International Strategy of B&Q Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Strategy of B&Q - Assignment Example B&Q is the number one DIY retailer in Europe and the third largest in the world, with more than 60 stores opened internationally, including B&Q Beijing, which is now the largest B&Q store in the world. Based on literature a firm has to make two initial decisions for facing internationalization process, i.e. equity and non-equity entry modes (See figure 1). Entry mode is an institutional arrangement that makes possible the entry of firm's products, technology, human skills, management or other resources into a foreign country (Root 1994). On this level, the key issues when making a decision on entry modes are those that refer to the macro-level factors of the target country, such as country-risk, cultural differences or potential for growth (Pan and Tse, 2000). The influence of these factors on the choice of entry mode will show up in the commitment of resources that the firm is willing to undertake in the international market and the strategic flexibility they wish to maintain in order to face up to unforeseen changes in the environment (Pan and Tse, 2000). On the second level of analysis, managers would do well to evaluate the different modes of entry, taking into consideration the degree of control they wish to exercise over international activities. The factors that should be analyzed at this level are related to micro-level characteristics such as those that determine the risk of dissemination or improper appropriation of assets and the firm's strategy. Both factors will determine the degree of control the firm should exercise on international operations in order to maintain its competitive advantage and favour coordination between units that are geographically widespread (Harzing, 2002; Pan and Tse, 2000). Figure 1: Two-level model of analysis for the choice of entry modesSource: Pan and Tse (2000) In the specific case of B&Q, its process of internationalization is clearly dominated by the equity entry modes (degree of control) such as Greenfield, mergers and acquisitions. We have to understand acquisition as the purchase of a stock in an already existing company in an amount sufficient to confirm control. A firm can acquire a foreign company for many of several reasons: product diversification, the acquisition of specific assets, the sourcing of raw materials, or other products for sale outside the host country or financial diversification (Root 1994). A Greenfield investment is a start up investment in new facilities. Such an investment can be wholly owned or a joined venture. The first ownership is a 100% in this alternative. It is usually complex, needs negotiations and takes a lot of time (Hitt et al. 2003). Merger is the process when two or more company joint to become one entity through a purchase acquisition or a pulling of interests (See Table 1). B&Q

Salient Features of Juvenile Justice Act, 2006 Essay Example for Free

Salient Features of Juvenile Justice Act, 2006 Essay The first central legislation on Juvenile Justice was passed in 1986, by the Union Parliament, providing a uniform law on juvenile justice for the entire country. Prior to this law each state had its own enactment on juvenile justice with there being differences in the way juveniles were treated by different state legal systems. The Juvenile Justice Act was thus passed to provide care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of neglected or delinquent juveniles and for the settlement of certain matters related to and disposition of delinquent juveniles There are certain guiding principles which need to be adhered to in the administration of juvenile justice and they form the basis on which the Act and the Rules are formed. The juvenile justice functionaries should abide by the following fundamental principles in order to understand the Act, interpret according to the situation in which the child is taken into custody and most importantly contribute to better and effective implementation of the Act. They are basically drawn from all the national and international standards pertaining to children wherein a strong impetus is given to the fulfillment and protection of the child’s rights. Emphasis is also laid on reintegration of the child into the family system to ensure proper care and protection from all kinds of exploitative situations Principles to be followed in administration of the rules: Principle of presumption of innocence Principle of dignity and worth Principle of Right to be heard: Principle of Best Interest: Principle of family responsibility: Principle of Safety (no harm, no abuse, no neglect, no exploitation and no maltreatment): Positive measures to promote well being of the child, reduce vulnerabilities and aim at development of child’s identity : Principle of non-stigmatizing semantics, decisions and actions: Principle of non-waiver of rights: Principle of equality and non-discrimination: Principle of right to privacy and confidentiality: Principle of last resort: Principle of repatriation and restoration: Principle of Fresh Start When these principles are adhered to in letter and spirit, it would certainly ensure that every child who comes into contact with the JJ System is assured safety, care, protection and justice. History of Juvenile Justice Legislations in India since 1986 and their specific provisions: 1. Juvenile Justice Act 1986 ï‚ · JJ Act was enacted in pursuance of the Beijing Rules 1985, prior to the CRC Definition of juvenile or child – 16 years for boys and 18 years for girls Children were categorized as delinquent juveniles and neglected juveniles Both categories of children were kept in an Observation Home together pending inquiry Juvenile Welfare Board was formed to deal with the neglected juveniles and the Juvenile Court was the adjudicating authority for the delinquent juvenile The neglected juveniles were in the Juvenile Home and the delinquent juveniles to the Special Home The Government of India ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992 thereby making it expedient to adhere to the standards prescribed in the Convention. Hence, the 1986 JJ Act had to be reviewed and changes had to be made in order to secure the best interest of the child and focus on social re-integration of the child without resorting to judicial proceedings. The JJ Act 1986 was repealed and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 was passed taking into consideration all the International standards prescribed as per the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice, 1985 (Beijing Rules), The UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency called the Riyadh Guidelines, 1990 and the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (1990) 2. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 The Title of the Act stresses on the need for care and protection to both categories of children Uniform age for both boys and girls – any child who has not completed the age of 18 fall within the jurisdiction of the Act to comply with the CRC definition of the child Separation of child in need of care and protection and child in conflict with law Constitution of Child Welfare Committees to deal with children in need of care and protection and Juvenile Justice Boards to handle children in conflict with law The category of children in need of care and protection has been expanded to include victims of armed conflict, natural calamity, civil commotion, child who is found vulnerable and likely to be inducted into drug abuse More legal protection assured for the child in conflict with law – detention to be resorted to as the last option, disqualification of past records and privacy maintained The innovation the law makes with respect to children in need of care and protection is the conceptualization of restoration of the child as being the focal point, with restoration being conceptualized as restoration to parents, adopted parents or foster parents. (Sec39). The law outline four options of restoration for children in children’s homes and special homes which include adoption, foster care, sponsorship and after care 3. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2006 The JJ Act 2000 was subsequently amended and hereafter referred to as the Principal Act The Amendment Act brought about 26 amendments which are in force This Act forms the legal system and framework for the care, protection, treatment and rehabilitation of children of both categories i. The Objective of the Act: To Lay Down A Legal Structure For The Juvenile Justice System In The Country To Provide A Special Approach To The Protection And Treatment Of Juveniles To outline the machinery and infrastructure required for the care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of juveniles To establish norms and standards for administration of juvenile justice To establish linkages and co-ordination between the formal system of juvenile justice and voluntary efforts in the welfare of juveniles To constitute special offences in relation to juveniles and provide punishment. ii. Salient features of JJA: 1. a. The Act known as ‘The Reformatory Act’ deals with two categories of children, namely children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with the law. b. The competent authority to deal with children in need of care and protection is the Child Welfare Committee which constitutes a Chairperson and four other members, one of whom atleast should be a woman. Chapter IV of this Module would focus in detail about Children in need of care and protection and the functioning of the CWC in rehabilitation and disposition of cases c. Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) is the competent authority to deal with children in conflict with law which comprises of three members. The Chairperson of the Board should be a First Class Judicial Magistrate and two honorary social workers out of whom atleast one should be a woman. Special provisions for children in conflict with law and the responsibilities of the Board are discussed in detail in Chapter III of this Module. 2. The Act provides for the establishment of various kinds of Institutions such as Children’s Home for the reception of child in need of care and protection. Special Homes for the reception of child in conflict with law Observation Homes which are meant for the temporary reception of children during the pendency of any inquiry. After-care Organizations which are meant for the purpose of taking care of children after they have been discharged from Children’s Home or Special Homes. 3. A few sections in the Act (Sec 23 – 26) are focused on the offences committed by anyone against a child such as assault, causing mental or physical suffering and employment of a child which are considered as non bailable offences. iii. Rules under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 (56 of 2000) and the Amendment Act 33 of 2006): The Ministry of Women and Child Development at New Delhi, the 26th day of October, 2007 notified the Model Rules under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 and the Amendment Act 2006 to be administered by the States for better implementation and administration of the provisions of the Act in its true spirit and substance. These rules called the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2007 has come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette and these Rules will be conformed to until the concerned State Government formulates Rules specific for the State with effect to implementation of the JJ Act. The Act in Section 68 prescribes various areas wherein the Rules can be applied to for better implementation of the Act, specifically with management of the homes, standards to be adhered to, roles and responsibilities of the JJ functionaries, procedures and functioning of the competent authorities, rehabilitation mechanism and operation of JJ Fund. It is recommended that the Act is implemented in line with the Rules to promote better understanding of the Act in order to benefit the children who come in contact with the JJ System.

Personal Plan What Are Your Personal Goals English Language Essay

Personal Plan What Are Your Personal Goals English Language Essay Setting a plan for future is the most powerful process of thinking about our future and motivating ourselves to achieve our dreams and bringing them to reality. The process of setting goals helps us to choose where we want to be in our life, what we want in our life, and what steps we need to take in our life to achieve our goals as we have planned. Personal plan is the most important step we need to take it. Personal plan helps us to move forward towards our career hunting for a job, to start our own business, and also our future with our family. Therefore, I have set some plans to achieve my goals. I believe that how big we think, big we dream, and big we plan, thats how big we achieve our goals in our life. I always think hard and long about my future. Peter Druckers quote the best way to predict the future is to create it, is one of my favorite quote which give me the strength and reason to create my plans for my better future. So with this inspiration I always imagine my future from since I was a kid. By imagining my life fifteen years from now, one of my plan and dream is to get married to guy who loves me a lot, who cares for me and my family, giving respect to all, who is well settled and also who will always stands beside me my happiness and unhappiness. Trust and understanding are one of the main important things which I would like to give importance in my married life. Currently I am not in a relationship but I would like to have someone in my life who will fill my whole life with colors of happiness. I would get married to a guy of my dream and would be living with him for my life time. As I am from an Indian family I would like to marry to an Indian guy. I believe in joint family system so, I would like to live in a joint family after my marriage with my husband and his family. Joint family helps us to keep strong bond relationship between each other in family, which keeps unity and also gives us support during any necessity. Joint family teaches children to respect our elder and the ability to sacrifice what they want in life. I would like to have two children, one girl and one boy and want to be the best mom for my kid. I dont want to put my kids in babysitting as they dont take care as one family member or a mother takes for their children. I would like to work from 7:00 am until 3:00 pm, as I would be back at home when my kids are back at home from school. Spending time with the family is very necessary to keep family happy. I would also like to spend my weekends with my family and would like to go out with them and cooking some specials foods for my family as cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. Spending time with childrens is so important because if we do not spend time with children then they are going to feel neglected and nobody is giving them importance nor nobody loves them. This type of feelings forces children to do wrong things and divert them in wrong path. Therefore, I would like to provide environment of unity, love and peace to my children. Spending time with husband is also as important as appending time with children to run our marriage life smoothly. Currently I am busy with my studies and job so I couldnt take care of my health, but I would like to gain some weight by maintaining my figure as I am married now and would like to maintain my health as in other ways too. I would like to work out every day for an hour in future which I am not able to maintain my schedule in present. I would like to improve in sex from 18 years of life. I would like to have some enough money that I can take care of my family and fulfill wants of my family. I would like to buy my own house where I would be living happily with my family and would also like to save money around $75000 in my account by deducting all expenses such as car insurance, mortgage, bills for other utilities, my childrens expenses, and our other daily expenses. What are your Career Goals? Currently I am pursuing my undergraduate education in accounting, finance, and MIS concentration and planned to graduate with 150 credits by January 2011 and take my bachelor degree. I would like to be paid at list 55000 per year at entry level job with some experience of internship. While continuing the job at firm I would also like to take my CPA license. I would like to complete my bachelor degree and get my CPA license. In present I dont have full time job but I would like to have a full time job from where I could achieve all my dreams. After finishing my studies I planned to work in a fast growing accounting and finance firm where my skills and knowledge would be challenged daily in a corporate environment. My career goal is to except the ever challenging corporate environment to develop myself. I am an independent and a responsible person. I would like to start my career with big four firm or either a rapid growing industries of accounting and finance. As I am still beginning my career I would go for any position of accounting and finance available in the firm because that position might be a stepping stone to our success, but I would most prefer the government job. Government jobs provides a wide range of benefits like insurance, retirement, social security, thrift saving plan, leave and holidays, recruitment bonus and many more. Government jobs provide insurance for care and life based on options which includes the family insurance in it. Government jobs provides several others options of savings similar 401k plan, provides paid 13 days sick leave each year and paid vacation leave each year depending on number of years of service. Also one of the other benefits is that we are given upto 25% of basic pay before entering on duty. I more prefer to work in a government company as they have more benefits and I would like to work in an auditing department as it has wide range of area such as forensic auditing, sales auditing, external auditing, internal audi ting, and many more. I am also interested in learning SAP FICO, which is used for finance and controlling. Many different fields such as Senior Financial Analyst, Financial Analyst, Senior Accountant, Staff Accountant, Cost Accountant, Financial Analyst Accountant, and CFO are required to have knowledge about SAP FICO. Media salary for job for the person with the SAP FICO skill starts from $46208 for staff accountant and highest $99157 for CFO according to rating by pay scale (Salary Survey for Skill: SAP SAP Financial Accounting and Controlling (SAP FICO) (United States)) . I would like to be CFO of a company and help the firm achieves its goal. One of my goal is to add the greatest quantity of worth to the company where I am working in a shortest amount of time. I would like to build the great confidence among my coworkers towards me and also would like to work at a place where people understand the meaning of team work. I like to work in firm where coworkers will be helpful and caring. A strategic plan for your future? I have planned my personal and career goals and I try to achieve it according to my goals. I believe that if we need succeed in our life, setting goals is one of the most important goals towards success. To accomplish our goals we can just say I want to do this today and expect to be done. Goals setting a process where we actually need a real hard work to achieve our goal. As I mentioned earlier in career goals that I want to become CPA within 5 years from now. So to accomplish my goal I would be working hard for my CPA exams and additional I would be doing full time job. I also planned to get married in five years, so to accomplish my personal goal of getting married within 5 years I need to first get myself settled and would like to be in relationship after finishing my bachelor degree. I would be enjoying my married life and spending time with my husband. I would like to start my own CPA firm within 10 years from now. Experience and knowledge are the two most important objectives necessary to start our own business. So I decide to work in any government firm or public firm and gain some experience and then start my own business. I would also like to take my MBA degree before starting my own business. To start my own business investment is the most important factor to be made in business. Therefore I would like to have an investment of around at least $60000 in my business, because new business needs some time to settle in market. To accomplish my goal of starting business and taking my MBA degree I have to work hard and need to be more organized. While doing my business and studies I have to make sure to spend time with my family too. I would be doing my business and would like to buy a motel within 20 years from now. I would also like to investment my money more in property and would like to give it on rent so that we can also have side income by sitting at home. I would also like to do invest my money in stocks. I would like to develop my business as fast as possible. I would hire some people for my business as I couldnt be there at different places at a same time. I have all kind of experience now but still I would like to get continuously update with ever changing technologies. So I would like to get training and experience in new upcoming technologies within the 20 years from now. A new technology makes our work easier and faster, for example computer. So its so important to get knowledge in new upcoming technologies. I would be 66 years old after 35 years. I have achieved everything in my life as I planned. I would like to get retired from job and would like to concentrate on my business. I would help my son to get knowledge of our business as he would be the one who will be taking care of it. I would like to buy one house in Anaheim, in southern California because love that city. It has maintained parks and trees on the roadways. I would be still investing my money in stocks by spending most of my time with my family. Now I have developed in money and home from 18 areas of my life. A Strategic plan B for your future.? Some of my imagination changed as I grew up, some of them are already achieved and some of them are still too accomplished. For example, when I was a kid if somebody asks me what I want to become in future then my answer was doctor, but now my answer changed as I grew up. Although some of my personal goals are still same as I planed when I was a kid. Goals should be planned in a smart way. Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.-William Ellery Channing. We always plan ahead of time but sometimes still it fails to work according to what we planned our personal and career goals. We dont know what our future is going to be so we need to always plan solutions with the goals. We face many thorns in our life and so we have to pass through these thorns with the courage and strength to achieve our goals. As I have planned doing MBA after 10 years from now, but I am not sure whether I am going to accomplish my goal or not, as I am going to be busy with my married life and children. I would tradeoffs some of the spending time with my family to earn my MBA degree. If I am not able to get my MBA degree I would like to take online classes and complete my MBA degree by sitting at home and by giving enough time to my family too. MBA is very important for me as I want to open my own business. So before starting any business, knowledge of administrating business is so important to keep our business running on smooth basis on todays competiting environment. Next goal is to get a job in government firm but I am not sure as I am going to achieve my goal or not due to the competitive environment. So in option if I dont get any government job I would like to work in a private or public firm where my skills will be practiced in a daily competitive environment. I would like to work in a big four firm and will achieve my goals. I would not let affect my goals due to any obstacles in my personal goals and career goals. I have planned my goals in such a SMART way that would not lead any mislead to my goals. I have divided my goals by keeping some gap between my each goal so that there will be not much chance to achieve it.

Sir Karl Popper :: Philosophy of Science Klemke Essays

Sir Karl Popper Sir Karl Popper's intent in "Science: Conjectures and Refutations" from Klemke's Philosophy of Science is to fortify distinctions between the classes (and, we suppose, the quality) of intellectual discourse in his era, distinctions which were far less precise then than they are today. Popper's argument, in essence, maintains that a number of scientific theories are pseudoscientific at best, owing to the "anything goes" nature of their power to explain. The broad acceptance of such theories owes much to the satisfaction derived from their proponents in using them to justify a preferred response, whatever the data or observations truly imply. The argument presented by Popper seems, ironically, to be driven more by sociological factors (and even emotional ones) than any other. The irony here is that these same factors are what drive the disciplines he is striving to refute: Marxist Theory of History, Freudian psychoanalysis, and Adlerian individual psychology. Living in the times when these theories emerged, Popper is well-positioned to guage their impact first-hand, and understand the social dynamics underlying their acceptance and proliferation. It is arguable that the pseudoscience of which Popper writes (based on readings of Kuhn in "The Copernican Revolution") owes something to the philosophically-flavored efforts of the Greeks. Kuhn points out that the ancients tended to de-emphasize mathematical precision in favor of philosophical comfort; that is, the "satisfaction" offered by a theory (or perhaps its elegance) took precedence over more empirical factors. This is certainly true of the cases Popper cites. Marxist theory and psychoanalysis have both offered their advocates a high degree of emotional and aesthetic satisfaction (and one is led to wonder how Freud would have fared among the Greeks). Moreover, there are far greater satisfactions in store for the Marxists and Freudians: there are very positive political and professional consequences to their discourse, leading to a natural preference for the aesthetics of their theories over the empirical. It is easy to wonder if Popper has a similar motivation. Faced with a style of discourse he finds uncomfortable, he undertakes to set those theorists whom he respects (and himself) apart from the pseudoscientific style. Pure empiricism cannot be his motivation, for that is what he is seeking to define, in an age when the definitions were not altogether clear. There is an unquestionable tone of dissatifaction to his essay - his distaste for the pseudoscientists is politely expressed but unmistakeable - and it can be argued that he, too, is seeking to route out the inelegant in a quest for the elegant. Sir Karl Popper :: Philosophy of Science Klemke Essays Sir Karl Popper Sir Karl Popper's intent in "Science: Conjectures and Refutations" from Klemke's Philosophy of Science is to fortify distinctions between the classes (and, we suppose, the quality) of intellectual discourse in his era, distinctions which were far less precise then than they are today. Popper's argument, in essence, maintains that a number of scientific theories are pseudoscientific at best, owing to the "anything goes" nature of their power to explain. The broad acceptance of such theories owes much to the satisfaction derived from their proponents in using them to justify a preferred response, whatever the data or observations truly imply. The argument presented by Popper seems, ironically, to be driven more by sociological factors (and even emotional ones) than any other. The irony here is that these same factors are what drive the disciplines he is striving to refute: Marxist Theory of History, Freudian psychoanalysis, and Adlerian individual psychology. Living in the times when these theories emerged, Popper is well-positioned to guage their impact first-hand, and understand the social dynamics underlying their acceptance and proliferation. It is arguable that the pseudoscience of which Popper writes (based on readings of Kuhn in "The Copernican Revolution") owes something to the philosophically-flavored efforts of the Greeks. Kuhn points out that the ancients tended to de-emphasize mathematical precision in favor of philosophical comfort; that is, the "satisfaction" offered by a theory (or perhaps its elegance) took precedence over more empirical factors. This is certainly true of the cases Popper cites. Marxist theory and psychoanalysis have both offered their advocates a high degree of emotional and aesthetic satisfaction (and one is led to wonder how Freud would have fared among the Greeks). Moreover, there are far greater satisfactions in store for the Marxists and Freudians: there are very positive political and professional consequences to their discourse, leading to a natural preference for the aesthetics of their theories over the empirical. It is easy to wonder if Popper has a similar motivation. Faced with a style of discourse he finds uncomfortable, he undertakes to set those theorists whom he respects (and himself) apart from the pseudoscientific style. Pure empiricism cannot be his motivation, for that is what he is seeking to define, in an age when the definitions were not altogether clear. There is an unquestionable tone of dissatifaction to his essay - his distaste for the pseudoscientists is politely expressed but unmistakeable - and it can be argued that he, too, is seeking to route out the inelegant in a quest for the elegant.

The Dilemma of IELTS Test Takers at Preparatory Programs in the UAE: A Call for Lexical-Structural Syllabus Design

————————————————- Doctorate of Education Theoretical Perspectives on Materials and Syllabus Design in TESOL  (DED609) Title: The Dilemma of IELTS Test Takers at Preparatory Programmes in the UAE: A Call for Lexical-Structural Syllabus Design. By: Mohammed A. Molhim Module tutor: Dr. Yasmin yildiz No. of words 000 words Essay Outline * Introduction * Conceptual Framework * IELTS Marking Rubrics: Lexical Resources & Grammatical Range * Lexical Syllabus * Structural Syllabus Selection of Lexical and Grammatical Items in Lexical-structural Syllabus: * Structural Syllabus: Drawbacks * The Structural Syllabus and Grammar Teaching * Suggested Steps to design a Lexical-Structural Syllabus * Conclusion Introduction Standardized test preparation courses such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in preparatory programmes at government and private universities in the United Arab Emirates (The UAE) prepare students to meet their exit score requirement.Curriculum planning has been driven towards these tests. Some research studies (Read and Hayes, 2003) warned against that type of curriculum in that it is restricted to those areas that are to be tested with no balance or integrated skills course design. Curriculum designers therefore depend heavily on materials geared to practice for the required exam. Moreover, Alderson and Hamp-Lyons (1996) argue that these type of curriculum are characterised by ‘teaching to the test’ and even text-book slaves.On the other hand, this essay will argue that designing and implementing curriculum that is supported by materials that reflect and meet the test question types and objectives can be beneficial to students preparing for standardised tests in the UAE. This paper will be outlined as follows: After introducing the conceptual framework of the essay, it will highlight the IELTS’ mark ing criteria of ‘Lexical Resource’ and ‘Grammatical Range’ in the hope to establish the argument that half of the IELTs marking criteria is based on lexical and grammatical items.Then, the type of lexical and structural syllabus that can be proposed to meet students’ needs in enhancing the aspect of English Language accuracy will be described. Some practical guidelines will then be provided for designing a lexical-structural syllabus. Conceptual Framework This essay falls within the conceptual framework of critical theory and critical pedagogy.From a social reconstructionism perspective, critical theory and critical pedagogy call for critically re-addressing status quo issues in education. Paolo Freire (1972), a critical theorist, believes that in most education systems there exists a hidden curriculum that underlines the status quo supported by the dominant culture and thus repressing minority subcultures. Curriculum planning should undergo a consta nt progressive change due to the progressive nature of the country and educational systems in the UAE.Curriculum change at the level of preparatory programmes is an inseparable part of this change since it is observed that research has provided enough evidence see published annually (IELTS, 2011) that in the UAE and other Arab countries where the majority of students and IELTS test takers struggle to reach a level of proficiency matching score band 5. 0 that enables them to proceed to their major.This judgment is supported by professional and formal data provided in Table 1 below which is adapted from the IELTS Annual Review of 2011. These records include a comparison of IELTS results by mother tongue candidates and by country of origin for the many countries using the IELTS tests. Table 1. Mean band score for the most frequent countries or regions of origin Country: The UAE| Listening| Reading| Writing| Speaking| Overall | Academic Module| 4. 9| 4. 8| 4. 7| 5. 4| 5. 0| General Modu le| 4. 3| 3. 5| 4. 3| 4. 9| 4. 3|It is shocking to learn that the UAE with all of its progressive trends in economy and education, coupled with billions of dollars supporting the educational system where ministries of Higher education and Education receive about 22 % of the total budget in the UAE (Ministry of Finance, 2011), is ranked at the bottom of the ranking list in IELTS scores (See Appendix A). This inexplicable fact urgently calls for critical pedagogy in education and in curriculum design in order to problematise the issue and arrive at proper and sustainable solutions.This is why this essay adopts a critical pedagogical approach. Within critical pedagogy paradigm, â€Å"curriculum perspective emphasizes the roles schools and learners can and should play in addressing social injustices and inequality. Curriculum development is not seen as a neutral process. † (Richards, 2001: 118). Similarly, Freire (1972) and Apple (1986) contend that schools do not present equal o pportunities so learners and teachers must be engaged to address important social and personal problems and seek learners’ empowerment.Morris (1995:10), furthermore, argues â€Å"Social injustices and inequality would be central issues in the curriculum. † Accordingly, curriculum designers in the UAE should study at the context in which learners are taught and start to constantly problematise current issues in order to improve their designs. In Applied linguistics, Pennycook (2001: 5) asserts that applied linguistics from a critical pedagogy perspective â€Å"is always concerned how the classroom, text, or conversation is related to broader social cultural and political relations,†.This paper is intended to problematise the issue of curriculum design in the UAE contest in that it seeks to establish that solid elements of lexical-structural syllabus can lead to a better success rate in IELTS. IELTS Marking Rubrics: Lexical Resources & Grammatical Range While ampl e IELTS research studies in university environments is available (see research reports in IELTS. org), there appears to be less research on the impact of Speaking and Writing assessment criteria or IELTS band descriptors on syllabus design.IELTS measures both test candidates’ abilities to produce different sentence structures, and the range and appropriateness of vocabulary. Consequently, lexical resources and grammatical range are regarded as significant constituents of the speaking and writing assessment, since they determine the level of vocabulary and grammar in speaking and writing the test candidates use. Test candidates are rated using detailed descriptors in IELTS. In the Speaking test, these describe spoken performance according to four different criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical resources, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.In the Writing test, the descriptors assess candidates in terms of: Task achievement or response, Coherence and cohesion, Lexical Resources, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy (IELTS handbook, 2004: 18-23). It is clear from the speaking and writing assessment criteria that lexical resources and grammatical range constitute half of the assessment. They describe test takers’ level in grammar and vocabulary in the speaking and writing modules in detail. They should therefore occupy a big part of any curriculum design for IELTs preparation syllabus.Accordingly, this essay argues that a balanced lexical-structural syllabus can help in meeting the course objectives and students’ needs of any IELTS preparation course. Lexical Syllabus: Empowering students’ Lexical Resources in IELTS Historically, syllabuses were not lexical but structural. With the advent of the Communicative Approach, new ideas in syllabus design have been introduced with a focus on functions. In 1990, when Willis wrote The Lexical Syllabus, a large amount of attention to the Lexical syllabus surfaced. Willis (1990, P. v i)) identified three major aspects for lexis in lexical syllabus.First, the language to be learned should be somehow graded to make it easier for the learners to understand. Second, the language should be selected carefully without random exposure. Thirdly, the language syllabus should be itemised Over the past thirty years the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), however, has not emphasized direct instruction of vocabulary or grammar (Laufer 2006). CLT should therefore be regarded as inappropriate for IELTS preparation exam courses and more explicit instruction of lexis and grammar could help students achieve their desired score in IELTS.In fact, according to Zahar, Cobb and Spada (2001), three periods of direct English instruction every week would lead to the incidental learning of only 70 new words a year. Therefore, acquisition of vocabulary through reading must be supplemented by direct instruction, which can be supported by incorporating a lexical syllabus. In addition, the lexical syllabus can make academic English vocabulary needed in IELTS more learnable to lower-level learners.There is also a well established connection between vocabulary knowledge and successful academic reading (Corson 1997; Nation 2001:144-149). Thus, the significance of incorporating lexical syllabus is significantly clear for large-scale high-stakes tests such as IELTS that assess the range of vocabulary exhibited in a student’s writing and speaking (See Appendix A). It should be admitted that producing satisfactory IELTS writing and speaking responses is not achieved by just learning individual vocabulary and grammatical structures.However, lexical items can lead to further enhancing students overall proficiency in IELTS. Some research ((Laufer, 2005; Nation 2001) has proven that lexical resources are the basis for comprehending grammar and lexical meanings. It is also the most important predictor of writing production (Read, 2002) and reading comprehension (Beck et. a l. 1987:147). In the IELTS speaking test, a similar lexical diversity would also be needed as suggested by Read (2005) who found that diverse lexical resources with some sophistication are rated higher.Regarding the adequate vocabulary range for academic success in international standardised tests, researchers (Laufer, 1992; Nation, 2001) argued that students, depending on the genre, need about 3,000 words in order for them to be able to read ungraded academic text and that the minimum word family level is the 3,000 word level needed for reading an unsimplified text. For IELTS reading texts, about 4,000 word families might be needed, 2,000 of General Service List (GSL) and about 570 words from the Academic Word List (AWL) (Coxhead, 1998) and about 1,000 technical words, proper nouns and low frequency vocabulary (Nation, 2001:147).Accordingly, commercially-produced syllabi such as Headway do not provide the wide range of lexical resources needed by the students (Horst, 2005; Lee, 200 7) in order for them to develop their lexis repertoire and to hence get the score required to pass IELTS. Moreover, there is enough suggestive research evidence (See Beaton, Grunederg and Ellis, 1995 – in Nation, 2001) that would indicate that the more vocabulary range manifested in speaking, the higher the score a student would get in writing.This shows that direct learning is in fact both effective and efficient and that the AWL can provide a reasonable target vocabulary for IELTS preparation courses and syllabi. In terms of the relation of grammar and vocabulary, David Wilkins (cited in Lewis, 2000: 8) noted that â€Å"Without grammar little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed†. This statement brings to focus the significance of incorporating lexical with a grammatical element when designing a syllabus aiming at enhancing students’ structural language system and accuracy and hence achieving a higher score in IELTS.The following section will shed some light on the significance of developing students’ accuracy through grammatical structures in structural syllabi. Structural Syllabus: Revisiting grammatical syllabus The structural syllabus comprises of a group of grammatical items that are selected and graded according to simplicity and complexity (Nunan, 1988). A structural-lexical syllabus’ principle objective is to help the learners acquire the grammatical structures and vocabulary of the language they are learning.The grammatical structures are usually presented in a certain sequence, for example, present followed by past, or in contrasting pairs, for example, simple present versus simple past (Long and Crookes, 1993). Wilkins (1976) describes this type of syllabus design approach as synthetic in which the various parts of language are separately taught and there is a â€Å"gradual accumulation of the parts until the whole structure of the language has been built up†. (p. 2) Wilkins suggests language is structured into smaller items and units in a structural syllabus and then it is presented discretely.Wilkins argues that this exposes learners to particular samples of language in which one grammatical feature dominates each lesson in the syllabus. This is mainly based on the hypothesis that grammatical and lexical rules are learned in an additive process, by which learners gain complete mastery of each item before a new one is taught (Nunan, 1988). It is hence the learner's task to re-synthesize the grammatical and lexical items that have been presented in a separate way (Wilkins, 1976). An important question raised here is the set of criteria teachers used to select which lexical and grammatical were to be used in the structural syllabus.This will be reviewed in the following sections. Selection of Lexical and Grammatical Items in Lexical-structural Syllabus: Mackey (1965) takes the stance that the lexical items in a structural syllabus are to be selected on the basis of criteria of frequency, coverage, availability, and learnability (White 1988:49-50). In the 1990s, the lexical approach in teaching and learning started to gain formal prominence among many researchers (Willis, 1990; Willis, 1996). As proposed by the lexical approach, a target reservoir of vocabulary is suggested to be learned at a specific level (Willis, 1990; Willis, 1996).These target vocabulary are derived from old corpus analysis of written and spoken English, but this could be regarded now as old-fashioned with the advancement of computerized corpus. However, one view, suggested by Richards (2001:154) is that lexical syllabuses were among the early types of syllabuses to be designed in language teaching. Regarding grammar structure, Mackey also (1965) proposes four criteria for the selection grammatical structures: simplicity, regularity, frequency, and contrastive difficulty.The last item, contrastive difficulty, means that learning some items at an early stage should rese mble the same item acquired in L1 (cited in Wilkins 1976: 6). These views of language selection have been challenged (e. g. , Ellis 2001). due to its lack of empirical experiments. Thus to determining the level of complexity, simplicity, regularity, etc. is almost entirely based on language teachers and syllabus designers’ common sense judgments. This dilemma, addressed in the following section, is one of the major shortcomings of the structural syllabus.Structural Syllabus: Drawbacks A number of limitations have been identified with the structural syllabus. The first shortcoming is drawn from Corder's (1967) â€Å"built-in syllabus† concept in which learners’ acquisition of different grammatical items is based on a natural order. This notion is supported by many researchers (for example, Hyltenstam and Pienemann, 1985). Within the framework of a built-in syllabus, grammatical complexity of a structure is not the reason for the difficulty of learning a structure of a language item.For instance, a common example of Arab Learners’ frequent mistakes is the acquisition of third person â€Å"s† morpheme (Hajjaj, 1999). Even though an average teacher can explain this item very well to Arabic learners, it always poses a challenge to them, which means difficulty or simplicity of language structure doesn’t always guarantee proper learning. This should be taken into serious consideration when designing a lexical-grammatical syllabus for IELTS preparation courses and thus adding meaningful activities that make the structures more memorable and relevant to learners’ needs and levels.The second main negative aspect of the structural syllabus is its lack of language functions. The structural syllabus is a reliable tool for assisting language learners to perfect common grammar rules. However, in terms of sociolinguistics, structural syllabus can prepare learners to be grammatically competent but communicatively incompetent (Jo hnson, 1982). A learner who replies ‘Yes, I do. ’ to ‘Do you mind if I open the window? ’ is a typical example of a learner whose command of English grammar might be ideal yet they are not capable of producing socially appropriate utterances.In other words, the structural syllabus helps learners produce instances of language usage rather than language use (Widdowson, 1978). Accordingly, syllabus designers who consider implementing lexical-structural syllabus need to promote both usage and use in order to avoid turning the language introduced into something meaningless. Socially contextualised and relevant language items introduced appropriately within interactive technique can bridge the gap between use and usage and make grammar teachable and learnable. This will be discussed in the following section. The Structural Syllabus and Grammar TeachingBefore advocating a lexical-grammatical syllabus, it is necessary to first establish the significance of explicit grammar teaching and learning. One debate in second language pedagogy has been about the teachability of grammar. Some scholars have argued against teaching grammar since it leads to only minimal achievement in the acquisition of linguistic competence in English (Krashen, 1982; Krashen and Terrel, 1983; Prabhu, 1987). Others have contended that explicitly teaching formal grammar plays a significant role in the development of the L2 learners' interlanguage system (Rutherford, 1987; Ellis, 1990, 1993).This paper supports the grammarians’ arguments in favor of formal grammar instruction that enhances IELTS’ UAE students and test takers’ accuracy. The first argument is based on studies on the emergence of immersion programs in Canada where many English L1 students study French and thus have been immersed in meaning- focused input in French (Swain, 1985; Swain and Lapkin, 1995). The results of research studies revealed that the majority of students have developed na tive-like receptive skills, but their productive ones are still far from native-like norms.This has therefore suggested that meaning-focused input instruction, which is devoid of any formal grammar teaching, is more likely to result in fossilization. The second argument defending formal grammar instruction derives from research (e. g. , Felix, 1985; White, 1987; Schachter, 1989) that suggests that adult L2 learners cannot have full access to the same acquisition resources as children with L1 do. This makes positive evidence such as formal instruction and corrective feedback.White (1987:105) finds that French learners of English as a second language tend to make sentences like ‘John drank slowly his coffee’ (John buvait lentement son cafe). These types of sentences are grammatically incorrect in English, but acceptable in their language. Those learners receiving positive evidence cannot notice that there are certain rules for adverb position within a sentence in English unless they are taught so by formal grammar instruction, which implies that lexical-structural syllabus can play a decisive role in some formal aspects of L2 learning and thus in IELTs preparation courses.The third argument has been proposed by Ellis (1990, 1993) who argues that formal grammar instruction develops explicit awareness of grammatical elements which hence helps learners acquire implicit knowledge. Ellis believes that the explicit knowledge of grammar instruction facilitates learning in three methods (1993:98). First, it encourages them to monitor their language before and after production. Terrell (1991:61) observes that â€Å"monitoring can apparently interact with acquisition, resulting in learners acquiring their own output† which shows the importance of monitoring in formal language instruction.Second, explicit teaching and learning support the factor of noticing certain elements in the input. Therefore, † if learners know that plural nouns have an â₠¬â€s, they are more likely to notice the —s on the ends of nouns they hear or read in input and also more likely to associate the —s morpheme with the meaning more than one†. (Ellis,1993:98). This example illustrates how specific features of grammar are best learned explicitly.Third, formal and explicit grammar knowledge assists learners in noticing some gaps in their language production. Thus if, for instance, Arab learners learn that verbs take an –s in the third person singular form, they are more likely to notice the gap when adding the third person singular –s or not, which leads to more accurate production later as they produce similar structures. Furthermore, Celce-Murica (1991: 467-468) suggests that formal lexical and grammar teaching can enhance meaning and social function.For instance, drawing attention to the different spatial denotation of the prepositions in and on the learner will â€Å"find it useful to know quite explicitly that à ¢â‚¬Ëœin’ favors the placement of objects in three-dimensional containers and ‘on’ favors the placement of objects on two-dimensional flat surfaces† if provided with formal instruction. Second, in an example of grammar enhancing social functions, Celee-Murcia discusses that learners need to be aware of the different modal auxiliaries uses in polite requests such as the difference between â€Å"Can you open the door? and â€Å"Could you open the door? â€Å". Celce-Murcia and Hilles (1988:4) believe that learners need to study grammar because many of them are to take part in international tests such as IELTS and that â€Å"Typically, a major component of such exams is grammar. Therefore, to give these students an incomplete grounding in grammar, regardless of one's conviction about teaching it, is to do them a great disservice. Students have to know and apply the rules of English grammar in order to do well on such tests. A relatively recent argument pro posed by Ellis (2001) argues that it is a mistake to suppose that learning foreign languages in schools is entirely to promote communication among speakers of different languages. Learning foreign languages has a more valuable end, i. e. promoting intellectual growth. (Ellis 2001:172) thus views learning a foreign language as a means to develop cognitive abilities and that grammar contains knowledge that contributes to learners’ cognitive skills.If one considers all the arguments discussed earlier in this essay claiming that formal teaching of lexical and grammatical items should be an indivisible part of any English classes, structural-lexical syllabus seems indispensible for students preparing for international examination such as IELTS and TOEFL. This is, however, only my conviction within my teaching context and does not entail that curriculum designers and teachers are to revert to old traditional language teaching methodologies such as grammar-translation method. I elie ve that adopting a merely lexical and/or structural syllabus has not survived in language education because they overemphasized the aspect of grammar teaching through many tedious structural drills. I believe that it is unfair to judge that grammar and lexical instruction should be eliminated simply because of insufficiencies of audio-lingual or grammar-translation methods. A well-balanced lexical-structural syllabus can be safely employed, especially in IELTS preparation courses, provided that it is supplemented by motivating and communicative tasksSuggested steps to design a Lexical-Structural Syllabus According to Stern (1983:339-340), there are major differences between English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL). Accordingly, EFL and ESL students are positioned in different learning conditions. ESL students learn Target Language (TL) in a more supportive setting in that they are more exposed to TL in its natural environment EFL. Considering needs and motivation, ESL students are more required and motivated to communicate with foreigners than EFL students.Thus, ESL students learning needs are definitely not centered on one factor or need. As previously discussed, the majority of Arab students in the UAE are EFL learners who study English in order to pass national exams, such as IELTS. This educational structure of teaching applies in the EFL environment in the UAE. Based on my observations and experience, I found that students in Emirati high schools are also required to learn specific discrete items such as vocabulary and grammatical items without any exposure to communicative tasks that enable them to use these items meaningfully.Unfortunately, only those who wish to pursue their higher education strive to master the grammatical and vocabulary items of their course books in order for them to achieve the required score of the university entrance exams. When taking these conditions into serious consideration, I have come to r ealize the reason why lexical and grammar instruction can, and perhaps should, be an essential component of any curriculum in the Emirati EFL educational system in schools, and this can be possible through the lexical-structural syllabus proposed in this essay.It is argued that (Richards, 2001) old and traditional language teaching methods did not succeed not because they adhered to a structural or lexical syllabus but because the implementation process was too mechanical through dull drills of discrete language items. I believe that a well-designed lexical-structural syllabus proposed in this essay can survive through two types of tasks: consciousness-raising and communicative tasks. Consciousness-raising activities can develop explicit knowledge and communicative tasks improve the implicit knowledge of lexical and grammatical structures (Ellis, 2001).As defined by Ellis (1993:109), consciousness-raising is â€Å"a deliberate attempt on the part of the teacher to make the learners aware of specific features of the L2†. The following task in Table 2 (Ellis, 2001:173) is a straightforward sample of a consciousness-raising (CR) activity that is designed to help learners be conscious of the difference between the prepositions ‘for’ and ‘since’. Table 2. An Example of a CR Problem-solving Task: 1. Here is some information about when three people joined the company they now work for and how long they have been working there.Name Date Joined Length of Time Ms Regan 1945 45 yrs Mr Bush 1970 20 yrs Ms Thatcher 1989 9 mths Mr Baker 1990 (Feb) 10 days 2. Study these sentences about these people. When is â€Å"for† used and when is â€Å"since† used? a. Ms Regan has been working for her company for most of her life. b. Mr Bush has been working for his company since 1970. c. Ms Thatcher has been working for her company for 9 months. . Mr Baker has been working for his company since February. 3. Which of the following sentence s are ungrammatical? Why? a. Ms Regan has been working for her company for 1945. b. Mr Bush has been working for his company for 20 years. c. Ms Thatcher has been working for her company since 1989. d. Mr Baker has been working for his company since 10 days. 4. Try and make up a rule to explain when â€Å"for† and â€Å"since† are used. 5. Make up one sentence about when you started to learn English and one sentence about how long you have been studying English.Use â€Å"for† and â€Å"since†. | It is my argument that if this exercise is supported by a communicative task where learners interact in pairs or with the classroom teacher it would enable them to internalise the target structure and use it in real-life communication. Designing a lexical-structural based syllabus is not a very hard task. There are many resources based on well-established research that can help syllabus designers build up their course (Lewis, 1997a,1997b). This essay offers some s uggestions on how to build a lexical-structural activities and syllabus.First, syllabus designers need to settle a relevant set of structures, vocabulary and different types of collocations (Lewis,1997a) and organise them according to their increasing complexity, starting from simple structures to complex ones. Second, syllabus designers should choose categories of vocabulary items to be learned and sequence the categories according to situational and functional characteristics such as vocabulary related topics such as environment, health, internet, education and so on since IELTS module is commonly based on globally social topics.Third, syllabus designers should integrate the group of vocabulary and structures together into learning objectives to base the units of lexical-structural syllabus. Although this essay advocates the implementation of a lexical-structural syllabus in IELTS preparation course at preparatory programmes in the UAE, it is necessary to admit that an eclectic an d multi-focus syllabus which includes a wide range of components, specifically vocabulary, structures introduced through functions and, situations can allow for a two-sided approach.This can emphasise the importance of systematically learning specific vocabulary and structures and building up linguistic knowledge, and at the same time it can focus on meeting immediate language communicative needs and sociolinguistic and pragmatic competence. Conclusion In my essay, I only propose that lexical-structural syllabus can safely be employed in EFL settings, particularly in the UAE. Previously, it was argued that the majority of EFL students in the UAE must score reasonably high in their university entrance English exams. 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Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In S. Gass and C. Madden (Eds. ), Input in Second language acquisition (pp. 235-253). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.Swain, M. and Lapkin, S. (1995). Problems in output and the cogni tive processes they generate: a step towards second language learning. Applied Linguistics, 16, 371-91. Terrell, T. D. (1991). The role of grammar instruction in a communicative approach. Modern Language Journal, 75, 52-63. Van Patten, B. (1992). Second language acquisition research and foreign language teaching, Part I. ADFL Bulletin, 23, 52-55. White, L. (1987). Against comprehensible input: The input hypothesis and the development of second language competence. Applied Linguistics, 8, 95- 110. White, R. V. (1988). The ELT curriculum. Design, innovation and management.Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Widdowson, H. G. (1978). Teaching language as communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wilkins, D. (1976). Notional syllabuses. Oxford:Oxford University Press. Willis, D. (1990). The lexical syllabus: A new approach to language teaching. London: Collins. Willis. J. (1996). A framework for task-based learning. Oxford: Longman. Yalden, J. (1983). The communicative syllabus: Evolution, de sign and implementation. Oxford: Pergamon. Zahar, R. , Cobb, T. and Spada, N. 2001. Acquiring vocabulary through reading: Effects of frequency and contextual richness. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 57 (4), 541-572.Appendix A (Adapted from www. ielts. org) IELTS | Researchers – Test taker performance 2011 Band score information Place of Origin These figures show the mean overall and individual band scores achieved by 2011 Academic and General Training candidates from the top 40 places of origin. Mean band score for the most frequent countries or regions of origin (Academic) Academic| Listening| Reading| Writing| Speaking| OVERALL| Bangladesh| 5. 9| 5. 6| 5. 6| 5. 9| 5. 8| Brazil| 6. 8| 6. 9| 6. 2| 6. 9| 6. 7| China (People's Republic)| 5. 8| 5. 9| 5. 2| 5. 3| 5. 6| Colombia| 6. 2| 6. 4| 5. 7| 6. 4| 6. 2| Cyprus| 6. 4| 5. 9| 5. 7| 6. | 6. 1| Egypt| 6. 3| 6. 1| 5. 8| 6. 3| 6. 2| France| 6. 9| 6. 9| 6. 3| 6. 8| 6. 8| Germany| 7. 0| 6. 6| 6. 4| 7. 2| 6. 8| Ghana| 4. 8| 4. 3 | 5. 7| 6. 5| 5. 4| Hong Kong| 6. 7| 6. 4| 5. 9| 6. 2| 6. 4| India| 6. 4| 5. 6| 5. 8| 6. 2| 6. 1| Indonesia| 6. 6| 6. 3| 5. 9| 6. 3| 6. 4| Iran| 5. 8| 5. 4| 5. 8| 6. 3| 5. 9| Iraq| 5. 7| 5. 2| 5. 4| 6. 2| 5. 7| Italy| 6. 2| 6. 1| 5. 8| 6. 4| 6. 2| Japan| 6. 0| 5. 6| 5. 5| 5. 8| 5. 8| Jordan| 5. 9| 5. 5| 5. 5| 6. 3| 5. 9| Kenya| 6. 7| 6. 1| 6. 6| 7. 2| 6. 7| Korea, South| 6. 2| 6. 1| 5. 4| 5. 7| 5. 9| Kuwait| 5. 3| 4. 9| 4. 8| 5. 6| 5. 2| Libya| 5. 2| 5. 1| 5. 1| 5. 8| 5. 4| Malaysia| 7. | 7. 0| 6. 2| 6. 6| 6. 9| Mexico| 6. 7| 6. 8| 5. 9| 6. 5| 6. 6| Nepal| 6. 3| 5. 8| 5. 7| 6. 0| 6. 0| Nigeria| 6. 1| 6. 0| 6. 2| 7. 0| 6. 4| Oman| 5. 3| 5. 1| 5. 0| 5. 7| 5. 4| Pakistan| 5. 8| 5. 5| 5. 6| 6. 0| 5. 8| Philippines| 7. 0| 6. 6| 6. 2| 6. 8| 6. 7| Qatar| 4. 8| 4. 6| 4. 5| 5. 3| 4. 9| Romania| 7. 2| 7. 0| 6. 2| 6. 8| 6. 9| Russia| 6. 6| 6. 6| 5. 9| 6. 6| 6. 5| Saudi Arabia| 4. 9| 4. 8| 4. 7| 5. 6| 5. 1| Spain| 6. 7| 6. 9| 6. 0| 6. 5| 6. 6| Sri Lanka| 6. 6| 6. 0| 5. 9| 6. 5| 6. 3| Sudan| 5. 9| 5. 7| 5. 5| 6. 2| 5. 9| Taiwan| 5. 9| 6. 0| 5. 5| 5. 9| 5. 9| Thailand| 5. 9| 5. 9| 5. 3| 5. 7| 5. 8| Turkey| 6. 0| 5. | 5. 3| 5. 8| 5. 8| United Arab Emirates| 4. 9| 4. 8| 4. 7| 5. 4| 5. 0| Uzbekistan| 5. 7| 5. 6| 5. 0| 5. 5| 5. 5| Vietnam| 5. 9| 6. 1| 5. 6| 5. 7| 5. 9| Mean band score for the most frequent countries or regions of origin (General Training) General Training| Listening| Reading| Writing| Speaking| OVERALL| Bangladesh| 6. 1| 5. 4| 5. 8| 6. 2| 5. 9| Brazil| 6. 4| 6. 3| 6. 1| 6. 7| 6. 4| China (People's Republic)| 6. 3| 6. 0| 5. 7| 5. 8| 6. 0| Colombia| 5. 7| 5. 7| 5. 6| 6. 0| 5. 8| Egypt| 6. 3| 5. 9| 5. 9| 6. 4| 6. 2| France| 6. 9| 6. 8| 6. 3| 6. 8| 6. 8| Germany| 6. 9| 6. 6| 6. 4| 7. 1| 6. 8| Hong Kong SAR| 6. 7| 6. 4| 5. | 6. 2| 6. 4| India| 6. 3| 5. 7| 5. 8| 6. 2| 6. 1| Indonesia| 6. 7| 6. 2| 5. 9| 6. 3| 6. 3| Iran| 5. 7| 5. 4| 5. 8| 6. 3| 5. 9| Iraq| 5. 7| 5. 3| 5. 5| 6. 3| 5. 8| Italy| 6. 2| 6. 3| 5. 8| 6. 4| 6. 2| Japan| 6| 5. 6| 5. 5| 5. 9| 5. 8| Jordan| 6| 5 . 6| 5. 5| 6. 3| 5. 9| Kenya| 6. 8| 6. 4| 6. 7| 7. 3| 6. 9| Korea, South| 5. 8| 5. 4| 5. 3| 5. 4| 5. 5| Lebanon| 6. 3| 5. 7| 5. 9| 6. 6| 6. 2| Malaysia| 7. 3| 6. 9| 6. 5| 7. 0| 7. 0| Mauritius| 6. 5| 5. 9| 6. 2| 6. 7| 6. 4| Mexico| 6. 3| 6. 3| 6. 0| 6. 6| 6. 3| Nepal| 6. 3| 5. 6| 5. 9| 6. 2| 6. 1| Nigeria| 5. 9| 5. 9| 6. 6| 7. 1| 6. 4| Pakistan| 6. 2| 5. 5| 6. 0| 6. 4| 6. 1|Philippines| 6. 2| 5. 7| 5. 9| 6. 3| 6. 1| Romania| 6. 5| 6. 3| 5. 9| 6. 2| 6. 3| Russia| 6. 4| 6. 3| 6. 0| 6. 4| 6. 3| Saudi Arabia| 4. 6| 3. 8| 4. 4| 5. 0| 4. 5| Singapore| 7. 7| 7. 3| 6. 9| 7. 5| 7. 4| South Africa| 7. 4| 7. 0| 7. 3| 8. 4| 7. 6| Sri Lanka| 6. 3| 5. 7| 5. 8| 6. 3| 6. 1| Taiwan| 6. 3| 5. 8| 5. 8| 6. 2| 6. 1| Thailand| 5. 6| 5. 2| 5. 3| 5. 6| 5. 5| Turkey| 5. 8| 5. 5| 5. 5| 5. 8| 5. 7| Ukraine| 5. 8| 5. 6| 5. 5| 6. 0| 5. 8| United Arab Emirates| 4. 3| 3. 5| 4. 3| 4. 9| 4. 3| United States of America| 8. 0| 7. 6| 7. 7| 8. 6| 8. 0| Venezuela| 6. 3| 6. 3| 6. 1| 6. 4| 6. 3| Vietnam| 5. 8| 5. 6| 5. 7| 5. 7| 5. 8|

tragic hero...Oedipus essays

tragic hero...Oedipus essays A tragic hero is the character who is between two different extremes. He's not "preeminent in virtue and justice," but, isn't guilty of "vice or depravity," just a bad "mistake." He is a person of importance, from a "highly renowned and prosperous place," a king,such as Oedipus. The best tragic plot moves the hero from prosperity to misfortune, not by bad luck but by some great mistake he makes. Aristole's four characteristics for "the perfect tragic hero" are depicted in his writing. His first exampler is "a good character will be one whose choices are good."Oedipus has compassion and seeks truth. He also wants to be a savior to the people but is not entirely good . He also is very self-interested, not entirely altruistic. He wants to find the killer, not just to fulfill the oracle which he usually does not follow, but because the killer may come after him next! Men can be domineering or "manly" is aristole's second characteristic for the "perfect tragic hero." Oedipus shows the appropriate stateliness and intelligence you would expect from the ruler of a great city. He is smart, cominating and indearing. Oedipus shows how manly his postion is in the role of a tragiv hero. A tragic hero should not be godlike, but like real human beings, says Aristole. Oedipus is obviously human. He has human strengths and weaknesses. There's nothing supernatural about him, nor godlike. Once a character is established as having certain traits, these shouldn't suddenly change is the last step in becoming a tragiv hero. Oedipus' character traits, revealed during the play, remain steady. He's a truth-seeker and riddle solver. He's after self-knowledge and wants to be a savior for his people. He's also very proud, a little arrogant, and he has a real temper. All of these character traits never fade, they all remain close to Oedipus' self image and personality. It is not ironic that Oedipus fits each description ...