What aspects of speech perception and preverbal communication prepare Essay

What aspects of speech perception and preverbal communication prepare infants for language development - Essay Example Language acquisition is partly learned and partly innate as infants interact with the people around them and their environment. For some children, picking up a language is the easiest thing in the world, but for others it is the hardest. Many factors are responsible for this such as genetic factors and factors relating to our family background, experiences and exposure. Tiny tots pick up the language without any formal training just by listening and practicing. They often surprise us with their use of words and phrases and often leave us wondering as to who taught them. For a child learning a language comes naturally by instinct. It doesn’t need to be taught, but nurtured and groomed. There is an ongoing debate about whether the human language gradually evolved from more primitive forms of communication like shouts, gestures or calls or whether the language feature is something unique to all humans. As Leaky (1994) states that â€Å"language is a defining point in human prehistory†, it is evident that language evolved. But the question is, did language evolve early, during the evolution of humans? Chomsky advocates that, â€Å"evolved as an ability that arose as a consequence of the growing brain and therefore appeared late in our evolution†. According to Tomassello 1999, the distinct feature of joint attention is what distinguishes us humans from apes. Therefore, the evolution of language is inextricably linked to joint attention. It is this feature that helps us to acquire knowledge and use it not only for communication but in the description of abstract things which are not within our reach. Primates are not capable of joint attention and therefore cannot learn a language well. The manner in which you engage a child would determine the path of how language learning takes place in a child in his formative years from one to five. This is a very exciting period you can really enjoy listening to a child. Talking

Russia :: essays research papers fc

Comparative Politics Gerard Chretien RUSSIA: POLITICAL STRUCTURE: Summary: Why the democratic structure in Russia is proving to be unsuccessful. INTRODUCTION: The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, disintegrating into thirteen different states. Ever since the political structure of Russia has been viable and lacks stability. Many reasons can be cited for this instability out of which the bearish economy and a shaky democratic system are the main causes. ANALYSIS: The reforms taken after Russia’s disintegration have yet to be proved fruitful. The economy is in no better shape then before and politically Russia has great set backs in the name of the ongoing war with Muslim freedom fighters in Chechnya. â€Å"The most important factor that needs to be established is economic growth. Successful economic development will ease the transition and enable violence and dissention among the races very avoidable. If resources are abundant and properly distributed then multiple markets can grow. However, when resources run scarce and competition arises for limited assets then violence and animosity become the only plausible alternatives. If two industries fiercely compete for limited resources then one is likely to be forced out of the market. A sound and developing economy is essential for the happiness and orderly conduct of the people (Barner-Barry & Hody, 1995)(1). Another problem cited in the progress is the difficulty of transition from communism to democracy when the government officials are trained in the old system. The process of privatization requires lengths of time and willingness of the people to take upon the businesses for which they require full governmental protection, easy paper work and full rights over their property. â€Å"If Russia is to make the transition, it must rediscover civil society (the informal network of family, church, service organization and the like). Strong civil society provides the political culture that supports liberal institutions, but the Communist Party deliberately destroyed many elements of civil society to ensure party dominance. Russia faces moral, economic, and legal gaps in its civil society. Hence Russia has a difficult road to achieve democracy.†(2) It was a widely held belief that with the fall of the Soviet Union Russia would make a rapid transition into democracy and free markets. â€Å"This overlooks the crucial role of political culture in shaping and supporting political and economic institutions. Russia did not have the political culture appropriate to western-style institutions and so became chaotic and lawless. For Russians, democracy became a dirty word, as it symbolized Russia’s troubles.

A History of How American Culture Lead Us Into Vietnam and Made Us Fight the Way We Did

A History of How American Culture Lead Us Into Vietnam and Made Us Fight the Way We Did, by Loren Baritz, was published by The Johns Hopkins University Press in 1998. It runs to 400 pages in paperback. Baritz has held administrative positions in numerous universities in the United States. He went to the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts in the early 1980s as Provost and served as Chancellor for a time in 1982. He is a noted historian and well respected in his field.This book is a different sort of history from the usual in that it deals with the clash of cultures and the differences between those of the United States and those of Vietnam. Baritz shows the mindset of the American leadership, which was instrumental in leading us down the path to a disastrous war that was not winnable from the outset. In three parts Bartitz explains why it was the myths of our invincibility and our belief that a Christian god watched over all of our endeavors which convinced us to contin ue the war.He quotes Herman Melville’s lines concerning the American condition (Baritz 1998 p 26). He paints a portrait of a nation lulled by its own perceptions of righteousness and how apple pie, motherhood and love of Old Glory caused us to think we had the moral right and obligation to foist our system of beliefs on others on the other side of the globe. He shows that the idea of a separate South Vietnam was a total fabrication and had ever had any basis in fact.We intervened in a civil matter between one nation and the egos of our leaders prevented us from admitting it was all a mistake, apologizing and withdrawing with our 58,000 plus dead still alive. We failed to win because we did not understand the mind of the Vietnamese. Baritz says, â€Å"Vietnam finally won its war because it was willing to accept more death than we considered rational,† (325). We had trained a South Vietnamese army to fight like American soldiers, making them totally dependant on American supplies and materials.Therefore, says Baritz, the South Vietnamese were never capable of sustaining the fight on their own. Baritiz’s thesis is that the entire war was doomed from the outset because the American government never understood why the North was fighting or to what lengths they would go to continue the fight. They would never have stopped had we paved the jungle and decimated them. Because of their cultural beliefs the North Vietnamese may not have been capable of stopping. The reunification of their nation was more than a holy war, it was a living, breathing tangible of what they were as a race and a nation.It was imbedded in their psyches that losing was never an option. We never understood that they would fight to the last man standing. In proof of his thesis Baritz says that while our enemy was fighting a war of nerves, using politics and psychology to attack us, along with every other method at their disposal, including the use of women and children, Americ a was lulled, by the idea that this country is the New Camelot, where justice and righteousness are dispensed to all, whether or not they wish to be recipients of our largess.Baritz believes that as the winners of World War II we see ourselves as the champions of democracy, as the New Israel, as God’s chosen. Therefore we believe that with God on our side we are blessed in all of our endeavors. We became the city on a hill (29). We fought the war, Baritz says, in the classic Ugly American way, which is how we conducted foreign policy in Southeast Asia. We did not advise, we commanded, and expected them to obey, for we believed that whether or not they would admit it, all nations wish to be us.Baritz argument is constructed in tiers, giving the read a quick insight into the oriental mind from the first page where he begins by relating the tale of Colonel Chuc who, in 1972, while in a temple in South Vietnam, was given a revelation. â€Å"†¦Colonel Chuc sank into a trance and received a battle plan and a magical sword from the spirit of the Vietnamese general who defeated Kublai Khan's Mongols seven hundred years earlier† (3). That this was effective illustrates just some of the cultural differences between our two countries.Baritz leads the reader through the American administrations from Kennedy to Nixon, and gives insight into the games our bureaucrats played with such figures as the body count of enemy dead. Though Baritz points out that time after time, when government decisions were made there was no follow-up to determine the outcome of those policies, and whether or not they were a success. Still the reader is left with the belief that much of Baritz’s argument, while sound and acceptable, is not as fully documented as it could be.Some of what he has to say seems to be based on well- educated speculation that his ideas are positively the way things occurred during the divisive and disastrous war. His argument that the American p eople had no hatred of the enemy and quickly wearied of the entire operation seems too obvious to dispute, prima facie, yet how is such an assertion proven? It seems to be an assumption. Baritz’s book is an easy and enjoyable read, though scholarly in concept and execution. He appears to be emotionally attached to his subject, but this works in his favor and makes the book more believable.I would think that while this work does not contain all of the nuts and bolts of history, it is still a valuable treatise on the cultural clashes and is gives us a lesson in cultural differences which may have escaped the minds of today’s leadership. Officials in policy-making positions should read this as a matter of course. I believe it was worth my time, and should be used in classrooms. Works Cited Baritz, L. 1998 Backfire: A History of How American Culture Led Us into Vietnam and Made Us Fight the Way We Did Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press

Formal Business Report - Argentina - 1133 Words

Your Name Your email address Your Name Your email address Abstract Looking for a vacation home for your family that will also accommodate extended family and guests? We have found the perfect real estate that fits all of your needs. Abstract Looking for a vacation home for your family that will also accommodate extended family and guests? We have found the perfect real estate that fits all of your needs. LAKE front home In Bariloche LAKE front home In Bariloche Daniel Ladner Relator, International Real Estate 5748 Wing Way Dallas, TX 75201 April 15, 2015 Swiller Family 123 Hideaway Lane Houston, TX 77001 Dear Mr. and Mrs. Swiller: I submit here with a proposal in support of your request for finding a vacation home.†¦show more content†¦(South America Living). Entertainment Facilities Museums provide hours of entertainment for the whole family. Three museums that provide exhibits include Natural Science sections, urban archaeology, lithographs, an aboriginal history and so many others that would hold your families interest. (South America Living). Restauants in Bariloche are of excellence quality. The best restaurants are found to be located around the lake. With your home being on the lake you would have plenty of dining within your close proximity. Shopping is excellent. You will find everything you need within a short distance. Dining Since the city is centered on a lake, the traditional food is catered to seafood. With the property located on the lake, your dining experiences would be endless. With great food and wonderful atmosphere your family will most certainly enjoy this area. (Price Travel). Shopping Bariloche’s main street is where you will find everything that your family would need or want. The shops sell anything from leather goods to teas and gourds. You will also find the smoke meats that you could enjoy in your summer dining room. Just imagine all the family gathered around the table to the delicious local meats and cheese. Local handcrafts are usually made of wool and wood. These crafts could be used to decorate your beautiful home. (Frommer’s). Currency Exchange Rate The ArgentineShow MoreRelatedDefining The Meaning Of Corporate Social Responsibility1600 Words   |  7 PagesFor instance, the practise of CSR in South Africa focused on matters of racial inequality due to the historic event of Apartheid, while the practise of CSR in Argentina is determined in accordance with the impact of economical crisis in December 2001. W. 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