won a scholarship to study science at the Imperial College, London. It was during his time here where H. G. Wells became increasingly concerned with social justice and got involved with the Fabian society. This society encouraged Wellss belief in the socialist movement, which sought to bring about a fairer society by planning a gradual system of reforms. The Case of the Stolen Bacillus is set, as well as written, in Victorian England, so consequently the story portrays England in a different way from which we know it today. This way of living provoked many different beliefs and ideas on issues that may seem controversial today. One aspect that Wells put across through his story is that of male dominance. At the time when the story was written and set, males were seen to be superior to the women, and were therefore treated with more respect and authority. The main role of women was seen to be bringing up of children and housekeeping. Wells has included references of this within the story by the way he has portrayed the relationship between Minnie and her husband. This is shown in one particular conversation when Minnie is asked a question by her husband, she politely replies, Nothing, dear, because I remember However, she is interrupted abruptly by her husband, which is a typical example of how much respect husbands and wives had of each other during that era. Present within this period was a definite system of class and position within society, with three main sectors; the lower class, the middle class and the upper class. The lower class categorized the poorest in society, and was the lowest group in the system. Nowadays it is often referred to as the working class which reflects the nature of the people within it, who often worked in industry or were unemployed and lived in the terraced slums around a city. The middle class were seen by the Victorians as a group with a higher position within society. They were given more respect compared with the lower class, however were not as rich as the upper class. The upper class were a group defined for the richest in society that consisted mainly of the local gentry. Throughout Wellss story there are many references to the class system, most expressing subtle stereotypical views. Due to his beliefs as a socialist he did not agree with the class system and these heavily influence the story as his opinions are reflected many times throughout. Wells uses ingenious techniques to put across his opinions skilfully without being too direct. He often uses subtle mocking of characters that display stereotypical behaviour of a certain class. We can tell this from the speeches of the cab driver and the bacteriologist. The cab driver is stereotypically portrayed as a lower class Victorian man who has not been educated very well. This is evident when he says, Thats Arry Ilks. Wots he got? The way Wells writes the cabmans speech implies that all cabmen are of his calibre. Wells therefore suggests that all cab drivers are not well spoken and educated. Another character which Wells stereotypes, is the bacteriologist. Wells portrays him as a middle class man and a typical scientist, he says when talking to the Anarchist, Here is the living thing. This is the cultivation of the actual living disease bacteria. This shows that he is a well-spoken character from a well-educated background. He is portrayed as a typical scientist due to the manner in which he behaves. Wells creates his character to seem rather eccentric and lively, this is shown when he reacts instantly and without thinking, when he finds out that the cholera has been stolen. By stereotyping different classes, it is possible that Wellss intention was not to be making fun of the lower class, but mocking the upper class people for treating others less prominent in society the way they do. The Background regarding the Half Pair is very different from The Case of the Stolen Bacillus, even though they both aim to produce a good piece of science fiction writing. Arthur Bertrum Chandler, born in 1912, wrote the Half Pair. Although born in Aldershot, UK he is usually considered as an Australian author. Over half his life was spent at sea on a British tramp steamer and then finally joined the Union Steam Ship of New Zealand. During these passages at sea, he wrote many of his novels, however he retired in 1975 but continued to write until his death. This piece of science fiction writing was written in 1957, but set many years in the future. There are many references to the 1950s within the story as well as futuristic ideas. This is evident when the wife includes within her speech references to everyday chores relating to the 1950s, such as making dinner, as well as futuristic ideas of space. She says, Since when can I do without gravity even though a centrifugal force in the gallery? Youve ruined dinner. Wells often includes within this story speeches that reflect upon the time of writing as well as including ideas that would have been seen as very futuristic, but not as significant nowadays. Another aspect of this story that has been influenced by the authors way of life is the constant references that are made to his time spent at sea. The main setting for the story is a space ship, which is probably done because the author is used to spending time onboard ships and there are therefore many references in the use of language and descriptions to that of a boat. Although set on a space ship, the story is described with many similarities to that of a boat. References such as the use of the word chandler, which is used when referring to the place where the characters bought their equipment. When you get back to mars demand a survey of all the equipment sold by Sorenson the ship chandler The Half Pair and The Case of the Stolen Bacillus, both fit into the science fiction genre but are completely different in content and ideas. However, there are some similarities such as the elements that make up a science fiction story. One of the noticeable differences between the two stories is the time scale. The Half Pair is written in the 1950s, but set far into the future, whereas The Case of the Stolen Bacillus is set and written in the Victorian era. This proves vital in the type of story that is produced, as different eras had different views on English way of life as many things had changed since the Victorian era. This is shown in the two stories by the way the writers express themselves and include references to daily life i. e. the references to nautical terms in Half Pair and references to class in Stolen Bacillus. During the 1950s there was seen to be more freedom within society, which was less inhibited by the class structure that had nearly been abolished. This is one of the biggest differences between the two stories backgrounds, however there are similarities. Although the class system was comparatively non-existent at the time of Half Pairs writing there are still small references to the belief that men were more prominent than women in society. This is evident in Half Pair by the way the wife is stereotypically portrayed as a housewife. An example occurs as she makes dinner for her husband. Bertrum Chandler has also created some humour in regards to the roles of men and women in society. Both the husband a wife have a conversation which makes light of the small belief that men had a greater position within life, but it also shows how women had gained a lot more respect in society and were not as dominated by their husbands. This is shown in a particular conversation between the husband and wife, where the wife says, Some women are fools enough to trust their husbands. Theyre the ones who havent learned the hard way, the same way I did. The husband replies, Some men are fools enough to kid themselves that their wives have an elementary knowledge of pluming. The writers backgrounds are totally different, and consequently, as I have shown, the stories differ greatly as a result. Another aspect of the stories which is affected due to the writers backgrounds, are the plots. Although from the same genre the plots differ extensively. The Case of the Stolen Bacilluss main plot involves an amateur bacteriologist who receives a visit from an undercover anarchist in Victorian London. The anarchist who is nothing other than a stranger to the bacteriologist pretends to be interested in his work and asks to see ongoing experiments. The naive bacteriologist takes the opportunity to boast about his investigation into the newly discovered disease of cholera. The anarchist (now identified by the bacteriologist) steals the cholera bacteria, with plans to release the cholera bacteria into the cities water supply with the intention of infecting the whole city. This incident provokes a cab chase involving the bacteriologist pursuing the anarchist who unintentionally breaks the tube containing the cholera. Consequently, the anarchist drinks the solution as he sees this as the only resort and proceeds to walk round the streets bumping into people with the hope of them catching and spreading the disease. The outcome of this contains a twist within the plot for the readers as the anarchist turns blue. It is revealed that the solution was not cholera, but a disease that turns monkeys blue. The Half Pair differs completely in regards to the plot and is set in future outer space. Its main plot is created by a pair of cuff links and a couple who live onboard a space ship. The cuff links begin the story by one being lost, this is due to being washed down the sink into the ships disposal system and excreted into outer space. This causes certain unease with the couple who seem to be partial to the pair of cuff links. The man decides that he wants to venture into space to retrieve it, although it becomes evident that it is a two person task. The man has no-one to enter space with because his wife has a phobia of space suits, he therefore goes alone. This results in havoc as he runs out of oxygen and his lifeline snaps. The last part of the story contains a twist, as the reader believes that the man is destined for death as he passes out and begins to float into space, however his wife overcomes her phobia and saves him. The plots of these stories contain many techniques that induce the reader to continue reading. The way the climaxes are built up in each story has a major effect on how dramatic they are. In the Stolen Bacillus the climax is built up gradually, Wells does this in two main sections. He firstly creates and air of expectation for the reader which involves the anticipation of a London catastrophe and what the anarchist could do. The tension slowly rises and builds up to the chase sequence, where the anarchist is trying to escape. The climax is resolved with a twist in the plot that also has an effect as an anticlimax. The Half Pair however, contains a slightly more subtle climax. It is built up around a couple having an argument in a domestic situation; the argument causes the tension to build up gradually until the husband finds himself floating around in space in trouble. It is not as dramatic as the climax in The Stolen Bacillus, but resolves itself with a rather cliched happy ending. Both of the stories climaxes are used to maintain the readers interest and I believe that both are effective as the reader is wondering what is going to happen next in many sections. In the past, at the time of writing, another aspect that would have helped to keep readers attention would have been the way that in both stories the writer has included ideas and objects which the readers could have related to the then present day. Nowadays this could also possibly help the interest levels of the reader as they are finding out a different way of life giving a historical perspective of the story. This applies more so to The Stolen Bacillus, as it is further into the past. Both stories are similar in the fact that they contain twists, where the reader is lead to believe a different outcome up till close to the end where it is dramatically twisted another way round. The twist in the Stolen Bacillus was an anticlimax. I believe this was reasonably effective as it created some tension as a result of the possible damage which the anarchist could have caused. It also added humour, which may or may not have been Wellss intention, but I believe is effective. The twist used in The Half Pair is used to create an ending that lasts in your mind. When you find out that the wife has saved her husband it comes as a surprise, which adds excitement to the story. In both plots the main story line involves items going missing i. e. the bacteria and the cuff links, this is another similarity between the stories. Another aspect that makes the stories similar is how they both contain ideas and technology relevant to the era when it was written. The Case of the Stolen Bacillus was written at a time when the UK was rife with many epidemics such as cholera. These diseases, at the time, were not thoroughly known about, so many scientists would have been investigating and researching them. At the time when Half Pair was written, men in space, and space travel was a new idea that was being discovered. Although this is a similarity it can also be a difference as each story has been influenced by a different time of history. Characters are a major feature in stories and contain a strong link between the plots, and the morals and messages they are preaching. In both stories there is a great similarity in the fact that that they both have couples as the main characters. The Stolen Bacillus however, contains another prominent role played as an anarchist as well as also having minor characters included within it. This differs from The Half Pair, as within this story there are no other characters apart from the couple. Both Wellss story and Chandlers stories were of a short length, which means that the authors had a confined amount of time to create and develop characters. Consequently we see in both stories very strong characters displaying strong personalities. In The Case of the Stolen Bacillus there are three prominent characters, the anarchist, The Bacteriologist and Minnie, his wife. Wells uses many techniques to display these three characters in certain ways to try and create a vivid image for readers. I feel that Wells intended for the anarchist to be portrayed as a villain and he uses dialogue, imagery and atmosphere to show this. Wells describes the anarchist a pale faced man and as having deep grey eyes. This dull imagery gives the impression to the reader that the man is up to no good and it is backed up with the language which he uses to suggest that the anarchist is a baddy. It is particularly evident that Wells is trying to conjure up a bad image for the anarchist when the anarchist says, death mysterious, untraceable death, death swift and terrible, death full of pain and indignity would be released on this city. Although I believe Wells tries to conjure up a picture regarding the anarchist as a villain, I feel that he is more successful in creating a character that appears to be ignorant. Wells probably intentionally does this, as he tries to make fun of anarchism and through mocking the anarchist he can achieve this and express his opinions to the readers. This is shown when he says, These Anarchist rascals, are fools, blind fools to use bombs when this kind of thing is attainable. The Bacteriologist is another prominent character in Stolen Bacillus, however very different in personality. Wells portrays him, very stereotypically, as a boastful amateur scientist who wants to appear to be very intellectual. Wells uses the speeches between characters to portray this, especially in is opening speech when he says, This again, is a preparation of the celebrated Bacillus of Cholera the cholera germ. The reader discovers later on in the story that the scientist was leading the anarchist on, and realises that the bacteria wasnt actually cholera. This shows that the character of the scientist is maybe not so stereotypical as Wells first makes out. Although, Wells does included some very stereotypical behaviour regarding the relationships between The Bacteriologist and his wife, Minnie. As I have said before, Minnie is put across as being a typical Victorian housewife, very trustworthy, proper and correct. She abides completely by her husband and is very loyal to him as well as to the rules of the time. This part of Victorian society is shown by Wells when Minnie is keen to make sure that her husband does not leave the house without his hat and coat, as it was seen to be disrespectful in these times. It is shown using dialogue, by Wells when the wife is shocked about the fact that her husband has left not properly dressed and she says, But running around London in the height of the season, too in his socks! Included in the plot of Stolen Bacillus are other minor characters which all have their significances in some way even though they do not have a large part to play. The cab drivers are an example of this. As I have said earlier Wells stereotypes them and portrays them as lower class, using dialogue to help illustrate this. I have also noticed that Wells does n ot name the bacteriologist or the anarchist, he just labels them or describes them, which is probably done to emphasises their characters. The structure regarding the characters in the Half Pair differs in comparison with The Stolen Bacillus as The Half Pair only contains two characters. These prominent characters however, do have similarities between the main characters in The Stolen Bacillus. Similarly to The Stolen Bacillus, in The Half Pair there is a husband and wife as main characters. In The Half Pair the couple remains nameless, similarly to the Anarchist and the bacteriologist in The Stolen Bacillus, the only prominent character to be given a name in either story was Minnie, the bacteriologists wife. The relationships between the two couples in both stories are similar, however they also differ because of the different time of writing. As I have said earlier, The Stolen Bacillus represents a Victorian relationship between Minnie and her husband, which is rife with the idea of male dominance. I also believe that there are some references to this type of behaviour in The Half Pair even though it is set much later on in time. There are some elements of the behaviour between the couple in The Half Pair that also suggest that the wife is dominated by her husband. This behaviour is certainly not to the same extent as the in The Stolen Bacillus, and we also find that it is actually the husband in The Half Pair who is trying to abide to rules of good manners and not lower his standards when he says, We agreed that we werent going to let ourselves lapse, get sloppy The drinks straight from the bottle and the food straight from the can In comparing the characters in each story I feel that Wells conjures up stronger, more meaningful ones that are rife with personality. One way in which both authors have created and defined characters is by carefully selecting the language and dialogue that they use. The language used in each story is different because of the eras they were written in. The Case of the Stolen Bacillus is harder to read and comprehend, due to the changes in English language, between the Victorian era and present day, although it demonstrates the correct manner of speaking at its time of writing. The Stolen Bacillus frequently uses scientific terminology, to make the story more convincing to the reader. Wells uses relatively simple scientific descriptions such as cholera, as to not make the story to complicated. In Wellss story there were not many futuristic descriptions as it was set at a similar time to writing and was mainly based upon something that hadnt happened yet. Bertrum Chandler also includes scientific terminology in his story, The Half Pair. The content however is more futuristic and complicated. This is because the author is trying to predict the future and to do so needs to include advanced ideas. For example Chandler uses descriptions such as centrifugal force. The dialogue present in each story demonstrates more clearly many of the characters personalities. I feel that throughout both stories the dialogue is convincing although there are some elements which I feel were not as believable. For example I feel that in The Stolen Bacillus Wells might have over exaggerated the relationship between Minnie and The Bacteriologist. He achieved this by including speeches between the couple where Minnie simply agreed with everything her husband said, she often used the phrase yes dear. I feet that this became humorous throughout the story as she behaved completely different around her husband than anyone else. Wells probably expressed her character in this way in order to emphasise the stereotypical Victorian female role she plays. The dialogue in The Half Pair seems to be more like the present way of speaking. This is because the characters tended to speak in a more colloquial fashion, with not much use of complicated words and the sarcasm used is more relevant to todays society. An example of sarcasm is when she says, Anyone would think that youd lost the Crown Jewels There are many different ideas within both stories that contain morals and messages that the authors are trying to put across. In The Case of the Stolen Bacillus there are many interlinked morals, messages and ideas. Wells focuses intently on stereotyping individuals and groups of people of the time. This is done so that the messages which he puts across can be stronger, and also, so that he can subtly mock different people. One idea where Wells used this technique was when he referred to the class system, however he did this less obviously and consequently the message is not as strong. Wells also stereotyped The Bacteriologist as being a typical amateur scientist. His idea is put across in the story so that Wells can warn people about the risks of bacteriological research. Wells probably wants to warn people as he studied science and realises the risks and may be angered by the way amateurs have the responsibilities of investigating bacteria. Another one of the main ideas that Wells expresses in his story is that of Anarchy, and how it doesnt fit in with society. He mocks anarchy, and I believe that he is trying to say that anarchists are not necessarily fighting for a cause, but just trying to get attention. Wells shows this in the story due to the failure of the anarchists plan, and how the anarchist believes he can spread cholera by bumping into people, which seems laughable in todays society and to a certain extent the Victorian society. I feel that this message is effective but it is only towards the end of the story that the reader realises that Wells is subtly trying to mock anarchy. The Half Pair differs from Wellss story, as it only appears to put across one main message. I feel that Chandler uses the pair of cufflinks to illustrate his message, loved ones are more important than trivial things dont take them for granted. Chandlers use of the cufflinks is very ingenious and they link the message to the story. The cufflinks at the beginning the play are seen as very important to the man, however towards the end, when his life is a risk, the cufflinks become rather insignificant. Chandler ends the story in a very ingenious way, as the message is only revealed to the reader at the very end of the story when the wife says, I do so hate a half pair of anything and I dont mean only cufflinks! This last line of the story is also clever, as it links it together with the first line of the play, and gives the whole story and the message some significance. Another smaller message which I believe Chandler may be putting across is that people will always have the same sorts of problems thoughts and feelings, no matter what the day and age. Overall I believe that Chandler is trying to say that however much our world changes in the future, relationships and love will still be of upmost importance, and no matter what, couples will still have to overcome mundane problems even with a technologically advanced world around them. I believe that both stories are effective in putting across messages, however Wells includes more, and preaches them more subtly. In The Stolen Bacillus, the messages are there, but you have to look for them. The Half Pair messages tended to be simpler and easier to understand, but this is probably due to myself, the reader finding the story easier to comprehend as they relate to modern day more so than in The Stolen Bacillus. Although in todays society The Half Pair is easier to relate to, I feel that both of the stories relate their messages and content to the societies in which they were written. In comparing the two stories I have found many differences and similarities, however I now have to consider whether each of them are examples of good science fiction. I stated at the beginning of this essay, some definitions of science fiction and elements which writing of the science fiction genre should have. I have looked at each story against the definitions and elements of science fiction, and have seen how they have corresponded. I feel that both stories fit into the science fiction genre and they both contain most of the elements which a good piece of sci-fi writing does. The Case of The Stolen Bacillus contains a moral and a twist but it is not set in the future, however it does contain futuristic ideas. The Half Pair appears to contain all of the elements which I mentioned at the beginning of this essay, however I dont believe that they have been expressed as well as in Wellss story. Each story also tries to put meaningful messages across to a reader of the time of writing, although I believe that these messages are still applicable in society today. The twists in both stories are reasonably effective. I found that in The Case of the Stolen Bacillus the twist was not as well written, and therefore not as effective. Although each story differs in how well they correspond to the element of science fiction, a factor that suggests that both of these pieces are good science fiction writing is that they correlate strongly to the definitions given by Ray Bradbury and Bruce H. Franklin.

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Services marketing and relationship marketing - Essay Example The process of addressing customer concerns on every call is considered the front-stage activity. Every customer interaction is a â€Å"moment of truth.† (Teboul, 2007, p.19) The back-stage is where the company works on how to provide the services promised on the front-stage interactions. Both the front-stage and back-stage components are essential in providing services to the customers (Blumberg, 2003, p.23). Every successful service provision is composed of interaction and material transformation (Cook, 2011, 34). Both are significant, but very distinct (See Figure 1). Knowledge of the distinction is necessary because overseeing a direct interaction with customer in the front-stage is very different from managing the material transformation in the back-stage. The end result of successful front-stage and back-stage operations is customer satisfaction (Blumberg, 2003, p.27 and Cook, 2011, 35). Figure 1 Front-Stage and Back-Stage Distinction SERVICES AND RELATIONSHIP MARKETING 3 It is noticeable that the arrows in the flow chart go both ways. This is because every aspect of service delivery consists both of the front-stage and back-stage processes, and although not interchangeably, very much connected to each other (Glushko & Tabas, 2009, p.407). Gathering of Services Request Information – This involves a direct customer interaction of the company representative, either through phone, mails, or face-to-face communication (Vargo & Lusch, 2004, p.68). A fitting scenario could be, a customer calls in and talks to the service representative. The customer inquires about services provided by the company, and decides whether the services suit his/her needs and budget. The representative provides information that is based on the set procedures by the company. These procedures are also based on the ability of the company to process the promised services. This is the reason why the arrows here go in both directions (Glushko & Tabas, 2009, p.4011). Processing of Promised Services – This is where the processing of requested services takes place. Representatives from the operations department, where the actual customer interaction takes place, pass the requests to a certain department where the planning for material transformation of the promised service occurs. Activities may range from paper works to on-field delivery or services. No services will be processed in the back-stage without requests from the front-stage (Wa?gar, 2007, p.641), which is another reason why the arrows here go in both directions. Information-intensive interaction – This involves the actual interaction again with customers. When a customer calls in and contacts the customer service department (front-stage), they usually ask for information on possible services they could obtain. The representative’s responsibility is to provide adequate information and choices to the customer. They should sound knowledgeable and expert in the service informati on they offer (Glushko & Tabas, 2009, p.416-7). Confidence building in customers usually start at this stage (Vargo & Lusch, 2004, p.68). The decision on whether the customer will acquire the services offered by the company usually depends on how well the interaction took place. It is the duty of these

The Fashion Industry of Lebanon, SWOT Assignment

The Fashion Industry of Lebanon, SWOT - Assignment Example This paper will examine the strategies incorporated into fashion and will analyze the strengths and weaknesses that are a part of the culture. The fashion industry is one that is continuing to grow in various regions, specifically because of the growth and changes in the economy. Currently, the movement into global capitalism and the focus that is incorporated into different industries is the central focus. The fashion industry began to change with the industrial revolution, specifically because it allowed for mass production and exploitation at an international level. Industry leaders in fashion are known to have two components. The first is based on global trends that are reaching different regions. The second is from ethnically diverse types of clothing, all of which help with a combination of trends and fashion forward thinking that is based on regional concepts. This is further combined with different regions that combine industrial materials that are available as resources with the fashion that is available (Chandler, 303, 2004). The several changes that are a part of the fashion industry at large have also affected t he fashion industry structure in Lebanon and the different concepts that apply to this. The Lebanon fashion industry has over 92 companies that produce different levels of fashion. The fashion is divided first by accessories, design, footwear and overall fashion. This is further divided by the expected industry that is based on global expectations, specifically which combines the economic scale of fashion with the production. Haute couture is the most expensive. This is followed by luxury items for those who still require high quality but want a lower price. Affordable luxury is the next target market followed by  mainstream brands and discount brands. The most fashion-forward area is in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.  There are over 5,000 artisans working in this area as well as a Beirut Art Center, which includes exhibition spaces for artists.   Schools specifically designed for the visual arts are also a part of the culture.  Ã‚  

Visual Aids Help Tths Students Improve Their English Education Essay

Visual Aids Help Tths Students Improve Their English Education Essay In Vietnam, English is considered the most important foreign language, which is taught as one of the main subjects in schools as well as in universities and is also used the most in communication among other foreign languages. According to the Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics, English is used as a foreign language or a second language to communicate with foreigners who speak the English language in non-English speaking countries. The English teaching and learning at Thuong Tin High School is not very significant in terms of the students achievement. Especially, the big concern is for English vocabulary retention. At the end of the first term 2009 2010 only about 50% of the students got an average of 5 and 6, and only 8% got 7 or 8 and the rest got 3 or 4 in the English oral test in the 2009 State First Term Examination. These figures have made the teachers of English in TT High School feel worried, they need to consider the serious problem carefully and find out the best methods to improve the situation quickly. This poor achievement is not new but has lasted for years, and there have been many things done about it but the situation has not improved. Students have been given extra lessons so that they have more time to practice their English, especially English speaking lessons, they have been helped a lot with revision before every test. They have even been provided with well-prepared hand-outs of the points on which they are going to be tested and told what to learn to do the tests well. In spite of what they have been informed and reminded of, unexpected things have still occurred, students have not improved their achievement, and the fact that most students were not very proficient in speaking and writing tests which were shown on the report of first term. To find out which factors are important in language learning, it is necessary to have a close look at social factors as well as a number of psychological dimensions of difference. Attitudes and motivation, self-confidence, intelligence, language aptitude, and language learning strategies have also been found to have an effect on language learners success in their language learning (Gardner, 2001). The research project took place at Thuong Tin High School located in Thuong Tin, a town about 30 kilometres from Ha Noi Capital and has been developing very fast. The people have become richer and a large number of families have invested money in after school activities and private tutoring for their children in English and other core subjects. If students and learners have an excellent level of English, they will gain acceptance to higher schools of learning and better-paid jobs. English is an important and compulsory subject at almost every school in Vietnam. Thus, usually students have to learn English for at least 7 years, from grade 6 to grade 12. In many schools in cities children start learning English in grade 3. There is even a trend to learn English before elementary school as their parents believe that the English language is a useful investment for their childrens future. Most jobs now require the applicants to have knowledge of English language at certain levels. Though English is taught from grade 3 in primary schools, most high school students are difficult to read an English paragraph fluently, talk to each other in English as a conversation, listen to a short introduction on television or write a letter or even a paragraph of description in English well. The issue that why most TTHS students have still had low results on speaking and writing tests though they have been helped a lot before tests, and what possible solutions could be found. The TTHS teachers have had a serious discussion and come to conclusion that most TTHS students have low English vocabulary retention and this has great influence on their speaking and writing tests. Students can not speak, listen, read and write English if they do not have enough necessary English vocabulary. But what we, teachers, have to do to help our students improve their English vocabulary. More things must be done to change the situation for the better, and the concerns were carried out, such as; motivation, methods of teaching and learning, environment of teaching and learning, materials and inclusive of Visual Aids. The defined solution for this issue was that Using Visual Aids to help students improve English vocabulary retention, because the teachers believed that there is no ways of lear ning vocabulary better than seeing the real things or illustrated things. Most teachers of English agree that it is difficult for them to have successful lessons on vocabulary or communication without visual aids and students will not be easy to understand and practice if they do not have certain visual aids for every task because students do not have enough necessary vocabulary to practice. The purpose of this research is to determine using Visual Aids helps TTHS students improve English vocabulary and the effects that visual teaching strategies have on the academic achievement of TTHS students. Research questions: How do VISUAL AIDS help students improve English vocabulary retention? What effects do visual teaching strategies have on the academic achievement of TTHS students? LITERATURE REVIEW Visual aids Brown (1973:1) emphasizes that using variety of media, visual aids, will increase the probability that the students will learn more, retain better what they learn and improve their performance of the skills they are expected to develop. Moreover, Finocchiaro (1974:63) states that the students will understand and retain better when they have been shown or taught some objects that associate with it. Educational professionals have acknowledged the fact that students who struggle in reading comprehension because they may lack the ability to comprehend words. Joseph (2006) realised, there are several approaches to teaching word-reading skills but few incorporate systematic procedures that facilitate mastery, build fluency and lead to retention of skills for struggling readers(p.803). Students who struggle in acquisition skills need specific interventions to increase their reading level and word knowledge. These interventions should be ongoing and occur early in the learning process in order to ease the cognitive load at the students current reading level and for the next grade level. Using visual aids to enhance English vocabulary and vocabulary retention is a strategy that has been researched and implemented into TTHS English classromms. With the use of visual aids, such as; authentic materials or illustrated things, students could increase their English vocabulary retention as well as they can base on their vocabulary to improve their speaking, writing, listening and reading comprehension skills. Joseph (2006) confirmed that students tend to be more motivated and choose to complete assignments and tasks that contain some items that are known to them and that appear to demand lower level of effort because they feel confident about their ability to complete such tasks. If implemented properly, visual aids, which are authentic materials or illustrated things, can make ongoing deffernces in students ability to read with confidence independently and continually. It is the consistency of vocabulary interventions that allows the struggling students to see the vocabulary terms within the reading passage if they are to expand their knowledge of the vocabulary term. This can make the difference in their proficiency of languag e acquisition Dave (1975: 10-11) also proposes some of the visual aids as follows: Real things and toys with different sorts, sizes and colors are useful to draw students interest. Real things can be presented to students by means of field trip or bringing the object to the class for direct observation. Chalkboard or blackboard are certain to be the most useful teaching aids, used in the class. They have the advantage of providing points of attention for the class and they can be used for many purposes. Pictures are flashed for a brief moment, therfore, the pictures should be simple and big enough to be seen clearly by every student in the class. Wall charts or wall pictures are big papers with some pictures and words, useful for presenting vocabulary to the class. From the explanation above, not all of media can be applied in the classroom; the teachers have to select the appropriate media that directly related to the learning process. Vocabulary assessments should also be used for a precursor to evaluate students comprehension. Johnston (1997) pointed that as childen spend more and more time reading and writing, many routines and common patterns become automatic, picking up speed and actually going through a different part of the brain, no longer involving conscious efforts (p 145). This is an important factor if students are to become independent of the classroom teacher. It is important to increase students toolbox of vocabulary strategies. According to Haycraft (1983: 102) teaching aids can be used for consolidating vocabulary, practicing structure and word order or for variety of games. Besides, teaching aids can also give a great help to the teacher in the class. A learner cannot always successfully learn English just by listening to the explanation from the teacher. Visual aids help teacher give more emphasis on pronunciation of the words, utterances and incorrect written of words. Moreover, in vocabulary class, the learners are encouraged to give their opinions about the visual aids that are presented by the teacher, thus the learners can be more active in teaching-learning process. Visual aids are also very useful to train the students to speak and memorize the words automatically. Visual aids, especially pictures are very useful in teaching vocabulary to encourage and motivate the students to learn the language. As stated by Coppen (1969: 88) pictures are parts of visual aids.The purpose of picture is to provide a stimulus which will elicit a particular response from the learner. The picture represents some action and in order to learn the appropriate words to describe the action itself must not be in question. Pictures are parts of visual aids. They may be used in teaching the elementary school students to avoid boredom. Brown (1973: 410) states some functions of pictures as follows: Media are used to teach the students to learn effectively. Pictures help the students read the books and eventually interpret and memorize words. Edmund Fason (1959: 416) states that teaching-learning process with pictures will get succeed if the pictures are related to the material of the study, pictures should be coloured and varied, colourful pictures intensify the students imagination. Using visual aids can give a great help to the teacher in the class. The students will not always be successful in learning English just by listening to the explanation from the teacher or by reading many books. Using visual aids in vocabulary class encourage the students to give their opinions about the presented pictures. The teacher can make them more active during the teaching-learning process. Moreover, flashing visual aids for a short time is very useful for the students to speak and memorize the words automatically. Retention Retention should be a requirement for the acquisition of vocabulary terms. Joseph (2008) makes these recommendations, in specific environmental conditions, words that were taught were considered learned when they were read correctly on next-day retention probes. Words that were not read correctly on next-day retention probes were not considered learned. Previously taught but unlearned words were retaught with the same instructional condition until they were read correctly on next-day retention probes (p 298). This would be a good procedure to follow if learners are to highten their retention of vocabulary terms. These retention probes were designed to measure students vocabulary acquisition. Retention probes were always administered the day immediately following the instructional condition and before another round of instructional conditions bagan. Each retention probe consisted of all the visual aids of unknown words that were taught in the previuos daily sessons. The visual aids we re exchanged and presented as one group of words to the students. Reiser and Dempsey (2007) states, maximizing learning with rich media involves two memories systems; working memory and long term memory that shapes human learning (p314). METHODOLOGY Subjects This research study took place in Thuong Tin High School in Thuong Tin town, 30 kilometres away from the centre of Ha Noi Capital. The subjects involved in this research were 40 students, they were in two different classes 12A2 and 12A3 (aged 16-18). They were randomly selected to put into two groups: 20 students in the control group (12A2) and 20 other students in the experimental group (12A3) (This means that the class 12A2 has 20 participants who belong to the control group, and the class 12A3 has 20 participants who belong to the experimental group). All of them are grade-12 students in the school year 2009 2010 and go to school everyday from Monday to Saturday. They have 3 English periods every week, each period lasts 45 minutes. The experiment lasted one month. After forming two groups, a test was given to students to check their English vocabulary so that the researcher could ensure students in two groups had the English vocabulary equivalence (Appendice 2). Instruments. Many visual aids were used when conducting this research, this was done by using pictures, real things and illustrated things. To make clear the research question, these following types of data were collected: surveys, pre-tests and post-tests, interviews, observations, and test scores. A survey was given at the beginning of the study to determine if the students enjoyed learning English and their attitudes to the instructional style of the class (Appendice 1). This helped me understand students perception of the class and if any changes, other than those used during the study, needed to be made to maximize the students academic performance. A Pre-test and Post-test were used before and after the research to find out the difference between the pre-test results and post-test results in order to know whether studentsvocabulary retention has been improved (Appendice 3A, 3B). Observations and test scores were also used as measurement tools. In order to take notes and determine the participation and attitudes of the students, observations were used daily. Did the students respond differently to the various visual aids? Were the students on task during a certain visual strategy? Did the students enjoy some visual strategies over others? Observing also made it possible to determine if outside variables affected the students test scores. Were the students having a stressful day? Did the students just come back to school from a holiday break? To determine if the use of visuals affected test scores, test scores during the four week study were compared with those from the previous four weeks. At the end of the study, the answers to the questions must be found; Why do TTHS students speak, listen to, read and write English so badly? How do visual aids help them improve their English vocabulary retention? Which effects do the visual teaching strategies have on the academic achievement of TTHS students? Design and Methods of Data Collection When implementing the experiment, the researcher used different visual aids in lessons, for example; pictures, real things and illustrated things were utilized alternatively so that students could understand the mentioned words and memorize them more effectively. Interviews were done before and after the research in order to know whether students were interested in the experiment, how they behaved during the research and what they achieved after the research. Observation was implemented in the process of research, this helped the researcher know that all the students in the experimental group took part in the experiment regularly. Test scores were done after the experiment finished, the test scores were collected from the pre-test results and the post-test results to show the improvement and difference of using visual aids in teaching and learning English vocabulary. Teaching activities that used visual aids were provided to the experimental group students in the class 12A3 in all the lessons; listening, speaking, reading and writing lessons every week. RESULTS Survey Results. The survey that was given to the two English classes included five questions and five answers, numbers 1-5 (Appendice 1). When asked students the five questions, the researcher found that there was a big difference about students attitude to learning English, and learning English vocabulary with the help of visual aids before and after the experiment. The result was compared in the Pre and Post-survey (Appendice 1). Questions Answers Before the experiment (n=students) After the experiment (n=students) 1. Do you enjoy learning English? Yes 32 68 No 48 12 2. If you do not like learning English, why? Because : Teaching methods 34 18 Lack of visual aids 46 62 3. Would you like to learn English vocabulary by watching visual aids, such as; pictures, real things or illustrated things? Yes 52 68 No 28 12 4. Do you think you will improve your English vocabulary better by looking at the visual aids when you are discussing a topic? Yes 46 67 No 34 13 5. Should visual aids be used and taught regularly and variously in classes Yes 48 66 No 32 14 There were several tests (a sample test in appendice 2) given to students in the both groups to ensure that the students in the experimental group was equivalent with students in the control group about the English vocabulary before the experiment. Groups Percentage of words that recalled and written down before the experiment 0 20% 30 50% 50 70% 80 100% Control group (n=20) 2 8 7 3 Experimental Group (n=20) 3 9 6 2 Interview Results In each group, 5 students were randomly invited to interview before and after the experiment. They were asked to give answers to 3 questions (Appendice 4). The 5 students in the experimental group produced the same words as the 5 students in the control group before the experiment but the experimental students produced more words than the control students after the ezperiment. a. An interview before the experiment b. An interview after the experiment. Tests Results Pre-tests: Groups Number of words 10 40 40 70 70 -100 Control (n=students) 8 9 3 Experimental (n-students) 7 10 4 Pots-tests Groups Number of words (n=100 words) 10 40 40 70 70 -100 Control (n=students) 5 10 5 Experimental (n-students) 2 11 7 From the results of the post-tests, it was easy to find that if students were provided with visual aids in their lessons. They could increase their vocabulary much better. Before the experiment, the two groups were equivalent in their vocabulary, but there was a big gap between the control group and experimental group after the experiment. The experimental group increased their vocabulary a lot more than they were before. However, the control group did not improve their vocabulary a lot. Questionnaire Results After the study time, the 20 students in the experimental group were given a five question interview about their feelings towards the class. The answers were categorized as either being agreement and disagreement and compared with the results before the experiment.. Comparison of Agreement and Disagreement Responses from the Interview QUESTIONS Answers from Ex-group (n=students) YES NO Before After Before After 1) Do you like the English class? 8 15 12 5 2) Do you enjoy learning with visual aids 12 17 7 3 3) Do you think the visual aids are helping you? 10 14 10 6 4) Do you want to have visual aids in future lessons? 11 16 9 4 5) Are you motivated with and interested in learning English vocabulary with visual aids? 10 18 10 2 Discussion The objective of my research was to find out how visual aids help students improve their English vocabulary and to discover if visual learning strategies have an effect on ESL academic achievement in a high school English classroom. The main findings of this research show that there is a positive correlation between the use of visual aids and the results when using surveys, interviews, observations, and test score comparison Comparison of Averages from the Control and Study Periods According to Dong (2002), he found that when teachers use visuals, the students ask more questions. During the study period, I observed that the students in the experiment asked more questions than the control group. The students were interested in the visual aids and always asked questions to clarify their misunderstanding. CONCLUSION This research indicates that students may learn in many different ways and teachers should do many things possible to support and to meet the needs of all students. Visual aids can break the language barrier that separates students from teachers. Pictures, ral things or illustrated things always helped to explain both special and common English words fully. For example, the word fire an employee was given to students in a question on a test, but none of the students in the class knew what that word meant and trying to explain it did not help either. The meaning of the word was then made clear when I made a picture on the board. This research would recommend that teachers use as many visual aids as possible in their classroom. This research also shows that visual aids can increase students English vocabulary and improve their vocabulary retention. The most useful and popular visual aids were introduced in class were pictures, illustrated things, such as; toys or model forms. For example, during the unit on cars, it was so easy for students to guess and to know the parts of a car when they saw pictures of car parts or a toy car. My research had a positive impact on student learning, English is quite a difficult subject with lots of vocabulary and visuals are the best way to learn those words. There are also a lot of topics that have to be covered in an English class. Visuals, especially pictures, are a great way to show students the overall concept and the minute details of a topic. The students in my English class have learnt and improved their vocabulary a lot when I applied the visual aids in the class. As already mentioned, pictures were the most popular and effective. There was a purpose behind each and every visual. I carefully planned out how I would do and explain each visual so that students could performed well. REFERENCES Collier, V. P. (1992). A synthesis of studies examining long-term language minority student data on academic achievement. Bilingual Research Journal, 16 (1-2), 187-212. Dong, Y. R. (2002). Integrating language and content: Education and Bilingualism, 5 (2), 40-57. Duran, B. J., Dugan, T., Weffer, R. (1998). Language minority students in high school Hamblen, K. A. (1993). Theories and research that support art instruction for instrumental outcomes. Theory into Practice, 3 (4), 191-198. Mayer, R. E. (1989). Models for understanding. Review of Educational Research, 59 (1), 43-64. Gardner, R.C. (1985), Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The role of attitudes and motivation, London: Edward Arnold Gardner, R. C. 2001. Language Learning Motivation: The Student, the Teacher, and the Researcher.Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education, Volume 6,  Number 1,  Fall 2001. Joseph, L. (2006, May). Incremental rehearsal: A flashcard drill technique for increasing retention of reading words. International Reading Association, 51 (1), 90-92. Petrie, G. M. (2003). ESL teachers views on visual language: A grounded theory. The Reading Matrix, 3 (3), 137-168. Tan, A., Nicholson, T. (1997, June). Training poor readers to read words faster improve their comprehension of vocabulary. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(2), 276. Appendice 1 Survey The servey was given to 2 classes (each class consists of 40 students). Questions Answer Before the experiment (n=students) After the experiment (n=students) 1. Do you enjoy learning English? Yes 32 68 No 48 12 2. If you do not like learning English, why? Because : Teaching methods 34 18 Lack of visual aids 46 62 3. Would you like to learn English vocabulary by watching visual aids, such as; pictures, real things or illustrated things? Yes 52 68 No 28 12 4. Do you think you will improve your English vocabulary better by looking at the visual aids when you are discussing a topic? Yes 46 67 No 34 13 5. Should visual aids be used and taught regularly and variously in classes Yes 48 66 No 32 14

Prophet and Tecumseh Essay -- essays research papers

It is believed that Tecumseh was born in 1768 in central Ohio. He was the second son of a Shawnee warrior who was killed at the Battle of Point Pleasant. In his dying breaths, his father commanded his eldest son Cheesuaka, to train Tecumseh as a warrior and to never make peace with the whites. Cheesuaka was good to his word and became an excellent warrior and a teacher. He grew close with his younger brother, and after their mother moved to Missouri he acted as a foster parent as well. Tecumseh was a model child, and although it is claimed that he ran in terror from his first battle, his courage never faltered from then on. Tall, muscular, intelligent, and highly charismatic, Tecumseh proved to be a master battle tactics and an excellent speaker. (Edmunds) Prophet was one of a set of triplets born just a few years after Tecumseh. Tenskwatawa, as he was first known was the only one of the three believed to have survived into adulthood. Part of this could be because, unlike Tecumseh, Tenskwatawa was a clumsy child who was unskilled in hunting and would never become a warrior. This was a serious faux paux for a young man in Shawnee society. Tenskwatawa lost his right eye in a hunting accident when he was young. As he grew older, developed a taste for whiskey and quickly degenerated into severe alcoholism. Despite his flaws, Tenskwatawa was devoted to Tecumseh, and the older brother acted as his protector. (Edmunds) Tenskwatawa’s life was filled with alcohol and despair when, he...