The Smartphone Industry Analysis 2012 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Smartphone Industry Analysis 2012 - Essay Example (Cromar, 2010) The smartphone market is characterized by perpetual innovation and constant new product development. No one company has considerable market share so all the companies are constantly evolving technology in order to remain competitive and not to be driven out. (Brownlow, 2012) Smartphones and tablets have very short product life-cycle due to constant improvement in technology, aggressive pricing and rapid imitation. The barriers to entry in this industry are very high due to patents, high start-up cost, regulations and economies of scale. In the smartphone industry there are many drivers which deliver success and in order to stay in business and maximize value for the company it is important to know what factors guide the company towards excellence. The smartphone industry is very fleeting, therefore companies need to be on their feet and constant research and development is needed to come up with the most innovative features that would appeal to consumers. This should b e in line with the market demand, but innovation is a key competitive force in the smart phone industry. Secondly, the product needs to be reliable and should deliver on its promises. Having a reasonable battery life is important along with good reception. This would make the consumer brand loyal if their expectations are met. Also, good customer support service is mandatory to be competitive. Thirdly, the product created needs to expandable such that it allows third party applications to run and is not very restrictive in nature. Timely software updates also reinforce a brand’s image. Another competitive force would be that the product should be user friendly, and the interface should be designed in order to facilitate consumers and should not be time consuming. Lastly for a company to remain competitive they should have great financial capability in order to respond to the fleeting market demand and have the finance for product development shifts, marketing and acquisitions as well. (Gartner, 2010) One of the best ways of evaluating the attractiveness of an industry and gauging its performance is through the Michael Porter's five force model. This model ensures that a holistic analysis is performed which considers all the possible threats and provides a true picture of the external environment of an industry. The industry according to this model is quite profitable as only two threats are strong and can be removed via good coordination. The smartphone industry is marked with the threat of rival sellers. All the major competitors have pretty much the same strategy and use innovation to excel and make promising products. Also, these companies are financially strong and stable and have immense budgets for promotional campaigns and intense research and development. Another common feature of this industry is the greater ability for acquisitions which dirty dig the share quickly off the android. Because the industry is progressing at a fast rate, some shift ing in market share without long term results can exist. (Analysys Mason, 2012) The threat of new entrants is moderate because the barriers to entry are many. The global distribution of technology is limited to the leading technology companies and they have patented their hall of fame products. The only

The Decline of the Roman Empire Essay Example for Free

The Decline of the Roman Empire Essay The Roman Empire gave the world many good things. Rome gave the world Christianity, which is now the worlds largest religion. The Romans also gave the world their language. The Romans spoke Latin, which is the base for most languages used today. Many of these languages include English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. This leads to the question. If Rome was such a powerful empire, then what led to the decline of the Roman Empire? The fall of the Western Roman Empire was caused by three of the many reasons internal decay, lack of money, and invading tribes. First, one of the reasons that led to the decline of the Western Roman Empire was cause by inside decay. It has been said that the Romans military crisis was a huge factor in this decay. According to Indro Montanelli, the military crisis was the result of shortage of children. The children in Rome were not old enough at the time to serve in the army this resulted in lack of soldiers. The lack of soldiers meant that the Roman Empire could not defend themselves and did not have a strong army. In that cause Rome had to come up with a plan to solve this problem. This plan was to recruit Germans to serve in the Roman army. But, this was not a well-thought plan, because traders were difficult to detect. Recruiting Germans to serve in the Roman army made it possible for the Germans to easily attack them. Given that they were already in the base of the empire, they did not have to worry about getting into the city. It was said that the military crisis was a huge part in the internal decay, which eventually led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The Roman Empire had too much power and wealth. It was a unified attack. Therefore, the lack of money in the Roman treasury caused the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The money mostly went into the army, which has already been described as the government expenses. The lack of money was responsible for the high taxation. This caused the owners to depart their businesses, because they did not want to pay high taxes. The old roman virtues of self-reliance and initiative were lost in the part of the population on relief warfare; the central government undertook such far-reaching responsibility in affairs that the fiber of the citizens weakened. Also while the empire was expanding, its prosperity was fed by plundered wealth and by new markets in the semibarbaric provinces. The decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire was lack of money and invading the tribes in the Roman Empire. The empire did not have anyone to fight for them because the children were too young. The money was mostly invested in the government and not in the overall empire. The invaders came into the region trying to take over the land and destroyed everything in their path, which made the Roman Empire weak. These effects began to make the Roman Empire weak.

Womens Role During World War II :: essays papers

Womens Role during WWll World War II was the largest and most violent armed conflict in the history of mankind. It has affected millions of people around the world both, directly and indirectly. Even though half of a century separates us from the unforgettable event, it left horrible memories especially in those who saw, felt and experienced World War II which was waged on land, on sea, and in the air all over the earth for approximately six years. Whether it’s a battle, hospital, or holocaust, there are so many stories from the survivors, who can teach us not only about the profession of arms, but also about military preparations, global strategies and combined operations in the coalition war against fascism. My interviewee went through a lot during World War II and sharing her amazing story left me evaluating her words for a long time, rethinking and still not willing to imagine the pain. She was one of the 150,000 American woman served in the Women’s Army Corps during the war years. They were one of the first ones to serve in the ranks of the United States Army. She recalls being teased a lot about being a young woman in a uniform but was very proud of it. Women finally were given the opportunity to make a major contribution to the national affair, especially a world war. It started with a meeting in1941 of Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers and General George Marshall, who was the Army’s Chief of Staff. Rogers asked General to introduce a bill to establish an Army women’s corps, where my interviewee, Elizabeth Plancher, was really hoping to get the benefits after the World War II along with other women. ( Since after World War I women came back from war and were not entitled to protection or any medical benefits. ) Mrs. Plancher was a strong-willed woman, dedicated to her goals. She was waiting for this day to happen and it did finally making many women happy. The bill was introduced in May, 1941. At first it failed to receive consideration but General helped to get the bill through the congress. After all the paper work, â€Å"auditions† were passed. Applicants had to be between 20-40. Elizabeth was 22 at that time. She was 5'4, about 120 lbs which suited the position. Only 1,000 women were accepted into the special Women's Army Auxiliary Corps ( WAAC).

North Ireland Conflict :: essays research papers

Political Unrest in Ireland   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There has been a continuing conflict in Ireland that has been going on for decades, and affects the world to this day. It is essentially a political and religious struggle between several groups. The British have played a key role in the situation since the early 1900’s, and even more distant into the past. Origins of the Conflict   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The conflict in Ireland has its roots as far back as the 1500’s. Ireland has historically been recognized as a Catholic country. However, when King Henry VIII was ruling in Britain, Ireland was brought under British control. At the time, Britain was predominantly a Protestant country. Tension between the Catholic majority and Protestant minority began to arise in the two faiths. Throughout the years the British and Protestants began to tighten their grip and control in Ireland. In 1534 Henry VIII had the Ireland parliament declare himself as King of Ireland. The native Irish viewed the British as a major threat to their customs. There have been multiple uprisings and rebellions by the Irish people against the British. A British and Spanish alliance was able to put to rest all of the major uprisings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The English began to settle areas of Ireland with Protestants, beginning in the early 1600’s. The northern regions of Ireland became one of the more heavily immigrated areas. The all-island Kingdom of Ireland (1541-1801) was incorporated into the United Kingdom in 1801 under the terms of the Act of Union, under which the kingdoms of Ireland and Great Britain merged under a central parliament, government and monarchy based in London. In the early 20th century Unionists, led by Sir Edward Carson, opposed the introduction of Home Rule in Ireland. Unionists were in a minority on the island of Ireland as a whole, but formed a majority in the northern province of Ulster (en.wikipedia.org/Northern_Ireland). Involved Groups and Peoples   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two major groups involved are the Protestants and the Catholics. The Protestants have their roots back to the British who migrated to the region when King Henry VIII was in power. The Protestants are predominantly Unionists. Unionists are â€Å"people in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales who were historically in favor of uniting their nations into a United Kingdom, or who in modern times with their nation to remain a part of the United Kingdom (www.wikipedia.com). The Protestants are the majority inhabitants of Northern Ireland today. The Catholics are predominantly known as Nationalists, and are descendants of the Irish population predating the settlement of the English and Scottish.

NonProfit Management Case Study Essay

Introduction The civil society has taken a very active role in the quest for democracy that continues to spread across the continents till it reached the Middle East region only recently. This is clear given the successive revolts that have taken place in many of the Arab countries calling for real democracy. Therefore, especially in Egypt, efforts should be directed toward defending civil society organizations and activists who are being threatened by the coercive authoritarian government actions over the past decades (Naidoo, 2007). The civil society as identified by Khallaf (2010) comprises â€Å"non-governmental organizations (NGOs hereafter), community groups, professional associations, trade unions, media organizations, research institutes/ think tanks, and advocacy and human rights civil society organizations† (p. 2). However, the current paper aims at focusing mainly on the role of NGOs in strengthening democracy. This is due to the major role NGOs play in several areas in order to enhance democracy. Among these are their role in: (1) allowing a wider range of interest groups to have a ‘voice’, pluralizing institutions to act in a ‘watchdog’ role vis-a-vis the state, networking and creating alliances of civic actors to place pressure on the state, (2) working with grassroots organizations comprised of poor and marginalized groups, and (3) exerting some pressures on the state by pressing for change and developing alternative policies (Mercer, 2002). Previous Studies of civil society in Egypt, over the past twenty years, have been both superficial and confined to only limited areas, namely (issue based publications, academic publications, training materials/ manuals, directories, conference publications, empirical comparative studies, civil society organizations’ (CSOs) publications, donor guide books and publications, CSOs coalitions occasional papers, evaluation studies, and web based sources) (Khallaf, 2010). (Figure: 1). Figure : The diversity of civil society research in Egypt Therefore, more detailed studies should be directed toward deeply investigating the civil society organizations operating in Egypt. Khallaf (2010) has mentioned that more research has been directed recently to track the actual magnitude of civil society through donor efforts in Egypt. However, the literature has pointed to serious gaps in the study of NGOs in Egypt. These include; First: Updated statistical information on number of NGOs. Second: The systematic evaluation of NGOs activities. Third: periodic assessments such as the CIVICUS or Civil Society Index and the Philanthropy study. Forth: studying participatory governance and the involvement of civil society in decision making processes. Fifth: changing Laws and regulations governing NGOs in Egypt. Sixth: An impact assessment of all new NGOs working in charity or development. Seventh: an assessment of aid effectiveness to Egypt (Khallaf, 2010). Finally: a detailed diagnosis of the NGOs operating in Egypt is needed. This should focus on both internal and external analyses of the selected NGOs and provide policy recommendations for possible improvements in the sector. The current paper attempts to draw light on how the civil society operates in Egypt. A well recognized Egyptian NGO was selected in this ethnographic research. It is called the Future Protectors Association for Care and Development or â€Å"Homat Al-Mostakbal†. The reason behind selecting it is the higher credibility and the good reputation it is enjoying. This is quite well perceived by the researcher based on her personal experience with this association. The current research can add valuable insights both theoretically and practically. Theoretically, it attempts to cover few of the gaps mentioned about the civil society research in developing countries and Egypt in particular. Practically, proposed recommendations can serve as strategic agendas for improving the performance of the selected NGO in particular and the entire NGO sector in general. The current paper is organized as follows; the first section will provide detailed information about association’s background. This will be followed by the analysis section which would sum up the major facts collected about the association. The analysis is based on qualitative in-depth interviewing1 conducted with five key persons in the association including its founder. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are presented, to guide future research directions, at the conclusion part here later. Background Future protectors association for care and development (homat al mostakbal) is one of the well known non-governmental organizations in Egypt. It is located at 425 Avenue Road, Roushdy, Alexandria, Egypt. It is a group of young people who work in the field of developmental work and volunteerism in for a better future and a true renaissance to Egypt. It serves in the great Cairo area and some other governorates including; Alexandria, Dakahleya, Gharbeya, Menoufeya, and others. It was originally founded on the 2nd of Novermber, 2004 by Eng. El-Dreiny and his daughter engineer Marwa El-Dreiny. It was mainly founded seeking community development. The vision of the association is to be one of the largest civil society organizations working in the field and leading the areas of development, community care, and voluntary work in Egypt and the Arab world by year 2020. The mission of the association is the development and care of the community through several dimensions including; raising the general level of education and the development of production philosophy, increasing awareness of drug taking problems, providing health awareness, raising the cultural level of young people, and providing a variety of social services. These are to be achieved while taking into account the mastery of work and commitment to the principles of ethics and team work cooperation. The primary objectives to fulfill the pre-mentioned vision and mission include the following; Providing guidance and better utilizing the power of potential volunteers in various activities of the association and developing their skills while strengthening their moral values. Increasing the awareness of community members about the dangers of drugs and training of cadres for different age groups. In addition to providing technical support to partners and trainers in the field of awareness against the dangers of addiction and drug. Training community members by spreading the production thinking and helping youth and poor families in establishing small craft projects to supply industries with high quality products at competitive prices. Providing social services (in kind – physical – technical) and the work projects for poor families, orphans, deaf and dumb cases. Developing different segments of the society, especially children and young people both culturally and scientifically. This would entitle them to acquire new skills, open their horizons to different lives, and raise the level of education among the educated classes with aim of bringing progress and prosperity to the society in large. The major values of the association comprise the following; Intentions precede action Our basic principles are our main priority. Understanding the priorities and giving a high commitment to them. Mastering our work. Best employing our resources. Our clients are our core interest. Team work spirit. Commitment to a safe environment. The association is registered under the old NGO law. This entitles the association to be under the scrutiny and supervision of the Directorate of Social Affairs. Here is the copy of the registration certificate. Figure : Formal Registration Certificate The association tries as much to manage its institutional memory. This can be manifested in the form of reports including information about what happened in the past. Other reports are prepared for each activity and collected annually to be archived and documented for each committee. Also, there are few attempts to record religious seminars and cultural meetings either video or audio. Sometimes the association registers the campaigns to serve the new members by providing them with information about the work flavor. These tentative mechanisms are aimed at saving association heritage of knowledge and transfer it to the future generations who would complete the mission. The organization chart of the association was revised recently. There are intentions to modify it also however some limitations hinder this at the current period. The chart is decomposed into the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director, the Chairmen of the various Committees – the Vice Chairmen of the various Committees -who are appointed by the administration according to experience and seniority- the executive management including Secretary, the financial management. There were areas for development and the last updated organization chart was reproduced recently in 2011. The association was built on the basis of predominantly volunteerism however; there are 17 formal employees who are getting paid monthly. There are mainly three managers; executive, financial, and legal affairs. Staff members do not perform overlapping roles, instead there is a clearly specified job description for each single role. This would allow the upper management to apply a strict accountability procedures based on assigned responsibilities. The association is able to deal smoothly with the threat of losing any/all staff member(s). Sometimes, the operations of a highly specialized department, which loses a key staff member, can be postponed until the appointment of a new person. However, in the key roles like secretarial work, work cannot be stopped and duties can be referred to any interested volunteer. The collectivity and shared team working spirit that characterize the association enable it to face sudden problems of this sort. The association is having a board of directors. It is composed of 9 members, 1/3 of them are dropped during each nomination period. The nomination is made for 6 upcoming years. It is preferred to nominate persons with strong public relations to offer some facilities and those who have the expertise and strong knowledge about association’s policies. The association is membership based. There are different types of members including volunteers, affiliated, and working member. The membership status is documented only for continuing members who are then entitled to receive a formal membership card. Members pay a symbolic annual fee of about 20 pounds which represents one of the financial resources received by the association. The following chart represents the progress that has occurred in association’s membership from 2004 to 2008. In 2010, the number of volunteers has reached 4000. Figure : The number of volunteers The following chart represents the geographic allocation of volunteers across the different governorates. Figure : The geographic allocation of volunteers The social and economic background of the members is diverse. Majority of members are classified to be from the middle to upper middle social class. They are almost well educated having a clear intent toward the importance of charity and development societal roles in their country. They have strong religious understandings which enable them to volunteer their efforts for the sake of making others happy while earning credits (thawab) and pleasing the only god (ALLAH). The association has completed a huge number of successful projects2 and some of which are seasonal. The seasonal projects include distributing El Kheir bags and Ramadan lamps. It is planning to undertake some continuous projects not to be owned by the association but by encouraging the youth to execute them and the association can be a partner by 10%. Attached here below in the appendices is a list of the projects and activities the association is involved in. The primary beneficiaries of the association are; Volunteers, university students, school children, widowed women, poor families, knowledge seekers, patients, orphans, and the elderly at large. The association is not specifying a certain population to focus on serving. Activities are therefore not based on the coverage of a particular area, but they are tailored to achieve certain goals across the various geographic segments. 3 The association has unique policy for recruiting both members and staff. For the former, recruitment is based on the real intention to perform volunteer work. For the latter, recruitment is based on the exact mission to be completed within the functional department the potential candidate will join. The association views the current recruitment policy to be an effective one. Therefore, there are no plans to change its policy during the current period. The ratio of association’s founders to its members is roughly estimated to be 10%. Taking into considerations that the number of registered volunteers is roughly 4000, only 100-200 of them are active ones. The association depends on a self financing scheme. Majority of funds come from membership fees, donations (in cash or in kind), and revenues from profit-based committees. There is one company which operates in the field of quality and 75% of its income is transferred to the association. There are some funding projects such as the share the good, CSR, and Ijada company. Only 10% of the directed donations are taken to cover a proportion of administrative expenses but the money of Zakat is kept untouched. The association collects money from Egyptians. The money comes in forms of Zakat, sadakat, and in cash or in kind donations. It utilizes no foreign funding alternatives except for the single initiative with the United Nations. This partnership agreement was made under pressures from Dubai police and entitled the association to receive a fund of $ 10. 000 in order to execute some projects. The association has neither an initial endowment nor an emergency fund. It depended mainly on donations during the initial construction phase. There is a bank account for the association where the money collected from the various sources is being deposited to or withdrew from when necessary. The association does not always profit from most of its projects because they have low profit margins. Some seasonal projects might generate profit like the partnership with Toshiba Company to distribute Ramadan lamps. Donations are considered as part of the revenues. The association uses money coming from donations, sadakat, and the yield of some revenue-based activities. The general overhead costs of the association are estimated roughly to be from 30-40% of the budget. The ways to manage costs to the least possible level include, inducing members to rationalize consumption rates, closely monitoring monthly expenses, rationalizing staff recruitment process, and covering the costs of high telephone bills, hospitality and administrative outlays through collecting in kind donations. The association does not recognize any kind of support offered by the Egyptian government. The old government has provided only some facilities to make agreements with some concerned authorities such as ministries. This was mostly perceived prior to the revolution. However, the picture of the new potential government is still vague and there is no assurance that the new government would adopt a pro-civil society philosophy or not. There are tentative expectations about possible cooperation from the ministry of environment in the future. Analysis Based on the results of the in-depth personal interviews conducted with key persons in the association two types of analysis were made. The following section starts by presenting the first type of analysis which is the SWOT. This will be followed by the PEST analysis. 1. SWOT analysis The association enjoys a number of strength points. These strengths include, but not limited to, the following; a. Strong team spirit is a huge asset, good and efficient management system, good public relations, raising the skills of volunteers through gained experience, and very good reputation perceived by partners and the community at large. b. The presence of strong networks both locally and internationally. Locally with government institutions such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, the Adult Education in Alexandria, the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Environment (protocol of cooperation),partnership training with the engineering industries sector TV ITV’s affiliated to the Ministry of Industry, Alexandria Biblotecha library (Department of Public Relations and Information), Morkoseya Church, the Food Bank, and the Egyptian (permanent agreement). Internationally, networks with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Organized Crime in the United Nations, the Dubai Police (working as technical/training consultants to raise awareness of the damages of drug addiction. c. Good coordination with other local and international organizations. Examples include organizing joint training programs with renaissance makers club in Kuwait, the Ministry of Awqaf in Kuwait, the American University of Kuwait, Gulf University, CID in Kuwait and the Ministry of Defense, Union of Arab Doctors (donations to Libya), the office of Dr. Muhammad Salim Al-Awa, Toshiba Arab company and Ocean Express Company and Isam Abu-setta for heavy transport, New Horizons and Xeon, Arab Academy for Science and Technology, University of Pharos, Alexandria University, Cairo University, Helwan University, Ain Shams University, Menoufiya University, Western University , Mansoura University, Assuit University. Alshanek ya Balady Association, Alexandria west investors association, and set your goal association, the future hands Hospital. In addition to cultural partnership cooperation with the Egyptian-Turkish Friendship Association. d. The presence of a strong infrastructure in the main headquarters in Alexandria. It is located in a prestigious location, well furnished, and highly accessible. However it is not a private property and thus imposes the burden of paying high monthly rent. This location is equipped by personal computers, laptops, wireless network, and they have electronic marketing forces empowered by strong specialists in the field. e. The presence of an independent financial management and independent social affairs and legal affairs units whose staff are paid. The recycling project, the specialized teams used in field case studies, the illiteracy teachers, and volunteers. f. The lack of specific religious or political directions and the presence of strong relationships with respectable figures in Alexandria. The inclusion of small associations in the many events organized by the association. Dependence on respectable personalities in providing certain services. g. Partnering with the association provides the partner several privileges and huge returns. A list of those privileges and returns to partners and individuals can be found later in the appendices. The obvious weakness points observed in this association include the following; a. Funding problems (almost self-financing by 99% from members) and the presence of many projects in second row but (senior management has recently begun to train the middle class members to complete these projects and continue the transfer of expertise to their followers). b. There are no integration links between the projects. c. Some personal conflict problems might arise sporadically among members. d. Administrative problems, and lack of strictness and formalization procedures due to a conflict between the role of leader and manager, but they overcome this problem by appointing an executive director. e. Inadequate promotion for the association in the media compared to other competitors. The reasons are mainly to reduce expenses and due to the imposed security restrictions. f. The absence of headquarters in some governorates like Dakahleya and Gharbeya which constitutes a big problem because the teams there are highly specialized and they need the proper setting to grow on it. g. The lack of specialization between the work forces in undertaking the projects. h. Some communication problems were present however, the Human Resources Director has solved them. i. Lack of volunteers and problems with their continuity/tenure. In some cases the volunteer has a desire to see the immediate result of his voluntary work which makes them less patient to continue. Most of the projects carried out by the association have longer term impacts and feasibility. j. Shortage in financial resources and operational tools. The major opportunities, brought from the external environment, facing the association for the time being include the following; a. Activating some agreements with the Union of Arab doctors, the Ministry of Environment, various associations, political awareness teams, in addition to different charitable and awareness-raising teams seeking support from the association in terms of logistics and training. b. A strong deactivated relationship with Al-Jazeera training center which is currently under study. c. The existence of many public figures, associations, and young modest advocates who have neither political nor religious direction. The association can take advantage of their cooperation efforts. d. A number of donors from America, Canada and Morocco who have appeared after the revolution as service volunteers like doctors. e. Localities and the Council of the People elections. This can be achieved by nominating independent members. Any successful nominated member can offer some facilities and services to the association. Also, this will give the chance for the association to be presented as one of the active civil society organizations participating in crafting the new constitution. f. Offering many partnerships to join the association with large well known institutions such as New Horizons, the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, and other new companies through exhibitions. Their offered contributions come mainly in the form of donations. g. The existence of promising facilities to complete some strategic projects through governmental entities. h. Reducing some of the strict scrutiny procedures imposed previously by the old government and the security apparatus. i. The expansion and proliferation in the environment of charity work, the launch of various public events and the intense presence of the civil society activities. j. The potential for participation with other unknown may be small, associations to perform some other projects outside the scope of work of the association. This represents the potential for diversification and expansion of work coverage. k. People’s Openness and their new reconciliation with the community with the desire to join the civil society institutions to provide charity services. l. The presence of various finance institutions through which the association can expand its operations scale after getting approvals from concerned authorities. m. The neutrality of the association both politically and religiously is a major strength. It is manifested in attracting bodies of various ideologies either as beneficiaries or participants. These include for example, Morosely Church or El-Azhar in my life project. The major threats or challenges, brought from the external environment, facing the association include the following; a. The societal openness can produce many competitors; some of them are supported by huge funding schemes and are biased toward the fulfillment of certain political religious agendas. b. Security threats to volunteers and the possibility of exposure to risk in places where they provide services. The possibility of being abused by law breakers due to the lack of security in the Egyptian streets mainly after the recent events. c. Exploiting association’s activities for the beneficial interests of others. This is totally rejected. This might impose the threat of diluting the association’s public image. Examples include candidates’ coverage for elections or political support using association’s name and good reputation. d. The presence of some competitors with high media coverage, such as resala. e. The culture of voluntary work is still somehow tentative. The lack of awareness of others about the culture of volunteerism and societal responsibility. f. The necessity to invest in volunteers to improve their skills and derive maximum value out of their participation. g. The unstable economic situation of the Egyptian State. h. The role of the Ministry of Social Solidarity has been hindering the progress of the work of the civil society for long years ago. i. The emergence of the Muslim brotherhood and the ancestors (salaf) as major competitors. j. Lack of human rights and political awareness and the prevailing unjustified freedom leading to chaotic results. k. The culture of the conspiracy against Egypt and the presence of some many unnatural Egyptian T. V talk show moderators. l. The owners of certain rented headquarters are drug dealers. This represents a major threat calling for immediate actions in moving those headquarters. 2. The PEST analysis a. Political Factors The political environment in which the association operates appears to be unstable. This status has recently turned to be much intense following the revolution due to the emergence of new political groupings. There are some promising expectations that the new democratically elected government will set new policies that are pro the civil society. The new policies are expected to contain modified laws that regulate taxation and provide more support and facilities to NGOs’ operations. The old government economic policies seemed to be incredibly inefficient resulting into a deteriorated national economic performance. This government had also no hand on regulating the marketing ethics of operating NGOs. Its major concern was on prohibiting religiously oriented activities and banning NGOs participation in the political life. b. Economic Factors The slowdown in Egyptian national economy has impacted the role of the association. This was reflected into low interest rates on savings and high interest charges on borrowings. The inflation rate continued to grow reducing the purchasing value of the Egyptian pound. The long-term prospects for the economy Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and other economic indicators will depend on the policies and procedures adopted by the new elected government. c. Socio-cultural Factors The dominant religion in Egypt is Islam. The association is not discriminating against either religion or gender. The partnership with morkoseya church is an evidence to support this claim. The role of women continues to grow largely and rapidly in the Egyptian society. They are becoming well educated, highly paid, and having a self commitment toward volunteer work. The majority of people the association is targeting its services are illiterate. The general population lacks a solid awareness regarding green environmental issues. This is a very important role of the association in advocating for a green environment and promoting green activities. These include reducing consumption and disposal rates, saving energy, recycling disposed items†¦etc. d. Technological Factors Technological innovations make life easier for all. The association utilizes as many of the technological facilities like wireless connections, fax, and international calls to carry out daily activities. The emphasis should be directed toward strengthening association’s technological infrastructure to be able to do business through online communication channels. There are strong promises regarding what the future can bring to the civil society in general and to the association in particular. This is manifested in several key points. First: the majority of people are becoming motivated to volunteer work. Second: the increased public awareness of the importance of civic and collective actions in contrast to confining the role of the individual to achieve purely personal goals. Third: the strong promises and positive perception maintained by the majority of the poor toward the role of the civil society due to government failure to satisfy their needs. Forth: the diversity in working areas removes many of the restrictions imposed on the civilian work. Fifth: the potential for cooperation from the new elected democratic government. Sixth: the potential for receiving huge inflows of international donors’ funds. Finally, the presence of many initiatives aimed at community and society renaissance that could be built upon. Conclusion and Recommendations Based on the previous systematic analyses, the following conclusions are reached. The selected association is one of an above medium size. It has several branches covering a range of governorates in Egypt. In addition to that it has multiple international partnership agreements abroad with some countries like Kuwait and Dubai. It is innovative due to the creativity exercised by its members in proposing and launching new project initiatives given the limited financial and physical resources available to them. The diversity of its projects adds to its effectiveness by solving problems in multiple critical areas. Administratively, the association can be run more efficiently than its current status. The overhead costs can be controlled so that not to exceed 10% of the annual budget. This can be achieved through cutting back on hospitality, renting, and utilities expenses or finding a sponsor company to offer them for free. The remainder of the budget should be entirely devoted to implementing key projects and programs. Once those two objectives are met – keeping O. H costs to the minimum and maximizing the pool of resources available to projects – the association can enhance its reliability and credibility as perceived by the various stakeholder groups. It has to overcome one of its critical weaknesses which is the deficient public media coverage. Adopting innovative promotional campaigns, through media, flyers, and positive word of mouth, can bring in extra revenues, many volunteers individuals or corporations, government support, and a favorable public image. It has to integrate advanced sophisticated techniques to save institutional memory for the next generations. Applying digital archiving, video and audio recordings of important projects, seminars, and events, keeping records of association’s best practices are all effective methods to save memory beside the conventional paper-based archiving mechanism. Web presence is very critical to the association. It is not well developed because the current website is down and the main gate to potential members is through the social media like the face book. Thus, developing a full featured website can provide good communication channels for the association both locally and internationally. The association has to allow potential members to register online. The composition of the board of directors needs some adjustments. A combination of co-founders, highly prestigious figures, wealthy capitalists, experienced technocrats – given the fact that they are all politically and religiously unbiased – will allow the association to leverage each party’s privileges respectively. The reason is that co-founders are well informed about the association, its mission, vision, goals and have an intuitive inner commitment to achieve them. The highly prestigious, well known, famous, and rich members – who represent the status symbol – can bring in extra money through their special donations and strong contacts with bureaucrats. The wealthy capitalists can have a win-win situation. On the one hand, they can enjoy public credibility and commitment toward social responsibility and on the other hand they will cash in the association to derive this legitimacy. Experienced technocrats can propose better structural reforms, manage operational complexities, and implement strategies to improve performance by capitalizing on strengths and overcoming weaknesses. The association is membership-based and it serves multiple interests. It channels members’ annual fees to implement projects serving members of the poor communities. It also develops the skills and competencies of its members in return for their volunteer time, money, and efforts. The non-profit nature of the association should not hinder its attempts to implement profit-based projects. These projects are important to cover the high overhead cost, keep an emergency fund â€Å" to hedge against bad economic conditions,† invest surplus in revenue earning initiatives, finance new developmental projects, and finally keep work flow smoothly while enjoying the tax exemption privilege. Providing full fledged free support should be only restricted to severe cases. These include very poor, eldery, disable, and young sick children in highly marginalized areas. Otherwise, providing services should have something in return. For example, providing microfinance for poor families can be balanced against donating a certain percentage of periodical revenues to fund other projects. One more thing that should be emphasized specially after the revolution of January 25th is augmenting international funding options. The association has to devise an effective strategy to share a large portion of international donor money coming into Egypt to support democracy. Only with a clear schedule of valuable projects, the association can guarantee international donors’ support without facing the threat of policy conditionality i. e. , imposing a certain development agenda on fund recipient as a condition to be granted the money. This can secure association’s activities financially, allow it to cover O. H costs, implement expansion plans, and better serve society’s compelling needs. General recommendations to improve the civil society in Egypt; 1. The presence of a regulatory environment for transparency rather than for control. 2. Ensuring enough flexibility in law application and enforcement i. e. , the law versus the implementation issue. 3. Promoting an openness commitment to partnership between government and public institutions and the civil society. 4. Supporting a bottom-up approach to development from donors’ side. 5. Supporting the creation of institutions rather than only short or medium term programs to promote for sustainable development. 6. Mobilizing mechanisms to maximize the real value perceived by the beneficiaries from the donors’ dollars. Page (2011) mentioned that only 10 to 30 percent of this actual grant will go to the real beneficiaries. 7. Supporting the youth-led NGOs so that they can actually participate in leading the winds of change toward democracy in Egypt. P. S. for those interested in accessing the association for donations, or more research work, here are association’s contacts. Address

From an isolationist nation to a global power essays

From an isolationist nation to a global power essays During the late 1800's and the early 1900's the United States saw historic changes in the way it approached world problems. Before this time period the United States had remained for the most part, an isolationist nation. The changes began as the century neared closing and were historic in their nature. One of the most important contributors to the break out position of a global nation for the United States was the entry into the arms race. While the past had seen concentrations on areas of building the nation to be strong and productive, this time period saw a decision to build arms and out do other nations in the world when it came to strengthening its military forces. The decision and timing of the arms race played a key role in the rise to super power that the United States experienced(ZIONISM AND voxfux.com/features/stranger_than_fiction.htm). By 1916 the world had seen several nations win wars. The Germans, Australians and Turks had been successful in their campaigns. The United States saw what was occurring around the world and realized that without strength and power it would not be long before one of the prevailing nations in the European situation would eye the states as a possible new conquest. In this mind set the administration began to push for funds to build its own military forces and make them strong and powerful(ZIONISM AND voxfux.com/features/stranger_than_fiction.htm). The navy was built up trough the building of many ships and the training of its recruits, while the other services followed suit. As this push to build American military services began the ...

The Best Questions to Ask During An Interview -TheJobNetwork

The Best Questions to Ask During An Interview -TheJobNetwork The interview has gone really well so far: you were exactly five minutes early, you hit all of your talking points in a confident and conversational way, and it turns out that both you and the interviewer went to Camp Mohegan (and you both remembered the secret handshake). Now things are winding down, and you can practically smell the new-folder scent of your employee orientation packet. Before you can collect your bag and use your superb (non-secret) interview handshake to close things out, though, there’s one more question: â€Å"Do you have any questions for me?† Here’s why questions to ask during an interview are really important. If you’re not prepared, this is a chance for that unappealing deer-in-headlights moment. It may not be a total dealbreaker, but it can definitely undermine all the highlights of your interview up to this point.1. Why Do You Need to Ask Questions?2. How to Prep Your Questions for the Interview3. What to Ask During the Intervie w4. What Not to Ask During the InterviewWhy Do You Need to Ask Questions?Basically, interviewers are asking you if you have any questions for them for a few reasons:It’s polite.They’re out of questions themselves.They want to see how you interact.They want to gauge your interest in the job.Okay, so #1 isn’t necessarily the most important reason. The ghost of Emily Post doesn’t haunt job interviews to make sure everyone’s behaving with impeccable manners. #2 and #3, however, make a difference to you. If, as in #2, the interviewer has just run out of topics for whatever reason, it’s a chance for you to step in and keep the dialogue open. You can re-emphasize points that you want to make sure the interviewer comes away remembering, and you can use this as an avenue to introduce skills or experience that you hadn’t previously discussed.If you’ve had a pretty exhaustive interview where you covered your resume comprehensively, itâ₠¬â„¢s likely that #3 is the reason. These days, just about everyone is busy at work due to understaffing and increased workloads. When companies hire someone new to join the team, they want to know that this person will be able to hit the ground running. So the â€Å"any questions for me?† question is really a gambit to see if you can follow up quickly, and request information that you want or need. If you just sit there with a blank expression, that’s a potential red flag. If you have the social skills to interact with the interviewer rather than just answer questions with a set of talking points, that shows you could be a proactive employee with good listening and communication skills.Responding with smart, insightful questions can tell the interviewer a lot about you (or reinforce the overall perception of you as a great, detail-oriented candidate). When you have good questions (throughout the interview or at the end when there’s an official call for question s), it shows the following qualities to the interviewer:Engagement: You are actively interested in the opportunity.Intelligence: You get what the job entails, and how you could fit into it.Confidence: You know you can do the job well and be an asset to the company.Social intelligence: You understand the give-and-take interactions, and present yourself well.And in addition to using questions to present your best self to the interviewer, it’s also a chance to do some final information-gathering on the job itself. Sure, you’ve read every line of the job description, have combed the internet and your social networks for intel on the company, and have checked to see what similar jobs at other companies entail. (If you haven’t done those things, definitely do them before interview day.) The interview is a chance for the company to evaluate you, but it’s also your chance to evaluate the job. After the interview, the next big step is either an offer (or a non-off er)- the grace period for follow-up questions closes around the same time you send your thank-you email to the interviewer. So it makes total sense to use the interview to get as much information as you can on the day-to-day life of the job, or the colleagues with whom you’d be working. Seize the opportunity!How to Prep Your Questions for the InterviewInterview prep is usually about how to frame yourself for maximum interview success: the resume points you want to emphasize, the specific anecdotes that show your leadership skills or your problem solving skills, and body language (posture, handshake, a hire-me smile that doesn’t scare anyone). But while you’re planning and practicing those things, also think about what you can ask the interviewer.According to The Interview Guys, the questions aren’t so much asking any old question as they are about asking the right ones, intelligently. This means focusing on the job itself, not generic things like â€Å"h ow many people are in the company?† or â€Å"what’s the current stock price?†To help you prep, you can break down questions into these different areas:The Job: What do you want to know about the nitty-gritty of life in this role?The Requirements: Are you equipped to take over this role? Or is there anything you can do to prepare?The Expectations: How does the company see this role, and what do they expect from the person who steps into it?The Company: What is this company really like?The People: What qualities do your possible future coworkers have? What do they value?The Follow-up: When is the company planning to fill this position? (This can help manage your expectations.)Prepping for this can be difficult, because you don’t know what you’ll be asked in the interview. You might cover any combination of these areas during the course of the interview, so you don’t want to ask questions that would directly repeat information that you’ve already been given. So the best way to account for this is to come up with a broad list of questions you can ask. Try to remember at least two in each of the categories above, so that you’re covered. You Can Bring a Cheat SheetNotes are fine to bring into an interview. There will be no Teleprompter, and you don’t get bonus points for memorizing and repeating canned responses. If you do decide to bring in notes with you, keep them limited to bullet points on an index card or small notebook. You don’t want to spend your time looking down at your novelized questions instead of making eye contact and engaging with the interviewer. Basically, you should come up with your list of tentative questions ahead of time, and know them pretty well, bringing notes only as a cheat sheet if you need them. Nothing stops the momentum of a good interview like pausing to shuffle through your notes in a moment of awkward silence.What to Ask During the InterviewAs you think about wha t questions to ask the interviewer, here are some examples in the categories we outlined above. Again, make sure these are as specific as possible to the job for which you’re applying, so that it sounds like you’re engaged and enthusiastic to learn more.The JobCan you describe what a typical day is like as an [insert job title]?What do you see as the biggest challenge for someone in this position?RELATED:  7 Interview Questions That Will Make You Stand OutThe RequirementsWhat kind of training can I expect if I’m hired for this job?Is there any training you would recommend in the meantime?The ExpectationsCan you tell me about the performance expectations for this role?Thinking about the long term, can you give a quick outline of the path for advancement in this department?What are the employee review processes for this role?The CompanyWhat would you say is the overall mission of this company?How would you say the company fits into the industry as a whole?Whatâ €™s your favorite part of working here?What’s your least favorite part of working here?How does the company approach work-life balance?The PeopleHow big is the team I’d be working with?Which other departments would I be working with as a [insert job title]?Can you give a brief description of the team members I’d be working with?If you could describe the team here in one word, what would it be?How would you describe the working environment here?Can you tell me about my direct manager? (Note: This one really only works if you’re being interviewed by a recruiter or HR person.)Can you describe your management style? (This is the equivalent if you’re being interviewed by the person to whom you’d be reporting.)The Follow-UpCan I email you with any additional questions if I think of any later?Do you know what the approximate timeline is for filling this position?What are the next steps?Is there anything else I can provide?We talked a little bit about my experience with [example based on job description]. Is there any other info I can provide on that front?Tips for Framing QuestionsAsk open-ended questions. Basic yes-or-no questions can shut down the conversation, and then you’ll be on the hook for another question even faster.Make sure you’re framing it as a question, and not just trailing off. â€Å"Is this position subject to an annual review, or†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Don’t ask leading or loaded questions, which make it look like you’re fishing for a specific answer. You want to seem like you genuinely want information, and aren’t just looking to confirm something you already know. â€Å"Isn’t it true that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ If you can, weave your questions throughout the interview. It demonstrates that you’re paying attention, and engaged in the process. If you find you can’t really do that with the conversational flow, save them until the end or until you’re asked if y ou have questions.Keep the tone light and professional. Don’t try to trap the interviewer in a mistake or misstatement, or use the questions aggressively to pin down an answer. You want to seem involved and relatable, not intense and overbearing.What NOT to Ask During the InterviewThere are some areas where you just shouldn’t go with your table-turning questions.Anything about salaryThis isn’t the time or the place- and the person who’s interviewing you may not have much insight into compensation. Also, if you jump the gun on salary discussions now, you could put yourself at a disadvantage later during the offer and negotiation phase.How soon you can take vacation timeThis is not only presumptuous, but also a part of later benefit discussions, like salary.Multi-part questionsIf you have a complicated question, ask it in pieces, in a conversational way.If the rumors are trueAny rumors. Whatever you’ve heard about the company, now is not the time to bring it up, even with your new Camp Mohegan buddy.Personal questions about the interviewerYou’ll have plenty of time to get to know your (hopefully) new colleague later.Once you have a feel for the general topics for these questions, you can start bending them to fit the job you want, and practicing the questions in a confident, conversational way. The more you come up with ahead of time, the less likely you are to be that deer in the headlights. You want to finish the interview strong, so get ready to have interview questions cut both ways.RELATED:  5 Unique Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

USS Antietam (CV-36) in the Korean War

USS Antietam (CV-36) in the Korean War Entering service in 1945, USS Antietam (CV-36) was one of over twenty Essex-class aircraft carriers built for the US Navy during World War II (1939-1945). Though arriving in the Pacific too late to see combat, the carrier would see extensive action during the Korean War (1950-1953). In the years after the conflict, Antietam became the first American carrier to receive an angled flight deck and later spent five years training pilots in the waters off Pensacola, FL.   Ã‚   A New Design Conceived in the 1920s and early 1930s, the US Navys  Lexington- and  Yorktown-class aircraft carriers were intended to meet the limitations laid out by the  Washington Naval Treaty. This placed restrictions on the tonnage of various types of vessels as well as installed a ceiling on each signatory’s overall tonnage. This system was further extended by the 1930 London Naval Treaty. As the global situation began to deteriorate, Japan and Italy departed the treaty structure in 1936. With the collapse of this system, the US Navy commenced efforts to design a new, larger class of aircraft carrier and one which utilized the lessons learned from the  Yorktown-class. The resulting product was longer and wider as well as utilized a deck-edge elevator system. This had been employed earlier on  USS  Wasp  (CV-7). In addition to embarking a larger air group, the new class carried a greatly enhanced anti-aircraft armament. Construction began on the lead ship,  USS  Essex  (CV-9), on April 28, 1941. Becoming the Standard With the US entry into  World War II after the  attack on Pearl Harbor, the  Essex-class soon became the US Navys standard design for fleet carriers. The initial four ships after  Essex  followed the types original design. In early 1943, the US Navy ordered multiple alterations to improve future vessels. The most visible of these changes was the lengthening the bow to a clipper design which permitted the addition of two quadruple 40 mm mounts. Other alterations included moving the combat information center below the armored deck, enhanced ventilation and aviation fuel systems, a second catapult on the flight deck, and an additional fire control director. Colloquially known as the long-hull  Essex-class or  Ticonderoga-class by some, the US Navy made no distinction between these and the earlier  Essex-class ships. Construction The first ship to move forward with the revised  Essex-class design was USS  Hancock  (CV-14) which was later re-named Ticonderoga. It was followed by additional carriers including USS Antietam (CV-36).   Laid down on March 15, 1943, construction on Antietam commenced at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Named for the Civil War Battle of Antietam, the new carrier entered the water on August 20, 1944 with Eleanor Tydings, wife of Maryland Senator Millard Tydings, serving as sponsor. Construction rapidly advanced and Antietam entered commission on January 28, 1945, with Captain  James R. Tague in command.   USS Antietam (CV-36) - Overview Nation:  United StatesType:  Aircraft CarrierShipyard:  Philadelphia Naval ShipyardLaid Down:  March 15, 1943Launched:  August 20, 1944Commissioned:  January 28, 1945Fate:  Sold for scrap, 1974 Specifications: Displacement:  27,100 tonsLength:  888 ft.Beam:  93 ft. (waterline)Draft:  28 ft., 7 in.Propulsion:  8 Ãâ€" boilers, 4 Ãâ€" Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Ãâ€" shaftsSpeed:  33 knotsComplement:  3,448 men Armament: 4 Ãâ€" twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns4 Ãâ€" single 5 inch 38 caliber guns8 Ãâ€" quadruple 40 mm 56 caliber guns46 Ãâ€" single 20 mm 78 caliber guns Aircraft: 90-100 aircraft World War II Departing Philadelphia in early March, Antietam shifted south to Hampton Roads and commenced shakedown operations. Steaming along the East Coast and in the Caribbean until April, the carrier then returned to Philadelphia for an overhaul. Leaving on May 19, Antietam began its voyage to the Pacific to join in the campaign against Japan. Stopping briefly in San Diego, it then turned west for Pearl Harbor.   Reaching Hawaiian waters, Antietam spent the better part of the next two months conducting training in the area. On August 12, the carrier left port bound for Eniwetok Atoll which had been captured the previous year.   Three days later, word arrived of the cessation of hostilities and Japans impending surrender.    Occupation Arriving at Eniwetok on August 19, Antietam sailed with USS Cabot (CVL-28) three days later to support the occupation of Japan. Following a brief stop at Guam for repairs, the carrier received new orders directing it to patrol along the Chinese coast in the vicinity of Shanghai. Largely operating in the Yellow Sea, Antietam remained in the Far East for most the next three years. During this time, its aircraft patrolled over Korea, Manchuria, and northern China as well as conducted reconnaissance of operations during the Chinese Civil War. In early 1949, Antietam completed its deployment and steamed for the United States.   Arriving at Alameda, CA, it was decommissioned on June 21, 1949 and placed in reserve. Korean War Antietams inactivity proved short as the carrier was re-commissioned on January 17, 1951 due to the outbreak of the Korean War. Conducting shakedown and training along the California coast, the carrier made a voyage to and from Pearl Harbor before departing for the Far East on September 8. Joining Task Force 77 later that fall, Antietams aircraft began mounting attacks in support of United Nations forces.   Typical operations included interdiction of railroad and highway targets, providing combat air patrols, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine patrols. Making four cruises during its deployment, the carrier generally would resupply at Yokosuka. Completing its final cruise on March 21, 1952, Antietams air group flew nearly 6,000 sorties during its time off the Korean Coast. Earning two battle stars for its efforts, the carrier returned to the United States where it was briefly placed in reserve.   Ã‚   A Groundbreaking Change Ordered to the New York Naval Shipyard that summer, Antietam entered dry dock that September for a major alteration. This saw the addition of a sponson on the port side which permitted the installation of an angled flight deck. The first carrier to possess a true angled flight deck, this new feature permitted aircraft that missed landings to take off again without hitting aircraft further forward on the flight deck. It also greatly increased the efficiency of the launch and recovery cycle.   Re-designated an attack carrier (CVA-36) in October, Antietam rejoined the fleet in December. Operating from Quonset Point, RI, the carrier was a platform for numerous tests involving the angled flight deck.   These included operations and testing with pilots from the Royal Navy. The result from the testing on Antietam confirmed thoughts on the superiority of the angled flight deck and it would become a standard feature of carriers moving forward. The addition of an angled flight deck became a key element of the SCB-125 upgrade given to many Essex-class carriers during the mid/late-1950s.   Later Service Re-designated an anti-submarine carrier in August 1953, Antietam continued to serve in the Atlantic. Ordered to join the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean in January 1955, it cruised in those waters until early that spring. Returning to the Atlantic, Antietam made a goodwill voyage to Europe in October 1956 and took part in NATO exercises.   During this time the carrier ran aground off Brest, France but was refloated without damage. While abroad, it was ordered to the Mediterranean during the Suez Crisis and aided in the evacuation of Americans from Alexandria, Egypt. Moving west, Antietam then conducted anti-submarine training exercises with the Italian Navy. Returning to Rhode Island,  the carrier resumed peacetime training operations. On April 21, 1957, Antietam received an assignment to serve as a training carrier for new naval aviators at Naval Air Station Pensacola.    Training Carrier Home ported at Mayport, FL as its draft was too deep to enter Pensacola harbor, Antietam spent the next five years educating young pilots. In addition, the carrier served as a test platform for a variety of new equipment, such as the Bell automatic landing system, as well as embarked US Naval Academy midshipmen each summer for training cruises. In 1959, following dredging at Pensacola, the carrier shifted its home port.   In 1961, Antietam twice provided humanitarian relief in the wakes of Hurricanes Carla and Hattie.   For the latter, the carrier transported medical supplies and personnel to the British Honduras (Belize) to provide aid after the hurricane devastated the region. On October 23, 1962, Antietam was relieved as Pensacolas training ship by USS Lexington (CV-16). Steaming to Philadelphia, the carrier was placed in reserve and decommissioned on May 8, 1963. In reserve for eleven years, Antietam was sold for scrap on February 28, 1974.

Watching the video and answer the following questions Essay

Watching the video and answer the following questions - Essay Example What I liked about the video is the jokes, the humor, the show of intelligence, and the content itself. What is stated in the video is indeed very, very useful, if not practical, for anyone. It is all good, if you ask me. however, what I did not like about the video is the last part where Cleese tried to give some rather harsh, inhuman advice to employers about how to prevent their employees from getting themselves into a creative state. This creative state is a result of a few steps and a number of requirements. The steps are quite simple, and this can be summarized as getting into the open mode (the mode of humor and relaxation) and making a decision in it, switching to the closed mode (the realistic and stressful mode) to implement it, narrowing our focus when we have to implement it, and switching back to the open mode when we have to evaluate it and to buy time before we can decide whether to proceed or not. The requirements for one to be able to get himself into the open mode include space, specific time or making time to be in the open mode, enough time to play with the problem before making a decision, acting with confidence, and punctuating the act with humor. These are actually abstract concepts but at least Cleese has made them half-concrete for the layman to understand. I believe I can follow these instructions to the letter, which means that I will follow them without modifying them to my own advantage. However, before anything else, I should always remember the concepts that Cleese underlined in his speech. One of these is the idea that an open state is when a person is relaxed, less purposeful, contemplative, humorous, playful and curious, and that it is being in this state that one can be creative. Therefore, any environment that is the opposite of these aforementioned qualities must reflect the closed mode, and that

The Effectiveness of Training Care Home Staff on Management of Literature review

The Effectiveness of Training Care Home Staff on Management of Challenging Behaviour of Person with Dementia - Literature review Example As far as dementia is concerned, a recent study revealed that one of the best ways to equip nurses and other health professional with the basic skills and knowledge to carry out their duties effectively is by giving them training and education on how to give innovative and result oriented care to handle some of the most disturbing behaviors from dementia patients (Smithers et al, 2007). This section of the dissertation therefore reviews related literature that touches on some of the key innovative ways of addressing challenging behaviour through training in three major areas as reviewed below. 2.1 Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Managing Dementia 2.1.1 Psychosocial intervention for managing dementia Recent studies have actually pointed to the realisation that training in the use of psychosocial intervention for managing dementia is an effective way of handing challenging behaviour in dementia patients (Cohen-Mansfield, Libin & Marx, 2007). The singular reason for the effectiveness of the psychosocial intervention is in the fact that it is multi-active and thus makes use of several approaches that addresses multi-complexity issues about the patient. For instance as part of the psychosocial intervention, social, individual as well as environmental factors of the causes of the challenging behaviour may all be catered for in one pile (Davison, et al, 2007). In a very modern perspective, this intervention could be judged as highly viable because dementia as a cognitive problem does not associate its cause to just one risk factor. This means that the kind of interventions that are prescribed for its solutions must also well be varying in nature like psychosocial interventions. Indeed, practitioners who receive training and education in psychosocial intervention in managing dementia would come to the realisation that their patients are as much relevant in the solution as the caregivers themselves. This way, the practitioners would not see patients who put up challen ging behaviour as elements of problems that must be avoided but rather as companions for a common goal who should be aided to come to terms with how best they can play their part in the solution. 2.1.2 Individualized interventions for patients Even though most commentators have rooted for the use of standardised interventions for handling problematic patients who exhibit challenging behaviour as part of the dementia symptoms, there continues to be some modern researchers who believe interventions for catering for problematic dementia patients should be individualised (O'Connor et al, 2009). By individualised interventions, reference is being made to that kind of approach that sees each patient among the lot as a distinguishably different person who demands personalised approach to his or her problems (McCabe, Davison & George, 2007). Relating to this training and education for caregivers, it is said that the trainee should first and foremost possess an attitude that recognises the p eculiarity of each person and must have a very huge heart to accommodate all such differences. This means that the trainee ought to adapt him or herself in such a way that he or she would use a kind of communication that meets the understanding of the patient. There should also be practical management strategies that focus on the needs of the patient. Finally, it is important to recognise the need to have enough patience for patients to recover at their own rate. The later is indeed a major

Project Management Applicatio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Management Applicatio - Assignment Example Patience privacy in health organization is of high concern in today’s era when technology is adversely evolving. The data stored in the health systems database may experience harm that causes physical damage to the hard disks and the systems. Before Health insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was implemented, there were no prior standards of determining whether health cares should securely store patient’s information. After the implementation of the HIPAA act, health cares boosted their databases where confidentiality and portability of patient records were harnessed. If health organizations do not comply with the HIPAA, they can face a penalty of $250,000 and if the violation is repeated the culprit faces fines up to $1.5 million. Organizations first step should be Risk analysis. Organizations should follow the HIPAA risk analysis techniques. The risk analysis should provide medical staff with deep knowledge of understanding the risks involved with inte grity and confidentiality of patient information. The HIPAA act requires that health cares should â€Å"implement policies and procedures to prevent, detect, contain and correct security violations through assessment of potential risks†. I order to mitigate the risks involved physical safeguards such as the building of alarm systems as well as the use of extensive monitoring screen should be widely implemented. Administrative safeguards should also be used in order to secure the authorized exchange of patient information in different hospitals.

Response 3 Fielding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response 3 Fielding - Essay Example In addition, I vehemently propose that since the story of the novel revolves around the Parson Abraham Adams, the title of the novel should have been after the name of the parson. Joseph Andrews is thought to be the protagonist of the novel due to the very fact that the story starts and ends concentrating upon him. Moreover, he is the person whose refusal to the advancements of Lady Booby gives the go to the circumstances. In addition, he undergoes various financial losses and physical torture, faces mental sufferings and troubles during his adventures on his way as soon as he is dismissed from his job. Further, he is the character of the novel that combines different scenes of novel and has relationships with all other characters including his sister Pamela, his mistress Lady Booby, his mentor Parson Adams, his childhood friend and beloved Fanny, his co-worker Mrs. Slipslop and his parents Mrs. & Mr. Wilson as well as his patterns and benefactors i.e. the Andrews. Even then the dominant role played and performed by the parson makes him as the central figure of the novel. The sacrifices made by the parson and the sympathies and love offered by him are beyond any doubt. It is reality that he had no concern with either Joseph Andrews or Lady Booby, nor he was a rich person having pelf or wealth in plenty. Moreover, he had no political plans in his mind, nor he was a social reformer at all. Even then, he appears to the limelight to stand by the hero Joseph Andrews to rescue him in his miseries. Parson Adams has set out on a journey to deliver as well as sell the sermons in order to get some money in the pursuit of earning some money, but unfortunately the most innocent character of the novel i.e. Parson Adams forgets his sermons at his house and has no benefit to accompany Joseph in his miseries and troubles. Instead of

Compare and contrast the yellow wallpaper and the ones who walk away Essay

Compare and contrast the yellow wallpaper and the ones who walk away from omelas - Essay Example Nonetheless, this peculiar work has received recognition and won the Hugo, as the most prestigious science fiction award; thus, having a frequent anthology both in main stream anthropology and science fiction. On the other hand, the story â€Å"the yellow wallpaper† is actually a renowned short story. It is interesting to note that it was just recalled from the oblivion (Costello and Tucker 475). Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote this short story. The facts behind its original creation and its modern or current rediscovery are worth recounting. Additionally, the â€Å"the yellow wallpaper† is a true story based on the author’s personal life experiences. Notably, the story is deliberately based on her debilitating and depression effects of her medical conditions and subsequent treatment (Costello and Tucker 474). The story â€Å"the yellow wallpaper† claims to â€Å"save people from being driven crazy.† In the same way, the story â€Å"The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas† claims civilizations for the society it is addressing. However, an auditor of the Atlantic Monthly turned the story down claiming that it contained a start and unsettling content. I n this case, both stories share a common negative publicity, in that, the classification of â€Å"The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas† proved to be a challenge, and consequently, in the case of â€Å"the yellow wallpaper†, there is a claim that the story is a start that has unsettling content. Moreover, the story received a sentiment that it was â€Å"too terribly good to be printed.† However, following series of events on the same story, especially its discussion on the title â€Å"the Madwoman in the Attic,† led to its wide recognition and subsequent discussions within the American literature (Costello and Tucker 478). The story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† has different readings and interpretations; however, it obviously invites critics who may demand a feminist approach in discussing the story.

Response 3 Fielding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response 3 Fielding - Essay Example In addition, I vehemently propose that since the story of the novel revolves around the Parson Abraham Adams, the title of the novel should have been after the name of the parson. Joseph Andrews is thought to be the protagonist of the novel due to the very fact that the story starts and ends concentrating upon him. Moreover, he is the person whose refusal to the advancements of Lady Booby gives the go to the circumstances. In addition, he undergoes various financial losses and physical torture, faces mental sufferings and troubles during his adventures on his way as soon as he is dismissed from his job. Further, he is the character of the novel that combines different scenes of novel and has relationships with all other characters including his sister Pamela, his mistress Lady Booby, his mentor Parson Adams, his childhood friend and beloved Fanny, his co-worker Mrs. Slipslop and his parents Mrs. & Mr. Wilson as well as his patterns and benefactors i.e. the Andrews. Even then the dominant role played and performed by the parson makes him as the central figure of the novel. The sacrifices made by the parson and the sympathies and love offered by him are beyond any doubt. It is reality that he had no concern with either Joseph Andrews or Lady Booby, nor he was a rich person having pelf or wealth in plenty. Moreover, he had no political plans in his mind, nor he was a social reformer at all. Even then, he appears to the limelight to stand by the hero Joseph Andrews to rescue him in his miseries. Parson Adams has set out on a journey to deliver as well as sell the sermons in order to get some money in the pursuit of earning some money, but unfortunately the most innocent character of the novel i.e. Parson Adams forgets his sermons at his house and has no benefit to accompany Joseph in his miseries and troubles. Instead of

FINAL QUESTIONS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FINAL QUESTIONS - Assignment Example Then the users of the systeme are determined and the manner in which they are going to use it in order to know what to put in place. Moreover, input system data and output data system is also established. The requirement validity is also assessed at this stage. At this stage the guidelines are followed from the requirement specification manuscript. The system requirements are divided in software and hardware as stipulated by the requirement specification manuscript. Furthermore, the overall system building is defined thus marking a design specifications manuscript. The code is developed at this stage and is very crucial as it is the main focus of the system developer. The system design manuscript dictates the division of modules which leads to the start of coding. The process takes a lot of time. The code is the main thing tested after implementation. The code is tested against the requirements mentioned in the requirements analysis. The requirements must be fully functioning and solve the requirements needs as system and integration testing are conducted. The CEO’s role at the IT steering committee is to take responsibility of every operation that takes place in the company. The CEO makes and implements decisions and initiatives on behalf of the board of directors and the company. The CEO also ensures a smooth operation of daily operations in the company. In many instances the CEO is also the president of the company and a member and director of the board of directors. The CFO is under the CEO. The CFO’s role at the IT steering committee is to appraise financial data incurred by the IT department and even the company itself. He/she is also responsible for the reporting of IT department’s financial performance in that he/she supervises expenditures, costs and organizes the budget to be used by the IT department. The CFO also provides IT department’s financial wellbeing and veracity to bodies like the Securities and

Arthurian and Grail Poetry Essay Example for Free

Arthurian and Grail Poetry Essay In 1871, Swinburne produced a new collection of poems which he entitled â€Å"Songs Before Sunrise†, which echoed a whole generation’s sentiments about Italy’s struggle for freedom. The poet’s stellar piece, â€Å"Hertha†, was yet another offering to the pagan altar upon which he worshipped. Hertha, the goddess of fertility, is written as the speaker of a dramatic monologue that aims to declare her superiority and immortality over the Christian God, a tactic Swinburne used to get the attention of the Victorian audience. He emphasizes, through Hertha, the significance and importance of Mother Nature over God, and provides line after line of physical representations of a â€Å"mother† that gives life and nourishment to her offspring, compared to a God who, in Swinburne’s logic, false and provisional. Also, by centering on the â€Å"body† of Hertha, Swinburne stays true to his established tradition of sensuality and passion. He ends the poem with Hertha saying â€Å"I am man†Ã¢â‚¬â€completing the ultimate pagan principle of man’s harmony and unity with nature. Swinburne’s most celebrated work, among his legendary pieces, is 1882’s â€Å"Tristram of Lyonesse†. A veritable triumph in the technical sense, the poem was skillfully written to feature long romantic couplets punctuated with a brilliant arrangement of vowel sounds, rhythm, and alliteration. Swinburne exposes his concept of passion masterfully in this tale of lovers who care for nothing else but their love, and would go to any length to keep the fire burning. Often referred to as Swinburne’s ode to the English dramatists, â€Å"Tristram† is, to this day, the most exemplary rendition of the English couplet. IV. Other Literary Accomplishments As much as Swinburne was known as an exceptional poet was his reputation as an excellent critic. From 1868, he managed to produce a number of volumes of literary criticism, with the best contained in Miscellanies and Essays and Studies. In this series, the genius and poetics of Swinburne are satisfyingly revealed and explored. He also published A Study of Shakespeare, in which he expressed his own great technical competencies and proficiencies in the areas of music and rhythm in poetry, by praising the iconic master of story, song, and technical excellence. It is quite apparent that Swinburne had intentionally limited his paganistic and atheistic principles to his poetry—the literary criticism that bears his name almost always stays firmly on the positive side, with nary a mention of technical or thematic shortcomings of the authors he discusses. With Swinburne’s passing in 1909, the Victorian society of England lost one of its greatest masters in lyric poetry, whose genius and brilliance were quite overflowing that he found it necessary to go against the tide, and stand by the least accepted constructs of society. V. Conclusion The question regarding Swinburne’s religious influences in his poetry has been clearly answered, and has validated the original logic proposed. There are indeed references to Christianity and traditional beliefs in almost all his poetry, which he strategically decided to use to disprove many of the paradigms established by the Church. With his declared propensity to explore the ideals of physical pain and pleasure, sexual passion, and excessive living, through a great deal of wit, sarcasm, and morbidity, the reading audience is left shocked and astonished way beyond their accepted levels. However, it takes one as talented as Swinburne to effectively realize the relationship between two opposing poles—Christianity and immorality—and use the commonalities to create an ideology that is all at once controversial and unacceptable, but also incredible and brilliant. Bibliography Apiryon, T. ‘Algernon Charles Swinburne’, The Hermetic Library, 1995, retrieved 12 July 2008 from http://www. hermetic. com/sabazius/swinburne. htm Bartleby, ‘The Rossettis, William Morries, Swinburne, and Others’. Bartleby. com, retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://www. bartleby. com/223/0508. html Cymru, Gordd. ‘Arthurian and Grail Poetry’, Celtic Twilight, 2000, retireved 12 July 2008 from http://celtic-twilight. com/camelot/poetry/swinburne/index. htm Representative Poetry Online, ‘Selected Poetry of Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837- 1909), retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://rpo. library. utoronto. ca/poet/319. html Sawhney, Paramvir, ‘Gestalt Paganism in AC Swinburne’s Hertha’ The Victorian Web, 2006, retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://victorianweb. org/authors/swinburne/sawhney9. html Thomas, Edward, ‘A Modern Bacchant’, The New York Times, 29 December 1912.

Problems Of EFL Speaking In Thailand

Problems Of EFL Speaking In Thailand Introduction This chapter provides introductory description regarding the pronunciation of English sound by Thais. It describes the problems of EFL speaking in Thailand, function of English in Thailand, and the teaching pronunciation in EFL curriculum in Thailand providing the content designed of communicative speaking skills. This is followed by significance of the study, the purpose of the study, research questions, scope and ending with limitations of the study. 1.1 Background to the study Problems of EFL Speaking in Thailand In line with the role of English as an international lingua franca, Thailand has taken several measures to incorporate English into its education system. For example, in 1995, the Thai government made English language study compulsory from primary school (Sedgwick, 2005). Based on my two-year English teaching experience at school, Narathiwat, Thailand, however, many Thai students still have problems using English, especially in the area of pronunciation. One of the reasons for this is the lack of exposure to English language use outside the classroom. Another could be due to the differences between the phonetic and phonological systems of English and their first language. Next, they all might be taught and emphasized only the rule of grammar and increasing their English vocabulary but might not be practiced English pronunciation properly. On the one hand, formal pronunciation instruction should not be neglected in all foreign language classrooms since pronunciation plays important ro les in communication which is the fundamental element of foreign language learning: as it has been claim from the most of Thai people that teachers should speak the target language during their foreign language class. Due to the lack of time on teaching English pronunciation in the classroom, Thai students have not been instructed in the area of pronunciation sufficiently. In Thailand, only the students doing bachelor degree in English field are aware of how the sound is produced correctly and of the English vowel sound both in terms of vowel quality and vowel length but not for others. Hence, some students are aware only of quantity differences of the vowels but never being realized of quality of the vowels. Moreover, some are not aware of both the quality and the quantity differences between each pair of the vowel sound. Previous studies on the English pronunciation of Thai speakers have found that they do not contrast vowel length (Chantachorn 2003). For instance, Thai speakers tend not distinguish between vowel pairs like /É ª/-/i/ and /ÊÅ  /-/uË /, resulting in words like ship and sheep, and fool and full being produced as homophones. However, most of the published studies on the production of English vowels by Thai speakers are impressionistic in nature, and hence, the current study aims to examine the production of English vowels by Thai speakers through acoustic analysis. It also aims to examine the extent to which the production of vowels is influenced by Thai vowels. Those problems of spoken English by Thai students are influenced by the following factors: functions of English, English language education, and teaching of English pronunciation. Functions of English in Thailand In Thailand, recently, the role of English is obviously important as it is used for international communication. New technology and World Wide Web have been developed rapidly resulting in a greater transition in education, business, tourism and economic affairs which all interrelate commanding high English proficiency. Thai government officials use English for international conference and communication. For example, ASEAN summit which is a meeting held by ASEAN in relation to economic growth, social progress and cultural development of Southeast Asian Nations. In the commercial part, English is used by entrepreneur, tourist agencies, hotels, airlines and even bank to communicate with foreigners, as well as business for import and export. Beside this, English is the most important for the tourist area in Thailand. For instances, Phuket island, Krabi and Phangna located in southern of Thailand are very popular among Westerners. Therefore, Thais who leave in tourist area need to communicate with them in English even sometimes they do not communicate effectively. This may be due to faulty pronunciations which lead to communication breakdown. Some researchers foreign friends have blamed that most of the Thai people cannot communicate well, especially for people who come from Deep South of Thailand which are Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala provinces. This could be due to there are not so many foreigners come there and Deep South is not a tourist area. This also cause the students in the area do not have much motivation in learning English. Another group of English user is in mass media and publications. Some news channels and variety shows in Thai television program use English as a medium to perform their program. The examples of such programs are English breakfast program on TV Thai channel providing English knowledge together with entertainment such as idiom for everyday life, grammar as well as English pronunciation. Chris Delivery once famous English teaching program on channel TTB5 and English minutes a short program on channel 5. Furthermore, the Hollywood movies are played in the cinemas around Thailand with English sound track and Thai sub-title. However, most Thais prefer to watch the Hollywood movies playing Thai sound track to English one. Moreover, there are also News program using English as a medium played on channel MCOT. Thailand outlook channel is a 24 hours English language news channel broadcasted by ASTV (Asia Satellite television) which provide news and insight into Thai affairs that really matter and affect both Thai and foreign residents. The Nation and Bangkok Post are well known and widely read by foreigners and educated Thai readers all over Thailand. For the English magazines, Nation Junior and Student Weekly have been well-liked among Thai teenagers. Since English is a global language, Thai government has tried to get all mass media involved with English language in order to serve Thais and support them to learn English. Finally, English, therefore, works as a language for basic informal education in Thailand. Although English is not a medium of teaching in school level, it enables students to learn and understand differences of languages and cultures, customs and traditions, thinking, society, economy, politics and administration (Ministry of Education 2001). All in all, these functions reveal that Thailand has attempted to use English in many ways to make Thais get use to English language however these approaches only work on some Thai groups and some of Thais still not getting familiar with English perception and production skills which are listening, speaking , reading and writing. English language education in Thailand Learning foreign language serves an important and essential tool for communication, education, seeking knowledge, livelihood and creating understanding the culture and vision of the world community (Ministry of Education 2001). Although English is not only the foreign language in Thailand, clearly can be seen that English language still play a dominant role as it is mainly used to communicate to make a connection and cooperation between people around the world. English has been known as an international language and many Thai people have been getting involved with it for decades. Most of them implicate with English language used in their daily lives from many media such as text, television, radio and newspaper. The people who get into school, of course, they have known English language at the beginning of the first primary school level. As mentioned above that English language has been made as compulsory subject starting at primary school in 1995 in Thailand. However, the curriculum was revised once more in 1996 and English is now taught as a subject in Grade 1 to 12(Sarmah, Gogoi Wiltshire 2009). All students have to take English language as a compulsory subject every semester for primary and secondary school levels. This means that they have to take English course at least 9 credits for primary level and 12 credits for secondary level. In the upper secondary level, at least 6 credits are required for them (240 hours). Due to limited time as for 2 periods/hours a week, leading to limited lesson for pronunciation. Furthermore, six English courses are required for all learners in four -year curriculum at the undergraduate level (Chusanachoti 2009). These few English courses are only a little period of time exposed to English language use. The Thai Ministry of Education has encouraged several approaches in English course syllabus to enhance the intelligibility in English language used such as a learner-centered approach, communicative language approach as well as language for specific purpose. Within those approaches, the area of pronunciation has also been taught in terms of conversation and reading out loud. Nevertheless, the most of the contents still focus on reading and writing skill for examples reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. This could be primarily due to a difficulty in teaching pronunciation, especially at primary level and lower secondary level: students feel shy to express and utter an English sound making them not to cooperate with the activities provided. As a consequence, most of the teachers feel oppressed to teach pronunciation. At the primary school level (grade 1-6), students should be able to know the English Alphabet, to read a simple word aloud, to spell an easy vocabulary, to read simple conversation and story. However, the course syllabus has been focused very few on the pronunciation and reading out loud. Furthermore, in a period of secondary school, the fundamental English course requires the students to be able to listen, read, write and speak communicatively at the level of their own. For instances, at grade 6 level, they are requires to be able to communicate naturally in everyday life, to explain or tell a story of their own lives and history. But, as can be seen obviously that students still speak English poorly, even though they have studied English for 12 years (primary school-secondary school). This could be due to less attention on pronunciation lesson and a lack of exposure to English language used out side the class room. In addition, they tend to pay more attention on reading to be able to comprehend the content of the text and grammar in order to pass the final exam for all grade level students and to success in getting a high score from the national university entrance exam. Beside this, to emphasize on pronunciation and let students learn and know each sound correctly, teachers should instruct students to learn the relationship of each letters and its sound. This will not only help them in reading and spelling but also will master them in speaking. Moreover, teaching students to know how the sounds are produced will also support them to be aware of different sound and its characteristics. Teaching pronunciation in EFL curriculum in Thailand Pronunciation instruction has sometime been neglected in most EFL classroom. In another word, it is not given much more attention by the teacher in the classroom. In EFL curriculum in Thailand, spoken English has been played through these following main contents: language for communication, language and culture, language and relationship with other learning areas and language and relationship with community and the world (Ministry of education 2001). The Thai Ministry of Education has placed teaching pronunciation instruction to all school level at primary and secondary school. Generally at Grades 1-3, students are expected to be able to know and pronounce the English alphabet, words, phrases, and simple sentences simultaneously with observing the principle of pronunciation. The tasks focus on learning basic phonology system which involves specifying the letter sound and vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u), spelling the words correctly and reading some basic words and sentences out loud as well as getting students practice on producing initial and final consonant, rhythm and intonation. Besides, the students would be engaged in interpersonal communication by asking them to use short and simple word that they have heard. These include using requested words such as pleas do not make a noise and can you help me, please?. Moreover, Students grade one, two and three should be able to differentiate the consonance sound and speak common sentenc es in imitating a real situation in the classroom. At Grade 4-6 primary education level, students are trained to speak English through expressing their needs feeling and opinion. They also should be able to tell story about themselves, friends and family to others. The ability in using English to communicate in various situations is required for them. During secondary education, speaking activities in the EFL curriculum, students are required to be able to listen, speak, read and write appropriately with their own grades both at upper and lower levels. Generally at the lower secondary level, communicative speaking tasks are played through various speaking activities such as dialogue speaking, speaking for short conversation, speaking for giving the information around them and showing opinion about the matters around them in the current situation. Reading aloud is also emphasized by training students to read some story in text books, newspaper and some simple English poem out loud in front of the classroom. By these school levels, in fact, the practice on production of English vowel sound appears in the curriculum designed. For instance, students should be able to read all text out loud by observing the basic principle of pronunciation. This means they would discriminate the differences of English vowel sound in term of vowel lengt h. The emphasis of communicative speaking at the upper secondary level is on asking for information, accurately read out loud text, news, announcement, advertisement, skits and poem and having conversations to exchange some information, experience, opinion in current situation in Thailand and overseas. These activities will be done by having a role-play in the classroom. For example, divide students in a group and ask them to create some situation by imitating the real situation in day life. Some students play as news reporters and some play a short drama in front of their friend. As a matter of fact, although there are some contents on English pronunciation practice, the limited time as mentioned above is one of obstacles of practicing pronunciation. In addition, in the EFL context, Thai secondary students appear to use and give attention on English literacy skills of reading and writing rather than listening and oral skills (Bennui 2003). Significance of the Study An acoustic analysis of English vowels produced by Thai speakers will yield more reliable information on the characteristics of the vowels produced, in particular vowel quality and vowel length for monophthong vowels, and the former for diphthongs. Such information will enable comparisons with the acoustic characteristics of vowels in Thai, making it possible to compare the vowel systems of English and Thai, and henceforth to determine the influence of L1 on English. The findings on the extent to which Thai speakers can perceive English vowel contrast will help in the understanding of the relationship between perception and production of vowel contrast in English as it can be argued that if they are unable to perceive vowel contrast, they may not be able to produce the contrast. The information will also provide valuable insights to the area of pronunciation teaching in Thailand. The Purpose of the Study The current study is based on an instrumental analysis of English vowels produced by native speakers of Thai and investigates if there is any acoustic evidence of vowel contrast between vowels in Thai and English. It also aims to examine the extent to which the vowels produced by the Thai subjects share similar characteristics with a native and neighboring variety of English. The study also intents to examine the perception of English vowels by Thai speakers. In relation to these, the purpose of this study is to answer the following research questions: What are the acoustic properties of English vowels produced by Thai speakers? To what extent is there vowel contrast between traditional vowel pairs of /iË / /É ª/, /e/ /Ó†¢/, /ÊÅ   / /uË /, /ÊŒ/ /É‘Ë / and /É’/ /Ɇ:/? To what extent is the production of English vowels influenced by the speakers L1? To what extent do the vowels produced by Thai subjects share similar characteristics with British (BritE) and Malaysian English (MalE)? To what extent can Thai speakers perceive vowel contrast in English? The Scope and Limitations of the Study This work is limited to the acoustic properties of English monophthong and diphthongs as produced by 15 female students from one secondary school in one particular area of Thailand Narathiwat. Moreover, the data were collected by recording the subjects in word list and informal speech context. Thai speeches were recorded by 5 female subjects in order to enable comparison of Thai vowels with the English produced by the target subjects.