Israel and Judah

Israel and Judas God trusted two men to deliver His message to the tribe of Judas and the children of Israel they were the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. (Mailer, 2006) Both of them got caught up In there on sinful acts and disobeyed God. God was angry and punished the two for their wrong doings. It was though the consequences from God that the two prophets begin to see how important and beneficial It was to them and to the lives of Christians that Gods message get delivered. The message God gave Prophet Isaiah a message to stress the importance of how they needed to repent of their wicked ways and come back to God.Because of the love Isaiah had for his people he was compelled to warn them and save them from punishment from God directly. Isaiah core message was to inform his people that only God can save them, He is our King the only God we are to worship. The message God gave Jeremiah the Prophet was to warn thousand be cautious of fake prophets. Judas started to believe what the fak e prophets were saying over Jeremiah. They soon saw that everything Jeremiah was trying to tell them happened. (Willis, 2011). The message Jeremiah delivered said the Lord has been giving me his messages, and I have passed them long to you all faithfully but time and time again none of you are listening to me (Holy Bible, 2001). God Instructed Jeremiah to warn Judas to stop living wicked lives and participating in evil doings but they didn't take heed to his warnings. God tried to warn Israel many times about their sins by sending those prophets. Each time they did not listen and were blatantly disobedient. Judas and Israel did things like killing babies and offering them up as sacrifices; they worshiped false idols, and participated in sexual immorality.They would not stop there sinful acts nor did they see any wrong in what they were doing and repent. This made God so angry that He allowed another nation with deadly weapons and soldiers that were more powerful than they to war aga inst them. The nation God sent took everything including food, livestock even their sons and daughters. This nation destroyed their entire towns. God was out raged by Israel and Judo's sins. He was angry they had the desire to worship other Idols, Israel and Judas brought the wrath of God on them.Since Israel and Judas refused to obey God, He said would summon all the armies under King Nebuchadnezzar to put them all to end completely. God was sending His wrath upon Israel and Judas to punish them for their sins. He was sentencing them to seventy years as captives. Isaiah had a strong desire to help stop the sins of his people. He felt that the people of Israel had become a sinful nation as a whole. He believes that Israel left God and dishonored Him by their constant and deliberate disobedience to Him. Isaiah said that because of the sins of Israel it caused them to go in a direction opposite from God.Prophet Jeremiah warned Judas they should repent for their sins or God would send a curse upon them, they would be destroyed and turned Into slaves. God gave word to the prophets telling them that â€Å"Because Masses king of Judas has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorists who were before him, and has also made Judas sin with his Idols), therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem Jerusalem the measuring line of Samara and the plummet of the house of ABA; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.So I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, because they eve done evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day' (Holy Bible, 2001). All God wanted from Israel and Judas was from them to ask for fogginess from their sins and come back to Him. (Willis, 2011). Jer emiah 30:1 declares ‘l will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it. (Holy Bible, 2001). Jeremiah was told by God that He was sending a nation to attack Jerusalem. God also wanted the name nation to attack Israel, but when then had seen what happened to Jerusalem hey repented so God intervened and they all came back to God and received Him as their Lord and Savior. All of these happening were apart of Gods plan all along. The same messages given to Isaiah and Jeremiah back then are still relevant to Christians all around the world today.Isaiah gave the message to his people that they needed to repent from their sins, leave there evil ways behind them, and surrender their lives back to God. That same message is the â€Å"now word† for this day in time. When we take a look at today's society as a whole we can see the evil amongst us. There is so such violence, we are dealing with homosexuality at a growing rate, we have thieves are robbers, and fornication. These issues we need to turn away from and stop doing because it displeases God.If society can get it together and surrender to God the His Kingdom on earth world be powerful. But we won't do it for the same reasons Israel and Judas didn't; because they wanted to please their flesh. If we Just have a heart to serve God and live a life that is acceptable to Him things would be better. We would not be perfect but we would be constantly striving for perfection because God would then be the main focus. We must repent if we want to grow spiritually.Repentance is not so much for God but for us to acknowledge our wrongs so that we can know not to do it again. Not only has that repentance from our sins brought us back to God.

Angels Demons Chapter 20-23

20 Phase two, the Hassassin thought, striding into the darkened tunnel. The torch in his hand was overkill. He knew that. But it was for effect. Effect was everything. Fear, he had learned, was his ally. Fear cripples faster than any implement of war. There was no mirror in the passage to admire his disguise, but he could sense from the shadow of his billowing robe that he was perfect. Blending in was part of the plan†¦ part of the depravity of the plot. In his wildest dreams he had never imagined playing this part. Two weeks ago, he would have considered the task awaiting him at the far end of this tunnel impossible. A suicide mission. Walking naked into a lion's lair. But Janus had changed the definition of impossible. The secrets Janus had shared with the Hassassin in the last two weeks had been numerous†¦ this very tunnel being one of them. Ancient, and yet still perfectly passable. As he drew closer to his enemy, the Hassassin wondered if what awaited him inside would be as easy as Janus had promised. Janus had assured him someone on the inside would make the necessary arrangements. Someone on the inside. Incredible. The more he considered it, the more he realized it was child's play. Wahad†¦ tintain†¦ thalatha†¦ arbaa, he said to himself in Arabic as he neared the end. One†¦ two†¦ three†¦ four†¦ 21 â€Å"I sense you've heard of antimatter, Mr. Langdon?† Vittoria was studying him, her dark skin in stark contrast to the white lab. Langdon looked up. He felt suddenly dumb. â€Å"Yes. Well†¦ sort of.† A faint smile crossed her lips. â€Å"You watch Star Trek.† Langdon flushed. â€Å"Well, my students enjoy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned. â€Å"Isn't antimatter what fuels the U.S.S. Enterprise?† She nodded. â€Å"Good science fiction has its roots in good science.† â€Å"So antimatter is real?† â€Å"A fact of nature. Everything has an opposite. Protons have electrons. Up-quarks have down-quarks. There is a cosmic symmetry at the subatomic level. Antimatter is yin to matter's yang. It balances the physical equation.† Langdon thought of Galileo's belief of duality. â€Å"Scientists have known since 1918,† Vittoria said, â€Å"that two kinds of matter were created in the Big Bang. One matter is the kind we see here on earth, making up rocks, trees, people. The other is its inverse – identical to matter in all respects except that the charges of its particles are reversed.† Kohler spoke as though emerging from a fog. His voice sounded suddenly precarious. â€Å"But there are enormous technological barriers to actually storing antimatter. What about neutralization?† â€Å"My father built a reverse polarity vacuum to pull the antimatter positrons out of the accelerator before they could decay.† Kohler scowled. â€Å"But a vacuum would pull out the matter also. There would be no way to separate the particles.† â€Å"He applied a magnetic field. Matter arced right, and antimatter arced left. They are polar opposites.† At that instant, Kohler's wall of doubt seemed to crack. He looked up at Vittoria in clear astonishment and then without warning was overcome by a fit of coughing. â€Å"Incred†¦ ible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said, wiping his mouth, â€Å"and yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It seemed his logic was still resisting. â€Å"Yet even if the vacuum worked, these canisters are made of matter. Antimatter cannot be stored inside canisters made out of matter. The antimatter would instantly react with – â€Å" â€Å"The specimen is not touching the canister,† Vittoria said, apparently expecting the question. â€Å"The antimatter is suspended. The canisters are called ‘antimatter traps' because they literally trap the antimatter in the center of the canister, suspending it at a safe distance from the sides and bottom.† â€Å"Suspended? But†¦ how?† â€Å"Between two intersecting magnetic fields. Here, have a look.† Vittoria walked across the room and retrieved a large electronic apparatus. The contraption reminded Langdon of some sort of cartoon ray gun – a wide cannonlike barrel with a sighting scope on top and a tangle of electronics dangling below. Vittoria aligned the scope with one of the canisters, peered into the eyepiece, and calibrated some knobs. Then she stepped away, offering Kohler a look. Kohler looked nonplussed. â€Å"You collected visible amounts?† â€Å"Five thousand nanograms,† Vittoria said. â€Å"A liquid plasma containing millions of positrons.† â€Å"Millions? But a few particles is all anyone has ever detected†¦ anywhere.† â€Å"Xenon,† Vittoria said flatly. â€Å"He accelerated the particle beam through a jet of xenon, stripping away the electrons. He insisted on keeping the exact procedure a secret, but it involved simultaneously injecting raw electrons into the accelerator.† Langdon felt lost, wondering if their conversation was still in English. Kohler paused, the lines in his brow deepening. Suddenly he drew a short breath. He slumped like he'd been hit with a bullet. â€Å"Technically that would leave†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vittoria nodded. â€Å"Yes. Lots of it.† Kohler returned his gaze to the canister before him. With a look of uncertainty, he hoisted himself in his chair and placed his eye to the viewer, peering inside. He stared a long time without saying anything. When he finally sat down, his forehead was covered with sweat. The lines on his face had disappeared. His voice was a whisper. â€Å"My God†¦ you really did it.† Vittoria nodded. â€Å"My father did it.† â€Å"I†¦ I don't know what to say.† Vittoria turned to Langdon. â€Å"Would you like a look?† She motioned to the viewing device. Uncertain what to expect, Langdon moved forward. From two feet away, the canister appeared empty. Whatever was inside was infinitesimal. Langdon placed his eye to the viewer. It took a moment for the image before him to come into focus. Then he saw it. The object was not on the bottom of the container as he expected, but rather it was floating in the center – suspended in midair – a shimmering globule of mercurylike liquid. Hovering as if by magic, the liquid tumbled in space. Metallic wavelets rippled across the droplet's surface. The suspended fluid reminded Langdon of a video he had once seen of a water droplet in zero G. Although he knew the globule was microscopic, he could see every changing gorge and undulation as the ball of plasma rolled slowly in suspension. â€Å"It's†¦ floating,† he said. â€Å"It had better be,† Vittoria replied. â€Å"Antimatter is highly unstable. Energetically speaking, antimatter is the mirror image of matter, so the two instantly cancel each other out if they come in contact. Keeping antimatter isolated from matter is a challenge, of course, because everything on earth is made of matter. The samples have to be stored without ever touching anything at all – even air.† Langdon was amazed. Talk about working in a vacuum. â€Å"These antimatter traps?† Kohler interrupted, looking amazed as he ran a pallid finger around one's base. â€Å"They are your father's design?† â€Å"Actually,† she said, â€Å"they are mine.† Kohler looked up. Vittoria's voice was unassuming. â€Å"My father produced the first particles of antimatter but was stymied by how to store them. I suggested these. Airtight nanocomposite shells with opposing electromagnets at each end.† â€Å"It seems your father's genius has rubbed off.† â€Å"Not really. I borrowed the idea from nature. Portuguese man-o'-wars trap fish between their tentacles using nematocystic charges. Same principle here. Each canister has two electromagnets, one at each end. Their opposing magnetic fields intersect in the center of the canister and hold the antimatter there, suspended in midvacuum.† Langdon looked again at the canister. Antimatter floating in a vacuum, not touching anything at all. Kohler was right. It was genius. â€Å"Where's the power source for the magnets?† Kohler asked. Vittoria pointed. â€Å"In the pillar beneath the trap. The canisters are screwed into a docking port that continuously recharges them so the magnets never fail.† â€Å"And if the field fails?† â€Å"The obvious. The antimatter falls out of suspension, hits the bottom of the trap, and we see an annihilation.† Langdon's ears pricked up. â€Å"Annihilation?† He didn't like the sound of it. Vittoria looked unconcerned. â€Å"Yes. If antimatter and matter make contact, both are destroyed instantly. Physicists call the process ‘annihilation.' â€Å" Langdon nodded. â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"It is nature's simplest reaction. A particle of matter and a particle of antimatter combine to release two new particles – called photons. A photon is effectively a tiny puff of light.† Langdon had read about photons – light particles – the purest form of energy. He decided to refrain from asking about Captain Kirk's use of photon torpedoes against the Klingons. â€Å"So if the antimatter falls, we see a tiny puff of light?† Vittoria shrugged. â€Å"Depends what you call tiny. Here, let me demonstrate.† She reached for the canister and started to unscrew it from its charging podium. Without warning, Kohler let out a cry of terror and lunged forward, knocking her hands away. â€Å"Vittoria! Are you insane?† 22 Kohler, incredibly, was standing for a moment, teetering on two withered legs. His face was white with fear. â€Å"Vittoria! You can't remove that trap!† Langdon watched, bewildered by the director's sudden panic. â€Å"Five hundred nanograms!† Kohler said. â€Å"If you break the magnetic field – â€Å" â€Å"Director,† Vittoria assured, â€Å"it's perfectly safe. Every trap has a failsafe – a back-up battery in case it is removed from its recharger. The specimen remains suspended even if I remove the canister.† Kohler looked uncertain. Then, hesitantly, he settled back into his chair. â€Å"The batteries activate automatically,† Vittoria said, â€Å"when the trap is moved from the recharger. They work for twenty-four hours. Like a reserve tank of gas.† She turned to Langdon, as if sensing his discomfort. â€Å"Antimatter has some astonishing characteristics, Mr. Langdon, which make it quite dangerous. A ten milligram sample – the volume of a grain of sand – is hypothesized to hold as much energy as about two hundred metric tons of conventional rocket fuel.† Langdon's head was spinning again. â€Å"It is the energy source of tomorrow. A thousand times more powerful than nuclear energy. One hundred percent efficient. No byproducts. No radiation. No pollution. A few grams could power a major city for a week.† Grams? Langdon stepped uneasily back from the podium. â€Å"Don't worry,† Vittoria said. â€Å"These samples are minuscule fractions of a gram – millionths. Relatively harmless.† She reached for the canister again and twisted it from its docking platform. Kohler twitched but did not interfere. As the trap came free, there was a sharp beep, and a small LED display activated near the base of the trap. The red digits blinked, counting down from twenty-four hours. 24:00:00†¦ 23:59:59†¦ 23:59:58†¦ Langdon studied the descending counter and decided it looked unsettlingly like a time bomb. â€Å"The battery,† Vittoria explained, â€Å"will run for the full twenty-four hours before dying. It can be recharged by placing the trap back on the podium. It's designed as a safety measure, but it's also convenient for transport.† â€Å"Transport?† Kohler looked thunderstruck. â€Å"You take this stuff out of the lab?† â€Å"Of course not,† Vittoria said. â€Å"But the mobility allows us to study it.† Vittoria led Langdon and Kohler to the far end of the room. She pulled a curtain aside to reveal a window, beyond which was a large room. The walls, floors, and ceiling were entirely plated in steel. The room reminded Langdon of the holding tank of an oil freighter he had once taken to Papua New Guinea to study Hanta body graffiti. â€Å"It's an annihilation tank,† Vittoria declared. Kohler looked up. â€Å"You actually observe annihilations?† â€Å"My father was fascinated with the physics of the Big Bang – large amounts of energy from minuscule kernels of matter.† Vittoria pulled open a steel drawer beneath the window. She placed the trap inside the drawer and closed it. Then she pulled a lever beside the drawer. A moment later, the trap appeared on the other side of the glass, rolling smoothly in a wide arc across the metal floor until it came to a stop near the center of the room. Vittoria gave a tight smile. â€Å"You're about to witness your first antimatter-matter annihilation. A few millionths of a gram. A relatively minuscule specimen.† Langdon looked out at the antimatter trap sitting alone on the floor of the enormous tank. Kohler also turned toward the window, looking uncertain. â€Å"Normally,† Vittoria explained, â€Å"we'd have to wait the full twenty-four hours until the batteries died, but this chamber contains magnets beneath the floor that can override the trap, pulling the antimatter out of suspension. And when the matter and antimatter touch†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Annihilation,† Kohler whispered. â€Å"One more thing,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Antimatter releases pure energy. A one hundred percent conversion of mass to photons. So don't look directly at the sample. Shield your eyes.† Langdon was wary, but he now sensed Vittoria was being overly dramatic. Don't look directly at the canister? The device was more than thirty yards away, behind an ultrathick wall of tinted Plexiglas. Moreover, the speck in the canister was invisible, microscopic. Shield my eyes? Langdon thought. How much energy could that speck possibly – Vittoria pressed the button. Instantly, Langdon was blinded. A brilliant point of light shone in the canister and then exploded outward in a shock wave of light that radiated in all directions, erupting against the window before him with thunderous force. He stumbled back as the detonation rocked the vault. The light burned bright for a moment, searing, and then, after an instant, it rushed back inward, absorbing in on itself, and collapsing into a tiny speck that disappeared to nothing. Langdon blinked in pain, slowly recovering his eyesight. He squinted into the smoldering chamber. The canister on the floor had entirely disappeared. Vaporized. Not a trace. He stared in wonder. â€Å"G†¦ God.† Vittoria nodded sadly. â€Å"That's precisely what my father said.† 23 Kohler was staring into the annihilation chamber with a look of utter amazement at the spectacle he had just seen. Robert Langdon was beside him, looking even more dazed. â€Å"I want to see my father,† Vittoria demanded. â€Å"I showed you the lab. Now I want to see my father.† Kohler turned slowly, apparently not hearing her. â€Å"Why did you wait so long, Vittoria? You and your father should have told me about this discovery immediately.† Vittoria stared at him. How many reasons do you want? â€Å"Director, we can argue about this later. Right now, I want to see my father.† â€Å"Do you know what this technology implies?† â€Å"Sure,† Vittoria shot back. â€Å"Revenue for CERN. A lot of it. Now I want – â€Å" â€Å"Is that why you kept it secret?† Kohler demanded, clearly baiting her. â€Å"Because you feared the board and I would vote to license it out?† â€Å"It should be licensed,† Vittoria fired back, feeling herself dragged into the argument. â€Å"Antimatter is important technology. But it's also dangerous. My father and I wanted time to refine the procedures and make it safe.† â€Å"In other words, you didn't trust the board of directors to place prudent science before financial greed.† Vittoria was surprised with the indifference in Kohler's tone. â€Å"There were other issues as well,† she said. â€Å"My father wanted time to present antimatter in the appropriate light.† â€Å"Meaning?† What do you think I mean? â€Å"Matter from energy? Something from nothing? It's practically proof that Genesis is a scientific possibility.† â€Å"So he didn't want the religious implications of his discovery lost in an onslaught of commercialism?† â€Å"In a manner of speaking.† â€Å"And you?† Vittoria's concerns, ironically, were somewhat the opposite. Commercialism was critical for the success of any new energy source. Although antimatter technology had staggering potential as an efficient and nonpolluting energy source – if unveiled prematurely, antimatter ran the risk of being vilified by the politics and PR fiascoes that had killed nuclear and solar power. Nuclear had proliferated before it was safe, and there were accidents. Solar had proliferated before it was efficient, and people lost money. Both technologies got bad reputations and withered on the vine. â€Å"My interests,† Vittoria said, â€Å"were a bit less lofty than uniting science and religion.† â€Å"The environment,† Kohler ventured assuredly. â€Å"Limitless energy. No strip mining. No pollution. No radiation. Antimatter technology could save the planet.† â€Å"Or destroy it,† Kohler quipped. â€Å"Depending on who uses it for what.† Vittoria felt a chill emanating from Kohler's crippled form. â€Å"Who else knew about this?† he asked. â€Å"No one,† Vittoria said. â€Å"I told you that.† â€Å"Then why do you think your father was killed?† Vittoria's muscles tightened. â€Å"I have no idea. He had enemies here at CERN, you know that, but it couldn't have had anything to do with antimatter. We swore to each other to keep it between us for another few months, until we were ready.† â€Å"And you're certain your father kept his vow of silence?† Now Vittoria was getting mad. â€Å"My father has kept tougher vows than that!† â€Å"And you told no one?† â€Å"Of course not!† Kohler exhaled. He paused, as though choosing his next words carefully. â€Å"Suppose someone did find out. And suppose someone gained access to this lab. What do you imagine they would be after? Did your father have notes down here? Documentation of his processes?† â€Å"Director, I've been patient. I need some answers now. You keep talking about a break-in, but you saw the retina scan. My father has been vigilant about secrecy and security.† â€Å"Humor me,† Kohler snapped, startling her. â€Å"What would be missing?† â€Å"I have no idea.† Vittoria angrily scanned the lab. All the antimatter specimens were accounted for. Her father's work area looked in order. â€Å"Nobody came in here,† she declared. â€Å"Everything up here looks fine.† Kohler looked surprised. â€Å"Up here?† Vittoria had said it instinctively. â€Å"Yes, here in the upper lab.† â€Å"You're using the lower lab too?† â€Å"For storage.† Kohler rolled toward her, coughing again. â€Å"You're using the Haz-Mat chamber for storage? Storage of what?† Hazardous material, what else! Vittoria was losing her patience. â€Å"Antimatter.† Kohler lifted himself on the arms of his chair. â€Å"There are other specimens? Why the hell didn't you tell me!† â€Å"I just did,† Vittoria fired back. â€Å"And you've barely given me a chance!† â€Å"We need to check those specimens,† Kohler said. â€Å"Now.† â€Å"Specimen,† Vittoria corrected. â€Å"Singular. And it's fine. Nobody could ever – â€Å" â€Å"Only one?† Kohler hesitated. â€Å"Why isn't it up here?† â€Å"My father wanted it below the bedrock as a precaution. It's larger than the others.† The look of alarm that shot between Kohler and Langdon was not lost on Vittoria. Kohler rolled toward her again. â€Å"You created a specimen larger than five hundred nanograms?† â€Å"A necessity,† Vittoria defended. â€Å"We had to prove the input/yield threshold could be safely crossed.† The question with new fuel sources, she knew, was always one of input vs. yield – how much money one had to expend to harvest the fuel. Building an oil rig to yield a single barrel of oil was a losing endeavor. However, if that same rig, with minimal added expense, could deliver millions of barrels, then you were in business. Antimatter was the same way. Firing up sixteen miles of electromagnets to create a tiny specimen of antimatter expended more energy than the resulting antimatter contained. In order to prove antimatter efficient and viable, one had to create specimens of a larger magnitude. Although Vittoria's father had been hesitant to create a large specimen, Vittoria had pushed him hard. She argued that in order for antimatter to be taken seriously, she and her father had to prove two things. First, that cost-effective amounts could be produced. And second, that the specimens could be safely stored. In the end she had won, and her father had acquiesced against his better judgment. Not, however, without some firm guidelines regarding secrecy and access. The antimatter, her father had insisted, would be stored in Haz-Mat – a small granite hollow, an additional seventy-five feet below ground. The specimen would be their secret. And only the two of them would have access. â€Å"Vittoria?† Kohler insisted, his voice tense. â€Å"How large a specimen did you and your father create?† Vittoria felt a wry pleasure inside. She knew the amount would stun even the great Maximilian Kohler. She pictured the antimatter below. An incredible sight. Suspended inside the trap, perfectly visible to the naked eye, danced a tiny sphere of antimatter. This was no microscopic speck. This was a droplet the size of a BB. Vittoria took a deep breath. â€Å"A full quarter of a gram.† The blood drained from Kohler's face. â€Å"What!† He broke into a fit of coughing. â€Å"A quarter of a gram? That converts to†¦ almost five kilotons!† Kilotons. Vittoria hated the word. It was one she and her father never used. A kiloton was equal to 1,000 metric tons of TNT. Kilotons were for weaponry. Payload. Destructive power. She and her father spoke in electron volts and joules – constructive energy output. â€Å"That much antimatter could literally liquidate everything in a half-mile radius!† Kohler exclaimed. â€Å"Yes, if annihilated all at once,† Vittoria shot back, â€Å"which nobody would ever do!† â€Å"Except someone who didn't know better. Or if your power source failed!† Kohler was already heading for the elevator. â€Å"Which is why my father kept it in Haz-Mat under a fail-safe power and a redundant security system.† Kohler turned, looking hopeful. â€Å"You have additional security on Haz-Mat?† â€Å"Yes. A second retina-scan.† Kohler spoke only two words. â€Å"Downstairs. Now.† The freight elevator dropped like a rock. Another seventy-five feet into the earth. Vittoria was certain she sensed fear in both men as the elevator fell deeper. Kohler's usually emotionless face was taut. I know, Vittoria thought, the sample is enormous, but the precautions we've taken are – They reached the bottom. The elevator opened, and Vittoria led the way down the dimly lit corridor. Up ahead the corridor dead-ended at a huge steel door. HAZ-MAT. The retina scan device beside the door was identical to the one upstairs. She approached. Carefully, she aligned her eye with the lens. She pulled back. Something was wrong. The usually spotless lens was spattered†¦ smeared with something that looked like†¦ blood? Confused she turned to the two men, but her gaze met waxen faces. Both Kohler and Langdon were white, their eyes fixed on the floor at her feet. Vittoria followed their line of sight†¦ down. â€Å"No!† Langdon yelled, reaching for her. But it was too late. Vittoria's vision locked on the object on the floor. It was both utterly foreign and intimately familiar to her. It took only an instant. Then, with a reeling horror, she knew. Staring up at her from the floor, discarded like a piece of trash, was an eyeball. She would have recognized that shade of hazel anywhere.

Reality of Teaching and Learning Pronunciation Essay

Rationale of the study Nowadays, with the rapid pace of integration and globalization, English becomes a golden key to open the door of many fields such as commerce, communication, science and technology throughout the world. Therefore, to meet the demand of the society, it is very necessary to teach English in schools at all levels. And the highest target is to get well in communication. If one wants to get successful in communication, he must be good at pronunciation: â€Å"a threshold level of pronunciation in English such that if a given non-native speaker’s pronunciation falls below this level, he or she will not be able to communicate orally no matter how good his or her control of English grammar and vocabulary might be† (Celce-Murcia, 1987:5). In the field of language teaching, the role of pronunciation has varied widely from having virtually no role in the grammar-translation method to being the central focus in the audio-lingual method where emphasis is on the traditional notions of pronunciation, minimal pairs, drills and short conversations. The growing emphasis on communicative approaches for the teaching of English has placed higher demands for correct pronunciation. Despite this fact, at the upper-secondary school level in Vietnam, in language teaching and learning, compared with vocabulary, grammar and language skills, pronunciation has so far been paid less attention to. In the official textbooks used for teaching English at high school level, there are a few exercises for pronunciation practice. To make the matter worse, all important English exams at schools as well as the entrance exam to universities are always in written form so most teachers as well as students have little motivation to teach and to learn pronunciation. As a result, students are often shy and unconfident to speak in English. And that is the reason why the effectiveness of teaching pronunciation still remains one of the most widely problematic subjects in the field of language teaching. Coping with this pressing fact, as a language teacher teaching English at Quynh Coi high school (QCHS), the author always thinks of some burning questions: in language teaching and learning, what is the present situation of teaching and learning pronunciation at high school level in QCHS? What are the problems teachers and students face in teaching and learning pronunciation? How to find suitable methods to teach pronunciation? What should teachers do to teach pronunciation effectively? How should teachers make students become interested in learning pronunciation? The answers to these questions will help language teachers improve their students’ pronunciation as well as help them make progress in effective communication. For the above reasons, the author decides to carry out the study entitled: â€Å"The reality of teaching and learning pronunciation at Quynh Coi high school: problems and solutions†. 1. 2 Aims of the study The main purpose of this study is to discover the reality of teaching and learning pronunciation at Quynh Coi high school, especially to find out problems that teachers and students often have in pronunciation lessons. The writer also hopes to make some feasible solutions that can help the English teachers overcome those problems and improve students’ pronunciation. 1. 3 Research questions The above aims of the study can be realized by answering the following research questions: (1) What is the present situation of teaching and learning pronunciation at QCHS? (2) Which problems do the teachers and students at QCHS face in pronunciation lessons? (3) What teaching techniques can be used to improve teaching pronunciation for students at QCHS? 1. 4 Scope of the study As a case study, this study focuses on the reality of teaching and learning two aspects of English pronunciation: stress and intonation for the 12th form students at Quynh Coi high school. The subjects of the study are 12th form students those are familiar with learning pronunciation for two years at high school. Moreover, stress and intonation are two major aspects of pronunciation introduced in the official textbook used by the 12th form students. Other characteristics of English pronunciation would not be deeply investigated in this research. . 5 Methods of the study In order to fulfill the tasks mentioned above, both qualitative and quantitative methods are selected for this case study, involving the following instruments: survey questionnaires, classroom observations and interviews. Firstly, the survey questionnaires were delivered to both teachers and students to investigate the reality of teaching and learning pronunciation at QCHS. Then, some classroom observations and interv iews with some English teachers have been also conducted to get supplementary information. Finally, the results obtained from questionnaires, observations and interviews have been discussed and analyzed to with a hope for providing language teacher with some feasible teaching techniques to work successfully with their students. 1. 6 Significance of the study This study hopes to make contribution to teaching pronunciation at high school level in Vietnam and the result of the study is considered to be useful for teachers and students at school. Thus, this study will be an interesting reference material for any high school language teachers in Vietnam, especially for those who are in favor of improving their students’ pronunciation. This research will help teachers and students identify their problems in teaching and learning pronunciation and self- improve their pronunciation. 1. 7 Design of the study This thesis consists of six main chapters: Chapter one is the INTRODUCTION including the rationales, the aims, the scope, the research questions, the methods, and the design of the research. In the book â€Å"Pronunciation† published in 1994, Christiane Dalton and Barbara Seidlhofer (1994:3) consider pronunciation â€Å"as the production of significant sound†. They look at the word in two senses. First, it is used as part of a code of a particular language. That is the reason why English sounds are distinguished from sounds of other languages. In this sense, pronunciation can be told as the production and reception of sounds of speech. Second, sound is used to achieve meaning in contexts of use. Here the code combines with other factors to make communication possible. In this sense pronunciation is referred with reference to acts of speaking. In the scope of this study, the concept of pronunciation can be described as â€Å"a way of speaking a word, especially a way that is accepted or generally understood† (American Heritage Dictionary, 1992) or â€Å"may be said to conclude the sounds of the language or phonology; stress and rhythm; intonation; combination sounds; linkage of sound† (Ur, 1996). 2. 2 Features of pronunciation Gerald Kelly (2000) points out main features of pronunciation including phonemes and suprasegmental features, in which consonants and vowels belong to phonemes, intonation and stress are two main parts of suprasegmental. Phonemes are units of sound, they are known as segments. Suprasegmental features are features of speech which apply to groups of segments, or phonemes. The features which are important in English are stress, intonation, and how sounds change in connected speech. The following diagram shows a breakdown of the main features of pronunciation: Features of pronunciation (Kelly, 2000:1) As seen from the diagram, pronunciation is a broad subject with the boundaries of various items such as consonants, vowels, stress, and intonation. This study is intended to focus on two major features of pronunciation: intonation and stress are deeply investigated. According to Quirk R. and Greenbaun S. (1973:450), stress is the prominence with one part of a word or of a longer utterance is distinguished from other parts. This can be understood like this: when an English word consists of more than one syllable, one of these syllables is made to stand out more than the others. This is done by saying the syllable louder. For instance, in such words as â€Å"English†, â€Å"teacher†, and â€Å"student† the first syllables are stressed. Intonation is an important part that most teachers have to deal with when teaching connected speech, it refers to the way the voice â€Å"goes up and down in pitch† (Kelly, 2000: 86) when we are speaking. It plays a vital role in helping people express their opinions, and understanding thought of others. In short, the word â€Å"pronunciation† is like a big umbrella covering various sub-items as consonants, vowels, intonations, stress, etc. With such big boundaries of items, language teachers and learners have to think of how to master these key aspects, especially stress and intonation, to be successful in teaching and learning pronunciation. 2. 3 Teaching pronunciation 2. 3. 1 The importance of teaching/ learning pronunciation and a â€Å"paradox† 2. 3. 1. 1 The importance of teaching and learning pronunciation Pronunciation is as important as any other aspects of language like syntax and vocabulary. Some people may argue that speech is obviously much more significant than pronunciation. However, speech cannot exist without pronunciation. Correct pronunciation, in fact, is considered to be a prerequisite to develop the speaking skill. That is why teaching pronunciation should occupy an important place in the study of any language. According to Gerald Kelly (2000), pronunciation â€Å"involves far more than individual sounds† including word stress, sentence stress, intonation, and word linking. All of these influence the sound of spoken English. Sound is the core of the language. When teaching a language, the first and foremost thing teachers should do is to let learners have chances to expose themselves to the sounds of that language. That is the reason why more and more teachers pay much attention to teaching pronunciation to their students. Considering the importance of communication in general and pronunciation in particular, Gerald Kelly confirms â€Å"a learner who constantly mispronounces a range of phonemes can be extremely difficult for a speaker from another language community to understand. A consideration of learners’ pronunciation errors and of how these can inhibit successful communication is a useful basis on which to assess why it is important to deal with pronunciation in the class† (2000:11). Sharing the same ideas with Kelly, Martin Hewings (2004:10) adds â€Å"difficulties with pronunciation might mean that students fail to get their message across, even when the correct words are being used, or they might fail to understand what is said to them. † The inaccurate use of suprasegmetal elements, such as tress or intonation, can also cause problems. Errors in pronunciation can lead to a problem of reception, or comprehension of the meaning or function of an utterance, even worse, they can affect the perceived tone or mood of an utterance. Moreover, it is obvious that good pronunciation serves as a strong motivation for language learners. Most language learners show considerable enthusiasm for pronunciation as they consider it as a good way to show that they are competent in the language. Once they have obtained adequate pronunciation competence, they gradually build up strong confidence for themselves and are ready to learn new things without hesitation. 2. 3. 1. 2 A â€Å"paradox† As the matter of fact, the role of pronunciation in English learning process could not be negated. Regrettably, teaching and learning pronunciation has not received appropriate attention as expected and Gerald Kelly call this fact a name â€Å"a paradox† (Kelly, 2000: 1). It tends to suffer from being neglected. This may not be teachers’ lack of interest or motivation in pronunciation. The main reason comes from their teaching experience and confidence, â€Å"feeling of doubt as to hoe to teach† (Kelly, 2000:13). In spite of the fact that both teacher and students are keen on pronunciation, they often take grammar or vocabulary precedence over pronunciation for granted. If it is not neglected, â€Å"it tends to be reactive to a particular problem that has arisen in the classroom rather than being strategically planned† (Kelly, 2000:13). This is the most popular problem is pronunciation lessons. Teachers only deal with pronunciation when it comes to be problematic. There is no lesson plan, no strategy in teaching and learning pronunciation. Most teachers often prepare lesson plan for teaching grammar, vocabulary, but pronunciation. Yet pronunciation work can, and should, be planned for, too. Teachers should regard features of pronunciation as integral to language analysis and lesson planning. This paradox arises from both the nature of pronunciation itself, from the teaching staff as well as from the learners themselves. However, to deal with this problem, as language teachers, teachers need to have a good grounding in theoretical knowledge. Furthermore, in order to teach pronunciation successfully, teachers should be practically skilled in classrooms, and they need to have good ideas, approaches, techniques, as well as classroom activities. 2. 3. 2 Teachers’ roles in teaching pronunciation Mastering a foreign language pronunciation is not something impossible as far as the student and the teacher participate together in the total learning process. Thus, to succeed in a pronunciation program, the teacher plays an essential role. Kenworthy (1987), Nguyen Bang and Nguyen Ba Ngoc (2001), and Hoang Van Van, et al. (2006) shared the similar ideas about teachers’ roles in the teaching and learning pronunciation process, in which, teachers are responsible for:†¢Helping learners to hear: The teacher has a mission to provide appropriate input of the target sounds for learners to hear. Teacher needs to check that their students are hearing sounds according to the appropriate categories and help them develop new categories if necessary. †¢Helping learners to make sounds: It is true that some English sounds do not exist in the learners’ mother tongue. Some learners may be able to imitate the target sounds if they are provided models. However, for those who lack such an ability, it is teachers’ duty to explain the way those difficult sounds are made and provide aids to help learners produce correct sounds. †¢Providing feedback: Students need to be told where they are standing, how much they have gained and what they need to improve because sometimes, students themselves can not know whether they are making mistakes or not. The teacher must provide them with feedbacks on their performance. †¢Pointing out what is going on: In many cases, learners fail to realize what and how they are speaking, as speaking is for most parts unconsciously controlled, learners may sometimes make mistakes in the way they produce a particular sequence of sounds, or put stress in an incorrect place, leading to misunderstanding. It is the teachers’ role to specify the area that learners have to pay attention to so as not to cause miscomprehension. †¢Establishing priorities: Native-like pronunciation is not easy to achieve. Therefore, learners need a guide to tell them about what aspects they should master, what aspects they not need to be â€Å"perfect†. Inevitably, when learning a foreign language, it is dealt if learners master every aspect of it. However, as this is somehow unrealistic, learners should learn to satisfy at an accepted level of those aspects which are not vital. The level at which learners can feel satisfied at depends on different situations for different individuals. †¢Devising activities: It is not easy for teachers to cover all activities in a limited time. Thus, teachers need to identify what exercises will be suitable for their learners, what activities would bring them the best effect. In devising them, however, it should be accepted that certain activities are more suitable to some students than others. †¢Assessing progress: An important role of teacher is to assess progress. Learners need to know at what level they are in pronunciation. Tests allocated at appropriate times will serve as a strong motivation for students. When they look at their marks, they have a clear sense of how much they have gained. Judging learners’ pronunciation performance is very complicated. However, this should be done accordingly. 2. 3. 3. Approaches, techniques and activities in teaching pronunciation2. 3. 3. 1 Approaches in teaching pronunciation In the book â€Å"Teaching pronunciation† (Celce-Murcia M. , et al.1996: 2), the authors point out two general approaches to the teaching of pronunciation in the modern time, namely intuitive-imitative approach and analytic-linguistic approach. An intuitive-imitative approach depends on â€Å"the learners’ ability to listen to and imitate the rhythms and sounds of the target language without the intervention of any explicit information†. This means the teaching of pronunciation depends largely on the teac her’s turning on and rewinding a cassette player (or another instrument), and the main activities in the class are listening and repeating. In this approach, the teacher has no responsibility to explain how sounds are formed or produced and the learners do their main task of listening and imitating, and it is expected that learners will gradually gain pronunciation competence. Meanwhile, an analytic-linguistic approach â€Å"utilizes information and tools such as a phonetic alphabet, articulator descriptions, charts of the vocal apparatus and other aids to supplement listening, imitation, and production† (Celce-Murcia M. , et al. , 1996: 2). In this approach, learners are given explanation as well as training on how to form particular sounds of the target language. Between these two approaches, there is no scale on whether which one is better. Choosing to apply which approach into teaching pronunciation depends on teachers themselves and the level of learners. To do well with these two approaches, it is a need for both teachers and learners to fulfill knowledge of articulator system such as consonants, vowels, stress, and intonation, etc. In this study, the author considers the use of both approaches to gain best effect in teaching and learning pronunciation. 2. 3. 3. 2 Techniques and activities Pronunciation is never an end in itself, thus to receive expected result in teaching and learning pronunciation, teachers have made use of a great deal of techniques. It may be taught in isolation or in combination with language skills of speaking, listening, reading or writing. Supported by Kelly (2000:16); and Celce, et al (1996:8), some common techniques are:†¢Drilling: One of the main ways in which pronunciation is practiced in the classroom is through drilling. In its most basic form, drilling simply involves the teacher saying a word or a structure, and getting class to repeat it. †¢Listen and imitate† The pronunciation of the target language is provided by the teacher or tape recorders, language labs, etc. students are to listen to a sequence of sounds or sentences and repeat it. †¢Chaining: This can be used for sentences which prove difficult for students to pronounce, either because they are long, or because they include difficult words and sounds The above mentioned techniques are nearly similar; they usually take two forms, which are either all-class or individual. These two forms are actually the two phase of the same techniques. Normally, at first, the whole class repeats after certain sound and phrases. After a certain amount of class-drilling, individual students take turns and pronounce those items themselves. †¢Phonetic chaining: This technique makes use of articulator descriptions, articulator diagrams and a phonetic alphabet. Learners are provided with basic theoretical knowledge about how sounds are formed. They are also aided by the teacher to make genuine sound production. †¢Minimal pair drills: These relate to words which differ from each other only one phoneme. Normally, students are allowed to listen to the tape and distinguish between the two sounds. This type of activities is particularly useful to teach sounds which causes difficulties for learners or sounds that are mismatched. †¢Contextualized minimal pair: In this technique, the teacher establishes the setting and present key vocabulary; students are then trained to respond to a sentence stem with the appropriate meaningful response. When minimal pair drills seem a bit boring and too theoretical with separated sounds, the contextualization seems to be more useful because it is more practical. †¢Tongue Twisters: This technique rooted from speech correction strategies for native speakers. When other techniques look serious and sometimes put learners under pressure, tongue twisters provide a more delighting way to learn pronunciation. Sounds which are difficult to differentiate are put together to make meaningful sentences. †¢Reading aloud/recitation: Students are provided with a passage or scripts and then read aloud, focusing on stress, timing and intonation. This activity is often done with texts such as poems, rhymes, song lyrics, etc. †¢Recording of learners’ production. This technique can use audio-tape, video-tapes of rehearsed and spontaneous speeches, free conversations, and role plays. It needs the feedbacks of teachers as well as self-evaluation. †¢Practice of vowel shifts and stress shifts related by affixation: Base on rule of generative phonology, used with intermediate or advanced learners. The teachers point out the rule-based nature of vowel and stress shifts in etymologically related words to raise awareness; sentences and short texts that contain both number of a pair may be provide as oral practice materialsuch as:PHOtograph And phoTOgraphy 2. 4 Learning pronunciation 2. 4. 1 Factors affecting learning pronunciation According to Joane Kenworthy (1987), there are many factors affecting learning pronunciation, including the native language, the age factor, the amount of exposure, phonetic ability, attitude and identity. The native language: it is inevitable that learners’ native language has a great impact on their ability of pronouncing English. The â€Å"foreign accent† is therefore easy to identity. The age factor: it is often assumed that the younger a person starts learning a foreign language, the better he is at pronouncing it and he has a greater chance of having a native-like accent. The amount of exposure: people who live in the country where the target language is spoken and is surrounded by an English-speaking environment may have some advantages over some who do not. Phonetic ability: researches have shown that some people naturally have a â€Å"better ear† for a foreign language than others. Attitude and identity:results from many studies have shown that learners who have a positive attitude towards speakers of a foreign language tend to have a more native-like pronunciation. 2. 4. 2 Students’ roles in learning pronunciation It is essential that in order to learn a language, motivation plays a vital role. The same thing happens to learning pronunciation. If students really care much about their pronunciation, they will become more cautious about their speaking, and gradually build up good pronunciation. In teaching and learning pronunciation, if teachers play the roles of a â€Å"speech coach†, students themselves need to involve in this process as much as possible in order to get good results. According to Nguyen Bang and Nguyen Ba Ngoc (2001), students need to satisfy some demands. Firstly, they need to perceive the model as exactly as they can. Secondly, they need to response as much as and as well as possible to the recognition, the imitation and repetition activities. Lastly, beside the help of the teachers, students should do self-correction of their pronunciation mistakes. 2. 5 Teachers’ and students’ problems in teaching and learning pronunciation Both teachers and students encounter various problems in the process of teaching and learning pronunciation. These problems do not only arise from the nature of pronunciation itself, but from various subjective and objective factors. In the light of the previous and current studies, some major problems that teachers and learners face in teaching and learning pronunciation are:. The nature of pronunciation According to Nunan (1991), the problem of acquiring the phonology of a second or a foreign language presents a formidable challenge to any theory of second language acquisition. In teaching and learning pronunciation, the biggest problem that most of the English teachers and students complain come from nature of pronunciation. English pronunciation itself contains so many complicated factors and invisible rules. In the light of this problem, Doff A. (1988) listed some common problems that learners often make when they speak English. The first is difficulties in pronouncing sounds which do not exist in the students’ own language. The second is the problems with similar sounds that often cause learners’ confusion. The third is difficulties in pronouncing consonant clusters. And the last problem mainly comes from English stress and intonation. Students seem to have a tendency to give all syllables equal stress and â€Å"flat† intonation. Class setting A lot of problems in teaching and learning pronunciation come from class setting such as classroom size, quality of the teaching staff, teaching and learning equipment. Firstly, a large class causes difficulty in teaching pronunciation. At high school, on average, there are over 50 students per class. With such a high student-teacher ratio, it is impossible to make sure that the teacher could carry out successful teaching techniques and activities, and the learner is not able to listen and receive what the teacher is saying. The quality of teaching staff is also a big problem. Most teachers of English are non-native speakers, and a few of them can have a native-like pronunciation. As a result, the language input that students receive every day is from non-native people. Therefore, it is impossible to require students to achieve perfect pronunciation. Teaching model According to Kelly (2000), in the past, the model of teaching English pronunciation was â€Å"received pronunciation†, the pronounciation of people in the southwest England. Today, there are a vast number of English: American English, Australian English, etc. Thus, it is difficult for teachers to choose what model to teach. In fact, each teacher often cannot produce a â€Å"perfect† accent without being affected by his own language. This fact sometimes causes both teachers and students problems in teaching and learning pronunciation. Some teachers do not feel confident with their own voice and students do not know what input language is perfect to receive. Intelligibility Beside factors from the nature of pronunciation, class setting, etc, teaching and learning pronunciation involves in its own problem that Kenworthy (1987) calls it as â€Å"intelligibility†. He defines â€Å"intelligibility† as â€Å"being understood by a listener at a given time in a given situation†. This means that intelligibility is affected by a number of factors: the speaker, the listener, the time, and the situation. This also means that teaching and learning pronunciation depends on many factors, causing many problems for both teachers and students. In conclusion, in this chapter, some theoretical backgrounds relating to teaching and learning pronunciation have been pointed out. These factors are the pronunciation concepts and their features. Factors relating to pronunciation teaching and learning as the importance, the problems, techniques and activities have been also given. It cannot be denied that pronunciation and teaching pronunciation is an important part to conduct in any language course. It is even more important for those who are or will be teachers of the language. Methods of teaching pronunciation are various with different elements of pronunciation. What are the attitudes of teachers and learners towards teaching and learning pronunciation? The school has 36 classes with 90 teachers and 1,800 students. Each year, the school enrolls more than 600 new comers. 3. 1. 2 Description of the course At school, all students when pass the entrance exam to the school have to study English as one of the compulsory subjects. During the process of learning English at school, students use three English textbooks (English 10, English 11, English 12) focusing on four skills including reading, speaking, listening, writing and language focus part. The language focus comprises two major parts: pronunciation and grammar. Normally, students start learning pronunciation when they study English 10. However, at grade 10th, students only learn some vowels and simple consonants. At grade 11th, students continue to study complex consonants. And at grade 12th, students start to be familiar with stress and intonation exercises. That is the reason why stress and intonation are two major aspects of pronunciation chosen in this investigation. 3. 2 Subjects The subjects of this study comprised 10 teachers and 55 12th-form students at QCHS. All English teachers were invited to participate in this study. They are from 27 to 60 years old, and have taught English for more than 2 years. They graduated from both regular and in-service training. With those teachers who have taught English for many years, they have teaching experience, but were not well trained. They mainly graduated from colleges, even in-service training. With younger teachers, they graduated from many different universities: state and non-state universities. They are full of motivation, but lack of teaching experience. In general, these teachers are good at teaching grammar and do not feel confident to deal with speaking, listening, and pronunciation lessons. Thus, they often focus their lesson on grammar but the speaking and pronunciation. The class that the author chose to study consists of fifty-five 12th-form students. These students have had at least 6 years of academic English experience by the time they reach this course. However, their English proficiency is not good, especially at pronunciation. They may be good at grammar and can do these grammar exercises quickly, but can not speak fluently. Most of them do not feel confident to speak in class and express their ideas in English. These students have studied at high school for more than two years. Therefore, they have been getting similar with the teaching and studying methods, the conditions and the teaching environment, so it easy for the author to get their consent to participate in the research. 3. 3 Research methods As mentioned previously, the researcher chose a mixed-method approach to data collection, utilizing triangulation to measure a broad variety of variables in the research. Necessary data was gathered directly from the teachers and students participating in the research in several ways: Questionnaires: In order to collect reliable and comprehensive data, two questionnaires were designed: one for teachers and one for students. They are both open-ended and close-ended questions. Teacher questionnaire (Appendix 1): one survey questionnaire with 8 questions was designed for the teachers to get their ideas of pronunciation teaching and learning reality, problems faced by their students and some recommendations to improve learning pronunciation reality at school. To get this aim, the questionnaire is categorized into the following groups: †¢Teachers’ attitude towards present situation of teaching and learning pronunciation at QCHS; †¢Approaches, techniques and classroom activities used by teachers in teaching pronunciation;†¢Problems faced by teachers in teaching pronunciation; and †¢Teachers’ recommendations of techniques to improve students’ pronunciation. Student questionnaire Appendix 2): another survey questionnaire with 8 questions was designed for students including the following categories: †¢Students’ attitude towards learning pronunciation, especially stress and intonation; †¢Students’ problems in learning pronunciation; and †¢Students’ expectations in learning pronunciation. In-depth classroom observations: Six informal classroom observations during regular classroom sessions were used as an additional data source. The observations were carried out for two weeks during the course of the study to get more practical information about teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards teaching and learning pronunciation, and difficulties as well as techniques used in pronunciation lessons. During the process of observations, the author focused on some aspects taking in class as:†¢Teaching and learning materials used in class; †¢Students’ activities and their mistakes in producing pronunciation; and †¢Teachers’ approaches and techniques used in teaching pronunciation. Interviews and discussions (Appendix 3): after collecting data from the survey questionnaires and classroom observations, the author used the post interview in order to get the in-depth discussion about techniques used to improve students’ pronunciation. Because it is too difficult for the researcher to conduct long interviews with all teachers, the researcher randomly selected 5/10 teachers for interviews. They were willing to express deeply their opinions, and ideas about teaching techniques. 3. 2.Data collection procedures The study was conducted in the first term of the school year 2010-2011 (from September 2010 to December, 2010). At the beginning of the first term, two sets of questionnaires were given to the teachers and the students who agreed to participate in the research. After two days, these questionnaires were collected. The information from these questionnaires were then summarized and presented in the form of statistics. For the following two weeks, the author carried out some classroom observations. The observations during six English lessons including one in reading, one in writing, one in listening, one in speaking and two in language focus periods. At each session, the researcher took field notes on what happened when the students learned pronunciation. Finally, when the information from the survey questionnaires and classroom observations were collected and analyzed, structured interviews were carried out. The data collected from three different resources were read through to obtain a sense of the overall data. They were then analyzed both descriptively and interpretatively. The initial sorting-out process was writing findings in the form of reflective notes and summaries of field notes. The information was then displayed in forms of tables and figures while qualitative data from the open-ended questionnaire items, classroom observations and interviews were presented by quoting relevant responses from the respondents. CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF THE DATA This part, the information from collected data was presented in accordance with the category of data collection instruments. 4. 1 Survey questionnaires 4. 1.Teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards teaching and learning pronunciation Assuming that the consideration of the teachers’ and students’ attitude towards teaching and learning pronunciation would be beneficial to the research, at the outset, these factors were surveyed. The results, shown in below, reflect that grammar is the most concerning aspect in learning English at high school. Surprisingly, only 10% of the tea chers think that pronunciation is the most necessary for their students. They always pay much attention and time and energy on grammar. In contrast, teaching and learning pronunciation as well as developing listening, speaking or reading skills do not receive enough attention to. 4. 1. 2 Students’ pronunciation level From the chart 2, we can see an optimistic reality of students’ level in learning pronunciation at Quynh Coi high school. Being asked about this, all the teachers said that students’ level is not equal, however; it is not good as expected. 60% teachers said that their students’ level at pronunciation is at average; and even 30% of the students get under average level. None of the teachers evaluate their students’ level at pronunciation is good or excellent. . 1. 3 Pronunciation teaching and learning time Chart 3 presents time that teachers and students spend on teaching and learning pronunciation. One more time teachers and students share the same ideas about the fact that too little time is on pronunciation. 80% of the teachers and 43% of the students said that they di d not have time to spend on teaching and learning pronunciation in one teaching session (45 minutes); 20% of the teachers and 32% of the students spend less than 20 minutes on teaching pronunciation. None of the teachers and a very small number of the students teach and learn pronunciation for more than 20 minutes. The overall results indicate that the reality of teaching and learning pronunciation at Quynh Coi high school is not positive as expected. Although both teachers and students are very optimistic towards teaching and learning pronunciation, students’ level is not good as well as time spent on teaching pronunciation is limited during one normal teaching session. 4. 1. 4 Teachers and students’ problems in teaching and learning pronunciation Chart 4 shows that both the teachers and the students face many problems during the process of teaching and learning pronunciation. The biggest problem that both teachers and students face comes from the nature of pronunciation. The next two factors preventing students from gaining good pronunciation are teaching time and students’ competence. 27% of the teachers and 22% of the students said that they do not have enough time on pronunciation. 20% of the teachers considered that their students’ competence in pronunciation is too low. 22% students also agreed with that idea. Class setting is the next factor that 20% teachers chose. It is clear that quality of teaching staff is not good enough to come over all the difficulties in teaching pronunciation. In contrast, only 1% of the students agreed with this. The smallest factor that both teachers and students think that causing problem in teaching and learning pronunciation is students’ motivation. 4. 1. 5 Teachers’ and students’ problems in teaching and learning intonation and stress From the chart above, most of the teachers (50%) and students (43%) think that stress is the most difficulty in teaching and learning pronunciation. the second is intonation: 30% of the teachers and 14% of the students think that intonation causes trouble. Meanwhile, none of the teachers meet any difficulties in teaching consonants and vowels. Particularly, chart 6 shows that 43% of the students cannot know the place of stress in a word; 20% said they cannot pronounce stress though they may be know place of stress in those words. Surprisingly, 27% of the students said that they do not know anything of stress. From the above chart, we can see that the reality of learning intonation is even worse than learning stress. 56% of all surveyed students understand nothing about intonation, causing a lot of difficulties in teaching and learning pronunciation.

Is the Queensland Australian prison system in need of reform Research Paper

Is the Queensland Australian prison system in need of reform - Research Paper Example Prison deaths often fall into two categories. There is the natural and unnatural death. An unnatural death may be defined as suicide, drug overdose or murder. However, it can be noted that all deaths by drug overdose and suicide remain questionable. This stem from the reason that prison murders can be staged to look like suicides or drug overdoses. Hence, the term â€Å"unnatural death†. For instance, Sir David Longland Correctional Centre (SDLCC), in Queensland, has been reported to have the highest prisoner mortality rate for unnatural deaths than any other Australian maximum-security prison. Over the last decade, an estimated twenty-eight prisoners have died unnatural deaths. The criminal justice system in Queensland, Australia is designed to deal accordingly with people who do not obey the law. At first glance, Queensland’s criminal justice system appears to be fair and just. However, beneath the surface for those that are going through the system, there appears to be injustices, particularly for marginalized citizens, those without power, contacts, or knowledge (Egel, 2007). Circumstances surrounding the unnatural deaths of these prisoners are symptomatic of the observed secrecy that cloaks the Queensland prison system. There seems to be a self-serving secrecy the Queensland Department of Corrective Services has steadily fostered by applying censorship tourniquets that may suppress politically sensitive information ever reaching the media. The Queensland Corrective Services Act 2000, for instance, has been specifically implemented to reinforce that method by regulating the media’s access to Queensland prisoners. It is those restrictive pr actices that may have allowed the killing incidents of Queensland prison facilities to flourish. There are four main goals of prison confinement. These include Incapacitation, Retribution, Rehabilitation and Deterrence. Incapacitation focuses on

Animal rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Animal rights - Essay Example The domesticated animals play important roles in the home environment. However, over the years, animals have been mistreated or even treated to cruelty of a vast nature. From the handling of heavy luggage for donkeys to being killed for food, animals have been used in the society for various reasons. In contrast, human rights have been advocated for by several organization until it has been understood by the society. The rights and privileges of animals have been abused and not advocated for because of the inability for animals to stage demonstration against problems facing them (Owen 23).   Man can definitely live without eating flesh foods but the society today has engaged in eating flesh more than the healthier foods provided by nature. The truth is from research conducted plants offer healthier nutrients than the animal proteins. If the research is true the major question remains, â€Å"why do men kill animals†? The question may raise more questions than answer but my pe rsonal opinion is animals can be left to live their lives and still humanity make ends meet.Response oneThe writer covers issues of treatment and provision of the basic needs of the animal. The author highlights and compares the difference between the pet and the animals kept for food. The main contention area is the treatment differences of the pet and the domesticated animals. In conclusion, the author advocated for equal and even treatment of animals.Animals should be handling well and treated with courtesy.

Critically assess the proposition that Celebrity is bad for Essay

Critically assess the proposition that Celebrity is bad for celebrities by examining (a) Michael Jackson - Essay Example Media law also binds traditional news sources to a huge extent and it is unlikely that inappropriate material could be published and broadcasted through these types of sources. The frequency at which news coverage of a particular celebrity is circulated does play a huge role on the popularity and notoriousness of the celebrity and it does help to gauge how it does affect their future performance and sustainability. (Rockwell, 2004) â€Å"A method that is exploratory and interrogative in nature and predictive in intent†. Unlike researchers and media professionals who are able to use empirical methods and experiment for generating media report, content analysts are able to analyze data, printed matter, images and sounds to understand why they are important to people and how they present the information which is conveyed to them. The core function of content analysis is extremely valuable in this context because it results in demonstrating the extent to which occurrences information regarding celebrities can be investigated. The number of instances in which a certain type of information is broadcasted can serve as an indication of how the media is able to influence the life or personalities and it also assists in recognizing and understanding their personal matter. It is also believed that the content which has been presented by commercial media does offer the most authentic and most reliable news. It is a lso a reliable source which can help to examine the effects of the media on negative and unlikely celebrity behavior. (Semuels, 2007) It is evident that entertainment and also traditional media outlets include celebrity news on their web pages. There is always a deficit between the information which could be potentially harmful information and information which is genuine and authentic. This difference may not be huge and does prove the

History Questions (1st World War, Socialism, French Revolution) Essay

History Questions (1st World War, Socialism, French Revolution) - Essay Example The topic on discussion was a possible war with Russia, and Britain, considering their military development, and reconstruction. The council was of the opinion that, Serbia would attack Austria, and they will get the support of the Russians. Austria being an ally of Germany, Germany would be forced to defend Austria, on this note, war was inevitable (Hobson, 310. The council resolved that the war should start immediately. On this note, the assignation of the arch duke of Austria was just a catalyst, since this war was decided on December 8th of 1912. Germany was also responsible for its own defeat in the war.German entered into the war with inadequate military facilities that could match that of Britain, France and Russia. During the war council of 1912, Admiral Tirpitz, the head of the German Navy asked for the postponement of the war, because the navy was not adequately prepared to fight in the war, especially if Britain was enjoined (Hobson, 31). This is because of the Triple ente nte treaty which comprised of Britain, France and Russia. The Navy wanted to build widen the Kiev Canal, and construct a u boat system, that had the capability of matching the facilities of the British Navy. On this note, Germany entered into war ill prepared, in terms of the machineries and equipment’s of the war. The main ideas of Karl Marx are capitalism, and he defines as a system in which the rich accumulate resources at the expense of the population. According to Karl Marx, the Society is divided between the bourgeois, the proletariat and the masses. He states that the Bourgeois are the owners of capital, and the society is run by them. According to Karl Marx, the Bourgeois employ the proletariat to carter for their needs (Hobson, 41). The proletariats are the managers of the various investments of the Bourgeois, and they are paid a salary to carter for their education, health and family wellbeing. The masses are people who do not have skills that they can use for survi val in the society. They are poor and hopeless, on this note Karl Marx observes that it is important to establish communalism in a state, because it will carter for the interests of all members of the State. It will limit the excesses of the bourgeois in exploiting the proletariats and the masses. These thoughts by Karl Marx were developed on the basis of the conflict that arose in the society due to economic and financial problems. Karl Marx observed the relationship between the owners of companies, and their workers. He analyzed their relationships, and noted that there was a conflict between these workers and their employers, and he therefore developed a critique of capitalism. Charles Darwin on the other hand believed that living organism strive to exist, and any feature within their possession that affects their survival and reproductive capability must subject itself to a continuous selective process. This idea emanated from his

Globalization is worldwide global economic has generated more problem Research Paper

Globalization is worldwide global economic has generated more problem them benefits for society - Research Paper Example get the job done through cheap labor cost and high technical efficieny.Much of America’s manufactured products are imported from China and hence the country’s own economy is effected by loss of job and production opportunity. In advanced countries like American and U.K. there had been a tremendous demand for high skilled workers and these demands were met by developing nations like China, India and Japan. As per (Overholt) â€Å"The shipment of American jobs to cheap foreign labor markets threatens not only millions of workers and their families, but also the American way of life." The most negative impact of globalization is that it give way to income inequality and lower the normal wages of American workers and in return make the rich corporate even richer. This action can also make the economies of other developing countries progress at a staggering rate while collapsing the economy of outsourcing countries .Much of the population in India, China and Eastern Europe has flourished exceedingly while the U.S. work force had to bear the losses. Millions of worker s in America is undergoing global competition with regard to their employment and job skills. Even manufacturing workers who worked in America had to see their jobs leave for other countries where the wages were low. Problem of American companies moving to developing nations The American companies are moving to less expensive labor countries in order to reduce the cost of production and increase their profit ratio. â€Å"Hundreds of American companies have moved their businesses to China, lured by cheap labor and low production costs†(Davidson).America is losing millions of money due to these actions by big corporate. It is also seen that many of the companies in China do not even manufacture products with... Globalization has changed the face of world as technology and communication have taken a huge leap. It has brought advancement to many sectors of developing nation like India, China and other South Asian countries while impacted negatively to U.S. Due to globalization, American companies tend to migrate to other developing nation where labor and cost of production is cheap. Moreover many service sector and technical jobs have moved to foreign labor market which downturned the job opportunities of American citizens. Americans have been pioneer in technological field and it is unfortunate to see that professions related to IT get outsourced to foreign nations. Huge number of Americans is finding it hard to get jobs even after acquiring best education and technical skill. Even after having higher education, the research and medical developments are undergoing in other developing nations. It is unfortunate that a country with such highly advanced technology and political power is losing out to other nations just because of the look out of business corporate for profit. The technological development has also changed the lifestyle of people dramatically by making them more mechanized. People are under the influence of computer and other modern electronic gadgets and losing their traditional values and concepts.

Code of Ethics in nursing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Code of Ethics in nursing - Term Paper Example Ethics forms an integral part on the foundation of nursing. The profession has a distinguished history in the concern of the welfare of individuals who seek social justice; the vulnerable and injured. Apprehension is embodied towards the provision of required nursing care to the community and individuals. Nursing combines the alleviation of suffering, prevention of illness, promotion, protection and restoration of health. Nurses act to change the aspects of social structure that branch away from well-being and health. Individuals who aspire to study nursing are expected to adhere to the moral norm and ideals of the profession, and embrace these aspects as part of what make them nurses. The ethical tradition of the nursing profession is self reflective, distinct and enduring. The nurses have to follow a code of ethics that make explicit the values, primary goals and obligations of the profession. This paper analyzes my professional code from an ethical perspective through the identifi cation of four ethical concepts. Introduction Nurses respect the dignity, rights and the worth of all humanity. This should be irrespective of the nature of the health problem. A person’s worth is not defined by sickness, disability, proximity to death or functional status. This respect should extend to all those who require the services of a nurse for health promotion or prevention, and for the restoration of health. ... They actively assure and assess the appropriate and responsible use of interventions aimed at minimizing unwarranted treatment and patient suffering. The importance and acceptability of carefully considered decisions that regard the resuscitation status, withholding and withdrawal of life sustaining therapies, foregoing of medially provided hydration and nutrition; symptom management and advance directives are more evident (American Nurses Association, 2005). Patient autonomy (informed consent) The respect for human dignity requires that there be recognition of patient rights. The most important of this is the right to self-determination. This is also known as autonomy this is the philosophical basis for an informed consent in the health care profession. All patients have the legal right to be part of the medical decision; to be given complete and accurate understandable information in a manner that will facilitate the patient to make an informed decision, and to be assisted in the w eighing of the benefits, available options and burdens in their treatment (American Nurses Association, 2005). They also have the right to be given support through the decision-making and treatment processes. Such support includes the opportunity to discuss the decisions with family members and other significant people. The patients should be involved in planning their own health care to the extent that they will be able to choose and participate in the treatment process (Fowler, 2008). Each nurse has an obligation to have the knowledge regarding moral and legal rights of all patients. The nurses must protect, preserve and support these interests when assessing the patient’s understanding of the medical information presented and the implications of these

Chinese New Year Traditions Essay Example for Free

Chinese New Year Traditions Essay Tundra (Arctic and alpine) Boreal forest or taiga Temperate deciduous forest Scrub forest called chaparral in California) Tropical thorn scrub and woodland (Dry forest) Savanna Temperate grassland Desert (cold and hot) Tropical Rainforest I emperate RalnTorest Answer the following questions about biomes: 1 . What attributes are used to define biomes? 2. Which is the coldest biome? 3. Which the largest most precipitation? 7. The tropical rainforest is located between which two Tropics? 8. The changing season is best viewed in which biome? 9. Which biome has been mostly converted to agricultural use?

Marketing Plan: Donor Recognition and Stewardship

Marketing Plan: Donor Recognition and Stewardship INTRODUCTION Economic recession has had its impact on the number of donors. As the economy is recovering, the trends indicate that non-profit organizations continue to lose donors faster than they gain them even if the giving amounts are increasing. The results are troubling because were seeing a trend of charities relying on fewer donors giving larger gifts, said Elizabeth Boris, director of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute. Charities need to work harder on reaching out to new and different groups of donors. More important, however, is keeping donors for longer than a year, since its much cheaper to retain existing donors than it is to continually find new ones. Non-profit sector is undergoing changes. Maybe its the already-begun exodus of Baby Boomers in nonprofit leadership positions. Maybe its the scramble to understand shifting giving habits as younger donors enter the philanthropic discussion in greater numbers. Whatever it is, it makes us rethink donor relat ions, which is undergoing a metamorphosis in both thinking and approach. background Market Analysis. Childrens Health Foundation is an independent incorporated non-profit organization dedicated to raising and granting funds to supportChildrens Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, Thames Valley Childrens Centre and Childrens Health Research Institute. Since 1922, funds raised have helped deliver exceptional care and support for children and their families by providing specialized pediatric care, equipment, education programs, therapy, rehabilitation services and research. Childrens Health Foundation is regional pediatric referral center for South Western and North Western Ontario. Childrens Health Foundation is operating in an extremely competitive industry. Canadas charitable and nonprofit sector is the 2nd largest in the world with 170,000 non-profit organizations. Ontarios 46,000+ NFP organizations employ about one million people, 15% of Ontarios total workforce, and have an economic impact of nearly $50 billion. This represents more than 7.1% of Ontarios GD P- greater than the automobile and construction industries combined. More than 5 million Ontarians donate over 820 million hours of their time volunteering every year, valued at the equivalent of 400,000 full-time jobs. Health care is the second largest recipient of donations in Canada (behind religious organizations) and makes up approximately 13% of all donations received from Canadians. Large philanthropic donations from individuals or corporations are becoming increasingly important sources of donations. At the same time, in both urban and rural communities, donor fatigue is becoming a real concern. As residents continue to be asked to contribute to charitable organizations, there comes a point at which their willingness or ability to donate is exhausted. This is of particular concern in large urban areas like the GTA, where there is fierce competition for donor dollars, according to Anthony Dale, CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association. Philanthropy in Canada is highly dependen t on oil and gold prices. Looking back within Canadas philanthropic history, it is noticeable that a year after a recession there was a significant decrease in fundraising contributions. And with Canadas health care system becoming increasingly dependent on philanthropy, its capital planning may become increasingly vulnerable to fluctuations in Canadas resource economy. Philanthropy is essential to the wellbeing of the health care system, allowing hospitals to improve and develop their infrastructure and conduct innovative medical research. This is the reality for Childrens Health Foundation as well, whose infrastructure, hydro, water and salaries only are funded by government. All the specialized programs the foundation provide and equipment is covered with donor dollars. But as we enter the era of plunging oil prices and economic uncertainty, hospital foundations are likely to face harder times fundraising, and this may make any disparities in access to capital projects among comm unities worse. In addition to that, Canadians are becoming less generous and giving fewer donations to charity than they did a decade ago, according to the 2016 Generosity Index published by the Fraser Institute, a think tank. Acquisition of the gift today has become a measuring stick for performance for many non-profits. The fact that 15% of Canadian population makes over 80% of all charitable contributions is evidence of how important stewardship became. Brand Analysis. The brand identity of Childrens Health Foundation which comprises the logo and the tagline is very clear and concise. Their mission to mobilize the community to support excellence in health care, rehabilitation and research for children and their families is fully backed up by all the programs and support they offer (innovative research, world-class hospital facilities and equipment; wide range of financial, legal and moral support to families with sick children). They are very consistent in updating their online s ocial blog, website, Facebook page, as well as uploading not only visuals but also the documentaries on regular basis to strengthen the impact of the message they are trying to convey. Childrens Health Foundation constantly conduct different campaigns to increase their reach and revenue. For the time being they cover South West Ontario, some parts of North West Ontario and have established good relationships with Thunder Bay hospitals. Childrens Health Foundation is promoting their brand on their website by using stories, visuals and documentaries for people to see the harsh reality of ill children and understand the difference they can make with their donations. The foundation also uses the social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to increase their reach as well as newsletters. They are raising funds and increase awareness of the cause by running campaigns, accepting donations on different levels andorganizing fundraising events. Childrens Health Foundations bra nd IDEA (integrity, Democracy, Ethics, Affinity) is very effective which increases its credibility. Childrens Health Foundation focuses on providing full range aid to the sick children and their families by providing high quality support on various levels (treatment, rehabilitation, financial, legal, moral), which is something unique and is the base of their positioning in the market against other non-profit organizations like Sunshine, Save the Children or World Vision. All of these organizations cover different needs of children make their dreams come true, provide financial support or food supplies to malnurished kids. Childrens Health Foundations brand evolve around the most vulnerable part of our society sick children. Because children are our future, donors are very willing to support this cause and it does attract significant amounts of funds. Childrens Health Foundation has raised $8mln. last year. In terms of donations Childrens Health foundation is targeting corporation s and people with various income levels that are not indifferent to the cause as every dollar that comes in is important. The donor segmentation is as follows: individuals, corporations, lifetime giving, legacy, community fundraising. Varied demographics is one of the challenges the foundation is facing when trying to build their donor recognition and stewardship programs because every demographic group depending on level of donations is expecting different things. Looking at the ways to donate, however, it is clear, that the foundation fails to address and engage in their efforts the generation of millennials. The objective of the Childrens Health Foundation is to come up with a plan on how they can recognize and steward all different demographics and customize these programs according to different levels of donations by remaining inclusive. SWOT Analysis Childrens Health Foundation Strengths Brand associated with children. People like to help children. Affiliation with Childrens hospital, Childrens Research Institute and Thames Valley Childrens Centre, so donor dollars are kept under one umbrella. The third largest children health research institute in Canada. Offer various specialized programs to sick children. Strong community event partnerships. Childrens Health Research Institute leverages the seed funding from Childrens Health foundation 10 times over, with external and peer-reviewed grant success. Tax exemption Family Centered care environment through programs as: fund specialized equipment, comfort sick children, establish a new simulation, support families in need, fund pro-bono legal services for patient families. Weaknesses Limited budget. Hospital policy limitations. Limited staff. Targeting a wide range of demographics without particular focus. Website is not very graphic. Opportunities Tap into the market of Millennials and encourage involvement in the cause Cause Related Marketing Innovative donor recognition stewardship programs Having limited resources to focus their efforts towards actions that would bring the biggest return Threats Vulnerable to economic crisis. Charitable giving is one of the first cash outflows that consumers cut back on when money is tight. Since they depend on contributions, they need to avoid the perception of impropriety. Even a small scandal can be damaging. Donor engagements are difficult in hospitals due to health, safety privacy issues Giving trends are changing, its important to adjust competitive evaluation Childrens Health Foundation is competing with every cause being promoted by other more than 60 not-for-profit organizations in London, Ontario. The advantage of Childrens Health Foundation is that their mantra evolves around sick children, which is more likely to win donors hearts than any other cause. On regional and national level Childrens Health foundation is facing more fierce competition. We will look closer at 3 of 13 Children Hospital Foundations in Canada Childrens Health Foundations, Sick Kids and McMaster Children Hospital Foundation, as they are all competing in exactly same field and are part of Childrens Miracle Network. The point of parity is that all these organizations are Hospital Foundations and provide help to children with severe health problems. Competitive Evaluation Childrens Health Foundation Sick kids foundation McMaster Children Hospital Foundation Simple, clear landing page. Appealing video on the landing page of their website. Simple landing page. No specific partners mentioned. Partners are not listed. Partnerships with well-known companies. Not very pictorial when it comes to kids. Very creative in terms of content and use of graphics. Impactful. Good content. Easy way to donate whatever amount you wish to. Different approaches to donate for specific programs. Easy way to donate. There is a donor recognition page on the website. Donor wall shows how the foundation have recognized their donors. No donor wall to identify donors. Conducts bowling competition to save lives of children. Have kids lottery system to raise funds. No upcoming specific programs to raise funds. Does not target millennials. Has a page on their website which allows to create own fundraising campaign and customize it for birthday etc. Does not target millennials. Has an extensive specialized program variety for family support (financial, legal etc.) Deals with a large variety of serious diseases and has a long history and solid reputation as an establishment offering word class programs like Motherisk. Focus on cancer, mental health and eating disorders for children. Sick Kids is very established foundation with long history, strong website and variety of programs they offer. They do target millennials offering them to customize their fundraising activity on Sick Kids website. Childrens Health Foundation should look into this market as well as to enhance their website for a stronger impact. opportunity identification Childrens Health foundation is very similar to competitors in terms of services, target audiences and fundraising activities. The opportunity lies in differentiation. The organization could do that by implementing innovative donor recognition and stewardship program, segment their donors more efficiently to focus their efforts in order to maximize the return and tap into market of young donors. goal statement In this marketing plan, we will focus on developing Donor Recognition Stewardship strategies for several donor segments: Planned giving as one of the sources of large donations to ensure future gifts. The planned giving component can promote long-term endowment building as well as assisting support over time as an inflation hedge. Lifetime giving to ensure loyalty and repeat gifts to support steady funds. Individual giving by millennials to ensure we engage the young generation in philanthropic activities. marketing objectives To increase planned giving by 10% by the end of the year. To maintain ongoing relationship with long time loyal donors. To increase millennial giving by 20% with engaging recognition and stewardship program by the end of the year. communication objectives   Ã‚   Planned Giving: Raise awareness about planned giving opportunities for a good cause -Childrens Health Foundation Lifetime Giving: Increase engagement with lifetime donors to strengthen the relationship. Individual Giving: Raise awareness about giving opportunities among millennials and engage them in such activities. creative objective planned giving Our basic creative strategy is to position planned giving as the most meaningful way to leave a legacy. creative strategy planned giving Target audience for this campaign are people of 60 and above (70% women as they are more likely to donate to health-related charities), who will be soon retiring or already retired with a significant amount of funds or estate at their disposal in South West and North West Ontario. Some of them have already started will /estate planning. They are single with small or no family, married with no children, or married couples with successful children. They have been donating to charities regularly or are connected to charitable giving in other ways, like volunteering. They are quite conservative and relationship is very important to them. This audience is into traditional media and listen to classic radio. They search online for real estate or auctions, could use twitter, but mobile phone is regarded as a practical tool rather than entertainment device. This audience are big fans of both water and motor sports. They have high rates for going to community theatres, baseball games and golf events. And personal finance appears to be one of their favorite indoor hobbies. We have chosen this segment because Childrens Health Foundation finds it challenging to steward this type of donors and often, some of the greatest and most transformational gifts to an organization come through bequests and other planned gifts. In Canada, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce estimates that Canadian boomers are about to inherit approximately $750 billion from their aging relatives over the next decade. Now the baby boomer generation is entering retirement and many are willing to pass on their inheritance to charities rather than to their children. Regional disparities should be taken into consideration as well. Ontario residents expect to get the bigger bequests: 6.4 % look to receive more than $500,000, almost half as many as the 4.4 % across Canada who anticipate receiving such a large inheritance. As the boomer generation ages, it is increasingly crucial for all health care foundations to establish a planned giving strategy, giving donors even more ways to fulfi ll their philanthropic goals and touch the lives of others. The population of people of 55 years of old and over is continuously increasing in London and make up around 35% of its population. Seniors are most likely to donate to health-related charities. Positioning For lifetime Philanthropists, the Childrens Health Foundation is the ultimate way for leaving legacy by providing long lasting value to the most vulnerable part of our society sick children and contribute to our future. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. Recognition and Stewardship Conventional donor recognition and stewardship model does not work for this type of giving. As planned gifts are revocable, deferred and can be changed by the donor at any time, it is very important that these donors are recognized and thanked systematically. Proposals for planned giving could be shared with the current donor database. Planned gifts can be an important part of most major gift proposals to donors who pledge a specific amount while alive to purchase equipment or help pay for construction. A deferred planned gift can supplement this support by creating a permanent endowment that will provide perpetual support for the same program or building. Planned gift proposal could be incorporated into all charitys fundraising efforts. Donors who establish life income arrangements (charitable trusts, gift annuities), arrange for retained life estates, or donate life insurance policies (all irrevocable) as well as those providing for bequests or naming your charity as a beneficiary of their retirement plans or life insurance policies (revocable) should be nominated for Guardian Circle. The common theme of these donors is their belief that providing for the future of the organization is important and that their funds will be used for a noble cause to help those in need when they will no longer be with us. Donors are becoming philanthropists and investors, and will require different types of information, greater transparency and access to leadership. Which means legacy donors should be provided with Inside Reports on a regular basis or perhaps a personal perspective on something happening at the charity. These should be from someone high in the organization and could be sent on society letterhead to reinforce the feeling of belonging to a community of special donors. It is important to meet them face to face and as often as a donor deems necessary. Small tokens of appreciation could be sent on regular basis: crafts made by kids, maybe some tickets to a classical music concert given by sponsor or other type of gift received on the basis of partnership with for profit organizations. There is no cost involved and shows that these donors are being though off. Planned gift donors should be invited into every fundraising event to make sure Childrens Health Foundation has as many touch points with these donors without forcing unnatural interactions like compulsory monthly calls. To keep a database of their birthdays or anniversaries, their children or grandchildren birthdays or other events (exotic holiday, wedding, someone is sick) to make sure that these donors and their families receive a card or follow up phone call (with no ask) on these occasions. Greeting cards could be prepared by kids. It is a very personalized attention, that shows the donor that you care and remember. In this way, it is possible to involve all the family in philanthropic activities and potentially increase donations from other sources. Board members could organize a yearly lunch or dinner evening only for this type of donors to discuss in more detail the struggles and plans of the foundations. The cost of such a dinner could as well be a gift from a restaurant to the Childrens Health Foundation if arranged. Every planned gift donor should have an opportunity to have a tour of the facilities, to speak with researchers and employees of the hospitals at least once, so they would get a feeling of how they can contribute to the cause rather than just see the numbers on the paper. This would help them to feel more involved. Planned gift donors may as well become monthly donors to assist in covering some immediate needs or vice versa, so while maintaining an ongoing relationship it is important to leverage different opportunities and to offer them to the donor as an option. Planned gift donors should have contact details of their main contact in the foundation should he have any questions. All their problems should be resolved in a timely and effective manner. Donors should be publicly recognized to the greatest extent theyll allow, which, would help make planned giving more accessible to other potential contributors. It would be nice to name a building, garden of the hospital or some other place of the facilities after the name of the legacy leader and honor a person with the largest contribution this way. Media Channels Ad on Classic Radio, TV and magazines, brochures to be handed out at theatre, art galleries, golf events, fundraising events; Twitter, announcements on website, face to face, telephone. creative objective lifetime giving Our basic creative strategy is to position lifetime giving as a vital source of income, enabling Childrens Health Foundation continue making difference for many families lives. creative strategy lifetime giving Target Market INDIVIDUALS Target audience is 40+ years old persons (men and women) with advanced degrees and minimum $100,000 + income per household who have already made at least 3 donations in their lifetime. They are either empty nesters or married couples with university-aged children They have high rates for going to the theatre, symphony, art galleries and the ballet. At home, they read lots of books, listen to classical music radio stations and subscribe to business, news and travel magazines. They are politically active, rank high for working on community projects, serving as volunteers and writing letters to public officials. They also support a long list of philanthropic causes, exercising their well-developed social conscience with both their time and money. They read business and travel publications, watch TV golf shows and jazz festivals. This audience is one of the top clusters for buying financial products. These savvy Canadians invest in virtually every kind of mutual fund available. Positioning For philanthropists, the Childrens Health Foundation is an investment that makes a real difference and offers a priceless return a tremendously improved quality of life of children with severe health issues. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. CORPORATE Target audience consists of large and mid-size businesses Childrens Health foundation have not cooperated with. These businesses are looking to incorporate philanthropic activities into their brand and culture to raise awareness and increase their brand equity as well as to contribute to their communities. Positioning For socially responsible businesses, investment in Childrens Health Foundation is a most efficient way to make a difference in the lives of their communities, by helping the most vulnerable part of our society children to lead a quality life recovering from life threatening diseases. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. We have chosen these target markets because middle class is declining and it is increasingly important to retain the loyalty of the donors to ensure steady revenue flow. Corporations is as well an important source of continuous revenue for charities for smooth daily operations. Childrens Health Foundation is currently working on the recognition and stewardship plan and came up with the below thresholds for lifetime giving. Individual $25,000 $99,999 Individual $100,000 $499,999 Individual $500,000 + Corporations $250,000 + Recognition and Stewardship Donor recognition and stewardship program should be aimed to form deep and lasting relationships with the donors, by adopting a long term ongoing mindset rather than to check off a box on a checklist. Conversation should be dynamic and ongoing rather than static. Ideally every level should have a name of the circle who would enjoy the benefits of a specific level of donation. INDIVIDUALS Individual $25,000 $99,999 Give donor a photo frame of the children being helped. To thank them in person if feasible to strengthen the relationship. Develop a stewardship section on the website where all new memberships of the circle are being announced acknowledging the loyalty and support of the new member. A pin of the circle. Invitations to all fundraising events Individual $100,000 $499,999 A painting with colorful handstamps of children of the hospital as an authentic way to say THANK YOU. It should be given in person. Send cards or make a phone call during these birthdays, anniversaries, etc. That way, your donor will know that theyre on the top of your mind. Invitations to all fundraising events. A pin of the circle. Tickets to an art show or complimentary golf rounds received from sponsor so it would not cost anything and donors would feel appreciated. Individual $500,000 + A necklace made by children in the hospital as a thank you gift. A yearly dinner with board members to discuss issues and make the donors feel they are part of the family and get a feeling of what is happening behind the scene. A pin of the circle. Invitations to exclusive events received from sponsors. Send cards or make a phone call during these birthdays, anniversaries, etc. That way, your donor will know that theyre on the top of your mind. Invitations to all fundraising events. A public announcement (if donor agrees). Media Channels Brochures to be handed out in art galleries, theatres, symphonies, fundraising events; ads in business and travel magazines; TV golf shows or jazz festivals; email, face to face, website, Twitter, LinkedIn. CORPORATIONS $250,000 + At the completion of a project or campaign, provide them with a small photo book that showcases the project from inception to completion. A photo book is tangible evidence of how their dollars were spent and serves as a constant reminder of the organization. When creating the photo book, we should be certain to select results-oriented pictures that are tied to your cause and show the impact our organization makes. Highlight a donor on the website or with newsletter. Include why they are such an important part of your organizations family. Honor major donors that stand out with a personalized plaque. A 2 to 5 minute thank you video to publicly recognize them through social media and promote your organization to other potential supporters. Use social media provide the chance to recognize donors in a regular and ongoing way. Media Channels Face to Face, telephone, brochures, email. creative objective individual giving/millennials Our creative strategy is to position Childrens Health Foundation as a cause that invites our young generation to participate and therefore, make a difference. creative strategy individual giving/millennials Target Audience is men and women from 18 to 30 years old singles or young families. Their income is not very high as they are still in college/university or working in entry level jobs that do not bring high income. These young, tech-savvy consumers find their entertainment online. They are doing volunteer work in an effort to improve their community. They tend to donate to whatever inspired them at the moment and are looking for causes with social value and alignment to a higher purpose. They want to participate and co-create products as well as for disruption of the status quo in ways that appeal to their sensibilities. This group is very influenced by their peers. < Rainforest Deforestation | Essay Rainforest Deforestation | Essay There are many reasons why the rainforests are disappearing right before our eyes. There are two main causes total deforestation, agriculture and fuel wood collection in dry areas. The main cause of the disappearing forests are logging, mining, industrial development and large dams. Tourism is also a large threat in deforestation. They all play a major part in the degradation of all forests. What is logging? Many may ask that question to a forest expert. Logging is simply the cutting down of mature trees for their timber. Large areas of the forest are destroyed only to remove a few of its logs. The heavy equipment used to break through the forest causes even more damage. As the soil is compacted and the trees are cut down by the heavy machines, the chance for the regeneration of the forest decreases significantly. The tracks made by the heavy machinery are a site foe extreme soil disturbance which will eventually erode in heavy rains. Now the lives of all the forests inhabitants are disrupted by the removal of only a few logs. The International Tropical Trade Organization (ITTO), was established in 1988 to regulate the trade of tropical timber, but the amount of logging was insignificant on a world wide scale. Most rainforest timber on the international market is exported to rich countries. There, it is then sold hundreds of times the original price paid to the indigenou s people whose forest have been plundered. The timber is then used for the production of doors, wood frames, crates, house hold utensils, and other items. The next cause of deforestation is agriculture, the shifted cultivators, cash crops, and cattle ranching. The term shifted cultivators is commonly used for the people who have moved into the rainforest and established small scale farms. These people are landless peasants who followed roads into the damaged areas of the forests. Shifted cultivators are being blamed for 60% of tropical forest lost. The reason they are called shifted cultivators is that they are forced to move off of their own land and move into the forest which they had no knowledge in order to sustain themselves and their families. After a time these farmers encounter the same problems as the cash crop farmers do. The foil does not stay fertile for a long time, so they are forced to move or shift again to a new area in the forest destroying it more and more. Its evident that shifted cultivators have become part of the destruction of the rainforests but not the cause. Undisturbed areas of the rainforests are being clea red in order to provide land for food crops and grazing cattle. Much of these crops are grown to be exported to rich industrialized countries, which leaves the poor population to go hungry and fend for their selves. Because of the delicate nature of the rainforest soil the productivity of cash crops grown declines after a few years. Mono-culture plantations are those that produce only one species of tree or type of food. The reason they are referred to as cash crops is that the only reason they are planted is simply to make money and make it fast, with very little concern about the environmental damage they are causing. Most cases involve cattle damage, the cattle damage the land to such an extent where the ranchers have no use for it anymore, they move on destroying more and more of the rainforest. The forest is not the only thing being destroyed; cattle ranchers have exploited the land leaving it barren and stripped of nutrients not being able to sustain any life at all. The third cause of deforestation is fuel wood, fuel wood is used for heating and cooking. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 1.5 to 2 billion worldwide rely on fuel wood for many purposes. The problem is worse in drier regions of the tropics. A solution will probably mean the return of the forest to local people who know how to control it. Another cause is the production of large dams, in India and South America millions of acres of forests are being destroyed by the building of these large hydro-electric dams. It was a dominant view that hydro-electric dams had to be built or these countries would suffer from am energy crisis. The construction of the dams not only destroys the forests but also displaces the tens of thousands of families, not only destroying their land, but also their culture. The rates of waterborne diseases increase significantly. The downstream ecosystems are destroyed by the dams which trap the silt, trapping many valuable nutrients. The irrigation and industrial projects that are powered by these dams lead to extensive environmental damage in the future. The irrigation leads to destruction of soils and the industry leads to pollution. Mining and industry is the fifth cause of rainforest destruction. Mining and Industrial development lead to direct forest loss due to the clearing out of land to establish projects. Roads are built through unattainable land, which then opens up the rainforest. This later causes sever water, air, and land pollution. One more being the Colonization Schemes, government and international aid agencies for a time believed that by encouraging the colonization and the trans-migration schemes into the rainforest, they could improve the poverty felt by the people of the financially poor countries. It has become obvious that such schemes have failed numerous times, hurting the indigenous people and the environment. These schemes involved the relocation of millions of families into over populated parts or the forest. For example, in Indonesia, the Transmigration program begun in 1974. it is believed to be the greatest forest lost in Indonesia, directly causing an average loss of 200,000 hectares. These people suffered the same problem as the shifted cultivators did. The soil was not fertile enough, which made them move into another part of the forest destroying more land that was originally intended. The last cause is tourism, the creation of national parks has unquestionably protects rainforests. Though national parks are open to the public, the tourism is damaging most if these areas. National Parks are often advertised to vacationers before sufficient management plans have been developed. Insufficient financial support is to be paid for the preservation of forests by government departments. These government departments see tourism as an easy way to make money, therefore tourism is highly encouraged. Ecotourism or environmentally friendly tourism should educate the tourists to be more environmentally aware. Unfortunately many companies and resorts that advertise themselves as being ecotourist establishments are only exploiting the land for a profit. In conclusion we all have a part in destroying the rainforests; whether it be by logging, mining, industrial development, agriculture, or tourism. In order to make the world a better place for everyone to live in we all must come together and protect what we are destroying. Without the rainforests there wouldnt be oxygen and without oxygen there will be no way for any for of life to survive. So I ask how important are the rainforests to you?