Lvmh and Luxury Goods Marketing

1. Bernard Arnault has built LVMH into a luxury goods empire by making numerous acquisitions. Describe the strategy is being used here? Discuss why you agree or disagree with this type of strategy. If you disagree, what alternative tactics would you use? Actually Mr. Bernard Arnault, one of the richest men in the world who took control of LVMH in 1990, has been snapping up luxury brands during past two decades one after another. He has build LVMH into a luxury good empire by conducting a selective acquisition strategy with which I agree. Now LVMH has more than 60 brands under control and is still pursuing some others including the old famous family business; Hermes. LVMH structure is made up of Wines and Spirits, Fashion and Leather goods, Watches and Jewelry, Perfumes and Cosmetics and Selective Retailing. Although some may argue that there are issues such as lack of concentration on core business thereby exclusivity and rarity which are main characteristics of luxury brands can be faded, I firmly believe that not only has Mr. Arnault saved these special features of the business and is still focused on prestige, he has improved the profitability of each division by creating synergy between subsidiaries in terms of cost, corporate and management synergy. â€Å"Synergy, in general may be defined as two or more agents working together to produce a result not obtainable by any of the agent independently. Corporate synergy occurs when corporations interact congruently. A corporate synergy refers to a financial benefit that a corporation expects to realize when it merges with or acquires another corporation† (Synergy). As result of corporate synergy and this partnership, LVMH now has a bigger market share, wider range of products and less competition because the competitors are now members of the group and are all working together in a coordinated way. On top of that, they can take advantage of the existing selective retailing outlets to differentiate their products by adding value in their offering and demonstrate them as distinctive. Also, prestige, luxury and quality associated with the brand ‘LVMH’ influences every item being presented in these shops. â€Å"A cost synergy refers to the opportunity of a combined corporate entity to reduce or eliminate expenses associated with running a business. Cost synergies are realized by eliminating costs that are viewed as duplicate within the merged entity.† (Synergy) This means reducing; promotional and advertising costs, sales cost, shipping cost, travel cost and also some managerial cost such as certain executives, human resources and head quarters office cost which finally influences companies bottom-line. â€Å"Synergy in terms of management and in relation to team working refers to the combined effort of individuals as participants of the team. The condition that exists when the organization's parts interact to produce a joint effect that is greater than the sum of the parts acting alone† (Synergy) As stated in the text of this case study,† Arnault implemented a corporate restructuring that groups the company’s subsidiaries into divisions. Previously, the heads of individual subsidiaries reported directly to Arnault; now, division heads meet with him to discuss strategy. Notes Arnault, â€Å"It’s much more efficient, because it allows us to put into practice all the synergies between the different brands in a coordinated way.† Francesco Trapani, CEO of the Bulgari Gruop, the luxury brand recently acquired by LVMH, said: â€Å"The 2010 financial results show how the Company was able to brilliantly overcome the economic slump, reaping the benefits of the efficiency and cost containment strategy and therefore becoming more solid. At the same time, the intense creative and product development activity generated an even more competitive product offer, which enjoyed great success in all product categories.† (Knowel) He added: â€Å"At this positive moment of strong top-line growth, our alliance with the LVMH Group has created new synergies that will enable Bulgari to strengthen even more and pursue its long-term, worldwide growth.† (Knowel) In conclusion, I believe that Mr. Bernard Arnault has made LVMH into the word biggest luxury brand by adopting acquisition strategy and creating cost, corporate and management synergy between divisions of the group. 2. How do LVMH executives adjust prices in response to changing economic conditions, and why? In response to changing economic conditions, LVMH executives adjusted prices in sepcific ways in each market. In Asian markets, Patrick Choel, president of the perfume and cosmetics division has increased wholesale prices in order to discourage discount retailers from selling the products to consumers at low price. Instead, he has reduced the advertising budget to offset profitability in case the company faces a decline in sales. In countries where LVMH faced currency devaluation, managers raised the price to counteract the effect of currency depreciation. In Indonesia, the chairman of Vuitton, Mr. Yves Carcell canceled the plan for opening a new store. Since Japan market is sluggish and there has not been a sign of soon economic recovery, Japanese consumers are reluctant to invest in stock market. Mr. Arnault figured out the difference between Japan where most of his business is, and the rest of Asia. He noted: â€Å"Japan is in a growth slump, but it isn’t going to have the same difficulties as Korea or Indonesia†. Japanese had not many other spending option and executives decided to raise prices at Louis Vuittons Japanese store. Also Louis Vuiton manageres has worked closely with tour operators to predict the number of Japanese tourists traveling in Asia and to Hawaii whom 75% of sales depends on. At peak of tourism, they increase the price by 10 to 22 percent to maximize profit. Furthermore LVMH took advantage of crisis by renegotiating store leases in Asian cities. In some cases, the company extended lease terms longer than before and reduced the rate by as much as one-third which resulted saving for the company. The overall result has been an increase in price and the rationale behind this decision is the fact that price perception is a critical component of luxury goods’ appeal. In fact, executives know that sales volume would decline sharply due to the effect of crisis and they have lost a big number of their customers. It is not a good time for expansion and opening new stores, so they decided to stay focused on the narrow market segment of their loyal customers. Those who still had notable disposable income shaped a niche market which was still large enough to be profitable. On the other hand, LVMH helped profitability by reducing the cost and cutting expenditures on advertisements. This was the adjustment executives made as opposed to the other alternative; reducing the price and presenting products to a bigger number of consumers. 3. Explain why some customer might think the high retail prices charged for luxury goods are worth paying? As peoples income increases, they are more willing to buy luxury goods because the demand of luxury items increase as people get wealthier. According to wikipedia.com once the consumption of luxury was limited to the elite classes which meant whatever the poor cannot have and the elite can was identified as luxury. Consumers are willing to pay high prices for luxury goods because the brand is associated with quality, durability, scarcity and beauty. In fact, consumers pay for these values that they obtain by purchasing a luxury item. â€Å"Several researchers focus on exclusivity dimension and argue that luxury evokes a sense of belonging to a certain elite group. Prof. Jean-Noel Kapferer, takes an experiential approach and defines luxury as items which provide extra pleasure by flattering all senses at once† (Luxury). Using luxury goods is a lifestyle and shows the wealth of consumer. These can also be reasons behind why some pay high retail prices charged for such items. 4. How were luxury goods marketers affected by the slowdown in tourism that followed especially after the attacks of September 11, 2001? If we take a look at marketing mix, we can see what has been affected by slowdown in tourism is place, where a good or service is presented. Luxury goods are mainly presented in duty free shops at airports, in hotels and attractive places as tourist destinations. With the slowdown in tourism, as people are less willing to travel, airports hotels and attractive places are not that busy compared to the days before September 11 terrorist attack. Even those who still travel might care less about luxury because their main concern is security during the flight and at destination. I think this is how luxury goods marketers were affected by slowdown in tourism.

Case Study of “Sterling Marking Products Inc Essay

Coming into my role in 1986 to oversee the international marketing, Sterling had begun exporting sub-assemblies to the U.K. Sterling is now utilizing Julius Blumberg to expand sales into the US. Our sales within both markets are currently not living up to what the International Marketing Committee believes to be our true potential. Regarding sales within the US, Sterling needs to leverage the knowledge and information gained from doing business through Julius Blumberg to establish a direct line of sales within the country. Simply being in a catalog of another company is not meeting expectations. We need to leverage the aggressive, direct sales methods we saw succeed; given that Blumberg does not feel comfortable with this line of marketing, we should look to establish a subsidiary within the country to gain direct oversight over the operations. With close proximity of major urban centers to our Canadian offices, I feel that this can be accomplished with minimal risk. Noting that the increase in lawyers and incorporations year over year is 10x that of Canada the possible returns outweigh the overall risk involved in seeking a more direct expansion into the US market. Looking at the current environment in the UK, I see a different situation and path. The UK represents Sterling’s best potential market in Europe given its legal requirements for seals and its 2.5x yearly increase in lawyers and incorporations compared to Canada. Unfortunately, with a VAT of 15%, manufacturing within the UK will decrease overall margins. Continuing to manufacturer within Canada at our current facilities will alleviate the VAT and only subject us to the 4.7% tariff. We will also be able to forgo any additional manufacturing facility costs, or at least delay them until we have significant market penetration. I recommend, that we approach a direct partnership with one of the three smaller agents in the UK market; either Jordan, Davis, or London Law. In our approach to potential partners, we should leverage our ability to enter the market ourselves and push them out of the market in our contract negotiations. I would recommend that we do not approach Bolson’s as we will gain more leverage on the lesser three since they would have more to lose by another major producer entering the market (ie they get pushed out of the market completely). This partnership will allow us entry into the UK at minimal overhead costs and put us in a scenario where we can drive how our product is positioned and marketed while leveraging the local market understanding and knowledge of the partnering  company. Currently, we have been approached by representatives in additional countries. I highly recommend that before we move into another international market we strengthen our approach and sales penetration in the US and UK. Once successful, I believe that we should begin working towards penetration in the Japanese market. With 82,000+ lawyers and a similar GNP per capita to Canada and the US, Japan may represent our next best opportunity to expand internationally.

Total Rewards System & Your Current Benefits Assignment

Total Rewards System & Your Current Benefits - Assignment Example The strong communication, using myriad media ensures that employees are constantly updated with information that can be exploited for making empowered decisions for improved outcome. The performance related incentives encourage greater communication amongst the workers, especially team members so as to achieve shared goals with strong team spirit and collective decision making. Most importantly, incentive driven performance create an enabling environment that is designed to meet personal and professional goals of the individuals which are aligned with the wider goals of the organization (WorldatWork, 2007). The motivated workforce is inclined to higher degree of creative inputs and innovative approach which provides the organizations with unique leverage against their rivals in the industry. The merit based remuneration and pay equity greatly instils confidence and mutual trust building. Indeed, a uniform appraisal system that is fair and promotes equal opportunity for personal and professional growth, contributes to higher employees’ morale, job satisfaction and retention. Thus, fair promotional avenues along with adequate financial incentives are highly relevant to create a cohesive and committed workforce. State how you view the benefits plan you currently have. If you are not covered by such a plan, indicate which benefits you would hope to get in your next position. Justify how your current or future benefits help you achieve your career goals. Maslow (1943) strongly believes that people are driven by their needs which serve as motivating factors for improving and improvising their work performance. For continued higher performance, peoples’ needs and expectations must be fulfilled such that workforce is financially and emotionally secure (Bloisi, 2006). I have also some expectations from the job that I believe should help me to achieve my personal goals and

Vacation with Carnival Cruise Lines to the Western Caribbean Research Paper

Vacation with Carnival Cruise Lines to the Western Caribbean - Research Paper Example that had mainly been known for lard production and exportation by the Spanish became a profitable center for the sugar trade (â€Å"Background Notes: Jamaica†). In 1831, however, slave revolts all but demolished the sugar business, devastating many plantations and estates (Koss 179). In 1834, slavery was abolished, and currently Jamaica exports not only sugar and rum as its main products but bananas, coffee, and citrus fruits (â€Å"Background Notes: Jamaica†). The economy of Jamaica has suffered in the previous years due to recessions, with over 20% of the country living in poverty as of early 2011, up from 9.9% in 2007 and 16.5% in 2009 (Thame). Though the percentages are steadily rising, it is important to remember that things such as production conditions are causing this, such as the high cost of doing business in Jamaica, high taxes, and other factors (Thame). Tourists should not let themselves be put off by this and avoid Montego Bay, as there is still plenty tha t a traveler would not want to miss out on! Montego Bay, known as the â€Å"second city† of Jamaica, has known both good times and hard times in its history. It was in Montego Bay that Columbus first landed, calling it the â€Å"Gulf of Good Weather† (Koss 178). It was in Montego Bay that most trading took place, and until the slave revolts, enjoyed a bustling business with many ships coming in and out of its harbor (Koss 178). It was in and of itself the setting for the slave revolts in 1831, and its courthouse was used for retribution against those unlucky enough to be on the losing side of the rebellion, once it had been quashed by local militia (Koss 178). The sugar trade declined until the developments of both the banana trade and the tourist trade in the late 1880s, when a sanitarium was built and... Vacation with Carnival Cruise Lines to the Western Caribbean As an added bonus, while traveling on the cruise, there are always things to do aboard ship, thereby eliminated the (sometimes) boring in-between travel time between destinations, alongside the fact that most of everything is usually included in the cruise package while aboard ship (though it is always advisable to check with not only a travel agent, but with the cruise line directly, and ask for a concrete list of what is and is not included before boarding.) Included in this package will be stops at Montego Bay, Jamaica, the island of Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico. Whether the main point of the journey is sun and surf, tourist traps, ancient ruins or simply some time away, each destination is sure to delight and charm every traveler into wanting to return. Visitors should be wary in taking the approach to the Caribbean of â€Å"seen one island, seen them all.† Without a doubt, something different can be had at every stop, for every visitor. In Montego Bay, Jamaica, sample a wide variety of cuisine, or stop at a local roadside shack for a patty-snack while touring the historic district. Once at Grand Cayman Island, take the time to play with the sea turtles or stingrays, do some snorkeling, and take a tour of the Tortuga Rum Factory. Round out the day with duty-free shopping, making sure to give everything a good look. After debarking at Cozumel, the Mayan ruins and botanical gardens will delight any nature lover and history enthusiast, as long as time is planned for accordingly.

International Business FINAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

International Business FINAL - Essay Example The trend of distributing the production networks all over the world offers a firm the advantages like competitive edge and cost cutting. Competitive edge is achieved when the firm’s produced products are sold all over the world bringing in a good amount of profit. Cost cutting takes place when the firm’s production system takes into consideration and exploits all the cheap factors of production that are available in different parts of the world at cheaper price. 2. Globalization has created lots of changes throughout the world. The changes introduced both positive and negative impacts on the countries. It is believed that the developed countries reap the maximum benefit out of the process of globalization. The developed nations shift their production units to the places where the cost of production will be cheaper. The cheaper production cost helps the nation to generate more profit from the sale of their produced products. This is helping the economy of certain develo ped nations to prosper and grow. However on the other hand the underdeveloped nations and the developing nations are constantly losing their resources which are being purchased by the wealthy nations for the purpose of manufacturing products and services which in turn are again being sold in the developing or underdeveloped nations. Thus it has become a topic of debate that addresses the issue whether globalization is a blessing or a curse. The positive side of globalization is that it enhances the job opportunities and economy across the world. But the negative side denotes that since the developed nations are shifting their plants to the overseas nations due to the availability of cheap resources, the labor there are getting under paid in comparison to the labors of the developed nations. Therefore despite the creation of job opportunities, globalization also creates disparity in the amount of wages received by the workers of the developed and developing nations. 3. Religion is on e of the important elements of culture. Religion determines whether a person is Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, etc that implies which God does the person believes in and which rituals related to their religion does they follow. Globalization has created the integration of all the religions and this has affected the business operations to a great extent. For example the case of McDonalds can be taken into account in this respect. McDonalds prepare different kind of fast foods that contain both vegetarian and non vegetarian items. The non vegetarian foods contain chicken, egg, fish, beef, lamb, pork etc. However McDonalds have eliminated beef and pork from its wide range of menu while entering the Indian market, since the Indian market included people from both Hindu and Muslim religions and beef and pork are restricted for these two religions respectively. Moreover religion affects the language, dressing style, values and morals of a person. Thus the business operations get highly i nfluenced by these factors as these are the elements that form the basis of a human being. 4. The term culture includes the behavior, beliefs, arts, languages, institutions, etc. of an individual. Culture decides how a person should behave at a social

Review of literature in a nursing research proposal Paper

Review of literature in a nursing proposal - Research Paper Example The most important type of information for a review of a research proposal are usually findings from an empirical investigation. Generally, research findings usually sum up what is known about a particular topic, but the information from such reports is only of great value when these findings are integrated in a critical synthesis. When doing a literature review for your research proposal, one should rely mostly on the primary source of the research findings. This is usually descriptions of studies written by researchers who did the actual research. Secondary sources can also be used where primary sources are not available. They are usually not that credible as they are descriptions of studies done by someone else and not the original researcher. Secondary sources at times fail to provide the much needed details about the studies and they are seldom complete objective (Booth et al, 2003). When choosing a topic for a nursing research proposal, one should consider a topic of interest and also should be related to the field that one is working on. There exist numerous topics in the field of medicine and nursing that might be of interest to someone. For instance, some of the research topics that one may consider for a research may be teaching in the field of medical ethics or Nephrology. As such, one will be required to construct a research topic from these broad areas of study in the nursing field. For instance, you may convert these broad topics into research questions that will also enable you to conduct a research. In the field of Nephrology, you may come up with a research topic such as; Examining the role of a Nephrology nurse in homes and dialysis hospitals while in the field of medical ethics you may come up with such a topic; Relevance of medical ethics in today’s online world among others. Once you have the

Civilization Collapse and Environmental History Essay

Civilization Collapse and Environmental History - Essay Example The rebels were suppressed and their leaders executed in 1788. Pierre-Etienne further elaborates that also in the 1780s, in Gansu province, there were two major revolts of the Muslim communities, sparked by adherents of a fundamentalist "new sect" who opposed the local Muslim officials appointed by the Qing. Both Muslim uprisings were suppressed after heavy fighting, as were a series of revolts by Miao tribesmen in southwest China. But the fighting was costly to the Qing, who despite their victories did not eradicate the underlying causes of religious, economic, and ethnic resentments. In 1799, as Qianlong's reign ended, rebels claiming the same White Lotus affiliation that had animated the followers' of Wang Lun were rising up all across central China and were actively fighting Qing troops in many areas of Sichuan, Hubei, Shaanxi, and Henan. Can one link these outbreaks to Specific Manchu policies that alienated the people The evidence is not clear on this, but it is certain that in the late eighteenth century many Qing government institutions began to falter: the emergency granaries were often empty, sections of the Grand Canal silted up, regular banner troops behaved with incompetence or brutality, efforts to stop ecologically dangerous land-reclamation projects were abandoned, the bureaucracy was faction-ridden, and corruption ran deep. It is also possible that Qing reluctance to create new county governments in areas of new settlement or dense population put impossible stresses on officials in the bureaucracy. Moreover, the intense pressure for jobs meant that those who had finally obtained office sought a swift return' for all their waiting and anxiety, pressing local peasants in their jurisdictions for speedy tax payments and for supplementary charges. The White Lotus insurgents of the 1790s, for instance, stated categorically that "the officials have forced the people to rebel." It is also true that in the conduct of the border campaigns, as in the suppression of local rebellions, Qing officials indulged in an unusually high level of graft. This was made possible by collusion between high figures in military and civil government, who often hid the real situation from Emperor Qianlong. And Qianlong, having allowed the secret palace memorial system of his father Yongzheng to become impersonal and routine, now had no reliable, confidential sources from which to learn of his officials' malfeasance. There is no doubt that this pattern of corruption grew worse after 1775, when a young Manchu guards officer named Heshen became entrenched as the elderly emperor's court favorite,although Heshen was not responsible for everything that was going awry. At that time Heshen was twenty-five and the emperor sixty-five, and the following year the favorite received an extraordinary series of promotions: Qian long named Heshen a deputy lieutenant general of the Manchu plain blue banner, a minister of the imperial household, vice-minister of revenue, and a grand councilor. There were no parallels in Qing history for giving so many powerful appointments to a young man, and Qianlong later piled honor on honor. Heshen was made minister of revenue (and, for a time, minister' of civil

Obesity in United States of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obesity in United States of America - Essay Example Obesity may be caused by several factors, which may vary from one victim to another, the causes can be either genetic or be because of life style of a given individual. On the genetic part, hereditary of the obese characteristics from one individual to another both related by blood is not a very common cause of obesity. The result of this gene relation that leads to weight gain has an adverse relation to the environment of an individual. The surrounding of an individual determines the kind of food and the levels of body exercise that they engage in. The early life of an individual plays a greater role on their body weight depending on how they are brought up diet wise. Prenatal and postnatal care is of great importance because the developmental stages are determined. For instance, a smoking mother or a mother that possess overweight characteristics is likely to give birth to a child that is at a risk of acquiring obese characteristics at adulthood age. If excess weight is gained during infancy, the child subjected to the risk of developing adulthood obesity (Bray). Food is a greater determinant of body weight. Foods that are of refined grains and red meat highly cause obesity when consumed in uncontrolled rates (Bray). Unhealthy fats and sugary drinks fall under the category of foods that are likely to affect the normal body weight. Whole grain, fruits and vegetables are a good diet for weight control. When consumed, they play an important role in the body and do help prevent chronic diseases.

The Art Fund in International Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

The Art Fund in International Studies - Essay Example Prior studies in this field, have recorded the impacts of international relations on the technology, international law, economics, history, philosophy, social work, geography, criminology, anthropology, gender studies, psychology and cultural studies. These studies recorded a number of issues that resulted from international relations. These include globalization, international security, state sovereignty, ecological sustainability, nationalism, global finance, economic development, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, human security, organized crime, human rights, and foreign intervention. Despite the many merits of international relations, there is apparently no documented study on the impact of international relations on agricultural education. This has created a gap in the previous studies. In attempts to cover the gap in prior studies, this paper proposes a research to investigate the impacts of international relations on agricultural education. The prime aim of this study is to fi nd out the effects of international relation on agricultural education. By the end of this study, the researcher would be able to establish the effects of international relations in respect to agricultural education. The researcher will find out the merits and demerits of international relations on agricultural education. Successful completion of this research work will come with a lot of significance to a lot of people, especially the politicians, those affected by culture, as well as the educators. First, data, results and conclusions from this research shall serve as updated literature on the impacts of international relationships within the population size targeted for this research work.

Middle Ages vs Renaissance Art Periods Essay Example for Free

Middle Ages vs Renaissance Art Periods Essay When seeking two art periods to compare and contrast, fewer artistic examples provide a starker depiction of radically changing ideas and mentality than the art of the Middle Ages against that of art from the Renaissance. First, art originating from the Middle Age will be thoroughly analyzed for context. Afterward, art from the Renaissance period art will be analyzed next to it for its departures on from Middle Age techniques and thinking, before the two are finally systematically compared and contrasted. First, art from the Middle Ages, also called art from the Medieval period, characterized a European period of little social change, general poverty, and few scientific advances. The Catholic Church remained an imposing force upon Midieval society, and dominated much of daily life. Art clearly served the role of worship above all else, and the Catholic Church actually commissioned much of the artwork of the period. Much of this art filled churches and monasteries, and took the form of sculptures, paintings and drawings, stained-glass windows, metalwork and mosaics, among other forms. The iconographical nature of the art is substantial, as it above all served the purpose of perpetuating the Catholicism of the early church. It was largely confined to Europe and areas that the Byzantine and Roman empires had once occupied, such as parts of northern Africa. It lasted almost a thousand years, from approximately around 500 C.E. to perhaps as late as 1400 C.E. The depictions within the art reflected its purpose – worship. Religious icons such as saints, the Virgin Mary, Jesus and his disciples, and other depictions provided clarity and images for believers. The images portrayed onto the media arguably reflect the times, lacking in brightness, movement, or attitude. The characters shown rarely appear upbeat. An excellent example that validates some of these generalities is Pietro Cavallini’s The Last Judgment. This painting in the Santa Cecilia in Rome uses drab colours to show what appears to be an angry Jesus overlooked by six angels, three on each side. While a beautiful work of art no doubt, the painting has little passion or movement and does not inspire anything more than fear from a fiery God. This Medieval Art from the Middle Ages contrasts sharply with the Renaissance-era works in many key ways. First, Renaissance Art, while not entirely secular to be sure, had certain overtones of the humanism sweeping Europe. Next, its style exuberates brightness, passion, and an appetite for life that cannot be found easily in Middle Age art. Renaissance Art effectively superseded and ended art period progressing during the Middle Ages, and this mirrored social trends of increasing wealth and prosperity, upward mobility, and technological advances of the time. While no doubt heavily influenced by the preceding art of the Middle Ages and often building off of some of its topic such as Christianity, Renaissance Art has a strong hint of humanism which afflicted its artists. This philosophy sought to change the nature of man’s relationship with God to exist outside the church’s realm, and the â€Å"Renaissance men† often meaning that these artists were not only artists but commonly philosophers and scientists as well. Michelangelo, who was a painter, architect, poet, engineer, and sculptor, exemplified these characteristics. His masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment, provides us a great comparison to Cavallini’s work on the same topic and contrasts the vastly different techniques and focuses of the two art periods. While Cavallini’s work lacks a variety of colours and could be described even as plain, Michelangelo’s work gives a clear view into his mind’s eye, filled with numerous angels and men moving through the heavens. While Jesus is still at the top and the Madonna next to him seems to cower in fear at his wrath, many nonetheless are lifted upward. The bright colours, quick movements, and in fact original nakedness of the characters (later covered up, at the church’s request) reflect the technique and thought process of Renaissance-era art. So taking the topic of the Last Judgment, the second coming of Christ as a comparison subject matter for extrapolation between Medieval and Renaissance art periods, the Renaissance’s brightness, liveliness and energy shine clearly. First, we saw that Middle Age art was dreary, using drab colours and little dynamism that reflected the harsh realities of life in Europe at the time. Second, Renaissance Art ended this period with the new opportunities and advances made during the Renaissance, reflected in art from the period. Multitalented Renaissance men of the period such as Michelangelo contributed simultaneously to multiple artistic fields at once. Their art reflected the optimism of the times, the great advances being made philosophically and technologically, and their work captured their excitement for mankind’s newfound humanist relationship with God. What was once seen as an angry God hell-bent on punishment was now an opportunity for a chance into the heavens, and often Renaissance Art was even entirely secular, such as masterpieces like the Mona Lisa. Therefore, the Renaissance period of art departed from the Middle Ages period of Medieval Art not simply in technique or media, but also in subject matter, philosophy, and use. The art periods correspondingly reflected their equivalent time frame as either bleak and dowdy or upbeat and energetic. References Finnan, V. (2013). The last judgement. Retrieved from http://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Last-Judgement.html Gortais, B. (2003). Abstraction and art. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences , 358(14-135), 1241-1249 . Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3558216 The last judgement. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.lib-art.com/artgallery/8284-the-last-judgement-pietro-cavallini.html

Method Of Language Teaching: The Silent Way

Method Of Language Teaching: The Silent Way The Silent Way is the name of a method of language teaching devised by Caleb Gattegno. Gattegnos name is well known for his revival of interest in the use of coloured wooden sticks called cuisenaire rods and for his series Words in Colour, an approach to the teaching of initial reading in which sounds are coded by specific colours. His materials are copyrighted and marketed through an organization he operates called Educational Solutions Inc., in New York. The Silent Way represents Gattegnos venture into the field of foreign language teaching. It is based on the premise that the teacher should be silent as much as possible in the classroom and the learner should be encouraged to produce as much language as possible. Elements of the Silent Way, particularly the use of colour charts and the coloured cuisenaire rods, grew out of Gattegnos previous experience as an educational designer of reading and mathematics programs. (Cuisenaire rods were first developed by Georges Cuis ­enaire, a European educator who used them for the teaching of math. Gattegno had observed Cuisenaire and this gave him the idea for their use in language teaching.) The Silent Way shares a great deal with other learning theories and educational philosophies. Very broadly put, the learning hypotheses underlying Gattegnos work could be stated as follows: 1) Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than remembers and repeats what is to be learned. 2) Learning is facilitated by accompanying (mediating) physical objects. 3) Learning is facilitated by problem solving involving the material to be learned. Let us consider each of these issues in turn. 1. The educational psychologist and philosopher Jerome Bruner distinguishes two traditions of teaching that which takes place in the expository mode and that which takes place in the hypothetical mode. In the expository mode decisions covering the mode and pace and style of exposition are principally determined by the teacher as expositor; the student is the listener. In the hypothetical mode the teacher and the student are in a more cooperative position. The student is not a bench-bound listener, but is taking part in the play the principal role in it (Bruner 1966: 83), The Silent Way belongs to the latter tradition, which views learning as a problem-solving, creative, discovering activity, in which the learner is a principal actor rather than a bench-bound listener. Bruner discusses the benefits derived from discovery learning under four headings: (a) the increase in intellectual potency, (b) the shift from extrinsic to intrinsic rewards, (c) the learning of heuristics by discovering, and (d) the aid to conserving memory (Bruner 1966: 83). As we shall see, Gattegno claims similar benefits from learners taught via the Silent Way. 2. The rods and the coded-coded pronunciation charts (called Fidel charts) provide physical foci for student learning and also create mem ­orable images to facilitate student recall. In psychological terms, these visual devices serve as associative mediators for student learning and recall. The psychological literature on mediation in learning and recall is voluminous but, for our purposes, can be briefly summarized in a quote from Earl Stevick: If the use of associative mediators produces better retention than repetition does, it seems to be the case that the quality of the mediators and the stu ­dents personal investment in them may also have a powerful effect on mem ­ory. (Stevick 1976: 25) 3. The Silent Way is also related to a set of premises that we have called problem-solving approaches to learning. These premises are succinctly represented in the words of Benjamin Franklin: Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn. In the language of experimental psychology, the kind of subject involve ­ment that promotes greatest learning and recall involves processing of material to be learned at the greatest cognitive depth (Craik 1973) or, for our purposes, involving the greatest amount of problem-solving activity. Memory research has demonstrated that the learners memory benefits from creatively searching out, discovering and depicting (Bower and Winzenz 1970). In the Silent Way, the teachers strict avoidance of repetition forces alertness and concentration on the part of the learners (Gattegno 1972: 80). Similarly, the learners grappling with the problem of forming an appropriate and meaningful utterance in a new language leads the learner to realization of the language through his own perceptual and analytical powers (Selman 1977). The Silent Way student is expected to become independent, autonomous and responsible (Gattegno 1976) in other words, a good problem solver in language. Approach Theory of language Gattegno takes an openly sceptical view of the role of linguistic theory in language teaching methodology. He feels that linguistic studies may be a specialization, [that] carry with them a narrow opening of ones sensitivity and perhaps serve very little towards the broad end in mind (Gattegno 1972: 84). Gattegno views language itself as a substitute for experience, so experience is what gives meaning to language (Gattegno 1972: 8). We are not surprised then to see simulated experiences using tokens and picture charts as central elements in Silent Way teaching. Considerable discussion is devoted to the importance of grasping the spirit of the language and not just its component forms. By the spirit of the language Gattegno is referring to the way each language is composed of phonological and suprasegmental elements that combine to give the language its unique sound system and melody. The learner must gain a feel for this aspect of the target language as soon as possible, though how the learner is to do this is not altogether clear. By looking at the material chosen and the sequence in which it is presented in a Silent Way classroom, it is clear that the Silent Way takes a structural approach to the organization of language to be taught. Language is seen as groups of sounds arbitrarily associated with specific meanings and organized into sentences or strings of meaningful units by grammar rules. Language is separated from its social context and taught through artificial situations, usually represented by rods. Lessons follow a sequence based on grammatical complexity, and new lexical and structural material is meticulously broken down into its elements, with one element presented at a time. The sentence is the basic unit of teaching, and the teacher focuses on prepositional meaning, rather than communicative value. Students are presented with the structural patterns of the target language and learn the grammar rules of the language through largely inductive processes. Gattegno sees vocabulary as a central dimension of language learning and the choice of vocabulary as crucial. He distinguishes between several classes of vocabulary items. The semi-luxury vocabulary consists of expressions common in the daily life of the target language culture; this refers to food, clothing, travel, family life, and so on. Luxury vocabulary is used in communicating more specialized ideas, such as political or philosophical opinions. The most important vocabulary for the learner deals with the most functional and versatile words of the language, many of which may not have direct equivalents in the learners native tongue. This functional vocabulary provides a key, says Gattegno, to comprehending the spirit of the language. Theory of learning Like many other method proponents, Gattegno makes extensive use of his understanding of first language learning processes as a basis for deriving principles for teaching foreign languages to adults. Gattegno recommends, for example, that the learner needs to return to the state of mind that characterizes a babys learning surrender (Scott and Page 1982: 273). Having referred to these processes, however, Gattegno states that the processes of learning a second language are radically different from those involved in learning a first language. The second language learner is unlike the first language learner and cannot learn another language in the same way because of what he now knows (Gattegno 1972: 11). The natural or direct approaches to acquiring a second language are thus misguided, says Gattegno, and a successful second language approach will replace a natural approach by one that is very artificial and, for some purposes, strictly controlled (1972: 12). The artificial approach that Gattegno proposes is based on the principle that successful learning involves commitment of the self to language acquisition through the use of silent awareness and then active trial. Gattegnos repeated emphasis on the primacy of learning over teaching places a focus on the self of the learner, on the learners priorities and commitments. To speak requires the descent of the will into the voluntary speech organs and a clear grasp by ones linguistic self of what one is to do to produce definite sounds in definite ways. Only the self of the utterer can intervene to make objective what it holds in itself. Every student must be seen as a will capable of that work. (Gattegno 1976: 7) The self, we are told, consists of two systems a learning system and a retaining system. The learning system is activated only by way of intelligent awareness. The learner must constantly test his powers to abstract, analyse, synthesize and integrate (Scott and Page 1982: 273). Silence is considered the best vehicle for learning, because in silence students concentrate on the task to be accomplished and the potential means to its accomplishment. Repetition (as opposed to silence) con ­sumes time and encourages the scattered mind to remain scattered (Gattegno 1976: 80). Silence, as avoidance of repetition, is thus an aid to alertness, concentration, and mental organization. The retaining system allows us to remember and recall at will linguistic elements and their organizing principles and makes linguistic communication possible. Gattegno speaks of remembering as a matter of paying ogdens. An ogden is a unit of mental energy required to link permanently two mental elements, such as a shape and a sound or a label and an object. The forging of the link through active attention is the cost of remembering paid in ogdens. Retention by way of mental effort, awareness, and thoughtfulness is more efficient in terms of ogdens consumed than is retention attained through mechanical repetition. Again, silence is a key to triggering awareness and hence the preferred path to retention. Retention links are in fact formed in the most silent of periods, that of sleep: The mind does much of this work during sleep (Stevick 1980: 41). Awareness is educable. As one learns in awareness, ones powers of awareness and ones capacity to learn become greater. The Silent Way thus claims to facilitate what psychologists call learning to learn. Again, the process chain that develops awareness proceeds from attention, production, self-correction, and absorption. Silent Way learners acquire inner criteria, which play a central role in ones education throughout all of ones life (Gattegno 1976: 29). These inner criteria allow learners to monitor and self-correct their own production. It is in the activity of self-correction through self-awareness that the Silent Way claims to differ most notably from other ways of language learning. It is this capacity for self-awareness that the Silent Way calls upon, a capacity said to be little appreciated or exercised by first language learners. But the Silent Way is not merely a language teaching method. Gattegno sees language learning through the Silent Way as a recovery of innocence a return to our full powers and potentials. Gattegnos aim is not just second language learning; it is nothing less than the education of the spiritual powers and of the sensitivity of the individual. Mastery of linguistic skills are seen in the light of an emotional inner peace resulting from the sense of power and control brought about by new levels of awareness. Silent Way learning claims to consolidate the hu ­man dimensions of being, which include variety and individuality as essential factors for an acceptance of others as contributors to ones own life and even moves us towards better and more lasting solutions of present-day conflicts (Gattegno 1972: 84). Design Objectives The general objective of the Silent Way is to give beginning level students oral and aural facility in basic elements of the target language. The general goal set for language learning is near-native fluency in the target language, and correct pronunciation and mastery of the prosodic elements of the target language are emphasized. An immediate objective is to provide the learner with a basic practical knowledge of the grammar of the language. This forms the basis for independent learning on the learners part. Gattegno discusses the following kinds of objectives as appropriate for a language course at an elementary level (Gattegno 1972: 81-83). Students should be able to correctly and easily answer questions about themselves, their education, their family, travel, and daily events; speak with a good accent; give either a written or oral description of a picture, including the existing relationships that concern space, time and numbers; answer general questions about the culture and t he literature of the native speakers of the target language; perform adequately in the following areas: spelling, grammar (production rather than explanation), reading comprehension, and writing. Gattegno states that the Silent Way teaches learners how to learn a language, and the skills developed through the process of learning a foreign or second language can fee employed in dealing with unknowns of every type. The method, we are told, can also be used to teach reading and writing, and its usefulness is not restricted to beginning level stu ­dents. Most of the examples Gattegno describes, however, as well as the classes we have observed, deal primarily with a basic level of aural/ oral proficiency. The syllabus The Silent Way adopts a basically structural syllabus, with lessons planned around grammatical items and related vocabulary. Gattegno does not, however, provide details as to the precise selection and arrangement of grammatical and lexical items to be covered. There is no general Silent Way syllabus. But from observation of Silent Way programs developed by the Peace Corps to teach a variety of languages at a basic level of proficiency, it is clear that language items are introduced according to their grammatical complexity, their relationship to what has been taught previously, and the ease with which items can be presented visually. Typically, the imperative is the initial structure introduced, because of the ease with which action verbs may be demonstrated using Silent Way materials. New elements, such as the plural form of nouns, are taught within a structure already familiar. Numeration occurs early in a course, because of the importance of numbers in everyday life and the ease w ith which they can be demonstrated. Prepositions of location also appear early in the syllabus for similar reasons. Vocabulary is selected according to the degree to which it can be manipulated within a given structure and according to its productivity within the classroom setting. In addition to prepositions and numbers, pronouns, quantifiers, words dealing with temporal relations, and words of comparison are introduced early in the course, because they refer to oneself and to others in the numerous relations of everyday life (Stevick 1979). These kinds of words are referred to as the functional vocabulary of a language because of their high utility. The following is a section of a Peace Corps Silent Way Syllabus for the first ten hours of instruction in Thai. It is used to teach American Peace Corps volunteers being trained to teach in Thailand. At least 15 minutes of every hour of instruction would be spent on pronunciation. A word that is italicised can be substituted for by another word having the same function. Lesson Vocabulary 1. Wood colour red. wood, red, green, yellow, brown, pink, white, orange, black, colour 2. Using the numbers 1-10 one, two, ten 3. Wood colour red two pieces. take (pick up) 4. Take (pick up) wood colour red two pieces give, object pronouns 5. Take wood colour red two pieces hive him where, on, under, near, far, over, next to, here, there 6. Wood red where? Wood red on table. Question-forming rules. Yes. No. 7. Wood colour red on table, is it? Yes, on. Not on. adjectives of comparison 8. Wood colour red long. Wood colour green longer. Wood colour orange longest. 9. Wood colour green taller. Wood colour red is it? 10. Review. Students use structures taught in new situations, such as comparing the heights of stu ­dents in the class. (Joel Wiskin, personal communication) Types of learning and teaching activities Learning tasks and activities in the Silent Way have the function of encouraging and shaping student oral response without direct oral instruction from or unnecessary modelling by the teacher. Basic to the method are simple linguistic tasks in which the teacher models a word, phrase, or sentence and then elicits learner responses. Learners then go on create their own utterances by putting together old and new information. Charts, rods, and other aids may be used to elicit learner responses. Teacher modelling is minimal, although much of the activity may be teacher directed. Responses to commands, questions, and visual cues thus constitute the basis for classroom activities. Learner roles Gattegno sees language learning as a process of personal growth re ­sulting from growing Student awareness and self-challenge. The learner first experiences a random or almost random feeling of the area of activity in question until one finds one or more cornerstones to build on. Then starts a systematic analysis, first by trial and error, later by directed experiment with practice of the acquired sub areas until mastery follows (Gattegno 1972: 79). Learners are expected to develop independence, autonomy, and responsibility. Independent learners are those who are aware that they must depend on their own resources and realize that they can use the knowledge of their own language to open up some things in a new language or that they can take their knowledge of the first few words in the new language and figure out additional words by using that knowledge (Stevick 1980: 42). The autonomous learner chooses proper expressions in a given set of circumstances and situations. The teacher c ultivates the students autonomy by deliberately building choices into situations (Stevick 1980: 42). Responsible learners know that they have free will to choose among any set of linguistic choices. The ability to choose intelligently and carefully is said to be evidence of responsibility. The absence of correction and repeated modelling from the teacher requires the students to develop inner criteria and to correct themselves. The absence of explanations requires learners to make generalizations, come to their own conclusions, and formulate whatever rules they themselves feel they need. Learners exert a strong influence over each others learning and, to a lesser degree, over the linguistic content taught. They are expected to interact with each other and suggest alternatives to each other. Learners have only themselves as individuals and the group to rely on, and so must learn to work cooperatively rather than competitively. They need to feel comfortable both correcting each other and being corrected by each other. In order to be productive members of the learning group, learners-thus have to play varying roles. At times one is an independent individual, at other times a group member. A learner also must be a teacher, a student, part of a support system, a problem solver, and a self-evaluator. And it is the student who is usually expected to decide on what role is most appropriate to a given situation. Teacher roles Teacher silence is, perhaps, the unique and, for many traditionally trained language teachers, the most demanding aspect of the Silent Way. Teach ­ers are exhorted to resist their long standing commitment to model, remodel, assist, and direct desired student responses, and Silent Way teachers have remarked upon the arduousness of self-restraint to which early expedience of the Silent Way has subjected them. Gattegno talks of subordinating teaching to learning, but that is not to suggest that the teachers role in Silent Way is not critical and demanding. Gattegno anticipates that using the Silent Way would require most teachers to change their perception of their role. Stevick defines the Silent Way teachers tasks as (a) to teach, (b) to test, and (c) to get out of the way (Stevick 1980: 56). Although this may not seem to constitute a radical alternative to standard teaching practice, the details of the steps the teacher is expected to follow are unique to the Silent Way. By teaching is meant the presentation of an item once, typically using nonverbal clues to get across meanings. Testing follows immediately and might better be termed elicitation and shaping of student production, which, again, is done in as silent a way as possible. Finally, the teacher silently monitors learners interactions with each other and may even leave the room while learners struggle with their new linguistic tools and pay their ogdens. For the most part, Silent Way teachers manuals are unavailable (however, see Arnold 1981), and teachers are responsible for designing teaching sequences and creating individual lessons and lesson elements. Gattegno emphasizes the importance of teacher-defined learning goals that are clear and attainable. Sequence and timing in Silent Way classes are more important than in many kinds of language teaching classes, and the teachers sensitivity and man ­agement of them is critical. More generally, the teacher is responsible for creating an environment that encourages student risk taking and that facilitates learning. This is not to say that the Silent Way teacher becomes one of the group. In fact, observers have noted that Silent Way teachers often appear aloof or even gruff with their students. The teachers role is one of neutral observer, neither elated by correct performance nor discouraged by error. Students are expected to come to see supportive but emotionally uninvolved. The teacher uses gestures, charts, and manipulates in order to elicit and shape student responses and so must be both facile and creative as a pantomimist and puppeteer. In sum, the Silent way teacher, like the complete dramatist, writes the script, chooses the props, sets the mood, models the action, designates the players, and is critic for the performance. The role of instructional materials The Silent Way is perhaps as well known for the unique nature of its teaching materials as for the silence of its teachers. The materials consist mainly of a set of coloured rods, coded-coded pronunciation and vocabulary wall charts, a pointer, and reading/writing exercises, all of which are used to illustrate the relationships between sound and meaning in the target language. The materials are designed for manipulation by the students as well as by the teacher, independently and cooperatively, in promoting language learning by direct association. The number of languages and contain symbols in the target language for all of the vowel and consonant sounds of the language. The symbols are colour coded according to pronunciation; thus, if a language possesses two different symbols for the same sound, they will be coloured alike. Classes often begin by using Fidel charts in the native language, colour coded in an analogous manner, so that students learn to pair a sound with its associate d colour. There may be from one to eight of such charts, depending upon the language. The teacher uses the pointer to indicate a sound symbol for the students to produce. Where native-language Fidels are used, the teacher will point to a symbol on one chart and then to its analogue on the Fidel in the other language. In the absence of native-language charts, or when introducing a sound not present in the native language, the teacher will give one clear, audible model after indicating the proper Fidel symbol in the target language. The charts are hung on the wall and serve to aid in remembering pronunciation and in building new words by sounding out sequences of symbols as they are pointed to by the teacher or student. Just as the Fidel charts are used to visually illustrate pronunciation, the coloured cuisenaire rods are used to directly link words and structures with their meanings in the target language, thereby avoiding translation into the native language. The rods vary in length from one to ten centimetres, and each length has a specific colour. The rods may be used for naming colours, for size comparisons, to represent people build floor plans, constitute a road map, and so on. Use of the rods is intended to promote inventiveness, creativity, and interest in forming communicative utterances on the part of the students, as they move from simple to more complex structures. Gattegno and his proponents believe that the range of structures that can be illustrated and learned through skilful use of the rods is as limitless as the human imagination. When the teacher or student has difficulty expressing a desired word or concept, the rods can be supplemented by referring to the Fidel charts, or to t he third major visual aid used in the Silent Way, the vocabulary charts. The vocabulary or word charts are likewise colour coded, although the colours of the symbols will not correspond to the phonetics of the Fidels, but rather to conceptual groupings of words. There are typically twelve such charts containing 500 to 800 words in the native language and script. These words are selected according to their ease of application in teaching, their relative place in the functional or luxury vocab ­ulary, their flexibility in terms of generalization and use with other words, and their importance in illustrating basic grammatical structures. The content of word charts will vary from language to language, but the general content of the vocabulary charts (Gattegno 1972) is paraphrased below: Chart 1: the word rod, colours of the rods, plural markers, simple im ­perative verbs, personal pronouns, some adjectives and question words Charts 2, 3: remaining pronouns, words for here and there, of, for, and name Chart 4: numbers Charts 5, 6: words illustrating size, space, and temporal relationships, as well as some concepts difficult to illustrate with rods, such as order, causality, condition, similarity and difference Chart 7: words that qualify, such as adverbs Charts 8, 9: verbs, with cultural references where possible Chart 10: family relationships Charts 11, 12: words expressing time, calendar elements, seasons, days, week, month, year, etc. Other materials that may be used include books and worksheets for practicing reading and writing skills, picture books, tapes; videotapes, films, and other visual aids. Reading and writing are sometimes taught from the beginning; and students are given assignments to do outside the classroom at their own pace. These materials are of secondary im ­portance, and are used to supplement the classroom use of rods and charts. Choice and implementation depends upon need as assessed by teachers and/or students. Procedure A Silent way lesson typically follows a standard format. The first part of the lesson focuses on pronunciation. Depending on student level, the class might work on sounds, phrases, or even sentences designated on the Fidel chart. At the beginning stage, the teacher will model the appropriate sound after pointing to a symbol on the chart. Later, the teacher will silently point to individual symbols and combinations of symbols, and on monitor student utterances. The teacher may say a word and have a student guess what sequence of symbols compromised the word. The pointer is used to indicate stress, phrasing, and intonation. Stress can be shown by touching certain symbol more forcibly than others when pointing out a word. Intonation and phrasing can be demonstrated by tapping on the chart to the rhythm of the utterance. After practice with the sounds of the language, sentence patterns, structure, and vocabulary are practiced. The teacher models an utterance while creating a visual realization of it with the coloured rods. After modelling the utterance, the teacher will have a student attempt to produce the utterance and will indicate its acceptability. If a response is incorrect, the teacher will attempt to reshape the utterance or have another student present the correct model. After a structure is introduced and understood, the teacher will create a situation in which the students can practice the structure through the manipulation of the rods. Vari ­ations on the structural theme will be elicited from the class using the rods and charts. The sample lesson that follows illustrates a typical lesson format. The language being taught is Thai, for which this is the first lesson. 1. Teacher empties rods onto the table. . 2. Teacher picks up two or three rods of different colours, and after each rod is picked up says: [mai]. 3. Teacher holds up one rod of any colour and indicates to a student that a response is required. Student says: [mai]. If response is incorrect, teacher elicits response from another student, who then models for the first student. 4. Teacher next picks up a red rod and says: [mai sti daeng]. 5. Teacher picks up a green rod and says: [mai sii khiawj. 6. Teacher picks up either a red or green rod and elicits response from stu ­dent, If response is incorrect, procedure in step 3 is followed (student modeling). 7. Teacher introduces two or three other colors in the same manner. 8. Teacher shows any of the rods whose forms were taught previously and elicits student response. Correction technique is through student model ­ing, or the teacher may help student isolate error and self-correct. 9. When mastery is achieved, teacher puts one red rod in plain view and says: [mai sii daeng nung an]. 10. Teacher then puts two red rods in plain view and says: [mai sii daeng song an]. 11. Teacher places two green rods in view and says [mai sii khiaw song an]; 12. Teacher holds up two rods of a different color and elicits student response. 13. Teacher introduces additional numbers, based on what the class can comfortably retain. Other colors might also be introduced. 14. Rods are put in a pile. Teacher indicates, through his or her own ac ­tions, that rods should be picked up, and the correct utterance made. All die students in the group pick up rods and make correction is encouraged. 15. Teacher then says: [kep mai sii daeng

Santana :: Essays Papers

Santana All the world knows the special magic of Carlos Santana as expressed through his music and his guitar playing, which is among the most distinctive and recognizable in all music. His is a tone of vibrant energy that bathes the human soul and awakens the unconscious spirit. The spirit of truth, the spirit of Brotherhood. In every performance, Carlos shares with his audience a personal communication that crosses all boundaries and differences, and makes all people, one people, one family. Carlos' music embodies a living heritage of music and family. The "Brothers" album (on Island Records), described as "a banquet of musical treats and surprises", has Carlos sharing the spotlight with two special guitarists - brother, Jorge Santana, and nephew Carlos Hernandez in his recording debut. In "SACRED FIRE", a 97 minute video and 13-song CD released by Polydor in 1993, Carlos captured the excitement and spirit of his live concerts in Mexico and South America with a mix of his biggest hits as well as some previously unrecorded material. In "LIVE FOREVER", the debut release on his Guts & Grace label, Carlos paid his respects to some contemporaries whose spirits continue to provide musical inspiration for us all. The CD includes songs by Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Stevie Ray Vaughan and John Coltrane. Each of these three projects offers a glimpse, an added dimension, of a soul that has touched millions around the world. Carlos was introduced to "traditional music" by his father, Jose. An accomplished mariachi violinist and experienced musician, he taught Carlos the basics of music theory and gave him an understanding of the value of a note. Although Carlos' excitement for music would be sparked by his first experience, he quickly discovered the limits of its traditional form and wanted more. Carlos wanted to play the kind of music that was filling the radio waves and making people dance. Tijuana, 1955. The music was rock 'n roll. The drastic change of moving from the small, quiet town of Autlan to the humming, thriving boom town of Tijuana brought a renewed hope and opportunity for a new life. Both for Carlos and his family. The eight-year old Carlos quickly left the violin for the guitar, studying and emulating the sounds of B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. Soon he was being asked to join local bands like the "T.J.'s", where he added a unique touch and feel to his own renditions of all the great songs of the 1950's.

Life Controlled by Media Results in False Knowledge Essay -- Fahrenhei

Life Controlled by Media Results in False Knowledge Fahrenheit 451 is a novel where the society eliminates unhappiness. The fire department starts fire instead of putting it out, because they burn books. The author is trying to show that life prohibited by community results in false knowledge of ourselves. Not everyone feels that way. So, some people go against the law and read books. Ray Bradbury shows the readers that there is always something wrong with perfect society. The society dislikes books because it makes them unhappy. For example, â€Å"Mrs. Phelps was crying. The others in the middle of the dessert watched her crying grow very loud as her face squeezed itself out of shape† (Bradbury 100). This shows that when Montag read a poem to Millie’s friends, the misery of the poem got one of them to cry. This is because they don’t know how to accept the truth and grief. In addition, Beatty said â€Å"You can’t rid yourselves of all the odd ducks in just a few years† (Bradbury 60).This shows that people even try to remove people that are weird but didn’t do anything wrong. This is because once again they try to make the society as perfect as they can. As a result, they can do some pretty cruel stuff to make life better for them. The more people read the more knowledge they have but not everyone. For example, â€Å"If anything should happen to Harris you are the book of Ecclesiastes† (Bradbury 151). This shows that Montag is smart and has knowledge of what’s going on. This is b...

Movie Essays - Narrative Holes in Films of Shakespeares Plays

Narrative Holes in Films of Shakespeare's Plays My subject in this essay in playtexts and in films of those playtexts. Drama offers the storyteller a simple choice about how to communicate each element of the story to the audience: show it, or have a character describe it. Often in drama narration is used because an event cannot be shown, but occasionally telling is used when showing is perfectly possible and Shakespeare uses this device self-consciously to draw attention to the medium rather than the message of his story. Shakespeare appears then interested in ekphrasis, which the Oxford Classical Dictionary calls "an extended and detailed literary description of any object, real or imaginary" (Hornblower & Spawforth 1996) but which is commonly used in the more precise sense summarized by Grant F. Scott as "a verbal representation of a visual representation" (Scott 1991, 301). In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing there is an important hole in the narrative which has been placed there by the dramatist. The moment when Claudio and Don Pedro witness a sign of Hero's infidelity is only anticipated and recalled in the play, not shown. First Don John promises "Go but with me tonight, you shall see her chamber window entered" (III.ii.102-3) and in the next scene Borachio brags how he brought Margaret into the deception: "She leans me out at her mistress' chamber window, bids me a thousand times good night" (III.iii.140-2). Between III.ii and III.iii the deception takes place without being shown to the audience. It certainly would have been possible for Shakespeare's stage to represent Borachio entering or leaving the bedchamber, so we should consider why Shakespeare chose instead to use dialogue referring to t... ...Laterna/Athena/RSC. Greenaway, Peter. 1991. Prospero's Books. Motion Picture. VPRO Television/Camera One/Le Studio Canal+/Channel Four Films/Elsevier/Vendex/Cinea/Allarts/NHK/Palace Pictures/Penta Films. Holland, Peter. 1995. "The Shapeliness of The Tempest." Essays in Criticism. 45.3. 208-29. Hornblower, Simon and Antony Spawforth, eds. 1996. The Oxford Classical Dictionary. 3rd edition. Oxford. Clarendon. Jarman, Derek. 1979. The Tempest. Motion Picture. Boyd's. McGuire, Philip. 1994. Shakespeare: The Jacobean Plays. English Dramatists. Basingstoke. Macmillan. Scott, Grant F. 1991. "The Rhetoric of Dilation: Ekphrasis and Ideology." Word and Image. 7.1. 301-10. Shakespeare, William. 1899. Much Ado About Nothing. Ed. Horace Howard Furness. New Variorum. 12. Philadelphia. Lippincott. Wilcox, Fred M. 1956. Forbidden Planet. Motion Picture. MGM

What Are the Main Problems Associated with Using Plastic Bags?

Module code: FC 5012T Title: Skills for Study 1 Assignment question: What are the main problems associated with using plastic bags? Identify solutions to reduce these problems. Word count: 742 Tutor name: Bird, Marianne City University Number: 110065767 Submission Date: 26/10/2011 Plastic bags have been used on a daily basis since 1977 (Williamson, 2003) as a means of carrying items such as groceries as they are not only convenient but also cheap. However, the over-use of plastic bags has posed significant threats to the environment in recent times as they are non-biodegradable and also a threat to wildlife.The primary reason for this concern is that plastics bags are not re-used, but simply disposed of in landfills. These problems have both social and environmental impacts that are of global concern. This essay will begin by illustrating the problems associated with plastic bags, followed by the various ways in which society can hope to resolve this dilemma. The manufacturing proces s of plastic bags commences with the extraction of and handling of raw materials.Large amounts of energy are required to extract crude oil, and most of the electricity used in the process of manufacturing the plastic used in these bags comes from coal-fired power plants (Greenfeet, 2004). The fundamental components of manufacturing plastic bags are petroleum and natural gases (Lajeunesse, 2004), whereby 4% of the world’s total oil production is used in the production of plastic bags (Greenfeet 2004). The toxic emissions and consequently air pollution of chemicals and carbon dioxide during the production of plastic bags presents a serious concern for the environment.According to the Institute for Lifecycle Environmental Assessment (1990), the manufacturing of two plastic bags produces 1. 1 kg of atmospheric pollution, which contributes to acid rain and smog. Plastic bags are normally shipped to different consumer countries which also in turn has a harmful impact on to the envi ronment due to excessive emissions of pollutants such as sulphur (Long and Wagner, 2000). Each year there is an increase in demands for plastic bags, and therefore more are shipped, creating further environmental pollution concerns.This increase in demand has lead to the phenomenal upsurge in the use and misuse of plastic bags globally, both in developed and developing countries. Statistics show that 4 to 5 trillion plastic bags are produced per annum, whereby North America and Western Europe account for nearly 80% (Geographical, 2005; Reusable Bags, 2005). Cheeseman (2007) states that approximately â€Å"380 billion plastic shopping bags are used in the United States annually†; in turn, only 0. 6% of this is recycled. Almost 96% of plastic bags are disposed of in landfills (Williamson, 2003).This leads up to another problem as plastic bags are non-biodegradable – in other words, plastic bags do not biodegrade for over a thousand years (Stevens 2001). Plastic bags may also land in farms and in oceans which have an impact on the wildlife. Livestock such as cows may eat plastic bags while grazing. These pose a threat if ingested as they may tangle in their stomachs, causing serious injuries and potentially death (Dreyer et al, 1999; Rasmussen 1999). Each year over a billion birds and mammals die due to the ingestion of plastic bags (Baker, 2002).Many of these issues however, can be addressed and even resolved in several ways. Nowadays, a number of countries have begun to impose taxes on plastic bag consumption, with few even banning the use of plastic bags altogether. In Ireland a 15% tax has now been levied on the consumption of plastic bags, which has resulted in a 90% fall in plastic bag consumption. Many Asian and African countries, including China have also issued new policies on the banning of plastic bags (Ganster 2010 and Hill 2010). Some countries are now making new, more environmentally-friendly paper bags.These bags are biodegradable whi ch means will be able to biodegrade significantly faster compared to regular plastic bags. In Uganda, bags are now made out of banana leaves, making them more eco-friendly and are in themselves biodegradable (Hill 2010). Countries such as the USA have now begun implementing recycling programmes. However, its success has been limited as such services are not yet widely available (McKinney and Schoch, 2003) and the plastic used in the production of these bags are not easily recyclable. In conclusion, the problems presented by such plastic bags lie throughout he production line: from the production process to the way in which plastic bags are overly consumed, through to the ways in which they are disposed of. Although several solutions have been implemented to mitigate the issues caused by plastic bags, there is still much to be done to reduce future, drastic consequences to both society and ultimately the environment. Marquita K. Hill (2010). Understanding environmental pollution  . 3rd ed. United Kingdom: Cambridge university press. p345-346. Linda A. Mooney/ David Knox/ Caroline Schacht (2010). Understanding social problems. th ed. United states of America: Linda Schreiber-Ganster. p485. Hansard (2007), â€Å"Parliamentary Debates â€Å",  Kenya National Assembly Official Record,  Jul 25, pp. 15-17. Baker, R. 2002. â€Å"Ministerial Brief: Plastic Bag Levy. † Website. Accessed October 22,2011. http://sres. anu. edu. au/people/richard_baker/examples/briefing/minty/Minty. html Geographical. 2005. â€Å"Waste: An Overview. † Geographical 77(9): 34-35. Greenfeet. 2004. â€Å"Paper vs. Plastic – The Shopping Bag Debate. † Website. Accessed November 20, 2005. http://www. greenfeet. net/newsletter/debate. shtmlLajeunesse, S. 2004. â€Å"Plastic Bags. † Chemical and Engineering News 82(38): 51. McKinney, M. L. , and R. N. Schoch. 2003. Environmental Science: Systems and Solutions. Mississauga, ON: Jones and Bartlett Publisher s. Reusable Bags. 2005. â€Å"Facts and figures regarding the true cost of plastic bags. † Website. Accessed October 25, 2011. http://www. reusablebags. com/facts. php Long, R. , and M. Wagner. 2000. â€Å"Report Finds Ships the Dirtiest Transportation Source, Causing Smog at Sea and in Port: Lawsuit Filed Against EPA for Failure to Regulate Large Ship Emissions. Website. Accessed November 28, 2005. http://www. commondreams. org/news2000/0717-07. htm Reusable Bags. 2005. â€Å"Facts and figures regarding the true cost of plastic bags. † Website. Accessed November 27, 2005. http://www. reusablebags. com/facts. php Stevens, E. 2001. Green Plastics: An Introduction to the New Science of Biodegradable Plastics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Williamson, L. J. 2003. â€Å"It’s Not My Bag, Baby! † On Earth: Environmental Politics People 25(2) (June): 32-34.

Taskin Ahmed

What Is Globalization? Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world. Globalization is not new, though. For thousands of years, people—and, later, corporations—have been buying from and selling to each other in lands at great distances, such as through the famed Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages. Likewise, for centuries, people and corporations have invested in enterprises in other countries. In fact, many of the features of the current wave of globalization are similar to those prevailing before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. r Is it the integration of economic, political, and cultural systems across the globe? Or is it Americanization and United States dominance of world affairs? Is globalization a force for economic growth, prosperity, and democratic freedom? Or is it a force for environmental devastation, exploitation of the developing world, and suppression of human rights? Positive impacts of Globalization Globalization is the new catchphrase in the world economy, dominating the globe since the ninetie s of the last century. People relied more on the market economy, had more faith in private capital and resources, international organizations started playing a vital role in the development of developing countries. The impact of globalization has been fair enough on the developing economies to a certain extent. It brought along with it varied opportunities for the developing countries. It gave a fillip for better access to the developed markets. The technology transfer promised better productivity and thus improved standard of living.

How I Will Save the Planet Essay

The problem of saving the planet is nowadays very urgent. Global warming, pollution of the great oceans – these things are undoubtedly influencing or lives and might erase us, human beings, from the surface of the earth. Totally. And very soon. Mother Nature cannot stand or our behavior anymore and now it is time for us to think about our future. All the processes which have been launched already of course cannot be reversed or even stooped, but we can and we must slow them down in order to spend a few more decades here, on the planet Earth. The problem is – even the majority is not enough to save the planet, only all together we can save ourselves. Yes, exactly â€Å"ourselves† but not â€Å"the planet†, because as George Carlin, a popular American comic says: â€Å"the planet is fine! † – It is more than 4,5 billiard years old and it would be strange if it might be destroyed by us, who appeared only about sixty thousand years ago. It is more likely that the planet will get rid of us and after a thousand or maybe a million years of tranquil rehabilitation, some new forms of life will appear. And the process as we can notice is going forward at a steady gait – last winter was extremely cold, and the summer was so hot that forests were totally burning out and harvests were negligibly small. And what is going to happen this winter? Will it be warm and snowless, or it will be minus sixty in the street and we will not be able even to go and by some bread? And next summer? It may be quite normal for our climatic zone and may be far more outstanding than previous one. The most horrifying fact is that weather patterns are becoming more and more unpredictable which endangers our existence here†¦ But that is enough for the preamble, now I am going to speak about what I will do to at least postpone the global catastrophe. First of all, let us think about the very phrase â€Å"to save the planet†. Of course, it does notconcern that you will invent time machine and go back to the past and kill the inventors of internal-combustion engine, oil extraction and aerosol. It also does not mean that you must join the Greenpeace Organization and picket in the streets with high-sounding banners in your hands. There are lots of tiny things, which compose the whole picture of ecology today and you can improve this picture by changing your lifestyle a little. I, for example, will never spoil much water while washing the dishes – I’ll go to the local store and get a plug for about one USD and it will make the water more clear, because small amounts of water are easier and cheaper to filtrate. Taking a shower I will switch it off when I am soaping myself – I really do not need it! I will go by foot instead of taking a bus or taxi, in cases when I’m not in a hurry. Actually I do need a car, but I will use ecologically friendly patrol as, for example, Pulsar fuel, which obeys EURO-4 ecological standard, instead of using ecologically hostile patrol. And if I have the money, I will by a hybrid car – actually what is bad about half an engine being electronic? I think it is very good! Unfortunately, I smoke. And I imagine how harmful it is both for my health and for the surrounding environment – not only cigarettes disperse hundreds of harmful gases and matters to the atmosphere, but also lighters emit gas and, being made of plastic, are also very hard to recycle. So I will soon try the new technology of electronic cigarettes – each of them can be used many times, they do not contain tars and other harmful matters and their smoke is actually a water steam, which doesn’t harm both your organism and the atmosphere. Actually, I can say that even now I am saving the planet – maybe I do one thousandth part of what I must do, but it is already better than nothing! All light bulbs in my house are energy saving. I also do not take plastic bags in supermarkets – I always carry everything in my bag. My mp3 player is accumulator-operated, so I do not use and throw out hundreds of batteries every year. I wash all my clothes only in the washing machine once a month, so I do not spoil much water on washing. I use roll-on deodorants instead of spraying ones – It is my tiny contribution into the protection of the ozone layer. I prefer cotton clothes, and do not often by synthetic things – maybe I do it for my own reasons, but it is in any case better than making Mother Nature recycle one T-shirt for hundreds of years! I also always buy drinks in glass bottles, which can be used several times or aluminum cans and tetra-packs which are both easy to recycle. We also have an electric stove plate which is far more ecological than gas cooker. Unfortunately, saving the planet is unreal at the present point in time. We too long have been spoiling it and it is very horrible to realize that in a couple of years we are going to be erasedby severe climatic apocalypse. And it’s really inevitable for everyone to understand it and try to stop this parasitizing in order to secure our future, and the future of our children. Simple, and at first sight, insignificant things have brought us to the great crisis, and the same simple things may save us. Is not it easy to plug your sink while washing the dishes or to use energy saving bulbs, energy saving fuel and washing machines? It is. Is there so much economy in buying plastic bottles, which need hundreds of years to decompose? No, there is not. So I will  do everything I can to save the planet! And how about you?

Communication and Professional Relationships Essay

Unit 203 Communication and Professional Relationships with children, young people and adults. When dealing with children you need to take into account their age and stage of development. Different ages require different levels of attention and support. When dealing with small children you need to remember that they are still developing their language skills and may need help communicating. When talking to them you need to get down to their level so that you don’t feel intimidating. You will need to listen to them and tell them to take turns while speaking, you also need to be clear when talking to them and make sure they understand what you have said by making them repeat it back to you. Small children tire quickly and cannot concentrate for long periods of time. Children in Ket Stage 2 are starting to mature and can communicate a lot better, they are able to hold a conversation and will invite others to talk first. In some cases you will still need to remind them to wait and take their turn when speaking. Older children who are in Key Stage 3 and 4 are able to communicate more freely with each other and adults, they are able to use technology which they use to stay in touch with each other. Sometimes teenagers become self-conscious and embarrassed when they have to talk with adults, so you need to give them time and encouragement to regain their confidence. Your own behaviour has a big impact on the children you work with, children always take the lead from the adults around them and how they interact with others. You cannot expect a child to behave in a certain way if you as an adult don’t. We can only ask a child to behave if we do it ourselves; this makes it easier for them to understand boundaries of what is acceptable. Children of different ages communicate differently depending on their age and level of understanding. Some might need extra encouragement where others need more physical contact. As they get older they learn to communicate in different ways so you will need to adapt your vocabulary accordingly. Children that have communication difficulties need to be able to take their time when speaking so they don’t feel pressured. You need to adapt to their individual needs and communicate according to that. Some children have a speech disorder or they may stammer so you should let them take their time when speaking and try not to fill in the words for them as this will add to their distress. You may need some special training such as British Sign language so you are able to communicate better; some children have special educational needs so you might need additional equipment in order to communicate with them. There are not many differences when communicating with adults and children, you need to always maintain eye contact and respond to what they are saying. You should treat them all with courtesy and respect. However when you communicate with children you need to remember that they need to see you in a formal role. You always need to be clear in what you say and they should know what is expected of them. You shouldn’t use complicated language which makes it difficult for them to grasp. Adults need to show children how to communicate and get on with others we need to show them how to value and respect others so they can do the same. Children always copy adults be it in a negative or positive way. You need to show respect for others and acknowledge what they are saying and thank them for their contribution. When communicating with children there are a number difficulties may arise, these may be because of the special needs of the learner, different attitudes towards learning of different beliefs. When working with children or young people with special needs you will need to take your time and not rush them so that they don’t feel under pressure. People who use sign language may not have many opportunities to speak and might become nervous. When poor communication arises between adults this often leads to conflicts this may be because of communication difficulties or misunderstandings. The best way to resolve this is by discussing the problems so it does not happen again. The longer these misunderstandings are left unresolved the more difficult they may be to put right. People of different cultures have different expectations, in some cultures eye contact is not permitted so those pupils may not pick up on the non-verbal cues and another way to communicate will be needed. If a child lacks confidence they might act in an aggressive manner if they are unsure about something. You need to adapt the way you communicate with the learner’s individual needs. The lack of communication also leads to disagreements this may happen if information is misread or perceived wrongly, we sometimes blame others for saying things we don’t agree with. When this happens it needs to be managed carefully so that there are no hard feelings afterwards. You must never be drawn into an argument with child however hard this may be. If a child is arguing with you, you will need to manage it carefully and seek advice from another member of staff. The legal requirements and procedures regarding data protection are: Every Child Matters (England 2003) based on Children Act 2004. This stresses the importance of sharing information between professionals. Data Protection Act 1998. In schools parents are asked a lot of personal information regarding their child e. g. health and medical information, records from other schools or records for children with special education needs. This information must only be used if needed. The Freedom of Information Act The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to ask any public sector organisation for all the recorded information they have on any subject. Anyone can make a request for information – there are no restrictions on your age, nationality or where you live. There are many reasons to need information on a child or an adult but this information cannot be shared without the parents’ consent. If there is reason to believe that the child is at risk of harm by the parent or there are legal reasons then the information can be shared. If you attend meetings and are told confidential information then you need to keep it to yourself. You need to reassure the children that the information you have will remain confidential. If a child has a medical condition such as asthma and epilepsy then there should be a system is place to share this information with other adults in the school. In some cases there are photos of children in the dining room who have allergies to certain foods but the photographs will need to be removed if the premises are used by others in the evenings.

Discusses the Dream act in Texas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Discusses the Dream act in Texas - Essay Example It is fundamentally a legislation ruled on Taxes, as applicable in the US to prevent exploitation of immigrant children from being deprived of the basic amenities essential for a healthy life in the modern phenomenon, implemented with the code SB1819. It was initially sponsored by Texas senators, including Tom Creighton, Lois Kolkhorst and Donna Campbell. Taking into concern the social need of welfare, with the rising numbers of undocumented immigrants, this legislation was enacted (Escalante, â€Å"Fight for the Texas Dream Act Continues†). Undoubtedly, Texas and its social features have a considerably important role to play in the improvisation of the Act, triggering a series of favoring as well as opposing social movements throughout the US. DREAM Act was developed for the purpose of rectifying discrimination of undocumented immigrant children from their educational rights. The primary objectives of this Act have thereafter been emphasizing the legalization of the overall status of undocumented immigrant children residing in Texas (Nakamura, Costa and Fahrenthold, â€Å"Obama announces immigration overhaul shielding 4 million from deportation†). Undoubtedly though, the enactment of the stated legislation had to face many conflicts and hindrances owing to its supposed limitations concerning registration of the undocumented immigrant children and the allocation of national resources to suffice their needs. In order to mitigate these limitations, the various conditions noted to come under the DREAM Act emphasized that immigrant children entering the country, must be at an age of 15 years at least to obtain the benefit and get registered in the public schools of Texas. Besides, the children should have sufficient pro of regarding their presence within the nation for a minimum five years (Escalante, â€Å"Fight for the Texas Dream Act Continues†). Rate of immigration in Texas has

Peopel Mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Peopel Mangment - Essay Example This paper approves that it is clear from the above discussion that diversity has a number of dimensions and has a major impact on the overall position of women in the workplace. Promoting gender equality is a growing trend and the various equality and diversity policies adopted by companies clearly impact women and assist them in gaining better positions and also job profiles which fit their skills set. Here the principle of human rights is to provide basic equal treatment to individuals from different groups. The main aim of all human resources across different companies is to ensure that the inequalities within the groups are reduced and women as well as men are given the same treatment, without any form of bias or distinction. This essay makes a conclusion that one of the main areas of focus across the world has been on the need for reducing discrimination against women. Hence it can be concluded that the various equality and diversity policies that have been developed over the years clearly have a strong impact on women and in most cases this is a positive influence. Nevertheless a few companies, despite all the laws and regulations, have not been able to effectively ensure that women are given their rights and that job selection, recruitment and retention are based on the skills set and not gender. Even so, the overall impact of the equality and diversity policies is clearly been extremely effective and has proven to be very successful across the world.

Networkinh Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Networkinh - Assignment Example In this scenario, they need to implement a computer network. This report discusses the scenario of Sally and John’s business, as they are running their business without having a proper computer network. This report suggests ways that can be adopted to improve their business capabilities. Introduction A computer network consists of a set of a number of parts which include hardware, software, and computers and all these parts are connected with each other using a wired or wireless medium to help business workers work in cooperation. Additionally, a network is established using particular cabling systems, software, communication medium and devices which deal with data traffic. Hence, a computer network allows its users to share files such as MS Word documents and resource such as scanners and printers, and transmits messages and data files electronically (or email) to each other (TechsChange, 2010; Nash, 2000; Norton, 2001; Turban et al., 2005). This report discusses the concept of networking in the context of Sally and John’s business. They are running their business without having a network support so they are facing several problems in managing their business tasks. This report guides them regarding the establishment of an effective network structure. Problem Analysis and Proposed Solution Up till now John and Sally have been using traditional approaches to run and manage their business process. In view of the fact that their business is growing rapidly and there is a need for an effective communication structure in order to deal with growing business needs hence they need to implement a computer network. A computer network is a set of computers which are connected with each other using wired or wireless medium. In this scenario, networks which are used using wires and cables are known as wired networks. On the other hand, wireless networks use microwaves or radio waves for the communication (Mitchell, 2013; Shelly et al., 2005; Malladi & Agrawal, 2002). Some of the basic requirements and objectives of this network implementation are: John and Silly want to improve communication structure for their business The establishment of an effective data and file sharing environment Implementation of secure data access points of communication Getting a support for remote access to the network Getting the facility of remote data transfer and access mechanism Putting into practice modern data communication framework Implementing an effective data recovery and backup mechanism The implementation of a network structure which allows them to transfer and retrieve data at high speed Suggested Solution Implementation of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) In light of business needs and objectives of John and Sally, I would suggest them to implement a modern and efficient network structure for their business. In this scenario, I would suggest them to implement a virtual private network VPN. A virtual private network extends the range of a private network incorporates connections all the way through public or shared networks such as the Internet. Basically, a VPN allows users to send and receive data and files between two computers across a public or shared internetwork in a way that follows the rules and characteristics of a point-to-point private link. In addition, the