Starbucks Implementation, Strategic Controls free essay sample

Running Head: Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans STR/581 Version 4 Strategic Planning Implementation Kenneth Kobus July 12, 2011 Starbucks is the worlds leading specialty coffee retailer. The company produces a wide range of beverages as well as various confections and pastries. With over 17,000 stores world wide one would have to wonder why a successful company like this would need to form a strategic plan. In this world there are no guarantees of success for businesses. A company may have a great product, but if it fails to identify a specific market, or to use a proper marketing plan, it will not be able to successfully reach the consumers. Over the years Starbucks has been successfully able to take simple activity carried out at home to the pinnacle of commercial success. By expertly executing their marketing strategy Starbucks has taking coffee service to an art form. The firm has been able to convince consumers that its stores provide more than just coffee. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Implementation, Strategic Controls or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Starbucks aims to provide a rich experience for customers to indulge in on a recurring basis.The company has turned this consumer experience in to a highly profitable business. The most effective way to implement a successful plan is to use short term objectives. It’s impossible to see into the future so it is better to strive for goals that can be measured and achieved. John Thompson of Symantec Corporation once quoted, â€Å"I am a little old-fashioned—I don’t believe you can manage what you can’t measure,† Thompson has said. â€Å"The importance of objectives becomes more important as the company grows in size and scale. Objectives also serve as an indication for the ‘team’ about what you are paying attention to.If employees know you are measuring market growth and customer satisfaction, they will pay attention to those considerations and act based on indicators that you, as leader, emphasize within the company. Objectives help teams and focus on what’s important for the company to succeed† (The Key to Success? Go Figure,†Ã‚  BusinessWeek, July 21, 2003. ) Starbucks has a very innovative research and development program for their new products. The company is always looking for new ways to make the Starbuck experience more pleasurable for its customers.On November of 2001 the company introduced its new product called the Starbuck’s card. The Starbuck card is like a gift card that provides store value for its customers. The goal of this new card implantation is to reduce the time spent paying for drinks. Since it introduction the Starbucks Card has been very popular with its customers as it provides a better way to enhance customer experience. â€Å"Another implementation was to save on the amount of time it took to make drinks in the ice scoops. Engineers at Starbucks notice that baristas had to take two scoops of ice when making venti-size cold rinks. They then went back and redesigned the ice scoop. When the stores started using the new scoops, it â€Å"shaved† off about 14 seconds from the preparation time of the drink† (Arola, Manning 2007). This new implementation was part of the company’s goal of getting the drink to its customers in three minutes or less. Starbucks is always looking for new ways to improve their products and services to their customers. If a customer has a problem or a comment they can turn it into the forum page off of the company’s website.By doing this the company is able to get customer feedback to all of its new ideas and products. Starbucks is competing in an industry where marketing principles has to follow the differentiator strategy or they will lose market share. The company goal is to create high value for its customers, or the customers will simply find another place to spend their money. Starbucks marketing principles are the basis of the companys competitive advantage within the coffee industry. Starbucks products are associated with high quality, and the company dedicates itself to producing high quality products.Because of this association with high quality, Starbucks has been able to charge a higher price or premium for its products. As long as the company can protect its reputation for high quality and strong values, it will be able to maintain its premium prices. Functional tactics According to the reading â€Å"Functional tactics  are the key, routine activities that must be undertaken in each functional area—marketing, finance, production/operations, R;D, and human resource management—to provide the business’s products and services.In a sense, functional tactics translate thought (grand strategy) into actio n designed to accomplish specific short-term objectives. Every value chain activity in a company executes functional tactics that support the business’s strategy and help accomplish strategic objectives. † (Pearce, and Robinson 2011) Starbucks must maintain its high quality strategy. In areas of employment that company must improve its benefits package so as to improve the moral of its employees. The company must not be lured away from McDonalds low price approach to coffee. Starbucks has been facing heavy competition most ecently. Companies like McDonalds are producing coffee on a much cheaper scale than Starbucks. In the past there were few companies in the gourmet coffee business but that is now changing. In the beginning Starbucks was able to use its marketing prowess to create a favorable image of premium gourmet coffee shop experience. This marketing strategy was what gave Starbucks its major advantage over its competitors. The company also used this marketing strategy to place over 17,000 outlets worldwide and to have each outlet meld into their communities. Action ItemsIn  management, an  action item  is a documented event, task, activity, or  action  that needs to take place. Action items are discrete units that can be handled by a single person. Action items are very important to Starbucks Strategy. An action item is a documented task that must take place in order to help a company achieve its short-term goals. Action Items can usually be done by one person. One action Item that has been implemented by Starbucks is the 5 second labor rule. â€Å"According to the action item, Baristas are no longer required to pull shots into shot glasses where the quality of the shot can be seen.We are now allowed to pull the directly into the cup. If the timing of the shot is correct, then the customer gets what they get. If the timing of the shot is NOT correct, the cup and the syrups and any other pre-prepped items go into the trash. (Starbucks Forums website) This may seem trivial but if one was to multiply the 5 seconds by the number of shots and stores, it would add to millions of dollars in potential savings for the company. Another important action items that employees can use is the prioritizing of user experience.Customers do not like waiting in line for long so workers must use the company’s technology and their own training to expedite customer services. Milestones and a deadline The help keep the company on track it is important to have milestones and deadlines. This helps everyone to have a sense of urgency about what needs to be done. Planning for deadlines must not be too time-consuming. If the planning phase is to long, the company will miss it deadlines. Starbucks made a partnership with Green Mountain Coffee in March of 2011. The company rushed to do this lucrative deal because McDonalds, (one if its main rivals) were also in talks with the Green Mountain. Risk Management. All companies need to have some form of risk management plan in order to mitigate their potential losses. One of the major problems that affected Starbucks was its over expansion. The company was in danger of commoditizing coffee and losing its high quality experience. Starbucks must implement a plan for long term financing especially as it expands into international markets. It must also have a back up plan for its logistics and coffee supply.

Sylvia Plath and the Bell Jar essays

Sylvia Plath and the Bell Jar essays In The Bell Jar, originally published under the pseudonym of Victoria Lucas, Sylvia Plath was recording much of her personal experience. Plath was born on October 27, 1932. Her brother, Warren Joseph Plath, was born in 1935. When Plath was five years old, her family moved to Winthrop, Massachusetts, where she was a model student. However, in 1940, her father Otto Plath died of pneumonia and complications from diabetes. Plath won many awards, both local and national, for her writing in the years after her father's death. During her teens, she met a classmate named Richard Willard. Later, she dated his older brother, Buddy. In 1950, Sylvia Plath entered Smith College in Nothampton, Massachusetts. While she was there, Buddy When Sylvia was twenty years old, she won the Mademoiselle fiction contest, and during the summer of 1953, she was a guest editor at Mademoiselle. Later that summer, Plath attempted suicide with sleeping pills. She was found and taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. For the remaining part of that year, she resided at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, and was treated with insulin and electro-shock therapy. In The Bell Jar, Plath does not write about her life Plath returned to Smith and graduated in 1955. She moved to London, where she met Ted Hughes. She married him, and they returned to the U.S. in 1957. In the next two years, Ms. Plath held a hospital clerical position after she quit her instructor job at Smith. She did this in order to devote more time to writing. The last few years of Sylvia Plath's life were very busy. She moved back to England with her husband and had a girl in the spring of 1960. The following year was difficult because she had both a miscarriage and an appendectomy. In early 1962, she gave birth to a baby boy, but a few months later, her husband left her. She then moved to London ...

Logical Fallacies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Logical Fallacies - Essay Example   Ã¢â‚¬Å"And our progress on the economy is a good chapter in our history. But now we turn the page and write a new chapter. And that's what I want to speak about tonight.†Ã‚   The use of two metaphors is evident here, good chapter in our history is a metaphor and turn the page and write a new chapter is another metaphor used by Gore.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"But my focus is on working families, people trying to make house payments and car payments, working overtime to save for college and do right by their kids Whether you're in a suburb, or an inner-city Whether you raise crops or drive hogs and cattle on a farm, drive a big rig on the Interstate, or drive e-commerce on the Internet Whether you're starting out to raise your own family, or getting ready to retire after a lifetime of hard work.†Ã‚   Rhetoric is clearly seen here, the word drive is repeated thrice and the same makes it rhetoric.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"To all the families who are struggling with things that money can't measure -- like trying to find a little more time to spend with your children, or protecting your children from entertainment that you think glorifies violence and indecency -- I want you to know: I believe we must challenge a culture with too much meanness, and not enough meaning. And as president, I will stand with you for a goal that we share: to give more power back to the parents, to choose what your own children are exposed to, so you can pass on your family's basic lessons of responsibility and decency."

Effective team and performance management Essay - 1

Effective team and performance management - Essay Example Enhanced performance and effectiveness cannot be achieved through external pressure but through trust. Cohesiveness does not necessarily imply a harmonious group as members may be cohesive simply to abide by the team norms which become the rules. Flexibility and empowerment are essential requirements for team effectiveness. Team players may be entrusted with multiple roles but this only creates an air of hostility. The involvement of senior management is essential to achieve team effectiveness. 2.0 Introduction Electron, headquartered in the UK, manufactures components for the telecommunications sector. The company employs about 150 people out of which 90 people are in the manufacturing unit. The company has the traditional department structure comprising of manufacturing, engineering, sales/marketing, human resources, and finance. The manufacturing department at Electron is made up of eight teams in total, each are named according to a colour. Each team consists of 10 team members, with some on temporary contracts, whilst others are full-time employees. The company recognized the importance of an effective production process, of improving company culture, of improving customer service and commitment to teams. Amidst competition the company employed new workers and these workers have to be integrated into one of the teams. Thus, there are three teams at play – the longer-tenured teams, the existing teams and the new workers. However, the teams at Electron have not been demonstrating shared vision and autonomy. The aim of this report is to evaluate the barriers to team effectiveness and performance. Based on the theoretical models, this report also seeks to recommend how teams at Electron could be made more effective and performance enhanced. This report would not define ‘teams’ but would directly evaluate team dynamics. 3.0 Analysis and Discussion 3.1 Theories and concept of team dynamics The nature of teams has undergone a change and the th ree most impactful themes that are affecting teams are dynamic composition, technology and distance, and empowerment and delayering (Tannenbaum, Mathieu, Salas and Cohen, 2012). The changed business environment has also altered the team needs. Trust and cohesion have become difficult to achieve in teams and moreover, individuals may simultaneously be members of several teams. They may even change team roles frequently, all of which suggest the dynamic composition of teams. Team dynamics have enabled dyadic network of relations and exchanges between members. At Electron also, team dynamics were at play. One team member was entrusted to integrate the new workers into the team. This team member entrusted the longer-tenured members with this task. The team members were empowered but without proper guidance and training. If teams do not demonstrate interdependence, shared objectives, autonomy, reflexivity, boundedness, and specified roles, then they are â€Å"pseudo teams† (West a nd Lyubovnikova, 2012). If real and pseudo teams could be identified within an organization, it would become easier to evaluate team effectiveness and performance. Without this identification and even team empowerment could have

Vitamin D requirement in pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vitamin D requirement in pregnancy - Essay Example The researchers did not stipulate their research question but this can be inferred from the article’s title and the study’s objective. The following is the inferred research questions as developed from these perspectives. Vitamin D supplementation was the study’s treatment. Deficiency of the vitamin in women was first noted and then corrected. Supplementation with 50000 IU and 100000 IU of the vitamin for different groups then followed. Random selection was used to recruit the participants and to assign them into groups, for those who had sufficient levels of the vitamin > 20ng/ml. participants with lower levels were first treated for initial boost before the study’s treatment of 50000 IU or 100000 IU of vitamin D. data was then measured from cord blood. Even though 34 of the participates had, initially, a vitamin D level > 20 ng/ml, all of the women had levels less than 30ng/ml. Fetuses of women from all of the groups recorded significant levels of vitamin D, greater than 20 ng/ml. The study shows that 50000 IU of vitamin D per month, from the forth month of pregnant, is necessary for ensuring a threshold level of vitamin D among neonates. The authors conclude that treatment of less than 50000 IU per month is not sufficient to ensure the threshold of 20 ng/ml of vitamin D in

Native Language in Foreign Language Learning

Native Language in Foreign Language Learning 1.1 Introduction The debate over whether English language classrooms should include or exclude students native language has been a controversial issue for a long time (Brown, 2000). Although the use of mother tongue was banned by the supporters of the Direct Method at the end of the nineteenth century, the positive role of the mother tongue has recurrently been acknowledged as a rich resource which, if used judiciously, can assist second language learning and teaching (Cook, 2001). Therefore, this research study tries to open up a new horizon for English instructors to find a thoughtful way to use learners mother tongue in second language teaching. The technique in which L1 was used in this study was translation from L1 to L2, a technique which was rarely used by EFL teachers. Atkinson (1987) was one of the first and chief advocates of mother tongue use in the communicative classroom. He points out the methodological gap in the literature concerning the use of the mother tongue and argues a case in favour of its restricted and principled use, mainly in accuracy-oriented tasks. In his article, Atkinson (1987) clearly stated that translation to the target language which emphasizes a recently taught language item is a means to reinforce structural, conceptual and sociolinguistic differences between the native and target languages. In his view, even though this activity is not communicative, it aims at improving accuracy of the newly learned structures. Similarly, this research aimed at investigating the effect of translation from L1 to L2 on the accurate use of the structures. The arguments in supports of using the learners mother tongue in L2 instruction clearly reveal that not only doesnt the use of first language have a negative impact on L2 learning, but it can be factor to help students improve the way they learn a second language. Although the English Only paradigm continues to be dominant in communicative language teaching , research into teacher practice reveals that the L1 is used as a learning resource in many ESL classes (Auerbach, 1993). Auerbach added that when the native language was used, practitioners, researchers, and learners consistently report positive results. Furthermore, he identifies the following uses of mother tongue in the classroom: classroom management, language analysis and presenting rules that govern grammar, discussing cross-cultural issues, giving instructions or prompts, explaining errors, and checking comprehension. Although the provision of maximum L2 exposure to the learners seems essential, L1 can be used alongside L2 as a complement. In this regard, Turnbull (2001) stated that maximizing the target language use does not and should not mean that it is harmful for the teacher to use the L1. â€Å"a principle that promotes maximal teacher use of the target language acknowledges that the L1 and target language can exist simultaneously (p. 153). Similarly, Stern (1992) stated that the use of L1 and target language should be seen as complementary, depending on the characteristics and stages of the language learning process (p. 285). On the other hand, overuse of L1 will naturally reduce the amount of exposure to L2. Therefore, attempt should be made to keep a balance between L1 and L2 use. In this regard, Turnbull (2001) acknowledges that although it is efficient to make a quick switch to the L1 to ensure, for instance, whether students understand a difficult grammar concept or an unknown word, it is crucial for teachers to use the target language as much as possible in contexts in which students spend only short periods of time in class, and when they have little contact with the target language outside the classroom. 1.2 Background to the problem The Integrated Secondary School Curriculum or Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah (KBSM) was planned in accordance with the National Education Philosophy. The main goal of KBSM was based on the integrated self-development with orientation towards society or nation (Mak Soon Sang, 2003). Four language skills namely listening, speaking, reading and writing are incorporated in the English syllabus proficiency in order to meet their needs to use English in everyday life, for knowledge acquisition, and for future workplace needs (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2000). My personal experience as a learner has shown me that moderate and judicious use of the mother tongue can aid and facilitate the learning and teaching of the target language, a view shared by many colleagues of mine. However the value of using the mother tongue is a neglected topic in the TESL methodology literature. This omission, together with the widely advocated principle that the native language should not be used in the second language classroom, makes most teachers, experienced or not, feels uneasy about using L1 or permitting its use in the classroom, even when there is a need to do so. How do students and teachers look at this issue? Schweers (1999) conducted a study with EFL students and their teachers in a Spanish context to investigate their attitudes toward using L1 and in the L2 classroom. His result indicates that the majority of students and teachers agreed that Spanish should be used in the EFL classroom (Schweers 1999). Inspired by his research and driven by my own interest, the researcher decided to carry out a similar study on the use of the native language (Malay) in the Malaysian context. However, differences exist between Schweers study and mine. 1.3. Statement of the problem Many rural school students have difficulty in understanding English, and they have often found it difficult to read English books on their own (Ratnawati and Ismail, 2003). Students lack of proficiency in English deprives them of the opportunities open to those who are able to use the language well. Recently, the teaching and learning of English has been discussed widely in Malaysia. This is because the low level of English proficiency among students hinders them from acquiring knowledge globally. Students L1 are being use in the ESL classroom especially in the rural area to help them understand English better and find out if it is an effective teaching and learning tool. Because of the students difficulty in understanding the language, teachers need to assist them thoroughly in the learning process. With the using of the L1, this will gain their interest to stay focus in the class and not being de-motivated in learning the target language. The prohibition of the native language would maximize the effectiveness of learning the target language will be a question that we need to find out. 1.4. Purposes of the study The purpose of the study is to determine whether the L1 (Malay language) are use frequently in the rural ESL classroom. The important of this study is to find out whether L1 works as an effective teaching and learning instrument. 1.5. Research questions Research questions for this study are; How frequent the Malay language was used in the Malaysian English classroom and for what purposes? Can prohibition of L1 (Malay language) maximize the interest of using English in the classroom? What are the perception of the students and the teachers towards using Malay in the English classroom? 1.6. Theoretical For this study, the researcher referred to the theory of SLA that interrelated set of hypothesis or claims about how people become proficient in a second language. In a summary of research findings on SLA, Lightbown (1985: 176-180) made the following claims: Adults and adolescents can â€Å"acquire† a second language. The learner creates a systematic inter-language that is often characterized by the same language as the first language, as well as others that appear to be based on the learners own native language. There are predictable sequences in acquisition so that certain structures have to be acquired before others can be integrated. Practice does not make perfect. Knowing language rule does not mean one will be able to use it in communicative interaction. Isolated explicit error correction is usually effective in changing language behavior. For most adult learners, acquisition stop-â€Å"fossilizes†-before the learner has achieved native-like mastery of the target language. One cannot achieve native-like or non native-like command of a second language in one hour a day. The learners task is enormous because language is enormously complex. A learners ability to understand language in a meaningful context exceeds his or her ability to comprehend de-contextualized language and to produce language of comparable complexity and accuracy. The hypothesis will be the first tool for the measurement of how the students in the rural ESL classroom comprehend with target language. Learning is a long life process so the students need a proper guide to lead them in gaining the language proficiency. There are some modifications that need to be made in using these hypotheses so it will be suit to the learners need in the rural area. There are some mistakes that made by the learners that due to interference from their first language and the learners errors should be corrected as soon as they are made in order to prevent the formation of bad habits. The acquisition-learning hypothesis Stephen Krashen (1977) claimed that adult second language learners have two means for internalizing the target language. The first is â€Å"acquisition†, a subconscious and intuitive process of constructing the system of a language. The second means is a conscious â€Å"learning† process in which learners attend to form, figure out rules, and are generally aware of their own process. According to Krashen, â€Å"fluency in second language performance is due to what we have acquired, not what we have learned† (1981a:99). Adults should, therefore, do as much acquiring as possible in order to achieve communicative fluency; otherwise, they will get bogged of language and to watching their own progress. For Krashen (1982), our conscious learning processes and our subconscious process mutually exclusive: learning cannot become acquisition. This claim of no interface between acquisition and learning is used to strengthen the argument for recommending large doses of acqui sition activity in the classroom, with only a very minor role assigned to learning. The input hypothesis Krashens claims that an important â€Å"condition for language acquisition to occur is that the acquirer understand (via hearing or reading input language that contains structure a bit beyond his or her current level of competence†¦..if an acquirer is at stage or level i , the input he or she understands should contain i +1† (Krashen1981:100). In other words, the language that learners are exposed to should be just far enough beyond their current competence that they can understand most of it but still challenged to make progress. The corollary to this is that input should neither be so far beyond their reach that they are overwhelmed (this might be, say, i + 2) nor so close to their current stage that they are not challenged at all (i + 0). Important parts of the Input Hypothesis are recommendation that speaking not be though directly or very early in the language classroom. Speech will be emerging once the acquirer has built up enough comprehensible input ( i + 1). Success in a foreign language can be attributed to input alone. Such a theory ascribes little credit to learners and their own active engagement in the process. Moreover, it is important to distinguish between input and intake. Intake is what you take with you over a period of time and can later remember. Krashen (1983) did suggest that input gets converted to knowledge through a learners current internalized rule system and the new input. The application of these theories will help the study in measuring how effective the use of L1 in the ESL classroom based on the prior knowledge of the participants and in what way the theories will help the researches defines the result of the studies. Motivation Theory Various definitions of motivation have been proposed over decades of research and three different perspectives emerge: From a behaviourist perspective, motivation was seen in matter of fact terms. It is quite simply the anticipation or reward. Driven to acquire positive reinforcement, and driven by previous reinforcement, and driven by previous experiences of reward for behaviour, we act accordingly to achieve further reinforcement. In this view, our acts are likely to be at the mercy of external forces. In cognitive terms, motivation places much more emphasis on the individuals decisions. Ausubel (1968:368-379), for example, identified six needs undergirding the construct of motivation: a. The need for exploration, for seeing the other side of the mountain, for probing the unknown; b. The need for manipulation, for operating- to use Skinners term- on the environment and causing change; c. The need for activity, for movement and exercise, both physical and mental; d. The need for stimulation, the need to be stimulated by the environment, by the other people, or by ideas, thoughts, and feelings; e. The need for knowledge, the need to process and internalize the result of exploration, manipulation, activity, and stimulation, to resolve contradictions, to quest for solutions to problems and for self consistent systems of knowledge; f. Finally, the need for ego enhancement, for the self to be known and to be accepted and approved by others. 3) A constructivist view of motivation places even further emphasis on social context as well as individual person choices (Williams Burden 1997:120). Each person is motivated differently, and will therefore act on his or her environment in ways that are unique. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Edward Deci (1975:23) defined intrinsic motivation: â€Å"Intrinsically motivated activities are ones for which there is no apparent reward except the activity itself. People seem to engage in the activities for their own sake and not because they lead to an extrinsic reward†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.intrinsically motivated behaviours are aimed at bringing about certain internally rewarding consequences, namely, feelings of competence and self determination†. Extrinsically motivated behaviours, on the other hand, are carried out in anticipation of a reward from outside and beyond the self. Behaviours initiated solely to avoid punishment are also extrinsically motivated, even though numerous intrinsic benefits can ultimately accrue to those who instead, view punishment avoidance as a challenge that can build their sense of competence and self determination. The intrinsic and extrinsic continuum in motivation is applicable to foreign language classrooms and around the world. Regardless of the cultural beliefs and attitudes of learners and teachers, intrinsic and extrinsic factors can be easily identified (Dornyei and Csizer 1998). During the classroom observations, the researcher will identify whether the teacher use this kind of method. If the students communicate with their L1, should the teacher give a punishment or give them the motivation to communicate with L1 as long it will help the students to understand the whole lesson. 1.7. Significance of the study It is hope that the study will: Help all the teachers in selecting the best method in teaching the ESL classroom especially in the rural area. Determine the appropriateness of using the Malay in the ESL classroom. Enable the teacher to realize the important of using the L1 in the ESL classroom at the rural area. Help the students to gain their interest in learning the target language by giving them the opportunity to use their L1 while learning ESL. 1.8. Limitation of the study This study was undertaken with the following limitations; The small sample clearly does not represent the whole population of students in SMK in Felda Gedangsa. The sample taken is 40 students from one class in Felda Gedangsa. The reliability and validity of the survey instruments may be questioned. The questionnaire is not based on any existing survey instrument, which had been tested and/ or certified in terms of reliability and validity. The questionnaire is developed specifically for this study. The time constrain will limit the quality of the study. SMK Felda Gedangsa is situated in Ulu Selangor district and about 30KM from UPSI. It will take a long time in doing this study. The students level of proficiency is at the lower level and they will need help in understanding the questionnaires. 1.9. Summary Understanding of English is crucial for every student in the ESL classroom. Without a proper guide from the teacher, they will lose their motivation in learning. Teacher need to be ready with a proper methods and teaching skills and should not ignore the use of L1 in the classroom. With the lacking of vocabulary and understanding towards certain aspects in the learning process, surely the use of L1 in the classroom should be considered to guide the students. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1. Introduction This paper provides a review of the literature on students L1 are being used in the ESL classroom especially in the rural area and find out if it is an effective teaching and learning tool. There are several studies which are significance to the focus of this study. The summaries of previous work related to the hypothesis of the study are listed below. Long (1985, 1996), adapted the input Hypothesis to include interaction. His modified Input Hypothesis (1996) focuses on negotiation of meaning that occurs when communication breaks down. It proposes that oral input that is simplified through interactional modification is more successful than non-interactionally modified input in promoting learner comprehension, which in turn facilitates language acquisition. This hypothesis claims that the modified output produced by learners who are interacting in order to negotiate meaning can also aid acquisition. In this view, which gives importance to input that has been simplified through interaction, there is a possible role for the use of the learners L1 in the interactive input. Modified must give the learner information related to the linguistic form that were problematic and the use of the L1 is a potential source of this critical information (Gillis, 2007). 2.2. Close studies on the Using of L1 in the ESL Classroom Research on the usage of the L1 in the ESL classroom is a vital has demonstrated that L1 are not only effective but necessary for adult ESL students with limited L1 literacy or schooling and that use of students linguistic resources can be beneficial at all levels of ESL (Auerbach 1993). Auerbach (1993), performed a research on the topic of â€Å"Do you believe that ESL students should be allowed to use their L1 in the ESL classroom†? Only 20% of the respondents gave an unqualified yes to the question; 30% gave an unqualified no, (with comments such as, Its a school policy and No but its hard); the remaining 50% said sometimes (with comments such as Usually not, but if I have tried several times to explain something in English and a student still doesnt understand, then I allow another student who speaks the same language to explain in that language; Theyre going to do it anyway; As a last resort). The essence of these comments is captured by the following response In general ESL students should be encouraged to use English as much as possible, but in reality this doesnt always work. Thus, despite the fact that 80% of the teachers allowed the use of the L1 at times, the English only axiom is so strong that they didnt trust their own practice. On the flip side, when the native language is used, practitioners, researchers, and learners consistently report positive results. Rivera (1990) outlines various models for incorporating the L1 into instruction, including initial literacy in the L1 (with or without simultaneous but separate ESL classes) and bilingual instruction (where both languages are utilized within one class). The first benefit of such programs at the beginning levels is that they attract previously un-served studentsstudents who had been unable to participate in ESL classes because of limited L1 literacy and schooling. Further, contrary to the claim that use of the L1 will slow the transition to and impede the development of thinking in English, numerous accounts suggest that it may actually facilitate this process. Shamash (1990), for example, describes an approach to teaching ESL used at the Invergarry Learning Center near Vancouver which might be considered heretical by some: Students start by writing about their lives in their L1 or a mixture of their L1 and English; this text is then translated into English with the help of bilingual tutors or learners and, as such, provides a natural bridge for overcoming problems of vocabulary, sentence structure and language confidence. At a certain point in the learning process, according to Shamash, the learner is willing to experiment and take risks with English. Thus, starting with the L1 provides a sense of security and validates the learners lived experiences, allowing them to express themselves while at the same time providing meaningful written material to work with. This research had shows us that the usage of L1 in the ESL classroom is sometimes considered as vital because of the students level of proficiency. Tang (2002), based on her studies, â€Å"Using the mother tongue in the Chinese EFL classroom† bear many similarities to Schweers (1999) study in a Spanish context. Both studies indicate that the mother tongue was used by the majority of teachers investigated, and both students and teachers responded positively toward its use. Minor discrepancies exist concerning the occasions when the L1 should be used. Some of these differences can be accounted for by the participants different levels of L2 language proficiency. The teachers participating in this study indicated that the translation of some words, complex ideas, or even whole passages is a good way to learn a foreign language. Her observation of the three classes suggests that without translation, learners would be likely to make unguided and often incorrect translations. This study also reveals that in the EFL classes observed Chinese plays only a supportive and facilitating role. The chief medium of communication in the class is still English. As with any other classroom technique, the use of the mother tongue is only a means to the end of improving foreign language proficiency. She agreed with the majority of student participants (about 63 percent combined) that no more than 10 percent of class time should be spent using Chinese. In her experience, this percentage decreases as the students English proficiency increases. Of course, a translation course would be an exception. Unlike Schweers student participants, the students in the present study are highly motivated to learn English. As English majors in the university, their English language proficiency is regarded as a symbol of their identity and a route to future academic and employment opportunities. Few of them feel that English is imposed on them or regard the use of English as a threat to their identity. Instead, they generally prefer greater or exclusive use of English in the classroom. In their view, Chinese should be used only when necessary to help them learn English better. The research seems to show that limited and judicious use of the mother tongue in the English classroom does not reduce students exposure to English, but rather can assist in the teaching and learning processes (Tang, 2002). Strohmeyer and McGrail (1988) found that allowing for the exploration of ideas in the L1 served to enhance students ESL writing. When students were given the choice of writing first in Spanish, they went on to write pieces in English that were considerably more developed than their usual ESL writing. These findings from practice are supported by Garcias (1991) more formal research on effective instructional practices which found that (a) academically successful students made the transition from Spanish to English without any pressure from teachers; and (b) they were able to progress systematically from writing in the native language in initial literacy to writing in English later. A recent study by Osburne and Harss-Covaleski (1991) suggested that the widely frowned upon practice of writing first in the L1 and then translating into the L2 is not harmful to the quality of the written product. They cite the conventional wisdom that students should be discouraged from translating as this will cause them to make more errors, result in rhetorically inappropriate texts, and distract them from thinking in Englishand that all these factors would negatively affect the quality of their writing. To investigate the validity of this claim, they compared ESL compositions written directly in English with others written first in the L1 and then translated into English; their results indicated no significant difference in the quality or quantity of the written products. They conclude, It seems then that there is no need for teachers to become overly anxious if students choose to employ translation as a composing strategy at times. Friedlander (1990) cited numerous other studie s reporting the beneficial effects of using the L1 for L2 composing; his own study provides further support for L1 use in planning ESL writing when knowledge of the topic has been acquired in the L1. Mirzaei Vaezi (2007), had been conducted the study of the effect of using translation from L1 to L2 as a teaching technique on the improvement of EFL Learners Linguistic Accuracy- Focus on form. Based on the results obtained from the statistical analyses in the study, it was discovered that the idea of the effectiveness of using translation from L1 to L2 as a teaching technique to improve a group of Iranian EFL learners linguistic accuracy was supported. Therefore, it can be concluded that translating form L1 to L2, using specific structures, can enhance learners linguistic accuracy within the scope of those structures. It also manifests that learners mother tongue is not a useless element in second or foreign language learning. In other words, mother tongue, if used purposefully and systematically, can have a constructive role in teaching other languages. In effect, the purpose of the present study was to join the three vertices of the triangle i.e., first language, translation, an d focus on form. Moreover, it can be claimed that translating sentences form L1 to L2, if selected purposefully, can push learners to use specific structures accurately when producing utterances in the second language. This mental practice in transforming an idea from mother language to the second language helps the learner tackle the psycho-linguistic challenge they have to face in producing second language in real life situations. Nevertheless, when utilizing this teaching technique, the learners should be bewared about the structural differences existing between languages which may cause negative interference from their L1. In other words, learners should be warned that there is not always a structural correspondence between their first language and the language they are learning. To make it short, translation from L1 to L2 is a kind of practice which makes the learners use specific L2 structures accurately in order to express L1 ideas. This transformation—mental translation from L1 to L2â €”is a natural and sometimes inevitable process which is mostly experienced by the learners of lower levels. Consequently, as discussed above, the technique used in this study is a means through which learners can practice producing L2 grammatically correct sentences which enables them to perform accurately in communicative situations (Mirzaei Vaezi, 2007). Translation from L1 to L2 was not a strange process; nonetheless, it might not have been dealt with through systematic and research-based studies yet. Although the word translation and even mother tongue has been abominated by many so-called innovatory-oriented teachers, this study demonstrated that there are judicious ways in which language teachers can use mother tongue, in general, and translation from L1 to L2, in particular, in their instruction with the purpose of improving learners proficiency. In addition, mother tongue is truly a very rich source of linguistic knowledge with which any L2 learner is already equipped, and it does not seem reasonable to deprive our learners from using this recourse at the expense of exercising an English-only atmosphere in our classrooms. Therefore, it can be suggested that teachers be familiarized with advantages of using learners mother tongue in EFL/ESL classrooms and they should be reasonably given enough leeway to use this resource constructively. In particular, language teachers can use the technique presented in this study, i.e. using translation from L1 to L2, as a communicative task to promote their learners linguistic accuracy. Therefore, it seems reasonable to allocate some time to the training of teachers in this regard (Mirzaei Vaezi, 2007). Schweers (1999) had done a research on the attitudes toward the use of Spanish in the English classroom among the students and the teachers in Puerto Rican. A high percentage (88.7%) of the student participants in this study felt that Spanish should be used in their English classes. All of the teachers reported using Spanish to some degree. Approximately 99 percent of the students responded that they like their teachers to use only English in the classroom. Very noticeable is the 86 percent of students who would like Spanish used to explain difficult concepts. Only 22 percent of teachers saw this as an appropriate use. Students also responded notably higher than teachers on the following uses for Spanish: to help students feel more comfortable and confident, to check comprehension, and to define new vocabulary items. Neither students nor teachers saw a use for the L1 in testing. A notable percentage of students would like Spanish to be used in English class either between 10 and 39 p ercent of the time. A sizeable number of students like the use of Spanish because it helps them when they feel lost. About 87 percent of students feel Spanish facilitates their learning of English between â€Å"a little† and â€Å"a lot,† and about 57 percent think it helps from â€Å"fairly much† to â€Å"a lot.† These results showed that in English classes in a Puerto Rican university, Spanish should be used to some degree. Students feel there are clear cases where Spanish will facilitate their comprehension of what is happening in class. A majority also agree that the use of Spanish helps them to learn English. Studying students reactions to the use of the L1 in English classes, Terence Doyle (1997), in his presentation at TESOL 97, reported that students in a study he conducted claimed that the L1 was used approximately 90 percent of the time in their classes. Some 65 percent of these students preferred the use of the L1 in their classes sometimes or often. While the first figure is comparable to the one he found in his study, the second is higher than the percentage in his study. Romstedt (2000) had conducted a research of the effects of L1 Pre-writing discussion on ESL writing. The subjects of the study were thirty five graduate and undergraduate students, both male and female representing six native languages at two different levels of intensive English instruction. The general conclusi Native Language in Foreign Language Learning Native Language in Foreign Language Learning 1.1 Introduction The debate over whether English language classrooms should include or exclude students native language has been a controversial issue for a long time (Brown, 2000). Although the use of mother tongue was banned by the supporters of the Direct Method at the end of the nineteenth century, the positive role of the mother tongue has recurrently been acknowledged as a rich resource which, if used judiciously, can assist second language learning and teaching (Cook, 2001). Therefore, this research study tries to open up a new horizon for English instructors to find a thoughtful way to use learners mother tongue in second language teaching. The technique in which L1 was used in this study was translation from L1 to L2, a technique which was rarely used by EFL teachers. Atkinson (1987) was one of the first and chief advocates of mother tongue use in the communicative classroom. He points out the methodological gap in the literature concerning the use of the mother tongue and argues a case in favour of its restricted and principled use, mainly in accuracy-oriented tasks. In his article, Atkinson (1987) clearly stated that translation to the target language which emphasizes a recently taught language item is a means to reinforce structural, conceptual and sociolinguistic differences between the native and target languages. In his view, even though this activity is not communicative, it aims at improving accuracy of the newly learned structures. Similarly, this research aimed at investigating the effect of translation from L1 to L2 on the accurate use of the structures. The arguments in supports of using the learners mother tongue in L2 instruction clearly reveal that not only doesnt the use of first language have a negative impact on L2 learning, but it can be factor to help students improve the way they learn a second language. Although the English Only paradigm continues to be dominant in communicative language teaching , research into teacher practice reveals that the L1 is used as a learning resource in many ESL classes (Auerbach, 1993). Auerbach added that when the native language was used, practitioners, researchers, and learners consistently report positive results. Furthermore, he identifies the following uses of mother tongue in the classroom: classroom management, language analysis and presenting rules that govern grammar, discussing cross-cultural issues, giving instructions or prompts, explaining errors, and checking comprehension. Although the provision of maximum L2 exposure to the learners seems essential, L1 can be used alongside L2 as a complement. In this regard, Turnbull (2001) stated that maximizing the target language use does not and should not mean that it is harmful for the teacher to use the L1. â€Å"a principle that promotes maximal teacher use of the target language acknowledges that the L1 and target language can exist simultaneously (p. 153). Similarly, Stern (1992) stated that the use of L1 and target language should be seen as complementary, depending on the characteristics and stages of the language learning process (p. 285). On the other hand, overuse of L1 will naturally reduce the amount of exposure to L2. Therefore, attempt should be made to keep a balance between L1 and L2 use. In this regard, Turnbull (2001) acknowledges that although it is efficient to make a quick switch to the L1 to ensure, for instance, whether students understand a difficult grammar concept or an unknown word, it is crucial for teachers to use the target language as much as possible in contexts in which students spend only short periods of time in class, and when they have little contact with the target language outside the classroom. 1.2 Background to the problem The Integrated Secondary School Curriculum or Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah (KBSM) was planned in accordance with the National Education Philosophy. The main goal of KBSM was based on the integrated self-development with orientation towards society or nation (Mak Soon Sang, 2003). Four language skills namely listening, speaking, reading and writing are incorporated in the English syllabus proficiency in order to meet their needs to use English in everyday life, for knowledge acquisition, and for future workplace needs (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2000). My personal experience as a learner has shown me that moderate and judicious use of the mother tongue can aid and facilitate the learning and teaching of the target language, a view shared by many colleagues of mine. However the value of using the mother tongue is a neglected topic in the TESL methodology literature. This omission, together with the widely advocated principle that the native language should not be used in the second language classroom, makes most teachers, experienced or not, feels uneasy about using L1 or permitting its use in the classroom, even when there is a need to do so. How do students and teachers look at this issue? Schweers (1999) conducted a study with EFL students and their teachers in a Spanish context to investigate their attitudes toward using L1 and in the L2 classroom. His result indicates that the majority of students and teachers agreed that Spanish should be used in the EFL classroom (Schweers 1999). Inspired by his research and driven by my own interest, the researcher decided to carry out a similar study on the use of the native language (Malay) in the Malaysian context. However, differences exist between Schweers study and mine. 1.3. Statement of the problem Many rural school students have difficulty in understanding English, and they have often found it difficult to read English books on their own (Ratnawati and Ismail, 2003). Students lack of proficiency in English deprives them of the opportunities open to those who are able to use the language well. Recently, the teaching and learning of English has been discussed widely in Malaysia. This is because the low level of English proficiency among students hinders them from acquiring knowledge globally. Students L1 are being use in the ESL classroom especially in the rural area to help them understand English better and find out if it is an effective teaching and learning tool. Because of the students difficulty in understanding the language, teachers need to assist them thoroughly in the learning process. With the using of the L1, this will gain their interest to stay focus in the class and not being de-motivated in learning the target language. The prohibition of the native language would maximize the effectiveness of learning the target language will be a question that we need to find out. 1.4. Purposes of the study The purpose of the study is to determine whether the L1 (Malay language) are use frequently in the rural ESL classroom. The important of this study is to find out whether L1 works as an effective teaching and learning instrument. 1.5. Research questions Research questions for this study are; How frequent the Malay language was used in the Malaysian English classroom and for what purposes? Can prohibition of L1 (Malay language) maximize the interest of using English in the classroom? What are the perception of the students and the teachers towards using Malay in the English classroom? 1.6. Theoretical For this study, the researcher referred to the theory of SLA that interrelated set of hypothesis or claims about how people become proficient in a second language. In a summary of research findings on SLA, Lightbown (1985: 176-180) made the following claims: Adults and adolescents can â€Å"acquire† a second language. The learner creates a systematic inter-language that is often characterized by the same language as the first language, as well as others that appear to be based on the learners own native language. There are predictable sequences in acquisition so that certain structures have to be acquired before others can be integrated. Practice does not make perfect. Knowing language rule does not mean one will be able to use it in communicative interaction. Isolated explicit error correction is usually effective in changing language behavior. For most adult learners, acquisition stop-â€Å"fossilizes†-before the learner has achieved native-like mastery of the target language. One cannot achieve native-like or non native-like command of a second language in one hour a day. The learners task is enormous because language is enormously complex. A learners ability to understand language in a meaningful context exceeds his or her ability to comprehend de-contextualized language and to produce language of comparable complexity and accuracy. The hypothesis will be the first tool for the measurement of how the students in the rural ESL classroom comprehend with target language. Learning is a long life process so the students need a proper guide to lead them in gaining the language proficiency. There are some modifications that need to be made in using these hypotheses so it will be suit to the learners need in the rural area. There are some mistakes that made by the learners that due to interference from their first language and the learners errors should be corrected as soon as they are made in order to prevent the formation of bad habits. The acquisition-learning hypothesis Stephen Krashen (1977) claimed that adult second language learners have two means for internalizing the target language. The first is â€Å"acquisition†, a subconscious and intuitive process of constructing the system of a language. The second means is a conscious â€Å"learning† process in which learners attend to form, figure out rules, and are generally aware of their own process. According to Krashen, â€Å"fluency in second language performance is due to what we have acquired, not what we have learned† (1981a:99). Adults should, therefore, do as much acquiring as possible in order to achieve communicative fluency; otherwise, they will get bogged of language and to watching their own progress. For Krashen (1982), our conscious learning processes and our subconscious process mutually exclusive: learning cannot become acquisition. This claim of no interface between acquisition and learning is used to strengthen the argument for recommending large doses of acqui sition activity in the classroom, with only a very minor role assigned to learning. The input hypothesis Krashens claims that an important â€Å"condition for language acquisition to occur is that the acquirer understand (via hearing or reading input language that contains structure a bit beyond his or her current level of competence†¦..if an acquirer is at stage or level i , the input he or she understands should contain i +1† (Krashen1981:100). In other words, the language that learners are exposed to should be just far enough beyond their current competence that they can understand most of it but still challenged to make progress. The corollary to this is that input should neither be so far beyond their reach that they are overwhelmed (this might be, say, i + 2) nor so close to their current stage that they are not challenged at all (i + 0). Important parts of the Input Hypothesis are recommendation that speaking not be though directly or very early in the language classroom. Speech will be emerging once the acquirer has built up enough comprehensible input ( i + 1). Success in a foreign language can be attributed to input alone. Such a theory ascribes little credit to learners and their own active engagement in the process. Moreover, it is important to distinguish between input and intake. Intake is what you take with you over a period of time and can later remember. Krashen (1983) did suggest that input gets converted to knowledge through a learners current internalized rule system and the new input. The application of these theories will help the study in measuring how effective the use of L1 in the ESL classroom based on the prior knowledge of the participants and in what way the theories will help the researches defines the result of the studies. Motivation Theory Various definitions of motivation have been proposed over decades of research and three different perspectives emerge: From a behaviourist perspective, motivation was seen in matter of fact terms. It is quite simply the anticipation or reward. Driven to acquire positive reinforcement, and driven by previous reinforcement, and driven by previous experiences of reward for behaviour, we act accordingly to achieve further reinforcement. In this view, our acts are likely to be at the mercy of external forces. In cognitive terms, motivation places much more emphasis on the individuals decisions. Ausubel (1968:368-379), for example, identified six needs undergirding the construct of motivation: a. The need for exploration, for seeing the other side of the mountain, for probing the unknown; b. The need for manipulation, for operating- to use Skinners term- on the environment and causing change; c. The need for activity, for movement and exercise, both physical and mental; d. The need for stimulation, the need to be stimulated by the environment, by the other people, or by ideas, thoughts, and feelings; e. The need for knowledge, the need to process and internalize the result of exploration, manipulation, activity, and stimulation, to resolve contradictions, to quest for solutions to problems and for self consistent systems of knowledge; f. Finally, the need for ego enhancement, for the self to be known and to be accepted and approved by others. 3) A constructivist view of motivation places even further emphasis on social context as well as individual person choices (Williams Burden 1997:120). Each person is motivated differently, and will therefore act on his or her environment in ways that are unique. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Edward Deci (1975:23) defined intrinsic motivation: â€Å"Intrinsically motivated activities are ones for which there is no apparent reward except the activity itself. People seem to engage in the activities for their own sake and not because they lead to an extrinsic reward†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.intrinsically motivated behaviours are aimed at bringing about certain internally rewarding consequences, namely, feelings of competence and self determination†. Extrinsically motivated behaviours, on the other hand, are carried out in anticipation of a reward from outside and beyond the self. Behaviours initiated solely to avoid punishment are also extrinsically motivated, even though numerous intrinsic benefits can ultimately accrue to those who instead, view punishment avoidance as a challenge that can build their sense of competence and self determination. The intrinsic and extrinsic continuum in motivation is applicable to foreign language classrooms and around the world. Regardless of the cultural beliefs and attitudes of learners and teachers, intrinsic and extrinsic factors can be easily identified (Dornyei and Csizer 1998). During the classroom observations, the researcher will identify whether the teacher use this kind of method. If the students communicate with their L1, should the teacher give a punishment or give them the motivation to communicate with L1 as long it will help the students to understand the whole lesson. 1.7. Significance of the study It is hope that the study will: Help all the teachers in selecting the best method in teaching the ESL classroom especially in the rural area. Determine the appropriateness of using the Malay in the ESL classroom. Enable the teacher to realize the important of using the L1 in the ESL classroom at the rural area. Help the students to gain their interest in learning the target language by giving them the opportunity to use their L1 while learning ESL. 1.8. Limitation of the study This study was undertaken with the following limitations; The small sample clearly does not represent the whole population of students in SMK in Felda Gedangsa. The sample taken is 40 students from one class in Felda Gedangsa. The reliability and validity of the survey instruments may be questioned. The questionnaire is not based on any existing survey instrument, which had been tested and/ or certified in terms of reliability and validity. The questionnaire is developed specifically for this study. The time constrain will limit the quality of the study. SMK Felda Gedangsa is situated in Ulu Selangor district and about 30KM from UPSI. It will take a long time in doing this study. The students level of proficiency is at the lower level and they will need help in understanding the questionnaires. 1.9. Summary Understanding of English is crucial for every student in the ESL classroom. Without a proper guide from the teacher, they will lose their motivation in learning. Teacher need to be ready with a proper methods and teaching skills and should not ignore the use of L1 in the classroom. With the lacking of vocabulary and understanding towards certain aspects in the learning process, surely the use of L1 in the classroom should be considered to guide the students. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1. Introduction This paper provides a review of the literature on students L1 are being used in the ESL classroom especially in the rural area and find out if it is an effective teaching and learning tool. There are several studies which are significance to the focus of this study. The summaries of previous work related to the hypothesis of the study are listed below. Long (1985, 1996), adapted the input Hypothesis to include interaction. His modified Input Hypothesis (1996) focuses on negotiation of meaning that occurs when communication breaks down. It proposes that oral input that is simplified through interactional modification is more successful than non-interactionally modified input in promoting learner comprehension, which in turn facilitates language acquisition. This hypothesis claims that the modified output produced by learners who are interacting in order to negotiate meaning can also aid acquisition. In this view, which gives importance to input that has been simplified through interaction, there is a possible role for the use of the learners L1 in the interactive input. Modified must give the learner information related to the linguistic form that were problematic and the use of the L1 is a potential source of this critical information (Gillis, 2007). 2.2. Close studies on the Using of L1 in the ESL Classroom Research on the usage of the L1 in the ESL classroom is a vital has demonstrated that L1 are not only effective but necessary for adult ESL students with limited L1 literacy or schooling and that use of students linguistic resources can be beneficial at all levels of ESL (Auerbach 1993). Auerbach (1993), performed a research on the topic of â€Å"Do you believe that ESL students should be allowed to use their L1 in the ESL classroom†? Only 20% of the respondents gave an unqualified yes to the question; 30% gave an unqualified no, (with comments such as, Its a school policy and No but its hard); the remaining 50% said sometimes (with comments such as Usually not, but if I have tried several times to explain something in English and a student still doesnt understand, then I allow another student who speaks the same language to explain in that language; Theyre going to do it anyway; As a last resort). The essence of these comments is captured by the following response In general ESL students should be encouraged to use English as much as possible, but in reality this doesnt always work. Thus, despite the fact that 80% of the teachers allowed the use of the L1 at times, the English only axiom is so strong that they didnt trust their own practice. On the flip side, when the native language is used, practitioners, researchers, and learners consistently report positive results. Rivera (1990) outlines various models for incorporating the L1 into instruction, including initial literacy in the L1 (with or without simultaneous but separate ESL classes) and bilingual instruction (where both languages are utilized within one class). The first benefit of such programs at the beginning levels is that they attract previously un-served studentsstudents who had been unable to participate in ESL classes because of limited L1 literacy and schooling. Further, contrary to the claim that use of the L1 will slow the transition to and impede the development of thinking in English, numerous accounts suggest that it may actually facilitate this process. Shamash (1990), for example, describes an approach to teaching ESL used at the Invergarry Learning Center near Vancouver which might be considered heretical by some: Students start by writing about their lives in their L1 or a mixture of their L1 and English; this text is then translated into English with the help of bilingual tutors or learners and, as such, provides a natural bridge for overcoming problems of vocabulary, sentence structure and language confidence. At a certain point in the learning process, according to Shamash, the learner is willing to experiment and take risks with English. Thus, starting with the L1 provides a sense of security and validates the learners lived experiences, allowing them to express themselves while at the same time providing meaningful written material to work with. This research had shows us that the usage of L1 in the ESL classroom is sometimes considered as vital because of the students level of proficiency. Tang (2002), based on her studies, â€Å"Using the mother tongue in the Chinese EFL classroom† bear many similarities to Schweers (1999) study in a Spanish context. Both studies indicate that the mother tongue was used by the majority of teachers investigated, and both students and teachers responded positively toward its use. Minor discrepancies exist concerning the occasions when the L1 should be used. Some of these differences can be accounted for by the participants different levels of L2 language proficiency. The teachers participating in this study indicated that the translation of some words, complex ideas, or even whole passages is a good way to learn a foreign language. Her observation of the three classes suggests that without translation, learners would be likely to make unguided and often incorrect translations. This study also reveals that in the EFL classes observed Chinese plays only a supportive and facilitating role. The chief medium of communication in the class is still English. As with any other classroom technique, the use of the mother tongue is only a means to the end of improving foreign language proficiency. She agreed with the majority of student participants (about 63 percent combined) that no more than 10 percent of class time should be spent using Chinese. In her experience, this percentage decreases as the students English proficiency increases. Of course, a translation course would be an exception. Unlike Schweers student participants, the students in the present study are highly motivated to learn English. As English majors in the university, their English language proficiency is regarded as a symbol of their identity and a route to future academic and employment opportunities. Few of them feel that English is imposed on them or regard the use of English as a threat to their identity. Instead, they generally prefer greater or exclusive use of English in the classroom. In their view, Chinese should be used only when necessary to help them learn English better. The research seems to show that limited and judicious use of the mother tongue in the English classroom does not reduce students exposure to English, but rather can assist in the teaching and learning processes (Tang, 2002). Strohmeyer and McGrail (1988) found that allowing for the exploration of ideas in the L1 served to enhance students ESL writing. When students were given the choice of writing first in Spanish, they went on to write pieces in English that were considerably more developed than their usual ESL writing. These findings from practice are supported by Garcias (1991) more formal research on effective instructional practices which found that (a) academically successful students made the transition from Spanish to English without any pressure from teachers; and (b) they were able to progress systematically from writing in the native language in initial literacy to writing in English later. A recent study by Osburne and Harss-Covaleski (1991) suggested that the widely frowned upon practice of writing first in the L1 and then translating into the L2 is not harmful to the quality of the written product. They cite the conventional wisdom that students should be discouraged from translating as this will cause them to make more errors, result in rhetorically inappropriate texts, and distract them from thinking in Englishand that all these factors would negatively affect the quality of their writing. To investigate the validity of this claim, they compared ESL compositions written directly in English with others written first in the L1 and then translated into English; their results indicated no significant difference in the quality or quantity of the written products. They conclude, It seems then that there is no need for teachers to become overly anxious if students choose to employ translation as a composing strategy at times. Friedlander (1990) cited numerous other studie s reporting the beneficial effects of using the L1 for L2 composing; his own study provides further support for L1 use in planning ESL writing when knowledge of the topic has been acquired in the L1. Mirzaei Vaezi (2007), had been conducted the study of the effect of using translation from L1 to L2 as a teaching technique on the improvement of EFL Learners Linguistic Accuracy- Focus on form. Based on the results obtained from the statistical analyses in the study, it was discovered that the idea of the effectiveness of using translation from L1 to L2 as a teaching technique to improve a group of Iranian EFL learners linguistic accuracy was supported. Therefore, it can be concluded that translating form L1 to L2, using specific structures, can enhance learners linguistic accuracy within the scope of those structures. It also manifests that learners mother tongue is not a useless element in second or foreign language learning. In other words, mother tongue, if used purposefully and systematically, can have a constructive role in teaching other languages. In effect, the purpose of the present study was to join the three vertices of the triangle i.e., first language, translation, an d focus on form. Moreover, it can be claimed that translating sentences form L1 to L2, if selected purposefully, can push learners to use specific structures accurately when producing utterances in the second language. This mental practice in transforming an idea from mother language to the second language helps the learner tackle the psycho-linguistic challenge they have to face in producing second language in real life situations. Nevertheless, when utilizing this teaching technique, the learners should be bewared about the structural differences existing between languages which may cause negative interference from their L1. In other words, learners should be warned that there is not always a structural correspondence between their first language and the language they are learning. To make it short, translation from L1 to L2 is a kind of practice which makes the learners use specific L2 structures accurately in order to express L1 ideas. This transformation—mental translation from L1 to L2â €”is a natural and sometimes inevitable process which is mostly experienced by the learners of lower levels. Consequently, as discussed above, the technique used in this study is a means through which learners can practice producing L2 grammatically correct sentences which enables them to perform accurately in communicative situations (Mirzaei Vaezi, 2007). Translation from L1 to L2 was not a strange process; nonetheless, it might not have been dealt with through systematic and research-based studies yet. Although the word translation and even mother tongue has been abominated by many so-called innovatory-oriented teachers, this study demonstrated that there are judicious ways in which language teachers can use mother tongue, in general, and translation from L1 to L2, in particular, in their instruction with the purpose of improving learners proficiency. In addition, mother tongue is truly a very rich source of linguistic knowledge with which any L2 learner is already equipped, and it does not seem reasonable to deprive our learners from using this recourse at the expense of exercising an English-only atmosphere in our classrooms. Therefore, it can be suggested that teachers be familiarized with advantages of using learners mother tongue in EFL/ESL classrooms and they should be reasonably given enough leeway to use this resource constructively. In particular, language teachers can use the technique presented in this study, i.e. using translation from L1 to L2, as a communicative task to promote their learners linguistic accuracy. Therefore, it seems reasonable to allocate some time to the training of teachers in this regard (Mirzaei Vaezi, 2007). Schweers (1999) had done a research on the attitudes toward the use of Spanish in the English classroom among the students and the teachers in Puerto Rican. A high percentage (88.7%) of the student participants in this study felt that Spanish should be used in their English classes. All of the teachers reported using Spanish to some degree. Approximately 99 percent of the students responded that they like their teachers to use only English in the classroom. Very noticeable is the 86 percent of students who would like Spanish used to explain difficult concepts. Only 22 percent of teachers saw this as an appropriate use. Students also responded notably higher than teachers on the following uses for Spanish: to help students feel more comfortable and confident, to check comprehension, and to define new vocabulary items. Neither students nor teachers saw a use for the L1 in testing. A notable percentage of students would like Spanish to be used in English class either between 10 and 39 p ercent of the time. A sizeable number of students like the use of Spanish because it helps them when they feel lost. About 87 percent of students feel Spanish facilitates their learning of English between â€Å"a little† and â€Å"a lot,† and about 57 percent think it helps from â€Å"fairly much† to â€Å"a lot.† These results showed that in English classes in a Puerto Rican university, Spanish should be used to some degree. Students feel there are clear cases where Spanish will facilitate their comprehension of what is happening in class. A majority also agree that the use of Spanish helps them to learn English. Studying students reactions to the use of the L1 in English classes, Terence Doyle (1997), in his presentation at TESOL 97, reported that students in a study he conducted claimed that the L1 was used approximately 90 percent of the time in their classes. Some 65 percent of these students preferred the use of the L1 in their classes sometimes or often. While the first figure is comparable to the one he found in his study, the second is higher than the percentage in his study. Romstedt (2000) had conducted a research of the effects of L1 Pre-writing discussion on ESL writing. The subjects of the study were thirty five graduate and undergraduate students, both male and female representing six native languages at two different levels of intensive English instruction. The general conclusi

Drugs :: essays research papers

The first time I did acid isn't the most interesting time I've done it, nor the most scary, but I guess it would still be a good read. I was going down to a friend's house on a Friday night. Everyone was planning to get majorly fucked up. A lot of people were going to do Dramamine. I read an FAQ on it, and it said if you have Asthma you shouldn't do Dramamine...and to be honest, Dramamine seemed pretty nightmarish after reading a few trip reports. So I decided to stick with something I knew: ROBO! I picked up this girl I promised to give a ride to my friend's house, and we stopped at the drug store, where I shopped for a nice bottle of Robotussin. I finally settled on generic CVS brand Robo. We hopped in the car, picked up an acquaintance of mine, Zack, and headed down to my friend's apartment. It was about an hour drive. We were all psyched because we knew we were going to be getting all fucked up that night. We listened to this local ska/punk band, Heft, and even though I felt like a dork, some Blink-182. I used to like them a lot, then they became famous, and I started feeling like a dork listening to them...I told myself that it's stupid to just not listen to things because of what other people would think though, and let myself enjoy the music. Besides, it was my tape. :) We saw this weird green lightning bolt while we were driving down. We started thinking maybe they're be a thunderstorm that night while we were all fucked up, and it would be awesome. After a little while, and a wrong turn or two, we ended up at my friend's (we'll call him Jo) apartment. Some of my friends were there already. There was P, who never does any sort of drugs...W, who always tried to get me to take acid, but i was too chicken...Jo, who owned the apartment...two girls who we'll call M and Fatty. Z was my acquaintance from the car, and H is the girl who I gave a ride down to the apartment. W told me that P was going to do Dramamine that night. That sort of worried me. P never did drugs, and I wondered if he would be ok, since the Dramamine trip reports I read seemed very disturbing.

Employee Resourcing Essay

Edwards, Scott and Raju (p. 71, 2003) have defined the term recruitment as â€Å"organizational practices and policies developed for the primary purpose of motivating applicants to apply, remain in the candidate pool, and accept offers. † Recruitment has been traditionally considered to have a minor role in the hiring process. Earlier the term recruitment to the hiring managers was primarily a means to indentify and use the sources, for instance the print media, which would give the maximum output in terms of applications from promising candidates. The importance of recruitment has increased multi-fold in recent times. This has been due to trends in 1990s like the changes in market which has necessitated a need for a large work force of specialized labors, and the internet which has given a wide platform for both the recruiters and job searchers to come in contact with each other (Edwards, Scott and Raju, p. 71, 2003). As a result of these trends the organizations have come to a scenario that not many people might apply when a job is posted. Even when the organization has selected a candidate it can no longer be assumed that they would be accepting these offers. Hence, there is an increasing awareness among people who take care of a company’s recruitment that the process covers far more than merely looking out for sources where the advertisements for job openings are to be put. This report gives an overview of the recruitment trends and selection practices in recent times in UK, the factors impacting these trends and selection practices in the country. Recruitment trends in UK in recent times The recruitment practices of organizations in UK have seen a drastic change in the recent times. Various practices and conditions are seen to exist in the organizations these days, which were not present a few decades ago like provision of creches, job-sharing, part-time work, and home-working. There is also a lot of stress on gender equality by the various companies. For instance, banks are seen to be the pioneers in devising various schemes to hire and retain women. Another of these trends is also to review policies such as those which used to encourage early retirement based on various conditions (Hendry, p. 42, 1995). There have been some additional schemes like performance related pays, which brought about the appraisal management system to fore. The trends for various organizations in UK is to use systems like the 360 feedback system for performance related pays, to motivate their employees so that they stay and work with the company and see this translated to an increase in the pay packages (Anderson, p. 130, 2005). Internet boom has been seen to impact all the aspects of businesses. Recruitment is no exception, and has seen a major change in the way companies recruit people. The trend to adopt internet as a means to recruit people, has also seen in face of the increasing number of companies looking to recruit people. The ease of finding people has increased as the companies can now access databases of people living in far off places in a short time. The online recruitment activity in UK increased by 30% for August 2007, from last year August 2006 (Monster, p. 1, 2007) For the managerial vacancies, the trend is that the vacancies are filled from the internal labor market while the senior management positions are as likely filled internally as externally. This trend means that on the supply side there has been an increase in new entrants in the labor market while on the demand side the organizations have a need for new managerial recruits. Selection Practices in UK in recent times Swift and Robertson (2000) cite several surveys conducted for selection practices to point out that the employers use a wide range of selection techniques depending upon the type of jobs for which the people are being recruited. They also said that the survey showed that no one method for selection was used as a standardized or stand-alone technique in small, middle, and even large sized corporations. The most used current selection practices were found to be application forms, interviews with single interviewer, panel interviewers, personality tests, references, ability tests, selection centers, CVs, and group selection centers. Despite the many reports of unreliability and invalidity, traditional selection methods of interview, application form and references are the most popular selection practices used. Of these, personal interviews are considered to be the most widely criticized method of selection, and the third most popular toll behind reference checking and application forms. The more sophisticated techniques like the assignment centers and psychological testing are relatively less used in UK. Though there has been a rise in the number of psychometric tests used by large sized corporations while selecting new recruits, the traditional methods are still the most common tools for selection (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley, p. 60, 2004). Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley (2004) also point out that there has been a rise in the flexible working practices in UK, in particular the non-standard contracts. There has been a rise in flexible contracts related to salary packages like sharing profits, introduction of performance incentive and also flexibility in the working hours. Changing environment in UK in the last few decades Organizations in UK faced the impact of the economic changes that occurred in 1980s through the 1990s. There were changes in the economic environment, labor law, government labor market policy, demographic changes and also the political climate, all of which had an impact on the organizations and hence their personnel management policies. There was a severe recession of 1980-81, followed by a period of growth till the early 1990s and again a slump in the last quarter of 1990s when the economic growth ceased (Hendry, p. 23, 1995). Due to the recession in the country there was a need for bringing in more foreign currency, hence imports became cheaper and foreign firms were drawn to the UK market. All of these brought about a collapse in the manufacturing sector which could not keep up with the measures taken by the government to bring up the recession. The industries began to restructure and this brought about the internationalization of various firms due to acquisitions and mergers (Hendry, p. 25, 1995). The trend for internationalization was present in UK but was chiefly restricted to Europe both in terms of trade and movement of capital. But the 1980s and 1990s saw the companies expand overseas in other countries to explore newer market and / or use cheaper labor due to the inherently tight labor market (Hendry, p. 27, 1995). There were other changes for instance the demographic and social changes brought about by the education system, which meant that more people were trained in higher education, and hence the labor force fell sharply through the 1980s. However, the proportion of women entering the labor market started to rise. Politically too UK saw marked changes as the Thatcher government gave way to new governments and different work related policies as well as the overall policies (Hendry, p. 40, 1995). Effects of External Environment on Labor Markets All the changes in the UK environment affected the personnel management practices by the organizations. The section above gave a brief on some of the major environment changes while this section would be giving the impact of the changes on the labor market and the next section would give the corresponding consequences in the recruitment and selection process. The collapse of the industrial segment in UK had far reaching impacts on the labor market. There was large scale unemployment which was well over 3 million for almost five years, with large regional imbalances. There were forced redundancies and many of the units were closed down. This made the companies look out for increased measures in productivity by using flexible working practices. This also led to the sharp demarcations between the various levels of employees. The slump led to internationalization in two ways. First the people in the middle class who were traditionally the labors increasingly sent their offspring to universities for higher studies. This led to an increase in the number of people qualified tor white collar and professional jobs, and the number of labors decreased. Organizations in UK hence started looking to countries in Asia and Africa for filling this labor gap. There were also direct acquisitions which led to foreign companies acquiring stakes in UK companies, which led to internationalization. The internationalization brought people from different cultures in contact with each other on regular basis. This meant that the people needed to be culturally conditioned to blend in easily with the increasingly changing work environment. The increase in the number of women in the industry at various levels brought about massive changes in the working culture of the organizations. There were issues like employee safety and newer incentives were introduced to attract employees like facilities of creches, providing pick-up and drop facilities. Effects of External Environment on Recruitment Process The labor market in UK has traditionally being tight due to the reasons outlined above. The market was affected due to two important events foot-and-mouth disease and 9/11 crisis. These events brought about crisis in the financial markets, a fall in tourism and other related activities, thus increasing the unemployment. However, in spite of these changes the labor market remains a challenge for recruiters in terms of recruitment and selection (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley, p. 48, 2004). The recruiters need to attract people to work in their organizations, which is the first important step. The second step is to follow a rigid but effective selection process which would ensure that the right people have been selected to work in the company. Recruitment and selection process are seen to be the most important functions of Human Resource Management process. This is because an effective recruitment and selection process ensures an efficient labor force while a poor one might have negative effects to the company’s productivity which are long lasting. The companies prefer that their employees are sources both internally and externally, so that the internal employees are motivated and fresh blood is brought into the company which is necessary for innovation. The rise in technology especially the internet has seen to it that the companies can have a diverse work force. The large companies have also used software technologies to use databases to keep track of their employees for checking their performance levels which would air the process of internal recruitment. UK companies traditionally preferred to fill their positions internally especially for managerial recruitments, though this is changing in the face of internationalization. Various organizations are also seen to improve the process of re-training and provide attractive incentives like performance related packages for recruiting and retaining employees (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley, p. 0, 2004). Effects of External Environment on Selection Process After potential candidates apply for the position, the selection process must ensure that the most promising candidates are selected for the positions. This is again a challenge to the recruiters because of the increasing stress laid on the employees to excel not only in their job but also added skills like team-spirit and adapting to change. Many of the positions require that the candidate must be comfortable for working in newer locations, which was traditionally limited to people in the sales and marketing department. In addition, the potential candidates must also be abreast with the fast changing technological environment, and be able to cope up with it. All these must be the elements of the selection process, which means a high burden for people designing the process to ensure only the right candidates, are selected (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley, p. 60, 2004). As is already mentioned above, personal interview though is the most criticized, is still the most preferred by recruiters in UK. The reason for this is probably the importance the company people give to personal judgment. With the increasing number of people coming from different regions and countries, references and applications are considered to be the most important tools in the selection process. The reference checking is done with due diligence and the responses are always recorded. In many cases, the companies also go in for reference checking by employing private agencies to check up on the potential candidate. Application forms are of course the necessary input for any further steps in the selection process (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley, p. 60, 2004).

Essay on The Civil War in the United States in 1861-1865 part 2

Essay on The Civil War in the United States in 1861-1865 part 2 Essay on The Civil War in the United States in 1861-1865 part 2 Essay on The Civil War in the United States in 1861-1865 part 2Essay on The Civil War in the United States in 1861-1865 part  1South was lack of basic necessities. Its small industry worked for the war effort, and sea blockade prevented export of cotton to Europe and getting food and medication. Although the human and material resources of the South were at the limit, its military power has not yet been broken.In the spring of 1863, under the command of Lee, southerners again dealt a severe blow to the federal army on the Virginia portion, but it was the last major victory of the rebels. Human resources of the North were huge, former slaves appeared to be good soldiers. Industry of the North, which ended the industrial revolution, worked at full capacity, farmers expanded supply of agricultural products (they purchased cotton in England or replaced with wool), thousands of immigrants came to the states.The army of Lee was stopped at Gettysburg (PA) and dropped back to Virginia in J uly 1863, and the Grant troops took Confederate stronghold on the river Mississippi. This marked a turning point in the war. In the spring of 1864, federal troops began an offensive in the west in the heart of the Confederacy Georgia. In the fall, General William Sherman took the largest industrial center of the South, Atlanta, and began famous march to the sea. On April 9, 28,000 army of Lee was surrendered, as well as troops of the other generals of the South (175 thousand people). Thus ended the civil war, which killed over 600 thousand people from both sides (Mousseau, 2012).Lincoln’s deathOn April 14, 1865, in the theater Lincoln was shot by the actor Booth, fanatic killers. It was the revenge of the slaveholders. Lincolns death plunged America into mourning. He gained respect and love of people of different political views and beliefs. Consistently following the universal values in politics and in life, unselfish and friendly, a great American, was one of the few polit ical figures of his time, who impressed even the supporters of revolutionary class struggle.Lincoln did not sought to the dictatorship in relation to the South. He wanted to restore the US on the same, equal to all states constitutional basis, with the only condition the recognition of the abolition of slavery. He considered magnanimity to the defeated, restoration of their political rights the most appropriate course of promoting civil peace. Life has shown, however, that solving problems of post-war reconstruction of the South was not so easy, and events have gone in a different direction than Lincoln relied.Reconstruction Era (18651877)   Slavery was abolished in the country irrevocably by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which was approved in April by the Senate, and by 3/4 of the states in December, 1865. There remained unresolved specific questions of the further existence of the South the conditions of admission of the former Confederate states into the Union, posi tion of former slave owners and freed slaves, device power and others. In the US, there was no consensus in ruling circles in this respect. A group of influential congressional Republicans headed by Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner insisted on a military dictatorship over the South, deprivation of active participants of the rebellion of civil rights and providing them to blacks.After the death of Lincoln, disagreement between the President and Congress worsened. The new President Andrew Johnson, a former vice president, continued Lincoln’s course. He had neither fame nor the authority of his predecessor, and the practical results of the first peacekeeping policy turned against him. He adopted the decree of amnesty in May 1865, which restored the planters in civil, political and proprietary rights (except the right to have slaves).Confiscated during the war plantations were returned to former owners, who forced and threatened black population to work for former owner. There branched terrorist organizations, including the famous Ku Klux Klan. Having power, they adopted black codes laws that deprived former slaves land property rights, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, assembly and meetings, right to marry whites, and so on (Harvey, 2012).In July 1866, Congress passed the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. It deprived the leaders of the Confederation of the right to hold public office, and equalized the rights of blacks with whites. Radical Reconstruction meant the forced democratization of life in the South, with the support of the army, which entered southern states, but without unleashing terror and dictatorship.The agrarian question was decided by a resolution to buy property. By 1880, almost total illiteracy among blacks reduced to 70%. By the end of the 60s, in the southern states they actively used their political rights and were elected even to Congress. Constitution of the southern states was revised, which was a decisive factor in i ts acceptance to union on a new basis.A booming capitalism in a natural, evolutionary way leveled the differences between the North and the South, and in the 70s Radical Reconstruction gradually diminished. As the Democratic Party stepped up its mass base, including the expense of the farmers and poor whites of the South, the Republican lost its former influence over the masses. In 1876, presidential candidate of the Democrats, Samuel J. Tilden (NY) received more votes than Republican Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio. However, the election results were reviewed and majority was given to Hayes. Leaders of both parties made a deal: the US president was a Republican in exchange for a commitment to withdraw federal troops from the territory of the South.Meaning of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era   Both events were a single entity, and went far beyond the military victory of the North over the South. Conflict of free enterprise and plantation slavery can be seen as a conflict between t wo forms of ownership and diametrically opposed types of work organization of capital: slavery excludes wage labor, and vice versa.The main outcome of the Civil War was the abolishment of slavery. The remaining components of the US economy industry, commerce, agriculture farm developed before the war. In the northeast United States, the industrial revolution ended before the 60s. The Civil War temporarily reduced the rate of economic growth, but ultimately it prepared the development of capitalism on a much broader basis. Adopted in 1862 Homestead Act was the most progressive solution of the agrarian question, and the Republican Party, staying in power from 1861 to 1884, held a series of activities for the benefit of entrepreneurs.As for the South, after the Civil War it still was behind the North and West of the USA. Part of plantations were transferred to new owners, a part was divided into small plots and leased. Still mostly blacks worked on plantations, but as farm laborers or tenant sharecroppers, giving part of the harvest to the owner.The abolition of slavery created a crucial prerequisite for the formation of the labor market in the South, but it was not fully formed even in the years of radical Reconstruction. The main obstacle was the fact of racial discrimination black Americans usually could get only the most difficult and dirty work. Black people in general remained at the position of lower class, although a small portion of them became educated people, owners and even entrepreneurs.Reconstruction could not solve all the problems of turning the South into the same region of the US, as free north and west. However, it pushed the events follow the evolutionary path.ConclusionIt took almost a century the struggle of black Americans for their civil rights to culminate in the actual, real success. This occurred not only under the influence of their own struggle, which took sometimes violent forms, but also because of the evolution of American societ y on the way of recognition of human values and respect for human rights, which for the first time were proclaimed in America in 1776. The first step in this direction was made by the great document abolishing slavery, signed by Abraham Lincoln.The civil war between northern and southern states was the inevitable consequence of the contradictions between the two social systems in the country. The question of slavery, which was entirely determined by the economic and political interests of the planters, was the key issue. Maximum program of the most aggressive circles of the South was turning the US into a single slave power, but they were quite satisfied with separation from the Union as an independent state (Carroll, 2011).In the winter-spring 1861, Confederation of 11 southern states was formed. On April 13, southerners unleashed hostilities with shelling federal Fort Sumter in Charleston bay (South Carolina), whose small garrison capitulated and lowered the American flag. Thus be gan a four-year Civil War the most bloody and destructive of all that took place on the territory of the United States. The turning point in the war in favor of the free states was achieved through conducting it in a revolutionary way. Homestead Acts from May 20, and the act of freeing the slaves from September 22, 1862 had a crucial meaning. While South was lack of basic necessities, the north finished industrial revolution. On April 9, 1864 the victory was taken by the north and there started Reconstruction Era (1865-1877). The main outcome of the Civil War was the abolishment of slavery.