Why Should you learn another language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why Should you learn another language - Essay Example Today English is the official language in a large number of countries, an estimated number of people in the world that use English in communication or a regular base is 2 billion, so by studying English one become part of this diverse large population that uses English in their day today activities and communicate with citizens of most of countries in the globe, without any confusion in expressing our feeling and thinking (Halliday pp 38). Worldwide business are conducted in English, with the advent of outsourcing, bilingualism is used as a useful skill this makes the scope for employment much wider for those who speak English in foreign countries. successful functionality in international business require communication with other people through email, memos and reports which should be written in English hence the need to understand and express thoughts and ideas in English. The other importance of language is that it create a greater opportunity for a job moreover, with an enough amount of knowledge In English, the possibility of promotion in position is ever higher (Halliday, pp 38). In education research and academics there is an existence of over 2000 universities and colleges this implies that above 400 billion dollars are spent every year on research, by taking the example of US alone it offers an incredible array of opportunities to those who are able to function in an English only environment. English knowledge opens doors for study abroad and have access to more variety of educational courses, this equip one with the desired skills and knowledge that makes one conversant with the world trend academically (Alamin pp 2-345). Another importance of studying English language is that English is the language of technology and science, genetics, medicine and also computer science so if anyone is interested in any of this fields then

Common Assignment - Individual Leadership Growth Reflection Essay

Common Assignment - Individual Leadership Growth Reflection - Essay Example This type of awareness is important to leader’s self management ability. Self management must include flexibility to adapt to new situations and emotional self control, ambiguity and complexity. Authentic leaders also embrace honesty, transparency and integrity and earn colleagues’ trust with consistent behavior. This paper will discuss individual leadership growth reflection and also look at and discuss in detail the transformational leadership theory and how this theory impacts my individual development and growth as an effective leader. Finally it shall address various individual leadership development strategies that can cushion me as a leader in my workplace. Transformational leadership As a transformational leader, I must be socially competent in the ways that I carry out myself before others. The display of understanding, empathy and emotions of others, and being concerned with their welfare is core to managing individual’s relationships. As far as organiz ations are concerned, transformational leaders must be perceptive in reading the culture and climate of an institution, alert on how and why decisions are made and keeping pulse of institutional politics. In maintaining good relationships, transformational leaders inspire others with vision, persuasively influence them and advocates for necessary positive change. They come up with skillful approach on conflict management and resolution; develop colleagues as leaders, forms partnership and alliances as well as the capacity to build effective teams and work closely with others in an institution. Various techniques are of aid in self-reflection of myself as a leader, observation off myself and others, meditation and inspirational reading and writing. A good number of organizations have embraced transformational leadership process which serves as an effective, organized and continuing framework for development, self reflection and improvement. In my occupancy as an elementary and middle school principal, many experiences have played a major role in shaping and developing my leadership skills. My reflections on these challenges may also be helpful in program design. In one of my experiences as the leader of the middle school, I was given the task of shutting down an existing elementary school, supervising renovations to the infrastructure and organizing a new middle school which was also being put up as a technology project site for the region. An advisory committee was prepared to lead in development of the project with members from various communities and organizations within the province. My experiences during the five years of active participation with this project prompted me to re-asses discernments of the role of the principal, the effectiveness required of educational leaders and the nature of competent staff development. The aspects of this transformational leadership experience which positively affected my professional growth included: our recurrently sch eduled advisory committee meeting with different stakeholders which boosted the transformational process that we tried to transfer to the school’s daily operation; being part of action research concerning our project which was led by professor from Regina University; being an active participant in mentoring relationship with both the

Personal Plan To Get Out Of Debt English Language Essay

Personal Plan To Get Out Of Debt English Language Essay Summary: Based on the concepts of awareness, anticipation and action, my get out-of-debt plan is aimed at individuals who face financial difficulties and seem to be accumulating more debt instead of taking control of their finances. As a financial adviser, I highly value financial independence. Particularly, after the recent credit crisis that hit the economy forcing many firms out of business and millions of households into poverty, I consider financial freedom as a means to future success. Personally, I carry a debt of $7,500 in credit cards, a student loan of $2,000 and a car loan of $1,500. I pay monthly installments of $1,300 for this $11,000, and according to my amortization table I will be able to completely pay off my debt after 15 years. To get an idea of how an amortization table should look like, click here. The three As of My Get Out-Of Debt Plan To improve my financial situation within 2011, I have crafted a get out-of-debt plan that is aimed at individuals who face financial difficulties and seem to be accumulating more debt instead of taking control of their finances. If you are getting deeper into debt, have a look at my suggestions below. Maybe they can help you get your finances back on track again. My get out-of-debt plan is based on three concepts: awareness, anticipation and action. In the context of personal finance, these concepts are highly valued because they can offer guidance and financial stability in the long run. Awareness Some people complain about how they cannot get out of debt although they dont know how much their debt is. It is impossible to take control of your financial situation if you are not aware of it. List all your debt including credit cards, car loans, student loans, personal loans, and medical bills and sum them up including decimals for accuracy. Keep in mind that when adding many numbers decimals can generate a completely new figure, which will then be used in another arithmetic operation and produce an entirely wrong figure. At the end of the day, the picture you will have for your financial situation will be mistaken. Therefore, it is critical that your debt figures are 100% accurate. Other important steps in this stage include: Creating a debt allocation table After you have listed and summed up all your sources of debt create a debt allocation table to see how your debt is allocated in different sources, where you owe more and what the interest rate for each debt is. Your table can have three columns named Debt, Amount Owed and Interest Rate. In column Debt include each source of debt you have. If you have three credit cards, include each credit card in a separate line because your cumulative credit card debt may be $20,000, but each credit card has different interest rate and different terms of payment. In column Amount Owed include the correspondent amount in each source of debt. In column Interest Rate include the correspondent interest rate to each source of debt. To get an idea of how your debt allocation table should look like when completed, click here. With a grand total of $32,100 you need to 1) religiously stick to your monthly payments; 2) try to make more than the minimum credit card payments. I will explain more in the Action section. Creating a budget To create a successful budget you need to analyze your financial situation honestly and realistically. Figure out how much you earn on an annual basis and make sure to include all sources of income. It is critical to know exactly how much money you make because this is the money you can afford to spend. Then, include all sources of expenses in order to know how much money you spend on fixed expenses including rent or mortgage, gas, utilities, and insurance and adjust your variable expenses accordingly by spending less on groceries, entertainment or personal care. Make sure that your budget is realistic, accurate and flexible. By keeping a realistic budget you can cover your expenses, but most importantly, save money on a regular basis. Besides, an accurate budget gives you the freedom to enjoy your life without being deprived because you know you can really afford these purchases without putting your financial future at stake. Finally, a flexible budget enables you to make well-informed decisions about your finances. Anticipation Being able to anticipate sudden expenses allows you to stay within your budget. To achieve that, you have to be able to save as much money as possible. This might require some drastic changes in your lifestyle, but it will certainly help you become financially independent. Some important steps in this stage include: Controlling household spending If you dont control your household spending, not only you accumulate more debt, but you ultimately hurt the economy that cannot burden such high levels of consumer spending. You can control your grocery shopping by planning your meals, making a grocery list and stick to it, buy in bulk, keep food in your freezer, stock up non-perishable items, and use coupons. Besides, you can lower your energy bill by controlling your thermostat, using energy efficient appliances and bulbs and installing insulation. You can also use the envelope system to manage your cash. Identify your spending categories including groceries, gas, utilities, insurance etc., create an envelope for each category and allocate the proper weekly or monthly amount of cash to each. Once your balance is zero and the envelope is empty, you cannot spend anymore. Soon, you will spend only when you have to, cutting back on unnecessary spending. Set up an emergency fund By setting up an emergency fund you achieve two things at once: 1) you avoid borrowing from your IRA or liquidating your 401k, meaning you ultimately avoid taxation and 10 percent penalty and 2) you avoid borrowing from your already overcharged credit cards. It is tempting and possibly convenient to charge your credit card for a financial emergency, but the truth of the matter is that the infinite spiral of credit card charging accumulates more debt. Set three to six months worth of your living expenses aside in an emergency fund to cover up for a sudden job loss or a huge medical bill. Also, make sure to keep your emergency fund in a money market account (MMA), a regular interest-paying checking account or a certificate of deposit (CD). All these options allow you to withdraw money, with or without penalty, and are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Action It took me quite sometime to take action on managing my debt mostly because I didnt exactly know what to do. Although my debt is not as high as in the example used in the debt allocation table, still I need 15 years to pay off my debt, which is a lot of time. Here are some suggestions to pay off your debt faster: Rather than paying off the low interest rate car loan first, it is wiser to pay off the credit card debt that has a higher interest rate. To do that, you have to make more than the minimum credit card payments. If the minimum payment is $80 then make an effort to pay at least $90. You probably wont notice the extra $10 but it will go directly onto your principal and reduce your debt even faster. If you have three credit cards, it would be $30 extra payment, but the difference you will see in your total balance will be worth the effort. If you cannot do it at once for all your credit cards, start by paying off the smallest bill. The extra money that you will have from the paid off credit card can be used towards paying off the next smallest credit card bill. By paying more money than the minimum installments, you will lower your principal (original amount borrowed) at a faster rate. Consequently, the total annual amount paid interest will be reduced at a faster rate. You can also quit using your credit cards and start using cash. By using cash for your transactions 1) you can control your finances because you know at any given time how much money you spend and how much money you have left in your wallet; 2) you dont incur any hidden fees or over-the-limit charges, no billing mistakes or overcharges on your bank account; and 3) you can get discount for paying in cash. On the contrary, credit card debt builds up exponentially and interest rates can head up really quickly. Moreover, by charging smalls amounts of money to your credit card you add to your credit card bill and you lose track of your spending. My Get Out-Of Debt Plan May Not Work For Your Situation Each situation is unique and even if you carry the same amount of debt, it doesnt mean that my get out-of-debt plan will certainly work for your case. However, I firmly believe that it can work as a guide to walk you through some vital steps that you need to take in order to understand exactly where you are today and most importantly, where you want to be in a few years from now. Regardless if you follow my suggestions, or if you choose to follow some other solution, be disciplined. This is perhaps the most important step you need to take. By focusing on your financial independence you are more likely to achieve it. Without discipline, even the best financial plan will fail because every little amount of money you will be saving it will be spent towards non-essential purchases. Every day we make decisions about money. And these decisions have a smaller or a greater impact on the quality of our lives. Being financially independent means different things to different people. To me, it means security, and the strength to take a step closer to my lifetime dreams. The steps to financial freedom may not give me immediate happiness, but they give me choice. Sources: http://getoutofdebt.org/1712/a-12-step-plan-to-get-out-of-debt-fast http://www.allbusiness.com/personal-finance/credit-cards-credit-card-debt/2442-1.html http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/financial-planning/money-market-accounts.htm http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/checkingaccount.asp http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/certificateofdeposit.asp http://www.fdic.gov/ More from this contributor How to Choose a Debt Relief Program How to Survive a Bankruptcy Filing What to Do when You Cant Pay Your Taxes

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X philosophies Essay -- civil rights

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. The Civil Rights Movement began shortly after the end of World War II. The United States took a big turn with the Supreme Court’s decision in the Brown vs. the Board of Education case. This decision sparked a revolution that forever changed America. Once this movement began, it didn’t stop, there was no turning back and Martin Luther King Jr. realized this while Malcolm X didn‘t. He preached a change that African Americans would grow but only through nonviolence. Martin Luther King’s philosophy made more sense for America in the 1960’s because it pushed America forward, it stopped killings through nonviolence and love, and it called to make everyone equal and together. Although Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X seem to have mutual respect and warmth, their philosophies were quite different from each other .Malcolm X made it clear that he believed that the African Americans and the White people should remain separate but should be considered equal to each other. He told white people â€Å"work in conjunc...

Learning New Research Concepts or Techniques by Writing and Other Research Activities Essay

The way to go about determining if certain resources are adequate for college assignments would be through an evaluation process. In chapter five of the course material, it provides the six tests of evidence that helps to conclude if discovered information can be utilized for a paper. The first test is regarding credibility. If a source is credible it should be information based on fact rather than opinion. The next test to examine is if the material is unbiased. Be sure founded information has room for other points of view about the issue so that the presentation of material in your paper is fair and balanced† (Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. Another test to examine would be to verify if the information is relevant and relates to your topic. Next, is the source complete? â€Å"Do not take information out of context and mislead the reader by using only the portion of the information that supports your opinion about a topic† (Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. The logical test is to make sure the information makes sense and is consistent with other known evidence. The final test would be to determine how current the resource is. Confirm the sources you use are as current as possible and have not been replaced by more recent research findings. Check to find the date an article was written or, if it has no date, check the copyright or revision date on the Web page to determine how recently the information was updated (Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. An example of a suitable source would be an article from the Ashford Library, because Ashford Online Library have been archived by professional information management specialists, and Ashford University professional staff have selected specific databases for the library that are the most appropriate for your college courses. In other words, they are university and faculty approved. Sole, K. (2010) Writing College research papers. An unsuitable source would be Wikipedia, but can often be used to lead to other sources of information for an assignment.

Creative Concept Essay

I. TIME CONTEXT The case is analyzed when problems affecting the company’s operation took place, inventory cost rises, and lead time for manufacturing custom and standard product line increases. It was then that Thomas decided that it’s about time to take a careful look at the overall impact the new standard furniture line is having on his operation. II. POINT OF VIEW Chad’s Creative Concept started with a good vision of producing custom-made wooden furniture for vacation cabins bringing â€Å"a bit of outdoors inside†. Gaining popularity, evidenced by the increasing demand for their products,  they’ve proven themselves and earned the trust of their clients with subtle and elusive tastes. Opportunity came for the company to venture into the production of a more standard line of furniture. This endeavour could have been great but such affected the company’s operations, marketing and finances. Alterations could have been done in the overall manufacturing process of the company or conducting a marketing analysis could provide insights and working out the marketing segmentation on the potential demand for the standard line products. Most likely, the company was not that much ready to embark on this new line of furniture making in terms of their managing their resources and making the most out of them. Consequently, problems arose and if this situation will continue, additional investment in product cycle will be low or even zero at some point of time. If this will not be given much attention and proper solution will make matters worse. III. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Enumerated below are the problems identified in the case of Chad’s Creative Concepts. How did producing standard furniture affect Chad’s Creative Concept’s operations and its financial gain? How can the company operations or slow manufacturing process be improved to cater market demand for both furniture lines? What can the management do to reduce production costs while upholding customer satisfaction? IV. OBJECTIVES The following are the objectives the case proponent would like to achieve in order the address the problems faced by Chad’s Creative Concept. To ascertain the operational and financial effects of manufacturing standard furniture. To determine ways on how to improve company operations to cope with the increasingly steady demand for standard and custom-made furniture. To decrease production cost without sacrificing product quality and customer satisfaction. V. AREAS OF CONSIDERATION A. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS: The company began by producing custom-made furniture and in a short period established a stable reputation for creative designs and high-quality workmanship. Growth of sales led into the production of a more standard line of furniture. Can offer products at the lowest possible price with utmost customer satisfaction. Producing custom and standard furniture offer customers with more choices. WEAKNESSES: Single manufacturing process for both standard and custom furniture. Processing time on the same equipment and craftspeople are shared in manufacturing custom and standard furniture. The holding cost of the company is increasing with dollars tied up in inventory, both of raw materials and work in process. OPPORTUNITIES: Good reputation yields custom furniture sales to be strong and steady sales growth for standard line furniture. THREATS: Customer demands lowest possible cost with maximum satisfaction, in terms of product quality and delivery requirements. Custom furniture is prioritized in making schedules because of its high sales and profit margin causes delay of finishing standard furniture. Costs associated with standard furniture line are increasing. Expensive storage or warehousing cost. Increasing lead time for both custom and standard orders causing longer promised delivery times. Capacity is at its peak providing no space left for expansion.VI. ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION In order to address the issues faced by the management of Chad’s Creative Concept the following alternative courses of action may be implemented: 1.Relocation of warehouse to an economical and cost saving location. 2.Recruitment of additional staffs e.g., craftsman. By doing so, both  product lines will not compete for the same craftspeople. 3.Encourage existing staffs for overtime in order to reduce delay in manufacturing products, by providing night differential fees and hazard fees. 4.Given that both manufacturing lines are in demand, business capacity maybe enlarged by enabling more facilities to accommodate processing of both product lines. 5. Employ inventory management. This includes developing a forecasting technique about product demand and making right layout and work flow process. Make scheduling decisions, entails how much to produce, to make sure there are not so many raw materials as work in progress status. VII. DECISION CRITERIA The following criteria were used to evaluate the suitability of alternatives recommended in making the decision: Maintain customer satisfaction and company reputation. It is important to note that decision must be based on this rationale because the longevity of a business may be determined by the patronage of its satisfied clients. Chad’s Creative Concept best marketing strategy is the quality furniture they produce for both product lines. Moreover, customers of standard furniture line imposed more stringent delivery requirements, increased lead time for both product lines causes longer agreed delivery times which may garner dissatisfied customers and tarnish company reputation. Improve or at least maintain profitability. Finance and accounting disclosed that profits are declining because of costs congruent with the standard furniture line. Priority given to custom furniture line delayed the generation of revenue for standard furniture line. A company even with a good reputation may not stay in the business if its sales can’t support company operation and administrative expenses. Reduction of cost through proper management of resources such as time, inventory and manpower, will increase profit margin. Hence, it is important at this point to base decisions on this criterion. VIII. DECISION ANALYSIS ALTERNATIVE PROS / ADVANTAGES CONS / DISADVANTAGES 1 Relocation of warehouse with a cheaper rental fee will lessen costs and increase profitability. May incur relocation cost. Since new warehouse is cheaper it may not be that big to accommodate raw materials and inventories. 2 Can manufacture more products and accommodate market demand for both lines and deliver the products on time maintaining client satisfaction. Thus, increasing sales and profit margin. Increase in salaries expense decreases profit margin. May spent time for training new recruits. Learning curve may be lower as they start off. 3 Can increase number of finished products and increases sales. Quality of work may suffer. Employees may get exhausted for working overtime and tend to finish it at a shorter time than usual. Increase salaries expense and decrease profit margin. 4 Can speed up processing time since both lines will not compete for the same equipment. Hence, sales will be increased. Increase asset – capital investment. There is no space left in the plant for expansion. Manpower should also be increased to operate new facilities which increase salaries expense and decrease profit margin. 5 Conceptualisation of right layout and work flow process suitable for both lines would expedite production process. Developing forecasting techniques in understanding demand of products will facilitate timing of procurement of raw materials ex. Just-in-Time Strategy which avoids too much investment on hanging raw materials and work in process inventory. Hiring experts for making the right lay-out and for developing forecast will incur professional fees thus, increasing expenses or costs. IX. DECISION Based on the information presented in the case of Chad’s Creative Concept, the case proponent would like to recommend that alternative no. 5 which entails inventory management address best the problems enumerated above and matches the criteria specified. Hiring an expert who will conceptualize right lay-out for work flow process will speed up manufacturing procedure and configure standard and customized so to reduce setup and changeover time and cope with the demands. Hence, delivery requirement will be met and customers will be satisfied in consideration of preserving company reputation. Moreover, results of forecast will be useful in the timing of procuring raw materials to avoid unnecessary expenditures such as holding cost which will boost up profits. As disclosed in the case, the plant capacity is at its full, plant has no space left for an expansion, and costs associated with the standard line are rising because there is no active sale and the inventory is increasing in the form of raw material and work in process which is holding the investments of the company. It is recommended that the JIT system should be used. Just in Time (JIT) is an inventory strategy companies employ to increase efficiency and decrease waste by receiving goods only as they are needed in the production process, thereby reducing inventory costs which at this point is what the company needs. This inventory supply system represents a shift away from the older â€Å"just in case† strategy, used by Chad’s Creative Concept, where producers carried large inventories in case higher demand had to be met. Though hiring experts will incur cost still the â€Å"benefits exceed costs†. Bearing in mind this principle will further company success and the going concern of the business. X. STRATEGY OF IMPLEMENTATION In implementing the decision the following should be done: Lay-out current manufacturing process. Hire experts who will make the forecasts techniques in understanding demand and conceptualise the layout and work flow process appropriate for both product lines. Lay-out developed should undergo dry run if it would accelerate manufacturing process and achieve the product quality desired. Such as: Product layout for standard line product, usually used for large volume products. Process layout for custom products is used when there are  diversified products using broad-spectrum operations, varying volumes and varying rate of output. Properly laid out factory can ensure the smooth and rapid movement of materials, from the raw material stage to the end product stage. In implementing the new inventory strategy, Just in Time system, supply chain should be adequate and would match demand projected.

13 Funny Thanksgiving Quotes to Keep Fights Off the Table

13 Funny Thanksgiving Quotes to Keep Fights Off the Table Thanksgiving is a time for families to get together, share snippets from their lives and enjoy the company of their dear ones. But what if your Thanksgiving becomes a time for family fights, shouting matches, complaints, and one-upping competition? If you have invited guests over for a Thanksgiving dinner, you can help break the ice with some funny words. However, if you crack jokes about a persons gender, color, or nationality, you may offend some people. The best way to keep the mirth flowing is to use funny words of the famous. Use these quotes smartly and you will have a room full of laughter. Enjoy the warmth of the Thanksgiving holiday with a round of humor. Louie Anderson At Thanksgiving, my mom always makes too much food, especially one item, like 700 or 800 pounds of sweet potatoes. Shes got to push it during the meal. Did you get some sweet potatoes? Theres sweet potatoes. Theyre hot. Theres more in the oven, some more in the garage. The rest are at the Johnsons. Berke Breathed, Bloom County Dear Lord, Ive been asked, nay commanded, to thank Thee for the Christmas turkey before us- a turkey which was no doubt a lively, intelligent bird, a social being, capable of actual affection, nuzzling its young with almost human-like compassion. Anyway, its dead and were gonna eat it. Mitch Hedberg I hate turkeys. If you stand in the meat section at the grocery store long enough, you start to get mad at turkeys. Theres turkey ham, turkey bologna, turkey pastrami. Someone needs to tell the turkey, man, just be yourself. Tony Snow If you think Independence Day is Americas defining holiday, think again. Thanksgiving deserves that title, hands-down. Alistair Cooke It has been an unchallengeable American doctrine that cranberry sauce, a pink goo with overtones of sugared tomatoes, is a delectable necessity of the Thanksgiving board and that turkey is uneatable without it. Phyllis Diller It took me three weeks to stuff the turkey. I stuffed it through the beak. Aaron Neville Its a thanksgiving to God. Its something I have wanted to do for a long time, but the record company wasnt ready for it. So I did it myself. Marilu Henner Its better to pace yourself throughout a big day like Thanksgiving by having something healthful for breakfast and something light for lunch. Rita Rudner Most turkeys taste better the day after; my mothers tasted better the day before. Ted Allen My whole problem is that all of my favorite things at Thanksgiving are the starches, and everyone is trying to go low-carb this year, even a green vegetable has carbs in it. David Letterman Thanksgiving is the day when you turn to another family member and say, How long has Mom been drinking like this? My mom, after six Bloody Marys looks at the turkey and goes, Here, kitty, kitty. Jim Gaffigan Thanksgiving. Its like we didnt even try to come up with a tradition. The tradition is, we overeat. Hey, how about at Thanksgiving we just eat a lot? But we do that every day! Oh. What if we eat a lot with people that annoy the hell out of us? David Letterman When I was a kid in Indiana, we thought it would be fun to get a turkey a year ahead of time and feed it and so on for the following Thanksgiving. But by the time Thanksgiving came around, we sort of thought of the turkey as a pet, so we ate the dog. Only kidding. It was the cat.