Young Children Growing Up in English-Using Communities Essay Example for Free

Young Children Growing Up in English-Using Communities Essay In this essay we will discuss what children growing up in English using communities have to learn about writing practices and how they learn it. Children are involved in the literate world around them long before the commencement of formal schooling (U211, Book 3, p.79). At a very young age, even during the first three years of their life, children interact with their surroundings and learn that written language can be used to accomplish many different things. For example, they can learn that shopping lists can help remember things which need to be bought, recipes can be followed to make their favourite foods, letters can used as tools of communication etc. (Pierce P.L). Czerniewska explains the concept of emergent literacy, which is a term used to convey a young child’s first discoveries of reading and writing, as a process whereby a child living in a literate community begins to become literate almost from birth via the world of environmental print. The Environmental print is the print of everyday life seen through symbols, numbers, and colours we see in familiar objects like signs for McDonalds, Tesco, Coca-Cola and various other websites etc. They offer an excellent entry point for young children to begin learning to read, write and do math. Environmental print is everywhere and children make concrete connection to it as they ‘read’ it within the context of their everyday life, their interests and background (Sharon MacDonald.com, 2012). In figure 3, when Alexandra is encouraged to write an invitation to a party, she produces pretend signs from the symbols she is familiar with. Literacy related activities which are familiar to the children in their social context are learnt by them at a very young age. For example, when Issac is asked to do some writing, he draws some squiggly lines and declares it is not writing (figure 1), but in figure 2 he is reminded of a familiar object, a greeting card he had written his name on previously and based on this he is able to write two letters. Most of the child’s exposure to the printed word happens in combination with the oral talk, and is more about the social organisation of people’s life instead of strictly being about reading and writing. Through these types of literary interactions children are not only learning about reading and writing, they are also learning about their family life and the purpose served by reading and writing (U211, Book 3, p.83). Czerniewska, in her narrative quotes Bruner, who contends that a child’s discovery of literacy is a collaborative process. He sees learning as a communal activity which involves sharing of culture. Because each child acquires different language varieties from different speakers, readers and writers, there is diversity among communities in which children learn to write and read English. Paths taken to literacy by children in different communities, thus varies from context to context (U211, Book 3, p.84). If learning is a communal event, it becomes important to note that not all communities see literacy in the same light. Different communities use variable patterns of written and spoken language in distinct ways for their daily literary events. Communities also vary in the types of literary practices they encourage and the value they place on the literacy itself. Child’s learning has to be viewed in the context of the community they are being raised in and environmental print they are exposed to in that particular community. One of the research studies quoted by Czerniewska in her chapter concludes that as the meaning of being literate can vary among communities its crucial not to ‘equate the form, function, and the meaning of literacy events across cultures, communities, or social groups. One consequence of this is that it is difficult to describe the process of becoming literate in English in general terms’ (U211, Book 3, p. 86). When learning to read and write and how writing is organised around them, children often take long and complicated routes. It is almost like process of trial and error. They try out different theories of organizing language and test it through their interactions with the adults to see what works and what does not. For example in figure 3, Alexandra has drawn many symbols which are known to her to make up an invitation for the party. Czerniewska believes that the writing that ‘goes on in the formative preschool years does not consist of unstructured doodles, rather, it provides evidence of children’s search for principles underlying the adult systems’ (U211, Book 3, p.86). Children begin to construct their writing system by looking at various written symbols. Symbols show children many possible ways a language can be represented. Children try to work out the meaning of these symbols, and their place in the adult system. As most communities are multicultural young English speaking children are not only exposed to English alphabet but also scripts like Chinese or Arabic, which they might see displayed in shops , menus etc. Due to this children are exposed to and observe more than written script and symbols used in one particular community. They are therefore able to represent words with symbols that are different than the way adults do it. ‘Numbers, letters, musical notation, non-English symbols and their own invented signs all occur side by side in collections of emergent writing’ (U211, Book 3, p. 88-89). In figure 3, Alexandra invitation is rich with environmental print she is probably exposed to in her community. Czerniewska quotes the study done by Yetta Goodman, who believes that children’s writing develops as a process of hypothesis making experimentation, and then refinement of these hypotheses. She noted that ‘every convention that has been adopted by written language users worldwide was being reinvented and tested by the group of very young (3 to 6 years old) language users’ (U211, Book 3, p.90). It appears that children assimilate the way the written script and symbols are used in their community; they then sort this information in their mind through experimentation in order to make sense of how written language is used in their community. It would seems that children who are trying to learn to write while being exposed to more than one scrip concurrently would find it more difficult to grasp either script. But when early writing explorations of such children is looked at it becomes apparent that these children from bilingual or multilingual families are able to develop two or more literacy systems alongside each other with relative ease (U211, Book 3, p. 94). Biliterate children develop the capability of recognizing what is important in each script and what really matters when distinguishing one character or letter from other (U211, Book 3, 94-95). Figure 3.7, depicts the bilingual child’s attempt at assimilating both languages into her world. This essay has looked at the concept of emergent learning, which is related to a young child’s early discovery of writing. It has been noted that children are involved in literacy almost since their birth through being exposed to environmental print.

Owens Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori Essay -- Poetry Analysis W

Through the use of poetry, we are able to powerfully discuss an idea or opinion about certain topics that could not be so eloquently conveyed through other literary media. Wilfred Owen was both a Soldier Poet during WWI. He was a man firmly against the idea of sending young boys off to war with the promise of glory. His views of war and the gruesome reality that it is, is deeply rooted within this poem and emphasized though the use of vivid imagery, persuasive similes and carefully constructed figurative language. Owen’s opinion that death by war is neither â€Å"sweet nor proper† as the sarcastic title suggests; resonates straight through to the last line – Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori2, which is rightfully preceded by the phrase â€Å"The old Lie.† This poem brilliantly shows how thoughtful use of effective words can shape our feelings and emotions. With this in mind, the first line of this poem begins with a powerful simile, â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks.† Here we get a strong comparison; an image of a duality within the soldiers. Once proud serving men, to now bent and crippled creatures, hobbling about like dirty, mud covered old beggars. The strength in these first few words is immense. Not only as a simile but also as bold imagery. I could write an entire essay on the effectiveness of this carefully constructed first line, the colors and sounds that come to mind are incredible, but I digress; let’s continue on. In addition to powerful line one, we are thrown into an equally powerful line two. â€Å"Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge.† Owen again uses a brilliant simile; showing the humanistic side of the once proud and innocent soldiers; to this now creature l ike hag. The word hag itself imp... ...n what war stands for, only in the camaraderie among men, and the sacrifice they make in risking their lives to save another’s. Works Cited â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Pro patria mori.† Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008. Web. Hibberd, Dominic. Wilfred Owen: A New Biography. 1st ed. Ivan R. Dee Publisher, (2003): 368. Print. Pope, Jessie. â€Å"Who’s for the Game.† Jessie Pope’s war poems. Nabu Press Publisher, (2010): 11. Print. Owen, Wilfred. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est.† The Harbrace Anthology of Literature. 4th ed. Ed. Jon C. Stott, Raymond E. Jones, and Rick Bowers, Toronto: Nelson Thomson, (2006).: 238-239. Print. Quinn, William A. â€Å"Multiple Metrics in Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’.† English Language Notes 21.2 (1983): 38-41. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Print. 15 Nov. 2010 Starr, Edwin. â€Å"War.† War and Peace / Involved. Universal, 2003. CD

Explain the relationship between mental health problems and society Essay

The way in which the public perceive people with mental health impairments is constantly being called into question. The relationship between mental health and social problems are prominent in day to day life, but can be experienced and viewed on varying levels-this is dependent on individuals. Stigma and discrimination stem from personal ignorance and fear, whether the person is not well educated enough to understand illness or is ignorant to it; realistically the ignorance is more likely to cause social problems on an individual basis. The public needs a better awareness and understanding of what mental health is and how it affects people and the support network around them. (Angermeyer and Matschinger 2005) Argue that members of the public have limited knowledge of mental illness and what they do know can sometimes be entirely incorrect. (Thornicroft 2006) States that the public believe having a mental illness reduces intelligence and the ability to make decisions and that some people still believe schizophrenia means having a split personality. In addition, (Thornicroft 2006) say it is common for the public to not grasp the difference between mental illness and learning disabilities. This can lead to common misconceptions in society. (McLeod, S. A 2008). Social Roles and Social Norms – Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-roles.htmlthere) There are many ways that people can influence our behavior, but perhaps one of the most important is that the presence of others seems to set up expectations. Social Norms are unwritten rules about how to behave. They provide us with an expected idea of how to behave in a particular social group or culture. Because some people don’t fit into this social norm (Time to Change. 2008. Stigma Shout[online] available at: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/research-reports-publications [accessed 30th September 2013) state 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems have been affected by stigma and discrimination and more than two thirds have stopped doing things they wanted to do because of stigma. Having aspirations and wanting to be in employment gives a certain level of self-esteem and people are generally in a much better position to build  social relationships and contribute to society, this in turn helps; the community, the nation, and fellow man. Still people with severe mental health problems have a lower rate of employment than any other disabled group, but are proved more likely than any other group with disabilities to want to have a job and desire work. Up to 90% of people suffering from mental health issues say they would like to work this is compared to 52% of disabled people (Stanley K, Maxwell D 2004. Fit for purpose London: IPPR). Campaigners such as ‘Time to Change’ are reaching out to the media particularly through social networking to make people more aware and be more open to recognising early signs of mental health problems, this will in turn help reduce the number of unreported mental health problems in the UK. The WHO Mental Health Survey Consortium (2004) previously reported that up to 85% of people with serious mental disorders did not receive treatment in a one year period (World Health Organisation – Prevalence, severity, and unmet need for treatment of mental disorders in the World Health Organisation world mental health surveys 2004. 291:p. 2581-2590). Anti-stigma campaigns can help build a better relationship between mental health and social problems in a positive manner. Direct social contact with people with mental health problems is without doubt the most effective way to change public attitudes so the greater the awareness the higher chance of people leaving personal prejudices behind. 77% of adults believe that the media does not do a good job in educating people about mental illness (Priory Group 2007. Crying shame. Leatherhead, Surrey: Priory Group). There are many different perspectives and understandings of mental health and opinions vary significantly even when different people are presented with the same situation involving someone apparently experiencing mental distress (Dr Colin King, Model Values 2009 cited Colombo et al, 2003a and b). Historically, the dominant model for explanations of mental disorders has been the ‘Medical Model’ which treats mental disorders in the same way as a physical cause and assumes the mental illness comes about primarily as a result of biochemical, genetic deviations, chemical imbalances or trauma which give rise to symptoms. These symptoms are classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), which then leads to a  diagnoses and drugs prescribed or in more serious cases electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) or psychosurgery are used; the latter being the very last resort if other treatments prove to fail. With this model the treatment can be fast and therefore empowering people to live the life they have desired without having to stay in care homes or hospitals, though it is a double edged sword because as with all drugs there are side effects; it is known for ECT treatment to cause memory loss. Taking antipsychotic pills can cause weight gain and increase the chance of developing diabetes among other side effects. The Medical Model is alluring because it is succinct, tangible, and easily understandable and is in accordance with a scientific method which relies on objective and measurable observation. There have been three types of studies to provide evidence to support this view which have been family, twin studies- and adoption studies. The ‘Social Model’ looks at other sociological reasons to possible causes of mental health and is based on an understanding of the complexity of human health and well-being and supports the social networks of people who are vulnerable and frail. It takes the wider view that the ability to undertake such activities is limited by social barriers and shows the limitation of activity is not caused by impairments but a consequence of social barriers, this shifts the emphasis towards those aspects of the world that can be adapted and changed (The Social Model of Disability and The Disability Discrimination Act). The management of the problem requires social action and is the collective responsibility of society at large to make the environmental modifications necessary for the full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of social life. The issue is both cultural and ideological and requires individual, community and a large scale social change and from this perspective, equal access for someone with an impairment or disability is a human rights issue of major concern. Social model thinking has important implications for the education system too, and particularly primary and secondary schools. Prejudiced attitudes toward disabled people and all minority groups are not innate. They are learned through contact with the prejudice and ignorance of others. To conclude mental health and social problems can be non-excitant if society  focuses on the two dominant models ‘Medical & Social’. The two are the perfect example of a lasting relationship, intertwined with one another. Without the social model stigma and discrimination create barriers and without the medical model treatment would not be diagnosed and treated. With the two models society can empower individuals to live the life they desire, strive for and deserve. People with mental health problems should be safe guarded and encouraged to participate in their community regardless of their age, race, or disability. If society tackles problems with mental health and social problems people face the world would be a better and more positive place to live.

Vargas Surname Meaning and Origin - About Genealogy

The Vargas surname is topographical in origin, indicating someone who lived on or near agricultural land that was flooded in winter; from vargas, the plural of varga. In different parts of Spain the term varga also had other various meanings, including a steep hillside or a straw- or thatch-roofed hut. Vargas may also be habitational in origin, indicating someone who came from Vargas in Santander province of Spain. Vargas is the 36th most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  VARGAZ   Famous People with the Surname VARGAS Elizabeth Vargas - American broadcast journalist- Peruvian contemporary writerGetà ºlio Vargas - former President of BrazilJoaquin Alberto  Vargas  y Chà ¡vez - Peruvian painter of pin-up girlsLuis de Vargas  - Spanish painter of the Renaissance era Where Do People With the VARGAS Surname Live? The surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Vargas as the 251st most common surname in the world, identifying it as most prevalent in Mexico and with the highest density in Costa Rica. The Vargas surname is the 2nd most common surname in Bolivia and Costa Rica, 14th in Colombia, 20th in Peru, 28th in Chile, 30th in the Dominican Republic, and 33rd in Panama and Mexico. Within Europe, Vargas is most frequently found in Spain, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the southern provinces of Sevilla and  Almerà ­a. The surname is also very common in almost all regions of Argentina.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname VARGAS 100 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names? How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. Vargas Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as an Vargas family crest or coat of arms for the Vargas surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   VARGAS Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Vargas surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Vargas query. FamilySearch - VARGAS GenealogyAccess over 10 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Vargas surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. GeneaNet - Vargas RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Vargas surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries. VARGAS Surname Family Mailing ListsThis free mailing list for researchers of the Vargas surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - VARGAS Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Vargas. The Vargas Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Vargas from the website of Genealogy Today. ----------------------- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins