Reflective essay about the guest speaker Essay Example for Free

Reflective essay about the guest speaker Essay I have been given the opportunity to attend one of the guest speaker events to write my reflective essay on. The guest speaker lecture I attended was a woman who had her own wedding company and as years went on she changed it to just focus on wedding cakes, instead of dresses and wedding events etc. The speech was very useful as the business student it gave me a wider knowledge and ideas for the future and I am so glad I attended because when you hear about another person’s journey through their business it helps you to understand more and focus on what’s important. She also spoke about the change in her technique to challenge competitors and blending techniques which she said in her speech â€Å" Niche was to give her clients exactly what they want when there’s conflict within the wedding party â€Å" which you would understand when you are getting married you want everything to go perfectly for your big day and everything to go how you planned it. So making the cakes she had to make sure especially for wedding cakes she always makes sure it is exactly how the clients asked for so there is no conflict and issues as a client it would be devastating seeing a result of the complete opposite of how you wanted the cake to be. It’s always important to keep the clients happy and impressed as it plays a big part in the company and you would want people to leave good and positive reviews and that’s how you build your company. The guest speaker also mentioned the economic climate which is a general characterization of the overall mood of the global economy or of a regional economy, which captures the status of the stock market, the perception of the economy by consumers, and the availability of jobs and credit. Business decisions such as hiring, borrowing, lending, and investment in new initiatives are often strongly influenced by the overall economic climate. The economic climate for her company was sweatshops because they have been a factor in the production of goods around the world for centuries but the globalization of business has led increasing numbers of major corporations to take advantage of low-cost sweatshops labor in developing countries. Recent examples of sweatshop conditions in the garment industry have caused an international outcry by Labour leaders and government officials. This whole situation made the clothing cost less than the retail price of fabric. Also, it all depends on the targe t market on who it is targeting at and in her company she had a lot of people that were size 14 plus. The recessions in the 1990s Were she wasn’t making enough money and it made it difficult for her to hold on to the business, the disposable income reduced as well as the wedding cakes were considered elastic products which meant the sellers and buyers adjust their demand for the good product when the price changes. Also, the guest speaker spoke about the disadvantages that affected her business was the changes in the law 1990 health and hygiene regulations. She spoke how this was a big impact on her business because of changing fashions and finding ways to keep up with the times and the little things count in maintaining a high-quality brand. All these things were really important towards her business because if you don’t follow the rules and regulations it can cause a danger to the company and she could lose it all. The implications of changing environment were keeping up to date with change as it plays a big part when having your own business and you are responsible for following and researching changes in the law. Attending wedding fairs was a chance for her to promote her business and give our business cards and people to get a taste of her company so they knew what the service and goods are if they wanted her for the future upcoming events. Along with that she also mentioned how she had wedding cake competitions which she enjoyed but you have to compete with others so clients come to her and not the other company’s. It was all about having the good product and knowing what the audience love, although it was a competition it was also about learning new techniques from others and others learning from her and how they do their design. She explained how learning from others isn’t always a bad thing, sometimes it’s good for you as if give you more ideas on how to improve and have better skills than what you already have and know.The pricing strategy is also important as she had to access the cost by monitoring the prices of competitions and having the interactions with customers have changed because of the internet where you have social media like Instagram, Facebook or your own business website where people have easy access and can easily contact you via message asking for quick information and you have other people who are already your client s writing feedback which catches other people’s attention as well.She spoke how if it was profitable, and explained that yes the wedding dresses were more profitable as there are the wedding every season of the month and the love of weddings, where every woman wants to look perfect with the perfect wedding dress on the big day. During the guest speaker event, I am so glad to have attended as I have learned many things from the guest speaker speaking about her company. She has motivated on helping me create ideas for what I plan for my future business/career. She also taught me that it is important to be up to date with the rules and regulations and always do research on anything especially when having your own business or if you wish to. You also need to think of contingency measure in different emergency and situations, doing this will make sure the events you hold or the finished product will be carried out smoothly with no conflicts. How I intend to implement ideas gained in the event to boost my future career, is by attending more of the guest speaker events and be involved when there are events going on to help me boost my confidence, doing this I know it will help me to understand more and also because I am studying business in most of my modules it helps me to understand each day. Doing research is r eally important before thinking of having your own business so it gives you a wider knowledge and keeps you aware of the advantages and disadvantages. References What is economic climate? definition and meaning (2017). Available at:  http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/economic-climate.html  (Accessed: 26 November 2017). Sweatshops facts, information, pictures |  Encyclopedia.com  articles about Sweatshops (2017). Available at:  http://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/economics-business-and-labor/labor/sweatshops(Accessed: 26 November 2017).

Primark Internal and External Analysis

Primark Internal and External Analysis There are lot of internal and external factors which may influence the performance of Primark. Over recent years, this topic has come up as the most asked question in Business and Economics lessons.   Specifically, is it ethical to buy low priced goods produced in poor countries?   My personal answer is an emphatic yes.   Its hard to see how our refusal to open some markets to free trade particularly in agriculture helps the worlds poor.   But the debate seems to hinge on the rights, conditions and dignity of the producers.   For this reason, retailers like Primark (who like Tesco find themselves on the front line of this debate because of their public profile) seek to anxiously protect their reputations as ethical employers.   Recently Primark has fired three Indian suppliers because they used child labour to finish goods. The suppliers sub-contracted smaller firms, which were using child labour to carry out embroidery and sequin work. A Panorama special on Primark will be broadcast on BBC1 at 9pm on 23 June: during their six-month investigation, the BBC uncovered the evidence which they passed to Primark. The information provided by the BBC enabled us to identify that illegal sub-contracting had been taking place and to take action accordingly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the sub-contracting involved home working and in some instances children were also found to be working at home.   We take this lapse in standards very seriously indeed. Under no circumstances would Primark ever knowingly permit such activities, whether directly through its suppliers or through third party sub-contractors. According to Primark, the garments affected accounted for 0.04% of the retailers worldwide sourcing. It currently has more than 170 stores and made a  £200m profit in 2007 on total sales of more than  £1.6bn. Primark: An Overview Primark Stores Limited is an Irish clothing retailer. Its stores are located in various regions like United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. Within this area of responsibility, Primark stores outnumbered other clothing retailer business, with one hundred sixty one stores overall distributed in three major regions: one hundred twenty-five in the United Kingdom, thirty-four in Ireland and eight in Spain. The company positions itself as marketing fashionable at cutthroat prices.   The original clothing store was established by Arthur Ryan and his collaborator Micaela Mitchell in Dublin Ireland in 1969. After various success in clothing business, great profits and gross income led them to open stores in local and regional areas. It acquired various premises in different business centers within its local and regional areas which eventually generate more profits and income. Primark is known for selling clothes at the budget end of the market. Its success is based on sourcing supply, making clothes with simple designs and fabrics and targets young, fashion-conscious individuals ages 35 below, offering them simple yet high quality clothes and apparels. Hence, these successes brought significant changes on Primarks retail business. The relevance of global trends and consumers demands on lifestyle made Primark Store Limited reinvent its business scheme and management structure. Primarks management and business structure As a famous clothing retail store, recently, Primark embarks in different retail products not only restricted on manufacturing clothes but also other related products such as apparels and accessories available to all human sizes. Primark employs simple managerial operation on its stores structure. Each store has its own manager responsible in overseeing the status and business operations. With managers inherent authority, they are given the power and control to manage the store within his/her point of responsibility. Moreover, in smaller or larger branches, assistant and deputy managers are assigned to control and manage the store. Within the store, there are different subdivided departments in which a manager is assigned like senior department managers and junior department managers who are in charge for individual departments. Moreover, under management, there are supervisors in charge of staff on a sales floor, on different departments like stock room staff, customer service staff, customer service desk, cashiers who work on the tills, cash office staff and staff responsible to look after fitting rooms. This management and business structure posits a simple way of managing human labour force, however, simple it may seem, yet inevitably creates serious problems and issues if and when proper assessment of the structure will be undervalued. Analysis on the internal and external environment of Primark retail industry The Primark clothing retail industry is a member of Ethical Trading Initiative, a collaborative forum bringing together businesses to work on labour rights issues in their supply chains. In fact, Primark developed ethical strategy in order to promote labour rights issues within its organization. Certain guidelines and code of conduct must be defined in relation to the ethical implications of work to human labour rights. Primark, initiated and defined its ethical trade strategy in 2006, focusing on assessment of employees working conditions, factories operations concerns and addressed necessary improvement. Primarks annual report of activity should be passed to the Ethical Trading Initiative Board. Moreover, Primark stands to a principle that shared learning and collaboration is one of the most successful ways to achieve sustained positive progression with its suppliers factories. However, climate change within and outside Primarks environment changes as it faces the challenges posed by the global business market. Using PESTLE and SWOT analysis, let us examine the ins and outs environment of Primarks retail clothing industry. The PESTLE analysis allows us to examine the external factors affecting the environment of an organization while SWOT analysis aids us to assess organizations internal strengths and weaknesses and further identify threats and opportunities external to its environment. Hence, these methods are helpful for us to understand and underline positive and negative factors affecting the external and internal environment of an organization like Primark. In assessing the political, social, and economic factors external to the environment of Primark, we must consider different issues. Primarks business operations are subject to government policies and regulations. The business firm should conform to the set of policies and regulations stipulated and enforced by the government and policy making body while conforming to the set of regulations and policies, the firm should assume social responsibility as demanded by the global consciousness. Nowadays, business sectors no longer busied themselves to produce bonds of profits and income but deeply involved in social programs to promote social awareness and equality. Cultural and social behaviors of different consumers are important to consider when establishing or venturing business in the global landscape. Furthermore, economic, environment, laws, and technology are inseparable entities in which influence the business operations. The economic stability of certain region can contribute allot to the business condition of certain firm, like Primark. Technology on the other hand, brought a tremendous effect to the status and development of business operations and marketing programs. It generates new trends in a rapid movement, which if organizations are unaware will impede growth and development. Hence, Primarks must constantly assess its strategy with consideration to its PESTLE as external factors that in one way or the other affects its internal and business operations. Assessing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Primark, we go back to its established management or business structure. The need for re-tracking the management or business structure is important in analyzing its SWOT. As to my knowledge upon my encounter with Primarks business operations, its strengths are gained in its simple, systematic and organized business structure, having assigned proper authorities to proper positions. Moreover, its recognition for valuing high quality of products and quality services with its customers garnered more strength to attract more people. On the other hand, Primarks weaknesses can be found in its way of managing people. Although, Primark is a member of Ethical Trade Initiative, study shows given different negative issues concerning its business operations and transactions like child labour, purports less value on ethical matters. Different issues were attacking Primark concerning exploitation and abuse on labour force, other env ironmental concerns, poor working conditions, and disvaluing workers rights. Primark in different surveys was labelled as a fashion industry with oppressive regime. The primacy of autocratic and rigidity on standard structures can be a weakness as well as threats to the life of the company. Since, it goes globally, opportunities are in wide array not only on the part of venturing into regions with much income and profit to gain but also an opportunity to share and provide quality products to fashion-conscious people with vogue to fashion lifestyle. Conclusion Given this analysis we come to realize that each organization has its own external and internal problems to handle. The process in which we enable to identify and analyze such problems is by using proper management method of analysis like SWOT and PESTLE. The importance of these methods is squared to the importance of the business itself. No.2: discuss the various business strategies that firms can implement to take Advantage of different markets or trading blocks? For this purpose Porter has proposed his generic strategies which are the best to implement, in my point of view, to take advantage of different markets. These strategies are given as below. Segmentation strategy Differentiation strategy Cost leadership strategy Michael Porter has described a category scheme consisting of three general types of strategies that are commonly used by businesses to achieve and maintain competitive advantage. These three generic strategies are defined along two dimensions: strategic scope and strategic strength. Strategic scope is a demand-side dimension (Porter was originally an engineer, then an economist before he specialized in strategy) and looks at the size and composition of the market you intend to target. Strategic strength is a supply-side dimension and looks at the strength or core competency of the firm. In particular he identified two competencies that he felt were most important: product differentiation and product cost (efficiency). He originally ranked each of the three dimensions (level of differentiation, relative product cost, and scope of target market) as either low, medium, or high, and juxtaposed them in a three dimensional matrix. That is, the category scheme was displayed as a 3 by 3 by 3 cube. But most of the 27 combinations were not viable. Porters Generic Strategies In his 1980 classic Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Porter simplifies the scheme by reducing it down to the three best strategies. They are cost leadership, differentiation, and market segmentation (or focus). Market segmentation is narrow in scope while both cost leadership and differentiation are relatively broad in market scope. Cost leadership strategy This strategy involves the firm winning market share by appealing to cost-conscious or price-sensitive customers. This is achieved by having the lowest prices in the target market segment, or at least the lowest price to value ratio (price compared to what customers receive). To succeed at offering the lowest price while still achieving profitability and a high return on investment, the firm must be able to operate at a lower cost than its rivals. There are three main ways to achieve this. The first approach is achieving a high asset turnover. In service industries, this may mean for example a restaurant that turns tables around very quickly, or an airline that turns around flights very fast. In manufacturing, it will involve production of high volumes of output. These approaches mean fixed costs are spread over a larger number of units of the product or service, resulting in a lower unit cost, i.e the firm hopes to take advantage of economies of scale and experience curve effects. For industrial firms, mass production becomes both a strategy and an end in itself. Higher levels of output both require and result in high market share, and create an entry barrier to potential competitors, who may be unable to achieve the scale necessary to match the firms low costs and prices. The second dimension is achieving low direct and indirect operating costs. This is achieved by offering high volumes of standardized products, offering basic no-frills products and limiting customization and personalization of service. Production costs are kept low by using fewer components, using standard components, and limiting the number of models produced to ensure larger production runs. Overheads are kept low by paying low wages, locating premises in low rent areas, establishing a cost-conscious culture, etc. Maintaining this strategy requires a continuous search for cost reductions in all aspects of the business. This will include outsourcing, controlling production costs, increasing asset capacity utilization, and minimizing other costs including distribution, RD and advertising. The associated distribution strategy is to obtain the most extensive distribution possible. Promotional strategy often involves trying to make a virtue out of low cost product features. A cost leadership strategy may have the disadvantage of lower customer loyalty, as price-sensitive customers will switch once a lower-priced substitute is available. A reputation as a cost leader may also result in a reputation for low quality, which may make it difficult for a firm to rebrand itself or its products if it chooses to shift to a differentiation strategy in future Differentiation strategy Differentiation is aimed at the broad market that involves the creation of a product or services that is perceived throughout its industry as unique. The company or business unit may then charge a premium for its product. This specialty can be associated with design, brand image, technology, features, dealers, network, or customers service. Differentiation is a viable strategy for earning above average returns in a specific business because the resulting brand loyalty lowers customers sensitivity to price. Increased costs can usually be passed on to the buyers. Buyers loyalty can also serve as an entry barrier-new firms must develop their own distinctive competence to differentiate their products in some way in order to compete successfully. Examples of the successful use of a differentiation strategy are Hero Honda, Asian Paints, HLL, Nike athletic shoes, Perstorp Byproducts, Apple Computer, and Mercedes-Benz automobiles. A differentiation strategy is appropriate where the target customer segment is not price-sensitive, the market is competitive or saturated, customers have very specific needs which are possibly under-served, and the firm has unique resources and capabilities which enable it to satisfy these needs in ways that are difficult to copy. These could include patents or other Intellectual Property (IP), unique technical expertise (e.g. Apples design skills or Pixars animation prowess), talented personnel (e.g. a sports teams star players or a brokerage firms star traders), or innovative processes. Successful brand management also results in perceived uniqueness even when the physical product is the same as competitors. This way, Chiquita was able to brand bananas, Starbucks could brand coffee, and Nike could brand sneakers. Fashion brands rely heavily on this form of image differentiation. Some research does suggest that a differentiation strategy is more likely to generate higher profits than is a low cost strategy because differentiation creates a better entry barrier. A low-cost strategy is more likely, however, to generate increases in market share. This however, may result from a limited understanding of profits. Differentiation strategies are indeed likely to result in higher gross and net profit margins due to the pricing power created by perceived uniqueness and high customer satisfaction. However, these higher prices will also likely result in lower sales volumes and lower asset turnovers. As such, the effects on Returns on Capital are likely to be neutral. As illustrated in the Dupont ratio therefore, a firm can achieve high profitability and Returns on Capital by being either a successful differentiator (with high margins and low volumes) or a successful cost leader (with low margins and high volumes). One strategy is not necessarily more profitable than the other. Variants on the Differentiation Strategy The shareholder value model holds that the timing of the use of specialized knowledge can create a differentiation advantage as long as the knowledge remains unique. This model suggests that customers buy products or services from an organization to have access to its unique knowledge. The advantage is static, rather than dynamic, because the purchase is a one-time event. The unlimited resources model utilizes a large base of resources that allows an organization to outlast competitors by practicing a differentiation strategy. An organization with greater resources can manage risk and sustain losses more easily than one with fewer resources. This deep-pocket strategy provides a short-term advantage only. If a firm lacks the capacity for continual innovation, it will not sustain its competitive position is over time. Criticisms of generic strategies Several commentators have questioned the use of generic strategies claiming they lack specificity, lack flexibility, and are limiting. In particular, Miller (1992) questions the notion of being caught in the middle. He claims that there is a viable middle ground between strategies. Many companies, for example, have entered a market as a niche player and gradually expanded. According to Baden-Fuller and Stopford (1992) the most successful companies are the ones that can resolve what they call the dilemma of opposites. A popular post-Porter model was presented by W. Chan Kim and Renà ©e Mauborgne in their 1999 Harvard Business Review article Creating New Market Space. In this article they described a value innovation model in which companies must look outside their present paradigms to find new value propositions. Their approach fundamentally goes against Porters concept that a firm must focus either on cost leadership or on differentiation. They later went on to publish their ideas in the book Blue Ocean Strategy. Q.No.3: analyse how the firms and industries are benefitted by globalization and the role technology has played? Globalization, since World War II, is largely the result of planning by politicians to break down borders hampering trade to increase prosperity and interdependence thereby decreasing the chance of future war. Their work led to the Bretton Woods conference, an agreement by the worlds leading politicians to lay down the framework for international commerce and finance, and the founding of several international institutions intended to oversee the processes of globalization. These institutions include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), and the International Monetary Fund. Globalization has been facilitated by advances in technology which have reduced the costs of trade, and trade negotiation rounds, originally under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which led to a series of agreements to remove restrictions on free trade. Since World War II, barriers to international trade have been considerably lowered through international agreements   GATT. Particular initiatives carried out as a result of GATT and the World Trade Organization (WTO), for which GATT is the foundation, have included: Promotion of free trade: elimination of tariffs; creation of free trade zones with small or no tariffs Reduced transportation costs, especially resulting from development of containerization for ocean shipping. Reduction or elimination of capital controls Reduction, elimination, or harmonization of subsidies for local businesses Creation of subsidies for global corporations Harmonization of intellectual property laws across the majority of states, with more restrictions Supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions (e.g. patents granted by China would be recognized in the United States) Cultural globalization, driven by communication technology and the worldwide marketing of Western cultural industries, was understood at first as a process of homogenization, as the global domination of American culture at the expense of traditional diversity. However, a contrasting trend soon became evident in the emergence of movements protesting against globalization and giving new momentum to the defense of local uniqueness, individuality, and identity, but largely without success.[33] The Uruguay Round (1986 to 1994)[34] led to a treaty to create the WTO to mediate trade disputes and set up a uniform platform of trading. Other bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, including sections of Europes Maastricht Treaty and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have also been signed in pursuit of the goal of reducing tariffs and barriers to trade. World exports rose from 8.5% in 1970, to 16.2% of total gross world product in 2001 Advantages of Globalization Globalization means increasing the interdependence, connectivity and integration on a global level with respect to the social, cultural, political, technological, economic and ecological levels. People around the world are more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow quicker than ever. Products produced in one part of a country are available to the rest of the world. It is much easier for people to travel, communicate and do business internationally. This whole phenomenon has been called globalization. Spurred on in the past by merchants, explorers, colonialists and internationalists, globalization has in more recent times been increasing rapidly due to improvements in communications, information and transport technology. It has also been encouraged by trade liberalization and financial market deregulation.Globalization offers a higher standard of living for people in rich countries and is the only realistic route out of poverty for the worlds poor. Pro-g lobalization groups e.g. World Trade Organization and the World Economic Forum believe that globalization helps to reduce poverty and increase living standards as well as encourage a better cultural understanding. Also, due to globalization, there can be international co-operation to solve environmental and social problems. Technology has now created the possibility and even the likelihood of a global culture. The Internet, fax machines and satellites have swept away the old national cultural boundaries. Global entertainment companies now seem to shape the understandings and dreams of ordinary citizens, wherever they live. Globalization leads to better cultural understanding and tolerance. Because of improvements in travel, more and more people are traveling to different countries, thereby spreading their culture to other parts of the world. Advantages of Globalization We have moved from a world where the big eat the small to a world where the fast eat the slow, as observed by Klaus Schwab of the Davos World Economic Forum. All economic analysts must agree that the living standards of people have considerably improved through the market growth. With the development in technology and their introduction in the global markets, there is not only a steady increase in the demand for commodities but has also led to greater utilization. Investment sector is witnessing high infusions by more and more people connected to the worlds trade happenings with the help of computers. As per statistics, everyday more than $1.5 trillion is now swapped in the worlds currency markets and around one-fifth of products and services are generated per year are bought and sold. Buyers of products and services in all nations comprise one huge group who gain from world trade for reasons encompassing opportunity charge, comparative benefit, economical to purchase than to produce, trades guidelines, stable business and alterations in consumption and production. Compared to others, consumers are likely to profit less from globalization. Another factor which is often considered as a positive outcome of globalization is the lower inflation. This is because the market rivalry stops the businesses from increasing prices unless guaranteed by steady productivity. Technological advancement and productivity expansion are the other benefits of globalization because since 1970s growing international rivalry has triggered the industries to improvise increasingly. Goods and people are transported with more easiness and speed  the possibility of war between the developed countries decreases  free trade between countries increases  global mass media connects all the people in the world  as the cultural barriers reduce, the global village dream becomes more realistic  there is a propagation of democratic ideals  the interdependence of the nation-states increases  as the liquidity of capital increases, developed countries can invest in developing ones  the flexibility of corporations to operate across borders increases  the communication between the individuals and corporations in the world increases  environmental protection in developed countries increases   Effects of globalization Enhancement in the information flow between geographically remote locations The global common market has a freedom of exchange of goods and capital There is a broad access to a range of goods for consumers and companies  worldwide production markets emerge Free circulation of people of different nations leads to social benefits Global environmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over fishing on oceans, climate changes are solved by discussions More transborder data flow using communication satellites, the Internet, wireless telephones etc. International criminal courts and international justice movements are launched The standards applied globally like patents, copyright laws and world trade agreements increase Corporate, national and sub national borrowers have a better access to external finance Worldwide financial markets emerge Multiculturalism spreads as there is individual access to cultural diversity. This diversity decreases due to hybridization or assimilation International travel and tourism increases Worldwide sporting events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are held Enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture Local consumer products are exported to other countries Immigration between countries increases Cross-cultural contacts grow and cultural diffusion takes place There is an increase in the desire to use foreign ideas and products, adopt new practices and technologies and be a part of world culture Free trade zones are formed having less or no tariffs Due to development of containerization for ocean shipping, the transportation costs are reduced Subsidies for local businesses decrease Capital controls reduce or vanquish There is supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions i.e. patents authorized by one country are recognized in another Advantages of globalization in the developing world It is claimed that globalization increases the economic prosperity and opportunity in the developing world. The civil liberties are enhanced and there is a more efficient use of resources. All the countries involved in the free trade are at a profit. As a result, there are lower prices, more employment and a better standard of life in these developing nations. It is feared that some developing regions progress at the expense of other developed regions. However, such doubts are futile as globalization is a positive-sum chance in which the skills and technologies enable to increase the living standards throughout the world. Liberals look at globalization as an efficient tool to eliminate penury and allow the poor people a firm foothold in the global economy. In two decades from 1981 to 2001, the number of people surviving on $1 or less per day decreased from 1.5 billion to 1.1 billion. Simultaneously, the world population also increased. Thus, the percentage of such people decreased fr om 40% to 20% in such developing countries

Impact of Language Software on Language Learning

Impact of Language Software on Language Learning Chapter one Introduction Overview In todays world, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its influence on various aspects of human life, have caused great development on in society and human relations, which is referred to as the information revolution. The increasing development of Information Technology (IT) in human life especially in educational environment and the its use of it have led to a new era in human life that can be called the intelligence community[E1]. Living in such a society that is progressing every day requires people who canto adapt themselves with such progression. The first step in this regard is the issue of how to make optimal use of ICT applications in general education curriculum. Because of the arrival of technology in human life, all individuals, institutions and systems in countries should be prepared for a variety of changes that are vital to progression. To be specific in education, it is not more than some decades which Educational Technology (ET) started to appear in educational system around the world. Nowadays neither students nor instructors can be regarded as the traditional ones who had simple facilities available. According to Thorne and Reinhardt (2008), â€Å"emerging literacies associated with digital media are highly relevant to their current and future lives as language users† (p. 560). Before considering the application of ET with its new concept, instructors and teachers supplied audiovisual products to improve the result of their teaching and learning materials in education. However, recent developments in the computer industry and information, multi-media, communication technologies and the[E2] emergence of local and regional inf ormation networks especially the internet put new methods and tools for designers, managers, executives, and curriculum trainers.Plenty of technologies and tools in learning and teaching process such as educational software, Personal Data Assistance (PDA), mobile and etc. requires the instructors to lead their learners toward using technology in their life at least their education. According to Bruce and Hogan (1998), â€Å"As technologies embed themselves in everyday discourse and activity, a curious thing happens. The more we look, the more they slip into the background. Despite our attention, we lose sight of the way they shape our daily lives† (p. 270). As technology becomes the normal and expected means of communication and education, Bruce and Hogan (1998) point out, important changes occur in expectations about the abilities students have to acquire to be successful language users. The interaction between instructors and learners should be so close in order to get a good and reasonable result. The more teachers update and are familiar with new technologies in teaching, the more knowledgeable and update students will be. In general, the influence of new information technologies in educational institutions (from schools to higher education) and even homes has changed the relationship between student and teacher. Thus, traditional learning paradigms are changed and users are faced with vast amounts of information and knowledge. Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) It is obvious that in these days everybody, especially school and university students, tends to use computer in their daily activities specially explosion of interest in using computers for language teaching and learning which is an interest of both language instructors and language learners. The development of CALL brought about a revolution in teaching process, as the teaching tools offered through CALL were gradually becoming more reliable. Today CALL has popularity in education specially in learning a foreign language so that language learners support it and use it as an essential part of their language learning process. However, applying CALL in teaching and learning has some weaknesses. Nowadays both English language teachers and English learners are tend to utilize computer in their methods especially its very important for English instructors to use CALL because English course book of secondary school changed from the current educational year that CALL is one of important part of it. Schools and their school districts would benefit from a the current program that assesses the English teachers’ use of technology and readiness for use of technology in their classroom, as well as their ability to utilize technology in an engaging and meaningful way for the English learners specific to their content area. One such example is the Teacher Education and Technology Planning Guide created by Learning Point Associates in November of 2004. It looks at eight key categories for the implementation of technology by pre-service teachers and colleges of education (Fulton, Glenn Valdez, 2004). Statement of the problem Informatics and computer-based communication have created a collection that originated arevolution thatis based on information industry: a revolution that itswhose focus is on accessing information, that is, searching and retrieval of information in limited time with a reasonable cost. Ultimately, it results in creating global village and the information society.In this regard, a related terminology Information Technology (IT)would be mentioned that is a key point in the revolution. According to Wikipedia, free encyclopedia, IT is the application of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a business or other enterprise. As its name indicates, in such society each organization and its staffs should be inform of what are going on in the world around and should possess the technology and be able to apply it to get such information. To remain in such society, change is essential, so as a result every organizatio n changed. Education in general and teaching English in particular is one of the many fields thathas been affected by IT and changed. At present, any society needs educated people who have the power of decision-making, people who should be able to act and communicate based on their abilities in a world of widely changing. It means knowledgeable people who are flexible and can adopt themselves to any conditions in their job that are dealing with IT. In addition, each society needs teachers who are able to apply technology in their classes.Regarding to development of technology in human life and man’s move toward technology, teachers need to adapt themselves with technology, too. To get a good and acceptable result of instruction at the end of semesters, English teachers need to update themselves by using CALL. The goal of all language teachers is to teach their students in a way that the students acquire language component and language skills. For vocabulary learning, teachers have applied and employed so many methods and ways such as; memorizing long lists of words, translating texts, making sentences with new words, and so many other ways that are known for the experts in language teaching. In Iran, English teachers have been trying several methods to teach their students English but despite great effort in teaching, they probably have not achieved success.Nowadays there are great amounts of high school students and even university students who cannot use English even a simple introduction while they past at least seven years of English instruction in guidance and high school.English language teaching experts have different beliefs about it. One of the main problems may be if for the purpose of the books that are not communicative based. [E3]In both guidance schools and high schools, English teachers require the students to memorize long list of vocabulary that were at the end of each lessons. Although the words were retained, it was not last for long time. The other main reason may be is its way of teaching grammar. English teachers teach grammar like mathematics. It means first they wrote a formula on the board and then wrote some examples and wanted the students to d o following examples that were on their books. Usually the grammar applied on the lesson reading text but it was not clear enough to make the students understand. There were so many problems that the bottom line was failing to learn English language well. After some years of graduating their high school and nowadays during the school, the students who are poor in learning English language referred to English language institutes to start to learn it better and also in a new method. Experience has shown that the students who participate in English institutes learn and apply English better than those who do not participate in such classes. Unlike schools, the way of teaching English in English institutes are totally different. First, the book which are taught in English institutes are completely different from school. Although there are different kinds of books, all of them are designed with the aim of communication and all of them are following same goal.The books which are using in English institutes are include: Happy House, Happy writing, Potato pals, Pocketsand some others for kids and beginning in starter levels.Let’s go, First friend, Family and friends which are usually forjunior levels and intermediate levels.Interchange, Touchstone, Top notch, Summit, American English file and English resultthatis usually for senior levels adult learning. It should be mentionthat all of the series have different stages.Regardless of the variety of books, in English institutes students are expected to be able to communicate at the end of each semester according to the level of the related book. The remarkable thing in such book is that these books have given considerable attention on learning words with different ways and in some casesfor better understanding of a word, presents a word with its pictures. In all kinds of books, they used kind of CALL. In most of the books, especially for kids, the publisher provides additional software according to the book for better understand of the contents. For kids, it provides some moving pictures and famous cartoon characters to teach them English alphabet or some simple words like dog, cat, ant etc. For junior, intermediate, upper intermediate and senior levels the publisher usually provide demo of the book and additional tests. Even some publishers enlist some English software and attach the software to the book. These publishersmight be believe that such technology is more attractive for language learners and it help to sell their product more. Recently, English teachers have tried to incorporate technology and the old methods of teaching English that have taught in schools, which usually was based on grammar translation method (GTM). As the researcher is going to do his research on vocabulary learning aspect of English language, he has tried to search for some software and CALL programs that their focus is on vocabulary. One of the most important parts of language learning and language usage is vocabulary and the ability of using it. English teachers have used so many different ways to teach vocabulary to English learners but they were not much success. Nowadays English teachers usemany English software to teach vocabulary, learning vocabulary in learners is better than far past but seemingly they have not achieved as success as they expected. They use some software like Oxford Picture Dictionary (OPD), Longman Children Picture dictionary,Nosrat English language teaching, demo of some English books and such software that contains language components specially vocabulary learning. Some of such English software were good at the beginning and attracted learners’ satisfaction even sometimes learners thought it was the best software that they could use but it did not last. One of the most important reasons is because the method they (English software) worked onis not like learners’ real life. Foreign language learners need to learn a newlanguage as much as their first language, which refers to acquiring it rather than learning. It means to teach vocabulary to English language learners so that they internalize in their mind and they could apply it. English language learners need to learn English the same way they leant their first language it means they should be completely surrounded by the language they are going to learn not see a translation of words or instructing. In other words, they should be in a natural immersion of language. With regard to above mentioned characteristics of teaching a language, the researcher chose choose an English software that does not have the above mentioned problems. This study is going to examine teaching vocabulary through the Rosetta Stone English software. Due to above mentioned problems of Iranian EFL learners on vocabulary learning, the researcher is going to demonstrate some words and sentences by related pictures. It is considered that the learners can mix both their auditory and visual sense in their mind so that the word would be learned. Other features of this software will explain in detail in following chapters.This research intends to investigate the impact of Rosetta Stone English software vocabulary learning in a way that the learnt material be last for long time like everybody’s first language. Significance of the study The domain of CALL in Iran is in need of moreresearch. To the researcher’s best knowledge, studiesabout computer-based instruction in Iran are not somanyespecially for research through English language learning software.In addition, there is not any research through Rosetta Stone English software at all and this is the first research in this field using this software.In Mazandaran, Mahmoudabad, it is the first time that a CALL research is going to be done on English language learners so it is novel in this major. A few studies about using podcast and the use of CALLinteaching listening and grammar toIranian EFL learners have beenconducted. It is anticipated that this study encourages English language teachers to use computers in languagelearning in general, and in learning English vocabularyin particular. This study also attempts to bridge the gapbetween the theoretical and practical sides of usingCALL in teaching vocabulary. Therefore, the findings of this study may befunctional for different categories of people; it mayhelp EFL curriculum designers and EFL methodologists develop teaching materials that suit various ways ofteaching and match students’ level of achievement inEnglish language in general and in vocabulary in particular. The finding of this research can be helpful for English language teachers whose students have problem with learning vocabulary and are bored by learning English vocabulary in traditional ways. Moreover, this study may helpEnglish teachersby facilitating their role as well as students byhelping them absorb and apply Englishvocabulary itemsquite easily and smoothly. There are many English learners who are looking for good English software that couldlearn English by themselves; conducting this research makes familiar the people with this software and its abilities.Even some English teachers do not know such software; it is hope that reading this thesis will familiarize t hem with the software.Finally, this study mayencourage other researchers to conduct further studieson the same topic, or maybe on other skills or sub skills of English, which will enrich both the local andinternational literature. Research question and hypothesis This study is going to answer these questions: Does Rosetta Stone English software have any statistically significant impact on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning? Does Rosetta Stone English software have any statistically significant impact on Iranian EFL learners’ delay[E4] recall? This study will focus on the following null hypotheses: Rosetta Stone English software has no statistically significant impact on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. Rosetta Stone English software has no statistically significant impact on Iranian EFL learners’ long-term [E5]recall of vocabulary items. Definition of key terms Computer-assisted language learning (CALL): It is succinctly defined in a seminal work by Levy (1997) as the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning. CALL embraces a wide range of Information and communications technology applications and approaches to teaching and learning foreign languages, from the traditional drill-and-practice programs that characterized CALL in the 1960s and 1970s to more recent manifestations of CALL. Here by CALL it means using some software and CDs that learners use to strengthen their vocabulary skill and sometimes using some software such as English Rosetta Stone for practicing English vocabularies. Rosetta Stone English software: It is proprietary CALL software published by Rosetta Stone Inc. The software uses images, text, sound, and video to teach words and grammar by spaced repetition, without translation. Rosetta Stone calls their approach Dynamic Immersion (a term which they have trademarked). Information and Communication Technology (ICT): It is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT), but is a more specific term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. In this study by ICT it means the ways and activities that are related to language learning and activities that learners can do by ICT as their language learning processes. Educational Technology (ET): According to Richards and Schmidt (2010), it is 1. The use of machines and educational equipment of different stores (e.g. language and labrotaries, tape recorder, video, etc.) to assist teachers and learners. 2. A system of instruction which contains (a) an analysis of what learners need to know and be able to do (b) a description of these needs as behavioral objectives. According to Richey (2008), sometimes termed EdTech, is the study and ethical practice of facilitating e-learning, which is the learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. Delimitations of the study This study has the following limitations: This study limits its scope on lower intermediate institutes vocabulary learning. Therefore, other skills and sub skills are not concern of this study. This study will be done on Mahmoudabad lower intermediate institutes learners with their own ecological and cultural characteristics, so learners in other cities and provinces with different levels are not included. This research will study on both genders, so others researchers can limits their study on just one gender. [E1]Source? [E2]As you see in this page, you need a thorough proofreading of your thesis. I did it only for page 1. You continue with the rest. [E3]rewrite [E4]does not match hypothesis 2 [E5] does not match question 2

Pie Charts Essay examples -- essays research papers

Pie Charts An important part of decision making is having a clear understanding of the information used to base decisions from. Charts can be valuable when a need to represent numerical data would benefit communicating information visually. Some of the most important aspects of a good chart are to select the right type of chart (or graph) that can best characterize the data, also, to keep the design simple in order for an audience to easily understand the information. One of the most popular types of charts is the pie chart. The pie chart is used to visually represent the proportional value of individual parts to the whole. As the name describes, this is done by representing the numerical equivalence of each part as a piece of the whole pie, which in total equates to 100%. The Pennsylvania Department of Health (2001) says that pie charts are a good choice when a relatively small amount of parts, perhaps 3 to 7, need to be represented. With any more it becomes difficult to notice the differences in magnitude; thus, the pie chart loses its simplicity and impact. They can only be used when a total amount is known, one such example would be an election where the total of votes received by all candidates equals 100% of the votes. Or a budget where the total amount spending is divided in to categories such as labor, facilities costs, advertising, etc†¦ which always are a part of the total. However, according to McBride (2003), the pie chart could n ot be used to show a change in spending through out a period. A pie chart shows data at one instance, like a snapshot and cannot be used to show change in data over time (para. 4). With the advent of computers, 3D graphs have become somewhat popular, unfortunately a negative aspect is that they add complexity to the image and can distort visual proportional value. It is recommended to stick with flat â€Å"2D† charts (para. 6). Pie charts these days are typically generated by computer software, as a result people forget that there is actually a little math involved. To create a pie chart Concordia University (2000) explains that you have to find the total value for the entire category being studied and calculate the percentage for each segment or part. Convert the percentage values for each segment into degrees relative to the 360 degrees in the circle. (For example, 12% X 360 degrees = 43 degrees). Then, Draw a circle and d... ...chart should look like with the exception of one rule, the pieces were not arranged from largest to smallest in a clockwise manner. The sizes are mixed, making less clear the relative proportions of the pieces. Pie charts can be an excellent tool for presenting information in a simple, visual and comprehensible manner. If used in the right situation and best practices are followed, the pie chart may be the tool that most influences a decision. References Pennsylvania Department of Health. (2001). Pie charts and pictographs. Retrieved January 24, 2005 from, http://www.health.state.pa.us/hpa/stats/ techassist/piechart.htm Concordia University. (2000). Pie chart. Retrieved January 31, 2005 from, http://web2.concordia.ca/Quality/tools/21piechart.pdf Sykes, A., & Smith, B. (1999). Getting started – A simple pie chart. Retrieved January 31, 2005 from, http://www.causeway.co.uk/tutorial/rainpro/apl99/dyalog/start.htm Hodges, M. (2004). Grandfather economic report series. Retrieved January 31, 2005 from, http://mwhodges.home.att.net/fed_budget.htm Perlman, H. (2003). Where is earth’s water located? Retrieved January 31, 2005 from, http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html

World Depression :: essays research papers

World Great Depression Macro Economics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The depression that plagued the United States in the 1930’s was distinctive in its enormity and its consequences. Europe and other countries suffered in the depression due to three main areas of discussion. The effects of trade contributed to depression throughout Europe and America. United States and other countries unemployment soared. With the ravages of world war one many countries where in debt in post war world one or became in debt due to reparations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been said that the Great Depression began in 1929 after a cataclysmic collapse of the New York Stock Exchange. It began in the United States but quickly spread across the world causing an economic slump. â€Å"During the collapse of the world the German case is perfect example of what happen virtually everywhere in the 1930s. The international economy broke up into trading blocks determined by political allegiances and currencies.† Britain’s economy suffered with the loss of the over seas market and the country’s choice to not to devalue the pound. When face with falling exports earnings governments began overreacting and began severely reducing trade. Nearly all countries needed to protect their domestic production and began imposing tariffs. By doing this it greatly reduced the amount of international trade and furthered them into debt. The high tariffs hindered the payments of war debts, which were only paid off by loans from the Uni ted States and Britain for war reparations. The destabilization of the European economy came through the international debt structure that appeared after World War one. (http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/about.htm), (http://www.kwaves.com/kond_analysis.htm) (http://mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~gremel/Courses/wc2/lectur   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many countries that where allies with the United States during the war owed large amounts of money to American banks. The amount of money was so immense that it is one reason that the Allies insisted at Treaty of Versailles that repartitions be paid which they thought would be able to pay off their debts. After America fell into the depression they recalled their loans making many German banks to close their doors and the whole system to collapse. Not being able to pay off their reparations to the Allies due to Germany and Austria being in the debt themselves. Along with Germany the United States started to remove money from Europe, leading to the selling for European monies and collapse of European banks. (http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/about.htm), (http://www.kwaves.com/kond_analysis.htm)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the countries loss money and began to fall into debt the unemployment began to rise.

Ensuring Children’s Safety Essay

News headlines about the heinous parent acts against children such as abuse, assault and rape are more than just disturbing. They are shocking. Most of us can’t imagine what would make adult use violence against children, and the worse the behavior is, the more unimaginable it seems. It is only right that we bring forth the issue of these despicable acts. Protecting children from harm and violence is not just the duty of the authorities concerned. Society has to play its part as well. For starters, action needs to begin with neighbors. Neighbors must be vigilant for the warning signs of abused children like shrinking away when an adult approaches, serious physical injuries and children frequently plays in the street, unsupervised. They need to watch out for children often stay outside their house because the children may be hurt or afraid of their parents. Besides, neighbors should report their concern to the proper authorities like police and Child Protective Services (CPS) so that preventive measures can be taken in time. Other than that, the government should keep children safe within their own families. The government should give heavy penalty to parents as a warning to alert them on the heavy offence of child abuse. Besides, the government should carry out a campaign on child abuse to strengthen family ties. Moreover, the CPS should visit every house to promote the integrity of the family, protect children from harm and assure the needs and rights of children to live in a healthful situation. Lastly, schools should place special emphasis on child safety education. Programs on safety should be held from time to time to educate them on the seriousness of child abuse. Moreover, schools should organize caring school programs to help build children’s self-esteem and teach them about respect among peers and the others so that they can behave well and learn about healthy relationship. In a nutshell, family violence and child abuse is on the increase. The cause of which is a breakdown in the family structure. A safe place for children to live and grow can only be realized when all parties, including schools, communities and the authorities work together to help reduce the cases of child abuse.

Digital Classroom Essay

I was really wondering what can I learn English when I came here. Because before I couldn’t go to course about English . I haven’t got an idea. After that we’ve seen two different classroom. Conventional and digital classroom. World is changing everyday. Person finds new technologies idea for everything. And I’m absolutely agree this statement what people learning English are able to make greater progress when using a variety of learning technologies within the classroom. I really like digital classroom. There are lots of advantages. In my opinion IWB is incredible . It looks like game and everybody like to play game. All word use to internet and computer because of this people can be to more interested with lesson. Some times we can want to speak with our friends and we can use to Synchron Eyes. I’m feeling comfortable to digital classroom. Pegasus is helpful for me. I can do some mistakes when I write by handed and after that maybe I can’t see my mistakes. But if I use to Pegasus I can see all my mistakes end of the exam or homework and maybe I can forget my homework but if I look for in the Pegasus I can see my homework. I used to conventional classroom for 23 years. Sometimes computers can’t work . there can be some digital problems. What can I do this time. I can use my book. We’re really old friends with my book. If I am in classroom I want to see my book and I want to use my pencil. This is really important for me. I want to write some notes on the book.  As a result two different classroom has a good speciality. I feel confused but actually digital class is better than conventional class.