Citic Tower Essay Example for Free

Citic Tower Essay Stakes in firms such as Cathay Pacific, Dragonair and a string of trading and property companies * Citic Tower (Original) Property development team had gained extensive expertise and knowledge in the property business * Development began in 1995 and completed in less than two years * Despite post-Asian financial crisis, Citic Tower maintained a relatively high occupancy rate Concerns * The discounted cash flow analysis shows a negative net present value Commercial real estate market is extremely cyclical * No guarantee that Citic Tower II would be able to survive the economic downturn (perform as well as Citic Tower I has performed) Situation Larry Yung is interested in this property but hesitant due to uncertainty of future economic conditions * Member of the property development team suggested that CPL acquire rights to the land, and thus the development by offering to purchase an exclusive option from the seller * In the past land owners would not even have considered negotiating an option to purchase development sites but property developers are much more cautious after the Asian financial crisis Calculated by finding the standard deviation of return on assets proportional to time * Net option value=51 million Decision * CPL should (NOT? ) purchase the option *it seems like the price of the option is 77 million (5% equity stake) and if the option value is only 51 million then it seems like a bad idea for them to purchase the option†¦so I’m confused a little about this part still†¦maybe you guys could talk to him about this or figure it out

Compare CAD and Manual Drawing

Compare CAD and Manual Drawing P1) Identify and describe a range of equipment, furniture and media necessary to produce manual and CAD drawings for the projects. Manual There are four types of materials traditionally used for drafting, which come in arrange of sizes including; A1, A2 and A3. Types of Paper used for drafting; Bond This is similar to the paper used everyday in office printers. Its the least expensive paper and is usually supplied in roll form for drafting plotters. Bond paper is most commonly used in weights from 18 lb all the way up to 24 lb, but much heavier weights are available and used for mainly posters and presentation work. Mylar This is a drafting film made from plastic material. It has the advantage of being erasable which, if you are working in ink, is a great advantage. Its also semi transparent, making it possible to overlay mylar drawings on a light table to check if line work matches up. The film is however more resistant to tears but is more durable than paper. It is still used with drafting plotters and is available in roll form and in cut sheets. Mylar has a matte side and a shiny side which you draw on. The surface of mylar is quite slippery, and therefore pen companies in the past have released special pens and inks which are developed specifically for drawing on it. Modern plotters have found problems printing on mylar as the material does not absorb ink quickly and therefore is prone to smudging as well as unclear lines. Where as bond paper is far more absorbent and does not smudge so easily. Mylar is also quite expensive. Vellum This is a linen based paper that has traditionally been used for historical building plans along with many drafting offices. The high linen content makes it durable and allows pencil work to be easily erased and revised multiple times. Its not as strong as mylar material but is not as expensive. Vellum also has a smooth surface which does not absorb ink as fast as bond paper. That may cause problems with the ink smudging and therefore is not fit for purpose if used for printing. With this said vellum paper is no longer used today to draft plans. Photo With the advances in drafting printers, photo media became available in roll form for printing super size renderings and images. Its a costly media and is usually reserved for the best of presentation graphics. But it allows the engineering office to do more by taking on work that was previously done by printing shops and the graphic designer. Although these are the four main materials used for drafting tracing has also been used in the past in the drawing industry, but is still heavily used for smaller scale work, such as; school/college/university projects, art projects and much more. Tracing Paper this paper is thin and translucent which enables the drawer to copy the image/design several times easily. The faint lines of the image/design are then re-drawn in pencil and are later filled in using a specific drawing pen. The paper comes in a range of grades for drafting work. They start at around 80g/m2 and go up to around 110g/m2 when there are master copies needed. In the past tracing paper when copied using a ammonia copier it was prone to fading in the light and therefore was not clearly visible. However this problem does not occur anymore due to the introduction of photocopying machines which have no side effects as yet. Drawing boards The drafting table is still in use despite all the advances in computer aided drafting. There are still many individuals who still use the traditional drawing table. Architects, graphic artists and many structural steel drafters use the drawing table to make and modify there drawings on paper along with pencil or ink. Drawing boards are large tables which are angled with a lip and a rule which slides up and down the board. The instruments allow you to create parallel, perpendicular and diagonal lines. Drawing boards are becoming less popular due to the introduction of Computer Aided Design. Pencils These are the main working tool of a draftsperson and are available in arrange of harnesses. The darkest pencil used for technical drawings is a B which is used for shading and adding texture to a drawing. The HB pencil follows which is the most commonly used on a day to day basis but is only used for rough sketches for drafting. The F is used for printing and general line work. Following on from the F is the H pencil which is used for dimension lines and hatching by draftspersons. Finally is the 2H which is used for construction lines. For the finest drawings, all pencils used must be permanently sharp and have standard, smooth point. A soft rubber is used for rubbing out pencil lines. Scale rules Drawing are produced to a particular scale which will fully fit onto a drawing sheet. The main tool which helps you draw scale drawings more easily is a scale rule, the most common scales; 1:5, 1:10, 1:20, 1:50, 1:100, 1:200, 1:250, 1:500, 1:1000, 1:1250 and 1:2500. g/m2: refers to the paper quality and weight Tee Square It can be used as a guide for architectural and mechanical drawings. It consists of two arms joined at 90 degree angles. The smaller arm moves along the edge of the drawing board and the larger arm is used to draw straight parallel lines. It can also be used to support set squares which can draw lines at different angles. Adjustable set squares These are mainly used to draw vertical lines at 90 degree angles to the parallel motion arm. A set square can also produce a line at any angle on the paper by adjusting the scale of the protractor. Propelling Pencils A propelling pencil is very thin and can be easily replicable. Unlike a normal standard pencil a propelling pencil always stays sharp due to the thinness of the lead. The most common leads are 0.5 and 0.7. You can also purchase leads in thicknesses of 0.3, 0.9 and 2mm. Compass These are used to create circles and arcs when drawing. Precision sets include a thumbwheel compass. A standard compass set includes an extension arm, a pen clamp and replaceable leads. The purpose of an extension arm is to draw larger arcs and circles with the same amount of precision. Protractor They are generally made from transparent plastic. Protractors can come either in semi-circle or full 360 degree form. There are bevel protractors which are circular protractors with a pivoted arm used for accurately measuring and creating angles to draw from. Rubbers Rubbers come in a large variety of shapes and form. The trapezium shaped is preferred as its points can rub out pencil lines more accurately. Plastic and putty rubbers can be moulded into points to carry out similar work. CAD For CAD to be successfully installed and used the computer which will run this software must have CPU with 3 GHz or more. This number of GHz will allow the CAD software to run at the correct speed rather than it crashing/freezing. Microsoft Windows Vista or Microsoft XP are both operating systems which allow CAD to be used successfully. The computer will also need 2GB of RAM on its operating disk and 2GB of free space minimum on its hard drive. The computer screen must have revolutions of at least 12801024 pixels which will include a display adapter which is able to produce 32-bite colour 128MB or more if possible. There are three main hardware configurations for the use of a CAD system. Depending on the size of the company and office will decide which hardware will be in use. The first software configuration is a standalone single user which simply means that the information and software is held by a private domain. Therefore CAD drawings can only be sent by email or sent by post. The next main hardware configuration is a small office based intranet where CAD drawings and document information is held in a project folder which is within the computers server. The work is organised by a plot management function which segregates the drawings in order of importance. Therefore the company can easily track and record the drawings within the software easily. Finally the third main hardware configuration is a large multi located extranet set up for a wide area network which contains various members of a project team which are more often than not in different parts of the country or countries. As there may be members of the project team in another country this extranet allows the members to easily access the drawings or information which has been uploaded from the drawing office onto the internet through subscription. Mouses, keyboards, digitisers/pads and light pens are used everyday by CAD workers. Mouses A standard mouse has two buttons which are positioned where your fingers lie on the mouse. 2D motion ball mouses are also used and easily direct the mouse much like a standard mouse. More advanced mouses include scroll buttons or additional buttons which are found on the side of the mouse which allow the user to carry out a task quicker. Laser mouses are far more accurate than a standard mouse as the movements are a lot more refined. There are more advanced mouses like the trackball mouse which are far more accurate due to the trackball which is located at the top of the mouse. These mouses are used by designers, gamers and web designers. The actual trackball contains optical and mechanical sensors which are able to track movement and therefore gain on accuracy. Keyboards The most common is the QWERTY keyboard which is used for everyday life and has all requirements covered. However if you are sat at your desk in the office all day you may face some health and safety issues due to the basic design of the QWERTY keyboard. Therefore there are keyboards specifically designed for this issue which are called Ergonomic keyboards which are designed to relieve stress. Using a keyboard can result to carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injury therefore the ergonomic keyboard was designed for this purpose and is recommended by doctors. Finally there is the DVORAK keyboard which is an ergonomic alternative to the QWERTY keyboard. QWERTY keyboards were designed to comply with typewriters and therefore they are ineffective for touch typing. For that reason the DVORAK keyboard was invented for touch typing which also adds to the comfort of the typer. Digitisers/pads and light pens These are electronic drawing pads which allow people to easily draw and scribe free hand. This enables easier usage of the computer. P4 AutoCAD AutoCAD is usually used on Microsoft desktop software and is available in around 20 languages. It is a form of CAD software which is used to produce 2/3 dimensional designs. AutoCAD can be used for a range of tasks including designing landscapes, buildings and automotive machinery. The earlier versions of AutoCAD used basic functions which included lines, circles, arcs, plotlines and text. The latest version of AutoCAD is more advanced than the earlier additions and is able to form solid modelling such as creating prisms, boxes and spheres. There are also far more detailed and accurate models which use 3D tools. There are many support programs which use AutoCAD such as Auto LISP, VBA, Object ARX and Visual LISP. Object ARX is a base model which helped create AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Civil 3D and AutoCAD Electrical. AutoCAD LT This is a smaller, cheaper version of AutoCAD which can easily be purchased from computer stores unlike the full version of AutoCAD, purely due to the cost of the who AutoCAD programs. AutoCAD LT costs around $900 where as the full version of AutoCAD costs around $4000 which is far more specialist. AutoCAD LT costs around a quarter of the price of the AutoCAD full version as it has to compete with other similar softwares where as the full version of AutoCAD is unique and is the only software of its type used by company in this sector of work. However due to the cheapness of AutoCAD LT software there are some features which are excluded from this software which are included on the full version of AutoCAD. One of the features excluded from the LT version is the 3D function, others include the exclusion of LISP programs and the inability to interact with 3rd party programs. AutoCAD student version This version has a noticeable price difference for student, teachers and lecturers, and can be licensed for 14 months. There are few features which are included on AutoCAD but of which are excluded from the AutoCAD student version. However when a DWG file is created or changed by the student the file is given an educational flag and when this type of file is printed on AutoCAD software it has a plot stamp or banner on all four sides and therefore makes it invalid for commercial use. If a student imports a DWG commercial file they will infect the file so that it can then be used commercially. Also a registered student can has access to free AutoDesk applications from the AutoDesk community. Hence the student therefore has access to the Civil 3D version and the Architectural version of AutoCAD softwares. Other AutoCAD softwares There are many vertical programs which have been designed such as AutoCAD Architecture or AutoCAD Civil 3D. These vertical programs allow the designer to illustrate 3D objects with more intelligent data rather than using sample lines, circles and other solid objects. The program can also be programmed to symbolize products used to construct the design. Therefore the data can be used to estimate the overall cost for the construction of the building, the cost of the materials and other values needed for the building as a whole. Managing CAD Designers need to be assured that the CAD software will save, store and manage their work efficiently so that it can easily be found if changes are required. To achieve this, major companys have different files for their software. Graphisofts ArchiCAD is an example of this. This software depending on whether the data is two or three dimensional, Graphisofts ArchiCAD uses a filing system of which the designers work is stored in a drawing database. DWG files can be easily imported onto this system and this allows a larger range of information to be stored. Thanks to the DWG software, the latest version of CAD has been strengthened and developed by using the DWG software as the primary file format. Due to the filing system employed by the DWG system it is popular with most designers. Due to frequent updates CAD is now a well-built piece of software and has helped improve modern day computers due to the requirements needed to run the CAD software successfully. The modern day computer now has a greater ram, better resolutions, far more memory, superior CPU and more enhanced hard drives which means that the computer can easily support the softwares which are ran through them. CAD can project an image in several ways, of which include; Orthographically, Isometrically, Axonometrically and can use perspective views but sometimes an exploded view is used. An exploded view can take apart an image to show the parts and layers which enables you to examine all parts of the original image. This view is used by Architects and Engineers to enable them to perfect their projects. A designer can use pre-set symbols to represent objects such as doors for a cross section of a building. CAD also allows you to use standard house designs, which can save time for architects and therefore allows them to be ahead of the project and deadlines. The CAD software allows you to easily save work into electronic drawings and also enables you to transfer drawings by email. CAD enables you to create very realistic designs and images depending on the specific CAD software which you are using. The software allows you to create 3D virtual environments which include pictures of real life buildings and people. Other softwares enable you to create naturalistic textures including sunlight, shadows, plants which move in the wind and people walking or moving. To meet the clients needs certain CAD programs allow you to create walkthroughs. This allows the client to visually see their building in a realistic view rather than two or three dimensional form drawing. Advantages and Disadvantages of using CAD and Manual drawings Manual Drawings Advantages; Cheaper to buy the equipment needed to construct the drawings such as set squares or scale rules. If the equipment is broken or not working correctly the user can simply buy a new one without having to go to allot of trouble. The equipment never needs updating as it is already adequate to carry out the job correctly. If you are on site it is far easier to use a manual drawing as you are able to get a better perspective and scale. Easy to modify a manual drawing. You do not need as much technical ability. You always have a hard copy. Disadvantages; Takes a long time to post or fax the drawing to the client. Need a large, light area to set out and work on the drawing. The equipment can be effected by human error maybe a shaky hand. It takes a long time to construct or reproduce a drawing when manually drawing. It is difficult to get the pressure applied to the pencil to determine the type of line you are looking to achieve whether it is a tracer line or primary line. A manual drawing can get easily damaged. A manual drawing is far harder to store as each drawing takes up space and you need put a storage system in place so that each individual drawing can easily be found. CAD Advantages; The drawing can be accurate as the tolls on the software are electronic so they wont be affected by human error such as the incorrect thickness of line. The user can save their work to any electronic storage device such as the hard drive of the computer or a CD or even a memory stick. The computer memorises the drawing in every dimension possible so that the user doesnt have to waste time trying to remember what the drawing looked like and which is which drawing. It is very easy for the user to rectify any mistakes they have made or to move a part of the drawing. Rotate a 3D drawing or to erase any irrelevant parts. The drawing can be transferred by email, saving on postage time and cost. CAD is far quicker to use. The storage and organisation of drawing using CAD software means drawings can easily be stored, dont take up any office space and are well organised and maintained. Disadvantages; Some shapes are still very difficult to draw using CAD software. It is very expensive to purchase CAD software no matter what version you choose. The computer and the necessary equipment needed have to be maintained and regularly updated which adds to costs. If the software was to crash or something went wrong it will need to be fixed by a professional in this field of work which costs time and money. CAD is very difficult to use and is regularly updated, therefore it is very hard to use and understand. As a result you will regularly need to be trained on how to use the software which adds to costs and time. If the software was to break all of the drawings and information ever saved on the computer software may be lost. CAD is not always suitable for site work. There are always doubts concerning glitches or viruses to the computer system. How the quality of graphical information significantly affects the quality of the completed civil engineering/construction project. In the construction industry finished work it contains a number of things such as the written specification; whether the designers requirements were met or not; whether the contractor has estimated the cost accurately or not; the products are ordered within time; whether the design and construction team have kept misunderstandings to a minimum. Consequently the graphical information for the civil engineering/construction project must always be correct and accurate. The graphical information should include every single material or item that is needed for the civil engineering/construction project with all its specifications. The designer must ensure they have created an accurate drawing along with a detailed schedule plan. This will ensure the contractor has the all of the correct products ordered before the work is supposed to commence. However if the architect or designer knows they have not achieved an accurate drawing they may include a schedule which they have used already on a similar project so that they can spend the remaining time modifying their drawing so that it meets their own and the clients standards. Though this may save time for the architect to create a perfectly accurate drawing the schedule is inaccurate and therefore lowers the standard of the project and also may add to costs as they may have the wrong equipment as the schedule is not specific to the project. If the schedule initiates up to the construction stage this may cause the project to run past the deadline dates and therefore add cost to the overall project. If the designer creates an accurate drawing for the project which is specific and contains the specific schedule it means that the overall finished construction of the project should also be of a high quality because it allows the contractors to plan ahead before the construction work starts. But if a schedule of high quality is used on the project which has originally used on a similar project the quality of the overall construction will suffer as a result. So no matter how detailed a schedule or information is on the drawing will only create a high quality project if it is specific and accurate to the job.

Ethical Software Development :: Engineering Technology Economics Essays

Ethical Software Development One of the most exciting times for an engineer is during conception and up front planning on a new project. Ideas dance in the mind of an engineer. A new project offers creative possibilities for job advancement, market success, design elegance, exploration, camaraderie and power over a problem. At first, engineers and their managers are motivated to consider the impact of new features and products. This paper explores some of the ethical landscape that the engineer may face in the creative stages of a software development project. I want to explore ethical issues seen by a Western engineer working with Western engineers and also working with Offshore engineers. What issues would the engineer face with those in China? All prejudices aside, this paper attempts to uncover ethical issues that affects the engineers and the software product. A person may naturally experience some fears when faced with the prospect of jointly developing software with engineers located in a different country. To get an idea of what may happen, we will need to look beyond the â€Å"us† vs. â€Å"them† barrier and see people in their own context. I took this paper as an opportunity to learn about ethics from a Chinese perspective. The intent, however, is to find what has positive ethical effects. Example Issues High Technology: Sometimes a project will be started that requires a technology breakthrough or else a high level of creativity. Stresses from not making those discoveries will often test an engineer’s ability to make good, ethical decisions. Software Process: The process is a required part of any discussion on software development. Software development occurs over many phases, requiring many different skills. The process is a management tool for making sure that everything gets accomplished. One issue with using a process is avoiding the tendency to over-regulate or bureaucratize the engineers and thus impact their sense of respect and positive responsibility. [[1]] Global: The engineer may worry about the potential for delivering a shoddy software product from, cutting corners, the language barrier or any unequal standards of excellence. In addition, will engineers from either country experience a dilution of their moral foundation or feel like they are merely being exploited? It should be clear that ethical issues like these can effect engineers in any country. Global issues will be presented by contrasting the individual morality in the West vs. the relational morality in China.

Comparing Themes in Charlotte and Ruth Hall Essay -- compare and contra

Sentimental or Social Themes in Charlotte and Ruth Hall The subject matter of early American women writers has been criticized in the past, but the messages these authors sent women and society cannot be denied. Susanna Rowson and Fanny Fern came from two different time periods in American history, but their impact on society is similar. In both cases, the women experienced great success as writers during their time. Their popularity shows how their messages were transferred to many people of their time. By exploring the themes of these novels, a better understanding of females in society can be gained. The themes of womanhood and the issues associated with being female in early America will be detailed through specific problems. The concerns that are revealed in Charlotte: A Tale of Truth and Ruth Hall will deal with some universal issues like control, reason, emotion, reality, and the individual’s role in those areas. Womanhood is defined in different ways in Charlotte and Ruth Hall. Charlotte Temple and Ruth Hall were both vulnerable women in their respective ages. What is interesting is how each woman deals with her circumstances. Charlotte depends on the help of those around her; Ruth realizes those closest to her will not help. Ruth must fin for herself in order to survive; Charlotte does not survive! Does she not know how? With Charlotte, this question is relevant. She was young and accustomed to the care of others. Being alone in a new world was overwhelming to Charlotte morally. Yet, she ultimately chooses passion over principle, which is her ultimate flaw as a woman. This leads to a series of events ending in her death. Womanhood, especially in Susanna Rowson’s historical era, was something virtuous. However, Cha... ...eties were quick to dismiss feminine strength, but the power of their written words cannot be denied. Works Cited Davidson, Cathy N. "Sentimental Novel." The Oxford Companion to Women’s Writing in the United States. Eds. Cathy N. Davidson and Linda Wagner-Martin. NY: Oxford UP, 1985. "Fanny Fern." . 11 November 2000. Fergenson, Loraine. "Susanna Haswell Rowson (1762-1824)." . 10 November 2000. Fern, Fanny. Ruth Hall. Ed. Joyce W. Warren. London: Rutgers UP, 1994. O’Higgins, Harvey. The American Mind in Action. NY: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1924. Rowson, Susanna. Charlotte: A Tale of Truth. 1791. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1999. 372-407. Warren, Joyce W. "Fanny Fern." The Oxford Companion to Women’s Writing in the United States. Eds. Cathy N. Davidson and Linda Wagner-Martin. NY: Oxford UP, 1985.

Stephen Chboskys The Perks of Being a Wallflower Essay -- Chbos

Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower The complexities of growing up can be overwhelming, but one must overcome the realities of the wild and poignant roller coaster of youth in order to live a sensible and productive life. The Perks of Being a Wallflower begins as the protagonist Charlie, starting his first year of high school, deals with the suicide of his single close friend named Michael and the lingering feeling of guilt over the death of his aunt. Prone to depression, introverted, and on the fringe of trouble in many aspects of life, Charlie is a wallflower who, with the help of his English teacher and two friends Sam and Patrick, comes to terms with life and learns to interact. It is difficult to come out of one’s shell and accept the reality that one has recently lost two very important people. As an entering freshman, Charlie lives a remarkably passive existence primarily due to the loss of his favorite aunt and best friend Michael. This can be seen as Charlie expresses his thoughts and feelings toward people that revolve around him: I look at people holding hands in the hallways, and I try to think about how it all works. At the school dances, I sit in the background, and I tap my toe, and I wonder how many couples will dance to â€Å"their song.† In the hallways, I see the girls wearing the guys’ jackets, and I think about the idea of property. And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are. (23). As the quote indicates, Charlie â€Å"uses thought to not participate in life.† Instead of being an active participant in life, ... ...ing the love we think we deserve. After everything Sam and Bill say, Charlie figures that he should just do what he wants to do. He starts kissing Sam where they lay down on the floor and later attacks the ocean bed. He officially becomes a â€Å"participant†. In order for our lives to be content and effective, we must learn to open up and interact with others so that we can discover who we are and who we are to become. Today, there are many teens who have low self-esteem due to their appearance or timidity. They do not realize that there are chances of being accepted by others and judged by their inner body instead of the outward appearance once they start participating. Though Charlie had the same feeling as these teens at the beginning of his freshmen year, his active participation in life leads him to feeling infinite and grateful without any sensation of terror.

“The Importance of Mother Tongue-Based Schooling for Educational Quality”

Commissioned study for EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005 Carol Benson, Ph. D. Centre for Research on Bilingualism Stockholm University 14 April 2004 Part A: Overview While there are many factors involved in delivering quality basic education, language is clearly the key to communication and understanding in the classroom. Many developing countries are characterized by individual as well as societal multilingualism, yet continue to allow a single foreign language to dominate the education sector.Instruction through a language that learners do not speak has been called â€Å"submersion† (Skutnabb-Kangas 2000) because it is analogous to holding learners under water without teaching them how to swim. Compounded by chronic difficulties such as low levels of teacher education, poorly designed, inappropriate curricula and lack of adequate school facilities, submersion makes both learning and teaching extremely difficult, particularly when the language of instruction is also foreign t o the teacher.Mother tongue-based bilingual programs use the learner’s first language, known as the L1, to teach beginning reading and writing skills along with academic content. The second or foreign language, known as the L2, should be taught systematically so that learners can gradually transfer skills from the familiar language to the unfamiliar one. Bilingual models and practices vary as do their results, but what they have in common is their use of the mother tongue at least in the early years so that students can acquire and develop literacy skills in addition to understanding and participating in the classroom.Bilingual as opposed to monolingual schooling offers significant pedagogical advantages which have been reported consistently in the academic literature (see reviews in Baker 2001; Cummins 2000; CAL 2001): Use of a familiar language to teach beginning literacy facilitates an understanding of sound-symbol or meaning-symbol correspondence. Learning to read is most efficient when students know the language and can employ psycholinguistic guessing strategies; likewise, students can communicate through writing as soon as they understand the rules of the orthographic (or other written) system of their language.In contrast, submersion programs may succeed in teaching students to decode words in the L2, but it can take years before they discover meaning in what they are â€Å"reading. †  ¦ Since content area instruction is provided in the L1, the learning of new concepts is not postponed until children become competent in the L2. Unlike submersion teaching, which is often characterised by lecture and rote response, bilingual instruction allows teachers and students to interact naturally and negotiate meanings together, creating participatory learning environments that are conducive to cognitive as well as linguistic development. Explicit teaching of the L2 beginning with oral skills allows students to learn the new language through commun ication rather than memorization. In submersion schooling teachers are often forced to translate or code-switch to convey meaning, making concept learning inefficient and even impeding language learning, while bilingual programs allow for systematic teaching of the L2.  ¦ Transfer of linguistic and cognitive skills is facilitated in bilingual programs.Once students have basic literacy skills in the L1 and communicative skills in the L2, they can begin reading and writing in the L2, efficiently transferring the literacy skills they have acquired in the familiar language. The pedagogical principles behind this positive transfer of skills are Cummins’ (1991, 1999) interdependence theory and the concept of common underlying proficiency, whereby the knowledge of language, literacy and concepts learned in the L1 can be accessed and used in the second language once oral L2 skills are developed, and no re-learning is required.Consistent with these principles, it is possible for chi ldren schooled only in the L2 to transfer their knowledge and skills to the L1, but the process is highly inefficient as well as being unnecessarily difficult. Code-switching and code-mixing involve alternation between languages, and are common communication strategies in bi- and multilingual contexts. Code alternation functions best when all parties are competent speakers of the languages involved, but in submersion classrooms it is more of a coping strategy for dealing with a foreign instructional medium and does not necessarily contribute to second language learning.As specialists Lanauze & Snow explain, transfer means that â€Å"language skills acquired in a first language can, at least if developed beyond a certain point in L1, be recruited at relatively early stages of L2 acquisition for relatively skilled performance in L2, thus shortcutting the normal developmental progression in L2† (1989: 337).  ¦ Student learning can be accurately assessed in bilingual classrooms . When students can express themselves, teachers can diagnose what has been learned, what remains to be taught and which students need further assistance.In submersion schooling cognitive learning and language learning are confounded, making it difficult for teachers to determine whether students have difficulty understanding the concept itself, the language of instruction, or the language of the test.  ¦ The affective domain, involving confidence, self-esteem and identity, is strengthened by use of the L1, increasing motivation and initiative as well as creativity.L1 classrooms allow children to be themselves and develop their personalities as well as their intellects, unlike submersion classrooms where they are forced to sit silently or repeat mechanically, leading to frustration and ultimately repetition, failure and dropout.  ¦ Students become bilingual and biliterate. Bilingual programs encourage learners to understand, speak, read and write in more than one language. In co ntrast, submersion programs attempt to promote skills in a new language by eliminating them from a known language, which may actually limit learner competence in both.All of these advantages are based on two assumptions: one, that basic human needs are being met so that schooling can take place; and two, that mother tongue-based bilingual schooling can be properly implemented. Simply changing the language of instruction without resolving other pressing social and political issues is not likely to result in significant improvement in educational services. However, because language cross-cuts race, ethnicity, gender, and poverty, even minimally implemented bilingual programs have the potential to reach those who have traditionally been left behind by L2 submersion schooling.This paper will discuss how choosing an appropriate language of instruction has positive implications for education in terms of both increasing access and improving quality. Education for All: Building Strong Learn ing Foundations thru the Mother Tongue * Philippine basic education is now at a critical crossroad. It now calls for the revisiting of our commitment to Education for All (EFA) 2015. All stakeholders have to be vigilant and involved. Otherwise, education will just be a weak transformative power in our society.Instead of education for all, it will be education for the few; instead of seeing Filipino youth become critical thinkers, coherent communicators, and productive citizens; we will see a generation of unreflective and mediocre mouthpieces of languages not their own. We affirm the need to improve learning competencies in all subject areas, including English. Our educational system has to move forward following a roadmap drawn by experts in language and education based on empirical proofs. Experiences of other multilingual countries all point to the mother tongue as the best language of learning, especially in the early grades.The mother tongue is the most effective bridge to and foundation for the learning of other languages like English. At this stage, however, many of our lawmakers and national leaders still hold on to the unfounded but long-held belief that an English-dominated initial basic education will produce superior learners. We submit that such educational strategy will only benefit a very small number of Filipinos—those who belong to families where English is the home language. But the truth is that the majority of our school children come from homes where the mother tongue is the predominant language.This explains their marginalization in the classroom. Such marginalized learners, as pointed out by scientific evidences face the double burden of learning. They are struggling to learn the 3Rs on top of the big burden of learning an alien language in which they are taught. This predicament is one of the major culprits of poor performance and high drop-out rates. All of these imply the needed approach– teach the yet unknown 3Rs throug h the already familiar local language and culture, build the learner’s capacity to learn and introduce a second language with the correct phasing.With such mother tongue-based multi-lingual education (MLE) framework, the mastery of all the learning areas including English is effectively attained. It is a basic truth that language embodies a person's cultural identity and heritage. To uphold this truth, even international law guarantees and directs states’ educational system to develop respect for the child’s own cultural identity and language (Article 29-c Convention on the Rights of the Child). Thus, we reject any assertion that a local language may be inferior, inadequate and poses an obstacle to learning.We also reject the usual argument that MLE is costly and, therefore, very hard to implement in the face of limited financial resources. Papua New Guinea, a poor Asian country of more than 800 languages, has demonstrated that reliance on local initiatives and resources for MLE is highly feasible and substantially saves on much costs of developing and producing learning materials. Recently, our own DepEd’s Agusan Pilot MLE Study corroborated the practicality and merits of local self-reliance and initiatives.Thus, we submit that ultimately, to insist on teaching with an alien language is more costly and inefficient when children do not become functionally literate and hardly develop higher order thinking skills and whose English competencies are mediocre. Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Many Filipino learners face barriers in education. One of these barriers is that our learners often begin their education in a language they do not understand. Because they do not understand the language of education, many learners become discouraged and tend to drop-out from school.Content of material is often culturally distant or unfamiliar to the learners. The limited education that learners receive does not prepare them for lifelong l earning. Mother tongue-based multilingual education (MLE) is a formal or nonformal education, in which the children’s mother tongue is used in the classroom as a bridge in learning Filipino and English. Children begin their education in a language they understand, their mother tongue, and develop a strong foundation in their mother language.The purpose of a multilingual education program is to develop appropriate cognitive and reasoning skills enabling children to operate equally in different languages – starting in the mother tongue with transition to Filipino and then English. It is a structured program of language learning and cognitive development which provides learners with a strong educational foundation in the first language. If the mother tongue is not used, we create people who are illiterate in two languages.Children do not become sufficiently fluent in their mother tongue (L1) in both oracy and literacy if their vocabulary in L1 is limited, thus restricting their ability to learn a second language (L2). A strong foundation in L1 is required for learning L2. Children’s understanding of concepts is limited or confused if leaning is only L2. The benefits of MLE include the following: †¢ Reduced drop-out †¢ Reduced repetition †¢ Children are attending school. †¢ Children are learning. †¢ Parents and community are involved. †¢ It is more cost – effective to implement mother tongue programs.A region wide training was conducted last summer in preparation for this school year’s pilot implementation. A Regional association of supervisors, school heads and teachers was organized during that training. Feedback gathered from the pilot implementers revealed that teachers find the use of the MTB-MLE very useful. Pupils are very participative and most of them have learned to read by this time. Although some teachers find it tiresome, especially in the preparation of materials, but they feel rewarded by seeing the enjoyment among the pupils in their learning experiences.

“Drown” by Junot Diaz Essay

In the book Drown by Junot Diaz has expressed a persons experience and environment impacts them in a negative ways. Even the ones that help eachother throughout the way could also affect one in a negative way.It will make one do things one might not want to do and doesnt notice because their in a type of mood. They don’t realize what their decisions are taking them the right path taking challenges and overcoming them or go the wrong path to life trying to make things easy for you which means doing things that are wrong.. In the beginning of my reading Yunior and Papi relationship wasn’t so close. Papi and Yunior were in the car together and Yunior was feeling car sick. In chapter â€Å"Fiesta† on page 29 it stated â€Å"when we were alone he treated me much better,like maybe I was his son or something†. This is saying since their father and son relationship was not close they didn’t have father and son love. Meaning Papi doesn’t give Yunior â€Å"heat†(father love). Unlike Mami she would say â€Å"que dios te bendiga† in chapter â€Å"FIesta on on page 35 which means god will be there protecting you at all times. One night Mami and Papi were at a party dancing acting as if their teens again having no responsibilities. Yunior would be like the security guard making sure nobody trashes the party. Mami and Papi are two different people. Papi would cheat and Yunior would find out at the parties. Papi was too strict because he would tell Yunior and his brother in chapter â€Å"Fiesta,1980† on page 37 said â€Å" If you eat anything I’m going to beat you  ¿Entiendes? I nodded And if your brother gives you any food, Ill beat him too right in front of everybody.  ¿Entiendes?† This means that the father didn’t have any respect towards his son or the people at the party. The father doesn’t care what happens to his son he wants to be the boss. This affects Yunior in a negative way because Yunior would be scared of his own father and wouldn’t have the love of his father. Yunior would like to eat the food that they have at the party but his father said no! A real father wouldn’t do that to his own children. If Papi was a real father he would treat his children in a nice way as a real caring father. This overall affects him when he continues to grow up when Yunior has his own children. He would treat them with more love because he didn’t get love from his own dad. Yunior would probably doesn’t want his children to grow up like that but better. Time has passed by and Yunior has lived without his father for nine years of his life. This could affect him because so many  things could have been happening in his life and Papi was never there for him. This affects him because they don’t have a close relationship. Mami took care of them for a long time and was always with them because she would work for 12 hours. Mami has worked at a bar but the neighborhood they live in isn’t safe. So men walk her home. Yunior could also be affected by Mami because while Papi wasn’t in their lives Mami had to do everything possible so Yunior and his brother would have everything needed for example food,clothes and water etc. Which means when Mami works shes away from her children. In this case Junot Diaz fails to prove the purpose that the people that help you throughout the way in life could affect one in a negative way. In chapter â€Å"Aguantando† on page 75 Yunior says â€Å"I never wanted to be away from the family,Intuitively distances could harden and become permanent†. This is saying since his father was away for many years and he doesn’t want to have distance between family because soon theyâ€⠄¢ll become strangers. This connects to the authors purpose that a persons experience and environment impacts them in negative ways. There will be changes in life, they might be positive or negative.This proves how Yunior felt about his family being separated not being a normal happy family. He expresses his sensitive side that family is supposed to be close and never should distance be a problem. In chapter â€Å"Aguantando† on page 83 it states â€Å"Rafa was right.It wasent the first time in two yeras after left. Papi wrote saying he was coming for us and like an innocent, mami believed anything. she prepared a party even lined up to have a goat there for slaughtering. she bought me and Rafe new clothes and when he didn’t show she sent everybody home.† This says that Papi wrote a letter to them saying he would go get them but he lied. Mami tried her best to have a welcome party when papi arrived. This also proves that Papi affected the whole family. But the father doesn’t see m to care at all. When Yunior grows up he will probably try to be a better father to his children than his own children. Without his father it also affects him to what kind of friends he has. Because he doesn’t have a father advice. Yunior shoplifts and sells drugs. His mother probably didn’t notice because she was busy with work and and payed more attention to her childrens needs like having food,shelter and good to go to school. But not emotionally on how Yunior felt about Papi not there with him and Mami working all the time for them.. Yunior could have a empty space in  his heart because his family isnt complete. Ramon De Las Casas (father) left Santo Domingo before his fourth birthday. â€Å"Papi had been planning to leave for months,hustling and borrowing from his friends or from anyone† on page 163. This is saying thats his father left him at a very young age. Yunior will live without fathers love. His father wanted to leave and probably didn’t think about it carefully he just wanted to leave right away. â€Å"After a fork pierced him in the cheek, Papi decided to move ,just until things cooled down. He took a small bag of clothes and broke out early in the morning† on page 1 63 from â€Å"Negocios†. Mami and Papi had a argument and and Papi just decided to leave and not communicate with each other. This would affect Yunior because at this time he was little and probably wouldn’t understand things. Maybe he thought his father just didn’t want to be with his family and doesnt love them. Subsequently a person could be affected by their environment and experience â€Å" He was twenty four. He didn’t dream about his familia and wouldn’t for many years. He dreamed instead of gold coins,like the ones that had been salvaged from the many wrecks about our island,stacked high as sugar cane† in chapter â€Å"Negocios† on page 169. this is expressing that Ramon didn’t care about his family and the love they have for him. He just wants to be rich and leave. This would affect Ramon and Yunior because Ramon won’t have nobody to be with and Yunior would be affected by not having his father with him in his childhood. He would probably ask himself †why did he leave us? why doesn’t he love us?† Overall one is affected by the environment and experience they go through. It is always important to value things in life even if their little. Big or little things affects one in a positive or negative way. Junot Diaz’s proves that a person’s environment and experience affects them in a positive or negative way. But overall one must not let negative things that happen in life to a serious impact on one because it brings us down emotionally and mentally. One must always be grateful to what they have not everyone has the same things as one does!