Marketing Paper Heineken Essay

Heineken is a Dutch beer brewery company, which was founded in 1863, when Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought a small brewery in Amsterdam called â€Å"The Haystack†. In 1900 the company came up with it nowadays famous five-point star. In 1914 the company began expanding, starting with the production of their own bottled beers. By 1914 the company was one of the most loved import beers in the United States. From around 1948 Heineken began promoting their beer on a large scale. With slogans as â€Å"Heerlijk helder Heineken† (meaning: Delicious clear Heineken) and â€Å"Good people bring home Heineken†. In 1968 Heineken comes up with an innovation that will be used for over 30 years, the barrel with an attached draft pipe. This way an innkeeper only has to connect the barrel from the outside. In the same year Heineken also takes over their rival company Amstel. However, Amstel will keep its own identity and they will both follow different strategies. In the early 1980’s Heineken is available in 145 countries around the world. After the fall of the Wall in 1989, Heineken will even expand further into Eastern Europe. For instance, Heineken acquires Brau Beteiligungs A.G. (BRAG), in 2003. Until now, that is still the largest acquisition in Heineken’s history. In 2005 Heineken comes up with an innovative system that would take over the markets once more: The portable Heineken Draught keg. In 2010 Heineken is active in 170 countries and still trying to expand. They have 120 breweries globally, and employ 54.000 people. In the 120 breweries Heineken owns, Heineken brews more than 200 different kinds of beers and ciders, Heineken Premium beer being the most famous one. In Heineken’s Annual Report of 2009 Heineken has stated that 18 percent net growth in net profit. They reported revenue of â‚ ¬14.701 million; their net profit was â‚ ¬1.055 million. Their revenue of â‚ ¬14.701 million came from a consolidated beer volume of around 125 million hectoliters.[1] Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. Stock exchange and management scheme Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. are both represented on the Stock exchange list. Heineken Holding holds 50.005 % interest in Heineken N.V. FEMSA holds a 9.245% interest in Heineken N.V. The free float interest in Heineken N.V. is 40.75%. L’arche Green N.V., is owned by the Heineken family for 88.75% and by Greenfee B.V., which owns the remaining 11.25%. L’arche Green N.V. holds a 50.075% interest in Heineken Holding N.V. FEMSA holds a 14.94% interest in Heineken Holding N.V. Free float interest in Heineken Holding N.V. represents 34.94%.[2] We have put a stock exchange and management scheme in Appendix A. Products, Geographical Markets and Market Positions As Heineken brews around 200 different kinds of beers and ciders, we will first state a couple of recognizable brand names. However after that, we will focus on the Heineken Premium Pilsner, or Heineken Premium segment. We will differentiate on the premium segment because otherwise our paper will become to elaborate. Products Heineken most famous brand is Heineken Premium Beer. Below I will mention other brand names that Heineken brews in their breweries. I chose to name the products they brew in Western Europe; this is due to the fact that Heineken is Europe’s largest and leading beer brewer. In Europe the most brewed beers and ciders that Heineken brews are: – Heineken – Amstel – Desperados – Gà ¶sser – Strongbow – Edelweiss For a total overview of all the beers that Heineken brews in the worlds, you can visit http://www.heinekeninternational.com/products_brands_brands.aspx For the relevance of this paper, it is not necessary to name all these brands. Geographical Markets Below you will find a table with the geographical distribution of consolidated beer volume, this is off al of the beers and ciders Heineken brews in the world. |In thousands of hectolitres[3] |2010 |% | |Western Europe |45,394 |31.1 | |Central and Eastern Europe |42,237 |29.0 | |Africa and the MIddle East |19,070 |13.1 | |The Americas |37,843 |25.9 | |Asia Pacific |1,328 |0.9 | |Consolidated beer volume |145,872 |100 | The premium segment is listed below. |Segment |Volume |Percentage | |Western Europe |7,600 |29,3% | |Central and Eastern Europe |2,800 |10,8% | |Africa and the Middle East |2,100 |8,2% | |North and South America |9,000 |34,7% | |Asia Pacific |4,400 |17,0% | |Total |25,900 |100% | Market positions Western Europe In Western Europe Heineken is market leader in countries including The U.K., The Netherlands, France and Italy. Heineken is the number two as beer brewer in countries such as Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland. Western Europe is a highly important segment for Heineken as a company, Europe as a whole has about 850 million inhabitants, and together they are consuming 40,1 percent of the total premium segment, on average only the America’s are drinking more premium beer. Central and Eastern Europe In Central and Europe Heineken is also the largest beer brewer. Being the market leader in several countries Heineken brews 42.237 million liters of consolidated beers and ciders. The volume of Premium beer however is slightly low, only 10,8 percent. Africa and the Middle East Heineken is becoming more and more successful in countries in Africa, after starting the Heineken Africa Foundation the brand has become highly popular in sub-Sahara countries. Due to the high population of expatriates, Heineken is able to sell premium beers in African and Middle Eastern countries. North and South America This is the only segment Heineken does not own a market leading position. Heineken does enjoy number two positions in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. In 2010 their position was strengthened after buying FEMSA. Asia Pacific The Asian market has been growing for multiple consecutive years. Heineken holds strong positions in Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zeeland, Singapore and Taiwan. The fact that Heineken is a strong brand in Singapore is because of the earlier mentioned reason, the reason being expatriates. Cultural issues affecting Heineken When researching cultural issues, we thought of a case we had to deal with in the International Management II course. This case dealt with expatriates in Saudi Arabia. The common belief in Saudi Arabia is the Islam; their holy book is the Koran. The Koran states: Regarding Alcohol – The Holy Quraan states: â€Å"They ask Thee concerning Wine and Gambling, Say: In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit.† (Surah Al-Baqarah:219) This means that all Islamic people should refrain from alcohol. The fact that Islamic people should refrain from alcohol makes it hard for Heineken to find a market in Saudi Arabia for Heineken beers or other ciders containing alcohol. However, Saudi Arabia is a country in which a lot of expatriates live and work. Expatriates are (mostly) western people, who do live according to the Koran. This means that these expatriates are able to drink a beer after work. The fact that this is able for expatriates makes it easier for Heineken to sell their brews in countries such as Saudi Arabia. However, this is the kind of problem Heineken mostly has to deal with. These kinds of problems are not hard to solve. We were not able to find more problems, only those that are similar to the problem we described above. We can conclude that Heineken is a very large MNE, Multi National Enterprise, however, we have not jet reviewed Heineken’s current performance. In the following section of our report we will analyse the performance of Heineken N.V. over the last five years. Therefore, will balance their financial performance against another large brewer’s performance, namely SABMiller. |Revenue (Change in % of the year before) |Heineken |SABMiller | |2010 |9.7% |4% | |2009 |2.7% |6% | |2008 |27.3% |15% | |2007 |6.2% |22% | |2006 |9.6% |19% | In this table the growth of the revenue is reviewed since SABMiller’s total revenue is more than Heineken’s. Although Heineken kept growing their revenue in the last five years, their competitor’s revenue kept growing as well. SABMiller generated even a bigger growth of their revenue compared to Heineken. Therefore we can state that although Heineken has increased their revenue in times of financial crisis, this does not imply that the performed extraordinary well compared to their competitors. According to John Hagel III, John Seely Brown and Lang Daviso in their blog article on ‘The Best Way to Measure Company Performance’ (2010), the return to equity ratio is not the best way to measure company performance. A different view is the one from the shareholders; since ROE focuses on the net income per share, it is a very commonly used method to measure company’s performance by shareholders. Therefore, this method is used in this paper and if we would use other methods our paper will become to elaborate. Concluding from this table we can state that Heineken performed better over the last five years then one of its main competitors in terms of Return on Equity. ROE’s between 15% and 20% are considered desirable; Heineken met this standard very well. Although SABMiller is not coping with a low Return on Equity, they are nevertheless unable to meet that standard. |ROE (Return on equity) |Heineken |SABMiller | |2010 |14,1% |12,6% | |2009 |19,7% |13,4% | |2008 |22,7% |12,2% | |2007 |20,7% |12,5% | |2006 |18,6% |11,5% | To summarize, both Heineken and SABMiller maintained a high level of growth over the last five years; their revenue kept growing. Despite both companies kept growing their revenue, a look at the Return on Equity ratio shows that Heineken is more profitable then SABMiller. It is save to state that Heineken has financially performed well over the last five years. International market segmentation International market segmentation can be described as the process of dividing the entire market into smaller market segments. According to Hollensen’s Essentials of global marketing (2008) there are 4 steps a company has to take while segmenting the right market, these steps can be found in appendix B. In this section, Heineken’s international segmentation strategies are discussed following these four steps. Hollensen’s first step is â€Å"the selection of the relevant segmentation criteria,† every market has it’s characteristics, Heineken had to select the criteria that were relevant for them. Heineken had to take in account measurable factors such as the geographic location, language, industrial structure and political factors. In addition, they had to take in account factors that have a low degree of measurability, such as cultural characteristics and attitudes and tastes. Not all these factors are relevant for Heineken; the language is not that relevant to a brewing company, however, the taste of the consumer is. Heineken also segmented their export market using other characteristics. Important characteristics for Heineken are age, e.g. minimal drinking age; alcohol consumption, e.g. heavy or casual drinker; tastes, e.g. they might prefer sweeter beer to Heineken and geographic location, e.g. the distance to the brewery. The second step is the development of appropriate segments. In this step Heineken had to find markets and market segments that match their relevant selection criteria. The third step is the screening of segments to narrow down the list of markets/countries to choose from and make a decision. This screening process can be divided into two steps, first the preliminary screening, countries/markets both external criteria and internal resources have to be taken into account. Secondly the fine-grained screening where the firm’s competitive power in different markets should be taken into account. Heineken selects in this step the market segments where they want to participate in. The forth step is â€Å"to develop subsegments in each qualified country and across countries.† In this step Heineken turns it’s macro segments from step three to micro segments; they further define their market segments. Market targeting Targeting is the process of evaluating potential identified segments to select the one with the highest potential (Hollensen, 2008). Heinekens target markets consist of younger to middle aged people. Heineken’s marketing activities are focused on this segment; they want their market segment to relate Heineken beer to sport events, festivals and nightclubs. Heineken is successful in addressing this consumer segment; they are the preferred premium beer for a large market share. This target market does not differ a lot among countries, although they adjust their marketing to each market, these adjustments are minor ones. Market positioning Market positioning can be defined as the process of creating a preferable brand image in the minds of the target groups of a company. It is not only preferable for companies to establish a positive brand image, but a positive identity for their products and organization as well. Market positioning is important to Heineken; Heineken puts many resources in advertising and positioning projects. When a company considers market positioning, they are likely to use the four P’s, Product, Price, Place and Promotion. We will briefly introduce these concepts and we will examine them further in a different section of this article. The four P’s are the marketing mix; all these aspects should be taken in consideration when constructing a marketing program that delivers superior value (Kotler & Armstrong, 2005). Heineken is actively using its marketing mix to position themselves as a positive brand for their target market. Heineken is involved in several market positioning activities, for example, Heineken is one of the main sponsors of the UEFA Champions League, one of the largest soccer leagues in Europe. Their goal with sponsoring this league is for their target market to relate Heineken with this sport event, therefore creating a positive brand image. Another example of a market positioning activity that Heineken is involved in will be the sponsorship of a concert hall in the Netherlands, namely the ‘Heineken Music Hall.† Again, their goal is that their targeted customers are gaining affection with the positive experience of the concert and the brand Heineken. In addition, Heineken is opening and sponsoring fully branded bars around the world. Heineken sponsors these bars and you can find their brand logo almost everywhere. Heineken allocates many resources to their marketing department in order to do this around the world; this results in brand recognition everywhere. This is again a promotional activity conducted by Heineken to establish a better market position. Product strategies The product strategy is a marketing plan of a specific product accommodated to for instance the target market, desired product positioning within the market, and profit objectives. Almost always product strategies are based on the four P’s, financial targets, and budgets of the producing company. Now, a deeper look in the product strategies of Heineken shall be made.Firstly, Hollensen(2008)[4] states that there are three levels of a product. These three levels include: the core product benefits, the core attributes and the support services (figure below). As the figure shows there is a high possibility of standardizing elements of products at the level of â€Å"core product benefits, medium possibilities to standardize in the â€Å"product attributes† level, and a low possibility of support services being standardized. [pic]The most eye-catching core product benefits of Heineken include the technology, most important: the patented technology used to brew the beer and giving it the distinguishable taste Heineken is known for. Heineken does not change the brewing process in any foreign market it explores (Anthony Ruys, 2005)[5] so no matter where Heineken is consumed the taste will be exactly the same. Also the perceived value is a major core benefit for Heineken, Heineken is such a large brewery with so many (geographically dispersed) market that it is recognized all over the world, people in foreign markets see Heineken as a luxury beer and this is exactly what Heineken intended when entering the market, for example Heineken promotion strategy in when entering the USA market: Heineken hired a vast amount of actors to go to luxury bars and hotels and keep asking for a â€Å"Heineken† beer, when this continued over a long period those bars and hotels were almost forced to use Heineken. Salient detail: a test with blindfolds regarding several breweries, Heineken finished almost at the bottom of the list, when the same experiment was conducted with the names of the breweries in sight Heineken was the undisputed number one. (Peters, 2001) [6] Looking at the product attributes it is remarkable that Heineken maintains almost the exact same size, looks , and lay out in every foreign market to get a high recognition rate. So the design, packaging, and quality are practically the same in every foreign market, this way their brand name and status is strengthened. Because of this Heineken also tries to keep the product attributes standardized. Hence two slogans of Heineken: â€Å"Serving the planet†; and â€Å"meet you there†, meaning wherever one may go the familiar Heineken beer will be around.Finally there is the support services level, this is the level with the lowest standardization in the company. Heineken has many marketing involvements in bars and hotels and host numerous events. The biggest example of Heineken’s support service in their home country the Netherlands is the â€Å"Holland Heineken house†, It is a portable bar which is up and running on the scene at major sporting events (world cup soccer etc.). these events and marketing opportunities are not as easy to standardize like for instance the production process. For the simple reason that it is an unpredictable aspect of the company. Market entry and distribution strategies Heineken started exporting in 1876 with regular shipments to France, twelve years after taking over â€Å"de Hooiberg† (another dutch brewery established in 1592), but Heineken kept a low profile concerning the export. Only after the son of Gerard Adriaan Heineken took over, the export of Heineken experienced a big growth with market entries in for example the United States. The United States were a vast growing market but it came to a sudden hold in the 1920’s when the prohibition act or â€Å"Volstead act† was initialized. By 1970 however Heineken was available in 70 percent of retail outlets in the United States mostly because of Heinekens distribution process. After this success Heineken began exporting to practically every corner in the world. According to Hollensen (2008) entry strategies for foreign market are divided in two groups. When a company goes abroad and has to choose a entry mode a distinction should be made in internalizing and externalizing foreign investment strategies. As can be seen in Appendix C[7]. hierarchical modes offer to most internalization where export modes require the most externalization. Between these two extremities are the intermediate modes. These modes will be discussed in the next paragraphs and will show which mode Heineken adapted. Firstly, the hierarchical modes which covers the internal factors. This includes the international experience of a company and what the size of the company is. When Heineken went to the United States it had very limited international experience. Also, back then, Heineken was the largest brewery in the Netherlands, but compared to the world The Netherlands is a very small market so Heineken had a restricted size. It also includes product complexity and differentiation. The product complexity when Heineken expanded to the United States was very low, after all at that time it only produced Heineken beer, only later on the made products adjusted to several foreign markets and product differentiation was created. Secondly, the export modes which cover the external factors. There are a vast amount of external factors with the most important one: the social an cultural distance between the home and the host country. Cultural and social distance between countries like The Netherlands and Belgium or Germany are not that big, however there were a lot of competitors present in the same branch in that period so Heineken decided to expand elsewhere. For instance in the United States there were few competitor because of the prohibition. But when a â€Å"western† company wants to expand in Asia or in Arabic countries there is a huge social and cultural distance. In the 1970’s Heineken started to pay more attention to the foreign markets and built up their social awareness which decreased the â€Å"sociocultural distance†. The mode with the most externalization is the export mode. In this mode the company has the choice between direct-, indirect-, and cooperative export entry mode. With the indirect export entry mode the company is mildly interacting with the foreign market due to the fact that an independent organization will distribute the company’s product. There is low risk and low commitment but there is also low control of the local distributer etcetera. Furthermore there is the direct market entry mode, in this mode the company is directly selling to a importer in the desired foreign market. The exporter will be in charge of the ins and outs and the up- and downstream functions and maintain well supported ties with the foreign market. When both the indirect- and the direct mode are not applicable the cooperative mode comes in the picture where there is a local importer dealing with the downstream functions (marketing, sales, services) and the exporter is in charge of the upstream functions within the local company (for example: the R&D department). Heineken started off in the export mode not only because there was limited experience in foreign markets up till then. The company had to keep expanding because the market for breweries became ever more competitive, Heineken founded a new brewery in the Netherlands but also founded the Malayan breweries and breweries in Venezuela, Zaire and Italy. Furthermore Heineken took over several foreign breweries. Nowadays Heineken adopted a Hierarchical mode for the market entry this means that it is fully owned and controlled by the company, but also the company bears the risk of its actions. Every market Heineken operates in. Heineken’s headquarters are stationed in the Netherlands but there are several subsidiaries in foreign markets because the general assumption is that geographically dispersed markets differ a lot and many will require a different approach which are than dealt with by the subsidiaries. Promotion Strategies According to Hollensen (2008) â€Å"†¦ important are the promotion or the performance promises that the organization makes for its product or service in the target market†. Regarding to product decisions, promotion of products can be adapted or standardized to foreign markets. Figure 1 (see appendix D), provides an overview of how products can be promoted in foreign markets. With regard to figure 1, Heineken seems to fit in the box of ‘Straight Extension’, since both the product and the promotion strategy of the company are standardized (one product, one message worldwide (Hollensen, 2008)). This is also stressed by Heineken’s general promotion strategy across the globe, which effectively creates a connection between the brand and the customers. In addition, Herwin van den Berg, Marketing Director of Heineken in the Netherlands states that: â€Å"Marketing is about attracting, inspiring and binding consumers and ensuring timely wake-up calls to your own organization†. Firstly, the Heineken company includes besides the well known Heineken brand, over 170 different, often local, brands as well. This multi-brand strategy proves to be simple, but effective. The main idea of acquiring other suitable, local brands, is to serve Heineken as a premium beer alongside the acquired local brand. If some local brand proves to have a significant growth potential, the brand is of interest of the Heineken company. This policy actually creates a global position for, because the Heineken brand becomes recognized as being a premium beer. Secondly, according to the Heineken website (www.heinekeninternational.com), the company has developed a policy of ‘Selling beer safely’, this policy holds that professional Beer Promoters (BPs) sell and promote Heineken beer directly to the (potential) consumers This policy proves to be a successful promotion strategy in most countries, because this policy manages to satisfy all different constituencies of the company. Despite the use of BPs, Heineken strives to improve the overall safety and health of the Beer Promoters, since promoting beer can be quite hazardous. Therefore, Heineken developed policies in their breweries that cover all aspects that are influencing the working conditions of the BPs. In order to instruct and train the BPs for their job as a effective Beer Promoter all over the world, Heineken developed all kinds of training tools, varying from instruction DVDs and manuals, to leaflets and booklets. These training tools are continually being improved and redesigned to maintain a proper basis for implementing the right strategy. Additionally, these training tools are translated in several languages, in order to maintain a general promotion strategy all over the world. Thirdly, when comparing the Heineken websites in different countries, it is obvious that Heineken uses the same promotion campaigns all over the world (examples: Draught keg, Extra cold, Beertender) . What stands out are Heinekens green (premium) beer bottle on the homepage on each website, the use of bright green colors, a direct link to Heineken’s Facebook page, and depending on the country, promotion campaigns such as Heineken Music or the UEFA Champions League. Besides the use of global marketing campaigns, some websites display local, country specific content as well (such as the new Heineken Ellipse glass). Additionally, most websites are fully translated, and some only partially in the foreign country’s language. Fourthly, when comparing the TV-commercials (www.youtube.com) of Heineken in different countries, it is obvious that the company promotes its premium beer and new products in quite the same way across the globe. The company actively promotes what seems to be the ‘Heineken experience’ which holds that Heineken premium beer is being drunk in the same way by people all over the world. However, the company does produce country/region specific ads, with slight adjustments, mostly for the major markets. In Asia for example, the commercials seem to reflect that a Heineken premium beer can be gained after a hard day at work. In Hispanic countries, a Heineken premium beer stands for intimacy and closeness, and in the image of Heineken in Western countries is that nothing stands between a man and a Heineken premium beer. To conclude with, â€Å"Heineken portrays itself as a global brand that makes the world just that little bit more enjoyable through its mentality and innovative products† (Heineken Case, Sister.) Pricing Strategies â€Å"Pricing policy is an important strategic and tactical competitive weapon that, in contrast to the other elements of the global marketing mix, is highly controllable and inexpensive to change and implement† (Hollensen, 2008). The Heineken company sells premium beer, which holds that the beer is priced in upper segment of the beer market. By premium pricing, customers become perceived that Heineken beer is different from all other brands, in the sense of being of a higher quality. And so, the relative high price can be established simply because customers are willing to pay the higher price for the real and perceived quality. Moreover, by pricing the product relatively high, the product position in de minds of customers becomes on the desired (high) level. Since Heineken premium beer is a standardized product, there are little additional costs concerning modification of the product to foreign markets. Therefore, Heineken can adjust its prices easily to the purchasing power in a foreign market and so maintain its brand image of being a premium beer, by setting the price to the relative upper segment of a country’s local beer market. By conducting this policy, Heineken maintains a global image of being a premium beer. Moreover, in some foreign markets Heineken even has the advantage of the so called country-of-origin effect. Which holds that customers perceive a product made in a certain country of being of a desired quality. Apparently, the Netherlands have a high reputation in the global beer market, since, for example, the customers in the United States are willing to pay significantly more for Heineken premium beer. On average, for every 100 liters of Heineken beer shipped to the US, Heineken’s profit is estimated on about 21 euro’s. In contrary, the average profit per 100 liters of Heineken beer in other countries is estimated on about 11.70 euro’s (Elsevier website). In short, Heineken is able to maintain its image of being a premium beer through both the general perception of being of a high/premium quality, and the corresponding price that has to be paid for Heineken’s premium beer. Source: Based on Keegan, 1995, pp. 489-94 and p498, Table 13.1 ———————– [1] http://www.annualreport.heineken.com/nl/Een_kort_overzicht/index.html#financials [2] http://www.heinekeninternational.com/ownership_cg.aspx [3] http://www.annualreport.heineken.com/Other-information/countries-and-Brands/index.html [4] Svend Hollensen: Essentials of global marketing [5] http://www.alcoholpreventie.nl/bestand/2005MarketingphilosophyofHeineken.pdf [6] Peters and Van Dam: Dienen en verdienen (serve and earn) (2001) [7] Svend Hollensen: Global Marketing (p. 280)

Comparison of the Man He Killed, the Send-Off and Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay

The Send-Off, by Wilfred Owen, is an ironic and dark humoured description of how the soldiers we’re sent off to the battlefront, during World War I. In this poem, Owen conveys to us that the soldiers are being sent to their doom. From the very start we sense the soldiers’ lost fate. The soldiers go to the train, they are singing joyfully, as if they are being sent to a country picnic, but of course the narration is omniscient, we know what lies ahead of them, and so simultaneously the lanes are darkening around them. This poem actually conveys a message that war is not as glorious and honourable as it is always portrayed as. Even the title, The ‘send-off’ could mean two things. Firstly, it could mean that the soldiers were being sent off to war. However, it could also mean that the soldiers were being â€Å"sent off† to their deaths. This emphasizes the fact that war actually is not what it is portrayed to be. It is not glorious and honourable to fight in war but the people and soldiers going through it suffer greatly and most do not survive. Similarly, â€Å"The Man He Killed† also portrays war negatively which is reflected through the poets choice of words describing war such as, â€Å"quaint and curious war is!†. However, ‘The Man He Killed’ focuses on the senselessness and futility of war, where a man has killed another quite simply because they were fighting on opposing sides in a war. Likewise â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† illustrates the harsh reality and brutality of war but in this poem the poet writes about an actual event in war that he has witnessed. ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ describes a mustard gas attack on a group of war-weary soldiers. Owen’s painfully direct language combines gritty realism with an aching sense of compassion.

Causes of Parallel Economy in India Essay

There are several factors responsible for the emergence – of parallel economy. It would be relevant to discuss those factors so that a correct understanding about the genesis, growth and expansion of black money can be made. The principal factors are: 1.Rigid and Complicated tax & high tax rates implemented by the government- High tax rates and defective tax structure have also been responsible for the existence of black money to a large extent. Take for instance direct taxation. Till recently the tax on income and on wealth was very high to invite evasion. The marginal rate of income tax was as high as 75 per cent. And when it was combined with the tax on wealth, it was still higher. The corporate tax rate too was very high. In these circumstances the temptation / gain from tax evasion was substantial. 2.Quantitative and qualitative Controls and licensing system- The system of controls, permits, quotas and licenses which are associated with misdistributions of the commodities in short supply results in the generation of black money. Since considerable discretionary powers lay in the hands of those who administered controls. This provided them with a scope for corruption – ‘speed money’ for turning a blind eye to the violation of controls. All this gave rise to trading in permits, quotas and licenses, malpractices in distribution and in the process; it generated sizeable sums of black money. 3.Price and distribution controls- Price and distribution controls have in the past led to the generation of black money on a significant scale. Any price control without any adequate machinery of distribution and speedy arrangement for increasing supplies is potentially a source of black money generation. 4.Hawala market as the main cause of black money generation- It is very well known that the international smugglers or the traders in other illicit trade cannot complete their monetary transactions through any nationalized or other private legal banks in India. Also, the amount of money in which the drugs and other weapons are imported or exported is quite large, usually in billions. 5.Transactions is real estate property- Since the sale of property on lease hold is permitted by the government only at a payment of certain amount of premium to it, the lessee generally completes this transaction through the power of attorney so that they escape from paying the premium which is fixed on the basis of the difference between the current market price and the price fixed by the government. 6.Inflation – Both a Cause and Consequence of Black Money- During inflation there is a general rise in the consumer price index or simply the cost of living of the people. As such, the workers and the various labors in the production process demand a rise in their wages to meet the rise in expenditure. This lead to increase in the cost of production of the products. They try to meet this increased cost of production by increasing the profits margin through sales price. 7.Deterioration of the Quality and Morality of the General Masses- The objective of the business is generally profit maximization and that of government is social justice and quality that goes against each other. But it seems that both have joined hands to maximize their own profits at the stake of the common people. Bribing the government officials and letting them earn some commissions on the foreign export and import by urging them to reduce the customs duties and simplify the procedure of documentation are some of the common phenomenon in our daily life. 8.Donation to Political Parties- Ever since the Government decided to ban donations to political parties in 1968; it prompted businessmen to fund political parties, especially the ruling party, with the help of black money. Ostensibly, this decision was taken to reduce the influence of big business on the electoral process, but in practice what happened was precisely the opposite. Businessmen everywhere have by now learnt that they should pay a certain charge out of the black money to the coffers of political parties, resulting, relaxation of various controls, permitting business houses to enter areas reserved for the public sector, putting a large number of banned items on the Open General License list etc. 9.The Political Instability Witnessed in the Country- In various states widespread horse-trading of the MLAs at the state levels and MPs at the Central level. In this process of buying political support, black money plays a crucial role. Consequently the determination of the ruling political party to curb black money has become very weak. As a consequence, businessmen feel they have an unfettered license to spin black money, pay a small part to the political parties as donations and then enjoy the rest the way they like. Unless the link between black money and political power is broken, there is no hope of controlling the generation of black money or its link with crime. 10.Ineffective Enforcement of Tax Laws- Whereas the Government has an armory of tax laws pertaining to income tax, sales tax, stamp duties, excise duty etc., their enforcement is very weak due to widespread corruption in these departments. . The high rates of these taxes induce businessmen to avoid recording of these transactions. This evasion largely goes unchecked and thus sets in a chain reaction for the generation of black money at the wholesale, retail as well as production levels. 11.Generation of Black Money in the Public Sector- Every successive five-year plan is planned for a larger size of investment in the public sector. The projects undertaken by the public sector have to be monitored by the bureaucrats in Government departments and public sector undertakings. Tenders are invited for the various works and these tenders are awarded by the bureaucracy in consultation with the political bosses. 12.A Symbiotic Relationship Develops between the Contractors, Bureaucracy and the Politicians- A symbiotic relationship develops between the contractors, bureaucracy and the politicians and by a large number of devices costs ‘are artificially escalated and black money is generated by underhand deals. Instability of the political system has given a further momentum to this process. Since the ministers are not sure of their tenure and in a majority of cases, the tenure is very short, the principle ‘Make hey while the sun shines’ is adopted by most of them. The larger numbers of scandals that are unearthed by the Opposition only support the contention that huge investment in the public sector is a big potential source for black money generation. In this process, bureaucrats act as brokers for political leaders and thus the nexus between business, bureaucracy and politicians promotes the generation of black money. 13.Ceiling on Depreciation and Other Business Expenses- Government has imposed restriction. It has also circumscribed expenses on advertisement, entertainment, guest houses, and payment of perquisites to directors. The purpose of these restrictions is to protect the shareholders and consumers from the unscrupulous action of businessmen. But businessmen feel that these restrictions are unjustified. They take the maximum advantage of these provisions but do not like to part with the remaining part of by various clandestine devices; they convert it into black money and use it either for conspicuous production to satisfy the wants of the rich and elite sections of society. 14.Capitation Fees- Capitation fees are a very common term used in the context of admissions in big educational institutes and universities. Capitation fees if another term used for the donations given to these universities for the purpose of seeking admissions when the students fails to secure the minimum cut off percentage required. Generally, the money rose by these colleges and institutes through these methods are not revealed to the income tax departments. They are also called the hidden income of these educational temples. Moreover, the amount of capitation fees for big in Small Scale institutes ranges in lakh and not just in thousands. 15.Unawareness of the Consumers’ Rights and Duties- Unawareness of the consumer’s rights and duties is also another cause for the generation of black money. For example, the consumers fail to take a proper invoice from the shopkeepers so as to evade the tax to be paid on the purchase of those goods. There are more of such instances where the shopkeeper too fools the consumers. Sometimes, they charge more that mentioned as MRP on the packet. They even paste false stickers on the packets to hide the real value of the good. The extra money charged above the MRP is kept by them as black money. They do not pay taxes in such income. 16.Donations to Charitable and Temple’s Trusts- Donations to charitable and temples trusts are another source of black income. There are various issues related to the income of these trusts. It is generally the ignorance of devotees that prompt such a large amount of donations to these temples. 17.Paying Bribes- Paying bribes to the government officials for various purposes has become very common in modern times. Paying bribes for obtaining legal sanctions for the illegal immovable property, paying bribes to the traffic constables and others on the violation of the rules and norms etc. are some of the examples of our malicious acts. It is we that prompt and encourage these public servants to accept bribes from the public and exploit them.

Chapters' summaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chapters' summaries - Essay Example Mixed language tools can deliver the desired results and also cause hurt that will take time to heal. The leader has to deal with these standard tools with caution. The intentions of the leader may be right; but it needs to be told at the right time. One important point incidentally. The listeners mostly have estimate of the merit of the personality conveying the message to them. For example, a politician speaking on the subject of the current state of the economy may not command the same respect with the audience as compared to a reputed management consultant’s views on the subject. The audience has a pre-conceived notion that the former is playing to the gallery and he may state quite the opposite, in front of another audience. The combination of the language tools employed by the leader may produce tangible effects on some; with others it may be quite contradictory. This is the limitations with the mixed messages; they may outweigh the advantages they score. The audience is intelligent enough to understand whether the leader’s message comes out of his convictions or he is trying to outsmart the audience with clever use of the mixed messages and he is doing it quite deliberately. Blessed are those who have perfected the art of gifted communication. To an extent this ability is inborn but there is much scope for cultivating this quality. One needs to do framing in advance for the possible situations of interactions during the course of the day. A verbatim account of such dealing is impossibility as new situations crop up and new solutions will have to be found. If one has the spontaneous answer for an expected question it is perfect; but if one has the appropriate answer for the unexpected question, that leader is a genius. For example a cashier at the bank, may have some routine questions from the customer, like, ‘At

Research Proposal Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Proposal Design - Essay Example Standard deviation = $21,200. Standard deviation is calculated as the square root of the variance; variance is calculated as follows, where M is the mean and N is the total number of scores. Determine the coefficient of skewness using Pearson's method. 0.041. This is calculated as Sk = 3( - ) / Sx where denotes mean, denotes median, and Sx denotes the sample standard deviation. A value Question 3, Part 2: The annual incomes of officers of another firm similar to TMV Industries were also studied. The mean was $129,000 and the standard deviation $8,612. Compare the means and dispersions in the two firms. The mean income of officers in the two firms is almost identical. However, the dispersion as measured by the higher standard deviation of the second firm indicates that its officers' incomes have a greater variation than TMV's officers. Question 4: Determine the mean and the standard deviation of the following frequency distribution. Mean = 12.7; standard deviation = 5.2. Class Frequency 0 up to 5 2 5 up to 10 7 10 up to 15 12 15 up to 20 6 20 up to 25 3 References Standard deviation calculated using a frequency table. (n.d.). Produced for Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.statcan.ca/english/edu/power/ch12/variance.htm#ex2. Wikipedia.com. (n.d.). Variance; standard deviation; frequency distribution; coefficient of skewness; Pearson's method. Retrieved May 15,

CLOCKS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CLOCKS - Assignment Example Quartz crystals can be set vibrating with an electric current with crystal vibrations ranging from 2.5 to 5 million times a second. This means that vibrations in quartz clocks allow them to get time measurement to an accuracy down to a millionth of a second. The present day quartz clock developed in the early 1900s, clock needs certain basic requirements for it to work. First, it must have a power source that will allow it to create motion. Second, the clock must have a time base which provides a periodic oscillation dictating the measurement of time. The time base is essentially the device that controls clock signals. Lastly, it must have a way to convey the information generated by the time base and be able to display this information to actually tell time. During the 19th century until the middle of the 20th century, the pendulum clock was the standard time teller. The principle of the pendulum at work is such that its swing is independent of the amplitude, or size, of the swing. In effect, the only factors affecting the amplitude are the length of the pendulum and the force of gravity. Each swing of the pendulum releases a spring-loaded ratchet in the clock mechanism, which drives the hands. If the pendulum is left alone, frictional forces would act upon it and so it will eventually stop. Thus, a pendulum clock must contain a weight-driven or electrically operated mechanism that periodically pushes the pendulum to keep it swinging. Pendulum clocks and earlier versions of watches known as chronometers are quite cumbersome because their movement stops when they are not wound. In addition, pendulum clocks are highly dependent on external forces such as the force of gravity and temperature. Thus, quartz clocks and watches are the more popular options today. Quartz clocks are battery powered with gears regulated by a tiny crystal of quartz. When the battery sends electricity to the quartz crystal through an electronic circuit, the quartz crystal oscillates at

Gangs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gangs - Essay Example The latest definition of gangs depicts criminality as an inherent idea in such groupings. Basically, a function is termed a gang when it is identified as having such aspects as; an organizational structure, identifiable territory, identifiable leadership, recurrent interactions. In addition, gangs have been closely linked to serious criminal behaviors that are violent in nature. Information from the Past studies reveals an increased prevalence of gangs’ activities in major cities. For instance, in the past decade, over 25, 0000 active gangs were believed to be in existence in America alone. The reports have indicated a slight decline of gang activities between 1996 and 2003; however by the end of 2010 the yearly estimates realized a significant increase. The latest study indicates an approximation of greater than 29000 gangs, which represents a 4.6% increase from 2009.certainly; this presents the highest yearly estimate since 1997. Gang’s activities exist in smaller in the same manner they exist in suburban counties and larger cities just. However, the latter have been depicted as their primary locations, considered to host nearly two- thirds of the Gangs nationally. Although suburban Counties and larger Cities expectedly accounts for large numbers of gangs, there is also substantial disparity within each area type. Such is the case that 45% of bigger cities and more than half of suburban counties report ten or less active gangs within their jurisdictions. On the other hand, a greater part of agencies in rural counties and smaller cities report less than five gangs. The geographical locations also explain a considerably large variation in the number of gang members reported between 2006 and 2010. The suburban Counties and Bigger cities have been depicted again as reporting large numbers of gangs. Here, one in every five large cities accounted for 1,000 or even more gang members-an estimate deemed higher when compared to one in ten reported in subu rban counties. Gangs have been closely linked to homicide activities. The period between 2000 and 2010 saw an average of 80 percent persons reporting gang-related homicides within their jurisdictions. In this case, the data got from the NYGS sample depicting the period between 2006 to 2010 showed an average of nearly 2,000 annually homicides. In that same time, the FBI anticipated, on average, greater than 16,000 homicides all over America. A further report relating to cities recorded populations of over 100,000persons, showed the number of gang-linked homicides as having increased by approximately 10 % from 2008 to 2009, a similar scenario depicted in the period between 2009 and 2010. Another significant gang related information from the respondents showed crimes ranging from person offenses, drug related crimes and use of fire arms. However, the relative absence of comprehensive and definitive gang-crime data regarding violent and nonviolent crimes indicates that there is so much still to be told on gang crime trends. Gang activities have also been extended to take in street –crime like drug trafficking, extortion and theft. Also, gangs have been shown to undertake victimization of individuals through kidnapping and robbery. A report from the studies conducted depicts street gangs’ dominance in certain â€Å"turf† or territory where they extort people in the name of â€Å"providing protection.† In such cases, they use fronts to display control and gain proceeds in certain areas.

Bait-ul-Maal. Creation, Functions and Resources of Bait-ul-Maal Essay

Bait-ul-Maal. Creation, Functions and Resources of Bait-ul-Maal - Essay Example The Islamic financial system is among the most autonomous and righteous systems in our society. The Holy Qur'an states this truth in Surah al-Hashr [59:7], "In order that it may not (merely) make a circuit between the wealthy among you." For that reason, the Islamic society focuses on the required circulation of wealth among all citizens and not just those who are affluent, as this may carets humiliation to the Muslim society and raise social class culture (Tamer, p. 102, 2005). Definition of Bait-ul-Maal Bait-ul-Maal is an Arabic expression, which means ‘House of wealth’ or ‘House of money’ (Ayub, pp. 23-25, 2008). Traditionally, it was a financial institution in charge for the management of taxes in Islamic nations, mainly during the early Islamic Caliphate. It provided as a noble reserve for the Caliphs and Sultans, controlling personal finances as well as government expenses. Additionally, it managed circulations of Zakat revenues for community efforts. Contemporary Islamic economists believe the institutional structure suitable for modern Islamic nations (USA International Business Publications, p. 187, 2009). Creation of Bait-ul-Maal The Muslims began establishing Bayt al-Mal from the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He (PBUH) is accustomed to choose the administrators as well as the commanders for the different areas. Each commander was in charge for gathering Zakah, Jizyah in addition to the fifths of the booty and Kharaj. Every now and then, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) inured to employ somebody in charge just for the financial dealings to gather the owing cash for the State together with, Kharaj, Jizyah, Tenths (Zakat on lands, assets and the fruits) and donations and give them to Bait-ul-Maal (Ayub, pp. 31-37, 2008). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did the same with Mu`adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) when he sent him to Yemen to gather the funds of Zakat from its representatives and with `U baydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) (Kettell, pp. 56-60, 2010) when he sent him to al-Bahrain to gather the Jizyah. The beginning of Bayt al-Mal from the time of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) reign is an obvious proof on the accuracy of the Islamic financial structures since this early time. As a result, it is usual that Bayt al-Mal extends in accordance with the different ages (USA International Business Publications, p. 76, 2009). Functions of Bait-ul-Maal The authority of Bait-ul-Maal consists of the wealth due for Muslims as a group not possessed by one of them and the wealth used for the gain of Muslims. For that reason, Bait-ul-Maal is among the key establishments of the Islamic society as it is the single power entitled to paying money on the different Muslim benefit. It has the influence of a Ministry of Finance and a Central Bank during the present days (Tamer, p. 76, 2005).   Divisions in other Countries of Bait-ul-Maal During the reign of the Umayyad Caliphate, finances get better. The sum of money was very big without doubt, as it came from just one Muslim state, that is Egypt, let alone other finances that made their way to the Bayt al-Mal from other Islamic states (Kettell, pp. 56-60, 2010). There is no uncertainty that such enormous sum of funds accentuated the significance of the Bait-ul-Maal during the period of the Umayyads, and consequently the prominence of this caliphate. It is obvious from the report of Ibn `Abdul-Hakam that there was a middle management for the Bait-ul-Maal in the Islamic caliphate's centre of Damascus as well as sub-managements in every state independently. The

INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING - Essay Example When a company introduces a product in the market, it is very imperative that consumers should be aware of the benefits and specifications of the product, or else low sales will be confronted by the market. One of the usual steps that are taken by the companies is that the product is announced in the market, before its introduction, which results in a kind of curiosity among the consumers, which is an effective strategy during the introduction stage of the product life cycle. On the other hand, it often results in the provision of time to the competitors to prepare them. (Stark, pp. 20-22) During the introductory stage, high costs of advertising are borne by the company; however, such high costs are worth as they play the vital role in informing the consumers regarding the product. During the introduction stage, some of the significant factors of marketing mix are product, price, distribution, and promotion. In specific, one product is usually introduced by the company, and a skim pricing strategy is employed by the company, in order to acquire a high profit margin. In terms of distribution and promotion, generally specific areas are selected during the introductory stage, which helps in the development of brand awareness to the consumers. Rapid revenue growth is expected during the growth stage of the product life cycle. As more and more consumers are informed about the benefits of the product, high increment is observed in the sales of the company. Once the product is accepted by the consumers and is demanded in the market, more retailers are attracted to buy the product, which results in the increase of sales. During the growth stage of the product life cycle, the distribution plan is expanded by the marketing team, which helps in confronting the price competition with the competitors’ products. Increment in sales is the major and significant factor

The Sacred and the Profane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Sacred and the Profane - Essay Example The water of baptism also, symbolises, a complete renewal or rebirth of the baptized person, into the new life in Jesus Christ (133). Secondly, baptism ritual signifies the confronting of Satan, symbolized as the dragon in the Bible, and defeating the dragon, as one starts the new life in Jesus Christ (133). Defeating the Satan here means a complete overhaul in one’s life, to start a new life in Jesus Christ. This confrontation and defeat of Satan is symbolized through the immersion into water. The abyss of water symbolizes danger and battle. Just as Jesus before starting His public ministry went to River Jordan to face the Dragons in the abyss of water, and to defeat them, Christians, also, through immersion into the water are able to face their spiritual dragons, the Satan, and to defeat them. We find Noah in the Bible, also, through his faithfulness in God, overcoming the dangers of the immense flood, and emerging the winner. The abyss of water, therefore, signifies the battle with the Satan, and the eventual defeat of Satan. The third meaning of Christian baptism ritual lies in the act of baptismal nudity itself. The nudity in baptism signifies the abandoning the old garment of sin and old ways of life, and embracing the new garment in the life in Jesus Christ (134). The baptismal nudity, also, represents the primitive holiness. Prior, to sinning, Adam and Eve were naked and yet they were comfortable with that because they were innocent (134). Does Eliade Think that in the Modern World there is a Place for the Religious worldview of archaic civilizations?

History 113 - Group project - A Tale of Two Cities - Ideas gathering Assignment

History 113 - Group project - A Tale of Two Cities - Ideas gathering - Assignment Example What factors led to the success of French Revolution? How did London contribute to this change? How did people, both of royal and lay descent, feel about the Revolution? By looking at the lives of Charles Darnay, Lucie Manette and Sydney Carton, Dickens tries to provide readers with a more personal understanding of the French Revolution and how it affected individuals from different backgrounds. A Tale of Two Cities is considered as one of the Dickensian of all Charles Dickens’ work. Gone are the main characters with exaggerated mannerisms, idiosyncratic speech of his earlier work. This time, Dickens has dealt with social issues head-on, minus the comedy. Many critics say that as the Tale is about love, violence and transformation, it is a representation of the the major events and changes happening in Dickens’ life during the period. On the outside, Dickens was faced with a rapidly industrializing society. At the time, England was considered as one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but its political and social stability was in danger as the French Revolution planned to expand their territory. Meanwhile, as turmoil in the English society increases, turmoil in Dickens’ life was also increasing. For one, his 23-year marriage with Catherine Hogart was coming to a close. He has also discovered a new zest for writing and acting when he fell in love wit h the younger Ellen Ternan. A Tale of Two Cities embodied the irony of Dickens’ life and contradiction in society – a life of hope and despair, of joy and sadness, of love and hate, of prosperity and poverty – a theme which can be seen immediately from the beginning of the book, â€Å"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Globalization, Ethics and Islam Essay Example for Free

Globalization, Ethics and Islam Essay Ian Markham in his book stated his view of religion and its value to human race. Just like the view of Said Nursi, his source of ideology, he firmly believed in world peace that is founded on deep religious ethics. For Markham, all religions of the world have responsibility and authority in keeping moral ethics alive in the society. This is contrary to the view of Alasdair MacIntyre who claimed that â€Å"there are adequate non-religious alternative foundations for ethics† (p. 66); Aristotle who said that moral assertion is â€Å"an intelligible framework† (p. 68); and other names in history like Kant, Hume. Globalization therefore, will make its sense in the absence of hate and war, and in upholding ethical values instituted in religious beliefs worldwide. Though he accepts justification for ethics of other religion, yet he believes that Islam faith could draw clearly the idea of ethical system. Religions of the world should establish its own paradigm of ethics for Markham puts it, â€Å"†¦ because moral factors should (and in practice – do) shape our public life† (p. 68). He further added, â€Å"The basic commitment to decency in our public discourse is a moral judgment that the public square needs. † Furthermore, Markham also believes that the place of religion is private and not public, which he meant that the State should not control the citizens’ beliefs and practices but the same should not allow any public expression of religious belief for â€Å"public disorder would ensue† (p. 67). Therefore, as Markham tried to explain, religion has greater responsibility in maintaining world peace if it holds to the principles of morality and ethicss; for only when faith made sense, ethical framework would not have any sense either. Comparative Analysis of Markham’s View and Thomas Michel’s on Issue of Ethics and Globalization Thomas Michel the advocate of Catholic faith believes that there are similarities in his view and that of Markham on issue of religion and world peace, which he called â€Å"the ethics of peace† (p. 37). He recognized the contribution of these two great persons to the topic. Pope John Paul II on World’s Day in 2002 delivered a message that proposed, â€Å"True peace must rest on †¦justice and forgiveness† (p. 37). Pope explained that peace in form of ‘cease-fire’ only amplify the issue; while peace may be attained by getting to the â€Å"heart of the conflict and try to heal human relations† (p. 38). He added, when there is oppression or injustice peace is impossible. The resolution for world peace according to Pope is justice in forms of moral virtue and legal guarantee; these, he believed are the elements of international system of relations among peoples – â€Å"full respect for rights and responsibilities† (p. 38). This concept is closely related with the idea presented by Markham in which, religion has to stand on idea of having moral and ethical standard established and practiced in the society. Markham clearly emphasized in his book that the world â€Å"needs deeply committed orthodox, exponents of each tradition to outline an ethical system that is both true to the beliefs and practices of that tradition† (p. 65). The Pope emphasized in the message the importance of justice and forgiveness as virtues people must embrace to have peace. Qur’an teaches about patience, which is a predominant virtue in that book. Yusuf 12 verse 90 of Qur’an says, â€Å"One who is mindful of God and patient indeed God will not forfeit the recompense due to those who do good. † Work Cited Markham, Ian S. and Ozdemir, Ibrahim. Globalization, Ethics and Islam: The Case of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. Burlington, USA: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. , 2005

Claudius Ptolemys Contributions to Science

Claudius Ptolemys Contributions to Science Claudius Ptolemy The ancient world can be traced back to times of mysterious and enigmatic people. Some mysteries, however, remained unfathomed till date. Life, during those times, was very different; humans performed activities and tasks that gave a lot of prominence to the Gods and were primarily based on the cycle of nature. On the contrary, today, life has taken 360 degrees turn. Our life today is almost dependent on technological gadgets. The transition from then to now has been enormous. There is a stark difference observed in the lifestyles of both the ages. And it is not just the lifestyle there is a vast difference even in the thinking. Since ages, many questions have often been accumulating in the human mind such as, what are the dimensions of the earth, how many continents are there on the Earth, and what are the functions of the Moon and the Sun in our day-to-day lives. Now, the answers to these questions are just a click away. But when a similar scenario must have emerged during ancient times, people might have associated it with some myth or an old wives’ tale. The transformation of people from an ancient era to the modern one was really a lengthy process where philosophers, thinkers, mathematicians, astronomers and geographers must have put across their observations and theories to the general public. However, change is never easy. Their ideas and concepts were not accepted instantly. In fact, they were all rejected outright and they were ridiculed as well as humiliated because of their beliefs and concepts. But all of them stood their ground and fought for what they believed was right. After a series of untiring efforts, they were rewarded and were proved right years after they passed away. It was the observation and contribution of these people which have now evolved into theories and concepts that help us simplify and demystify our lives. Let us shed light on the life of one such person who made a significant contribution in changing our lives. His name was Claudius Ptolemy. He was a Greek-Roman citizen, who displayed multiple talents of astronomy, mathematics, georgraphy, astrology and poetry. Decoding the Enigma In a distant town of Ptolemais Hermiou in Thebaid, Egypt, a child was born into the family of Ptolemies. The family was the descendant of Ptolemy Soter, a mighty General from the army of Alexander the Great in 90 AD. Although the family was rooted in Egypt, the Roman influence on the family was such that the infant was given a Roman name, Claudius. The name Claudius is a Roman nomen (Roman naming system) and the fact that Ptolemy bore it, indicates that he lived in Egypt under the rule of Romans . Nothing much is known about Claudius Ptolemy’s upbringing or his family. â€Å"Where did Ptolemy come from?†, â€Å"Where was he born?† are the questions which are still asked today but the answers have been lost with time. All that is known is Ptolemy started becoming renowned as someone who had a keen mathematical and astronomical sense. He became popular in Thebaid and later, in Alexandria, where he began to reside in his adulthood. Star Gazing Nothing much is known about Ptolemy’s ancestry, apart from what can be deciphered from the details of his name. However, the modern researchers are sure of one fact, that it was Ptolemy who wrote the great edict called Almagest at around 150 AD. Ptolemy wrote in Greek and utilised Babylonian astronomical data. In spite of being a Roman citizen, most of the scholars came to a common understanding that Ptolemy was ethnically Greek, although some others also had the opinion that he was a Hellenised Egyptian. In most of the later Arabic sources, he is referred to as, ‘the Upper Egyptian’, which means that he may have belonged to southern Egypt. Hence, the Arabic geographers and physicists referred to him by his Arabic name Batlaymus. Ptolemy built his reputation owing to his astronomical works, wherein he had recorded the existence of 1000 stars, out of which 300 were his finds. He is also credited with coming up with the first practical theory of Refraction of Light. He was precise in his discussions about the dimensions of the planet. Ptolemy came up with a compilation of the ancient view of astronomy in an astronomical manual called Almagest. He used the 800-year-old astronomical observations by his predecessors as a reference point for this purpose. He also added his conclusions on the basis of this reference as his vision of the universe. Ptolemy’s successors considered the Almagest to be the Gospel of astronomy for many centuries throughout medieval Europe. The ancient Greeks believed in the theory that the path of the planets was completely spherical, were discarded later as it was proved later that the orbits of the planets are elliptical. Even Ptolemy had been convinced by this earlier belief. Going Into the Orbit In Ptolemy’s manual, it was clearly seen that he followed the steps of Aristotle, whom he considered his ideal. Aristotle had come up with a theory that the planets moved in a continuous and uniform motion in perfect circles. As per Ptolemy’s observation he concluded that earth is a spherical object which remains freely suspended in the centre of the Universe. One of the studies revealed the stars to be bodies which were fixed to a strong exterior of the Universe which lay beyond the orbit of Saturn. A large number of these studies were based on Aristotle’s philosophy but Ptolemy added his inputs by calculating the motion of each planet in great detail and thus came up with his contribution to astronomy. One of his early works, the ‘Almagest’ provided a detailed study of the Mathematical theory of the movements of the Sun, the Moon and other planets. Ptolemy’s theory that the planets move in circular epicycles along their orbits, which was wel l-received during those days. The Almagest was preserved in Arabic manuscripts, like most of the Classical Greek Science. By the 12th century, it gained the desired reputation and was widely sought after. Due to its popularity, it was translated twice into Latin, once into Sicilian and then into Spanish. Like Ptolemy’s predecessors, his model was geocentric and received almost complete acceptance universally until simpler heliocentric models were introduced during the scientific revolution. Ptolemy’s theory of Planetary Hypotheses extended beyond the explanation given in the Mathematical model of the Almagest. The Planetary Hypotheses depicted the physical realisation of the Universe in the form of nestled spheres and used the epicycles of this planetary model to portray the dimensions of the Universe. According to his calculations, the sun was at an average distance of 1,210 earth radii, while the radius of the sphere of the fixed stars was 20,000 times the radius of the Earth. To calculate astronomical calculations in Handy Tables, Ptolemy introduced an efficient tool which tabulated all the data required to calculate the positions of the Sun, the Moon and the planets, as well as the rising and setting of the stars and the eclipses of the Sun and Moon. This Handy Tables became the basic model which was improvised later as astronomical tables or zijes. Ptolemy also worked on a star calendar or Almanac, which he prepared with the help of the positions of the hands and disappearances of stars during the solar year. This was presented in the Phaseis (Risings of the Fixed Stars). His observations made a huge impact in those days and made Ptolemy somewhat of a seer or scholar. Mapping it Out Apart from Ptolemy’s tremendous contribution to the understanding of astronomy throughout the world, he also laid down the groundwork to the future cartography or the study of maps. He wrote another treatise on the lines of the Almagest, compiling his knowledge of Geography, along with what was already known through the Roman Empire. An important source of information for the book, Geographia, written by Marinos of Tyre, an earlier geographer and the gazetteers of Roman and ancient Persian Empire. Ptolemy began the book with a discussion of the data and the methods used by him to write down the book. The book was written in a much organised pattern on the lines of following a grand scheme. He assigned co-ordinates to all the places and geographic features he knew in a grid that spanned the globe which was quite similar to the work of Marinos. The Latitude that we know of today and is measured from the equator was done by Ptolemy but he named it as climata, which was the length of the longest day rather than degrees of arc. For example, the length of the mid-summer day increased from 12 to 24 hours as one moved from the equator to the polar circle. In books 2 through 7, Ptolemy used degrees. He assigned 0 degrees longitude to the Blessed Islands or the Canary Islands, which was the most western land on the extreme left of blue sea of Ptolemy’s map. This was identified by the six dots that were also labelled as Fortunata islands. Most medieval mapmakers followed the instructions that Ptolemy had devised and mentioned it in the Geographia. The second part of the Geographia contained Ptolemy’s Oikoumene or the map of the whole world. The area of Oikoumene extended from 180 degrees of longitude from the ‘Blessed Islands’ in the Atlantic Ocean to the middle of China and about 80 degrees of latitude from Shetland to anti-Meroe or the east coast of Africa. His map indicated he knew only about the quarter of the globe. He improved the projections of his maps than they were since the third century BC. However, Ptolemy’s maps were inaccurate as compared to the modern maps because he took the size of the Earth as being only 500 stadia for a great circle degree on the globe. The Bible of Astrology Along with the Almagest which spoke at lengths about astronomy, it is believed by some that Ptolemy also wrote a 4-part treatise on astrology called the Tetrabiblos, which in Greek terms means, Four Books. But there are others who believe that Tetrabiblos wasn’t written by Ptolemy. In fact, many scholars state that he must have just given the term Apotelesmatika, meaning Astrological Outcomes, as it was found in some Greek manuscripts. It is said that Tetrabiblos was revered as much as the authority of a Bible by the astrological writers for more than thousand years. It is an extensive database based on the ancient principles of horoscopic astrology and as a result has been continuously reprinted. However, it could not come up to the level of Almagest as it did not touch upon some popular areas of the subject such as medical astrology and event astrology which was interpreting astrological charts for a particular moment to determine the outcome of a course of action to be initiated at that time. However, these were later incorporated into the treatise. Ptolemy was of the belief that astrology was a science which tried to describe the physical effects of the heavenly bodies on the terrestrial life but unsuccessfully. Although he had no issues with the basic validity of the traditional astrological doctrines but he worked at modifying the details so that aligns with the Aristotelian conception of nature, matter and change. Ptolemy had a practical view of astrology. He believed that astrology was conjectural like medicine as many variable factors had to be taken into account. While to assess the requirement of the medicine factors such as the race, country and upbringing of a person had been taken into account for astrology the deciding factors were the position of the Sun, Moon and the planets at the precise moment of their birth. So he considered astrology to be useful in life, but in no way, relied upon it completely. A later pseudepigraphical composition known as Centiloquium, a collection of 100 aphorisms ascribed to Ptolemy, was commented upon by the Arabic, Hebrew and Latin scholars. Striking a Chord Ptolemy had resided in the Roman Empire, where music was given a high status as an art form. His work called ‘Harmonics’, is an observation on Music theory and mathematics of music. Ptolemy was very critical of his predecessors’ approach to the Musical theory. As per his theory he based the musical intervals on mathematical ratios, which was contrary to the belief followed by Aristoxenus and in sync with the belief accepted by the followers of Pythagoras. Ptolemy further propounded the theory which was first spoken about by Pythagoras about the musical notes being translated into mathematical equations and vice versa in Harmonics. He also wrote at length about an intense diatonic scale, which was later incorporated by many musicians. Another commendable contribution of Ptolemy’s work is Optics. However today, the only Optics that has survived is in poor Arabic translations and in around 20 manuscripts of a Latin version of the Arabic, translated by Eugene of Palermo, Circa 1154. Ptolemy wrote about the properties of light, including reflection, refraction and the colour in it.. The work is a significant part in the early history of optics. The more famous Eleventh Century Optics by Alhazn (Ibn al-Haytham) was majorly influenced by this work. It contained the earliest surviving table of refraction from air to water, for which the values (with the exception of the 60 degree angle of incidence), although historically praised as experimentally derived, it seemed to have been obtained from an arithmetic progression. It had the earliest surviving table of refraction from air to water for the values with the exception of the 60 degree angle of incidence. It seemed to have been obtained from an arithematic progression although it is said to be derived experimentally. Ptolemy’s work is based on the combination of mathematical, philosophical and physiological traditions. His theory of vision was based on extramission-intromission theory; the rays (or flux) from the eye formed a cone, the vertex being with the eye and the base defining the visual field. The rays were sensitive and conveyed information back to the observer’s intellect about the distance and orientation of surfaces. The size and shape of the object get determined by the visual angle subtended at the eye, combined with perceived distance and orientation. This was one of the initial statements of size-distance invariance as a cause of perceptual size and shape constancy, which was a view supported by the stoics. Ptolemy provided explanations for many phenomena concerned with illumination, and colour, size, shape, movement and binocular vision. He also classified illusions according to those caused by factors such as physical, optical and judgmental. However, his explanatio n of the Sun or Moon illusion was obscure (the enlarged size on the horizon) which was the difficulty of looking upwards. Footprints in the Sand It is believed that Ptolemy died around 168 AD in Alexandria, the city where his work flourished. He left a lasting impression on most of the researchers existing during that time. Although his works were controversial, in recent times, it has been discovered that his studies still contain important clues and observations that are practical. Many objects or characters have been named after Ptolemy as a tribute to his immense contribution to the modern day Astronomy, Astrology and Geography. Some of them include, the crater Ptolemaeus on the Moon, the crater Ptolemaeus on Mars, the Asteroid 4001 Ptolemaeus, A Character in the Fantasy series, The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Track number 10 on Selected Ambient Works 85–92 by Aphex Twin, the Ptolemy Stone used in the Mathematics courses at both the St. Johns College campus. Sir Patrick Moore, an English astronomer and TV presenter called his cat by the name of Ptolemy and the name of a music magazine was called Ptolemaic Terrascope. With the information of Ptolemy’s life being virtually unknown, it is only his work and legacy that do justice to his biography.

The Components Of Attitude Education Essay

The Components Of Attitude Education Essay Attitude influences the way in which an individual behaves towards an object, institution, or a person. Our attitude towards a particular object may be influenced by our parents, school, teachers and society in which as an individual we live. According to Thurton (1929) attitude may also be defined as the sum total of mans inclination, feelings, threats and conviction about any specific topic. Karlinger (1973) holds that attitude is an integral part of personality to think, to feel, and perceive to behave towards a referent and cognitive object. Attitude is very important as it decides the behavior pattern of a person. Attitudes can be implicit and explicit. Implicit attitudes are unconscious, but still have an effect on our beliefs and behaviors. Explicit attitudes are those about which we are consciously aware of and they clearly influence our behaviors and beliefs. In the opinion of Bain (1927), an attitude is the relatively overt behavior of a person which affects his status. Jung (1921) defines attitude as a readiness of the psyche to act or react in a certain way. Components of Attitude Harrison (1976) has identified three components in attitude as under: Beliefs are what one considers desirable and undesirable. Attitudes are accompanied by emotions and influence each other. The individual displays his attitude through his action (behavior). However, Wenden (1991) proposed a broader definition of the concept attitude. He has introduced these terms with a little change, although the theme is almost the same. He says that the term attitude includes three components as Cognitive Affective Behavioral Cognitive component is made up of the beliefs and ideas or opinions about the object of the attitude. Rosenberg and Hovland (1969) suggest that cognitions include perceptions, concepts, and beliefs about the attitude object and these are usually expressed by verbal questions. Ajzen (1988) categorizes cognitive components into verbal and non-verbal responses. Cognitive responses of a verbal nature are expressions of beliefs about an attitude object. According to him, cognitive responses of a nonverbal kind are more difficult to assess, and the information they provide about attitudes is usually more indirect. Baker (1992) believes that the cognitive component involves thoughts and beliefs. Affective component refers to the feelings and emotions that one has towards an object, likes or dislikes, with or against. Ajzen (1988) believes that affective responses involve evaluations of, and feelings towards, the attitude object. Verbal affective responses can be expressions of admiration or disgust, appreciation or disdain. On the other hand, facial expressions and other bodily reactions are assumed to show nonverbal affective responses. Baker (1992) suggests that the affective component concerns feelings towards the target language, which may be love or hate of the language, a passion for the poetry of the target language, or an anxiety about learning it. Also, Hermann-Brennecke (2000) defines the affective component as a feeling-based evaluative component. The behavioral component refers to ones consisting actions or behavioral intentions towards the object. Rosenberg and Hovland (1969) evaluate the behavioral component towards a situation with regard to a persons overt actions or verbal statements concerning behavior. These components of attitude consist of a tendency of an individual to behave in a particular way towards and object. Only this component of attitude is visible as the other two can only be inferred. Kinds of Attitude There are three kinds of attitude; Positive Attitude is a kind of attitude that people are likely to act consistently with. Negative Attitude is a kind of attitude where people act inconsistently with. Neutral Attitude refers to a situation where people feel themselves reluctant to take any definite decision and find it difficult to make a choice either to go with something or not. With respect to positive attitude, people may become respective to the said attitude and tend to understand every situation which corresponds to it. On the other hand, with a negative attitude a persons act will not be consistent due to the distortion he wanted to accomplish. Attitude Formation Attitudes may be learned from the experiences we have. These include mostly mundane events such as being praised by our parents for expounding liberal attitudes, but also major life and world events. Â  The basic processes through which we learn attitudes remain the same throughout life, though as we grow older the attitudes we learn may be more complex, and the ones we already hold may become more resistant to change. Attitudes are learned from our experience of the social context around us. Research has indicated that there are several ways in which attitudes are acquired. One of the earliest agents of attitude formation is parents. Later on world experience, interaction with the outer world plays a significance role in the formation of attitude. Some of the psychological factors which play a vital role in attitude formation are discussed below: Operant conditioning. It involves voluntary responses. It is usually involve with the behavioral component of attitude. Behaviors tend to be repeated if they are reinforced. Similarly behaviors tend to be stopped when they are punished. Direct instruction. The adoption of attitudes is directly told by the parents, schools, community, friends, as well as the impact of religion etc. Social learning. It is based on modeling and observation. We observe others, if they are rewarded and receive appreciation for certain behaviors, we are reinforced and it is more likely, that we behave in the way to express this attitude. Rational analysis. It involves the careful weighing of evidence for, and against, a particular attitude. In other words it involves the careful observation of the evidence in order to take the right decision. Language Attitude Language attitudes are the feelings people have about their own language or the languages of others (Crystal, 1992). Language attitude is different from other general attitudes in the sense that they are specifically about language. It is normally considered that language attitudes are related to the language itself, its variety, its sound system, its semantic quality so on and so forth. In fact, the term language attitude is applied by sociolinguists today, includes the outlook and our affiliation towards the speakers of a particular languages. Fasold (1984) suggests that attitudes towards a language are often a reflection of attitudes towards members of various ethnic groups. Language attitudes are changing all the time because the economic situation of a country may change, for the better or the worse, and so produce a different language attitude among its speakers or potential speakers. The same changing language attitude goes for the choice of a foreign language where the niche and the needs determine the language status. In this respect, Calvet (2006) states: Human beings are not always able to choose their languages, their choice is determined first and foremost by the milieu in which they find themselves, by the languages that coexist in this niche and then by their needs, and very little by the typological situation other coexisting languages. Second Language-Learning Strategies All language learners use language learning strategies either consciously or unconsciously when processing new information and performing tasks in the language classroom. Since language classroom is like a problem-solving environment in which language learners are likely to face new input and difficult tasks given by their instructors, learners attempts to find the quickest or easiest way to do what is required, that is, using language learning strategies is inescapable. The term language learning strategy has been defined by many researchers. Wenden and Rubin (1987) define learning strategies as any sets of operations, steps, plans, routines used by the learner to facilitate the obtaining, storage, retrieval, and use of information. Richards and Platt (1992) state that learning strategies are intentional behavior and thoughts used by learners during learning so as to better help them understand, learn, or remember new information. Faerch Claus and Casper (1983) stress that a learning strategy is an attempt to develop linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in the target language. Classification of Language Learning Strategies by OMalley OMalley (1985) divides language learning strategies into three main subcategories Metacognitive strategies. It can be stated that metacognitive is a term to express executive function, strategies which require planning for learning, thinking about the learning process as it is taking place, monitoring of ones production or comprehension, and evaluating learning after an activity is completed. Among the main metacognitive strategies, it is possible to include advance organizers, directed attention, selective attention, self-management, functional planning, self-monitoring, delayed production, self-evaluation. Cognitive strategies. Cognitive strategies are more limited to specific learning tasks and they involve more direct manipulation of the learning material itself. Repetition, resourcing, translation, grouping, note taking, deduction, recombination, imagery, auditory representation, key word, contextualization, elaboration, transfer, inference are among the most important cognitive strategies. Socioaffective strategies. As to the socio affective strategies, it can be stated that they are related with social-mediating activity and transacting with others. Cooperation and question for clarification are the main socioaffective strategies (Brown 1987). Attitude and Motivation in L2 Learning In the field of language attitudes, the term attitude and motivation are closely connected and related (Gardner, 1985). He believes that languages involve the acquisition of skills or behavior patterns which are characteristic of another cultural community. He discusses that the relative degree of success in second language acquisition depends, to a certain extent, on the individuals attitude towards the other community as well as the beliefs in the community, which are relevant to the language learning process. He believes that the acquisition of a second language is a long and tough task so that any concept of motivation must include in it an attitudinal foundation to sustain the motivation. He proposes that attitudes play a role in language learning through their influence on motivation. Educators accept that students have individual learning styles and vary in their attitudes towards learning in general (Deci, Flaste 1995). Two major clusters of motivation have been introduced by Gardner and Lambert (1972). Integrative Motivation Instrumental Motivation When students want to learn a language to become part of a speech community (integrate). People who immigrate to new countries are some examples of people who may want to identify with the community around them. An important aspect of this form of language learning is using language for social interaction. This form of motivation is thought to produce success in language learners. Learners may make efforts to learn an L2 for some functional reason; to pass the examination to get a better job, or to get a place at university. In some learner context an instrumental motivation seems to be the major force determining success in L2 learning. For example, in settings where students are motivated to learn an L2 because it opens the educational and economic opportunities for them (Ellis, 1997). . Starks Paltridge (1996) mention that learning a language is closely related to the attitudes towards the language. Karahan (2007) suggests that positive language attitude let learner have positive orientation towards learning English. As such, attitudes may play a very crucial role in language learning as they would appear to influence students success directly. Ellis (2000) mentions that positive attitudes towards the L2 and its speakers can be expected to enhance learning while negative attitudes impede it. So, attitudes have an impact on the level of L2 proficiency achieved by individual learners. The learners with positive attitudes, who experience success, will have these attitudes reinforced. Similarly, learners negative attitude may be strengthened by lack of success. Holmes (1992) states that people develop attitudes towards languages which reflect their views about those who speak the languages, and the contexts and functions with which they are associated. Hermann-Brennecke (2000) points out the relationship between language and attitude language does not consist only of forms, patterns and rules but is simultaneously bound up with the social, subjective and objective world, since it also carries the attitudes, habits and cultural characteristics of its speakers. The Status of English in Pakistan In Pakistani community where different languages co-exist, language attitudes play an important role in the lives of the users of these languages. Today there are more non-native than native users of English and English has become a world language. English language enjoys a high status in Pakistan as it is the language of education, law, science, technology, Government and a lingua franca among the provinces. It has become a status symbol, a refine medium of communication. English in Pakistan is used as an official and a second language. It is spoken and used by a relatively small but extremely influential portion of countrys population in the domain of government administration, law, the military, the higher education, commerce and mass media (Baumgardner 1993). According to Ghani (2003) English in Pakistan serves as a gateway to success, to further education and to white collar jobs. It is the language of higher education and wider education and not the home language of the population except in the upper strata of society where it is spoken as a status symbol. Socially, English adopted as a second language has had a significant impact both economically and educationally. It continues to play an important role in the countrys commercial and industrial development and outside the government sector. Attitude of Pakistani Students towards Learning English Language policies have frequently failed in Pakistan where students attitudes to English language learning and use are mainly neglected. It is, therefore, important to study attitudes of students because if the learners have unfavorable attitudes to a target language, language policy implementation is unlikely to be successful (Baker,1992). Shahid Siddiqui (2007) discusses the present scenario in Pakistan and states that every student up to Intermediate level has to study English as compulsory subject. He further states that there are a large number of students who question the very existence of English as a compulsory subject. He claims that most of the students who belong to the rural background are not motivated to learn English. In Many cases the parents are not educated and cannot appreciate the purpose of learning English. As a result the students feel that English is perhaps the privilege of the elitist class and only the bright students can acquire it. There is a small group of students who realize the importance of English as it is a passport to employment. Most of the students are willing to learn English just to get degrees instead of attempting to learn the language skills. As a result, they spend most of their time in rote memorization which is considered the best way of passing the examination. Rahman (1999), in his survey of students attitudes towards learning English has found that almost all the students, including the deeni madrassahs want to learn English. However, it seems that the reason for learning English is instrumental for them. Factors Affecting Attitude towards Learning English There are certain factors which can be attributed as to affect the attitude of students towards learning English. Role of Parents. Parents play an important role in the education of their children. Their involvement and encouragement can help a child excel. Alberta Education encourages parents to take an active role in the education of their children and provides resources to support their involvement. Parents are the major socialization agents who play a vital role in shaping childrens attitudes towards ethnic groups and language learning. Parents can also be actively involved in the learning process and promote success by encouraging children to study the foreign language, monitor their performance, correct mistakes, etc. On the other hand, if the parents are not literate in the second language, their children remain deprived in terms of the availability of interaction in a second language at home. Role of Personality Traits in L2 Learning. Personality is considered a very important category of individual differences since the individual is often judged depending on her/his personality. It has been frequently observed that different learners attain highly different levels of L2 proficiency even though the circumstances in which these learners acquire a target language are almost identical. This inter individual variation can be accounted for by learner-internal factors. Extroversion/Introversion. Extroversion and introversion are personality characteristics that can influence language learning in a positive or negative way depending on the measured aspect. It is believed that extroverts, who are sociable and open to other people, are more successful in learning languages than introverts, because they have more contact with L2. On the other hand, well-organized and serious introverts are seen as better learners as far as the systematic study is concerned. Anxiety. Krashen (1985) maintained that anxiety inhibits the learners ability to process incoming language. An interaction is often found among anxiety, task difficulty, and ability, which interferes at the input, processing, retrieval, and at the output level. If anxiety impairs cognitive function, students who are anxious may learn less and also may not be able to demonstrate what they have learned. Therefore, they may experience even more failure, which in turn raise their anexity level. Age. Age has often been considered a major, if not the primary, factor determining success in learning a second or foreign language. Children are generally considered capable of acquiring a new language rapidly and with little effort, whereas adults are believed to be doomed to failure. Although older learners are indeed less likely than young children to master an L2, a close examination of studies relating age to language acquisition reveals that age differences reflect differences in the situation of learning rather than in capacity to learn. They do not demonstrate any constraint on the possibility that adults can become highly proficient, even native like, speakers of L2 (TODD, Marshall 2000). Degree of Instrumentality vs. Integration. It is supposed that the degree of instrumentality is also a an important factor whicvh effect the process of L2 learning. When the learners are motivated to learn a second language for utilitarian purpose i.e, to get a good job the level of success is supposed to be higher as compared to those who learn a second language for integrative purpose. According to Gardner and Lambart (1972 ) when a language is learnt for utilitarian purpose , the success in second language is supposed to be lower than if it is learnt for the integrative purpose but Meenakshi Verma states that this claim seems to be doubtful as the instrumentally motivated students are effectively learning English. The reason seems to be that the instrumental motivation works as a force to get a good job. Role of Teacher in L2 Learning. The role of teacher in affecting the attitudes of students cannot be falsified. A teacher plays a vital role for the students. He can serve as a facilitator, a guide, a fellow traveler, an advisor etc. If a teacher does not provide sufficient exposure to the target language, does not motivate the students, or does not provide them an opportunity to communicate, such teacher proves himself a threat for students. In such circumstances, if the student is asked to interact, the threat of teacher may hinder students progress. As Dornyei (2001) notes, teacher skills in motivating learners should be seen as central to teaching effectiveness. Students need both ample opportunities to learn and steady encouragement and support of their learning efforts. Because such motivation is unlikely to develop in a chaotic classroom, it is important that the teacher organize and manage the classroom as an effective learning environment. Furthermore, because anxious students are unlikely to develop motivation to learn, it is important that learning occurs within a relaxed and supportive atmosphere (Good and Brophy, 1994). In short, attitude is the sum total of a mans instinctions and feelings, prejudice or bias, preconceived notions, fears threats and convictions about any specified topic (Gardner, 1980). It can be described in other words as a mirror through which the inner emotions, feelings, beliefs, liking, disliking can be depicted. As these are the inner as well as the overt behaviors of individuals, they have a strong impact on decision making and finding the way for further progress. In the same perspective, an attitude towards learning a language depicts the way in which the learner feels about second language. It highlights the beliefs, in relation to the language which is being learnt. An attitude can be influenced by parents, teachers as well as by the society including the religion. Our affiliations, our interest as well as our purpose behind learning L2, all play a vital role in forming attitude towards learning a language. Having a review of the related literature, it may be concluded that these factors have a strong influence on the beliefs, liking and disliking of students and have an impact on their overall achievement in the second language learning. Rationale of the Study This study aims to examine the students attitude towards learning English. It focuses on the relationship between students attitude and their achievements in English language. In the light of this study, it is possible to put forward those factors like students attitude towards teachers, curriculum, and teachers methodologies that can be the causes of students low achievements in exams or their disinterest in the language learning. This study will show students positive or negative attitude towards learning English and their proficiency in it. It will take into account students experience and motivation provided by the teachers. As the aim of this study is to investigate the students attitude towards learning English language, it will show that either students want to learn English for integrative or for instrumental purpose. In short, this study is designed to highlight the attitude of male and female students and also to investigate the difference between the attitude of male and female students towards learning English.