Justification of selection process an Example of the Topic Business Essays by

Justification of selection process Introduction The process chosen is a combination of a number of techniques. First a job analysis is done, this is then followed by a description of the type of vacancy involved and the position is specified, a selection process is done and lastly a justification made for this choice. Students Often Tell EssayLab support: I'm don't want to write my paper because I want to spend time with my boyfriend. Can I pay for paper writing here? Specialists recommend: EssayLab is Your Best Essay Helper Job analysis The purpose of the job analysis is to give a brief outline of all the requirements for the job. (Ervin, 1999) The method used is a combination of questionnaires, recommendations and observation. The observation will be done by the human resource manager who will find out what the physical and intellectual needs of a chef are. Recommendations will be done by members of staff from the affiliate restaurant that performs similar roles or those who supervise persons similar to the vacant position. Lastly, the method of Common Method Questionnaire will be used to obtain accurate information about the vacancy. This questionnaire will include five sections and 247 questions. The sections will be divided as follows; general background, decision making physical activities, contacts with people and work setting. The questions asked will include the following: Do you use cook books or TV recipes for your work? Ratings are also done by placing answers within four scales. Need essay sample on "Justification of selection process" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Job description The job description contains the following information: Department: Kitchen Job title: Senior Chef Responsibility: ensuring effective kitchen operation and customer service Job purpose: to coordinate a team of chefs and provide customer care. Main function: a) Kitchen duties- planning regular meals in the menu, planning specials, preparing meals and dishes to acceptable standards and adhering to strict hygienic standards. b) Customer care- providing direct friendly service to customers or ensuring waiters and waitresses do it appropriately, monitoring the speed of food production and providing assistance in the presentation of food. Special conditions: work will be done during the weekends and holidays. Overtime will also be necessary and will be paid accordingly and normal working hours will expected to be 32 hours. Position specification The company: The Tomato Deep Company is a restaurant that offers a variety of catering services from regular dishes to special functions like weddings and other entertainment activities. Location: Massachusetts Reporting relationships: the candidate who qualifies will report to the restaurant manager. Basic function: The Senior chef will ensure that food is made to acceptable standards and will provide customer care. Skills: supervising skills, meal presentation, meal preparation and customer care skills. Education: the candidate should have a degree in Catering and food services. Required experience: five to ten years experience in a busy restaurant. Skills: Must be innovative when coming up with new menus Must have good managerial skills to coordinate work done by other chefs Must be an excellent communicator with an ability to work well under pressure Selection Process This aspect will involve use of a number of processes. Because the application will be advertised in print media, it will generate a lot of buzz. A number of processes will be necessary in order to eliminate a high number of candidates. (Michael, 2002) Applications A resume and application letter will be necessary for this process and it must contain information about ones qualifications. The cover letter will be written manually and candidates must include all the information necessary from the job descriptions and must have at least the minimum qualification. (Jack, 2003) Performance Exam The performance exam will be conducted in order to determine whether candidates are able to do tasks related to the job. Notices will be given to applicants who passed through the first round. The exam will be conducted by chefs from Tomato Deeps affiliate restaurant from Mississippi. The following will be examined during this process: quality of work (this will be checked by testing the dish prepared, and examining table presentations), safety (the candidate must adhere to strict HACCP standards in his/her food handling), adaptability (candidates must be able to come up with a suitable meal given certain ingredients) and lastly, their ability to work well under pressure (they will be given two groups to cater to while preparing the dish). (Schuler, 1998) Panel interview Candidates considered are those who passed the latter exam and results obtained from this process will make candidates eligible for another selection interview- this will only be for candidates who score a percentage greater than seventy. The Panel will be made up of three evaluators. Candidates will be asked questions relating to the position of a Chef and this will be done within a specific time i.e. fifteen minutes each. Candidates will be categorized into three group starting from the least qualified to the most qualified: the first category will be called qualified, the second category is the well qualified group and the last category will be called Superior Candidate. Selection Interview This will be strictly for eligible candidates who will have been selected from the Panel interview. (Ervin, 1999) This will be conducted by the Chief Supervisor and some of the questions that will be asked in this interview include: What makes you think you can perform this job? How will you ensure that meals are innovative and exciting? What are some of the things to look out for when doing a hazard analysis? Give an example of dishes you can prepare for a wedding ceremony. What international cuisines are you familiar with? How would you ensure that your team keeps time yet does not compromise on food quality? What did you learn from your previous job that you can apply here? What can you suggest to ensure that the Tomato Deep restaurant remains ahead of the competition in the food industry? The candidate who qualifies will be required to undergo medical checkups, drug screen and an investigation will be done on his/her background. On commencement, they will be given probation of six months. The employee must bring their driving license or passport with them. In addition to this they must be qualified to work in the country. Justification of the selection process Before the selection process was done, there was a job analysis done, the reason why this was done was to enable the recruiters to fully understand the job. It does not make any sense filling in a vacancy when the position itself is not well understood. From this evaluation, the selection methods were chosen. The job analysis involved use of the Common Metric Questionnaire. The reason why this method was selected was because it can be completed by incoming employees. It is quite easy to follow and does not require any prior knowledge. It uses absolute ratings rather than relative ratings. This means that it is quite accurate. The same view is shared by Commission on Behavioural and Social Sciences and Education. (1999). In addition to the above advantages regarding this method of using questionnaires is the fact that a variety of jobs can be compared using this method. If there was another vacancy in the organization, it could have been rated alongside the chef position. There are a variety of questionnaires or instrumental methods that could have been used. The reason why the CMQ method was singled out was because it does not have a deficiency in content coverage. It is quite exhaustive since over two hundred questions are asked. The questions asked are related to behaviour and are not abstract. This is quite important for a job that is mostly practical especially someone like a chef who will have some management responsibilities. The type of English used is quite simple i.e. eighth grade reading level; some other types of questionnaires like the PAQ require a reading level of postgraduate or college. Other methods of instrumental analysis have been limiting in terms of ability to solve problems relating to personnel. These other methods have also been problematic because they are too general and lack specifity. (Robert, 1993)Lastly, other methods of instrumental analysis require hiring job analysts and consultants, this can prove too be quite expen sive to the interviewer. Another method chosen for the job analysis was through observation. The reason this was selected was because it adds a human dimension to the process. Instrumental methods are quite good but they need to be complemented by adding a human touch to the survey. The vacancy was communicated to interested candidates to eliminate the chance of biases which arise as result of personal references. Print media is also a good method of advertisement because it attracts a large pool of applicants. This increases the chances of getting qualified persons because one will be dealing with large numbers. (Sarah, 2007) After the advertisement, application letters and resumes were sent. Those who did not posses the specified qualifications in their resumes should be eliminated while those who posses them ought to be invited for further examination. Subject matter content in the cover letter will also be analysed by an expert to further sieve candidates-applicants should portray honest information. Contact information will be obtained from these very applications. Information included in the application letter must be detailed relating directly to the position and only those who send their letters within due time will be considered hence late entrants will be automatically disqualified. The importance of such a method is that one can be able to determine who meets the minimum qualification. This eliminates a large variety of applicants who may simply be trying their luck but have no idea whatsoever how to do the job. It helps in narrowing down the numbers and giving one an idea of the kind of personality applicants have through their grammar and organization in the application letter. This was the reason why the application letters were manually written and not online. (EL, 2007) Performance exams were chosen because some candidates may be nervous in front of a panel of judges. It can eliminate suitable candidates who might be possessing real talent. This brings about a balance to the selection process by introducing a practical element. It also focuses on job specific skills as some candidates are so convincing verbally but they may not be able to met job needs. Performance processes also help in determining candidates thought process and their ability to prioritize tasks or to work well under pressure. The Panel interview and the selection interview were chosen because they enable the employer and potential employee to get to know each other. It puts a face to the names and the qualifications. Because the interview questions are sometimes tricky, they help the interviewer to choose the fastest thinkers. This aspect is quite important in this job because it requires an ability to work well under pressure. The Panel comprised of one member from the Human Resources Department because they are quite conversant with detection of talent and they have an in-depth knowledge of the environment within the organization. They are at a good position to know who suits the position. The Panel also consists of a member from outside the work unit because they bring in a foreign element to the judgement process. They may be aware of some new things in the food industry and they also have no biases. (Southern Cross University, 2007) The interview as a selection process is quite important because it focuses on core questions that entail to the job description. The questions act as a platform for sieving the candidates who give specific examples and those who do not. For example the first question listed above is a bit general but must be put in context by the interviewee through examples. Another advantage of an interview is the fact that interaction is possible between both parties. Candidates can also ask any questions which may be unclear in the job advertisement or job description. This will also be another opportunity to find out what kind of personality a potential employee has. (Southern Cross University, 2007) If the interviewer has run out of time, then he/she has a criterion which he/she can use to cut down on the candidates who qualify for the selection interview in a fair manner. This is possible because the Panel interview divides candidates into categories from the highest to the lowest potential. So not all the candidates who passed have to be interviewed a second time. Conclusion A selection process must be free of bias and should provide a suitable ground for choosing the right candidate. This is the reason why a combination of many methods was used. The disadvantages of one process were compensated by the advantages in another process. Also, a large pool of applicants was chosen to increase the chances of selecting the most suitable candidate for the job. Reference Sarah, L. (2007): Human Resource Management: Employee Attraction and Selection Guide Schuler, R. (1998): Managing Human Resources; South Western College publishing. Ervin, B. (1999): Recruiting and hiring outstanding Staff; a journal by the Ohio State University. EL (2007): Selection process; retrieved from http://www.elinfonet.com/ ; accessed on 21st November Michael, R. (2002): Personnel/ Human Resource Management; Prentice Press Jack, E. (2003): The Human Resources Program Evaluation Handbook; McMillan Publishers. Southern Cross University (2007): The selection process Robert, J. (1993): Development of the Common Metric Questionnaire (CMQ)

Rubber Egg and Chicken Bones - Mad Scientist Lab

Rubber Egg and Chicken Bones - Mad Scientist Lab A Mad Scientist can make a toy out of just about anything, including a boiled egg. Soak an egg in a common kitchen ingredient, vinegar, to dissolve its shell and make the egg rubbery enough that you can bounce it on the floor like a ball. Soaking chicken bones in vinegar will soften them so that they will become rubbery and flexible. Rubber Egg Materials hard-boiled eggglass or jar, big enough to hold the eggvinegar Turn the Egg into a Bouncy Ball Place the egg in the glass or jar.Add enough vinegar to completely cover the egg.Watch the egg. What do you see? Little bubbles may come off the egg as the acetic acid in the vinegar attacks the calcium carbonate of the eggshell. Over time the color of the eggs may change as well.After 3 days, remove the egg and gently rinse the shell off of the egg with tap water.How does the boiled egg feel? Try bouncing the egg on a hard surface. How high can you bounce your egg?You can soak raw eggs in vinegar for 3-4 days, with a slightly different result. The eggs shell will become soft and flexible. You can gently squeeze these eggs, but its not a great plan to try to bounce them on the floor. Make Rubbery Chicken Bones If you soak chicken bones in vinegar (the thinner bones work best), the vinegar will react with the calcium in the bones and weaken them so that they will become soft and rubbery, as if they had come from a rubber chicken. It is the calcium in your bones that makes them hard and strong. As you age, you may deplete the calcium faster than you replace it. If too much calcium is lost from your bones, they may become brittle and susceptible to breaking. Exercising and eating a diet that includes calcium-rich foods can help prevent this from happening.

The Descent of Hag

The Descent of Hag The Descent of Hag The Descent of Hag By Mark Nichol The headline of this post uses descent in two senses: This post discusses the etymological origin of hag, but it also points out how the connotation of the term has plummeted in status. The contemporary connotation of hag is â€Å"old woman,† with additional senses of a careless, ugly, or evil appearance; the offensive term â€Å"fag hag† refers to a straight woman who associates with gay men. In the Middle Ages, the term referred to a female demon or an evil spirit, but it was originally associated with highly respected oracles, or soothsayers. Hag is the truncated version of the Old English term hagetes (also spelled hagtesse), meaning â€Å"witch† or â€Å"sorceress.† The second syllable, later misidentified as a mere suffix, was lopped off, but that’s the essential element; it’s probably related to words in other languages referring to demons or spirits, while hag is likely cognate with hedge. The significance of that term is that hedges were considered the boundary between civilization and the wild, and witches- and reclusive women with mysterious healing abilities who were sometimes accused of being witches- straddled both worlds. A term with a loose association, hagridden, refers to sleep paralysis, because of the belief that one’s sense of being immobilized while lying in bed was caused by a spirit bearing down on the sufferer; by extension, the term also means â€Å"tormented,† and the verb hagride means â€Å"torment.† Similarly, the rare adjective hagged originally meant â€Å"bewitched† and later acquired the sense of â€Å"gaunt,† due to the belief that such an appearance was the result of bewitchment. Haggard, originally meaning â€Å"unruly† or â€Å"wild,† is not directly related- it comes from the Old French phrase faulcon hagard (â€Å"wild falcon†)- but it’s a distant relation that acquired the sense of â€Å"worn† by association with hag. Other related words include the archaic noun haw, meaning â€Å"enclosure† (the first syllable of hawthorn), and hex, which originally referred to a witch but later came to apply to a witch’s spell. (Haggle has a separate derivation; it’s related to hack.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withWriting the Century25 Idioms with Clean

Paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paraphrase - Essay Example Determining whether this was an appropriate sample or whether the study was conducted in accordance with experimental testing standards is not possible given the provided information, which detracts somewhat from the study’s reliability. Open kinetic chain and active knee positioning was selected as the means of testing knee position sense because JPS, or the ability to reproduce joint angles, is considered an important component of joint perception and JPS is commonly measured through active ipsilateral matching. It has been suggested that JPS is more sensitive to fatigue than kinesthesia (Skinner et al, 1986) while studies such as Paillard and Brouchon (1974) have suggested that active use of the joint contributes to a clear sense of knee positioning. Because of this more precise conception of the knee’s position, it was hypothesized that this method would provide a more accurate measurement of muscle receptors in the extensor and flexor structures. As part of the published study, the researcher did provide a brief explanation of the data collection method, but further analysis proves the study’s method is insufficient for accurate results. In addition to the problem already mentioned regarding the selection of the study sample, the participants engaged in the data collection process during a single morning session, providing little comparison data and no control group. According to Ribeiro et al (2007), measurements were taken once before applying fatigue protocol and once afterwards. This fatigue protocol is described as 30 repetitions at maximum range of motion on an isokinetic dynamometer, essentially a computerized leg lift machine with additional gauges used to measure various muscle groups within the leg. The rate of activity was set at an angular velocity of 120 s (Ribeiro et al, 2007). To ensure the relevant muscles were properly warmed up before this activity, participants were asked to participate in five minu tes of

Enron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enron - Essay Example Within about 5 years of the emergence of the Internet and the Web, electricity consumption linked to this new phenomenon had surged to 8 percent of total consumption. Naturally enough, this caught the eye of the prosperous energy trader down in Houston. How could Enron play in this exciting new game (Jorion 2003, p. 6) In order for a firm to have a reasonable chance of success in the realm of the Internet, it needed to be able to control its risks. Well, this was something that Enron was in a very good position to do. In fact, very few companies in the 1990s were as well positioned as Enron to play in this game (or so it seemed). "What Enron has been about for a long time," said Jeff Skilling, then Enron's chief operating officer, "has been making and restructuring markets. If you look at the present phenomenon, the Internet, it also comes into existing markets and dramatically overhauls them. That's something we started doing in the mid-1980s. The Internet just gives us the juice to extend more products across more markets more quickly (Jorion 2003, p. 6)." In particular, Enron got interested in the exotic-sounding world of broadband, which is a catch-all term for high-speed access to the Internet through the use of fiber-optic cable. Broadband is little more than a data pipeline of great bandwidth, or carrying capacity. (Or more precisely, bandwidth "determines the speed at which data can flow through computer and communications systems without interference (Jorion 2003, p. 6)." Even at the time-even amid all the Internet hype and hoopla-people knew that the nascent broadband/ bandwidth industry was a dicey proposition. "The market will not be for the faint of heart or the ill-prepared," one observer commented. "Success will require careful consideration of the appropriate market entry strategy. Organizations must ask the tough questions, such as 'what's my appetite for risk' (Jorion 2003, p. 6)" Well, in Enron's case, the answer was "big appetite." In the spring of 1999, Enron created a company called Enron Communications, Inc., that soon changed its name to Enron Broadband Services (EBS). It began selling a standardized bandwidth product, effectively turning the elusive concept of bandwidth into a commodity (Jorion 2003, p. 6). WHAT WENT WRONG For a while, and especially from a particular perspective, it worked. That perspective, of course, was the price of a share of Enron stock. People loved the idea of Enron and the Internet converging. Within 9 months-that is, the period between year-end 1999 and September 2000- Enron's stock price soared. In fact, it more than doubled-from $44 to $90 (Jorion 2003, p. 6-7). For a group of ambitious and self-impressed executives-especially those with heavy stock options-stock-price fever is something like heroin addiction. It goes from being a nice-to-have to the be-all and end-all. And over time, you need more and more of the stuff to get those good feelings. (In fact, when you do not get the stuff, you start feeling bad.) Management got accustomed to a high and rising stock price-and so, by the way, did Wall Street (Jorion 2003, p. 7). When stock-price fever sets in, lots of other temptations begin

ESP Methodology And Syllabus

ESP Methodology And Syllabus It is debatable whether ESP has a distinctive methodology and syllabus. This paper argues that methodology and syllabus design in English Language Teaching (ELT) andESP differ little and that it is not possible to say whether general ELT has borrowed ideas for methodology from ESP or whether ESP has borrowed ideas from general ELT. two characteristic features of ESP methodology are identified: ESP can base activities on students specialism, and ESP activities can have a truly authentic purpose derived from students target needs. Dudley-Evans and St. John(1998) maintain that what characterizes ESP methodology is the use of tasks and activities reflecting the students specialist area Introduction In the 1970s, EFL teachers first ventured out of the Arts Faculty and the gentle landscape of language and literature into the land beyond the mountains inhabited by illiterate and savage tribes called scientists, businessmen and engineers, wrote Ramsden (2002). In the light of this quotation, Ramsden pours his scorn over the turning point in the history of language teaching from art to science; and from English for general purposes(EGP) to English for specific purposes(ESP) . Though ESP emanates from EGP, it has established itself as a distinct trend. The distinctions between ESP and EGP are quite fuzzy. To clarify the issue, Hutchinson and Waters (1987) pointed out that there is no difference in theory, but in practice, there is a great deal. This paper delves deeply into the literature of ESP and EGP to uncover their points of similarities and differences, chiefly at the level of syllabus design , methodology and instructional materials. For the sake of clarification, theoretical preliminaries will be provided from the outset. As expected, the current paper is comparative in nature and selective in illustration. Theoretical Preliminaries: Definitions of: EGP: According to Blackwell, EGP is polarized with ESP ( English for specific purposes) to refer to contexts such as the school where needs cannot readily be specified. This view is misleading, since purpose is always inherent. EGP is more usefully considered as providing a broad foundation rather than a detailed and selective specification of goals. EGP, then, refers to that basic linguistic code that could be used in larger context and in everyday conversation. It does not take into account neither the requirements of a workplace nor needs of learners. Being general in its nature, EGP holds a sway at the core level of language instruction. ESP According to Longman dictionary of applied linguistics, ESP refers to the role of English in a language course or program of instruction in which the content and aims of the course are fixed by the specific needs of a particular group of learners. For example courses in English for academic purposes, English for science and technology, and English for Nursing. In this regards, ESP is chiefly associated with special language or register. However, Hutchinson and Waters )1987, p.19) claimed that ESP is not a particular kind of language or methodology, nor does it consist of a particular type of teaching material. Understood properly, it is an approach to language teaching. From the above definitions, one can notice that there is no absolute clear cut between ESP and EGP. To ask which one embraces the other is likely to generate divergent views. In an attempt to answer this question, Hutchinson and waters ) 1987.p.18) have drawn a tree of ELT where the ESP is just one branch of EFL/ESL, which are themselves the main branches of English Language teaching in general.. However, A closer gaze at the tree and to the ramifications of ESP and EGP uncovers the distinctive features of each. These features will be tackled in subsequent section. Distinctive features of ESP and EGP: Despite the overlapping connections between EGP and ESP, there are several differences at the level of their concerns and practices. First, the focus in ESP is on training students to conform well to the requirements of the workplace; whereas, in EGP, the main focus is on education. Widdowson( 1983) sees the difference between Education and Training as that of creativity versus conformity (in White, 1988: p.18). Second, Designing a course content in EGP is much more difficult than in ESP for the difficulty of predicting the future needs of EGP students. Knowing about only learners survival needs is quite unbeneficial because it may lead to an oversimplified language, unauthentic communicative structure and unrealistic situational content. Third, ESP learners are usually adults with an average mastery of English language. Their main purpose is to communicate and learn a set of professional skills. In EGP, the age of learners , however, varies from childhood to adulthood. Their chief purpose behind learning English is to achieve communication in the basic everyday communication. At the level of macro-skills, the four language skills are integrated and reinforced in EGP instruction, while in ESP the selection of language skills is based on needs analysis. For instance, in studying English for science and technology, the emphasis is on context and subject of the course. At the level of micro skills, EGP has shed too much attention to teaching of grammar and language structure; yet the focus in ESP is on the context and subject of the course. Finally, a distinctive feature of ESP classroom is team- teaching, where the teacher of language collaborates with subject teacher in the delivery of the lesson. This feature is , however, absent in EGP classroom where the language teacher seems sufficient to instruct broad themes. To sum up, though ESP stems from EGP, it has preserved for itself distinctive characteristics as outlined before. To sum up, Stevens states that ESP has four absolute characteristics: 1. Is designed to meet specific needs. 2. Is related to themes and topics particular to occupation. 3. Is centered on language appropriate to those activities, in terms of lexis, syntax, discourse pragmatics, semantics and so on. 4. The above is in contrast to General English (Stevens 1988 in Dudley-Evans St. John 1998: p.4). In the subsequent section, the paper will take both EGP and ESP a stage further to list the similarities and differences at the level of syllabus design. To facilitate the process of comparing and contrasting, an example of each course content will be highlighted. Syllabus design in EGP A syllabus refers to a particular plan of a course. It is a document that details the structure and operation of ones class. It can also be called the basic reference document that guides students and the instructor through a course (Breen 1984). In the current section, this section aims to uncover the salient types of syllabus adopted in EGP and ESP based on contents of two textbooks: Natural English( EGP textbook) and English for Careers: Tourism, (ESP textbook) Based on their observations of general English language courses, Brown (1995) and Richards (1990) list the following types of syllabuses. They also point out that courses are often based on a combination of: Structural (organized primarily around grammar and sentence patterns). Functional (organized around communicative functions, such as identifying, reporting, correcting, describing). Notional (organized around conceptual categories, such as duration, quantity, location). Topical (organized around themes or topics, such as health, food, clothing). Situational (organized around speech settings and the transactions associated with them, such as shopping, at the bank, at the supermarket). Skills (organized around microskills, such as listening for gist, listening for specifi c information, listening for inferences). Task- or activity-based (organized around activities, such as drawing maps, following directions, following instructions). Extract.1: Contents of Natural English , As can be observed in the content of Natural English, one of the main aims of the textbook is to enable General English learners to improve the four language skills, especially speaking and listening to everyday English. Yet, the integration of the four language skills is not the sole distinctive feature of the textbook. The contents of course book also seem to respond to the general wants of GE learners in that it all covers functions, notions, vocabulary and grammar. Each unit introduces GE learners to notions, functions and grammatical structures in an equal weight of emphasis. Thus, a point that one can infer is that EGP syllabus is integrative. Language skills as well as functions, notions, forms and semantic entries are all fused together. For example, in unit 2, the book introduces notions such as shopping and work. Concerning functions, expressing request and responding with sympathy are the main functions found in unite 1. The grammatical forms are so varied from using the present continuous to passive voice. What is so remarkable is that the communication of a notion entails the use of adequate target functions. From the design of Natural English, it is evident that the units are organized on topics. Unit one is on Cartoon Mobile Invasion, unit two on Joke lost in desert, and three on Cartoon Perfect Day. However, a striking existence of situations looms chiefly in extended speaking. Students are in front several situations, such as on train , on holiday, and are encouraged to interact , following the necessities of imagined communicative setting. To conclude, the pertinent remark we can deduce from the course content of EGP is that its syllabus is integrative and synthetic in nature. Functions, notions , forms, situations and skills gain enough space in the EGP syllabus. Nevertheless, these elements are tackled more broadly. For instance, It seems that the subjects are too general, the functions and notions are recurrent in daily life issues, and language skills are not relevant to any professional field. Now , ESP makes extensive use of content-based approaches. According to Master and Brinton (1998), CBI has the following features. The syllabus is organized around subject content; for example, in English for Careers: Tourism, an ESP textbook, the subject matter is on a number of topics from tourism, such Registration Client perceptions and supply and demand. Teaching activities are specific to the subject matter being taught and are geared to stimulate students to think and learn through the use of the target language. Language is viewed holistically, and learners learn from working with whole chunks of language and multiple skills. Content-based approaches reject synthetic approaches to course design-the idea that language or skills can be atomized into discrete items to be presented and practiced by learners one at a time. The approach makes use of authentic texts to which learners are expected primarily to respond in relation to the content. It has been argued (Hutchinson Waters, 1987) that once we remove the text from its original context, it loses some of its authenticity. For example, the intended audience is changed once the authentic text is imported into the classroom. Authenticity also relates also to the readers purpose in reading the text. For example, recommendation reports for the purchase of technical equipment are, in their original context of use, devised for the purpose of helping the reader decide which of two or more items of equipment to buy. If, however, a recommendation report is transported into a language teaching classroom and students are given an activity whose purpose is to answer c omprehension questions on it, the match between text and task is artificial. Content-based instruction tries to avoid some of these potential problems by using content (authentic texts) in ways that were similar to those in real life. Content-based approaches involve also the integration of skills. Writing often follows on from listening and reading, and students are often required to synthesize facts and ideas from multiple sources as preparation for writing (Brinton et al., 1989). In fact, ESP syllabi (in this case an English Vocational Purposes syllabus) differ from English General Purposes (EGP) syllabi, both in goals and content. Below is an outline of some major differences adapted from Widdowson (1983 in White 1988: pp.18 26), Hutchinson Waters (1987) and Stevens (1988) (both in Dudley-Evans St. John 1998: pp. 2-4). The ESP syllabus must be based on a previous analysis of the students needs, which includes not only an analysis of the situations in which the language will be used and of the language appropriate in these situations, but also an analysis of the students wants and subjective needs. The whole business of the management of language learning is far too complex to be satisfactorily catered for by a pre-packaged set of decisions embodied in teaching materials. Quite simply, even with the best intentions no single textbook can possibly work in all situations.(Sheldon, 1987: 1)If we are to prescribe content, we need to ask, whose content? Methodology Having uncovered the nuances existing between ESP and EGP syllabi, This current chapter will move a stage further to draw a comparison and contrast at level of methodology, chiefly at the types of techniques employed by each and the roles they played in serving the students needs. As defined by Robinson (1991), methodology refers to what goes on in the classroom and to what students have to do. Using technical terms, it refers to classroom activities and techniques. There are too many techniques which largely emerged in EGP classroom such as tasks, role play, simulations, and so on and so forth. These techniques soon adopted by ESP practitioners . Concerning tasks, Little John and Hicks ( ) noticed that valuable tasks in EGP have certain characteristics: they should be motivating and absorbing; and exploit learners prior knowledge. In ESP, the above criteria are also predominant, but what is specific here is that ESP tasks comprise linguistic and professional skills. For instance, medical students studying English may be assigned to carry out a series of operations as outlined below: Moreover, the role play and simulations are used differently in ESP and EGP. While dealing with simulatons in ESP, Strutridge() noticed that they were originally used in business and military training with focus on outcome rather than the means -language- of training. In EGP, the outcome was ,however, less important than the means used to achieve fluency. One should not perceive hastily that means in esp have no disregarded. Stutridge concludes that in ESP end is as important as the means. Taking case studies into account, Nunan in an outsanding research tested the validity of the technique to ESP course. He found out that it helps ESP students to draw upon their professional skills, utilizing the cognitive and behavioral styles of their work rather than of traditional language classroom. Case studies may prove difficult to be conducted by EGP learners if we take into consideration their younger age and Worse of al their professional immaturity. For ESP students who are not fully qualified in their profession, the use of case studies help to induct them into some aspects of professional culture ( Charles 337,pp.28-31) Project work is out-of-class activity used in both ESP and EGP classroom. However, Fried() observed the more advanced examples of project work would be appropriate for ESP. A final technique which is common in ESP and EGP as well is the oral presentations. Usually, they are the culmination of project or case studies conducted outside the threshold of classroom. The utility of such activity is that it trains students to develop their self autonomy and master the four skills of the target language. Word processor and PowerPoint become familiar means for presentations, Succinctly, the methodology endorsed by ESP is quite similar to that of EGP chiefly if we consider the types of techniques and activities .Yet, the ways in which techniques are employed in ESP differ a lot from that in EGP. the next chapter will attempt to decipher how material design becomes a site of innovation after the emergence of ESP. Being in its heyday, ESP materials assume a divergent way from EGP. ESP designers come up with in-house materials quite plausible to the students needs more than the General ready-made textbooks which hold their strength in EGP classrooms. Materials Design One of the common characteristics of of material design in ESP is the existence of an established tradition of ESP teachers producing in-house materials. These materials are the outcome of needs analysis. the tailor made material accounts to the learners needs more than a general textbook can do., However, several questions may emerge to the surface: What are the major factors behind the over-existence of in-house materials in ESP in contrast to its acute shortage in EGP? -what are the key features that distinguish ESP materials from EGP? One of the key factors behind the profusion of in-house materials in ESP is because of its reliance on needs analysis. Need analysis is rarely carried out in GL classroom. This is partly because of the difficulty of specifying GL learners and partly because of a lack of literature on the particularities of analyzing needs data. Needs analysis tends to be associated with ESP and is neglected in GE classroom. Hutchinson and Waters(1987,p.53-54) say that what distinguishes ESP from GE is not the existence of a need as such but rather an awareness of the needà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for the time being, the tradition persists in GE that learners needs cannot be specified and as a result no attempt is usually made to discover learners true needs. Secondly, The fact that ESP materials are tailored to the needs of specific group of learners makes its absolute adoption by other ESP teachers futile. Even when suitable materials are available, it may not be possible to buy them because of import restric tions pointed out Hutchinson and Waters (1987,p.). If textbooks are more available in EGP than in ESP,ESP textbooks have not been immune from criticism. Ever and Boys(p.57) mount a strong a attack on the EST textbooks suggesting that most of them are designed for, or are the outcome of, remedial or supplementary courses and assume that students already possess a knowledge of Englishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.unhappily, this is not at all understood by potential users, especially in developing countries abroad where the greatest demand for EST exists. Another strongly worded attack was that the heavy concern of ESP practitioners with methodology and approach leads them to ignore issues such the accuracy of explanations ,validity of examples and suitability of linguistic content. Because ESP materials are relevanct to target needs, This may increase the motivation of ESP students, but there are other aspects which are also highly important, such as Waters (1987: 48) put it, ESP, as much as any good teaching, needs to be intrinsically motivating. () Students should get satisfaction from the actual experience of learning, not just from the prospect of eventually using what they have learnt. The following task, for instance, could be interesting for Engineering students:. Another characteristic of ESP materials is that it is more authentic than EGP materials. The latter might be produced for the purpose of teaching language, while in ESP authenticity refers to the materials used in the students specialist workplace or study institution. Additionally, for ESP authentic text selection usually follow the needs analysis. To conclude, the whole business of language learning management is far too complex to be satisfactorily catered for by a pre-packaged set of decisions embodied in teaching materials. Quite simply, even with the best intentions no single textbook can possibly work in all situations.(Sheldon, 1987: 1). However, designing tailor made materials would in principle be motivating, authentic and innovative. Conclusion This paper has highlighted some of the issues involved in ESP curriculum development. It can be argued that language varieties are based in and extend from a common core of language. Or it can be argued that language varieties are self-contained entities. Needs analysis can be seen as an entirely pragmatic and objective endeavour to help course developers identify course content that is truly relevant to the learners, or it can be argued to have a bias in favour of the institutions and may overemphasize objective needs at the cost of subjective needs. It can be argued that syllabuses should specify content (what is to be taught). Or it can be argued that they should specify method (how language is to be taught). Some argue that the ESP courses should be as narrow-angled as possible. Others argue that this is not practica EST is in a parlous state and is being abandoned by many tertiary institutions who, like Sultan Qaboos University, found that the English teachers seemed to learn a lot of science, but the students didnt seem to learn much English

Reflection on Japanese Earthquake

After watching the news about the catastrophic earthquake in Japan these days, I was overwhelmed with a range of emotions: anxiety, depression, grief, confusion and shock. Like a lot of people, I was stunned by percussive images of the ruins of buildings and the bodies of casualties. I felt sorry for the dead. Meanwhile, I was deeply touched by those survived. Instead of being thrown into panic, the Japanese faced up to the catastrophe with dispassion and composure. Although their homes were destroyed and their relatives were violently torn away, they still evacuated orderly and stood calmly in a queue to get reliefs. However, the case in china is just the other way around. Some Chinese people seem to be keyed up. Many articles concerning this earthquake can be found on the internet, a majority of which are radical. These people said: It serves Japan right. If only the island country sunk and disappeared forever. Admittedly, as Chinese, I felt repugnance for Japan. However, as descendents of the country with a history of thousands of years, we should reach out our friendly hand and let the world know that we Chinese are a civilized and well educated nation. If we merely stand by or even loot a burning house, we are no better than those Japanese invaders. From my point of view, we are all world citizens living in this global village and international community. In the face of natural disaster, we human beings are vulnerable. No one is powerful enough to escape. We can do nothing but pull together to go through. Therefore, we should relate to those wretches with sympathy and love instead of being narrow-minded and ultranationalistic. Japanese people are innocent. Let’s care for them with tolerant and generous hearts and help them out of the difficulty.