Intro to Linguistics Essay

The study of human languages; including the influence of one language on another; how language and words are formed and change within time; the rules of the language- how words are formed, the structure of sentences and words; relationship between culture and language; how language is acquired- the process of language acquisition (foreigner verses mother tongue language). There are two approaches/types of linguistics: 1. Traditional Linguistics- the only field that ruled until the 20 century. 2. Modern Linguistics Traditional Linguistics. Characteristics: 1. Proscriptive approach- according to this approach, linguists tell native speakers how to use their own mother tongue- what are the rules: set norms of/ dictating the right use of the language, the rules and the right use of the language- educating the native speakers. The goal is to tell the speakers what is considered right or wrong language. 2. Focus on the written language- Most of the focus is on the written text, which is considered superior to the spoken language; the base of the rules. 3. Diachronic Research (etymology) – Historical research- the study of the origins of words and languages, which reveals many connections between different languages. Due to technological developments, the influence of one language on another is even higher these days. Modern Linguistics At the beginning of the 20 century, there was a shift of interest to the following: The human languages are more complex and highly different than animal communication systems- due to amazing cognitive human communication ability (the language faculty). A known Swiss linguist, Ferdinand de Sassure- the first linguist to pose the following question: what do we know when we know a language (mother tongue)? By asking this question the focus of linguistics was shifted from grammar to the study of human language as a cognitive ability (cognitive science). The focus shifted to Language faculty ( ) – and what it consists of. Characteristics: 1. Descriptive approach- we observe native speakers’ use the language, both in writing and in speaking, and try to draw conclusions out of it- learn about the changes that the language undergoes through time. Not interested in what should be, but rather in what IS. There is no judgment of the use, just observation and description of the current use, in order to analyze and find correlations. 2. Focus is on the spoken language- point of departure is that the spoken language is more important to the research because of the following: * It is less conscious, more natural, spontaneous and dynamic and therefore it reflects better the current use of the language. * Not all languages have a written system, but everyone has at least one mother tongue language. * The written language is less natural- one needs to study it in a very logical way; whereas the spoken language –mother tongue is acquired in a natural process, common to everyone (normally in the early years of 3-4). 3. Synchronic Research (current) – the focus is not on the origin/History of the words; but on the current use of the words today. We are less interested in what happened; but rather in what is happening today. Knowing â€Å"The† whereas knowing â€Å"about†! 07/11/11 Linguistic Fields 1. Phonetics- the study of linguistic sounds (also called phones) which are consisted of consonants and vowels. The focus is on the articulation and pronunciation of sounds (independent of the letters/ graphics). How the sound is produced. It is independent of the letters (which is just the graphics). How we produce and perceive sounds. 2. Phonology- deals with sounds in interaction, and when they are brought together into words- they usually affect each other. Cats(s), dogs(z)- something very systematic- ( )) 3. Morphology- examines words’ structure, and the ways words are added into our vocabulary, i. e. – how we form new words. Ex- dis/content/ed/ness (the parts are also called Morphemes- small units of words) 4. Syntax- deals with sentence structure and the meaning of sentences. We also examine differences between languages- the order of verb and its subject, adj, nouns etc. In addition, we examine Syntaxic Processing , for example: Without her contributions/ are hard to find. – At first glance- it looks like something is missing in the sentence, when actually we did not process it in the right way- we can look at the sentence as: without her, contributions are hard to find. 5. Semantics- the study of meaning- both of words and sentences, and the logic behind them. 6. Pragmatics –deals with meaning in context- how we understand one another beyond what is actually said (the use of the language). For example: do you have the time? – One won’t answer: â€Å"yes†; but rather tell the person what time it is. Not like the dry literate meaning, Pragmatics deal with the actual use of language – meaning in context- beyond the literate words that were actually said. – 2 â€Å" â€Å"- : * 6 ( = – 6 ) * 6 ( = ! – ) 7. Discourse Analysis- Like Pragmatics, this also examines the use of language, but the focus is on the text. Written vs. spoken text; Narratives vs. expository text; the use of conjunctions; types of text; different tenses; complex vs. simple sentences; the length of sentences; vocabulary etc. 8. Language acquisition- we examine the process of acquiring a language- mother tongue and then foreign languages. How children acquire their mother tongue so quickly? How does the process happen? Which words are produced first etc. It is related to all the other fields mentioned above. 9. Neuro Linguistic- examines how linguistic knowledge is represented in the brain. For example: aphasia- brain injury that affects the part of the brain that understands linguistics. 10. Psycho Linguistic- a very big field that examines the correlation between language and psychological cognitive processes (for example: lexical retrieval). Sometimes one meaning of a word is more prominent than the other, depending on the context. For example: bug- insect/ computer related problem. The field also examines what happens when there is no context- how we associate between words and its meanings. For example: word priming- â€Å"Duck†-(goose/ book)- the word duck primes with goose, faster than with the word book. 11. Historical Linguistics- examines the evolution of languages, the origin of words, and the relation between languages- how they genetically related to one another (Etymology). 12. Computational Linguistics-deals with building artificial intelligence, creating models that try to imitate how language works and use it in different applications. Related to the implementation of linguistics. Information extraction, more practical. (for example: Google translate). 13. Clinical linguistics ( )- the use of linguistic tools for speech therapy, for people who have language disorders (both kids and adults). 14. Social Linguistics- the field that examines the interaction between language and society (socio economic and cultural factors). Socio-linguistics We distinguish between dialects- different varieties of the same language, as a result of many factors. Types of Dialects- 1. Geographic Dialect-changes according to region (city, country). In the states there are so many different dialects, depending on the area one grew up in. 2. Sociolect-typical for a certain group in the society, which has its own social, economic and cultural characteristics. 3. Idiolect-dialect that is typical to an individual. It is sometimes gradual, and we don’t always notice it. Usually bases on imitation. Each of us speaks a little bit differently (intonation, pronunciation, vocabulary etc). 21/11/11 Linguistic knowledge- every 4-5 year old can speak the mother tongue language. Where does the ability to understand and speak a language comes from? The 2 opposed approaches argue on the source of that ability/knowledge – Is it innate (genes) or acquired (comes from the environment, stimulates, feedback)? Two opposed currents in science, which have great debate on the nature of human knowledge in general. They argue on the source of the human knowledge: 1. Empiricism (John lock; Hume) -every person comes to the world, as a clean slate- have no knowledge, which means that human knowledge equals the sum of experiences. Nothing is innate, we are only equipped with the ability to respond. Everyone are born equal- with nothing innate. This means humans can be shaped- their thought can be manipulated using feedback and exposure. 2. Rationalism (Decardes)-claim that human knowledge does not equal the sum of experiences: we are born with some innate material- we are equipped with some ability, to which experience is added. Experience is not the only thing! All people are equal, but this equality is based on richness- we all share something very basic and innate, to which environment is added. At the beginning of the second half of the 20 century, the argument of human knowledge continued with regards to the human language – mother tongue (different theories): Behaviorism- As continuance of Empiricism- there was a current called Behaviorism (BF Skinner, wrote the Verbal Behavior, 1957). B. F. Skinner claimed, based on Empiricism, that Linguistic knowledge is based solely on exposure and the ability to react- to learn from experience. That means everything is acquired, nothing is in the Genes. Skinner also claimed we expand our sets of sentences, by analogy (differ in only one thing- thus it is able to expand one’s use with the other). For example: a kid only heard â€Å"John ate an apple†- but he will be able to create the following sentence: â€Å"John ate an Orange†; using Analogy. This means, we learn and use language, by: exposure +analogy. —————- In the following sentences, configuration of who does what changes (relationships between the entities) when changing the word â€Å"told† to â€Å"promise† and still, it is automatically understood by a child in his mother tongue: John told bill to clean the room; John promised Bill to clean the room. How? -analogy is not enough to explain the above. —————- Noam Chomsky (Influenced from Rationalism; wrote the Syntactic Structures, 1957) -a linguistic who argued against Skinner’s observations, claiming Analogy is not enough; and we have to assume inborn/innate linguistic knowledge, common to all human beings (regardless of their language or culture), which is also known as â€Å"the Hypothesis of innateness†. The experience and the feedback are mapped on to these language biological properties (encoded in our genes). The experience and feedback are not enough to explain mother tongue knowledge! We have to add it to something innate. Language is partially innate! Evidence Chomsky proposed to enforce his theory: 1. Properties of human languages (natural languages, animals’ communication systems are excluded)- * Homogeneity- except for pathological cases, all human beings acquire at least one mother tongue; more or less at the same time; regardless of their region, culture, socio-economical condition etc. This implies there is something biological in the acquiring of a mother tongue language- we are all the same. * Infiniteness- language is infinite- we have the ability to produce and understand an endless number of sentences, including sentences that we have never heard before. We have the ability to expand the language (for example- we never count to 1,000,000 but we can). * Identical properties across languages- there are some properties that all languages share (therefore- it has to be in the genes, otherwise – how can it be explained? ). For example: * All languages have nouns and verbs –thus, it has to be some inborn categories. * Universal grammer rules/structures, that all languages share: * John said that Mary bought a car. What did John say Mary bought? * Bill said that John said that Mary bought a car. What did Bill say that John said that Mary bought? * John spread the rumor that Mary bought a car. What did John spread the rumor that Mary bought? – Ungrammatical sentence- any speaker will know this sentence is ungrammatical- impossible in English. What prevents speakers of using the above structure intuitively (in other languages as well)? Chomsky claimed that there are universal constraints (in all grammer of all languages) that prevent it. 28/11/11 2. Properties of the process of language acquisition (mother tongue) * Process is quick and efficient- child has to acquire a very complex system of rules, and he does it by the age of 4-5. By the age of 5 he already masters the language (in comparison to the long and complex process of learning a foreigner language). It shows that there is something innate behind it, otherwise- it would have been a quick process also when learning foreigner language. * Critical period/age- there is a certain age in which the child must be exposed to a language (the innate system has to be stimulated, activated), in order to acquire it- the age is usually around 6-8, and in some extreme cases it can go until adolescence (16). If it was not activated during the critical period, the child will have no mother tongue- he will have no grammer. He will be able to communicate in a basic function, but without the richness and infinity of the mother tongue acquisition, since the brain is no longer elastic enough to acquire a mother tongue. The issue of critical period provides support for the importance of both exposer and innate theories. Chomsky agrees that exposer is crucial, but it is crucial to activate innate abilities. If it was only exposer – it would have been possible to acquire a mother tongue at any age. * Process is spontaneous/ immune against external interference- the process happens by itself and the teacher/ parent cannot manipulate it. MCNeal (1964)-research that shows you cannot manipulate child’s grammer, it will eventually change by itself with exposer. * Identical stages across languages- children acquire their mother tongue in parallel stages across linguistics, more or less at the same time, regardless of the language. This shows that there is some biological aspect to the process of mother tongue acquisition we have to assume something innate in order for the process to be so universal. (First they babble, then acquire first words, combining 2 words together, then start using sentences). * Poverty of stimuli- stimuli(the input) is poor- it is not enough to explain completely how a child acquires and masters his mother tongue: a. The stimuli is partial and consists of errors- the child can never be exposed to everything, still he makes up sentences he has never heard before. What he is exposed to is limited, yet what he can produce is endless. In addition, the stimuli consist of errors- he child doesn’t always listen to complete/ grammatical correct sentences: the input he hears consists of partial sentences and grammatical errors; yet the children know how to filter the errors and eventually acquire a perfect grammer. b. There is no teaching- the process of acquiring a mother tongue involves no methodological and pedagogical process (in regard to grammer). c. No negative evidence- there are mistakes that no child will ever make, even though he is not told ahead not to make them. For example: John thinks he is smart (he can be either John or somebody else) VS. He thinks John is smart (he can never refer to John). When examining language acquisition, we see children making many mistakes, but no child will ever use the second sentence when he wants to refer to John. No child will make such mistakes to begin with- they just know, without being told ahead. De Sassure – was the first one to ask what do we know when we know a language? What does it mean to know a language? He distinguished between the following terms: * Langue-the rules of the language, that are agreed upon by some society. The rules of a language, but from a social point of view (a social term). * Parole-everything we use or say- the way we actually use the language (What we actually do, language wise). Linguists are generally more interested in the Langue (the knowledge). De Sassure didn’t relate to the question of innateness- what abilities, if any, we have in our minds†¦ 12/12/11 Noam Chomsky used 2 other terms: Competence vs. Performance. 1. Performance: the same as Parole: performance is how we actually use the language: what we actually write or say. 2. Competence: is not exactly the same as Langue. Both relate to the rules of the language, but Langue is about the society, the community (grammer is something social, that we all agree on- social interaction creating social agreement) and Competence is about the individual (the system one has in his mind: some of it comes from the genes and some from the environment). Competence is the ability that each of us has to produce and understand an endless number of sentences. Every speaker of every language, has the ability (whether it is innate or not). The point of view of Chomsky and De Sassure is different when relating to the rules of the language. In modern linguistics- the focus is on the Langue- competence and not directly what we say/do with the language (the main goal is to crack the black box and understand how the system works). The performance is the mean to learn about the competence, not the direct end. It teaches us/indicates about the competence: the way we speak or write tells us about how the knowledge is organized in one’s mind. The main question that linguists ask is: what does competence consist of? Chomsky’s Model: UG+EXPOSER= G. Chomsky assumes innateness and that language faculty is to some extent universal (some things are common to all languages). He Offers a SPECIFIC model for this question: When a child is born he is in the initial state. In this state, he has some specific knowledge, shared by all languages: Universal Grammer (UG) – it is the grammer that is common to all languages. In addition to the difference in vocabulary, there are grammatical differences between languages: by the end of the critical period, he has more than the UG, he ends up with Particular Grammer (PG, G)- specific grammer of a specific language. There are many Gs, as many as the number of languages in the world. A child is equipped with universal grammer, common to all languages, and during the first years he is exposed to his mother tongue and how it takes place (feedback, corrections, mistakes etc)- and acquires particular/specific grammer. UG+EXPOSER= G. The G is a combination of something innate and something that comes from the environment. What does the UG consist of? According to Chomsky’s model, UG consists of two things: 1. Principles- rules that are innate and that are common to all languages (things that don’t change at all from one language to another, such as: the existence of nasal consonants). 2. Parameters- those are also rules that are innate, and are also part of universal grammer; but in contrast to principals, these are open rules, whose values (â€Å"fillings†) are acquired during the exposer. The values are not common to different languages, Thus they have to be acquired via exposer. For example: in all language there is a subject in every sentence; but in some languages the subject must be a separate entity- which means the subject position is always occupied vs. in some languages the subject can be dropped (English does not allow the dropping of a subject: can’t say â€Å"ate an apple†. We must add a subject; vs. Hebrew- – â€Å" † represents the subject. In the French language, we are not allowed to drop the subject, even when it is known who did the action: J’ai mange la pomme- the French â€Å"ai† is like the Hebrew â€Å" † , yet we still cannot drop the J: we have to have a separate entity for the subject). This parameter is called the Null subject parameter ( )- The Parameter: the subject must be pronounced separately; The Values of the Parameter: (that has to be filled- determined through the acquisition process) Yes or No. In Hebrew and Italian the value is no (in some cases, we can have a sentence without a subject), in English and French the value is Yes. During the critical period, the child is exposed to the data in his mother tongue and they acquire the values to the fixed parameters (the parameter is innate, its values though are not innate- they change from language to language and acquired in the child’s critical period). Another Parameter is: * It is hot outside- * It seems that Marry is late- * There is a cat in the room- In English the occurrence of the pronouns (functioning as the sentence’s subject) â€Å"it† and â€Å"there† is a must: they cannot be dropped (it is not grammatical, although one will be perfectly understood if he’ll say it); in Hebrew, we can drop them. Even though semantically we don’t need the subject, in English it must be filled. These pronouns are called: Expletive / Pleonastic Pronouns- pronouns that do not refer to an entity, but they’re only function is to fill the subject position. They HAVE NO SEMANTIC ROLE, THEY ARE ONLY THERE TO FILL THE POSTION OF THE SUBJECT. We distinguish between pleonastic pronouns and referential pronouns, which refer to some kind of entity (he, she, w, they etc). â€Å"It† and â€Å"There† are not always expletive pronouns- they can also function as referential pronouns: It is hot outside (expletive) vs. I can’t eat the soup, (referential); the cat is there (referential) vs. there is a cat in the room (expletive). We can relate to it as two parameters: 1. Parameter: an expletive pronoun exists; values: yes/no. (In English- yes, in Hebrew- no). 2. Parameter: a subject is a must; values: yes/no. (We can say that if a language must have a subject, it will necessary have Expletive pronouns; and vice versa: If the subject is not a must- there are no expletive pronouns. there might be, but they will not be a must). The two things come together- * Cluster of properties- The Parameters come in clusters- one affects/ can teach about the other. The existence of Principles and Parameters strengthens the hypothesis of innateness, because it shows the occurrence of certain grammer structures is not random- there is something consistent across different languages, which therefore must be predetermined, innate. 19/12/11 Some languages require an independent subject and in addition- they have expletive pronouns (it seems that the quiz will be difficult- expletive; this soup is not tasty because it is cold. – The â€Å"it† is referential- points to an entity). Proposition Stranding and Pied Piping â€Å"Who did you speak to? † can also be asked as followed: â€Å"To whom did you speak? â€Å"- These are two possible grammatical structures that manifest the same idea. It is not possible in Hebrew: : : This construction is called- Preposition Stranding- you desert the proposition by itself: leaving the proposition by itself at the end of the sentence. It can be viewed as a parameter, differentiating languages. Another construction/parameter is: Pied Piping- locating the proposition at the beginning of the sentence. This parameter is valued â€Å"yes† in both English and Hebrew (allowed in both languages). Material for the quiz is up to here! ————————————————- Phonetics and Phonology- These are both fields that deal with sound and specifically linguistic sounds (phones- ) – sounds that are parts of a language. Phones are divided into: consonants (b, l, r, m†¦) and vowels (e, a, i†¦ ). The differentiation doesn’t refer to the letters, but to the sounds that are used naturally/ automatically. (Since the same sound can be expressed/ represented by different symbols/letters, for example: the sound â€Å"K†- is represented by 4 letters: k, c, q, ch. We will refer to all 4 as â€Å"K†). In Phonetics- Different sounds are examined in different languages: how they are produced and how they are perceived- it is a technical field regarding how pronunciation works. One sound can be expressed/ represented by different symbols/letters or one letter â€Å"u† represents many sounds: university, fur, put, cut etc. Conclusion: there is no correspondence between sound and symbol. Phonetic systems (systems of symbols- used for transcription- write exactly as you here it- distinguish between spelling and pronunciation) 1. International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) – a system of symbols, used mainly by linguists, in which every sound corresponds to one symbol and vice versa. 2. American Phonetic Alphabet (APA) – similar, yet competing system to the IPA. These are two similar, yet competing, artificial languages/ systems, dealing with the ambiguity of the languages/ with the lack of correspondence between sound and symbol. Both systems are based on English letters, other than special sounds/exceptions (that have no one specific letter in English that prescribe them) such as: * in order to indicate/transcribe â€Å"sh† – we use: stretched big s (IPA) or s^(APA)- (the ^ should be upside down) * ch= t+stretched big S with a bow on top of them (IPA) or c^ (APA) * for th (such as in thin) = 0 with a line across it (APA+IPA) 26/12/11 A minimal pair- * big- pig * sing- sang. * dean- teen (The only difference is the phone- â€Å"t† vs â€Å"d†. The spelling is irrelevant) * knight- light These words are different in meaning, yet they are different in only one sound. The switch of the consonant â€Å"g†/ â€Å"p† changes the meaning of the word. This kind of word pairs are called â€Å"minimal pair†-a pair of words that differ from one another in meaning and in one phone (sound) only. (Only one difference in pronunciation- the spelling is irrelevant) * night- knight : are not a minimal pair, because there is no difference in pronunciation. Phoneme- Phoneme- a minimal linguistic unit that can change the meaning. One of the goals of recognizing minimal pairs is to recognize the basic sounds in a language, that can cause a change of meaning. We use the tool of minimal pairs to identify and distinguish between the Phonemes of a language. Aspirated consonant ( ) * Spy vs. pie- when we pronounce â€Å"pie†, there is a greater puff of air when pronounced. This is also the case in: stole vs. tall (in â€Å"tall† we puff much more air). These are aspirated consonants, which are marked with a little â€Å"h† on top of the consonant. They are two types for the same consonant- the regular and the aspirated one, where we puff a greater amount of air (pie; tall). Are the aspirated consonants phonemes? (Can they distinguish between a minimal pair? -can we find a pair of words that the only difference between them is aspirated consonant vs. non-aspirated). In English, there is no such pair; yet in the Hindi language we can find several examples. Conclusions: 1. In English, they are not phonemes (vs. Hindi), because they can never occur in the same environment/location of the word, which means they are 2 manifestations/versions of the same thing. We can predict in which environment/ when the aspirated consonant will occur. 2. Minimal pairs are used to distinguish between phonemes and also to determine which consonants and vowel are not phonemes. 2/1/2012 Pig – big (minimal pair) vs. Pie, spy (not a minimal pair since there are 2 differences in pound). In English, aspirated and regular – Complementary Distribution- these two sounds never occur at the same environment/ same location of the words, which means they are two manifestations of the same thing – of the phone â€Å"p†. This means P is the phoneme which has two manifestations: aspirated and regular (non-aspirated). This means that this phone has two allophones. Two ways of language representation- 1. Phonemes- the general term for linguistics sounds. These are the basic sounds of a language, and are language specific (are not the same in different languages). They are part of the Underlying Representation (UR): the way and the place words and sounds in specific, are represented in our mind- in the â€Å"backstage†- abstract representation. The phoneme has two manifestations: one is the actual p and the other is the aspirated one. 2. What we actually say are allophones. Allophones are in the Phonetic/ Representation (PR) – what comes out of our mouths (articulation). Every phoneme is also an allophone, but not the other way around! Thus, there are some things that are represented in the PR, yet are not represented in the UR (like the aspirated p). In the Ur we have the regular P phoneme, which has two manifestations in the PR: In English, the only case we see an aspirated P is in the beginning of a word and before a vowel (both must occur together). In all other case the P will not be aspirated. For example: Possible, put, pink, pan, etc. vs. apply, spring, play etc. This means the aspirated P has no independence existence- we can predict its occurrence. The default is the regular P and only in a specific environment will have an aspirated P. The aspirated P doesn’t exist in the UR! Another example is: regular â€Å"N† vs. the back â€Å"N†: They cannot distinguish between minimal pairs in English- will never occur in the same environment. We will find the back â€Å"n† only before the sounds â€Å"k† and â€Å"g†- in specific environment, which is predictable. For ex: bank, Bangkok, rank, chunk, rang, ring, thanks, bring. The normal N is the default – will occur everywhere else, except for before the sounds: â€Å"g† and â€Å"k† sounds. These two allophones are two versions of the same thing (of the one phoneme) that never occur in the same environment- complementary distribution. â€Å"N† is the phoneme, which has two allophones: â€Å"n† and back â€Å"n†. We can predict exactly where each of the manifestations will occur. * The phoneme is in the UR and the allophones are in the PR. * The default is always in the UR! – The phoneme. * The allophones are always in complementary distribution- meaning they never occur in the same environment and will never distinguish between minimal pairs. You can nver find in English 2 words where the only difference between them will be â€Å"n† and back â€Å"n†. * Minimal pairs are the tools to identify phonemes. Distinctive Features 1. Aspiration The pair pal- pal (with aspirated p) in Hindi – these two words are different in meaning and in one phone only. In specific, they are different in one feature only: aspirated vs. non-aspirated. This means, they constitute a minimal pair (In Hindi). Aspiration – this feature in Hindi unlike the English, we have both – because they have independent existence- each of them is a phoneme on its own. Aspiration – this feature in Hindi, unlike English, is a Distinctive Feature- a feature that distinguishes between 2 phonemes in the same language and as a result it can create a difference between minimal pairs. Aspiration is not a distinctive feature in Hebrew and English. It is a distinctive feature in Hindi language. 2. Voicing ( )- Dean – Teen: â€Å"d†- Is a voice (+voice) consonant ( ) and â€Å"t† is voiceless (- voice). This feature, called voicing, creates different meaning in both words. Thus, it is a distinctive feature in English, because it can distinguish between minimal pairs. Minimal pair- a minimal pair is a pair of words that differ from one another in one meaning, 1 phone (sound) only, and the 2 phones must be different in one feature! 9/1/2012 Phonetic features of consonants- What makes sound/phones different from one another? Linguistic sounds are called phones, and are divided into: consonants and vowels. The difference between the two: in the production of vowels the air flows freely, however in the production of consonants the air is blocked to some extent. The speech organs- body organs that are involved in the production of phones (Lips, tongue, nose, teeth, and palate). Generally, the following are involved: the oral cavity and the nasal cavity ( ). The consonants differ from one another according to 3 criteria: 1. Place of articulation- the location in which the air is blocked and the consonant is produced (B- in the lips; T- in the tongue; P-in the lips and teeth) 2. Manner of articulation ( ) – relates to the manner of the air flow and the degree of blocking. For example: â€Å"n†- blocked in the nose. 3. Voicing- relates to the vibration/ the lack of vibrat.

Paper on Intramuros

I entered through the gate along And Street and the first thing I noticed was the presence of security guards wearing nice blue uniforms with large hats. I only found out later that they were wearing Guardia Civil attire and it did add a Spanish touch, as well as added security in the district. I would see dozens of them during my trip. The first museum I visited was the Kiss Heritage Center as it was the one closest to where I entered. One officer was kind enough to direct to me to the museum and I found myself walking along And Street. It was not long before I saw a sales making TTS way through the old streets of Intramural.The streets did feel old and also most of the buildings along the road looked old and had a hint of Spanish influence. And as I was walking to the Kiss Heritage Center, I passed by the Placid del Asana, which was the first clear tribute to the Spanish influence I saw. It was painted in the unmistakable bright red and yellow colors of the Spanish flag. After my t our of the Heritage Center, my next stop was the Case Manila at the Plaza San Luis Complex. As I got closer, I noticed the concrete streets turn into cobblestone and the buildings had more of that Spanish tinge.The area around the Plaza San Luis Complex, which is situated Just across the San Austin Church and Museum, was clearly restored and maintained to recreate Intramural as it was during the colonization: a city for the privileged Spanish and messiest. The Case Manila Museum provided a closer look into lifestyle of the Messiest and the Spanish elite. They did a great re-creation of the interior of a Spanish home. I would have preferred to have a closer look at the rooms but they limited viewers to a red carpet path that goes around and throughout the museum.The display was very ell-thought out and even the tiniest of details, especially in the Cochin, were present. Some of the furniture and even some of the design looked familiar to me, and I realized I had seen similar wooden f urniture at my grandmother's ancestral home back in Zebu. The rooms were very huge, especially the salsa area, and it was very hot despite the many electric fans placed in the corners of the rooms. I can only imagine how hot it was for the Spanish residents, mores for those who came from Spain, where they had a more welcoming climate.Being sent to the Philippines could eave been the last thing any Spaniard would have wanted. However, at least they were better off than the people living outside the walls of Intramural. I exited the museum through an old, worn-down stone staircase and outside I could see a stone fountain and the Spanish-era architecture of the Complex. When I went down the hoping for memorabilia or at least replicas of any antiquities of the Spanish period. I could not help but laugh at all the odd trinkets they were selling, which had nothing to do with Spanish.Origami dragons and a Kim Possible action figure were Just a pair f things that seemed very out of place. I crossed the street over to the San Austin Church and it Just so happened that I visited in the middle of a wedding ceremony. The stone church walls were old and worn down but the interior was amazing. It is a great testament to how Spain brought about Christianity to the Philippines. The museum was huge and it would take you at least an hour to view everything on display. They showcased statues of the Holy Family, the saints, apostles and other Catholic figures.They had giant paintings of Augustine priests along the corridors and a rooms devoted to the efferent Augustine churches in the Philippines and even vestments of Catholic priests. What surprised me the most during my tour around the museum was the room they called the â€Å"Script. † It was a crypt built within the monastery that held the bodies of 141 prisoners of war and it also displayed a monument to honor those fallen dead. My last stop was Fort Santiago which was on the far end of Intramural. It was a long walk and I passed by the Shrine of Freedom, another monument dedicated to the victims of war.Then I passed by the Manila Cathedral, which was still under renovation. The great structure was more evidence of the importance of Christianity which was brought upon by the Spanish rule. When I arrived at Fort Santiago, I saw a large group of people, foreigners and even some Filipinos, gathered around a tour guide. However, I decided that I would explore the area on my own. At the entrance of the actual fortress, I got to see the bronze footsteps of Racial, the last steps he took. There was also an exhibit of Irrational furniture which displayed the tables, books, paintings and all that were related to Racial.I also got to view the dungeons where recliners were kept and where even some had died. There was also a monument that honored those who passed within the fortress. My experience during the trip to Intramural gave a pretty good picture of what life was like during the Spanish era. Although it may have been a very difficult time for our country, it played an important role in our history. I really support the whole idea of remembering and preserving at least some Spanish culture and some structures. It was easy to see that the people living within Intramural during the Spanish era were living good lives (I. . Spanish and Messiest). They were living relatively extravagant lives as compared to those outside of the walls. It also repeatedly showed the significance of Christianity back then, and we can see that persevere until today. However, we must also remember that it was a place of imprisonment and death; a burial ground for others. It gives us a pretty picture of how life was like for the average Spaniard, and a very common part of that picture is the death of thousands during those times. Even though the Spaniards built up those walls as barriers, they could not escape the reality of violence and death.

Scheduling and Project Management for Hard Rock Caf Coursework

Scheduling and Project Management for Hard Rock Caf - Coursework Example However, it is worth noting that there are other activities that can as well be crashed for fewer costs but, the achieved crashed time would be less than the anticipated period. For instance, Activity F could be crashed for a much lesser cost of $500 but, the attained or recovered time would only be one week of the two weeks that had been lost to activity B. It is impossible to crash Activity O by any time less than two weeks so as to maintain the original schedule. Suppose that this can be achieved then, we would assume that even the distribution of $900 in a single week for the crashing would still lead back to crashing Activities F and O for a cost of $1,400 each by one week. In the carrying out of a project from start to completion, a project manager is definitely to be faced with numerous challenges both internally and externally. Some of these challenges that can be recognized and affiliated to the scenario of Hard Rock Cafà © are as discussed herein. First, project managers are required to ensure that they thoroughly plan through all the aspects of the organization in a manner that solicits for the active involvement of all the involved functional areas. This is so as to ensure that they obtain and maintain a plan that is realistic and which satisfies the commitment to the project (Pinto & Venkataraman, 2013). However, this is not quite simple to attain hence, being largely classified as a challenge. Second, managers are faced with the challenge of having to control the organization’s manpower that is needed by the project. Third, the managers are challenged by the manner in which they can be able to control the basic technical definitions of the project.

PMI analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PMI analysis - Essay Example Another positive aspect of Attia’s presentation is that towards the end of the presentation, he informs us that an effective team of medical researchers is already attempting to establish the true relationship between obesity and insulin resistance (TED 2013). Attia’s presentation is noted to have a number of negative aspects some of which include the fact that Attia does not make the use of visual aids to help the audience to better understand it. Another negative aspect of the presentation is that although Attia presents an alternative theory to understanding obesity and insulin resistance, he however does not have any empirical evidence to support his postulations. In the presentation, Attia informs us that a number of medical researchers are working on different theories to establish the relationship obesity and insulin he however fails to inform us of his actual position in the whole debate (TED 2013). The presentation is interesting as it provides more information on insulin resistance. It is also interesting as Attia suggests a different outlook on insulin resistance that challenges the current conventional understanding of the condition. At the end of the presentation, Attia takes time to apologize to the women that he feels that he let down at the start of his medical career (TED 2013). Attia’s presentation is quite interesting as it presents a different outlook into the question of the currently existing relationship between obesity and insulin resistance. However, I believe that the presentation would have been made more interesting if it had encompassed the use of a short PowerPoint presentation in addition to having some concrete evidence. Shawn Achor’s presentation on the happiness advantage has a number of advantages key of which is that it is generally a humorous presentation that is able to greatly engage the

Business and Managerial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business and Managerial Economics - Essay Example Trace the evolution of the rent and the quantity traded over time (in the long-run) (20 marks) An earthquake will affect not only the supply side but also the demand side of the housing market. On the supply side, the earthquake will reduce the supply of housing and, assuming that demand remained unchanged, the earthquake will lead to increases in rentals. However, demand does not remained unchanged in a major earthquake that caused significant damage to housing. Aftershocks take place and these sent jitters to consumers. City services like transport, electricity, and water are affected as well. Schools and workplaces may not be able to operate for some time. Thus, a major earthquake can send consumers to an exodus to locations safer from earthquakes and their aftershocks. In short, demand is affected as well. For this reason, it can happen house rent can remain unchanged or landowners may offer discounts to consumers. If demand is significantly reduced, house rent can even decrease and this seems to be the short-term effect in a strong earthquake everywhere. In the medium te rm as a location recovers from the earthquake, city and other services are restored and school/workplace operations normalize. But because supply is unable to respond quickly, housing supply may be fixed as demand is restored back to normal. Therefore, in the medium term, rentals may be higher than the immediate pre-earthquake levels. In this case, economic profit can be higher than normal and investors are encouraged to go into the housing sector. More housing units are built and the prices of house rentals decrease. The trend continues until the situation is normalized. This means that either house rentals are restored back to the pre-earthquake levels or the prices of rentals are back into the situation where economic profit is zero or â€Å"normal†. This discussion is similar to Varian (2005, p. 9). Restaurants that charge reasonable prices for food but

Multiplier-accelerator models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multiplier-accelerator models - Essay Example Keynes argued that level of output will increase due to multiplier relationship between output and autonomous consumption. (Hartley, J. et al. 1998). Change in output due to change in investment can be described in following manner: The Accelerator model is based upon the assumption if current economic activity increases, it will allow entrepreneurs to expand productive capacity by investing into additional capital stock . The Acceleration principle also outlines that there will be an increase in the output level with the increase in investment and there will be an additional investment when output increases. The above relationship suggests that consumption comprises of overall autonomous consumption and the propensity to consume with respect to the past income of an individual. Samuelson’s model therefore outlines different parametric conditions under which economy can move and as such economic cycles can occur. Samuelsson’s model is considered as incomplete as a theory of regular cycles because of its inability to predict regular business cycles however, it is still considered as one of the key advances in macroeconomic theory. Lloyd Metzler’s model was based upon his famous Inventory Cycle principle and suggested that the precise inventory policy as chosen by the producers might have an impact on the economic cycles. This model outlines that the change in output is a relationship between the consumption and investment and investment comprises of the investments made in inventory considering capital stock as constant. (SÃ ¸rensen, and Whitta-Jacobsen, 2010). Hicksian Model was also another attempt to understand the business cycles and how consumption and investment actually have an impact on the income level. Hicks assumed that the consumption is the function of past income while investor attempts to maintain a stock of capital in relation with the income. The combination of income and consumption therefore can generate oscillation in income or

Helvetica Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Helvetica Reflection - Essay Example In these conversations, one can understand the ideas behind the creative designs as well as the aesthetic value of the models as perceived in particular cities. Gary invokes the viewers of his film to reflect on the diverse number of designs, adverts as well as communication in the world today. He comes from a psychological point of view. This is because designs, adverts as well as most communication nowadays are shaped so that they have a positive psychological impact on the target group. From my point of view, I think Garys film is a milestone in provoking the world to develop a keen eye on typography, design advertising and more importantly communication. It shows the importance of the above areas of type in our lives. Gary suggests that these fields can be perused as excellent careers by engaging renowned designers in conversations who talk about the great deal of success they have achieved. The movie brings an urge to the viewer of the need to appreciate designers innovativeness. Gary accomplishes this by bringing on board famous artists in the film crew such as Neville Brody, David Carson and

Small Wins Steps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Small Wins Steps - Essay Example Achievement of gender equality in the workplace is largely dependent on the corporate strategies. However, adopting approaches that base on gender equality is a major problem for organizations. In the work place, gender inequality mainly affects women. Long ago, women were victimized in the job market, and their entry was highly restrictive. Although this situation has been alleviated by policy changes in companies and at the national level, there still exist cases of gender inequality, which to a higher extent are embedded in the organizational cultures and are hard to detect (Meyerson and Fletcher 127). In the small wins strategy, the identification of gender inequality problem is crucial in the rectification process. Failure to identify a problem will lead to its persistence. As a leader, I realize there is a gender inequality situation that needs to be addressed. The second step is to diagnose the gender inequality problem. Here, a company establishes the specific gender inequality problem, whether it lies in salary remuneration differences, or bias in managerial positions. As a new leader, I realize that the face of gender inequality in my company is manifest salary remuneration. Women are paid less as compared to men. Third is patterns and consequences identification of gender inequality aspect. Here, we establish the organizational culture, and how it promotes gender discrimination. The final step is experimentation. Managers take the initiative of replacing company practices, which promote gender inequality, with better ones. This is through talks with the company employees to brainstorm possible solutions (Meyerson and Fletcher 133-134). Additionally, I would consider the impacts of external environment on company policymaking. These include institutional framework, external labor market, and relations with other companies. This closely fits in Meyerson and

The Toyota Production and Marketing Plan Assignment

The Toyota Production and Marketing Plan - Assignment Example An organization’s internal marketing and a production function affects virtually all organizational activities. The motor vehicle industry in the United States of America is one of the main contributors to the country’s economic success, creating over 600,000 jobs per year. One of the universally known motor vehicle manufacturers in the country is Toyota Company. The company has instituted a well-organized and managed network that transforms separated parts and raw materials into fully functioning vehicles. The network entails the identification and financing of raw materials, promotion activities, management and distribution of the finished products to the end users (Toyota’s U.S, 2011). The Toyota Company also works hand in hand with other firms that have the business of producing motor vehicle parts, sales, and final vehicle assembly. Referring to the International Trade Commission, in the production of Toyota vehicles, the United States Toyota company imports motor vehicle parts worth over $ 77 million per year. However, the amount is projected to increase within the coming years. Tires and brakes is some of the highly-imported vehicle parts by the company in the production of a fully functional Toyota vehicle. ... Japan is currently the leading exporter of drive train components into the Toyota Company. Mexico on the other hand has dominated the supply of Toyota vehicle interior components including seats parts and wiring harnesses. Mexico’s supplies into the company are preferred due to its sensitive labor costs. To necessitate efficient and timely production and marketing of Toyota vehicles in the global market, the United States of America Toyota company has created an exceptionally productive Just-In-Time strategy. The strategy aims at ensuring that, raw materials and other essential components are delivered to the company instantly and at the right time. This has reduced tremendously time wastage in the production process. It is also significant to note that, most of the vehicles manufactured by the company are sometimes not meant for the global market. Additionally, to be relevant and competitive in the global market, Toyota Company has also established manufacturing plants in som e of its major regional and global markets. Initially, the United States of America’s Toyota primary market was in Europe and the United States of America. However, the company has in the recent past expanded its markets into other countries including South Korea, China, and in Africa, forcing it to open manufacturing plants to the identified countries. The absence of industry-wide standards has forced the Toyota Company to have a worldwide customization of Toyota vehicles in global market. In these cases, the company gives its customers the choice to specify a particular vehicle model. The customization is in most cases done either through online services

Green Acres Seed Company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Green Acres Seed Company - Assignment Example Being advanced in technology, Green Acres Seed Company has to provide awareness to the farmers so that their seeds can be known by many. Through marketing of Green Acres seed using the modern technology of marketing, the company retargets those who visit the website thus keeping the products top of their mind. The company uses test messaging to convince the farmers about the seed company explaining the different varieties of seeds available with their prices. Green Acres Company like other companies has market segmentation for instance the company adopted performance segment which shows the characteristics of the farmers who are concerned with how corn seeds yields in the farm. Potential performance segment consist of farmers who have favorable attitudes towards the company and they do rely on the information given by the company. Dual purpose segment are those farmers who grow both grain and silage and they use both varieties and the last segment is price segment which consists of t hose farmers who purchase low priced varieties for silage and grain corn. Green Acres do target the four segments in the market so that competition can be reduced. Green Acres Seed Company has different prices. For example, seed corn price ranges at $90 per unit from $75 per unit to $125 per unit. The prices keeps on changing from better performing varieties to poorer performing or discounted varieties.            One of the recommendations that I would like the company to take into considerations is to make sure that advertising of the company is done appropriately due to competition. For example the Pioneer company which made a sales of $80 million per year (Thomas, 1997). Other competitive companies are Novartis and Dekahlb which had more than 13 percent compared with Green Acres which had 11 percent. Due to the sales of Green Acres Company being low year after year, I recommended that the company spends more on adverting to make sure that the company expands its share of the market for silage corn seed. If Green Acres will advertise corn seed, then it will benefit from market share that will be high. Another recommendation that I would like to be considered is to make sure that more outlets are available in different regions especially in the developing countries.

People as a huge asset Essay Example for Free

People as a huge asset Essay 1.1INTRODUCTION Organisations are made up of people and people are a huge asset to any organization. To be more successful in achieving their goal and objectives; organisations needs to have an understanding about their human assets, their behavior, tendencies, best practice etc..† Leadership is the ability of one person to influence a group of persons toward the achievement of common goals† (Yukl, 1994). Influencing others means that leaders must have an understanding about their behavior, which can only happen when they themselves understand their values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations. Understanding oneself means one must carry out self-assessment/evaluation as this is very important for leaders today. I will be carrying out an assessment about the benefit of self -assessment/evaluation to leaders today and the importance of understanding human behavior in oraganisations. 1.2 DEFINITION OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR Human behavior is the way people behave and which can be influence by culture, emotions, attitudes, values, ethics, genetic etc.. Depending on the society and environment, human behavior can either be common, usual, acceptable or unacceptable. Human behavior can either be learnt as we relate to our environment; for example, tying your shoes is a learned behavior or it can be innate which can be inherited through genes. 1.3THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR TO AN ORGANIZATION Organisations depend on the behavior of both individual and teams to achieve their goals and objectives; as such it is very critical for organisations to have thorough understanding of human behavior. Understanding human behavior is a  key to organisational success. Human behavior defines how people work together and relate with one another. Communication being the cornerstone of behavior can only be effective when people understand one another. Interpersonal conflict can be reduced in an organisation once there’s an understanding of human behavior. Behavior can influence negatively on the achievement of an organization’s goals and objectives if not manage well; will lead to poor output and failure. Organisations need to plan their training programme, understanding the behavior of its employees will inform the planning process, thereby ensuring that training needs are effectively met. An effective understanding of the diverse behavior of personnel is important. Evidence has shown that as people get to know one another, they became less concerned about differences if they see themselves as sharing more important characteristics, such as personality and values, that represent deep-level diversity† (Stephen P Robbins Timothy A Judge, Organizational Behavior -15th Editions) A co-operative team that knows how to work with one another can produce better result than those who have problems relating to one another. 1.4 THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR BY LEADERS Organisations need strong leadership to achieve its goals and objectives. An organisation is only as successful as its leadership. Leadership is the ability to influence a group towards the achievement of a vision or set of goals. Individuals or group can only be influence when there’s an understanding of their behavior. Business necessity, enlightenment about differences and moral fortitude have combine to push organisations into hiring a diverse set of employees, as a result managing this diversity has proven to be a challenge to leaders†¦ Leaders can effectively manage this challenge through understanding this diversity. A leader who fails to understand his followers thereby focusing at a very superficial level by commanding others to do their will; is at the bottom of the leadership level. Deeper understanding provides more options, give one more potential tools, and frankly, makes one a powerful leader (Stephen P Robbins Timothy A Judge, Organizational Behavior -15t h Editions). This is a trait of level 5 leadership. â€Å"Understanding the behavior of followers will assist leaders in putting together teams to manage projects and it will also assist in  assigning task to employees in a way that will put to efficient use each member’s strength rather than their weakness â€Å" (www.employment-testing.com) Attempting to influencing individuals without understanding why they behave the way they do, might yield random or unpredictable effect and this will lead to leaders being unsuccessful as followers will be alienated; whereas understanding the personalities of subordinates and superiors informs leaders as to others expectations and provides insights into motivation, competitiveness and interpersonal relationships and communication. 1.5 LEADERSHIP SELF-EVALUATION/SELF-ASSESSMENT As leaders the ability to influence people has to be continuously improved; and the first step in achieving that will be by knowing yourself and gaining understanding of your leadership style, skills, traits, competencies, abilities, personality type and experience. According to Kevin Sharer of AMGEN CEO and president, â€Å"Leadership has many voices. You need to be who you are, not to emulate someone else.† An apt statement as leaders has the responsibility of influencing others in the achievement of goals and objectives; an achievement that will be almost impossible to attain when followers lacks faith in their leader. People normally have faith in authentic leaders as they are leaders who not only know what they believe in and value but also act on that values and beliefs candidly and openly. Most leaders are unaware of the effect their emotional intelligence has on their superiors and subordinates, many a time we blame negative outcome to those around us, all the time bei ng totally blind to the fact that our personality might have had effect on others action. â€Å"Those who use the emotional intelligence framework to guide their thoughts and actions may find it easier to create trust in relationship, harness energy under pressure, and sharpen their ability to make sound decisions-in other words, they increase their potential for success in the workplace†(Jones and Bartlett learning PTT) only by carrying out self-assessment/evaluation will you be able to understand your emotional intelligence and other traits. As leaders one should know what their strength and weaknesses as this will enable them build on their strength and march it to their leadership opportunities, it will also assist in the development of their weaknesses and allows for the  elimination of threats to leadership. 1.6 THE BENEFITS OF SELF- ASSESSMENT/SELF-EVALUATION TO LEADERS TODAY. Most of the benefits of self-assessment have already been discuss above, however some benefits are; A.Develop Emotional Intelligence When taking time to self-reflect you are looking inwards. Self-awareness gives you the ability the ability to understand your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives, values and goals, and recognize their impact on others you are leading. Being self-aware will aid you in controlling or redirecting your disruptive emotions and impulses and adapt to changing circumstances. Building these emotional intelligence components will improve your leadership. B. ASSISTS IN BECOMING EFFECTIVE LEADER Authentic leaders are clear on their core values, and this will help to strengthen leadership integrity and lead you to better decisions. Understanding your core values will build followers trust in you as a leader and this will make decision making easier as our integrity is often put to the test during stressful and difficult times. C. BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE Confidence is crucial for leaders. It helps in effective communications, decision making, and influence building. People will see you as you see yourself, being aware of your strength as leader will build self-confidence and this will increase team effectiveness.

The different types of Terrorism Research Methods

The different types of Terrorism Research Methods Terrorism is a subject matter, not a discipline. It has been approached by scholars from various academic perspectives with political scientists in the lead. In an effort to get a firm hold on a slippery subject, those studying the phenomenon of terrorism were obliged to define it more precisely. Terrorism could be described simply as the use or threat of violence to create an atmosphere of fear and alarm and thus bring about a political result. But making this definition operative in political debate, rules of war, or criminal codes was anything but easy. Is all politically motivated violence terrorism? How does terrorism differ from ordinary crime? Should terrorism be considered a crime at all, or should it be seen as simply another form of armed conflict that is no less legitimate than any other form of war? Is the term properly reserved for those trying to overthrow governments, or can governments also be terrorists? Definition was crucial because it ultimately determined the way in which terrorism has been studied. A major problem was that terrorism almost always has a pejorative connotation and thus falls in the same category of words as tyranny and genocide, unlike such relatively neutral terms such as war and revolution. One can aspire to objective and dispassionate research, but one cannot be neutral about terrorism any more than one can be neutral about torture. Thus, defining terrorism became an effort not only to delineate a subject area but also to maintain its illegitimacy. Even the most clinical inquiry was laden with values and therefore political issues. The very study of terrorism implied to some a political decision. Terrorism can be defined objectively by the quality of the act, not by the identity of the perpetrators or the nature of their cause. All terrorist acts are crimes, and many also would be war crimes or grave breaches of the rules of war if one accepted the terrorists assertion that they wage war. All terrorist acts involve violence or the threat of violence, sometimes coupled with explicit demands. The violence is directed against noncombatants (Lesser, 1999). The purposes are political. The actions often are carried out in a way that will achieve maximum publicity, and the perpetrators are usually members of an organized group. Terrorist organizations are by necessity clandestine, but unlike other criminals, terrorists often but not always claim credit for their acts. Finally the hallmark of terrorism the acts are intended to produce psychological effects. This introduces a distinction between the actual victims of terrorist violence and the target audience. The connection between the victim and the target of terrorism can be remote. The identity of the victims may be secondary or even irrelevant to the terrorist cause. Pure terrorism is entirely indiscriminate violence. Terrorism differs from ordinary crime in its political purpose and its primary objective. However, not all politically motivated violence is terrorism, nor is terrorism synonymous with guerilla war or any other kind of war. Terrorist techniques can be used by governments or those fighting against governments: however, scholars generally use the term terror when discussing fear-producing tactics employed by governments and terrorism when referring to tactics used by those fighting against governments. The distinction is primarily semantic. Both groups may use threats, assassinations, or abductions, but government terror also may include arbitrary imprisonment, concentration camps, torture, mind-affecting techniques, and the use of drugs for political purposes. Antigovernment terrorists generally lack the infrastructure for such tactics. Government terror produces more victims than terrorism does. Terrorists tend to seek more publicity than do governments (Lesser, 1999). Although a prerequisite to empirical research, the attempt to define terrorism inevitably lent greater coherence to disparate acts of violence than did any analysis offered by the terrorists themselves, few of whom thought of assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, and airline hijackings as elements of a unified tactical repertoire, let alone the basis of a strategy. Ironically, in an effort to understand a phenomenon, researchers ran the risk of attributing to terrorists a level of strategic thinking they may not have possessed. Qualitative, case-study research method has dominated the terrorism topic for many years. Since the number of observations in the greater part of this work is really small, researchers have been cautious to delineate terrorism to fit the cases under examination. The undersized quantity of observations, regrettably, often disallows unreliable dubious parts of the definition. In one country, for instance, hostility against the military might take place, but in the second country it might not. In an assessment of the first country, one could diverge the definition beyond civilian targets to military targets. In an assessment of the second country, one could not diverge the definition to investigate the implications of unreliable degrees from minimal to maximal definitions (Lesser, 1999). In current research on terrorism in the science writing, there is plenty of room to diverge the definition of terrorism to identify with its consequences. Specifically, there is no need to decide on one particular definition of terrorism; multiple definitions can be allowed and then the effects can be empirically sorted out. Empirical analysis might generate two measures of terrorism: one with civilians as the target and the second with both civilians and the military at peace time as the target. Moreover, empirical analysis may demonstrate whether results are alike or diverse dependent on the measure. And any results would have implications for future theoretical and empirical research (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2004). As science research on terrorism is turning out to be more and more quantitative, enough deviation is present within most databases on terrorism to investigate variations on definitions. Researchers should make lucid conceptual and conjectural arguments, but on main points of contention, empirical analysis can clarify what significant role the contention plays when implemented in a large quantity of cases. Research on terrorism has been very prolific in some fields, but carries on to spin its wheels in other ones. In general, the primary requirement is that units of scrutiny should be chosen to fit the theoretical argument, which often does not take place. Carrying attention away from definitional subject might result in great progress in the research of terrorism (Lesser, 1999). Among the latest applications of agent-based modeling to terrorism is Leweling and Nissen (2007). They apply ABMs to assess how various counterterrorism choices influence horizontally versus vertically organized terrorist groups. Here goes one impending frontier for terrorism research: applying dynamic agent-based models to create predictions about which policies by governments can efficiently trim down terrorism. Akin to many of the formal models in the records of terrorism articles, there is no empirical analysis of the predictions of this exacting model. Combining event data on terrorist attacks with agent-based models is a would-be promising way to the fore. Much research on terrorism has focused more narrowly on the topic. In part, this reflects the desire of researchers to avoid the murky, politically loaded area of underlying causes, where any discussion might be seen as condemnation or rationalization of terrorist violence. Nonetheless, there have been excellent case studies of individual groups and their tactics. Defining terrorism in terms of the act has enabled researchers to maintain a theoretically objective approach and conduct at least some primitive quantitative analysis. Event-based analysis has enabled them to discern broad patterns and trends and chart the growth of terrorism and its diffusion around the globe. They have been able to demonstrate statistically that as terrorism has increased in volume, it has also become bloodier. Researchers were able to illustrate a clear trend toward incidents of large-scale indiscriminate violence in the 1980s and infer that terrorists tend to be more imitative than innovative in their tactics. Event-based analysis also has permitted researchers to distinguish the operational profiles of specific terrorist groups, and these profiles have been useful in identifying changes in a groups modus operandi. At the same time, event-based analysis has led the analysts into some methodological traps. An exclusive focus on terrorist actions, for example, resulted in terrorists being viewed first as if they were all part of a single entity and second as if they were almost extraterrestrial. While there are connections and alliances among some terrorist groups, the only thing the terrorists of the world have in common is a propensity for violence and certain tactics. Moreover, each group is rooted in its own social, political, and cultural soil, and cross-national comparisons are difficult. This has led to the question of whether there is such a thing as a terrorist-prone society. It is, however, dangerous to attribute the actions of a few to perceived political defects or cultural flaws of a society as a whole, and researchers attempts to discern deeper causes or conditions that lead to high levels of terrorism in certain societies have produced meager results. Terrorism is not demonstrably a response to poverty or political oppression. The liberal democracies of Western Europe have suffered high levels of terrorist violence, while totalitarian states are virtually free of terrorism. Overall, countries with perceived terrorist problems tend to be comparatively advanced politically and economically. They are more highly urbanized and have higher per capita incomes, larger middle classes, more university students, and higher rates of literacy. One may ask whether political and economic advancement simply brings a more modern form of political violence. One obstacle to linking high levels of terrorism with environmental factors is the problem of measuring terrorism. For the most part, this has been done by counting terrorist incidents, but international terrorism was narrowly and, more important, artificially defined to include only incidents that cause international concern, a distinction that has meant very little to the terrorists. Counting all terrorist incidents, both local and international, is better but still inadequate. Terrorist tactics, narrowly defined, represent most of what some groups, particularly those in Western Europe, do but for other groups, terrorism represents only one facet of a broader armed conflict. In civil war situations, such as that in Lebanon in the 1970s, separating incidents of terrorism from the background of violence and bloodshed was futile and meaningless. And what about the extensive unquantified political and communal violence in the rural backlands of numerous third world countries? Broad sta tements about terrorist-prone or violence-prone societies simply cannot be made by measuring only a thin terrorist crust of that violence, if at all. The problem, however, is not merely one of counting. Although terrorists arise from the peculiarities of local situations, they may become isolated in a tiny universe of beliefs and discourse that is alien to the surrounding society. German terrorists were German, but were they Germany? In the final analysis, one is forced to dismiss the notion of a terrorist-prone society. If terrorism cannot be explained by environmental factors, one must look into the mind of the individual terrorist for an explanation. Are there individuals who are prone to becoming terrorists a preterrorist personality? Encouraged by superficial similarities in the demographic profiles of terrorists many of them have been urban middle and upper class (not economically deprived) males in their early twenties with university or at least secondary school educations researchers searched for common psychological features. Behavioral analysts painted an unappealing portrait: The composite terrorist appeared to be a person who was narcissistic, emotionally flat, easily disillusioned, incapable of enjoyment, rigid, and a true believer who was action-oriented and risk seeking. Psychiatrists could label terrorists as neurotic and possibly sociopathic, but they found that most of them were not clinically insane. Some behavioral analysts looked for deeper connections between terrorists attitude toward parents and their attitudes toward authority. A few went further in claiming a physiological explanation for terrorism based on inner ear disorders, but these assertions were not given wide credence in the scientific community. The growing number of terrorists apprehended and imprisoned in the 1980s permitted more thorough studies, but while these studies occasionally unearthed tantalizing similarities, they also showed terrorists to be a diverse lot. Much research on terrorism has been government-sponsored and therefore oriented toward the practical goal of understanding terrorism in order to defeat it. While social scientists looked for environmental or behavioral explanations for terrorism, other researchers attempted to identify terrorist vulnerabilities and successful countermeasures. They achieved a measure of success in several areas. Studies of the human dynamics of hostage situations led to the development of psychological tactics that increased the hostages chances of survival and a better understanding (and therefore more effective treatment) of those who had been held hostage. In some cases, specific psychological vulnerabilities were identified and exploited. With somewhat less success, researchers also examined the effects of broader policies, such as not making concessions to terrorists holding hostages and using military retaliation. The conclusion in this area were less clear-cut. Another area of research concerned the effects of terrorism on society. Here, researchers viewed terrorism as consisting of not only the sum of terrorist actions but also the fear and alarm produced by those actions. Public opinion polls, along with measurable decisions such as not flying and avoiding certain countries, provided the measure of effect. Some critics who are skeptical of the entire field of terrorism analysis assert that the state and its accomplice scholars have invented terrorism as a political issue to further state agendas through manipulation of fear, the setting of public discourse, preemptive constructions of good and evil, and the creation of deliberate distractions from more serious issues. Terrorism, a pejorative term that is useful in condemning foes, has generated a lot of fear mongering, and the issue of terrorism has been harnessed to serve other agendas, but one would have to set aside the reality of terrorist campaigns to see terrorism solely as an invention of the hegemonic state. While such deconstructions reveal the ideological prejudices of their authors, they nonetheless have value in reminding other analysts to be aware of the lenses through which they view terrorism. Over the years, research on terrorism has become more sophisticated, but in the end, terrorism confronts people with fundamental philosophical questions: Do ends justify means? How far does one go on behalf of a cause? What is the value of an individual human life? What obligations do governments have toward their own citizens if, for example, they are held hostage? Should governments or corporations ever bargain for human life? What limits can be imposed on individual liberties to ensure public safety? Is the use of military force, as a matter of choice, ever appropriate? Can assassination ever be justified? These are not matters of research. They are issues that have been dictated through the ages. The free creation and exchange of knowledge by scientists can present dangerous, unintended consequences for society. A paper by Ronald Jackson and other researchers found that the insertion of IL-4 genes into mousepox viruses resulted in near total immunosuppression (Jackson, Ramsay, Christensen, et al. 2001). This advanced valuable knowledge about immune system functioning, but it also evoked fears that terrorists could use such knowledge to engineer hyper-virulent viruses. Similarly, the journal Science published a paper in 2002 that showed how to assemble a poliovirus from readily available chemicals (Cello, Aniko, Eckerd 2002). The threat of terrorist acts has caused political leaders and members of the scientific community to question whether such knowledge should be created, and if so, how its publication and exchange should be regulated. The twentieth century provided several examples of tradeoffs between security and openness in the pursuit of knowledge. The Manhattan Project that produced the first atomic bomb cultivated a culture of secrecy. A similar culture developed among researchers studying microwaves during World War II. During the Cold War, the U.S. government attempted to constrain information exchange in some areas of mathematics and the physical sciences that may have aided Soviet nuclear weapons development (Monastersky 2002). In 1975, an international group of scientists held the Asilomar conference to debate the proper use and regulatory oversight of recombinant DNA research. During the late 1970s, the National Security Agency (NSA) regulated cryptographers developing new algorithms, but the two groups eventually agreed to a system of voluntary submission of papers for review. In 2002, the U.S. government began to withdraw from public release more than 6,600 technical documents dealing mainly with the production of germ and chemical weapons. In a controversial move, the U.S. national policy for the restriction of information that may threaten national security was altered in the wake of the September 11 attacks to include restrictions on publication of federally-financed research deemed to be sensitive but not classified (Greenberg 2002). As these examples illustrate, limitations on research and the availability of technical knowledge can come in the form of self-imposed screening mechanisms by the scientific community or government regulation. The Asilomar conference, for example, led to a suite of self-policing mechanisms within the scientific community, including the decentralized system of Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs). This same mechanism has been proposed by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) as a way to prevent the misuse of biological research by terrorists. The NSABB also works to develop codes of conduct for researchers and laboratory workers, which underscores the importance of ethical conduct by individuals, especially where no rules exist or where the precise meaning of rules is unclear. Some professional associations and journals, including Science and Nature, have instituted procedures to give special scrutiny to papers that raise security concerns (Malakoff 2003). P utting such control in the hands of journal editors has caused some to argue that an advisory group like the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) would be a better mechanism. Mitchel Wallerstein (2002) points out that the dangers posed by terrorists acquiring sensitive science and technology information differ from the state-related threats that were of primary concern during World War II and the Cold War. Terrorists generally do not seek out and would not be able to use the results of most basic research, but states may possess the intellectual and financial capital necessary to turn basic research into weapons. Daniel Greenberg (2002) contends that terrorists do not rely on new science. Rather, readily accessible information that has long been available suffices to fulfill most of the goals of terrorist organizations. Restricting the publication of information deemed sensitive and controlling access to technologies and research materials can help achieve security goals, but not without costs (Knezo 2002a). Some impacts are relatively minor, such as new standards for the construction and management of laboratories. Other impacts are more severe, including the impact of national security policy measures on the research process. Tightened laboratory access policies, publication rules, and visa restrictions may reduce the number of applications by foreign students to U.S. universities and colleges. This could hamper cross-cultural understanding. According to State Department rules, consular officials may deny visas for study in the United States in sixteen categories specified on the Technology Alert List to students from countries listed as state sponsors of terrorism. Additional exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the withdrawal of information from federal agency websites have al so sparked concerns about constraints on legitimate scientific work and academic freedoms. Scientific research and technological innovations can improve performance of all phases, from threat analyses and vulnerability assessments to post-attack investigations and restoration of services. For example, the Bush administration established BioWatch, a nationwide system of sensors to detect the presence of certain pathogens, and a public-health surveillance system that monitors the databases of eight major cities for signs of disease outbreaks. Early warning systems can detect the presence of certain pathogens by utilizing computer chips and antibodies or pieces of DNA (Casagranda 2002). Explosives-detection technologies have also been spurred since September 11, 2001 in order to bolster airline security. Other examples include the use of biometrics (e.g., fingerprints and retinal signatures) to develop national security identity cards. The shipping industry is slowly adopting new security measures such as sophisticated seals and chemical sensors. Other researchers are developing strategies for securing information systems. Military infrared countermeasures for surface-to-air missiles may be used on civilian aircraft. Technologies for decontamination, blast-resistant walls, and protective gear for first responders are other components of research programs. Increasing flexibility and innovating measures to isolate failing elements could increase security of more complex technical systems such as transportation and communication infrastructures. Researching and developing broader applications of renewable energy can harden the energy infrastructure. Social scientists and psychologists also provide research for understanding causes and motivations of terrorists as well as the dynamics of terrorist group formation. Some (e.g., Susser, Herman, Aaron 2002) have demonstrated that, because terrorists choose targets to maximize psychological impact, mental health must be considered a top response priority. With all of these potential applications of science and technology, decision makers need to address questions about how to coordinate, organize, prioritize, and evaluate investments to serve the goals of security and public health. Genevieve Knezo (2002b) reported that prior to September 11, 2001, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and other authorities had questioned whether the U.S. government was adequately prepared to conduct and use RD to prevent and combat terrorism. Partially in response to the need to better coordinate counterterrorism efforts (including RD), the cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created by legislative act in 2002. This incorporated half of all homeland security funding within a single agency. In addition to legislative activity, new advisory bodies such as the NSABB have been formed to guide the creation of new rules and development of new institutions to maximize the benefits of science and technology while minimizing unintende d negative impacts. Increased scientific research on counterterror measures will create new knowledge and opportunities for terrorist exploitation, which will create new challenges for securing that knowledge. Given that security, health, and civil liberties are at stake in decisions about science and terrorism, it is important that measures be taken to involve and inform citizens. This entry has focused on actions by the U.S. government because it plays a leading role in matters of science and terrorism. But other countries and international coalitions face similar ethical dilemmas and policy choices. Private companies own many of the infrastructures that are targets for terrorist attacks, so regulations may be required to induce the private sector to invest in counterterrorism technologies that may not have commercial markets. Some scientific research, however, may have viable market applications, meaning that some of the RD burden can be privatized, which raises other ethical issues that partially mi rror those involved in the privatization of war.

Educational System In Latvia Education Essay

Educational System In Latvia Education Essay Education in Latvia is composed of levels: nine years compulsory, secondary and higher education. Vocational schools, art schools, business schools, schools for special types of children, schools for children with special needs and kindergartens also form part of the program. In vocational education programs lasting two or three years provide theoretical and practical knowledge. The majority of vocational schools in Latvia provide 2-3 and 4-year vocational education and training programs, but in special education schools or special education classes within general education schools provide education for children with special needs that correspond to each individuals physical and mental condition. There are private schools and universities, where fees are charged. But majority of students go to state schools which are free. The main purpose of the nine year school is the general intellectual and social development of the child. Children in Latvia are compulsory by law to attend school from the year when they turn seven till the age of 16. In some special cases the acquisition of basic education may last till the age of 18. Promotion from one grade to the next is based on the pupils skills in all school subjects and on the results of tests. In secondary schools most pupils follow a course that includes latvian, science, social studies, mathematics, physical education, foreign languages. Elective subjects may be chosen according to the students interests. A student is graded from 10 (outstanding) to 1 (failing) in each subject he takes. Students receive report cards twice a year. At the end of the 12th grade every school-leaver is supposed to take 2 compulsory exams chosen by the Ministry of Education and 3 exams in the subjects each individual student has selected himself. About 80% of young people graduate from school with a General certificate of education. To get this certificate each student must complete a specified number of subjects and pass 6 final exams graded no less than 4 and upwards. Usually pupils have a separate teacher for each subject. Schools in Latvia begin on September 1 and end near the end of May. The year is divided into semesters, typically- September- December- January- May. The school breaks for holidays 4 times a year. There is a week holiday at the end of October, 2 weeks at Christmas Holidays, a week at the end of March and 1 week at Easter. The basic school day comprises from 5 lessons in grades 1-3 up to 8 lessons in grade 9. The school year is 34 weeks long in first grade and 37 weeks in grade 9 per year. In Latvia have two sorts of higher education programmes academic and professional. Such a division of higher education allows the student to choose either research or professional activity in the future. Professional higher education is divided into two levels. First level professional higher education programmes lasting 2-3 years and there are both state-financed and private higher education institutions. 2. Early childhood education system in Latvia Children attend pre-school when they are under age of seven years, but it is also possiable to lenghten studying for one more year, if the kid has some health, psychological preparedness problems, considering desire of parents, family doctor, psychologist opinion. Early childhood education programms provides preparation to primary school, incluging the development of individuality, mental, physical, social development, independence, creativity, strengthening health and also improving basic skills of state language. Main type of activity for pre-school children is games, so the teaching process is organised that a children can learn by playing and by this learning process kids takes over community experience, acguire knowledge, skills to create attitudes, explore themselves and also act independently. In pre-school educational institutions it is not allowed by law to hold entrance examinations. The local government, in agreement with the Ministry of Education establishes, maintain and finance, as well as reorganize and liquidate pre-schools. 2.1. Curriculum in early childhood education All subjects in early childhood education and curriculum content is important for giving children a common understanding of environment that is arround them and develop their creative, logical thinking and in making curriculum for early childhood education it is importan to understand what children already can do and what they need to learn and what they need to improve and train. Curriculum in Latvias early childhood education includes such subjects: latvian language (children develop speech of mother tongue also improve knowledge of literature, folklore, literacy), natural-sciences (children learns constructing, creat mathematical ideas), social sciences and ethics ( children develop social skills, explore environment and also social life), music, physical education, that goes closly together with didactics of rhythm and movement, visual art ( children are improving creative side by drawing, painting, modeling), housekeeping and technology ( children are doing needlework, applique or origami). Teaching methods and curricum in early childhood education dipends from children stage of development and age. There is four levels in children stage of development. The first level is for kids till two years age, second level is for kids till three years, third level is for kids till five years and the last level is till age of six. Curriculum for each level, teaching methods and methodical approaches are profesionaly created by Latvian Education Curriculum Centre but it is not forbitten that teachers in early childhood education use their own professionaly created methods and materials. Now I want to speak more closly about curriculum and children levels of development. At the level first, when kids are one, two years old, they can learn throught observation( going in walks and observing environment and it can also be made together with older kids, for exchanging their ideas and observation outcomes), demonstration ( these demostrations can be made by showing some plants, mushrooms), movement games, musical games, manipulating objects and exploring real objects. In second level, when children are in a age of three years then mostly all methodical approaches are playful and children are learning throught simbolistic, plot, destructive, rhythm games (swiping palm hands and singing together) and practical work ( children are involved in independent work, for example writing calligraphy). Many games can be played with older children from different stages and levels of development. Such kind a approach improves social skills and experience exchange. In the third level, when kids are in age till five years old, then the main teaching and learning approaches is throught discussion, evalution, throught didactic games, construction games and story role games. In this level it is also very common to go in excursions, go for a walks and do some games or playful activities outside the kinderganten yard. Till the age of six, when kids are in the last level, then the most common methodical approaches to children are by experments, dialogues ( teacher asks questions and making diagolue with children, about what they have seen today or making dialogues about some stories and fairy-tales), dramatization and theatrical games and also folk games (One of the most famoust folk games in Latvia is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Kas dÄ rzÄ ? or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Whats in the garden? It is game in a circle and when teacher stops singing one of the kid find another child to put in a center of circle). 2.2. Rythm and movement in early childhood education Rythm and movement goes closly together with such kind a subjects as physical education, health and music and thats why am going to review curriculum of these subjects to understend better about rythm and movement importance in early childhood education curriculum. Physical education and health subjects main goal is to promote children health, strengthening their body, improving movement but music subject promote childrem emocional, intelectual development, knowledge about rhytm and improve creativity. The main tasks in physical education and health is to acuire the skills to manage the body and enhance the natural movement activity and promote children emotional, social development throught physical activity. For example curriculum for physical education and health includes stepping and running, crawling and climbing, throwing and capturing, rolling and jumping. All these process improves childrens movement. The way how can improve children stepping and running is by playing some movement games (Craw and at the same time rolling the ball, by this proces children learns to control direction of ball). For example in running, there is many tasks to improve it and the more older are children, the more difficult will be task and curriculum. When the kids are about two years old they are able to run freely throught the field, evading and not touching other play members, but when the kids are about four and five years old, then the level of running comes more difficult. As an instance kids have to run after each other, run in environment with barriers, cones, filled balls and run by doing curves and changing directions, but when the kids are about six years old, then they are able to use some rhythmical actions like run and at the same time kick to a ball. Crawling and climbing is one of the ways how to improve movements and strengthen body. In a first level, when kids are one, two years old, they can crawl and overcome a variety of high obstacles, but they are still learning to craw in direct route among objects and arround them. When the kids comes older, they can freely craw on rought surface also on wide, sloping surface. Kids can also suport moving by hand palms and feets, climb the stairs up and down. In a fourth level children is able to craw and roll the ball at the same time by controling balls direction. There is also throwing and capturing process in early childhood education curriculum. These proceses comes closly together with playful learning. In a first level of children development, they are able to throw some objects in uncertain directions and capture transmited objects from close distance, when children pass to next level they they are able to throw objects in freely choosen directions, but in a third level of development children is ready to throw objects in horizontal goals (box, basket) from a small distance. Children are also able to throw and capture objects from a short distance by working in pairs. In a fourth level of development children are able to throw objects in vertical goals and capter the ball after it has hurtled the ground. 2.3 Music and rhythm in early childhood education One of the most important learning subjects, that creates development of rhythm and movement is music. Music subject in early childhood develops motor coordination, sense of rhythm, encourage to play music and rhythm instruments. In a curriculum of music, there is such important process as singing, listening music, dance and musical rhythmical movements, use of rhythm and musical instruments. The subject singing includes working with folk songs, children songs, chants, vocal range and tune. In a first level of development in singing children are learning to sing a simple children songs in a small range, play together with teacher rhythm accompaniment to instruments. When the kids gets older and pass next level of development, thay can sing freely and naturally without tension and can use different tempo, sing songs with different accompaniment types, use rhythm instruments like rattles, sticks. Another curriculum subject is listening to music, that includes tempo, dynamics, sound layout, genres, songs. In a age one and two children are listening various sounds and voices and at the same time are learning to heard low and high register, linking it with an image. At this age children are also able execute variouty of movements while sound of music. With a time children gets older, they can recognise some specific musical instrument sounds and express their feelings about the composition and also recognise hearded composition. When children is five or six years old, they are able to improvise movements given by music, perceive music mood (character), genre (song, dance, march) and dinamics. The other subject in music curriculum is dance and musical rhythmical movement, wich includes such important objects as posture, pulsation, sounding gestures. In a first level of development children are able to listen music accompaniment and do movements of mimics and participate in simple musical and rhythmical plays. When children pass next stage of development, than they are able to perform some movements while listening musical accompaniment and learn most basic dance steps as well dance in couples, but when the kids are about five years old, they can do dance moves, dance steps and are also able to stand in circle, wich they can reduce or expand. In a age of six, kid is ready to dance simple dances, and throught musical accompaniment improvise movements and reproduce composition in their movements. In this age children are also able to acquire folk dance grib and do gallop steps. The last learning subject in music curriculum is rhythm and music instruments. In this subject it is very common to use rhythmical instruments, sound tools, pulse. In a age of three kids in early childhood are able to play some audio tools by listening accompaniment at the same time. Kids are also able to play some rhythm instruments like rattles ,beat with a stick. When children pass to next level of development and come bit older, they are able to recognize two or three musical instruments, improvise accompaniment with rhythm and musical instruments. 3. Riga Teacher Training and educational management academy The Academys goal is to provide each student with an opportunity to acquire professional and academic higher education in the areas of pedagogy, psychology, business and management, as well as motivation for professional life and constant self-improvement. RTTEMA prepares teachers who are able to prepare pupils for life and work in information society. RTTEMA is a conceptually and technically modern professional higher education institution and academy is founded by a state. It started its work in 1994 with 1273 students and now is one of the largest higher educational institutions in Latvia in terms of the number of students. Academy educates more than 3, 5 thousand students in full-time and part-time studies, employs 160 lecturers and docents, offers 25 study programs at college, bachelors, master and PhD levels. RTTEMA also organizes international conferences, publishes scientific articles, implements projects of scientific research, promote student and teacher international mobility, is an active member of international organizations. Academys intellectual environment consist of Pedagogic Scientific Institute, Creativity Scientific Institute, Child Language Research Center, Psychological Research Institute, Nature and Working Environment Institute, Several methodic centers, Young Teachers Club, RTTEMA Centre of Further Education, Library with stocks in 10 cities of Latvia. Students are provided administrative support at International Office and social support at Students Parliament. Apart from these units students have an opportunity of involving themselves in the following cultural undertakings, that are Mixed choir Fortius, female choir Balta, chamber orchestra Gaudeamus Orchestra, Big band, sports club, folk dance group Dejotprieks. In RTTEMA is also possible to study education programs that are related to rhythm and movement subjects, for example professional bachelors education programs and second level in the short vocational higher education program offers to study and become a Dance and Rhythmic Teacher or Music Teacher. Professional Masters program offers Dance Pedagogy, Music Pedagogy. If a student wants to get Bachelor degree in Dance and Rhythmic Teacher education program, then he/she has to study in full time for four years or in part time, that takes four years and three months. This educational program gives opportunity to work in a profession of dance and rhythmic teacher also manage dance groups. Main requirements of this program is to acquire theoretical base of pedagogy and psychology, link the theoretical conclusion with the practical work at school, primary school also acquire research skills and be able to use them in practical work, develop skills and abilities necessary for Dance and Rhythmic Teacher as well as personal qualities and competences. This education program includes a plenty of subjects like classical dance, historical dance, dance anatomy, composition of dance, rhythmic, methods of children dance, the notation of Latvian dance, jazz dance, didactics etc. Conclusion The Latvian education system is structured at four levels: primary, secondary, vocational and higher education. There are also private schools and universities, where fees are charged, but majority of students go to state schools which are free. Children in Latvia are obliged by law to attend school from the year when they turn seven till the age of 16. Children attend pre-school when they are under age of seven years, Main type of activity for pre-school children is games, so the teaching process is organised that children can learn by playing and by this learning process kids takes over community experience, acguire knowledge, skills to create attitudes, explore themselves and also act independently. Teaching methods and curricum in early childhood education dipends from children stage of development and age. There is four levels in children stage of development. Curriculum for each level, teaching methods and methodical approaches are profesionaly created by Latvian Education Curriculum Centre. Early childhood curriculum includes physical education and music subjects, witch goes includes knowledge about rhythm and movement. These subjects main goals are to promote children health, strengthening their body, improving movement but music subject promote childrem emocional, intelectual development, knowledge about rhytm and improve creativity. Rigas Teacher Training and educational management academy (RTTEMA) main goal is to provide each student with an opportunity to acquire professional and academic higher education in the areas of pedagogy, psychology, business and management, as well as motivation for professional life and constant self-improvement. In RTTEMA is also possible to study education programs that are related to rhythm and movement subjects, for example professional bachelors education programs and second level in the short vocational higher education program offers to study and become a Dance and Rhythmic Teacher or Music Teacher. Professional Masters program offers Dance Pedagogy, Music Pedagogy. Internet resources http://www.aic.lv/ENIC/en/enic/ed_in_Latv.htm, Retrieved November 24 http://izm.izm.gov.lv/education/education-system.html, Retrieved November 24 http://www.likumi.lv/doc.php?id=20243, Retrieved November 26 http://www.rpiva.lv/index.php?mh=statistika, Retrieved November 26 http://viaa.gov.lv/files/news/1808/educ_in_latvia.pdf, Retrieved November 26