Arguments about the critical period hypothesis Free Essay Example, 1750 words

Bley-Vroman, R. (1988). The fundamental character of foreign language learning. In W. Rutherford &M. Sharwood Smith (Eds. ), Grammar and second language teaching: A book of readings (pp. 19-30). In this article the author talks about ten different characteristics of adults who try to learn a second language. One of these characteristics is age and its correlation with the proficiency with which they learn a second language. In this section the author states that it is generally presumed that the proficiency with which an individual can learn a second language is higher during early ages of life. This article will be used in the research to provide an introduction to the argument of critical point hypothesis. Colombo, J. (1982). The critical period concept: Research, methodology, and theoretical concerns. Psychological Bulletin, 91, 260-275. This article is a discussion of the concept of critical period which is marked by the age of an individual starting from his/her birth till he/she reaches adulthood. The article even discusses various researches regarding the concept of critical period along with issues in theorizing the concept and the methodologies used to perform research regarding the topic. We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments about the critical period hypothesis or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now This article will be used in the argument to define the concept of critical period and to criticize its use in determining the proficiency that individuals attain while learning a second language. Curtiss, S. (1977). Genie: A psycholinguistic study of a modern day â€Å"wildchild†. New York: Academic Press. This research focuses on a child who lived in captivation and when she was discovered she lack the ability that the children of her age enjoyed. The research even focuses on the critical period hypothesis and the researchers were able to support the critical period hypothesis with the case of Genie. This study will be used to provide example in support of for the case of existence of a critical period which is necessary for the development of children. Flege, J. E., Frieda, A. M., & Nozawa, T. (1997). Amount of native-language (L1) use affects the pronunciation of an L2. Journal of Phonetics, 25, 169-186. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of use of native language on an individual’s ability to learn a second language. The researchers were able to identify that second language learners are unable to develop nativelike proficiency even after being exposed to a second language for more than 34 years. The study even identified that if an individual is exposed to higher degree of native language, he/she fails in developing the accent of a foreign language.

Essay The Mists Of Avalon - 1035 Words

Devotion, Love, Despair and Betrayal nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Mists of Avalon throws the throbbing pulse of femininity into the reader’s face. It expels a truth which can be felt through every sentence, paragraph and chapter. It is a grouping of heartwarming characters, horrifying plot twists and several tragedies surrounding many different themes. The Mists of Avalon becomes a legend seen through new eyes, with details, majestic language, and haunting foreshadowing that hold the reader through its more than 800 pages. It is a story of another time and place. Its the legendary saga of King Arthur and his companions at Camelot. Their battles, love, and devotion are told this time from the†¦show more content†¦It is that power which inevitably drives all those who love Viviane away from her. She must use her power to do the work of the Goddess, which is not always understood. Morgaine, who is raised by Viviane feels the power being used on her and leaves, as well as Viviane’s son, Lancelet, who is to afraid of his mother to see her. Viviane is a strong character who’s spirituality is thought provoking. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Gwenhwyfar, Arthurs Queen, is an overly pious, fearful woman who successfully sways her husband, Arthur, into betraying his allegiance to Avalon. Arthur’s incredible love for Gwenyfar is confusing at times because there is no real development of their relationship. Arthur just seems to have fallen deeply in love with a woman who’s stupidity is infuriating. However, Arthur is not the only one who is madly in love with Gwenyfar; Arthur’s best friend Lancelet is as well. Igraine see’s this in the beginning and tries to undo the arrangement of her marriage to Arthur, but it could not be stopped. Gwenyfar returns the love to Lancelet and the reader somehow manages to feel compassion for the poor woman locked in a triangle of despair. The reader grows to hate Gwenyfar as she is the ultimate rock in the bottom of Morgaine’s shoe. The Mists of Avalon depicts Gwenhwyfar as a blind cultist, rather than the wise and loving queen. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Set against Gwenyfar is Morgaine of the Fairies, Arthurs sister, love,Show MoreRelatedThe Mists Of Avalon : A Feminist Perspective1072 Words   |  5 Pages A Feminist Perspective The film The Mists of Avalon is an Arthurian work that relates the legend from the perspective of the female characters that manipulated the reigns of the power. This film, follows the journey of the priestess, Morgaine, in her fight to preserve her Celtic culture in a kingdom where those who embrace Christianity threaten to end their pagan way of life. This legend also focuses on the ladies, Viviane, Igrane, Morgause, and Guinevere as well as other significant female charactersRead MoreMist of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley525 Words   |  2 PagesMist of Avalon breaks through many stereotypes but also strengthens some in some ways. One stereotype that was torn down was that women are not as strong as men. This is proved to be wrong when they have Morgaine fighting men and actually being victorious. This movie also breaks the stereotype that women can’t be in power. Most women in this movie hold very high positions. For example, Viviane is the high goddess of Avalon. Also Morgaine is her second in command. Although this movie breaksRead MoreMovie Review : The Mists Of Avalon Essay1631 Words   |  7 PagesThe Mists of Avalon Most people have heard the story of King Arthur and Camelot, most have probably heard several stories that focus on different views, different events, but for the most part the story remains the similar. Ask those same people how many Arthurian movies have you seen again many have been made and most stay along the same path, save for one, The Mists of Avalon takes us on a whole new version of the story coming from the often portrayed villainess Morgaine La Faye. With Mists of AvalonRead More The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley Essay1310 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, is not only an example of a Medieval Romance, but also tells the story of the women who stood behind King Arthur during his infamous reign in the Middle Ages. The term â€Å"Medieval Romance† does not necessarily mean that the piece using it contains any sort of romance. There are three criteria that must be meet to form a Medieval Romance. (1) The plot must divide into sharply separate episodes that often doRead MoreThe Mists of Avalon: the Women Behind King Arthur1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe Mists of Avalon: The Women Behind King Arthur Kate Wrigley period 3 The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, is not only an example of a Medieval Romance, but also tells the story of the women who stood behind King Arthur during his infamous reign in the Middle Ages. This novel explains the reasoning and decisions that Arthur made in the womens perspective. The Mists of Avalon is a twist on the Arthurian tales as told by the four women instrumental to the story: Gwenhwyfar, hisRead More The Mists Of Avalon: The Women Behind King Arthur Essay1656 Words   |  7 Pages The Mists of Avalon: The Women Behind King Arthur nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, is not only an example of a Medieval Romance, but also tells the story of the women who stood behind King Arthur during his infamous reign in the Middle Ages. This novel explains the reasoning and decisions that Arthur made in the womens perspective. The Mists of Avalon is a twist on the Arthurian tales as told by the four women instrumental to the story: GwenhwyfarRead MoreThe Robert De Boron s Prose Merlin1368 Words   |  6 Pagesacross different eras. The ideas of war, loyalty, and religion are common themes that run through the stories of Robert de Boron’s Prose Merlin, Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Mort d’Arthur, T.H. White’s The Once and Future king, as well the the The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The legacy of the Arthurian legend captivates many audiences and has been told numerous times. In The Once and Future King by T.H White, Arthur experiences being different animals which teach him lessons about warRead MoreA Short Story : Chapter 1787 Words   |  4 Pagesher skin dimpled. She felt a slight chill in the air. â€Å"Good. You’re awake.† Mithian sat up to find Freya standing there. â€Å"Freya? Sorry I didn’t see or feel you there just now.† â€Å"I’ve been keeping watch on you from Avalon,† Freya replied. With a wave of her hand, she dissipated the mist portal behind herself. â€Å"After the delivery, we wanted you to rest and regain your strength.† â€Å"Merlin’s idea?† Mithian supposed. â€Å"All of our ideas actually. Merlin’s such a worrier. 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Taoism Free Essays

When first deciding to write my term paper on Taoism I thought it would be just another religion. In my research I found so many different translations that my head started spinning. There are really no known facts about the founder of Taoism, Lao Tsu, except that he was possibly a contemporary of Confucius. We will write a custom essay sample on Taoism or any similar topic only for you Order Now He was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime. Religious Tolerance, 2007) Since there are many aspects to Taoism in this paper I will do my best to explain what Taoism is and also explain some of its main concepts. Taoism is described as a Chinese religious and philosophical system aimed at assisting its followers to achieve harmony within themselves and with the energy of the universe. (Von Dehsen, 1999, p. 113) As I have found in all my research Tao, translated to English, means â€Å"the way. † Individuals that follow Taoism don’t concern themselves with society and with how much wealth or power they posses.They value their own life above everything else. Taoist become one with nature and the universe. As I understand it, they live their life not concerned with what others think of them, they do not want praise for good deeds they may have done. When an individual is able to accomplish this mind set they are said to have reached Tao. Reaching the Tao and becoming one with nature requires the individual to clear their mind of all the things they have been taught. This takes a deep commitment and is very hard to do. Taoist believe in keeping their bodies healthy in order to stay in balance with the Tai Chi.Chi is a physical exercise that focuses the mind while conditioning the body. The chi isn’t the only way Taoist keep their bodies healthy, they also meditate and rely on herbal remedies. Taoist have spent thousands of years studying and experimenting with herbs and they have developed hundreds of formulas to cure or prevent illnesses. The herbal experimenting started because some Taoist believed that certain herbal formulas could guarantee immortality. I am not sure if there are any documented cases of immortality but being a believer of holistic medicine and acupuncture I can see the benefits herbs in my life today.Yin and Yang is the most universally recognizable symbol for Taoism. The symbol is a circle with one half black and the other half white. Both halves have a spot with the opposite color which represents being part of the other. Yin and Yang are two complementary, interdependent principles or phases alternating in space and time; they are emblems envoking the harmonious interplay of all pairs of opposites in the universe. (Taoism, 2007) Taoist believe yin and yang exist in all aspects of life. Some believe the white represents good and the black represents evil.If there is good there is bad, if there is wealth there is poverty and if there is woman there is man. In other words there is an opposite to everything. The universe flows in harmony without ever stopping. In chapter 42 of the Tao-Te-Ching there is a reference about yin and yang. The Tao is one, from the one come yin and yang, from these two creative energy (chi), from energy, ten thousand things, the forms of all creations, all life embodies yin and embraces yang, through their union achieving harmony. Tao-Te-Ching, Ch. 51) This brings us to our next concept, the five elements. The five elements are earth, metal, fire, wood and water. This theory is as important as the yin and yang. It is believed that these elements are part of a constantly moving cycle. An example of this cycle would be the way these elements can create or destroy each other; water puts out fire, earth absorbs water, from metal we get water when heated by fire. These elements are also used when determining medical illnesses in Chinese medicine.Each element listed above represent an organ in our body. For example, fire represents the heart and small intestine; earth represents the stomach and muscle; metal represents the lungs and large intestine; water represents the bladder and bones; and wood represents the liver and gallbladder. If the energy within an organ is not balance and because all of these elements work in a cycle it will affect other organs in your body. To give you a better example, in raditional Chinese medicine, a person may complain of trouble with the lungs and weeping or grief, and as these are classified as metal characteristics earthly herbs with a metal boosting nature may be employed and foods classified as fire would be restricted, as fire destroys or hinders metal. In this way the balance of energy in the body will be regained. (Taoist and Taoist Arts, 2007, p. 2) The concepts I have listed in this report are only a small picture of what this religion is about. In this world of conflict and unrest, a world that is nevertheless interdependent, Taoists sill search to provide natural ways of solving problems.They gain the strength to transform their own lives and thereby to fulfill their mission. They try to help individuals as well as societies to transform from a way of life based on conflict to a harmonious way of life. (Chung, 2007) In today’s world followers of Taoism would be environmentalist, naturalists and natural food advocates to name a few. There are many people in today’s world that may not even be aware that they are actually practicing Taoism or its beliefs. I have learned a lot researching Taoism and I plan to educate myself more especially the practices of the Tai Chi. References History of Taoism (2007). Retrieved December 2, 2007, from www. religioustolerance. org/taoism. htm. Christian D. Von Dehsen (1999). Philosophers and Religious Leaders, p. 113. Taoism. (2007). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved December 5, 2007, from Encyclopedia Britannica online: http://search. eb. com/eb/article-59728 Taoism and the Taoist Arts-Main Concepts (2007). Retrieved December 5, 2007, from http://www. geocities. com/Athens/Delphi/2883/main. html? 20075 Dr. Douglas K. Chung (2007). Taoism: A Portrait, p. 3. Retrieved December 2, 2007 from http://www. origin. org/ucs/sbcr/taoism. cfm How to cite Taoism, Papers