International Problems in the Uk Essay Example for Free

International Problems in the Uk Essay This study aimed at investigating the academic writing problems of the Arab postgraduate students of the College of Business at Universiti Utara Malaysia and to provide solutions to these problems. For this purpose, four research questions were posed and the answers to these questions were provided and discussed. The data for the study were collected via (face-to-face) interviews. The informants of this study were postgraduate students from the College of Business at Universiti Utara Malaysia for the academic year 2008-2009. The findings of the study revealed that the students faced problems in relation to vocabulary register, organization of ideas, grammar, spelling, and referencing. Introduction Nowadays, English plays an important role in education and students are expected to communicate effectively in institutions where English is the medium of instruction. Learners face the task of mastering content area in subjects such as mathematics, social studies, science, and business which are taught in the target language (English). In such cases, teaching and learning of English can help the students to deal successfully with their academic demands and to perform successfully in their disciplines and professional contexts (Adams Keene, 2000). WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 1 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info In the academic context, Dudley-Evans St. John (1998) point out that the students are required to produce specific writing genres such as essay, summary, critical review, and research paper. However, focus on the distinguishing regularities of structure of different text types can help learners build a repertoire of the organization and the relevant language forms of different genres. It can also make learners aware of the socio-linguistic role that texts play in particular discourse communities. In postgraduate studies in Malaysia, as pointed out by Baskaran (1983), English plays a vital role in helping to initiate students into the academic community in acquiring not only the language proficiency necessary but the specific genres pertaining to these communities. Like any second language learners, Arab learners face many problems in acquiring English. Many studies (Abbad, 1988; Hisham, 2008; Rabab`ah, 2003; Zughoul and Taminian, 1984) have been conducted in the Arab world to investigate the problems of acquiring English among Arab learners. Zughoul and Taminian (1984: 4) found that â€Å"Jordanian EFL students commit serious lexical errors while communicating in English. † Rabab`ah (2003) emphasized that there were problems of acquiring English among Arab learners because of formal instruction by language teachers who are native speakers of Arabic. Another reason given by Rabab`ah (2003) was the limited opportunities Arab learners have to learn English through natural interaction in English since they only encounter native speakers of English who come to the Arab world as tourists. Hisham (2008) investigated the problems that Arab students of business might have at University WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 2 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Utara Malaysia. He found that those students face problems in vocabulary register, grammar, and referencing. Abbad (1988: 15) admits the weakness of Yemeni learners of English, and he states that â€Å"in spite of the low proficiency level in English of most applicants (Yemeni learners), they are accepted into the English department. † In most of the Arab universities, high school graduates are still accepted to pursue a program, such as English Studies, in spite of their weaknesses in that language. Arab learners find it difficult to communicate freely in English. Abbad (1988) mentions that their problems are due to the inappropriate methods of language teaching and the learning environment which some judge are unsuitable for learning a foreign language. The students appeared to have many problems when writing in English, like not knowing how to organize their ideas, because it is a new experience for them. For students to succeed in a foreign language generally, and writing skills specifically, they need to surround themselves in a language learning environment. In the case of the Arab world, Arab learners have little opportunities to use the foreign language in their society. As a result, many problems occur when they study at a university where the medium of instruction is a foreign language like English. Literature Review English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is divided into English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP). It aims to prepare students, in a relatively short period of time, to communicate, read, and write better so they can work WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 3 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info appropriately and successfully in certain activities. In order to achieve this goal, ESP activities have to be presented in context because context is the central idea of ESP. The other point that has to be taken into consideration in teaching ESP is to use authentic materials; this will lead the students to acquire what they need to develop for their jobs (Hutchinson Waters 1987). According to Dudley-Evans (2001), the absolute characteristics of ESP are: †¢ †¢ ESP is designed to meet the specific needs of the learners. ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the specialization it serves. †¢ It is centered not only on the language (grammar, lexis, register), but also on the skills, discourses and genres appropriate to those activities. English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) EOP can be grouped into business English, professional English (e. g. English for doctors, lawyers) and vocational English (e. g. English for tourism, aviation, and nursing). Several studies (Flanegin and Rudd, 2000; Goffman, 1979; Pakir, 1999, Puvenesvary, 2003) have been conducted on the importance of English in the occupational fields. Flanegin and Rudd (2000) discuss the need and importance of English skills in all professions. In addition, they emphasize on the importance of communication skills in the business and management fields by suggesting some solutions to enable students to be good communicators in business majors. Goffman (1979) indicates that business negotiations are carried out and letters are usually written in English. This sometimes discomforts those whose first language is not English. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 4 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info The use of English is even more widespread because of the business-environment revolution. In fact, Pakir (1999) points out that the spread of English is most likely to continue because of the rapid spread of telecommunication, mass communication, business, and internet links. Thousands of international non-native to non-native communication and deals are undertaken daily in a huge number of settings: trade, diplomacy, tourism, journalism, science and technology, politics etc. As a result, there is a need to ensure there are competent writers and speakers of English. Puvenesvary (2003) reveals the importance of being a competent writer of English in the banking sector in Malaysia and the consequences of poorly-written business letters to clients. Methodologies for Teaching Writing for Academic Purposes Prior to discussing the theories related to writing for academic purposes, a few studies will be highlighted in relation to writing problems (Arndt, 1987; Badger and White, 2000; Davies, 1988; Hyland, 2003; Jordan, 1997; Kambal, 1980; Myles, 2002; Paltridge, 2001; Silva, 1990; Smith, 1982; Swale, 1990; Tribble, 1996; Vygotsky, 1978; and Zughoul and Husain, 1985). Kambal (1980) analyzed errors in three types of free composition written by first year Sudanese university students. The study took into consideration the major syntactic errors made by these students in the verb phrase and the noun phrase. Also, Kambal (1980) reported that the three main types of errors made in the verb phrase are verb formation, tense, and subject-verb agreement. He discussed errors in tense within five categories: tense sequence, tense substitution, tense marker, deletion, and confusion of perfect tenses. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 5 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info The findings of this study reveal that the third-person singular marker was used redundantly, and they also revealed the use of the incorrect form of verb to be. Zughoul and Husain (1985) point out that the lack of lexical variety, subordination, and their heavy reliance on redundancy that does not add any new information to the text are the main problems learners have in writing skills. As a result, L2 practitioners are still in search of a coherent, comprehensive theory of the teaching of writing. The major writing theories proposed in the literature are product, process, and genre. Product Approach According to Silva (1990), the product theory of writing highlights form and syntax and it emphasizes rhetorical drills. The product theory focuses on the written product rather than on how the learner should approach the process of writing. In this theory, writing concerns the knowledge about the structure of language, and writing development is the result of the imitation of input (Badger and White, 2000). In addition, Arndt (1987) argues that the importance of imitation and a model in this theory are not only for imitation but also for exploration of analysis. Similarly Myles (2002) confirms that if the students are not exposed to written model texts, their errors in writing are more likely to subsist. In fact, Jordan (1997) indicates that the students are required to focus on a model, form, and duplication. In other words, the students study model texts and attempt various exercises that enable them to draw attention to relevant features of a text, and then replicate them in their own writing. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 6 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Process Approach Another theory which was proposed in order to teach writing is the process theory. Hyland (2003) indicates that the process theory focuses on how a text is written instead of the final outcome. He adds, the process theory has a major influence on understanding the nature of writing and the way writing is taught. Therefore, the process theory emphasizes on the importance of certain procedures such as pre-writing, drafting, evaluating, and revising. He pointed out that the process theory would involve introducing techniques that help the students identify and engage a topic; students are required to show multiple drafts of a work. After discussion and feedback from evaluators, the students would revise the drafts. Rewriting, revision, and editing are essential parts to writing in this theory. In a similar vein, Jordan (1997) states that process writing enables the students to make clearer decisions about the direction of their writing by certain procedures such as discussion, tasks, drafting, feedback, and informed choices. The advantage in adopting the process theory is in updating the importance of the cyclical and recursive nature of writing that is employed by native writers where ‘ordinarily pre-writing, writing, and rewriting frequently seem to be going on simultaneously’ (Smith, 1982: 104). Tribble (1996) explains the process-based approach in teaching academic writing. He says that the students first brainstorm in small groups the topic to be discussed in writing; this helps them to generate ideas before starting to write. This is followed by gathering an outline of the essay and individually writing its first draft. Students revise their first drafts WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 7 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010. http://www. esp-world.info and give them to other students for peer-reviewing and commenting on. The final stage is editing the essay by the writer himself/herself to eliminate all language errors. Thus, this approach focuses on process rather than product. Genre Approach The genre theory in writing emphasizes on the social context in which writing is produced (Badger and White, 2000). Swales (1990) explains that the genre theory is a class of communicative events and that the members of the communicative events share some set of communicative purposes which are identified by the expert members. In the academic context, the experts will be the lecturers who are teaching the various subjects. As claimed by Davies (1988), students, teachers, and subject tutors are all involved in the written language for a selected field of study and the forms of expression permitted within the field. Davies (1988: 131) suggests that the students, in aiming to attain academic success ‘somehow discover the criteria by which the different genres they produce are assessed. ’ He seems to suggest that the criteria are not made explicit to students. Swales (1990) emphasizes the genre-based approach in teaching academic writing. He focuses on analyzing communicative purposes of the text read by learners and the means used by the writers of these texts to reach such purposes. In this approach, the students learn to write their own texts trying to achieve similar communicative purposes by way of choosing the most suitable and expressive language means for that. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh. 8 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Flowerdew (2002) views the genre approach as a dynamic approach which varies across time, across disciplines, and across instructors in the disciplines. Thus, the aim of the genre approach in writing is to help students master the conventions of a particular form of genre that is relevant to their specific situation. This approach requires collaboration with instructors from the disciplines, which may not always be possible (Flowerdew, 2002). It is important for the teachers to have cooperation with the students, with the teacher taking an authoritative role to support learners as they move towards their potential level of performance. Similarly, Paltridge (2001) proposes a framework that involves exploring the texts and contexts of students-target situation, enabling reflection on writing practices, exploiting texts from various types of genre and creating mixed genre portfolios. The Objectives of the Study The main objectives of the current study are: To investigate the types of writing carried out by Arab postgraduate students in the business programs at the College of Business at UUM. To investigate the writing problems that Arab postgraduate students face in their business programs at UUM. To find out the causes of the writing problems among Arab postgraduate students of business programs at UUM. To suggest some solutions to solve the writing problems among Arab postgraduate students in the business programs at UUM WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 9. ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Research Questions This study aims to answer the following questions: 1. What are the types of writing carried out by Arab postgraduate students in the business programs at UUM? 2. What are the problems faced by the Arab postgraduate students of the business programs at UUM in relation to writing skills? 3. What are the causes of the writing problems among the Arab postgraduate students of the business programs at UUM? 4. How to overcome the writing problems faced by Arab postgraduate students of the business programs at UUM? Subjects The informants for this study were 10 Arab postgraduate students in the business programs of COB who are doing their master’s degree by coursework at Universiti Utara Malaysia. The informants have sat for the UUM English Language Placement Test and only three have passed this test. The informants are 5 Jordanians, 2 Iraqis, 2 Libyans, and 1 Yemeni. The age of the informants range from 25 to 40 (see table 3. 1). The original names of the students have been replaced with fictitious names in line with research ethics in keeping the identity of the informants confidential. Research Instrument This is a qualitative study and the researcher used semi-structured interviews to collect data. Gray (2004) indicates that the reasons for choosing qualitative methods for collecting data are: the need to attain highly personalized data, there are opportunities for WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 10 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info probing, a good return rate, and helps the respondents if they have difficulties with written language. Research Design This study is a qualitative study and it utilized semi-structured interviews in a face-toface interaction to explore the students’ beliefs and thoughts about certain topics, this is in line with Lynch’s (1996) view that, the use of semi-structured interviews enhances the understanding of the data and makes the data collection more systematic as compared to the informal conversational approach. Findings and Discussion The findings reported in the next section are based on the four questions posed in the students’ interviews. Writing Types in the Business Programs. It was found that the business students interviewed were required to write several types of academic texts: project papers, article reviews, summaries, reports, article critiques, proposals, comparative analyses, book reviews, essays, and case studies (see table 1). Table 1: Writing tasks in the business programs Interview Q1: what type of writing do S1 you carry out in your program? Projects 1 Total S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 (n=10) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 11. ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Article Reviews Summaries 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 3 Reports 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 Article critiques 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 Proposals 1 1 Comparative Analysis Book Reviews Essays Exams for 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 Case Studies 1 1 1 1 4 S=student As revealed by the study, students of the business programs are required to produce various genres of academic writing such as projects, article reviews, summaries, reports, article critiques, proposals, comparative analyses, book reviews, essays, and case studies. This is because these’ tasks require students to employ their critical thinking skills, read widely, and apply what they have learnt in their courses. This list of tasks provided partially concurs with the findings of Barbara et al. (1996) who pointed out that reports, WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 12 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info proposals, and projects are the most frequently written business tasks performed by business students. The identified tasks can provide English language instructors insights into selecting and implementing tasks for the English for Business courses. Teachers and curriculum developers can create business English courses based on the results of the needs analysis carried out in the study. Thus, teachers and curriculum developers can give special attention to tasks like projects and reports in the language courses, so that students can be well versed in these tasks. This is in line with the view of St. John (1996) and Chew (2005) who claimed that frequent target tasks can offer a tentative foundation for choosing and implementing tasks for the targeted Business English Communication course. Problems with the Writing Tasks It was found that while carrying out their writing tasks, the business students face problems in vocabulary, grammar, organization of ideas, spelling, and referencing (see table 2). Table 2: Problems with writing tasks in the business programs Interview Q. 2: What are the problems you face in carrying out the writing Total tasks? S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 (n=10) Vocabulary Problems (VP) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10. Register (VR) General (VG) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10 7 13 WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Capacity (VC) Paraphrasing (P) Expressing Ideas (EI) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 8 Grammatical Problems (GP) Prepositions (GPP) Articles (GPA) Tenses (GPT) Word order Organization of ideas 1 1 1 3 Spelling Referencing APA Style (RS) Ignorant (RI) 1 1 1 1. As shown in this study, the postgraduate students of the COB programs at UUM have problems in English academic writing. The major problem that the students mentioned is vocabulary. This is because a reasonable vocabulary size is needed for students to function effectively in their programs. This concurs with Coxhead Nation (2001) who stated that approximately 2,000 words are seen in most uses of the English language. The standard list of these words is the General Service List (GSL) of English Words. The GSL is divided into two parts, the first one is GS1 which contains 1,000 words and the second part is GS2 which also contains 1,000 words. GS1 covers about 77% of academic texts and GS2 25%. The first category contains words that frequently appear in academic texts regardless of subject areas, but they are not common in non-academic materials. As WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 14 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info a result, learners have to learn the words in the GS2 so that they would have less difficulty in pursuing their postgraduate studies. In addition, Rabab`ah (2003) pointed out that the students often lack the necessary vocabulary when they are engaged in authentic communicative situations such as writing and speaking. As a result, the students will be unable to express their ideas freely and accurately because of their limited vocabulary. These difficulties can be solved by offering more discipline-specific reading courses in order to improve the students’ vocabulary size and depth to help them in their academic writing. Also, the students become aware of what to expect in their academic disciplines. This is in line with Kasper’s (2000) view that by providing materials that concentrate on content, the students can be aware of the concepts, audience, and the purpose of their academic disciplines. Moreover, the findings of the current study revealed that the students face difficulties in grammar. Grammar is extremely important in conveying accurate messages. Key grammatical forms include tenses, voices, modals, articles, nominalization, and logical connectors (Dudley-Evans St. John, 1998). Therefore, it is advisable to restrict these forms and create materials which enable the students to progress in their academic writing. This coincides with Hutchinson Waters (1987), who emphasized on identifying the grammatical forms and produced materials that took these forms as their syllabus. Allen Widdowson (1974) stated that the students’ needs could be only met by WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 15 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info a course that develops the knowledge of how sentences are combined together to make meanings. Another problem, which has been mentioned, was the problem of referencing. Writing references according to certain conventions (APA, IEEE, etc) helps the students to be scholarly writers and trains them in academic integrity. Using certain computer programs such as the End-Note program could help the students to achieve that purpose. As such, COB should conduct training sessions for students to use that kind of program which is available in the UUM library. Causes of Writing Problems It was found that the students attributed their problems in English to their weak foundation, environment, and methods of teaching English in their countries. Weak foundation is related to the status of English, the students’ motivation to learn English, and the teachers’ lack of interest. Environmental reasons include the use of the mother tongue, few opportunities to practice English, and isolated culture. On the other hand, methods of teaching English included the medium of instruction, using Arabic in English classes, writing done in Arabic, teachers’ low proficiency in English, and lack of writing practice in educational institutions (see Table 3). WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh. 16 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Table 3: Causes of problems in writing tasks in the business programs Interview Q3: Why do you think you have S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 Total these problems in writing? (n=10) 1 1 1 1 Weak Foundation (WF) 1 1 1 1 8 Status of English Motivation Teachers’ Lack of interest Environment 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 8 Mother tongue Few opportunities to practice English Isolated culture Methods of teaching English 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 2 1 7 Medium of instruction Writing done in Arabic Teachers’ low proficiency 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 4 1 1 Using Arabic in English classes Lack of practice writing in educational institutions 1 1 1 1 17 4 WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Suggestions to overcome Academic Writing Problems Some suggestions were provided by the informants to improve their writing skills. Most of them emphasized the role of COB, others emphasized the learners’ roles, and some concentrated on the teachers’ roles, and the writing development process (see table 4. 4). Table 4. 4: Suggestions from the informants to overcome academic writing problems Interview Q4: How do you think you can improve your Academic Writing skills? Learner Autonomy (LA) S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 Total (n=10) 5 1 1 1 1 1 Reading Extensively Extra Classes Teachers’ Role (TR) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 5 Speak simple English Use multiple techniques Correct students’ errors Increase the number of writing tasks College Role (CR). 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 Discipline specific materials Discipline specific English test 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 18 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info The students pointed out that teachers play an important role in improving their academic writing skills. They suggested that teachers ought to correct the students’ grammatical errors. This coincides with Gocsik (1997) who argued that dealing with the students’ grammatical errors, as they arise in students’ writing is helpful. By doing so, it helps to build students’ awareness of the different types of grammatical errors they are making and encourage them to check their errors by using grammar handbooks. Moreover, the students proposed that teachers should employ multiple teaching techniques in order to improve students’ academic writing. Using some fun activities like games and scrambled sentences would motivate the students’ in learning English. This concurs with Ober (1992) who emphasized on including micro-writing activities that focus on the students’ problems in writing and using activities that are simple and related to the students’ academic disciplines. The students also proposed that lecturers should increase the number of writing tasks. They believe that by doing so, they would strengthen their abilities in academic writing. In this way the students will be required to write some of the academic writing tasks, if these tasks were attached with the lectures’ feedback. The students will be aware of their errors and will try to improve their academic writing after knowing their weak points. This is in line with Russell (1991) who suggested including more writing in disciplinespecific courses because each discipline has its own terminologies of language use and style that can best be taught to students in the specific contexts of courses in the disciplines. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh. 19 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info The students were aware that by providing discipline- specific English materials, they can develop their writing abilities. So, it is advisable for the college to initiate disciplinespecific English classes where materials contain discipline specific register. It is recommended that the students take intensive English courses which are related to their academic disciplines. This is to help familiarize students with the writing demands of their disciplines. This is in line with Jordan (1997) who indicated that the students are required to focus on their academic genres and duplication. In other words, the students study genre texts and attempt various exercises that enable them to draw attention to relevant features of a text, and then replicate them in their own writing. Conclusion For the purpose of exploring the problems that Arab postgraduate students at COB might face, an investigation was carried out on the writing tasks that are carried out and the causes of these problems, and suggestions to overcome these problems were provided. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The findings of the current study may help the curriculum developers to improve the current curriculum of COB and design Business English courses that could meet learners’ needs and wants. This coincides with Dudley-Evans (2001) who views ESP as a means to meet the specific needs of the learners. The ESP practitioners can utilize the findings of the study to design ESP courses which deals with the academic writing process.

Nonverbal Communication In Social Psychology Psychology Essay

Nonverbal Communication In Social Psychology Psychology Essay The most important thing in communication is hearing what isnt said.- Peter F. Drucker cited in Goman,2008 page 1. This states that spoken language and non verbal signals need to simultaneously exist and interact with each other in order to give the receiver a fully understanding of what is been said. Non-verbal communication is the ability to transfer, receive and decode messages to one another without using spoken or written language instead we take a specific body posture or facial expression to denote a particular feeling or intention. Non-verbal behaviour can be both consciously and unconsciously (M .Argyle, 1988, page 4). Non-verbal behaviour became acknowledged in the social psychological field in 1872 by Charles Darwins work, where he suggested that high intelligence animals shared the same facial expressions with humans C.Darwin (1872 cited in P.Ekman,1973, pages 12,13). This essay will discuss the importance of non verbal communication in the social psychological field. There are different types of kinesics such as eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and body postures. It is said that the eyes are the most powerful means of communication we posses after words (G.R.Wainwright, 1985, page 5) that is because our eyes help us seek information, display attention and interest, show respect and provide feedback during speech Argyle (1965, cited in Wainwright, 1988 page 9). For example when people avoid looking others in the eyes, it seems that they are trying to hide something or that they are lying. Neuro-Linguistic Programming researchers, for several decades, believed that when a person looks up to their right corner of their eye they are more likely to be lying, whilst a glance up to their left it indicates that they are telling the truth. However, a later on study of two professors; R. Wiseman from  Edinburgh University and C. Watt from Hertfordshire University has shown that that theory was wrong; there was no evidence of a correlation betwe en lying and eye movements. (R. Wiseman, C. Watt et al. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7).Instead avoiding eye contact could clearly indicate nervousness or shyness. Moreover, in some countries eye contact signifies respect and straightforwardness whereas in others it is seen as rude and disrespectful; for instance in European cultures, a certain amount of eye contact is required, but too much makes many people uncomfortable. When greeting a Chinese, it is best to avoid prolonged eye contact as a sign of respect and deference (E. T. Hall, M. R. Hall, 1990,page 14). Furthermore, effectual eye contact is also a significant feedback machine that makes the speaking situation a double dissociation since it certifies that others are listening and that the listeners are appreciated for their attentiveness. (G. R. Wainwright,1985 , page 11) However, when people feel bored they usually do not make eye contact with the person they are talking to and may start searching for anything nearby to fidget with -th eir cell phone or objects around the room, for example. These actions are perceived as signs of boredom and lack of interest. (G. R. Wainwright, 1985, page 7) Closely relevant to eye contact are facial expressions which posses the most dominant and primary form of body language. Facial expressions must have obtained evolutionary importance; since it would have been evolutionary growth for our antecedents to have been chosen for biological reproduction and natural survival on account of their ability to make facial expressions C .Darwin (1872 cited in P .Ekman page 13). Additionally, it has been said that people can produce around 20000 different facial expressions Birdwhistell (1970 cited in Argyle,1988 page122). This mosaic of facial expressions is universal and sums up to six basic principles; happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust and surprise and when these fundamental emotions are mixed together they produce an array of expressions Ekman (1982 cited M. Argyle, 1988 pages 121,122). Furthermore, the importance of facial expressions is also shown by the ability that people have on making almost infallible critics about someones persona lity, intelligence, character in the first few minutes of meeting them (G. R. Wainwright, 1985, page 23). However, a psychologist had run an experiment, in which the subjects had to chose if that person in the picture was innocent or not, and found out that a significant number of people were biased to judge someone as a criminal by their facial features (G.R. Wainwright, 1985, page 27). In sequence of these findings it suggests that people sometimes misinterpret what they are seeing without having any specific evidence. Also, considering that facial expressions are tight together with emotions, sometimes they can be very similar with the attitudes that we give towards other people; voluntary and involuntary, paradigm being angry is an emotion, being angry towards someone is an interpersonal attitude(M.Argyle,1988, page 85) . Intermittently, people have to look back in order not to disobey that fine line between acceptable and unacceptable attitudes; for example liking and disliking someone are emotions although the expression of disliking someone is often restricted by social rules (M. Argyle, 1988, page 85).Furthermore, facial expressions are inevitable to occur thus at intervals they come in contrast of what is been felt and what their expressions demonstrate (M. Argyle, 1988, page 78,127 and G .R .Wainwright,1985, page 26) .Researches has shown that micromomentary expressions might be captured through cameras but are too emphemeral and momentary for most people to realize them; For example a person might say that they are happy to see someone and may even smile at them, but this false attitude may be showed by a micromomentary expression like disgust. (G .R .Wainwright, 1985, page 26) Another huge subdivision of Non-verbal Communication is gestures. Gestures include body movements that chaperon spoken language, especially with the use of hands; some of them are waving, pointing, using the fingers to indicate numerical amounts and are enormously substantial in the social psychological field since they give emphasis and interpret what is been said. A study has shown that most vocal conversations are accompanied, regulated and modulated by kinesics; like motion of the head, hands etc Bull and Conelli (1985, cited in M. Argyle ,1988 page 107) . Moreover, some gestures are known as illustrators of the verbal context because they imitate shapes, physical objects or movements. Dittman (1972) argued that illustrators appear at the establishment of a verbal conversation in order to manifest what will be contained in the verbal aspect. It was also verified by Butterworth and Beattie (1978) who their findings showed that gestures prefaced the phrase which was associated with them by an average of 800 milliseconds. Although, McNeil and Levy (1982) corralled otherwise, saying that illustrative gestures had the same possibility to happen prior of a phrase or later on (M .Argyle,1988, page 107). Furthermore, another research has demonstrated that emphasis can be denoted not only by the changes of pitch or loudness of someones voice but also by hand or head movements; Mehrabian (1972) had found that speakers who wanted to convince and allure the hearers used gestures and head-nods more frequently . However, Argyle (1983) disagreed with the above statement saying that the capital reason that the transmitter looks at the receiver is to collect information and reactions about what has just been said, in the form of head-nods, facial expressions ,gestures and so on (M.Argyle,1988,page 109).In addition, gestures are not universal, they are culture specific, and can have an entirely different meaning from one culture to another ; so giving a thumbs-up or a peace sign might mean a greeting for some countries and some others might take it as highly offensive signs Morris (1979 cited in Wainwright,1985 page 45). Last but not least, another research has shown that people are perceived as more active, warm and acceptable when they tend to use more nonverbal movements than the ones that use less; those are seen as more logical, cold and analytic (G.R. Wainwright,1985 page 48,49) In conclusion, non verbal communication in some purposes is more powerful and consequential than verbal language itself mostly because it can take different forms; such as gestures, eye contact, facial expressions. That illustrates emotions and attitudes to other people without using any verbal communication. (M. Argyle, 1988 page 308). It is evident that most communication happens without speech and that the spoken part of conversation is actually much less than we think (M.Argyle, 1988,page 1). When verbal and non-verbal communication blend together, the second one might either strengthen or curve the prior one (M. Argyle, 1988,page 106).

Americans are Immigrants! Essay -- essays research papers fc

Americans are Immigrants!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life,† was the words of former American president, John F. Kennedy (American Immigration: Quotes about Immigration). Immigrants have been in America for many years now. Today many people have different opinions about whether immigrants should be allowed into America freely, or if there should be more harsh regulations to those coming into the country. After September 11, people have been afraid, or scared of foreigners coming to America. â€Å"Today a wide-open door is an invitation to national disaster,† was said by FAIR (American Immigration: Quotes about Immigration). I believe this quote is very wrong. People come to our country to find a better place to live, and have a family. They come here for the opportunities, the jobs, and for the pleasures of all the freedom America has to offer. I believe immigrants should freely be able to come into America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One reason why immigration should be allowed freely into our country all started a long time ago. As early as the 1600’s when Americans were using Africans as slaves, the Americans brought these Africans over to America for their own benefits (American Immigration: Assimilation? If so, to What Degree?). As soon as these Africans came to America their title from Africans changed to African-Americans. This means that they are in fact American. After slavery stopped in later years, the now African-Americans had the chance to go back to their homelands, but refused to (American Immigration: Assimilation? If so, to What Degree?). They were so used to being around their American masters that, they now knew how to speak English. This helped them live strong in America, because they already had an advantage over most other immigrant, because they were fluent in their home language, and the American language (American Immigration: Assimilation? If so, to What Degree ?). This is good because, immigrants have brought so many other languages into America that it causes us to expand our knowledge and learn other languages. Chinese immigrants were getting paid as little as nine hundred dollars a month, while working a eleven hour workday (American Immigration: Assimilation? If so, to What Degree?). But for Chinese immigrants our country is still offering b... ...ly. They wanted better jobs, more money, and most of all they wanted freedom to express themselves how they wish. Immigrants should have the right to come into America, and become one of us. â€Å"Remember, remember always, that all of us†¦ are descended from immigrants and revolutionists,† Franklin D. Roosevelt (American immigrants: Quotes About Immigrants). Works Cited â€Å"Assimilation? If so, to What Degree?† American Immigration. 27 February 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/assimilation.html   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . â€Å"Opportunities for and Success for Immigrants.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Immigration. 27 February 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/opportunities.html. â€Å"Quotes About Immigrants.† American Immigration. 27 February 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/quotes_about_immigration.html. â€Å"Reasons for Immigration.† American Immigration. 27 February 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/reasons_for_immigration.html.

Fate Versus Free Will Essay example -- essays papers

Fate Versus Free Will Fate, as described in the Oxford English Dictionary, is â€Å"The principle, power, or agency by which, according to certain philosophical and popular systems of belief, all events, or some events in particular, are unalterably predetermined from eternity.† To the western world, fate is perceived as â€Å"a sentence or doom of the gods† (Oxford). They often sought prophecies of the gods, especially from Apollo, the god of knowledge. The Greeks would seek prophecies usually when they had doubts about something, or if they were afraid or in despair. When the gods made a prophecy, the Greeks put all their faith in it and believed that it would happen. When their prophecies did come true, was it really fate that controlled them? If so, was there any room for free will? Some have difficulty believing that a god, rather than their own actions, could control their fate. However, when a god made a prophecy, which later came true, the evidence was clear enough to cause someone to believe in fate. In one famous play, the question of fate versus free will plays a dominant role during analysis. The play, Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, stars a young man, Oedipus, who appears to be the pawn of the gods. In Ode four (27-31), the chorus comments on Oedipus’ state: And now of all men ever known Most pitiful is this man’s story: His fortunes are most changed, his state Fallen to a low slave’s Ground under bitter fate. Every aspect of Oedipus’ life and everyone he loves eventually suffers from a horrible fate predicted by the gods. However, did Oedipus have to suffer his fate or did he have the power to change it; is the outcome of Oedipus’s life really the result of fate or his own actions? After... ... 1992. The University System of Georgia. 22 April 1999 *http://venuse.galib.uga.edu:4000/FETCH:%3Asessionid=29107:resultset=1:format=F:fcl=1:recno=1:numrecs=1:next=html/Article.html*. * Guthrie, W. K. C. The Greeks and Their Gods. Boston: Beacon Press, 1950. * Hamilton, Edith. The Greek Way. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1930. * Knox, Bernard M. W. Oedipus at Thebes. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1957. * â€Å"Oxford English Dictionary.† Galaleo. The University System of Georgia. 2 May 1999. *http://sage.libs.uga.edu/ssp/cgi-bin/oed-idx.pl?sessionid=925701061&type=entry&byte= 136735810&q1=fate&q2=&q3=* * Sophocles. â€Å"Oedipus Rex.† Literature. Ed. Robert DiYanni. Boston: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1998. 880-921. * â€Å"Sophocles: The Author and His Times.† Barron’s Booknotes. America Online. 22 April 1999 *AOL keyword: Barron’s*.

Essay --

What truly defines someone as a man? There are many answers to the question. Unfortunately, society has warped the true concept of manhood and replaced it with many stereotypes that every man is expected to follow. As a result, the idea of manhood is nothing more than a collection of stereotypes. This warped concept was no different during the Jacobean era. The manly hero in many pieces of literature mostly shared the same traits, and was always revered for it. However, Shakespearean plays were an exception. This is especially true in the tragedy Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. The concept of Manhood is explored in Macbeth, but more importantly, its validity is explored and questioned. In Macbeth, Shakespeare challenges the stereotypical concepts of manhood through the use characterization and contrast between the characters throughout the play. Lady Macbeth represents all the stereotypical qualities of manhood, such as unrelenting determination, cruelty, and lack of emotions. Her interpretation of masculinity is made clear from the very first scene she appears in. When Lady Macbeth realizes that she must kill Duncan in her own home, she states, "Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here" (I. iv. 43-44). Her request shows that she believes a woman is not capable of such cruel and evil acts, and that only a man is. Furthermore, she wants to be filled up from the "crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty!" with the "access and passage to remorse", completely blocked off, implying that a man is without remorse and feelings, and full of cruelty (I. iv. 45-47). Lady Macbeth then imposes her idea of Manhood on Macbeth. When Macbeth decides not to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth quickly challenges his manliness by c... ...ction to the murder of his family. Macduff represents what true manhood is, a man that has emotions and feelings. When Macduff receives news of the murder of his family, he immediately starts to cry and grieve. Malcolm tells Macduff to "Dispute it like man", telling Macduff to stop crying and to act like a man (IV. iii. 256). Macduff responds with, "I shall do so;/ But I must also feel it as a man:" (IV. iii. 257-259). Macduff responds that he will deal with it like man; however, he will deal with it with emotions and feelings, as well as by taking action. Macduff's statement, in contrast to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, implies that it is okay for a man to have feelings and emotions, and that Manhood is more than just violence and action. Furthermore, unlike Macbeth, whose idea of masculinity causes serious character flaws, Macduff's idea actually helps him achieve his

Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell: Human Rights in Nigeria Case Analysis International Business April 22, 2013 The History Royal Dutch Shell is a global company. It has about 93,000 employees and is located in more than 90 countries. It is an energy and petrochemicals business. In the US it was founded in 1912 by the American Gasoline Company to sell gasoline along the Pacific Coast, and Roxanna Petroleum to buy oil product properties in Oklahoma (according to Shell. US website). However, it was founded in 1907 in Europe when Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and the Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd merged.This was done to help the company compete globally. It has done several mergers and buyouts in its hundred plus years of business. Throughout the years Shell has made changes in their business to better compete in the market from becoming a global business to investing in research and development in the newest and latest energy technologies. Today it is in the top six of oil and gas companies. It produces around 3. 1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. The Problem The Guardian News has run an article reporting on the inconsistencies of what the Royal Dutch Shell has committed to and the reality of the situation.Two hospitals that we built in the Ogoni region of Nigeria are diametrically opposite of each other in health standards and overall aesthetics. The company has reported that it is committed to the social well-being of the area, but the reality is completely different. The Situation The situation is that we have as part of the 1996 â€Å"Ogani Reconciliation† plan committed to the social and economic well-being of the local communities. There has been millions of dollars sent to the country allocated to the areas of hospitals and medical care as well as to other needs.Though resources have been sent to build hospitals for the region, the reality is that any of the improvements that was said to be done are seriously subpar to any health standard of any country. Improvements have been done with little regard to the needs of the people and were primarily done so that it can be said that the company was committed to the local region. Though millions has been sent to the country, much of this has been siphoned off to other areas of government and possible to fill the pockets of people that are in the place of authority. Also, some decisions have been made without direct input from the region itself.What to build? Where to build? How to allocate resources? These are all questions that need a comprehensive answer that involves each of the concerned parties. It is concerning that these issues have been allowed to happen. A company of their size and magnitude should not have allowed these community projects be the mockery of the press. Royal Dutch Shell is a company that has many well rounded and sound business plans. The execution and maintenance of these business plans is one of Shell’s main issues. They have the ability to creat e great business plans but lack the commitment to maintain them and sometime execute them in all areas.Marketing Issues The company has had a lot of negative publicity due to the companies operation in the Ogani region of Nigeria. The company is seen to be working hand-in-hand with Nigerian security personnel with little regard to the local minority people of that region. This is causing violence and unrest of the region as well sabotage of the oil pipelines causing oil spills and environmental damage. Actions For the short term, we need to consider the following objectives: * One of the first steps is to make sure the hospital consistently has the electricity and the fuel to run a backup generator.Provide backup generators with the fuel to run them when necessary. If a lavish hospital can be kept up for the employees of our company we can keep up adequate levels of care of Gokana. This will serve as big public relations improvement. * The company should use its knowledge to help ou t the struggling hospital and install wind and solar power technology so they can lower the cost of electricity and help improve a bad situation. * The company should consider helping and sharing their equipment, employees, ambulances, etc. with the hospital in Ogoniland.This will show the community that Shell is â€Å"being a good neighbor†, which in turn would boost the communities morale. * Making improvements on the hospital will directly affect the people of the region. * Setup a working committee with MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) and Nigerian national representatives, as well as an independent group to oversee any agreements. * Work with the region to start making the improvements that will directly affect the people of the region. * Take responsibility of the oil spills due to company failure and get these cleaned up. Take responsibility for all of the pollution * Use the people of the company to reach out into the community and start community clean up days so the people can help clean up their community and also have a little ownership into the improvements. * Review the companies committees and oversight boards and make sure that the people in place are committed to working with the region. * Reach out to the community with surveys to the people to get their feelings about Shell and what they would like to see improve. * Once improvements are made hold a press conference to help with the PR of the company.It is obvious that the public relations area has suffered. Make it a point to show what is being done to help the area. The long term goals would be to: * Work with the MOSOP to get a comprehensive plan in place that will work to end the protests and sabotage of company pipelines. * Put a sustainable corporate plan in place with independent review that all policies are being adhered to by all officers pertinent to this region. * By getting these agreements, and with the investments in the local infrastructure will cau se less problems that will need money allocated to them. Work to develop better company practices to promote a higher sense of ethics and their climates in the work place * Change their business approach from an egoistic approach to a principal-based approach (integrity approach based on laws) Conclusion Caution will be needed due to the political environment and instability of Nigeria. The company will always need to be aware of what is going on politically on both the national and local levels. The corporate actions taken by Royal Dutch Shell has affected and destroyed a community.The company has tried to recover and fixed what they have done but they have not succeeded in doing so. Royal Dutch Shell has to build a relationship of trust with the Nigerian community. They have to let the community be heard when they are reaching out to let the company know what they need and allow them to be part of the reconstruction and rebuilding of their community. Shell is a very lucrative comp any that makes millions of dollars a day; they would be very hurt to lose this business operation base in Nigeria. Shell went from an egoistic operation in Nigeria to a principle based operation.If Shell even took on a larger sense of social responsibility, they would have gained a larger competitive advantage over the competition. Though the company was acquitted of several charges in January of 2013 by the Dutch courts and made responsible for the oil spills on the last count, there will be unrest in the local region as they want to make the company responsible for all of the problems. Careful steps will need to be taken to address the concerns in such a way to help the region and to lessen the criticism of the people and media.

Jungle Love Essay

The novel, â€Å"Jungle love novel†, was written by Margaret Johnson. This story is about two girls, Jennifer and Lisa, who took a trip to Belize and they both were in love with the same attractive man, Ian. Jennifer enjoyed nature and reading while Lisa liked talking too long. In Jennifer’s situation, she had another man, Pete. They planned to get married and then to move to the countryside to enjoy their life. However, she was very confused about their relationship. She loved Pete, but she wasn’t in love with Pete as much as with Ian. About Lisa, she wasn’t contented with what she had. She lived in the boring countryside with her mother but she always dreamed about living in a luxury flat in London. She knew what she wanted – a soul mate and moving to London. The ridiculous thing is they both were loved by Ian. He couldn’t choose whom he liked most because they were both attractive. These two girls began a war. When Jennifer and Lisa finally discovered that Ian was a big liar, they became reconciled and became good friends. The story ended up with Lisa receiving a phone call from her brother that her mother married an old man. Thus Lisa was able to start her new life in London. At the same time Jennifer broke the engagement with Pete. What a dramatic ending! I think Jennifer didn’t know exactly what she wanted and then made the situation worse and more complicated. Nevertheless, Lisa was confident and sure of what she wanted in life that she tried hard to realize it. The main idea is appearances can be deceptive. In my opinion, they shouldn’t trust man who said sweet words. They both were abused by Ian. Don’t judge only by appearances.