Sunday, January 26, 2020

An Analysis Of Personal Leadership Skills Nursing Essay

An Analysis Of Personal Leadership Skills Nursing Essay For this essay I have audited my leadership skills using theoretical models and referred to specific situations and experiences. This encompasses personal, academic and professional reflections and explores opportunities for my career paths and personal development with an Action Plan for the future. This has required critical evaluation of my own development needs in light of my own aspirations, establishing an understanding of my transferrable skills and how these can be enhanced. For this I have considered situations in which my leadership traits, styles and skills have been utilised to help create successful outcomes. Background My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. In developing my management skills, I am continually pursuing further ways of improving the effectiveness of these interactions which is immensely rewarding for me. On leaving school, my first employment was within the travel industry. From the outset, I sought to improve skills and enjoyed the challenge of meeting the needs of customers, budgetary targets, training of staff, problem solving, through to the opening and management of a travel agency branch several years later. Apart from the GCSE qualifications gained at school, any further academic or professional learning has been gained whilst in employment. The skills and achievements in my personal life are equally transferrable to my work life. For example, as Chairman of a genealogical society for several years and public speaking engagements both serve as reminders that I have organisational, research and presentation abilities which I can and should be utilising and developing along my career path. I am a prison officer and, three years ago, I learnt that my establishment was funding a Foundation Degree in Offender Management. My initial reaction was one of excitement as I had, for several years, considered some form of Higher Education by way of personal and professional development, but had never explored the options. It was a source of immense satisfaction to pass the course and achieve Distinction grade. My learning journey, experiences and personal developments, undertaken in the last three years, would take more than the word count of this essay allows, yet there are key points to reflect on in order to analyse my own leadership skills and continue their development. Theoretical Models and Personal Experience of Reflection in my Professional Development: From my earliest days in retail employment, then Care Work and on to prison officer, I have been fascinated by people and behaviour. Working alongside others, as well as empowering and training gives me great personal and professional satisfaction. Using reflective models such as Gibbs (1998), shown in Appendix III, I came to realise that how I interpret situations influences my interactions with others. As I will illustrate, this relates directly to my personality style and how I manage people and situations. Linked to this is the importance I place on how I am viewed by others and naturally seek collaborative and open relationships. Many of these values are found in Carnegie (1938), listed in Appendix I. The Study Skills Self-Assessment which I completed on 23 October 2007 (Appendix II) highlighted three main employability skills I need to develop as: Improving own learning and performance Application of number (data collection and interpretation) Information and technology proficiency Alongside these, to develop, are my personal attributes of Self confidence Flexibility and adaptability Judgement In this assessment I also reflected on my own specific weaknesses which include being too self-critical and not praising my own achievements enough which can affect my ability to be objective about my performance. I have a strong underpinning need to defend others and leap to their rescue which I have come to see as a hindrance to my own development and of those I seek to help. This is a particularly important area for me to address as future management roles will require me to allow others to take their own personal responsibility and only offer guidance as appropriate. This rescuer style is schema-related and I have considered schema theory and how this applies to me. Beck, (1967:233), described a schema as ..a cognitive structure for screening, coding, and evaluating the stimuli that impinge  on the organism. In short, schemas are the filters or core beliefs we have about ourselves or the world around us which influence how we interpret different situations in our lives. The nature of the work I do in offender rehabilitation requires me to undertake regular de-briefing, supervision, yearly health reviews and bi-monthly counselling. This, together with schema theory and other therapy models I use with prisoners, which I have also applied to myself, means I spend a lot of time being introspective and sharing reflections with colleagues. This helps define practical steps for a successful future but also enables me to gain wider perspectives in understanding, leading and managing others with a range of resources and situational analysis capabilities. Whereas, in the past and even recently, I have questioned the decision making processes of management, this has reshaped into a desire to gain a holistic overview of the work environment. Understanding the way we think and manage ourselves and others has been an important facet of my learning over the last three years. Straker (2008) who expands on the work of Gardner (2006) was helpful in appreciating that how we interact with people, at all levels, and is crucial for self development. Overcoming objections to understanding others, for fear that this might disprove our own theories about ourselves and the world are key hurdles of which I must continually be mindful. Negative experiences in this have resulted in an unhealthy view of the workplace but, as I said earlier, the benefits of a more engaging view have proved beneficial in my work and personal well being. As well as using Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1998), Kolb (1984) also helped me to evaluate experiences and test hypotheses but I did not find it took me to the point of action whereas Gibbs sets out the plan for ongoing development which is crucial for me so as not to remain procrastinating. Moon (2004) has been a useful resource on reflective practice, reminding me that reflection is not just important in itself, but must also lead to positive change, In observing what gets in the way, rather than being stuck in analysis, to move beyond and set goals for positive development has been essential learning for me and has been a surprising benefit which I had not expected several years ago. Leadership Employability Skills I recently completed an Employability Skills self assessment exercise which we first undertook in the first semester of the Foundation Degree. On doing this, I compared the results from the two. It was encouraging that one of my main developments appears to have been in problem solving and I consider my Higher Education studies over the last three years as contributing to my deeper analysing abilities. In light of earlier descriptions of my learning journey and reflective logs, it is gratifying to see that I have come a long way in, not only overcoming my own obstacles to learning, but making measured and significant achievement which then enables me to guide others in their roles. Among the key learning experiences for me, alongside the above, are a recognition of the roles of others, networking and effective communication. My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. This was particularly apparent when I recently updated my Curriculum Vitae (Appendix IV), which was last compiled almost fifteen years ago. In developing my management skills throughout my degree studies, I have discovered further ways of improving the effectiveness of these interactions which is immensely rewarding for me. Through networking with management and departments for resources on researching prison policy, security and management skills, I am now feeling positive and motivated to succeed in career development. Not only is this important from a practical, self-development perspective, but also the fulfilling sense of achievement this will bring. Until recently, I was Supervisor of the Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme which was an important role in developing my leadership skills, promoting staff well-being as well as guiding staffs professional development. Another important aspect of this was to remain flexible yet consistent in balancing these needs whilst focussing on the goals of the establishment Business Plan and Key Performance Target (KPT) priorities. This mirrors Handy (1987) who argues for such flexibility in his Trust Control Theory. I find myself taking the opportunity to develop the skills of others very seriously and is personally rewarding and empowering. The values I attribute to this mirror those of Kandola and Fullerton (1994) in their Mosaic Vision which I have included in Appendix V. In Transactional Analysis Theory (Bern, 1961), every individuals personality is made up of three parts Parent, Adult and Child. An assessment of my own revealed a predominantly Nurturing Parent relationship style which is immensely rewarding personally, but can prove emotionally draining and is not without its practical problems. However, developing assertiveness skills in establishing my own identity and skills base has the benefit of overcoming any negative rumination and keeps lines of communication open. An example of achieving this was in challenging my line manager over my yearly performance review where I was rated Achieved and not Exceeded which I felt was deserved. I could have overlooked this and ruminated unhelpfully, believing him to be responsible for not recognising my achievements, but chose instead to manage my manager and argued my case. I found the www.h2training.com website interesting which had useful strategies for reminding me how to maintain my own degree of self-determination. Quoting from this site: Its unreasonable to expect your manager to be entirely responsible for accelerating your career: ultimately, its your own responsibility. Remember that an expectation is also resentment waiting to happen, and it is very difficult to hide resentment. http://h2training.com/managing_manager_tips.html [accessed November 2010] Suffice to say, my performance record was amended accordingly. I recently had to step down from Sex Offender Treatment work which I found difficult to accept. I, therefore, reappraised my personal development and used reflective skills (Kolb, 1984 and Beck 1967) to help evaluate the experiences and to understand how I was interpreting them. By doing this, I was able to negotiate a role within the drugs support team after originally being offered an office based assessment position which I would have found unfulfilling. Indeed, on reflection, assertiveness and negotiation are two core management attributes which are now part of my skills set. Drawing together the range of experience and interests I have enjoyed over successive years keeps me, first and foremost, actively engaged in working for and alongside others. My role as a drugs support worker requires the key skills I possess with the realisation and expectation that they can be further developed with a particular emphasis on evaluating the management requirements of this work. This is encouraging and, in this period of change, I have come to realise the importance of job satisfaction as a key motivator for me. An important element of my professional life is to uphold personal and corporate values of decency and ethical practice including cultural diversity. I was pleased to be able to highlight these values in my Diversity Foundation Degree project from January 2009 where I made recommendations for valuing the diversity of staff and prisoners and improving ethical practice in Programmes Awareness training at Full Sutton. This was well received by the treatment management team resulting in the training being strengthened in this area. On sharing the findings of my Transactional Analysis with a work colleague, my nurturing parent style was acknowledged and confirmed through my perceived empathic nature. In looking at my management style, it is important that I maintain a balance between this and being careful not to go into White Knight schema-driven mode, where I need to defend others at all costs. Developing a style which cares for others yet enables them to function on their own merits allows me to function better as a genuinely caring person in my work and as a leader. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory (1943), reminds me that my own needs count as well as those of other people. In other words, putting other people first all the time is detrimental to my own well-being and valuing myself is, in itself, a key assertiveness skill. I continually remind myself of the announcements on aircraft during safety briefings where, in the event of oxygen masks being deployed, you are instructed to put your own on first before aiding anyone else. If you dont, you might pass out beforehand and then no one is saved. Critically evaluating My Leadership and Management Style Some years ago, a colleague of mine who has since retired, told me his thoughts on a particular Senior Manager. He used a phrase which, though meant in a derogatory sense, I have never forgotten. He said ..as a leader of men, I would only follow him out of curiosity. This colleague had spent many distinguished years in the Armed Services as a Regimental Sergeant Major and had been in the Prison Service for around 15 years. He had, therefore, some considerable experience of different management and leadership styles. Using established theory I continually analyse my own strengths and weaknesses in areas of leadership and management. Fayol (1916) highlighted five commons elements of management which are essential to the role. These include the ability to look to the future, to be organised and co-ordinate the organisational objectives, leading (though he defined it as commanding which is unhelpfully autocratic) and, finally, to control the above elements using all means at his or her disposal. Whilst this was written at the beginning of the last century, the basic tenets of management Fayol lists are still valid though ones own personality also engenders an effective workforce which can achieve results. The latter is personally important as I seek to have followers rather than delegates and makes me, as a manager, more of a leader. I recently completed the Myers Briggs Personality Type Questionnaire. Having done this a couple of years ago, I decided to redo this using an internet-based assessment resource (www.teamtechnology.co.uk) [accessed 15 September 2010], which produced a comprehensive 200 page report. Summary in Appendix VI The results proved very interesting and formed a cohesive assessment which affirmed the beliefs about my personality and leadership attributes gained over the last few years. This was confirmed through the initial questionnaire together with a separate subtest which had similar outcomes and, interestingly, the results were very similar to my previous assessment two years previously. Essentially, I have a strong focus on values, feelings, compassion and important beliefs where current experiences hold great learning importance. Team values are high and my role in ensuring the well-being of those with whom I work is important to me. There are, however, elements of this personality type which I am aware can be problematic if not managed appropriately. I do have a tendency to avoid conflict yet can be stubborn where my own values come into conflict with corporate ideals in which I run the risk of failing in objectivity. These are negative traits which I have been consciously working on over the last few years and serve to remind me that, whilst having a default style, this does not preclude effective working on these to the benefit of all concerned. Interestingly, the top two best matches of jobs for me based on enjoyment are actor and musician; for match came out as counsellor and customer care and a combination of match and enjoyment came out as counsellor and actor. All of these I have both experience and interest in and the traits from these have indeed shaped my leadership style. The Humanist approach described by McGregor (1964) looked at how individual attitudes can affect behaviour. He purported that there are 2 types of leader (using an X and Y continuum ranging from a negative to positive view of subordinates respectively). The latter, he showed, have a greater chance of effective performance from the workforce through a nurturing approach which I can identify with. A reflective log from December 2009 is included in Appendix VII. Again, as with most models, there is a typical style for each individual manager but even the most open and supportive one can revert on occasions to X-typical strategies and responses. This can be somewhat confusing and lacking in continuity for the workforce and, potentially unsettling as I will illustrate later in this essay. The model is similar to Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) who use the continuum from Authoritarian Task Orientation to Democratic Relationship Orientation where I operate towards the latter and Goleman (2000) on which I identify with the Affiliative (people come first) stage. Operational leaders, as covered by Maxwell (2002) have great value to an organisation in providing stability, devising systems and solving problems with positive engagement. However, because of their focus on detail they can overlook the bigger picture, sometimes lack motivation and are not effective in dealing with conflict. Very often, paraphrasing Maxwell here, operational leaders are not very good at getting their hands dirty but readily raise the flag at the moment of achievement. Thankfully, whilst viewing myself as an operational leader, I do like to share in tasks as well as delegate. John Adair (2002) in his range of leadership treatises, (which, incidently, build on the previous models of Maslow (1943), Herzberg (1964) and Fayol (1916) highlights three key management responsibilities under his banner of Action Centred leadership. Achieving the task Managing the team or group Managing individuals Whilst advocating a shared responsibility between the individual and external factors, it does not, however, take stock of the individual in the leadership role which I view as crucial. A similar but more complex model I have become interested in, is known as Crew Resource Management (CRM) which was originally devised by NASA to explore the human factors in civil aviation accidents in the 1970s. Several industries have adopted and adapted their own models accordingly and my interest will culminate in a dissertation for my Degree on the benefits of adopting a CRM approach to Prison Service critical incidents. Tasks or people? Workforce or Team ? It is clear that leadership is different to management though a good leader will have good management skills. In considering whether I impose myself as leader to focus on task or allow the team to flourish utilising their own skills, I completed the T-P leadership questionnaire (Appendix VIII). This scored exactly midway between the two, highlighting my awareness and flexibility to respond to both important aspects. How we respond to a leader gives some indication of our own skills and that of the one in the supervisory role. As one who aims to lead by inspiration, I am more inclined to follow Kolbs (1984) model of learning and encourage people to adapt concrete way of doing things to update their skills base and find more effective ways of working (feeling, watching, thinking, doing). An autocratic leader would be less inclined to allow such flexibility and attempt to ensure compliance from those who might be more inclined to kick and scream in and against the process. An effective leader should also take individual learning styles into account as no one method fits all. Honey and Mumfords Learning Style Inventory (1982), highlights the differences that exist, as I have found even within small teams, yet we all work together and effectively, notwithstanding that everyones experience of being under the same leadership will be different. One of the most important sources of reflection in considering my own style of leadership, plus a reinforcement of my own beliefs and values, is represented in the Style Theory of Leadership developed by Blake and Mouton (1964). This, essentially, follows on from McGregors X-Y theory and is more relevant to those predominantly on the Y axis and where a level of trust in management structure exists in the workplace. However, Blake and Mouton explored the benefits of those that put tasks before people and vice versa. Ultimately they considered whether concern for people or concern for production was more important for leaders. As with other models, the day to day style of individuals in leadership roles can vary but everyone has their own default mode. Where productivity appears more important than the maintenance and well-being of the staff, I can find myself at odds with the management and perceived ethos of the establishment at which I work. With the Blake Mouton model, I was relieved to have my default leadership style confirmed as Team Leader. This is indicative of high concern for both people and production where emphasis is placed on a spirit of teamwork and mutual co-operation. This also engenders a safe environment in which commitment from all sides is more readily forthcoming. However, in completing a recent practical assessment for a promotion board I failed to attain the required grade. I knew this as soon as the assessment was over, though I had to wait two months for the official result. In fact, I knew during the assessment, I was reacting totally contrary to my normal sense of priorities when faced with a constant stream of problems to solve. I found myself focussing primarily on the tasks and not enough on the personnel. For example, when faced with a member of staff who was emotionally upset at a domestic issue, I asked if he was okay to continue to get his landing unlocked and would look to help him with his problem later. Afterwards I learnt that the assessors were looking for Utopian responses in all scenarios assuming all needs could be immediately provided so I could have put staff welfare first, getting his role covered immediately so he could then get home to sort his issues. However, I reverted to my current work role where the pressure to meet deadlines sometimes overrides well-being. As this was completely at odds with how I believed I would normally have reacted, I was left feeling ill at ease and questioned why I persisted in this way when I am naturally Y (using McGregors model, 1960) and more team focused than task orientated (Blake Mouton, 1964). Whilst I may not fully understand why, at least it is a recognised trait à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..theory X managers (or indeed theory Y managers displaying theory X are primarily results oriented Internet source http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm [October 2010] On reflection, I am convinced that the culture and environment of the higher management structure (which demands and focuses on results and targets) filters down and, no matter how much one tries to resist or even kick against it, it permeates ones own work practice after a while. The climate in which I work consistently places emphasis on the meeting of Key Performance Targets (KPTs) and now, the Service Level Agreement (SLA). In meeting these as well as ever increasing budgetary constraints, every facet of work culture is placed under the microscope and, wherever possible, cut, yet the targets must be met regardless. However, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves or expectations laid at our office door, it is how we respond that is important and the acceptance of our personal responsibility to be channelled into effective working. An important element of relationships, at all levels including personal and business, is trust. Where one perceives this to be eroded or not present due to conflict in aims or values, it can have a destructive affect on effective co-working. As can be seen above, this is something I am struggling with in the corporate ethos where I am constantly second-guessing the motives behind management decision-making. However, to be an effective manager, I am mindful of maintaining a healthy approach to embracing the mission of the workplace even though I may not fully understand or have access to the full rationale behind the decision making processes from Higher Management. As a leader, I have to convey to those I wish to work effectively under me, that this mission is achievable and in the common interest despite my own such uncertainties. Maintaining personal integrity and establishing trust are essential in my personal, professional and leadership identity. Straker (2008:208) talks of transaction cost and trust boundaries. Essentially he argues that trust, if allowed to erode or not fostered within an organisation can impact on delivery and there has to be a cost on both sides to re-establish this. As he says .. the overall cost can be minimised with up-front investment in, and subsequent maintenance of, trust. If one does not have that sense of belonging within the trust group then there is something wrong with the work relationship and part of effective management and leadership performance is to be pro-active in fostering trust and encouraging people to enter the trust boundary. It begs the question, therefore, who and under what conditions will we follow? Should we be expected to lead and expect blind faith? What criteria and principles should be presented in order for others to set out on the journey with us ? Handy (1987) suggests that in order for an outcome to remain constant, the Trust-Control balance might need to shift between leader and subordinates and I can see merits in this as relationships, as well as work pressures, are fluid in nature. There are three established styles of leadership: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. History records successful leaders who have exhibited all of the above. Each style can work and produce results but demands a flexibility on the part of the workforce to fit in with the style and it is that response which can be acknowledged and worked with or not as the case may be, As for my own style, confirmed as a nurturing parental approach, this has immense benefits for myself and for those who work under me as they feel supported and, more importantly in my opinion, affirmed in their roles with their own skills base recognised and developed. As with any style there are costs and, as I am finding, where my own sense of values conflicts with the demands laid upon me, this can have a detrimental effect to my own sense of purpose within the organisation. It is important, therefore, that structures and lines of communication are open which allow for that expression of view. However, this, in itself, is not without the potential cost. As I found when raising my head above the parapet on several occasions, to express concern and personal frustration with the direction expected by senior managers, it can blot ones copybook. Again, it is important for me to consider how much of this is down to my own personal perception and how able I am to see my subordinates perspective and, crucially, the aims and focus of the establishment delivery objectives. Conclusion In terms of future roles, I am best placed to consider managerial positions. The Foundation Degree and BA(Hons) are regarded as valuable qualifications both for their content relevant to the Criminal Justice System and Leadership and Management but also symbolising the desire and commitment I have and have shown for continued self development (Appendix IX). In the final analysis, the human dynamic is the most beneficial resource in the workplace but it is also the most fickle and, at times, fragile. To lead is a privilege and to follow is an opportunity. I can only strive to make myself worthy of the trust placed in me to, not only get the job done, but to enable others to be the very best they can be and, in the process, ensure I am followed out of respect and not coercion or, indeed, curiosity. Appendices: I. Excerpt from Carnegie (1938) II. Study Skills Self Assessment III. Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle IV. Curriculum Vitae V. Kandola and Fullerton (1994) Mosaic Vision VI. Myers Briggs Personality Type Questionnaire VII. Reflective Log on McGregor X,Y Theory VIII. T-P Leadership Questionnaire IX. Professional Development Plan Appendix I Excerpts from How To Win Friends and Influence People Carnegie (1938) Fundamental Techniques in Handling People Dont criticize, condemn, or complain. Give honest and sincere appreciation. Arouse in the other person an eager want. Six Ways to Make People Like You Become genuinely interested in other people. Smile. Remember that a mans Name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. Talk in the terms of the other mans interest. Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking Avoid arguments. Show respect for the other persons opinions. Never tell someone they are wrong. If youre wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Begin in a friendly way. Start with questions the other person will answer yes to. Let the other person do the talking. Let the other person feel the idea is his/hers. Try honestly to see things from the other persons point of view. Sympathize with the other person. Appeal to noble motives. Dramatize your ideas. Throw down a challenge. Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to other peoples mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes first. Ask questions instead of directly giving orders. Let the other person save face. Praise every improvement. Give them a fine reputation to live up to. Encourage them by making their faults seem easy to correct. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest. Appendix II. Study Skills Self Assessment Appendix III. Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle Appendix IV. Curriculum Vitae Appendix V My Personal and Professional Values Related to The Mosaic Vision (Kandola and Fullerton, 1994) Mission and values (I tend to have a rescuer style in

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Linguistics and their realationship to Teaching Essay

Abstract This paper is an attempt to analyze the relationship between linguistics and language teaching. Linguistics is a science and teaching while technical is also an art yet they are closely related to each other in the case of language teaching. The foreign language teachers need to include ‘selection’, ‘grading’ and ‘presentation’ as their main steps. Linguistics plays an important role in the whole process of teaching by helping to facilitate a teacher’s understanding of the workings and systems of the language they teach. Applied Linguistics is really about the melding of these 2 actions. The Relationship between Linguistics and Language Teaching. Linguistics is defined as the scientific study of language. Linguistics is then divided into several branches which study different accepts of its use. Descriptive linguistics, historical and comparative linguistics, which it is based on methodology. Synchronic and Diachronic linguistics, which it is based on the aspect of changes over time. Phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics, which is based on a language as a system. Sociolinguistics this is related to or combined with the disciplines of linguistics and sociology. Its interest is in the relationship between language and society. It works to explains why people Use different speech in different social contexts. It’s area of study is the social functions of language to convey social meaning. The social relationships in a community, and the way people signal aspects of their social identity through their language (Jenet Holmes, 2001). Sociolinguistics also is concerned with the interaction of language and settings. (Carol M. Eastman, 1975; 113). The other expert defines it as the study that is concerned with investigating the relationship between language and society with the goal of a better  understanding of the structure of language and of how languages function in communication ( Ronald Wardhaugh, 1986 : 12) Psycholinguistics relates to the combined disciplines of psychology and linguistics. Psychology is defined as the systematic study of human experience and behavior or as the science that studies the behavior of men and other animals. Knight and Hilgert in Abu Ahmadi,(1992). It covers language development. (Lim Kiat Boey). The other definition of psycholinguistics is that it is the study of human language-to-language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition (E. M. Hatch). The research done on the relationship between linguistic theory and language teaching can be traced back to the late 19th century. Its relationship has been discussed and debated for many years and researched extensively. Since this time different research proposed by different scholars has been disputable and found to be largely inconclusive. In the 1960s it was decided that there needed to be a reassessment. The conclusion that was formed went in two two main directions of thought with differing points of view. One viewpoint was that linguistics is not as relevant as it was first thought to be, and its importance was overrated. Such linguists as Lamendella (1969) and Johnson (1967) expressed their disagreement to regard linguistics as the basis of a strategy of learning. Lamendella (1969) thought that it was a mistake to look to transformational grammar or any other theory of linguistic description to provide the theoretical basis for second language pedagogy. What is needed in the field of language teaching are not applied linguists but rather applied psychologists. The other point of view was to recognize that the general contribution of linguistics was important. This came though with a proviso that teaching language was not to be bound to only follow one theory alone. The idea being that different linguistic theories can offer different perspectives on language, and they can all be treated as equivalent resources useful for teaching. Levenson (1979 ) once said, ‘no one school of linguistic analysis has a monopoly of truth in the description of the phenomena of speech†¦traditional school grammar, TG grammar, †¦all these and more can be shown to have their own particular relevance to the language teaching situation. By1960 the United States, reached its peak of the influence of structural linguistics upon language Teaching. Structural linguistics stressed the importance of language as a system and investigates the place that linguistic units such as sounds, words and sentences have within this system. This then associated with behaviorism provided the principal theoretical basis of the audio lingual theory. This then influenced language teaching materials, techniques and the teachers educations. Behaviorism led to theories, which explained how an external event, causes a change in the behavior, without any kind of mental interaction. It also stressed the importance of repetition and practice in learning a second language, this I think is a vital factor in learning a foreign language. If we look at the audio-lingual method, it emphasizes: (1) The teaching of speaking and listening before reading and writing; (2) The use of dialogues and drills; (3) The avoidance of the use of the mother tongue in the classroom. Audio-lingual method regards speaking and listening as the basic skills, this is in line with today’s English teaching situation. The Mentalist Approach In the 1960s Chomsky formulated the mentalist approach. The hypothesis was considered that human behavior is much more complex than animal behavior. Chomsky, felt that we are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which enables a child to make a hypotheses about the structures of a language in general, and also the structure of the language being learned more importantly. By the end of the sixties’, there were new developments in teaching language starting to occur. The TG theory had a big impact resulting in a change in teaching methods. It was opposed to the empiricist theory, that is, teaching audio linguistics, linguistically structuralism and psychologically behaviorism. TG theory. 1 It stresses mental activity. 2 It postulates that all human beings have an innate ability to learn a language. 3 That it is an inborn instinctual ability and not practice that made human beings obtain the rules of a language and understand and can produce countless numbers of sentences. The Natural Method was successfully used in various language schools in the USA and Europe in the late 19th and the early 20th century. In the post-World War I decades, the direct method was adopted into English language teaching (ELT) this laid a solid intellectual and practical foundation for developing ELT as an autonomous profession. Some linguists, like Diller (1970), openly declared his preference for the cognitive position; while others, like Chastain (1976) and Rivers (1981:25-27) held that the two theories were complementary and served different types of learners or teachers or represented different phases of the language learning process. Applied Linguists brought about the situational approach and the notional/functional method. It is based on a broader framework for the description of language use called communicative competence proposed by Hymes, This brought about the communicative approach to language teaching came into being. In 1970s, a group of scholars including Oller (1970) and Widdowson (1978), were linguists but at also closely in touch with teaching practice. They gave language teaching and language pedagogy the linguistic direction they regarded as necessary. Since they were in touch with language teaching practice and linguistic so had a two-way view of the problem, they placed emphasis on real language and its communication and use. To take Oller’s interest in pragmatics as an example. Oller (1970:507) claimed that pragmatics has implications for language teaching; it defines the goal of teaching a language as prompting the students not merely to manipulate meaningless sound sequences, but to send and receive messages in the language. The students in China start English when they are in primary school. In the past, more attention was paid to the grammar, the result was very disappointing: Now the emphases is on speaking and listening. The audio-lingual method is now used in the classroom. In China, more people need to learn English in order to have the ability to communicate with foreigners. In this case, speaking and listening is much more important than being able to read and write. They are not expected to have a high level of English and their aim is simple, they need to communicate with a foreigner so they can understand their words and express themselves well. This is based on simple daily conversation. A market sale and business or being able to work in the tourism industries. Basic conversation and understanding can be very helpful in everyday conversation exchanges. The Audio-lingual method stressed the repetition and it theorizes that a language is learnt through the formation of habits. To speak English fluently, without constant practice, is impossible. So in our English teaching, we must help our students speak and listen well. Expressing ourselves properly is not always an easy thing, especially if it’s an emotionally charged topic. Even an English major may sometimes find it problematic to express exactly what they mean so it is understood by the other person in a way that is understood by all. When I go to Cambodia I find the generally that the population though not taught English in school has good English conversation capacity. They may not read or write but I feel if they had the opportunity to learn now they have grasped the basic language that they would with more ease. There is a need for them to talk and sell to foreigners so they have had a need and incentive to learn and the fact that their using it every day also helps. Though there are of course talented students I find in Thailand the communication level is not good as a lot of emphases is but on reading, writing and grammar, that many times, is not really understood or comprehended. Thai students learn form primary but they do not always have a reason to speak out of the classroom. One lesson a week in speaking and 3 of grammar I find makes the students scared to use the language. I teach with Thailand teachers and due to a some general pronunciation problems the students are confused about the sounds of the words and how to string them together. Confidence helps a lot just talking even if it is wrong. I always attempt to inspire confidence as I feel it is very important for speech. In my opinion, linguistics and language teaching relationship is a dual one. There are some theories of linguistics that can be applied to language teaching, i. e.  linguistics guides in development of language teaching theory. On the other hand, a language teaching theory expresses or implies answers to questions about the nature of language. It is necessary for a language teacher has some knowledge about, the systems of languages. A teacher should understand how the language works and expresses meaning and the structures that are used in the language being taught. A teacher needs to know how to make the phonic sounds and the mechanics to produce these sounds. This helps with pronunciation problems that students will encounter. By studying linguistics a teacher will have a deeper insight into the nature of language and the language the student speaks as they’re first language. If we agree that the use of a language is a matter of habits and practice, then a teacher needs to implant the habit of using it for communication until it becomes second nature. Conclusion Linguistic theory is continually developing and teaching theories are constantly changing as is the language itself. This alone demands a permanent study of languages and the relationships between linguistic theory and language teaching methods. There are many techniques and theories but no one concept or technique can take in the Different needs student may have and the differing ways people learn. This is a science in its self. There can be many differences in understanding between the L1 and L2 language from different cultural understandings and different sounds that may be new to the learner. There are many ways a culture will express its self along with idiosyncrasies and local knowledge of the everyday life in the culture. They say when you understand humor you start to know a language. If one could take every student as an individual and teach them the best way they learnt one would be assured of good results. Knowing the basic individual attributes the child had can enable to teacher to create classes designed for their individual needs. This is a luxury that tutors can give their students but in the classroom one dose not have so much control. A practical framework designed to suit the most students and the context that is the most appropriate. The Relationship of Linguistic Materials for the Second Language Teacher. Because of political, economic and also technical changes, English has become widely taught as an official business language worldwide, also as a second language to immigrants in English-speaking countries to gain entry and work, and as a foreign language in many non-English-speaking countries. This is also largely due to the computer so there is a universal language for coding and business. There are many theories on different ways to teach and different scholarly thoughts on the best process. I feel that this depends on the type of English you are teaching. Since there are many different needs a student may have. In China the emphases is on communication with foreigners on a daily basis like selling them something in a market or doing business. In other countries such as Thailand the emphases is put on Grammar and writing and reading and only a small part into communication. So while there are still many theories on the best way to teach I feel in my knowledge so far that it is best to learn as many ways as possible and how they work in the different environments. Applied Linguistics is really about the melding of these two actions but not the scope of this essay. One of the most fantastic Linguistic help I think the corpus is one of the best ways to get relevant vocabulary for your students. This is helpful for Syllabus and curriculum planning and for all areas of language teaching. References Chastain, K. (1976). Developing Second-Language Skills: Theory to Practice. Chicago: Rand McNally. Diller, K. C. (1970). ‘Linguistic theories of language acquisition’ in Hester 1970:1-32. Johnson, M. (1967). Definitions and models in curriculum theory. Educational Theory, 17:127-40. Lamendella, J. T. (1969). On the irrelevance of transformational grammar to second language pedagogy. Language Learning, 19:255-70. Levenson, E. A. (1979). Second language lexical acquisition: issues and problems. Interlanguage Studies Bulletin, 4:147-60. Oller, J. W. (1970). Transformational theory and pragmatics. Modern Language Journal, 54:504-507. Rivers, W. M. (1981). Teaching Foreign-Language Skills. Second edition. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Widdowson, H. G.. (1978). Teaching Language as Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .†? Zeki Hamawand, Z. Morphology in English: Word formation in cognitive grammar. continuum. Publishing. ( Zeki Hamawand, Z. (2011).

Friday, January 10, 2020

Development of Moldova

Moldova is a land locked country that lies between Ukraine and Romania.   It gained independence in 1991 after an aborted coup against Russia.   It is ranked as the most poor country in Europe, attributable to the economic crisis that faced Russia in 1998.   This is because Moldova's foreign trade heavily relied on Russia and the crisis naturally had adverse effects on its economy.   The current president, Vladimir Voronin, has made attempts to bring the country closer to Russia in a bid to resuscitate the economy.Economic development is the effort to increase wealth of a country through empowering the citizens (Leornard, 2006).   It goes beyond economic growth and focuses on social and political sectors of the society.   This includes uplifting the standards of living of the people as well as enhancing democracy and freedom of the people.   Measures include economic growth, literacy rates, poverty rates, life expectancy among others.Moldova is able to attain the status of highly developed countries, in the next fifty years due to the changes that the current government is implementing, that facilitate reaching this level.Economic aspectFor development to be achieved, there has to be a systematic effort to increase the economic growth.   Moldova does not have major mineral resources and consequently relies on agriculture, due to the favorable climate.   It relies on Russia for nearly half of the exports and major import partners include Russia, Romania, Belarus and Ukraine.   Major imports are fuel, electricity, chemicals, textiles and machinery while exports are foodstuffs, textiles and tobacco.   It experiences unfavorable balance of trade and in 2007, it was recorded at $2.3 billion.   Moldova has high external debt that was estimated at $900 million in 2000, most of which came from the World Bank and the IMF.The GDP declined over the years due to the effect from Russia but is now slowly coming around.   Moldova's strategy to improv e the economy was to free prices and interest rates, land privatization and the removal of export restrictions.   Economic progress is gradually being achieved since indicators like the GDP are rising.   Inflation is reducing and the economy is growing due to the government's expenditure framework that stresses fiscal discipline as well as efficient resource use.Social aspect.Ten years ago, 75% of the population in Moldova was below the poverty line (Berglund, 2004).   Other social problems include human trafficking and influx of drugs such as opium, since Moldova is a route for drugs destined for Europe and US.   This has an adverse effect on the health of the people.   The government is slowly addressing these issues, for example by empowering the population through investment geared towards economic growth.   This is being done by reducing hurdles to business entry, by for example, reducing number of licenses required for trade.   This results in increase of disposa ble income to households.   The government is also constructing infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals to improve the standards of living of the people.Political aspectMoldovan political parties lack internal democracy and accountability.   Opposition parties do not take part in formulation of policies due to parliament's attitude of ignoring alternative opinions.   In 2005, Freedom House gave Moldova a score of 5.75, in terms of democracy, which is a poor show.   Political parties do not also hold dialog with civil societies.   The government is slowly increasing the democratic space.   It has also dedicated time to solve the Transnistrian conflict which will increase political development.ChallengesPrivatization of state owned corporations is marred by corruption. There is political and economic uncertainty and ineffective law enforcement.   Over reliance of Russia in trade is also a challenge.   Ban on Moldovan wine and agricultural products by Russia in 2006 adversely affected its revenue, since wine accounted for a third of its exports, of which 80% went to Russia (Leornard, 2006).   In 2007, Moldova faced drought that led to losses in the agricultural sector amounting to over $100 million.   There is financial challenge due to external debt and uncertainty towards future assistance.   Finally, there is a challenge of involving poor people in activities of Non-Governmental Organizations.RecommendationsMoldova should reduce reliance on Russia for trade since in the past, any adverse policy changes by Russia have greatly affected Moldovan economy.   It should also reduce the reliance on agriculture and diversify in other sectors of the economy, since climate change tends to greatly affect the economy.   Support for medium and small size enterprises would facilitate increase the employment opportunities in the country.   There should be motivation for development for example rewards, to encourage innovation.   Use of r enewable energy sources like wind would reduce reliance on electricity.Moldova should   ensure that the civil society participates in the formation of policies at all levels so as to integrate the views of the citizens.   It should put in place reforms that strengthen civil control over the military.   It should design legal frameworks that define rights and tasks of parliamentary, civilian and public control mechanisms.ConclusionMoldova is on track in achieving development in the next few decades.   All it has to do is reduce reliance on Russia and look for alternative markets.   It should also strengthen democracy and improve the standards of living of the people.   A stable political environment coupled with infrastructure to attract investments, efficient use of the available resources as well as having effective monetary and fiscal policies should enable Moldova achieve development before the next fifty hours are over. References Leonard, T. M. (2006), Encyclopedia of the developing world. Washington: Routledge. Berglund, S. (2004), The handbook of political change in eastern Europe. New York: Edward

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Soweto Student Uprising - 16 June, 1976

When high-school students in Soweto started protesting for better education on 16 June 1976, police responded with teargas and live bullets. It is commemorated today by a South African national holiday, Youth day, which honors all the young people who lost their lives in the struggle against Apartheid and Bantu Education.   In 1953 the Apartheid Government enacted The Bantu Education Act, which established a Black Education Department in the Department of Native Affairs. The role of this department was to compile a curriculum that suited the nature and requirements of the black people. The author of the legislation, Dr Hendrik Verwoerd (then Minister of Native Affairs, later Prime Minister), stated: Natives [blacks] must be taught from an early age that equality with Europeans [whites] is not for them. Black people were not to receive an education that would lead them to aspire to positions they wouldnt be allowed to hold in society. Instead they were to receive education designed to provide them with skills to serve their own people in the homelands or to work in laboring jobs under whites. Bantu Education did enable more children in Soweto to attend school than the old missionary system of education, but there was a severe lack of facilities. Nationally public to teacher ratios went up from 46:1 in 1955 to 58:1 in 1967. Overcrowded classrooms were used on a rota basis. There was also a lack of teachers, and many of those who did teach were underqualified. In 1961, only 10 per cent of black teachers held a matriculation certificate [last year of high school]. Because of the governments homelands policy, no new high schools were built in Soweto between 1962 and 1971 -- students were meant to move to their relevant homeland to attend the newly built schools there. Then in 1972 the government gave in to pressure from business to improve the Bantu Education system to meet businesss need for a better trained black workforce. 40 new schools were built in Soweto. Between 1972 and 1976 the number of pupils at secondary schools increased from 12,656 to 34,656. One in five Soweto children were attending secondary school. This increase in secondary school attendance had a significant effect on youth culture. Previously, many young people spent the time between leaving primary school and obtaining a job (if they were lucky) in gangs, which generally lacked any political consciousness. But now secondary school students were forming their own, much more politicized identity. Clashes between gangs and students only furthered the sense of student solidarity. In 1975 South Africa entered a period of economic depression. Schools were starved of funds -- the government spent R644 a year on a white childs education but only R42 on a black child. The Department of Bantu Education then announced it was removing the Standard 6 year from primary schools. Previously, in order to progress to Form 1 of secondary school, a pupil had to obtain a first or second-degree pass in Standard 6. Now the majority of pupils could proceed to secondary school. In 1976, 257,505 pupils enrolled in Form 1, but there was space for only 38,000. Many of the students therefore remained at primary school. Chaos ensued. The African Students Movement, founded in 1968 to voice student grievances, changed its name in January 1972 to the South African Students Movement (SASM) and pledged itself to building a national movement of high school students who would work with the Black Consciousness (BC) organization at black universities, the South African Students Organisation (SASO). This link with BC philosophies is significant as it gave students an appreciation for themselves as black people and helped politicize students. So when the Department of Education issued its decree that Afrikaans was to become a language of instruction at school, it was into an already volatile situation. Students objected to being taught in the language of the oppressor. Many teachers themselves could not speak Afrikaans, but were now required to teach their subjects in it. Part 2: Students organize a protest For more on the 2015 commeorations see:  16 June 2015,  Day of the African Child This article, June 16th Student Uprising (http://africanhistory.about.com/od/apartheid/a/Soweto-Uprising-Pt1.htm), is an updated version of the article which first appeared on About.com on 8 June 2001.