Definition Of The Term Authentic Material

Definition Of The Term Authentic Material During the last decades, English language has been expanding considerably all over the world. In fact, people have started to talk about English language as the new global language. As a consequence of this impressive evolution, our nation has applied several educational measures to the general curriculum of education in order to teach correctly English as a second language in schools. The creation of the program Inglà ©s abre puertas and the changes made to the studying plans of MINEDUC are clear examples of this initiative. Notwithstanding, these attempts of improving the English level in our students did not work at all. Last year, a proficiency test called SIMCE was taken so as to evaluate the level of English language in students of third year of high school, and the results obtained by this assessment were really deficient. Indeed, 89% of all students evaluated were not able to certificate a basic level of English. In light of this pitiful scenario, this paper proposes the use of authentic materials as an interesting and useful ESL teaching technique which can contribute to ameliorate the low level of English in students. In the following paragraphs, it will be stated the definition of the concept authentic materials in the ESL field and the sources where teachers can get them. Furthermore, guidelines for the correct selection of these teaching materials will be provided, and the advantages of using them will be described in detail and supported firmly. As the title of this project says, the subject of study is the use of authentic materials in ESL lessons. Thereby, it is necessary to start by defining what authentic materials really are. Firstly, the conceptualization of teaching/learning materials has to be stated concisely and explicitly. In essence, the term material refers to resources in the classroom which students are able to use with the purpose of improving and complementing their learning process. For instance, a book, a photocopied handout, a poster, a flashcard, a whiteboard, or any technological equipment can be defined as material because they act in a complementary way in the teaching/learning process and include the characteristics mentioned before. As Tomlinson (1998) asserts, they are anything which is used to help to teach language learners.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ anything which presents or informs about the language being learned.(p.11). Although it is easy to delineate the meaning of the term teaching/learning materials, the concept of authenticity is a bit more complex of classifying since there are several different authors who have attempted to define it in the field of second language teaching. For example, Heitler (2005) states that authentic materials are any texts written by native English speakers for native English speakers (p.5), while Tomlinson (1998) ascertains that an authentic text is a text not written or spoken for language teaching purposes. Likewise, Kramsh (1993) adds the term authentic has been used as a reaction against the prefabricated artificial language of textbooks and instructional dialogues, it refers to the way language is used in non-pedagogic, natural communication, and Little and Singleton (1988) declares that an authentic text is a text that was created to fulfill some social purpose in the language community in which it was produced. In the same line, Harmer (1991) defines authentic texts as materials which are designed for native speakers; they are real texts; designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language, and Sanderson (1999) complements the description of authentic materials saying that they are materials that we can use with the students in the classroom and that have not been changed in any way for ESL students. A classic example would be a newspaper article thats written for a native-English-speaking audience (p.3). As it can be seen, there is a spectrum of distinct conceptualizations of authenticity. However, there is an agreement with some specific characteristics of genuine resources among the definitions established before. One of those shared features is the non-pedagogic purpose. Authentic materials are not produced nor adapted so as to be used for teaching or learning a second language; in fact, they are taken as genuine as possible from the reality. In this way, the artificiality of language is avoided completely. A pos itive consequence since the artificial nature of the language and structures used, make them very unlike anything that the learner will encounter in the real world and very often they do not reflect how the language is really used (Berardo, 2006, p.62). In order to complete this pursuit of genuineness, it is essential to obtain materials produced by native speakers. They interact with their peers inevitably in the target language because it is their innate language. Actually, there is not a better version of spoken or written English than the one made by the people who lives in English spoken cultures, so native production becomes another key aspect in the classification of authentic materials. Considering that any interaction between two native speakers can be used as an authentic material, it is unavoidable to look for common situations with the intention of getting real communication in English. Every person uses his own language to transmit a message to other person, and this pr ocess of normal communication among people has to be captured so as to have the authenticity desired in ESL teaching. Thus, real communication is a vital facet in the conceptualization authentic materials. In sum, the three basic characteristics of authentic materials are non-pedagogic purpose, native production, and real communication. For the purpose of this paper, authentic materials will be classified and identified in respect of those features. Nowadays, there is a huge variety of different sources where materials with the characteristics established before can be found, so the task of selection of adequate genuine resources has become a tough one. Even though, the globalized world offers multiple options to look for proper authentic materials for ESL lessons, there are three prime sources which are the most typical used: internet, literature, and mass media. The first one provides a limitless range of useful materials for ESL classroom. In internet, teachers can find podcast, videos, songs, websites, images, advertising, and plenty of other resources which can serve as authentic materials. All these resources possess the benefits of being constantly updated, and additionally most of them are interactive. Unquestionably, this source is the one which contains more available resources among the three named before, and the procedure of searching for specific information is easy to do as well. These advantages of abundance and easiness plus the others mentioned above make internet a valuable source for ESL teaching. Opposite to the advantages of internet, literature works with others aspects of language. It does not provide many resources to be used as authentic materials; indeed, it mainly provides books. Despite the fact that poems and fairy tales can also be utilized for ESL teaching, they are not applied in lessons in a frequent mode. In regard to books, they not only serve as genuine resources for English teaching/learning, but they also function as a reflection of the community in which was written. From literature, students can extract relevant information about cultures and know in depth their linguistic characteristics. As Sanderson (1999) states, language and cultures are intrexicably linked (p.2), so the cultural background is an important advantage of using literature as a source. In addition to this benefit, there is a special contribution to students made by literature. Most of the books are written with the purpose of transferring human experiences to readers, and these experiences have an intrinsic emotional significance. Hence, teachers can use literature to teach students human values so as to educate them integrally. In that way, they will be exploiting totally these authentic materials, and completing one of the major tasks for educators. By the same token, the other main source for finding genuine resources exhibits benefits akin to the previous ones. Mass media play an essential role in the communication of modern society, and their relevance can be demonstrated with the fact that today people are informed about all the important events which happen in the world due to their communicative labor. Mass media function as a way of global communication, and their product is abounding and immediate information. There are several resources from mass media which can be utilized for ESL teaching as magazines, TV programs, live radio and newspapers, but just the last men tioned provides numerous benefits as authentic material. According to Sanderson (1999), there are numerous reasons to use newspapers in classroom, and the stronger ones are general educational value, cultural background, reader interest, and varieties of English. The first one refers basically to the fact that newspapers inform people about what is happening in the world and elaborate on their general knowledge about their reality. The second one refers to the reflection of the culture where a newspaper is written in the language used within it. It is similar to the contribution of books in ESL lessons. The third reason is explained by the assortment of topics and sections which a newspaper contains. Due to that diversity of subjects, readers can be motivated and interested in working with them. The final argument points out the wide range of text types and language styles that newspapers offer to ESL teachers. It is not easy to find this multiplicity in others resources. In view of the advantages of using newspapers described before, they are definitely a beneficial and practical material for ESL teaching. Regardless the fact that plenty of texts can be taken from the three prime sources named in the previous paragraph, it does not mean that all the materials contained in them will be appropriate for ESL teaching. Actually, many examples of language use could be too complex, or too informal for L2 pedagogy. Thus, there are certain criteria which serve as filter for this profusion of resources. According to Berardo (2006), some specific traits have to be pondered in the selection of authentic materials. The most important one is the suitability of the text. The material has to be related to the needs of the students, and additionally it must be motivating for them. For instance, it will be absurd to use a conversation about the construction of a building between two engineers as a learning material if the learners are studying medicine or law because the resources utilized do not fit with the needs of the students. For this purpose, it is necessary to know as many aspects of the student s as possible, so teachers can look for attractive and relevant genuine resources. A useful way of collecting likes and dislikes of students is the use of surveys. By using that technique, teachers can accrue the necessary knowledge about the target group so as to find apt materials. Other factor to consider in selecting materials is exploitability. The text which will be used in class must have a teaching purpose. It should demand coherent and significant tasks from students in order to be helpful for the ESL lesson. Even though authentic material contains real English language, they could not have a use in the classroom if they do not require students to do fruitful exercises. Consequently, the fact of providing native English language is not enough to select a material for an ESL lesson. The texts extracted from the sources must be compatible with the objectives of the class. In addition to this, the complexity of a text should be also considered in the process of deciding if a m aterial is appropriate for ESL teaching. The language level of the genuine resource chosen must match with the language level of students. Linguistic features as structural and lexical ones can affect directly the understanding of students about the text, as well as the amount of new vocabulary and any new grammatical forms present in the material. A teacher cannot pretend to work with materials which their students are not even able to comprehend. The last element which needs consideration in the choice of proper teaching resources is presentation. The contextualization of the authentic material is a detail that cannot be sidestepped. Pictures, photographs, realia and concept maps can help students not only to grasp correctly the gist of the text, but also can aid to construct an imaginary image of the context in which the genuine resource was created. Besides, those elements add attractiveness to materials and stimulate students to learn the target language. The appearance of text s is the first aspect that students notice when materials a represented to them, so it is vital factor in the attempt of getting the attention of students. Considering the explanations and justifications of each criterion in the procedure of choosing materials, it would be beneficial for the teaching and learning of a second language to apply them. Therefore, teachers have to use the four criteria described thoroughly in the previous lines with the purpose of selecting practical and adequate materials for ESL lessons. As it has been already defined the term authentic materials and has been proposed guidelines to select appropriately them, it is the time to say explicitly why genuine resources should be used in ESL classes since that argument is the gist of this research paper. In concise words, the main reason for utilizing genuine resources in ESL lessons is they provide varied and exclusive advantages to the teaching/learning process of English language. Actually, numerous investigators of the field as Nuttal, Widdowson, Berardo, or Martinez have identified many benefits from the use of authentic materials, and in the following lines the most important ones will be presented to support the idea stated. The first and chief advantage of using authentic materials in ESL class is the exposure to real English. One of the central principles in the application of this kind of teaching resource is to immerse students to as much natural language as possible because learners are accustomed to receive an artificial version of the target language in their normal classes. Inevitably, the English language adapted to instructional purposes loses certain incidental features of genuine communication and reproduces the view of teaching designed by the people in charge, whereas using authentic materials provides readers with the chance to practice English with real models of language and to realize differences between communication of native speakers and non-native speakers. This last sentence offers a convenient bridge to explain the sense of achievement which will be the second advantage highlighted in this section. As students do not commonly work with authentic materials in English classes, they can feel afraid of misunderstanding the whole texts or committing mistakes when they will be working with them. The fear towards materials made in foreign countries affects directly the way in which students acquire the target dialect, and the sense of achievement can be explained with regard to that assumption. As it is believed that genuine resources are complex and hard to work with, students feel really happy and proud of themselves when they are able to grasp the main ideas of texts or to complete the tasks demanded for the material. Any improvement produced by learners pertaining to the comprehension and exploitation of authentic material will be significant for them. It is a unique and progressive procedure of delight in learners. Similar to the last benefit of using authentic materials, the next one is also concerned with the affective dimension of learners. Indeed, the third advantage which will be examined in depth is motivation. Generally, students react in a positive way upon the use of novel teaching/learning materials in everyday classes. These innovative pedagogic resources stimulate learners to practice language in an enthusiastic mode. Introducing authentic materials to an English lesson can attain the affective consequences named before since that kind of materials are unusual for students. Besides, genuine resources usually contain diverse visual stimuli which make them more appealing for learners. Videos, newspapers, brochures, and job advices are examples of that motivating characteristic. In light of the advantages about motivation and sense of achievement, it is important to mention that the affective factors of learning a second language have been investigated exhaustively during the last decades. As a matter of fact, Krashen (1977), who is considered one of the most important authors in the field of second language acquisition, states a hypothesis called affective filter which is about the relevance of feelings and attitudes in the L2 acquisition process. Returning to our focus, the fourth advantage of using authentic materials in ESL lessons is cultural background. By way of genuine resources are real communicative situations extracted from their natural context, there are traits of the context embed in them. Thus, cultural information about a country or a community can be obtained from the use of this type of teaching/learning material. Students not only learn a foreign language when using authentic materials, they also learn about cultures from different parts of the world. Thereby, learners can develop a global knowledge of the lifestyles outside of their country and be acquainted with what is going on in the world around them. In the section about sources of possible materials, there were described some resources which include this advantage as their primary characteristic. The final advantage which will be outlined against the use of common instructional materials is variety. This facet of the use of authen tic material possesses two connotations. The first one refers to the multiplicity of types of texts that teachers can utilize as genuine resources. In the part of the paper where it was discussed the diversity of sources, there were named around twenty distinct authentic resources which can be utilized in ESL class. In there, it was demonstrated that there is an abundance of kinds of genuine resources, and teachers only have to select one according to their teaching purposes. Besides, this wide range of texts includes a variety of language styles too. Students can benefit from them, and develop their basic skills of English language. For example, learners can ameliorate their listening skill by hearing different accents in conversations extracted from native speakers from distinct countries, or they can improve their reading skill by comparing diverse writing styles presented in books which were made in different cultures. The second connotation refers to the assortment of topics wh ich can be found in the sources of genuine resources. This mixture implicates teachers can choose materials considering likes and needs of their students and prepare a lesson which will be relevant and motivating for them. As it has been confirmed in previous paragraphs, the interest of students upon a learning resource can change radically the effectiveness of the class. With all these unique and practical features at their disposal, ESL teachers have to start questioning why they do not use authentic materials commonly in class because at the moment there is not a solid argument to stand out these advantages and benefits. It is compulsory for ESL educators to investigate about different ways to teach English so as to possess a spectrum of distinct methodologies or techniques. Thereby, they can choose an appropriate one pondering the characteristics and needs of their target group of learners. In this respect, authentic materials are teaching resources easy to find and select, and additionally they provide exposure to real English, sense of achievement, motivation, cultural background and variety to ESL classes. Therefore, they must be considered as a valuable and useful teaching/learning material for teachers in the ESL field, and undoubtedly they must be used in a more frequent way in their lessons.

Agent Orange :: essays research papers

Agent Orange Link Diabetes Strongly Associated With Vietnam Exposure to Pesticide U.S. Air Force planes spray the defoliant chemical Agent Orange over dense vegetation in South Vietnam in this 1966 photo. Dioxin is the component of Agent Orange linked to many health effects in laboratory animals. (AP Photo) By Robert Burns The Associated Press W A S H I N G T O N, March 29 — An Air Force study released today confirmed a connection, long suspected by Vietnam veterans, between wartime exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange and diabetes. The Air Force said the link so far is only statistical and is yet to be proven conclusively by biological study. The National Academy of Sciences, a research arm of the government, is reviewing the results and is to report to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which will decide possible compensation to veterans. The study found a 47 percent increase in diabetes among veterans with the highest levels of dioxin in their bloodstream. Dioxin is the compound in Agent Orange linked to health effects in laboratory animals. The result is based on 1997 physical examinations of 1,000 Air Force veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during the nine years that it was used as a defoliant and crop killer in Vietnam. Joel Michalek, the lead investigator in the study, told a Pentagon news conference that because studies have not yet explained a biological relation between dioxin and diabetes, the Air Force cannot say conclusively that wartime exposure to Agent Orange is a cause of diabetes. Still, he said, the latest results provide â€Å"the strongest evidence to date† that herbicide exposure is associated with diabetes. He said the Air Force knew as far back as 1991 of a statistical link between dioxin and diabetes and has since hardened its data based on additional physical exams of veterans. The Air Force is financing research at two academic institutions on a biological link between dioxin and diabetes. Also Linked to Heart Disease In its report on the health effects on veterans involved in the aerial spraying of Agent Orange in Vietnam, the Air Force said it also found a 26 percent increase in heart disease. The increase was 50 percent among enlisted airmen who served as ground crew for Operation Ranch Hand, the military code name for the spraying campaign. The ground crew are presumed to have had the greatest exposure to Agent Orange among 1,200 Air Force veterans who were involved in the spraying from 1962 to 1971.

Atomic Bomb In World War 2 :: essays research papers

Atomic Bomb in World War 2 During World War II the United States government launched a $2 billion project. This project, known as the Manhattan Project, was an effort to produce an atomic bomb. This project was taken on by a group atomic scientists from all over the world. The first atomic bomb was not tested at all. It was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 killing over 80,000 people and almost completely leveling the entire city. It destroyed more than 4 square miles, or 60% of the city. The flash of the blast was so intense it discolored the pavement and left imprints on the ground cast by the shadows of building and people. By studying these shadows scientists pinpointed the exact detonation point of the bomb.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second atomic bomb was dropped just three days later on Nagasaki, Japan. 1/3 of the city was destroyed and 66,000 people were reported killed or injured. A memorial now marks the spot where the bomb exploded.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the initial blast the A-bomb released about 85% of its energy as intense heat followed by a supersonic shock wave that is felt as a highly destructive high pressure air blast, which can easily demolish tall buildings, not to mention people. After the initial blast radiation covers the area, causing people, animals, and structures to practically disintegrate. Even years afterwards people were still dying and having health problems related to the radiation they were exposed to long before.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were many people that were strongly opposed to the using of nuclear weapons on Japan. But invading the is land instead of bombing would have taken perhaps 1 million us soldiers lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After 1945 the US made thousand of atomic bombs and a wide range of small size nuclear weapons like, land mines, missiles, and grenades. By 1965 the larger countries of the world had also developed atomic weapons.

An Analysis of My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay -- My Last Duc

An Analysis of My Last Duchess by Robert Browning â€Å"My Last Duchess† is written as a dramatic monologue, which is a poem that is read as if on stage, talking to an audience or character in a play. This method of writing has been used because the poem wants to give one perspective, the Duke’s, in an effective manner. By using this technique, Browning is also silencing the antagonist, the Duchess, and becoming the protagonist. The rhyming scheme consists of rhyming couplets, which give the poem a sense of order, and make the speaker, the Duke in this case, seem well educated and in control of their emotions and actions. These methods of writing help show the character of the protagonist and the way he viewed the traditions during the Victorian times. There are two different views in which this poem can be interpreted, the Marxist, and the feminist. The Marxist view interprets the poem as if the Duke thinks of everything as his object, and the feminist viewpoint makes the Duke look as if he doesn’t treat the Duchess as he should. The Duke’s personality is revealed by different aspects in the poem, for example the rhyming scheme, rhyming couplets, makes the poem flow more easily, which leaves no gaps for interruption. This shows the Duke’s love of being the centre of attention and being in control. The Duke also shows this keenness of control when he says the painting is of â€Å"my last Duchess†, showing he treated her as just another article in his collection of art. The Duke also mentions Frà   Pandolph in his conversation with the count’s servant, showing he is proud of the painting he has of the Duchess and he is showing off about having a great artist to paint this picture that he calls â€Å"a wonder†. How... ...round the abuses and unhealthy attainment of material goods in the Victorian society. The Duke is shown to be a very materialistic person in the way he speaks of the Duchess as if she were an object he had acquired instead of a loving wife. I said `Frà ¡ Pandolph’ by design: This shows the Duke’s materialism, because he is showing off about having such a good artist paint a picture of his last Duchess. The Duke also takes innocent, worthless things, to us, like his â€Å"nine-hundred-years-old name†, which she, according to the Duke, took from him like it was anything else she had been given before by a man. Near the end of the poem, the Duke’s love of control and materialism is summed up in one passage, in which he thinks himself as a powerful God taming a beautiful, excitable animal: Notice Neptune, though, Taming a seahorse, thought a rarity.

France and the United States Essay

This paper seeks to provide comparative analysis of early childhood education policy between France and the United States. The discussion will focus on the programs origin and what the programs were intended to achieve. The study will look at the focus, of the programs, the beneficiaries and the cost. In analyzing the early childhood policy outcome in the two countries, the paper assesses the successes as well as the shortcomings of the policy programs. The federal government has not developed a policy on early childhood education that is applicable in the nation. As opposed to the comprehensive early child education policy in France. The U. S. government has only been supporting specific preschool programs for those children from poor neighborhoods and low income families. This trend is also evident in the various states which have not been able to come up with early childhood policy that can be used uniformly by education stakeholders throughout the state. Earl childhood education program is largely left in the hands of private education providers through kindergartens. (Mitchell, A. , Ripple, C. , & Chanana, N. , 1998, p. 24). The Early childhood education policy by the government is defined in its actions which in regulating the demand and supply of early childhood education services. In implementing early childhood policy, the government provides direct and indirect financial subsidies to private providers of these services in the form of grants, contracts and tax incentives. Provision of direct and indirect financial support to parents of children in early childhood program. This support may be in the form of cash benefits, tax benefits to offset the cost of this service and vouchers to pay for the service. The government also participates by regulating players in the field of early childhood education through legislation. Early childhood education program in the U. S are run on a full day of part time basis and they include pre-kindergartens, kindergartens, compensatory education programs and nursery schools. The other programs that support early childhood education include childcare centres, family support programs, before and after school programs, family type day care homes. Because there is no clear line between the government and private support in this sector. (OECD Country report, 2000, p. 5) There is no clear data concerning the cost of early childhood education in United States. However, the federal spending on the program has been very minimal compared to grade k-12. Studies in the year 2002 reveals that the states spent 2. 5 billion dollars on early childhood education while the federal government spent 6. 5billion on early childhood program. This is in exclusion of funds spent on pre-primary education for special students. This is the contrary of the case in France where the government full funds its early childhood education program. Then enrolment in early childhood program for the year 2002 was estimated at 750,000 with 85% enrolled in private institutions. In the United States, the government has a policy that ensures quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all families. The Child Care Bureau administers federal funds to states, territories, and tribes to assist eligible families including low-income families. The childcare bureaus provide childcare for children when the parents work or participate in allowable education or training activities. Through the Child Care Bureau funds various Technical Assistance projects that promote quality, strengthen program administration are supported. The funds are also used to finance Good Start which is the president’s initiative towards early childhood education as well as carry out research to help policy makers. The child care programs in the United States involved the administrators, parents and other stakeholders than in the case of France that is more regulated from above. According to OECD report (2000, p. 21). Most children are enrolled in private institutions compared to those in public institutions with most parents taking their children for part time programs. This is illustrated in the table below showing enrolment in early childhood education programs in thousands. The only early childhood policy that received direct support by the federal government is the introduction of Head start program to take care of those children from low income families. This program is funded by the federal government of the U. S since it caters for the children of the financially deprived parents from poor neighbourhood. According to OECD report (2000, p. 18) The cost of funding this program has increased steadily, reaching almost $4. 7 billion in fiscal year 1999 and $5. 27 billion in fiscal year 2000. This program was started as a strategy to deal with problems associated with children from poor neighbourhood. Dealing with their emotional, cognitive, social and cognitive deficits ensured a well rounded individual who was prepared to adopt a life style that made them productive individuals from poor homes. The major aim is however to academically prepare students for their primary school studies. According to Mitchell, A. , Ripple, C. , & Chanana, N. (1998, p. 34-50). Research shows that those students who had undergone early childhood programs like Head Start had fewer referrals for remedial classes or special education. These students were also more likely to remain in regular classes throughout their public school years. Fewer retentions rate as preschool graduates were less likely to repeat grades. The students maintained excellent scores very few of them had failing grades in their school years. The students were acknowledged by their teachers as having greater social and emotional maturity and had a high probability of completing their high school studies without dropping out. Due development of positive attitude about school at an early age, these students had greater academic motivation, on-task behavior, capacity for independent work, and time spent on homework. Lower incidence of absenteeism/detentions. Graduates had lower incidences of absenteeism and detentions. Preschool graduates had much higher scores on measures of attitude toward school and toward particular subject areas those who attended early childhood education are found to have better self-esteem, greater internal locus of control compared to those who never attend the program. Preschool education is believed to help in preventing unwanted pregnancies among young school girls. The program is also believed to reduce incidences of indiscipline like drug abuse and delinquent acts among students, this some researchers believe is due to the introduction of rules and regulations to students at an early age hence contributing to positive upbringing. Due to improved self esteem developed from an early age, preschool graduates are more likely to participate in social activities like sports and community work. As opposed to those who did not attend early education, the beneficiaries have a better meaning for education and develop high future aspirations. This also contributes to the likelihood of them enrolling and completing their secondary education. These benefits of early childhood education are extending to the society as beneficiaries have a higher possibility of securing better paying jobs hence reducing dependency in the society. There is high unlikelihood that these people will engage in antisocial behavior in the society. (Morgan, G. , Azer, S. , Costley, J. , Genser, A. , Goodman, I. , Lombardi, J. , and McGimsey, B. , 1993, p. 45, 78). The Head Start program is however accused of contributing to inequality in the education arena as those who are considered financially stable have been ignored. This is no longer a shortfall in France as their early childhood policy caters for all children despite their family backgrounds. The increasing number of mothers securing jobs is however increasing government participation in provision of early childhood programs especially in those kindergartens which are integrated in public primary schools. For instance, District of Columbia is made kindergarten attendance a legal requirement for children. (OECD Country report, 2000, p. 14) The diagram below illustrate the increasing number of working mothers with children under age six due U. S policy on Early childhood education and care between 1960 and 1999. Despite lack of comprehensive policy regarding early childhood education, a lot of expenditure has been incurred in supporting efforts towards achieving the same. The figures reported by OECD report( 2000, p. 23) is an illustration of cost of efforts employed by U. S to achieve ECEC as compared between 1992 and 1999 constant dollar reported in millions of dollars. As opposed to the United States, France has a clear government policy regarding earl childhood education. The program is publicly funded and caters for those children between the ages of 2-6 year olds known as Ecole Maternelle. The system has specific programs for those children under age three and it is administered under the Ministry of Education delivered under education auspices of the ministere de la Jeunesse, de l’Education nationale et de la Recherche. (Oberhuemer, P. , & Ulich, M. , 1997, p. 27). These programs are freely provided by the government for eight hours during the day including breaks like lunchtime. Extension beyond these hours is optional and those parents who work for longer hours can pay for additional hours that their children are taken care of at early childhood education centres. Since these programs are meant to benefit children and their parents who earn poorly, the additional charges levied on parents take into consideration the parent’s income. Any child starting school has to go through ecole maternelle which is the preparatory level in the education system. (OECD Country report, 2004, p. 4-7). Early preschool education is divided into three sections namely: the little section, middle section and large section. The little section is meant for three year olds, the middle section is for four-year-olds and large section is for five-year-olds. Two year olds belong to very little section. France is also committed to empowering the low income parents just like Head Start in the United States hence the government organizes bridging activities for those who are about to start schooling in poor neighborhoods. Such a program is supposed to familiarize the learners with the academic in readiness for school system. The table below shows the trends in the percentage of children in the ecole maternelle by age as from the year 1960-2002 according to French background report in 2003.

State Bank of India vs Icici

? STATE BANK OF INDIA. SBI Debt-Equity ratio : 12. 43 (march'12) A high debt/equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense. If a lot of  debt is  used to finance increased  operations (high debt to equity), the company could potentially generate more earnings  than it would have without this  outside financing. If this were to increase earnings by a greater amount than the debt cost (interest), then the shareholders benefit as  more  earnings are being spread among the same amount of shareholders.However, the cost of this debt financing may  outweigh the return that  the company  generates on the debt through investment and business activities and become too much for the company to handle. This can lead to bankruptcy, which would leave shareholders with nothing. The debt/equity ratio also depends on the industry  in which the c ompany operates. For example, capital-intensive industries such as auto  manufacturing tend to have a debt/equity ratio above 2, while personal computer companies have a debt/equity of under 0. 5. ICICI BANK LTD. ?ICICI Debt Equity ratio: 4. 23 (march'12) Which is the better bank? As we said earlier, SBI's government backing makes it the more ‘safer' entity. ICICI by itself does not have the reputation of good quality assets. But it is certainly striving to achieve the same. Both in terms of margins and returns, SBI has had an edge and will continue to have it in the medium term. Having said that investors must carefully weigh the future prospects of both the entities vis-a-vis their respective valuations before taking their pick. DEBT INSTRUMENTS IN INDIA.Debt Instruments are obligations of issuer of such instrument as regards certain future cash flow representing Interest & Principal, which the issuer would pay to the legal owner of the Instrument. They can also be said to be tradable form of loans. Debt Instruments are of various types like Bonds, Debentures, Commercial Papers, Certificates of Deposit, Government Securities (G secs) etc. The Government Securities (G-Secs) market is the oldest and the largest component of the Indian debt market in terms of market capitalization, trading volumes and outstanding securities.The G-Secs market plays a vital role in the Indian economy as it provides the benchmark for determining the level of interest rates in the country through the yields on the government securities which are treated as the risk-free rate of return in any economy. The reserve Bank of India has permitted Primary Dealers, Banks and Financial Institutions in India to do transactions in debt instruments among themselves or with non-bank clients. Debt instruments provide fixed return declared as coupon rate.Retail investors would have a natural preference for fixed income returns and especially so in the current situation of increasing volati lity in the financial markets. Now, retail investors are also showing keen interest in Debt Instruments particularly in the Central Government Securities (G-secs). For an individual investor G-secs are one of the best investment options as there is zero default risk and lower volatility in case of G-secs. SBI DFHI is a major player in G-Secs market and widely deals in other debt instruments also. STATE BANK OF INDIA: ) GOVERNMENT SECURITIES: (dates government securities-long term, treasury bills are short term) SBI DFHI Ltd. is a leading Primary Dealer in Government Securities. SBI DFHI Ltd gives investors an opportunity to buy G-Sec / SDLs / T-Bills at primary market auctions of RBI through its SBI DFHI Invest scheme (details available on website ). Investors may also invest in high yielding Government Securities through â€Å"SBI DFHI Trade† where â€Å"buy and sell price† and a buy and sell facility for select liquid scrips in the secondary markets is offered. ) TRE ASURY BILLS: SBI DFHI Ltd, is an active player in the both the primary and the secondary market for Treasury Bills with an impressive total outr. ight turnover of Rs. 7,892 crores. 3) Money market instruments : Commercial paper, Certificate of Deposit: 4) non-slr bonds like public sector undertaking (PSU bonds) or corporate bonds 5) Debentures ICICI: 1) Bonds (regular income, tax saving, deep discount bonds etc. ) 2) Unsecured Debentures 3) Commerical Papers 4) certificate of deposit LISTINGS: STATE BANK OF INDIA: NSE . CODE: SBIN BSE CODE : 500112 LSE CODE: SBID ICICI: NSE:  ICICIBANK,BSE:  532174, NYSE:  IBN STATE BANK OF INDIA: The declaration and payment of dividends is recommended by the Bank’s Central Board of Directors and approved by its shareholders. The Bank’s decision to declare a dividend depends on a number of factors including but not limited to its profits, capital requirements and overall financial condition. The Central Board may also pay interim dividends from time to time. All dividend payments are made in cash to the shareholders of the Bank. The Bank’s dividend policy is to declare dividends only at the conclusion of the fiscal year. ? ICICI ?

Red Bull and Reaction Times Essay

Introduction Substances that humans intake in food or drink contain various chemicals that affect the normal bodily functions of the consumer. Stimulants are drugs which when absorbed into the body raises physiological or nervous activity. The Red Bull Energy Drink is a stimulant, which contains psychoactive ingredients such as taurine, glucuronolactone and caffeine. Sportsmen and people requiring large amounts of energy or mental stimulation consume Red Bull because the beverage claims to â€Å"increase concentration and reaction speed†. Due to Red Bull’s claim, and its increasing popularity amongst teenagers in my grade, I wanted to test if the drink did actually affect the consumer psychoactively, and to how significant an extent. To test the claim, I decided to assess 20 subjects in their psychomotor performance (reaction time/concentration) both at a normal bodily function state, and then under the influence of the chemical stimulant Red Bull. Such a test would involve many variables that had to be kept constant. Hence, this test involved 20 male subjects aged 18 to 19 years of age, who were informed beforehand of the assessment procedure. These subjects were given instructions to have at least 8 hours of sleep the night before the experiment, and were told to be present for the assessment on an empty stomach. These subjects were also not allowed to consume any other food or drink substances during the window period of testing, and the entire experiment was conducted on the same day in a 3 hour window (8:30am to 11:30am). Each subject was to consume 250ml of water (experiment control) and 250 of Red Bull. Also, to allow the substances to absorb into the body of the consumer, reaction tests were conducted only 45 minutes after consumption of the substance. Such variables were important to have been kept in order to ensure that no other environmental factors or other chemicals being absorbed into the body will affect the experiment. The reaction speed assessment is conducted electronically. Each assessment consists of the subject concentrating on a yellow spot on the screen, which will turn red. Upon changing colour, the subject has to click using a provided mouse as fast as possible, and the reaction time is calculated electronically. Each assessment consists of 5 trials. A 2 sample t-test will be used to assess the if there is a significant difference between the reaction time of the subjects under the influence of water, versus under the influence of Red Bull. Research Question Is there a significant difference between the reaction speed of 18-19 year old males under the influence of water and under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink? Hypothesis I believe that the reaction speed of the subjects under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink is shorter than under the influence of water. Considering how consumers drink Red Bull to boost themselves when feeling lethargic, or having difficulties focusing, Red Bull must have a significant effect on the body’s psychoactivity. I also believe that an increase in the chemical stimulants (taurine, glucuronolactone and caffine) as well as high sugar levels will cause an increase in psychoactivity within the consumer’s body due to the nature of the chemical stimulants. (A sample sign-up form can be found on the following page.) Pre-Experiment Procedure: 2. Measure 250ml of water and pour it into the large cup. 3. Repeat step 2 20 times. This is to prepare the initial control for the subjects to consume. 4. Give a cup to each subject. Subjects consume the 250ml of water at about 2 minute intervals from each other. Start the stopwatch once the first subject has begun drinking. 5. Prepare a computer terminal with the reaction test given in the following link below. Instructions on how to conduct the test are provided on-site. You may need a computer lab to carry out the test. Each test involves five trials. http://www.steriley.com/speed/ 6. When 45 minutes has passed, allocate the first subject to the computer. Instruct him/her to carry out the test. Assist any volunteer who may require extra help. 7. When the subject has completed the test, collect the results into a table. Allocate the next subject to begin the test. This step should be completed in exactly 2 minutes. 8. Repeat steps 3-7 once more, but instead give each subject a can of Red Bull instead of water. Investigate How Red Bull Energy Drink Affects The Reaction Time of 18-19 Year Old Human Males. (Sign-up sheet) Details: Venue: St Josephs Institution International Date: 11 June 2011 Time: 8:30am – 11:30am (please be punctual) Instructions (read carefully before signing up): * Volunteers must be male and between the ages of 18 and 19.* * Volunteers must receive 8 hours of sleep before the experiment day. * Volunteers must not have consumed any food or drinks at least 3 hours before the experiment. * Volunteers are not to consume any food or drink during the experiment period. * Volunteers are not allowed to do any strenuous activities during the experiment period. This includes running, and other forms of exercise. Std. Dev:| 0.033| 0.019| Graph showing mean reaction times of 20 males, ages 18-19 under influence of water and of Red Bull: From the graph, we can already infer that there is quite a large difference between the reaction times of the subjects under the influence of Red Bull as compared to water. The t-test to follow will show if this difference shown on the graph is a significant difference or not. T-test: I will now use a t-test to prove whether there is a significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of water or Red bull. Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of either water or Red Bull Energy Drink. Alternate Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink as compared to water. Working: For this experiment, the degrees of freedom is calculated to be: 20+20-2=38. The t-value as provided by the GDC is 6.2966 or 6.30 corrected to 3 significant figures. The p-value as provided by the table is 1.684 (at 40 d.f) with a confidence level of 95%. 6.30>1.684, ∠´t>p. The value of t is larger than p. The P-value as calculated by the GDC is 2.232737 x 10 -7 or 0.000000223 (3.s.f.) P