What To Do About Non-standard English

What To Do About Non-standard English What To Do About Non-standard English What To Do About Non-standard English By Maeve Maddox One of our readers expresses the dilemma faced by conscientious speakers and writers who value a standard form of English, but recognize that rapid changes are taking place. So, just where do we draw the line? Now that I’m no longer a â€Å"prescriptivist,† what is acceptable? When can I start pulling out my hair again?! Good question. Prescriptivist is a dirty word, yet unadulterated descriptivism is not only impractical, it is impossible. Even the dictionaries that operate from a descriptivist perspective cannot possibly record every usage from every community of speakers. So, as the reader asks, where do we draw the line? In this age of militant anti-authoritarianism, evangelical multi-culturalism, and pedagogical malpractice, its not an easy question to answer. Language is an intensely personal matter. When it comes to usage and pronunciation, each user of the language has to decide where the line is to be drawn. Advocates of standard English tend to feel blood pressure rising when they see or hear non-standard usage in what is felt to be an inappropriate context. Suggesting that one form of speech is preferable to another, however, can annoy people no end. (Even when you do it on a language site.) In the interest of keeping blood pressures down, I offer these guidelines for people who are â€Å"tearing their hair† over non-standard usage. Recognize that even your fellow advocates may not agree with you as to what is or is not standard English Numerous forms of British and American English are spoken in different parts of the world. Different forms are â€Å"standard† in different places. Acknowledge that linguistic change is inevitable The point of having a standard written dialect is not to fossilize the language, but to permit change to take place at a slower pace. Don’t object blindly to new usage merely because it’s new. Have valid reasons for your objections. Know what you mean by â€Å"standard† English Provide yourself with a good dictionary. Browse the style manuals and choose one or two that you find easy to use. Dont hesitate to disagree with them if you have solid reasons for doing so. Cherish your own dialect and use it with those who can appreciate it. Use a standard dialect when you want to be understood by speakers not familiar with your home dialect. Use non-standard English in context In writing, consider your targeted audience and choose the most appropriate language for that audience. If youre a script writer, consider the occupations and backgrounds of the various characters in your story. Dont have them all talk the same. For example, dont have the characters with college degrees say things like Me and Professor Jones have created an algorithm, or, To celebrate my new tenure, I’ve made reservations for Sally and I at the French restaurant. Model standard English Correct your children’s grammar. Talk to them about word choice. If youre a teacher (any subject, not just English), model standard English to your students. Insist that they speak and write standard English in the context of school and schoolwork. If you have the type of job that makes it appropriate for you to correct the usage of your staff (editor, office manager, etc.) go for it. Provide your employees with a style sheet and insist that they use standard English in writing, and when speaking to clients. Be nice Once your children are grown, bite your tongue. Outside the role of a parent, teacher, or employer, don’t take on the responsibility of correcting other people’s English, unless they ask you to. I see nothing wrong with pointing out errors that appear in printed sources. Advertisers, journalists, and others who use the language in a public way should be in command of standard English. Even then, corrective criticism can be offered in a courteous, helpful manner. There’s no need to accompany corrections with sarcasm, ridicule, or ad hominem attacks. When it comes to our grown kinfolk, neighbors, or co-workers, we need to recognize that, like everything else in life, â€Å"standard English† has its place. It’s only one of several dialects. It may be the most universally useful, but it is not intrinsically better than any other. Informal conversation is not public speaking. Jumping in to correct usage or pronunciation is not only inappropriate, it’s disrespectful. You can promote â€Å"standard English† without trying to wipe out every other form. Draw the line where you think it needs to be drawn in your use of the language. Let other speakers and writers make their own choices. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingTelling a Good Poem from a Bad One40 Irregular Verbs That Can End in â€Å"-t†

How the English Days of the Week Got Their Names

How the English Days of the Week Got Their Names English speakers often take for granted the impact other languages have had on our own. The names of the days of the week, for example, owe much to the blend of cultures that influenced England over the yearsSaxon Germany, Norman France, Roman Christianity, and Scandinavian. Wednesday: Wodens Day Woden’s connection to Wednesday draws its name from the one-eyed god  known as Odin. While we associate him with the Norse and Scandinavia, the name Woden itself appeared in Saxon England, and elsewhere as Voden, Wotan (his old German moniker), and other variations, all across the continent. His image hanging from a tree with a single eye is reflected in many modern day religions.   Thursday Is Thors Day The mighty Thunder God was respected as Thunor among our ancestor culture in England, and his own influence as both the principal deity of Iceland and the international movie-star in Marvel movies  sits well alongside his more mysterious father. Friday: Freyr or Frigg? Friday can get tricky, as one can draw fertility god Freyr from the name, but also Frigg, Odin’s wife and goddess of hearth and home. Our common connotation shows Friday as a day of reaping (our paychecks) or returning home (for the weekend) so both could feasibly be the origins. A mythological mind might point to Frigg, our ancient mother, calling us home and giving us a family dinner. Saturn-Day Saturday pays homage to Saturn, that old force that appears in Rome, Greece.  Many might associate the name with pagan rites like â€Å"Saturnalia† or solstice festivals, which were (and still are) incredibly popular in both Northern and Western Europe. Old father time rests on this day, which conventionally ends the week in both the US and the Middle East, as a day of rest. Sunday: Rebirth as the Sun Returns Sunday is just that, a day celebrating the sun and the rebirth of our week. Many Christian sects point to this as the day of ascension when the Son rose and went back to heaven, bringing with him the light of the world. Solar deities beyond the Son of God stretch back universally, found all over the world in every single culture there is, was, and will be. It’s fitting that it should have a day all its own. Monday: Moon Day Likewise, Monday pays homage to the moon, the principal body of night. Monday has a good deal in common with the German name Montag, which translates as day of the moon. While Quaker heritage in the US calls it the second day, it is also the first day of the work week in Western culture, assuming that the first day is ascension on Sunday. In Arab and Middle Eastern cultures, Monday is also the second day of the week, which ends on Sabbath Day Saturday and starts again the day after, likely due to the shared Abrahamic religion, Islam. Tuesday Honors the God of War   We end this trip on Tuesday. In old German, Tiw was the god of war, sharing similarities with Roman Mars, from which the Spanish name Martes is derived. The Latin word for Tuesday is  Martis dies, Marss Day.  But another origin points to the Scandinavian God Tyr, who was also a god of war and honorable combat.

Consumer behavior theory to develop a sound marketing plan for a Essay

Consumer behavior theory to develop a sound marketing plan for a hypothetical product or service - Essay Example This maximum capacity of plant production especially if the demand is high cannot completely compete with other paint producing company. This remains one of the big challenges of the company that it takes into consideration at present time. Aside from continuing innovation of its products, Paint X Corporation continuous to aim for strong market penetration. Although situated in London, Paint X Corporation is providing quality paints in the international market. It is in this regard that the market segmentation variables are needed to be analysed based on the international level. Paint X Corporation is supplying paints across Europe, Asia and through out the entire world. Based on this consideration, it cannot be denied that the company’s consideration of its segmentation variables is a bit complicated. Everything needs to be designed based on a universal approach on geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioralistic consideration. On geographic consideration, various competing paint manufacturers in Europe are good reasons to create more innovative quality paints. This is clear when cost of raw materials was considered in order to compete with multinational companies (Renart and Pares, 1991). The world is such a huge market. Around 6 billion people today are living in the world (Sheffield, 1998). This is a potential mark et considering that these people need shelter and quality way of life. Paints are part of visual effects. Visual effects are said to influence people’s perceived usability, satisfaction and pleasure (Moshagen and Thielsch, 2010). Colors from paints bring decorative appeal (Smith et al., 2003). Paints are used everywhere and this only implies higher significant acceptance of these products. Maslow believed that humans have five hierarchies of needs and these are physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization (Robins and Timothy, 2010). In the event that the first need is substantially satisfied,

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Business law - Essay Example The statutes are significant because they provide flexibility to the written constitution of a country and empower the government to introduce legislations to effectively meet the challenges of the evolving time. There are two types of statute: General Public acts which are applicable to people across the board; and Private acts which are confined to particular place, organization or group of individuals. In the contemporary times, decentralization of power has become necessary for effective administration. Therefore, the parliament often empowers local government and agencies to introduce rules appropriate or suited to particular set of local conditions. This is generally made possible through ‘enabling’ Acts of the Parliament. These Acts of Parliament create a broad framework of reforms for the local bodies to enact their own rules, best suited for the local conditions. The rules enacted through such delegation of powers to the local bodies are known as ‘Statutory Instruments’. The Statutory instruments can be challenged by the Parliament or even repealed if not found reasonable. The parliament has the overall control over the Statutory Instruments. The legal rules, which are made by judges on the basis of doctrines that have been in existence for more than 700 years, come under the precincts of ‘Common Laws’ (LLS1). These laws are neither enacted in the parliament nor were made by the delegated legislation of the local authorities but primarily developed over a period of time and adopted by the judges as such from the statements of principles from the earlier court cases. These common laws have justified their existence by successfully facilitating resolution of disputes in the areas that have seen maximum conflicts of interests in the life of the general public. Though common laws can be seen in almost all areas of

Video games and violence Essay Example for Free

Video games and violence Essay Whatever happened to Candy Land and Monopoly? Today’s youth are being molded into the future working adults improving skills, at the same time, showing aggressive behaviors playing video games. Today’s Video games can be very misleading when it comes to discerning the fantasy of the game. This brings forth serious behavioral issues. According to Curt (1990), â€Å"What worries many experts is that video-game violence is abnormally stimulating, arrives with the apparent sanction of parents and society, and appears on the same TV screen as the evening news, this blurring the distinction between play slaughter and real life carnage. †(Curt, Washington Post,1990,p. 1) Children are consumed within the game. They lose focus of themselves. As a result this affects today’s youth in acting out by manipulating adults in order to get their way(Curt 1990). These behavioral issues are turned around into a more positive manner though. In the game of, Call of Duty, children are soldiers standing up to defend their country. While as adults the reality comes out and washes away the fantasy environment of video games. While on the other hand, video games can be very beneficial for todays youth. Thilmarry(2012) notes that, â€Å"In the article, University of Rochester researchers Daphne Bavelier and C. Shawn Green looked at a study they did on the futuristic first-person shooter game† Unreal Tournament,†in which they found players improved perceptual and attention skills by playing in a first person shooter, player shoot from their own perspective as if theyre holding the shooting device. † While immersed in the game, they have the opportunity to fine tune their perception and memory skills. This could also lead to higher results on test in school with increased memory skills. This also aids todays youth in their problem solving skills when it comes to being sociable and interacting with their peers. Many children self-esteem are increased, as a result, of feeling that they are able to excel within the game. Whereas, under peer-pressure, the child would crumble with the bad comments tossed towards them in not measuring up to other standards. Which in turn makes the video game environment more beneficial for todays youth. With the ever changing technology our children are better equipped for the future. Todays youth are being prepared with various systems and newer versions of games. While in the business environment, working adults are working with ever changing programs. In todays video games, players are able to role-play with other players on the internet. While in the modern business world, adults are using the chat environment to interact with others making well-informed decisions together. With updated versions of video games todays youth learn to adapt more into well informed adults. While Monopoly maybe a long drawn out board game, there is nothing like an exciting video game for todays youth in the ever changing technological day in age. We should always be mindful to buy the most updated and appropriate rated video games for our youth. References 1. Suplee,C. W. P. (1990, Dec28). Weighing virtues, vices of video games. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved from HTTP://search. proquest. com/docview/277808375? account id = 7374 2. Thilmarry, J. (2012). Gaming pros and cons. Mechanical Engineering, 0135(3),20-20. Retrieved from HTTP:// search. proquest. com/docview/963767435? account id=7374.

Henry Ford :: essays research papers fc

Henry Ford was one of the most important and influential inventors and businessmen in the short history of America. He revolutionized the business world and he changed forever the efficiency of factories around the world. One of the reasons that Henry Ford can be considered such an important man is that his ideas and concepts are still used today. Boron on July 30, in the year of 1863, Henry Ford was the oldest child of the family. His parents, William and Mary Ford, were â€Å"prosperous farmers† in his hometown of Dearborn. While they we’re well off for farmers, Ford certainly wasn’t spoiled and fed from silver spoons. Ford was just like any other typical young boy during the rural nineteenth century. From early on there we’re signs that Henry was going to be something more than a farmer. He looked with interest upon the machinery that his father and himself used for their farming, and looked with disdain at the rigorous chores of a farmer. In the year 1879, Henry being a meager 16 years old, he moved to the city of Detroit where he would work as an apprentice machinist. Henry would remain in Detroit working and learning about all varieties of machines. Although he occasionally came back to visit Dearborn, he mostly stayed in Detroit, picking up more and more valuable knowledge. This apprenticeship allowed him to work in the factories of Detroit and learn what a hard working blue-collar job was like. When he did return to Dearborn he was always tearing apart and rebuilding his fathers machines, along with the dreaded farm chores. Henry Ford was a hard worker and that was proven by him getting fired from one of his jobs in Detroit because the older employees we’re mad at him because he was finishing his repairs in a half hour rather than the usual five hours. Clara Bryant would represent the next step in now twenty-five year old Henry Ford’s life. The two lovers we’re married in 1888 and would endure good times as well as bad. In order to support his new wife Henry was forced to work the land as he ran a sawmill that was given to him by his father. His father actually attempted to bribe Henry to stay in the farming business as he gave him the land only under the condition that he would continue on as a farmer.

Mellon Strategic Analysis

Strategic Mangement CASE: Mellon 1)The most important general environmental factors for Mellon are; a. Economics: Mellon specializes in managing company’s finance, there for it is very important for the economy to prosper in order for Mellon to retain clients and perform their specialization. b. Political/Legal: Since Mellon operates out of the U. S and Canada, it is very important that laws and regulations are exercised to avoid conflict. There is a great deal of regulations associated with the finance and banking industry. c.Global Segments: It is very important that the Canadian market performs well because Mellon has a joint venture with CIBC who operates out of Canada. 2)The most important of the five industry forces are; a. Threat of substitute products: Mellon and CIBC offer a very unique service by combining both firms specialization, they are able to offer a one of a kind service for large firms. Therefore it is very hard for companies to find other superior service c ompared to Mellon’s. b. Rivalry among competing firms – Mellon and CIBC has a huge market share in this line of financial service.Mellon and CIBC offer the best services in its field while also offering the best customer service. The exceptional service combined with their long portfolio allows them to have the competitive advantage eliminating any rivalries. c. The industry is not attractive to new entrants 3)The two major competitors are UBS AG and Bank of Montreal. UBS AG is another financial services company that operates worldwide. I predict that this company will allocate more of their services to the U. S and Canada to compete with CIBC Mellon.Bank of Montreal offers banking services, they have a huge presence in Canada and also has locations in the U. S. I predict that they will create a joint venture with a financial service company such as UBS AG to compete with CIBC Mellon. Like CIBC Mellon. 4)The most important value chains are; a. Human Resources: CIBC and Mellon both possess a unique set of knowledge and skills. Knowledge and skills are transferred from one to the other; by doing this they are able to deliver their services. b.Finance: ICBS Mellon is a financial service provider, they not only service other firms but it is crucial they manage their own finance well in order to expand and finance future projects. c. Follow-up service: The company is all service base, in order for them to retain clients they must follow strict follow-up services and maintain a dependable CRM system. d. I believe the following value chains are neutral compared to their competitors. Each of the competitors possess equivalent value chains, ICBS Mellon has the competitor advantage due to their location of operation and clientele. )The important ratio’s for the company are Return on Assets, Return on Equity, Leverage Ratio, equity-to-loans, total capital. Was not able to find actually ratio numbers for Mellon. 6)SWOT; a. Strength: Control large mark et shares, strong human capital, good synergy through JV, large presence both in Canada and U. S, acquisitions of major banks, strong financial availability. b. Weakness: unable to control economic conditions, difference in laws and regulation. c. Opportunity: Global expansion, acquire more industry competitions. . Threats: global economy, other major banking and financial service institutions. 6&7) ICBC Mellon major advantages are their large presence in both the U. S and Canada. By acquiring many of the large players in the industry, they are able to reduce competition and remain in business despite the economic conditions. One of their greatest weaknesses is the uncontrollable economy. They are unable to control where the industry is leading; it could slow now new acquisitions and expansion into other global segments.They are Valuable because they are able to neutralize their threats by acquisitions, they are Rare because they are offer both financial and banking services, they a re not easy to imitate nor substitutable due to their excellence in servicing and market control. 8)Business level – Focus Strategy, Corporate Level – Moderate Level of Diversification w/ related constraints, International Level – Transnational Strategy. The above analogy fits because they operate both in the U. S and Canada, they utilize both the companies specialization to services their customers. The company offers a diversified selection of services, using all heir resources together to provide their services. 9)The firm’s problem is the downturn of the economics, they fear of not being able to control the outcome of it and that it may affect the joint venture relationship. They face many risk such as credit risk, operational risk, and market risk. Their main concern is the peace of mind of current customers and the ability to gain new customers under the circumstances. In this situation, they do not much control. The main focus should be to maintain the current customers. I believe they would take up to more risk by obtaining new accounts.They should try and balance the risk between the U. S economic and CAN. During this time, I believe they should even leave the markets that is creating most risk for them and focusing on what is safest. They need to implement Strategy to stay competitive in the market. By focusing on Strategy, they will remain strong while the other companies take the damage from the economic downturn. 10) a) Should ICBC Mellon focus more of their business in Canada due to their better economy? b) Would ICBC be better off if they had broke off the Joint Venture when times got tough as it is now?