Innate Ability on Universal Grammar Essay Example for Free

Innate Ability on Universal Grammar Essay Language is a very important aspect of the lives of the people. Because of language and the interaction of people, communication transpires and it enables everyone to connect with everyone else. It is with the use of language that simple whims and requests to more difficult conversations and negotiations which concern the nation’s affairs or economic and business transactions can be granted. Moreover, language reflects the history and culture of a certain nation—it can mirror the characteristics and attitudes of a person. However, no matter how helpful land useful language is, there are instances when language causes disputes and misunderstandings as there are over a hundred of languages of different nations which lead to confusion on meaning. In addition, even if the same people share the same language, miscommunication can still arise due to the fact that there are confusing meanings and different interpretations that vary from person to person. However, there is something very integral in language in which, no matter what country a person belongs to, he or she is still able to practice. No matter what language it is, there should always be a form or order of words which enables the receiver of the message at the other end to comprehend the message. This is the semantic aspect of language which encompasses and is integral to all languages. Even if there is a tremendous difference in the languages of each country, semantics ties them all together and is greatly connected to the one which this paper is actually going to explore—grammar. The Concept of the Universal Grammar Grammar is defined by many different people and according to different contexts. Students and younger kids may have the opinion that it is something so complex, tedious, and monotonous. On the other hand, academic people, scholars, and linguists may have an opinion that it is something so enthralling and exciting. Though different in their perceptions, one thing remains the same: It is imperative for a person to fully use it with accuracy and appropriateness as to ensure that effective communication is made. While grammar and linguistics is indeed complex, this paper will only focus on one aspect of these subjects which connects not only grammar and linguistics but also includes the fields of psychology, neurology, and history: the concept of Universal Grammar. There have been many speculations about the theory of universal grammar (UG) and its existence in the first place. There have been a couple of people of people who rebuked Chomsky’s theory of universal grammar and that â€Å"UG is a theory which provides constraints on linguistic representation† (White 1). According to the Merriam-Webster Online, however, Universal Grammar is defined as: â€Å"the study of general principles believed to underlie the grammatical phenomena of all languages ; also such principles viewed as part of an innate human capacity for learning a language. † The first definition is actually more appropriate with regard to the introduction of this essay, but the latter is more apt with regard to the genuine focus of the paper—the capability or ability of humans on language-learning and the amazing naturalness of it that it actually seems innate in everyone. It is with the person of Noam Chomsky to whom the theory of universal grammar can be traced. Chomsky is the famous linguist who theorized the concept of universal grammar which actually leads to a whole other dimension on languages and linguistics: UG is a theory of knowledge, not behavior; its concern is with the internal structure of the human mind. UG theory holds that the speaker knows a set of principles that apply to all languages Each principle of language that is proposed is a substantive claim about the mind of the speaker and the nature of acquisition. the importance of UG is its attempt to integrate grammar, mind, and acquisition at every moment. (Cook qtd. in Herman 17-18) If, according to Chomsky, universal grammar already exists, then why do people need to further study it anymore and why is it that many people are finding difficulty with stringing sentences together to enable them to produce grammatically flawless and perfect language? Perhaps, one should look at the point of the whole theory and the evidences that underlie it. It is imperative to note that according to the theory, universal grammar simply means that it holds the belief that there is an â€Å"internal structure† within the confines of â€Å"the human mind,† and because of this structure which is so innate in a person, he or she is able to recognize and produce sentences or a language which has an obvious structure. Language Acquisition and the Feral Children However, a counter argument can be made stating that people only learn such grammar because of the language produced around them. After all, what can be seen, heard, or done by adults are most often emulated by younger children, as what Albert Bandura’s experiment on Booboo Dolls show. As such, this can be also applicable to language acquisition of the younger children. Stephen Krashen, another linguist, even formulated that effective second language acquisition can be fully realized if it follows the same natural pattern of first language acquisition wherein it enables the learner to converse in a natural environment and with the native speakers. In simple terms, the logical way in explaining this universal grammar that a person or (in the most often cases) a child innately has supposedly is through the learning acquisition he or she has made through his or her surroundings. However, Timothy Mason has different ideas. Citing Chomsky and other situations in the history of psycholinguistics, he concluded that there are people, most specifically children, who are able to form language with little or absolutely no interaction at all with other people. There are famous accounts of wild children who are called the feral children—they are what Mason calls as â€Å"tragic figures, offering glimpses of what might have been, of fully human intelligence that somehow does not enable them to live a social life. † There are numerous personalities who became famous for being one of the feral children; one of them is Genie. In a gist, Genie is a thirteen-year old young girl who has been locked up by his father from the outside world with absolutely no interaction with people who may have caused her to acquire a language whatsoever. The surprising thing is Genie does exhibit language acquisition even if it is in a very minimal way. Other personalities who have undergone the same history can be plenty, ranging from the â€Å"Victor, the wild boy of Aveyron† to Genie’s case in 1970 (Mason). How did these children then learn their very own primitive language if they are unable to interact in a normal environment? Thus, the theory of universal grammar may indeed hold some truth in it. The Neurological Connection of the Brain and Language Another basis of the universal grammar is the neurological explanation behind the theory. According to Mason, there are certain evidences that the â€Å"language functions† of a person seem to be located in a â€Å"localized [area] in the brain. † These areas are proven to be affecting the language functions of the brain. The studies of brain illnesses and diseases have proven this as what appears in Norman Geshwind’s essay: †¦the most fruitful has been the study if language disorders, followed by postmortem analysis of the brain, in patients who have suffered brain damage. From these studies has emerged a model of how the language areas of the brain are interconnected and what each area does. Thus, ever since a person is born, his or her brain is already working to acquire and learn the language that a person needs to produce. Conclusion In conclusion, although there are still speculations about the authenticity of the universal grammar and even if it is still a theory, there should be no reason to rule out the possibility that it may indeed be true. Perhaps, in the near future, someone may be able to fully find out the truth and prove that there is indeed a universal grammar existing within the confines of each person. Works Cited Geshwind, Norman. â€Å"Language and the Brain. † First Language Acquisition: The Essential Readings. Ed. Barbara Lust and Claire Foley. Oxford, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004. 109–122. Herman, David. Universal Grammar and Narrative Form. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1995. Mason, Timothy. â€Å"Lecture 3: The Evidence from Acquisition in Extreme Conditions, Didactics 3: Chomsky the Evidence II†. Didactics of English. 2002. Universite of Versailles St. Quentin. 11 May 2009.

Globalisation :: Economics Capitalism Economy Essays

Globalisation Introduction To begin with, tell them that they will need to look at the essay questions today Later we will be doing a trial reflective exercise Let’s look at Globalisation My story When my colleagues and I were faced with redundancy we were placed in a unique position. Or perhaps it wasn’t quite so unique, just unspoken; ‘experts’ are not renowned for publicly applying their own theories to themselves. After years working as labour researchers or workplace change consultants we found ourselves in the position of having the stories we told other workers and their managements about why change was happening being reflected back to us by our managers and the people employed to facilitate our departures. We shifted from being purveyors of the discourses and narratives about why change was necessary to sitting in judgement of whether these very discourses and narratives applied to us, made sense to us, or were believable. Armed with more information than the average potentially redundant worker, we gathered around photocopiers, water coolers, staff room dining tables, coffee shop booths, each others desks - and discussed, argued, complained, questioned. As labour researchers we turned on labour theories, as change consultants we turned on theories of workplace change, and asked ourselves and each other, â€Å"Is what I’ve been saying for the last ten years really the case in my case? Now that I’m down there amongst it all instead of looking at it from the safety of an analyst’s lofty heights, does the story look and sound the same?† The Globalisation Story The stories we told the workers went generally like this: Globalisation led to economic and industry restructuring which leads to organisational change which means jobs change which means you have to do things differently to how you did them before and if you do not change, you won’t be able to give your customers what they want and you and your company and your country are gone† (hereafter called The Globalisation Story). Simple. Logical. Inexorable. Until we started telling it to ourselves and to each other. Then, with remarkable alacrity, we shifted from a reliance on causal explanation to an emphasis on interpretive understanding. Putting yourself inside the picture With many of us ‘experts’ in different stories - some were macroeconomists who understood globalisation theory, some of us were labour or industry economists who understood the theories of work and industry change, some were organisation researchers who knew about change management - we started to pick holes in other people’s stories and they picked holes in ours, many with the preface, â€Å"Your story doesn’t work for me because .

Cola Wars Group Case Analysis Essay

After reviewing the case and doing an in-depth analysis of the industry, we found that the concentrate industry is profitable for a variety of reasons. Chief amongst the reasons for the industry’s profitability is the remarkable net profit percentage at 35% (Exhibit1). When compared to the yahoo finance page that we viewed in class, the concentrate industry would rank amongst the top ten most profitable industries. If we compare the concentrate industry to the bottling industry, we see that the concentrate industry dwarfs the bottling industry meager 9%. In fact, if we compare it to retail and CPI (measure of the average change in price of consumer items over time), it is evident that the price growth in the concentrate industry performs better than both measures from 1988 to 2000 (Exhibit 2). This suggest that not only is the concentrate more profitable than the retail function, but also, the concentrate industry is performing better (from a revenue standpoint) than the average house hold good. We can also see that from 1970 to 1998 on Exhibit 3 in the case, the consumption of carbonated drinks has consistently increased, whereas most other liquids have been inconsistent. Since carbonated drinks are dependent upon the concentrate producers, this data would suggest that he the concentrate industry has longevity along with the carbonated soft drink industry. Despite the great profitability of the concentrate industry, there have been very few firms to successfully enter the industry. Using Porter’s Five Forces model, it is apparent why so few firms enter the concentrate business. Two of Porters’ Five Forces are very low, the power of buyers and the power of suppliers. The power of buyers is very important in any industry, and the lower the power of those buyers the better for the industry as a whole. However, there are two ways of looking at the power of buyers in the concentrate industry. First, the bottlers who are buying the concentrate and mixing it with the carbonated water and other ingredients have very low power. Coke and Pepsi have both consolidated bottlers and changed them because of price changes and other factors. Therefore, these buyers have no power because they can be easily replaced at a very little cost to the concentrate producers. The second way of looking at buyers in this industry is the consumer who is actually buying the end product. These consumers have a great deal of buying power. For example, the entire soda industry has been declining in recent years due to a higher awareness of health concerns of drinking soda as well as other replacements being more appealing to customers, such as flavored water and sports drinks. Coke and Pepsi have been competing for market share and customers are the factor that affects market share. The companies are competing for the customers’ business, giving them higher power in the industry. The power of suppliers is also very low. The raw materials that supply the concentrate industry are not hard to find and have been replaced many times throughout the history of the concentrate industry. The suppliers of the raw materials have no power over the concentrators and will not be able to affect the prices they sell their product for. This in turn, makes the industry that much more profitable because of this low power of suppliers. Another one of Porter’s Five Forces is threat of entry, which is very low for the concentrate industry due to the presence of so many entry barriers. There are seven barriers to entry; supply-side economies of scale, demand-side economies of scale, customer switching costs, capital requirements, incumbency advantages independent of size, and restrictive government policies. Supply-side economies of scale means when producing larger volumes, the cost per unit decreases. Coke and Pepsi concentrate producers have economies of scale due to the fact that they have huge capacity. With this large capacity, their fixed costs are lower than any rivals. The case stated that one concentrate plant could serve the entire United States. This increases the power that Coke and Pepsi concentrate producers already have. They also have demand-side economies of scale, meaning the existing concentrate producers have a very extensive network, and new entrants would be at a disadvantage if they decided to enter because Coke and Pepsi already dominate the industry. Customer switching costs are low if talking about the end consumers of soft drinks, because consumers can easily switch from Coke to Pepsi without incurring extra costs. With respect to the customers being the bottlers, who buy the concentrate and finish the production process, their switching costs are much higher. The case mentioned contracts that the bottlers have with Coke and Pepsi, and if switching, the bottlers would have to go through extensive paperwork and deal with legal concerns. Another barrier to entry is capital requirements. The concentrate industry is very unique and actually does not require very much capital investment to start things up. The majority of the concentrate producers’ costs are in marketing efforts, rather than the production of concentrate itself. However, this barrier is still high because all the investment Coke and Pepsi have put into building their brands is very high. If a new concentrate producer were to try to enter the industry, they would have to invest a lot of money into getting their name out there, and gaining a sizeable market share would be nearly impossible. This established brand leads to the mention of another entry barrier, incumbency advantages independent of size. Everyone knows who Coke and Pepsi are, and they have very high brand equity. This makes entry into the concentrate industry very difficult. There is also the experience aspect. The current concentrate producers know exactly what to do to keep costs down and produce a consistent product efficiently. A new entrant may run into some roadblocks strictly due to lack of experience. Both Coke and Pepsi have been in the industry for a very long time, so they have an immediate advantage. Unequal access to distribution channels is another very high entry barrier for the concentrate industry. Coke and Pepsi have established relationships with suppliers and buyers of their product. A new entrant would have difficulty accessing channels of distribution, because they have all already contracted with one of the existing companies. The final barrier to entry is restrictive government policies. The case mentioned several issues with regulation when speaking of Coke and Pepsi’s efforts to go international. For example, â€Å"When Coke attempted to acquire Cadbury Schweppes’ international practice, it ran into regulatory roadblocks in Europe and in Mexico and Australia, where Coke’s market shares exceed 50%† (Page 14). There is also mention of a mandatory certification for bottled water. This certification caused smaller local brands to fail. After analyzing all the barriers to entry, it is obvious that the threat of entry into the concentrate is very low, contributing even more to the industry’s profitability. Threat of substitutes, another of Porter’s five forces, is also low in the concentrate industry. The soda industry is very profitable, with Americans drinking soda at higher levels than any other beverage. Traditional substitutes such as water, coffee, tea, and milk have never served as a real threat in concentrate producers’ 100 plus year history. In recent times, consumer trends have brought the emergence of other alternatives including Diet Sodas and â€Å"non-carb† beverages. The Large concentrate producers have been on the vanguard of these trends, adapting new alternatives with a changing market. However, the primary concentrate companies, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper still dominate the market. The brand power that has been established over the last century is not likely to be challenged by a newcomer despite the low startup costs for concentrate factories. In essence, the major concentrate companies have become their own substitutes, transferring losses due to substitutes. Porter’s fifth force is rivalry among existing competitors. While the two major concentrate industry’s competitors initially had fierce competition, the threat of competition outside of Coke and Pepsi is relatively low. The phase of price driven competition ended and now the Coke vs. Pepsi war is played out with differentiation through advertising and brand lifestyle. This form of co-operation, where prices remain relatively high with only temporary store promotions, increased the overall profitability for Coke and Pepsi. The brand loyalty established over the last century means that the threat of substitutes is low and competition is generally for marginal changes in market share. Rivalry among concentrate companies has also expanded to new venues, such as sports drinks and bottled water. But aside from the primary concentrate companies, there is no real threat to market share. This analysis confirms that all of Porter’s Five Forces are low, meaning industry profitability is high. Although high profitability would in most cases attract new firms to enter the industry, there are a variety of reasons that is not the case for the concentrate industry, as mentioned above. Coke and Pepsi have almost created an oligopoly out of the concentrate industry, and their strong brand identities will keep them far ahead of any possible entrants.

Professional Competency Issues - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 504 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/09/21 Category Advertising Essay Type Argumentative essay Topics: Experience Essay Did you like this example? Running Head: Professional Competence Issues Discussion Paper Professional Competence Issues Discussion Paper by Wendy Dudeck Grand Canyon University Dr. Lottie G. Olson-Davidson In preparing to respond to the board complaint I would compile all the information and records pertaining to the case that showed I made a competent assessment of Janet’s presenting symptoms. I would also provide documentation to prove that informed her that I was a general therapist with the ability to treat patients with a broad range of issues, but did not specialize in any one area. I would also compile all documented instances of research conducted and sessions of consultation with supervisors to ensure I was providing Janet with competent effective service. It appears evident by the complaint that Janet did not feel that I was competent to diagnosis and treat her problem. In the future, there are a number of things I would do to avoid the reoccurrence of such an issue. The first st eps I would take to ensure I am and remain a competent counselor are to make sure I actively maintain my skills, continue to expand my education into other areas and keep abreast of emerging techniques, technologies and evolving areas of practice. As noted by Dolgoff et. al pp 324 (2011), â€Å"We are called upon to devote the entire span of our careers to developing, maintaining, and enhancing our competence. I would also take care to ensure I conducted a quality assessment, evaluated my own training and experience level and seek consultation prior to moving forward with a case in which I question my ability to provide competent service. If as a beginning counselor I were to refer all clients who presented with problems I felt were too difficult for me to address, I would not end up with many clients or gain the experience I needed to remain a competent counselor. Lastly I would not push the limits of my professional abilities by taking on a client presenting with problems outside the realm of my education, training and experience. I would instead refer that client to a practitioner more specialized in their needed treatment area. I believe it is only natural for a counselor, therapist, etc. , especially someone new to practicing, to question their ability to competently provide therapeutic service to client’s who present with difficult problems that the counselor does not have direct experience in treating. However, Dolgoff et. al (2011) notes â€Å"Difficulty working with some clients does not by itself imply incompetence, nor does lack of difficulty imply competence. It is not always the perceived degree of difficulty that makes a counselor either competent or incompetent, but rather their judgment on whether or not they have the personal and professional abilities needed to work with the client. (Dolgoff et. al) References Corey, G. , Corey, M. S. , Callanan, P. (2011). Issues and ethics in the helping professions (8th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Tho mson Brooks/Cole. Dolgoff, R. , Loewenberg, F. M. Harrington, D. (2009). Ethical decisions for social work practice (8th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Professional Competency Issues" essay for you Create order