Monday, September 30, 2019
Financial Analysis of Competition Bikes Essay
Financial Analysis of Competition Bikes Introduction            In financial analysis a complete assessment of a business organization covering competitiveness, profitability, liquidity and stability concerns. Financial analysis of a business is undertaken by reviewing the business’ financial statements. Summarized financial statement reports are frequently presented to executives and top managers for setting up business goals as well as making decisions. Analysis of the financial statements of Competition Bikes demand evaluation of the internal operation focusing on vertical, horizontal, ratio and trend analyses and the working capital. These evaluations communicate profit margins enabling projection of budgets and restraining sales and costs potential. Annual comparison of production performance subject to profit versus overhead helps in forecasting of budgets for production ingredients on a monthly basis (Shim, J. and Siegel, J. 2009). Competition Bikes Horizontal Analysis            This is the examination of percentage changes in comparative statements of a business. In this case, it is the evaluation of Competition Bike’s comparative statements between the year 6 and 7 as well as 7 and 8. The horizontal analysis chart helps in indicating the value of accounts payable differential in year 6 and 7 as well as year 7 and year 8. The company’s net sales soared up by 33.3% between year 6 and 7 at $1,495,000. However, net sales differential between year 7 and 8 was a negative implying that sales decreased by 15% at $897,000. Therefore, it is essential that Competition Bikes increases annual sales to reap higher profits. The value of gross profit registered was a negative figure of $266,600 equivalent to 16.3% decrease. Interestingly, the company registered a 37.5% gross profits increase between year 6 and 7 at $447,000.            The time period between purchasing of raw materials, manufacturing and distribution of goods is referred to as the operating cycle. The net period in collection of receipts from payments and sales is the cash conversion cycle for the different ingredients consumed and produced by Competition Bikes. The company witnessed a decrease in the operating cycle between years 6 and 7 from 50.52 to 48.00 days. This is explained by the increased growth of sales relative to the inventories growth rate. The cash conversion period between year 6 and 8 was relatively negative. This is because Competition Bikes Inc has a high liquidity owing to the short receivables period supplemented by a lengthy payable deferral period. It is indicative of the efficient management of the company’s resources.            The aggregate of administrative and general expenses between year 6 and 7 increased at $156,440 equivalent to 20.4% increase. However, the increase between year 7 and 8 was significantly lower at $11,004 equivalent to 1.2% increase. Still, Competition Bikes Inc operating income between year 6 and 7 increased at $191,820 equivalent to 154.6% increase. However, this parameter decreased at $318,392 equivalent to 61.9% decrease. Higher profits were registered between year 6 and 7 relative to year 7 and 8 which registered a dcrease in profits.            In addition, the company’s cash account differential between 6 and 7 was a decrease of $142,451 equivalent to 54.6%. However, this differential increased between year 7 and 8 at $326,475 equivalent to 275.4%. The net liabilities difference between year 6 and 7 was $128,620 equal to 1.2% increase. According to horizontal analysis, the total liabilities differential from year 6 to 8 was a decrease at $35,500 or 1.9% (Brigham, E. and Houston, J. 2007).            Still, Competition Bike’s common equity differential between year 6 and 7 was a 2.9% increase equating to $119,914 increase. Horizontal analysis of the same parameter indicates a fall between year 7 and 8 equal to $2,400 or 0.1% decrease. Since year 7 and 8 registered a lesser loss comparative to the gain between years 6 and 7, Competition Bikes Inc. broke even in the former years from the aggregate of year 6 and year 7. Competition Bikes Inc Vertical Analysis            In vertical analysis, an exploration of a company’s statement of financial position is considered to validate each element comparative to the total assets as a percentage. For the income statement, vertical analysis involves exploration of the various variables subject to total sales. This analysis helps in evaluation of the financial performance of Competition Bikes Inc with time. The tabulation below indicates the Vertical Analysis of the Competition Bikes Inc’s Balance Sheet Account elements Year 6 Total assets ($4,199,303) Year 7 Total assets ($4,319,217) Year 8 Total assets ($4,316,817) Notes and accounts Payable 1.6% 4.5% 6.1% Accrued Salaries and other expenses 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% Accrued Expenses 0.5% 0.6% 0.6% Mortgage 42.9% 39.4% 37.1% Long term Liabilities 2.1% 2.0% 1.9% Stockholders Equity 52.5% 53.3% 54.1%            Competition Bikes Inc Vertical Analysis assesses the liabilities, equities and assets of the company. Overall, the operating expenses fluctuated in little figures indicate a strong internal control policy. Therefore, there was little depreciation on the company subject to the operating sales versus costs. The proportion of liabilities decreased over the three years indicating an improved ability in Competition Bikes Inc to settle debts. The proportion of common equity relative to debts increased over the period signifying a growth in the net capital of the company. Competition Bikes Trend Analysis            This is the evaluation of the financial performance of a business over time. Firstly, Competition Bikes Inc balance sheet figures increased tremendously between years 6 and 8. This signifies growth and expansion trend in Competition Bikes. On average, the company grew at 3.3% which is a sustainable growth rate. Over the three years, the sales dropped significantly and especially between year 7 and 8. Nonetheless, the profit margin was relatively strong due to little fluctuations in overhead costs such as materials, productions costs and carrier fees. Therefore, it is potentially possible that the future sales in years 9, 10 and 11 high provided the company maintains the current growth and expansion rate.            Based on trend analysis, it is anticipated that the company’s sales in future will remain strong. This inspires the shareholder to invest more in the company over the next three years. Profits are anticipated to increase at 103.2%, 107.6% and 111.8% over the next three years respectively. In additional, further prodding of the company’s financial statements indicates a declining rate in sales growth rate. For instance, the company sales increase at 8.65% between year 6 and 7 as well as 9.85% between year 7 and year 8. Nonetheless, the significantly small sales growth rate is associative to higher boost in net income which rose by 12.82% and 14.46% in year 7 and 8 respectively. Competition Bikes Ratio Analysis            It is the determination of the past years financial performance relative to other companies ratios, trends as well as those of the company/business under review. These ratios include liquidity, profitability and efficiency ratios.            Liquidity ratios extracted from the statement of financial position determine the ability of the business to pay its debts at and as when they fall due. The fractions are significantly important in computation of the business ability to meet its short term and long term financial obligations and goals. Quick ratio is computed by dividing quick assets by current liabilities. The company registered a low quick ration of 3.11% and 3.21% for years 8 and 7 respectively. This is because as a motor bike retailer, the company must hold high levels of inventory meaning that most of the working capital ends up tied. Considering that the company enjoys a small inventory turnover ratio, this is not a worrying level.            Efficiency ratios include the inventory turnover ratio and the average collection period. The former is obtained by dividing total sales by total inventory. This ratio indicates the efficiency and the rapidity with which the company manages to sell its bikes. In year 7 and 8, the company’s inventory turnover fell from 46.7 to 45.9 indicating decrease strength in paying off debts. The latter ratio is the anticipated period of cashing owed receivables from clients. Competition Bikes Inc current average collection period is 102.6 days. It is not an ideal duration because it implies delayed conversion of receivables into cash for clearing debts and expenses.            Profitability ratios include return on assets and gross profit margin. The former ratio assesses the aptitude of Competition Bikes to raise revenue from its assets. The company’s return on asset parameter in year 7 and 8 was 4.52 and 4.25 respectively. The gross profit margin at the same period was 27.4% and 27% respectively. However, this was a 4.7% drop from the previous 5.3%. The fall in profits translates to poor operations and hence the need to evaluate the company’s strategies. Competition Bikes Working Capital            This is the difference between the current assets and the current liabilities. It is important to a business because it determines the available resources for increasing production, hiring additional staff, merging and buying out other companies as well as investing in expansion projects. The company had a working capital of $2,123,000 and $1,768,000 in year 7 and 6 respectively. The increased values in working capital indicate an advanced working capital over the three years. Internal Control Strengths and Weaknesses            These are predominant in the accounts departments. The company has adequate resources to finance its operations now and into the future. This is because all activities are adequately covered financially. Besides, the company boasts a readily available clientele with a potential to attract additional clients. The company maintains a check and balance system to control sales, purchase and cash management translates to a strong internal control system.            Corrective action in weaknesses lists changes to be made to enhance completion of targets and achieving of total significance in a business. The operations and management for implementation are executed by the management to ensure resolution of identified weaknesses. When the firms adopts a tracking system, execution of identified strategies top resolve the deficiencies is easily executed. Corrective actions were installed to improve production and purchasing deficiencies. This is to help in constant inquiry as well as cooperation among various departments in the business. Risks            Businesses face constant risks and threats and therefore, it is important to identify, address and mitigate the risks. Competition Bikes is susceptible to numerous risks such as increased competition resonating to low profit margins. Therefore, the company must strategize on maintaining and attracting additional clients. Still, the internal controls are a threat to the company. Impromptu competition between purchasing unit and the accounting department may result to delay in payment of invoices. Proper communication lines must be set within the company to address broken communication. Compliance            Competition Bikes Inc compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley is indicative of the stringent monitoring controls that the company has installed for internal auditing purposes. This assures stakeholders of the efficient management of the company as well as in compliance with different regulatory framework. Compliance entails provision of an admirable working framework such as motivation of employees, retention of skilled labor and recycling of products. Recommendation            Considering the past performance of the company, it is recommended that the firm must maintain a sound internal control system. This will report deficiencies such as weaknesses in financial reporting. It will help in securing a lock tight financial recording and documentation. Closer monitoring and evaluation of the excess raw materials and manufacturing surpluses will be maintained in reasonable amounts reducing overspending and potential theft. References Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. (2013). M: Management. New York, NY.: McGraw-Hill Companies. Internal Control Systems. (2011, July 4). Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Tread way Commission (COSO). Retrieved December 12, 2013, from http://www.coso.org/documents/COSO_ERM_ExecutiveSummary.pdf.Kieso, D. E., & Weygandt, J. J. (2012). Intermediate accounting (9th ed.). New York: Wiley. Shim, J. K., & Siegel, J. G. (2012). Schaum’s outline of financial management (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Source document
Sunday, September 29, 2019
History of God Essay
1. Why you selected the particular book? The diverse religious activities and the differences in faith and belief have divided men into different denominational groupings. For several centuries, religious groupings have engaged in physical and verbal combat in an attempt to spread its faith. However the most fundamental conflict stems from an opposing belief coupled by a summary of socio-cultural differences. These differences have ushered in conflicts that escalated into atrocities and bloodshed. Other conflicts have made religious differences as the organizing point to justify their own superior ambitions. Armstrong however stressed on a comparative history of the three monotheistic religions and exposed the frailty in each belief. Her insistence on the monopoly of truth committed by Christianity, Islam and Judaism as superior to other sects has developed an idea of a supreme being with human similarities. The idea of a personal supreme being has been supported by these religions which condemns and marginalize others. Suc h idealistic behavior of presenting God as a bigger version of man retreats and spins man away from the virtue that the faith teaches. In our present era, God has been adapted to meet the demands of the fast-changing ideas. Armstrong believes that some religions would eventually die out while others would gain strength or change direction. This has actually seen proof in people changing their religious affiliations. Her book is an interesting read that awakens us to the struggle for a religious meaning to an aggressive and extreme personalized stance that totally erases the ethical proportions that embodies that teaching of God. Further in Armstrong’s book, a well-balanced critical perspective on how the Western faith catered to the rise of atheism is clearly presented. It exposed how atheism evolved not merely on the basis of disproving the religious scriptures but as a result of the theological excesses committed in the past years. 2. What is the author’s purpose in writing the book? In our own century, the idea attached to God has been revised several times to meet the demands of the present population. Armstrong believed that when religious ideas cease to be effective, they fade away (376). After so much tribulations and conflicts, the thought that religious roots may cease to exist provides a comforting scene for Armstrong who has seen a drastic shrinkage of religious denominations as common views changed. The reading public’s response in a book with Armstrong’s magnitude has indicated the public’s hunger a theological change. For her, God has been remade to portray a vision that endorses the history and supremacy of the strong to work for their cause. Religion thereby has a social purpose and the idea of God according to Armstrong serves a function for a culture to survive. People have always resisted any type change unless the proposed change fits in with their social and cultural order and lifestyle. This is what Armstrong has continued to stress in her book. Further this book Armstrong aims to express in her history that traditional society practiced spirituality. Men sought nature and use these forces to work for him. Somehow this was depicted in Genesis that was also suggested by Armstrong that Abraham’s God was El (14). Myths evolved around Abraham’s God that was not supposed to be taken literally according to Armstrong. However when behavior or actions of â€Å"God†enabled people to show their best and perform effectively, the concept became highly accepted. The Koran according to Armstrong also taught that God had created Adam in his own image which is why he ordered the angels to bow down and worship the first man (229). Armstrong’s work however signifies that God is either personal or transcendent. He can â€Å"encourage perpetual immaturity,†or be â€Å"essentially subjective and personal enlightenment†which Armstrong stresses can be a very good thing. She means to relay the message th at a transcendent God, when not planning a revolution, is subject to the manipulations of mankind. He could be a racist or a revolutionary depending on our personal views which has been mirrored after man’s own image to portray a supreme being. For modern religion, she stressed that Christianity is faced with atheism which evolved as a rational choice after the Reformation. She also exposed the limitations that Islam has also struggled in order to reconcile religious views with their economic and political position. Modern Islam seeks to either pattern their behavior from western views which altogether eased their strict sanctions over traditional religious practices like Iran and Turkey. The Jews after seeing the horrors of the century have lost forbearance and instead focused on a political battle over the Israeli state. One thing however continues to become a mundane search for everyone which is to seek the truth throughout the long history of God’s existence. 3. Review of the ideas presented The understanding presented in Armstrong was Christianity, Islam and Judaism’s belief that a one true God and religion would evolve (151). Armstrong presented that any conflict should have been erase as they all share a certain similarity existing along the same line of conflict. Biblical evidence according to Armstrong has suggested that the leader Moses convinced his people El and Yahweh were one and the same (21). For her, the call for a one true God is a call for unity among religion. This unity hopes to recognize the aspiration of others but will seemingly focus on a true worship. Additionally, excessive intellectualism is frowned upon which is damaging to the faith. Armstrong provided that is God is not to become an indulgent endorsement of our own egotism, religious experience must be informed by an accurate assessment of its content (205). She stressed a repeated warning against making God into an endorsement of egotism. The Koran is likewise clear that there is to be no compulsion in religion (155-6). God is love as further endorsed in Armstrong’s work which is positively effective in the history of monotheism which speaks of a God who is on the side of the impotent and the oppressed (20). Further she stressed that God would live in a loving brotherhood, and not in a stone temple (71).   It follows then that each human being is a unique epiphany of the Hidden God, manifesting him in a particular and unrepeatable manner (237). But the human mind has conceived concepts that go beyond reticence requiring considerable skill and mental balance when certain symbols emerged. Armstrong has established the roots of atheism were founded on the discovery of biblical errors. Mark’s gospel, which is the earliest of its kind to dismiss Jesus as a god, presents that Jesus was a perfectly normal man, with a family that included brothers and sisters (80). Although the reliability of Mark’s gospel is in question nevertheless Armstrong also insisted that Paul did not believe that Jesus was God incarnated and perfectly adding that the doctrine of incarnation developed only later (83). Christianity is heavily contradicted with atheism as a rational choice against the stringent doctrines of the Christian religion. 4. Analysis and evaluation of the author’s work History of God is a comparative study of monotheistic religions and their experience of the divine throughout history. Armstrong has capitalized that making God to suit one’s personal needs has been practiced all throughout history. The fame of this book certainly banks on how Armstrong seeks to diminish the faith of those who seek to live in within the doctrines of their faith. God comes out as callous, self-righteous and entirely lacking in the compassion and coherence to be worthy of veneration. The best seller status that Armstrong’s book has gained in England is a clear indication though that the public has a hunger to know the truth which has been hidden or concealed. Her apparent endorsement that persons of the cloth and religion might as well be dead serves to instigate lambaste against a belief that she had abandoned. Her distaste for Christianity is riddled by misleading statements that build up certain theories as an indubitable fact. God in Exodus was presented as an example for the people of Midian whom Moses lived in exile. She refused to present that scholars have discredited this belief and continued to bloat the theory as a fact. Theologians have also debated over the compression of several thousand years of history into over four hundred pages of Armstrong’s book. Everything is fast paced that endorsed the acceptance of non-western culture and frown upon the western culture. 5. Personal reaction and conclusion This book produces disorienting yet eye-catching effects as a reading inspires an uprising in history that proclaims God as a God of revolution. Given this build-up, her discussion over the mystical tradition leaves a void for she has nothing else to say after promoting immanence. While projecting religions, she does emphasize a tolerance for Islam and Judaism while castigating the western tradition of Christianity that she grew up in. These profound averments against â€Å"western†religion has created inattention and laxity on greater issues that passed off unscrutinized leaving the reader in midair like Armstrong’s lack of discussion over Newton’s obsession with the Book of Revelations. In conclusion, Armstrong’s book could have provided a better skill is balance was exercised in handling the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Her condescending tone reflects how she used the deity into a form that best suits her interest. Although she has exposed the struggles of Islam as it tries to suit to western behavior and the Jewish focus on a political status of Israel, the search for the truth prevails. Further she has reflected that a huge amount of strong adherence against excessive intellectualism is damaging to the faith. Her assessment and endorsement of how atheism evolved during the Reformation period is spun over a rational clamor for truth over the long history of God’s existence.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Android’s operating system review
Android’s operating system review Android’s operating system is extremely safe and really hard for malicious users to get into other peoples phones and corrupt them without the user granting them permission but this wasn’t always the case. As the Linux kernel can be accessed directly this means developers have to use advanced software and hardware to ensure integrity of applications, data and the network is kept also confidentiality. Main security features incorporated by Android to protect the phone or tablet is the Google Play app this where users download majority their applications from. Google play now has a license verification and Google Play Protect which scans apps when you download them from the app store. Android also have an app and a website to locate if a device is stolen/lost. It also has a feature that when you download from a website for example and the device can’t verify the application certificate it has a pop up that users have to untick to allow installation from an unknown source. Also the device if enabled can go through periodic scans that will inform a user of potentially harmful apps. This is shown in the diagram. Androids basic security features presented is a pin, password and pattern or in some of the newer devices can be unlocked via the users face. One service that Android phones offer is device encryption. This involves scrabbling the data on the device and only when the device is presented with the correct key could you access the data for example a password or pin. If a user doesn’t enter the correct pass after a certain amount of tries users are sometimes able to set an erase all option. Android uses dm-crypt to encrypt the data. This encrypts data all the way down to the root file system thus working at the kernel level and has a 128 bit algorithm. It allows the whole disk to be encrypted. However once this encryption key is set there is no option to change it without a hard reset of the device and losing all of the data. Newer Android versions have incorporated fast encryption meaning you are prompted to enter your key in at start up, this leads to a slightly long time to get the device started. On the application level Android has introduced sandbox security and permission. Sandbox is an old concept and originated from the UNIX operating system which would split file permissions from processes. This means once the application is up and running unless granted permission by the user the application stays in its parameters and run on a virtual machine. This ensures one app doesn’t have access to another app. It sort of works like a sand toy i.e. once sand is in the toy unless the child allows the sand to come out the sand will never leave the sand boxes walls. This is seen when users first download their app from the Play Store or once downloaded the go to the applications settings and can edit it from there. For example simple applications like a photo editing application shouldn’t be accessing your phone but however it may need to access your storage such as photos or videos, it may also ask for permission to access your camera. With Android there isn’t a specific way an app has to enforce its security. Due to the apps being â€Å"sandboxed†at OS memory corruption doesn’t occur, this also means the native code at the Linux kernel is just as secure as the code operating on the â€Å"virtual machine†. Authentication is being able to identify the user or users and allowing them access to the system. Android uses â€Å"user-authentication-gated cryptographic keys†. On initial start-up authenticator tokens are available to receive information from the user. Users on Android must use a pin/pattern or password. This then generates a 64bit User SID. This works as the â€Å"key to the lock†. This 64Bit code is paired with the users’ password/pin or pattern. When users want to change this they must provide the original password thus giving the original 64bit user SID. If they don’t provide the exact key all the information hidden by the key is lost and this is what is known as an â€Å"untrusted enrol†.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Masai Mara is Kenya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Masai Mara is Kenya - Essay Example The climate here is gentle, rarely too hot and well spread rainfall year round. Rain, when it falls almost always chooses the late afternoon or night. Between July and October, when the great wildebeest migration is in the Mara, the sensation is unparalleled. This spectacular expanse of open grassland covers around 1520 sq km in the south-west corner of Kenya. The Masai Mara lies about 270 km from Nairobi and takes about 5 hours by road. There are scheduled flights, twice daily from Wilson Airport Nairobi, which take about 40 - 45 minutes. The first sight of this natural wonderland is breathtaking. Here the great herds of shuffling elephants browse among the rich tree-studded grasslands with an occasional sighting of a solitary and ill-tempered rhino. Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, topi-an antelope not found in other major parks and eland and many more species of plains' game offer a rich choice of food for the dominant predators; lion, leopard and cheetah which hunt in this pristine wilderness. In the Mara river, hippo submerge at the approach of a vehicle only to surface seconds later to snort and grumble their displeasure. Seemingly drowsy crocodile sunbathe on the river banks, mouth agape, waiting with subtle cunning for prey at which to strike with lightning swiftness. But this richness of fauna, this profusion of winged beauty and the untouched fragility of the landscape, are all subordinate to the Mara's foremost attraction, the march of the wildebeest. Each year, far south in the great vastness of the Serengeti, the wildebeest raise their dignified but quaint heads, sniff the air and, as if by one accord, start the long trek to the Kenya border and the Masai Mara. After exhausting the grazing in Tanzania's northern Serengeti a large number of wildebeest and zebra enter the Masai Mara. Around the end of June drawn by the sweet grass raised by the long rains of April and May. It is estimated that more than half a million wildebeest enter the Mara and are joined by another 100,000 from the Loita Hills east of the Mara Driving in the midst of these great herds is an unimaginable experience. Whilst the eyes feast on the spectacle, the air carries the smells, the dust and the sounds of hundreds of thousands of animals. This migration of the wild beas ts has been considered as the seventh New Wonder of the World. Wildebeests may have been making the trek for millions of years, coping with disease, drought and predators. "It's one of the great wonders in terms of animal migrations," says oceanographer Sylvia Earle. "It's just over the top." The wildebeests do bring balance to this fragile ecosystem, made up of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. They are the heart and soul of the Great Migration - the key to survival on the vast plains. "Without the migration, it's harder to conceive Serengeti-Mara being what it is today," Hirji said. "Everything else survives within that migration - the predators and so on the vegetation." The journey is quite literally the circle of life. It happens year-round, a 700-mile trek, finely tuned to the region's rainy seasons. The herds follow the rain. "Serengeti-Mara ecosystems [are] considered to be perhaps the last of the
Thursday, September 26, 2019
A report on the internationalisation strategies, opportunities and Essay
A report on the internationalisation strategies, opportunities and challenges in global wine industry (pls refer to the specifications) - Essay Example The wine industry has been highly fragmented which is evident from the fact that the 15 leading wine producers were based in eight different countries. Consolidation in the industry has been taking place since 2005. Internationalisation and Product Life Cycle theory states that once a new product matures in the domestic market and reaches the standardization level, it expands overseas as it seeks new markets. This theory assumes that innovation takes place in the parent company’s country but recent research suggests that innovation is driven by the globalization and is dispersed within multinationals. Britain has always been a very attractive market for wines and France has been the main supplier but New World wine producing countries like Australia, through aggressive sales campaign could overtake France in the white wine market in Britain (Campbell & Guibert, 2006). According to the Uppsala model internationalisation starts with least and gradually expands into more psychically distant countries. This is a paradox since starting internationalisation in psychically close countries can be detrimental to performance. Australia for instance exported to Britain, which demonstrates that distance is not important in internationalization. There are other factors that stimulate the process of internationalization. The Euromonitor states that consumption trends have changed due to lower prices and wider availability of wine, increased consumer knowledge and sophisticated marketing techniques have led to the expansion of the wine industry. Augmentation in the supply chain as well as health factors has added to the expansion of global sales of wine. The business environment is constantly changing and the internationalization patterns change with it. Australia is able to supply good quality wine at relatively low prices. Import tariffs have reduced in a number of key markets and increasing number of
PORTFOLIO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
PORTFOLIO - Essay Example This type of analysis is less time consuming and cost effective. Secondary sources available in academic journals and publications of the industry associations are reliable. 1. ‘Facilities Management’ reports on customer service, operational efficiency, service recovery in providing ‘Brand experience’ for the customers, asset management, risk management and development of human resources. 2. ‘Outsourcing’ covers key considerations such as quality of customer service, cost of outsourcing and type of customers involved in decision making. 3. ‘Environmental Management’ deals with environmental pollution, conservation of resources and corporate social responsibility with a view to enhance the company’s image with the public and customers and for a sustainable development. 4. ‘Technology’ discusses about the impact of technological developments in the industry with a view to enhance the level of customer service and g uest experience. Recommendations: Important recommendations in respect of facilities management include providing training facilities to employees, refurbishment and renovation on continuous basis and encouraging diversity in work place. It should be ensured that outsourcing does not affect quality of customer service. ... Recommendations References Outsourcing in Hotel Industry Introduction Broad areas of Outsourcing Opportunities for Outsourcing in Hotel Industry Conclusions and Recommendations References Environmental Management in Hotel Industry Introduction Customer Education and Employee Involvement Environmental Management Conclusions and Recommendations References Technology in Hotel Industry Introduction Technology in Hotel Industry Conclusions and Recommendations References Facilities Management in Hotel Industry Introduction According to the International Facilities Management Association (2013a), â€Å"Facility management is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology.†Therefore, with reference to hotel industry it refers to the whole host of operations which includes front office management, house-keeping, property management and customer service. The metamorphosis of the in dustry over the period of time calls for internationalization at all level for survival. The main aim of this report is concerned with maintenance of quality standards, improving performance through training and development and refurbishment and renovation of the facilities for enhancing the level of customer service. Improved facilities management and HRD practices increase operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Training and development programs suitably designed will motivate the employees and ensures safety of the employees and guests. This will also make the service recovery process efficient in case of service failures. Facilities management According to Mass and Pleunis (2001, p. 28) FM is the responsibility of coordinating efforts in respect of buildings, technology, furniture and
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Children's Literature- focus on language and literacy Essay
Children's Literature- focus on language and literacy - Essay Example He even decided to appear at his own funeral just so as to surprise the people that were mourning him. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a 1876 story set out in Hannibal, Missouri along the Mississippi river. The choice of the setting for the novel is probably influenced by the fact that Mark Twain, the author, lived in the region. The society of Missouri was a peaceful society and that provides a great backdrop for the conflict that Twain draws in his novel between the adults and Tom Sawyer and his buddies who eventually run away in pursuit of their freedom. This novel is directed to young children. Twain deliberately used the present day slang in his writing. He was more interested in communicating effectively to the young ones than in meeting the editorial standards of his time. Here is an excerpt to illustrate this: â€Å"Hang the boy, cant I never learn anything? Aint he played me tricks enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time? But old fools is the biggest fools there is. Cant learn an old dog new tricks†(Twain 2). I chose to review this book not only because it is considered one of the best American novels but also because it is packed with adventure. The adventure in the book would make any child enjoy reading it. However, the book may easily send the wrong message to the young ones. The fact that the protagonist rebels against every law and still enjoys his life might just inspire children to be rebellious. The carefree attitude that Tom Sawyer has throughout the attitude was meant to show the importance of freedom but this might not be interpreted so by young readers. Parents and educators should therefore play an active role to ensure that the children to not get the wrong message from the novel. This book was written as novel so it is better read individually by the children. However, group readings
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Business Law and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1
Business Law and Ethics - Essay Example The utilitarian ethics is also considered in this case. I would act in a manner that favors the greatest number of people. The stakeholder’s theory as well stockholder theory still will be analyzed. These are in matters of my duties and obligation to these parties. A rationale is laid down on the action to adopt which affects the biggest number of people. An analysis of the cost outlay and benefit is down in this case. Further I would assess what other people have done in such situations and look into my rights in law. In light to these, I would blow the whistle on the violations of the inspection protocols of Delectables. A great number of risk and benefits is involved here. The first risk is losing my job since it will entail exposing the organization’s bad conduct. The other risk would involve the loss to the company. The company stands at facing a major litigation that would lead to high consumer base loss. This in turn would case reduced turnover. On the contrary, there are benefits that stand in blowing the whistle. These entail the duty owed to the public. The social aspect of honouring and acting in due care is at the core of my decision making process. The risk of the contaminating salmonella is too high should the process of violation continue. The harm to the public could be damaging if this behaviour progresses. The factors that I would consider include: safety to the public at large, the environmental damage and further the cost benefit analysis. I would not sign the quality co ntrol form because the company is in violation of the ethical standards of safety. The root cause of contamination is the hygiene aspect. The protocols laid down have all been violated. The staff wears their uniform at home thereby placing a risk of carrying the bacteria to the production area, the storage of raw peanuts and the roasted peanuts risks contamination and further the
Sunday, September 22, 2019
To Elsie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
To Elsie - Essay Example But by the end of the first stanza I realized that Williams was in fact speaking of a different kind of "pure" - that is the inbreeding within families, especially in rural areas, that creates physical and mental monstrosities. I thought of a group of teenagers I had met from West Virginia who clearly were an example of this "purity" gone wrong. The description of Jersey fits in with the same vision. There is obviously a lot of energy among these "devil-may-care men" and the "young slatterns", but it is almost like the energy of pigs rutting in mud. They mate a lot and reproduce; they eat a lot and so grow big - but there is nothing pleasant about either process. The idea of the girls submitting to the physical advances of the men "without emotion save numbed terror" gave me a vision of times in my own life when sex occurred as an accident or through the effect of drink. There is nothing romantic or loving about these people, and Williams made me think about my own life in a way that I usually avoid because of the conclusions that will be drawn from the examination. Throughout the poem I wondered who the "Elsie" was that is referred to in the title, and eventually I discovered that it was the handicapped nursemaid who works in the doctor's house. Once again the woman is a symbol of a kind of disgusting promiscuity, fertility and yet also physical handicap and weakness. As Williams writes of "her great ungainly hips and flopping breasts" I saw numerous women that I have seen and known who fitted this description. Williams does seem somewhat one-dimensional in his dismissal of the physical shape and nature of a pregnant woman or mother. The image of pigs returned again as he wrote of "as if the earth under our feet were an excrement of some sky" and that we are, like the pigs, destined to find food among our own waste products. Yet near the end of the play I was reminded that in fact human beings are more than this, because we do possess "imagination". While the "prisoners" that Williams speaks of may have to "strain" their imagination to make it work, and while the effort seems futile within the world as the poet sees it, the imagination does exist nevertheless. Within imagination there is something positive, hinted at by the "isolate flecks" from which "something is given off". To conclude, To Elsie is a powerful poem that effected me in many different ways. The images that Williams used were often unpleasant, but will remain in my mind for a long time. He reflects a certain reaction at the grossness of the world that exists within all of us at times, including me. Yet near the end of the poem he reminds us that there should be "something" more. It is this "something" that the poem reminded me of.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Effects On The Environment Essay Example for Free
Effects On The Environment Essay The human population is growing rapidly and is expected to continue to grow over the next 50 years, with that being said because of the growing population it means the earth and environment will have to grow/adapt with the ever growing population of humans. One part of adapting to the population will be to try and address the needs of humans such as food, energy and raw materials. It will be hard to keep continuing to get our food, energy and raw materials in the way we do now without possibly damaging the earths environment where it cannot be repaired; Pollution, deforestation, farming, over-fishing, and global warming will be the cause of the environment being damaged. Environmental Issues Recycling: recycling is not only about waste control; it is also part of the possible conservation of resources to repairing damage on the environment. Over the last few years there has been much talk about recycling and its impact however there is still a number of individuals who still do not know how recycling can help the environment. The earth has to work hard to produce and meet the needs of the growing population; people will need to work to preserve the resources the earth has in order to ensure that the environment as we know will still be around for future populations. One problem of recycling practices is the limited emphasis put on practicing concepts of salvage and reuse. This is a society that is actively progressive and without certain information or statistics to grab the attention of society then all the concepts and information provided will fall on deaf ears. It is important for the population to start embracing these concepts otherwise Earth will be uninhabitable in the future. The emphasis of recycling is not being talked about enough, and neither is an alternative that is why earth’s ability for growth is being challenged by what many humans do on a daily basis. There are many ways in which humans can try to address many of the environmental issues. Forestry: stop cutting down trees or less of them, and those that have been cut down should be replaced with new planted ones. Fishing: ensuring that there is a limit of how much one can fish and catch this way the fish do not become extinct. Economic issues: there needs to be an improvement of human’s standards of living by trying to reduce carbon dioxide and any type of greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture: Start producing high yielding crop of good quality without the use of chemicals and fertilizers. Energy: Try replacing non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuel with renewable sources like solar, water and wind generation for use of energy instead. Fossil fuels affect the environment in ways that many are not aware of because many do not know what fossil fuels are; Fossil fuels are- gasoline, oil, coal, or natural gas. Whenever these forms of fuel are used or burned the environment is polluted with gases that are emitted into the earth’s atmosphere which causes harm to it. These fuels are used to run cars, trucks, heat homes, business and power factories. The majority of air pollutants are usually results of fossil fuel either in the home, or from industries which use internal combustion engines, what happens when they are in use is the smoke releases tiny particles of carbon in the air, it sits suspended in the air and can reduce the light at ground level and deposits of smoke particles, soot and ash can float preventing light, because of the effects of these gases have it is important to try and find other ways to obtain fuel. Many humans believe that there is much that can be done and many are not doing, those who are trying to spread the word will confront the problem of sustainability and will try to propose ideas to do it. The idea of sustainability is the main topic with regards to the future of the environment and earth.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Tourism Market in Mozambique
Tourism Market in Mozambique Abstract Tourism is the movement of people to destinations away from their place of residence for any reason other than following an occupation, remunerated from within the country visited for a period of more than 24hours. It is one of the worlds fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment for many developing countries. Since crossing many of the primary needs of the population, when harnessed it can be a key instrument to poverty alleviation and socioeconomic promotion and given to its sustained growth and resilience, can also contribute to facing the main global challenges of our societies Mozambique is a country with a great potential to become a tourist destination at regional and international levels which origins from the relevant characteristics of its natural resources, cultural and historic value. But, despite the countrys tourism potential, the increase in investments and number of international tourists arrivals as well as its proximity to South Africa which is one of the worlds top tourist destinations, it still far from the expected and has little expression to the regional and international levels as a tourist destination. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a greater understanding on tourism market in Mozambique as a tourist destination by analyzing the tourism market development from 2004 to 2009. The research study was based in literature review for theory and problem discussion and the data collected from the Mozambiques Tourism Ministry reports on tourism demand from 2004 to 2009. The study shows that the high costs of tourism services for the local people and their small capacity of investment are the main factors for the slow development of domestic tourism. The tourism development in Mozambique is different when analyzing each province and type of tourists. Leisure and holidays is the main reason for visiting the country, followed by business and conference and, lastly visit relatives and friends. It also shows that its important to create guidelines to brand destinations differently and design specific tourism plans, according to specific characteristics of the tourist zones, create new marketing strategies which aim not only international tourists but also domestic tourists and specific policies for domestic tourism development, create incentive programs which stimulate and encourage the use of local architecture design and materials by local and foreign investors, create policies that stimulate and facilitate participation of the local communities in tou rism projects, employment, training food furnishings and crafts and, complementary products. 1. Introduction Tourism is the movement of people to destinations away from their place of residence for any reason other than following an occupation, remunerated from within the country visited for a period of more than 24hours (wikibooks.org). It is one of the worlds fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment for many developing countries. With destinations not only in industrialized countries, but also in less developed countries in East Africa, Central America and South East Asia, when harnessed, tourism can be a key instrument to poverty alleviation and socioeconomic promotion, since crossing many of the primary needs of the population. (World Tourism Organization, 1996). According to Salgado e Cravo (1999), tourism industry employs about 204.000.000 persons in all over the world, generates 655.000 millions of dollars in taxes and pays 1.7000.000 millions in salary which make it a very important activity in the world. Due to the income generated by the consumption of goods and services by tourists, the taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry, and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism, it has become vital for many countries and a popular global leisure activity(www.sidestore.com/) and also a factor of social stability, mutual understanding among individuals and peoples and acquired an important cultural and moral dimension. Tourism can be an efficient tool to advance international peace and understanding. It is growing steadily and needs to be viewed in its social, cultural and ethical dimensions and therefore in its potential to alliance of civilizations. It shares with religions and civilizations values such as tolerance, respect of diversity, respect of nature, rediscovery of oneself and of the others. Given its sustained growth and resilience, the sector is in fact, in ideal position to contribute to facing the main global challenges of our societies (www.world tourism.org). According to the manila declaration, 1980, tourism is an essential activity for the life of nations due to its direct effects on cultural, social, educational and economic sectors of the national societies and their international relationships. Its contribution to national economy and international trade makes it a significant factor in world development and one of the main economic activities in the world through its function i n national economy, international transactions and in securing balance of payments equilibrium. Tourism that focuses on natural environments is a large and growing part of the tourism industry. While it can contribute in a positive manner to socio-economic development and environmental protection, uncontrolled tourism growth can also cause environmental degradation, destruction of fragile ecosystems, and social and cultural conflict, undermining the basis of tourism. The intangible nature of tourism industry services makes its quality control difficult but crucial and more difficult for potential costumers to evaluate and compare service offerings. In addition, instead of moving the product to costumer, the costumer must travel to the product which means spent money and time. As an industry, tourism has many components comprising to the overall travel experience. Along with transportation, it includes accommodations, food and beverage services, shops, entertainment, aesthetics and special events. To overcome this hurdle tourism, related businesses, agencies and organizations need to work together to package and promote tourism opportunities and align their efforts to assure consistency in product quality (Mahoney and Warnell, 1987). The different definitions of tourism in each country, the difference in census techniques, the great mobility of tourists and its several motivations, the heterogeneity tourism types are some reasons which make the to urism a difficult statistic object in definition and measurement (Salgado e Cravo, 1999). Manila declaration 1980 says that tourism resources (space facilities and values) are available in various countries in risk of deterioration and destruction and belong to heritage mankind. The development of tourist activities cannot be prejudicial to economic and social interests of the population in tourist areas, to the environment and to the natural resources. The national and international communities and the states are responsible for preservation and conservation of historical, cultural and religious sites at all times. In order to maximize tourisms poverty reduction potential, multiple strategies may be required that combine action at the destination, at national policy level, and internationally. Since one organization cannot operate effectively at all three levels, complementary actions by different stakeholders are required at all levels to enhance the positive outcomes of tourism. The destination level relies primarily on initiatives by private companies, NGOs, and the communities themselves. Nationally the governments can reduce obstacles to informal sector participation. Internationally, the promotion of responsible consumer and business behavior and the establishment of enforceable international industry codes of conduct can also contribute towards poverty reduction potential of tourism (Ashley, Boyd and Goodwin, 2000, p6). 1.1. Significance of the research Mozambique is a country with a great potential to become a tourist destination at regional and international levels which origins from the relevant characteristics of its natural resources, cultural and historic value. Its distinct local style consists of a blend of African, Arab and Portuguese influences and provides a contrast to the other southern African countries, offering an unique historical and cultural heritage, tropical beaches, coral reefs, spectacular landscapes, intriguingly rich architecture and small desolated islands close to the coast, Mozambique is one of the most enticing tourist destinations in Southern Africa. In 2001, the country received about 400 thousands tourists, about 80% of the arrivals in Tanzania which is a country with the same natural characteristics and product lines but without the same proximity and access routes to south africa (one of the worlds top tourist destination). In the same period, South Africa received 6 million of tourists and according to WTO, is expecting to receive 30 million tourists in 2020.The tourism contribution to the Gross Domestic Product in Mozambique was also relactively low (1,2% in 2001). In 2002, the country received 900 thousands tourists mostly from the neihgboring countries. In south Africa, the sector contributes with about 8% to the national economy, in Sub-Saharian Africa with about 6.5% of the GDP and in the world with 10.2% of the GDP. According to tourism in Mozambique.wikipedia.The free encyclopedia, by the end of 1990s tourism was the best growing sector of Mozambiques economy and in 2005 the country registered the fastest growth rate in the world. Despite the countrys tourist potential, the obvious increase in investments and number of international tourists arrivals as well as its proximity to South Africa, it stills far from the expected and has little expression to the regional and international levels as a tourist destination, so, this research intends to analyze the tourism market development in Mozambique as a tourist destination from 2003 to 2008 and identify how to attract new tourist markets. 1.3. Problem discussion Tourism is an attractive tool for economic development, especially in the developing world and has assisted many developing countries to move away from a dependency on agriculture and manufacturing (Tooman, 1997 cited by Kabia, 2005). Chosen for its ability to bring in needed foreign exchange earnings, income and employment; it has become a popular addition to economic development policies in many African, Asian, South and Central American countries. Although it seems to be adding substantially to the economic growth of many of these regions, many developing countries are not reaping to full benefits from tourism. More than two thirds of the revenue from international tourism never reaches the local economy because of high foreigner exchange leakage. Understanding the many ways that tourism profits can leak out of an economy and, devising strategies to minimize could make tourism a more effective economic development agent (kabia, 2005). Worldwide, international tourist arrivals in 1999 are estimated at approximately 700 million, resulting in over $500 billion in tourist receipts and tourism generates nearly 250 million jobs worldwide (kabia, 2005).the increasing fascination potential economic benefits for destination areas(kabia, 2005).In the past two decades increased attention to the negative social, cultural and environmental impacts of tourism has also emerged, calling for more careful planning and management of tourism development (WTO, 1996). According to (Harrison Husbands, 1996 cited by kabia, 2005) achieving sustainable tourism (the one that maintains economic benefits and limits associated negative impacts), lie in minimizing negative impacts by strategies such as environmental and social impact analysis, community control and segmenting markets. The potential economic benefits of tourism are a major attraction for developing countries due to three pro-tourism arguments: the trend in demand for international travel is projected to continue at astonishing rates due to the economic stability and travel preferences of people in the developed regions such as Europe, Asia and North America ; the income elasticity of demand for tourism means that the household incomes of people in the developed world increase, more disposable income will be directed towards travel and, developing countries are in need of foreign exchange earnings to support their economic development initiatives and to satisfy the demands of their residents (kabia, 2005). Today traveling for pleasure (leisure, recreation holidays and visiting friends and relatives) is the most common form of traveling. People have a number of different motivations for traveling. Some people travel for sun, sand and sea while others, are most interested in cultural and sporting activities associated with the travel. When surveyed people tend to list the following reasons for travel (Walker, 2004): To experience new and different surroundings To experience different cultures To rest and relax To visit friends and family To view or participate in sporting recreational activities According to the same author, longer life spans (people live longer and have better health), flexible working hours, early retirement, greater ease of travel, tendency to take shorter but more frequent trips and increase on standard of living are factors contributing to an increase on number of traveling in the coming years. The future travel patterns are vary hard to predict but there are number of trends and factors that will definitely impact on how, where, when and why we are going to travel. Visitors often come from particular socioeconomic layer of the population of industrialized countries and capital surplus, which requires relatively sophisticated market research to identify and analyze and profiles the preferences of these visitors. Although in these countries a prosperous minority exists that is capable of undertaking domestic tourism, many inhabitants lack the income and wherewithal to travel, so, the research must not focus only on measurement of domestic tourism but on ways and means to improve access of underprivileged layers of the population to holidays and travel, and on devising economical, but adequate means of supply (accommodation and transportation) to achieve this aim (kabia, 2005) As we know, when harnessed, tourism can be a key instrument to poverty alleviation and socioeconomic promotion, since crossing many of the primary needs of the population. 1.4. Research approach According to Denscombe, 1998, the research approaches can be divided in two: qualitative and quantitative. A quantitative study is associated with numbers as the unit of analysis, analysis, large scale studies, a specific focus, researcher detachment and a predetermined research design while a qualitative study is associated with words as the unit of analysis, description, small scale studies, holistic perspective, researcher involvement and an emergent research design. This thesis is a research quantitative since it uses numbers as unit of analysis of the tourism market as a tourist destination in Mozambique. According to Fretchling (2001), the careful forecaster will inquire into how the data to be used was collected and processed to understand what measurement anomalies may be present and how much of the variation through time is due to sampling error. My study was based in already existing data records, which made it difficult to predict and prevent eventual mistakes occurred dur ing the data collection process, but some studies indicate that is difficult to determine the economic performance of the tourism sector in Mozambique due to difficulties in collecting data and statistical indicators of some revenue like, average rates of occupancy and international flows in the country. 1.5. Outline of the thesis The presented thesis is basically composed by four parts: Introduction this part introduces the area of study, presents the significance of the research, problem discussion, research approach, outline of the thesis and finally the purpose of the thesis. Methodology this part gives a brief and clear description of the methods used when conducting the study. Mozambiques tourism sector overview this part presents a general description on tourism in Mozambique Findings, conclusions and recommendations the final part, reaches and describes the research purpose by analyzing, commenting and suggesting on how to improve the performance of the tourism sector in Mozambique. 2. Research purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a greater understanding of tourism market in Mozambique as a tourist destination by analyzing the tourism market development from 2004 to 2009, through: characterizing the tourism market development in Mozambique from 2004 to 2008; Identifying some of the main constraints and contributing factors to tourism development in Mozambique. Identifying how to attract new tourism markets 3. Methodology 3.1. Literature review To make the study clear and well planned, first was used the method of library research which means that the information was taken from different sources related to tourism industry. Denscombe (1998, p. 58) cited by tese2, says that a research should always start with a literature review that: shows that the researcher is aware of the available existing work already undertaken in the area identifies what the researcher takes to be the key issues, the crucial questions and the obvious gaps in the current state of knowledge provide signposts for the reader about where the research is coming from it allows the reader to see which theories and principles have been influential in shaping the approach adopted in the proposed research In this study, databases Elsevier Direct Science was used in order to find full text studies from academic journals that are related the area of research using search words such as: Tourism, Ecotourism, Tourism analysis, Destination, Destination Marketing, Destination Management, Tourism in developing countries, Tourism market in Mozambique. Public libraries, websites like, jstor.org, WTO.org, MINTUR.org, as well as textbooks and doctoral thesis were also used to find more theory, gain more insight and latest information about the research area. The research was based on data records on tourism market demand in Mozambique from 2004 to 2009 received from the Ministry of tourism, planning and cooperation department. 3.3. Research strategy The research strategy consists of a quantitative method for collecting and analyzing data. Tourism demand data can be compiled from administrative reports such as counts of tickets sold, passenger carried for transportation. Theme parks, museums and other attractions also produce administrative records. Commercial lodging places in most countries are required to keep careful records of the number of guests and length of stay. Sample surveys and direct observation are also techniques used to estimate tourism demand data. (Fretchling, 2001). These are also the main methods used in Mozambique to estimate the tourist demand. Due to lack of resources in terms of time and money I had to limit myself to the Mozambiques Tourism Ministry reports on tourism demand. The information collected was related to Mozambiques tourism market from 2004 to 2008. Information retrieval, libraries and other related information centers were also consulted and, relying on the data collected that enabled to organize and guide this study and its analysis, was written this research report. 4. Tourism in Mozambique 4.1. Mozambiques tourism sector overview 4.1.1. General information about Mozambique Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa, to the east is the Indian Ocean; to the north, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia; to the west, Zimbabwe and South Africa and to the south Swaziland and South Africa. The country has a total area of 799380 km ² with approximately 20 millions of inhabitants of a diverse cultural environment with several ethnic groups and religions (tourism guide) ¼Ã…’it is ranked 33rd country in the world according to its size. It is formed by 11 provinces and its capital is Maputo. Portuguese is the official language but the linguistic diversity is one of its main cultural characteristics. Each ethnical group has its own language and for the majority of the population, mainly in rural areas, the national idioms are the mother tongue and the one most used on a daily basis (tourism guide). Most educated people speak English which is used in schools and business as second or third language. Altogether this accounts to approximately 43 different languages. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Mozambique). There are many religions in Mozambique but the 1997 census showed, 23.8% Catholics, 17.8% Muslims, 17.5% Zionist Christians, 17.8% other, 23.1% none (www.indexmundi.com/mozambique/religions.htm). 4.1.2. Tourism in Mozambique Mozambique is a country of contrasts and extreme beauty, with attractions ranging from crystalline beaches, nature reserves and parks, plenty of opportunities for fine adventure and business travel and a huge historic and cultural value which attract tourists from all over the world interested in adventure, leisure, business, ecotourism, religious tourism and others(MINTUR, 1999). The country is now investing on recovering of its wildlife, with a great variety of nature reserves, and its likewise devoting resources to tourism with a high quality hunting safaris, but at the same time working to develop greater awareness of the natural environment. In the towns and cities, a great diversity of history and culture is melded into the architecture and the pulse of daily history life can be felt from the bustle of the markets to the striking handicrafts, from the museums to the bars and restaurants (tourist guide, 2007). Due to its nature diversity composed by tropical and crystalline beaches, with hot water creating opportunities to practice fishing and aquatic sports, sub aquatic richness composed by varieties of species, animals, coral reefs and rich in archaeological finds with great ecological value is known as the Indian pearl (MINTUR, 1999) and considered one of the worlds new sanctuaries (tourist guide, 2007). 4.1.3. Tourism development in Mozambique Tourism has become regulated and supported by the colonial government in the second half of the 50ths with the creation of the first information and tourism centers and establishment of the first tourist zones. In this period the tourism was basically characterized by safari tourism with international character (around 50% of tourists were Americans) leading to regeneration of the campsite service to the detriment of the hotels. After the independence (in 1975) there was a great depression in national tourism industry as result of the difficult relationship with the two countries in the region which formed the main market (south Africa and Zimbabwe), lack of technician to plan and manage the tourism sector, the armed conflict that destroyed the tourist infrastructure as well as the flora and wildlife, and blocked access to communication and transportation. The tourism industry was basically constituted by international cooperation missions. The end of the civil war (in 1992) and the development of the structural adjustment program defined a restoration program for tourism sector considering tourism as a sector of maximization of foreign currency entry and job generation, to enhance regional development and distribute its benefits to all areas of the country as well as to project a prestigious image of Mozambique abroad and promote greater involvement of national enterprises in tourism undertakings. Due to the speed and decentralization in evaluation and approval of projects, improvement of security in business environment, resulting from the new program implementation, there was a rapid growth of investment in the sector, goods and services as well as travel agencies and promotion of national and domestic tourism campaigns. According to (MINTUR, 1999), the ministry of tourism is the central organ of the state which is responsible, in accordance with the principles, aims and tasks defined by the government, for the application of the policy for the tourism in the public, private and community domains. The tourism law, is the instrument used, was established bearing that Mozambique has tourism resources that place it in a favorable and competitive position in the regional and international tourism market, and considering that tourism needs to be developed in a sound, sustainable way in accordance with its cross cutting nature, recognizing tourisms eminently dynamic character in promoting jobs and generating foreign currency, and the need to bring existing legislation up to date, it is incumbent upon the state to update relevant legal instruments (MINTUR,1999). 4.1.4. Tourist zones Mozambique is very rich in natural resources (land, sea, fauna and flora). The type of land and climate has created three different varieties of vegetation, dense forestland in the high parts of north and centre of the country, woodland and savannah in the south and mangrove along the coastline. In terms of wildlife a variety of species can be found in these ecosystems as well as beautiful landscapes and views along the coast and in the higher mountainous areas (tourism guide, 1999). The tourist zones in Mozambique are subdivided into three (north, center and south) with different geophysics characteristics, socio economic development and tourist profiles (Salgado e Cravo, 1999). a) North (rich in cultural resources) With a unique identity in Southern Africa, the region is composed by Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Niassa and Zambà ©zia provinces. (3) Due to its great touristy potential and tourism products which need to be exploited is called the Jewel of Tourism (2) Tourism is mainly concentrated in Nampula, Nacala and Pemba cities. (2) Is an exclusive destination for international and regional markets, with beaches and tropical islands, scuba diving and deep-sea fishing activities, with a strong cultural influence and Strong market opportunities for eco and hunting tourism (3) There is a growing interest by investors in new project infrastructure such as hotels, hostels, campsites and others. (3) The marine life and the beauty of probably one of the worlds most beautiful archipelagos, the Quirimbas archipelagos, the forest intact and extensive part of the Niassa Reserve and the unique biodiversity of Lake Niassa.(2) In this region, outstands, ilha de moà §ambique (mankind heritage by UNESCO), Ibo island (with a wonderful marine life), Quirimbas archipelago,Niassa reserve and Niassa lake (tourism guide, 1999) a) Mozambique island b) Mozambique island c) Niassa Lake d) Ibo island b) Center (rich in natural resources) Composed by Sofala, Manica and Tete provinces, this region is based on nature and wildlife, characterized by business facilities, beaches, exotic animals (is what really attracts tourists) around conservation and preservation of wild species areas. Its an exclusive destination for adventure tourism and ecotourism for specialized markets (Hiking, appreciation of birds, hunting, fishing, ecotourism) and important to the business market and sun, sand and sea tourism for domestic and regional markets (3) The city of Beira is the countrys second city and an important regional economic center. Its port plays an important role in linking Mozambique with Zimbabwe and other neighboring countries located in the center and the citys tourism is based on commerce and trade.(2) In this region highlights are, Gorongoza national park (was one of the most famous in southern Africa), Chimanimani and Marromeu reserves and, electrical barriers of Cahora Bassa and Chicamba Real (tourism guide, 1999). a) Gorongoza national park b) Gorongoza national park c) Electrical barrier of Cahora Bassa d) Electrical barrier of Chicamba Real c) South (rich in coastal and marine resources) Composed by Maputo, Maputo City, Gaza e Inhambane provinces,is a perfect national and regional destination for sun, sand and sea and water sports holidays (3). This region is benefiting from considerably higher levels of development and has the best infrastructure of the whole country and concentrates almost 50% of the national tourism (over 50% of the total of registered establishments and 65% of the total beds). With a vast coastline with beaches and tropical waters and marine resources of exceptional quality (3), and beautiful landscapes, the region is characterized by business and leisure tourism. Maputo concentrates business tourism, while leisure tourism basically composed by diving, eco-tourism and culture (3) is progressing satisfactorily in various parts of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane provinces. (2) The tourist infrastructures in this region are accessible and of the most varied ranges.The beaches of Vilanculos, bazaruto,Bilene, Xai Xai, Macaneta are essential for a good family tourism, Ponta do Ouro and Ponta Malongane are the major poles of attraction for watersports tourism practitioners and enthusiasts.(2) The fact that this part of the Mozambican tourist attractions have derived from the ecological environment, the occurrence of natural phenomena, reinforces the interest of tourists to know and enjoy the privilege of coming in contact with such beautiful landscapes.(3) The highlights are Limpopo National park, Bazaruto archipelago, and special elephants reserve (Tourism guide, 1999). a) Elephants reserve b) Limpopo national park c) Aechipelago of Bazaruto d) Aechipelago of Bazaruto 5. Literature review 5.1. Destination 5.1.1. Definition Destinations have emerged as the fundamental unit of analysis in tourism (WTO, 2002) and form pillar in any modeling of the tourism system as most tourism activities take place at the destination (Pike, 2005). A tourist destination is defined as a physical space where visitors spend at least one overnight (WTO) or as the focus of facilities and services designed to meet the needs of tourists (Cooper et al, 1998). It includes tourism products such as support services and attractions, and tourism resources within one days return travel. It has physical and administrative boundaries defining its management, and images and perceptions defining its market competitiveness (WTO). A tourist destination describes a geographical space which provides all parts of a destinations supply (attractions, amenities and access) to satisfy the needs of specific tourism segments during their vacation or it includes elements of the supply chain: accommodation and gastronomy, entertainment and leisure time amenities, transportation, information. While these services are delivered by different suppliers, they are offered to their consumers as one unit. The destinations dimension or size is perceived differently by the visitors depending on: its distance to the visitors place of origin, its popularity and image as well as the visitors travel experience (Kloiber ¼Ã…’2008). According to Buhalis (2000), it can be characterized as the six frameworks: Attractions (natural, man made, artificial, purpose built, heritage, special events) Accessibility ( entire transportation system comprising of routes, terminals and vehicles) Amenities (accommodation and cat
Thursday, September 19, 2019
My Love is Like a Red Rose Essay -- Robert Burns Poetry Literature Ess
Life is like A Red Rose This is the loveliest lyrical song of all time for Robert's wife - Jean Armour. It is widely known for not only its emotional significance bur its perfect form as well. Robert Burns opens this poem with a traditional comparison:"Oh my love is like a red red rose" Up to now, "rose" is considered the symbol of love. In this case, rose "is newly sprung in June", we can understand that his love is always at the starting point. Robert uses his rose with the meaning that it is very strong and passionate. In the second comparison, the poet shares, "the melodie" that "sweetly played in tune": "Oh my love is like the melodie" This is the conventional comparison that evolves the hearing sense of the beats of two hearts of those who are in love. This sounds very harmonious and is played sweetly in tune. The next stanza is begun with an inversion in the first and second lines to emphasize Robert's love becomes deeper and deeper. " So fair art thou, my bonnie lass So deep in love am I" The first speciality of this poem is the end of the second stanza and the beginning one of the third stanza are the same:" ...Till a'the seas gand dry" and "Till a'the seas gang dry, my dear..." Here is the link of the poem and also the continuing love Robert Burns has. There are two exaggerated images proving the poet's passionate and deep love: "Till a'the seas gang dry, my dear, and the rocks melt wi'the sun." The seas are so broad to get dry an...
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Patient Safety: Hospital Inpatient Falls Essay -- Health Care, Inpatie
If patient safety is the most important issue in Health Care facilities then how come hospital inpatient falls continue to be the most reported of all accidental falls (Tzeng & Yin, 2009)? Throughout the years, hospitals continue to make changes to decrease the risk of accidents and increase the quality of patient safety. With research studies and improvements made, patient falls still hold the largest portion of reported incidents in hospitals (Tzeng, & Yin, 2008). According to Tzeng & Yin (2008), â€Å"fall prevention programs apparently do not effectively reduce inpatient fall rates because of human factors and ergonomics in a hospital environment (p.179, para. 2). The two studies reviewed in this paper were performed with the hopes of decreasing the high fall rate among inpatients. In a qualitative study â€Å"Nurse’s Solutions to Prevent Inpatient Falls in Hospital Patient Rooms,†Huey-Ming Tzeng and Chang-Yi Yin’s purpose was to promote understanding of and to prevent inpatient falls. The research took place between February and April of 2007 in one acute, adult unit consisting of 32 beds in a Michigan medical center. The basis was on individual participation in a 45 to 60 minute long interview with nine current nursing staff and their opinions on five primary root causes of inpatient falls. Twenty-four potential solutions identified from the nurse’s interviews and the intervention strategies toward preventing patient falls were used to elicit and analyze data for useful and cost-effective fall-prevention strategies (Tzeng, & Yin, 2008). Huey-Ming Tzeng and Chang-Yi Yin also did an exploratory study â€Å"Relatioinship between call light use and response time and inpatient falls in acute care settings,†to determine whether t... ... and Yin have done different studies to find ways of reducing the high fall rate in health care facilities. The study on the call light response time didn’t seem to impact the patient fall rate; however, this was only one study in one health care facility. I believe that including nurses in fall prevention programs only makes sense. Falls will always be a risk in health care facilities but the input for preventing them should also come from the people who spend the most time with the patients. Nurse’s are the one’s who assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate their patients’ needs. Their knowledge and opinions are important. Work Cited Huey-Ming Tzeng, PhD, RN, Chang-Yi Yin, Nurses' Solutions to Prevent Inpatient Falls in Hospital Patient Rooms. Nurs Econ. 2008;26(3):179-187. View at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/576954
Cloning: An Option for Endangered Species Conservation Essay -- Biolog
Cloning: An Option for Endangered Species Conservation Review of the Literature Geneticists know that the technology of cloning lies in the palm of their hands, and its use on domestic animals and now endangered species has already proven successful (â€Å"Endangered Species†; Fields-Meyer and Seaman;Holt et al.; Lanza et al.; Trivedi). The question I ask now is this: Will cloning be used in the conservation of endangered species? This very question has sparked debate between the scientific community and many conservationists. Contrary to the values set forth by many conservationist groups, my research suggests that the cloning of endangered species is, in fact, a viable option in their preservation and repopulation. Most of the sources I have used in my research have supported the idea of using cloning to rebuild animal populations or at least obtain viable DNA from endangered animals. The prominent scientists Betsy Dresser, Robert Lanza, and Philip Damiani of the Advanced Cell Technology laboratories in Worcester, Massachusetts, expressed their optimism about cloning endangered species in the article "Cloning Noah's Ark." Dresser and Lanza were also quoted in several online news sources I used as well. They conclude that "Biotechnology might offer the best way to keep some endangered species from disappearing from the planet" (Lanza et al). As my research suggests, cloning endangered species will surely have its benefits in keeping these populations alive, an option which conservationists cannot deny. These scientists I have mentioned do not ignore opposition to their scientific claims from conservationists skeptical of the uses of cloning and leery that it usage will deter humans from restoring natural habita... ...://www.reproduction-online.org.silk.library.umass.edu:2048/cgiLcQntent/ full/127/3/317>. Lanza, Robert P., Betsy L. Dresser, and Philip Damiani. "Cloning Noah's Ark." Scientific American 283 (2000). Academic Search Premier. 22 Oct. 2005 &db=aph&an=3664004>. Ryder, Oliver A. "Cloning advances and challenges for conservation." Trends in Biotechnology 20.6 (June 2002): 231. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. DuBois Library, Amherst, MA. 22 October 2005 rect=true&db=aph&AN=7799659&site=ehost-live>. Trivedi, Bijal P. "Scientists Clone First Endangered Species: A Wild Sheep." National Geographic News. 29 Oct. 2001.14 Oct. 2005 1/10/1025 TV sheepclone.htm>.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Disaster Management Essay
Disaster management is a way to help when disasters happen but it is also to help prevent them or to inform everyone about what may happen. The main function is to helping the citizens to understand what is happening. The state will determine how severe the disaster is and then the ones who are responsible for reporting to the appropriate government or agency will then make the recommendation to getting help for funding, support, and any emergency supplies to those who are affected by the disaster. The disasters that happen can be unpredictable like earthquakes, while other natural disasters could happen with some type of warning like flooding. B. The state of California has manuals that they use that goes into details about statewide policies, procedures, regulations, and any other important information that was developed and authorized by the state offices, department of finance, department of general services, and the government offices (Disaster Management – California Technology Agency – State of California, 2013). III. Examine local, state federal legal and regulatory requirements A. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)- Has jurisdiction over all public and private sector places of employment in the state with exception of Federal employees, the USPS, private sector employers on Native American lands, maritime activities on navigate waterways of the US, private contractors on designated land under Federal jurisdiction, and employers that requires Federal security clearance. B. Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) C. The California State Plan is operated under an agreement with OSHA. It is an occupational safety and health program in accordance with Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. D. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)- Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, Coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, Regional Emergency Coordinators, Emergency Care Coordination Center IV. Is there a Certificate of Need program for your state? A. Certificate of Need (C. O. N. ) programs are aimed at restraining health care facility costs. The Health Planning Resources Development Act of 1974 was put into effect across the nation. Over the past 30 years, there have been numerous changes and about 36 states retain some type of CON program. This program was used to approve the construction and expansion of health care facilities and services based on determination and community need. B. California does not currently have a C. O. N. in effect. Back in 1969, the state had implemented a C. O. N, ending in 1987. California’s C. O. N. program suffered from inadequate staffing and lack of data. V. What are the issues to consider when meeting the International Building Code for a facility? A. New codes vs. Old codes B. Updates to â€Å"I-Codes†done by diverse group of officials i. Corridor width ii. 8 feet of clear, unobstructed width iii. Defend-in-place practices iv. Visual and audible fire alarms. v. Elevator Lobbies vi. Floor openings vii. Smoke control viii. Ceiling and smoke partitions ix. Fully Sprinkler hospitals x. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers xi. Decorations on Wall. C. What Measurements may need to be done in advance of the new plan or renovation? i. Acoustical measurements to plan work zones accordingly to minimize decibels ii. Security measurements to ensure clear sightlines where needed, specialized door access and/or any visual monitoring via camera. iii. Measuring of equipment to ensure adequate planning of rooms iv. Safety measures D. List the stakeholders that may play a role in your development (Scott) Facility management i. Providers that are financially vested in the company ii. Depending on size of facility, CEO, CFO, VP, etc. iii. Input from floor staff to maximize area usage for patients iv. Patients-their input from potential comment cards or direct questioning in how to improve their care from a facility perspective. E. Conclusion i. Strong conclusion that provides details to what the State of California is working towards accomplishing safety awareness. ii. Existing disaster plans in the State of California. iii. State of California has financial instability affecting citizens as well as service. References Disaster Management – California Technology Agency – State of California. (2013). Retrieved from http://http://www. cio. a. gov/OIS/Government/disaster. asp HHS. gov. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. hhs. gov/asl/testify/2010/01/t20100125a. html US Department Of Labor. (2013). California State Plan. Retrieved from http://www. osha. gov/dcsp/osp/stateprogs/california. html What is disaster management? (2012). Retrieved from http://www. disastermanagement. in/2012/02/what-is-disaster-management. html Certificate of Need: State Health Laws and Programs . (2011). Retrieved from http://www. ncsl. org/issues-research/health/con-certificate-of-need-state-laws. aspx
Monday, September 16, 2019
A Pilot Study On Classroom Observation Education Essay
Chapter 4This chapter describes a pilot survey conducted after the preliminary survey and before the chief survey. It begins by a brief debut given in subdivision 4.1, followed by treatments on the sample choice, observation agenda and pre and station session interviews in subdivision 4.2. Section 4.3 covers the schoolroom observations. Gesture cryptography, including the written text, coding jobs and policy, and consequences of the cryptography are included in subdivision 4.4. Discussion and decision concentrating on schoolroom observation and metaphoric gestures are covered in subdivision 4.5. The chapter ends with the deductions for the chief survey explored in subdivision 4.6.4.1 About the Pilot StudyThis pilot survey built on a old little graduated table preliminary survey ( chapter 3 ) . The purposes were: ( a ) to see existent clip schoolroom observation ; ( B ) to prove out and better the observation agenda and interview inquiries ; ( degree Celsius ) to research whether Chin ese music instructors used metaphoric gestures and if so, what these metaphors were and where they were used ; and ( vitamin D ) to prove out and develop metaphoric gesture designation processs. The focal point was limited to music Sessionss in junior high schools because in the preliminary survey, more metaphors were found from the junior degree than from the simple degree. The information of this pilot survey were transcribed from three general music Sessionss taken by Wang, a music instructor in a junior high school in Taiwan.4.2 Before the Observation4.2.1 Sample SelectionSituated in a in-between to upper-middle category suburb of a major northern metropolis, Wang ‘s school was founded in 1988, with 4,268 pupils and 113 categories in 2006. It is considered to be a large school, comparative to the official norm of 1,299 pupils per junior high school in Taiwan for the school twelvemonth 2005-2006 ( Department of Statistics, Ministry of Education of Taiwan ) . The informations were collected in general music categories with pupils aged between 12 and 14. Each category contained around 35 pupils, and talk was the lone type of interaction observed. The consequences of t he preliminary survey showed that metaphor denseness may differ because of learning content. Therefore the Sessionss observed for this pilot were limited to music theory, music history, and music grasp. Wang ( a anonym ) had received her MA in musicology four old ages antecedently and since so had been learning music in the same junior high school. Bing really open-minded about taking portion in research and being observed, Wang was one of the really first music instructors I contacted for the preliminary survey. Since so she had been helpful in replying my inquiries and supplying me background information about the state of affairs of music instruction in junior high school degree in Taiwan. After the preliminary survey, I emailed her to inquire her permission for me to come in her schoolroom and video-record a twosome of Sessionss, and she agreed to take part. Music lessons form portion of the Humanistic disciplines and Humanities class class in junior high schools in Taiwan ( see subdivision 2.4.1 ) , and hence music, humanistic disciplines, and executing humanistic disciplines portion one text edition. â€Å" The humanistic disciplines subdivision negotiations about utilizing different colorss to stand for the four seasons, and the music subdivision negotiations about Vivaldi. So it occurred to me that it ‘s a good chance to give a talk on the Baroque epoch and present Vivaldi ‘s The Four Seasons to them, †( Wang, pilot interview 2 ) . At the clip when this study was written, MOE of Taiwan did non supply one â€Å" standard †version of the text edition, and schools were free to take the version they preferred. Wang therefore on a regular basis designed the content of her lessons. â€Å" The text edition references nil about the Baroque epoch so I make my ain PowerPoint slides to assist pupils set up the background cognition †( Wang, the same interview ) . Teachers are allowed to re-arrange the order of the instruction contents and set related things together. In some schools, music instructors have to learn executing humanistic disciplines, but this was non the instance in Wang ‘s school, where there were three single instructors for the three bomber classs: music, humanistic disciplines, and executing humanistic disciplines.4.2.2 Observation Schedule and InterviewsAfter Wang agreed to take part in the survey, I explained to her about the research through electronic mail. She understood that the research was about schoolroom discourse and hence suggested me to put the observation clip at a hebdomad after the mid-term test, when she was approximately to present the Baroque epoch to her pupils. One month before the schoolroom observation, Wang and I met to discourse which classes to detect, including when I should get, where I should sit and how best to put up the recording installation. In add-on, Wang approximately explained what sort of schoolroom activities would be involved and what she intended to learn. Wang was told that the s urvey was about schoolroom talk and the thought was to detect a session with every bit much talk involved as possible. She hence suggested Sessionss chiefly covering music history and music grasp. This meeting is classed as pilot interview 1 ( for more inside informations, see Appendix B ) . A real-time observation agenda was designed, with a intent of associating the schoolroom activities and metaphor usage. As can be seen from the agenda ( see Appendix C ) , both start and terminal times of the activities needed to be specified and during each activity, runs of metaphors and gestures needed to be made, so that I could acquire a basic sense of where bunchs of metaphors and gestures most frequently occurred ( though in the event it proved about impossible for me to number them during categories, something which will be discussed subsequently in 4.6.1 ) . In add-on, the observation agenda covered: administration of the category, stuffs, and musical instruments used, and the linguistic communication used by the instructor and pupils. A general feeling of schoolroom ambiance would be noted as H ( high ) , F ( carnival ) , or L ( low ) to see if schoolroom atmosphere is related to metaphor usage. A follow-up interview ( pilot interview 2 ) with Wang was conducted after detecting the three Sessionss. The face-to-face semistructured interview took topographic point in Wang ‘s music schoolroom during her interruption, enduring 42 proceedingss. Again, I was permitted to enter it, and at the same clip made notes while Wang was speaking. A list of information or inquiries I planned to seek or inquire, translated from Chinese ( the linguistic communication used during the interview ) into English is appended ( Appendix D ) . In the interviews, information was sought about Wang ‘s educational background and working experience, and inquiries covered how Wang prepared for the category and aimed to explicate new constructs, how Wang thought about metaphors and gestures, and if she used them to assist her Teach. Mandarin Chinese was used throughout the interview. Notice that the Numberss are for the convenience of composing up the study ; the inquiries were asked without any specific order. During the interview with Wang, the above subjects were covered. To Wang, metaphor helped the pupils to link music and their day-to-day life experiences. She gave an illustration of the birds, Canis familiariss, spring air current, and summer boom in Vivaldi ‘s The Four Seasons. However, she did non normally interpret music in her ain manner when introducing or depicting it- †I merely interpreted the music in the manner which the composer marked on the music manuscript †( Wang, pilot interview 2 ) . Although overall the interviews went swimmingly, it was realised that some inquiries were excessively general and more inquiries about metaphor and gestures were needed. Detailss are discussed in 4.6.1.4.3 During the ObservationFor the first session, I entered the music schoolroom with Wang around 15 proceedingss before the session began. Wang told me that because of the limited Numberss of music schoolrooms, music instructors in her school had to take bends utilizing them. It was Wang ‘s bend to hold one of the music classrooms that semester and hence she was allowed to remain in the room waiting for the pupils to get. The excess clip proved utile from the point of position of puting up the picture equipment. The chief equipment in the music schoolroom included a piano, an electronic piano, a chalkboard with clean musical staff, an LCD projector, a DVD participant, and a few classical instrumentalists ‘ portrayals and illustrations of musical instruments on the walls, etc. Wang had to supply her ain laptop. Figure 4.1 illustrates the layout of the schoolroom where the three observed Sessionss took topographic point. The two black circles on the top exposure indicate where the picture recording equipment was placed and where I sat. The picture recording equipment started to enter when the pupils started to walk into the schoolroom. It was non turned off until the category was dismissed and the schoolroom was empty. Neither the instructor ‘s nor the pupils ‘ seats were moved. As a nonparticipant research worker, I tried to maintain the schoolroom the manner it was without me. I sat at the dorsum of the schoolroom next to the picture recording equipment, to take field notes which might be helpful during the readying of the transcripts. Photographs were besides taken earlier or/and after Sessionss. The picture recording equipment started to enter when the pupils started to walk into the schoolroom. It was non turned off until the category was dismissed and the schoolroom was empty.Figure 4.1. Pilot survey: Music schoolroom scene.For most of the clip the pupils could non see me during the categories. However, there was one clip, while Wang corrected a pupil ‘s thumbing while playing the recording equipment, another pupil kept turning and gesticulating â€Å" YA †( the V mark, with his index and in-between fingers of his right manus raised and the staying fingers clenched, palm facing outwards ; a really popular gesture in Taiwan when being photographed ) toward the picture recording equipment. Wang noticed it. She asked the pupil to stand up and present himself to the picture recording equipment, and encouraged him to give a solo public presentation for two bars, and so the session continued. This was the lone break caused by the research worker ‘s presence during the Sessionss I observed. The talk construction of the three Sessionss I observed was rather similar. It was because Wang designed and followed her ain instruction course of study for each twelvemonth of the pupils, and besides because the three Sessionss I observed were all in the same twelvemonth ( twelvemonth seven ) . The session started with playing the recording equipment. Wang reviewed the piece she had taught in the old session with the whole category and so selected a few pupils to stand up and play separately, in order to detect how much pupils had learned ( Wang, pilot interview 2 ) . Then she taught one new piece by showing and playing with the whole category. After the recording equipment playing, the talk portion â€Å" episode †( Lemke, 1990 ) started. Wang began by presenting the recording equipment ensembles: bass, tenor, alto, soprano and sopranino recording equipments. Then she introduced some of import epochs in musical history, with a focal point on the Baroque. To this terminal, Wang gave pupils some background cognition about the features of the music, musical instruments, and some celebrated instrumentalists, before presenting Vivaldi and his concerto, The Four Seasons. By and large talking, the observation agenda proved easy to tag. Keeping records based on schoolroom activities made it easy to remember what happened in the Sessionss, and there was adequate clip to maintain records for most of the classs, except for the Numberss of lingual metaphor and gesture used. Second it became clear that some classs needed to be farther specified-this will be discussed subsequently in 4.6.1.4.4 Gesture CodingMcNeill ‘s strategy ( see subdivisions 6.3.2 for a reappraisal of the literature and 6.3.3 for a treatment, on gesture categorization systems ) applied in this survey required inquiring what significances and maps a gesture possessed. In other words, the classs were non based on merely one aspect of a gesture. For illustration, iconics and metaphorics were more semantically oriented, while deictics were more pragmatically oriented. Because of this, each class was non treated as discrete or reciprocally sole, but as holding characteristics that may b e present in changing grades, and perchance in combination. Therefore, the ultimate end of gesture cryptography is to place the extent to which each characteristic is present, instead than sort the gestures ( Eisenstein & A ; Davis, 2004 ; McNeill, 1992 ) . In this pilot so it is really of import to put up a cryptography policy to bespeak when to categorize a gesture by its significance and when by map. More inside informations are discussed in 4.4.3. Two programmers were involved in gesture cryptography in order to prove out McNeill ‘s process and increase the dependability of the survey. The other programmer, a alumnus pupil in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of York, was a native talker of Chinese with some cognition of metaphor holding conducted her MA research on the subject. McNeill ‘s three chief gesture categories-deictics, iconics, and metaphorics-were introduced before I asked her to categorize the gestures which Wang used. Due to clip restriction, merely a portion of the hearing to The Four Seasons from Wang ‘s first session was selected. The portion was chosen for its heavy distribution of gestures. It lasted for five proceedingss and ten seconds, with 35 gestures identified by me antecedently. More inside informations about gesture cryptography are discussed in 4.4.4.4.4.1 Data ChoiceDue to the limited clip available, merely one session was chosen for gesture cryptography. The ground for taking the first session was that although the construction of the three Sessionss was similar, the first session was more complete and covered all the activities from recording equipment playing, a talk on the Baroque epoch, to music hearing, with a more even allotment of clip, than the other two Sessionss. Types of activities affair here because if Numberss of gestures differ in different types of activities ( and it seems so from the consequences ) , affecting more activities in the informations can cut down the hazard of any possible gesture loss.4.4.2 Transcribing the DataBoth gestures and address were transcribed. Speech was transcribed to the full from the videotape in Chinese. The written text of gestures included three stairss: ( a ) place the motions that were gestures ( here gesticulations ) ; ( B ) place the shot of the each gesture ; and ( degree Celsius ) locate the boundaries of the gesture phases in the relevant portion of the phonological written text.4. 4.3 Coding Problems and PolicyThe consequences of the gesture classification from the two programmers were compared. Unlike deictics, which were all agreed by both programmers, iconics and metaphorics seemed to represent the more debatable classs. One of the illustrations was where Wang lifted her left manus at shoulder tallness with her thenar confronting up and wiggled her center, ring, and small fingers fast in bend when stating the word zhuangshiyin ( â€Å" shake †; actual interlingual rendition: â€Å" ornament notes †) . Although both programmers agreed that Wang was keeping an unseeable fiddle and playing the shakes, we however coded it otherwise. The other programmer coded it as metaphoric, because the referent of the gesture, zhuangshiyin, was interpreted as a lingual metaphor itself. I coded it as iconic because the gesture in fact was stand foring what was explicit in the attach toing address and therefore had a close relation to the gesture. This helped develop one of the coding policies later-gestures attach toing metaphors in address were non decidedly considered to be metaphorics. Another job related to the programmers ‘ differential focal points and readings of the same gesture. Wang said, â€Å" The boom came fast and went fast. Then it became quiet once more. †In the first sentence she began by traveling her left arm from left to compensate with the thenar confronting up and fingers curving and so moved the arm back to the left without altering the form of the thenar. For the 2nd sentence, she turned over her left thenar to confront the land with consecutive fingers and pressed down the thenar a small spot in the air. The different cryptography concerned the first sign phrase. When I coded them, I focused on the motions of the arm, which was moved from left to compensate, and so back to the left, which seemed to bespeak â€Å" came †and â€Å" went †in address. Therefore the gestures were coded as iconic ( instead than metaphorics, which was clarified subsequently ) . On the other manus, the other programmer focused on the form of the thenar, which changed from a thenar with curled to consecutive fingers. She interpreted the curling fingers as stand foring the â€Å" fast †in address, while the consecutive fingers represented the â€Å" quiet, †and so she coded them as metaphoric. What was stupefying was that none of us thought about construing the same gesture each other ‘s manner before holding the treatment. Our in agreement place was to category the gestures as iconics, because both of us agreed that it was more common to see such gestures looking along with â€Å" came †and â€Å" went †than â€Å" fast †and â€Å" quiet. †In add-on, what the other programmer received before coding might hold affected her. She used my written text of gestures while categorizing the gestures. Although the gestures were described in a descriptive linguistic communication, it was found subsequently that some of the written text was in fact subjective. For illustration, descriptions such as â€Å" the right manus drew a form of flash visible radiation †or â€Å" the left manus indicated composure †were already readings and they could be misdirecting to the other programmer. These jobs non merely predicted what may go on during the cryptography procedure for the chief survey, but besides helped develop the cryptography policy to be used, which is discussed below. Identifying Gestures In this survey, â€Å" gesture †specifically refers to gesticulation. Any thumbing the instructor used to show how to play the recording equipment, or the conducting gestures frequently used while the category was playing the recording equipment were beyond the range of this survey and excluded. The reading of Wang ‘s gestures was made from the research worker ‘s position, and it is deserving observing that this might differ from the reading from the talker ‘s or the addressee ‘s positions ( A. Cienki, personal communicating, June 3, 2008 ) . Metaphorics Metaphorical gestures were defined as gesticulations which present a more abstract referent in footings of a more concrete image and prosecute a cognitive procedure of understanding one thing in footings of something else. This definition dovetails moderately good with Lakoff and Johnson ‘s conceptual metaphor theory, the theoretical model on which this nowadays survey was built, and at the same clip does non belie the Pragglejaz definition of metaphorically used lexical points applied in the survey ( discussed in subdivision 3.3.2 and subsequently in 6.4.2 ) . One illustration is when Wang said gangqin de yinse yue lai yue xizhi ( â€Å" the timber of the piano becomes more and more delicate, †and gestured utilizing a unit of ammunition and half-open thenar confronting up attach toing the word â€Å" delicate. †Here, the gesture carries the double construction required by a metaphoric, in which the representation of the daintiness of the timber ( a more abstract referent ) by the gesture is presented as what appears to be an image of a bud waiting to open ( a more concrete base ) . Deictics versus Metaphorics Both McNeill ‘s deictics and iconics were re-defined for the present survey. Harmonizing to McNeill, abstract indicating gestures which imply a metaphorical image are besides included in the class of deictics. For illustration, gestures were used in my informations to indicate at an bing physical topographic point, but they referred to as an abstract construct of where the talker had been earlier. When Wang said â€Å" Did we merely say that ornament is popular in Baroque epoch, †she raised her left index finger to indicate to the â€Å" thought †which she merely mentioned in the same session. Pragmatically speech production, these gestures were indicating gestures ( deictics ) , but semantically speech production, the topographic point which the gestures pointed to was interpreted as someplace else based on the address context. In other words, such gestures engaged a cognitive procedure of understanding something ( the physical topographic point which the gestu re pointed at ) in footings of something else ( the existent infinite or thought which the middleman talked about antecedently ) and hence were classified as metaphoric. Iconics versus Metaphorics Gestures in a context where the Vehicle of a metaphor is explicitly flagged both by the custodies and by linguistic communication were classified as iconic. That is, if a instructor says â€Å" music is a container †and gestures a container, the gesture will be categorised as iconic instead than metaphoric because the gesture may attach to metaphor, but itself represents the actual signifier of the word â€Å" container †; nevertheless, if the same gesture accompanies the sentence â€Å" we can experience the unhappiness in his music †, it will be classified as metaphoric. An effort was therefore made to separate between sign illustrations of verbal metaphors and gestures that were themselves metaphoric. This besides explains why the gesture â€Å" came †and â€Å" went †attach toing Wang ‘s vocalization of journey metaphor, â€Å" the boom came fast and went fast, †which was discussed before in this subdivision was coded as iconi cs instead than metaphorics.4.4.4 MethodAfter transcribing the address of the whole session, the picture infusion was watched by the two programmers individually, concentrating on merely the gestures. Every gesture Wang used was categorised into one of the three types of gesture: deictic, iconic, and metaphoric. It was decided to group the gestures into merely three classs instead than five ( including beats and cohesives ) because these three classs are more related to the focal point of the survey. Reasons for categorizing the gestures into three instead than two ( metaphorics and nonmetaphorics ) were that these were the three most popular gestures and that distinguishing deictic from iconic gestures would assist supply a better apprehension of what other types of gestures the instructor used along with metaphor in address besides metaphoric gestures. The 13.5 % dissension of the coding consequences between the two programmers was compared and discussed, until each gesture was classified into one of the three classs. The gestures were so highlighted on the transcript by utilizing three different colorss, to ease denseness and distribution analysis. Finally, maps of the gestures were noted.4.4.5 ConsequencesThe continuance of Wang ‘s direction in the recordings was 46 proceedingss, numbering 8,964 characters transcribed. In the session, 89 gestures were identified ; 43 % were iconics, 30 % metaphorics, and 27 % deictics. Every gesture was categorised. The distribution was such that over 75 % of them fell in the subdivisions on Listening to The Four Seasons ( 42 % ) and the talk on the Baroque epoch ( 35 % ) . Merely 1 % of the gestures occurred in the gap and the recording equipment drama subdivisions. Deictics Wang used deictics to indicate at objects. Her superciliums rose when she started the inquiry â€Å" Can you see the word, Baroque, in the text edition †and looked at the pupils. Her left index finger pointed forwards. Then when Wang said the focal point of the inquiry zhege zi ( â€Å" the word †) , she raised her right manus and pointed at the screen behind her with her index finger. When she pronounced the word, â€Å" Baroque, †she turned her upper organic structure, half confronting the screen and looked for one second at the Chinese characters for â€Å" Baroque †written on the screen. Extract 11 [ a? †° c?†¹a? ° e ¬ ] a [ †° a? « eˆâ„ ¢aˆâ€ ¹ a - cs„ aZY?-†¡ ] i?YBaroquei†°Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ °i?Y [ Ni you kandao keben ] shibushi [ you xie zhege zi de yuanwen ] ? Baroque, youmeiyou? [ you have see casebook ] ( Q ) [ have write this word ( DE ) etymology ] Baroque ( Q ) Can you see if the English word, Baroque, is in the text edition? However, deictics were non ever used to indicate to something concrete. For illustration, when listening to the first motion of The Four Seasons, Wang compared the fiddles ‘ shake to birds tweet in the spring. When she asked the category to pay attending to a certain portion of the tune, she repeatedly put her index finger of her right manus following to her right ear and pointed to the air. Wang kept reiterating this gesture whenever she tried to pull the category ‘s attending to the music. Therefore, it appeared to be the music she was indicating at, although it was non concrete, or even seeable at all. The undermentioned infusion is another illustration of indicating to the unseeable. Wang asked the category if they still remembered what instruments she had mentioned earlier in the same session. The first reply â€Å" cembalo †came from a pupil and every bit shortly as Wang heard it, she raised her right index finger, indicating. Wang so repeated the reply and gave her response, â€Å" really good. †It is arguable whether Wang ‘s finger was indicating to the word, â€Å" cembalo, †or the pupil who gave the reply, but in either instance the gesture was categorised as deictic. Extract 12 Thymine: ‘aˆ‘ a†°Ã¢â‚¬ º?†°? e ? µ?e cs„ ‚aâ„ ¢? †° aâ€Å"?a?†ºi?Y adult females gangcai shuo liuxing de yueqi you naxie we merely say popular ( DE ) instrument have ( Q ) What are the popular instruments we merely mentioned? Second: a ¤Ã‚ §e? µc dajianqin cembalo Harpsichord. Thymine: [ ] a ¤Ã‚ §e? µciaaie‚„†° a‘?i?Y [ ] daijianqin henhao haiyou Ne [ ] cembalo really good still have Q [ ] Harpsichord. Very good! What else? Second: a? ¦ ‚aâ„ ¢? xian yueqi threading instrument Stringing instrument. Thymine: [ ] a? ¦ ‚aâ„ ¢?ie?za ai [ ] xian yueqi feichang hao [ ] twine instrument really good [ ] String instrument. Very nice! Iconics Iconics were the most common type of gesture in Wang ‘s category, and most of them appeared in the talk on the Baroque epoch and The Four Seasons subdivision. Gestures bespeaking Numberss and for presentation frequently fall in this class. For illustration, Wang held both weaponries set in forepart of her thorax, with both thenars confronting the land and put her lingua out, when depicting a puppy sitting lazily in forepart of a house in summer, while listening to the 2nd motion of The Four Seasons: â€Å" Because it ‘s excessively hot, the doges put their linguas out, right? †In the undermentioned illustration, Wang compared the difference between the flute and recording equipment while she was explicating why the recording equipment was translated as zhidi ( â€Å" perpendicular flute †) . A flute, nevertheless, is held horizontally by the participant which is why it is besides named hengdi ( â€Å" horizontal flute †) in Mandarin Chinese. When she asked the undermentioned inquiry, she used both custodies to copy gestures of both flute and recording equipment participants, to underscore the different waies in which two musical instruments were played. Extract 13 e†¢Ã‚ ·c ¬Ã¢â‚¬ º a ®? [ c†º?e‘- a ] e‚„ [ ? ©Ã‚ «e‘- a ] i?Y changdi Ta shi [ zhizhe chui ] hai [ hengzhe chui ] flute ( 3SG ) is [ perpendicular blow ] or [ horizontal blow ] Make you play the flute vertically or horizontally? The referent of the gestures did non ever appear at the same clip when the referent was uttered in address. In Extract 14, Wang used her right manus to indicate to the pillars in the schoolroom on her right and so left side, when she was speaking about the architecture of the edifices in the school. After she pointed to the pillar on her left side, she used both her pollex and index fingers of the right manus and moved the arm heterosexual and vertically, up down and back up. These gestures were iconics, stand foring â€Å" consecutive lines †in address. Next, when she talked about the lines in Baroque edifices, she used her right thenar to do a simple â€Å" U †curve in the air. Here in gesture, the soft â€Å" U †curve motion was contrasting with the old gesture of traveling the right pollex and index finger vertically, but in address, the adjectival â€Å" curved †contrasting with the adjectival â€Å" consecutive †in the first line did non follow straight until the 3rd line. The gesture preceded the word that related to it semantically. It seemed to back up the hypothesis that although gestures and address were different ocular and verbal elements, someway they were in fact conceptually integrated in an thought unit ( Cienki & A ; Muller, 2008 ; McNeill, 2005 ) . Extract 14 [ ?Y ±a ? a ] [ e c†º? c ·s cs„ ] i?Ya °?aa °?i?Yc ·s a c °?a- ® [ zhuzi shibushi ] [ dou shi zhi xiantiao de ] duibudui xiantiao biddy kiandan pillar ( Q ) all are consecutive line ( DE ) ( Q ) line really simple [ The pillars are ] [ in consecutive lines ] , are n't they? Very simple lines. a a ·Ã¢â‚¬ ºa†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ ?â„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Y cs„ ?â„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡aˆâ„ ¢ [ ?ˆZei?Y†e ce ¤Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ia °?aa °?i?Y ] keshi baluoke shiqi de shihou [ zenmeWang bijiao fanfu duibudui ] but Baroque epoch ( DE ) clip ( Q ) more complicated ( Q ) But how approximately in the Baroque epoch? More complicated, is n't it? [ c ·s †e ? ¬? ] †° e? ±a ¤s cs„ ?†ºS? a °?aa °?i?Y [ xiantiao bijiao Army Intelligence ] you xuduo de quzhe duibudui [ line more good ] have many ( DE ) curved ( Q ) [ Lines are, good, ] more curving, are n't they? Metaphorics In entire, 30 % of the gestures were metaphorics and it was interesting that metaphorics occurred in about all the eight different schoolroom activities. The lone two exclusions were the gap and stoping comments which Wang made ; Wang used no gestures at all in her gap comments. SPACE AS TIME TIME IS AN ENITITY MOVING TOWARD THE SPEAKER is one of the conceptual metaphors shared by both English and Mandarin Chinese. For illustration, in Mandarin Chinese people say shengdanjiei kuailai lupus erythematosus, which means â€Å" Christmas is nearing, †and xingqitian guo lupus erythematosus means â€Å" Sunday passed. †Time is so thereby conceptualised as something traveling in infinite, and this can be seen even more clearly with gestures. Extract 15 was from Wang ‘s session when she introduced the different periods in musical history. She explained the order of the Renaissance and the Baroque. Firstly she raised her left arm, straightened out her five fingers, with the thenar confronting down, at about eyebrow tallness, and so moved her manus down to the tallness of her thorax. The two points in the infinite indicated the two different clip ranges in musical history and TIME is therefore represented as SPACE by the gesture. However, it is interesting in t his illustration that clip travelled in different waies in address and gesture ; in address, clip moved toward the talkers, but in the gesture it moved from up to down. In fact, the metaphor the gesture expressed here exists entirely in footings of gesture, non in address ( c.f. , subdivision 7.4.8 ) . That is, one would non state in Mandarin Chinese â€Å" the Baroque is at the underside of the Renaissance †to intend the same thing. Extract 15 -†¡e-?a? ©e [ e?Za?†?†°? a ·Ã¢â‚¬ ºa†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ ] wenyifuxing [ guolai cai shi baluoke ] Renaissance [ come yet is Baroque ] The Baroque comes after the Renaissance. SPACE IS IMPORTANCE Another conceptual metaphor suggested by the gestures is SPACE ( UP ) AS IMPORTANCE. This has a really close relation with the common conceptual metaphor in address: SIZE ( BIG ) AS IMPORTANCE. In Mandarin Chinese, district attorney ( â€Å" large †) can be used as an adjectival to depict something of import. In Extract 16, Wang told the category that there were some of import periods in musical history. When she said that â€Å" there are some of import and large periods, †she lifted up her left arm with her unfastened thenar confronting down, so traveling increasingly downwards, stopped at different highs. Alternatively of ranking the periods from large to little by gestures, she ranked them from up to down. It was another illustration of different metaphors being used in address and co-speech gestures. Extract 16 eY‚ ?  ·a a?S cs„ a?†Y a-††° aaˆâ€ ¹ [ e†¡?e ¦?cs„ a ¤Ã‚ §cs„ ?â„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Y ] yinyue lishi Shang de fenqi o you jige [ zhongyaode dade shiqi ] music history up ( DE ) period ( PRT ) have several [ of import large period ] About the periods in musical history, some are of import and large. Detached SPACES AS DIFFERENT PARTS OF AN EXPOSITION Metaphoric gestures which separate different parts of an expounding appeared more than one time, and although in address Wang ever said â€Å" FirstaˆÂ ¦moreoveraˆÂ ¦and thenaˆÂ ¦ , †she did non ever use the same gestures for them. Sometimes she gestured the Numberss â€Å" one, †â€Å" two, †and â€Å" three †even though she did non verbally say any Numberss. At other times, she merely turned over the other thenar from confronting the land to confronting upwards, when traveling to a new construct or thought in address. Such metaphoric gestures distinguish different parts of an expounding being made as separate ( downwards and upwards, or right and left ) infinites. For illustration, when Wang reviewed the chief points she had mentioned in category about Vivaldi, and asked the category to compose the chief points down in their ain text edition, she said â€Å" firstaˆÂ ¦moreoveraˆÂ ¦and thenaˆÂ ¦ , †and gestured wi th her right index finger indicating to different fingers of her left manus, to bespeak alterations of subject.4.5 Discussion and Conclusion4.5.1 Classroom ObservationLesson construction and activities involved Figure 4.2 shows the comparative sum of clip Wang spent on different activities across the three Sessionss. The two chief activities were recorder playing and a talk on the Baroque epoch, which between them accounted for about 2/3 of the entire clip. Besides Wang spent 15 % of clip listening to The Four Seasons with the category. The two parts where metaphors and gestures were used most frequently were the talk on the Baroque and listening to music, which took more than 2/5 of a session.Figure 4.2. Pilot survey: Relative clip spent on activities across Wang ‘s 3 Sessionss.Gesture usage and schoolroom ambiance For schoolroom ambiance on the agenda, three degrees were defined: high ( H ) was recorded when the category showed enthusiasm and the dB degree in schoolroom was high. Fair ( F ) was noted when merely a portion of the category responded to the instructor and the remainder remained soundless. Low ( L ) indicated that the category was quiet and seemed non to pay attending to the instructor, or when silence occurred after inquiries. It is of import to observe that the three degrees were comparative instead than absolute.Figure 4.3. Pilot survey: Gesture frequence and schoolroom atmosphere.It was assumed that there would be a positive correlativity between the figure of gestures and schoolroom atmosphere. However, the three boxes in Figure 4.3 show the topographic points where the two factors suggest a negative correlativity. It seemed that in the parts of talk where Wang used a certain figure of gestures did non needfully do the category more enthusiastic about their acquisition. One o f the possible accounts was that more gestures were made due to the low schoolroom ambiance. Interviews Both the interviews I had with Wang before and after the category Sessionss were face to face and semistructured. Most inquiries I had were unfastened inquiries. Making the interview semistructured allowed me to make a more natural talk ambiance without jumping the inquiries to which I wanted replies. The instructor would so be free to speak whatever their feelings and/or ideas were toward certain inquiries. At the same clip, nevertheless, I needed to maintain an oculus on both clip control and interview way to do certain I got the replies to the planned inquiries. Normally I did non disrupt Wang but tried to direct her dorsum to the subjects when she began to speak something unrelated. By and large talking, Wang ‘s replies were consistent because she echoed her ain point of positions when giving replies to different inquiries. For illustration, when asked how she prepared to explicate new constructs ( inquiry six ) , she indicated that music did non be entirely and a instructor had to assist pupils construct up the whole context in footings of clip, topographic point, and how people lived and thought at that peculiar clip, in order to understand a piece of music. She emphasised that music and other artistic signifiers such as architecture and humanistic disciplines were closely related, which she kept adverting when replying how she decided if the stuffs were suited for the category ( inquiry five ) and why music instruction was of import to her ( inquiry two ) .4.5.2 Metaphorical GesturesFunctions of Metaphoric Gestures In Wang ‘s Sessionss, different maps of co-speech gestures were examined and the followers were the three chief 1s found: ( a ) to underscore, ( B ) to visualize, and ( degree Celsius ) to put up. First, gestures helped underscore what Wang wanted to state. Normally underscoring gestures accompanied a verbal look incorporating Numberss, which highlighted different facets of a subject. These gestures could be metaphorics or iconics. They were used when the instructor helped the pupils to either prevue the chief points or reexamine the chief thoughts which were traveling to be introduced. These gestures seemed intended non merely to assist indicate out the of import chief points, but besides to do it easier for the category to follow the instructor ‘s expounding. Deictics which pointed out the subject being talked about in address besides seemed to underscore points and promote hearers to pay more attending to the subject. Second, gestures were used to visualize the abstract. Wang made a large horizontal â€Å" S †form with her left arm when stating the category that the tune they were listening to was depicting the spring zephyr. The metaphoric gesture all of a sudden made the line of the tune seeable. Besides, in Extract 14, Wang drew consecutive lines in the air while she was explicating the simpleness of the school ‘s edifice compared with Baroque ‘s complication. These iconics therefore helped visualize the abstract thought of simpleness. Finally, gestures were used by Wang to show ( positive ) feedback. As shown in Extract 12, alternatively of indicating to any pupil after Wang asked the inquiry to put up a specific pupil to reply, she pointed after hearing the response from the pupils. Almost every bit shortly as she completed the gesture, she repeated the reply from the pupil. It seemed that Wang ‘s finger was activated by the voice which produced the reply, and the index finger stopped in the air and headed in the way of where precisely the reply had come from. By making so, the attending of the category was drawn to the reply, followed by the positive response, â€Å" really nice, †made by Wang to the pupil concerned. Relationss of Metaphoric Gestures and Speech As the focal point is on metaphor and metaphoric gestures in this survey, Table 4.1 shows the dealingss between vocalizations and co-occurring metaphoric gestures. The consequences support the findings from other surveies in English ( Cienki, 1998 ; Cienki & A ; Muller, 2008 ) .Table 4.1Relationss Between Utterance and Co-occurring Metaphoric GesturesRelationss Example Notes 1 The same metaphor expressed in address and gesture â€Å" The timber of the piano becomes more and more delicate. †The gesture depicts a beginning sphere ( â€Å" delicate †) in address by a unit of ammunition and half-open thenar confronting up. 2 A metaphor expressed in gestures but non in the co-occurring address â€Å" FirstaˆÂ ¦moreoveraˆÂ ¦and thenaˆÂ ¦ †The index finger of one manus points to the fingers of the other manus. The metaphoric gesture distinguishes different parts of an expounding being made by stand foring them as separate infinites. 3 Different metaphors expressed in address and gesture â€Å" About the periods in musical history, some are of import and large. †( Extract 16 ) Address and gesture portion the same mark sphere of the metaphor ( of import ) , but the beginning sphere is characterised otherwise in address ( large ) and the gesture ( high ) . 4 Metaphors expressed by gestures ne'er appear in lingual signifier in Mandarin Chinese â€Å" The Baroque comes after the Renaissance. †( Extract 15 ) What the gesture expresses here is that â€Å" Baroque is at the underside of the Renaissance. †Such an look is non usually used in address to intend that the Baroque comes after the Renaissance.34.6 Deductions for the Main Study4.6.1 Classroom ObservationResearcher ‘s function as a non participant Although my purpose was to maintain the schoolroom as it was before my entry, this was about impossible to make. As shortly as a pupil noticed that there was a alien in the room, things became different. Some pupils reacted to Wang ‘s inquiries more actively ; some tried to acquire Wang ‘s attending more enthusiastically than of all time, which I did non gain until Wang indicated the fact in category. Some pupils besides kept turning about during the Sessionss to see what I was making while others were funny about my reaction when a gag was told. Wang seemed to be natural in forepart of the video-recorder. She rarely looked at the video-recorder and in the three Sessionss I observed for two yearss, no particular reactions because of the presence of the video-recorder were found. Young mentioned that she had been observed for several times by the other instructors ( pilot interview 2 ) , and it might explicate why she looked rather natural in forepart of it. From the research worker ‘s point of position, come ining schoolrooms is a necessity for this survey because it allows one to acquire a better thought of the schoolroom ambiance and the context, which can non be wholly caught by watching a videotape, allow entirely an audio tape. However, it can be hard to judge if the information collected are affected due to any camera consequence ( Mackey & A ; Gass, 2005 ) . Classroom observation will stay the chief method of roll uping informations for the chief survey, and farther treatment on its job and how to undertake it in the chief survey is given in subdivision 5.10. Observation agenda The observation agenda helped me to track the procedure of each session during and after Sessionss. With the agenda, it was easy to turn up where I was in the session whether I sat in the schoolroom or watched the recorded picture at place. Overall the prepared observation agenda proved easy to tag. The classs ( activity, start and terminal clip, Numberss of lingual metaphor and gesture, participant administration, stuffs, instruments, linguistic communication used, and schoolroom atmosphere ) of the observation agenda were clear, although some needed to be clarified or deleted. It proved impossible to maintain accurate runs of lingual metaphors and gestures during the three Sessionss, even though I forced myself to seek to make it for a short period of clip during one of the Sessionss. Therefore this was non used for the chief survey. Some classs need to be redefined. There was a categorization named â€Å" Individual †in the participant administration subdivision ( see Appendix C ) and when I designed the agenda, I was believing about points where the instructor spent her clip on merely one peculiar pupil. That is, the instructor might travel following to the pupil or inquire the pupil to come to her, doing it clear that a certain period of the instructor ‘s clip was being devoted to one individual pupil. However, during the three Sessionss, this sort of single administration ne'er happened. Alternatively, another sort of single administration kept looking. Wang would speak to one peculiar pupil in forepart of the whole category. Although the conversation was non limited to the two ( Wang and the pupil ) , it was decided to code it as â€Å" single †participant administration. It was decided for the chief survey to include both the above types of participant administration as â€Å" single. †Classs of images and audio tape confused me at first during the observation. The chief stuff Wang used in her categories was PowerPoint slides, and the slides included non merely text, but images and sounds. It was decided that the categorization â€Å" images †should be extended non merely to palisade charts or postings, but besides to images provided electronically. The categorization â€Å" audio tape †was modified to â€Å" audio sound, †which included sounds whether provided by PowerPoint or by the piano played by Wang in category. In add-on, the categorization â€Å" PowerPoint †was added. Hence, when Wang showed a image of a Baroque palace via PowerPoint, both classs of â€Å" image †and â€Å" PowerPoint †were ticked. The class of â€Å" schoolroom ambiance †was deleted for the chief survey because focal points of the survey were modified and schoolroom ambiance was no longer an issue in the chief survey. A modified observation agenda based on the pilot survey for the chief survey is appended ( see Appendix E ) . Interview inquiries After the pilot interviews, it was discovered that inquiries six and eight were excessively general for the interviewee to reply. Furthermore, none of the inquiries was about gestures and hence this needed to be added. Besides, for inquiries four, five, and six, alternatively of inquiring the general state of affairs, inquiries were modified to promote the interviewee to reply based on the Sessionss being observed, instead than give general statements which the interviewee thought s/he â€Å" was supposed to make. †Finally, the order of the inquiries was rearranged to make a better flow of the conversation, although it was ne'er fixed. A list of modified inquiries for the chief survey is appended in Appendix F.4.6.2 Gesture CodingGesture Coding In this pilot, the other programmer was provided a transcript with both address and gestures. For the chief survey, the other programmer will be provided video cartridge holders and a written text of the instructors ‘ address merely. S/he needed to transcribe gestures get downing from placing stages of them to avoid the subjective reading of my description of the gestures. It can be really hard to code gestures without video-recording the Sessionss, and even with the picture, it can still take a batch of clip to reiterate playing one cartridge holder until gestures are decently transcribed. Both ocular and audio information are important, for the former records the motion inside informations without being interpreted into words, while the latter provides the address context. Overall, gesture classs are defined non merely by the manus gesture but besides by the function of gesture within the lingual context. Therefore it is about impossible to code gestures by kinetic motion informations entirely, and it is one of the grounds why gesture cryptography can be both clip and attempt consuming.
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