Research Review on Accuracy of Memory

Research Review on Accuracy of Memory Meghan Amber-Rose Turnbull Explain and evaluate what research has taught us about why our memories are not always accurate. Memory[p1] is a mechanism whereby the brain stores and retrieves information to be used in everyday life. Psychologists have come to understand the existence of memory, as we do not continuously re-learn information every time it is of need. This is what lead psychologist’s to develop three key processes in memory. These are encoding, storage and retrieval. Encoding processes take in information from the outside world using the senses. Each piece of information is given a unique code to enable it to be entered into the memory system. Storage processes use this coded information to enable the memory system to retain information. This coded information is stored as internal representations which come in varying forms such as words, faces, sounds etc. Retrieval processes enable access to the stored information and come in two forms, recognition and recall. Recognition matches coded information which is stored to what is being perceived in the outside world whereas recall (brings information that is stored to your attention.) involves searching memory stores. Recall is what helps you to remember where you last placed an object such as your wallet. These three memory processes work together, therefore, how well and how much information is encoded then determines how much is stored and retrieved (Brace, 2007, pp113-114). This essay will now explain and evaluate what research has taught us about why our memories are not always accurate. One possible reason for memory inaccuracy is the presence of neuropsychological impairment or accidental brain damage. Localization of function is a theoretical method that believes particular areas of the brain play a key role in functions such as memory. When studying this, psychologists use brain scanning technology such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Patients are asked to complete certain mental tasks during a scan. The scans can then pick up brain activity and pin point which part of the brain is not functioning correctly. This can enable psychologists to understand why or how their memory may not be accurate and help in patient’s recovery. Unfortunately for some, the damage may be too severe and incurable. This can be seen in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. (Brace and Roth, 2007, pp144-145[p2]) Research conducted by (Martin) Conway and colleagues looked at how well students retained information, over a 12 year period, after completing a cognitive psychology course. The experiment tested for general overall knowledge of what was studied and they found that names were forgotten rather than principals and statistics. This is possibly due to less information being coded to a name than that of principals and statistics when information was originally taken in[p3]. This could be seen as a limitation as important information can be forgotten due to a fault in one of the key processes (in this case at encoding). Their study also found a significant strength as after 4 years the participant’s memories stabilized and what they were still able to recite at this point would potentially stay in their memory for life, meaning the participants know the information rather than remember it. (Brace and Roth, 2007, pp118) Other researchers that focused on the accuracy of memory were Loftus and Palmer (1974). They looked at the effect that leading questions can have on memory. They did this by conducting an experiment whereby participants were shown video clips of car accidents. Each participant was then asked a variation of the question â€Å"about how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?† with the verb ‘hit’ being changed each time for a more violent verb such as smashed, collided and bumped. The participant’s estimates of speed were much higher when asked how fast a car was going when it ‘smashed’ into the other car. It seems that the more violent verb convinced the participants that the cars in that clip were going faster when they were all the same speed. In a similar second experiment, one third were asked â€Å"About how fast the cars were going when they smashed into each other?†, one third were asked how fast they were going when the y ‘hit’ and a control group were not asked a question. After seven days all participants were then asked the question â€Å"did you see any broken glass?† Out of the participants that had been asked the more violent leading question using the word ‘smashed’, 32 per cent admitted to seeing broken glass, even though there had been no broken glass shown on the video clip. An advantage of the research conducted by Loftus and Palmer (1974), is that it gained a lot of knowledge into the misinformation effect. This means information that is given to a person after an event takes place can actually override (or merge with) the memory that they originally have due to the memory not being encoded properly[p4]. Yet, this can also be seen as a disadvantage as If memory can be influenced this easily using only leading questions, it could be used to effect witness testimonies and people can be made to remember events that they did not actually witness. (Brace, 200 7, pp133-134) There is also much to be said about the accuracy of autobiographical memories, which are episodes that an individual can remember from their life. This includes past experiences and biographical information. From this, Brown and Kulik (1977) devised the flashbulb memory. Flashbulb memories are formed when certain conditions, such as surprising and emotionally arousing events, are met and create detailed and stable memories. Brown and Kulik (1977) used insider viewpoints in their research and found that memories of events, such as the assassination of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King, were highly detailed and much more accurate than other memories. A limitation to this area of research is that it depends solely on personal circumstance. What an individual finds, surprising, arousing and important will determine how well they will remember an event. For instance, the assassination of Martin Luther King registered a higher number of flashbulb memories with black North Americans tha n white North Americans. This means the accounts of white North Americans were less accurate (of the event) than the accounts of black North Americans. However, their research also showed a significant strength in memory recall as flashbulb memories store such a detailed and vivid account of what happened. When asked, participants could remember who they were with, where they were and exactly what they were doing when they learned of the surprising event. (Brace, 2007, pp140[p5]) Collective memories also play a part in how accurate recollections of past events can be. Jean Piaget (1960) spoke of his own experience of collective memory. Piaget was able to describe in detail an instance when a man tried to kidnap him as a child. Subsequently, at the age of fifteen Paiget’s nanny wrote to his family to admit that she had made the story up and the attempted kidnapping never took place. Fifty years on, Piaget could still remember the scratches the man had left on the face of his nanny during the supposed event. Paiget’s collective memory of the kidnapping is possibly due to family repeatedly discussing in detail what happened. Over a period of time, Piaget came to believe that he had witnessed this kidnapping and formed memories of what happened based on what others had told him. (An advantage of this is that) Piaget was able to recall this particular memory in so much detail after fifty years, showing that the information had been told was encoded and stored perfectly and thus was able to be retrieved. This instance shows how memory is not always accurate, as Piaget describes his memory of the kidnapping as being witnessed first-hand. Essentially, his memory of the event was fabricated from information he had been told by family members. (Brace, 2007, pp143[p6]) Research has shown that there are many factors that can affect the accuracy of our memory[p7]. However, these factors are dependent on individual and personal circumstance. The research of Conway (1991) stated that memory inaccuracies were due to a fault in one of the key processes. For instance, if there isn’t enough information taken in and coded it makes it highly difficult for the information to be retrieved in any detail. Piaget (1960) and Loftus and Palmer (1974) both focused on the effect that other people can have on influencing the memory of an individual (. Meaning) illustrating that others can make you believe you have witnessed a situation just by talking about it often enough or using leading questions and persuasive language . The research of Brown and Kulik (1977) concentrated more on personal circumstance. They found that how accurate a person’s memory is of a situation depends on how interesting, surprising or emotionally stimulating they, as a person, find the event. What also must be taken into consideration is the possibility of brain damage and neuropsychological impairment; this can affect the accuracy of memory as the part of the brain that is responsible for memory recall may be damaged in some way. To conclude, the research mentioned in this essay has given a vast pool of knowledge into why our memories are not always accurate. References Brace, N. and Roth, I. (2007) ‘Memory: structures, processes and skills’ In D. Miell, A. Phoenix, K. Thomas (Eds.), Mapping Psychology, Chapter 8 (2nd ed, pp. 113–145). Milton Keynes: The Open University. Brown, R. and Kulik, J. (1977) ‘Flashbulb memories’, Cognition, vol.5, pp.73-99[p8]. Conway, M.A., Cohen, G.M. and Stanhope, N. (1991) ‘On the very long-term retention of knowledge acquired through formal education: twelve years of cognitive psychology’, Journal of experimental psychology: General, vol.120, pp.395-409. Loftus, E.F. and Palmer, J.C. (1974) ‘Reconstruction of automobile destruction: an example of the interaction between language and memory’, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour, vol.13, pp.585-9. Piaget, J. (1960) Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood, New York, Norton [p1]A good introduction in terms of explaining what is involved in memory and the issue, but you need to state precisely how you plan to organise the essay. [p2]Note that individuals may also vary in memory function due to brain differences. [p3]This is a good point – names do not have a specific meaning nor do they relate to the person (except in some cultures) so are easily forgotten. [p4]In fact there is debate about the cause of the misinformation effect which could also be due to not attending at encoding, due to fear or misattributing the source of information so it is thought to be real (as with Piaget’s story and Crombag’s study of memories of an air crash.). [p5]You might have commented that some psychologists question how accurate flashbulb memories are. [p6]Like the memory of Loftus and Palmer’s participants – their memory was â€Å"reconstructed†. [p7]This conclusion is well focused on the evaluative part of the question – and summarises your points well. You might also have considered methodological issues. [p8]Don’t simply add references from the end of the chapter unless you have read them first hand. If you have read ABOUT them in the course book – you need only cite them in the main body of the essay.

Interview With A Language Learner English Language Essay

Interview With A Language Learner English Language Essay To begin with, I read my assignment to interview an English Language Learner. This seemed like it was going to be a challenge since I did not know an ELL. I shared this assignment with my husband. He told me there was a parent on my sons wrestling team who spoke Spanish. This seemed like a great idea so I went to the wrestling practice on Wednesday with my son. When I arrived I seen the lady talking, but was nervous about approaching her since I had never met her. Finally after about 10 minutes I walked over to her and introduced myself. Then I told her I needed to interview an English Language Learner for my college class. She told me she would be happy answer any of my questions. The person I interviewed was Marietta. Marietta was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 21, 1968 to Maritza Suarez and Angel Benero. She has two brothers and one sister. Spanish was the main language spoken in her home as a child. As a child she began learning English in the private preschool she attended. There she learned to read and write English. While I school learning came slow to Marietta since she was dyslexic and didnt learn to read or write until she was 13 years old. Textbooks were written in English in Puerto Rico. English is taught different in Puerto Rico than in Spain since it is close to America. Marietta married November 29, 1997 to Juan Navarro. They have three children. Two sons Jorge and Luis and a daughter Paola. Juan is in the United States Coast Guard. Jorge is the oldest. He is in the 12th grade. Academics are difficult for him while he is in ESE classes. Their son Luis is in the 3rd grade and suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder. Paola is a 6th grade and she is on the A/B honor roll. Only Jorge and Paola are able to speak Spanish and understand it. Luis can understand Spanish, but isnt able to speak it. Both English and Spanish are spoken in their home. As a family they watch both English and Spanish television shows. I have to declare this was a wonderful interview. Even though, I was nervous about interviewing someone I didnt know it was a pleasant experience. Marietta was very eager to share with about her family. She advised me when I teach ELL students it is helpful to use graphics with Spanish to English vocabulary. It was exciting to hear Marietta mention that she was attending Florida State College of Jacksonville to get a degree to be a Chef. For the summer term she was taking English Composition I. After she told me about her attending college I told her I would be happy to help her with the English if need me to. Questions In what country were born? When is your birthday? At what age did you learn to speak English? Was English spoken in your home as a child? Do you have trouble speaking the English Language? When did you learn to write English? Was English difficult for you to learn? Do you have any children? Does your husband speak English? What is the primary language spoken in your home? Can your children speak your native language and English? Is there any advice you would give teachers who are teaching English Language Learners? Multicultural Activity Title: Winter Holidays around the World Grade level 2nd grade Topic: Winter holidays are not celebrated the same everywhere. Summary: These 3 day lessons are designed to teach students about the culture of Mexico, Israel and China; and the winter holidays celebrated by their cultures. Students will learn about Las Posadas, Hanukkah and Chinese New Year. Materials required: Mexico: a balloon, newspaper, glue, candy, recipe for Mexican hot chocolate. Israel: Dreidel pattern, dreidel game rules, bag of dry beans, recipe and ingredients for potato latkes China: black construction paper, paint, drinking straws, glue, glitter, 18X12 pieces of colored construction paper, stapler, yellow tissue paper, crepe paper streamers World globe, individual coloring sheets of the flag for each country. Books needed: Mexico; The People by Bobbie Kalman Nine Days to Christmas by Maria Hall Israel: Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah by Susan Roth The Miracle of the Potato Latkes, A Hanukkah Story by M. Penn China: Chinese New Year by Tricia Brown Lion Dancer: Ernie Wans Chinese New Year by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low Objectives: Students will recognize how three different countries and their winter celebrations. Students will be able to locate each country on the globe. Day 1 I will tell the students we are going to pretend to be world travelers for the next three days. We are going travel to Mexico, Israel, and China to learn about their Winter celebrations. Today we are going to visit Mexico. Does anyone know where Mexico is located? Lets find it on our globe. I want to tell you about Mexico before we read our books. We will learn that in Mexico their winter celebration is called Las Posadas. They start celebrating nine days before Christmas. They celebrate every night from December 16th to December 24th. Each night children and their families reenact the story of Mary and Joseph trying to find a place to stay for the night. Then finally they went to a home and were welcomed by the innkeeper. At this place there is a celebration on the final night of Las Posadas. The families and friends celebrate with special food and Mexican hot chocolate. There is a pià ±ata for the children. Now I will read some books about Mexico before we go to our centers. Read books to the class. The People by Bobbie Kalman Nine Days to Christmas by Maria Hall I would have three centers set up for the students. Role play center, pià ±ata center, and flag center. Role play center students would pretend they were Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay. The students would take turns being Mary, Joseph and the innkeeper. Pià ±ata Center- Students would take turns adding newspaper dipped in glue to a balloon which has already been blown up. Flag Center- Students would color and label their flag of Mexico. Teacher would write on the board the colors and their meaning. Green=independence, white=purity, red=blood, eagle with snake=fight for independence. At the end of the day we will have a special drink Mexican hot chocolate which will have already been made using the recipe below Mexican Hot Chocolate 3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate 6 cups milk 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground Mexican cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract Using a sharp knife, break up chocolate squares into smaller pieces. In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate, milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Heat and stir until chocolate melts and milk is very hot.  Ã‚   Do not allow to boil. Add vanilla extract and beat until frothy with a rotary beater, or with an electric mixer on low speed. Pour Styrofoam cups. Makes 48 ounces. http://www.authenticmexicanfoodrecipes.com/mexican_hot_chocolate_recipe/ The students will take turns hitting the Pià ±ata which will have candy in it. When the Pià ±ata is busted students can get the candy and put it I their backpacks to be eaten at home. Assessment Have students write an informative paragraph about Mexico and Las Posadas. Collect and grade paragraphs. Day 2 Today we are going to pretend to visit Israel. Does anyone know where Israel is located? Give students time to answer. Lets locate it on our globe. Would you like to know what winter celebration happens in Israel? I would be happy to tell you. In Israel they celebrate Hanukkah. This is a Jewish holiday. It is also called The Festival of Lights. We will find that this holiday is celebrated for eight days during the month of December. The eight day celebration is significant because when it was time to light the temple lamp a long time ago there was only enough oil to keep it lit for one day. Amazingly, the oil burned for eight days which gave them time to find more oil. For this reason, Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night to honor the eight day miracle. A menorah is a candle holder which holds nine candles on of them is called the servant candle because the other are lit by it. After the candles are all lit there is a party to celebrate. Children play with dreidel while enjoying a favorite treat called potato latkes. A dreidel is a four sided tops. Potato Latkes are like potato pancakes. Now I want to read some books to you about Hanukkah. Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah by Susan Roth The Miracle of the Potato Latkes, A Hanukkah Story by M. Penn I would have three centers set up. The centers would be a game center, map center, and cooking center. Students would take turns going to each center. Game center -Students would make a dreidel from a pattern. A dreidel has four sides marked with Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimel, Hei, and Shin. These letters stand for the Hebrew phrase Nes Gadol Hayah Sham which means a great miracle happened there, referring to the miracle of the oil. Students would play the game after making their dreidel. The letters on the dreidel man Nit (nothing), gantz (all), halb (half) and shtell (put). Everyone puts in a bean. A person spins the dreidel. If it lands on Nun, nothing happens; on Gimel person gets all the beans; on Hei gets half the beans; and on Shin, you put a bean in. Game ends until someone has all the beans. Map center- Color and label map of Israel. Blue and white are the colors on the Jewish prayer shawl and the Star of David is the traditional symbol of the Jewish people. Cooking center will be manned by a parent volunteer. Recipe for Potato Latkes 3 cups Simply Potato hash browns 1 cup frozen chopped onions (thawed and drained)  ½ cup egg whites  ½ cup flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp each salt and black pepper Vegetable oil Directions: Mix hash browns with eggs, mix well. Add flour gradually while mixing until batter is doughy, not too dry. Add baking powder, salt and pepper. Mix well again. Then heat about  ½ inch of oil to medium high heat. Form the batter into thin patties about the size of the palm of your hand. Fry batter in oil. Flip when the bottom is golden brown. Place finished potato latkes on paper towels to drain. Students can enjoy this treat when it is warm enough to eat. Assessment Students will answer the following questions. Where did this holiday originate? ______________________ When is this holiday? ______________ How many days is Hannukah celebrated? _________________ Why is it celebrated? ______________ What is name for the candle holder?_________________ Answer key Jerusalem December 8 8 days oil burned Menorah Day 3 Wow, we are about to travel to another country. Lets pretend we are going to visit China. Does anyone know the location of China? We will locate it together. In China they have a celebration called Chinese New Year or Spring Festive. This important holiday celebration begins about mid-January or mid-February and last about 15 days. It begins with New Years Eve and ends with the Lantern Festival at the full moon. Chinese New Years is celebrated with fireworks. It is believed that the Chinese invented fireworks thousands of years ago. We will now read some books about the Chinese New Year Chinese New Year by Tricia Brown Lion Dancer: Ernie Wans Chinese New Year by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low There will be three centers set up painting, map center and creative center. Paint Center Students will each have a black piece of construction paper. They will put small drops of paint on to their paper and then blow the drops with a straw. Before the paint dries, they will sprinkle glitter on the picture. This will represent fireworks. Map Center Students will color and label map of China. Teachers will write on board. The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution. The large star symbolizes the Communist Party which rules China and the smaller represent the people of China. Creative Center Students will make a lantern. They will color a picture on their piece of 18 X 12 colored construction paper. Fold the paper lengthwise with the decoration out. Starting at the fold, make evenly spaced cuts about 1 apart, ending where you began. Teacher will draw ending lines for students. Open the paper and staple together the short edges. Stuff middle with yellow crumpled tissue paper. Staple a strip 1 X 6 construction paper to make handle. Add crepe paper streamers to bottom. Hang lanterns in the classroom. Assessment Give students a Venn Diagram to complete. They will compare Chinese New Year to New Years in America. www.enchangedlearning.com/asia/china/flag.shtml www.iupui.edu/~geni/lsort/a_mcultural_stude_cny.hmtl http://teacherslink.ed.usu.edu/tlresurces/units/Byrnes-celebrations/Chinese.html www.lessonplanspage.com/SSChristmasAroundtheWorldK1.htm http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-celebrations/light.html http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=22510 www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm 3) Planning Article Summary and Reflection: Classroom Planning with ESL in Mind This article Classroom Planning with ESL in Mind had some strategies, instructional tips, use of language, and information about ESL students with special needs. Also there was information on assessing, evaluating and reporting student progress. First, the strategies and instructional tips discussed the challenges which English Second Language students face. They have three challenges: trying to gain the knowledge need for various subjects, learning the English Language while developing the ability to interact with their peers. Teachers should remember that they are always role modeling the English language while teaching. In doing so they need to make sure their lessons are presented using various formats in order to encourage students to reflect on their knowledge so the can respond effectively in class. Next, a teachers use of language is important in the classroom. They should be cautious of their vocabulary they use since students might have trouble comprehending what is spoken. Idioms can especially present a problem with English Language Learners. A teacher should rephrase idioms or teach their meanings. ELLs would take the idiom literally instead of way its intended meaning. For example, If you tell the students to hit their books They might hit their books with their hands. Instead the meanings you want to convey is start studying or do your work. If idioms are going to be used in the classroom then as a teacher it would be good to have an idiom wall which gave the meanings for each. It would also be a good idea to clearly mark transition times during classroom activities which can prevent confusion to your ESL students to clearly indicate changes. Third, when a question is asked the English as a Second Language students needs to have time to process the question asked before responding. Usually they need to translate it into their first language, formulate the answer in their first language and then translate an approximate answer into English. It is also mentioned how as a teacher I need to teach the vocabulary words and their meaning for subjects such as biology which has words that are not regularly used in everyday communication. A great exercise to help with learning new vocabulary is to use a cloze exercise with the lesson since it will leave out important key word for students to fill in from the passage. A Cloze exercise can reinforce ESL students grasp of the content and new vocabulary. Students will also benefit from written instructions since they might have difficult processing oral information quickly enough to understand. When giving student homework those written notes or directions would be useful. Fourth, ESL students have the same range of abilities as others in the same population. However, some many require extra assistance in other areas. Some may demand consideration for disabilities such as visual impairments, hearing deficiency, lack of psychomotor skills, or certain talents or gifts. There could be ESL students with other requirements that may affect their learning. If a student was a refugee and has been traumatized in the past she might have the need for additional support and counseling. Fifth, you will find information about assessing, evaluating and reporting on student progress in this article. These are important and can be done in the students classroom to make it more comfortable. The evidence of how an ESL student is developing his language proficiency can be determined using short in class test. Avoid multiple choice assessments with ESL students because they involve excessive reading and usually depend on comprehension of slight meanings. ESL students also will need extra time for the test because as with most questions they need to process it into their first language, formulate the answer and translate it back to English before putting it on paper. If you want to check a students comprehension or to clarify a problem speak in their native language. Provide a translation of key words which might be difficult to explain in English. There is a need to find out what the students may know but, have difficult expressing in English. This additional support for th e ESL student is generally for a limited time. Lastly, teachers who have previously taught students with English as a second language have a list of helpful instructional materials. Some of these materials are dictionaries designed for learners of English, bilingual dictionaries, alphabet letters in print in cursive, and games to name a few. These items in a classroom will help students with English as a second language feel more comfortable and independent. There are five points which I found most interesting. The first one is that research states the more highly developed as students first language; the more successful they will be learning a second language. It has been proven; bilingual students who continue to improve their first language are more successful than those how focus entirely on acquiring English. These students also have higher self esteem when they know their first language is valued. Second, it is important how a teacher responds to students language errors. If a teacher is critical a student might be less eager to attempt to speak in English. Instead this article advises teachers to rephrase a students incorrect grammar in a way to provide positive feedback and to model correct usage without drawing attention to their error. For example if a students says Pig are dirty animal. You can respond, Yes, pigs are dirty animals Can you name another dirty animal? If a student continues with this same error then maybe you can work with him on correct subject verb usage. Third, the use of peer tutoring is a great method for teaching. A more advanced ESL student can help new ESL students. They know how hard it is to learn English as a second language. Many times students enjoy learning from their peers. Students also seem to be more open to share their frustrations with each other than with their teachers. The more advanced student can be the translator between the student and teacher when necessary. Forth, I liked the reminder that it can be exhausting and demanding performing all day in a second language. This is helpful to know because as a teacher I would not think of this since I am not bilingual. In addition, the fact that homework can take ESL students two to three times longer to complete because they need to first translate it into their first language, formulate it and then translate it back. Homework might also be frustrating to ESL students since they might not understand the directions. They might feel they had done enough work during the day. Also their parents would probably not be able to help them because they dont know English. Fifth, I like the list of instructional materials from teachers who have previously taught ESL students. This list will help make sure I have these resources available in my classroom for the students to use. More resources a student has to help translate words to English the less they will feel dependent on you the teacher or their classmates. I enjoyed reading this article which had a wealth of useful information for teachers of ESL students planning their classroom. As a new teacher I can benefit from the information in this article. This is an article I will place with other information which I will refer to frequently when I become a teacher. It would also be good for me to share this with other future teachers who are not in this class. 4) Article of My Choice: Language Use by Bilingual Special Educators of English Language Learners with Disabilities Paneque, O. M., Rodriguez, D. (2009). Language Use by Bilingual Special Educators of English Language Learners with Disabilities. International Journal of Special Education , 63-69. http://www.internationalsped.com/documents/2009%20No3%20Paneque%20Rodriguez%20Language%20use%206.doc After reading chapter 9 in our textbook I decided to research an article about Bilingual Education of English Language Learners. I went to the University of West Florida library database. The article I found was Language Use by Bilingual Special Educators of English Language Learners with Disabilities which was from the International Journal of Special Education. My reason for choosing this topic is that I presently work in a special education classroom. My degree which I am seeking is a Bachelors with a dual major in Exceptional Education (k-12th), Elementary Education (k-6th). This article is about examining the language use of five bilingual special education teachers of English language learners with disabilities which was done as an exploratory case. The data on the language used by the bilingual teachers was received from audio tapes, classroom observation and teacher interviews. Also included in this data was the frequency of the use of English and the other languages in the classroom. The teacher faces challenges when working with students at risk of academic failure. This is particularly difficult when the student has disabilities and is not a fluent English speaker. A teacher must be able to address students language and cultural differences along with their cognitive, emotional, and /or physical disabilities to set them up for maximum success. There is an increasing demand for special education teachers due to the increase of students indentified with disabilities and low retention these teachers. Consequently, this demand for teachers who prepared to work with students with different backgrounds with disabilities stresses the need to provide teachers preparation programs for preservice teachers and professional development opportunities for in-service teachers. This study was conducted in a large, urban school district which offered a vast range of educational programs to include those needed for students with disabilities and who speak English as a second language. Two schools were indentified because of their student population. At the first school, eighty-seven percent of the student body was Hispanic and eighteen percent of the students received special education. At the second school, ninety-five percent of the student body was Hispanic with fourteen percent receiving special education services. Tow teachers from the first school and three from the second school volunteered to be part of the case study. All five teachers were female Hispanics who were employed fulltime as special education teachers. Three of the five teachers had ESOL endorsement but, only two of the five had both special education and ESOL certification. The results from the data collection revealed that the teachers were both using English and Spanish for instruction with their English Language Learners with disabilities. However, further analysis of the data indicated overall that teachers were using English ninety percent of the time while teaching. Spanish was primarily used to clarify instructions with those who did not have fluent English. It was also used to redirect students to their given task as well as to praise and reprimand them. Each of the five teachers felt the use of Spanish for instruction was positive. They planned on using Spanish when the need arose. Furthermore, these teachers expressed they had an advantage when communicating with parents since they were bilingual. Many of the parents were not fluent in English. The teachers ability to speak the native language of the parents helped form better communication. If the students native languages are used for teaching strategies and instruction it can encourage language development because it builds on what they already know. Clearly, when the students native language is used to introduce new concepts and give explanation this will facilitate learning. Therefore, the result of this exploratory case study is the beginning attempt to lend information about the issue of using native language for instruction for children with disabilities. Research explains how special education teachers can use bilingual skills while working with English Language Learners and how their learning is affected by language based differentiated instruction. The findings from this case study indicates that teacher preparation programs should include how teachers can incorporate students native language along with English to accommodated their cognitive, emotional and /or physical needs. In my opinion, this article mentions some important findings from its exploratory case study. To begin with are the qualifications of the five teachers. Only two of the five teachers had both special education certification and ESOL endorsement. These are important certifications when your student population consists of students with disabilities and English Language Learners. Next, teachers using English for instruction with limited use of the students native languages while in the classroom. Their native language is needed as the article states at the end to summarize complex concepts. Lastly, it would be difficult for teachers to accommodate students with disabilities and limited English proficiency without proper training. Certifications are important but, training is imperative for teachers to be equipped to instruct their students. Someone once said a quote I feel applies to everyone including English Language Learners and those with or without disabilities. Everyone deserves an education despite their ability or disability 5) Language Modes Activities Reading- Partner reading- Students take turns reading to each other. Chose a short story to read from http://www.eslfast.com/. This website has 365 short stories for students to choose from. This is good for reading practice. Student can use http://www.starfall.com/. This website has stories that are read to you. You can read along as you listen. Writing- Daily writing in a journal. Write a story about a picture from a book. Have students write down the directions needed to do an activity. Examples: walk to the library, cook something, play a game. The teacher will give students a writing prompt. My favorite birthday memory wasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Students will finish the sentence and add to it. They will write a detailed paragraph answering why, when, where, how, who questions. Speaking- Role playing- Students pretend with another student that they are discussion their day with their mom or dad. Show and tell- students bring in an item from home. They get in front of the classroom and talk about their item. Other classmates can ask questions. Example a child brings in a sharks tooth to share with the class. Be the teacher for 15 minutes- Have the students take turns during the week being the teacher for 15 minutes each. They will teach the class about something they know how to do. For example, a student from China could give a lesson about using chopsticks. Another student could give a lesson about braiding hair. Listening- Play a game of Simon Says- students need to hear the person say Simon says, Touch your head. If they touch their head when someone says ;Touch your head. They are out because Simon didnt say it. The game continues until only one person is left. They are declared the winner and now they are Simon. Listen to books that have been recorded on a compact disc. Teacher can have questions for students to answer while they listen. Students will listen to songs which are used in the classroom. They can also sing along. 6) Graphic Organizers: Venn Diagrams I could use this when comparing two different items. For example, I could compare the traditions of families in Mexico and America. The right circle would be Mexico, left circle America. Traditions for each country would be listed in their circle except for the traditions they both share which would be place in the overlapping circle in the middle. http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/graphic-organizers/venn-lines.pdf KWL Chart This is a great chart to list K-what the student knows, W-wants to know, L-what they learned. They can use this before investigating about the Civil War http://www.edhelper.com/ read new book teachers/graphic_organizers_kwl.htm Event map This will help students to organize who, what, where, when, why, and how of an event. They can use this when they are reading an article about Hurricane Hugo. http://www.teachervision.fen.com/graphic-organizers/reading-comprehension/2279.html Timeline organizer- Students can use this to sequence the dates of the Journey of Columbus. This will help them remember the dates if they have the information on the timeline. The timeline can be used as a study guide. http://www.teachervision.fen.com/graphic-organizers/printable/6301.html Story map This story map will help you organizer information from a story. You can list the outcome, problem, events, character, action, and setting. This will help them with their reading comprehension. If they dont remember the information they should go back and scan the story. http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/index.shtml StoryMap Persuasive Letter Graphic Organizer This is a great organizer to use when writing a persuasive letter. Students can chart who their audience will be and why they want to persuade them. They can also brainstorm their reasons and then list them from least to most important. This will help them organize their thoughts before writing their letter. The student might want to persuade their parents to let them buy a new video game. P

Analysis of the World Wine Market Essay -- Business Marketing Case Stu

Analysis of the World Wine Market TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 2. World wine producers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦..†¦ 1 3. World wine exports†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦..†¦.2 4. France productions, exports and international image†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.†¦..3 5. Success of New World over the Old World : key factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦..4 6. Evaluation of different strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦....5-8 6.1 Premium & Standard wine market 6.2 Creation of an accessible French brand 6.3 The Global wine company (acquisitions and mergers) 6.4 Appellation d’origine controlee and competitive disadvantage 6.5 Protectionism versus being marketing oriented 7. World wine market: long term predictions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 8. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 1. Introduction International competition on the wine market is characterized by a considerable disparity of strategies used by the different producers and wine-producing regions around the world. The objective of this report is to provide an understanding of the competition mechanisms between countries which are traditionally exporters - the â€Å"Old World† producers, represented by European countries - and the so called â€Å"New World† countries which today compete for the supremacy of the traditional model of wine growing and production. 2. World wine producers The distribution of the world wine producers is clearly detailed in the map below. The Old World producers are located in Europe. France, Italy and Spain are the main producers , followed by Portugal, Balkan states, UK and Germany. The European countries are still detaining a dominant position and they accounted for 70% of world production and consumption in 1999 (by data acquired by Euromonitor). The New World producers are scattered around the world and are represented mainly by: Australia, Chile, United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Canada. 3. World wine exports The world wine export are still dominated by the Old World producers (see diagram below), with only three countries (France, Italy and Spain) which account for 60% of the world volumes exports in 2003. Among the New World producers, the largest exports are coming from Australia, Chile and United States. Another interesting characteristic is showed by the diagram below: the value of wine in exports market are increasing at greater rate than volume. 4. France productions, exports and international image ... ...duct quality and reliable supplies. The Old World future ability to counter the ongoing threat from New World producers will depend on adopting an extensive marketing approach: size, branding, distribution channels and new mergers in order to benefit from the new global economy will all play a fundamental role in determining its success. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  References http://www.bbr.com/GB/db/news-item/623?ID=HKKKBXLQ56900VN&first_news_F=1 http://www.calwinexport.com/pages/MarketInfo.htm http://www.euromonitor.com/Wine http://www.export.gov/exportamerica/NewsFromCommerce/nc_New_Wine.html Global Trade Atlas-Global Trade Information Source 2004 http://www.greekwinemakers.com/members/news/2003/030426.shtml http://iblnews.es/noticias/09/116440.html http://www.jancisrobinson.com/winenews/jr779 http://www.just-drinks.com/features_detail.asp?art=1026 Kotler P., Armstrong G., Saunders J., Wong V. (2002) Principles of Marketing, Pearson Ed.Ltd, pp.185-188 http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/wfi/drinks/wine/0203046.asp http://www.wine.co.za/News/News.aspx?NEWSID=5995&Source=News http://www.wineloverspage.com http://www.wineoftheweek.com/winervw.html

William Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra Essay -- Shakespeare Antony

William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra â€Å"Heaven help the American-born boy with a talent for ballet† – Camille Paglia The prim and proper women and the strong and strapping men are no match for Shakespeare’s haze of character’s muddled together in Antony and Cleopatra. As always Shakespeare delivers a luminary cast of individuals that deviate from the socially accepted gender roles. As the audience works its way through the fierce genesis to the catastrophic resolution, it is made more than apparent that lines are being crossed all over society’s conformist board of gender specific expectations. The character that was most amplified in this context was the stunning Cleopatra. Less like a lady and more like a warrior, the audience was witness to this Egyptian queen beginning her cameo with a barrage of games she endlessly threw Antony’s way in a sly attempt to win his affections. â€Å"Nay, pray you seek no color for your going, but bid farewell and go† (1.3.33-34). Cleopatra occasionally showed signs of her female side through bouts of the play; however the majority of her presence was swarming with an aura of resiliency and strength. Other characters even mentioned her with such traits in mind; for example, Caesar proclaimed â€Å"[Lepidus] is not more manlike than Cleopatra† (1.3.5-6). Her strength was defined most in her beauty; â€Å"she makes hungry where most she satisfies; for vildest things become themselves in her† (2.2.236-237). However, it was also present in her behavior. Cleopatra was a meek woman by no means. She stood up for the things she believed in. When upset, she presented her shrewish side. â€Å"Hence, Horrible Villian, or I’ll spurn thine eyes like balls before me; I’ll unhair thy head,... ...e 6, Enobarbus and Menas vocally agreed upon the lying and seduction methods of the female population. In Act 3, Scene 12, Caesar prattled on about the inherently weaker side of women. In some cases it was even considered an insult that the men might be compared to women. â€Å"For shame, transform us not to women† (4.2.35). In Antony and Cleopatra, the important point one must recognize is not the battles present both in love and war, but the toe that is continuously slide across the line which Shakespeare always felt inclined to cross. There were no prototypical male or female protagonists in Shakespeare’s world. It is a factor that should always be acknowledged when stewing over this brilliant playwright’s work. Boundaries were meant to be crossed, and Shakespeare made his belief just as apparent in the sloshing of gender roles in Antony and Cleopatra.

Lessons Learned From the Epic of Gilgamesh Essay -- Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh, a Mesopotamian epic poem with no known author, is the story of the brute King of Uruk, Gilgamesh, who was two-thirds divine and one-third human, which teaches readers the unstoppable force of death, the wrath of the gods, and also the power of friendship, which are illustrated to readers through the characters journeys, and those encountered along the way. The poem, which is divided into twelve tablets, starts off with Gilgamesh being a vicious tyrant, one who â€Å"would leave no son to his father†¦ no girl to her mother†(Gilgamesh 101), and as for newly married couples â€Å"was to join with the girl that night†(Gilgamesh 109) transitions to by the end of the story an entirely new man. One of the main reoccurring themes in The Epic of Gilgamesh is the wrath of the gods. King Gilgamesh had qualities that one would need to excel as a ruler, both brain and brawns, yet he chose to rule with selfishly, and caused this people of his kingdom to live in fear. As one might expect, the gods were not pleased with the way the king was treating everyone. So, Anu, the father of all the gods, showing his wrath, enlisted Aruru, a goddess of creation who created Gilgamesh himself, to create an equal to Gilgamesh, and that being was named Enkidu. Originally, Enkidu was made so he could defeat Gilgamesh and put him in his place, but once they realized they were equal in strength, they became friends. Once companions, the two go on a journey to the Cedar Forest and slay the demon guardian Humbaba. At first, Anu was pleased that Gilgamesh was occupied and not tormenting the people of Uruk. Ishtar, a resident of Uruk, is the goddess of love and fertility, and has a bit of a crush on Gi lgamesh, and makes promises to â€Å"ready fo... ...and the power of friendship are all themes that are very present in The Epic of Gilgamesh, which are shown in the story through the journeys that Gilgamesh embark on, and characters he meets along the way. At the time of it’s writing, I am sure that The Epic of Gilgamesh served as lesson to readers to obey gods, to love one another, and to not let the fear of death keep you from living. These days, it is seen more as just an old epic that is actually very entertaining, but that doesn’t mean that we still can’t take a good message out of it. Works Cited Abusch, Tzvi. "The Development and Meaning of The Epic of Gilgamesh." Journal of the American Oriental Society 121.4 (2001): 614-23. Ebscohost.com. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. Unknown Author. "The Epic of Gilgamesh." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. 95-151. Print.

I Will Survive Essay

Since I was young I was told not to ever judge a book by its cover, up until a few weeks ago I believed this was complete bull but a series of uncanny events insisted on changing my mind. This chain of unforeseeable circumstanced began a few weeks ago where . . . The sounds of keyboards was almost deafening, the constant click blurred into a humming drone which one could debatably compare to the fog horn of a light house warning helpless ships away from there watery grave. I stare a little dazed but unfazed by the bright light of the computer screen, flashing uncountable numbers and words which I’m supposes to make some kind of sense of if I am to continue with this curse most people call being an accountant. I feel some what contained in this shit tip excuse of a cubical, but to be honest the only thing caging me is the confines of my on reality. Closing my eyes I open them to this dark fantasy of a world plagued with zombies which are swiftly breaking down and tearing apart the countries of the world. But then a unexpected hero named Lorry strives to find a cure and against all odds saves the human race from absolute extinction. â€Å"Lawrence order these files and crunch these number by the end of the day or your fired! † Just so where clear my names Lawrence but my friends call my Lorry, okay no one calls me Lorry, I don’t have any friends, or family for that matter. I live alone in this crumby apartment building in room 147. To be fair I get it on good rent but I think that because someone got murdered here. I try to be optimistic about it an say its just a rumour but between you and me the smell of death still lingers. You could say I’m just your usual nerdy 19 year old boy who loves his movies and video games and especially zombies. I mean zombies and I go together like peanut butter and jelly like a hero and his side kick, I love zombies. I often wish for a world in strife due to an out break of zombies where I save the world and get the girl, okay I may have prayed to god once or twice for that. It’s a little funny when you wish for something and at the time it sounds like such a good idea. Lawrence order these files and crunch these number by the end of the day or your fired! † said the floor manager with a high pitch squeal piercing the flow of my train of thought. â€Å"Righteo will do† I said back with a smile as fake as fairy tales. I began to digress as soon as the managers eyes were off my back, surfing websites until something very captivating caught my eye. A breaking news bulletin streaming live showed footage which looked like the street in front of the building, I mean facade looks identical but that wasn’t the most alarming part. Apparently they were reporting an incident about a man who tackled another individual to the ground and started to devour another man living body and I quote â€Å"tearing flesh from bone with nothing but his teeth. † That’s when my semi attractive but still way out of my league co-worker Jazz leaned over, â€Å"ahhh your always looking at zombies you freak. † All though Jazz was a complete mess and frankly a female dog I had an odd some what mercurial attraction to her. I mean I’m not one of those superficial shallow guys . . . Okay I’m tend to take what I can get. As these thoughts raced through my mind at million miles an hour suddenly it hit me â€Å"Zombies! The people on the news their zombies† I nervously said as my voice broke multiple times. â€Å"what? I was joking† Jazz naively replied. â€Å"Are you even watching what I am watching? We have to get out of here! † It was at that moment the sound of shattering glass filled the room followed quickly by melody of foot steps thunderously increasing in speed and sound, mirroring my heart almost beating out of my chest. I watched as this man who looked drunk, uncontrollably sprint towards Jazz, teeth gnashing finger nails gashing at thin air. I could see the blood lust in his eyes. Now it was like time stood still, screams seemed to become silent but my other sense seemed to heighten. I noticed a foul stench so thick in the air you could cut it with a butter knife. Through the chaos and the haze, something deep down with in began to stir. A hero was being born. With out hesitation or mare thought I pulled the pen from my shirt pocket bounded over the desk. I held my pen like a blade an with all my strength I trusted pen into the temple of the crazed man right before Jazz’s eyes.

Comparing and Contrasting Country Lovers and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Essay

These elements contribute to the short story’s effectiveness as author uses different literary forms and styles to connect the reader to the story. Style has many characteristics that help the author engage the reader such as; punctuation, the use of connotations, and culture. This is what helps the reader’s imagination take over, paint the picture, and get emotionally connected to the author’s story. In comparing and contrasting the two short stories of â€Å"the Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber and â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer you see the differences and similarities in style between the two authors. The culture, which is the common characteristics of a group or a region (Clugston 2010), is very similar in both stories since they are close to real life with the setting in the 1900’s. Both stories revolve around relationships and love. Thurber style is more imaginative then Gordimer which is defined by his use of connotations and punctuation, although both stories are very detailed when it comes to the characters and settings within the stories. In the short story â€Å"Country Lovers† Gordimer does a great job illustrating the setting, which is the time or place in which the action occurs (Clugston 2010). Gordimer provides details about the South African culture that allow the reader to understand the separatism and segregation the characters are living. The reader gets to feel what it’s like to be black in South Africa through the detailed descriptions of the loving conditions and treatment of blacks. The main characters in the story are Paulus and Thebedi. Paulus is the son of a farmer who was raised with the children of the black families that worked on his father’s farm. He falls in love with a black childhood playmate as a teenager but he understands that a relationship with her is forbidden. Thebedi is Paulus black childhood playmate who becomes his lover. The two begin a sexual relationship which results in a child being born. The theme, which is a representation of the idea behind the story (Clu gston 2010), is interracial love or forbidden love. The laws and culture of South Africa forbid interracial couples. Thebedi & Paulus are aware of the dangers of being together but choose to get involved anyway. As the story unfolds, Gordimer brings out the imagination of the reader through the use of metaphors, which is an implied comparison between one object and another that is different from it (Clugston 2010). An example of this is when Goridmer writes, â€Å"hidden by the mesh of old, ant–eaten trees held in place by vigorous ones, wild asparagus bushing up between the trunks, and here and there prickly–pear cactus sunken–skinned and bristly, like an old man’s face† (Clugston 2010). This allows the reader to visually paint the picture of where Thebedi and Paulus are at and what the scenery is. A common symbolism, which is something that has a literal identity but also stands for something else (Clugston 2010), that is used in â€Å"Country Lovers† is a tree. A tree can be a symbol for life, death, or immortality. This is a good match with the theme and plot of the story. The plot, which is a dynamic element in fiction, a sequence of interrelated, conflicting actions and events that typically build to a climax and bring about a resolution (Clugston 2010), thickens as both Thebedi and Paulus continue their love affair. Thebedi goes on to marry Njabulo, who is also black, and fails to tell Paulus of her marriage. At the same time Thebedi  also finds out she is pregnant with Paulus baby. When Thebedi gives birth to her daughter it’s obvious the baby isn’t Njabulo’s but he accepts her as it was his own. When Paulus finds out about the marriage and the child he becomes upset, why does he get upset, I believe it’s a sign of his love for Thebedi which ties back to the theme of forbidden love. The story takes an interesting twist, although the author never clearly states that Paulus killed the baby, it’s evident he did by the flow of the story. It’s up to the reader to understand the â€Å"why†, why would Pau lus kill the baby? Again, I believe the â€Å"why† ties back to the theme of forbidden love. Paulus has accepted that Thebedi will never be his wife due to society and the racial customs of South Africa. Understanding this he doesn’t want anyone to find out about the baby because interracial relationships are forbidden so he takes the extreme measure of killing the baby. One could also argue that he killed the baby out of jealousy and not wanting another man to raise his child. The story ends with Thebedi refusing to testify against Paulus in the killing of her baby. This shows that Thebedi has accepted her role in society as a black woman giving up any hope if a relationship with Paulus. Throughout the whole story Thebedi character is submissive to Paulus but the ending shows that Thebedi is also submissive to society by giving into social traditions and discriminatory behavior of South Africa. The short story of â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber is written in a third person point of view, which occurs when the speaker is not a participant in the story (Clugston 2010). The form is limited omniscient, which is when the thoughts and feelings of only one of the characters are related through the narrator (Clugston 2010) that character is Walter Mitty. The setting of this story occurs in a city called Waterbury but the state is never mentioned or disclosed, one can assume its Waterbury, Connecticut. The main characters are Walter Mitty and Mrs. Mitty. Walter Mitty is someone who gets bossed around by his wife so he creates a secret life for himself. In his secret life he see’s himself as a powerful man who is admired by all, something he is not in real life. Mrs. Mitty is the bossy, nagging, overbearing wife of Walter Mitty. Thurber does a great job illustrating the relationship between Walter and his wife which many people can relate too, I found it very humorous. That takes me to the theme of the  story, which I believe is marriage. Thurber portrays a marriage where the husband is submissive to his bossy, nagging, and overbearing wife. A second theme could be masculinity since all of Walter’s dreams portray him as a powerful man who’s admired by all. The story is about Walter taking his wife into town to visit her hair dresser. Along the way Walter begins to fantasize to escape the reality of his real like. Thurber does an excellent job of engaging the reader’s imagination through each of Walter’s fantasy’s allowing the reader to vividly picture what Walter is fantasizing about. An example of this is during Walter’s first fantasies where he is commanding a hydroplane through a storm, â€Å"Rev her up to 8500! We’re going through!† The pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa† (Clugston 2010). The sound of â€Å"ta-packeta-pocketa† is just the cylinders of the car Walter is driving. Each one of Walter’s fantasies is tied to something that is specific to what’s going on in the story. As Walter drives past the hospital he starts to fantasize about being a surgeon. As the newsboy shouts about the Waterbury trial Walters fantasi zes about being in a courtroom. The Liberty magazine leads Walter into a fantasy about military dugout. Thurber does a great job of interweaving Walter’s fantasies with the surroundings of the story. The uses of symbolisms in â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† were not used in the traditional literary forms. Instead Thurber ties in the symbolism of control and power in each of Walter’s fantasies by Walter showing bravery, no fear, power, fame, and a man with high ranking titles. Thurber does a great job of connecting and supporting the symbolism with the theme of marriage and masculinity. The use of this symbolism is to show how Walter feels about marriage, since Walter feels powerless throughout the story as his wife talks down to him. There are many differences and similarities in â€Å"Country Lovers† and â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty†. The first and most recognizable difference is â€Å"Country Lovers† is a tragic story with a plot that builds up along with way with romance, physical relationship, racial discrimination, pregnancy,  arranged marriage, murder, deception, secrecy, and acceptance of normalcy. While â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† is a comedy with not much of a plot. Where they are similar, both are written in a third person limited omniscient point of view. Both had themes of love and marriage but were very different in how each played out. â€Å"Country Lovers† was forbidden love and arranged marriage while â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† was love and marriage between a husband and wife. These literary elements contribute to the short story’s effectiveness as author’s uses different literary forms and styles to connect the reader to the story. References: Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.