English Language A Chief Medium Of Communication English Language Essay

English Language A Chief Medium Of Communication English Language Essay According to Encarta on line, the English language is the chief medium of communication of people in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Since the middle of the 20th century, English language has become widespread around the world. It is often considered the world language. English in South Africa is mainly learned as a means to gain access to knowledge in various fields. THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION AND THE PROBLEMS OF READING SKILL Theoretical considerations in this research, comprises problems of reading skills in first additional language. Lado (1996:159) states that: consider learning to read in foreign language as grasping meaning in the language through its written symbols. Similar views were echoed by Gritter (1977:245) when he equated reading to direct communication from the printed page to the readers mind. The central theme of this study was that reading skills seemed to lose its value due to numerous problems and lack of motivation in reading at schools. Different challenges, such as educators being not well trained in facilitating reading skills; lack of support systems; illiteracy; poor socio-economic; interference of L1 and first additional language; learners environment; and technological systems, seem to hinder the progress and development of reading skill. In the economic sector, employers found that many African job applicants were unable to read and to fill in English application forms. Since there are few native speakers of English in Limpopo Province, Lebowakgomo Circuit in particular, English literacy is limited. Insufficient training in reading skills on the part of teachers. Blame for poor reading result was laid on lack of effective reading instruction on the part of educators. Carlson (1972:32) supports this thus; public schools have been blamed for not having strong programme of organized phonics and lack of instruction in the decoding of sounds the letters represent. The researcher agrees that educators are the cornerstones of reading skill activities. As such, they needed intensive in-service training in order to practise their duties effectively and improve on poor reading results. Devine et al.; (1987:254) confirmed that there is a general agreement among teachers and students that the reading sections are responsible for the high failure rate. The researcher agrees that lack of instruction in the decoding of the sounds is the main explanation why many disadvantaged learners are retarded in reading. It is also the reason for high illiteracy rate among both the young and adults in South Africa, and Limpopo Province in particular. Owen (1992:97) noted that teachers were aware of the limitations of their childrens reading performance in global terms. However, decisions, about the most effective remediation strategies to deploy in particular cases have been hampered by the lack of training. The socio-economic status of the subjects According to Johnson (1992:158), Low Socio-Economic Status in a previous cultural setting was not necessarily associated with low achievement. That is, according to the records, some learners from Low Socio Economic Status perform well in reading L2. They sometimes out shines learners from High Socio Economic Status. The problems in assessment of reading skills in secondary schools Assessment is an important aspect which is viewed as a tool to measure strength and weakness of the learners. It is used as an extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to learners, so that they read more during their spare time. Educators give learners a sense of recognition through reading skill assessment. Assessment helps educators to assess a learners reading skill to make informed decisions about what or where to stress when teaching the learner to read. According to Farr (1970:1), most evaluation programs in reading education are too limited. In assessing the abilities of students, teachers to place more emphasis on the results of standardized reading tests and fail to consider such learners, behaviour as what learners read, attitude toward reading and use of reading to search for answers to personal problem. The research questions include reading attitude. They refer to feelings that results in learners particular approach to reading. Attitude influences the desire to read. Conley (1992:89) states that positive reading attitudes are essential for success in any content area, negative attitudes accompany reading failure. Alexander Filler (1976) add that, when students have favourable attitudes towards reading, they tend to increase in achievement and they read more. The word assessment should mean more than obtaining test scores from learners, it should be seen as a value to what it assesses, and that is challenges in reading first additional language. Reading skill against technology. The other goals of this study are to find if there is a predictable relationship between technological systems and time spent on voluntary reading. The researcher believes that technological system challenges the development of reading skill in a positive and negative way. He enjoys the support of other scholars, such as, Mangieri et al., (1982:172), who maintain that many children today do not enjoy reading in their spare time and seldom choose to read when other activities are available to them. Moreover, Sunday Times (21 May 2006:8) agrees with this statement by stating that, Television viewing has become the predominant leisure of youngsters. Some 77, 4% of them watch TV three or more times a week. The researcher will investigate if this picture portrays is what is happening in the Lebowakgomo Circuit. May (1986:262) also add that, at home, reading frequently competes with the omnipresence of television and its titbits of instant culture and its instant action. May (1986:262) continue to say that, numerous studies have shown that the average elementary child watches television more than we would like him/she to. He continues to say that, one of the reasons why pupils do not do much reading outside the school is that television provides tough competition for books. The researcher also observed that most children are watching television until late in the evening. This tendency was observed during the fifteen years of democracy. It is because after the 1994 elections, having electricity at home was a right not a privilege. This includes rural, semi-rural and urban area in Limpopo Province. As such, some rural learners had the opportunity of having television at their homes. Most of urban area learners move from television viewing to computer games, which is equally a waste of their time. All this leisure happens at the cost of reading their books. Beard (1988:7) supports the statement when he notes that competing activities such as television viewing and home computers are edging out the habit of reading. The problems of relationship between L1 and first additional language reading The cultural aspect or context of reading infers that the educator and learner understand the basic knowledge of their mother tongue: that is, the histories, literature, current world position and changes involving their native languages. These aspects show the importance of the learners background knowledge. This view is supported by Lado (1996:5) who argues that: theoretically, in reading a language, it would mean sharing of a culture in order to be able to appreciate fully the works in the target language. The extent to which reading a language entails reading of a culture would be determined by the purpose for which language was being studied. In South African, there is a national agreement that it is better to learn first in ones native language, in order to build on what has been learned naturally about reading in L1. The advantages of using a childs native language as a bridge in transitional situations are self-evident. It builds on what children know, that is, their home language. Their own language is learned naturally using their own cognitive framework. This will promote their self-esteem, because it accepts what is an integral part of them. It makes them comfortable during the difficult transition of learning to read in first additional language. Mitchell Myles (1998:13) support the above view by saying that everyday observation tells us that learners performance in a second language is influenced by the language that they already know. Pronunciation bears traces of their first language. SPECIALISTS/SCHOLARS OPINIONS ON THE CONCEPT OF READING. The researcher wanted to find out what other researchers and theorist say about reading. What is reading? According to the editor, Horton, and writer, Good Acre (1990:120), this is the most difficult and complex question to answer, and, to some extent, it depends on who is asking the question. There are different kinds of reading. They are, namely, Skimming, Search Reading, Browsing, Careful Reading and Independent Reading. The researcher was interested in doing research on of Careful Reading and Independent Reading. It is because careful reading is associated with reading text, story books and other instructions. Independent Reading helped learners to develop Our lives and environments are surrounded by different kinds of information. Some information is read from the books, newspapers, magazines, instructions from the medications and road signs. Robert (1996:1) points out that reading can make us more aware of our world and more aware of ourselves. It can stretch our imagination and deepen and enliven our experience. It can provoke us to think by challenging our assumptions. Bearne (1998:48) argues that reading is a social and cultural process where not only homes and classrooms play their part, but larger institutions and cultural influence such as governments and the media contribute to what being a reader involves. Bearne views reading as an interactive process that brings meaning to the text that you read. Shelly (1986:50) says that experts agree that reading is not simply a hierarchically arranged set of sub-skills easily taught and tested, but that it is a complex skill requiring the coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information. Shelly (1986:50) further says reading is viewed as the foundation of learning and the key to success in school. The researcher wants to agree with Shelly because if the learners reading skill is well polished, he or she will have minimal problems in coping with content subjects as far as reading is concerned. Grolier (1979:28) argues that reading has to do with the process of attaching meaning to certain written symbols. As the word meets the eye, the reader is stimulated to make a mental picture of the action meaning. The symbols awaken meaning that is already in the mind of the reader. Neil (1988:28) adds that reading is creative, what any reader derives from the printed page is not exactly what some other readers would get or even what the author had in mind. It means that the interpretation of text will always differ from other readers perspective, due to different context, home language and other factors. Carlson (1972:6) found that men of perception and ambition quickly realized that, the art of reading was the lever to free themselves from the bonds of ignorance and gain status in the society. Reading was the basic skill that ought to be mastered by all as the key to sustain an economically self sufficient and effective citizenship. Encyclopaedia (Q-R Vol.16:10) notes that the main goal of education is to teach people to read. Reading is one of the principal ways of transmitting a culture of learning from one generation to another. The failure to read can keep people away from full participation in their society. Devine et al., (1987:2) state that reading is a multifaceted, complex and interactive process that involves many sub-skills and types of readers as well as text variables. Everything about the readers background, especially culture specific knowledge and experiences, are relevant to successful reading and comprehension. Wepner et al., (1988:160) assert that reading is a constructive process, reading must be fluent, strategic, it requires motivation. Reading is a continuous developing skill. A truly top-down approach to L2 reading has been advanced in 1979. The following: Steffensen, Joag-dev Anderson, (1979); Carrell (1981, 1982); Carrel and Eisterhold (1983); Johnson (1981, 1982); and Hudson (1982) agree that top-down L2 reading not only views the reader as an active participant in the reading process; making predictions and processing information, but everything in the readers prior experience or background knowledge plays a potential role in the process. Robert (1996:1) says reading can make us more aware of our world and ourselves. It can stretch our imagination and deepen and enliven our experience. It can provoke us to think by challenging our assumptions. It can help us make sense of our lives and our world by providing us with explanations that relate what we see, hear, think, and learn. It can enrich our understanding of issues that affect our world and lives. The ability to read in first additional language with understanding is an important skill in our modern society. We need to bring together the relevant challenges of reading to build a comprehensive theory of reading. THEORIES OF READING The researcher discusses theories and theoretical frame work of reading skill. The reading theories, their principles and functions will be discussed in details. Larsen (1991:222) states that a theory is more or less formal, more or less explicit, synthesis of what is known at a given point in time about some natural phenomenon, such as factors involved in L2 reading. Theories of reading view reading as cognitive activity which largely takes place in mind. Three types of reading theories are, namely, bottom-up, top down and interactive. The brief explanation of theories is as follows. Top-down theory of reading Goodman (1982) says it is the level at which the reader starts with a general idea or schema derived from previously acquired knowledge and uses this schema in perceiving and interpreting graphic cues. Everything in the readers prior experience or background knowledge plays a potential role in the process of reading L2. The reading text; genre, socio-cultural, general world and linguistic knowledge code of the learner, are included in the background knowledge. Interactive theory of reading True reading involves perception of meaning at different levels. Interaction process is the interaction between bottom-up and top-down levels. When the reader starts with the perception of graphics, but as soon as these are recognized as familiar, schemata derived from both linguistic knowledge of the world in general are brought into play. According to Conley (1992:54), good readers combine knowledge they already possess with information in texts and with feature of the context in order to construct meaning. This is interacting among reader, the text and the context. Patricia (1987:24) confirms that reading is an interactive process between the reader and the text. It has been recognized by Goodman (1967, 1971) Kolers (1969) Smith (1971). It is only recently that the interactive view of reading has been acknowledged in L2 reading. L2 reading was viewed as a decoding process, a reconstruction of the authors intended meaning via recognizing the letters and words, and building up a semantic representation of the texts meaning from the smallest textual units at the bottom to the largest at the top. Bottom-up theory of reading Bottom-up is processes were graphemes are forming words, words forming sentence, sentences forming paragraphs. Devine et al., (1987:24) explain that, early work on L2 reading, by Rivers (1964, 1968); Plaister (1968), Yorio (1971), assumed a rather passive, bottom-up view of L2 reading. Reading was viewed primarily as a decoding process, a reconstructing of the authors intended meaning via recognizing the letters and words, and building up a semantic representation of the texts meaning, from the smallest textual units at the bottom to the largest at the top. Devine (1987:177) states that linguistic schema is the knowledge of the letters and the corresponding sounds; both alone and in cluster, and the ability to predict through the knowledge of syntax, the word or words that will follow, example, phonics, grammar, and letter recognition. Ralenala (2003:54) believes that because of poor language proficiency, learners tend to use bottom-up processing strategies that, in turn, cause them to disregard the context relevant to a coherent interpretation of text. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the above- mentioned theoretical framework of challenges of reading and assessment skills ranges from different concepts. It looked into different writers views on reading, discussed why reading assessment in first additional language is important, covers L1 and first additional language interference. It touched on theories, interdependent systems and strategies that play an important role in reading. In order to promote positive and realistic expectations of first additional language reading, educators should know as about their learners existing knowledge and capabilities of reading in English. Everything in the readers prior experience or background knowledge plays a critical role in the process of reading first additional language.

Influential People

There are a couple of people in my life today I could relate as having an influence on my life. My Grandparents, my mother and certain friends I have known a while and only seen now that some attributes I have, are because of them. Most times we as people try to think we have built ourselves up in a certain way without realizing that we are a certain way or choose not to do certain things because the people in our lives have had an influence on us. It has taken me twenty years to appreciate what an amazing influence my mother has been on my life. I didn’t know my mother well until I was 15 years old. She left when I was five to pursue her bachelor’s degree and masters in pharmacy in Bulgaria. She would come eventually for holidays when she could but all her visits seem very vague to me. Her being away for such a long time had in some way caused the divorce to happen between her and my father. I could tell it was a very hard time for her but gradually she began to support herself and got back on her feet. My mother has had an incredible influence on making me the person that I am today. Because of her, I am very hard working, I stay motivated and determined and I am a go getter. My mother showed me her enthusiasm through her hard work. I was ten years old when my I made my first decision about what I wanted to study in college. I had looked forward to going to study law and become an attorney. Slowly, that image started to fade out. By the time I was a teenager, I realized just how much I wanted to work hard and become a lawyer. I began to notice the hard work my mother put into her job and how enthusiastic she was. She had such a strong work ethic and kept going no matter what came her way. My mother is a pharmacist and has five jobs. I do not know where she gets the energy from but she manages being a pharmacist, teaching part-time pharmacy classes, sitting on the Board of Directors for the Ministry of Health, working part time in a private hospital and working part time in a pharmacy. I vividly remember listening to one of my mother’s conversations especially so because I never wanted to listen to what she had to say to I most time. She told me how she felt suppressed in her marriage before her divorce. She began to realize the only way to make it and reach the top is to work hard in school and at the workplace and be the best you can be. She has clearly demonstrated this to me over the past couple of years and because of that I continue to work hard not only in school but at work as well. I can now definitely notice how people appreciate my good work ethics and instructors tell me how I wrote a good essay for instance or commend me on my work in class. And all this is attributed to my mother and how hard working she is. I treasure the various worlds my mother has opened to me because she has time and time again shown me how to stay motivated. I remember when she returned from Europe and she and my father explained how they would no longer be together. That crushed my world but more than anything I know how it crushed my mother. However, despite all that, she continued to strive and stay motivated and she has achieved so much more now because of that. My life has been equally transformed by what she has shown me. When it comes to be being motivated, I am forever grateful to my mum because I learned how to keep trying even when I failed. I now know I can achieve what I hope to be if I stay motivated and optimistic in life. There is a famous saying that life is short, I believe life is what you make out of it and staying motivated does add value to accomplishing great things. I still find it fascinating how my mother can get what she wants because she always determined. She influenced me to know that if I am motivated and determined, I can achieve what I set my goals to be in life. Now I realize the importance of being focused in life, being humble and respectful and taking every opportunity I can because it could lead to something great. She says having a good family and home is a privilege but placing me in line to achieve great things is having the mind of a go-getter. In conclusion, I know many of the attributes, attitudes and skills are largely influenced by my mother. She has shown me how to be a hard worker because it really does pay off in the long run. She also had shown me that being determined and motivated can take me to faraway places than I could ever imagine and that having the mind of a Go-getter allows me to push myself and will benefit me with time to come.

Legislation In Texas Essay - 1012 Words

Garza 5 Christopher Garza Professor Sharifian GOVT 2306-71003 September 30, 2017 Appeals to Apathy: Legislation in Texas Running for public office in the state of Texas is not an easy task. The state is rife with gerrymandering, special interest groups, and a generally apathetic voting populace. To challenge an incumbent means to battle against all of that. The population of Texas that does vote is most likely to vote for the same person that they have been voting for. Special Interest groups will fund their campaigns, giving them a greater platform to reach voters than one would have as an individual. Gerrymandering allows an incumbent to draw their district in a way that maximizes their voting base while minimizing their opposition. For†¦show more content†¦By making general statements rather than specific ones, I will allow the population to presume that I am speaking to them directly. This allows me to pursue my own interests in office without being labeled a hypocrite. The remo val and opposition of legislation regarding Abortion is in the spirit of being against government regulation while at the same time is counter to the interests of my district. This stance aligns with the platform of the Texas Republican party while simultaneously allowing me to work against the principles I do not believe in. The Texas Republican position on education is to support the freedom of choice to pursue any means of education the parent desires, be it public, private, charter or homeschool (texasgop.org). I will work towards the implementation of a voucher system in my district to allow a greater freedom of choice to the parents. The system would be analogous to that of the voucher system used by Sweden. According to Anders Bohlmark and Mikael Lindahl, â€Å"We find that an increase in the share of independent-school students improves average performance at the end of compulsory school as well as long-run educational outcomes. We further find that the average effects stem primarily from external effects (eg,school competition)†. This system aligns with the desires of the Republican platform in maintainingShow MoreRelatedInterest Groups in Texas Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesIn this essay I will compare and contrast the different legislative agendas of various interest groups involved wi th the Texas Government. An interest group (also called an advocacy group, lobbying group, pressure group, or special interest) is a collection of members that are determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected. The essay will discuss the four kinds of interest groups, trade, professional, single and public, as well as provide one detailed exampleRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Texas Government1007 Words   |  5 PagesJilmer Cortez Govt 2306 September 13,2017 Essay Texas Legislature met for the 85th time last spring since statehood. The Texas Legislature passed several laws from State budget, protecting children, schools, sanctuary cities, and many more, at the same time some laws where not passed. The Lawmakers passed a 2.6 billion supplemental spending bill that will be used to plug holes in the budget passed two years, this bill served Texas. Lawmakers also passed a bill that would make CPS’ parent agencyRead MoreCollege Tuition Cost On A Rise Essay1254 Words   |  6 PagesCollege Tuition Cost on a Rise The rising cost of education in Texas colleges started in 2003 when the deregulation was lifted. Then, soon after, the Texas State legislature cut the education budget because of a drop in the economy in 2008. The cut in funding and the removal of the deregulation law allowed colleges across Texas a way to recoup lost resources by raising the cost of tuition. The raising cost of tuition has limited the amount of attending students from graduating in the expected timeRead MoreEssay1093 Words   |  5 PagesTexas is one of the most populated regions within the United States only second to California. With such a large population, varying political ideologies convene within even the tiniest areas of the state. Because of this, Texas hosts a whopping number of 36 representatives to serve for each of its congressional districts. Here in Dallas, specifically the Lancaster area, we are represented by Texas U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Texas State Senator Royce West, Texas St ate RepresentativeRead MoreThe United State Is Run By The Government Essay1239 Words   |  5 PagesThe United State is run by the government. Every single states have the representatives of civil in the Congress. Texas is not an exception. We have one representative in the House of the Representative who is Gene Green. We also have two Senators in the Senate who are John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. In this essay, we will discuss and assess of these individual’s representation. First, Gene Green, who is a member of the Democratic Party, is currently serving to represent for Texas’s 29th congressionalRead MoreRoe vs Wade1245 Words   |  5 Pagesunconstitutional. This essay will provide a brief history and analysis of the issues of this case for both the woman’s rights and the states interest in the matter. Also, this essay will address the basis for the court ruling in Roe’s favor and the effects this decision has had on subsequent cases involving a woman’s right to choose abortion in the United States. The court’s decision created legal precedent for several subsequent abortion restriction cases and has led to the development of legislation to protectRead MoreAffirmative Action : Discrimination And Ethnicity Essay1459 Words   |  6 Pagespractice. Affirmative action refers to admission policies, in this case put into effect by universities, that provide equal access to education for groups that have been historically e xcluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities. In his essay, Sandel asks whether it is unjust to consider race and ethnicity as factors in university admissions. He expresses the argument that using race and ethnicity as factors are not effective in achieving the goals of affirmative action, and that otherRead MoreTheu.s. And Texas Constitutions Essay1005 Words   |  5 Pagespeople of Texas have seen many changes to state government since receiving their independence from Mexico. The state has been governed by six different constitutions. The most recent was written during the Constitutional Convention of 1875, and adopted February 15, 1876 by popular vote. This constitution contains sixteen articles, and four hundred eighty-three amendments. Throughout thus essay, the role of the state constitution will be examined along with a comparison of the U.S. and Texas ConstitutionsRead MoreTheme Of Immigration In The Joy Luck Club862 Words   |  4 Pagescritics argue that their proposal will â€Å"fly into the face of Lady Liberty†. As reading the article, it’s very obvious to tell that the main theme and topic would be immigration. An example would be the first sentence of the article, â€Å"New proposed legislation has shifted the heated immigration debate from the discussion of a southern border wall that Mexico was never going to pay for to the Statue of Liberty, and more fundamentally to what our nation stands for.† Another quote from the article that relatesRead MoreThe Governor s Military And Police Powers980 Words   |  4 Pagesto assume the command of the Texas Rangers. Thus, these are the governor’s military and police powers and the functions that they are allowed to assume in office. 2. Describe the functions of o the State Board of Education. o the Texas Education Agency. 2. The functions of the State Board of Education is to set policy for public education. The Texas Education Agency is in charge of enforcing rules and regulations affecting pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Texas. Together these two agencies

Effects Of Alcohol On A Parent Who Is An Alcoholic

that they drank in the past year; 56.4 percent reported that they drank in the past month (NIH, 1)† â€Å"16.6 millions adults ages 18 and older had an AUD (alcohol use disorder) in 2013 (10.8 million men, 5.8 million women) (NIH, 1).† However, only 7.8% of those people seeked treatment. From ages 12-17 around 697, 000 adolscents had an AUD, and only 73,000 recieved help. Alcohol relatted dealths are so common it’s sad. 88,000 people die a year from alcohol dealths in the United States. 10,076 of the dealths were from alochol related car accidents. In 2013, 3.3 million people died due to alcohol consumption, globally. Alcohol cumsuptons also leads to 200 diseases aquired by drinkers such as liver cirrhosis and cancers. It also causes remature†¦show more content†¦Going to FMCC I can assure this stuff happens almost every single weekend. Every Friday and Saturday people drink on dorms and they are always posting pictures and videos on Instagram. 39% egage d in binge drinking, and 12.7 are heavy drinkers. The consequences include car accidents, assults, sexual assults, AUD, and most commonly academic perforance. Treatment is available to those whom undergo an alcoholic problem. The goal of treatment consists of reducing withdrawal symptoms, preventing cmplications of alcohol use, and threapy to get you to stop drinking. Impatient treatment is available, and you will be closely monitered; this treatment may include monitoring of blood pressure, body temerature, heart rate and blood levels of different chemicals in the body. Also fluids or medication through a veinn, and sedation using medication called benzodiazepines until the withdrawals are complete. There is also an outpatient treatment, which is where there is person who is able to closely keep an eye on you at all times. This treatmen includes, sedative drugs, blood tests, and patient and family counceling. There are also support groups who can help alcholics. Alcoholics have a physical, mental, and emotional dependence on alcohol. The dependence on this depressant is extremely damaging to the human body. Alcoholics often have an obsession with the sbstance and it changes their life significantly. It alters their thoughts and emotions. There are many