Sla Theories Essays

Sla Theories Essays Sla Theories Essay Sla Theories Essay Theorists place different values on the role of interaction in second language acquisition (SLA). Krashen’s (1985, 1994) theory became a predominant influence in both second language teaching practice and later theories. Krashen postulates that SLA is determined by the amount of comprehensible input, that is, one-way input in the second language that is both understandable and at the level just beyond the current linguistic competence of learners. Similar to Vygotsky’s â€Å"zone of proximal development† (1962), Krashen’s scaffolding theory is referred to as i+1. Viewed as an innatist perspective, this theory maintains that a second language is acquired unconsciously in a manner similar to the acquisition of a first language. According to Krashen (1996), acquiring language is predicated upon the concept of receiving messages learners can understand (1996). Teachers can make language input comprehensible through a variety of strategies, such as linguistic simplification, and the use of realia, visuals, pictures, graphic organizers, and other current ESOL strategies. While Krashen (1994) believes that only one-way comprehensible input is required for SLA, others take an interactionist position acknowledging the role of two-way communication. Pica (1994), Long (1985), and others assert that conversational interaction facilitates SLA under certain conditions. According to Lightbrown and Spada (1999), â€Å"When learners are given the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities they are compelled to ‘negotiate for meaning,’ that is, to express and clarify their intentions, thoughts, opinions, etc. in a way which permits them to arrive at a mutual understanding. This is especially true when the learners are working together to accomplish a particular goal . . . â€Å"(p. 122). Pica (1994) goes on to say that negotiation is defined as â€Å"modification and restructuring that occurs when learners and their interlocutors anticipate, perceive, or experience difficulties in message comprehensibility† (p. 495). A variety of modifications, which may involve linguistic simplification as well as conversational modifications such as repetition, clarification, and conformation checks, may be used to gain understanding. The interaction hypothesis of Long and Robinson (as cited in Blake, 2000) suggests that when meaning is negotiated, input comprehensibility is usually increased and learners tend to focus on salient linguistic features. Cognizance of these language forms and structures is seen as beneficial to SLA. Other nteractionist theorists apply Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory of human mental processing to define the role of interaction in SLA (Lightbrown and Spada, 1999) and hypothesize that second language learners gain proficiency when they interact with more advanced speakers of the language, for example, teachers and peers. Scaffolding structures such as modeling, repetition, and linguistic simplification used by more proficient speakers are believed to provide support to learner s, thus enabling them to function within their zones of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1962). Although theorists adhering to interactionist thought consider both input to, and input from, the learner as important, output is often viewed as secondary. However, Swain (1995) in her â€Å"comprehensible output hypothesis† asserts that output is also critical and hypothesizes that it serves four primary functions in SLA: 1) enhances fluency; 2) creates awareness of language knowledge gaps; 3) provides opportunities to experiment with language forms and structures; and 4) obtains feedback from others about language use. Comprehensible output assists learners in conveying meaning while providing linguistic challenges; that is, â€Å". . . in producing the L2 (the second, or target language), a learner will on occasion become aware of (i. e. , notice) a linguistic problem (brought to his/ her attention either by external feedback or internal feedback). Noticing a problem ‘pushes’ the learner to modify his/ her output. In doing so, the learner may sometimes be forced into a more syntactic processing mode than might occur in comprehension† (Swain and Lapkin in Chapelle, 1997, p. b). From this perspective, comprehensible output plays an important role in interaction. In summary, interactionists elaborate upon the innatist notion of comprehensible input explaining that interaction, constructed via exchanges of comprehensible input and output, has at least an enhancing effect when meaning is negotiated and support structures are used. Based on this premise, distance second language lear ning courses should be designed to provide interaction that includes negotiation of meaning where comprehensible output results from input.

Narrative Essay Ideas and Advice

Narrative Essay Ideas and Advice Narrative Essay Ideas and Advice A narrative essay is a person anecdote or story. It is usually written in the first person and almost always is an account of the writer’s personal experience. Writing a narrative essay allows students to express themselves creatively and address issues that they have personally experienced. These essays are quite popular among students as it is impossible to be factually wrong about a personal story. This limits the need for research. This does not mean that there are no pitfalls that exist, however. For example, before a student can even begin to write, they must have a few interesting narrative essay ideas. They must also use good spelling and grammar, descriptive language, and write with a purpose in order for their essay to be deemed a success. With this in mind, we have created this post with two goals in mind. The first is to provide students with a lot of great essay ideas. The second is to help each student reading this post to write an organized, well-formatted, and extremely readable essay. Great Ideas for a Narrative Essay Here are some ideas that you can use as food for thought as   you begin selecting the perfect topic for your narrative essay: What has been your best experience so far as a college student? Write about a time when you were really frightened? Describe meeting your current boyfriend or girlfriend. Has anybody thrown you a surprise party? What was that like? Describe your favorite place What did you do on your last road trip? Plan the ideal week long vacation What was the last thing you did with your best friend When was the last time that you were completely unsure of how to handle a problem? What was the best piece of advice you ever received? How did you use it? Have you ever traveled to a foreign country? Have you ever climbed a mountain, gone backpacking, or experienced some other travel adventure? Technical Advice on Writing a Narrative Essay A student who has a great idea and a creative mind is already off to a good start when it comes to writing a great narrative essay. However, before they get started, it is very important to think about some technical issues. A big part of this is spelling and grammar, but there is more to it than that. Students must put a lot of thought into the way that they are going to tell their story to their readers. One way to write a narrative essay is to use a storytelling format. If a student wants to use this format that is fine. They simply must include all of the elements that one would expect in a story. This means a plot, climax, introduction, and conclusion. Another option that students have is to write their narrative essay as a classically formatted essay. This would mean starting with an introductory paragraph that includes a thesis. The thesis could be related to a lesson that was learned or a conclusion the writer reaches after experiencing something. How to Begin a Narrative Essay Starting an essay can be quite difficult. This is no different when it comes to the narrative essay. Sometimes the best way to begin is with a bit of a sneak peak. Here is an example: I felt my stomach jump into my chest when I saw the red and blue lights flashing behind me. What I didn't know was that the speeding ticket I was about to receive would be the best thing that ever happened to me. This is an easy and excellent way to kick off any narrative essay.

Multimedia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multimedia - Assignment Example The use of multimedia has become universal and has fully integrated in the field of education. An institution desires to modernize their induction tour with the latest technologies to enhance the experience for the newly inducted students and present a promising image of the college. Multimedia is also used in organizations for various purposes. Different types of technologies shall be discussed in the paper regarding their unique uses for organization. In the end, an effective solution will be proposed for the institution to incorporate technology in the induction tour. Task 1 2. Types of Multimedia used in Organizations 2.1 Promotion and Advertising Modern organizations have numerous platforms on which they can promote the image of their organizations. Most common use of multimedia is seen in the domain of promotion and advertising. The first step in this process is to define the audience that shall be aimed to be targeted with the promotional campaigns. Radio and television are am ong the conventional forms of multimedia used in the field of advertising. Radio tends to be cost effective as compared to TV and print ads. Internet technology has intervened in the lives of individuals to such a great extent that life cannot be perceived without it in the modern world. Organizations use the medium of internet to reach a larger set of audiences. According to Kawamoto; there are over 1 billion internet users worldwide. Advertisements and promotional campaigns are run on social networking sites, search engines and company owned websites. Another good approach to promote the name of the company is to make a profile for the company on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Current campaigns and latest promotions can be advertised through these profiles. 2.2 Digital Poster Digital posters are defined as the displays that are electronically updated with respect to the content provided by the organizations. They facilitate fast and convenient updates of information therefore more information can be communicated to the audience than flat posters. They are more eye-catching as they can be incorporated with sound and video to enable a more effective delivery of message to the recipient. 2.3 Virtual Tours A virtual tour is defined as the simulation of any place which is created by the accumulation of numerous videos and snapshots. Virtual tours allow the creator to communicate the floor plan and interiors of any location to a person who might be residing thousands of miles away from that place. This type of multimedia can help any business communicate their services to their customers; this experience gives an opportunity to the customers to evaluate the quality of the service. For example, hotels advertise their rooms, spa locations and dining areas with the aid of virtual tours. Hospitals might use the same medium to communicate their medical facilities to the audiences. Real estate agencies use this type of multimedia to show the interiors, neighbourhood and location of premises. Figure 1: Screenshot of a virtual tour of a hotel (Interactive virtual tours for estate agents, hotels, business, bars and restaurants) 2.4 Education and Training This concept of acquiring education and training by means of multimedia is known as ‘computer based learning’ or ‘computer based teaching’. Businesses have adapted multimedia technologies to provide

GAP INC Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

GAP INC - Case Study Example The paper will later do a CSR audit as well as make recommendation to the company. Gap Inc. has experienced tremendous growth since its inception in 1969. Its expansion has led it to be among the top selling brands in the U.S. and abroad. Through its organization and ability to meet customer needs, Gap Inc. grew from single store in U.S. to over 3500 outlets distributed in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, German, and Japan. This expansion came with a number of issues that were environment associated thus leading the management to make decisions based on how to handle the issues. The first issue that Gap Inc. had to deal with was the decreasing sales of Levi’s products. This motivated the company to venture into private-labeled products that has been the main sale in the company to date. The company invested in strengthening brand royalty by enhancing advertising and marketing of the company products. When private labeled products suffered low sales, Old Navy products were invented as a way of attracting customers back to the company’s products. Old Navy products were low cost products yet similar merchandise to Gap stores. Changing fashion trends is one of the major issues experienced by every apparel company (Hines & Bruce 64). The company’s inventory is affected since retailers must order merchandise in advance. The preparation for peak selling calls for higher inventory levels that have to happen before the season. To manage such huge inventory, Gap is faced by an issue that expose it to price shifts and demand that are related to timing of merchandise purchases. Such issues expose the company especially when production is from foreign countries meaning currency differences may check in. Japan market is highly traditional. Gap’s consideration of establishing long-term business relationships is one way of ensuring that the

International Trade Theories Essay Example for Free

International Trade Theories Essay 1. Theory of Mercantilism Introduction: Mercantilism is a trade theory holing that a country’s wealth is measured by its holdings of â€Å"treasure† which usually means its gold. The mercantilists proposed theory of mercantilism. They were a group of economists who preceded Adam Smith. The foundations of economic thought between 1500 and 1800 were based on mercantilism. Mercantilists believed that the world had a finite store of wealth; therefore, when one country got more, other countries had less. Mercantilists restricted imports and encouraged or subsidized exports as a conscious policy to make their citizens better off. Mercantilists judged the success of trade by the size of the trade balance. Mercantilism was a sixteenth-century economic philosophy that maintained that a country’s wealth was measured by its holdings of gold and silver. This required that the countries to maximize exports and minimize imports. The logic was transparent to sixteenth-century policy makers that if foreigners bought more goods from us than we bought from them, then the foreigners had to pay us the difference in gold and silver, enabling us to amass more treasure. With that treasure we could expand the nation’s global influence. Mercantilists pressed for favorable balance of trade (BOT) or balance of payments (BOP) as against the unfavorable one. In a way it is good because your currency appreciates with mounting surplus on the Fore front, and the country can attract more foreign capital infusion further strengthening the country’s economy, infrastructure, etc. Now China and Japan with enormous favorable BOT and BOP get all the benefits envisaged by mercantilists. According To Adam Smith- -Mercantilism is an economic theory popular in the 1500s and was the biggest reason for Europe’s desire to colonize new lands the theory states that there is a certain amount of wealth in the world and it is in a nations best interest to accumulate it through wealth, a nation can achieve power a country achieves wealth through producing and exporting more good then they import this theory was invented to serve the interest of the empire, not the colony Evaluation of Mercantilism Theory: Mercantilist writers have been lauded and criticized in the literature on foreign trade at least since Hume’s Political Discourses in 1752. Mercantilists have been criticized for everything from their views regarding the gains from trade to their self-promotion of the merchant’s role in society as being important. Mercantilist writers assumed that the economy will generally operate at a pace that leaves resources –land and labor – idle, but in reality the economy naturally tends to full employment. This is a â€Å"flaw† in the logical foundation of mercantilist thought. The regime of WTO has moved the world away from mercantilism by pressing for free trade with reduced protectionism. Theory of Neo-Mercantilism: Mercantilism is still in vogue. Mercantilist policies are politically attractive to some firms and their workers, as mercantilism benefits certain members of society. Modern supporters of these policies are known as neo-mercantilists, or protectionists. The neo-mercantilists want higher production through full employment and that every industry produces an exportable surplus leading to favorable BOT. Consciously or otherwise, every country is concerned about increasing export earnings. The merits of surging Fore surplus built through exports speaks well of a country’s capability to cater to world’s needs qualitatively, quantitatively and in varied product/service ranges. Every country does what is possible to meet this end. But the modern trade emphasis is ‘Export more and Import more’. Finally: The main economic system used during the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The main goal was to increase a nations wealth by imposing government regulation concerning all of the nations commercial interests. It was believed that national strength could be maximized by limiting imports via tariffs and maximizing exports. This approach assumes the wealth of a nation depends primarily on the possession of precious metals such as gold and silver. This type of system cannot be maintained forever, because the global economy would become stagnant if every country wanted to export and no one wanted to import. After a period of time, many people began to revolt against the idea of mercantilism and stressed the need for free trade. Mercantilism is a theory developed by the merchants; hence the name. It rests on the role of a strong state in supporting (state-granted) monopolies and protecting shipping and trading lanes. Mercantilism encourages exports and discourages imports. Gold and silver are used to keep score of the game played between nation-states, and represent the wealth of the nation. _______________________________________________________________ 2. Absolute Advantage theory Introduction: Adam Smith, in The Wealth of Nations, postulated that under free trade, each nation should specialize in producing those goods that it could produce most efficiently. Some of these would be exported to pay for the imports of goods that could be produced more efficiently elsewhere. Smith ridiculed the fear of trade comparing nations to households. Since every household finds it worthwhile to produce only some of its needs and to buy others with products it can seal, the same should apply to nations: It is the maxim of every prudent master of a family, never to attempt to make at home what it will cost him more to make than to buy. The Taylor does not attempt to make his own shoes, but buys them from shoemaker What is prudence in the conduct of every private family, can scarce be folly in that of a great kingdom. If a foreign country can supply us with some part of the product of our own industry, employed in a way in which we have some advantage. The theory of absolute advantage is based on the assumption that the nation is absolutely better (i.e., more efficient) at production of certain goods than are its trading partners. Smith showed by his example of absolute advantage that both nations would gain from trade. ADAM SMITHS TRADE THEORY OF ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE: The first classical theory of international trade was propounded by Adam Smith, the founder of classical economics. His theory is known as the Theory of Absolute Advantage. It may be possible for all the countries to produce all the commodities they need, in spite of resource constraint. But, the cost of production of goods for which a country is deficient in its resources would be exorbitantly high. It is better to import such goods rather than produce them. Most Countries therefore tend to specialize in producing commodities in which they have absolute advantage in cost of production. Therefore, most countries export goods which they can produce at a lower cost and import what they can produce at a higher cost. This common sense logic of international division of labor suggested by Adam Smith marks the beginning of modern theories of foreign trade. The theory of absolute advantage states that the basis of trade between the nations is the absolute advantage a country has in producing a commodity over the other countries. In simple words, two countries are able to trade between them because each one of them is able to produce at least one commodity at a comparatively lower cost. Assumptions: The theory of absolute advantage was advanced to buttress Smiths argument that if there was no government involvement in trade, and if each individual was left to do what in his or her own best interest, then there would be more goods and services available, prices would be reduced, and the wealth of each nation, measured as the welfare of the citizens, would increase. Smiths theory was offered to replace mercantilism. The Theory of Absolute Advantage and the Theory of Comparative Advantage rest on very strong assumptions, as follows: Two countries, two commodities assumed in both theories. The theories are obvious for this case. The three-by-three case (and those beyond) cannot be established analytically, and it is not even clear how the principle should be formalized. (See p. 3 of Ronald Jones, The Positive Theory of International Trade, Handbook of International Economics, R. Jones and P. Kenen (eds.), 1984.) Efficiency objective The Absolute and Comparative Advantage theories assume that total world production, and therefore efficiency, is the objective. Efficiency is not always a country goal. Zero Transportation Costs both theories presume that transportation costs between and within countries are zero. Factor Mobility/Immobility both theories presume that resources are absolutely mobile within a country and absolutely immobile between countries. Full employment Both theories assume full employment in each country. Comparative Advantage versus Absolute Advantage: As we can see from the example above, a country can have a comparative advantage in producing a good even if it is absolutely less efficient at producing that good. To understand this more clearly, think of an example of a doctor in private practice: A young doctor opens her own practice, working by herself, and within a few months has developed a substantial clientele. At first, she was performing all her clerical work—filing, typing and answering the phone—by herself. With an ever-busier schedule, however, she realizes that she could spend more time seeing patients, and thus see a greater number of patients, if she hired an assistant. As it turns out, the young professional is not only a brilliant doctor, but is also lightning-fast at typing and filing. She is, in fact, better at doing both jobs than the clerical assistant she hires. In other words, she has an absolute advantage at both tasks: medical diagnosis and clerical work. Does it make sense then for the doctor and her assistant to share both tasks, each spending part of the day diagnosing patients and doing clerical work? The answer is no. By having the assistant perform all the clerical work, the doctor is able to maximize her specialization and see more patients. The patients are undoubtedly better off too. In other words, even though the assistant is worse at performing both tasks, an economist would say that he nonetheless has a comparative advantage at clerical work. As you can see, by working together – trading their services – the doctor and the assistant are able to maximize their skills, making both better off. As these examples show, trade allows countries to specialize in the production of what they do best and make the most efficient use of their resources, thereby decreasing the price of both goods. No matter how inefficiently a country produces every kind of good, it can always be said to have a comparative advantage in at least one of those goods. That is the theory of comparative and absolute advantage. It helps explain what happens in the real world of international trade, and it offers broad guidance to countries as they decide which goods and services to produce and subsequently export, and which, in turn, to import. Trade in Theory and Practice: In reality, of course, trade specialization does not work precisely the way the theory of comparative advantage might suggest, for a number of reasons: No country specializes exclusively in the production and export of a single product or service. All countries produce at least some goods and services that other countries can produce more efficiently. A lower income country might, in theory, be able to produce a particular product more efficiently than the United States can but still not be able to identify American buyers or transport the item cheaply to the United States. As a result, U.S. firms continue to manufacture the product. Finally: The Scottish economist Adam Smith developed the trade theory of absolute advantage in 1776. A country that has an absolute advantage produces greater output of a good or service than other countries using the same amount of resources. Smith stated that tariffs and quotas should not restrict international trade; it should be allowed to flow according to market forces. Contrary to mercantilism Smith argued that a country should concentrate on production of goods in which it holds an absolute advantage. No country would then need to produce all the goods it consumed. The theory of absolute advantage destroys the mercantilist idea that international trade is a zero-sum game. 3. Comparative Advantage theory Introduction: David Ricardo, in 1817, enunciated his refinement of Smiths concept by postulating the principle of comparative advantage (as opposed to Smiths concept of absolute advantage). The theory of comparative advantage states that even if a country is able to produce all its good at lower costs than another country can, trade still benefits both countries, based on comparative costs. His writings demonstrated what has become known as: the principle of comparative advantage: a nation, like a person, gains from the trade by exporting the goods or services in which it has its greatest comparative advantage in productivity and importing those in which it has the least comparative advantage. The key word is comparative, meaning relative and not necessarily absolute. There are gains from trade whenever the relative price ratios of two goods differ under international exchange for what would be under conditions of no trade. In addition, the theory of comparative advantage demonstrates that countries jointly benefit from trade (under the assumption of both goods). With the theory of absolute advantage, Ricardos theory of comparative advantage does not answer why production cost differ within each country and also no consideration is given to the possibility of producing the same goods with different combinations of factors. Assumption: A situation in which a country, individual, company or region can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than a competitor. This theory that global efficiency gains may still result from trade if a country specializes in those products it can produce more efficiently than other products-regardless of whether other countries can produce those same products even more efficiently. It denotes gains from trade will occur even in a country that has absolute advantage in all products because the country must give up less efficient output to produce more efficient output. Assumptions underlying the concept of comparative advantage Perfect occupational mobility of factors of production resources used in one industry can be switched into another without any loss of efficiency Constant returns to scale (i.e. doubling the inputs in each country leads to a doubling of total output) No externalities arising from production and/or consumption Transportation costs are ignored comparative advantage and international trade: Comparative advantage exists when a country has a margin of superiority in the production of a good or service i.e. where the opportunity cost of production is lower. The basic theory of comparative advantage was developed by David Ricardo Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage was further developed by Heckscher, Ohlin and Samuelson who argued that countries have different factor endowments of labor, land and capital inputs. Countries will specialize in and export those products which use intensively the factors of production which they are most endowed. If each country specializes in those goods and services where they have an advantage, then total output and economic welfare can be increased (under certain assumptions). This is true even if one nation has an absolute advantage over another country. Worked example of comparative advantage consider the data in the following table: | Pre-Specialization | CD Players | Personal Computers | | UK | 2,000 | 500 | | Japan | 4,000 | 2,000 | | Total Output | 6,000 | 2,500 | After trade has taken place, total output of goods available to consumers in both countries has grown. UKs consumption of CD players has increased by 200 and they have an extra 100 PCs. For Japan, they have an extra 200 CD players and 200 PCs. If businesses exploit increasing returns to scale (i.e. economies of scale) when they specialize, the potential gains from trade are much greater. The idea that specialization should lead to increasing returns is associated with economists such as Paul Romer and Paul Ormerod Determinants regarding comparative advantage: Comparative advantage is a dynamic concept. It can and does change over time. Some businesses find they have enjoyed a comparative advantage in one product for several years only to face increasing competition as rival producers from other countries enter their markets. For a country, the following factors are important in determining the relative costs of production: The quantity and quality of factors of production available (e.g. the size and efficiency of the available labor force and the productivity of the existing stock of capital inputs). If an economy can improve the quality of its labor force and increase the stock of capital available it can expand the productive potential in industries in which it has an advantage. Investment in research development (important in industries where patents give some firms significant market advantage) for more information on this have a look at this page Movements in the exchange rate. An appreciation of the exchange rate can cause exports from a country to increase in price. This makes them less competitive in international markets. Long-term rates of inflation compared to other countries. For example if average inflation in Country X is 4% whilst in Country B it is 8% over a number of years, the goods and services produced by Country X will become relatively more expensive over time. This worsens their competitiveness and causes a switch in comparative advantage. Import controls such as tariffs and quotas that can be used to create an artificial comparative advantage for a countrys domestic producers- although most countries agree to abide by international trade agreements. Non-price competitiveness of producers (e.g. product design, reliability, quality of after-sales support) Criticisms: However, the principle of comparative advantage can be criticized in a several ways: †¢ It may overstate the benefits of specialization by ignoring a number of costs. These costs include transport costs and any external costs associated with trade, such as air and sea pollution. †¢ The theory also assumes perfect mobility of factors without any diminishing returns. The reality may be very different. Output from factor inputs is likely to be subject to diminishing returns. This will make the PPF for each country non-linear and bowed outwards. †¢ Complete specialization might create structural unemployment as some workers cannot transfer from one sector to another. †¢ Relative prices and exchange rates are not taken into account in the simple theory of comparative advantage. For example if the price of X rises relative to Y, the benefit of increasing output of X increases. †¢ Comparative advantage is not a static concept it may change over time. For example, nonrenewable resources can slowly run out, increasing the costs of production, and reducing the gains from trade. †¢ Many countries strive for food security, meaning that even if they should specialise in non-food products, they still prefer to keep a minimum level of food production. †¢ Finally, the principle of comparative advantage is derived from a simple two good/two country model. The real world is far more complex, with countries exporting and importing many different goods and services. Finally: It seems obvious that if one country is better at producing one good and another country is better at producing a different good (assuming both countries demand both goods) that they should trade. What happens if one country is better at producing both goods? Should the two countries still trade? This question brings into play the theory of comparative advantage and opportunity costs. The everyday choices that we make are, without exception, made at the expense of pursuing one or several other choices. When you decide what to wear, what to eat for dinner, or what to do on Saturday night, you are making a choice that denies you the opportunity to explore other options. ______________________________________________________________ 4. Heckscher-Ohlin theory Introduction: the Heckscher–Ohlin theorem is one of the four critical theorems of the Heckscher–Ohlin model. It states that a country will export goods that use its abundant factors intensively, and import goods that use its scarce factors intensively. In the two-factor case, it states: A capital-abundant country will export the capital-intensive good, while the labor-abundant country will export the labor-intensive good. Definition: This theory said that differences in countries’ endowment of labor compared to their endowment of land or capital explain differences in the cost of production factors. Assumption: The critical assumption of the Heckscher–Ohlin model is that the two countries are identical, except for the difference in resource endowments. This also implies that the aggregate preferences are the same. The relative abundance in capital will cause the capital-abundant country to produce the capital-intensive good cheaper than the labor-abundant country and vice versa. Initially, when the countries are not trading: the price of capital-intensive good in capital-abundant country will be bid down relative to the price of the good in the other country, the price of labor-intensive good in labor-abundant country will be bid down relative to the price of the good in the other country.Once trade is allowed, profit-seeking firms will move their products to the markets that have (temporary) higher price. As a result: the capital-abundant country will export the capital-intensive good, the labor-abundant country will export the labor-intensive good. Features of the model: †¢ Relative endowments of the factors of production (land, labor, and capital) determine a countrys comparative advantage. Countries have comparative advantages in those goods for which the required factors of production are relatively abundant locally. This is because the profitability of goods is determined by input costs. Goods that require inputs that are locally abundant will be cheaper to produce than those goods that require inputs that are locally scarce. †¢ For example, a country where capital and land are abundant but labor is scarce will have comparative advantage in goods that require lots of capital and land, but little labor — grains. If capital and land are abundant, their prices will be low. As they are the main factors used in the production of grain, the price of grain will also be low—and thus attractive for both local consumption and export. Labor intensive goods on the other hand will be very expensive to produce since labor is scarce and its price is high. Therefore, the country is better off importing those goods. Factor Proportions Theory: Trade theory, like all of economic theory, changed drastically in the first half of the twentieth century. The factor proportions theory developed by the Swedish economist Eli Heckscher and later expanded by his former graduate student Bertil Ohlin formed the major theory of international trade that is widely is still widely accepted today. Whereas Smith and Ricardo emphasized a labor theory of value the factor proportions theory was based on a more modern concept of production that raised capital to the same level of importance as labor. Factor Intensity in Production: The factor intensity in production theory considered two factor of production, labor and capital. Technology determines the way they combine to form a product. Different products required different proportions of the two factors of production. It is easy to see how the factor proportions of how a product is produced differs substantially among groups of products. For the manufacturing of leather footwear is still a relatively labor intensive process even with the most sophisticated leather treatment and patterning machinery. Other products such as computer memory chips, however although requiring some highly skilled labor require massive quantities of capital for production and development and the manufacturing facilities needed for clean production to ensure the extremely high quality demanded in the industry. The concept of factor proportions is very useful in the comparison of the production processes of goods. According to factor proportions theory, factor intensities depend on the state of technology and the current method of manufacturing a product. The theory assumed that the same technology of production would be used for the same goods in all countries. It is not therefore differences in the efficiency of production that will determine trade between countries at it did in classical theory. Classical theory implicitly assumed that technology or the productivity of labor is different across countries. Otherwise there would be no logical explanation as to why one country requires more units of labor to produce a unit of output than another country. Factor proportions theory assumed no such productivity differences. Factor Endowments, Factor Prices, And Comparative Advantage: If there is no difference in technology or productivity of factors across countries, what then determines comparative advantage in production and export? The answer is that factor prices determine cost differences. And these prices are determined by the endowments of labor and capital the country possesses. The theory assumes that labor and capital are immobile, meaning they cannot move across country borders. Therefore the countrys endowment determines the relative costs of labor and capital as compared to other countries. Each country is defined or measured by the amount of labor and capital that it possesses. If a country has when compared with other countries more labor and less capital it would be characterized as relatively labor abundant. That which is more plentiful is cheaper; so a labor abundant country would therefore have relatively cheap labor. For a country such as China possesses a relatively large endowment of labor and a relatively smaller endowment of capital. At the same time Japan is a relatively capital abundant country with a relatively smaller endowment of labor. China possesses relatively cheaper labor and should therefore specialize in the production and export of labor intensive products. Japan possesses relatively cheap capital and should specialize in the production and export of capital intensive products. Comparative advantage is derived not from the productivity of a country, but from the relative abundance of its factors of production. Using these assumptions, factor proportions theory stated that a country should specialize in the production and export of those product that use intensively its relatively abundant factor. (i) A country that is relatively labor abundant should specialize in the production of relatively labor intensive goods. It should then export these labor intensive goods in exchange for capital intensive goods. (ii) A country that is relatively capital abundant should specialized in the production of relatively capital intensive goods. It should then export these capital intensive goods in exchange for labor intensive goods. Finally: The Heckscher-Ohlin theory states that international and interregional differences in production costs occur because of differences in the supply of production factors: Commodities requiring for their production much of [abundant factors of production] and little of [scarce factors] are exported in exchange for goods that call for factors in the opposite proportions. Thus indirectly, factors in abundant supply are exported and factors in scanty supply are imported (Ohlin, 1933).These simple statements lead to an important conclusion: under free trade, countries export the products that use their scarce factors intensively and imports the products using their scarce factors intensively.

Graduation Speech: We are Winners :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Parents, family and friends, faculty, Class of 2012: Tonight we celebrate the completion of 12 years of schooling and look toward what will be in store for us in the future. It has been a long road for most of us, and a difficult one for some, but the fact is, we made it. Tonight we are all winners. However, I would like to talk for just a few minutes about losing. Throughout history there were many people we consider winners, who, in fact, lost many times in their lives. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he had "no good ideas." Even though he hit 714 home runs, Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times. Thomas Edison performed more than 1100 unsuccessful experiments before inventing the light bulb. He said, "I found out 1100 ways how not to do things." Even the great Secretariat lost his first race. I can remember a time when I so desperately wanted to win, but I didn't. My fourth grade class was having a spelling bee. Every student had to stand at the front of the room with his or her own mini chalkboard. When Mrs. Reed, my teacher, said a word, everyone had to spell it on their chalkboard at the same time. If you misspelled the word, you were forced to sit down at your desk and keep quiet. At first I did not see the enjoyment in the exercise. In fact, I can distinctly remember drawing on my chalkboard while my teacher explained the rules of the spelling bee. It wasn't until I heard the words "Tootsie Roll Pop" that I looked up and saw the bright red cherry Tootsie Roll Pop that would be given to the winner. In fourth grade there was little I would not do for a Tootsie Roll Pop. The spelling bee that was about to start all of a sudden became important too me. My hand was ready to spell out any word that came out of my teacher's mouth. I was a spelling machine! My teacher kept putting up new words, and I kept knocking them down. I wanted that Tootsie Roll Pop. I was going to get it if it killed me. My teacher had given us more than 20 words, and I spelled every one of them correctly. The problem was, so had someone else. Elaine was her name. She was all that stood between me and my Tootsie Roll Pop.

Is College for Everyone? Essay

Is college for everyone? I am sure this is a question that many future, current, and even graduated college students have asked themselves at one time or another. In her blog posted in 2007 on AssociatedContent. com â€Å"Is College for Everyone†, writer, Pharinet, uses her experience, logic, emotion and reasoning as a college professor to identify the issues and answer the question, â€Å"is college for everyone? † Pharinet says that education is important and that every person has the right to an education, but that it still may not be right for every person to attend college. Pharinet describes to her readers how over the years and reasons why going to college have changed over time. She states, â€Å"often the desire for learning is not what drives students to attend college†(635). Pharinet’s main purpose of this blog is to use her experience in the college field to express her views to the future college students and maybe even their parents that going college may not be the path for everyone, and that sometimes people do not need a college education to be successful in life. Pharinet uses the statistic that approximately 50% of students who begin college never graduate(635). Not every person is ready for the â€Å"freedom† or â€Å"responsibility† that comes with going to college. Courses, homework, projects, and exams are not the only things college students are faced with. Pharinet also explains the finical aspect of attending college and says â€Å"while the cost of college can be offset by grants, scholarships and work-study programs, too many students find themselves in desperate financial situations by the end of their first semester†(635). Pharinet presents a great point when she says, â€Å"If college is for everyone, why do we rely on SAT scores and high school transcripts? †(635). That in itself should make a person question if going to college is really the right place for him or her. If a person has struggled through school up until this or her high school graduation and could not handle the course load assignments and the basic functions of grade school such as reading, writing and math, then maybe college is not the right place for him or her. If a person is not capable of doing this while in grade school and living with his or her parents, who make sure their grades are where they are suppose to be and paying the bills, what makes them think the are ready for them â€Å"freedom† or â€Å"reasonability† college has to offer. In Pharinet’s argument of â€Å"is college for everyone† she express her emotion by saying â€Å"Once upon a time, college was a place you went when you wished to learn†(636). This is followed by â€Å"Now, college is the place you go when you want to get a good job, or appease your parents, or because you are finding yourself†(636). Pharinet is right when she says this. There are so many students who enroll in college today with absolutely no idea of what they want to be or where they want their lives to go for reasons that really have no importance. Just because â€Å"C’s get degrees†(636) does not mean that it is ok to go to college and barely get by and waste everyone’s time involved. There are many successful and happy people in this world today that did not choose the path of a higher education and go to college that would not change a thing about their lives today. To make the decision whether or not to go to college is in the eye of the beholder and only that person whose future will be affected by this decision can truly make his or her own choices in life. Phairnet points out that to keep the world we live in running, we need people who are willing to admit that â€Å"College does not benefit everyone†(636). and to be willing to perform the jobs that do not call for a college education such as factory workers, semi drivers, mail carries etc. At the end of the day, people need to take a look at the big picture and, â€Å"Embrace the reality that college is not for everyone†(636).

Knowledge-based systems Essay

We tabulated the required sample size n and the corresponding critical acceptance value [c. sub. 0] for various [alpha]-risks, [beta]-risks, and the capability requirements AQL, LTPD. The results obtained in this paper are useful to the practitioners in making reliable decisions. For illustrative purpose, we demonstrated the proposed method by presenting a case study on liquid-crystal module (LCM) manufacturing process to evaluate the process performance. Here could be many decision problems in which decision-makers have different interests in reaching certain objectives. A useful decision support system which has interesting characteristics is presented here: it allows each decision-maker to learn individually how to move around the efficient frontier and, interact anonymously, in a progressive manner, with the other members of the group to impel the process toward his interests, or to back down before the other decision-makers’ interests, to end up in a balanced decision that satisfies all the members of the group. (Sethi, & King 2001) The system presented here has the role of an impartial and trustworthy facilitator that enables the group to reach their objectives in an appropriated time, manages it, questions it and makes proposals. The system can rapidly synthesize information and judgments and effectively reflect back the tentative outcomes to decision-makers. It generates understanding, learning and creativity. (Edwards 2004) This process can drive certain members of the group to strongly bias the decisions towards their own interests, by proposing solutions that exceed their goals so that in a negotiation process they can diminish their aspirations to reach their individual true goals. In the proposed methodology several options were included that diminish the vulnerability of the process to radical proposals. These options induce the decision-makers to express their real preferences and not those that would allow them to manipulate the decision. The proposed methodology allows autonomy and privacy in the decisions of each member of the group. It improves the participation of all decision-makers and avoids pressures by other members. It allows that decision-makers have different importance within the process, and it also includes a weighting system that can be defined by a consultative procedure. (Tan, & Benbasat 2003) References Adelman, L. (2001). Handbook for evaluating knowledge-based systems: Norwell, MA: Kluwer. Anderson, E. E. , & Chen, Y. (2006) Microcomputer software evaluation: An econometric model. Decision Support Systems. 19 (2), 75-92. Adelman, L. (2005). User and R&D specialist evaluation of decision support systems: IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics. (SMC-15)2, 334-342. Balasubramanian, P. (1999) Managing process knowledge for decision support: Decision Support Systems. 27 (1-2), 145-162.

Controversy of Marilyn Monroes Death essays

Controversy of Marilyn Monroes Death essays In the early hours of August 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroes body was found with a bottle of sleeping pills by her side, the local coroner said that the circumstances of her death indicated possible suicide. What nobody knew back then is that it would cause controversies for the next forty plus years. Many people do not believe that Monroe died from suicide, but possibly from murder or an accidental overdose. Why is it that someone would commit suicide if they seemed so happy before? She had been planning to remarry Joe DiMaggio. It could be that she was killed because of the scandal she had been a part of. Monroe had had an affair with, more than likely, both the Kennedy brothers during the time of JFKs time in office. Thats why Marilyn Monroe was murdered by the white House to cover up her affair with JFK and her cause of death was not suicide. Granted some believe that Marilyn Monroes cause of death was suicide of an overdose of sleeping pills; however Marilyn Monroe did not commit suicide, even though it is the official cause of death listed on her autopsy and is probably the most widely believed. She had tried it four times previously and she clearly had significant mood swings. There have been too many forensic facts that are at odds with the suicide theory. Forensic experts have discarded this theory as inconsistent with the facts, unless someone could imagine Monroe making up a barbiturate enema and administering it to herself. Also Marilyn Monroe seemed to be in good spirits at the time of her death and had been making plans for future events, such as, movies and possibly a remarriage to Joe DiMaggio. (Theories-Suicide 1) Monroe was found on August 5, 1962 with unhealthy levels of barbiturate in her bloodstream. But the t...

Tennessee Vital Records - Births, Deaths Marriages

Tennessee Vital Records - Births, Deaths Marriages Learn how and where to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates and records in Tennessee, including the dates for which Tennessee vital records are available, where they are located, and links to online Tennessee state vital records databases. Tennessee Vital Records1st Floor, Central Services Building421 5th Avenue, NorthNashville, TN 37243Phone: 615-741-1763 What You Need to Know:Check or money order should be made payable to Tennessee Vital Records. Personal checks are accepted. Call or visit the Web site to verify current fees. A photocopy of a valid government issued form of identification which includes the requestor’s signature, usually a driver’s license, must accompany requests for birth and death records. Web site: Tennessee Office of Vital Records   Tennessee Birth Records: Dates: From 1908 Cost of copy: $15.00 long form; $8.00 short form Comments: Tennessee birth records less than 100-years-old are only available to the individual named on the certificate, or their spouse, parent, legal guardian or child. However, verification of information from the records (a transcription of all available information)  can be provided to any requester with a Verification of Birth Facts request. Birth records are available from the State Office beginning with January 1914 births. Records of births from 1908-1912 were kept by the County Clerk in the county where the birth occurred and are also available at the Tennessee State Archives. Records of some births that occurred in the major cities (Nashville since June 1881, Knoxville since July 1881 and Chattanooga since January 1882) are also available. Although the short form is cheaper, the long form (a photocopy of the original record) is much better for genealogical purposes!Application for Tennessee Birth Certificate * Memphis birth records from April 1874 - December 1887 and November 1898 - January 1, 1914 are available from the Memphis Shelby County Health Department. Online:Index to Davidson County Birth Records, 1908–1912Index to Nashville Birth Records, 1881–1913Index to Shelby County Birth Records, 1874–1906   Tennessee Death Records: Dates: From 1908 Cost of copy: $7.00 Comments: Tennessee death records less than 50-years-old are only available to the individual named on the certificate, or their spouse, parent, legal guardian or child. However, verification of information from the records can be provided to any requester with a Verification of Death Facts request. This is  transcription of all available information from the death record, excluding cause of death.   The State office has had death records for the entire State since January 1914, for Nashville since July 1874, for Knoxville since July 1887 and for Chattanooga since March 6, 1872. Death records are available from the State Vital Records Office for the past 50 years. Older death records can be requested through the Tennessee State Archives. Although the short form is cheaper, the long form (a photocopy of the original record) is much better for genealogical purposes!Application for Tennessee Death Certificate Online:Index to Tennessee Death Records: 1908-1912Statewide Index to Tennessee Death Records, 1914–1933)Index to Davidson County Death Records, 1900–1913Tennessee, Death Records, 1914-1955 (index images)   Tennessee Marriage Records: Dates: From 1861* Cost of copy: $15.00 (state) Comments: Tennessee marriage records less than 50-years-old are only available to the individuals named on the certificate, or their spouse, parent, legal guardian or child. However, verification of information from the records (a transcription of all available information) can be provided to any requester with a Verification of Marriage Facts request. The State office has marriage records for the entire State for the past 50 years. Older records are held by the Tennessee State Archives.Application for Tennessee Marriage Certificate * For Memphis birth records from April 1874 - December 1887 and November 1898 - January 1, 1914, and for Memphis death records from May 1848 to January 1, 1914, write to Memphis-Shelby County Health Department, Division of Vital Records, Memphis, TN 38105. A list of Tennessee marriages before 1861 has been published in six volumes. Copies of entries for a surname can be provided upon request for a small fee from the Tennessee State Archives. Online:Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 (index images)Nashville and Davidson County Marriage Records 1788–1839 (index)Nashville Marriage Records 1864–1905  (index)Nashville and Davidson County Marriage Records 1905–1916  (index)   Tennessee Divorce Records: Dates: From July 1905 Cost of copy: $15.00 Comments: Vital Records Office keeps divorce records for 50 years. Older records are maintained by the Tennessee State Archives. Divorces can also be obtained from the Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was granted. If youre ineligible to receive a certified copy of the divorce, you can still apply for Verification of Divorce Facts for a transcription of information from the divorce record.Application for Tennessee Divorce or Annulment Certificate * Early divorce requests in Tennessee had to be approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. Search the Index to Names in the Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 to see if there is a listing for a particular individual. If found, the Tennessee State Archives can provide copies for a fee. More US Vital Records - Choose a State

Summary to the Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary to the Article - Essay Example Another question that the paper addresses is the major geographical locations where the evolution supposedly took place and the location of the resultant fossils as discovered by archeologists. This is directly related to the adaptation to their current ecological niche. Although the results obtained need further research as stipulated by the recommendation, it is obvious that most of the tetrapods are found in the Arctic Canada where most of the evolution took place. In this regard, the data presented by the paper closely coincide with the conclusion in that the body scales, lower jaws, and other features are closely comparable to the primitive sarcopterygians. It is however important to note that there are significant implications of the study for understanding tetrapod origins and evolution in that the study exposes the geological setting together with the morphological features of this kind of fish that has been discovered and in so doing the study suggests the possibility of life in shallow-water, subaerial, and marginal