Do grades build you up, or do they break you down?
After Sweden got a new government in 2006, a new reform has caught media’s eye – the educational reform. The Centre-Right Alliance wants to bring grades into Primary school, since it is considered late to be given the first grades in 8th grade, as it is in Sweden today. Many debates are going on about how it is important to catch the problem in an early stage. However, is it really necessary to shorten our children’s childhood more than already is done?
Today’s society is forcing our children to grow up much earlier than before, even school is now becoming a more grown-up environment. By presenting grades in Primary school, our children are being forced to become something they are not – grownups. If we look to ourselves, we see how grades and massive workload affects us in a negative way – we constantly have to work hard to achieve a pass and therefore, we neglect our personal life. Do we really want our children to experience this pressure at such early age?
Another thing about giving grades to ten-year-olds is how they not always understand what these grades stand for. While one child might understand that a grade shows his/her performances, another child in the same class might understand these grades, as grades on his/her individual – Am I a bad person or is my English bad? This might let our society come to a stage where we stamp our children as failures.
However, many people argue that by giving grades this early helps us catch the problem in an early stage. This might be right, but even if we catch the problem early, is it really certain that we can fix the problem? Does not learning come with maturing? Another thing people argue for is how a grade stimulates the children to pine for a higher grade. This is something that is not proved – yes, it is shown that a motivated child might achieve a higher grade, but the fact that a grade is motivating is not proved.
To introduce grades in Primary school is a discussed subject – some people think it might be efficient since the problem is caught in an early stage. Also, how a grade might work as a motivation for getting a higher grade is seen as a plus. But, can we help counteract the problem even if it is discovered early? And does a grade motivate all children? Others think we should let our children be children. By giving grades at such early age, we are forcing our children into become more grown-up then they really are. Do we want our children to have the same pressure on them as we as grown-ups have? – probably not. Another thing that might be an affect by this early grading is how children might misunderstand them and think the grades are grades on their individual, not their performance. So let the children be children as long as possible, and let us grown-ups be grown-ups.
måndag 15 mars 2010
onsdag 3 mars 2010
Assignment 5
Paraphrasing and Quotation
1.
In Peter Barry’s article “Tackling Textuality - With Theory” (The use of English Volume 52, Number 1, autumn 2000), he explains how we usually interpret a text while reading it, by giving us a checklist. In this list, containing ten different points, one can read how we, without using theory, use so-called “close-reading”. By “close-reading” Barry means that we, by looking at different aspects in the text, merely focus within the text, when we also should look on the text’s connections outwards.
To illustrate how to not only focus on the text within, but also how it is connected to the surrounding, Barry uses Shakespeare’s sonnet 73. Barry gives examples of how words in the sonnet also work as clues and how they can give the reader a greater understanding for the whole context. One example he brings to the table is how the word “choirs” can have different meaning for different people. According to Barry, this word to some might mean the songs sung by birds, others might think of the historical background of this word instead; being deserted buildings. Due to the fact that just one word can give several meanings to a text, Barry urges us to also look outwards from the text.
Barry continues to emphasize the importance of literary theory by showing us four text principles. He means that these show us how a text is in relation to the world. As an example, Barry mentions the question “what are the signs in this poem that it is written by a man rather than a woman?” He continues by explaining how we by just looking at words recognize if the character in the text is of male or female gender – this principle he calls “literature and gender”. His three other principles are “literature and history” which was mentioned earlier by the example of the word “choirs”, “literature and language” – patterns in a text that are logical and guessed, and “literature and psychoanalysis” – how we as readers use different mental processes while reading.
2.
In the text, I think there are some phrases and words that should be quoted directly, since many of them are hard to rephrase because they already are perfectly phrased. If we take the check-list as an example, these are short and consist, which makes it no point in rephrasing them. They give the amount of information that is needed without being too long.
Barry also uses words as “close-reading”, “narrativist” and “deconstruction” these are words containing certain meanings, which are hard to exchange. If a phrase or word is “concise and striking”, what is the point in changing it?
3.
Peter Barry’s article was very interesting to me. It shows how easy it is to forget about our surrounding influence on a text, and how easy it is only to focus on what is within. After reading the text several times, I felt that Barry’s examples from the poems and the sonnet gave me a greater knowledge of how just a little word or phase can have so many different meanings. To be honest, the text seemed to me very overpowering in the beginning, being so long, with many different aspects. However, after reading it the second and third time it became much clearer and interesting.
As for the structure and the flow in the text, I think it is good. It starts by giving some background and a short presentation of the following text. This gave me as a reader an understanding for what the text was about. Although the text contains many long and hard sentences and words, I felt that these were necessary to the whole context. And, by reading them piece by piece, I understood them. Barry did not only use long and complex sentences and words, he also brought many short and concise phrases and principles which were easy to understand e.g. his ten points showing how we as readers concentrate on what’s within a text. To sum everything up, I think Barry’s article is intriguing and easy to follow.
1.
In Peter Barry’s article “Tackling Textuality - With Theory” (The use of English Volume 52, Number 1, autumn 2000), he explains how we usually interpret a text while reading it, by giving us a checklist. In this list, containing ten different points, one can read how we, without using theory, use so-called “close-reading”. By “close-reading” Barry means that we, by looking at different aspects in the text, merely focus within the text, when we also should look on the text’s connections outwards.
To illustrate how to not only focus on the text within, but also how it is connected to the surrounding, Barry uses Shakespeare’s sonnet 73. Barry gives examples of how words in the sonnet also work as clues and how they can give the reader a greater understanding for the whole context. One example he brings to the table is how the word “choirs” can have different meaning for different people. According to Barry, this word to some might mean the songs sung by birds, others might think of the historical background of this word instead; being deserted buildings. Due to the fact that just one word can give several meanings to a text, Barry urges us to also look outwards from the text.
Barry continues to emphasize the importance of literary theory by showing us four text principles. He means that these show us how a text is in relation to the world. As an example, Barry mentions the question “what are the signs in this poem that it is written by a man rather than a woman?” He continues by explaining how we by just looking at words recognize if the character in the text is of male or female gender – this principle he calls “literature and gender”. His three other principles are “literature and history” which was mentioned earlier by the example of the word “choirs”, “literature and language” – patterns in a text that are logical and guessed, and “literature and psychoanalysis” – how we as readers use different mental processes while reading.
2.
In the text, I think there are some phrases and words that should be quoted directly, since many of them are hard to rephrase because they already are perfectly phrased. If we take the check-list as an example, these are short and consist, which makes it no point in rephrasing them. They give the amount of information that is needed without being too long.
Barry also uses words as “close-reading”, “narrativist” and “deconstruction” these are words containing certain meanings, which are hard to exchange. If a phrase or word is “concise and striking”, what is the point in changing it?
3.
Peter Barry’s article was very interesting to me. It shows how easy it is to forget about our surrounding influence on a text, and how easy it is only to focus on what is within. After reading the text several times, I felt that Barry’s examples from the poems and the sonnet gave me a greater knowledge of how just a little word or phase can have so many different meanings. To be honest, the text seemed to me very overpowering in the beginning, being so long, with many different aspects. However, after reading it the second and third time it became much clearer and interesting.
As for the structure and the flow in the text, I think it is good. It starts by giving some background and a short presentation of the following text. This gave me as a reader an understanding for what the text was about. Although the text contains many long and hard sentences and words, I felt that these were necessary to the whole context. And, by reading them piece by piece, I understood them. Barry did not only use long and complex sentences and words, he also brought many short and concise phrases and principles which were easy to understand e.g. his ten points showing how we as readers concentrate on what’s within a text. To sum everything up, I think Barry’s article is intriguing and easy to follow.
fredag 19 februari 2010
Assignment 4
Summary of “Tackling Textuality - With Theory” by Peter Barry
Keywords:
• Close Reading
• Literary Theory
• Micro- and Macro Patterns
• Meaning vs. Significance
• Linguistic Period
• Metaphorical or Literal Reading
• Deconstructive Reading
Peter Barry starts of by explaining how the new ‘A’ level specifications have a double message; teachers are to be aware of the development of the range of literary studies, and close reading is central in the study of literary. Normally, we understand a text by close reading and do not think of any specific literary theory, but due to these new specifications, teachers and critics are now obligated to think of both.
Further, he discusses ten different ways readers and critics take on literary texts: overall structural patterns, similarity beneath apparent dissimilarity, distinguish between overt and covert content, distinguish between meaning and significance, terms of genre or literary type, how we read literal as metaphorical, how we read the surface of the work accurately, patterns in literary works, stages and phases within a literary work and finally how we read in linguistic period, aware of semantic change. These ten ways of understanding a text are necessary; they are impossible to exclude. However, they are not enough. Since these ten mainly focus on the text itself, we never get to consider the relationship between the literature and our surrounding, something theory helps us do.
Barry uses Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 as an example to show the different theory aspects (literature and history, literature and language, literature and gender, literature and psychoanalysis). Here he tells about how certain things in the text can have different meanings just by looking at different clues. By analysing a text, or in this case a sonnet, it awakens new questions we probably would not think of else and gives us an urge to discuss and find the meaning of these unanswered questions. One example in literature and gender is when Barry mentions the common question “what are the signs in this poem that it is written by a man rather than a woman?” Here he argues that the sonnet is written by a man because there are some words that would be unlikely for a female speaker to associate herself with. Without theory, we would probably not be able to recognize this relationship between gender and language.
To emphasize his arguments Barry chooses to give a clearer and a more solid explanation of one of the theories, literature and language. Here he discusses “what is deconstruction?” contra close reading. A deconstruction text has a war within, which is shown by “contradictions, quirks and aporia, shifts or breaks (in tone, viewpoint, tense, person, attitude, etc.) and absences or omissions”. In the poems 'Oread' (Hilda Doolittle) and 'Transit' (Adrienne Rich ) we see how deconstruction texts might look like. ‘Oread’ is an unreadable poem, words that are put together and make no sense to us, and ‘Transit’ contains all signs of a deconstruction text, mentioned above. While ‘Oread’ makes no sense, ‘Transit’ keeps fighting itself all the way through.
As a conclusion to why we continue using literary theory, despite the fact that it just brings us to new questions, Barry writes: ”Firstly, the complexities it gets itself knotted up in really are there. And secondly, trying to unravel them is enlightening, and sometimes even fun.”
Keywords:
• Close Reading
• Literary Theory
• Micro- and Macro Patterns
• Meaning vs. Significance
• Linguistic Period
• Metaphorical or Literal Reading
• Deconstructive Reading
Peter Barry starts of by explaining how the new ‘A’ level specifications have a double message; teachers are to be aware of the development of the range of literary studies, and close reading is central in the study of literary. Normally, we understand a text by close reading and do not think of any specific literary theory, but due to these new specifications, teachers and critics are now obligated to think of both.
Further, he discusses ten different ways readers and critics take on literary texts: overall structural patterns, similarity beneath apparent dissimilarity, distinguish between overt and covert content, distinguish between meaning and significance, terms of genre or literary type, how we read literal as metaphorical, how we read the surface of the work accurately, patterns in literary works, stages and phases within a literary work and finally how we read in linguistic period, aware of semantic change. These ten ways of understanding a text are necessary; they are impossible to exclude. However, they are not enough. Since these ten mainly focus on the text itself, we never get to consider the relationship between the literature and our surrounding, something theory helps us do.
Barry uses Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 as an example to show the different theory aspects (literature and history, literature and language, literature and gender, literature and psychoanalysis). Here he tells about how certain things in the text can have different meanings just by looking at different clues. By analysing a text, or in this case a sonnet, it awakens new questions we probably would not think of else and gives us an urge to discuss and find the meaning of these unanswered questions. One example in literature and gender is when Barry mentions the common question “what are the signs in this poem that it is written by a man rather than a woman?” Here he argues that the sonnet is written by a man because there are some words that would be unlikely for a female speaker to associate herself with. Without theory, we would probably not be able to recognize this relationship between gender and language.
To emphasize his arguments Barry chooses to give a clearer and a more solid explanation of one of the theories, literature and language. Here he discusses “what is deconstruction?” contra close reading. A deconstruction text has a war within, which is shown by “contradictions, quirks and aporia, shifts or breaks (in tone, viewpoint, tense, person, attitude, etc.) and absences or omissions”. In the poems 'Oread' (Hilda Doolittle) and 'Transit' (Adrienne Rich ) we see how deconstruction texts might look like. ‘Oread’ is an unreadable poem, words that are put together and make no sense to us, and ‘Transit’ contains all signs of a deconstruction text, mentioned above. While ‘Oread’ makes no sense, ‘Transit’ keeps fighting itself all the way through.
As a conclusion to why we continue using literary theory, despite the fact that it just brings us to new questions, Barry writes: ”Firstly, the complexities it gets itself knotted up in really are there. And secondly, trying to unravel them is enlightening, and sometimes even fun.”
torsdag 11 februari 2010
Proposal to solve the problem of unhappy pigs
Huston we have a problem! In today’s society, it is well known that we humans tend to be stressed and unhappy; but did you know that also our pigs now suffer from unhappiness? Several pigs walk around with straight tails; this is a sign that they are unhappy. When our pigs are miserable we also get poor meat quality, which is not good for our health. So what can we do to improve the pigs’ conditions, except for curling their tails with a curler?
To begin with, pigs live in small crowded bins. These do not let the pigs get their well-needed space to relax or get their own time; something also these creatures need. Crowded, tight spaces makes the pigs more stressed, which often results in overeating, and in turn gives us unhealthy pork.
Further, the pig feed we present and give these animals is often made to fatten them; it is mainly junk food. The forage if full of fat and glucose syrup, and this forces the pigs to eat more than they should since it to them tastes very good. By overeating, the pork quality is also effected because these animals are fed with only junk.
Finally, we all know how much pigs enjoy their mud baths. But, unfortunately, they do not get to have these baths as often as they would like to. This in its turn makes them feel depressed, because they do not get their fun-time. As we know, it is crucial that we humans have fun, otherwise, we end up angry and depressed; this also happens to the pigs when they do not get to play and have fun. When it comes to the pork, it always tastes better when we know the animal has lived a happy life.
The solution to these problems could be that we make new rules for the pig farmers to follow. A pig needs more space to feel happy; therefore, I suggest that one rule could be that a pig must have at least 10 square meters to walk around and live in. In addition, this living arrangement must also be connected to their outdoor mud bath, so that the pigs are free to roll around and get dirty whenever. As a final point, I think it is essential that we feed our pigs with food that is full of nutrition and maybe ecological farmed. All these things should help the pigs’ lives become better and in turn, we will receive healthier and tastier meat.
There are many benefits to these suggestions: the pigs get to live happy lives, while we get healthy and better pork. In addition, we might get a clear conscious, since it also benefits the earth if we farm ecological and it helps the pigs become happy. Thus, even though the costs for these changes are quite severe, we will win in the end by getting happy pigs and healthy pork.
onsdag 3 februari 2010
Assignment 2
A day at the spa deserves to be Christmas Gift of the Year 2010!
In today’s society, we hardly ever have time for ourselves, and always put our jobs, families and friends before ourselves. Also living in a society where everyone has everything he or she needs, makes a day at the spa a perfect Christmas gift. To give away a day of just relaxation and spoiling will be well remembered and appreciated by the receiver; and because of this, a day at the spa deserves to be the Christmas gift of the year 2010.
We live in a society going on a high gear, which does not allow us to stop and consider our health; this makes us forget about our well-being and ourselves. To give someone a break from life as a Christmas gift must be a great gift, because it forces him or her to calm down and just relax. For once, a stressed out person gets to think of just him or herself and gets to be pampered for a whole day.
Another reason for giving a day at the spa as a gift is that people of today often have everything they need, and if they need something, they will probably go out and buy it themselves. Therefore, a day at the spa would not only be a gift, but also an experience that they will remember a long time; something a sweater or a t-shirt probably would not be.
If someone suffers from severe headaches, rheumatism or simply is burnt out, a day at the spa could help him or her have a day with less pain and aches. This is something that is scientifically proved; by bathing in hot water in calm surroundings, makes the human body relax, while the hot water that flows does its work. Therefore, if someone you know has health problems like these, they would most definitely appreciate and love this gift.
However, this might seem to be an expensive gift to give to someone; it only lasts for a day one might think. Nevertheless, a solution to the money issue could be that several people could go together and buy this gift. This makes it more affordable and the person receiving the gift would remember these people’s gift. In addition, the issue of the gift only lasting a day, I will have to say by own experiences that the memory lasts much longer than a day, and that it therefore is a much more appreciated gift.
So do you friends and family a favor this year, buy them a day at the spa. Instead of buying something unnecessary, this gift will be appreciated and remembered a much longer time. We all need a break from our daily life at times, so why not give this as a gift to someone you love. If it costs too much, let other friends or family members help and give the gift together. A day at the spa will let the person relax and be spoiled for a whole day, and therefore does a day at the spa deserve to be the Christmas gift of the year 2010!
In today’s society, we hardly ever have time for ourselves, and always put our jobs, families and friends before ourselves. Also living in a society where everyone has everything he or she needs, makes a day at the spa a perfect Christmas gift. To give away a day of just relaxation and spoiling will be well remembered and appreciated by the receiver; and because of this, a day at the spa deserves to be the Christmas gift of the year 2010.
We live in a society going on a high gear, which does not allow us to stop and consider our health; this makes us forget about our well-being and ourselves. To give someone a break from life as a Christmas gift must be a great gift, because it forces him or her to calm down and just relax. For once, a stressed out person gets to think of just him or herself and gets to be pampered for a whole day.
Another reason for giving a day at the spa as a gift is that people of today often have everything they need, and if they need something, they will probably go out and buy it themselves. Therefore, a day at the spa would not only be a gift, but also an experience that they will remember a long time; something a sweater or a t-shirt probably would not be.
If someone suffers from severe headaches, rheumatism or simply is burnt out, a day at the spa could help him or her have a day with less pain and aches. This is something that is scientifically proved; by bathing in hot water in calm surroundings, makes the human body relax, while the hot water that flows does its work. Therefore, if someone you know has health problems like these, they would most definitely appreciate and love this gift.
However, this might seem to be an expensive gift to give to someone; it only lasts for a day one might think. Nevertheless, a solution to the money issue could be that several people could go together and buy this gift. This makes it more affordable and the person receiving the gift would remember these people’s gift. In addition, the issue of the gift only lasting a day, I will have to say by own experiences that the memory lasts much longer than a day, and that it therefore is a much more appreciated gift.
So do you friends and family a favor this year, buy them a day at the spa. Instead of buying something unnecessary, this gift will be appreciated and remembered a much longer time. We all need a break from our daily life at times, so why not give this as a gift to someone you love. If it costs too much, let other friends or family members help and give the gift together. A day at the spa will let the person relax and be spoiled for a whole day, and therefore does a day at the spa deserve to be the Christmas gift of the year 2010!
onsdag 27 januari 2010
Assignment 1 - ENGBL 1, Language Proficiency
1)
Style in the context of Academic writing is how you present your information; by different tones, vocabulary and syntax.
2)
Informal text
Just a quick post before we have to go. This is todays makeup. It's kind of "Breakfast at Tiffany's"-inspired. I'll take better photos when we get back, photobooth isn't too great... And just as a bonus you get photos of Mr M goofing with me when I tried to take these. He's normally a very handsome fella. I swear.
http://linnekholm.blogspot.com/2009/07/look-of-day.html
Formal text
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has won Sri Lanka's first election since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war, state TV reports.
Although the final results are yet to be declared, Mr Rajapaksa appears to have won more than half the votes cast.
About 100 armed troops have surrounded the Colombo hotel where his election rival, Gen Sarath Fonseka, is staying.
A government spokesman told the BBC they did not intend to hold Gen Fonseka but were looking for army deserters.
The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan, who is in the same central Colombo hotel as Gen Fonseka and other opposition leaders, says the troops' presence has created a very tense atmosphere.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8482270.stm
Some differences between the informal text and the formal text:
Informal:
The use contractions (it’s, I’ll, isn’t, He’s)
Addresses readers using second person pronouns (you, your, etc)
Uses colloquial words/expressions (fella, goofing, photobooth)
Uses abbreviated words (photo)
Formal:
Avoids contractions (write out full words: who is, etc)
Longer and more complex sentences are preferred (short simple sentences reflects poorly on the writer)
Uses passive voice
Uses third person
3)
Cats – Informal
I love cats, since they’re cosy and independent. Also the way they sneak around outside in the grass, looking for mice always warms my heart. My mom’s got three cats, they’re all fluffy and old. I also believe that I understand my mom’s cats, since they speak to me when they meow. When the cats want to go outside the either jump on the door or sit and stare at the door, and when they want to go inside again it’s the same way. Since these cats are all male they often get into fights with other cats, this has been a problem to Firbie (as he’s called), since he now has only one ear. But when they don’t hunt, fight, talk or eat, they just hang around and sleep. A cat must live a comfy life!
Cats - Formal
Cats weigh about 4 and 5 kilograms, are 23–25 centimetres in height, 46 centimetres in head/body length and their tails are, in average, 30 centimetres in length. Humans often appreciate cats for their companionship, and for their talent to hunt mice. Cates communicate with each other and with humans by meowing, purring, trilling etc. When sleeping, the cats conserves energy, especially as they grow older, this is also the reason to why a cat can sleep as much as 20 hours a day. The most common reason for cat fighting is that they compete on who is going to mate with the female cat, but another reason is that they protect their territories.
Style in the context of Academic writing is how you present your information; by different tones, vocabulary and syntax.
2)
Informal text
Just a quick post before we have to go. This is todays makeup. It's kind of "Breakfast at Tiffany's"-inspired. I'll take better photos when we get back, photobooth isn't too great... And just as a bonus you get photos of Mr M goofing with me when I tried to take these. He's normally a very handsome fella. I swear.
http://linnekholm.blogspot.com/2009/07/look-of-day.html
Formal text
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has won Sri Lanka's first election since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war, state TV reports.
Although the final results are yet to be declared, Mr Rajapaksa appears to have won more than half the votes cast.
About 100 armed troops have surrounded the Colombo hotel where his election rival, Gen Sarath Fonseka, is staying.
A government spokesman told the BBC they did not intend to hold Gen Fonseka but were looking for army deserters.
The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan, who is in the same central Colombo hotel as Gen Fonseka and other opposition leaders, says the troops' presence has created a very tense atmosphere.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8482270.stm
Some differences between the informal text and the formal text:
Informal:
The use contractions (it’s, I’ll, isn’t, He’s)
Addresses readers using second person pronouns (you, your, etc)
Uses colloquial words/expressions (fella, goofing, photobooth)
Uses abbreviated words (photo)
Formal:
Avoids contractions (write out full words: who is, etc)
Longer and more complex sentences are preferred (short simple sentences reflects poorly on the writer)
Uses passive voice
Uses third person
3)
Cats – Informal
I love cats, since they’re cosy and independent. Also the way they sneak around outside in the grass, looking for mice always warms my heart. My mom’s got three cats, they’re all fluffy and old. I also believe that I understand my mom’s cats, since they speak to me when they meow. When the cats want to go outside the either jump on the door or sit and stare at the door, and when they want to go inside again it’s the same way. Since these cats are all male they often get into fights with other cats, this has been a problem to Firbie (as he’s called), since he now has only one ear. But when they don’t hunt, fight, talk or eat, they just hang around and sleep. A cat must live a comfy life!
Cats - Formal
Cats weigh about 4 and 5 kilograms, are 23–25 centimetres in height, 46 centimetres in head/body length and their tails are, in average, 30 centimetres in length. Humans often appreciate cats for their companionship, and for their talent to hunt mice. Cates communicate with each other and with humans by meowing, purring, trilling etc. When sleeping, the cats conserves energy, especially as they grow older, this is also the reason to why a cat can sleep as much as 20 hours a day. The most common reason for cat fighting is that they compete on who is going to mate with the female cat, but another reason is that they protect their territories.
tisdag 26 januari 2010
Welcome
Hello and welcome to my brand new blog!
This is the first time ever I've started a blog, and it is going to be used to present school assignments, at least to begin with. Please feel free to comment about assignments and what so ever.
xoxo Vicky
This is the first time ever I've started a blog, and it is going to be used to present school assignments, at least to begin with. Please feel free to comment about assignments and what so ever.
xoxo Vicky
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