Summary of leaders and followers Free Essays

Summary of â€Å"how to cultivate effective follower† April Wang English Composition I Professor Hampton October 25th, 2012 cultivate effective followers† 2 Summary of â€Å"How to In the article â€Å"How to cultivate effective followers†, the writer Christopher Lorenz identifies that followers who could not follow a parade in the past is playing a remarkable role during recent years, that is to say, since the followers are taken into fully account nowadays, they are becoming more efficient and play a key role in the many. However, the author also stressed that he was not going to have a debate with anyone who had great passion for leadership. According to the author, followers are divided into five types in this article: sheep, yes people, alienated followers, survivors, effective followers. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of leaders and followers or any similar topic only for you Order Now In that case, some recommendations are also given to help foster efficient followers. Truly, most of the time, we do not act as a leader but a follower. Viewing that issue, Kelly, who is an industrial administration in Pittsburgh at Carnegie-Mellon University, did a research about it. Basically, it is separated in to five different sorts according to followers’ various qualities in Kelly’s study. First, sheep only do, if any, what the leaders let them do. They do not have their own opinions and depend on their leaders all the time. Yes people, obviously, are also a group of people who concern nothing but the tasks are given. Only when the leader is â€Å"blind†, this type of followers may be popular. Alienated followers are cynics–they hold their own ideas which are always the opposite of their leaders and never drop them. Survivors depend on their traders’ tempers. Their motto is â€Å"does anything that can please leaders†. Effective followers, who are probably only imaginations, are the most ideal ones. They 3 are not afraid of taking risks, for they claim that they have equal duties for their organizations. Hence, Kelly provided some strategies to us to develop more effective followers. First, the most important thing is to create a common value which can help them work toward a same goal. For example, give customers best services and make them feel at home. Second, aim for making independent and decisive followers. For instance, leaders can allow followers to speak out, which mean they can discuss strategy plans together. Third, leaders should be willing to share powers to others. At the same time, followers will have much more opportunities to make decisions. This is a beneficial way to get everyone involved. Generally speaking, followers should be paid more attention not only by leaders but also by our whole community. When talking about this, I strongly agree with him. Here are my reasons. First, evidently, in a company, only leaders can achieve nothing. Leaders and lowers hold each other tightly toward a common destination is a best way. Thus, the author evidences us some ways, which are studied by Robert E. Kelly, to make efficient followers. I also learnt it in my leadership class. An efficacious company needs appropriate followers to work with leaders actively to overcome obstacles. If the company is a manufacturer, it needs people to do a single thing day and night. Then, sheep followers are popular. Second, as we can see, in this article, Kelly (1989, Para 3) said, â€Å"What distinguishes effective followers from leaders is not intelligent, ability or any other qualities, but the role they play’. Definitely, everyone should 4 have the opportunity to take control, make decisions and give advice. They can choose someone who has a specialization on the task to help achieve the goal effectively, someone need not to be a leader, someone who are brave and responsible enough to take actions and changes. Last but not least, the time of being identified as a follower is much longer than being a leader; hence, everyone has the necessary to learn how to be both popular leaders and efficient followers. When I was a freshman, I Join the student association as a leader in one of the student groups. At the same time, I also had a leader in the whole association. I should learn how to be benign to my followers, how to get along well with my colleagues, and how to be credible to my leaders. To achieve the author’s goal, he does use some available writing styles, but not everything is so perfect. Logos is the most extraordinary style in this article. At first, he used two clear lists to introduce us the different kinds of followers and the ways to achieve effective followers. Second, his langue is terse and perspicuous. For example, â€Å"sheep are passive and uncritical, lacking in initiative and responsibility’. Only one sentence can tell the main characters of sheep. There are also some drawbacks. First and foremost, I think there should be some examples, when talking about different types of followers. It would more clearly. Moreover, from the whole essay, the author used too much Kelly’s words. It would be better to add more opinions about himself. To sum up, I forcefully believe that followers are also taking a big issue. For one thing, no matter how little the company we stayed is, followers should be regarded as 5 equal as leaders. For another, it is strongly suggested that more attention should be taken on followers, since we are more likely a follower rather than a leader in a company. In addition, here is a virtual advice. If a leader is not willing to share power with his followers, it is hard to build ideal followers-?effective followers. 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Toni Morrison Essay Example For Students

Toni Morrison Essay OutlineThe Bluest Eye by Toni MorrisonTHESIS:In the novel The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison incorporates various techniques in The Bluest Eye, such as her use of metaphors, the ironic use of names and the visual images that she uses. I. Background information on Toni MorrisonA. Where she was born. B. Where she attend collegeC. Why she changed her nameD. When she got marriedII. The Bluest EyeA. Summary of The Bluest EyeB. What is a theme?1. The main theme of The Bluest Eye. C. What is a Plot?1. What is the plot of The Bluest Eye?D. How Toni Morrison plays with the names in The Bluest Eye, so they are not what they seem to be. -I-1.The significance of Pecolas nameE. What are the two major metaphors used in The Bluest Eye?-II-Toni Morrison the first black woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, was born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931 in Lorain, Ohio. She was the second of four children to George and Ramah Wofford. Her parents moved to Ohio from the South to escape racism and to find better opportunities in the North. Lorain was a small industrial town populated with immigrant Europeans, Mexicans and Southern blacks who lived next door to each other. Chloe attended an integrated school. In the first grade she was the only black student in her class and the only one who could read. Chloe attended the prestigious Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in English with a minor in classics. Since many people could not pronounce her name correctly she changed it to Toni, a shortened version of her middle name. Toni Wofford graduated Howard University in 1953 with a B.A. in English. She attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and received a masters degree in 1955. After graduating, Toni was offered a job at Texas Southern University in Houston where she taught introductory English. In 1957, she returned to Howard as a member of the faculty. At Howard she met and fell in love with a young Jamaican architect, Harold Morrison. They married in 1958 and had her first son in 1961. Toni continued to teach while taking care of here family, she also joined a small writers group as a temporary escape from an unhappy married life. Each member was required to bring a story or poem for discussion. One week, having nothing to bring, she quickly wrote a story loosely based on a girl she knew in childhood who had prayed to have blue eyes. The story was well received by the group. Toni put it away thinking that she was done with it. When her sons where asleep, she started writing. She dusted off the story in which she had written for discussion in her writers group and decided to make it into a novel. She drew on her memories as a child and expanded on them with her imagination so the characters developed a life of their own. The Bluest Eye was published in 1970, too much critical acclaim, although it was not commercially successful. The Bluest Eye is a novel of initiation set in Lorain, Ohio. Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, desperately wants blue eyes, thinking that they would make her beautiful. She drinks several quarts of milk at the home of her friends Claudia and Frieda McTeer just to use their Shirley Temple mug and glaze at young Temples blue eyes. One day Pecola is raped by her father, when the child the she conceives dies, Pecola goes mad. She comes to believe that she has the bluest eyes of anyone. In the novel, The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison incorporates various techniques, such as her use of metaphors, the ironic use of names, and the visual images that she uses. The theme of The Bluest Eye, revolves around African Americans conformity to white standards. A woman may whiten her skin, straighten her hair and change its color, but she can not change the color of her eyes. The desire to transform ones identity, itself becomes an inverted desire, becomes the desire for blues eye, which is the symptom of Pecolas instability. The Bluest Eye opens with a Dick and Jane paragraph, a white American Myth far removed from the realities illustrated in the novel. Thereafter, the black narrator Claudia MacTeer relates much of the story, and the reminder, which concerns events that Claudia could not have witnessed, is narrated mostly by an unidentified voice. Claudias narrative reveals the guilt that for a long time plagued her and her sister in connection with another girls miscarriage. The girl, Pecola Breedlove, was pregnant with her own fathers child in the fall of 1941. Told by the different narrators, the understanding of events up to her tragedy is organized according to the four seasons. In the Autumn, the tense shifts form present to past, indicating shifts between the nine year old Claudia and the adult Claudia acting as narrators. The story begins with the arrival of Mr. Henry Washington, a border who will live with the MacTeers. At the same time, Pecola Breedlove comes to live with the MacTeers. She has been put outdoors by her father who has gone to jail and not paid the rent on the apartment. Frieda and Pecola talk about how much they each love Shirley temple. Claudia rebels. She does not like Shirley Temple nor the white dolls that she receives each Christmas with the big blue eyes. To the dismay of the adults, she dismembers these dolls, trying to see if it was that all the world said was lovable. The text shifts to the third person omniscient point of view and gives the reader a brief of the inside of the Breedloves two-room apartment. The whole family shares one bedroom and there is no bath, only a toilet. At the same time the Breedlove family is introduced . The family is described as ugly. Pecolas only refuge from her life is with the three prostitutes who live upstairs and who treat her with affection the only people who do so. Legalization Of Marijuana Analysis EssayThe Dick and Jane snippets show just how prevalent and important the images of white perfection are in Pecolas life. Morrisons strange typography illustrates how irrelevant and inappropriate these images are. Names play an important part in The Bluest Eye, because they are often symbolic of conditions in society and in the context on the story. The name if the novel, The Bluest Eye, is meant to give the reader thinking about how much value is placed on blue eyed little girls. Pecola and her family are representative of the larger African American community and their name Breedlove is ironic because they live in a society that does not breed love. In fact, it breeds hate, hate of blackness and the hatred of oneself. The name MacTeer, can have an argument to be made, that it refers to the fact that the MacTeer girls are the only ones who shed a tear for Pecola. Soaphead church represents as his name suggests the role of the church in African American life. The implication is that the churchs promise that if you worship God and pray to him that everything will be alright is no better than Soapheads promise to Pecola that she will have blue eyes. Morrison reveals the significance of Pecolas name through the character of Maureen Peal. Maureen confuses Pecolas name with the name of the character in the movie Imitation of Life. I just moved here. My name is Maureen peal. Whats yoursPecolaPecola? Wasnt that the name of the girl in Imitation of Life?I dont know. What is that?The picture show, you know. Where this mulatto girl hates her mother cause she is black and ugly but then cries at the funeral. It was real sad. Everybody cries in it. Claudette Colbert too.Oh Pecolas voice was no more than a sigh. Anyway, her name was Pecola too. She was pretty. When it comes back, Im going to see it again.(Morrison56-57)Maureens reference to the film illustrates how white cultural values shape the black communitys idea of physical beauty. But Maureens discrepancy, was that the name of the girl in Imitation of Life, is not in fact Pecola, but Peola. The irregularity is appropriate because it denotes Pecolas failure to be like her cinematic double. Maureens mistake is relevance as well, for Morrison in her act of (mis)naming signifies the communitys power to deny an individual autonomy and to use people for its own needs. In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison uses metaphors, in which she wants the reader to think one way, but in reality she is talking about a whole other subject. The definition of a metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another subject to suggest a likeness or an analogy between them. She uses metaphors in The Bluest Eye to describe the conditions under which African Americans in general and Pecola are forced to live. There are two major metaphors in The Bluest Eye, one of marigolds and of dandelions. Claudia, looking back as an adult says, at the beginning of the book, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941(Morrison 9). She and her sister (Frieda) plant seed with the belief that the marigolds seeds would grow and survive, and so would Pecolas baby (Morrison 149). Morrisons scope to all African Americans on the last page I even think that the land of the entire country was hostile to marigolds that year. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruits it will not bear(Morrison160). The implication is that Pecola like so many other African Americans never had the chance to grow and succeed, because she lived in a society (soil) that was inherently racist, and would not nurture her. The other metaphor, the dandelion is also an important metaphor that Morrison uses because it represents Pecolas image of herself. See, Pecola passes some dandelions going into Mr. Yacobowskis store. Why she wonders, so people call them weeds? She thought that they were pretty(Morrison 41). After leaving the store and being humiliated by Mr. Yacobowski, she again passes the same dandelions and thinks; They are ugly. They are weeds (Morrison 43). Pecola has transferred societys dislikes of her unto the dandelions. In all of Toni Morrisons novels, she uses a systematic use of color imagery to promote particular responses or sensual experiences. The following is a list of the colors that she uses to create visual imagery in her novels and also what they stand for. Red = alarmGreen = tranquillityBlue = pleasure nurturingWhite = mysticalBoth the blue and the white used together in her imagery stands for, positive life-giving forces, peaceful, non-violent death or even insanity. Toni Morrison is a very successful African American woman, who in her life has overcome a lot, not only in her personal life, but also in the world of being a writer. She has won the Nobel Prize in Literature in which she was the first African American woman to do so. The various writing techniques that she uses not only in The Bluest Eye, but also in all of her novels, are extraordinary. I hope that many people have shared the experience that I have by reading her books by getting an insight to the many ways in which not only a writer but also anyone can incorporate in his or her writings. Works CitedBakerman, Jane. The Seams Cant Show: An Interview with Toni Morrison. Black American Literature forum. 12(1978): 56-60. Dittermar, Linda.Will the Circle be Unbroken? The Politics of Form in The Bluest Eye.Novel. 23.2 (Winter1990): 137-55. Leflore, Fannie,Author Morrison uses fiction to challenge prevailing images, Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Journal, October 20,1990Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Washington Square Press-Pocket Books, 1970. Stepto, Robert B. Intimate Things In Place A Conversation with Toni Morrison. Massachusetts Review. 18(1977): 473-89

Johann Sebastian Bach Essays (815 words) - Music, Classical Music

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the greatest composers in Western musical history. More than 1,000 of his compositions survive. Some examples are the Art of Fugue, Brandenburg Concerti, the Goldberg Variations for Harpsichord, the Mass in B-Minor, the motets, the Easter and Christmas oratorios, Toccata in F Major, French Suite No 5, Fugue in G Major, Fugue in G Minor ("The Great"), St. Matthew Passion, and Jesu Der Du Meine Seele. He came from a family of musicians. There were over 53 musicians in his family over a period of 300 years. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany on March 21, 1685. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a talented violinist, and taught his son the basic skills for string playing; another relation, the organist at Eisenach's most important church, instructed the young boy on the organ. In 1695 his parents died and he was only 10 years old. He went to go stay with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who was a professional organist at Ohrdruf. Johann Christoph was a professional organist, and continued his younger brother's education on that instrument, as well as on the harpsichord. After several years in this arrangement, Johann Sebastian won a scholarship to study in Luneberg, Northern Germany, and so left his brother's tutelage. A master of several instruments while still in his teens, Johann Sebastian first found employment at the age of 18 as a "lackey and violinist" in a court orchestra in Weimar; soon after, he took the job of organist at a church in Arnstadt. Here, as in later posts, his perfectionist tendencies and high expectations of other musicians - for example, the church choir - rubbed his colleagues the wrong way, and he was embroiled in a number of hot disputes during his short tenure. In 1707, at the age of 22, Bach became fed up with the lousy musical ezdards of Arnstadt (and the working conditions) and moved on to another organist job, this time at the St. Blasius Church in Muhlhausen. The same year, he married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach. Again caught up in a running conflict between factions of his church, Bach fled to Weimar after one year in Muhlhausen. In Weimar, he assumed the post of organist and concertmaster in the ducal chapel. He remained in Weimar for nine years, and there he composed his first wave of major works, including organ showpieces and cantatas. By this stage in his life, Bach had developed a reputation as a brilliant, if somewhat inflexible, musical talent. His proficiency on the organ was unequaled in Europe - in fact, he toured regularly as a solo virtuoso - and his growing mastery of compositional forms, like the fugue and the canon, was already attracting interest from the musical establishment - which, in his day, was the Lutheran church. But, like many individuals of uncommon talent, he was never very good at playing the political game, and therefore suffered periodic setbacks in his career. He was passed over for a major position - which was Kapellmeister (Chorus Master) of Weimar - in 1716; partly in reaction to this snub, he left Weimar the following year to take a job as court conductor in Anhalt-Cothen. There, he slowed his output of church cantatas, and instead concentrated on instrumental music - the Cothen period produced, among other masterpieces, the Brandenburg Concerti. While at Cothen, Bach's wife, Maria Barbara, died. Bach remarried soon after - to Anna Magdalena - and forged ahead with his work. He also forged ahead in the child-rearing department, producing 13 children with his new wife - six of whom survived childhood - to add to the four children he had raised with Maria Barbara. Several of these children would become fine composers in their own right - particularly three sons: Wilhelm Friedmann, Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Christian. After conducting and composing for the court orchestra at Cothen for seven years, Bach was offered the highly prestigious post of cantor (music director) of St. Thomas' Church in Leipzig - after it had been turned down by two other composers. The job was a demanding one; he had to compose cantatas for the St. Thomas and St. Nicholas churches, conduct the choirs,

“Im a huge fan of self-publishing” †By Lit. Agent David Fugate

â€Å"Im a huge fan of self-publishing† - By Lit. Agent David Fugate â€Å"I'm a huge fan of self-publishing† - An interview with literary agent David Fugate You know we like to bring you some of publishing's most forward-thinking voices here on the Reedsy blog. This interview is one we've been meaning to do for a while, so you won't be disappointed†¦Ã‚  David Fugate is the founder of  LaunchBooks  Literary Agency. He had worked as a literary agent for 20 years before setting it up, and  now represents renowned authors such as Andy Weir (author of The Martian), Scott Berkun (previously interviewed on this blog), or Chris Guillebeau.  He has successfully represented a wide range of fiction and nonfiction projects to more than 40 different publishers that have generated in excess of $20 Million for their authors.If you’re still unsure of what an agent can do for you and whether they’re compatible with self-publishing; or if you’re just curious about the current publishing landscape, this is a must-read.Hi David. We’re honored to have you on the Reedsy blog today. You have started your own agency  b ecause "you knew exactly what kind of books you wanted to work on". What's been the biggest challenge in "starting from scratch"?Thanks very much for having me. This August will actually make it 10 years since I founded LaunchBooks and so many incredible things have happened in that time that it almost feels like anything before LaunchBooks was another lifetime at this point.There were plenty of challenges in the beginning, though. When I left my previous agency to found LaunchBooks in 2006, I left with nothing. The way that agency was set up, the authors were technically clients of the agency, not my clients. That meant when I left I had no residual income, no clients, and no guarantee that any of my clients would want to come with me to LaunchBooks.I also left with the plan to radically change my focus from what had predominantly been computer and technology titles to a much broader range of trade nonfiction and eventually fiction. That meant some clients who did want to come with me wouldn't be a fit for what I was trying to do at LaunchBooks, which was as tough personally as it was professionally.The goal was to focus only on projects I found personally compelling. My thinking was that with no one looking over my shoulder at quarterly numbers, I'd take on what I loved and let the chips fall where they may. If it worked, great, and we succeeded together. If it failed, then my author and I both failed working on something we really cared about. "The goal was to focus only on projects I found personally compelling." @LaunchBooks Of course, all of that meant I had to really hit the ground running to find new authors and projects to represent. And since publishing money can be slow money, that meant lighting a lot of money on fire that first year while I started developing projects and getting things going. That part was thrilling, but also scary.Luckily for me, things have worked out better than I could've imagined back then and after what will now be ten years of consecutive growth, my only regret in founding LaunchBooks is that I didn't do it sooner. I really love what I do and I've been fortunate to work with some truly incredible authors.When you first approached Andy Weir about the Martian, he told you he didn't need an agent. What did you do to change his mind?I'd like to say that I made some kind of grand, persuasive argument, but it was simple, really. I told Andy it wouldn't cost him anything to let me give it a shot. I don't make any money until my author gets paid and I made it clear that if he was n't blown away by whatever deal I brought to him, he could pass and continue self-publishing the book. It's hard to beat zero risk and free.I also don't think Andy had a real sense of the kind of deal (and publisher) I was talking about, so when Julian Pavia over at Random House was as excited about the book as I thought he'd be, and when I presented the terms to Andy, he was thrilled to take it. Thankfully, I think everyone is happy that he did (even Matt Damon and Ridley Scott).You have been one of the first agents to embrace self-publishing as a valid publishing option for authors. The first ever author you represented, Ingrid Croce, has actually been successfully self-publishing since she got the rights back to her book. Now, for LaunchBooks you consider proposals from authors who are self-published and are looking for print and/or foreign rights deals?I'm a huge fan of self-publishing (in all its myriad forms) and what it has done for both authors and readers. I think it's amaz ing that it's no longer a question of if your work will be published, but how. I also find it tremendously gratifying to know that if what you're doing is good, you absolutely will have an opportunity to find an audience for it. It just feels like a much more hopeful, positive environment in which to be a writer. In fact, I often tell writers that now is the best time, in the entire history of the written word, to be a writer. "Now is the best time, in the entire history of the written word, to be a writer." @LaunchBooks I even self-published my own book, The Unconventional Guide to Book Publishing. Well, I say self-published, but it was actually published by Chris Guillebeau, who I also represent. So he's both my client and my publisher. How fun is that?Many of the authors I work with - including some of my biggest selling authors - either started out self-publishing, or still self-publish certain works as part of their overall strategy. That includes NYT bestselling authors like Andy Weir, Chris Guillebeau, DJ Molles, and many others.That said, I don't typically look for projects to pick up just for print or foreign rights. I'll, of course, consider anything, as every situation is different, but my focus is finding those authors I can pitch to the major publishers and help take their careers to an entirely different level.A question I often get from authors is whether by self-publishing digitally they kill any chance of the book being really really successful in print later (if picked up by a pub lisher). What's your take on it?Oh, I don't think it does at all. A quick check of Publishers Marketplace shows more than 400 deals in their database for books that were initially self-published, and that trend will only get stronger. And of course, some truly major books - The Martian, included! - started out life as self-published books. Publishers Marketplace shows more than 400 deals for books that were initially self-published. When a self-published book does well, it can not only help your chances of getting the book picked up by a major publisher - if that's what you want - it can also put you in line to receive a much bigger deal than you would have otherwise.Where it can be problematic is if you self-publish a book and it doesn't sell well. At that point there's really not much you can do because publishers' responses will essentially be "The market has spoken." When it comes to self-published books, publishers only bet on success, which makes sense when you think about it. "When it comes to self-published books, publishers only bet on success." @LaunchBooks So my advice for anyone who wants to self-publish first is: do it well. And if you're unsure about whether you want to traditionally publish or self-publish my advice is often to try traditional publishing first. If you approach it the right way, you can figure out very quickly if it will work with a traditional publisher. And if not, you can always self-publish and all you've lost is a little time.However, for anyone who wants to self-publish their book first, the key is to make sure you really go for it. Don't just put it out there and hope that readers will somehow discover it. Have a marketing plan and pursue it with more of an entrepreneurial mindset. That can be difficult for some authors, but given the amount of noise out in the market, if you want to really give your work a chance to do well, you have to do what it takes to let readers know it's out there.When I read your fiction "submissions" section, I personally thought "I'd like to read every fiction work this agent repre sents". I wish you had an email list I could subscribe to. That led me to thinking: don't you think there is currently a lost opportunity for agents in building actual reader-facing brands?I'm not sure about that. I tend to think that any time I'd have to spend working to develop a reader facing brand of my own - and we could be talking about quite a bit of time there - would be better spent working on behalf of my authors. After all, it's not about me. It's about the authors I work with.I even find it a little uncomfortable when people want to congratulate me on books I've worked on, whether it's The $100 Startup, The Martian, The Remaining, The Fold, Ghost in the Wires, or any of the books I've been involved with. I'll often respond with something like, "Thanks, but I didn't write a word of it." "Yea," they'll say, laughing a little, "but you helped make it happen." That's true, but it's also true that none of my authors' books are successful simply because I represented them. T hey're successful because the author wrote a book that readers loved and told others about. And that's the result of the months and sometimes years of hard work their authors poured into them.And just thinking about it at a higher level, does anyone outside of Hollywood know who represents Robert Downey, Jr? What about Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt, or Matthew McConaughey (all awesome, by the way)? People inside publishing might know who represents George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, or Haruki Murakami, but do any readers? I doubt many would and I also think that's the way it should be.As long as I know that having me involved in the project is a net benefit for my authors then I'm happy. Let the authors have recognition from readers. They're the ones who deserve it. "Let the authors have the recognition from readers. They're the ones who deserve it." @LaunchBooks You can visit the LaunchBooks website here, and follow David on Twitter here.Would you agree that "now is the best time to be a writer"? How do you see the role of the agent changing in the next few years? Let us know your thoughts, or any questions for David, in the comments below!

How to Make Complaints for ESL Students

How to Make Complaints for ESL Students Politeness is universally appreciated, even when making complaints, no matter what language a person speaks, but in learning English as a Second Language (ESL), some students may struggle with formulas and functions of certain English phrases meant to politely start a conversation involving a complaint. There are a number of formulas used when complaining in English, but its important to remember that a direct complaint or criticism in English can sound rude or aggressive. For most  English speakers, its preferred that others express their dissatisfaction indirectly, and introduce the complaint with an amicable introductory clause such as Im sorry to have to say this but... or excuse me if Im out of line, but... It is important to note, however, that these phrases dont directly translate into Spanish so understanding the basic function of words like sorry go a long way to introducing ESL students to the polite way to go about making complaints in English. How to Start Complaints Amicably In Spanish, one might start a complaint with the phrase lo siento, or Im sorry in English. Similarly, English speakers typically start their complaints with an apology or indirect reference to propriety. This is largely because politeness is a major element of English rhetoric.   Some phrases that English speakers may use to start complaints politely: Im sorry to have to say this but...Im sorry to bother you, but...Maybe you forgot to...I think you might have forgotten to...Excuse me if Im out of line, but...There may have been a misunderstanding about...Dont get me wrong, but I think we should... In each of these phrases, the speaker begins the complaint with an admission of error on the speakers part, relieving some of the assumed tension between speaker and audience by letting the listener know that no one involved is blameless. Whether it be because of  contrasting ideas  or just because a speaker wants to say no nicely, these introductory phrases can be helpful to maintain respectful rhetoric in conversation. Forming a Polite Complaint After ESL students understand the concept of introductory phrases to complaints, the next important element of conversation is keeping the complaint itself polite. Although being  imprecise or vague  does have its benefits when complaining, clarity and good intentions go a lot further in maintaining the cordiality of conversation. Its also important not to come across as attacking while making a complaint, so the complaint itself should start with phrases like I think or I feel to indicate that the speaker isnt accusing the listener of something as much as he or she is starting a conversation about the disagreement. Take, for instance, an employee who is upset at another for not following the company policy while working at a restaurant together, that person might tell the other Excuse me if Im out of line, but I feel like you may have forgotten that closing waiters need to refill the salt shakers before leaving. By introducing the complaint with an apology, the speaker allows the listener to not feel threatened and opens up a conversation about company policy instead of scolding or demanding that person do their job better. Redirecting focus and calling for a solution at the end of a complaint is another good way to address the issue. For instance, one might say Dont get me wrong, but I think it might be better if we focus on this task before doing the one youre working on to a coworker who is not working on the right part of a project.

Duties of the noble society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Duties of the noble society - Essay Example What can be said of the document is that it does represent the global rights to which all human beings are entitled. The core values of Saint Leo’s (2011) have a number of similarities to the UDHR (1948). Saint Leo’s (2011) stresses the development of every person's mind, spirit and body for a balanced life and all members of the Saint Leo University community must demonstrate their commitment the character of our community. Upon examination of article 29 in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) it was declared that â€Å"Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. It does not take a stretch to see that these two points closely align however, how this is interpreted from both perspectives seems to be largely up to the individual. It remains the case that both documents stress that we have a ‘duty’ to our community. However a further condition of article 29 (UDHR , 1948) are limitations which are determined solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others with concerns for morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. In the sphere of international and domestic politics it was argued by the New York Times (2010) that this issue came to the forefront during the Lars Vilks Mohammed Drawings Cartoon Controversy. Many people began serious discussions as to where the right to artistic expression ends and the right to be free from religious persecution. The next major alignment between these two organizations comes through article 26 (UDHR, 1948) stipulates that â€Å"Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.† In many ways this aligns with Saint Leo’s (2011)commitment to community insofar as the value encourages students to strive to foster t heir commitment to excellence. Ultimately the core value (Saint Leo’s, 2011) strives to have a strong community and this depends on the unity and diversity of people with a free exchange of ideas and on learning, living, and working harmoniously. How this pertains to domestic politics in countries around the world is that this issue has dominated discussions of diversity and multiculturalism. On one end of the spectrum come statements from politicians who believe that multiculturalism failed (BBC, 2010) yet on the other hand I believe that one of the core strengths of my community is that we not only embrace multiculturalism but recognize that there are strengths to societies that draw from people of many different opinions. As a final example I believe that there are many parallels that can be drawn between Saint Leo’s (2011) and article 26(UDHR, 1948) insofar as our institution makes the statement that we value all individuals’ unique talents, respect their di gnity and strive to foster their commitment to excellence through the spirit of Jesus Christ. Although it may be that not everybody in our community is Christian we must respect our community members for who they are and recognize their unique strengths whilst respecting their beliefs and they are as free to receive all the benefits of working hard for our community as well. Without question there are a number

Article Summary and Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article Summary and Reaction Paper - Essay Example There were attempts to make the customers satisfied with the services that the company will offer. The hearing of the case occurred on November 30, 2011 after the company had filed the protection plea through its lawyers and other legal advisors. The airline had fought to escape the filing for bankruptcy and hoped that the court would help it to regain its status in the industry. The article expounds on the term bankruptcy. It also introduces Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, 2015). The chapter provides for reorganization under bankruptcy situation, mainly involving partnership or cooperation. The chapter helps in the reorganization of businesses that have seriously high burden of debts. Under the chapter, the debtor proposes a plan to that would ensure profitability after bankruptcy. The article outlines the best case in which Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. The article outlines the applicability of the code in helping organizations restructure and present a plan for profitability. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. (2015). Reorganization Under the Bankruptcy Code. Retrieved April 13, 2015 from