...The evolution of American society has changed the English language to such drastic measures. The languages of the past are now known as "old" English and "middle" English, and our English language today is now known as "modern" English. As we as human beings as well as a collective society have evolved, we have influenced the evolution and change in the language that we speak. As social differentiation is apparent, the distinction of words has been manipulated. With natural processes becoming evident in our daily lives, laziness has had quite an effect on the language that we currently speak. Lastly, the advancements that have been made in technology have influenced greatly the language that we speak. According to studies done at the University of Pennsylvania, "Social groups adopt distinctive norms of dress, adornment, gesture and so forth; language is part of the package" (UPenn). As each social class, ethnic group, religious group and so forth create their own style of life and living, the language that they speak is also influenced by those changes. The ways that they express their unique way of life is directly related to the words that they speak as well as the connotations that they associate with each word. Although the English language...
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...Organizational Behavior Introduction The American Heritage Dictionary defines fun as “a source of enjoyment, amusement or pleasure”. Imagine working for a company for more than 40 hours a week with a team of introverts. This may sound great to individuals who may have found refuge in isolation, but it comes at a cost for the company. Hodge-Cronin & Associates conducted survey of 737 CEO’s. The survey revealed that 98% of this group “preferred job candidates with a sense of humor to those without” (Rau-Foster, 2000). Can fun really make that much of a difference? Can fun make a company rank #1 for best company to work for? Dr. David Abramis has been researching and studying the topic for years now. “He’s discovered that people who have fun on the job are more creative, more productive, better decision-makers and get along better with co-workers. They also have fewer absentee, late, and sick days than people who aren’t having fun” (Rau-Foster, 2000). Explanation CNN Money has ranked Google as #1 for the “100 Best Companies to Work For” for 2013. Why is this? In 2006, Genentech a company that makes medicine that fights cancer, was ranked #1. Employee’s working for Genentech stated, “What’s better than being a valued member of a cancer-fighting team? Having a great time while you’re at work” (CNN Money, 2006). This company had a 5 percent turnover rate and 20 percent job growth. Now remember the year 2006! Google was on the bottom of this list in 2007. This leaves...
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...Figurative Language versus Literal Language The English language encompasses a myriad of different techniques to convey ideas and feelings. There are two ways that we use language: we use language literally, and we use language figuratively. When we use language literally, we actually “say” what we want the sender to hear. What actually comes from the speaker’s mouth can be comprehended and no add-ons are needed. Sometimes being literal is not enough to convey meanings or thoughts. At these times, we use figurative language, or figures of speech. Often, people will use figurative language to enliven ordinary conservations; thus, turning a dull conversation into an interesting conversation. There are several types of figures of speech that we sometimes employ in conversation: idioms, analogies, metaphors, similes, clichés, amphibolies, “flame words”, hyperboles, euphemisms, and colloquialisms. Below I will define each term of speech and how they are sometimes used in communication. According to The American Heritage Dictionary (1991), an idiom is “a speech or expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or that cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements”. A common idiom that we may recognize is that “friends come a dime a dozen”. This does not mean that twelve (12) friends can be purchased for a dime; but what it does suggest, is that friends can be made anywhere. Depending on the context of the...
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...Perfect Research (Griffins 1998, p 97) Do you agree? I entirely agree to Griffins allegation that there is no hope in perfect research. It is of great importance to understand the three major words that is hope, perfect and research before I delve deeper into the discussion. According to Sridhar, research is a logical effort to gain knowledge and a progress from the known to the unknown (Sridhar, 7). Research enables individuals to gain fresh insight, think intellectually, get answers to problems and therefore solve problems, (Sridhar, 7). Hope according to the McMillan dictionary is positivity about the future. It is the act of wishing that good things are going to happen in the future. Perfect, according to the American Heritage Dictionary of English language (fourth edition) is the aspect of having all the requisite characteristics and qualities. Just as the adage goes to err is human, the research process is not left out since it is undertaken by humans and is thus affected by human biases which in turn distort the results. Biases are methodical errors that lead to loss of validity since it limits the significance and applicability of a study, (Sica, 780). Other errors that affect research include errors associated with sampling which lead to variation since a sample population may not reflect fully the characteristics of the whole target population. Research is an incomplete process since it is a discovery journey and thus no research can be said to be perfect or complete...
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...Persistence To persist is “to hold firmly and steadfastly to a purpose”. To persist is “to undertake besides obstacles”. To persist means “to continue in existence; to last” (Persist 628). The history of mankind is a great example of persistence. Every human being has strived for the goal of survival. It is our natural instinct as animals. We have moved from caves to skyscrapers, from slingshots to rifles. At first we traveled afoot, then on horseback, and now we travel by automobile, even jet planes. Humans carry on to be the best. The first humans did this to out-live other species. As human population grew, so did technology. People did not have to worry about other animals any longer, but each other. Now we strive to be better than one another. One major aspect of becoming the best is improving oneself. Persistence is the ability to move forward through situations where a goal is desired, yet hardships arise. Persistence is very profound in the work place. The owners and CEO figure ways they can make the most money from their goods or services. Employees work to impress their bosses, hoping for a raise or bonus. Most employees work towards a promotion. Whether for respect from their co-workers, self-respect, or simply the idea of making more money, people try to advance themselves with in a company. This aspect is the person’s goal. If they are determined to achieve this goal, they will attempt to do so even if seemingly endless obstacles stand in their way. This is...
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...When you think of the word empowerment, what comes to most peoples mind is power or at least that is what comes to my mind. In the American Heritage College dictionary fourth edition, it is a noun of the word “empower”, they describe it as “1.to invest with power esp. legal power or official authority, and 2. To equip or supply with an ability; enable.” (Empower, 2010, 2002, p. 460) In my research on the subject, I found that people use the word in different context in different fields of study or genres of practice but it all comes back to some person having a feeling of power therefore empowerment. In one study on ”the empowerment of youth as a strategy to reduce crime in Nigerian society” they say, “In recent years, almost all governments of countries of the world, including advanced countries have sought new approaches to harness the potential of young people and address the problems facing them. The concept of youth empowerment has gained increasing attention. Youth empowerment means involving young people in decision making processes on issues that affect them, as well as entrusting them with the knowledge and skills necessary for them to effectively and meaningfully participate.” (Olaleye, 2010, p. 104) In another article from the Journal of marketing published by American Marketing Association entitled the psychological effects of empowerment strategies on consumers’ product demand, “since the internet is here companies now utilize that as a tool to involve customers...
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...it has only been in the last decade that they have become important topics for organizational leaders to address. As competitive advantage became associated with a less controlling management style and organizations worked to empower more of their people, an important question was: What keeps people behaving in a way that supports the goals of the enterprise? Any thinking person would ask, “Will they accept responsibility? Empowering people who avoid responsibility is a good strategy for failure. One important answer was: Their behavior is significantly controlled by the code of acceptable behavior which governs their work lives, their code of ethics. This has popularly been called “organizational values.” The relevant definition in The American Heritage Dictionary is: Value...4 A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable.” They are organizational values because they are shared by large numbers of people in the organization. The fact that values are a “principle or standard” suggests they go beyond current desired pleasures, such as having a drink or quarterly profits. Indeed Collins and Porras in their book Built To Last (1994) found that values contribute not only to success, but long-term survival. There are many shared values in any group and knowing which are the most important or fundamental is necessary to diminish confusion. A work group may value: getting to work on time; being cheerful; accepting responsibility (“If you see a problem you...
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...Communication is the foundation for sharing information between people to ensure that everything is understood and can be acted upon. Without good communication, missions fail and others can not help to fulfill the mission. Another reason communication is important is because you leave others out of the loop and they can not inform higher the proper status of what is going on. Communication as defined in the American Heritage Dictionary is the exchange of thoughts, expressions, and or information. This is the basis of all communications. Communication among individuals, teams, units, and organizations is essential to efficient and effective mission accomplishment. Two-way communication is much more effective than one-way communication. Mission accomplishment depends on information passing accurately to and from subordinates and leaders, up and down the chain of command and NCO support channel, and laterally among adjacent organizations. The Army has only one chain of command. Through this chain of command, leaders issue orders and instructions and convey policies. A healthy chain of command is a two way communications channel. Its members do more than transmit orders; they carry information from within the unit or organization back up to its leaders. They furnish information about how things are developing, notify the leader of problems, and provide requests for clarification and help. Leaders at all levels use the chain of command to keep their people informed and render...
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...Total Quality Pioneers Nicholas McLaughlin MGT-449 Timothy Peters Introduction This paper will cover quality and its elements, the pioneers of quality and what made them successful. What makes the elements useful in today’s market place and how quality can affect the future. The paper will also what Deming tried to teach for quality and how others expanded on his ideas. As an adjective quality means having a high degree of excellence. As a noun quality means a distinguishing characteristic("American Heritage Dictionary", 2009). The elements of quality are strategically based, customer focus, obsession with quality, scientific Approach, Long-term Commitment, teamwork, continual process improvement, education and training, freedom through control, unity of purpose, and employee involvement and empowerment. Deming was the first person to define quality and what it required to obtain quality. Deming uses the Deming cycle, Deming’s fourteen points, and Deming’s diseases. The cycle talks about consumer research, producing the product, checking the product and marketing the product. Finally, it talks about analyzing how the product is received. This final step is one that is important so that a company can learn about the marketplace. The fourteen points talk about leadership and employee empowerment to make a more efficient workplace. There is also the point of replacing quotas with leadership. Motivation of employees is more...
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...education enough weight is not given to micro teaching. Microteaching is organized practice teaching. The goal is to give instructors confidence, support, and feedback by letting them try out among friends and colleagues a short slice of what they plan to do with their students. Ideally, microteaching sessions take place before the first day of class, and are videotaped for review individually with an experienced teaching consultant. Microteaching is a quick, efficient, proven, and fun way to help teachers get off to a strong start. (Harvard University) As mentioned above micro teaching is a method that helps teacher trainees use their techniques in the same environment where they are given practice and among their critical friends. American heritage dictionary further explains micro teaching as a method in which one small...
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...Culture and language are closely connected. Although many cultures share specific languages, many words and phrases are inclusive and have different meanings to a certain culture. This topic is touched upon in both Fatiha Guessabi’s “ Blurring the line between Language and Culture” and James Harbeck’s “ Why isn’t ‘American’ a language?”. This topic makes you ask the question, is culture a language of sorts, specifically is American a language. Fatiha Guessabi’s Blurring the line between Language and Culture describes the connection that different cultures have with language, arguing that culture is a language itself. Guessabi believes that you cannot learn a language without learning about the culture tied to it. Guesabi also writes about the high likelihood...
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...Preface Every language allows different kinds of variations: geographical or territorial, perhaps the most obvious, stylistic, the difference between the written and the spoken form of the standard national language and others. It is the national language of England proper, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and some provinces of Canada. It is the official language of Wales, Scotland, in Gibraltar and on the island of Malta. Modern linguistics distinguishes territorial variants of a national language and local dialects. Variants of a language are regional varieties of a standard literary language characterized by some minor peculiarities in the sound system, vocabulary and grammar and by their own literary norms. Standard English – the official language of Great Britain taught at schools and universities, used by the press, the radio and the television and spoken by educated people may be defined as that form of English which is current and literary, substantially uniform and recognized as acceptable wherever English is spoken or understood. Its vocabulary is contrasted to dialect words or dialectisms belonging to various local dialects. Local dialects are varieties of the English language peculiar to some districts and having no normalized literary form. Regional varieties possessing a literary form are called variants. Dialects are said to undergo rapid changes under the pressure of Standard English taught at schools and the speech habits cultivated by radio, television...
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...California English: * Almost 50% of the population is made up of Latino/African Americans with separate accents. * Caucasian people pronounce the vowels in hawk and hock the same as well as cot and caught. * Moving vowels forward in the mouth is resulting in changes of vowel sound Cajun: * This dialect is a mixture of French, Canary Island Spanish, German, and English. * Some characteristics include fast talking, clipped vowels and an abundance of French terms. * The /th/ sound is usually replaced with /t/ or /d/. New York: * “on line” instead of “in line” * “dungarees” instead of “jeans” * The /o/ can make an /aw/ and /th/ can make a /t/ sound. California English: * Almost 50% of the population is made up of Latino/African Americans with separate accents. * Caucasian people pronounce the vowels in hawk and hock the same as well as cot and caught. * Moving vowels forward in the mouth is resulting in changes of vowel sound Cajun: * This dialect is a mixture of French, Canary Island Spanish, German, and English. * Some characteristics include fast talking, clipped vowels and an abundance of French terms. * The /th/ sound is usually replaced with /t/ or /d/. New York: * “on line” instead of “in line” * “dungarees” instead of “jeans” * The /o/ can make an /aw/ and /th/ can make a /t/ sound. American Varieties of English American Varieties of English Linguistic Terms Linguistic Terms - Standard...
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...The English-Only Debate English as the national language has become one of the major issues facing citizens in the United States of America today. There have been many supporters in favor of English as the only recognized language spoken in America and there have also been many opponents. The debate has also driven many states to pass their own laws concerning the English language. There are many pros and cons to the debate, many states have passed their own laws regarding the education of English language learners, and I have my own views about the English-only debate. Supporters of the English-only movement feel very strongly about their views as English being the official language in America. While, opponents of the English-only movement feel just as strongly in their belief of America needing more than the English language. Supporters feel with English being the only language would unite us as a nation, clarifying that we are Americans. Supports also feel that making English the official language will give immigrants more opportunities to learn and speak the English language more fluently. Opponents of the debate feel that English-only would alienate immigrants that come to America by stifling communication within their daily life. Opponents also feel that school age children of immigrants will be at a disadvantage in school when learning academics if they cannot be taught in their native language. Also, a major issue within the debate is that non-English speaking...
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...Varieties of English These refer to the different forms of English spoken by English speakers all over the world, in terms of pronunciation, grammatical features and distinct vocabularies. They vary from region to region and are also dependent on the social and educational standing. All over the world, English is spoken in most languages, and even though the language is the same, it does not necessarily mean that everything about it is the same. What may look like a slightly difference, is actually a huge one. Pronunciation, grammar and vocabularies can make a language seem to change completely! Standard varieties of English These are the varieties of English that have become standard or most recognized and used in the majority of the world. The main two are: English in England and American English. English in England Despite this being the origin of the English language, it does not mean the language is the same everywhere in England. The significant difference is in the pronunciation, as the accent and pronunciation of English in Britain is different from the one in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. American English When talking about American English, this is referring to mainly North America because in South America English is not the national language spoken. In North America, the accents of Canadians differ from Americans from the United States, Texas and so on. The largest difference is in American English and African American English, which is a sort...
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