Ethnographic Interview Research Paper Example

Ethnographic Interview Research Paper Example Ethnographic Interview Paper Ethnographic Interview Paper Ethnographic Interview: Taiwan Culture Experience 1 Ethnographic Interview: Taiwan Culture Experience Vntge Jayne Clark Atlanta University Communication Cultural Diversity, Professor Howell March 14, 2011 2 PRECONCEPTIONS Culture is defined as the traditions, customs, norms, beliefs, values and thought patterning passed down from generation to generation (Jandt 2010). The world consists of many different cultures. In this Ethnographic Interview, I was given the opportunity to explore and learn more about a culture different from my own. Through observation I’ve have seen how people of different cultures differ from mines.For example, the type of foods a person eats can sometimes help you to identify their culture. I interviewed fellow classmate of mines, Ting Yan Yang, who was born in Taiwan. Before I initially interviewed my informant I researched the culture of Taiwan. I expected to learn a lot more about the Taiwan culture through my research and interview, because prior to this assignment I knew nothing about the culture. However, I did have my preconception that in some way the Taiwan culture would be connected to the Chinese culture. This preconception was formed based upon my informer’s physical appearance.After research, my preconception proved to be fact. Taiwan’s population is mostly Han Chinese who was born on the mainland or have ancestors that were (Peggy 2009). My research overall gave me a very descriptive background of the Taiwan culture. The culture was described so vividly I could in some ways just picture it. Their value systems in some ways were similar to my own, so I could relate in a lot of ways. Most people in Taiwan have traditional values based on Confucian ethics; however, pressures from industrialization are now challenging these values.Still, some traditional values remain strong, including piety toward parents, ancestor worship, a strong emphasis on education and work, and the importance of face. (Ming-teh 200 6). INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE Before conducting this interview it was required to choose someone of a different culture from my own, and who has not been here for more than 10 years. Immediately one of my 3 classmates came to mind whom I felt I had socially interacted well enough to ask for a favor. I told him that this was a class assignment and describe his role in aiding me to complete it. I asked him how long he had been in America and he told me 8 years.He without hesitation agreed to be my informer. We sat up a date and time that which was suitable for the both of us. I offered to buy lunch at a local sushi restaurant, Chin Chin II, to compensate his time. Chin Chin II served the popular dish sushi, and from research I learned sushi was apart of the Taiwan culture. Sashimi (raw fish) and sushi are very popular in Taiwan (Ming-teh 2006). On the date of the interview I brought only a pad and pen with me. We choose a Saturday to meet up in the afternoon, 2pm to be precise. Before meet ing, I previously drafted a couple of main questions I wanted to address.Although, some questions were created as the interview took place. I avoided any questions of ethnocentrism, judgments towards his actions and ways of thinking, and overly too personal. I was truly convinced any questions of these natures could not in any way give me a true definition of the Taiwan culture. I wanted my informer to feel free to describe his culture, his way, without restrictions. I arrived to the restaurant before my informer. I felt it was respectful for me to initially be there before him which could alter him waiting on me to arrive. When he arrived he greeted me with a handshake and a smile.In the Taiwan culture greetings are formal, and handshakes are the most common form of greeting (Williams 2007). Before conducting the research we ordered our food. He ordered a sushi dish titled Hama chi roll. Usually the only sushi dish I was confident in eating was the California roll but, I decided to order the same dish which I believe could in some ways enrich my Taiwan experience. My informer also ordered a cucumber salad. I was familiar with the cucumber salad because I had eaten it before and it found it to be a 4 tasteful salad. He also ordered lemonade to drink which so happened to be a common drink I ordered when I ate out.I knew right than we shared some similarities. While waiting for our food to arrive I started the interview off with some introductory background questions. His demeanor during the interview was very comfortable. I felt he was being very open and honest with his answers. Our conversations flowed very smoothly. I felt as if I was speaking to someone from a different culture from mines, but the way he expressed his perceptions and experiences were not foreign to me. Plainly, I could see how people all over the world could share the same dilemmas. INTERVIEW 1. What was your initial reason to move to the United States?I have heard that united States have t he best education and the opportunity to do what I want. 2. Did anyone of your family members already stay in America before you moved here? My cousins whole family 3. If so what did they tell it would be like? They just told me the school is very easy over here in United States and people are interesting about the foreigner that about it 4. Before moving to North America did you have an idea of what you thought it would be like? I thought lifestyle would be interesting because I always have a fantasy about the America when I watch American movie, I thought it would be just like that. . Did any type of media via movies, television shows, and or any type of music influence you thoughts on how North America would be? Action movie and Hip Hop music. I love the action movie because they show the beauty of the United States. And hip hop music is very popular which assemble part of the United States culture. 6. How did you arrive to North America? (Airport, train, bus station etc)? Airpla ne 7. What was your experience like first arriving to America? I experienced somewhat of a culture shock. I was surprise the fact that Americans are friendlier and welcoming than I thought they would be. 8.What do you miss most about your original culture? I will have to say the food is what I miss the most from my culture. It is because the food in the united states just not the taste that I used to have. 5 9. Do you miss your homeland? Yes I do from time to time, however I have grown accustom to the United States. 10. Have you ever experienced racism and or discrimination  towards you in any way while in America? Yes (he says Yes very aggressively) I have experienced both racism and discrimination 11. If so can you give me a brief description of one experience? When I first came here, people in the school were not very friendly.The school was predominately white. In class other students tend to make fun of me in any ways they could because I was different from them. I remember w hen I was eating, people came up to me and ask for the food in my plate and if I didnt give it to them, they will create the rumor that make people keep distance with me. 11. What are some of your culture customs? (food, music, dances, rituals, etc) In the lunar Chinese New Year, each family comes together at once. The family will prepare the most luxurious food on the table, and all the dishes have to be finished. 12. Did you speak English prior to moving here?I barely understand the English language 13. If you didn’t speak English prior to moving here how did you learn the English language? Was it a difficult language to learn? I join all kinds of activities at school. And I join the sports team because I am a social person it was easier for me to make friends. When I first learned the language at first it is difficult but after a while, it became easier to understand and speak fluently.

Dakosaurus - Facts and Figures

Dakosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Dakosaurus (Greek for tearing lizard); pronounced DACK-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Shallow seas of Eurasia and North and South America Historical Period: Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (150-130 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 15 feet long and 1,000-2,000 pounds Diet: Fish, squids and marine reptiles Distinguishing Characteristics: Dinosaur-like head; primitive rear flippers About Dakosaurus Like its close relatives Metriorhynchus and Geosaurus, Dakosaurus was technically a prehistoric crocodile, even if this fierce marine reptile was more reminiscent of the mosasaurs that appeared tens of millions of years later. But unlike other metriorhynchids, as these sea-going crocodiles are called, Dakosaurus looked like it was assembled out of the bits and pieces of other animals: its head resembled that of a terrestrial theropod dinosaur, while its long, clumsy, leg-like hind flippers pointed to a creature only partly evolved beyond its terrestrial origins. Overall, it seems unlikely that Dakosaurus was a particularly fast swimmer, though it was clearly just speedy enough to prey on its fellow marine reptiles, not to mention assorted fish and squids. For a marine reptile, Dakosaurus has an unusually long pedigree. The type species of the genus, initially mistaken for a specimen of Geosaurus, was named way back in 1856, and before that scattered Dakosaurus teeth were mistaken for those of the terrestrial dinosaur Megalosaurus. However, the real buzz about Dakosaurus began in the late 1980s, when a new species, Dakosaurus andiniensis, was discovered in the Andes Mountains of South America. One D. andiniensis skull discovered in 2005 was so large and fearsome that it was dubbed Godzilla by the excavating team, one paleontologist going on record as saying that this dinosaur-like reptile represented the most drastic evolutionary change in the history of marine crocodiles.

A Philosophical Understanding of Researching Gangs in the NTE Essay

A Philosophical Understanding of Researching Gangs in the NTE - Essay Example As postulated by Plato, the Greek philosopher (427-347 BC), knowledge can be distinctively considered as â€Å"Justified True Belief†. The theory encompasses major queries regarding the basis of knowledge, the methodical approach of its acquisition, people’s understanding level, and how & why is it necessary to know what one perceives. There is a subtle difference epistemologically between the theory and practical (of what is gathered by experience) aspects of knowledge. (Watson, 2004) John Locke advocates the idea of Innatism, which proposes that the knowledge accumulated in an individual through experience, is actually born of that person’s pre-existing sub-conscious knowledge base. Empiricism is a theory of knowledge that lays emphasis on the role of experience, especially the experience based on constant observations by the five senses. Some empiricists think that all the knowledge is empirical while others separate mathematics and logic from the stream. (Fum erton, 2005) The German philosopher Immanuel Kant of the 18th century states, "although all our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it arises from experience" (Taylor, 1989, p.80). From here also we get the essence of â€Å"Transcendental Absolute† as guided by the theorists of Innatism. In his works of Personal Knowledge, Michael Polanyi attempts to bring out the distinction between â€Å"knowing that† and â€Å"knowing how†. The level of consciousness is heightened through the attainments of multiple experiences and different perception levels. The epistemological approach identifies two basic types of knowledge; one is â€Å"A priori† which interprets the structure of knowledge is independent of empirical experiences and the other one â€Å"A posteriori† is justified by the experiencing through the practical way. Hume’s epistemological treatise on natural knowledge

Memo 1-follow intructions below Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Memo 1-follow intructions below - Case Study Example According to an email sent, there were examples of adjustments made as a result of budget cut. It is better to understand these adjustments were not done intentionally but as a result of drastic change in Budget cost. Lake Clarke National Park offers services which everyone would look forward to enjoy. The mail was not written without the right consent. The relevant individuals had tried all they could squeeze the park’s budget in the new reduced budget. It is at times impossible to shift to a new budget line. Low service-adjustment caused by changes in reduced Budget cost can close down the company’s operations. Lake Clarke National Park was forced to lower some services it offered to its customers. Poor financial situation of the park led to changes in services it offered. My intention is to make the park’s customers understand the financial position of it. The mail used had good means to reach the

Human Behavior in an Organization Essay Example for Free

Human Behavior in an Organization Essay In an organization there are lots of factors to be considered for the company to achieve its goals and objective and succeed. These factors include communication, motivation, leadership skills, personal characteristics of employees, interaction between and among employees and teamwork. Communication is significant in transferring information because the information to be transferred must be precise and accurate to avoid miscommunication. Failure to communicate proper information might cause a negative long-term effect on the company. Furthermore, miscommunication may result to personal conflicts between members of an organization. Persons or employees in the organization must feel motivated to achieve the goals and objectives that should be met. This motivation may come from personal factors, such as for family and self-competence, or external factors, such as salaries or benefits are tied to performance of doing a job. Highly motivated members are the ones who mostly done their job efficiently. Management must motivate employees for them to do their jobs efficiently and effectively so as to lessen any probable negative impacts to the organization. There is always a person or a group of persons that will initiate any activities done by an organization and we usually call these people as leaders. A leader must be sensitive to feelings of others but not to the extent that it would prejudice any undertakings made by the group. We see different kinds of leaders, there are those who are autocratic or who don’t listen to what others has to say but there are also those that listens, hears and considers the point of view of others. Conflicts may arise in an organization primarily because of the personal characteristics of each employee that are not acceptable to others. This should not be done because everyone is different in his or her own way. Conflicts between employees would result to negative effects that would cause to fail to meet the objectives. These problems between members must be resolve to build a better relationship between them and to be able to prevent this problems to arise again in the future. In any activity that an organization should do, teamwork must always be present. This is very important to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives efficiently. In a team, each one must do their part to help achieve the goal and not help prejudice the activity. In a team, together everyone achieves more, which means that if members would just work together, all of the objectives, even the least important objective will be met. There are weaknesses and strengths inside a group and this must be taken into considerations, to eliminate these weaknesses and improve those strengths. Team building activities may be done by the organization to improve the relationship between and among members so as to have a team that works together for a common goal. Hence, goal congruence arises, which is very important factor that must exist inside the organization. Thus, proper communication, motivation, leadership skills, relationships between members and teamwork must exist within an organization. In this way, any goals and objectives of the organization will be met. As long as each one of the members do their parts well, nothing could go wrong and the organization will be successful in any activities they will undertake.

Ghost Children of San Antonio Essay -- Urban Legends Ghost Stories

Ghost Children of San Antonio The legend of the Ghost Children of San Antonio dates back to the first half of the 20th century, with the majority of accounts placing its origins within a period extending from the 1930’s to the 1950’s. The story is based on a supposed freak accident involving a school bus full of children. As the story goes, the school bus stalled over a set of train tracks and was subsequently hit by an oncoming freight train, killing everyone on board the bus. (Weiser) Not soon after this grisly event, it was said that, should anyone park their car on the very same train tracks and place the gears in neutral, the car will roll uphill (seemingly defying gravity) off of the train tracks to a safe distance away. According to legend, the ghosts of the dead children from the bus accident push one’s car to safety (seemingly uphill) so they may avoid a similar fate. (Mikkelson) This story was recounted to me by a 20 year old female student at my University. She is a Communications major, coming from an upper middle class family in the rural suburbs of New Jersey. I interviewed her in her apartment sometime in the late afternoon in an informal setting. Although she is skeptical about things such as urban legends and ghost tales, she explained to me that this story always unsettled her in an inexplicable way. Yeah, there’s one [story] that’s pretty scary that comes to mind. My one friend [name omitted] – I think you met her once – well she moved to Jersey from Texas about 3 years ago and told me about this place kids would go when they were drunk or just looking for something to do. I asked her if she’d ever been there, but she told me she’d only heard it from a friend of a friend kind of deal. Well, an... ... that the story is representative of how all ghosts behave. Society prefers to consider ghosts as â€Å"protectors† or â€Å"helpers† rather than as â€Å"frighteners† or â€Å"killers.† Works Cited Juliano, Dave. "Haunted Places in Maryland." The Shadowlands Ghosts and Hauntings. 09 Apr. 2006. http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/. Lane, Stephanie. "Cry Baby Bridges." Dead Ohio. 09 Apr. 2006 www.deadohio.com. Mikkelson, Barbara. "Helping Hands." Snopes. 24 Mar 2003. Urban Legends Reference Pages. 09 Apr. 2006. www.snopes.com. Sceurman, Mark. Weird U.S. Weird NJ, Inc. 09 Apr. 2006. www.weirdus.com. Wagner, Stephen. "The Haunted Railroad Crossing." About Paranormal. About, Inc. 09 Apr. 2006. http://paranormal.about.com. Weiser, Kathy. "Lone Star Legends: Ghostly Children." Legends of America. Oct 2005. Legends of America.com. 09 Apr. 2006. www.legendsofamerica.com.

Oil and wasser assignment Essay

The story began from two enterprises. The company Royal –biscuit, would like to merge Edeling, a company from Germany. Brighton, CEO of Royal-biscuit, had coordinated with Wallach for many times. When they decide to merge together, they should have known that both of their cultures are quite incompatible which might result in severe conflict. In this case, we can see that most of the difficulties are about cross-culture difference. The culture of Royal-Biscuit emphasizes â€Å"Active†, â€Å"Ambitious†, and â€Å"Fast-training†, and that’s the reason why it changed food industry in UK within 10 years. However, Edeling is a family owned business with 120-year history, and quite popular in Germany. Employee in Royal-Biscuit were afraid that they might make things slowly down if everything are well-prepared and step by step, while employee in Edeling were afraid that they didn’t respect their history at all, just eager to succeed in short term. Such situation not only happened in internal management, but also happened in human resource, like recruitment for talented. Brighton wanted to integrate two companies ASAP, so that they train they staff to own leadership by â€Å"Learning and doing†. They put them in the managerial position directly. On the other hand, Edeling has a successful business model due to their system and operation. They cultivate their leader by sending them to college of commerce and doing work from basic level. Not only culture difference in both company, but also about â€Å"Nation difference†.

Charlottetown Conference

The Charlottetown Conference By the early 1860s, the British colonies of North America were considering the benefits of a union. The American Civil War had created a new military power and a renewed threat to the small, divided colonies to the north. And British public opinion had been in favour of reducing, if not eliminating government spending in North America, especially for defence. In September 1864, British North American politicians met in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to discuss the possibility of a union. (Courtesy of the National Archives of Canada)In September 1864, the Atlantic provinces – Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland – organized a conference to discuss a union among themselves. Governor General Monck asked that the province of Canada be invited to their talks, â€Å"to ascertain whether the proposed Union might not be made to embrace the whole of British North American Provinces. † Canada's most prominent p oliticians journeyed down the St. Lawrence River on a 191-ton steamer, with $13,000 of champagne in its hold, to attend the conference in Prince Edward Island. Those on board included John A.Macdonald, and George Brown from Upper Canada and George-Etienne Cartier, Thomas D'Arcy McGee and Alexander Galt from Lower Canada. Each journeyed to Charlottetown with a different motive in mind. Cartier felt that if he could persuade the Maritimes to join in a union, together their population would balance that of Upper Canada. In contrast, Brown wanted an end to what he considered French domination of English affairs – the end of a political stalemate. Macdonald was worried about American aggression and felt that the united British colonies, perhaps, could resist their powerful neighbour.In the 1860s, John A. Macdonald was instrumental in creating the Dominion of Canada and became its first prime minister. (Courtesy of the National Archives of Canada) The group of eight cabinet ministe rs and three secretaries arrived in Charlottetown on the same day as Slaymaker's and Nichol's Olympic Circus, the first circus to visit the island in 20 years. The harbour was deserted with most of the town at the circus. The delegates to the conference soon formed a different, political circus with a marathon of speeches, protests, lobster lunches, resolutions, picnics, alliances, flirtations and champagne balls.On the first official day of the conference, Macdonald spoke at length about the benefits of a union of all of British North America. The next day, Galt – a businessman, finance minister, and railway promoter – presented a well-researched description of the financial workings of such a union. On the third day, George Brown discussed the legal structure. And on the fourth day, McGee praised the nationalist identity, one that he saw bolstered by a vivid Canadian literature. Prominent politician George-Etienne Cartier was the leading spokesman for French Canada d uring Confederation negotiations. Courtesy of the National Archives of Canada) The original intent of the conference to discuss a Maritime union was overwhelmed by talk of a larger union. In a matter of days the Maritimers and Canadians had persuaded each other to create a new federation. The delegates were giddy with success and the celebration party continued in Halifax, Saint John and Fredericton. But the terms of the union remained to be worked out – a daunting political task. The delegates agreed to meet again in Quebec City the following month.

Admiral Barbarossa of the Ottoman Empire

Admiral Barbarossa of the Ottoman Empire He began his naval career as a Barbary pirate, alongside his brothers, raiding Christian coastal villages and seizing ships across the Mediterranean. Khair-ed-Din, also known as Hayreddin Barbarossa, was so successful as a corsair that he managed to become the ruler of Algiers, and then the chief admiral of the Ottoman Turkish navy under Suleiman the Magnificent. Barbarossa started life as a simple potters son and rose to lasting piratical fame. Early Life Khair-ed-Din was born sometime in the late 1470s or early 1480s in the village of Palaiokipos, on the Ottoman-controlled Greek island of Midilli. His mother Katerina was likely a Greek Christian, while his father Yakup is of uncertain ethnicity - different sources state that he was Turkish, Greek, or Albanian. In any case, Khair was the third of their four sons. Yakup was a potter, who purchased a boat to help him sell his goods all around the island and beyond. His sons all learned to sail as part of the family business. As young men, sons Ilyas and Aruj operated their fathers boat, while Khair bought a ship of his own; they all began operating as privateers in the Mediterranean.   Between 1504 and 1510, Aruj used his fleet of ships to help ferry Moorish Muslim refugees from Spain to North Africa after the Christian Reconquista and the fall of Granada. The refugees referred to him as Baba Aruj or Father Aruj, but Christians heard the name as Barbarossa, which is Italian for Redbeard.  As it happened, Aruj and Khair both had red beards, so the western nickname stuck.   In 1516, Khair and his older brother Aruj led a sea and land invasion of Algiers, then under Spanish domination. The local amir, Salim al-Tumi, had invited them to come and free his city, with assistance from the Ottoman Empire. The brothers defeated the Spanish and drove them from the city, and then assassinated the amir.   Aruj took power as the new Sultan of Algiers, but his position was not secure. He accepted an offer from the Ottoman sultan Selim I to make Algiers part of the Ottoman Empire; Aruj became the Bey of Algiers, a tributary ruler under Istanbuls control. The Spanish killed Aruj in 1518, however, at the capture of Tlemcen, and Khair took on both the beyship of Algiers and the nickname Barbarossa.   Bey of Algiers In 1520, Sultan Selim I died and a new sultan took the Ottoman throne. He was Suleiman, called The Lawgiver in Turkey and The Magnificent by Europeans. In return for Ottoman protection from Spain, Barbarossa offered Suleiman the use of his pirate fleet. The new bey was an organizational mastermind, and soon Algiers was the center of privateer activity for all of North Africa. Barbarossa became the de facto ruler of all the so-called Barbary pirates  and began to build up a significant land-based army as well. Barbarossas fleet captured a number of Spanish ships returning from the Americas laden with gold. It also raided coastal Spain, Italy, and France, carrying off loot and also Christians who would be sold as slaves. In 1522, Barbarossas ships assisted in the Ottoman conquest of the island of Rhodes, which had been a stronghold for the troublesome Knights of St. John, also called Knights Hospitaller, an order left over from the Crusades. In the fall of 1529, Barbarossa helped an additional 70,000 Moors flee from Andalusia, southern Spain, which was in the grips of the Spanish Inquisition. Throughout the 1530s, Barbarossa continued to capture Christian shipping, seize towns, and raid Christian settlements all around the Mediterranean. In 1534, his ships sailed right up to the River Tiber, causing panic in Rome. To answer the threat he posed, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire appointed famed Genoese admiral Andrea Doria, who began to capture Ottoman towns along the southern Greek coast. Barbarossa responded in 1537 by seizing a number of Venetian-controlled islands for Istanbul.   Events came to a head in 1538.  Pope Paul III organized a Holy League made up of the Papal States, Spain, the Knights of Malta, and the Republics of Genoa and Venice. Together, they assembled a fleet of 157 galleys under Andrea Dorias command, with the mission of defeating Barbarossa and the Ottoman fleet. Barbarossa had just 122 galleys when the two forces met off of Preveza. The Battle of Preveza, on September 28, 1538, was a smashing victory for Hayreddin Barbarossa.  Despite their smaller numbers, the Ottoman fleet took the offensive and crashed through Dorias attempt at encirclement. The Ottomans sank ten of the Holy Leagues ships, captured 36 more, and burned three, without losing a single ship themselves. They also captured about 3,000 Christian sailors, at a cost of 400 Turkish dead and 800 wounded. The following day, despite urging from the other captains to stay and fight, Doria ordered the survivors of the Holy Leagues fleet to withdraw. Barbarossa continued on to Istanbul, where Suleiman received him at the Topkapi Palace and promoted him to Kapudan-i Derya or Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Navy, and Beylerbey or Governor of governors of Ottoman North Africa.  Suleiman also gave Barbarossa the governorship of Rhodes, fittingly enough. The Grand Admiral The victory at Preveza gave the Ottoman Empire dominance in the Mediterranean Sea that lasted for more than thirty years. Barbarossa took advantage of that dominance to clear all of the islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas of Christian fortifications. Venice sued for peace in October of 1540, acknowledging Ottoman suzerainty over those lands and paying war indemnities. The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, tried in 1540 to tempt Barbarossa to become the top admiral of his fleet, but Barbarossa was not willing to be recruited. Charles personally led a siege on Algiers the following fall, but stormy weather and Barbarossas formidable defenses wreaked havoc on the Holy Roman fleet  and sent them sailing for home. This attack on his home base led Barbarossa to adopt an even more aggressive stance, raiding throughout the western Mediterranean Sea. The Ottoman Empire was allied with France by this time, in what the other Christian nations called The Unholy Alliance, working in opposition to Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. Barbarossa and his ships defended southern France from Spanish attack several times between 1540 and 1544. He also made a number of daring raids on Italy. The Ottoman fleet was recalled in 1544  when Suleiman and Charles V reached a truce.  In 1545, Barbarossa went on his last expedition, sailing to raid the Spanish mainland and offshore islands. Death and Legacy The great Ottoman admiral retired to his palace in Istanbul in 1545, after appointing his son to rule Algiers. As a retirement project, Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha dictated his memoirs in five, hand-written volumes. Barbarossa died in 1546.  He is buried on the European side of the Bosporus Straits. His statue, which stands next to his mausoleum, includes this verse: Whence on the seas horizon comes that roar? / Can it be Barbarossa now returning / From Tunis or Algiers or from the isles? / Two hundred ships ride on the waves / Coming from lands the rising crescent lights / O blessed ships, from what seas are you come? Hayreddin Barbarossa left behind a great Ottoman navy, which continued to support the empires great power status for centuries to come. It stood as a monument to his skills in organization and administration, as well as naval warfare. Indeed, in the years following his death, the Ottoman navy ventured out into the Atlantic and into the Indian Ocean to project Turkish power in distant lands.

10 Tips for Learning a Foreign Language as an Adult

10 Tips for Learning a Foreign Language as an Adult While the U.S. is home to over 350 different languages, according to a report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), most Americans are monolingual. And this limitation can negatively impact individuals, U.S. companies, and even the country as a whole.   For example, the AAAS notes that learning a second language improves cognitive ability, assists in learning other subjects, and delays some of the effects of aging. Other findings include that up to 30% of U.S. companies have stated that they’ve missed business opportunities in foreign countries because they didn’t have in-house staff who spoke the dominant languages of those countries, and 40% stated they could not reach their international potential because of language barriers.  However, one of the most striking and alarming examples of the importance of learning a foreign language happened at the onset of the 2004 avian flu epidemic. According to the AAAS, scientists in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries did not originally understand the magnitude of avian flu because they could not read the original research – which was written by Chinese researchers. In fact, the report notes that just 200,000 U.S. students are studying Chinese compared to 300 to 400 million Chinese students who are studying English. And 66% of Europeans know at least one other language compared to just 20% of Americans. Many European countries have national requirements that students must learn at least one foreign language by the age of 9, according to data from the Pew Research Center. In the U.S., school districts are typically allowed to set their own policies. As a result, the vast majority (89%) of American adults who know a foreign language say they learned it in their childhood home. Learning Styles for Children Children and adults learn foreign languages differently. Rosemary G. Feal, executive director of the Modern Language Association, says, â€Å"Children generally learn languages through games, songs, and repetition, and in an immersive environment, they often produce speech spontaneously.† And there’s a reason for that spontaneity. According to Katja Wilde, head of Didactics at Babbel, â€Å"Unlike adults, children are less aware of making mistakes and the associated embarrassment, and therefore, dont correct themselves.† Learning Styles for Adults However, Feal explains that with adults, studying the formal structures of the language is usually helpful. â€Å"Adults learn to conjugate verbs, and they benefit from grammatical explanations along with strategies such as repetition and memorizing key phrases.† Adults also learn in a more conscious way, according to Wilde: â€Å"They have strong metalinguistic awareness, which children don’t have.† This means that adults reflect on the language they learn. For example ‘Is this the best word to express what I want to say’ or ‘Did I use the correct grammar structure?’† Wilde explains. And adults usually have different motivators. Wilde says that adults typically have specific reasons for learning a foreign language. â€Å"Better quality of life, self-improvement, career advancements, and other intangible benefits are usually the motivating factors.   Some people believe that its too late for adults to learn a new language, but Wilde disagrees. â€Å"Although children tend to be better at subconscious learning, or acquisition, adults tend to be better at learning, because they are able to process more complex thought processes.† Try 10 tips for learning languages: 1) Know why youre doing it. 2) Find a partner. 3) Talk to yourself. 4) Keep it relevant. 5) Have fun with it. 6) Act like a child. 7) Leave your comfort zone. 8) Listen. 9) Watch people talk. 10) Dive in. Feal also recommends other ways for adults to learn a foreign language, such as watching TV shows and film in the target language. â€Å"In addition, reading written materials of all kinds, engaging in interactive conversations on the web, and for those who can travel, an in-country experience, can help adults make meaningful progress.† In addition to these tips, Wilde says that Babbel offers on-line courses that can be completed in bite-sized chunks, anytime and anywhere. Other sources for learning a new language include Learn A Language, Fluent in 3 Months, and DuoLingo. College students can also take advantage of study abroad programs where they can learn new languages and new cultures. There are several benefits to learning a new language. This type of skill can increase cognitive skills and lead to career opportunities - especially since multilingual employees can earn higher salaries. Learning new languages and cultures can also result in a more informed and diverse society.

Management Decisions Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Decisions - Term Paper Example On the other hand, increase of stock prices causes economic growth through investment and consumption channels. The finding of this essay shows the interrelationship between the increase in stock’s price and growth of the economy. This is enhanced through consumption and investment channels that exist in the product and financial market Management decisions Introduction Management in a firm entails board of directors who are entrusted by shareholders with responsibilities of running the business because they have the required expertise. Management should hire temporary workers and upgrade old machines in order to lower cost of input. Additionally, they should also ensure the optimal parts kept in the shelf have the capacity to sustain demand in the product market and give optimal profit. It is agreed in all business circles that a firm’s management should also look over shareholders’ interest. This is in an effort to maximize shareholders’ value by engagin g in decisions that that facilitate rise of value and economic growth of the firm. In order to have an efficient financial and product market, stock prices should be addressed because it holds the present and future information of the firm. This implies that great performance of firm’s managements should be focused and reflected in price stock. Therefore, every decision made by the management should address stock prices of the firm in the financial market. This is in an effort to maximize profits thus reflecting to the growth of the economy. In addition, the management should embark on decisions that that lowers the cost of the input in a firm. This is in an effort to increase profit margin, which is achieved when cost of inputs is lower while stock prices increases. This paper work focuses on management decisions to regulate stock prices and input cost in order to enhance economic growth of the firm. Value maximization in a firm The corporate objective of managers in a firm is to safeguard the interest of all stakeholders, who includes customers, employees and the general public who are associated with the company. During decision-making, the management is faced with trade-offs which makes them unable to serve all the stakeholders at the same time. On the contrary, it is elaborate that when the management takes the right decision, there is maximization of stakeholders’ value. In addition to this, they also make a substantial contribution in the growth of the entire economy which causes the prosperity of all stakeholders (Hayes, 2001). Management decision of lowering the cost of inputs and raise the stock price has a greater influence in the economy. This is because it increases the profit margin which is the main objective of firms in the economy. According to macro economics the profit margin in a firm can be achieved through investment and consumption channels in the market. Change in stock prices affects patterns of consumption in the economy thus increasing shareholders wealth. This assumption is based on the life cycle theory, which states that individuals consume a constant percent of their present value and future income. This indicates that stock price and level of consumption have a direct relationship in the economy (Offenbacher, 2007). On the other hand, the relationship