Phillip Larkin Essay

The statement â€Å"Larkin is a poet of grey moods, suburban melancholy and accepted regrets.† Is accurate and appropriate when looking at and reading his poetry. This is displayed through his various poems, including the ones I’m going to talk about; ‘Aubade’ and ‘The Whitsun Weddings.’ Both of which portray all three themes. The poem Aubade as a whole represents these three themes through the constant use of truncation in poem at the end of every stanza. The poem itself also represents the themes as ‘Aubade’ is about mourning the life we have in preparation for death, which in its irony comes under the first theme of grey moods. More specifically to the theme of grey moods within Aubade is through the quote, â€Å"I work all day, and get half drunk at night. /Waking at four to soundless dark. I stare† As this is in the opening stanza it sets the tone of the poem and portrays Larkin’s particular mindset. The monosyllabic language emphasises his reluctance in engaging in daily life as well as his depression. â€Å"Soundless dark,† being an allusion to death it portrays to the reader a certain outlook Larkin has on life due to these moods. The next quote to represent grey moods shows a pragmatic outlook Larkin has on life and thoughts. â€Å"Making all thought impossible but how / and where and when I shall myself die.† This quote from the poem is truncated to emphasise the inevitability of death itself. This quote yet again shows the outlook he has on life and the particular mindset Larkin is in which is largely influences his moods. Suburban melancholy is another theme represented throughout various poems written by Larkin, including ‘Aubade.’ Throughout this poem despondent outlooks on life is shown for example in this quote, ‘meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring / in locked up offices.† The personification effectively represents his distaste for life, working and daily duties again reiterating that the poem is about mourning life in preparation for death. The line in the quote saying, â€Å"getting ready to ring† can be interpreted as a symbol or a metaphorical representation of death calling. Another example displaying the theme of suburban melancholy is the quote, â€Å"all the uncaring / intricate rented world begins to rouse.† By saying intricate world meaning complicated it shows his outlook again on the daily life of society and human beings, possibly because they don’t share the same concern for death as he does. The words ‘uncaring and unrented world’ link to extinction and further links back to the theme of grey moods as well as accepted regrets as his attitude towards life is we are all going to die anyway so in a way what is the point. The theme of accepted regrets is evident throughout this poem and is shown in the quote, â€Å"Being brave / let’s no one off the grave† This rhyme and truncation emphasises Larkin’s outlook and acceptance within life and death. In this quote he accepts and understands that death is inevitable and Larkin acknowledges that it does not matter who he is or the decisions he has made in life it will not change anything. Death will still come. The poem ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ by Larkin as a whole represents all three themes through the structural use of truncation within stanzas to represent lines that are in a candid tone and also enjambment in Larkin’s descriptions of buildings and such as he admires buildings because they can stand forever and he fears death. The theme of grey moods is present within this poem in the following quote, â€Å"did my three-quarters-empty train pull out† The use of rhythm allows this line to flow in to the next line to further emphasise his tone and attitude. This quote also shows a metaphorical emptiness within Larkin as during this poem the time and place and setting have a relevance and meaning and he does not. Suburban melancholy is portrayed throughout these quotes, â€Å"Of blinding windscreens, smelt the fish dock.† The visual imagery at the beginning of this quote and then the olfactory imagery of the smell of the fish dock show sadness in his opinion and description of the landscape and his surroundings and how unappealing his society and life may be. Then in the quote, â€Å"Its postal districts packed like squares of wheat:† The simile emphasises the closeness and urban feel of the society again adding to the unappealing and dull nature and tone he sees in his surroundings. The final theme of accepted regrets is present within ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ in these quotes, â€Å"ready to be loosed with all the power / that being change can give.† This objective language shows Larkin’s experience on this journey and that events like this can change someone’s outlook on life but it hasn’t changed him and he accepts his decision for partaking in the journey. â€Å"And as the tightened brakes took hold, there swelled / a sense of falling.† This quote contains an aspect of visual imagery but shows a sense of falling to death. Death is inevitable and he believes that there is no hope, which he accepts and understands with the link to the sense of falling. Phillip Larkin is a poet is a poet of grey moods, suburban melancholy and accepted regrets and this as I have stated is unmistakable throughout all aspects of his poetry.

Research Article Analysis Essay

The purpose of the research study is to see if juveniles being employed affects delinquency and substance abuse amongst youth. The problem is that there seems to be a direct correlation between substance abuse and the intensity of work schedules while teens are attending school. The questions that are to be researched are why are youth who spend long hours at work more likely to be delinquent? What is the connection between those teens who work long hours and those who do not and how does it influence delinquency and substance abuse? The design of the study â€Å"includes the who, what, when, where, why, and how of an investigation† (Hagan, 2010, Ch. 3). The who for this study is U.S. students in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades. The sample excludes students who dropped out or graduated during the survey period. Some of the students have jobs, and some do not. Those who do not were asked if they could work, what would be the ideal amount of hours they would want to work each week. The amount of hours teens work while in school is the what for the study. The when is 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. During these years, the same students were surveyed to see how their circumstances had changed between eighth and twelfth grades. The where is the United States. The researchers are surveying random students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades across the country. The why is to see if employment negatively impacts juveniles and contributes towards delinquency and substance abuse. The how is the way in which the study is designed so that the hypothesis can be addressed and the results will in some way resolve the research problem (Hagan, 2010, Ch. 3). The study is designed in a way to track students across a certain age range while also surveying them multiple times through a set time period to track any changes to working while in school. Delinquency and substance abuse are common amongst teens, but some teens may be more likely to commit delinquent acts and abuse sub stances than  others. This is a problem for researchers because it is not known if working many hours each week, in addition to attending school, causes students to be pulled away from social interactions with their peers, which contributes towards delinquency and substance abuse. An operational definition for delinquency and substance abuse is a self-report measure. During a self-report measure, the participants in the study give their own report of the way something makes them feel. In this case, it would be the number of hours worked or the numbers of hours unemployed teens would prefer to work while attending school. There is room for presentational bias because those being surveyed may not tell the truth about their actions. Inductive logic is a way to determine a theory or theories that may explain the results of the data. This study shows inductive logic in the results because the results determined that deviance was associated with those juveniles who do work, and not those who preferred to work. â€Å"Delinquency, marijuana use, and heavy drinking were significantly higher for adolescents who spent long hours on the job compared with adolescents who were jobless but preferred moderate hours of work† (Staff, Osgood, & Schulenberg, 2010, page 17). Deductive logic gives absolute proof of something. It begins with a premise that is assumed to be true, and the researcher infers what would be true if the premise is true. They are sometimes known as â€Å"if†¦then† statements. Deductive logic is shown in the results because the researchers assume that if a student works while in school, then they are more likely to be delinquent and abuse alcohol and drugs. This research study is quantitative because it puts the results of the surveys into numerical values that are expressed by charts. Quantitative research uses surveys and questionnaires to compile the data, which is what researchers used for this study. The researcher was not part of the investigation. It was all done by students across the United States. The methodology for this study is use surveys and questionnaires to ask students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades over a four year span about their work history, alcohol usage, and drug usage. The population is all students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades. The sampling method is to use students who remain in school throughout the survey period, and to exclude those who drop out or graduate. The findings of the study were those who were unemployed, but wished they could work were the teens with the highest rates of delinquency and substance abuse. The  researchers believe this is caused by a desire for the teens to feel like they are adults. They also believe this is because the students who wanted to work had loose ties between family and school. The author’s conclusions are that working does not necessarily contribute to higher delinquency and substance abuse rates. Neither does not working. Those who desire to work, but are unable to do so because they are too young, have no experience, cannot drive, or lack the necessary skills to perform a job properly are the juveniles who are the most likely to engage in delinquent acts, alcohol abuse, and subject abuse. The study could have been done differently by asking questions in a more anonymous way. Instead of asking surveys and sending questionnaires out, the students could be asked to voluntarily complete the survey. This could be done by using something like a voting booth. It is quick and easy. No one else would see the results, and it is completely anonymous. It also should not be limited to only students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades. References Hagan, F. E. (2010). Research methods in criminal justice and criminology (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Staff, J., Osgood, D. W., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2010, November). Explaining the Relationship between Employment and Juvenile Delinquency. Crime and Delinquency.

Inactivity and Obesity Essay

Review the article â€Å"Physical activity and sedentary activity patterns among children and adolescents: A latent class analysis approach† for this assignment. As individuals and families spend more time in front of televisions, playing video games, surfing the internet, etc., incidence and prevalence rates of overweight and obese people in throughout the world increase. Based on the article, describe family, community, and school level strategies you would use in planning an obesity prevention program. The following items in particular will be assessed: 1. Identify two specific strategies (family, community, or school level) you would use to plan an obesity prevention program. Include evidence-based information as to why you believe these strategies will be the best ones to use. 2. In your opinion, when should obesity prevention start? What should be the ideal age to start obesity prevention, knowing that lifestyle has a great impact on whether individuals will become obese? 3. Provide empirical evidence to support your position as to when obesity prevention should start. Make sure to cite your sources. Introduction Studies of the health behavior of healthy individuals and families are closely correlated since without the support of a family, an individual would not prosper in healthy behaviors. This example hit close to home since there was someone at home always trying to gear my brother, sister, and myself in the right way. This might not be the case for other families and they might have different types of issues that are involved in the studies of health behavior of individuals and families. Human behavior plays a central role in the maintenance of health and the prevention of disease. Issues Involved Some of the issues involved in the studies of the health behavior of healthy individuals and families are the different strategies for establishing healthy eating habits in children and adolescents might be quite ineffective for changing maladaptive eating behaviors. This seems to be a major issue with families of all types of financial background. The majority of individuals that lack the monetary resource to buy healthier food choices seem to be at riskiest end. Also, maintaining a particular behavior over time might require different strategies than will establishing behavior. Studies Accomplished/Reasons they are Important Studies can be accomplished through different age groups and addressing certain behaviors cues associated with healthy families and individuals. For example, one might ask a teenage group if they have ever tried smoking or drinking. From this study, they can find out information concerning the individual behavior and why it is not conducive to healthy family behaviors. Two examples of studies accomplished from the reading are classical conditioning and operant-conditioning which each has its own way of learning behaviors. For example, classical conditioning modifies behavior by repeatedly pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus that elicits the desired response. This type of learning behavior is important it allows the studies to see what mechanisms triggers different people to behave a certain way. One of the most famous classical conditioning was taught in a previous class that mentioned the salivation of dog in response to a bell being rung. The reason behind this was that every time individual brought in food for the dog, they would ring a bell. Later, they found out that just the ringing alone would set of excitement in the dog. This is important because we find out what triggers an individual’s happiness and with little help, their behavior can be geared towards a healthier one. In individuals, if someone is praised on how well they look and that they are maintaining their bodies well, the compliments alone can trigger an individual to want more praises, thus maintaining a great physique. The second type of study conducted was the operant-conditioning which builds on classical conditioning and focuses on the hypothesis that the frequency of a behavior is determined by its consequences. One example would be that of rewards for positive behavior as well as decreasing behavior from punishment. If an individual, gets praises for cleaning their room and is told that if they discontinue cleaning their room, they will make their parents disappointed, that individual might not want the negative responses thus making them decrease their negative behaviors. Contribution to Existing Knowledge These studies contribute to the existing knowledge by showing us that health behaviors can be changed by the way we treat each other. Also, with the studies, we are able to see how an individual’s health behavior can be controlled by praises and can also eliminate negative behavior by adding negative consequences.

Psychotropic Medication Essay

A psychotropic medication is a drug that can affect the mind, behavior and emotions.   It can be utilized to treat several mental disorders.   In recent years, with the advancement of mental sciences, there has been a sudden increase in use of psychotropic medications for the treatment of several mental disorders.   However, it is still not clearly understood whether these would be safe and efficient over the long run.   Some of the psychotropic medications, which are increasingly being utilized, recently include antidepressants, antianxiety drugs, antipsychotics, and antiepileptic drugs (Weller, 2007, Thompson, 2001 & Kohen, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A study was conducted by Freeman et al (1998), to study the efficacy and safety of multi-drug therapy in the treatment of resistant (refractory) bipolar disorder.   In the past, physicians and researchers have faced a lot of difficulties in the treatment of bipolar disorders.   The severity of the disease and the range of symptoms that can develop vary hugely from one individual to another.   The length of the illness, response to treatment, chances of recurrences, outcomes, etc, vary from one case to another and depends on several factors. However, during the last half a century, the use of medications has really helped to improve the outcome of bipolar disorders.   Several drugs have come into the picture in the treatment of bipolar disorders, which have been utilized during various periods.   Some of the drugs include lithium, chloropromazine, carbamazepine, haloperidol, calcium-channel blockers, clozapine, risperidol, lamotrigine, gabapentin, olanzapine, etc.   Although, a variety of drugs are currently available for the treatment of bipolar disorder, it remains a real challenge to manage.   The range of symptoms are so vast that it is often difficult to manage it with a single drug.   Hence, a combination of drugs has to be utilized for a short-term period. The author researched various drugs utilized in the treatment including lithium, lamotrigine, carbamazepine, valproate, verapamil, olanzapine, nimodipine, benzodiazepines, amlodipine, neuroleptics, gabapentin, clonazepam, clozapine, and risperidone.   Studies conducted in patients consuming lithium and sodium valproate have demonstrated that the chances of recurrences were much lesser.   The chances of adverse effects were also slightly higher.   But, weighing the disadvantages against the advantages demonstrated that valproate and lithium combination was efficient.   On the other hand lithium utilized along with carbamazepine demonstrated that only in certain cases this combination was effective and safe. However, in comorbid disease of the brain, the combination was best avoided.   Studies have shown that the valproate carbamazepine combination has a synergistic effect, but there are associated dangers of serious side effects.   Hence, it would be advisable from preliminary tests itself to avoid this combination.   To several extents, the data currently available seems to be inconsistent and there is an urgent need to conduct comprehensive drug trials.   The physician should be able to determine the risk of developing adverse effects and accordingly modify the treatment. The main issue of combination therapy is that there are greater chances of damage occurring due to associated drug interaction and individual actions of the drug.   However, as the drugs may have a synergistic effect, the potential for huge amount of benefits also exist.   Another adverse issue that exists with combination therapy is the potential for not complying with the treatment plan.   The patient may stop taking the drugs due to the several side effects (Freeman et al, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies have demonstrated that in spite of a dearth of long-term studies (to determine the safety and efficacy of the drug), many drugs are being utilized in children.   This is the most sensitive age group, and any negative reaction can have a life-long effect.   Currently the drugs utilized in children have been only assessed for their short-term and medium-term effect.   Many drugs, which seem to be safe, are seldom effective for long-periods of time.   However, many drugs that do seem effective may not in fact be safe. In a study conducted by Hussain on children suffering from ADHD, he found that about 25 % of the patients administered olanzapine and 30 % administered risperidone stopped the drug due to several reasons.   The main reasons for stopping the drug included poor response during the initial stages of drug therapy and the development of several side effects (such as sedation, confusion, agitation, nausea, vomiting, etc).   After a period of three months, there was an improvement in the symptoms and signs of ADHD. Another issues, which also need to be considered in adolescents, are the issue of drug compliance.   Children are more likely not to comply with treatment compared to adults.   Children may not comply with the doses when the side effects associated with the drug are high.   Many children would not be consuming the drug as they feel that it would not be beneficial in any way.   However, scientists do feel that with the advent of advanced studying techniques and the development of safer drug profiles, the chances of developing side effects have significantly dropped in children (Weller, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the breast-feeding period, it is important for the physician to note that any drug consumed by the mother would not only have an adverse effect on her, but also on the baby.   This is because the drug or its metabolite may be expressed in the breast milk.   Previously, women in urgent need of psychotropic medications were advised to avoid breastfeeding the child.   However, nowadays, the physicians would have to give a judgment call depending on the nature of the drug consumed and the risk of potential side effects. The chances of ill effects developing in the child depend on the quantity of drug expressed in the breast milk.   Children having liver function defects or those born prematurely are at a greater risk of developing side effects.   Besides, the heart and the kidney function also play an important role.   During the nursing period, the physician should be able to determine the chances of developing risk, and accordingly advise the mother.   It is very important to study the extent of the mental health disorder, the support from the family members, women’s chances of complying and adhering to the treatment, etc. It is important to note that during the nursing period, a healthy mother would be in a better situation to take care of the baby, than an ill mother.   It is also important to note that any drug, which has a beneficial effect on the body, would also be having a side effect.   Thus it is found that a single drug utilized in low doses would be having minimal amount of side effects compared to other drugs.   However, the psychiatrist may want to choose a combination of two or more drug in order to improve the benefits. In such cases, the risk for side effects would be high, especially in the baby.   The psychiatrist should work in close coordination with the mother, family members and the pediatrician In all cases, the chances of benefits should outweigh that of the risks from occurring.   In cases, the health of the mother is at stake, and she requires a combination of drugs, it would be advisable to stop breastfeeding and return to this healthy practice only when the drug therapy is completely stopped (Kohen, 2005). Recently, newer antidepressants drugs are being available in the market.   These antidepressants have fewer side effects, are more effective and act very fast.   Although, the chances of developing minor side effects were small in number, the chances of developing the more serious ones occurred on fewer occasions.   However, the recent drug trials have been unable to determine the long-term side effects. In this regard, more number of drug trials need to be conducted.   Many researchers have suggested that as chances of serious side effects are also present, it would be advisable to follow certain precautions. These include closely monitoring the drug therapy, administering for short periods of time, using other treatment measures such as psychotherapy as first line, starting from a low dosage and slowly increasing it depending on the patient’s response, stoppage of alcohol and other drugs, etc.   Certain warning signs need to be looked into to determine the chances of side effects from developing.   Studies have shown that usually minor side effects occur more frequently than the major ones. Studies conducted through clinical trials have demonstrated that the chances of side effects were particularly higher in those who consumed the drug than the placebo.   However, it would also be interesting to note that patients receiving the placebo took longer time to recover from the disease than those who received the drug.   If a drug has only minor side effects are well tolerated in the body, then it should be preferred to one that causes major side effects.   Psychiatrists prefer to use psychotropic medications for short period of time, in order to avoid the chances of side effects from developing (Jureidini et al, 2005). Another approach that also seems to be beneficial includes combining the drug with other drugs in order to decrease the dosage.   In all cases, the patient’s treatment with drug therapy needs to be closely monitored in order to determine the chances of side effects and benefits from developing.   As the effects of several drugs on the developing baby are not known, its use should be restricted during pregnancy and lactation.   Further research needs to be conducted in this regard (Jureidini et al, 2005, Kohen, 2005, Gazley, 2004 & Freeman, 1998). Psychotropic medications have the potential of causing side effects and also helping to improve the outcome of the condition.   The risk of side effects may be difficult to manage and to predict.   However, if certain measures are followed, they could be kept to a minimal.   Some of the measures that are required include:- Conducting detailed drug trials to asses the potential side-effects and benefits Ensuring that the drug trials are conducted for determining the long term effects Monitoring the drug administration of the patient Making a thorough risk assessment (weighting the risks and the benefits) in each and very case. Making sure that the factors, which would result in the development of side effects, are discussed and addressed appropriately. Taking care whilst administering drugs to pregnant women and nursing mothers. Taking care whilst administering drugs to sensitive groups such as children, elders, etc. Taking care whilst administering combination drugs (as they could have a synergistic effect) Seeking patient’s compliance and adherence to the drug therapy. Modifying the other factors that alter the course of the disease. To ensure that the drug are administered in low doses for short period of time. Using psychotherapy as an adjuvant.    References: Freeman, M. P. & Stoll, A. L. (1998). â€Å"Mood Stabilizer Combinations: A Review of Safety and Efficacy.† Am J Psych, 155, 12-21. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/155/1/12 Gazley, J. (2004). â€Å"Sample Email Answer 7 – Psychotropic Drugs. What are the side effects?† Retrieved on December 12, 2007, from Ask the internet Therapist Web site: http://www.asktheinternettherapist.com/counselingarchive_psychotropic_drugs.asp Jereidini, J. N., Doecke, C. J., Mansfield, P. R. (2004). â€Å"Efficacy and safety of antidepressants for children and adolescents.† BMJ, 328, 879-883. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7444/879 Kohen, D. (2005). â€Å"Psychotropic medication and breast-feeding.† Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11, 371-379. http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/11/5/371.pdf Thompson, L. L. (2001). â€Å"Neuropsychological Testing.† In. Jacobson (Ed), Psychiatric Secrets, Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus. Weller, E. B. (2007). â€Å"Issues in Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.† Medscape. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/420268

AIDS Social Workers

Looks at the dangers, relationships with clients, treatment, socioeconomics, diagnosis, at-risk behavior, prevention, and public perceptions. This paper is an examination of the problems that the rising epidemic of HIV infection and AIDS poses to social workers, both as a direct issue in providing service to infected clients and as an indirect part of the overall job of social work. The prevalence of this devastating illness has had a profound effect on society as a whole. The consequences for social workers, however, are even greater, since the field services many of the patients most profoundly affected, either those who are suffering from advanced stages of the disease or those who are closely involved with the ailing. In order to provide the most effective service possible, social workers need to understand the stages of HIV and AIDS, the most current medical understanding of the ways in which HIV can be transmitted, some of the current treatments, and funding and other resources that are available to diagnosed.

The dynamics of employment relations in British Airways Essay

The dynamics of employment relations in British Airways - Essay Example According to the research findings employment relations refer to the collective and individual dimensions of labour and the associated buying and selling of this labour power. However, fundamentally the definition of employment relations does not remain restricted to the field of trade unions, government agencies and employer’s associations or processes of collective bargaining; it rather focuses on employment relationships. Poole has rightly defined the scope of employment relationships as a discipline concerning the systematic and organised study of all the aspects of employment relationships in the organizations. This relationship is generated when an employee sells his capacity of work in exchange for wages and other benefits. It also considers the potential disagreement between employees and employers and considers the broader context in which organizations operate, influence of the broader nature of economic activities, analyses the basis of conflicts and accommodations between employers and employees and develops interdisciplinary approaches based on ideas and concepts derived from sociology, psychology or even economics. This assignment analyses the various employee engagement strategies and employment relations strategies in British Airways and the associated policies and practices implemented by the organization. This is done in the context of suitability or fitness of these strategies with the present and emerging trends of business. The use of these strategies and their impacts in driving organizational performance and productivity are analysed in the project. The project also analyses whether and how British Airways evaluates the performance of its employees. Based on this analysis suitable recommendations are provided with regards to the current employment relationship strategies in the organization. This is done to ensure they are strategically beneficial for the organization and are cost effective too. Finally an action plan is provided w ith clearly defined processes and practices along with the likely outcomes they could generate for the organization. Findings Employment Relations in the organization British Airways began its existence within the public sector and had majority of its characteristics in tandem with employment relations of the public sector organizations. The organization was highly unionised and recognised sixteen separate trade unions. One of these was BALPLA (British Airlines Pilots Association). This union

Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition Essay

Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition - Essay Example Language pedagogy has always been my unflinching passion; and my experiences of teaching English as a foreign language primary school pupils (voluntary work in high school), helped me conclusively determine my goals. Observing the process of SLA, I was able to better comprehend the impact of socio-cultural impacts on learning and receptivity. Various elements such as critical age influence, personal motivations, and the overall environment –including social and domestic settings – in which these pupils were learning, combined to create their own dynamic reception framework. I realized that the role of a teacher is not only challenging but also essential in facilitating the development of linguistic skills and effective communication. Indeed, as Sir Christopher Ball put it â€Å"successful teaching is about winning the attention of the learner.† After completing socially-tailored A-levels, I jointly took up English Language and Linguistics and International Relations at Oxford Brookes University. I liked the Linguistics course’s focus on the relationship between language and meaning just as much as I enjoyed perceiving the interrelation between language and communication; the course also dealt with human development, the interplay between language and literature and the ideational concepts of descriptive linguistics. The "Psychology of Language"(B+) module, where I developed my interests in SLA, helped me appreciate the social implications of language acquisition, and "Methodology of Foreign Language Teaching"(A) helped develop a keen awareness of a range of teaching techniques (especially, microteaching). My enthusiasm for this program arises from my conviction that it shall allow me to explore each of the above facets more substantively.