English Language Teaching Essay

This paper aims to highlight the importance of teaching sociolinguistic competence to ESL learners in Malaysian schools. Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of socio cultural rules of language and of discourse. This type of competence requires an understanding of the socio context in which language is used. It is proposed that carefully designed language activities be carried out by instructors in order to impart sociolinguistic skills to learners. The importance of universal intelligibility should be stressed, as opposed to native accent. Furthermore students should also be taught proper contextual use of English, in accordance to cultural reference and cultural appropriacy should be part of the learners’ core sociolinguistic competence. Keywords: Socio-cultural rules, Sociolinguistic competence, Formal language, Colloquialism 1. Introduction Malaysia is a multi-racial society which is strongly bounded by its system of monarchy. However, Malays form the largest portion of its demography, with Malay as its national language. Though Malay is still the most commonly used lingua franca among Malaysians, English is gaining more importance and relevance in the country. In fact, Malaysians have come to realize that it is no longer necessary, nor desirable to aim at an English native speaker’s speech to achieve their communicative function. However, there has been a strong decline in the levels of English proficiency in the country .This is evident in Malaysians’ everyday speech, which are often marred by grammatical and phonological errors or at times too loaded with â€Å"suffixes† (e.g. lah, lor, meh) and loan words from other languages. English is the second most important language in Malaysia. It is used in  various professions and is an important requirement in Malaysian academic settings. The academic setting is a microcosm of the Malaysian population, which is a mix of interlocutors of different racial and language backgrounds. They may also differ in their English language proficiency levels. Therefore, it could be assumed that in Malaysian schools’ unique language environment, sociolinguistic competence contributes to Malaysian students English language proficiency. 2. Malaysian School Language Policy When Malaysia got its independence in 1957, the government of Malaysia set out on a program to establish Bahasa Melayu as the official language, to be used in all government functions and as the medium of instruction at all levels in the education system. The introduction of a new primary school curriculum which goes by the Malay acronym, KBSR (Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah), and the new secondary school curriculum which goes by the acronym, KBSM (Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah), is an approach to provide holistic, balanced and integrated development of an individual’s potential; intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical aspect. However in 2002, the government announced a reversal of policy, calling for a switch to English as a medium of instruction for Mathematics and Science at all levels in the education system. Since 2003, Science and Mathematics have been taught in English. Therefore, teachers will be forced to code-switch to make pupils understand the su bject matter. 3. Sociolinguistic Competence Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of the sociocultural rules of language and of discourse. This type of competence requires an understanding of the social context in which language is used: the rules of the participants, the information they share, and the functions of the interaction. Only in a full context of this kind can judgement be made on the appropriateness of a ‘particular utterance’, as mentioned by Brown (2000). Lyie Bachman’s (1990) sociolinguistic competence comprises aspects, which deal with factors such as politeness, formality, metaphor, registers, and culturally related aspects of language. For students learning English in Malaysia, sociolinguistic competence should take into account those aspects as proposed by Bachman. Broersma (2001) stated that the process of learning sociolinguistic competence is challenging even in one’s first language. He also proposed that evidence of this can be found in the popularity of â€Å"Miss Manners† columns. He claims if we all had perfect sociolinguistic competence, we wouldn’t need advice about the proper way to send wedding invitations or give a dinner party. Having good sociolinguistic competence means knowing how to â€Å"give every person his or her due.† It means knowing when to be quiet, and when to talk, when to give compliments to others, and when to apologize. It also means being able to read situations and know what is the right thing to say or do. There are an infinite number of combinations of roles, tasks, contexts, and feelings that govern what is appropriate in any given encounter. 4. Sensitivity to Dialect or Variety The standard variety of English used in our country is the variety that is taught formally in schools and the Standard British English is the linguistic model in the education system of Malaysia. However in Malaysia, English, being the second language, is learnt for a functional purpose. The most important measure of success when a language is learnt for a functional purpose is communicative effectiveness; that is, whether the language enabled the learners to achieve the purpose of learning. A dialect is a language variation spoken by a particular ethnic, social or regional group and is an element of the group’s collective identity (Ogbu, 1999). Each dialect within a language is just as logical, complex and  rule-governed as the standard form of the language (often called standard variety). Malaysian English (or Manglish) is a non-native variety of English and is one of the most prominent features of Malaysia’s linguistic corpus. Baskaran (1994) has categorized ‘Manglish’ into three sociolects, which are: †¢ Acrolect (‘high’ social dialect) – used for official or educational purposes, considered to be the standard educated sub-variety that approximates native competence and is used in formal speech as well as in written forms by speakers who have been educated in English; †¢ Mesolect (‘middle’ social dialect) – used in semiformal and casual situations, a sub-variety that is used in informal situations among fellow Malaysians. †¢ Basilect (‘low’ social dialect) – used informally and colloquially as a ‘patois’ shades into a pidgin used mostly by village peddlers when talking to tourists and other potential customers. 5. Different English Varieties. There are different varieties of English used here in Malaysia. The important issue here is what would be considered as an acceptable variety of English for Malaysian students? In Malaysia, there is a strong tradition of teaching English when learners are still very young. Also, due to home language interferences and strong media influence, which at times popularises Manglish as a more convenient spoken variety, Malaysian students might not have enough exposure to models of Standard English. Parents might communicate with their children in  strong accented English which is unique to each cultural/racial group, or/and even in broken or grammatically incorrect English. This variety of English could be incomprehensible at times. 5.1 Malaysian English (ME) Some words of ME reflect the multilingual traits of the country. The existence of loan words in the lexis of ME is very rampant and common, especially since Malaysia is a Malay dominated country both in language and culture. Moreover there are no lexical equivalents of certain Malay words in English. Listed below is a list of commonly used borrowed words and phrases which have made their way into the repertoire of speech among speakers of Manglish. At the lexical level, some words of ME used by students reflect the multilingual traits of the country. There exist loan words from contact languages such as Chinese (ta-paw, pu-yao) and Bahasa Malayu (makan). Using substrate lexemes plural in the usual English way is common, e.g. kopios coffees (kop-o, black coffee), Menteri Besar (head of state government) and pengarahs (directors). Other cultural expressions adopted in ME, for instance: †¢ Kadhi (religious judge) impose a fine for khalwat (illicit proximity to the opposite sex) †¢ Don’t act so ulufied (backward, not hip) Wear something more stylo (stylish) †¢ Lets go ngerdate (dating), an Indonesian slang very common among the Malays. †¢ Hello thamby, (boy) one cup of coffee please. An example of a short conversation in colloquial Malaysian English (non-standard English) may sound like this: Housewife: Your fish so flabby, no good one. Fishmonger : Like that already hard †¢what. How hard one you want? You want stone, want wood. I can’t find. Housewife : You half-past six lawyer one. Give little bit cheap la, this fish. Fishmonger : Oh, that’s why you said that kind, said my thing flabby, you want Cheap-cheap. Housewife : You don’t want give, I look other places. Fishmonger : Look, look la, wait you come back look for me also. (Adibah Aroin, New Straits Times, 3V December 1992) 6. Awareness of language differences in the classroom Though the use of Standard English is very much desired, one must not dismiss the significance of other varieties of the language, particularly Manglish. Students must be made to realise the importance of Standard English in academic and formal settings; but at the same time be conscious of the communicative function of Manglish. Manglish helps learners to bridge the gap between the use of acrolect among proponents in an academic setting and the basilect used among their peers to facilitate understanding. More importantly, Manglish has a social function of fostering ties. It motivates students to move from one speech to another level through the opening up of communication channels across the sociolects. Students must realise that the main objective of learning English is not to acquire native speakers’ competency but rather to be intelligible among international English speakers and those within their ‘community’. Students  must be conscious that dialects are not inferior languages and that they should be respected, and that Standard English is necessary only in a formal context. 6.1 Intercultural Media Language The English language and its varieties would make excellent vehicles to create cross-cultural awareness. Students are able to use print and non-print resources of language such to compare the language used in British newspapers and the local dailies. Students will find differences in the use of lexical items and would be able to familiarize themselves with the constructs of ‘Manglish’. They will then proceed to examine larger texts such as novels and plays. This will encourage students to accept their own variety and ‘overcome reluctance to approach another variety once they found that the texts in these other varieties were accessible to them’ (Kachru and Nelson: 1996) 6.2 New English Literatures An excellent method to introduce other varieties of English is through literature. The area of literature opens up multi-traditional aspects of human life, which encourages students to broaden their horizons. By introducing literatures that is very much Malaysian, students will be exposed to new uses and forms of their own language. 6.3 Manglish Discourse Materials, which have features of ‘Manglish’ such as advertisement, obituaries and excerpts from TV and conversations, provide excellent  resources in discussing discourse markers. In this way, students are able to study speech acts such as negotiating, persuading, and apologizing within the structures and cultural context which is most familiar to them. Rather than perceiving it as an obstacle to learning the English language, the recognition of ‘Manglish’ by educational bodies may perhaps be of a great value. 6.4 Importance of Standard Variety I would suggest that students learn to handle formal language in schools. This is because they can easily revert to conversational and colloquial language as and when the context arises. However if one only learns to speak at the colloquial level, one can never rise up to the occasion to speak formal English when the need arises. Formal English requires usage of proper grammar and syntax with appropriate vocabulary. It takes a lot of practice before one can master English at this level. So why short change our students by accepting communication that is only up to the non- native variety level? In fact there is worry in many English speaking countries that teenagers are so used to using colloquial English in their ‘SMS’, that they cannot manage formal English, especially at the written level 7. Sensitivity to Registers The notion of ‘developing a language’ means, adding to its range of social functions. This is achieved by developing new registers. According to Halliday (1978:195), a register is a set of meanings that is appropriate to a particular function of language, together with the words and structures which express these meanings’. Registers are commonly identified by certain phonological variants, vocabulary, idioms and other expressions that are associated with different occupational or socio-economic groups. 7.1 Importance of Registers to Learners The term register includes different aspects of language in various contexts such as field of discourse, modes of discourse, style of discourse and discourse domain. It is important for students to develop styles and registers and recognize how to use them appropriately and be conscious of the need to do so. 7.1.1 Field of Discourse The knowledge of discourse enables students to have the ability to communicate with specialists in a particular field once they’ve understood the use of terminologies used in that field. In The STAR online, 24h March, there was a write up from a concerned parent who felt that teachers needed help in the field of Maths and Science and how crude errors are made such as ‘8 push 4 is 4’ a literal translation from BM (8 tolak 4 ialah 4). Therefore it is important for students to be exposed to mathematical and scientific terminologies because knowledge is power Having knowledge in various fields will help students in their future studies or career such as being proficient in delivering speeches, conducting negotiations, preparing drafts of agreements and in routine business communication. 7.1.2 Modes of Discourse Modes of discourse can be either written or verbal. Students who are not very well versed in their speech may produce ungrammatical, short, incomplete sentences, filled with false starts, fillers and pauses. Tongue (1968:83) has defined ‘fillers’ as a term used to indicate those items of language which communicate no particular denotative meaning but which are used to indicate the emotive, affective attitudes of the speaker, or sometimes simply to fill a pause or a moment of hesitation or reflection in the stream of speech. The most well known is the â€Å"suffix† lah or sometimes pronounced la, which realises different pragmatic functions as illustrated below: †¢ Emphasizing support e.g. I agree lah †¢ Persuading e.g. †¦ .you must do it in a proper way lah †¢ Complementing e.g. that’s a good idea, good lah Other common fillers used are ‘bah’ (by the Sabahans), ‘mah’ (by the Chinese) and â€Å"a?† or â€Å"ah†. â€Å"Ah† serves to function as fillers or breaking points as well as bringing out a question force as shown below. †¢ No point helping friends who are not interested, do you agree with that, ah? Other features of Malaysianess include the use of tag questions in particular the use of â€Å"isn’t it?† and adding the phrase â€Å"or not† to the preceding instead of presenting two alternatives. †¢ We’ve done it, isn’t it? †¢ You want to follow or not? Students must be mindful that usage of such a variety of English is accepted in informal settings. However in a formal setting, the standard variety of English is necessary and is the acceptable norm. With the changing role and the decline in the standard of English in Malaysia, it is found that instances of deviation from Standard English have increased in frequency. Though there is an attempt to use the Standard English, inadequate exposure and lack of knowledge result in the many basic Standard English deviations, which are found even in the speech of educated users of the language. As far as Malaysian students are concerned, these irregularities are usually tolerated and overlooked, as long as they do not interfere too greatly with communicative purposes. At present, indication of these irregularities may be observed in the spoken mode, as many students seem to feel quite free to incorporate features of the local dialect, into their speech, be it in a formal or informal situation . 7.1.3 Style of Discourse An important issue is how students use their verbal repertoire and what are the uses they will put them to. According to Halliday (1978), there are factors, which affect the way people use language. Halliday classifies this as field, mode and tenor. Field refers to ‘why’ and about what a communication takes place, mode is about ‘how’, and tenor is about to whom. For example, in writing a letter, one might start: â€Å"l am writing to inform you that†¦.† but in another letter, the same person might write: â€Å"I just  want to let you know that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  According to Joos (1967), there are five types of formalities: 1) Frozen style is more characteristic of writing than speech e.g. Students should make their way at once to the upper floor by way of the staircase. 2) Formal style uses sentences that show careful planning and logical development of ideas e.g. Students should go up the stairs at once. People who have limited shared background use consultative style; sentences are complete and some background information is given e.g. Would you mind going upstairs right away, please? People who have a shared background use casual style; it is marked by slang, profanity and incomplete sentences e.g. Time you all went upstairs now. Intimate style is the style, which is highly economical and is accompanied by a lot of non-verbal communication; people who know each other very well use it e.g. Up you go, fellows! It seems to me that it is in the area covered by consultative, formal and frozen, that our students need to be competent in. They ought to know which style to use when an occasion arises. Once a student said to his teacher in class: â€Å"Would you be so kind to explain again?† and a moment later, he said, â€Å"I want you to explain this question again†. This shows that the student is not consistent in the level of formality. In a classroom situation, the second one is acceptable but the first one is too formal. Our students fail to take into account the relationship between participants and situations or settings. Students need to be aware that a formal setting requires formal speech and that they may use colloquial words or phrases in an informal setting. They need to be aware that using language often involves how formal one needs to be in a situation. 8. Cultural References and Figures of Speech An overall understanding of the significant role of cultural variables in cross-cultural interactions will act as a bridge to mutual understanding and acceptance in situations of cultural conflict. Students must be aware that in certain cultures, the people are expected to respond to certain  utterances in an appropriate way, which is of the linguistic norm. 8.1 Importance of Cultural Appropriacy A possible way of dealing with varied cultural behaviour is to sensitise students to the unique characteristics of other cultures. Students should develop cultural tolerance and show understanding for other people’s differences. The ability to be tolerant is necessary for anyone hoping to avoid miscommunication. It involves the learner recognizing that every culture has its own logic, its own integrity and that no one culture is any better (or, for that matter, any worse) than any other. Malaysian idiomatic expressions used by learners could only be understood at the local context. Some are even fond of the idea of contextualization these days. It truly gives a Malaysian flavour to our speech. Localised expression appeals to the average man in the street. Having a common speech pattern somehow helps some students to bond quickly and so it helps to establish friendship between like-minded people. 9. Ways of Improving Students Sociolinguistics Competence The lack in cross-cultural understanding or sensitivity on the part of the teacher has serious implications because it affects classroom management and consequently, student’s learning. There are various activities that can be carried out in classrooms to instil cultural understanding. Learning how to perform particular speech acts in both formal and informal settings,  learning particular â€Å"ways of speaking†, like story telling, narratives, joke-telling, simply learning to chitchat, are all important in learning how to speak proficiently. Syaharom Abdullah (1995) believes that students will become conscious of the values and expectations, which are basic in a culture through dialogue practice or role-play. In learning English, the student has to learn how to use and interpret the sociolinguistic rules of English in various contexts. To achieve this, the learner must develop an awareness of areas in which the sociolinguistic system of his own culture differs from those of other cultures. Teachers can design some problem-solving exercises in order to do so. 10. Conclusion It is obvious that sociolinguistic competence offers more insights in learning a language. Problems may arise for students’ who may not be familiar with the various context of language use. By means of getting acquainted with the various cultures of Englishes and updating their knowledge about language learning, students may be better able to accomplish the goals of engaging themselves in the pragmatic, authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purpose. It is important that the second language instructors in Malaysia be familiar with sociolinguistics. Teaching language is not just about learning the rudiments of the language but also various cultural refinements. Students must be made aware of formal and informal language use. They should be knowledgeable as to appropriate expressions for different context. Students must be mindful as to when they can resort to colloquial language and when formality is necessary. Lastly students need to be made aware that mastering English does not mean acquiring native proficiency, but rather having universal intelligibility. References Adibah A. (1992). The New Straits Times, SO†1 December. Bachman, L. (1990). Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. Oxford University Press. Baskaran,L. (1994). The Malaysia English Mosaic. English Today 37 Vol. 10. Brown H. Douglas, (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Fourth Edition, Longman. Broersma, D. (2001). â€Å"‘You’re So White, So Fat, and So Hairy!†: Developing Sociolinguistic Competence in a Second Language.† In Helping Learners Develop Second Language Proficiency, L. J. Dickerson (Ed.), pp. 200-205. Colorado Springs: Mission Training International. M.A.K. Halliday. (1978). Language as Social Semiotic: The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning, Baltimore: University Park Press, 1978; London: Edward Arnold, 1978. Joos, Martin. (1967). The Five Clocks, New York: Harcourt, Brace & World. Kachru. B.B. and Nelson, C.L. (1996). World Englishes. In Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching. USA Cambridge University Press. Morias, Elaine. (1994). Malaysian Business Talk: A Study of Conflict and Non-Conflict in Verbal Interactions. PHD Thesis, University of Malaya. Syaharom Abdullah. (1995). Thai Tesol Annual Conference, January 1995, Universiti Utara Malaysia. Test/cultural kind-html. The Star On Line, 24th March, 2003. Tongue, R.K. (1979). The English of Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore, Eastern University Press. Ogbu, J.U. (1999). Beyond Languages: Ebonies, Proper English and Identity in a Black- American Speech Community. American Educational Research Journal, 36 147-184.

Language Barriers

Language barriers can impede the educational progress of minorities. The United States is facing the challenge of language barriers in the way of educational progress of minorities. There are approximately 3.5 million children who are not proficient in English language due to their different native language. The United States has received maximum number of new arrivals in 1960s. these arrivals included refugees, illegal and legal immigrants and migrants. As a result, number of enrolled students increased significantly and a large number of new comers were admitted in the public schools of the United States. These newly enrolled students were from different nations so they were proficient in their native languages but their proficiency level regarding English language was very low or none. There were not/hardly able to speak English. To overcome this challenge, several educational policies, and legislation and court decisions were made (Berman et al, 1992). The Bilingual Education Act of 1968, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Act was the first step that was taken to overcome the challenge of language barrier. The purpose of this Act was to make sure that all the Mexican American children learn to speak English to an extent that can enable them to actively participate in their educational activities. The role of this Act was later expanded to overcome the language barrier of all non-English speaking children. It is shown in Chavez, (1991, p. 11-12): â€Å"It is not the purpose of the bill to create pockets of different languages through the country †¦ but just to try to make those children fully literate in English†. Several steps were taken to overcome the language barrier. The purpose of all the steps was to enable all non-English speaking children to speak English fluently. An example of such as decision was made in Lau v. Nichols (1974) when the United States Supreme Court declared that every non-English speaking child has got the right to get special assistance in learning English. It stated: There is no equality of treatment merely by providing students with the same facilities, textbooks, teachers, and curriculum; for students who do not understand English are effectively foreclosed from any meaningful education. †¦ Teaching English to the students of Chinese ancestry who do not speak the language is one choice. Giving instruction to the group in Chinese is another. There may be others. (Chavez, 1991, pp. 14-15) A large number of Limited English Proficient students are enrolling in the 10th grade test. It was also found that the number of Hispanic high school graduates was very less all over the country. This was due to large number of students who were dropped out of the school. Although there have been several efforts to improve the English language of non-English speaking students specially Hispanic students but it is found that despite all these efforts, the drop out rate of Hispanic students has not decreased to a significant extent (Hispanic Dropout Project, 1998). Conclusion English language learners are usually exempted from appearing in the assessments that are done for native English speakers. It is quite unfair because non-English speaking students are left behind. It is suggested that non-English speakers should also be allowed to appear in the same assessment programs that are done for English speakers. This will help the non-English speakers to get out of the feeling of left out and they will progress a breast with native English speakers. References Berman, P., Chambers, J., Gandara, P., McLaughlin, B., Minicucci, C., Nelson, D., Olsen, L, & Parrish, T. (1992). Meeting the challenge of language diversity: An evaluation of programs for pupils with limited proficiency in English. Berkeley, CA: BW Associates. Chavez, L. (1991). Out of the barrio: Towards a new politics of Hispanic assimilation. New York: Basic. Hispanic Dropout Project. (1998). No more excuses: The final report of the Hispanic dropout project. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Lau v. Nichols, 414 U.S. 563 (1974).                        

Artists and Collective Groups

Magiciens de la terre was staged by the curator Jean Hubert Martin on 14 August, 1989 in Paris. The exhibition portrays the work of hundreds of artists and collective groups from all over the world to create a juxtaposition effect. It aimed to eradicate the culture of ethnocentrism from the minds of people that was prevailing at that time. The European people back then would undervalue the art work of people from other cultures and values and none of the art exhibition would deal with the subject. Jean Martin took up the subject and portrayed over a hundred of artists at an equal level where 50 percent of the artists were non western. The attempt was made through the artistic representation that people cannot be discriminated based on geographical regions and they also deserve to receive equal respect from the society (Rapko, 2014). The curator chose to go for installation view for the exhibition in the gallery and selected the master work of Carl Beam and Richard Long. These works were chosen to signify the geographical regions across the world and renewed questions based on land and place and how the concept of art deals with the other geographical regions. The two works are being put together in a contrasting manner in order to make the audience think over the issues that have been prevailing in the society for such a long period. Richard’s long mud circle was made to hang near the Yuendumu community ground painting Yarla. Yarla is a traditional Australian piece of art that was made in the early centuries. The contrasting effect is created in order to showcase the issues that arise during the work. The exhibition also makes use of the Sarkis through showcases, screens, projections, reading tables and shelving (Friedel, 2016). Apart from that, unlike the traditional exhibitions, this exhibition also displayed how the preparation of the exhibition was carried out through a number of videos which shows that the work was not just taken abruptly and every projection has a reason behind it to be showcased. The exhibition layout and structure was not like a traditional finished exhibition rather the curator made sure to make the exhibition movable as much as he could in order to shed some light on the practices which were deep rooted in the European culture. The exhibition comprised of a number of texts and images to display the views of European people over the non western world. The non western artists were represented on the stage with full respect and dignity equal to their western counterpart. This act demanded their equal rights in artistic world from the European people. The scenarios in the exhibition were staged in a manner so as to show case the inequities of the world. The 113 artist were staged along with their geographical locations, biographies and artistic works from over 50 countries across the world (Africanah.org, 2016). The exhibition is displayed in parts to give a contrasting view of the world through portraying different artists from the world. Every act has a message at the end for the audience to ponder upon. The artists are from different geographical location from all over the world such is Australia, Tibet, China and many more. The exhibition makes extensive use of videos, documentary, images etc to highlight the ethnocentric issue. The exhibition starts with the Australian artists all together working on a painting on the ground. The artists talk to each other but their conversation which cannot be heard is not the focus here rather their art work ground painting is highlighted which is dreaming of rain. The scene depicts the hidden world of Dreamtime. The next part opens with a Chinese guy who first washes newspapers in the washing machine to make a wall installation out of it. At first, he tries to connect himself with the Taoist’s philosophy prevailing in China which does not encourage questions. The inability to seek answer from the philosophy disconnects him from the Chinese culture and he finds himself between the western artists with whom he reconnects himself. The third part shows some monks who are trying to create an art work with the use of dust and metal sticks. They work very hard to make the image and even start sweating in the process of making this complex art work. These people are actually working very hard and dealing with the complexities of the art work. The next part shows the conversation between two women American Indian and African. The African woman asks some questions related to a blanket to the other woman and after hearing the answer the African woman is relieved. The next scene portrays a father and a daughter making a sand painting and the same lady who portrayed as an American woman in the earlier scene is also standing there and watching them. The man erases the painting after showing it to his wife. The scene symbolizes that deletion of something would lead to creation of some other new possibility. The scene leaves a very deep message for the audience to think upon. The exhibition was under preparation for around four years with limited number of curators. The curators travelled across the globe for the exhibition to get themselves acquainted with the different socio culture and psychology of the people across the world. They travelled from North America to Australia, Japan, China, Tibet and other countries to explore the culture (Solal, 2016). The curator chose the installation mode of presenting unlike the traditional exhibitions, because he wanted to have a direct connection with the audience through the show. He did not want the audience to see the immovable objects through the finished objects which gives the feeling that they have been abruptly taken from their original context and the audience does not even get to know the real motive behind the scene. The installation approach gives the audience a different perspective of thinking by engaging it through different acts and scenes. The audience gets to understand the real essence of the different acts that the curator wants to portray. Since the light and technology was not even a close match that of today’s, still the curator made use of best of the technologies that were prevailing at that time. The extensive use of projectors to show the videos demonstrate that the best technologies were chose of that time. The screens were used for the reflection part. Then there was use of reading tables and shelves for the exhibition. The light technology used in the traditional art works of Richard Long ‘Red Earth Circle’ and Yuendumu, an Australian aboriginal community, is mesmerizing and demonstrates the excellent work of the curator. The work displayed by the curator is an excellent presentation of revolutionary art, which has become a global turn phenomenon in the history of the world. Around 300,000 visitors visited the exhibition and were amazed to see the art work by the curator. Though there was intensive criticism for the art exhibition by many critics for the theme being used. The work was criticized for hurting the religious sentiments of a number of people over the world (Modern, 2014). Though the curator clarified that the essence was to give the non western artist the respect they deserve and to not to focus on the mini details of the work and overlook them. Overall, the exhibition was an excellent effort by the curator through the extensive use of films, reference documents, notes and notebooks, films, catalogues and books, which shaped the concept of events. The visitors were enlightened by the field trips, the contact with the artists, the staging and the work of institutions. Rapko, J. (18 May 2014). The Design Isn’t Firm; Or, Why Do Curators Talk Like That?.NYAQ/LXAQ/SFAQ: International Art and Culture. Available at: https://sfaq.us/2015/05/the-design-isnt-firm-or-why-do-curators-talk-like-that/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Friedel, J. (12 August 2016). Magiciens de la Terre. Contemporary and Platform for International art from African perspectives. Available at: https://www.contemporaryand.com/magazines/magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Africanah.org. (2 July 2014). Magiciens de la Terre, a look back at a legendary exhibition. Africanah.org.   Available at: https://africanah.org/magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Solal, A.C. Revisiting Magiciens de la terre. Stedelijk Studies. Available at: https://www.stedelijkstudies.com/journal/revisiting-magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Steeds, L. (2013). Making Art Global (Part 2) ‘Magiciens de la terre’ 1989. London: Afterall Books. Modern, T. (18 March 2014). In 1989 The Ambitious Exhibition ‘Magiciens De La Terre’ opened in Paris, presenting the work of over one hundred artists, half of whom were described as non-western. Biennial Foundation. Available at: https://www.biennialfoundation.org/2014/03/in-1989-the-ambitious-exhibition-magiciens-de-la-terre-opened-in-paris-presenting-the-work-of-over-one-hundred-artists-half-of-whom-were-described-as-non-western/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Modern, T. Magiciens De La Terre: Reconsidered. Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/magiciens-de-la-terre-reconsidered [Accessed 13 December 2016]. Former West. Magiciens De La Terre Jean-Hubert Martin Editions du Centre Pompidou 1989 ISBN 102858504989. Former West. Available at: https://www.formerwest.org/ResearchLibrary/MagiciensdelaTerre [Accessed 13 December 2016]. Critique d’art. From  Magiciens de la Terre  to the Globalization of the Art World: Going Back to a Historic Exhibition. Critique d’art. Available at: https://critiquedart.revues.org/8308?lang=en Accessed 13 December 2016]. JStor. Bilderstreit' and 'Magiciens de la Terre. Paris and Cologne. JStor. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/884068?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Accessed 13 December 2016].

Research project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project - Research Paper Example Do appropriate candidature policies determine the votes a candidate gets? The response to this quiz is necessary for system modelling for a national election candidate’s success in the United Kingdom. If the political candidate’s policies primarily affects the manner in which voters will vote, other political forces such as party euphoria and candidate’s charisma would be irrelevant. It would then be imperative to understand how a nominee’s policies will affect the national legal, political structure in all aspects. On the other hand if policies don’t change the voting patterns, political candidates tend to focus on other significant elements. For instance, political candidate’s previous history and leadership qualities among others. Previous studies indicate that candidates with good policies command higher votes as compared to others. The clearest way of deciding if voting patterns are affected or prefer policy choices is by comparing voter s’ preferred policies and others (Kellstedt and Whitten, 2013). My research question will be: Does appropriate Party policies determine the number of votes a candidate is most likely to get? The research question tries to establish a link between setting down party policies with reference to voter turnout and how this shapes up. In this study, we identify the significance of party systems and its relationship to the number of votes a party’s nominee gets. Political party nominee’s get more votes as a result of appropriate party policies. In this case, the dependent variable is proposed, and the independent variable is party politics. As a result of proper party politics that citizens find appealing tends to attract more votes towards a party for its candidate while non-appealing policies tend to push away votes for a party’s nominee. In the hypothesis framework showing the

Reflective analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Bars and Night Clubs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bars and Night Clubs - Essay Example The dance floor is usually lighted by different kinds of lights which spark through out the club. The feel given to a night club is different than that to other clubs and bars in terms of the themes and environment given to the clubbers. The music in night clubs is usually played by a DJ who plays fast music such as pop or dance items. The lighting forms an important aspect in the night clubs as the revolving lights of different colors in the night club gives a charm to the whole night club. Different types of lighting have been arranged for the night clubs which give effect to the whole night club. Flashing of different colored lights is a common sight in these clubs. Similarly the audio system used in night clubs is of immense importance as the whole night club dances to the rhythm of the music. It can be said that night clubs are basically designed to give the clubbers a change in the environment of dancing and a freedom which not all the clubbers can experience in the outer world . The dance floor is usually lit up by flashing lights in which people cannot usually view the faces of each other clearly. Nowadays night clubs also include a bar which provides people with beer and alcohol to drink. The night clubs are usually open in the night and closed in the daylight hours.

The importance of an enterprise resource planning system Essay

The importance of an enterprise resource planning system - Essay Example The three tier architecture of client server is exploited to a great extent by enterprise resource planning. For ERP systems other enabling technologies comprise of Workflow, Group Ware, Work Group, Data Warehousing, Electronic Data Interchange, Intranet, the Internet, etc. There are some important characteristics of ERP that has made this framework beneficial for all contemporary organizations as highlighted in figure 1. Firstly, the flexibility of ERP in terms of responding to any form of organizational changes. The technology of client server supports ERP to access a wide array of database ends. An ERP framework demands an open system architecture. This indicates that any module can be detached as and when required without causing an impact on other modules. ERP system is comprehensive by nature since it needs to support various functions. This system is not just confined to the organizational boundary and needs to deliver best business practices. The major areas benefitting throu gh these systems are inventory management, procurement or supplier management, financial management, customer flexibility or responsiveness and personnel management. In the overall context, ERP provides multi-facility, multi-platform, multi-mode manufacturing, multilingual and multi-currency facilities. ERP also helps to reduce information gap existing between organizations. Business benefits from ERP with examples ERP systems are able to provide a competitive advantage to all organizations in terms of increasing business performance.