Learning Second Language in Australia

Introduction

            Language is a very crucial part of people lives and to all other disciplines that human being engage in daily. Australia is a multicultural country with high linguistic diversity with more than 300 languages spoken (Gorter, Zenotz & Cenoz, 2016). English is the most common language spoken, and due to its multicultural nature there is a need to learn a second language (Barr, 2008). The essay will talk about learning of the second language in Australia. This paper will discuss the historical development of language education initiatives and policies that have been put in place. It will also discuss the challenges that the teachers and the students experience in teaching and learning simultaneously. The paper will also provide recommendations that can help in addressing the challenges encountered. Learning a second language can be challenging, and therefore a solution to the problem should always be put in place.

History of Language Education initiatives in Australia

            The fact Australia is a multicultural country the government has been coming up with policies and other prominent initiatives which have been developed at the national level (Liddicoat, 2009). Most of these policies were designed to solve the challenges that hindered the provision of the “literacy for all” with a particular focus on the children from the minority language.

            The government has attempted to bring a solution for the challenge in issues of language and literacy since the establishment of the first national policy concerning language in 1987 (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). There have been crucial policies that have been developed and implemented. The national policy on Languages of 1987 was the first of its kind in the country which has English as the most common language. The main aim of this was to make community languages an essential part of the education of all the young children attending school. It also promoted multiculturalism and also multilingualism (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). It made the community as the second language by offering it in the education system.

             NPL did not develop the conceptual understanding of the literacy, but it acknowledged the need to maintain the minority languages and also helped the families in instituting the early learning activities for the pre-school (Liddicoat, 2009). The financial provision was for the libraries, the tertiary institution and widespread interpreting and translating services. The NPL included everyone, and it progressed as it valued collaborations with the community and also promoted interrelationship between the community and the school. However, the success was hindered by the challenges in the implementations.

            The responsibility for promoting the initiative was left to primary school teachers and principals. However, the community language programs in the schools were developed without consideration of the provision of the necessary training to the primary teachers (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). This resulted in the unwillingness of the teachers to acquire and facilitate the continuity of the process. There was also a lack of the ongoing review, support and proper funding by the governments.

            After the failure of npl, there was an introduction of The Australian Language and Literacy Policy (ALLP). The goals of this policy were to establish and maintain an adequate understanding of English to participate in Australian society. It was also to expand and improve the services on languages that were provided by the interpreters and the translator, the print and the electronic media (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). It was also to significantly expand and make improvements on the learning languages other than the English and finally to develop and maintain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages that were still in transmission and record of the ones that were not transmitted.

            With the introduction of the goal to learn other languages apart from English and also the maintenance of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, there was a shift, and the home languages were not considered again as part of the goal (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). English was also emphasized in this policy. The government also invested in school literacy, but it focused more on the provision of adult education and English as the second language. This aimed to create an educated workforce while making English the national language (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). This indicates the changes in priorities from the pluralism to rationalism. The policy started on ‘language,’ and it focused on changing into the monolingual society from the multilingual and making English as the main language of Australia mainly English as a second language.

            Seven years later there was the establishment of another policy with the main goal which stated “literacy for all.” The policy was The Challenge for Australian Schools’ which challenged the schools to ensure that all the children who finish the primary school have the necessary skills such as the ability to write, read and spell at their level. The literacy in policy goal represented the English language which was declared the language goal. In this policy, literacy was described as a set of skill more than its relationship with language

            The emphasis of the policy was in the standards, measuring, and evaluation including assessment of their outcome and its focus was on the lower sensible level and in the areas where the level was not reached. The surveys that were done indicated that a third of the year 3 and 5 from non-English background did not meet the level and it resulted in considering the children from those backgrounds considered at risk. Although the policy considered that English was the second language it did not include special arrangements for them. The intervention that was considered for the children was only on the English language as it did not look at the background of the children and circumstances under which they grew up in.

            There were also issues with the benchmarking as it had only described the characteristics of those children born in Australia with English as their mother-tongue. This brought in the need to develop complimentary benchmark tools for the English as Second Language Learners at different stages of their schools. The activities involved in the benchmarking served to improve planning in education and bring accountability not to address the individual student achievement. The various concerns and also the processes in the policy indicates the ineffective which limited the attainment of the policy goal (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). It is the most recent policy that was published by the federal government of Australia with the delivery of programmes and reports. , but initiatives have been put in place which includes the teaching reading initiative of 2005 and 2008 The National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy.

            The Australian government launched a national inquiry into the teaching in 2004, and this was after an open later from a group of Australian Psychologist and reading researchers. The minister of education then instructed the committee to inquire into the teaching of reading in the Australian schools, assess on the ability to read well and noting those who had difficulties and the teacher education together with preparation for reading instructions (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). Unfortunately, they focused on the reading leaving other literacy skills and also teaching not learning. The committee recommendation and report focused on the teaching and teaching and even made a discussion on the most appropriate approach between the phonic or the whole language approach.

            The report narrowed further the important areas concerning the literacy and recommendation mainly targeted teachers and the school but also made a recommendation to come up with programs, guides, and workshops that will support the parents and the caregivers in their children literacy development (Vass, 2016). This was thought to develop the languages that they learned at home. This recommendation addressed the different needs of various children both in the minority language group and also those from other countries.

            In 2008, there was formations of National Partnership Agreement on Literacy which was financed to come up with National Action Plan for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) which is involved in assessing the students in the years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the various area including reading, languages conventions, writing including numeracy (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). This has been instituted, and it is done each year as a countrywide assessment.

            The goals of the agreement emphasize the points that were noted in the literacy for all policy and the teaching reading initiative and also involved improving the literacy level for all young children with a special focus for those who needed support. It also included identification and implementation of better strategies that would bring improvements in literacy and addressing the needs of the students from disadvantaged backgrounds (Schalley, Guillemin & Eisenchlas, 2015). Assessment, reporting, and intervention have been retained and more emphasis done on achievement reports.

            NAPLAN uses a test which have effects on the person being tested, the teacher and also the institution. It has also been linked with anxiety and stress to students and also their teachers and also reduction of the student self-esteem. However, it has been linked with long-term productivity which is impressive

            Unfortunately, validity and reliability is not good. High stake test does not test the individual learning, and its use as a diagnostic tool for teachers is limited. There is also a challenge in setting as it assumes that all test takers are fluent in Standard English. Presence of linguistic barriers also plays a significant role

Challenges to students and teachers

            The language policies are not stable enough, and it has shown an overall fall in language learning. With the introduction of the new policies, the understanding of the word literacy has been reduced to mean literacy in English (Clyne, 2005). Literacy has not been connected with the multiculturalism. In some parts, there is a lack of coordinated language policies. There is also a significant challenge in for the field to give a solution for the unavailability of a coherent policy for languages generally and for specifically education languages in both national and the state level (Salter & Maxwell, 2016). There is also a lack of commitment to develop and keep to at least a level bilingual capability for all the students as part of their school education (Scarino, 2014). The government has also not made a formal statement concerning the unequal statement involving the value of learning languages for everyone.

            There is also the fact that the value of all the key areas is not equal. Languages had been included in the “key learning is” during the major changes that were made in the policies, but learning languages have not been given the same value as the rest (Salter & Maxwell, 2016). That is why, during debates that were made to discuss on crowding of the curriculum, the language learning area was seen as an option to reduce the overcrowding. This shows it is not valued as other areas.

            The government also introduced national programs to support the learning and teaching, for example, NALSSP, but on the other hand, it does not provide the same attention to other indigenous languages which are of equal importance (Hajek & Slaughter, 2014). Therefore, some of the programmes have been considered divisive. This brings confusion on what to teach and what is of no importance.

            Widespread variety of the minority language, level of literacy and different levels of motivations and the level of bonding between the community and the children possess a challenge during the learning process. There has also been inadequate past attempt to tackle the adult illiteracy levels with English.

             The immigrants also have a big challenge in comprehending the language which then makes it more difficult for the teacher and the student to have a better understanding of each other (Scarino & Liddicoat, 2009). English also has deficiencies as a second language. However, the government have tried as much as possible to make English a national language, and some people might find it difficult to understand thus making learning very difficult including the work of the teacher

Recommendations

              Creation of an educational platform that provides an individualized acquisition of literacy in diverse languages. Application of the new information technology which has that capability to promote tailoring of education experiences to each of the children need (Vass, 2014). There also need for the community, members to collaborate with researches to establish a resource and also guided learning experiences that are progressively challenging, engaging and also culturally acceptable

            There is also a need to join the community members from the grassroots to enable the children to be involved earlier with learning language which has been proved to be effective in developing a better understanding for the child (Díaz, 2013). Development of language policies that will guide in the learning of the languages.

            Involvement of the caregivers and parents through the provision of necessary support especially those from disadvantaged children will enable them to have the resources required to facilitate their learning and to understand the language quickly (Slaughter & Lo Bianco, 2009). It is also necessary to engage the teachers regularly and provide them with the necessary training to motivate them in providing the best service to the children.

            Teaching should involve ensuring that the needs of the children including those with disabilities be attended to. They consider the background and all the circumstances that may hinder learning and providing the necessary intervention to address the issues.

Conclusion

              Australia is a multicultural and multilingual country that has come a long way considering learning of languages. The country involved itself in promoting the study of different languages after the establishment of its first policy. There was also the development of the second policy which focused on learning the English language which then shifted focus from the multilingual to just one English. This was later changed, and the focus was on literacy which focused on the skill. The focus then moved to reading and then assessment. There are challenges faced such as lack of national policies of languages, and always recommendations must be given to help in solving the situation.

References

Barr, A., Gillard, J., Firth, V., Scrymgour, M., Welford, R., Lomax-Smith, J., ... & Constable, E. (2008). Melbourne declaration on educational goals for young Australians. Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. PO Box 202 Carlton South Victoria, 3053, Australia.

Clyne, M. (2005, September). The social responsibility and impact of the linguist/applied linguist in Australia. In Australian Linguistic Society conference, Melbourne.

Díaz, A. (2013). Intercultural understanding and professional learning through critical engagement. Babel, 48(1), 12.

Gorter, D., Zenotz, V., & Cenoz, J. (2016). Minority languages and multilingual education. Springer.

Hajek, J., & Slaughter, Y. (Eds.). (2014). Challenging the monolingual mindset (Vol. 156). Multilingual matters.

Liddicoat, A. J. (2009). Evolving ideologies of the intercultural in Australian multicultural and language education policy. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 30(3), 189-203.

Liddicoat, A. J. (2004). The conceptualisation of the cultural component of language teaching in Australian language-in-education policy. Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, 25(4), 297-317.

Salter, P., & Maxwell, J. (2016). The inherent vulnerability of the Australian Curriculum’s cross-curriculum priorities. Critical Studies in Education, 57(3), 296-312.

Schalley, A. C., Guillemin, D., & Eisenchlas, S. A. (2015). Multilingualism and assimilationism in Australia's literacy-related educational policies. International Journal of Multilingualism, 12(2), 162-177.

Scarino, A. (2014). Situating the challenges in current languages education policy in Australia–unlearning monolingualism. International Journal of Multilingualism, 11(3), 289-306.

Scarino, A., & Liddicoat, A. (2009). Teaching and learning languages: A guide. Melbourne: Curriculum Corporation.

Slaughter, Y., & Lo Bianco, J. (2009). Language teaching and learning: Choice, pedagogy, rationale and goals. Babel, 44(1), 24.

Slaughter, Y. (2009). Money and policy make languages go round: language programs in Australia after NALSAS.[National Asian Languages and Studies Strategy in Australian Schools.]. Babel, 43(2), 4.

Vass, G. (2014). The racialised educational landscape in Australia: Listening to the whispering elephant. Race ethnicity and education, 17(2), 176-201.

Vass, G. (2016). Everyday race-making pedagogies in the classroom. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 37(3), 371-388.

Societal Deterioration in A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor

Flannery O'Connor, in her short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" portrays a perspective that the society is drastically changing for the worst. The author writes the book based on her religious upbringing in the South. The story has a protagonist, Grandmother, who had a son called Bailey. Bailey wants to take his family to Florida for a vacation, but her mother resists claiming they should visit Tennessee.  She was afraid that they might meet Misfit, an escaped convict, in Florida. However, they encounter Misfit in Georgia, and he kills the whole family. O'Connor uses characterization and symbolism to shows displeasure with society through the grandmother. The story shows the existing generation gap between the young and the old (the old woman and her family). The author uses to criticize the flaws in society. This paper explores how the community in the short story changes for the worse, and Flannery's anger towards the community.

First, the author uses the old woman, Grandmother, to symbolize the selfish and ignorant upper class in the society in the Southern American culture. The old woman dresses elegantly, and she is obsessed with the lady-like look. She puts on white gloves and huts to show that she is not of common standards as the healthy people (Van 23). In her opinion, her son's family belongs to the middle class, and she feels superior to them. Although the grandmother seems caring toward her family, she is selfish and does not care about them. She opposes Bailey's choice of a vacation destination claiming that Misfit, an escaped prisoner lived in Florida. "I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that loose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did." (Byrant 305). Instead, she suggests that the family goes to Tennessee because she wanted to go and visit her relatives there. She wants to make a stopover at the road, so she uses the kids to convince Bailey. "There was a secret panel in this house," she said craftily, not telling the truth but wishing that she were, "and the story went that all the family silver was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found..." (Meyer 434).  As a result of her selfishness, Misfit kills her whole family in Georgia. Therefore, it is evident that grandmother used her social class to influence her family's decision, but she was wrong all along.

Second, O'Connor in her short story brings out the decayed moral conduct in Southern society. First Grandmother's children paid no attention to her, and when they did, they were always rude. Second, Bailey's children forecast the future generation due to their violent and undisciplined nature. Nature and lack respect for their grandmother, even though she is way older them (Asals 28). At one occasion, Bailey’s child, June star, grumbled that her grandmother follows them wherever they go in her face. "She wouldn't stay at home for a million bucks," June star said. "Afraid she'd miss something. She has to go everywhere we go." (Meyer 412).  Also, grandmother lies to her family to get her desires, yet she claims that bad morals depend on where one comes from. She believes that she has moral conduct because she came from a rich background. Also she believes is superior to black people and see them as hopeless individuals and inferior. Lastly, Grandmother is a pathetic liar who lies to people to get what she wants. She lied to her son about the place they should visit for vacation and about bringing the cat to the trip. Therefore, it is evident that many people in society lack moral values, and the futures generations lack respect for their elders.

Third, the short story applies the theme of violence that depicts the increased crime levels in society. Misfit hijacks Grandmother's family of six after they encounter an accident. The grandmother recognizes Misfit as an escaped prisoner, and this forces Misfit to eliminate the family. "but it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of recognized me” (O’Connor 198). The Old woman witnesses the Convict exterminate all her family member, and she knows she is next. She tries to convince Misfit to change his mind but all in vain. You wouldn't shoot a lady, would you?" the grandmother said and removed a clean handkerchief from her cuff and began to slap at her eyes with it (Meyer 450). However, Misfit sees her death as a favor as she should meet God she has always served. He shots her severally in cold blood. Misfit does not care about the lives of thee innocent children, despite them not having wronged him. Therefore, the killing of Bailey's family depicts that human's lives have lost meaning and people aimlessly get killed.

Additionally, O'Connor's story depicts racial discrimination in the South American society. The author reveals racism through Grandmother. She addresses a poor black boy as a "pickaninny" in front of her grandchildren. The boy does not have any clothes, and Grandmothers claims that black children lack the things her grandkids have. This racial slur could make the kids change their perspective of Black people. Also, she uses the word ‘nigger" to refer to the Black people' because she feels superior to them. She has a negative attitude towards African Americans and views them as inferior. "Little niggers in the country don't have things like we do" (Meyer 426)). This happens at a time when society is past racism. Lastly, the old woman makes a joke about a young black child. Thus, it is evident that older people transfer racism mentality to young, innocent children.

Lastly, Flannery uses the theme of religion to portray the religious hypocrisy in society. Grandmother claims she is saved, yet she is a racist and harshly judges other people like Misfit when in reality, Elitists like her turned him into the criminal he is. She is a pathetic person, who claims to identify good people, yet she does not have empathy for anyone. She may be religious, but she does not think of what Jesus would like her to do (Van 30). On the other hand, Misfit is an Anti-Christ who does not believe in religion. However, he believes that Jesus 'thrown everything off balance' by taking charge of a crime he had not committed. Misfit compares himself to Jesus as he was accused of his father's death and sent to prison. "I call myself The Misfit […] because I can't make what all I done wrong fit what all I gone through in punishment." (Meyer 442). However, Misfit's lack of faith is justifiable as he blames God for his mischiefs in life.

In conclusion, O'Connor did a fantastic job in criticizing the flaws in Southern society. First, the story brings out the problem of social class through Grandmother who feels superior and of high standards than her own family. Also, racial discrimination is portrayed when Grandmother makes fun of a black kid on their way to Georgia. Additionally, Flannery showed the issue of religious hypocrisy where people practice things that do not please God. Violence is an essential problem in Southern society. Lastly, the author depicted moral decay as a big problem for the future generation. Therefore, the short story is essential in today's society as the book has valuable lessons which could change the culture.

Works Cited

Asals, Frederick. Flannery O'Connor: The Imagination of Extremity. University of Georgia

            Press, 2011. PRINT

Bryant, Hallman B. "Reading the Map in ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find.’." Studies in Short

            Fiction 18.3 (1981): 301-307.

Meyer, M. Literature to go. Boston; New York: Bedford/St. martin's, Macmillan

            Learning, 2017.  PRINT

O’Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories. Houghton Mifflin

            Harcourt, 1955. PRINT

Van, Truong Thi Me. "The Relevance of Literary Analysis to Teaching Literature in the EFL

Classroom." English Teaching Forum. Vol. 47. No. 3. US Department of State. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs, SA-5, 2200 C Street NW 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20037, 2009. PRINT

Analysis of ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ by Chris Rock

‘Everybody Hates Chris’ is a comedy program created by Chris Rock, that is founded on the life of a teenage boy living in Brooklyn, New York in a typical family of a father, mother and two younger siblings. The teenager attempts to survive the difficult living situation that he is in, most especially being an only black kid in a white school. Chris has struggles both at home and also at school where by all the issues that he face are normal for teenagers that are living in the same environment as his.

Chris as the main character in the show is presented as a strong character that is able persevere every criticism that he faces in his life and he beats the odds of his society that have low perception of the black community. Chris always struggles hard to try and fit in with his peers but this never works out and he always finds himself a victim of circumstances. At school, he is discriminated against being the only black kid in his school, the teachers and the other white students look perceive him as a stranger that do not deserve to associate with them because of his ethnicity. He however beats this odd and he is termed to be one of the most intelligent students because his academic performance is exceptional.

 At home, he has his own challenges that he is faced with, being the oldest child in his family and with his parents busy working, Chris is responsible of his younger siblings and he is always expected to make important decisions that ensure that his siblings are safe and that everything at home is running well when his parents are out working. Though Chris lives a difficult life, he is a disciplined boy and way too smart for middle school and the white community that looks down on him, he always confronts his problems with wit and this is what contributes to his success at the end.

The play helps to bring out the social problems that are faced by the society at that time and this mainly reference to racism. The character of Chris as a black child in a white community help to portray the racist ideology that is common in the society where the blacks are always discriminated over the whites. When he is at school, Chris is always the first suspect whenever something wrong has been done even without any evidence. The teaches that are expected to be the equality agents, educating students in school about the negative effects of racism do not in any way help make life better for him and they are instead the promoters of this racism ideology. This is the sad ideology that is in the real world society where the black community is always associated with criminal activities and a black man cannot freely walk around at night without attracting unnecessary attention.

The film in general helps to bring out the issues that are always faced by the black community in the society; this is a community that has to always work extra hard to prove themselves and to try and get equal opportunities. The black community does not have the privilege of being granted equal opportunities when it comes to education, housing and even health care. The black schools that are available are not well equipped and this is the main reason as to why Chris has to travel far from his home to attend a white school so that he can get the best education.

The show also helps in bringing to light the issues that the young people face most especially the marginalized groups. They have to deal with bullying which greatly contributes to their lowered self-esteem and also to their poor academic performance. Chris was brutally bullied at his school with no one to help him out, not even the teachers all because he was from a different ethnicity and from a lower social status. This affected his love for school and his general academic performance causing him to always get low grades. Chris is just a representation of the bullying problems that are always faced by teenagers and they always have to find a way to deal with the issue on their own without any guidance and this have a negative effect on their lives.

This show help in presenting gender roles in the society where the men have the major role of taking care of their families by proving for them. This is presented by the role that Chris’s father Julius plays at their home; he has to work multiple jobs in order to financially provide for his family. Chris’s mother Rochelle is a representative of women in the show, she is a hardworking modern woman who is not restricted to traditional female roles. She is a working class woman who contributes into the family’s finances and also does her role of taking care of her husband and children. She is a strict disciplinarian and she greatly insists on the importance of attaining good education for Chris and his younger siblings. She can be described as a stereotype black woman who shows the frustrations, pride and also joy of being a working class black wife and a mother. Though these two parents are strict with the children most especially Chris, they still care so much for them and this is why they try all their best to give them the best education and life that they can.

I like this show mostly because it is humorous and it is very easy to relate to the jokes in the show but it is also very educative in nature. Chris’s family is a just like any normal family that is trying to survive life with the little that they have. It is a great family show that everyone can watch and get entertained; the show is effective in delivering the message of racism and also bullying in the society. These are two issues that are very common in the contemporary society, and they are always ignored without consideration on the effects that they have on the victims. The showcase of these issues in the show greatly helps in educating the society on the importance of equality which can greatly help the society’s mind-set on these people ideologies. As compared to all the other family shows that are available, I find ‘Everybody Hates Chris’, as the most interesting family appropriate show, it is a show that can help bring a family together for a laughing session every once in a while. This is a show that everyone should find and watch

The theme of freedom in The Story of an hour and Worn Path

Introduction

The author of the story of an hour, Kate Chopin and the author of a Worn Path, Eudora Welty have used the theme of freedom to promote their vision on what freedom should resemble. These theme is very prevalent in the two stories. Chopin in her story expressed Mrs. Mallard as a person who has been denied freedom by things such as her marriage, the story talks of the mental and emotional freedom she gains when she confines herself in her room there is a bitter twist between the fact that she has the freedom of an upper class married woman and the fact that her marriage denies her freedom. Welty in her story places Phoenix as a black woman in a time where slavery was still not completely forgotten and the instances that took place as she journeyed to fetch her grandson’s medicine completely show that the Negros had not yet gained total freedom. These two women character used in these two stories show how they struggle for their freedom.

In the story of an hour Chopin expressed Mrs. Mallard as a woman who deals with self-discovery issues. It is evident enough that her marriage had dined her a sense of freedom because after she learns about the death of her husband she feels a certain feeling of relief and total freedom overcome her (Gale np). This feeling is evident that she is a wife who had been denied her freedom by her husband and with his death came her freedom. She even goes further to imagine life without her husband she envisions her future as that one with total freedom. Mrs. Mallard feeling of being free helps Chopin bring out the theme of freedom in her story.

In Welty’s story Phoenix’s grandson is the reason she goes on a journey. His throat is permanently damaged, and pains a lot. She takes this journey in order to go fetch, medicine that will free him from the pain he endures in this throat. This pain is a symbol that his grandson is not free, but pain is holding him back she wants these medicine so that her grandson who is the only relative she has can be free (Gale np). Also, the fact that this story is place in a time where the memory of slavery was still fresh in people mind signifies that Phoenix as a Negro had not yet gained her freedom completely.

In The Story of an hour, Mrs. Mallard after receiving news of the death of her husband confines herself into her room. It is only in her room that she gets the mental and emotional freedom to be joyous about the news of his husband’s death. She uses her room as her free space so she can express her emotions and still be able to hide them from those who expect her to be remorseful of her husband’s death. (Gale np). Mrs. Mallard is joyful because she will never have to bend her will to that of her husband. Mrs. Mallard considers the feeling of freedom as the best and the strongest feeling she has experienced. The feeling of freedom was stronger than what she had felt for her husband when he was alive. Chopin uses the story of an hour to show how marriage traps women, and deny them their own freedom since they have to obey and do according to the will of their husbands (Toth 11). This is proved by the way Mrs. Mallard felt trapped in her own marriage.

In Welty’s story, how the white hunter speaks to her after rescuing her from her dog is evidence enough that he has no respect for her. He assumes that Phoenix cannot be able to walk all the way to town therefore he resolves to telling her to go home. This shows that Phoenix is not free from the judgment of the people and she has to endure people like the hunter. The hunter in another instance holds a gun to her face this completely shows that the hunter is violating her freedom to life and has no respect to her life. In their conversation it is obvious that the hunter has a biased attitude on the African American (Gale np). This completely shows that even after the black had earned their freedom legally the whites had not yet accepted that fact and this limited their freedom

At the end of Chopin’s story Mrs. Mallard collapse and died due to the shock and of seeing her husband enter the house, and the realization that she had just lost the freedom she has gotten some few minutes ago was taken from her. She was not ready to live without the freedom she had envisioned. The dream of experiencing totally freedom died with the return of her husband (Chopin np). In welty’s story the events and hardship that Phoenix has to endure tom free her grandson from pain are enough proff that freedom is not easily gained but fought for (Bloom 225). Phoenix’s experience is evidence that freedom can be gained if fought for

Conclusion

These two stories portray the theme of freedom following the experiences of the characters present in the story. Chopin’s shows how the feeling of freedom is a liberating feeling through Mrs. Mallard. She also shows how marriage can deny one freedom from doing his or her will. In Welty’s story she is able to use symbolism to show how the Negros have been denied total freedom by the whites. Both of these stories bring out the theme of freedom well following the events that took place in them.

Work cited

Bloom, Harold, and Blake Hobby. The Hero's Journey. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2009. Print.

Chopin, Kate. The Story of an Hour: Short Story. Toronto, Ontario: HarperPerennial Classics, 2014. Internet resource.

Gale, Cengage L. Study Guide for Kate Chopin's "story of an Hour.". Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, n.d.. Print.

Gale, Cengage L. Study Guide to Eudora Welty's a Worn Path. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, n.d.. Print.

Toth, Emily. Unveiling Kate Chopin. University of Mississippi, 1999. Print.

Figurative Speech

Based on the excerpt, there are two types of figurative language; personification hyperbole.

Personification

 Personification gives life and attributes to nonliving things. In the passage, the writer gives the scorching sun a human attribute. The sun is pitiless as it emits heat, which in turn causes drought. Personifying the sun describes all aspects of the sun with ease: it heats up land hence causing drought and famine. In addition, personification of the sun brings into context everything the author talks about.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration. In the passage, the author claims that ‘the drought continued until we lost count of time’ instead of stating clearly that the drought lasted for many years, may be ten or more years. In reality, it is not easy counting time and keeping stock but through hyperbole, the writer indirectly shows the negative effects of the drought and his longing for change from the tedious heat.

            Men We Reaped

Summary

The book Men We Reaped authored by Jesmyn Ward offers a detailed story of the author’s life and that of five Black individuals in her community who died while young. All these individuals were lost to drug addiction, accidents, and suicides as well as unfortunate events that are likely to follow those living in poverty especially black persons. It is her struggle with the losses that led to questioning and therefore made the decision n of writing about the experiences. This led to the realization that they all died because they were exposed to racism as well as economic challenges that influenced the use of drugs and termination of families and affairs.

Ward’s family similar to other family has an extensive history of drug abuse, violence, prejudice, untimely deaths and absentee fathers leaving women to raise children on their own. Both parents originate from broken families. Despite having been born with a chronic ailment in which the doctors asserted that she would not survive her parents believed in her fighting abilities which she proved right (Ward 43). When Ward finally gets to meet Desmond he realizes that he is different from other men because he was raised in a stable family which makes him responsible but was later shot dead. Post the completion of her master’s degree and the death of Joshua she decides to leave New York based on the realization that her grief will never depart.

KEY PLOT POINTS:

1. Poverty domination in Mississippi
2. Racism and economic struggle among the characters
3. Family and relationships termination
4. Drug abuse, suicides and unemployment leading to early deaths

Questions

1. What was the author’s purpose when she included the living experiences of the five black men?
2. Is the story relevant today or how does it help the society in understanding the lives and struggles of the vulnerable communities at large?

Questions developed in the discussion that may carry into the next reading section:

Additional Question: How do poverty and racism affect the lives of the characters?

Additional Question: Does the community seems neglected and how?

Rate Your Work: Put an X next to the statement that describes your work.

Evidently, my summary was thorough and concise: my questions stimulated our discussion.

Work Cited

Ward, Jesmyn. Men We Reaped: A Memoir. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2014. Print.

  Mobile Technology and English as a Second Language Acquisition 

                        Introduction

Swift advancements in the information and communication technology have led to the production of an extensive variety of mobile technologies which have attracted new consumers, increased aptitude and allowed for more refined usage. Mobile devices have reached so many people all over the world which has changed the way that information is accessed because the acquirement costs are lesser and the devices can easily be shared (Van Praag, & Sanchez, 2015). The social order has willingly accepted the use of mobile technology and they have integrated it in all aspects of their lives. This technology has opened vast of opportunities in the education sector and students as the end consumers of information; have felt the emerging instructive drift (Khodi, 2015). The development of mobile technology has captivated the attention of language tutors which has led to the incorporation of mobile technology in language learning.

 English language is widely used all over the world, economies all over the world have become aware of the importance of a population that has high fluency in English with the fact that it is more competitive internationally which has made acquisition of English language an important matter in commercial development (Khodi, 2015). This increased need for English language acquisition has led to changes in the field of language in regard to the best acquisition methods and one of the new implementation is the mobile technology.  This article explains the concept of mobile technology and the positive impacts that mobile technology has on the acquirement of English as a second language to the students.

Mobile Technology

Mobile technology denotes any form of technological device that is portable and at the same time personal for instance, smartphones, tablets and laptops among others. This technology has been incorporated in almost every aspect of the human lives which offers portability, mobility and usability (Van Praag, & Sanchez, 2015). Consumers often have a preference for smaller mobile devices which have touch screens edges as compared to the traditional personal computers.  Mobile devices are today considered as all-purpose devices that assist in performing everyday tasks hence providing services in various fields including education. The set of the mobile devices is not restricted by age and so many young people own these smart mobile devices that they incorporate in their learning.

The usage of mobile technology in the learning sector has greatly become a hot trend because they offer easier learning opportunities. These devices are easy to carry around and hence light, they are not generally shared with other people and they are preserved close to the owners (Min Liu et al., 2014).  The features of these technological devices spread out prospects for frequent commitment for learning irrespective of internet connections. As compared to the use of laptops and pcs, smartphones are greatly preferred because they are not bulky and they are easy to network with at any time. The early designs of mobile phones were bulky and did not have enough features to help in learning however the latest models that are known as smartphones and tablets and they are light and portable; they have both the communicational and computational capabilities that allow responses to the user requests to connect with other people and also to help manage personal information (Khodi, 2015).

 Smartphones and tablets have smart structures that support unrestrained language practice for language learning and they at the same time give access to authentic content and task completion (Van Praag, & Sanchez, 2015). These devices in addition to having big screen sizes have computer like functions that allow for browsing and downloading of content and they can hold applications that can be used for learning thus extending the learning opportunities in a meaningful way. The touch screens also acts as an advantage because it allows the students to directly interact with the boundary hence crafting innovative instructive tactics that allows the instructors as the facilitators and helps enhance the participation of the students (Van Praag, & Sanchez, 2015).

Mobile Learning (M-learning)

Mobile technology use in the learning sector bids an innovative learning practice and suppleness in learning at any time and in any place because of the amplified chances for verdicts to be completed by the learners (Min Liu et al., 2014).  . The technology propositions universal and instant entrée to info which at the same time helps in saving resources. Mobile technology introduction in the education sector has led to the introduction of the coinage of the phrase ‘mobile learning’ that is commonly shortened as ‘m-learning’. M- Learning is defined by Khodi (2015) as learning that is mediated through the use of devices that are held by hand and they are potentially available at any time and any place for either formal or non-formal learning. M-learning has five main features;

1. Transferability; it helps in transferring learning to any probable environment hence facilitating the admittance to information and also inspiring the students to explore and learn from involvement.
2. Convenience; it allows for easy access of information at any place and at any time without the need to access a library or any other physical information source.
3. Modified; it can easily be modified and personalized to diverse learning requirements and styles hence making learning very easy
4. Social connectivity; it upsurges both communication and partnership between numerous students
5. M-learning increases the inspiration of learning both in the official and casual settings.

Mobile learning is different from the outmoded learning because of the incorporation of the mobile technology and since it promotes both customized and collective network of learning (Min Liu et al., 2014). This makes it possible to convert the traditional teacher centred directions into one that is fixated on the learner. Mobile technology endorses an easy-going learning course that is in an outdoor setting hence permitting the students to learn devoid of the backing of the teachers.

Mobile technology use in support of second language acquisition  

Language achievement is defined as the procedure by which human beings are able to recognize and understand language while at the same time creating and using the words to communicate (Sim et al., 2017). For an individual to be able to effectively acquire language, it is important for them to be able to use a variation of tools for example syntax, phonetics and expressions. During the 20^th century, syntax developed the focus of linguists and theorists when it became known that the way that words are put collectively in sentences is an important feature of language. This is because this structure is required in order to aid in communicating effectively with insulated words not being actual in this regard. The expansion of language transpires over the incremental attainment of expressive pieces of simple parts which can be made of syllables, words or phonemes (Van Praag, & Sanchez, 2015).

Traditional knowledge grounded tactics to language acquisition have been confirmed unproductive. The concept of language educators lecturing at the front of the classroom or just basically concentrating on reading and inscription does not help with language eloquence for the students (Min Liu et al., 2014). A lot of years are spent by students learning English and when the leave, very few of them can effectively use the English language.  Most of these students often know a decent deal about the English language but they are incapable of using this knowledge to interconnect properly.

Many software programs have been developed today to help in language acquisition for L2 learners some of them common ones include; multimedia software simulation, text reconstruction software and concordancing software (Van Praag, & Sanchez, 2015). All these software are important because they offer the students supreme prospect to be exposed to a language in a meaningful setting while building their individual understanding (Sim et al., 2017). The problem with these software programs however is the fact that they take the stress-free route to market by generating simple direct sequencers that emphasis on the texts, repetition and graphics without really considering comprehensive basis in second language attainment. These sequencers lack the aptitude to offer modified learning knowledge for individual students within a classroom and they do not support the student’s aptitude to form long term memory as well as eloquence (Tae & Lee, 2016).

One of the earliest technologies created to assist in learning of English for L2 learners was Computer assisted language learning (CALL). This has been accessible for the English L2 learning ever since the 21^st century (Min Liu et al., 2014). CALL progression is divided into three stages;

1. Behaviouristic stage- where the focus was on the tedious material that was focused on terminology, sentence structure and paraphrase assessments. All through this stage, CALL offered second language scholars the benefit of having material that was arranged on a customized basis (Min Liu et al., 2014). This was typically accessible every time needed and thus allowing for replication.
2. Communicative stage- at this time, the computer act was seen as the tutor thus allowing the learners to get the chance to rehearse their second language abilities through the usage of language platforms and games. This phase basically fixated on teaching language ability for instance conversations, transcribed tasks as well as critical thinking (Min Liu et al., 2014).
3. Integrative stage- this is the current phase which is based on the use of multimedia as well as the internet for digitally supporting learning such that it shifts from teacher centred to a learner centred classroom (Min Liu et al., 2014). This helps in integrating different activities that back the expansion of language abilities, aggregating the inspiration of the scholar and hence reducing the learning strain plus uneasiness. Quality of education is in this case is improved by the access to many resources which proportionate a high gradation of control over the course of learning (Min Liu et al., 2014).

Mobile aided second language learning

Second language learning that is aided by mobile technology is a subsection of both m-learning and CALL and this makes it important when it comes to L2 learning study. L2 learning that is aided by the mobile technology gives the learners the advantage of mobile technology for instance flexibility, the user responsiveness and an extensive range of mobile applications (Sim et al., 2017). This form of technology offers learning prospects which cannot be accessible in CALL for instance language learning over factual life situations, learning over time and also self-controlled learning. This form of technology also leads to augmented inspiration, independence and social association as well as reduced period for official learning (Van Praag, & Sanchez, 2015).

The mobile technology allows the students to get the chance to interact with different language learning software programs and real professionals in language learning for instance teachers and other peers that can help them out in the course of their English language acquisition (Khodi, 2015). This increased collaboration is very important because it helps the learners to get feedback from their peers and instructors which help them to critically analyse their current skills as well as progress (Van Praag, & Sanchez, 2015). The use of the mobile technology gives the learners a chance to access various applications which greatly contribute to the advance of their inventive and cooperative learning materials that are based on their requirements. This basically helps the learners to be empowered to control their on learning processes.

There are different mobile applications that support language learning, it is a common drill to use educational applications especially those that support vocabulary learning. Many free applications that are in the market support mobile technology in language learning which has made language learning easier (Tae & Lee, 2016). There are also some non-educational applications and software that are available for instance audio and video players that support mobile technology in Second language learning. The built in components of the mobile technology devices for instance the camera, microphone and speakers among others are significant tools that help to make diverse kinds of multimedia constituents as well as back learning communication by the use of messenger applications (Khodi, 2015). Mobile technology can greatly help to improve the L2 proficiency with a precise emphasis on learning of new expressions. The L2 learners can advance their terminology proficiency through the use of diverse instructive applications for instance framework ware games that give room for play and acquire mode in a real setting (Tae & Lee, 2016). Another exercise that is common in terminology learning is through the proposition of words with imageries and real items both in the classroom as well as the actual world.

Mobile technology in second language learning supports good learning in that students can easily access learning resources outside of the classroom which ensures that they are able to study in diverse contexts for instance when they are on their way home or to school, when they are at home and vacations or basically during any free time that they have while away from the classroom (Sim et al., 2017). Mobile technology also encourages the design of different tasks-based activities that are supported by the mobile devices for instance the use of podcast to help in the improvement of comprehension listening skills. The use of social networks that are normally accessed through the mobile devices can also help in improving the writing skills of the second language learning students. The mobile devices can also be used to help communicate as well and create an interaction with the native speakers which greatly help to advance the spoken skills of the L2 (Tae & Lee, 2016).

There are many ways that mobile technology can be used to help improve language learning for L2 students, the creation of personalized materials by the students fitting their learning styles through the use of mobile technology can greatly help the L2 learners to upsurge their skill in the English language (Sim et al., 2017). These creative materials can hence be shared with other learners through the use of various mobile applications, social networks and blogs thus accumulating the collaboration amongst the peers and the tutors. Mobile technology allows extensive second language learning outdoors thus generating a blended setting that supports located and universal second language learning (Tae & Lee, 2016).

Conclusion

With the mounting accessibility and range of mobile devices all over the world, large gauge technology based ESL platforms have never been more reachable. The language classroom today is very different from what it used to be five years ago. Technology has completely transcended the geographic and physical boundaries as the instructors and the scholars are becoming more attentive and proficient of using their language abilities to expedite acquaintances with the rest of the world. The international emphasis in language today has stimulated beyond the teacher centred approaches that emphasize on syntax, memorization and learning from habitual repetition. Language learning today has been made meaningful with mobile technology which has made it more centred on exploiting progressive scholastically premeditated technology to help simplify effectual route to true eloquence with a stress on personalized learning involvements. This is done with the objective of operative communication with the outer world, competitiveness at the work place as well as globalization.

 Language students are today connected to the world through of social media sites that they are able to easily connect to through the mobile technology which in- turn makes them more aware of the need for second language acquirement and the chances that await them in the world. When it is applicably planned and realised, the scaled ESL programs that apply the most refined mobile technology and software resolutions that are accessible today can realize more than ever before the large scale advances in English language effectiveness of imminent peers. This will motivate and enable individuals to reach advanced career potential while procuring greater effectiveness and development for the state as well.

References

Khodi, A. (2015). Revisiting Mobile Assisted Language Learning in EFL Writing Classes.

Enjoy Teaching Journal, 3(2), 1–6. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=103440793&site=ehost-live

Min Liu, Navarrete, C. C., & Wivagg, J. (2014). Potentials of Mobile Technology for K-12

Education: An Investigation of iPod touch Use for English Language Learners in the United States. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 17(2), 115–126. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=96172813&site=ehost-live

Sim, M.-A., & Pop, A.-M. (2017). The Use of Technology for Learning Languages. Annals

of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 26(2), 361–369. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=130371998&site=ehost-live

Tae youn Ahn, & Lee, S.-M. (2016). User experience of a mobile speaking application with

automatic speech recognition for EFL learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(4), 778–786. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12354

Van Praag, B., & Sanchez, H. S. (2015). Mobile technology in second language classrooms:

Insights into its uses, pedagogical implications, and teacher beliefs. ReCALL, 27(3), 288–303. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344015000075

 Real Time Strategy (RTS)

1. What is the historical origin of the genre (first appearance, who designed it, why-- whatever you can cover)

The historical origin of the real-time strategy (RTS) was as a result of an extended period of evolution and refinement. Some of the various games which have been developed today evolved from the RTS. This genre is thought to have first evolved from Japan, North America, and United Kingdom before merging into a unified global tradition. The first RTS game was the Stonkers which was developed in 1983. It was released for the 48 ZX Spectrum system. It was the first game which had the capacity of demonstrating strategy action in real time.  In this game, although the computer and the participant are given the identical units, these units are given commands to move on the map as well as attack the units of the opponent. This means that with its development, this game managed to pare-back fast-paced real time adaptations of the battle phase of conventional war gaming strategies.
2. What is the most popular/most well-known example of the genre? Why?

Star Wars: Empire at War. With this game, it is logical to say that the fans of RTS and any Star Wars are given the opportunity of experiencing the same move battle while gaming.  The reason for that is because this genre mainly features a mode in which participants can either select for the rebel alliance to the empire. In the process, participants are placed in scenarios, for instance, destroying the Death Star, securing Empire Palpatine, or taking an additional faction from the campaign map completely. With this game, the idea is that it puts the participants in full control of their personal army. This then requires players to be keen with the steps they take while gaming
3. What is the newest example of the genre?

            Heroes of the Storm
4. What platform/platforms is the genre most popular on and why?

This genre is typically a subgenre of the various strategy video games in which the game does not proceed incrementally in turns. The platform of this genre makes use of both freemium and free-to-play models. These two models are always supported by various micropayments which are used for purchasing mounts, heroes, and visual alterations for the heroes. Furthermore, in this genre, the player positions himself or herself and maneuver units and buildings under their control so as to be able to protect regions of the map. The player still given the chances of destroying the assets of the opponents (Alquézar et al 73)

5. Where do people compete in this genre? How often? How high are the stakes?

In the RTS game, the gamers divide the screen into a map area so as to display the game world consisting of units, terrain, and buildings. An interface overlay is also generated and it contains production controls, commands, and often minimap or radar to assists in over-viewing the entire map (Fromme et al 82).

6. Is there a professional scene for the genre? Where?

Generally, gameplay comprises of the participant positioned somewhere in the map with few buildings or units which are capable to build other buildings or units. In most cases, the contestant is required to build certain structures so as to be able to unlock other more complex units or buildings in the tech tree. The player is also required to construct an army and use them to defend themselves against virtual forms or to aid in eliminating opponents who owns bases with units having its own production capabilities (Giacobini 333). Furthermore, in the process of gaming, the player is presented with several units to control hence restricting him or her from building additional ones.
7. Is there a collegiate scene?

No. in this genre, the contestant is provided with an isometric perspective of the real world or just a free roaming camera from an aerial viewpoint for contemporary 3-D games (Hutchison et al 291). During the gameplay, the player is given the opportunity of having a full control of his units and other structures. In the process of using the, the player is able to wipe out armies of the opponent. Additionally, other than building such units, the player uses a tech tree for the purpose of deploying stronger ones as the war continues.
8. Who is the most popular player (or team) for this genre?

In this genre, the most popular player is the one who manages to construct various ideal gaming structures which will assist him or her to unlock other complex structures.  Such a player is also the one who is able to build an army to aid him to defend and eliminate opponents while gaming (Esparcia-Alcázar 273).
9. What is the future outlook for the genre? Is it growing, is it fading?

Basically, the rise and fall of this genre is somehow a strange thing. This genre initially emerged out gradually through experiments which combined speed and excitements of action games with the depth and deliberateness of strategy. Nowadays, the general popularity of war games, such as, starcraft, total war, and company of heroes are the ones which have ended up ruining this genre. Moreover, some individuals do perceive that such games are somehow tactical or strategic. The truth is that they are micro-management focused (Alquézar et al 73).

Despite that, it is logical to say that the future outlook of this genre is bright. For instance, from 2010 onwards, this genre has been incorporated with various physics engines like Havok. The idea behind this is to assist in increasing realism experience during gaming. For instance, Age of Empires III is one of the contemporary RTS games which have successfully incorporated with physics engines (Havoc Game Dynamics SDK) for the powering its real-time physics (Fromme et al 82). Another notable example is the Company of Heroes which makes use of practically modeled physics engines as part of gaming. This includes fully destructible gaming environments. Lastly, various RTS tournaments have been held worldwide hence making this genre a famous branch of e-sports.

10. What is one thing not covered by any of the other questions that you consider fascinating, interesting, important, or valuable?

As far as this genre is concerned, one issue which can be addressed here is that strategy and tactics are not the same. Ideally, tactics take into consideration finer details of execution of certain objectives. This is to imply that it is a war staff comprising of in-depth combat ground mechanics. Its main focus is on structure building, positioning, and exploitation of terrain features for the advantage of the player.  Strategy refers to some high-level plans which are executable during gameplay. This implies the building as well as the management of soldiers for the structures the player adds to his or her base using the resources harvested or mined (Fromme et al 82). RTS tactics incorporates strategy mechanics while RTS strategy incorporates tactical elements.

                                                Work cited

Alquézar, René, Antonio Moreno, and J Aguilar-Martin. Artificial Intelligence Research and Development: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference of the Catalan Association for Artificial Intelligence. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2010. Print.

Esparcia-Alcázar, Anna I. Applications of Evolutionary Computation [recurso Electrónico]: 16th European Conference, Evoapplications 2013, Vienna, Austria, April 3-5, 2013. Proceedings. , n.d.. Internet resource.

Fromme, Johannes, and Alexander Unger. Computer Games and New Media Cultures: A Handbook of Digital Games Studies. Dordrecht: Springer, 2012. Internet resource.

Giacobini, Mario. Applications of Evolutionary Computing: Evoworkshops 2009: Evocomnet, Evoenvironment, Evofin, Evogames, Evohot, Evoiasp, Evointeraction, Evomusart, Evonum, Evostoc, Evotranslog, Tübingen, Germany, April 15-17, 2009 ; Proceedings. Berlin: Springer, 2009. Internet resource.

Hutchison, David, Moni Naor, John C. Mitchell, Takeo Kanade, Josef Kittler, Jon M. Kleinberg, Gerhard Weikum, Moonis Ali, Shyi-Ming Chen, Tzung-Pei Hong, Been-Chian Chien, Wolfgang Wahlster, Friedemann Mattern, Randy Goebel, Moshe Y. Vardi, Doug Tygar, Demetri Terzopoulos, Madhu Sudan, Bernhard Steffen, Rangan C. Pandu, Oscar Nierstrasz, and Jörg Siekmann. Next-generation Applied Intelligence: 22nd International Conference on Industrial, Engineering and Other Applications of Applied Intelligent Systems, Iea/aie 2009, Tainan, Taiwan, June 24-27, 2009. Proceedings. , 2009. Internet resource.

It takes heart and dedication to write an assignment especially if it involves writing. The effort, time, dedication, and critical thinking that went into finishing one assignment was definitely a lot. Whenever I sat down to write an assignment, I ensured that the atmosphere was calm and tranquil to facilitate concentration. The assignments were a tool to equip me with surplus knowledge and bring out clear perspectives on critical issues   to my attention. In other words, they refined my writing skills by exposing weaknesses. I went an extra mile to ensure that any difficulty does not delay areas I needed to improve on. Furthermore, the assignment presented many writing challenges that required a little bit of extra effort. Whenever, I was stuck, I ensured that I read more on the topic to equip myself   with more information, which would in turn put me at a better position to answer the question and write better. However, if the extra information was not enough to answer the particular question, I would seek an explanation from another individual who would come up with a better perspective on how to write properly. The bottom-line   of consulting other people was not to get an easy way out but to get a guideline of the underlying clues that would come in handy while generating a solution that would make my writing skills more sharp. In fact, answers required my mind to think critically on how to write correct grammar and analyze situations within my mind with intense intellectual abilities. In other words, challenges came with various skill solving skills. In addition, one needed to write complete sentences   with a good structure to help in composing good coherent paragraphs with a consistent flow of ideas and words. The information from class was useful in solving issues relevant to some assignments. Classwork was applicable in many assignments.

1

The most difficult area was content creation while writing the assignment. In order to become a good writer one needs to constantly read more content so that they can have diverse ideas to produce on paper. It is critical to note that one    cannot produce without consuming. Thus, one needs to read constantly.

 2

 In my  own  personal view, the  subject matter equipped me  with  the ability to develop grit and  courage  to  take up  challenges  that I would have not thought possible in the  past. Life is full of  challenges  and if  the course offers skills that can  translate into every day values  that  help an  individual in real life,  the course will  remain relevant  for a long  time. For instance, brainstorming goes into every aspect of life as it ensures that one thinks on critical matters.

3

What I learned on writing is that writing comes about through constant effort and practicing every day. This practice means that book is not a talent but a skill that anyone can acquire as long as there is an interest in writing. The flow of blood in the brain influences how creative one can be in the long run. Thus, in the same manner, exercise keeps one physically fit; writing maintains a right state of mind off for a writer. Intricate issues on writing can always appear after each right. However, with enough practice, one can continually improve.

4

The class was good, but the learning experiences would be better if combined with other topics from various fields such as science. This would enable people to see the issues from various perspectives and explore various writing styles based on the fields.

Persuasion in English

Persuasion in rhetoric refers to the art of influencing someone or a group of people to agree with something by rational and emotional means. Persuaders use spoken or written words to express feelings, information, and opinions or a combination of the three. A persuader must identify goals, the message, and his audience. Persuasion differs from manipulation as it involves the use of appeal rather than force. It helps in problem-solving and benefits the parties involved at the end. Orators are known for their exceptional skills in persuading the public. They use various linguistics tools and great eloquence. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the different methods of persuasion and rhetorical devices used by Public Orators, especially Dr. Martin Luther.

To successfully persuade a public, Public Orators use different methods. They include Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and the least used Kairos. Logos is one of the most effective means of persuasion. Logos in English means logic. It is the use of logical ideas to appeal and persuade people. Logical appeals are either inductive or deductive. Inductive reasoning moves from specific to general facts, for example, every goat has four legs, therefore, all goats have four legs. On the other hand, deductive reasoning moves from a generalized conclusion to specific. According to Aristotle, logos goes beyond making private feeling public. Logical thinking is what differentiates human beings from animals, due to the ability to make it clear to others the difference between what is significant and harmful, between just and unjust, and differentiate good and evil. Orators apply logos through the use of statistics and known facts, referencing of research to support their argument, and being specific (Burg, B 2011, p.24).  Moreover, an argument from facts always wins because it is hard to manipulate factual data. The factual evidence makes Orators appear more prepared and knowledgeable of their audience. Martin Luther shows logic when he tells the people that he is not unmindful of that some people came from jail and some of them came from areas where talking about freedom led to serious torture. His audience is mainly comprised of Black Americans who have gone through racial discrimination in the United States (King, M. L. 1985, p.4).

Pathos is the second useful method of persuasion. Pathos refers to the process of appealing the audiences’ emotions. Humans are emotional beings, and Orators use their experience to draw a path into peoples’ emotions. Their main aim is making the audience to feel a certain way, like confident, sad, angry among other emotions, when communicating with them. Public orators use humor to engage the audience, chose words to get people excited or show different images to evoke stronger emotions (Cockcroft, R. & Cockcroft, S, 2013, p.26). Also, feelings are an important part of real life, and by using pathos in their speech, Orators can draw their narrative and messages closer to real life. Without the implementation of pathos, other persuasion technics cannot work. This is because pathos activates the urge to change. Martin Luther uses pathos to make people see their suffering at the hands of the whites. He intended to trigger peoples’ emotions to resist against oppression. “Storms of persecution…winds of police brutality”.

Orators also persuade their audience based on their character of the audiences’ character. This method is known as Ethos. Aristotle defined ethos as being trustworthy to one’s audience. There are two types of ethos: Authority and credibility. Authority entails having enough knowledge and power. Human beings are more likely to trust people with admirable characters, like honesty, generosity, and ethical values (Burg, B 2011, p.28). The personal language in the speech, ‘my friends’ makes it clear that the people can rely on Luther and his goals. Also, Orators are more likely to persuade people if they possess similar characteristic to them. Luther was a black man fighting for the rights of black people. Thus it was easy to persuade them. Reputation is also important when persuading people. A good reputation attracts people towards something. Using celebrities to advertise one’s idea makes it more understandable.

Orators use a combination of persuasion and argumentation for effective speech called classical rhetoric. Three Greek teachers namely; Plato, Aristotle, and Isocrates invented classical rhetoric. They thought of language because they found texts, spoken or written to have particular influence. The ability to efficiently persuade was considered an achievement in Politicians (Rhys Roberts, W. 2008, p.34). Their control demanded citizens participate in the speech act of voting and deliberation. There are three genres of classical rhetoric: Deliberative, Forensic and Ceremonial. Deliberative discourse aims at persuading a person to do something he would not do if given a choice. This genre is concerned about the future. Second, Forensic is genre concerned with the past, which seeks to support or oppose one’s actions. Lastly, Ceremonial is a present-based genre which aims to celebrate or denounce.

Classical rhetoric follows five steps: invention, the arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. The invention refers to the initiation of an argument. It has two categories: Non-artistic, cases that are not invented, like laws, contracts, oaths and artistic, discussions that Orators must devise. They include emotional, logical and ethical appeals. On the development of an argument, the Orator must organize his or her claims. An arrangement is an essential part of persuasion. They arrange their applications in a systematic manner: Introduction, state the facts, confirm the arguments, refutation and finally, a conclusion. According to Corbett, E.P (1965, p. 34), Orators introduce their speech to the audience to keep them informed about their arguments. After the introduction, a speaker states the facts which give the audience an insight of things to be noted before the presentation of a case. The Orator then presents the argument and defend it with logical and factual proof. It is not advisable to give an argument in descending order of strength. The debate should be sequenced depending on the occasion and the taste of the speaker. Luther argued that African- Americans should be treated equally as every other citizen in the United States. Refutation should be presented to prove the truth in an argument. And finally, the speaker concludes by restating facts, emphasize on own points and diminish an opponent’s argument include emotional appeals and inspiring the audience through their character. Emotional appeal is most potent during a speech conclusion.

Once new ideas are invented and organized, the ideas get translated into words for discourse. In his speech, Martin Luther used different rhetorical strategies and devices. They include:

Parallelism: It is used to show the similarities in the structure in a pair of related words. For example, “Go back …South Carolina”. Parallelism is used to jazz up a crowd which makes them ready to demonstrate and fight peacefully. In this speech, parallelism made the speech memorable and represented the equality of people in a country.

Climax: Orators should arrange their arguments in an ascending order which makes it attractive for the audience to follow and increase their curiosity to know how an argument would end (Trosborg, A., 1997, p.26). Martin’s speech goes from the basic information on what blacks go through to more complex on what the solutions to these problems.

Simile: A simile is the explicit comparison of two things which are entirely different. Luther uses simile to show the power of justice and righteousness, and equality should be a natural thing. “…until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” (King, M. L. 1985, p.3).

Metaphor: Metaphor is the implicit comparison of two things of different nature. Luther used metaphor to capture the audiences’ attention and bring out the seriousness of the matter. “The storms of persecution…winds of police brutality”. Also, Luther uses metaphor to show that the like the American dream, his idea is spread everywhere. “…dream deeply rooted in the America dream” (King, M. L. 1985, p.4).

Anaphora: Anaphora entails the repetition of the same words at the beginning of successive clauses. It helps to show emphasis on something. “Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina” (King, M. L. 1985, p.4).  

Irony: It is the cynical use of words to convey a different meaning other than the actual meaning of the words. According to Corbett, E.P (1965, p.38), the irony is used to criticize evil in the society. In Luther's speech, he uses irony to show black people that they should not take suffering as a regular thing, they should rise and redeem themselves. “Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive” (King, M. L. 1985, p.4).

Repetition: It is the restatement of an idea several times to promote clarity and encourage the acceptance of an opinion. When an idea is said several times, it sinks into the audiences’ heads which eventually makes them believe the view (Trosborg, A., 1997, p.29). Luther used repetition to make his concept more memorable and to describe the essential part of the speech, “I have a dream…”

Alliteration: Luther uses words with similar initial letters to create rhythm in their speech. Alliteration keeps the audience entertained. It also shows a speaker’s poetic knowledge. “Trials and tribulation… today and tomorrow”.

Motif: Motif shows the purpose of the whole speech. Dr. Luther’ rhetoric aims at increasing nationalism among African- Americans through highlighting the challenges they encounter.

Asyndeton: This is the intentional omission of some conjunctions. “Go back to…, go back to Alabama” (King, M. L. 1985, p.4).

In conclusion, Persuasion in rhetoric is an essential skill needed to get people to change their minds and see things on a different point of view. Orators have to skillfully use ethos, pathos, and logos when addressing the public. People believe in people in speakers who have good character and can be trusted. Additionally, rhetorical eloquence makes it easy to communicate without sounding rude, which can offend the audience. Therefore, it is important for public institutions, such as universities, to have skillful Orators who can persuade people in case of demonstrations or industrial actions.

References

Burg, B. 2011. THE ART OF PERSUASION. Sound Wisdom.

Corbett, E.P., 1965. CLASSICAL RHETORIC (p. 496). Na.

Cockcroft, R. and Cockcroft, S., 2013. PERSUADING PEOPLE: AN INTRODUCTION TO

            RHETORIC. Palgrave Macmillan.

King, M. L. 1985. I HAVE A DREAM: A SPEECH. Thee Hellbox Press.

Rhys Roberts, W. 2008. ARISTOTLE THE ART OF PERSUASION. Megaphone e-books.

Trosborg, A., 1997. RHETORICAL STRATEGIES IN LEGAL LANGUAGE: DISCOURSE

            ANALYSIS OF STATUTES AND CONTRACTS (Vol. 424). Gunter Narr Verlag.

Appendix

“…No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulation. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you staggered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans' of creative suffering.

Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slum and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the America dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up live out the true meaning of its creed…”

Development of English

 Introduction

English as a global language did not appear until 1997, it was essentially written in the year 1995, which is 2002 appeared a very long time ago as far as universal linguistic is concerned. The 1990s were a drastic decade and in that respect with an abundance of new linguistic varieties arising out of the international implementation of the internet, an emerging knowledge of the crisis affecting the worlds endangered language and an increasingly public appreciation of the global position of English. Academic publications associated with the last topic critically increased in number and weight. The largely-article motivated writing of previous decades had characteristically been investigative and programmatic, restricted to individual circumstances, subjective in design, lacking a sociolinguistic frame of reference and at the core of the written language. On the contrary, the 1990s saw the emergence of more inclusive perspective in which spoken varieties became famous and there was a real increase in the amount of evocative data and efforts were made to arrive at explanations and to make guesses of a suitable general and sociolinguistically knowledgeable character. This paper aims to assess the modern day worldwide spread, position and power of English. To achieve, the paper will look at the existing situation of English, English throughout the record and the extent of English, people who speak English and the reason for it. The paper will show the extent that English is spread at present and try to look for responses making English so powerful based on the three circle model.

The Current Position of English

English as a language has accomplished most important status by turning out to be the most extensively used verbal language globally (Crystal, 2003). However, it is also important to note that the success of the language on a global basis comes with a robust price when it comes to vulnerability. There are problems when it comes to English being used as a second language. The problems could be to listeners, speakers or even all of them. No matter their level of proficiency, their own perceptive as well as their native language is likely to alter what they consider is being conveyed.

Ethologue.com asserts that English is the third major language following Chinese as well as Spanish. English is verbalized in 112 states by around 328 million people (Crystal, 2003). An extraordinary occurrence is that the language is verbalized globally with no restrictions. Despite the fact that Chinese is verbalized by lots of people, English is vocal in like the whole world bearing an extensive dispersal as compared to others. From its mother country the U.K, English has extended and has turned out to be the dialect in lots of countries. English acts as a single authorized language in nation-states such as Ghana, the Bahamas or Jamaica although are as well acknowledged as the authorized verbal communication in company with others in nations like Pakistan, Tanzania, and Singapore. Even at the places where English is not acknowledged as a certified language, it is used and presumed as it is in the U.S (Crystal, 2003).

Researchers along with linguists are certain of one thing with English; that it has and plays a big task these days. English has developed into a dialect that gives people the opportunity to converse more effortlessly as well as triumph over limitations. David crystal confirms that English is a universal language through a description of it as a language that accomplishes an actually worldwide position while it builds up a particular position that is documented in each nation (Crystal, 2003). This great significance of English means that the language is not only the dialect in lots of states but is as well verbalized in other regions as the authorized language or that which is typically trained to kids, even without an authorized position. The reality that English has experienced three-prolonged progressions of First-Language, Official-Language, as well as Foreign-Language, gives it the position of an international language.

Currently, it appears not possible to flee the influence of the English language as the most part of the worlds people are exposed to English on daily basis via brand names, advertisements as well as commercials through subtitled Anglophones, televisions, videos and DVD productions. English is thus a powerful language on the basis of intercontinental relations.

English through History Its Spread

David crystal asserts that the influence of the English language is directly associated with the account as well as the advance of the British kingdom. For instance, colonization caused the British Empire occupied other kingdoms and took to the inhabitants of English as the latest authorized language (Eichhorst, 2013). To stay away from bad results, inhabitants organized themselves and agreed to the new language. As time lapses, the inhabitant languages have vanished. For the duration of 15th as well as 16th centuries, Britain was extremely flourishing in building up new settlements and almost immediately its control and accordingly its lingo got to America, Africa, India and lastly the Caribbean (Eichhorst, 2013). Regardless of its comparatively protected position at present, English has not remained powerful throughout. Mainly prior to the regal phase, the preeminence of English globally is not predictable nowadays.

As soon as English was taken to Britain at around 5th century, it almost immediately became dominant in lots of regions like Wales as well as Cornwall replacing Celtic languages (Eichhorst, 2013). Nonetheless, during the common French occupation, the language was conveyed to the land mass and found itself in lots of authorized spheres of influence. The countries were alienated while English remained predominantly in peasant dialect. While fleeing to Scotland, many noblemen carried English with them to their destination. As soon as the pestilence extended to Britain, the working class became more influential and was valued as a result of boosting the language in the culture. For the other parts of the century, the lingo was known by lots of people and English turned out to be the language of England and of her writing (Eichhorst, 2013).

It took a lot of time for English to replace Latin as well as the French language court procedures, authorized communication, learning as well as technical treatises. However, by 1700, the custom of making scholastic texts in Latin vanished (Mckenzie, 2010). As compared to conventional Latin, English was still by far stylistically inadequate given that in extensive contexts Latin was dominant. This description clarifies the fact that the introduction and development of English were not in progress up to the development of the British kingdom since devoid of physically supremacy foundation; no language can have an effect on an international means of communication.

Who Speaks English and Why

Of world’s population, about 7.5 billion people, 1.5 billion use English as their colloquial language signifying 20% of the world’s inhabitants (Graddol, 2010). Conversely, nearly all these natives are not indigenous English users. Approximately 360 million inhabitants globally use English as their colloquial language. Additionally, being extensively verbal, English is undoubtedly the frequently learned foreign language followed by French globally.

One of the major reasons why English is extensively spoken is a language barrier. For instance, if a member of staff wants to talk with other country workers working for the same business, they require a familiar language to speak without difficulty (Mckenzie, 2010). English is a worldwide language and hence a business language. It’s one of the most oral languages in the world. Additionally, English is the most exercised language on the internet and to boost the professional opportunities in economically urbanized countries, English has its significance in business communication. English is the language of skills, tourism and machinery this make it a first main concern language for international students in higher education courses (Mckenzie, 2010).

Recent Universal Spread, Status, and Influence of English

English as a language is not used in the same way in all countries. Individuals practice and use English do since they found it as the colloquial language after coming to this world while other people find it offering them access to vital realms like administration, regulation, the media as well as learning structure in their kingdoms. To sum up all the three groups and present a structure on their basis, braj Kachru combined them in his Three Circle representation (Crystal, 2003). The model entails the inner, outer or extended and the expanding circle.

The first circle which includes the inner circle takes account of realms that consider and use English as the colloquial language such as the USA or Great Britain (Crystal, 2003). Countries which fit into the outer circle make use of English as the second language on top of their official language. The third or the expanding circle entail kingdoms which educate English as a most important foreign language although have no authorized position. The expanding circle corresponds to about 1ooo million speakers around the earth. Before the supremacy of English development, another verbal communication has also been leading for some time in the record. With the expansion of globalization as well as technology, there is an irrefutable truth that people to a greater extent and from diverse countries are conversing as well as exchanging thoughts with each other through the English language.

Conclusion

It is clear that the English language and has for a long time been used extensively on a global basis. However, the language like any other thing has altered considerably in time and these modifications mean that the lingo used previously is more or less inconceivable at the moment. English has with time extended away from Britain and has seen persistent modifications in diverse ways and diverse frameworks. The language has branched so much that some researchers advocate that it is not precise to consider English exclusively since lots of different English languages are apparent globally. Different social groups in the world use English as the easiest language to communicate. English has thus been dominant in the whole world and it appears that with time it will be the official language of many countries.  To accomplish this function it would seem that variation in the language needs to be limited to a certain extent.

Reference

CRYSTAL, D. (2003). Crystal: english as a global language. Cambridge University Press.

EICHHORST, K. (2013). Role of english as a world language. [Place of publication not

 identified], Grin Verlag.

GRADDOL, D. (2010). English next India: the future of English in India. [London], British

 Council.

MCKENZIE, R. M. (2010). The social psychology of English as a global language. Dordrecht,

 Springer. http://www.myilibrary.com?id=292788.

How Reading Influences Vocabulary Growth

Introduction

Reading aloud is a usual trend in the primary home and class settings which is perceived as an essential channel for the development of language. Reading stories aloud to children is a commended approach by expert groups as the primary strategy of fostering oral language as well as early literacy competencies (Kindle, 2010). Reading aloud is universally utilized as the mode of enhancing vocabulary growth. Extensive reading is praised for its authority in greeting more abilities to acquire, written, spoken as well as reading vocabularies but because children are limited to familiar texts, exposure to unusual vocabularies is not likely to be acquired from this practice. Reading aloud fills this gap by exposing children primarily to textual language which is particularly wealthy in vocabulary words and offers descriptive language (Gillanders, Castro & Franco, 2014). With teachers and parents comparable, there is particularly an inherent concentration in regard to the reading engagement role in a child’s early language development and how this is directly related to academic achievement development (Swanson et al., 2011). While it might be undoubtedly thought that participating in read-aloud activities with children might be useful in supporting reading skills development, it has been proven by research that the correlation amid aloud-reading and vocabulary development is much stronger.

Based on Duff, Tomblin & Catts (2015) one of the primary changes that are noticeable in language development that is consistent during the childhood period is the attainment of novel vocabulary. Children are not only able to gain new words but also learn how the acquired ones should be utilized in fresh ways. For instance, they are able to select the words that have the same meaning and suits well in the targeted communication. With each story being read there is an increase in vocabulary. In that, the child is able to hear more words thus beginning to understand the meaning and how each of them can be utilized within a given contest. Reading aloud to children normally exposes them to more sophisticated wordings that are not present in their daily operations. It is suggested by research that children’s books are comprised of about 50 percent more words infrequent words as compared to engaging in conversations or watching television. This general exposure to different words is accounted to be highly significant in the early childhood development particularly in regard to language and it is also claimed to having a considerable effect on children academic achievements.

According to Wagner & Meros (2010), the primary influence of vocabulary development during the early childhood life is specifically spoken language. In this case, reading aloud to a child not only triggers their thoughts but their ability to comprehend fresh words. As a child is exposed to the spoken wording from the written text their further able to gain an understanding of the language where the most authoritative drive that arises is written language. Children who are highly encouraged to read and enjoys being read to are not only able to read fluently but also often and are likely to acquire an extensive range of vocabularies as compared to children who are exposed less to reading since their language acquisition skills from reading aloud as the spoken language are not yet developed (Wagner & Meros, 2010).

Speech and language lessons normally being in the womb where the unborn listens and responds to familiar voices. After being born, newborns are able to learn language by just listening to the basic and yet different sounds in English language (Kuhl, 2011). Reading to the newborns and toddlers offers them reassuring contact with language. This helps children in becoming more familiar with the rhythms and sounds of English language. English speaking parents who begin to read to their children at an early age normally have children with increased language comprehension, huge cognitive achievements, extensive as huge expressive wordings by the time they turn 2 years (Paul & Norbury, 2012). Language is the general basis for literacy and it is through hearing that language is developed in turn. Reading to children does not only help in the acquisition of fresh terms but also focuses on developing their curiosity thus striking their vocabulary growth.

Morrow & Gambrell, (2011) asserts that reading aloud to a child is essential since it acts as the foundation for literacy growth. In addition, reading aloud reflects the general relationship amid the written words, their respective meaning and also calls the child as the listener to participate in the conversation with the reader. Children hold a higher capability to listening to high language rate as compared to their capability to read and thus reading aloud usually lead to the complex thoughts being more accessible. In addition, this strategy exposes children to higher vocabularies as well as language development patterns that are not common in everyday conversation (Wagner & Meros, 2010). Reading aloud leads to stretching both vocabularies and grammar by triggering them to understand more words. In addition, reading aloud enables children to learn how to listen and it is obvious that with good listening then good masters of literacy are developed. Children tend to respond more to textual information that is being read in the attempt to relate the acquire words to what they know. This, therefore, implies that reading aloud is not only effective in vocabularies acquisition but also understanding in general (Wagner & Meros, 2010).

In turn, reading aloud usually help children to understand the general structuring of vocabularies even after they are left to read on their own. This is the sole most important aspect of the language development efficiency (Wagner & Meros, 2010). This is because it is not just the general wording that is important during the process but exposes them to fluent speech and well-phrased wording. Through reading aloud the listener’s interest in understanding stories is increased thus growing their capability to read better. It is said that extensive reading broadens a child’s critical thoughts by encouraging them to be better readers (Morrow & Gambrell, 2011). Reading aloud to children is a form of storytelling that nurtures the child’s capability to extend their literacy capability. Reading aloud is like a form of television watching that not only offers visual thoughts but also creates understanding to different aspects. The most important language development activity is reading loud that seeks to build knowledge of a child and eventually success in reading.  Oral reading is a legal part of developing speech, reading and writing skills in general. Reading out loud to a child can provide several benefits that are related to increased fluency, vocabulary and understanding. It is apparent that the current studies are in agreement that with the existence of teaching, the activity of reading aloud should be involved in academic curriculum regardless of a child’s age (Morrow & Gambrell, 2011).

Reutzel, (2014) notes that the influence of textual load reading towards the development of vocabularies is evident in that as the reading becomes more progressive, the acquisition of words that are not from the common basic vocabulary terms begin to show up. The words appear to be more concrete and are thus utilized in expressing concepts that are particularly concrete than the ones used before. The terms are more often acquired from the textual wording as compared to those that are derived from normal conversations. Vocabulary development incorporates more than just the obtainment of words despite the fact that newer words are obviously acquired (Morrow & Gambrell, 2011). Above the acquisition of more vocabularies reading aloud helps children to develop fresher ways of utilizing the words which then leads to the refinement of the whole meaning of some of the old vocabularies and the fresh ones to the child’s vocabulary. Reading aloud to children based on most language development studies contrary to oral talks develops literacy. Finding wealthy language in reading picture books is not uncommon and reading the stories aloud to children will definitely introduce them to an expansive vocabulary. Based on a recent study it is said that although parents or teachers can be essential in assisting children in developing vocabularies through talks, reading aloud is highly effective in vocabularies development. Reading aloud is the most effective strategy to help children in developing their ability to master words as well as grammatical comprehension which creates the basis in regard to reading (Morrow & Gambrell, 2011).

Reading aloud to children strengthens the primary part of the brain that is connected with visual imagination, thus increasing the ability to identify and understand words and their meaning in general (Morrow & Gambrell, 2011). Reading triggers vocabulary growth beyond speaking which tends to focus on the simplest form of communicating. While reading aloud to children the wording transforms their understanding by challenging their understanding and acquisition of new words (Morrow & Gambrell, 2011). Loud reading is more effective than encouraging parents to speak more to children because tongue speaking is usually limited by a number of discourse rules such as slow response. This normally leads to minimal words choices based only on those that were obtained earlier and are utilized frequently nature. During conversations children are not likely to pick more words since individuals tend to repeat terms that were spoken more recently, thus restraining wording variety that is utilized. Reading books aloud to children and toddler is essential since the earlier that language is acquired, the more the mastery ability (Reutzel, 2014).

In summing up, vocabulary development is obviously an essential benefit of reading aloud to children. This is achieved through comprehension of new words and the ability to apply them in different texts. Reading aloud is an activity that can be utilized actively in avoiding issues that are related to reading like poor vocabularies and the absence of understanding and inspiration in regard to thinking generally which would bring about success. When a child is exposed to aloud reading they are more likely to acquire more vocabularies than from mere conversations which are full of repetitions.

References

Karen J. Kindle. (2010). Vocabulary Development during Read-Alouds: Examining the Instructional Sequence. Literacy Teaching and Learning Volume 14, Numbers 1 & 2 PP. 65-88.

Gillanders, C., Castro, D. C., & Franco, X. (2014). LEARNING WORDS FOR LIFE. Promoting Vocabulary in Dual Language Learners. The Reading Teacher, 68(3), 213–221. http://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1291.

Swanson, E. A., Wanzek, J., Petscher, Y., Vaughn, S., Heckert, J., Cavanaugh, C. Tackett, K. (2011). A Synthesis of Read-Aloud Interventions on Early Reading Outcomes among Preschool through Third Graders at Risk for Reading Difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(3), 258–275. http://doi.org/10.1177/0022219410378444

Duff, D., Tomblin, J. B., & Catts, H. (2015). The Influence of Reading on Vocabulary Growth: A Case for a Matthew Effect. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR, 58(3), 853–864. http://doi.org/10.1044/2015_JSLHR-L-13-0310

Wagner, R. K., & Meros, D. (2010). Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension: Direct, Indirect, and Reciprocal Influences. Focus on Exceptional Children, 2010, 1G1–245473138.

Morrow, L. M., & Gambrell, L. B. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Reutzel, D. R. (2014). Handbook of research-based practice in early education. Gulliford Press.