Factors That Influence Communication Essay

There are different ways that the environment can affect communication. For example: Noise – A noisy environment can mean road works, loud music, and transportation. Setting – Pictures, signs, decorations and poor lighting can distract people which makes them lose focus. Time – Meeting at the wrong time and phone calls at the wrong time can affect communication. Space – Overcrowded places for example corridors, public transport, offices and stores can affect communication. Distance can also affect communication, if people are trying to communicate and there is a gap between them it can cause a communication barrier. Barriers There are also lots of barriers that can affect communication. For example: Types of communication: difficult, complex or sensitive: Most communication between people is about sharing or transmitting information. For example, someone might want to know what number bus to catch, or they may ask for a drink. At times communication will be complex. For example, a relative might want to know about funding arrangements for care. Communication about funding might involve a lot of complex information. It would be important to check what that relative already knew and whether or not they understood the information that was given. Cultural Influence Culture refers to the customs, language, arts, common dietary habits and attire of a particular region. It also includes the learned values, beliefs and behaviours common to a group of individuals. Culture and communication are inseparable. This means that culture can be a strong barrier to interpersonal communication between people of different cultures. Individuals from different cultural backgrounds often carry an attitude that their own culture is superior to that of others. This attitude hampers interpersonal communication between two individuals or groups from different cultural backgrounds. Individuals who are ethnocentric in nature often are under the impression that anyone who does not belong to their group is either strange or inferior. This perception also prevents healthy social and political communication between two groups. Power Power is the ability to influence others and have strong self-control under  complex circumstances. All interpersonal communication or interactions reflect some form of power, which may be obvious or hidden. Obvious power refers to people who occupy a higher position in business or government and have to communicate with their employees or subjects. People in power positions may exert their power on individuals who are not equally competent, and this inequality could act as a barrier to effective communication.

Investigating the development and importance of the auditing standards

The regulative environment makes it compulsory that organisations such as limited liability companies must be audited by an independent external hearer qualified under the ordinances of professional organic structures internationally or nationally to guarantee that the company is working in conformity to the company jurisprudence set by several states. An external hearer maps as an independent organic structure appointed by and studies to stockholders to show an sentiment whether the fiscal statements are prepared, in all stuff respects, true and just and in conformity to the applicable fiscal coverage model ( Pflugrath G. , Martinov-Bennie N. and Chen L. , 2007 ) . In describing to the stockholders, the hearer provides sensible confidence whereby they do non vouch fiscal statements are free from material misstatements but instead at an acceptable degree. Professional organic structures worldwide carries a responsibility to put auditing criterions to play a function of helping hearer s in executing responsibilities in order to supply high degree of assurance to intended users of the Financial Statements ( Noreen, 1988 ; Siegel et al. , 1995 ; Wotruba et al. , 2001 ) .2.0 Main Report2.1 Development of auditing criterionsThere are three regulative environments which govern statutory audits and one of them is scrutinizing criterions. At International degree, the International Federation of Accountants ( IFAC ) is the planetary organisation for the accounting profession. An independent standard-setting board under IFAC is known as the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board ( IAASB ) . The IAASB developed the International Standards on Auditing ( ISAs ) to be carried out on audit battles. As for National degree, ordinances differ as there are assorted standard scene organic structures which choose to follow the ISAs by modifying it or to put their ain criterions to accommodate harmonizing to single states. In Malaysia, the Malaysian Institute of Account ants ( MIA ) , a member of IFAC is responsible in developing the Malaysian Approved Standards on Auditing ( AI ) which adopts the modified ISAs. However, the latest development states the execution of a new board which is the Audit and Assurance Standard Board ( AASB ) ( Cosserat and Rodda, 2009 ) .2.2 Importance of the auditing criterions.An scrutinizing criterion is a signifier of the current best pattern applicable in statutory audit battles by sanctioned hearers which sets a minimal degree of proficient proficiency to guarantee work done is of high quality auditing and at the same clip supplying high degree of confidence ( Jubb and Houghton, 2007 ; Simnett, 2007 ) . It is a signifier of benchmarking the strength of accomplishing aims of the professional organic structures in being a function theoretical account in the accounting profession as stated by Watkins et Al. ( 2004 ) , and besides safeguarding the place of hearers whilst scrutinizing fiscal statements. Through professional and ethical criterions such as independence and unity, Alfredson, K. et Al. ( 2005 ) states that hearers carry out elaborate plants to value a capable affair whether it is of true and just position. Once a decision is made, the sentiment obtained would find the degree of assurance the populace would hold towards the fiscal statements ( Alfredson, K. et al. , 2005 ) . This adds on to cut downing the hazard factor faced by users of the fiscal statements ( Martinov, 2004 ) as it deters managers of an entity to transport out deceitful activities. At the same clip, it besides indirectly strengthens the audit profession as the populace would hold an increased assurance degree taking to a better feeling towards hearers in general ( Simnett, 2007 ; Dellaportas, Senarath Yapa and Sivanantham, 2008 ) . As processs of executing a statutory audit is consistent and of principles-based, it becomes less stiff and flexible to be implemented on the audit plants carried out on fiscal statements. Aside from that, as agreed by Noreen, 1988 ; Siegel et al. , 1995 ; Wotruba et Al. ( 2001 ) ; it may be able to cut down clip factor as hearers are able to be after and analyse which country are important to be tested more and frailty versa because they are already well-versed with the audit processs set by the criterions. However, this may present as a menace because the usage of their ain opinion becomes excessively subjective and therefore, they may be given to be excessively indulgent during audit processs and beltway on of import affairs. Hearers could even deliberately choose non to execute so much elaborate work and merely province fiscal statements as true and just since wittingly for the past history, it has been stated as so ( Jones et al. , 2003 ; Herron and Gilbertson, 2004 ) . From this affair, it can be of advantage to managers to carry on deceitful activities because hearers can merely see an sentiment on fraud but non able to observe and forestall it. It is the responsibility of the direction and managers to go to to deceitful possibilities in a company. With that said, they may choose to non follow deliberately by declining to unwrap gray countries in its fiscal statements or relevant information needed to execute the audit ( Cosserat and Rodda, 2009 ) . While saying to be able to accomplish high quality audits worldwide, a smattering of states still implement their ain auditing criterions to accommodate their national statute laws and traditions ( Samuels and Piper, 1985 ; Tarca, 1998 ; cited in Dellaportas, Senarath Yapa and Sivanantham, 2008 ) . This is likely due to the fact that there are still many developing states which do non hold professional organic structures for such a intent as this or even states like in the United States of America whereby they adopt a different criterion which is of rule-based ( Simnett, 2007 ) . All this may reciprocally do a hold and obstructor to harmonisation of criterions across the Earth in concurrence to international convergence ( Weetman, 2006 ) . Aside from that, consistent updating and alteration of criterions poses a demand to maintain oneself updated taking to a deficiency of assurance while executing responsibilities due to inaccurate executing of criterions implied on audit work as there are restrictions to how much one can make at a period of clip. Being excessively proficient with ordinances may do hearers to be ‘stiff ‘ in their public presentation and therefore, lack grasp on findings of samples, trial objects and the appraisal of analytical processs.2.3 Aims and Activities of IAASB and AASBWork done by the IAASB is monitored by the inadvertence organic structure known as the Public Interest Oversight Board ( PIOB ) whereby the populace ‘s involvement is involved sing proper revelations and transparence of issues that concerns to bettering the overall mission and to accomplish aims of the professional organic structure ( Dellaportas, Senarath Yapa and Sivanantham, 2008 ) . IAASB came up with a development of a plan in the twelvemonth 2004, which functions to redraft the full ISAs either partly to change countries in the ISAs or to to the full bring down new lucidity conventions where applicable. The Clarity Project reached a degree of completion upon confirmation by the PIOB and now contributes 36 freshly clarified criterions as guidelines in confidence battle by qualified hearers worldwide ( Accountants Today, June 2009 ) . Judging from the fact that the criterions now clearly identifies the aims and duties an hearer faces, a better apprehension of the full construct and public consciousness are gained ( Buchanan, F.R. , 2003 ) . The freshly improved criterions are by-far less proficient and therefore, easy to be adopted by practicians to be implemented on processs carried out for confidence battle. The whole intent of carry oning the lucidity undertaking is to do the criterions more appropriate and updated with the recent environment and at the same clip to help and update users of relevant information and a clearer position of using each criterion for the benefit of the populace ( Dellaportas, Senarath Yapa and Sivanantham, 2008 ) . The assurance of the populace in fiscal coverage activities would finally be increased ( Alfredson, K. , Leo, K. , Picker, R. , Pacter, P. and Radford, J. , 2005 ) . It is in a manner a good thing to invariably upgrade and redraft the criterions to accommodate the current coverage environment ( Humphrey, C. and Turley, S. , 2006 ) . However, there may be a little disadvantage in the sense of doing the revised criterions known to its users. The professional organic structures would necessitate to carry on seminars or station notices to all members of the professional organic structures to inform them of such amendments that has taken topographic point. This finally takes clip and attempts and may even incur a little cost to be carried out. Similarly the IAASB, the AASB plays a similar function in continuing an acceptable degree of quality professional services and high ethical behavior amongst practicians. The MIA further justified the desire of standing-out in the standard-setting procedure trusting that Malayan market can be integrated internationally so that point of views can be mentioned earlier alternatively of acquiring secondhand attending in order to germinate criterions that are more suited to the nature of the Malayan market ( Izma N. , 2009 ) . Implementing the ISAs by the AASB is a signifier of doing attempts to heighten the fiscal markets of Malaysia in going more competitory and stable. At the same clip, it besides improves professional unity and quality of audit plants by hearers. Under the backing of the MIA, AASB will go on to run into rigorous outlooks of stakeholders every bit good as traveling towards a holistic international convergence of criterions and enhance assurance of users through proper counsel in audit and confidence services. This may turn out to be a good measure in front in concurrence to be inline with the harmonisation of criterions in the universe today and besides to prepare the fiscal place of the state in order to hike assurance of the public one time once more ( Chan and Leung, 2006 ) . Therefore, conformity with scrutinizing criterions such as the ISAs and implementing it into aims and duties stated by the professional organic structures need to be acted out rapidly so as to non fall behind in clip because it can be rather a drawn-out procedure which is non accomplishable overnight ( Izma N. , 2009 ) .2.4 Further RegulationsCodes of Corporate Governance Corporate administration is the system whereby companies are directed and controlled. Cosserat and Rodda, 2009 mentioned that it is utile in avoiding affairs such as struggles of involvement seen in the bureau theory between the directors ( agents ) and the stockholders ( principal ) . In conformity to the UK Combined Codes of best patterns, the board of an entity is encouraged to organize an audit commission to guard the independency and objectiveness of hearers. An audit commission plays a function as an independent point of mention to turn to sing issues of struggle between the board of managers and the external hearers. Aside from that, in order to better external audit processs, they have a responsibility to supervise the unity of managers in fixing fiscal statements. Codes of Ethical motives The burden is ever on the hearer non merely to be ethical but besides to be seen as ethical. The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants ( IESBA ) establishes a conceptual model for all practicians to adhere to five regulations: unity, objectiveness, professional competency and due attention, confidentiality and professional behavior. Menaces to these rules are to be identified and applied with several precautions to extenuate it. Hearers are subjected to ethical demands by professional organic structures because the public relies on hearers to bring forth an independent sentiment during confidence battles ( Pflugrath G. , Martinov-Bennie N. and Chen L. , 2007 ) . They farther elaborated that a high quality audit, consisting of professional competency and due attention features need to be conducted as hearers have entree to confidential information of the entity. Company Law An hearer is required to execute an one-year audit abiding by statutory responsibilities to describe to stockholders on whether fiscal statements are of a true and just position and in conformity to approved criterions. They need to be independent and persevering and province if sufficient information has been obtained and that the company has kept proper records harmonizing to the jurisprudence. The hearer must besides name out lacks of their findings in the hearer ‘s study. The company jurisprudence besides determines the rights, assignment, remotion and surrender of hearers and the liability of hearers to stockholders and 3rd parties ( Cosserat and Rodda, 2009 ) .3.0 DecisionThe result of these findings discussed has added cognition to a better apprehension of the full audit and confidence rhythm. The responsibilities of an external hearer must be based on appropriate conceptual models developed either internationally or nationally harmonizing to the suitableness of several states. They need to execute a statutory battle required by the company jurisprudence, which is of high but non absolute confidence that the fiscal statements are free from material misstatements. An overview of the constitution of scrutinizing criterions, its aims and importance to benchmark the quality of hearers in executing responsibilities and corporate administration, company jurisprudence and ethical codifications as extra ordinances in heightening the function of hearers were identified. Furthermore, the chief thought of separating IAASB and AASB on its maps and activities in the universe today has added cognition to the deepnesss of 1s ‘ head. Therefore, the several standards-setting boards need to foster enhance and beef up its actions and processs in order to accomplish international convergence and quality criterions to function the public better and increase in its objectiveness effectivity.

Summary review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary review - Essay Example ’ and motivates the man to interact with the other employees so that he can learn about the styles that he uses as a manager (Blanchard and Johnson 14). In order to be an effective manager, Blanchard and Johnson have given three primary secrets in the book. The first secret is open minded goal setting. According to Blanchard and Johnson (18), this is the one minute management foundation. They vouch for the 80-20 rule of goal setting. By this, they simply imply that 80% of results that are really important come 20% of goals that were set. This simply entails making people aware of what they should do in their duties. In one minute goal setting, the first step is agreeing on the goals. This is followed by looking out for good behavior, then writing out each of the set goals in not more than 250 words. The fourth step entails reading and re-reading each goal, which should be less than a minute. The next step requires one to take a minute off each day to evaluate their performance and finally seeing whether or not the goals match their behavior (Blanchard and Johnson 22). The second secret is one minute praisings (Blanchard and Johnson 24). The two authors point out that people can reach their maximum potential if they are helped by effective managers to know every time they do something right. Blanchard and Johnson note that when people produce good results, they tend to feel really good about themselves. The first step in one minute praisings is letting people know up front that you are going to inform them about how they are doing. The second step is praising people immediately and then telling people what they do right, immediately they do it and in specific terms. Also, it is important to let people know you feel great regarding what they have done right and how it is helpful to the business and other people in it. Encouraging them to continue doing more of the same also works well. Finally, it is important to show people who do well that you support their

The Jerry Watson 30 year old murder case Research Paper

The Jerry Watson 30 year old murder case - Research Paper Example Fingerprints from car were also recorded.. However, these initial investigations could not provide any lead towards the identification of the murderer. The case could not be solved then. However, this case was reopened again and Laura Casey started the job of examining the old fingerprints for any fresh leads. The FBI’s â€Å"Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System† proved a boon for the case to go ahead, as Casey was able to pinpoint a few suspects within very short time. While Jerry Watson was serving his term in the jail, Herout could identify him as the murderer, a few days before his scheduled release. The trial against Watson started after almost 30 years of the crime. The new technology that was incorporated with the finger print identification system helped the detective to name the culprit. While the stolen car was found a few blocks away from Watson residence, it further confirmed the senior detective Herout’s doubt about Watson being the killer. ... In addition, the latest DNA matching technique also helped the detectives involved in this case to identify the killer. Case overview and summary Although the murder of Carroll Bonnet remained mystery and the case was stuck in the old files’ cabinet for almost 30 years, the new technology of fingerprint identification helped the senior detective Herout and his collogue Laura Casey to identify the killer and provide justice to the departed soul. Crime details During 1978, the victim Carroll Bonnet was brutally murdered in his apartment. As the killer had tried to wash off the evidence and bloodstains, police investigators collected finger and palm prints from the apartment’s bathroom. The initial investigation also revealed that car belonging to victim was stolen. (30-Year-Old Murder Solved, nd) Initial investigation The investigating team processed finger and palm prints collected from the victim’s bathroom. However, they could not reach any conclusion and in the absence of any lead, the case just lingered on. The stolen car was found in Illinois and investigators collected latent finger and other prints from it. The evidence collected and the finger as well as the latent prints could not match with any record in the state and local criminal fingerprint files. Faced with such a situation, the investigators made enquiries from agencies outside Nebraska, for finding any possible matches. However, nothing worthwhile was found. This resulted in the case to remain cold for almost three decades. (Michelle, 2012) Case reinvestigated An enquiry received by the Omaha Police department, during second half of 2008 prompted for the case reopening. There was a reason to start the investigations

The Health Protection Scheme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Health Protection Scheme - Essay Example As the essay states Hong Kong has had private health insurance for many decades in various forms. In 2009, about four million policies covered two million individuals and over 1.5 million groups. This was representative of 34% of HK’s population being privately insured. The number of people buying private insurance has gone up in the past four years. Private health insurance has contributed 12% of HK’s financing in health care between 1998 and 2009, while it has continued to grow at 9% every year with regards to total health expenditure share during the same period. In 2010, hospitals in the private sector spent a quarter of their entire expenditure on caring for inpatients, of which at least half was covered by insurance from the private sector. According to the research findings the Food and Health Bureau, through a study on private health insurance, outlined various challenges and inadequacies that insurers, providers, and consumers were confronted with, particularly in the private health insurance sector. This led to proposals on the health protection scheme, which sought to address several issue. With regards to the insurers, it sought to address rising and non-transparent medical fees, unnecessary admissions and moral hazards because of investigations, non-disclosure and anti-selection when underwriting, and the challenge of public insurance that was dimming attractiveness for private health insurance.... Despite these statistics, the Food and Health Bureau, through a study on private health insurance, outlined various challenges and inadequacies that insurers, providers, and consumers were confronted with, particularly in the private health insurance sector (Gauld & Gould, 2012). This led to proposals on the health protection scheme, which sought to address several issue. With regards to the insurers, it sought to address rising and non-transparent medical fees, unnecessary admissions and moral hazards because of investigations, non-disclosure and anti-selection when underwriting, and the challenge of public insurance that was dimming attractiveness for private health insurance (Dembe & Boden, 2000). For consumers, it sought to address uncertainty of charges and coverage and lack of quality assurance and medical fees that were non-transparent. Finally, it sought to address coverage of procedures for outpatients and inadequate coverage for private doctors and hospitals (Shek, 2012). A rgument for Health Protection Scheme One area that the HPS will help the situation is in financing, particularly with two tiers in the HK health system, i.e. public and private. The private sector mainly gets its funds from private sources like out-of-pocket payments and private insurance. In contrast, the public health insurance sector gets heavy subsidies from the Hong Kong government that come from taxes (Wong et al, 2011). While the HK government spends relatively less compared to countries from the west, the expenditure trend has been increasing. The health protection scheme has proposed to improve controls on expenditure through inclusion of voluntary participation in premiums by individuals. The government is encouraging HK citizens to join the scheme to enjoy

The Person I Admire Most Is Nelson Mandela Essay

The Person I Admire Most Is Nelson Mandela - Essay Example Slavery became so evident that the victims panicked, and their bodies sweated, as they would not accumulate the mistreatment anymore. People were ruled through abrasive rules that wounded many lives to the extent many sobbed bitterly. In 1994, discrimination was dismantled through the first democratic election and Nelson Mandela became elected as the president. In his leadership, he emphasized much on forgiveness towards a rainbow nation consisted of unity and harmony. To date, many emulate Nelson as a public figure that transformed South Africa into his leadership. An endless flow of peace and harmony became evident in the nation. Today, he belongs to the category of modern heroes that graced civilizations with his noble contribution and personal charisma. His life characterized a man who was a thirst for freedom, equality, political rights. Still, he was distressed to see his fellow Africans suffering and crying all day long. These broke his heart and infused him with the desire to fight for democracy and liberty for all. He accomplished these with cruel torture, shed blood, and resistance from the whites who disregarded the democratic governance. Additionally, Nelson Mandela spent some years in jail and was severely mistreated. While in Jail, Nelson Mandela could hear his conscience whispering â€Å"Do not give up.† Although the experience was so painful, it reminded him of what the nation would become if he gave up. Winning would mean so much that life would be normal and one could go anywhere he or she wished. During his 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela became a source of aspiration and inspiration (Mandela and Crwys-Williams 22). Personally, I emulate him because his greatest accomplishment was not only in becoming the president but also in abolishing slavery and discrimination. He ushered in harmony, democratic governance, social harmony, and national unity that many recognizes up-to-date.

Analysis LA Fitness in England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis LA Fitness in England - Essay Example The main reason behind expansion of LA Fitness is that it wants to offer a wide range of services in the new markets in order to ensure the success of the business in the international market as well. The company plans to expand in England. Some of the driving points, which would enable the company to expand its business in the foreign markets and achieve success, are given below: 1. The increasing awareness related to the health issues as well as concern towards obesity and its effects amongst the people of England, will act as one of the key element in acceptance of the business operations of LA Fitness in the country. 2. Increasing wish of controlling and maintaining weight, avoiding various health issues and reducing daily stress influences individuals to visit the health clubs almost regularly. This is one of the main reasons behind LA Fitness’s business expansion plans into the international market. 3. LA Fitness provides services to meet the needs of the customers and o ffer them facilities for most of their health and fitness needs. This would help them in achieving success in their business operations in the international market easily. 4. The consumers would be offered different exercise regimes. Well differentiated service offered by the company would enable it in developing recognition in the new market. LA Fitness provides customized training services for meeting the personal needs of each and every member and gives them chance to choose the best suitable work out for themselves. Industry Analysis using Porter’s Five Forces Analysis would help in understanding the reason behind the expansion of the company in the chosen Country. Porter’s Five Forces analysis Porter’s five forces analysis would help in performing the industry analysis of health and fitness industry in England (Alkhafaji, 2003; Porter, 1980; 1998). Competition from the existing firms- There are many health clubs in England, which offer health and fitness se rvices to the customers. Thus the competition from the existing firms is very high (David, 1986). However, LA Fitness provides customer friendly services to its members. It is better than its competitors, as it treats its customers as family members and provide them good training. The fitness market is having a growth of certain percentage every year. The company has huge scope of achieving competitive advantage over its competitors by expanding the fitness clubs and hiring large number of employees in the new market, who would provide good services. Bargaining power of buyers- The bargaining power of the buyers is very high in England as there are a large number of fitness clubs offering services to the customers (Davis, 2008). There are a large number of alternative options for them. This increases their bargaining power. Moreover, 10 to 15 percent of buyers of the health clubs do not renew their membership as they do not find it interesting anymore. LA Fitness would have to advan ce its services by utilization of latest technologies in order to retain its buyers in the new market. Threat of substitutes: There are various substitutes for health clubs. People can consume healthy food; go for cycling or walking after eating. There are many individuals who play sports regularly in order to stay healthy. Some of them do labor work, which keeps them physically fit. Some visit doctors and maintain fixed diet in order to remain aware of the nutrients.

Peaceful coexistence within society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peaceful coexistence within society - Essay Example This is because conflict and violence have resulted in the immigration of business investors, development experts as well as a massive number of their population who could have participated in developing their nation. Conflict between neighbors or countries may also result to loss of lives especially of innocent skilled people who may promote the rapid economic development of a nation (Council of International Relations 2008, n.p) There are various policies that have been formulated and implemented by different stakeholders to ensure that there is a peaceful co-existence within the society for instance; famous presidents like Franklyn D. Roosevelt advocated for peaceful co-existence between nations, an action which saved the world from a large extent of barbarism. Currently, various peace policies have been implemented to ensure that societies and nations live peacefully, for example, the UN Peace Building Commission that was developed in 2005 which has thirty-one member state and it is geared towards promoting peace between the member state nations through the development and monitoring of peacebuilding activities.Hard work in every development activity is the pathway that leads individuals from poverty; it is imperative for everybody aspiring to be successful to commit himself/herself in all activity he/she conducts. The fruits of hard work are also important in reducing immoral activities among the society such as robbery and violence that are generally conducted by idle people.

Relationship change Essay Example for Free

Relationship change Essay 1. Why do Maggie, the first-person narrator, the mother, and Dee do not have a very close relationship? Maggie and mother (on the one hand) and Dee on the other do not have a good relationship because of their differing beliefs about the function of heritage and culture. Dee’s arrogance has led her away from her roots, and her belief about the relics of their heritage is to place them on show. Her mother and sister, on the other hand, are one with their heritage and believe they should continue to practice their traditions. What do the quilts and the butter churn symbolize? The quilts and butter churn are the symbols of the heritage that Dee would like to put on display, but which Maggie and their mother would like to continue to embrace and use. 3. How would you describe Maggie and Moms interaction? Maggie and her mother understood each other well and agreed in their perspective toward their situation and history. They were close, as both felt themselves distanced in their â€Å"ignorance† from the station to which Dee supposed herself to have risen. Maggie read to her mother and it comforted her, which is in contrast to the inferiority Dee made them both feel when she used to read to them. Maggie’s mother feels protective of her, and knows that she understands the true meaning of their heritage. This is shown in the way she takes the quilts from Dee and turns them over firmly to Maggie. 4. By what incident was Maggie traumatized? Maggie was traumatized when she was burned badly in a fire that consumed the house the family had previously live in. 5. Does Maggie and Moms relationship change throughout the story? If yes, why does the relationship change? The relationship between Maggie and her mother deepen near the end of the story when her mother realizes the sacrificial nature that Maggie has. She comes to understand how many things have been reserved for Dee and yet how few have ever been reserved for Maggie. The mother perceives a lack of entitlement in her character—that is, Maggie never feels anything should rightly happen in her favor. The two become closer when the mother begins trying to bolster the girl’s self esteem by making her believe her feelings are worth denying Dee some of her desires.

Women in 19th century Boston Essay Example for Free

Women in 19th century Boston Essay This was a very clever move and shows how much he cares for himself and how he has tried to prevent himself being caught. He thinks that Gerta would get thrown out of the house which most women would do because they would feel that they have lost their pride. If she had the baby she would be sent back to Sweden which women did in 19th century Boston. Also if she wanted a divorce even thought she was innocent she would lose all her possession as the law would be against her. Thats how difficult it was for women in Boston. Gilman blames Mr.Marroner not Gerta as everyone would. Mr. Marroner knew all the consequences and had still done his dirty actions. Also he has hurt three people, his wife, Gerta and the baby Gilman writes a very dramatic quote which is this is the sin of man against woman it is very effective because it basically describes what the whole story is about. Gilman also uses a time shift which continues to the future as Mr. Marroner arrives from his important business. By the usage of flash backs it gives the reader an interesting insight on what Mrs.Marroner and Gerta are going through while he was at business. When Mr. Marroner arrived away on to his disbeliefs he realized that his wife has secretly left him which makes us think where Gerta is? After Mr. Marroner has done this unbelievable horror it makes the reader think that he still loves his wife because after months he hired private detectives and when anyone asked him about his wife he would say that she has gone abroad for health. He just couldnt bear to tell anybody the truth. He even wouldnt want to end up in the newspapers as he is a big business man. As he hired the detectives they fond the location of where his wife was living. When he went to meet her he found out that she had changed to her maiden name, Marion. And there she was holding her baby as a bulwark and Marion turned and said to him, what have you to say to us? Gilman leaves an open ending which the reader could think about what is going to happen and I as the reader think that she might take him back because she had the guts to talk to her husband after cheating on her. Also shows that Gerta is are protecting her baby for not seeing the future dad as he will be known as a CHEAT. But if I was in Marions position I would just chase him out of the house and not even talk to him. Gilman clever uses certain techniques that make the reader very interested. Theses techniques such as, flash backs creates a dramatic impact on the reader as it keeps them thinking on what is going to happen next.

Effect of Low Income School on Parent Involvement Article

Effect of Low Income School on Parent Involvement Article (Smith 2006, p. 43) in her article has tried to measure the impact of strategies undertaken to involve parent in child education at a low income school using qualitative research methods. Aims of Article The main aims of this article are to: Define how a low-income school defines intentional parental involvement strategies Define effects of those strategies The Methodology The above article is done as a qualitative research. Qualitative research is done to gain a deep understanding of a specific event, rather than a description of a large sample of a population. It is also called ethnomethodology or field research. It helps create information about human groups in social settings. Qualitative research aims to provide a better understanding of a phenomenon through experience, correct reporting, and quotations of actual conversations. It aims to provide an understanding about how participants tend to interpret their surroundings, and how their interpretations influence their behaviors. The main methodology for conducting this research was conducting a study at a low income school whose new structure was replacing an outdated structure in 2002. During the planning stage of the school community members, parents and agency professionals were involved in development of the new school structure to cater for the needs of low income families and of programs to involve parents in students education at the school. The efforts were then measured using qualitative data collection methods such as participant observation, interviews and document reviews. Participant observation is a period of intensive social interaction between the researcher and the subjects, in the latter's environment. It becomes the full-time occupation of the researcher. Participant observers are trained in techniques of observation, which distinguishes them from regular participants. Interviewing is one of the most commonly used methods for gathering data in qualitative research. Qualitative interviewing is usually different from quantitative interviewing in a number of ways. Interviewing tends to be much less structured in qualitative research. In quantitative research, interviews are usually kept much more structured in order to provide a valid measurement of key concepts that can answer some specific research questions. In qualitative interviewing, deviating is encouraged to give insight into what the interviewee sees as important. This is however discouraged in quantitative research. In qualitative interviewing, interviewers can significantly change the schedule and guide of the interview. In qualitative interviewing, The questions of interview get detailed answers; in quantitative research the interview generates answers that can be processed and statistically analyzed quickly. Researchers supplement qualitative research methods such as interviewing and observation with gathering and analyzing documents produced specifically for the research at hand . As such, the review of documents is an unobtrusive method, rich in portraying the values and beliefs of participants in the setting. Sampling was done using snowball sampling technique. A snowball sample is anon-probability sampling techniquethat is appropriate to use in research when the members of a population are difficult to locate. A snowball sample is a sample in which the researcher collects data from the few members of the target population they can find, then they ask those members from whom the data is collected to provide information on the location of other members of that population whom they know. Snowball sampling hardly leads to a representative sample, but sometimes it may be the best option available. For instance, if you are studying people smoking cannabis, you are not likely to find a list of all the people smoking cannabis in your city. However, if you identify one or two people smoking cannabis that are willing to participate in your study, it is likely that they know other cannabis smoking people in their area. However snowball sampling can be avoided if data about something is readily available. Source: http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/static/images/schoolimages/ar_images/cetl/gilldavisondiagram1.jpg The Setting The setting for this research was Clark Elementary School which was situated beside a city park in a small community surrounded by large industrial complexes. Most of the residents in neighborhood were low income. During the 2003-2004 school year, 5% of the students were American Indian, 3% of the students were Asian, 7% were Black, 19% were Hispanic, and 67% were White. According to the Clark Elementary School website, as of October 1, 2003, the languages spoken were 79% English, 11% Spanish, 6% Russian, 3% Ukrainian, 1% Vietnamese, and 2% other. In 1998 the district began to build a new school in order to replace the old one. A advisory group was formed consisting of members from community organizations, government agencies, the local church, the neighborhood association, the Clark Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), educators from Elementary School, and school district personnel to provide input for development of new school. The school was finally completed in 2002. Data Collection This research was qualitative in nature. Data was collected from the participants in three ways: Observation Interviews Document Reviews Observation:The author acted like a participant observer for before and after school programs, Read and play programs and awards assembly to which all families had been invited. Interviews: Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with educators, family workers, and parents from Clark Elementary School. 4 administrators were interviewed including the principal, the district consultant, The family Liaison coordinator and the Family Services coordinator. 6 teachers were interviewed, 6 parents were interviewed. For interviews snowball sampling was used. Source:http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20090704/Interview-1236952.jpg Document Reviews: Documents reviewed pertained mostly to the development process for the new school. All materials collected during the design process were examined and all references to the school in the local paper were reviewed. In addition, the school website and monthly newsletters were reviewed. source:http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/files/2011/01/00_quick_review_illustration.png Findings A Foundation of Understanding: Since the school architecture and its programs were developed keeping the opinions of the communities, parents and members of community associations. After the school opened teachers and staff were made to understand the life circumstances of school families. This helped teachers understand parents more and reduced the probability of teachers blaming parents when their children faced academic difficulties and instead has increased the desire for teachers to assist the children. A Broad Definition: A definition of parental involvement emerged at the school which recognized a wide array of behaviors of involvement such as receipt of social services or picking up food or clothing at Family Resource centre. These behaviors also included the learning activities families engaged in while at home. Creating Intentional Parental Involvement Strategies: The intentional parental involvement strategies were designed in two distinct ways: Strategies to Provide Services: During initial meetings after considering the needs of neighborhood families it was decided to make the school in a community center style so as to provide services for low income families. The family resource center in the school helped connect parents with the various activities in school and also provide them with many facilities including computers, free food and clothing provided by government agencies. Strategies to Enhance Parental Involvement: The Clark Committee had designed parental involvement plans based on broad definition of parent involvement and on foundation of understanding. These strategies included inviting parents to school conferences, family nights and access resources offered by Family Resource Centers. All these services were found to have a positive impact of parent involvement and hence positively impacted Clark Elementary School. Benefits of Parental Involvement: Interviewers described better parent involvement leading to academic success. Teachers found that students were more motivated and had better self confidence as a result of parent involvement. Parents also were found to have other benefits of involvement other than academic ones and they could feel themselves part of a community. Recommendations Following things are recommended in this study: In order to develop strategies for parent involvement in low income schools it would be better to input the advice of neighbors and interested agency representatives in order to understand the lives of people the school shall serve. If we can get a clear understanding of the lives of their school families, we ought to encourage definition of parental involvement which would acknowledge a wide list of parental behaviors that lead to academic success. Educators serving low-income populations must consider offering services to the families of their students, thereby bringing parents into the school buildings. Full-service schools can provide services based on the understanding of the needs of the neighborhood, intended to meet the needs of low-income school families. Educators should invite the input and participation of community agencies, businesses, and faith-based groups in any efforts to meet the needs of school families. Offering the opportunity to provide input can encourage them to own the process and make them have a long term participation in the process Educators need to accept that parents may not choose to be involved in education in commonly accepted ways. Conclusion The main point of the article is that a better understanding of the community needs is a must for forming a better definition of parent involvement for the community. Hence, Educators working in low-income communities need a willingness to learn about their student populations and a high degree of commitment to school families in order to better formulate parent involvement strategies in schools. The author has used qualitative research methods to show a relationship between better understanding of the community by the school for introducing steps to increase parent involvement at the college. However, the main problem lies here in the sampling for interviews. Here snowball sampling is being used. This should have been avoided as snowball samples are hardly representatives of target populations and are just used for exploratory purposes. Since data for teachers and parents could have been made available by the school I this case, Using that data could have lead to a better sample cou ld have been prepared that would have been more representative of the population at hand. As it stands the study can be considered a good starting point of research for introducing steps for parent involvement in low income schools. Bibliography Smith, J. G. (2006). Parental Involvement in Education Among Low-Income Families: A Case Study. School Community Journal , 43.

Anthropological Feminism in The Piano :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism

Anthropological Feminism in The Piano  Ã‚   There is a moment in The Piano when the crazed husband takes an axe and chops off his wife's finger. We do not see the awful blow, but both times I watched the film the audience gasped and a few women hurried from the theater. It is a disturbing but crucial scene, the culmination of a sado-masochistic screenplay which has been condemned by some as harmful to women and welcomed by others as an important feminist work. Critics have been more nearly unanimous in their praise for The Piano, and for writer and director Jane Campion. A New Zealander, Campion made two previous low budget films with relatively unknown actors which attracted little notice and small audiences. But their quirky originality established her reputation among film cognoscenti. The Piano, by contrast, is both an astonishing artistic achievement and a major motion picture. Featuring Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel, it has made Campion an overnight celebrity. She is being hailed as a "natural" and "original" film maker , and no doubt she is. Campion was also trained as a social anthropologist, however, and that training -- particularly the work of Levi-Strauss -- has had a profound impact on her directorial imagination. More than just a spectacular period piece or a feminist tract, The Piano is an anthropological excursion into the 19th century. And for Campion herself, it marks a shift from ethnography to fable-making. Campion as Ethnographer Campion's first esoteric film, Sweetie, was more "clinical" case history than screenplay. If it fails as a movie, it can be recommended as an instructional film for family therapists. Sweetie, the beloved daughter who turned out badly, is a greedy, impulse-ridden woman who constantly discomforts her family. Fat, if not morbidly obese, she is an unattractive personality in an unappealing body -- repulsive to conventional movie audiences. Fellini, fascinated by the grotesque, often gave such ugliness cameo roles in his films. But it is difficult to imagine any commercial film maker, even Fellini, choosing someone so utterly lacking in glamour, so completely unphotogenic, as heroine. There can be no doubt, however, that this was Campion's conscious aesthetic choice, for we see traces of the same kind of "ugly" choices in her two subsequent films. Campion is interested in Sweetie for all of the anthropological reasons that would repel an "escapist" movie audience and makes no effort to p rettify her. Anthropological Feminism in The Piano :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism Anthropological Feminism in The Piano  Ã‚   There is a moment in The Piano when the crazed husband takes an axe and chops off his wife's finger. We do not see the awful blow, but both times I watched the film the audience gasped and a few women hurried from the theater. It is a disturbing but crucial scene, the culmination of a sado-masochistic screenplay which has been condemned by some as harmful to women and welcomed by others as an important feminist work. Critics have been more nearly unanimous in their praise for The Piano, and for writer and director Jane Campion. A New Zealander, Campion made two previous low budget films with relatively unknown actors which attracted little notice and small audiences. But their quirky originality established her reputation among film cognoscenti. The Piano, by contrast, is both an astonishing artistic achievement and a major motion picture. Featuring Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel, it has made Campion an overnight celebrity. She is being hailed as a "natural" and "original" film maker , and no doubt she is. Campion was also trained as a social anthropologist, however, and that training -- particularly the work of Levi-Strauss -- has had a profound impact on her directorial imagination. More than just a spectacular period piece or a feminist tract, The Piano is an anthropological excursion into the 19th century. And for Campion herself, it marks a shift from ethnography to fable-making. Campion as Ethnographer Campion's first esoteric film, Sweetie, was more "clinical" case history than screenplay. If it fails as a movie, it can be recommended as an instructional film for family therapists. Sweetie, the beloved daughter who turned out badly, is a greedy, impulse-ridden woman who constantly discomforts her family. Fat, if not morbidly obese, she is an unattractive personality in an unappealing body -- repulsive to conventional movie audiences. Fellini, fascinated by the grotesque, often gave such ugliness cameo roles in his films. But it is difficult to imagine any commercial film maker, even Fellini, choosing someone so utterly lacking in glamour, so completely unphotogenic, as heroine. There can be no doubt, however, that this was Campion's conscious aesthetic choice, for we see traces of the same kind of "ugly" choices in her two subsequent films. Campion is interested in Sweetie for all of the anthropological reasons that would repel an "escapist" movie audience and makes no effort to p rettify her.

Whats Eating Gilbert Grape Essay -- essays research papers

574 words Write a 1-2 page essay that explores the paradox that when the film ends, Gilbert is in exactly the same place as when it began, yet he has traveled a long way. What’s eating Gilbert Grape is a very simple yet meaningful movie. There is no clear cut message that points out the faults of society and it may be hard to interpret a message because the movie is set around everyday life. However the one thing that is clear, is that Gilbert realises throughout the movie that his life is going nowhere and he must break the everyday routine. Gilbert sees through the people he calls his friends and realises that they influence his decisions to stay. He sees how they fill their days with hope and talk of something new and small town gossip to create interest and controversy. Due to the fact that he has already broken the routine everyday life by looking for a way out, Gilbert will never be in exactly the same place again. During the story Gilbert is reminded of his situation when Arnie repeatedly cries â€Å"where not going anywhere†. Arnie is basically speaking the words which Gilbert has pressed deep down inside himself and is afraid to admit. Later on in the movie he is reminded directly by Mrs. Carver, after he asked why she chose him out of all the men in Endora. She replies "because I knew you'd never leave." She is telling Gilbert in a very straight forward way that even she believes out of everyone in the town, Gilbert will be the least likely to leave. Fort...

South Korean-Business Etiquette and Cultural Aspects

â€Å"Welcome to South Korea†. This will more than likely be the greeting one hears when arriving in South Korea on a business trip. Knowing as much about the country and its people will be extremely important to your visit. It’s also important to know as much about the language, their customs and culture as humanly possible, but for this paper we will focus on business practices and etiquette. Some of the business topics we need to discuss are where is Korea, Business Meeting Etiquette, Business Dress Attire, Giving and Receiving of Business Cards, Giving and Receiving of Business Gifts, Business Dining and Entertainment, and Business women. South Korea is the southern part of the Korean Peninsula divided by the de-militarized zone (DMZ) with North Korea at the upper half of the peninsula bordered with China in Southeast Asia. The Koreans were liberated from the Japanese (35 years of colonial rule) after World War II and the country was split in half at the 38th parallel as the spoils of war, with the south being occupied by the Americans and the north being occupied by the Russians. The DMZ (de-militarized zone) was established after the Korean War. South Korea has had a hard and turbulent history however, as of today; the country is an enormous economic success and has become the third largest economy in Southeast Asia just behind Japan and China. It has also, just elected its first woman president ever (Park, Geun-hye) who takes office this February 2013. President Park is the 60 year old daughter of the former military styled dictator president that took over the country back in 1961 until 1979 (President Park, Chung-hee) he was assassinated in 1979. It’s also important to know as much about the people, language, their customs and culture as humanly possible, but for this paper we will focus on business practices and etiquette. Some of the business topics we need to discuss are, Business Meeting Etiquette, Business Dress Attire, Giving and Receiving of Business Cards, Giving and Receiving of Business Gifts, Business Dining and Entertainment, The Business Meeting Etiquette is as follows; always make your meeting well in advance 2 to 3 weeks prior, and either for mid-morning or mid-afternoon. When meeting for the first time always have your most senior person introduced first and down the line by authority. Koreans are very particular about authority and ranking. When shaking hands always use your left hand holding the right hand out while shaking and with a slight bow of the head is most acceptable. Be punctual at all meetings, it’s a sign of respect. If possible an interpreter is always useful in the language barrier. All pertinent paper work, contracts, manuals, brochures or paper documentation should also be written in Korean. Be direct when you communicate with slight pauses in between different points to be made. Koreans are more interested in making personal relationships, before forming business relationships. Always address the most senior authority in the meeting by his title and then his last name, (as well as the others in descending order of authority). One note to remember Koreans don’t like to be touched unless its family or a close friend be careful of any overt touching. Have patience, Koreans like to make decisions in a group collectively. Don’t expect one person to give you a final answer on anything. The Business Dress Attire should always be clean, (for men) dark suit with plain dress shirt and tie, socks and dress shoes. The tie should be tied, shirt tucked in and shoes polished (the professional look works best). It should go without mentioning, hair combed, shaved and teeth brushed. No flashy jewelry other than a watch and a ring. For women professionals it should be the same basics apply except no real short dresses or tight pants and no excessive cleavage showing off the breast, plus no stripper heels, (again the professional look works best). The same applies to jewelry as men Giving and Receiving of Business Cards, when giving out your card hold with both hands and extend outward with a slight head bow until taken. Whenever possible have the back of the card translated into Korean (either by interpreter or professionally done) and as you hand it off have the Korean language facing up to the taker of the card. When receiving a Koreans business card never writ on it or stuff it in your pocket, this is considered rude. The card is an extension of them and they want you to relish it, so look at it closely and admire it as much as possible. It is best to have a nice card case or portfolio to place the card in once you think it’s safe to do so. The Giving and Receiving of Business Gifts should be a mutual exchange. Koreans see it as a part of the personal relationship there experiencing with you. If you receive a gift you are expected to give a gift of equal value. When giving a gift, use two hands extended out to give it and with a slight head bow. When you receive a gift, use two hands to except it and with a slight head bow. However, do not open the gift without the givers permission because this is considered rude. Only wrap gifts in bright colors. The Business Dining or Entertainment, sometimes when dining at someone’s home or even out at a restaurant the Korean custom is to remove your shoes before entering the building. You always wait until you’re told where to sit for the meal. The most senior person in age is the first person who starts the eating process. Some of the time the meal is usually a quiet time for a family to concentrate on eating. You must eat everything on your plate or it is considered an insult toward the host. Eating with someone is a sign of building a friendship or personal relationship. You are never supposed to pour your own drink but it is perfectly alright to pour someone else’s. Leave a little drink in the bottom of the glass if you are finished drinking and do not want any more to drink. Korean’s see tipping as an insult and you are not required to tip unless otherwise told so. Many times business men like to go out on the town or to the bars for drinks and business talk. The Korean business men are known for being big drinkers and if you get invited out, you must accept or you have insulted your guest in the eyes of the Koreans. Also, the Koreans love Karaoke As strange as many of these different customs may seem to an American, I can actually see that the Korean people have some pretty neat customs. They have been around a lot longer than Americans have and they’re a very proud people of their heritage. When looking at some of these customs it makes one wonder how many different customs there must be that seem a little quirky from all countries. There are multitudes of business practices that should be reviewed by any and all business professionals before leaving their own country for business etiquette and cultural aspects. The only way that business professionals can be a successful organization in another country is to learn as much about the country their going to as is humanly possible.

Web Conferencing Programs

Corporate Memos Dawn Cramer Technical Writing Fundamentals January 14, 2013 Nancy Delain MEMORANDUM Date: January 14, 2013 To: Manager From: Dawn Cramer Subject: Web Conferencing Programs Earlier you asked me to research web conferencing programs in order to hold weekly status meetings. I have found several programs that will work but based on my findings I believe that the best choice would be Infinite Conferencing. The following points summarizes why I chose this program. 1. The number of participants that can be accommodated is 1,000.The ability to transfer files and record the meetings. No required installation to take up memory as well as specific application control and user authentication. 2. The cost is very low and there is remote and IT support as well as Email and instant chat support. There are two types of manuals available either an online manual or a PDF manual. | Infinite Conferencing| InterCall| ClickMeeting| Ready Talk| Adobe Connect Pro| Monthly Price| $35. 00| $42 . 00| $10. 00| $49. 00| $55. 00| No Required Installation | yes| no| yes| yes| Yes| 128-Bit AES Encryption| yes| yes| no| yes| yes|Maximum Web Attendees | 1000| 125| 1000| 25| 50| File Transfer| yes| yes| yes| yes| Yes| Record Meetings| yes| yes| yes| yes| yes| Support| yes| yes| yes| yes| yes| Online/PDF Manuals | yes| yes| yes| yes| yes| The reason that I did not choose InterCall is because the maximum web attendee is only 125 and they require an installation. Another reason I did not chose this program is because the cost is higher. The reason I did not choose ClickMeeting is because there is no encryption to protect company information even though the cost is much lower.The reason I did not choose Ready Talk is because the maximum web attendee is only 25 people and the cost is even higher. These are the same reasons that I did not choose Adobe Connect Pro even with the maximum web attendee at 50 people. References: Infinite. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. infiniteconferenc ing. com/services/web_conferencing. php Find the Best. (2013). Retrieved from http://web-conferencing. findthebest. com/ Tech Media network. (2013). Top Ten Reviews. Retrieved from http://web-conferencing-services. toptenreviews. com/

Need to know Essay

Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Like all language, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated. The reading process requires continuous practice, development, and refinement. Readers use a variety of reading strategies to assist with decoding (to translate  symbols into sounds or visual representations of speech) and comprehension. Readers may use morpheme, semantics, syntax and context clues to identify the meaning of unknown words. Readers integrate the words they have read into their existing framework of knowledge or schema (schemata theory). Other types of reading are not speech based writing systems, such as music notation or pictograms. The common link is the interpretation of symbols to extract the meaning from the visual notations. The history of reading dates back to the invention of writing during the 4th millennium BC. Although reading print text is now an important way for the  general population to access information, this has not always been the case. 2 With some exceptions, only a small percentage of the population in many countries was considered literate before the Industrial Revolution. Some of the pre-modern societies with generally high literacy rates included classical Athens and the Islamic Caliphate. Scholars assume that reading aloud (Latin clare legere) was the more common practice in antiquity, and that reading silently (legere tacite or legere sibi) was unusual. In his Confessions, Saint Augustine remarks on Saint Ambrose’s unusual habit of reading silently in the 4th century AD. Currently most reading is either of the printed word from ink or toner on paper, such as in a book, magazine, newspaper, leaflet, or notebook, or of electronic displays, such as computer displays, television, mobile phones . Handwritten text may also be produced using a graphite pencil or a pen. Short texts may be written or painted on an object. Often the text relates to the object, such as an address on an envelope, product info on packaging, or text on a traffic or street sign. A slogan may be painted on a wall. A text may also be produced by arranging stones of a different color in a wall or road. Short texts like these are sometimes referred to as environmental print. 3 Sometimes text or images are in relief, with or without using a color contrast. Words or images can be carved in stone, wood, or metal; instructions can be printed in relief on the plastic housing of a home appliance, or a myriad of other examples. A requirement for reading is a good contrast between letters and background (depending on colors of letters and background, any pattern or image in the background, and lighting) and a suitable font size. In the case of a computer screen, not having to scroll horizontally is important. The field of visual word recognition studies how people read individual words. A key technique in studying how individuals read text is eye tracking. This has revealed that reading is performed as a series of eye fixations with saccades between them. Humans also do not appear to fixate on every word in a text, but instead fixate to some words while apparently filling in the missing information using context. This is possible because human languages show certain linguistic regularities. Reading is typically an individual activity, although on occasion a person will  read out loud for the benefit of other listeners. Reading aloud for one’s own use, for better comprehension, is a form of intrapersonal communication. Reading to young children is a recommended way to instill language and expression, and to 4 promote comprehension of text. Before the reintroduction of separated text in the late middle Ages, the ability to read silently was considered rather remarkable. 5 I. READING TECHNIQUES i. The purpose of this technique is to help you interpret the context of the reading. To sink in the information’s you need to know. You can also easily interpret those books you can read.  ii. You can learn more effective ways to speed up your reading skills and getting knowledge further. A. Have him read aloud. 1. This forces him to go slower, which gives him more time to process what he reads, which improves reading comprehension. Plus, he’s not only seeing the words, he’s hearing them, too. You can also take turns reading aloud. 2. To enhance fluency. Fluency is an essential part of successful reading. Fluency is based on automaticity (a reader’s ability to recognize words automatically). If children are to become both automatic and fluent readers, they need practice. Preparing to read a text aloud expressively provides children with the time and means to recognize words automatically and to read a text with a high percentage of accuracy. 6 3. To strengthen comprehension. When children use techniques for expressive oral reading, their comprehension of what they are reading dramatically increases. Since fluency is closely tied to comprehension, when children become smoother and more accurate readers they will also become more knowledgeable ones. 4. To develop critical reading skills. For children to read expressively, they must make conscious decisions about how to  read and what they should emphasize while they are reading so that they can effectively communicate both the surface and deeper meanings of a text. 5. To develop other important reading skills. When children prepare to read expressively, they will develop competence in grammar, memory, attention, sequencing, and understanding cause and effect. Reading well takes time, focus, and attention; and if children are going to read aloud well, they must give the requisite time, focus, and attention to prepare the text. As children prepare a text for oral reading, they will gain a greater  understanding of how grammatical and rhetorical structures (sentences, stanzas, and paragraphs) work and how the sequencing of words and ideas plays an important role in the delivery of meaning. 7 6. To build confidence. When children read with expressive skills, they will also develop more confidence in themselves as readers. No longer limited either to rapid word-calling or to stumbling over print, children will discover that, with practice and guidance, they can become more fluent, purposeful, and effective readers of the kinds of print material that had previously frustrated or befuddled them. B. Provide the right kinds of books. 1. Make sure your child gets lots of practice reading books that aren’t too hard. She should recognize at least 90 percent of the words without any help. Stopping any more often than that to figure out a word makes it tough for her to focus on the overall meaning of the story. 2. Almost any book can help build vocabulary and improve writing skills. It was advisable reading as many different genres and as many different books as possible. 3. Letting them choose their own books as soon as they start showing a preference for one over another. If a book is beyond a child’s reading  ability, it can be read to him or her now. 8 4. Finding out what students is interested in, and choose books that are related to his interests either an informational book or a novel in an area of specific interest. 5. Find picture books because of the subject or artwork, will be just right for a young reader , An interesting story in a beautiful, well-illustrated book offers the students an aesthetic experience to enjoy over and over again. 6. Pick books depending on your reading level, no matter what your age. C. Reread 1. If you don’t understand what you are reading, read over the sentence(s) again. Try reading the words out loud to yourself. If you still don’t understand something, ask a good reader nearby to explain the sentence(s) to you, or simply pick up a book that is easier to read and more appropriate to your reading level. 2. Feel free to use your finger as a pointer. It will keep your eyes focused on the line you are reading, improving your understanding. 3. To gain meaning from text and encourage reading comprehension, your child needs to read quickly and smoothly – a skill known as 9 fluency. Rereading familiar, simple books gives your child practice at decoding words quickly, so she/he’ll become more  fluent in her reading comprehension. 4. The more you read you the more you will remember them. Some of the experts suggest reading a chapter twice and then reading it again before a test. This technique is definitely effective; it is time-consuming, especially if you read slowly. D. Study Reading Vocabulary 1. As your student reads books, have her make a list of words that were difficult or unfamiliar in the book. Make flashcards of these words, spend some time together talking about the meanings and looking them up in the dictionary. Take turns showing the cards and guessing the words and meanings. As the student masters each word, remove it from the deck and put it in a place of honor. When the whole deck is mastered, celebrate with a special reward. E. Participate in Library Reading Programs 1. Most libraries offer organized reading programs during school breaks for students based on their school levels. Many of these 10 programs are themed and showcase some of the best works for children and young adults. a. The library staff may host activities based on books and have special events and field trips designed to help students explore the literature on a deeper level. Librarians are  usually happy to help your child and can help find ways to involve all levels of readers within an age group. F. Mind mapping 1. A mind map is a non-linear diagram that makes it easy to capture key thoughts and connections between ideas in a graphical / visual format. Starting with an idea, concept, or question in the center, you capture information by connecting key concepts and thoughts to the central idea. More detailed information related to these thoughts is then captured in branches that radiate out from the key concepts, away from the central idea. a. It is a useful technique to use while reading, since the  non-linear format allows you to view the entirety of your notes at a glance, then easily place new information in the appropriate branch or make connections between ideas. 11 It’s also a useful technique when solving problems or planning projects: start with a question or project description, then capture all ideas or necessary tasks in the appropriate branches. G. Scanning 1. A technique you often use when looking up a word in the telephone book or dictionary. You search for key words or ideas. In most cases, you know what you’re looking for, so you’re concentrating on finding a particular answer. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. Scanning is also used when you first find a resource to determine whether it will answer your questions. Once you’ve scanned the document, you might go back and skim it. a. When scanning, look for the author’s use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color. 12 b. A process of quickly searching reading materials in order to locate specific bits of information. When scanning you  don’t start from the beginning and read to the end. H. Skimming 1. It is another technique whose purpose is to gain a quick overview in order to identify the main points. When skimming, you will often skip words, sentences, and paragraphs. a. Skimming is done at a speed three to four times faster than normal reading. People often skim when they have lots of material to read in a limited amount of time. Use skimming when you want to see if an article may be of interest in your research. b. The students may read the first and last paragraphs using headings, summarizes and other organizers as they move down the page or screen. You might read the title, subtitles, subheading, and illustrations. Consider reading the first sentence of each paragraph. This technique is useful when you’re seeking specific information rather than reading for comprehension. Skimming works well to find dates, names, and places. It might be used to review graphs, tables, and charts. 13 I. Make your own study guide 1. An extension of the concept of composing questions about your reading, this technique involves creating a set of possible test questions and answers and studying from those. Determine what your professor is likely to ask, compose questions, and write the  answers under them. Study from your study guide until you feel you know it well. Then create a version that omits the answers and see how well you do answering the questions. Those you miss are the ones you need to study more. J. Recite and teach material to others 1. Many experts swear by the effectiveness of reciting important parts of the reading orally[md]not reading aloud, but reciting section summaries you’ve composed yourself or questions and answers you’ve posed about the reading. Since you might find it awkward to recite aloud with people around, you may want to find a private place. In the same vein, teaching the material to others can dramatically boost your memory of it. Study groups are an excellent setting for doing so. If all else fails, consider teaching concepts to your dog or one of your stuffed animals. K. Keep reading 1. Try to read as much as you can on your free time. Reading will help you in lots of ways; your vocabulary will become larger and 14 more sophisticated and you will notice your grades change for the better in school. Have fun reading. II. FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT READING i. The students nowadays are just refusing to read, Psychological studies have  shown that children who become adults who do not read very well are less successful in life than their peers. Of course we can break the reasons why students hate to read down to both medical and psychological factors: 15 A. Medical 1. They may have difficulty seeing the text and need glasses. Or they may have an organic brain disorder B. Psychological 1. They may be a developmental or learning disability such being mentally handicapped or they may have a learning disability such as dyslexia making it extremely difficult to read. a. Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability  that impairs a person’s fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, [1] and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, processing speed, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, language skills/verbal comprehension, and/or rapid naming. C. Other psychological factors 1. They are simply distracted. In the past there were fewer distractions. Today there is TV, video games, and so on, which can take them away from reading. a. Nowadays there are internets that they can read far quicker, you do not have to read books. D. Lack of self-confidence 16 1. They may feel embarrassed to read out loud which is also related to self-esteem. Some kids will say they don’t like the sound of their voices. They may compare themselves to better readers and feel they are not as good. This may not even be the case. They may be just as good as the other readers. Only, they just fail to see it. E. Boredom 1. They get bored with reading and once the students lose interest in reading it is hard to get them back on board. Some of this boredom can be attributed to the dullness of the classroom reading assignments which have very little to do with the lives of the students who are reading them. F. Lack of practice 1. If the students are not motivated to read they will not practice. Motivation decreases with age. Even high school students who are good readers can feel like they are climbing a mountain when they have to read a chapter from a book. Without practice students will not develop the required skills and ease of reading. They will not read fast and later on in life this will also affect their university studies when enormous amount reading is requires in many disciplines. 17 a. The ability to read well and comprehend what is read is also crucial for adults in the work, environment, social  environment, and at home. III. TIPS ENCOURAGE THEM TO READ A. The first step to read to your child at an early age. 1. Many people have fond memories of their parents reading them bedtime stories, and reading to your child will help foster a love of words and reading. B. Fill your room with books 1. Kids who grow up with books all around them learn to think of books as friends, and allies in their pursuit of adventure and learning. a. The books like encyclopedias, dictionary, atlas, newspapers, magazines, almanac and etc. C. Be a good reading â€Å"role model†. 1. Let them see you reading, and how much you enjoy reading books  and magazines. a. Encourage joining you as you read; it can be your â€Å"bonding time† with them. D. Introduce them to books that match their interests and hobbies. 18 1. Show them how a good book can expand their knowledge in a particular area, and expand their horizons as well. E. Encourage them to find new books on their own to read. 1. While showing your books is a good way to build their interest level, a child who finds new books on their own can benefit from an increased sense of independence. 2. Let them to choose their own interest book. F. Get your child a library card. 1. Show them how a library can be a place of wonder and excitement, and can open up whole new worlds of learning to last a lifetime. And then put the library in your schedule, so you will be sure to visit frequently together. G. Setting limitations 1. Set limits on the amount of time your child spends in front of a television or video game console. a. There’s nothing wrong with watching television or playing video games, if you want to child to develop good language and learning skills, make sure they spend just as much time reading a good book. b. They might not like it now, but chances are they’ll thank you for it later in life. H. Leaving books 1. Leave books in the bathroom within easy reach of the toilet. You are quite likely to pick one up and read it. 19 2. Put books on the breakfast table. You are reading the backs of cereal boxes already. If you have a few books right in the kitchen, these will probably end up on the morning reading menu. a. If you don’t read, it’s unlikely your children will, either. Set a good example. I. Be comfortable 1. Therefore it is wise when you are comfortable reading general material to increase your reading speed as soon as possible. 2. Use a spreadsheet creatively. Try to read 15 to 20 minutes a day. Also, don’t judge a book by its cover. a. Spreadsheet is a grid that organizes data into columns and rows. Spreadsheets make it easy to display information, and people can insert formulas to work with the data. 3. To get the most comprehension, avoid lying down while reading. While reading in bed can help you relax and fall asleep, you can retain more information by having a good posture while reading. a. For example, sitting straight up and keeping your feet flat on the floor can increase your alertness. b. Make sure to choose a place that is comfortable for you for  the length of time you are going to read your book. This can be a couch, a chair or a bed. 20 Temperature is the most important factor to get comfortable reading. You can adjust the temperature the way you like it to be. If it’s too cold or too hot, then it will make getting comfortable to read a lot harder. The temperature is on you to decide. 4. Clothing. This is also another important factor to getting comfortable to read. You don’t want very tight or too lose clothes that make it not comfortable to read. a. Try wearing pajamas or just sweat pants and a t-shirt. Anything you are comfortable with. 5. A nice refreshing drink. This step is optional to you. It can depend on where and what time of day or year it is. Hot and warm drinks are great for those cold or cool nights or days. Cold drinks are perfect for those warm hot days and nights. 6. Book. The main thing you are getting ready to read. It can be a book you wanted to read for a long time or just to read for fun. Make sure it’s the book you really want to read. a. Bookmark. This is also optional but highly recommended to have with you when you need to get up and take a break or use the restroom and you don’t want to lose the page you are on. 21 7. Glasses and contacts. This step is for people with glasses and contacts. Make sure your glasses and contacts are clean enough for you to be able to read the words on the pages of the book. You don’t want dirt to make it hard for you to read. 8. Position is a key to get comfortable to read. You can adjust your position when you are reading to make it comfortable. It can be reading on your back while leaning back on something comfortable, sitting, standing, lying on your stomach, or lying on your side. It’s your choice of position you are comfortable with. a. But as much as possible do not lying on the bed because you will quickly fall asleep. b. Take a place that have more lights, IV. STUDY WELL BY READING 22 i. By reading you can gather information not even as faster as on the internets but you can learn more from reading. It can improve your vocabulary, grammar and enhancing your self-confidence especially when you speak. ii. In doing any works it is advisable to read, by this you can get the exactly meanings or knowledge you want and you will be having an advance thought from it. A. Get all materials. 1. If you want to study properly, don’t just bring your book. You will need a notebook and pencils, pens and highlighters. a. Highlights will help you pay more attention when reading rather than reading passively. B. Read it once. 1. During this, read for content. Try to understand the overall message or story. Put a * with a pencil when you read something that you think are important, rare, or stand out. If you want, just read a page at a time. C. Read it again. 1. Read over, and see if the points with the * are still that important. If they are, highlight them. There should be no more than 10 lines on a page that is highlighted. The highlighted points would help 23 you find important quotes or sentences when you need them later  on, or to study for exams. a. You can skip reading it again, and only have to read the highlighted important points. D. Take notes. 1. Pull out your notebook and summarize what you read. Try to make it as short and precise as possible. a. You can make jot notes or a paragraph, whichever is easier for you to read later on. E. Study. 1. You already read through the passage twice and used your own mind to rewrite and make notes, so it should be stuck in your head. But remember to review every 2-3 days to make sure you don’t forget. a. You can recite it with anyone as much as possible. b. Avoid any distractions. Don’t read for 2 minutes and text for 2 minutes. Your mind must be 100% on what you are reading. V. ADVANTAGES HAVING LIBRARY AT HOME i. The environment within the library itself highly motivates as there will be alot of focused people who will be down to serious business and thus you will feel motivated to do likewise. 24 ii. A proper library should have all the books you require thus you won’t have to spend much time looking for the books you require. A. You more likely to pick up ‘other’ books. 1. If you have a reasonably large collection of books at home, you and other members of your family will be exposed to newer  authors, genres and styles of writing. And if there is a reading culture at home it will help people pick up books belonging to diverse settings, eras and techniques. a. They are more likely to choose books addressing different issues. For instance, a young adult who only devours say a college romance can be exposed to comic fantasy and steam punk or even poetry. B. More chances of rereading a book 1. Chances of rereading or in other words revisiting what you just read are higher if you own the book and if the book is well within reach. So chances of pulling out a motivational book from your  personal library when you are feeling low are higher when the books are just stacked and kept away in your cupboard. a. Some people are in the habit of marking important lines, writing foot notes especially beside their reads so that they can glance at what they picked up from the book. This is a great practice and truly ensures that you make the most of 25 what you have read and pick up books from your personal collection. C. Discussing with friends 1. Once you to get into the groove you could have a monthly book reading and eventually kids will follow suit. If you have good  books at home they will be exposed to newer names, authors, genres, lessons all encouraging. D. Treasuring books 1. If you keep your library well, kids too will learn to treasure books and keep them well organized. They will eventually learn valuable lessons from the books they read and will learn to love their books too. 26 CONCLUSION: Reading can be a tool, to achieve success. it gives us a lot of information and ideas that we can use to our everyday life. By reading we can increase our self-confidence with this we can competitively speaking in any people. It can be improved or vocabularies, grammars, and know more languages. There lots of more if we read we can bring out the best on us, but the problem nowadays of the students they loss of attention in there reading habits, instead of reading to get the information they need they prefer to use the internet, we all know that all of our need ideas can’t be get in them. Are can be solve by using the techniques that are written ahead. Your friends and family can motivate you. As I’ve said it can be your â€Å"bonding time†. Reading is much fun as you think, if you just explore your imagination while you read. If you will be reading my work I’m sure you will learn more from it. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: 27 A special thank you goes to those who contributed to this paper: My sister Roby Jane Gayas valuable comments and sharing her knowledge. To my friends who directly contribute to the development of my research and a special thanks’ to my family supported on me all through the way. REFERENCES : Cornelissen PL, Kringelbach ML, Ellis AW, Whitney C, Holiday IE, Hansen PC (2009). Aleman, Andre. ed. â€Å"Activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus in the first 200 ms of reading: evidence from magnetoencephalography (MEG)†. PLoS ONE 4 (4): e5359. â€Å"NINDS Dyslexia Information Page†. National Institute for Neurological. Disorders and Stroke. Retrieved November 12, 2011. Sanabria Diaz G, Torres Mdel R, Iglesias J et al. (November 2009). â€Å"Changes in reading strategies in school-age children†. Span J Psychol 12 (2): 441– 53. PMID 19899646. Carver, Ronald P. (1990). Reading rate: a review of research and theory. Boston: Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-162420-X. Legge GE, Mansfield JS, Chung ST (March 2001). â€Å"Psychophysics of reading. XX. Linking letter recognition to reading speed in central and peripheral vision†. Vision Research 41 (6): 725–43. doi:10. 1016/S0042-6989(00)00295-9. PMID 11248262. http://www. wikihow. com/Improve-Your-Reading-Skills. http://esl. about. com/od/englishreadingskills/a/readingskills. htm 28 http://www2. le. ac. uk/offices/ld/resources/study/reading http://www. pickthebrain. com/blog/improve-reading-comprehension/ http://www. wikihow. com/Category:Improving-Reading-Skills http://braindance. com/bdiread3. htm http://www. bookchums. com/blog-detail/about-books/advantages-of-a-wellstocked-home- library/Mjgx. html Mind Maps as Classroom Exercises John W. Budd The Journal of Economic Education , Vol. 35, No. 1 (Winter, 2004), pp. 35-46 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/30042572.

Introductory Awareness of Autistic Spectrum Conditions Essay

Complete write up re Autistic spectrum conditions. Include in this the difficulties that those with these conditions have and the behaviour they may exhibit. How do you support those with Autism, who else may be involved and how do you ensure effective communication with autistic people. Give actual exampls of your support where possible. Introductory awareness of autistic spectrum conditions. Autism is a developmental disability caused by neurological dysfunction. It affects the way a person understands and responds to the world, how they hear, see, feel, sense, perceive and interpret everything around them. This may affect how they eat, sleep, dress, work, spend leisure time etc. They are likely to have repetitive behaviour patterns and restricted repetitive interests. Individuals with an autistic spectrum condition can have difficulties with language and communicating with others and with social interactions and relationships because there is an impairment of 2 way verbal and non verbal communication and impairment of flexible thinking and social imagination. People with autism can often have accompanying learning difficulties but everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world. Inflexibility and restrictiveness in activities and interests can lead to a person on the autistic spectrum having difficulty relating to others and making friends, an inability to engage in imaginary play, it can lead to ritualistic behaviours , obsessions and fears. It is important to identify the person’s strengths and weaknesses, to use their strengths and interest and use positive approaches. It may be helpful to use social stories to facilitate social skills and to be structured, consistent and calm. It is important to recognise that each individual on the autistic spectrum has their own individual abilities, needs, strengths, preferences and interests so that a person centered shared means of communication can be identified. Autism is considered to be a spectrum because individuals differ in the expression and severity of their symptoms although underlying similarities are present such as concrete thinking, difficulty generalising, excessive anxiety and strong impluses and maybe difficulty with motor planning, organisation and sequencing. There is  generally some impairment of social interaction and of imagination. People on the Autistic spectrum can differ hugely in their abilities from being exceptionally intelligent, far above t he norm to having severely impaired intellect, this is why it is called a spectrum. Other conditions which may be association with ASD are Asperger’s Syndrome and Learning Difficulties. Many individuals with an autistic spectrum condition experience sensory difficulties so they may have a heightened sensory awareness so are not able to function in the same way as someone without the condition. Sensory overload is a common complaint of people with ASD and can lead to an inability to function if the noise is too loud or the light is too bright etc. Behavioural characteristics associated with autistic spectrum conditions are inappropriate eye contact, repetitive movement, stiffened motor control and literal interpretation. Individuals may exhibit such behaviours because they feel ‘safe’ when carrying out the repetitive movement and have a lack of social awareness so make inappropriate eye contact and may be very stiff in themselves because they lack a means of expressing themselves comfortably. They may also become highly stressed if routine is disrupted or sense are overloaded. If an individual is highly anxious or stressed it would be good to be able to find the stressor such as the noise being too loud or the light too bright and turn it off, it can help communication to mirror the person’s behaviour so if they are rocking, to do the same as a way of entering into communication with them, this can reduce their stress. Knowing the individual is the best way, using a person centered approach so that the response to calming them down is individual to their needs, I work with people with autism and after a while have noticed their triggers and how to calm them down such as taking them out for a walk and making sure that they have space to be on their own. Sometimes it is difficult to find a trigger for a display of anxiety and communication difficulties mean that the person is unable to say what is upsetting them so it is really important to notice what is going on ar ound and what may have changed in the environment that has upset them. It is also important to have in place structures and routines that match the individual’s wishes and needs as routine is highly important for most people with ASD, they need structure and to know what is happening next. It prevents anxiety and stress. The support network for an individual with ASD includes informal  support such as family and friends and the formal support network including carers, psychologists, ASD specialist, Advocates and Speech and Language therapists. It is important to involve families, parents and carers in supporting the individual in a person-centered way because everybody has different needs, wishes and abilities and just because someone is labelled as being on the autistic spectrum the support they require will differ immensely. Support should be consistent with routines adhered to and person-centered approach being taken. This can be achieved through asking myself continuously, what does this person need and want and how best can I support them to be well and happy. Using this approach and communicating with others about what the person’s stressors are and what they need helps to give the best support possible to the person. In order to contribute towards the learning of an individual with an autistic spectrum condition it is important to let them experience new things but try to avoid stressors as much as possible. Communication is a big part of learning and it helps when I use short direct sentences, simplify the task/ routine and break it down into small steps, talk quietly and calmly being aware of how I use my voice, give clear instructions saying exactly what is required and avoiding overload. It is important to try to gain the person’s attention first. It is important to be aware of the impact of my own verbal and non-verbal communication on an individual with an autistic spectrum condition because they may respond anxiously to certain things such as a loud voice or too much eye contact or standing too close so it is importa nt to notice what is going on both verbally and non verbally. The environment can affect communication for example if there is a lot of noise in the room the person may not be able to filter out that noise so it will be impossible to expect to get their attention or if they cannot concentrate because the light is too bright but they cannot say so. So it is important to try to identify these things in the environment to aid communication. In order to reduce barriers to communication with an individual it is important to notice anything with may be a stressor and to use a person-centered approach that is unique to that individual, it is important to make the person feel as safe and comfortable as possible so communication can be as good as possible. If the person cannot speak shared communication such as imitation or doing something with the person may help as this is a form of  communication too. I worked with an individual with autism and she enjoyed playing the piano and communicated non verbally that she wanted me to play the piano with her. Communicating through a shared interest can be very rewarding for both people. Visual communication aids are also important, they can be used to show the person’s daily routine and can be used by the individual to show whether they like or dislike something and can be used to indicate when an activity if going to change or end. It can relieve a lot of stress to the individual if they know what their routine is and what’s going to happen next. There are many people who could provide advice about effective communication with an individual and these can be both formal and informal supporters such as family and friends, support workers, speech therapists, psychologists and anyone who knows the individual and can provide insight into their likes, dislikes and the way they prefer to communicate.