Impact of Trilingualism in Kazakhstan

Impact of Trilingualism in Kazakhstan Identify any ONE education reform policy/measure recently adopted by a Ministry of Education that you are familiar with, critically examine how different stakeholders have tried to shape this education policy and how the change has been introduced. Analyse and evaluate the selected education reform policy/measure in light of the literature you have read. Introduction In Kazakhstan, as in many other countries, education is highly influenced and controlled by the state education policy-makers. Tensions and difficulties arise within various stakeholders due to new policies and reforms adopted by Ministry of Education. This paper aims to analyse potential issues related to one of the new adopted reforms, namely trilingual education in schools. In this essay I will discuss how this reform was introduced by government. Intentions and strategic plans expressed through education system will be also analysed. Then perspectives of various stakeholders regarding trilingualism are discussed, drawing on data from different case studies and interviews. This topic might be important because of its novelty and scope in nowadays realities, where governments around the world try to apply different reforms to correspond with global trends. I would like to focus on this topic in order to examine potential outcomes and consequences for the future education of Kazakhs tan. I will also compare and take into account my own experience since I studied and worked in a multilingual school. Introduction of the Trilingualism in Kazakhstan What is the ideal model of education system? There is no simple answer to this question in the international professional community. In 2016, Kazakhstan celebrates the 25th anniversary of independence. Kazakhstan is actively integrating into the global community; where a fierce competition of economy, technology, education systems and etc. take place. Consequently education reforms should be done according to global mainstream. Nowadays, two trends are becoming more popular among the global education systems: (Smith Sandvik (2012)) The rapid development of information and communication technology education (e-learning, smart training, etc.) Improving the educational level of the population, primarily due to the expansion of access to education. Moreover, the education reforms carried out by developed countries can be divided into four main blocks: Education system management Lifelong learning The content of education and ensuring its quality The development of vocational education system Analysis of Kazakhstans educational policies in the framework of the State program of development (2010) shows five changes in the education system: Expansion of pre-school provision Implementing trilingual education in schools. E-Learning Developing pedagogy through the Centres of Excellence programme Extension of secondary education to 12 years of schooling According to this reform, from the 2019 year science lessons will be taught in the English language. In this section, I will discuss how this debatable and controversial reform was introduced by the government. Ongoing reforms in the education sector of the Republic Kazakhstan provide a number of initiatives, including the introduction of the trilingual education system at all levels of education, which aims to shape the future generation, fluent in Kazakh, Russian and English languages. While this reform might seem positive and meaningful, indeed due to several reasons as a time to implement the change and teacher training thus makes schools and management team struggle in the successful implementation of this reform. The objectives of language policy of the modern Kazakhstan reflects in the address of President of Republic of Kazakhstan, N. Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan in the new world (2007), in which the framework of competitiveness of country and its citizens, proposed phased implementation of the cultural project called The unity of three languages, aimed to the development of three Languages: Kazakh as the state language, Russian as the language of international communication and English as the language of successful integration into the global economy. And worth to note that, the University of Cambridge became a strategic partner of Kazakhstan in this education reform process. (10) Wilson, Reform at Scale: Teacher Development in Kazakhstan (2013). There has been created Kazakhstan Programme by the cooperation of Kazakh and English educators. The university of Cambridge, the faculty of education website states: The University of Cambridge Faculty of Education supports an ambitious and far-reaching programme of educational reform in Kazakhstan through training, research and consultancy all designed to build local capacity. [15] In accordance with the State program of development Education of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020 (2010), the English language should be studied not only as a foreign language but also be used as the language of instruction at all levels of education. Starting from September of 2016 elementary schools must implement some changes. For instance, first-grade students will be taught English in a very accessible and entertaining way. Major innovations await children and their parents from 1 September 2019 in all schools, regardless of the language of education, history of Kazakhstan will be taught in the Kazakh language, and world history in Russian. In the 2019-2020 academic years, the 10-11-graders will be conduct four subjects in English chemistry, physics, biology and Computer Sciences. Learning the terminology in English on subjects like Computer Sciences and Natural Science for students of 5 and 6 grades will begin in 2017-18 and 2018-19 academic years respectively. Due to large-scale implementation of trilingual education, there is an urgent need for teachers who can teach their subject in the English language. This problem requires special attention since the English language is not widely used in everyday communication, unli ke Kazakh and Russian languages. And this is in line with Ball (1997) who states, policymakers expect that teachers are familiar and be able to successfully implement changes; also individual policy-makers do not normally take into account complexity of the environment where changes intended for. The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MoES) is currently developing the Roadmap development and implementation of trilingual education. According to State Programme of Education Development for 2011-2020 and Roadmap (2010), its expected that the percentage of the population speaking state language, by 2020 will reach 95%, in the Russian language will be speaking 90% of the population, and 20% of people will speak English. In fact, the policy of trilingualism will create the conditions for the children to study Russian and English language rather than the Kazakh language. However according to Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan, Erlan Sagadiyev: Why do we need to develop trilingualism? Today there is no doubt that the future of knowledge, science, information, and the competitive ability of any nation, will depend on the knowledge of the English language. This must start from school. And gradually increase the amount of English language in order to start school subject teaching at the senior school. However we need to understand the most important meaning of the implementation of trilingual education in Kazakhstan is the total knowledge of the Kazakh language by our population. The priority of the learning the Kazakh language was, is and remains. [11] It is expected that current reforms probably will slow down usage and development of state language. A shift in language knowledge and usage of it in the workplace and private lives of citizens has taken place over the past decades. Due to historical events, the North Kazakhstan is dominantly Russian-speaking, while South part of the country mainly Kazakh speaking. According to the 2009 census, the urban citizens tend to be linguistically speaking Russian-dominant. The Russian language remains the most widely spoken, with 94.4 % population indicating that they understood spoken Russian and 84.8 % indicating that they can read and write the language. In comparison, 74% reported that they understood spoken Kazakh and 62% reported that they could read and write Kazakh. This is huge numbers for the country where 65.5 % of the population are Kazakhs and 21.5 % are Russians (2014 census) [14]. All these lead to the logical conclusion that the government must take a mission to improve the q uality of Kazakh language. Kazakh-medium education needs to be improved and Kazakh people will have to use Kazakh more often in their work and private lives. In order to pilot the trilingual education in the sector of secondary education in 2007 Daryn network of educational institutions for gifted children was created. According to Ministry of education, currently trilingualism is being successfully implemented in 117 secondary schools, in 33 Daryn specialised schools, 30 Kazakh-Turkish lyceums, 20 Nazarbayev Intellectual schools (NIS). Its worth to specifically note that, the Kazakh-Turkish lyceums (Grades 7 to 11), are actively implementing trilingual education. Subjects like Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Computer Science are to be taught through English. Kazakhstan History, Kazakhstan Geography, Physical Education and Military preparations are to be taught through Kazakh. Turkish and Russian are to be taught in language arts classes. These schools are one of the most prestigious and successful in the country. I have graduated from one of Kazakh-Turkish lyceums. Moreover after graduated from university I have experience working there for 2 years as a teacher. The main reason for their success is quality teachers, teaching material and excellent management and leadership skills of school administration. Additionally, apart from English language Turkish is also taught there. The presence of native Turkish teachers also plays a big role in the quality learning of the Turkish language. The next reason is that those lyceums are situated in cities; therefore they have sufficient funding from government and different private sponsors for implementing various projects. Then there is an entry examination to get enrolled in lyceum. There are only 30 lyceums in Kazakhstan, so this makes 1 or 2 lyceums in each city. There are only 2 new classes accepted each year; this means 50 new students per school get a chance to study there. Still, there is a strong competition among students, and mainly excellent and good students get accepted. The policy makers perspective The general task of the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) is controlling the education system by making policy and legislative decisions in order to improve. The MoES website states that: The mission of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Development of intellectual potential of the nation, the formation and implementation of state policy in the sphere of education and science, ensuring competitiveness and sustainable socio-economic growth. Although the primary focus of MoES is nations education, its undeniable that government is highly aware of the nation as a part of the economic structure of the country. It is clear that education must be looked at from this point of view since the purpose of education in large part is to protect the economy of the nation. Nevertheless, the economic way of treatment education paying more importance to money than the intellectual progress of the nation (Ball, 1997, Tikly and Barrett, 2011) However, there are some people who support changes. One of them professor B.Bekturganova The evidence is that the information in English-language on a global scale is greater than in German, Spanish, Chinese and any other language. To keep up with the latest innovations and developments students must be proficient in English. The educators perspective A bottom-up approach works best when new policies, reforms and changes are introduced. Jones, Potter Ebrahim (2001) also suggest that teachers should be given the opportunity to express their ideas and opinions; this will lead to the creation of shared approach for effective change. Another reason is that majority of teachers are willing to influence the design of quality systems in order to bring meaningful change to themselves and their students as shown in Jones, Potter Ebrahim (2001). Knowing and speaking three languages is wonderful skill, but this should not be done at the expense of other important subjects. For example, in rural areas, where the teachers are incredibly insufficient, who teach several subjects, trilingualism might turn to complete disaster. In my opinion, the first thing that happens after the start of the implementation of educational reforms teachers will leave schools, who taught all their lives in the same language. There is a doubt that universities will not have time to prepare a sufficient number of specialists who will be able to replace the old cadres within three years. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the young teachers will be willing to travel to distant villages and rural areas. Additionally, there is a lack of quality teachers even in cities. More teachers are leaving state schools in order to work for private schools, where the salary is considerably higher. The level of education will deteriorate, due to which the reform had begun. No doubt that trilingual education is a matter of time, and in the near future, it would be probably implemented. It seems current reforms do not fully calculated, and are made for the sake of short-term economic and political interests. If the Ministry of education, in fact, decided to modernise the education system, he would have understood that this would take time for preparation and implementation. Action should be done step by step. Firstly to prepare teachers, secondly the material base and then introducing a novelty in one sector, then in another, etc. However, in fact, government frantically trying to implement reforms altogether. Unfortunate teachers do not rest at all and taking language courses to be able to work at school. For example, Anatoly Mazura Physics, a teacher with 30 years of teaching experience says: Teaching Physics laws and rules in English Terminology is already complicated. Then, I guess Ill just have to leave a school. Not all children are able to learn in such way. There are, of course, children who can learn material fast, on the other hand, there are children who need more time, and if they all will be taught in English, unlikely that they will understand anything. There are a lot of teachers who are in the same situation as Anatoly Mazura. These teachers are thinking seriously about his future career. They need to make a choice: stay in school or to change the profession. Anatoly is not sure that he will be able to learn English in two years and to communicate with students properly, as required by the new educational reform. Innovations made by Ministry of Education scare not only teachers but also school head teachers. Irina Smirnova said that teacher staff is not able to perfectly speak, write, and also qualitatively explain the subject in English since most of the teachers are of old age. The school administration organised compulsory English classes for all teachers. Every teacher must study ten hours of theory and practice of English ten hours per week. Studying grammar and rules take most of their time. In the remaining time, teachers must practice speaking and writing skills. According to Irina Smirnova Majlis deputy, ex-principal of the school-lyceum à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾- 48 Almaty, Kazakhstan Tough we have experience in trilingual education through Kazakh-Turkish schools and Nazarbayev intellectual schools. However, nowadays according to state program there are not any English classes for 4th-grade students in secondary schools and only one hour a week at 1,2,3rd grades. It is impossible to learn a language in this situation. If we want students to know three languages, not necessarily mathematics, physics, chemistry should be taught in the English language. It is better simply to teach the language more intense, and maybe one subject which will not affect cognitive abilities of students could be taught in English. The subject technology why not do in English? I think this is a hasty decision that could lead to serious problems. Although a positive viewpoint on the subject is that Ministry of Education officials know about the level of training of Kazakhstani teachers and therefore prepare to massively retrain teachers all over the country. According to Minister of Education Erlan Sagadiyev, there are 365,000 school teachers in Kazakhstan. In general 32 000 senior school teachers who know English needed for successful implementation of the reform. As the Ministry of Education reported, teacher training for the implementation of the program and trilingual education is already being implemented as following: Nazarbayev University will prepare 675 subject teachers (chemistry, physics, biology, computer science); Nazarbayev Intellectual School and JSC Orleu will prepare 69 teachers through the updated program KATEV will teach 18,250 children in summer language camps; 680 subject teachers (chemistry, physics, biology, computer science) 84 teachers from regional specialised school for gifted children; 800 science teachers. In accordance with State Programme of Education Development (2010) teachers who teach science and math in English, is expected to increase to 15% by 2020. (3) However, rural schools in distant regions of the country will face most problems. Because even physics or chemistry teachers not enough there. In some rural schools, teachers combine two roles of math and physics teachers. According to the Ministry, the solution to this problem is to provide internet access to such schools and retrain teachers by distance learning technologies. The Ministry plans in the next three or four years to provide 90% of Kazakhstani students access to broadband Internet (today it is 76%). Also, apparently this reform will cost huge money and resources for the government. The students perspective According to the information-analytical centre and the Public Opinion Research Institute, 1055 pupils of 9 and 11 grades (66% from school with the Kazakh language of instruction, 34% from the Russian language of instruction) participated in the survey. A survey showed that only 15% of students are fluent in English. The vast majority of students (68%) do not want to study computer science, physics, chemistry and biology in English. They believe that they will learn neither English language nor the subjects due to the low quality of education, many of them consider it would be useless for their future work. It is important to note that students of schools, colleges and universities of the country are already living in a trilingual environment, so for children learning English is not a problem. Fear of studying languages is projected by parents, thus hindering students development says officials from Ministry of Education. In my perspective, I think the choice of the student to study subjects in a foreign language must be voluntary and not compulsory. Parents should have a choice whether they let their children study or not in trilingual school. Subjects in the English language should be taught only in senior schools, and only as an optional. Because today level of English language of secondary school students is not enough to adequately understand the teaching material. School teachers, who will teach subjects in English, should have an appropriate certificate, for example, TKT, CELTA, CELTYL (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Young Learners), ICELT (In-service Certificate in English Language Teaching). This will mean that teachers completed needed course. Therefore head teachers and more importantly parents will know that subject teacher has qualifications and certification to teach in English. The Parents perspective Most parents in Kazakhstan still support the introduction of trilingual education in schools. For voted 66% of mothers and fathers, while 81% said they want their children to know especially English. The information-analytical centre in cooperation with the Public Opinion Research Institute studied parents opinion about the transition to a new model of education and the level of students training. 1000 parents (urban 53.5%, rural 46.5%) took part in the survey. Researchers found that half of the respondents fully satisfied with the quality of English education in Kazakhstani schools, rest satisfied partially, the negative attitude expressed by 6%. As already mentioned the implementation of trilingual teaching was supported by 66% of parents. A quarter of respondents were against MoES initiative and 9% of parents had problems to answer. Main reasons of their concerns are related to the lack of teachers personnel and weak educational methodological base. Conclusion Kazakhstan is steadily changing its educational system towards corresponding to global trends. Educational reforms of Kazakhstan undoubtedly implementing to improve knowledge of students to become competitive in modern world realities. However, there are potential problems which may occur when implementing the reform. The main issues: a lack of teachers who can teach through English, lack of high-quality language learning materials, insufficient level of knowledge of teachers and students in rural areas. There is a general agreement amongst parents that subjects should be taught in the English language, however, some educators believe this is not possible in the current circumstances. In general, there is a concern that after implementation of trilingual education reform, development of state language will probably decrease as students will devote more time for both Russian and English language. The government should pay more attention to the development of intellectual and academic potential of students rather than the political and economic way of treatment education as shown in (Ball (1997), Tikly and Barrett, (2011)). Particularly research of Jones, Potter Ebrahim (2001) has been useful in providing ideas that educators should be given the opportunity to express their ideas and opinions; this will lead to the creation of shared approach for effective change. A full-scale launch of the trilingual education can be successful if a sufficient number of teachers who could teach in English in rural areas would be trained. One solution could be hiring foreign subject teachers for a long term. This might considerably support the implementation of trilingual education; however, it will cost a lot for the government. Overall, a wide range of work must be done, which requires sufficient human resources, time, effort, and financial investments. In this essay, I focused on the introduction of trilingual education in Kazakhstan and potential consequences of this reform in different stakeholders perspectives. I confirm that this topic should be investigated in more details since it was not possible to cover all the nuances due to resource, time and word limit constraints. The future research appears to be needed in the field of leadership and management of trilingual education in Kazakhstan. References Baimanov, D. (2016) Astana is experiencing the shortage of teachers and educators [online] Available at: http://dknews.kz/nehvatku-uchitelej-i-vospitatelej-ispy-ty-vaet-astana/ [Accessed 13 January 2017] Ball, S. J. (1997) Policy Sociology and Critical Social Research: A Personal Review of Recent Education Policy and Policy Research, British Educational Research Journal, 23, 3, pp.257-274. Bekturganova, B. (2016) We are responsible for our childrens future [online] Available at: http://www.inform.kz/ru/b-bekturganova-o-reforme-obrazovaniya-v-rk-my-otvetstvenny-za-buduschee-nashih-detey_a2892951 [Accessed 13 January 2017] Bridges, D (2014) Educational Reforms and Internationalisation: the case of School Reform in Kazakhstan, Cambridge University Press. Jones, Potter and Ebrahim (2001) Managing Curriculum Change in Schools, ERIC p20 Kapital. (2016) 66% of parents for the three languages in schools [online] Available at: https://kapital.kz/gosudarstvo/50391/za-trehyazychie-v-shkolah-66-roditelej.html [Accessed 14 January 2017] Kuchma, V. (2016) Reward and punishment of the Ministry of Education (Why the extension of the school year being criticised?) [online] Available at: https://kapital.kz/gosudarstvo/49389/knut-i-pryanik-ministerstva-obrazovaniya-rk.html [Accessed 13 January 2017] Kuchma, V. (2016) Big change in Kazakhstans schools [online] Available at: https://kapital.kz/gosudarstvo/49775/bolshaya-peremena-v-shkolah-kazahstana.html [Accessed 13 January 2017] Nazarbayev, N. (2007) Address of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to the People of Kazakhstan. [online] Available at: http://www.akorda.kz/ru/addresses/addresses_of_president/poslanie-prezidenta-respubliki-kazahstan-nnazarbaeva-narodu-kazahstana-28-fevralya-2007-g [Accessed 18 January 2017] Nazarbayev, N. (2012) Address by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Leader of the Nation, Strategy Kazakhstan-2050: new political course of the established state [online] Available at: http://www.akorda.kz/en/events/astana_kazakhstan/participation_in_events/address-by-the-president-of-the-republic-of-kazakhstan-leader-of-the-nation-nnazarbayev-strategy-kazakhstan-2050-new-political-course-of-the-established-state-1 [Accessed 14 January 2017] Sagadiev, E. (2016) The meaning of the introduction of trilingualism in Kazakhstan the total knowledge of the Kazakh language by population [online] Available at: http://www.inform.kz/ru/erlan-sagadiev-smysl-vnedreniya-treh-yazychiya-v-kazahstane-total-noe-znanie-kazahskogo-yazyka-naseleniem_a2897529 [Accessed 13 January 2017] Smith Sandvik (2012) Four Global Trends in Education (And Why They Matter) in MetaMetrics. The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan(2010) State Program of Education Development in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020. [online] Available at: https://kaznmu.kz/eng/state-program-of-education-development-in-the-republic-of-kazakhstan/ [Accessed 18 January 2017] The Ministry of national economy and of the Republic of Kazakhstan Committee on statistics (2014) [online] The official statistical information Available at: http://www.stat.gov.kz/faces/wcnav_externalId/publBullS14-2014?_adf.ctrl-state=17nhn6hpxp_4_afrLoop=14098389396800612#%40%3F_afrLoop%3D14098389396800612%26_adf.ctrl-state%3Dere6z4bhw_9 [Accessed 13 January 2017] Tikly, L. Barrett, A. (2011) Social Justice, Capabilities and the Quality of Education in Low-Income Countries, International Journal of Educational Development. University of Cambridge (2017) Kazakhstan Programme [online] Available at: https://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/centres/kazakhstan/ [Accessed 13 January 2017]

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 5. ISLE ESME

â€Å"Houston?† I asked, raising my eyebrows when we reached the gate in Seattle. â€Å"Just a stop along the way,† Edward assured me with a grin. It felt like I'd barely fallen asleep when he woke me. I was groggy as he pulled me through the terminals, struggling to remember how to open my eyes after every blink. It took me a few minutes to catch up with what was going on when we stopped at the international counter to check in for our next flight. â€Å"Rio de Janeiro?† I asked with slightly more trepidation. â€Å"Another stop,† he told me. The flight to South America was long but comfortable in the wide first-class seat, with Edward's arms cradled around me. I slept myself out and awoke unusually alert as we circled toward the airport with the light of the setting sun slanting through the plane's windows. We didn't stay in the airport to connect with another flight as I'd expected. Instead we took a taxi through the dark, teeming, living streets of Rio. Unable to understand a word of Edward's Portuguese instructions to the driver, I guessed that we were off to find a hotel before the next leg of our journey. A sharp twinge of something very close to stage fright twisted in the pit of my stomach as I considered that. The taxi continued through the swarming crowds until they thinned somewhat, and we appeared to be nearing the extreme western edge of the city, heading into the ocean. We stopped at the docks. Edward led the way down the long line of white yachts moored in the night-blackened water. The boat he stopped at was smaller than the others, sleeker, obviously built for speed instead of space. Still luxurious, though, and more graceful than the rest. He leaped in lightly, despite the heavy bags he carried. He dropped those on the deck and turned to help me carefully over the edge. I watched in silence while he prepared the boat for departure, surprised at how skilled and comfortable he seemed, because he'd never mentioned an interest in boating before. But then again, he was good at just about everything. As we headed due east into the open ocean, I reviewed basic geography in my head. As far as I could remember, there wasn't much east of Brazil†¦ until you got to Africa. But Edward sped forward while the lights of Rio faded and ultimately disappeared behind us. On his face was a familiar exhilarated smile, the one produced by any form of speed. The boat plunged through the waves and I was showered with sea spray. Finally the curiosity I'd suppressed so long got the best of me. â€Å"Are we going much farther?† I asked. It wasn't like him to forget that I was human, but I wondered if he planned for us to live on this small craft for any length of time. â€Å"About another half hour.† His eyes took in my hands, clenched on the seat, and he grinned. Oh well, I thought to myself. He was a vampire, after all. Maybe we were going to Atlantis. Twenty minutes later, he called my name over the roar of the engine. â€Å"Bella, look there.† He pointed straight ahead. I saw only blackness at first, and the moon's white trail across the water. But I searched the space where he pointed until I found a low black shape breaking into the sheen of moonlight on the waves. As I squinted into the darkness, the silhouette became more detailed. The shape grew into a squat, irregular triangle, with one side trailing longer than the other before sinking into the waves. We drew closer, and I could see the outline was feathery, swaying to the light breeze. And then my eyes refocused and the pieces all made sense: a small island rose out of the water ahead of us, waving with palm fronds, a beach glowing pale in the light of the moon. â€Å"Where are we?† I murmured in wonder while he shifted course, heading around to the north end of the island. He heard me, despite the noise of the engine, and smiled a wide smile that gleamed in the moonlight. â€Å"This is Isle Esme.† The boat slowed dramatically, drawing with precision into position against a short dock constructed of wooden planks, bleached into whiteness by the moon. The engine cut off, and the silence that followed was profound. There was nothing but the waves, slapping lightly against the boat, and the rustle of the breeze in the palms. The air was warm, moist, and fragrant – like the steam left behind after a hot shower. â€Å"Isle Esme?† My voice was low, but it still sounded too loud as it broke into the quiet night. â€Å"A gift from Carlisle – Esme offered to let us borrow it.† A gift. Who gives an island as a gift? I frowned. I hadn't realized that Edward's extreme generosity was a learned behavior. He placed the suitcases on the dock and then turned back, smiling his perfect smile as he reached for me. Instead of taking my hand, he pulled me right up into his arms. â€Å"Aren't you supposed to wait for the threshold?'71 asked, breathless, as he sprung lightly out of the boat. He grinned. â€Å"I'm nothing if not thorough.† Gripping the handles of both huge steamer trunks in one hand and cradling me in the other arm, he carried me up the dock and onto a pale sand pathway through the dark vegetation. For a short while it was pitch black in the jungle-like growth, and then I could see a warm light ahead. It was about at the point when I realized the light was a house – the two bright, perfect squares were wide windows framing a front door – that the stage fright attacked again, more forcefully than before, worse than when I'd thought we were headed for a hotel. My heart thudded audibly against my ribs, and my breath seemed to get stuck in my throat. I felt Edward's eyes on my face, but I refused to meet his gaze. I stared straight ahead, seeing nothing. He didn't ask what I was thinking, which was out of character for him. I guessed that meant that he was just as nervous as I suddenly was. He set the suitcases on the deep porch to open the doors – they were unlocked. Edward looked down at me, waiting until I met his gaze before he stepped through the threshold. He carried me through the house, both of us very quiet, flipping on lights as he went. My vague impression of the house was that it was quite large for a tiny island, and oddly familiar. I'd gotten used to the pale-on-pale color scheme preferred by the Cullens; it felt like home. I couldn't focus on any specifics, though. The violent pulse beating behind my ears made everything a little blurry. Then Edward stopped and turned on the last light. The room was big and white, and the far wall was mostly glass – standard decor for my vampires. Outside, the moon was bright on white sand and, just a few yards away from the house, glistening waves. But I barely noted that part. I was more focused on the absolutely huge white bed in the center of the room, hung with billowy clouds of mosquito netting. Edward set me on my feet. â€Å"I'll†¦ go get the luggage.† The room was too warm, stuffier than the tropical night outside. A bead of sweat dewed up on the nape of my neck. I walked slowly forward until I could reach out and touch the foamy netting. For some reason I felt the need to make sure everything was real. I didn't hear Edward return. Suddenly, his wintry finger caressed the back of my neck, wiping away the drop of perspiration. â€Å"It's a little hot here,† he said apologetically. â€Å"I thought†¦ that would be best.† â€Å"Thorough,† I murmured under my breath, and he chuckled. It was a nervous sound, rare for Edward. â€Å"I tried to think of everything that would make this†¦ easier,† he admitted. I swallowed loudly, still facing away from him. Had there ever been a honeymoon like this before? I knew the answer to that. No. There had not. â€Å"I was wondering,'7Edward said slowly, â€Å"if†¦ first†¦ maybe you'd like to take a midnight swim with me?† He took a deep breath, and his voice was more at ease when he spoke again. â€Å"The water will be very warm. This is the kind of beach you approve of.† â€Å"Sounds nice.† My voice broke. â€Å"I'm sure you'd like a human minute or two†¦. It was a long journey.† I nodded woodenly. I felt barely human; maybe a few minutes alone would help. His lips brushed against my throat, just below my ear. He chuckled once and his cool breath tickled my overheated skin. â€Å"Don't take too long, Mrs. Cullen.† I jumped a little at the sound of my new name. His lips brushed down my neck to the tip of my shoulder. â€Å"I'll wait for you in the water.† He walked past me to the French door that opened right onto the beach sand. On the way, he shrugged out of his shirt, dropping it on the floor, and then slipped through the door into the moonlit night. The sultry, salty air swirled into the room behind him. Did my skin burst into flames? I had to look down to check. Nope, nothing was burning. At least, not visibly. I reminded myself to breathe, and then I stumbled toward the giant suitcase that Edward had opened on top of a low white dresser. It must be mine, because my familiar bag of toiletries was right on top, and there was a lot of pink in there, but I didn't recognize even one article of clothing. As I pawed through the neatly folded piles – looking for something familiar and comfortable, a pair of old sweats maybe – it came to my attention that there was an awful lot of sheer lace and skimpy satin in my hands. Lingerie. Very lingerie-ish lingerie, with French tags. I didn't know how or when, but someday, Alice was going to pay for this. Giving up, I went to the bathroom and peeked out through the long windows that opened to the same beach as the French doors. I couldn't see him; I guessed he was there in the water, not bothering to come up for air. In the sky above, the moon was lopsided, almost full, and the sand was bright white under its shine. A small movement caught my eye – draped over a bend in one of the palm trees that fringed the beach, the rest of his clothes were swaying in the light breeze. A rush of heat flashed across my skin again. I took a couple of deep breaths and then went to the mirrors above the long stretch of counters. I looked exactly like I'd been sleeping on a plane all day. I found my brush and yanked it harshly through the snarls on the back of my neck until they were smoothed out and the bristles were full of hair. I brushed my teeth meticulously, twice. Then I washed my face and splashed water on the back of my neck, which was feeling feverish. That felt so good that I washed my arms as well, and finally I decided to just give up and take the shower. I knew it was ridiculous to shower before swimming, but I needed to calm down, and hot water was one reliable way to do that. Also, shaving my legs again seemed like a pretty good idea. When I was done, I grabbed a huge white towel off the counter and wrapped it under my arms. Then I was faced with a dilemma I hadn't considered. What was I supposed to put on? Not a swimsuit, obviously. But it seemed silly to put my clothes back on, too. I didn't even want to think about the things Alice had packed for me. My breathing started to accelerate again and my hands trembled – so much for the calming effects of the shower. I started to feel a little dizzy, apparently a full-scale panic attack on the way. I sat down on the cool tile floor in my big towel and put my head between my knees. I prayed he wouldn't decide to come look for me before I could pull myself together. I could imagine what he would think if he saw me going to pieces this way. It wouldn't be hard for him to convince himself that we were making a mistake. And I wasn't freaking out because I thought we were making a mistake. Not atall. I was freaking out because I had no idea how to do this, and I was afraid to walk out of this room and face the unknown. Especially in French lingerie. I knew I wasn't ready for that yet This felt exactly like having to walk out in front of a theater full of thousands with no idea what my lines were. How did people do this – swallowall their fears and trust someone else so implicitly with every imperfection and fear they had – with less than the absolute commitment Edward had given me? if it weren't Edward out there, if I didn't know in every cell of my body that he loved me as much as I loved him – unconditionally and irrevocably and, to be honest, irrationally – I'd never be able to get up off this floor. But it was Edward out there, so I whispered the words â€Å"Don't be a coward† under my breath and scrambled to my feet. 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I stared at the smooth lines of his back, his shoulders, his arms, his neck, theflawless shape of him†¦. The fire was no longer a flash burn across my skin – it was slow and deep now; it smoldered away all my awkwardness, my shy uncertainty. I slipped the towel off without hesitation, leaving it on the tree with his clothes, and walked out into the white light; it made me pale as the snowy sand, too. I couldn't hear the sound of my footsteps as I walked to the water's edge, but I guessed that he could. Edward did not turn. I let the gentle swells break over my toes, and found that he'd been right about the temperature – it was very warm, like bath water. I stepped in, walking carefully across the invisible ocean floor, but my care was unnecessary; the sand continued perfectly smooth, sloping gently toward Edward. I waded through the weightless current till I was at his side, and then I placed my hand lightly over his cool hand lying on the water. â€Å"Beautiful,† I said, looking up at the moon, too. â€Å"It's all right,† he answered, unimpressed. He turned slowly to face me; little waves rolled away from his movement and broke against my skin. His eyes looked silver in his ice-colored face. He twisted his hand up so that he could twine our fingers beneath the surface of the water. It was warm enough that his cool skin did not raise goose bumps on mine. â€Å"But I wouldn't use the word beautiful† he continued. â€Å"Not with you standing here in comparison.† I half-smiled, then raised my free hand – it didn't tremble now – and placed it over his heart. White on white; we matched, for once. He shuddered the tiniest bit at my warm touch. 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His expression was a shock – it sent a physical jolt through my body. â€Å"Edward,† I said, a strange little catch in my throat, â€Å"what is it? What's wrong?† â€Å"You have to ask?† His voice was hard, cynical. My first instinct, the product of a lifetime of insecurities, was to wonder what I had done wrong. I thought through everything that had happened, but I couldn't find any sour note in the memory. It had all been simpler than I'd expected; we'd fit together like corresponding pieces, made to match up. This had given me a secret satisfaction – we were compatible physically, as well as all the other ways. Fire and ice, somehow existing together without destroying each other. More proof that I belonged with him. I couldn't think of any part that would make him look like this – so severe and cold. What had I missed? His finger smoothed the worried lines on my forehead. â€Å"What are you thinking?† he whispered. â€Å"You're upset. I don't understand. Did I†¦ ?† I couldn't finish. His eyes tightened. â€Å"How badly are you hurt, Bella? The truth – don't try to downplay it.† â€Å"Hurt?† I repeated; my voice came out higher than usual because the word took me so by surprise. He raised one eyebrow, his lips a tight line. I made a quick assessment, stretching my body automatically, tensing and flexing my muscles. There was stiffness, and a lot of soreness, too, it was true, but mostly there was the odd sensation that my bones all had become unhinged at the joints, and I had changed halfway into the consistency of a jellyfish. It was not an unpleasant feeling. And then I was a little angry, because he was darkening this most perfect of all mornings with his pessimistic assumptions. â€Å"Why would you jump to that conclusion? I've never been better than I am now.† His eyes closed. â€Å"Stop that.† â€Å"Stop what?† â€Å"Stop acting like I'm not a monster for having agreed to this.† â€Å"Edward!'7I whispered, really upset now. He was pulling my bright memory through the darkness, staining it. â€Å"Don't ever say that.† He didn't open his eyes; it was like he didn't want to see me. â€Å"Look at yourself, Bella. Then tell me I'm not a monster.† Wounded, shocked, I followed his instruction unthinkingly and then gasped. What had happened to me? I couldn't make sense of the fluffy white snow that clung to my skin. I shook my head, and a cascade of white drifted out of my hair. I pinched one soft white bit between my fingers. It was a piece of down. â€Å"Why am I covered in feathers?† I asked, confused. He exhaled impatiently. â€Å"I bit a pillow. Or two. That's not what I'm talking about.† â€Å"You†¦ bit a pillow? Why?† â€Å"Look, Bella!† he almost growled. He took my hand – very gingerly – and stretched my arm out. â€Å"Look at that† This time, I saw what he meant. Under the dusting of feathers, large purplish bruises were beginning to blossom across the pale skin of my arm. 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I sat for one long moment in total astonishment, trying to come to terms – now that I understood it – with his misery. It was so contrary to the way that I felt that it was difficult to process. Theshock wore off slowly, leaving nothing in its absence. Emptiness. My mind was blank. I couldn't think of what to say. How could I explain it to him in the right way? How could I make him as happy as I was – or as I had been, a moment ago? I touched his arm, and he didn't respond. I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and tried to pry his arm off his face, but I could have been yanking on a sculpture for all the good it did me. â€Å"Edward.† He didn't move. â€Å"Edward?† Nothing. So, this would be a monologue, then. â€Å"I'mnot sorry, Edward. I'm†¦ I can't even tell you. I'm so happy. That doesn't cover it. Don't be angry. Don't. I'm really f – â€Å" â€Å"Do not say the word fine.† His voice was ice cold. â€Å"If you value my sanity, do not say that you are fine.† â€Å"But I am: I whispered. â€Å"Bella,† he almost moaned. â€Å"Don't.† â€Å"No. You don't, Edward.† He moved his arm; his gold eyes watched me warily. â€Å"Don't ruin this,† I told him. â€Å"I. Am. Happy.† â€Å"I've already ruined this,† he whispered. â€Å"Cut it out,† I snapped. I heard his teeth grind together. â€Å"Ugh!† I groaned. â€Å"Why can't you just read my mind already? It's so inconvenient to be a mental mute!† His eyes widened a little bit, distracted in spite of himself. â€Å"That's a new one. You love that I can't read your mind.† â€Å"Not today.† He stared at me. â€Å"Why?† I threw my hands up in frustration, feeling an ache in my shoulder that I ignored. My palms fell back against his chest with a sharp smack. â€Å"Because all this angst would be completely unnecessary if you could see how I feel right now! Or five minutes ago, anyway. I was perfectly happy. Totally and completely blissed out. Now – well, I'm sort of pissed, actually.† â€Å"You should be angry at me.† â€Å"Well, I am. Does that make you feel better?† He sighed. â€Å"No. I don't think anything could make me feel better now.† â€Å"T/?af,† I snapped. â€Å"That right there is why I'm angry. You are killing my buzz, Edward.† He rolled his eyes and shook his head. I took a deep breath. I was feeling more of the soreness now, but it wasn't that bad. Sort of like the day after lifting weights. I'd done that with Renee during one of her fitness obsessions. Sixty-five lunges with ten pounds in each hand. I couldn't walk the next day. This was not as painful as that had been by half. I swallowed my irritation and tried to make my voice soothing. â€Å"We knew this was going to be tricky. I thought that was assumed. And then – well, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. And this is really nothing.† I brushed my fingers along my arm. â€Å"I think for a first time, not knowing what to expect, we did amazing. With a little practice – â€Å" His expression was suddenly so livid that I broke off mid-sentence. â€Å"Assumed? Did you expect this, Bella? Were you anticipating that I would hurt you? Were you thinking it would be worse? Do you consider the experiment a success because you can walk away from it? No broken bones – that equals a victory?† I waited, letting him get it all out. Then I waited some more while his breathing went back to normal. When his eyes were calm, I answered, speaking with slow precision. â€Å"I didn't know what to expect – but I definitely did not expect how†¦ how†¦ just wonderful and perfect it was.† My voice dropped to a whisper, my eyes slipped from his face down to my hands. â€Å"I mean, I don't know how it was for you, but it was like that for me.† A cool finger pulled my chin back up. â€Å"Is that what you're worried about?† he said through his teeth. â€Å"That I didn't enjoy myself?† My eyes stayed down. â€Å"I know it's not the same. You're not human. I just was trying to explain that, for a human, well, I can't imagine that life gets any better than that.† He was quiet for so long that, finally, I had to look up. His face was softer now, thoughtful. â€Å"It seems that I have more to apologize for.† He frowned. â€Å"I didn't dream that you would construe the way I feel about what I did to you to mean that last night wasn't†¦ well, the best night of my existence. But I don't want to think of it that way, not when you were †¦Ã¢â‚¬  My lips curved up a little at the edges. â€Å"Really? The best ever?† I asked in a small voice. He took my face between his hands, still introspective. â€Å"I spoke to Carlisle after you and I made our bargain, hoping he could help me. Of course he warned me that this would be very dangerous for you.† A shadow crossed his expression. â€Å"He had faith in me, though – faith I didn't deserve.† I started to protest, and he put two fingers over my lips before I could comment. â€Å"I also asked him what should expect. I didn't know what it would be for me†¦ what with my being a vampire.† He smiled halfheartedly. â€Å"Carlisle told me it was a very powerful thing, like nothing else. He told me physical love was something I should not treat lightly. With our rarely changing temperaments, strong emotions can alter us in permanent ways. But he said I did not need to worry about that part – you had already altered me so completely.† This time his smile was more genuine. â€Å"I spoke to my brothers, too. They told me it was a very great pleasure. Second only to drinking human blood.† A line creased his brow. â€Å"But I've tasted your blood, and there could be no blood more potent than that†¦ I don't think they were wrong, really. Just that it was different for us. Something more.† â€Å"It was more. It was everything.† â€Å"That doesn't change the fact that it was wrong. Even if it were possible that you really did feel that way.† â€Å"What does that mean? Do you think I'm making this up? Why?† â€Å"To ease my guilt. I can't ignore the evidence, Bella. Or your history of trying to let me off the hook when I make mistakes.† I grabbed his chin and leaned forward so that our faces were inches apart. â€Å"You listen to me, Edward Cullen. I am not pretending anything for your sake, okay? I didn't even know there was a reason to make you feel better until you started being all miserable. I've never been so happy in all my life – I wasn't this happy when you decided that you loved me more than you wanted to kill me, or the first morning I woke up and you were there waiting for me†¦. Not when I heard your voice in the ballet studio† – he flinched at the old memory of my close call with a hunting vampire, but I didn't pause – â€Å"or when you said i do' and I realized that, somehow, I get to keep you forever. Those are the happiest memories I have, and this is better than any of it. So just deal with it.† He touched the frown line between my eyebrows. Tm making you unhappy now. I don't want to do that.† â€Å"Then don't you be unhappy. That's the only thing that's wrong here.† His eyes tightened, then he took a deep breath and nodded. â€Å"You're right. The past is past and I can't do anything to change it. There's no sense in letting my mood sour this time for you. HI do whatever I can to make you happy now.† I examined his face suspiciously, and he gave me a serene smile. â€Å"Whatever makes me happy?† My stomach growled at the same time that I asked. â€Å"You're hungry,† he said quickly. He was swiftly out of the bed, stirring up a cloud of feathers. Which reminded me. â€Å"So, why exactly did you decide to ruin Esme's pillows?† I asked, sitting up and shaking more down from my hair. He had already pulled on a pair of loose khaki pants, and he stood by the door, rumpling his hair, dislodging a few feathers of his own. â€Å"I don't know if I decided to do anything last night,† he muttered. â€Å"We're just lucky it was the pillows and not you.† He inhaled deeply and then shook his head, as if shaking off the dark thought. A very authentic-looking smile spread across his face, but I guessed it took a lot of work to put it there. I slid carefully off the high bed and stretched again, more aware, now, of the aches and sore spots. I heard him gasp. He turned away from me, and his hands balled up, knuckles white. â€Å"Do I look that hideous?† I asked, working to keep my tone light. His breath caught, but he didn't turn, probably to hide his expression from me. I walked to the bathroom to check for myself. I stared at my naked body in the full-length mirror behind the door. I'd definitely had worse. There was a faint shadow across one of my cheekbones, and my lips were a little swollen, but other than that, my face was fine. The rest of me was decorated with patches of blue and purple. I concentrated on the bruises that would be the hardest to hide – my arms and my shoulders. They weren't so bad. My skin marked up easily. By the time a bruise showed I'd usually forgotten how I'd come by it. Of course, these were just developing. I'd look even worse tomorrow. That would not make things any easier. I looked at my hair, then, and groaned. â€Å"Bella?† He was right there behind me as soon as I'd made a sound. â€Å"I'll never get this all out of my hair!† I pointed to my head, where it looked like a chicken was nesting. I started picking at the feathers. â€Å"You would be worried about your hair,† he mumbled, but he came to stand behind me, pulling out the feathers much more quickly. â€Å"How did you keep from laughing at this? I look ridiculous.† He didn't answer; he just kept plucking. And I knew the answer anyway – there was nothing that would be funny to him in this mood. ‘This isn't going to work,† I sighed after a minute. â€Å"It's all dried in. I'm going to have to try to wash it out.† I turned around, wrapping my arms around his cool waist. â€Å"Do you want to help me?† Td better find some food for you,† he said in a quiet voice, and he gently unwound my arms. I sighed as he disappeared, moving too fast. It looked like my honeymoon was over. The thought put a big lump in my throat. When I was mostly feather-free and dressed in an unfamiliar white cotton dress that concealed the worst of the violet blotches, I padded off barefoot to where the smell of eggs and bacon and Cheddar cheese was coming from. Edward stood in front of the stainless steel stove, sliding an omelet onto the light blue plate waiting on the counter. The scent of the food overwhelmed me. I felt like I could eat the plate and the frying pan, too; my stomach snarled. â€Å"Here,† he said. He turned with a smile on his face and set the plate on a small tiled table. I sat in one of the two metal chairs and started snarfing down the hot eggs. They burned my throat, but I didn't care. He sat down across from me. â€Å"I'm not feeding you often enough.† I swallowed and then reminded him, â€Å"I was asleep. This is really good, by the way. Impressive for someone who doesn't eat.† â€Å"Food Network,† he said, flashing my favorite crooked smile. I was happy to see it, happy that he seemed more like his normal self. â€Å"Where did the eggs come from?† â€Å"I asked the cleaning crew to stock the kitchen. A first, for this place. I'll have to ask them to deal with the feathers†¦. † He trailed off, his gaze fixed on a space above my head. I didn't respond, trying to avoid saying anything that would upset him again. I ate everything, though he'd made enough for two. â€Å"Thank you,† I told him. I leaned across the table to kiss him. He kissed me back automatically, and then suddenly stiffened and leaned away. I gritted my teeth, and the question I meant to ask came out sounding like an accusation. â€Å"You aren't going to touch me again while we're here, are you?† He hesitated, then half-smiled and raised his hand to stroke my cheek. His fingers lingered softly on my skin, and I couldn't help leaning my face into his palm. â€Å"You know that's not what I meant.† He sighed and dropped his hand. â€Å"I know. And you're right.† He paused, lifting his chin slightly. And then he spoke again with firm conviction. â€Å"I will not make love with you until you've been changed. I will never hurt you again.†

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Dear ESL teachers at U-Link CIC Shanghai, As a student who graduated from U-Link CIC Shanghai, I feel grateful for my four-year CIC careers, which brought me academic success – my English level was improved to a proficient level, which satisfied the requirements of American colleges. However, after studying in UC Davis for over a year accompanying with ESL writing courses taken every quarter, I found that ESL exams provided by CIC seem to have some imperfections: the writing section of the exams are not extensive enough to let students practice writing different styles of essays. In this letter I would like to analyze in details about how this form of exam would affect students, and some possible solutions I have come up with. As I remember, writing section occupies a significant amount of the total grades of the ESL exams in CIC. Other than writing, oral, listening and reading also contribute towards the total grades, but writing is the most significant part. Writing paper is an individual paper that asks students to write two essays out of six within two hours. The six prompts provided include two prompts for argumentative essays, two prompts for descriptive essays and another two about narrative essays. However there are no restrictions about whether students should pick up different types of essays, which means that students can definitely pick up two essays in the same category if they are good at a specific type of essay. This can be thought as a flaw: students canShow MoreRelatedMonsanto: Better Living Through Genetic Engineering96204 Words   |  385 Pages A summary of the case analysis I N T R O D U C T I O N Preparing an effective case analysis: The full story Hearing with the aid of implanted technology: The case of Cochlearâ„ ¢ – an Australian C A S E O N E high-technology leader Delta Faucet: Global entrepreneurship in an emerging market C A S E T W O DaimlerChrysler: Corporate governance dynamics in a global company C A S E T H R E E Gunns and the greens: Governance issues in Tasmania C A S E F O U R Succeeding in the Sydney indie music industryRead MoreProject Managemant29326 Words   |  118 Pagescarrier. Northwest began on October 1, 1926, flying mail between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago. Passenger service began the following year. On July 15, 1947, Northwest pioneered the â€Å"Great Circle† route to Asia, with service to Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, and Manila. Today, Northwest Airlines, with its global travel partners, serves more than 750 destinations in 120 countries on six continents. In 2001, it had more than 53,000 employees worldwide. The U.S. system spans 49 states and the District

A Reaction Paper On A Country Doctor English Literature Essay Free Essays

Franz Kafka ‘s A state physician is a narrative about a physician who is called upon in the center of the dark to go to to a earnestly sick immature adult male.Hampered by deficiency of conveyance agencies and utmost conditions conditions, the physician is at strivings to come up with solutions to his jobs. This essay paper will try to consistently analyze the challenges and defeats that the physician encounters as the narrative unfolds. We will write a custom essay sample on A Reaction Paper On A Country Doctor English Literature Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now This essay will besides reply the inquiries as to why the narrative may be referred to as a incubus every bit good as explore the major subjects brought out in this artistic narrative that is so a reproduction of Franz Kafka ‘s coevals and the current modern society. Challenges and Frustrations The physician is in a quandary He is challenged by the fact that he has no agencies of conveyance to take him to the place of the gravely sick immature adult male, 10 stat mis off. The physician ‘s Equus caballus had died due to the icy winter. â€Å" My ain Equus caballus had died the old dark as a consequence of overexertion in this icy winter. † The physician is frustrated at this point because no one inA A the small town was willing to help him. â€Å" My servant miss was at that really minute running around the small town to see if she could borrow a Equus caballus but it was hopeless-I knew that. † Out of defeat the physician hazards aching himself by kicking the pigpen ‘s door. â€Å" I kicked my pes against the chapped door of the pigpen which had non been used for old ages. † The terrible conditions conditions pose a challenge to the physician excessively. He has to digest the chilly blizzard to travel and go to to a patient. The physician says, â€Å" A terrible blizzard filled the infinite between him and me. † The physician does non conceal his quandary when he says, â€Å" I stood there useless, progressively covered by snow, going all the clip immobile. † After handling the ill immature adult male the physician attempts to do his manner place but the one time strong and fat Equus caballuss are old and tired, they move at a slow rate at which the physician feels he will ne’er make place. See, â€Å" We dragged easy through the snowy desert like old work forces. † The physician is obviously frustrated when he says, â€Å" I ‘ll ne’er come place at this rate. He becomes sad when he thinks of his place which was occupied by the Groom. â€Å" In my house the disgusting groom is bringing mayhem, Rosa is his victim . † The 3rd challenge that the physician brushs is the Groom. The physician does non cognize how to cover with this alien. First, when the groom viciously bites Rosa on her cheeks, the physician merely threatens the groom with words and quiet down at one time because he wanted to borrow a Equus caballus from the groom. At that minute, the physician is about the groom ‘s slave. The groom finally offers his Equus caballuss to the physician but decides to remain with Rosa alternatively of going with the doctor.A The physician is hence at hamlets. He does non cognize whether he should remain and protect Rosa from the barbarous groom or travel in front and go to to the earnestly sick Youngman. The physician chose the later. However, as the narrative unfolds the defeats of the physician refering this determination go evident. See, â€Å" I had to give Rosa every bit good, this beautiful miss, who lives in my house all twelvemonth long and whom I barely notice-this forfeit is excessively great. † The physician is challenged by poorness and excessively much work. He has dedicated his life to functioning the territory but is ill paid. See, â€Å" I am employed by the territory and my responsibility make my responsibility to the full, right to the point where it is about excessively much. Badly paid, but I am generous and ready to assist the hapless. † The physician has merely one Equus caballus, when the Equus caballus dies the physician lacks agencies of conveyance to enable him execute his responsibilities expeditiously. The physician is obviously overworked. He is called at midnight to go to to patients. It seems he seldom sleeps since his dark bell was ever rung by villagers. When executing his responsibilities the physician is under force per unit area from the villagers. They want him to immediately bring around their patients. The physician is frustrated by this when he says. â€Å" I am non a universe humanitarian. † Subjects The first subject that has been good brought out is the subject of agony. At the beginning of the narrative, the physician suffers psychologically because he has no agencies of conveyance to enable him make the place of a earnestly sick adult male. â€Å" I was in great trouble. An pressing journey was confronting me.A earnestly sick adult male was waiting for me in a small town 10 stat mis distant. † The physician ‘s Equus caballus had died and he was worried because no villager would impart him a Equus caballus. â€Å" Of class, who is now traveling to impart his Equus caballus for such a journey? † The utmost icy winter made the physician to endure. First his Equus caballus dies in the winter go forthing him without agencies of conveyance and secondly the physician has to digest the chilly conditions to go to toA A the patient. â€Å" I stood there useless, progressively covered by snow, going all the clip more immobile. Rosa suffers when the groom bites her on the cheeks. â€Å" On the miss ‘s cheeks are ruddy Markss from two rows of dentition. † Rosa further suffers when the physician leaves her to remain with the evil groom against her will. â€Å" No, screams Rosa and runs into the house with an accurate foreboding of the inevitableness of her destiny. † The ill immature adult male suffers excessively. The immature adult male suffers from a deathly lesion that is infested with worms. See, â€Å" On his right side, in the part of the hip, a lesion the size of the thenar of 1s manus had opened up. † The immature adult male holding lost hope of life Tells the physician, â€Å" Doctor allow me decease. † The 2nd subject found in this narrative is blasted. The physician blames his failure to go to T o a earnestly sick patient on his deficiency of a Equus caballus. See, â€Å" But the Equus caballus was missing- the Equus caballus. † The physician further blames the villagers for unnecessarily citing him to go to patients who harmonizing to the physician were merely shaming unwellness. He blames the villagers further for non helping him in clip of demand. See, â€Å" My servant miss was at that really minute running around the small town to see if she could borrow a Equus caballus but it was hopeless. † The state physician as a narrative constantly topographic points blame for his failure on others, on the deficiency of Equus caballuss, on the groom, on the villagers, on the immature adult male. His narrative attitude is one of ; if I have failed it is non my mistake, but instead the mistake of others ( Grey 2009 ) Exploitation is another subject found in this narrative. Exploitation is unjust intervention of person or usage of a state of affairs in a manner that is incorrect in order to acquire some benefit ( Wikipedia, 2009 ) the groom appears at a clip when the physician is need of conveyance agencies and takes advantage of the state of affairs to take Rosa against her will. â€Å" I see how in add-on she chases down the room seting all the visible radiations in order to do herselfA impossible to happen. † The subject of treachery is besides apparent in this shortA A narrative. The physician betrays his house aid when he leaves he in the custodies of the barbarous groom. â€Å" I had to give Rosa every bit good, this beautiful miss who lives in my house all twelvemonth long and whom I barely notice-this forfeit is excessively great. † He witnesses the unmarried man force himself upon the house maid but instead than remain to entree and demilitarize the alien, the physician allows the steeds to transport him off as the shriek of his maidservant reverberation through the winter dark. ( Hemphill 2009 ) This short narrative may be called a incubus. The physician concludes that the ill immature adult male is shaming unwellness after a brief scrutiny. The physician merely observed the pulse of the patient. In his concluding the patient was merely seeking attending that he was non ill. The physician in this narrative does non run the manner physicians in existent universe operate. Alex Hemphill observed that Franz Kafka ‘s – A state physician is written in a watercourse of consciousness and includes all the devising of a incubus ( 2009 ) When the physician kicked the door of the pigpen at that place emerged the groom and the two Equus caballuss cryptically. This is absolute phantasy and can non go on in a existent world.. â€Å" Two Equus caballuss, powerful animate beings with strong wings shoved their manner one behind the other. † A state physician can be read as fulfillment phantasy motivated by self excuse ( Grey 2009 ) Decision The physician in Franz Kafka ‘s -A state physician is a contemplation of some people in the society who sacrifice their lives to function everyone but their attempts are barely noticed by anyone. They are the unobserved heroes of national development who would instead decease than fail responsibility. Though frustrated by environment and a society that does non appreciate them, such people do non fear to meet the challenges that lie in front of them. Possibly the physician sums everything in his narrative by asseverating that, â€Å" To compose prescriptions is easy but to come to an understanding with people is difficult. † How to cite A Reaction Paper On A Country Doctor English Literature Essay, Essay examples

Principals of Financial Markets Research Analysis

Question: Describe about the Principals of Financial Markets for Research Analysis. Answer: Introduction: In the following topic of research analysis the research has conducted an extensive research of the airline industries in the global market along with the economical market of Australia. In this regard, the top down analysis of the airline industry has been done with the view of understanding the shortcomings of the industries and strategize the operations of the firm in accordance with the drawbacks. In this regard, the researcher has also provided substantial reasons that are justifying the changes that have occurred in the economical market of the airline industry on a global platform. The prime focus of the researcher was to identify the changes and the causes for the same and suggest the remedial measures that may help these industries in its objective of profit maximization. Furthermore, the researcher has also undergone the bottom up analysis of the two major airline companies operating in Australia that are Qantas Airways and Virgin Blue. The analysis has been done with the p urpose of identifying the causes and highlighting the reasons that have caused the changes in the working structure of the respective companies. In order to justify the said changes, the researcher has conducted a thorough analysis of the finances of the company. Overview of Qantas and Virgin: Qantas was established in the Winton of Queensland on 16th November 1920 in the form of Queensland and Northern territory Aerial Services Limited. At present, Qantas is the largest airline company in Australia and oldest as well. The main international hubs of Qantas are Melbourne and Sydney airport. Qantas is focused on offering a cost effective flying experience to its customers. On the other hand, Virgin is a British conglomerate operating across various product portfolio. It has a group of companies in diversified field namely transport, food drink, health, telecommunications and media. However, airlines is one of the biggest business line of Virgin. The company is missioned to provide quality products and services to the customers to improve standard of living. Top down Analysis: As stated by Bilotkach and Lakew (2014), the recent changes in the economic world have led to a wide variety of changes than on the other hand have caused the Airline Industry to face a rise in the cost of operations and degradation of it as well. An extensive analysis of the airline industry displayed that the global airline industrial market is facing a lot of chaos simultaneously. The general or common economic environment of the industry comprises of the micro perspective of the same. According to Blankespoor et al. (2013), in this regard pastel analysis of the airline industry may be assumed to the one of the most essential tools that would help the firms to evaluate about the existing working environment that may be available for initiating a proper functioning of the business entity. In this regard, the analysis of the working environment available for the firms operating in the airline industry can be explained as below: Economic Environment of Industry: At present, GDP Value in Australia is 1339.54 whereas the annual growth rate of the GDP is 3.30. GDP at constant prices is currently at 421725.00 in Australia whereas the value of Gross National Product (GNP) is 395902.00. Also, the existing interest rate in Australia as indicated by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) stands at 1.50%. As regard to the currency value of Australia, 1 AUD is equal to 0.75 USD or 0.67 Euro. In the opinion of Afonso and Sousa (2012), a subsequent amount of political interference in the workings of the airline companies has had a considerable negative impact on the economic environment of the aviation industry. In the view of the strict political measures, the satisfaction of the passengers is the first priority and not the well-being of the airline firms. As observed by Chen and Chen (2012),the overall rise of competition in the industry have made the consumers to take the lead in deciding and controlling the ticket prices along with the prices of the other amenities and this in turn degrades the price structure. In the words of Gregory and Smith (2016), the strong political measures implemented for this industry also contribute towards the lower price level. In this context it may also be noted that airline companies operating in Australia have good trading policies to abide by. The breaking down of the trade barriers by adopting the trading policies of regional, multilateral and the bilateral nature consists of one of the major concerns of the trading policy of country like Australia. Here, it may be noted that among the major business entities involved in the airline business in Australia, Qantas Airways and Virgin Blue are the primary ones. As opinioned by Merkert and Cowie (2012), the prime agenda of these two airline companies is to attain maximum customers that are frequent users of the companys services from all corners of the world. The factors that are listed below in the scheme of Corporate Social Responsibility is necessary for the stated companies to follow. In addition to this Wang et al (2016), stated that the international issues concerning the industry are also required to be taken into consideration by the airline companies in order to avoid the possibility of cultural damage and breakage of the international laws. In the view of Zou et al. (2014), the working atmosphere for the Australian airline companies is suitable in the present scenario as there is no involvement of the given country in threatening situations such as war and other things. Due to the adequacy in the working situations and economic environment of Australia, the airline companies get the opportunity to provide its services to the passengers of business class more often along around the globe. According to Herndon et al. (2014), it also helps the companies to serve the travelers of the leisure trips that in turn may be favorable for the companies as it will help in generating more amount of revenue. As the economic environment of Australia facilitates a stable business undertaking of the airline companies, therefore the level of political interference in the workings of these companies is also minimum. The recent economic times having been facing the chances of recession all around the global market especially in the developed countries. This in turn poses an adverse impact on the workings of the airline industry in Australia. The static development of the airline industry is caused by a number of global economic reasons. In the words of Borenstein and Rose (2014), the contact fluctuation in the prices of fuel oil, low rate of the growth of the economy has been the basic reasons for the immobility of this industry. Similarly, as observed by Corsetti et al. (2013), the airline industries are also fighting against a number of economic drawbacks including rise in oil prices, increment in labor demand, high maintenance cost, increased operational cost, reduced consumer quantity and the fierce competition from the similar firms and many more. Along with the recent incidences of airplane highjack and disappearances contribute largely to the leading issues to be tackled by the airline com panies on a global platform. In the words of Fenna (2013), the developed countries like Australia have negligible chances of unemployment due to which the situation of scarcity regarding the skilled and trained workers arrive. As a result of this the airline companies have to bear the rise in the demand of the existing working employees which is not favorable for the companies. Therefore, in the opinion of Zhang et al. (2014), the airline companies require finding out better alternative ways to deal with the above stated problem that may help the companies to attain the maximum number of skilled and trained employees. In this context, it may also be said that owing to the export generation of the Australian economy, the airline companies get the chances to serve the frequent travelers concerning the freight industry and thus make more income. In the words of Altman et al. (2013), on account of the betterment in the service quality of the companies to the consumers along with improves quantity has resulted due to the changes that have occurred in the social environment of the country like Australia. as opinioned by Bonner et al. (2013), in order to attain the maximum opportunity of profit generation, the firms require serving the rise of demands. For the purpose of satisfying the rising demands, the firms require to steady the cost of operations of the company. According to Brueckner and Picard (2013), Owing to the high rate of literacy in the country, the consumers of Australia are well acquainted with the businesses due to which the airline companies are compelled to adopt the consumer friendly business approach. In addition to this, the requirement of business conferences involving physical presence have gradually declined due to the technological advancements that do not require the physical presence of the business de legates. In the words of Lawton et al. (2013), The airline companies operating in Australia need to develop the technological procurements to gather maximum amount of customers owing to the fierce competition generated by the rival firms that may in turn increase the chances of decline in the number of consumers of the airline companies. Besides, the implementation of the technological advancements may also assist the airline industries in narrowing down the prices of the fuel oil and the operational cost of the companies operating in the airline industry. The efficiency of the employees of the companies might also improve due to these said changes. The International Air Transport Association states in its published report that the demand of the industry increased by a percentage of 6.5 than the previous year. According to Misopoulos, et al. (2014), one of the prime reasons for this massive increase in the demand of the airline companies has been determined to be a reduced price of the services offered by the companies. In addition to the increase in demand the revenue generation capacity of the companies have also increased by a percentage of 5.6. Therefore, it can be concluded that the results derived by the airline companies in the year 2015 have been the strongest among the given years. Bottom up Analysis: In the words of Zhang et al. (2013), the better understanding of the micro perspectives constitutes to be the major purpose of undergoing the swot analysis of any particular business organization. Establishing a link in between the objectives and the strategic planning of a business entity comprises of being the basic aim of swot analysis. According to Pearson et al. (2015), in order to attain a consecutive competitive advantage on the rival firms operating in the same industry the analysis helps access the unique features of the nature of the business that helps it become different from its counterparts. The analysis also benefits the companies by accessing and determining the weaknesses and shortcomings of the firms and helping in improvement of the same. For the purpose of determining the above criterions, the profitability ratios along with the financial ratios have been discussed thoroughly by the researcher. In this context, the annual reports of the two major airline companies operating in Australia have been used. These companies are namely Virgin Blue Ltd and Qantas Airways comparison: Financial Ratios and Growth Profitability of Qantas Airways Ltd Key Ratios - Profitability Years 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Margins % of Sales Gross Margin 73.77 56.83 55.77 55.24 55.62 51.72 54.6 49.83 54.01 Operating Margin 6.9 5.83 1.39 -1.55 -0.63 -6.6 1.28 -26.19 4.92 Profitability Asset Turnover (Average) 0.78 0.8 0.73 0.67 0.7 0.71 0.77 0.81 0.89 Return on Assets % 3.71 4.93 0.59 0.56 1.23 -1.17 0.02 -15.16 3.2 Liquidity/Financial Health Current Ratio 0.87 0.74 0.89 0.93 0.9 0.77 0.82 0.66 0.68 Quick Ratio 0.82 0.67 0.78 0.81 0.78 0.65 0.7 0.58 0.6 Financial Leverage 3.17 3.44 3.5 3.35 3.39 3.6 3.4 6.05 5.09 Debt/Equity 0.68 0.62 0.86 0.86 0.89 0.92 0.88 1.84 1.39 Efficiency Receivables Turnover 11.64 11.2 11.69 12.43 13.59 13.95 12.49 11.52 14.41 Inventory Turnover 15.45 34.34 27.64 20.94 18.45 19.25 19.51 22.33 22.36 Fixed Assets Turnover 1.23 1.28 1.19 1.08 1.1 1.07 1.14 1.25 1.46 Asset Turnover 0.78 0.8 0.73 0.67 0.7 0.71 0.77 0.81 0.89 In accordance to the listed contents of the above profitability table of Qantas Airways Ltd, it can be witnessed that the companys gross margin has increased in the recent years. However, it must also be noted that the proceeding years have been witnessing a decline in the same. In order to evaluate a business entitys gross margin, the value of the revenue generated from sales is deducted from the cost of goods sold by the company. On the other hand, on subtracting the total generated revenue after the deduction of the operating expenses from the revenue generated constitutes of the firms operating margin. From the above stated table it is evident that the following company has been making improvements in the recent years in comparison to the previous years. In this context, Armstrong et al. (2016) concluded that there exists a close link in between the rate of growth of the economy and the improvement rate of the operating margin of the firms. In order to analyze the status of the current ratio of the company the evaluation of the firms capacity of paying off its liabilities with the assets of the company is required. According to Bown and Crowley (2014), the cash balance of the business entity consists of one of the major assets through which the company may channelize the payment of its liabilities. The other similar assets for the payment of the companys liabilities consist of the account receivables, the market securities along with the account receivables of the same. The above table also demonstrates an improvement in the current ratio of Qantas Airways Ltd in the succeeding years. In the words of Biddle (2015), the improvement of the current ratio demonstrates the improved efficiency of the company in paying the liabilities of the same. On the other hand, the receivables turnover ratio of a company helps in determining the credit generating capacity of the firm and the capacity of debt collection based on that particular credit. This further illustrates that Qantas Airways Ltd collects the cash on the basis of credit with the view of funding the business operations. The assets turnover ratio is beneficial for the company as it helps the company to acknowledge the capacity of sales generation on the basis of the assets of the company. in order to initiate this the firm requires to compare the average total sales of the company and the net sales of the same. The stagnant growth of Qantas Airways Ltd describes the slow growth rate of the asset tur nover ratio as the company is not efficient enough so as to increase the quantity of sales. Financial Ratio and Growth Profitability of Virgin Blue Ltd Key Ratios - Profitability Year 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Margins % of Sales Gross Margin _ _ 71.2 _ 72.28 73.33 71.77 71.91 74.68 Operating Margin 14.76 6.09 -7.58 2.87 -1.5 1.56 -3.43 -8.86 -2.41 Profitability Asset Turnover (Average) 0.94 0.82 0.78 0.82 0.85 1 0.95 0.95 0.9 Return on Assets % 9.36 3.46 -4.77 0.59 -1.76 0.58 -2.33 -7.81 -2.12 Liquidity/Financial Health Current Ratio 1.1 0.88 0.53 0.76 0.65 0.65 0.54 0.64 0.69 Quick Ratio Financial Leverage 3.1 3.61 5.83 4.15 4.15 4.3 4.26 4.46 5.37 Debt/Equity 1.02 1.28 2.68 1.65 1.52 1.53 1.46 1.52 2.16 Efficiency Receivables Turnover 39.09 34.45 28.91 26.41 22.52 24.24 23.14 20.83 20.51 Inventory Turnover _ _ _ _ 177.65 104.38 50.38 36.68 30.87 Fixed Assets Turnover 1.52 1.23 1.04 1.1 1.19 1.42 1.38 1.51 1.63 Asset Turnover 0.94 0.82 0.78 0.82 0.85 1 0.95 0.95 0.9 The above profitability table of Virgin Blue it is visible that there has been a massive increase in the gross margin of Virgin Blue due to the deduction of the revenue from the cost of goods sold by the company. The results derived after deducting the cost of goods sold by the company from the revenue of the same is ascertained to be the operating margin of Virgin Blue. The company tries to write off the liabilities with the assets of the same. This formulates to become the current ratio of the company. In this context it may be said that the efficiency of the current ratio of Virgin Blue has subsequently improved over the years. It can be noticed from the above table that the company was dealing with a lower current ratio that has shown an increment in 2015. The current ratio of Virgin Blue is displaying the capacity of the firm to pay off the current liabilities of the company in accordance with the assets of the same. The fluctuation in the value of receivables turnover of Virgin Blue among the stated years throws light upon the fact that the company has been dealing with subsequent difficulties regarding generation of money on credit and lending the same for conducting smooth business processes. In addition to this, the sales that the company is capable of generating through the assets are reflected by the companys assets turnover ratio. The above table displays in short the effect on the sales of the company through the above given years due to subsequent changes bin the asset turnover ratio of the company. The debt equity along with the financial leverage of the Virgin Blue is also mentioned in the above profitability table of the company. in the words of Brueckner et al. (2015), the debt equity ratio is a measure of the financial leverage taken up by the company whereas the financial leverage of the same consists of the debt that the company has taken for the purpose of purchasing assets. The shareholders fund as well as the amount of debt of the company is not necessary to be equal. The increment in the amount of debt equity does not necessarily turn out to be favorable for the company. The high rate of debt equity may also compel the investors of the company to refrain from making further investments owing to the high involvement of risk. In other words, this implies that in the long run the companies having a high debt equity ratio may not be able to channelize the required amount of borrowings from the investors. Conclusion The basic reason for conducting the following research analysis is understand the working process of the companies of the airline industry in the global and domestic market economy. In order to understand the changes occurring on the global flatworm the researcher has facilitated the top down analysis of the said industry. The changes that have occurred in the airlines industry have caused a decline in the profit generation of the companies along with increase in the cost of operations, rising demand of the employees, etc that have adversely affected the revenue earning capacity of the company and have also resulted in the decrease in demand of the company and affected its productivity. As a very limited quantity of research has been conducted based on this particular industry therefore the researcher has opted for the following industry with the view of expanding the scale of the research analysis. In this way, the companies operating in this industry may also derive the maximum amo unt of benefit by a better understanding of the working operation of the same. In this regard, the research has also provided a detailed analysis of the two airline companies along with the justification of the concerned changes to support the outcomes of the research analysis. Recommendations: Qantas: It is advisable for Qantas to identify new customer segments and new markets to expand its current business. The company can also focus on developing new marketing mix strategy that could help it to increases sales revenue through diversified range of services. These strategies could help the company in increasing its sales revenues so that the profitability and cash flows can get enhanced. Virgin: Increasing operating costs has been the main area of concern for Virgin. The company is recommended to use cost optimization strategy to reduce its existing operating strategy and increase profit margin. This can be done by identifying non-value adding activities and eliminating the same. In addition, use of variance analysis could help Virgin in keeping a close control over its costs. Reference List: Afonso, A. and Sousa, R.M., 2012. The macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy.Applied Economics,44(34), pp.4439-4454. Altman, E.I., Giannozzi, A., Roggi, O. and Sabato, G., 2013. Building Sme rating: is it necessary for lenders to monitor financial statements of the borrowers?.BANCARIA,10, pp.54-71. Armstrong, C., Guay, W.R., Mehran, H. and Weber, J., 2016. The role of financial reporting and transparency in corporate governance.Economic Policy Review, 8, pp.107-128. Biddle, G.C., 2015. The Role of Financial Statements in Reporting Financial Performance. InAccounting Finance/IASB Research Forum. Bilotkach, V. and Lakew, P.A., 2014. On sources of market power in the airline industry: Panel data evidence from the US airports.Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice,59, pp.288-305. Blankespoor, E., Linsmeier, T.J., Petroni, K.R. and Shakespeare, C., 2013. Fair value accounting for financial instruments: Does it improve the association between bank leverage and credit risk?.The Accounting Review, 88(4), pp.1143-1177. 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