Monday, January 27, 2020

Influences Of Mother Tongue On Second Language English Language Essay

Influences Of Mother Tongue On Second Language English Language Essay In many research on second language classroom, the role and influences of mother tongue or first language (L1) on second language (L2) learning has always been a hotly debated issue. There have always been contradicting views about whether or not to use L1 of the students in the second language classroom. During the past 30 years, in the late seventies to early eighties, the idea of using mother tongue in language classroom was not a favored one. Majority of the language classroom used solely L2 while the use of L1 is avoided totally (Liu, 2008). In fact, many supported the use of L2 only so as to provide full exposure to that language. The use of L1 in the language classroom is deemed as depriving the learners input in L2 (Ellis, 1984). Despite the many arguments from both proponents and opponents of the use of L1 in the L2 language classroom, linguistic researchers failed to provide a conclusion for this issue and could not reach a common ground on whether the use of L1 is considered as a facilitator or a barrier in the acquisition of second language. According to Nation (2003), L2 should be fully utilized as much as possible in a foreign language classroom (in this context, English). Though L2 should be the core language used in classroom management and learning, the use of L1 should not be abandoned as it has a minute but significant role in language learning (Nation, 2003). Apart from Nation (2003), there are many linguists and researchers in the field of second language acquisition who agreed that L1 should be utilized in the language classroom in particular with students who are not highly proficient in the target language (Swain Lapkin, 2000; Tang, 2002; Mattioli 2004). This suggests that L1 plays an important role in the language classroom especially for the low proficiency learners. However, not many empirical studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of using L1 as a tool for low proficiency learners in L2 classroom (Bouangeune, 2009). Therefore, this paper seeks to find evidence to support the theory that L1 can facilitate the learning of L2 in the classroom learning. Classroom learning for languages encompasses four language skills, for example, reading comprehension, writing, and vocabulary learning. As a head start, this paper will examine the use of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning. 1.2 Research Objectives Liu (2008) did a rather straightforward and comprehensive research on the effects of L1 use on L2 vocabulary learning. In his study, he managed to prove that bilingual vocabulary teaching method is actually suitable for Chinese EFL learners (Liu, 2008). Inspired by his research, this study aims to address the problem of low proficiency learners in Malaysian secondary government school. This study will replicate the research done by Liu (2008) to investigate the role of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning. Also, this study intended to identify whether L1 is a facilitator or a barrier to the L2 vocabulary learning in Malaysian context and how L1 facilitates the language learning. The main objective of this study is to examine the effects of L1 use in L2 vocabulary learning on low proficiency L2 learners. 1.3 Research Questions Based on the objective, this study seeks to measure how L1 facilitates the low proficiency L2 learners to understand the meanings of new words. This study aims to answer the following questions: What are the effects of using L1 in L2 vocabulary learning classroom? To what extend does the use of L1 increase the performances of L2 vocabulary learning. From here, we propose the following hypotheses: There are significant differences between the performances of students with different language approach in the vocabulary learning. The bilingual approach (incorporating L1 in L2 classroom learning) is suitable to low proficiency L2 learners. 1.4 Purpose of the Study This study sets to focus on L2 vocabulary learning due to the reason that acquisition of vocabulary has a fundamental role in learning a second language (SÃ ¶kmen, 1997). In other words, vocabulary learning is inter-related to other language skills. A number of studies claimed that L2 learners need to have extensive knowledge of vocabulary as it is useful in the long term run (Nation, 2001). Since the acquisition of vocabulary is so important in learning a second language, effective ways of teaching and learning vocabulary should be emphasized. Research has confirmed that proper application of L1 can effectively assist the memorization of new words during L2 vocabulary learning process. Liu (2008) used the fact that L1 is present in L2 learners mind, therefore, whether the teacher uses L1 or not, the L2 knowledge that is being formed in their mind is linked in all sorts of ways with their L1 knowledge. This observation is supported from the sociocultural theory perspective that L1 meanings continue to have a persistent effect in the L2 learning (Lantolf Thorne, 2006). Therefore, it is hope that through this study, we are able to draw some insights concerning the role of L1 and how L1 provides a familiar and effective way for acquiring and understanding the meaning of new words in L2 vocabulary learning. 1.5 The Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework for this study is based on three prominent second language acquisition theory, namely the Krashens Monitor Model (1985), Swains Output Hypothesis (1985) and Comprehensible Output (1995) and Longs Interaction Hypothesis (1996). It has been widely acknowledged that the three constructs of these theories, the input, interaction and output are closely related elements in L2 learning (Zhang, 2009). The input is vital for language acquisition. However, input alone is not sufficient. In addition, interaction comes into play as an equally important role in the process of learning. As for output, it is the final result or the goal in learning L2. 1.5.1 Krashens Input Hypothesis The Input Hypothesis is the most important hypothesis out of the five hypotheses generated by Krashen (1985) in second language acquisition. This hypothesis aims to explain how learners acquire a second language. It claims that language input (vocabulary) is important to acquisition. For the acquisition of L2 vocabulary, comprehensible input is an essential factor. Learners tend to achieve optimal acquisition when they are able to understand most of the input while being challenged by some new vocabulary (Castro, 2010).

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Small Business Speech

The Aspects of Running a Small Business General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: By the end of my speech, the audience will be able to identify four aspects of operating a small business. Central Idea: Operating a successful small business requires attention to many aspects including management, marketing, clients, and location. Organizational Method: Topical Organization Intro: Who as ever wanted to run their own business? You get to make all the rules, tell everyone what to do, and spend most of your time sitting back in your big comfy chair counting all the stacks of money your making.Would you want to run your own business now? Well, what if I told you this isn’t what the average business owner does and is actually pretty far from the real true. Today’s small business owners are the backbone and drive behind the success of a business and above all, in charge of and responsible for everything the business does. However, there are many challenges that face small b usinesses today and an article written by Michael Alter for INC. com in 2013 listed that the major challenges for small businesses lately have been the economy, government regulations, and the tax environment (Alter, 2013).This is why operating a successful small business today requires attention to many aspects including management, marketing, customers, and location. I am personally a small business owner and have operated a summer rye wicking business since 2004, which explaining that is another speech in itself, so know the joys and discomforts of running your own business. Signpost: The first aspect of a successful business is its management. Body: I. Having the right management allows employees to know what they’re doing and how it relates to the goals of the business. . Every business has an owner, or owners, who first started the business and are the ones in charge or effectively the managers for the business. b. It is essential for the owners to convey their vision f or the business to the employees so everyone can understand the direction and goals of the business (Kiser, 2004). c. Getting everyone on the same team and to understand what their job is is essential to the operation of a small business. Signpost: As management has to do with employees, marketing focuses on the ustomers. II. One of the most important aspects of running a successful business is knowing the market. d. Not only is it imperative to know the product or service being offered, knowing whom that good or service is focused towards is equally important. e. A quote by Scott Kiser in his Keys to Running a Successful Business in 2004 states â€Å"If everyone is your market, then no one is your market† (Kiser, 2004). Meaning a product can’t be sold to everyone but instead a specific market. f.Knowing what the target market consists of and if there are enough customers to maintain steady business is an essential part in the success of the business. g. In my personal business, my client’s word-of-mouth marketing is one of the main ways I gain business through providing a quality service. Signpost: As marketing deals with finding the right area of customers, keeping the business of customers is a whole different part. III. Every business, small or large, needs customers to survive. h. As with marketing, knowing what customers inside the target market want is crucial for success. . How the customers purchase the service or product along with meeting their growing demand is a vital part in providing quality service and keeping their business (Kiser, 2004). j. Making sure the product they buy, or the service provided, meets or exceeds the customer’s satisfaction is essential to maintaining a quality relationship. Signpost: Just as customers are vital to a business, the location serves are equally important purpose. IV. Every business needs a location to operate from whether it has one employee or a thousand. k.The business location ca n mean the difference between success and failure, which is why the location is one of the single most important factors in a small business as stated by Caron Beesley of the U. S. Small Business Administration in 2013 (Beesley, 2013). l. Some business can be operated from home, while others need a physical store front. m. Either location can work as long as it does not interfere with the interaction with the customers and the goal of the business. n. My personal business is based out of my home, but requires me to travel to each individual client since it is based on a service.Signpost: To summarize let’s look back at the aspects required for a successful small business. Conclusion: Running a small business may seem like an easy job, but in reality, it requires attention to many vital aspects. Management is crucial for directing employees and keeping the overall goal alive. Marketing is required to know the needs and wants of the customers and customers are required to for t he business to survive. Location is vital to the success of the business and the interaction with the customers.So next time you hear someone go on a rant about small businesses and how â€Å"†¦you didn’t build that, someone else made that happen,† think of all the aspects described today (Staff, 2012). Think how every small business owner takes each of these elements into careful consideration in order to â€Å"build† a successful business. References Beesley, C. U. S. Small Business Administration, (2013). How to choose the best location for your business. Retrieved from website: http://www. sba. gov/community/blogs/how-choose-best-location-your-business Kiser, S. (2004). keys to running a successful business. Streetdirectory. com. Retrieved from http://www. streetdirectory. com/travel_guide/662/business_and_finance/7_keys_to_running_a_successful_business. html Michael, A. (2013, Jan 17). Small business survey: Best ideas, biggest challenges, and new year resolutions. INC. com. Retrieved from http://www. inc. com/michael-alter/small-business-survey-best-ideas-biggest-challenges-resolutions. html Staff. (2012, Sep 1). ‘you didn't build that:' a theme out of context. CNN. Retrieved from http://www. cnn. com/2012/08/31/politics/fact-check-built-this

Friday, January 10, 2020

Indian Apparel Market Research Report

Indian Apparel Market Research Report By MD. FAISAL BBA (Studying) Major in International Business University of Dhaka Bangladesh E-mail: faisal. [email  protected] om The Indian apparel industry has a vast existence in the economic life of the country. It plays a critical role in the economic development of the country with its contribution to industrial output, export earnings of the country and the generation of employment. The Indian apparel industry has seen remarkable changes in the past few years and it is also one of the India's largest foreign exchange earners. Embroidery being the traditional art form of the country has contributed hugely for apparel industry. Indian embroidery market stands out as being extraordinary in the international markets. The Indian Market The Indian consumer is evolving and driving retail growth in India and companies in the fashion industry are reacting to this evolution through myriad options. The fashion market in India is witnessing strong growth owing to a young population, an increase in disposable incomes, which is leading to increase in consumption and thus the rapid growth in organized retail. Private consumption growth contributes to more than half of the GDP growth and is growing in double digit figures. Several businesses are reacting to this evolution positively, both through pull and push phenomenon. Apparel today has the largest share of the modern organised retail in India i. e. 20% of the current market of Rs. 56,000 crore and this is expected to grow at a constant rate of 20% over the next 4 years. Bilateral Co-operation in this sector shows great synergies. An Indo Italia Task Force on Fashion Design and life Style products has been created following an agreement between the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Italian Ministry of International Trade. On the Indian side members include FICCI – Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry , NID – National Institure of Design while on the Italian side there is Confindustria, Altagamma, Universita’ Bocconi, ICE. With India being the second fastest growing major economy in the world, fashion industry is pushing itself to keep pace with the retail evolution witnessed in India. Facts and Figures The global textiles and apparel trade estimated at US$ 450 billion and expected to touch US$ 700 billion by 2010 with demand for textiles and apparels expected to grow to 25 per cent from current figures where Asia will contribute 85 per cent. Clothing, textile and fashion accessories form 39 per cent of the Rs 55,000 crore organized retailing in India. The Italian designer Giorgio Armani's company has signed a joint venture with India's most valuable real estate firm, DLF. Giorgio Armani Holding, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Italian company, will take 51 percent in the venture, the maximum allowed for a single-brand foreign retailer in India. Armani will bring 10 million rupees ($250,000) to the venture, which would also act as a wholesaling firm supplying Armani-branded products to other independent retailers. The first Armani stores would be set up in New Delhi. Reliance Brands, a subsidiary of Reliance Retail, has entered into a 49:51 joint venture with Italian fashion house, Sixty Group, to retail its brands in India. DLF has tied up with Armani ,Dolce & Gabbana Raymond, the Gautam Singhania owned ‘house of complete men,’ has joined hands, in a Rs. 50 crore, 50:50 joint venture, with the Italian fashion major Grotto Spa bringing in premium â€Å"GAS† brand apparel in India. Other Italian Brands in India are Gruppo Cadini, Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna, Corneliani,Canali, Brioni, and Pal Zileri India’s asset base for this sector – Numerous qualified and semi-qualified manpower which is skilled and low on cost of Long drawn tradition of having produced high quality textiles for decades. Apparel Market Consumer spending on apparel in India has grown over the last five years, touching the global benchmark of 5 per cent of the total income During the three years 2004-05 to 2006-07, investments in the textile sector has increased from US$ 2. 94 billion to US$ 7. 85 billion. In 2007, men's apparel industry was mainly dominated by shirts (in value terms) accounting for 36. 5% of total men's segment. India's textiles and apparels industry is estimated to be worth US$49 billion where 39 per cent is accounted by the exports market. Currently India has a 3. -4 per cent share in world export of textiles and 3 per cent in clothing exports. Europe continues to be India's major export market with 22 per cent share in textiles and 43 per cent in apparel; the US is the single largest buyer of Indian textiles and apparel with 19 per cent and 32. 6 per cent share respectively. Readymade garments (RMG) are the largest export segment, accounting for 45 per cent of total textile exports and 8. 2 per cent of India's total exports. Future The demand for ready-made garments in rural India will surge at an annual rate of 16. 50% to reach Rs. 42,918 Crore or US$10. 1 billion by 2010. Men's apparel industry will increase at a CAGR of 14. 86% during the two-year period from 2008 to 2010. Women apparel market (in value terms) is anticipated to grow at an annual averaged growth rate of 17. 79% till 2010. The organized apparel retailing in India is projected to surge at an annual averaged growth rate of 30% from 2008 to reach Rs. 52,289 Crore in 2010. Increasing at a CAGR of 24%, branded apparel industry for men will cross Rs. 25,000 Crore by 2010. n Increasing at an annual averaged growth rate of 25%, branded apparel industry for women is expected to hit Rs. 8,351 Crore by 2010. Readymade garments exports from India are expected to touch US$ 14. 5 billion by 2009-10 with a cumulative annual growth of 18 to 20 per cent, according to Apparel Export Promotion Council. Versace pret-e-porte is another Italian fashion house at the lower end of the fashion pyramid that is in the final stages of tying up with Reliance Brands to bring its products to India. Gas eyes US$49. 82m sales by 2011. The company will invest Rs500m till 2010 on its retail expansion, marketing and brand building in India. Gas may do local production outsourcing for sub-Rs1,000 range. Shoppers' Stop is planning to enter the luxury retail segment with large format retail stores which will house products from many of well-known luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Zegna, Hugo Boss, YSL, Mont Blanc and Christian Dior. The company plans to invest Rs. 100 crore in this model in the first year itself. The organized lingerie retail market in India is expected to touch Rs 4,000 Crore mark by 2009. IT revenue from the retail segment is forecasted to grow at an annual averaged growth rate of 43. 41% by 2010. The Indian fashion industry is expected to rise at a stupendous pace of 22. 7% through 2012. Government Initiatives 100 per cent FDI allowed through the automatic route. Currently, 100 per cent foreign direct investment is allowed in wholesale trade, but only 51 per cent in single brand outlets. De-reservation of readymade garments, hosiery and knitwear from the SSI sector. Technology Mission on Cotton has been launched to make available quality raw material a t competitive prices. Technology Up gradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) has been launched to facilitate the modernisation and up gradation of the textiles industry. Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP) has been started to provide world class infrastructure facilities for setting up their textile units through the Public Private Partnership model. The Apparel International Mart, in Gurgaon, will provide world class facility to apparel exporters to showcase their products and to serve as a one-stop-shop for reputed international buyers. The Indian Textile Plaza is being built, in Ahmedabad, to encourage exports to overseas markets. 50 textile parks are being established to enhance manufacturing capacity and ncrease the industry's cost competitiveness. The Government plans to set up a technology mission on technical textiles with an aim to attract investment into the sector. The Government has increased the plan allocation for textiles by 66. 27 per cent in 2007-08 over that of 2006-07, making it one of the only two ministries that have seen such a high level of increase in budgetary support. The Indian consumer desires to possess internationa l luxury brands as an inspirational product. Additionally, no Indian retail brand actually qualifies to be categorised as a luxury brand. This readiness for luxury as an organised market, has been recognised throughout the world and international luxury brands are exploring possible avenues and tie-ups to enter the Indian retail market. Indian apparel companies have realised the huge potential of partnering with these global luxury brands wishing to enter India. This helps them not only to extend their portfolio into the luxury, super premium, premium segments, but also makes them probable sourcing partners for these brands in India as well as internationally. Vice versa, luxury brands gain access to well established distribution channels and customer base.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

What Does the Term Modern Classic Mean in Literature

The phrase is a bit of a contradiction, isn’t it? â€Å"Modern classics†Ã¢â‚¬â€it’s a bit like â€Å"ancient baby,† isn’t it? Haven’t you ever seen babies sporting wise yet cantankerous looks that made them seem like smooth-skinned octogenarians? Modern classics in literature are like that—smooth-skinned and young, yet with a sense of longevity. But before we define that term, lets start by defining what a work of classic literature is. A classic usually expresses some artistic quality—an expression of life, truth, and beauty. A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written, and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic. A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings—partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses. A classic makes connections. You can study a classic and discover influences from other writers and other great works of literature. That’s as good a definition of a classic as you’ll find. But what is a â€Å"modern classic?† And can it meet all of the above criteria? Something Thats Modern Can Be Familiar â€Å"Modern† is an interesting word. It gets tossed around by cultural commentators, architectural critics, and suspicious traditionalists. Sometimes, it just means â€Å"nowadays.† For our purposes here, let’s define modern as â€Å"based in a world the reader recognizes as familiar.† So although â€Å"Moby Dick† is certainly a classic, it has a hard time being a modern classic because many of the settings, lifestyle allusions, and even moral codes seem dated to the reader. A modern classic, then, would have to be a book written after World War I, and probably after World War II. Why? Because those cataclysmic events shifted the way the world sees itself in irreversible ways. Certainly, classic themes endure. Romeo and Juliet will still be foolish enough to kill themselves without checking for a pulse thousands of years from now. But readers who live in a post-WWII era are concerned with much that is new. Ideas about race, gender, and class are shifting, and literature is both a cause and an effect. Readers have a broader understanding of an interconnected world where people, pictures, and words travel in all directions at warp speed. The idea of â€Å"young people speaking their minds† is no longer new. A world that has witnessed totalitarianism, imperialism, and corporate conglomeration cannot turn back that clock. And perhaps most importantly, readers today bring a hardened realism that stems from contemplating the enormity of genocide and perennially living on the edge of self-destruction. Modern Themes and Styles Shift With the Times These hallmarks of our modernism can be seen in a wide variety of works. A glance at previous winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature brings us Orhan Pamuk, who explores conflicts in modern Turkish society; J.M. Coetzee, best known as a white writer in a post-apartheid South Africa; and Gà ¼nter Grass, whose novel  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Tin Drum†Ã‚  is perhaps the seminal exploration of post-WWII soul-searching. Beyond content, modern classics also demonstrate a shift in style from earlier eras. This shift began in the early part of the century, with luminaries such as James Joyce expanding the reach of the novel as a form. In the post-war era, the hardened realism of the Hemingway school became less of a novelty and more a requirement. Cultural shifts have meant that obscenities once viewed as outrageous are commonplace. Sexual â€Å"liberation† may be more of a fantasy than a reality in the real world, but in literature, the characters certainly sleep around a lot more casually than they used to. In tandem with television and movies, literature has also shown its willingness to spill blood on the pages, as violent horrors that once would not even have been alluded to now become the basis of best-selling novels. Philip Roth is one of America’s preeminent authors of modern classics. In his early career, he was best known for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Portnoy’s Complaint,† in which young sexuality was explored in unprecedented ways. Modern? Certainly. But is it a classic? It can be argued it is not. It suffers the burden of those who go first—they seem less impressive than those who come after. Young readers looking for a good shocker that reveals all no longer remember  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Portnoy’s Complaint.† Great Examples of Modern Classics One modern classic is Jack Kerouac’s  Ã¢â‚¬Å"On the Road.† This book is modern—it’s written in a breezy, breathless style, and it’s about cars and ennui and easy morality and vigorous youth. And it’s a classic—it stands the test of time. For many readers, it has a universal appeal. Another novel that often appears atop the contemporary classics lists is Joseph Heller’s  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Catch-22.† This certainly meets every definition of an enduring classic, yet it is thoroughly modern. If WWII and its ramifications mark the boundary, this novel of the absurdities of war stands definitively on the modern side. In the science fiction aisle—a modern genre in itself—â€Å"A Canticle for Leibowitz†Ã‚  by Walter M. Miller Jr. is perhaps the modern classic, post-nuclear holocaust novel. It has been copied endlessly, but it holds up as well—or better than any other work in painting a stark warning of the dire consequences of our path to destruction.