Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

Pronouncing Italian Vowels and Consonants

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Scott Wells

The correct pronunciation in Italian can be difficult for some beginners. Yet it is standard and stays the same. Once the rules are understood it is simple to pronounce each word correctly. Here are some step by step instructions on how to pronounce the Italian vowels.

A - sounds like a in father

E - has two sounds: short vowel like e in pen and the long vowel similar to ai in fair

I - sounds like ea in tea.

O - has two sounds: like o in cozy or similar of o in cost

U - sounds like u in rude.

Italian vowels are always spoken in a sharp, clear fashion; they should never be slurred or pronounced weakly. Vowels always keep their value in diphthongs. Italian is a phonetic language. This means it is spoken exactly the way it is written. Italian and English use the same Latin alphabet, but the sounds by the letters are different in the two languages.

Pronouncing Italian Consonants

In Italian pronunciation can be difficult especially for beginners Yet much like the vowels the sound each consonant makes is a regular sound and remains the same, so once the rules are understood, it is simple to pronounce the words correctly. Here are the step by step instructions on the way the consonants are pronounced in Italian.

The consonants B, F, M, N, and V are pronounced exactly as they are in English.

When the C is before a, o, u and before a consonant it has the sound similar to the English letter K. When the C comes before the e and I it sounds very similar to the English sound of the Ch.

D is much more explosive in Italian than it is in English; with the tongue near the tip of the upper teeth but with no aspiration.

When G comes before a, o, and u and before consonants it sounds like the g in good; when it comes before e and i it sounds like the g in general.

Gli sounds like ll in million and Gn sounds like the ny in canyon.

The H in Italian is silent.

The L sounds like it does in English except with a sharper tone and more forward in the mouth.

This is a continuation of the article: Learning Italian Vowels and Consonants - Part 1

P sounds as it does in English, but without the aspiration, which sometimes happens in English.

Qu sounds as it does in English like in the word quest.

R is very different from the English; it is pronounced with one flip of the tongue against the gums of the upper teeth. This will make the trill sound of the r.

S before vowels and unvoiced consonants such as c, f, p, q, s, t is pronounced like the s in the English word rose.

T is pretty much like the T in English, but with no escaping of breath to go along with it in the Italian.

Z can be voiced, like ds in beds, or it can be voiceless, like ts in bets.

All Italian consonants have a corresponding double consonant, whose pronunciation is similar to, but not exactly like the single consonant. The mispronunciation of the double consonants can result in miscommunication.

Italian is known as a musical language because every sound is clear and distinct but stays soft rather than hard. The consonants will never lose their sound value even when linked together with syllables and words.

When they say Italian is a phonetic language, they mean it is spoken the way it is written. Italian and English share the Latin alphabet, but the pronunciation of each letter differs between the two languages.

Don’t you wonder how all of these languages that share the same alphabet became so different in countries that are so close together?

Scott Wells invites you to learn more about the Italian language at http://www.allthingspondered.com/2132/

A History of Lincoln Part 2

Sunday, January 4th, 2009

Naz Daud

The raising of the siege of The Castle of Mont Sorel and Lincoln Castle.

The army of Louis and the barons of England arrived at Dunstable, and there spent the night. In the morning it marched northward, hastening to the relief of the castle of Mont Sorel, Earl Ralph of Chester and the others who were with him besieging it, were informed of this by their scouts, and retreated to the castle of Nottingham, where they determined to watch the progress of their approaching enemies.

When the barons then arrived at the castle of Mont Sorel, after pillaging in their usual custom all the cemeteries and churches on their march, it was determined to march to Lincoln, where Gilbert de Gant and other barons had carried on a long siege without success.

They marched through the valley of Belvoir, and there everything fell into the hands of these robbers, because the soldiers of the French kingdom were the refuse and scum of that country who left nothing untouched. Their poverty and wretchedness was so great, that they had not enough clothing to cover their nakedness. At length they arrived at Lincoln, and the barons then made fierce assaults on the castle, whilst the besieged returned fire with missiles and stones and deadly weapons.

The king of England assembled an army to raise the siege of the castle of Lincoln.

Whilst these events were passing here, William Marshall, the guardian of the king and kingdom, by the advice of Walo the legate, Peter bishop of Winchester, and others by whose counsels the business of the kingdom was arranged, persuaded the castellans belonging to the king.

He also persuaded the knights who were in charge of castles in different parts of the kingdom, ordering them, on the command of the king, to assemble at Newark on the second day in Whitsun week, to proceed together to raise the siege of Lincoln castle.

They had a desire to engage with the excommunicated French, and also to fight for their country. They arrived at the time and place pre-arranged, with the legate himself and many other prelates of the kingdom. With horses and soldiers, to assail with prayers as well as arms, these enemies of their king, and rebels against their lord the pope, it appeared to them they had a just cause of war, especially as he was innocent, and a stranger to sin.

When they were all assembled together, there were four hundred knights, nearly two hundred and fifty crossbow men, and an innumerable host of followers and horsemen, who could on emergency fulfil the duties of soldiers. The chiefs of this army were William Marshall, William his son, Peter Bishop of Winchester, a man well skilled in warfare, Ralph Earl of Chester, William Earl of Salisbury, E. William Earl of Ferrars and William Earl of Albemarle

There were also there the barons, William D’ Albiney, John Marshall, William de Cantelo, William his son, the renowned Falkes de Breaute, Thomas Basset, Robert de Viport, Brian de L’Isle, Geoffrey de Lucy, and Philip d’Albiney, with many castellans of experience in war.

They stayed three days at Newark, to refresh the horses and men, and in the meantime they went to confession asking for the Lord

The Mysteries of the Chinese Language

Sunday, January 4th, 2009

Michael Song

There was this person who was amazed by the intricate patterns of the Chinese language and he was totally confused trying to understand the same. He tried out the various translation sites on the net in order to gain further knowledge about the Chinese language but always came up against a wall. For the uninitiated there are 3 different languages that are used in china and they are Mandarin, Cantonese and Traditional. Unless one goes into depth about the Chinese language, it will be tough for them to have more knowledge about the same, regardless of the translation sites they visit. The best option for them will be to approach someone who are well versed in the linguistics of that language and seek their help.

Before you set forth to visit China on a business trip, it is important that you know a bit about their language and study a few common phrases like greetings and salutations and pronounce them correctly. This might sound tough, it being an alien language, but if the Chinese visitors to your country can speak your language, why not you. There is no doubt that English is far easier to learn that Chinese but that does not mean you cannot pick up a few words if you try hard enough. There are many online courses that help you to master this language and most of them offer a basic course for business travelers that will help you while you are visiting China to seal up that important business deal.

After English, the Chinese language has the second most following in the world. Unlike the English language that contains of just 26 characters, the Chinese language is made up of hundreds of graphical representations that make up each the words and sentences. You will be amazed to know that typing 10 words per minute on a Chinese typewriter is considered to be very fast. If required you can ask your online friend to guide you to learn common phrases and how to pronounce them correctly. The most you need to know when you are embarking on a business trip are a few phrases like `hello

What Does an Independent Junior School Education Offer?

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

Jo-Ro Haffenden

Independent Junior Schools offer a broad curriculum, specialist teaching, small classes, a fantastic range of facilities, wholesome food, teacher-parent partnerships and a huge focus on the development of the individual child academically, socially and spiritually.

On receiving a prospectus from an independent school it will often say that they offer a broad curriculum, but what does this mean? The broad curriculum relates to what the children will do in school. As well as offering the core subjects most independent schools offer much more.

Art, drama, languages, design technology, music, Latin, religious education, personal, social, and health education, physical education and games are some of the things common to the curriculum. Within these subject areas will be additional disciplines. In music, for example children will have access to individual music lessons. The instruments and teaching are supplied by the school at no cost to parents. Specialist choral training and opportunities to perform in a range of contexts, all from an early age are all on offer. It is common for games to be undertaken every day and form a core part of the daily routine, promoting fitness, working as a team and contributing to a healthy lifestyle. The teaching of foreign languages often begins at an early age. French is the most common but I have known Spanish and Chinese also to be undertaken.

The term

Paying For College With College Scholarships and Student Loans

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

Mark B. Allen

It is getting harder to pay for a college education these days, but it is by no means impossible. Getting college scholarships is still the best way to go, and there are plenty of them still around - even though money may be getting tighter. Here are some tips about how to get money to pay for your college education with college scholarships and student loans.

GET AS MANY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AS YOU CAN

The best way to go to college is to go free. College scholarships can enable a student to go to college without cost - if there are enough of them. In order to get as many as is needed to go without cost, you will need to apply to as many scholarships as possible. Of course, you want to only apply for those college scholarships that you have a good possibility of actually winning.

Finding the right college scholarships to apply to will require some work - and possibly some imagination, too. There are college scholarships for just about everything you can think of these days - and possibly some that are almost out of reach of the imagination, too. You can find them for academics, sports, hobbies, uniqueness - like a special last name or for left-handers, etc., your locale, and some that are just plain weird - like the duct tape prom college scholarship.

In order for you to learn about what college scholarships are available, you will need to do some homework. This includes researching them online, in the library, letting scholarship groups help you (be careful of these - some are scams), talking to your school counselors, and more. You can also look at the Web sites of the colleges that you are interested in, and they will show you what college scholarships are available there.

LOOK FOR COMPANY SCHOLARSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

Many companies also offer college scholarships, too. They do this because they want to have a qualified and trained pool of potential employees available when they need them. They usually look for exceptionally bright prospects that can bring much to the table if they should hire them.

Getting a college scholarship or an internship with a great company can lead to a great job right out of college. Sometimes, you may even be able to find your needed college scholarship simply by looking at the various companies you would dream of working for after you get your college degree. Look at their Web sites for more information.

APPLY FOR COLLEGE STUDENT LOANS

Because college scholarships may not cover your entire school bill, you may also need some college financing. Direct loans are available from the government, which will also give you the lowest interest rate possible on education loans.

Direct student loans, which includes the Stafford loans and the PLUS loans, accumulate no interest while you are in school (because the government pays for it while you are in college), or drop to less than half-time. You will not need to make any payments on the loan until you have been out of school for 6 months.

Graduate students and families of college students have access to PLUS loans for education and they also have the same terms as the Stafford loans

Tips For Reducing School Violence

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

Ray Subs

Violence seems to be on the rise among young people in school. Fighting, attacks and shooting are becoming more and more common all the time. Parents and communities need to take the steps to improve family and school relationships in order to create a happy, healthy environment for students that will result in less violence and more success for students everywhere. Only when parents, teachers, religious and community leaders work together will there be a dramatic reduction in harmful school violence.

It is important to note that the most common reason for school violence is low self-esteem. Students who perpetrate school violence tend to have low self-esteem. Often these young people have been the victims of verbal abuse throughout their childhood at home, at school or both. All parents, teachers and students need to learn the importance of treating other people with respect. As human beings we all have our differences and we don’t always “like” everyone, but there is no excuse for verbal abuse or “put downs”, not even under the guise of “joking around”. Schools that implement a zero tolerance policy on “teasing” have a tendency to report far fewer incidences of school violence than those where this behavior is ignored or even encouraged.

It is important for educators to be on the lookout for symptoms that a child is being verbally or physically abused at home and file the proper reports. All children need proper love and nurturing in their homes to become responsible productive adults. Teachers should also be aware that a kind word from them can make all the difference to a child suffering from abuse or neglect. Often the most difficult children to deal with need the most approval and support. Telling a child you are proud of them can help to encourage more positive behavior and change the path of a person’s life. You never know when you will be the one person, the only person, who ever gave them a reason to believe in themselves and try.

School violence has tragic consequences for everyone involved whether it is abusive behaviors at school that make people feel unsafe and destroys their self-esteem or shootings that take the lives of innocent people and shake up entire communities and even the whole country. School violence is something that affects everyone whether they are in school, have children or grandchildren in school, or not. The world does not feel like a safe place to be when children are being killed in school.

Community and religious leaders can also be on the lookout for destructive behaviors at a young age. They can help provide parenting classes and resources to help parents deal with stress and provide a stable environment for children. They can also encourage the zero tolerance policy in schools. Neighbors can also shoulder some of the responsibility. People need to stop minding their own business and report suspected child abuse before it is too late. Ending school violence should be a priority for everyone and only when everyone works together will this problem be solved.

Ray Subs is a public relations consultant who works with Bianca Tora. For more information about dealing with depression in Children visit her site here.

Bussa, Leader With Heart

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

John Parks

In the history of Barbados there may not have been a more dominant voice of freedom then the Barbados captive (formerly of Africa) Bussa. Bussa was captured and brought to the island of Barbados by force where he was enslaved in the 18th century on the Barleys plantation. Bussa was the leader of one of the first slave revolts of Barbados in years. He literally fought for the slaves as leader of the revolt back in 1816. The revolt pitted imprisoned slaves against the bigots and plantation owners of Barbados. Bussa

A History Of Lincoln Part 1

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

Duncan Seth-Smith

Lincoln has a number of major tourist attractions, the main one being that Lincoln is the capital of Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire is one the biggest counties in England and is a key shire county. Despite the impression that most people have Lincolnshire is far from flat. True, out towards the east coast and the Wash, the county is flat due to the land being reclaimed from the sea. However as you go inland towards Stamford and Grantham the county becomes underrating. The further north of the county you go the hillier it becomes. Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle are high on a hill overlooking the City of Lincoln.

To the north and North West of Lincoln you enter the famous Lincolnshire Wolds and the long hills and shallow valleys before eventually meeting the river Humber.

Back in Lincoln on the hill overlooking the old city is Lincoln Castle.

William the Conqueror’s Castle & The Observatory Tower.

When William the Conqueror defeated King Harold at The Battle of Hastings on the 14 October 1066 he still faced resistance to his rule in the north of England. For a number of years William’s position was very insecure and in order to project his influence over the people, he felt it necessary to construct a number of castles in the north and midlands of England. It was at this time that the new King built major castles at Warwick, Nottingham and York. Once in control of York, the Conqueror turned southwards and arrived at the Roman and Viking city of Lincoln.

When William reached Lincoln he found a Viking trading centre with a population of 8,000. The remains of the old Roman walled fortress located some 200 ft above the countryside to the south and west, proved a strategic position to construct a new castle. Also, Lincoln represented a vital crossroads of the following Roman routes, The Ermine Street, a major Roman road and very important north-south route connecting London and York.

The Fosse Way - another important Roman route connecting Lincoln with the city of Leicester and the south-west of England. The Valley of the River Trent - a major river giving access to the River Ouse, and thus the major city of York. The River Witham - a waterway that afforded access to both the Rivers Trent and the North Sea via The Wash. The Lincolnshire Wolds - an upland area to the northeast, which overlooks the Lincolnshire Marsh.

William saw how a castle here could guard several of the main strategic routes and form part of a network of strongholds of the Norman Kingdom, roughly the area of the country that is today referred to as the East Midlands. It could also form a center from which troops could be sent to repel Scandinavian landings anywhere on the coast from the Trent to the Welland.

The castle was built in the south-west corner of the upper walled town, the remainder of which was occupied by the town. The Doomsday Book entry for Lincoln records how 166 residences were knocked down to make way for the castle. Of the original 1164 residences, 600 will have been in the upper town.

Work on the new fortification was completed in 1068. It is probable that at first a wooden keep was constructed which was later replaced with a much stronger stone one. Lincoln castle has two motes. To the south, where the Roman wall stands on the edge of a steep slope, it was retained partially as a curtain wall and partially as a revetment retaining the motes. In the west, where the ground is more level, the Roman wall was buried within an earth rampart and extended upward to form the Norman castle wall.

Duncan Seth-Smith - CityLocal Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Business Directory Lincoln News Lincoln Events Lincoln Free Adverts

This Devil is Kind of Cute

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

John Parks

Down in Tasmania, beady little eyes watch you, eyes of a devil, the Tasmanian devil that is. Tasmania is the only known habitat for this little creature. Tasmania is an island separated from Australia by the Bass Strait (a channel running 80

Human Energy Fields Meet Western Science Closer Than You May Think

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

Ron Morefield

The human ostrich mind

By and large the human mind takes the approach of an ostrich concerning the energy that it doesn