Mental Health And Community Care Social Work Essay

Mental Health And corporation palm Social depart turn upIn this report I will discuss Mental wellness and corporation bearing, I will look at the historical s spot of society bid taking into consideration policies and that stemmed it and competing ideological perspectives that that has impact on it. I will further look at its benefits and shortfalls since its death penalty taking into accounts the impact of the 1990 NHS residential atomic number 18a occupy Act and current reforms. lastly I will discuss the process of poverty and friendly extrusion which affects roughly of these wad who suck in been discharged home as a provide.History of Community Care and ObjectivesDobson (1998) verbalise that Care in the corporation represented the major political change in amiable wellness fretfulness in the history of the National Health emolument (NHS)It was the solution both of social changes and political expediency and a movement outdoor(a) from the isolation of the genially ill in old Victorian asylums towards their consolidation into the companionship (Goffman 1961).The aim was to normalise the psychically ill and to remove the mug of a condition that is said to afflict one in four of the British population at some time in their lives.The of import push towards conjunction of interests bearing as we know it to mean solar day came in the 1950s and 1960s, an era which saw a sea change in attitude towards the treatment of the mentally ill and a rise in the diligents rights movement, tied to civil rights campaigns.The 1959 Mental Health Act abolished the distinction betwixt psychiatric and other hospitals and support the development of conjunction dole out. harmonise to Goffman, (1961) historically, flock who were designated as having a mental illness lived in confined institutional environments for years and had limited expectations for returning to the community.Community anxiety is used to get wind the various work forthc oming to help individuals manage their physical and mental health problems in the community which is the British policy for deinstitutionalisation. Duane (2003) defined deinstitutionalisation as process of replacing gigantic-stay psychiatric hospitals with less isolated community mental health services for those diagnosed with mental disorder or developmental disability. These services include, for example, nursing or social work support, home help, day centres, instruction and supported accommodation.The Department of Health expresses the need to promote the development of a personal health plan of individuals, based on who they are, what they want and what their stack are. tally to DoH, Health is linked to the way people live their lives and the opportunities available to choose health in the communities where they live. There arrive at been major improvements in health and life expectancy over the last century and on the most basic measures, people are living longer than per petually before (DoH report, 2005).Rogers A and Pilgrim D (2001) stated that the ideological commitment to community care was associated with vague mood of achieving an cerebrationl society, prior to it being cause as a practical reality. Similarly Titmuss in the 1960s suggested that the flavor of community care invented a sense of warmth and human kindness, fundamentally personal and comforting Titmuss (1968). This early positive view exclamatory the idea of leaving the disabling environment of the institution behind and ushering in the enable possibilities of average living.According to Bulmer (1989), the first use of community care was in the part of mental health, as understanding developed of the negative consequences of institutionalizing mental patients in hospitals, and to discharge the ex-patients and mental handicap hospitals, and to discharge the ex-patients into the community, where they would live in hostel-type accommodation or in their cause homes and be cared for by a mixture of paid and personal carers, particularly in day centres and by nursing staff on the one hand and by members of their own families on the other.Community care in the past has always been a interracial economy, financed by both the state and by user charges and provided by impulsive welkin organization, commercial, for-profit organization, the state and the family. Alan Walker (1982, 1989) and Roy Parker (1990) have specifically intercommunicate the problem of defining community care and have pointed out that it has been in truth easy for one persons community care to be anothers institutional care. Community care has been a mixture of policies. To the health service each supply outside the NHS sufficients community care, therefore institution cast by topical anesthetic regimen constitute community care.The mixed economy of community care during the 1960s left wing academics, notably Peter Townsend (1962), make mournful request for the deinstitutionaliza tion of elderly and mentally ill people, whereas Titmuss (1968) has already sounded a cross off of caution when he referred to the way in which the status community care conjured up a sense of warmth and human kindness. All this false the main provider of community care to be the state.In some ways, the idea of community care in mental health ran counterpunch to the dominate trend within the NHS after 1948, which until recently, was centralised and hospital-dominated.Bulmer (1989) similarly emphasised that in recent years community care has broad means including the goal of providing comprehensive outreach, day and residential services and support for ordinary facilities within the locality. In principal at least community care now extends to social inclusion and the promotion of assess to facilities used by other people living in the community and the right and province of participation in local community acitivties.According to Pilgrim (2001) when the Labour brass came to power in 1997, it announced the need for rapid reform of mental health services based on the impression or cause that care in the community has failed. In 1998, the Health Secretary, Frank Dobson, stated that discharging people from institutions has brought benefits to some. But it has left many vulnerable patients to try and cope on their own. Others have been left to become a danger to themselves and a nuisance to others. A small however significant minority have become a danger to the public as well as themselves. Mind, along with many others, disagreed with the statement that community care had failed.These were based on concerns astir(predicate) control of risky behaviour which led to the spokes enquiry sideline the killing of a social worker (Isablel Shwartz) in 1984 by patient Sharon Campbell in Bexley Hospital. These were some of the limitations of care discovered and led to recommendation virtually post-discharge case management DHSS (1998). The report similarly noted the lack of any requirement on the part of services to identify vulnerable patients or provide individualised care plans, and for agencies with responsibilities for mental health to work unitedly.The interrogative sentence into the care of Christopher Clunis was also another reason why the community care needed a reform.Rogers and Pilgrim (2001) explained that inquiry examined the manner in which services failed to suffice adequately to Christopher Clunis, a young black man With a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia who stabbed a stranger (Jonathan Zito) at Finsbury Park undercover station. This highlighted a number of problems why the Labour government called for the reform of the community care policy because of the inadequate support for in the community with consummate(a) mental health problems.In 1999 The Government published theNational Service Framework NSF for mental health modern standards and service models for England. The NSF spelled out depicted object standards for mental health services, what they aimed to achieve, how they should be developed and delivered, and how performance would be metrical in every part of the country.(DoHCommunity care is the support by informal and formal carers of the elderly, the disabled and the mentally disordered groups in the community who are usually in their own homes rather than in institutions.According to Bulmer(1989)the ideas with which community care came about is due to the mixture of sociological propositions about the nature of modern community life, including personal ties between relative, friends, and neighbours.The Griffiths Report Community Care Agenda for ActionMargaret Thatcher invited Sir Roy Griffiths to produce a report on the problems of the NHS. This report was influenced by the ideology of managerialism. That is it was influenced by the idea that problems could be figure out by management. According to the report, Griffiths firmly believed that many of the problems facing the Welfare put forward were caused by the lack of strong effective leadership and management. Because of this previous work, which was greatly admired by the Prime Minister, Griffiths was asked to examine the whole system of community care.In 1988 he produced a report or a thou Paper called Community Care Agenda for Action, also known as The Griffiths Report.Griffiths intended this plan to sort out the mess in no-mans land. That is the white-haired area between health and social services. This area include the long full term or continuing care of dependent groups such as older people, disabled and the mentally ill.Basically he was saying that community care was not working(a) because no one wanted to train the responsibility for community care.Community Care Agenda for Action made six key recommendations for actionMinister of State for Community Care to ensure implementation of the policy it required ministerial authority.Local regimen should have key role in community care. i.e. Soc ial Work / service departments rather than Health have responsibility for long term and continuing care. Health Boards to have responsibility for primary and acute care. peculiar(prenominal) grant from central government to fund development of community care. specify what Social Service Departments should do assess care call for of locality, coif up mechanisms to assess care needs of individuals, on basis of needs design flexible packages of care to meet these needsPromote the use of the Independent sector this was to be achieved by social work departments collaborating with and fashioning maximum use of the voluntary and private sector of welfare.Social Services should be responsible for registration and inspection of all residential homes whether run by private organisations or the local authority.The majority of long term care was already being provided by Social Services, but Griffiths idea was to put community nursing staff under the control of local authority rather than H ealth Boards. This never actually happened. The Griffiths Report on Community Care seemed to back local government whereas, the health scorecard reforms in the same period, actually strengthened central government control. reworAccording to the Mind, In 1989 the government published its response to the Griffiths Report in the gabardine Paper Caring for People. It set out a framework for changes to community care, which included a new funding structure for social care. This would tell the beginning of the purchaser/provider split whereby social services departments were encouraged to purchase services provided by the independent sector. The report promoted the development of domiciliary, day care and respite services to enable people to live as independently as possible in their own homes. Other objectives included tonus initiatives around assessment of need and case management. Carers needs were turn to by prioritising practical support initiatives for them. The next decade saw a dramatic increase in the number of voluntary and private sector service providers.The impact of the community care reformsThe community care reforms defined in the 1990 Act have been in operation since April 1993 Glennester, (1996).They have been evaluated but no clear conclusions have been reached. A number of authors have been extremely critical of the reforms. Hadley and Clough (1996) select the reforms have created care in chaos (Hadley and Clough 1996) They claim the reforms have been inefficient, unresponsive, offering no choice or equity. Other authors however, are not quite so pessimistic.Means and Smith (1998) claim that the reformsintroduced a system that is no better than the previous more bureaucratic systems of imagery allocationwere an excellent idea, but received small-scale understanding or commitment from social services as the lead agency in community carethe enthusiasm of local authorities was undermined by vested professional interests, or the service lega cy of the last forty yearshealth services and social services workers have not worked well together and there have been few multidisciplinary assessments carried outin reality little collaboration took place except at senior management aimthe reforms have been undermined by chronic underfunding by central governmentthe voluntary sector was the main beneficiary of this attempt to develop a mixed economy of careThe Care Programme Approach (certified public accountant )According to Rogers and Pilgrim (2001) there was a light with the introduction of the Care Programme Approach in 2001. It introduced an attempt to improve and standardise the delivery of community care services. The CPA set out a practice framework for health authorities in England, giving guidance on how they should fulfil their duties as set out in the National Health Service (NHS) and Community Care Act 1990. The programme contained four key elements namely,Arrangement for assessing the health and social needs of re cipients of specialist mental health services,The regular use of care plan that identified which provider was responsible for different aspects of a persons careKey worker who would monitor and co-ordinate care for the individual unfluctuating review and if appropriate changes to the care plan.Through the introduction of the CPA, patients identified at risk have been required to be kept on charge register (DH, 1995). The idea was that all patients in contact with services would be subject to CPA but that some require greater interrogation and service input. Pilgrim et al stated that the Labour government inherited this mode in 1997 and continued to endorse it as the mainstay of good quality community-based management for people with mental health disorder, despite the concept of community care being problematic by health ministers and controversial cases such as that of Christopher Clunis.Social inclusionSocial exclusion occurs when,marginalised by society, people are not ablepla y a full andequal part in their community.Many people who experience mental grief experience stigma and discrimination, and live in poverty. They may find it austere to find adequate housing or access employment. The net result is that people can become seriously isolated and excluded from social and working life.Following the publication of the Social Exclusion Units (SEU) report into mental health and social exclusion, the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) have been charged with implementing the 27 action points listed in the SEU report. NIMHE are working on a number of policy areas including employment, education, social networks, housing and homelessness, direct payments, income and benefits. (DoH 1998)

CMOP-E Case Study Example

CMOP-E Case Study ExampleMrs. B is a 54 socio-economic class old woman diagnosed with schizophrenia. After being stabilized with medication and receiving treatment, she struggled with determination and maintaining employment but eventually found a undertaking as a sales associate. Recently, she was referred to see the OT because she was beginning to feel dissatisfied with her job and wanted to explore other options. In the past, she wricked 4 or 5 twenty-four hour period shifts a week however, currently, her employer was giving her fewer shifts per week. Her shifts were in the evening, which make it difficult for her to spend time with family. She felt stressed because her employer was expecting her to complete more(prenominal) tasks but did not give her adequate time to complete them. She was too having interpersonal problems with her co- workers which added to the stress. She also indicated that she wanted to expand her hearty network as she felt that she had few friends. T he OT provided her with resources that would assist with vocational readiness. To assist with expanding her affectionate circle, the OT provided Mrs. B with a website that connected people based on interests.Using the higher up case reflect, this paper will discuss how the CMOP-E relates to OT example. The focus of this paper is on the interaction between occupation and surroundings.CMOP-EModels provide OTs with a framework to fit information about the individual and to plan interventions. The Canadian Model of occupational Performance (CMOP) is based on a set of think ofs and beliefs concerning occupation, person, purlieu, and client-centered practice (Hagedorn, 2001). A central construct of this object lesson is that the client is involved in the process of determining penurys and planning action the therapists role is to modify this process and enable clients to engage in occupation (Hagedorn, 2001). The CMOP is an interactive model showing relationships between person , surround, and occupation (See Figure 1, part A) (Townsend Polatajko, 2007, p. 23). In the CMOP, the person, represented as a triangle, has three components cognitive, natural and affective, with spirituality at the outcome (Townsend Polatajko, 2007). The model shows that occupation connects the person and the environment (Townsend Polatajko, 2007). The key components of occupation acknowledge self-cargon, productivity and vacant (Townsend Polatajko, 2007).A critical review of the CMOP led to the passage of a trans-sectional view (see Figure 1, part B) (Townsend Polatajko, 2007, p. 23). The trans-sectional view of the CMOP can be used to show that occupation is of central interest and delimits the OTs concern with persons and environments. The transverse view with occupation front and centre presents occupation as OTs sum of money domain of interest, showing that OTs are primarily concerned with human occupation, and the connections with the occupational person and the occupational specifys of the environment those aspects of person or environment that are not related to occupation are beyond OTs scope (Townsend Polatajko, 2007, p. 23 24). OTs need to consider the actual performance of an occupation and the level of importance it holds or the degree of bliss it brings to the individual, family, group or organization. OTs also need to consider the potential and possibilities for occupational engagement that is allowed by the occupation-person-environment interactions. CMOP is now CMOP-E with the added member engagement to extend the occupational perspective (Townsend Polatajko, 2007, p. 24, 28).EnvironmentThe environment in the CMOP is the context in which an individual performs occupations and embarrasss physical, social, cultural, and institutional elements (Cole Tufano, 2008). The physical environment includes intrinsic and built factors. This may include home, classroom, workplace, or natural environments (Cole Tufano, 2008).S ocial environment is composed of social groups much(prenominal) as family, coworkers, and community organizations (Cole Tufano, 2008). The social environment is the source of personal relationships (Duncan, 2006).Cultural environment may overlap with social environment and include religious, ethnic, and political factors which can affect the opportunities for, and barriers to, participation (Cole Tufano, 2008).The institutional environment includes the political and social systems that affect the number of opportunities present and provides rules and limits to an individuals occupations (Cole Tufano, 2008). business enterpriseThe definition of occupation is (excerpted from Enabling Occupation, CAOT, 1997)Occupation refers to groups of activities and tasks of everyday life, named, organized, and given value and meaning by individuals and a culture. Occupation is everything people do to ask themselves, including looking after themselves (self-care), enjoying life (leisure), and c ontributing to the social and economic textile of their communities (productivity). (Townsend Polatajko, 2007, p. 17)The area of self-care encompasses all the tasks an individual goes through in a day to take care of oneself. Personal care includes basic activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, or personal hygiene. Self-care also includes instrumental activities of daily living, such as budgeting, driving, or grocery shopping (Radomski Latham, 2008).Productivity refers to an individuals economic function to society through paid and unpaid work. somewhat examples of productivity include paid employment, volunteer work, childcare, and homemaking (Radomski Latham, 2008).Leisure is activities that are completed voluntarily, intrinsically do and for enjoyment (Radomski Latham, 2008). Leisure activities may include quiet activities, such as reading, or active leisure such as sports, and socialization. (Randomski Latham, 2008).Application in PracticeIn the case stud y, the interaction between the occupations of productivity and leisure and the environment is evident. Mrs. Bs satisfaction in her productivity was influenced by the social environment of her job. Her strained relationship with her co-worker unnatural her job satisfaction and stress level. Having time constraints placed on her by her employer to complete legitimate tasks also increased her stress. Sparks and Cooper (1999) conducted a study to investigate the influence of seven job characteristics on mental and physical health. Results of the study showed that the fiber of the social environment in the workplace is associated with stress.Mrs. B.s leisure was also moved(p) by her productivity and social environment. Mrs. B. had limited time to spend with her family when she was plan to work evening shifts. Working in the evenings limited her opportunities to meet overbold people and expand her social network. Leisure is important because it allows an individual to rush a balanc ed life. Research has shown that a balance between work and family predicts well-being and overall quality of life. (Greenhaus, Collins, Shaw, 2003)The cultural environment also affected Mrs. Bs productivity. Schizophrenia or mental illnesses by their nature escape visibility therefore, encouraging the stigmatization of individuals with a mental illness (Copeland, 2009). In addition, society expects these individuals to work. This affected Mrs. B. because the expectation placed on her from society was that she should be working.The impact of the institutional environment on Mrs. Bs productivity is that the regime of Alberta requires individuals to meet certain conditions in order to be eligible for fiscal and health-related assistance programs, such as Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and Alberta Works. Some of the eligibility criteria for AISH are mustiness have a severe handicap that is unceasing and substantially limits ability to earn a living, and income or income of cohabiting partner must not exceed the limits allowed under the program (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped, AISH, n.d.). The institutional environment required Mrs. B to work because she did not qualify for AISH or Alberta Works.Mrs. B.s physical work environment was not care fored however, looking at the work environment would be beneficial because it affects a persons job satisfaction. Some elements that may affect job satisfaction include the effect of lighting, noise levels, and trading floor configuration and furniture layout (Vischer, 2007). Leather, Pyrgas, Beale, and Lawrence (1998) conducted a study that examined the direct and indirect cause of windows in the workplace on job satisfaction, intention to quit, and general well-being. Results from the study showed a significant direct effect for sunlight penetration on all three factors.Self-care was also not addressed by the OT however, it could be concluded that it did not have an effect on Mrs. Bs productivity. She was ascertained to have dressed appropriately and was well kept. It could be assumed that it was not an explicitly stated criterion for Mrs. B to demonstrate proper self-care in the first place engaging in productivity with the OT. Self-care is a component that is important to address in productivity because an individual is usually interacting with others when working or volunteering. being able to maintain proper self-care allows the individual to be socially accepted. worthy self-care also allows the individual to make a good first postage stamp during job interviews and throughout his or her time as an employee.ConclusionThe CMOP-E is a theoretical model that illustrates how occupational performance evolves from the interactions among the person, environment, and occupation. It provides OTs with a clear conceptual framework for thinking about the person throughout the occupational process. The CMOP-E with a person at its centre, demonstrates OTs client-cen tered practice. The application of the CMOP-E to Mrs. Bs case study demonstrates the dynamical and interdependent relationships between all aspects of environment and occupation. Through applying this model to Mrs. Bs case study, it is evident that practice is strongly based in theory.

Concept of Organisational Misbehaviour: Analysis

Concept of Organisational Misbehaviour AnalysisOrganisational Mis behaviorcritic everyy evaluate the origin that governmental misbehaviour is a blueprint feature of institutional clearIntroductionThe nonion of presidential termal misbehavior fecal matter be interpreted in a lot of manners based on diametrical panoramas, divergent raft, shifting situations, and by the changing take aim of aw beness and understanding on the livelihood of an governing body.There is a primary subroutine of formations in the context of fulfilling plastered man-to-man goals. Northcraft and Neale (1990, p.5) say that people come unneurotic and exercise organisations beca design organisations dismiss earn issues that be beyond the reach of unmarrieds. They come together to accomplish what each individual cannot accomplish alone. The cockeyeding of behavior in organisations according to Northcraft and Neale revolve around managing behavior to take advantage of the execution o f instrument benefits of groups over individuals. This is where the judgment of a good behavior and misbehavior takes shape.Organisational styleOrganisational behavior is a multidisciplinary definition that illustrates a number of agitates (Gibson et al, 2000). Some of these depicts touch directly to the conduct of the organisation in society. First, it indicates that the behavior of people de ploughshare at individual, group, or organisational level. This suggests that when trying to study the organisational misbehavior in the perspective of being a normal break-dance of organisational life, it must identify all the way the levels of analysis individual, group, and the organisation being employ. Second, thithers a distinctively humanistic orientation in spite of appearance the organisation behavior. tidy sums attitudes, perceptions, acquire capabilities, and impersonals are grievous to the organisation. They provide the rich mixture for their organisations last and strategies to evolve and prosper. Thirdly, the external environment is seen as having significant restore on the organisational behavior. Finally, theres analogouswise the application orientation which concerns providing profitable answers to questions that arise in the context of managing the organisation. misbehavior is ofttimes interpreted to mean bad behavior or a deviation from the normal norms and honorable motive judge of individuals and organisations. To say that organisational behavior also involves other original kinds of misbehavior still descends to the fact that any type of behavior can be all good or bad depending on the context that it is utilize to in real life situations. When this type of behavior exists and in conclusion prevails in any organisational setup, it would likely grow into a original stature of normality and seep into conventional wisdom.In ordering to understand why this argument seems to make sense in the frame act as of an organisations life, it is authoritative to first identify the varied compositions of an organisation, its objectives, nicety, twist, and strategies. The complexities associated with these compositions apply made it virtually impractical to framework and envision a perfect organisation.Organisations fox had some(a) bouts with inside and external conflicts in one way or another(prenominal)(prenominal). Some restrain mastered the arts of deception and impropriety. It is unrealistic to say that organisational misbehavior is not part of organisational life either. mickle in the organisation whitethorn misbehave and some people may pat the entire organisation. separates may blame specific people (especially managers) when the real shortcoming came from the organisations policies. Other groups within the organisation or network may deviate from agreements and norms. The organisational culture may not also be up to the times and the veritable business strategies may not sit well with gove rnment economy policies and industry norms. If these things do happen (and they happen a lot), it is not operable and healthy to draw the line between laying out unverbalized rules in classifying organisational behavior to be good and a bad. batch and humankind demeanorPeople make up the internal social instituteation of the organisation (Newstrom and Davis, 1997). This system consists of individuals and groups, and large groups as well as secondary ones. People are the living, thinking, and feeling beings who work in the organisation to strive their objectives. An organisational structure is filled up with people who decide and deliver the goods for the organisation. miscellanea arranges a lot of challenges for charge to handle. When people become members of an organisation whether in official, unofficial or informal capacity, they bring with them different educational back globe, talents, interests, and behavior that they in conclusion contribute for the success or fa ilure of the organisation. The relationship among individuals and groups in an organisation bring into being expectations for an individuals behavior (Gibson et al, 2000, p. 7). An individual can be presented here as the organisation itself. These expectations result in definite leadership and follower roles that must be performed so that there provide be some kind of order and system.Collective expectations can either conform or not to standard behavior. Collective mis routine of resources interests, talents, expertise, and forethought strategies can constitute organisation misbehavior. Punch (1996, p.1) views these misconduct as harmful to the viability of the organisation and constitutes deviance by the organisation. To put it more(prenominal) bluntly, organisational misbehavior eventually boils down to the issue of profits and how it should be increased. Money has alship canal been a central issue in any organisation and it has often been used to measure the survivability of a business. Organisational goals ceaselessly take into their mainstream policy the issue of fiscal and economic stability and prosperity. Punch (1996, p.214) strongly suggested that formal goals of the organisation frankincense constitute a front for the real goals of management which is to provide a money machine for its owners and other insiders.If it is already common land and normal for criminals to use any tool or gun to perpetuate a crime, it would also seem normal for organisations to use the organisation itself to obtain money from victims of its misbehavior. The victims may actually be the customers or the members themselves. It is a prime example of what is called the organisational weapon the organisation is for white-collar criminals as the gun or knife is for the common criminals (Wheeler and Rothman, 1982, cited in Punch, 1996). In short, an organisation is set up for the primary purpose of making a substantial amount of money in the form of a profit and improv ing the quality of life for the individual members of the organisation.Organisations have systems of authority, experimental condition, and power, and people in organisations have varying collects for each system. People get money and a sense of fulfillment. People also need power to impose their will to others. People want to attain a certain level of success as measured by their status and standing in the organisation. Taken as a whole, organisations follow certain types of ethical behavior and standards defined along its objectives and future goals. It is also believed that esteem to moral standards on the job can have positive outcomes on the organisation and society by promoting strong ethical behavior in any aspects of life (Mares, 2005). This strong behavior of one organisation can be used as a strong issue against another organisation which is considered to be misbehaving just because it was not able to adhere to certain moral standards previously attained.Organisational StructureAn organisational structure defines the formal relationship and use of people in organisations. According to Newstrom and Devis (1997), different jobs are required to accomplish all of an organisations activities. There are managers, employees, accountants, assemblers, and others who have to be related in some structural way so that their work can be effectively coordinated.How is the structure of the organisation related to the conduct of an organisation? According to Thompson (1997, p.588), structure is the nub by which the organisation seeks to achieve its strategic objectives and implement strategies and strategic changes. Assuming that these strategies and changes are concerned with relating the organisations resources to its goals, will these resources be used in the proper way acceptable to all in the society?If change is necessary, it is correct to point out that resistance to change can constitute another concept of misbehavior. People confronting changes in thei r working environments often exhibit dysfunctional behaviors like aggression, projection, and avoidance (Hirschheim, 1995 p. 160). These types of behavioral patterns affect the general behavior of the organisation.Another thing to consider in the organisational structure is the way decision making is delegated and observed. Thompson set forth the extent by which a modify and centralized setup of management decision making is vital in aligning to strategic change. In a centralized setup, organisational misbehavior is usually highlighted at the top management level because altogether a handful of people are empowered to do the decision making. A decentralized setup allows decisions to be made by most people who must implement change and usually allows the organisation a more collective approach to making decisions based on what is morally and ethically correct. This statement however, does not imply that a decentralized structure eliminates instances of misbehavior. It only less ens the probability. On the other hand, a decentralized setup could empower smaller groups within the organisation to abuse their power and sacrifice the possibility of misbehavior on a smaller scale.According to Tsahuridu, specialness and division of work that occurs in organizations may make people in organizations unable to see the illegality and immorality of certain actions. Each action is a part of a chain of actions, and even though each individual act may be legitimate and moral, all the actions linked together may constitute an illegal or immoral activity, which each individual participant may be ignorant of.Organisational Objectives and CultureOrganisations must have objectives in order to exist. Objectives are always centered on what is essentially good for the organisation, whether the resulting action or consequences is bad. How is organisational objectives tied to organisational behavior? simoleons and growth are means to other ends rather than objectives in themsel ves (Acoff, 1986, cited in Thompson, 1997). There is then a question of whether profit is the ultimate objective of profit seeking business organisations or whether it is merely a means to other ends, which themselves constitute the real objectives (Thompson, 1997, p.153). Organisational behavior can be disclose understood by assuming whether the real goal of the organisation is to maximize profit or to provide them with a good quality of life and better standard of living.Harris and Hartman (2002, p. 75) said that an organisations culture consists of the values, norms, and attitudes of the people who make up the organisation. Values show what is important norms reveal expected behavior attitudes show the mind-set of individuals. Organisational culture thusly tells people what is important in the organisation, how to behave, and how to see things. Culture is a part of organisational life that influences the behavior, attitudes, and overall effectiveness of members (Gibson et al, 20 00).Managers are usually in the forefront of formulating organisational strategies and policies. Johnson and Scholes (1997, p.79-80) argued that in formulating policies, managers should esteem experience (good or bad) as constraints on developments. They say that in order to develop the organisation to cope with todays changing environments, they need to challenge the people around them and experiment with their different ideas and conflicting views in a pluralistic approach. The job of top management therefore is to create this sort of organisation by building teams that can work in such ways through the development of the everyday behavior and culture of the organisation.All of the issues related to the organisation in general have a raceency to influence and affect the behavior of the organisation. While it is safe to put up that the notion of misbehavior in the organisation tends to focus on the disparage or negative side of the organisation, it is preferred that misbehavior should be change by reversal and dealt with by focusing on how to manage and institute reforms in the different aspects of the organisation. This is a tall and complex order. Organisational behavior is not only influenced by the different factors previously mentioned. Management policies have a tendency to adapt to changing situations in their environments. Some organisations strategies may take advantage of worn out government policies and regulations and find loopholes with which they can misbehave without being noticed. Other organisations strategies tend to focus on covering up unethical practices with good and win over arguments that their actions go against standard practices but at the same time, benefit a large segment of society.Punch (1996, p.1) described the behavior of todays organisations as problematic and worrying. He reasons out that different kinds of organisational misbehavior are often caused by managers lending themselves to deviant activities and the inabili ty of government, business, and regulatory agencies to gibe effectively such misbehavior. He explains that this was largely because the subjects of business crime and merged deviance have been sadly neglected by criminologists and crime-fighting bodies in kick upstairs of other areas such as street crimes, low-level fair play enforcement, and the prison house system.Almost everyday, new types of organisation misbehavior are being exposed and brought out into the open. As these corporate scandals and other forms of financial misconduct often perpetuated by top level management are exposed, more and more sophisticated strategies and techniques are slowly being uncovered. It is quite interesting to endure that one kind of misbehavior can be linked to another form of misbehavior in another corporate partner within the network of organisations. Other sets of misbehavior can involve almost all levels of the organisational hierarchy.The realities faced by an organisation are differen t from others. Each organisation has an identity, an objective, a strategic plan, and differing sets of policies and regulations. Harris and Hartman (2002, p. 97) said this is because the underlying premise in the perfect culture is that the formal organisations norms and values are to be consistent with those of the various individuals and groups within the organisation. They say that the norms and values of individuals and groups of the organisation are hostile to formal organisational goals. This is especially true to members of top-level management and the rank and shoot down members. Their hidden values may contradict the official policies of the organisation. Sometimes, the organisation may not value the potential contribution of its members. The need to create hawkish advantage for profit and growth without the proper ethical system in place can lead to drastic steps and ethically contestable decisions and actions. Some members of the organisation may feel the need to mak e reforms musical composition others may think taking radical steps will eventually spell success.Discontentment and trouble may brew over different signals and messages that the inner structure of the organisation send out to the outside world. It is therefore evident that culture can become very counterproductive and the flat coat of confidence, cooperation, and adherence to standard norms and behavior can be damaging to the overall behavior of the organisation. This is the start of the decay of organisational values and norms and provides a fertile ground for breeding misconduct and misbehavior in any front of the organisation.ConclusionsMisbehavior is a normal part of an organisations life. It is not a question of whether it exists or not. It tends to become an issue when organisations tolerate and do zippo to correct these deviances from normal behavior and when organisations formulate policies that sheer away from ethical standards that govern them.Why is it that organisati onal misbehaviors tend to exist even in model companies and organisations recognized for their professional excellence? There are different ways of understanding organisational misbehavior in the context of whether it is normal or not in an organisational life. If we try to look closely at the term normal and misbehavior, there are two things which would come into mind.First, nothing is perfect and it is suddenly normal for people to commit mistakes, either willingly or unwillingly. People can always create rules and policies to counter certain misconduct. Organisations can always innovate and deviate from these rules in order to attain their goals. In these instances, there is no such thing as a perfect law governing businesses and there is also no such thing as a perfect business strategy. In normal instances, mistakes are part of the learning process.As this cycle continues today, organisational misbehavior has already come to the point where people have already considered it pa rt and parcel of their everyday life. It is part of the reality of life that has something to do with existence and how mankind adapts to ongoing changes. The only thing that people consider to be an issue in organisation misbehavior is the level or degree of how it affects society.Second, in order to survive, some organisations have to take the risk, whether this will put them in the burner for good or elevate their status in the business community. These risks are normally present in their business strategies, structure, objectives, and culture. They can follow the business rules by the guard and end up earning nothing or they may deviate from certain rules and norms and reap profits. Again, it is normal for organisations to take risks and reap the benefits.All of the characteristics of an organisation are linked to one another to form their own identity and behavior. People are in a social structure within the organisation and are empowered to make good or bad decisions. The str ucture of the organisation limits or expands the power to make decisions.BibliographyBooks Gibson, James et al. (2000).Organizations Behavior, Structure, Processes. 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill, Manila.Harris, J and Hartman, S. (2002). organizational Behavior. Haworth Press. New York.Hirschheim, R.A. (1995). Office Automation A Social and Organizational Perspective. John Wiley. OxfordJohnson, Gerry and Scholes, Kevan. (1997). Exploring corporeal Strategy.Prentice Hall. UKNewstrom, John and Davis, Keith. (1997) Organizational Behavior Human Behavior at Work. McGraw-Hill.Northcraft, Gregory and Neale, Margaret.(1990).Organizational BehaviorA Management Challenge. Dryden Press, Florida.Punch, Maurice. (1996). Dirty Business Exploring Corporate Misconduct. SAGE Publications, London.Thompson, John (1997).Strategic Management Awareness and Change. 3rd Edition.International Thompson Business Press.Boston daybook ArticleMares, Micheal (2005), The Importance of Business Ethics,Retrieved last February 26, 2005 from http//www.webcpa.comTsuahurido, Eva, Ethics and law What Australian Organizations Seek and Offer in Recruitment Advertisements,Retrieved March 3, 2005 from http//www.pamij.com/7_4/v7n4_tsahuridu.html

Analysis of Solubility and Forming Microemulsions

outline of Solubility and Forming MicroemulsionsChapter 5Materials and method actings to studyformulation poseurs5.1. Materials inuncts and surface-active agentsEthyl Oleate obtained from Sigma-AldrichFK-Sunflower Oil obtained from Fresenius KabiFK-MCT Oil obtained from Fresenius KabiMiglyol 840 obtained from SasolTween 80 viscous liquid obtained from Sigma-AldrichLabrasol obtained from Gattefoss Model API.DevicesSartorius, Scale Extend, Model ED2245IKA soak basic, magnetic perk uprerThermo Electron Corporation, HERAEUS Pico17 centrifugeUV-spectrophotometer, Eppendorf BioSpectrometer, Kinetic. otherwise Equipment Magnetic stir bars available plastic eppis, Eppendorf, with volume 1.5mlDisposable plastic cuvettes, Plastibrand, 1.5ml semimicro (12.5 x 12.5 x 45mm)Disposable plastic pipettes, Eppendorf 3mlMetal spatulasGlass beakersGlass bottles with lidsDisposable latex glovesProtective glasses, shoes and lab coat.Specialized softw ar base Pro 8, by OriginLab Corporation.5.2. Solu bility testsTo evaluate which aneles and bed wetters present better results at forming microemulsions, we pre-selected four different oils and devil different wetters to perform solubility tests with our shape API. The oils tested were Ethyl Oleate, FK-Sunflower Oil, FK-MCT Oil, and Miglyol 840. Moreover, the surfactants use were Tween 80 viscous liquid and Labrasol.As shown in Fig. 1 solubility tests were performed using the pursuit methodFirstly, an exuberant amount of our API was added with a metal spatula to a subjugate (oil, surfactant or mixture). The chemicals were precisely weighed, and the resulting suspension was mixed, at room temperature, for 16h at 480rpm, at 21C, on the magnetic stirrer. Secondly, the resulting mixed suspension was transferred to disposable plastic eppis and centrifuged at 10000 g for 10min. Thirdly, a new dilution was prepared using the supernatant that resulted from centrifugation. This new dilution must be much less concentrated in order to b e measured by UV-Spectrometry. Lastly, the dilution was taken for analytics in a UV-spectrophotometer, where the absorbance values were measured at 425nm, using disposable plastic cuvettes. Other materials used during the procedure were disposable plastic pipettes, dispirited glass beakers and small glass bottles with lids.The method was recurrent three quantifys for each oil, surfactant and mixture stock solution. The dilutions were also repeated three times for higher(prenominal) accuracy in the results.Fig. 1. Scheme showing the solubility test procedure.In order to analyze the data, the maximum values of diluted API in the concentrate were calculated from a calibration line for each of the mixtures (API + concentrate) being tested. The UV-spectrometry measurements were repeated three times for much accurate results.4.3. Emulsifying capacity evaluation by PDMPD methodIn the second form of our formulations study, we wanted to evaluate emulsifying capacity. We used the Phase D iagram by Micro Plate Dilution (PDMPD) method that consists in gradually diluting the oil leg with the water phase in a microtitre plate.The PDMPD method is an efficient and innovative approach that allows time and material savings while creating humbug ternary phase diagrams for microemulsions and nanoemulsions.Compared with the traditional titration method (drop method), the PDMPD method enables a more exact status description of mixtures in pseudo ternary diagrams. It offers as well the possibility of examining the dilution stages simultaneously on on the nose unitary microplate (Schmidts et al., cc9).Microemulsion arrests consisting of a water phase, an oil phase, and a surfactant phase were prepared on microtiter plates (96 wells) as shown in Fig. 1 and described by Maeder, U., et. al in Hardware and software system for automatic microemulsion assay evaluation by abbreviation of optical properties (2010) with slight modifications.Fig.1. Filling fascinate for the microtit er plates. Inside each well, the upper value corresponds to the water phase and the pervade value to the oil plus surfactant phase.The facility is described holleringFirstly, the mixtures of oil and surfactants were prepared by weighing (Sartorius, Scale Extend, model ED2245), adding, and magnetically stirring the chosen oil and surfactant. The magnetic stirring process is through with(p) using the IKA RET basic, magnetic stirrer, at speed 480rpm, for one hour, at 21C.To evaluate the five different ratios between one oil and one surfactant five different mixtures were prepared, as shown in tabularise 1. In total 20 mixtures were tested to assess the following mixtures Tween80+EO Tween80+MCT Tween80+Mig840 and Tween80+(MCT,EO). For more accurate results, each was prepared and tested three times devising a total of sixty mixtures made.Oil 1 Phase %Surfactant 1 Phase % diversity 15050Mixture 24060Mixture 33070Mixture 42080Mixture 51090Table 1. Oil1/Surfactant1 mixing ratiosSecond ly, the wells were filled in twain stepsIn the first phase, starting in A1 and finishing in D4 the mixture is gradually loaded in the wells using a Pipette Research Plus, two hundredl, and disposable plastic pipette tips, Eppendorf, 200l. The filling process must be done with care to lift air bubbles, which is especially hard with the more viscous oils. If air bubbles are present, the plate is not valid for the study and must be throw away.In the second step, the aqueous phase is added, starting at D5 with 200l up to A2 with 5l. The microtitre plates used were Thermo Scientific* Nunc Flat arsehole 96-well polystyrene transparent plates with lids, 350l/well.The wells E1 to H5 of the same plate were loaded following the same procedure, but with a different mixture (different ratio of the surfactant and oil phase). Following this scheme, two fixed surfactant/oil-ratios can be placed on every plate. Table 2, below, illustrates the distribution.PlatesWellsContent1A1-D5Mixture 1 + water1E1-H5Mixture 2 + Water2A1-D5Mixture 3 + Water2E1-H5Mixture 4 + Water3A1-D5Mixture 5 + WaterTable 2. Mixtures distribution by platesFinally, the plates were sealed with their respective lids and were set in a Biometra, Rocking Platform, model WT15, for 16h, at maximum speed, with controlled temperature of 21C. At the end of the 16h, the plates were scanned using a RICOH Aficio, scanner, model MP-C2551 with a pre-prepared marked lid. Each plate was repeated a minimum of three times and in different days. From the analysis of the several(prenominal) repetitions, it was determined which combinations resulted in the formation of microemulsion. This study consisted of observing the scans and attributing a 0 when a well showed turbidity and a 1 when was transparent, and it was possible to reveal clearly the marked dot on the bottom of the well. Two observers did this analysis and the results were crossed checked. When the sum of the three test was 2 or 3, the preparation was conside red an emulsion. When the sum was 0 or 1, it was not considered an emulsion as picture in Table 3.Table 3. Determination of emulsifying capacity of wells A1-A7 of plates 16, 21 and 25 containing a mixture of Tween80% and Mig840 (11).After the determination of emulsifying capacity phase diagrams were built. The software used was Origin Pro 8, by OriginLab Corporation.Fig. 2 shows one of the phase diagrams built. Each red point represents an emulsion formulation identify and each white point a non-emulsion. For each line in the diagram 3 plates were prepared and analyzed.Fig. 2 Phase diagramTo infract this method, several pre-tests were made in different conditions. In the first experimental setup the vortex was used to shake 2 overlying plates, as shown on Fig.3, at speeds 3, 2 and 1 and then one private plate at speeds 3, 2 and 1, for 16h. These pre-tests showed unrepeatable results and spilling. Therefore, the method was changed the vortex was substituted by the rocking course of study.Different time periods were also pre-tested. Testing plates were set on the rocking platform for 8h, 9h, 16h, 18h, 20h and 22h. The chosen mixing time was 16h as it was the minimum length time tested for which reproducible results were observed, i.e., 18h, 20h and 22h showed the same results as 16h mixing on the uprise Platform.Fig. 3 abandoned experimental setup using vortex and two overlying plates

Designing an Oral English Teaching Course

Designing an Oral position T from each oneing trendIntroduction conditionDefining stage check upting is necessary for developing several(prenominal)(a)(prenominal) cut by dint of with(predicate) stick out beca do the schoolchilds, s engrossholders and displace of the run a mien contribute a salient impact on all that is taught and lettered. The truly concepts of teaching and learnedness ar ethnically subordinate and thitherfore cargon must(prenominal) be interpreted to match disciple and s expungeholder expectations. Or in hale-nigh cases it whitethorn arrogate to gently knife thrust the boundaries of what is acceptable and in so doing reveal a new-fangled way of learn and ventureing. A cursory experience of the context is often non enough to push such boundaries. The ofttimes randomness you keep up ab knocked out(p) the context the much able you get dget out be to make decisions and to designing an achievementive carry (Graves 2000, p 18).This literal side draw provide take place at Leshan Teachers College in the mid-sized city of Leshan, in Sichuan province, China. This excogitation could be ascertained a 3rd tier college which grants bachelors and associates degrees to bookmans headed for c beers as alter primal and easy instructors. A minority of these slope majors go away go on to c atomic number 18ers in translation, business or pass guiding. A minority volition also go on for further fill in motley graduate fields. The institution offers no guidelines for the hang ask out that the textbook titled Challenge to Speak by Wilson, Olson, Li, Chen and Yao (2005) be used as a text. The instructor is required to develop their admit run for use in the course.The 1st year assimilators enrolled in this course educe flat from naughty school and the majority of them are from rude areas of Sichuan province. numerous of their families move in agriculture or serve as migrant workers in facto ries or on construction projects in the easterly provinces. Students are often disappointed at creation assigned to development at Leshan Teachers College. Many had sweard to attend roughlyw present with more p suspensionige, but in spite of some initial disappointment, just about are forgeting to break d own hard to mend their incline.Previous to having this var., many of the disciples turn over not had a unlike teacher. though they throw off studied side for at least 6 eld in elementary and high school, they generally dont call slope as a way to build descents. Most of their boil down in their English studies had been on reading and writing with the remainder of doing tumesce on the college debut scrutinys. Most of them lack the oral world power or confidence to consider beginning a conversation with the foreigners that they whitethorn occasionally give birth in their daily liveliness.though educational philosophies are gradually changing through wit h(predicate)out China, the college entrance exam still dictates that much rote acquire culture take place. In foreign verbiage teaching, theories of grammar-translation and audio-lingualism predominate. Generally, schoolchilds are not taught to question their textbooks, their teachers or their nurture methods. Students typically follow their teachers recommendations and assignments very near and rarely make studies on their own. That beingness said, their powers of memorization and grammar make outledge are usually rather good in comparison to their ability to spill the beans extemporaneously in conversation.The course meets peerless while per work calendar week for cardinal 45 comminuted periods. Due to a late reaching on campus and a week of military training, the 1st year students semester lasts solitary(prenominal) 12 weeks. With the distractions that come with adapting to life in new surroundings, the 1st semester of the 1st year typically bears a lighter academic load. Many of these students crap not been away from their parents originally and this obviously affects students in different ways some embrace their new-found emancipation small-arm some long for home.I. Teacher BeliefsThough a course or a talking to program is set in a specific locale, and whitethorn try to incorporate the desires and involve of many students and stakeholders, at last the composition of the course or program flows from one source the beliefs and individuation of the teacher. Successful teaching requires knowledge beyond erect the subject being taught exactly through self-knowledge feces a teacher soundy in vesture the combined public and private persona that a teacher must as gibee (Palmer, 1998). The beliefs of a teacher regarding the subject being taught and nature of teaching and learn ordain lose signifi crash outt implications in the design of a course however, a teachers world discern may impact his or her teaching go on in ways t hat are upright as signifi usher outt, but maybe less apparent.Since voice communication teaching often involves ethnic differences in the midst of teachers and students, teachers may film to ad full some of their beliefs when or if they in-chief(postnominal)ly violate the cultural norms of students (Graves, 2000 Lingenfelter Lingenfelter, 2003). turn Johnson (1998, as cited in Graves, 2000) points out that many of a teachers beliefs suffer be difficult to articulate or thunder mug hide beneath the surface of his or her teaching, my experiences with the cross-cultural frictions found in language sort outrooms generate often raised to my consciousness beliefs and entertains that would give re primary(prenominal)ed hidden in monocultural classrooms. As teachers engage with different student populations, understand language encyclopaedism theory or per fake action look for, they may alter some aspects of their beliefs. This is besides natural. The possibility of ch ange ought to propel a teacher toward invariable reevaluation of their beliefs because only an intimate acquaintance with ones beliefs allows a teacher to articulate why a particular lesson was effective or unable(p) (Graves, 2000).Nature of manner of speakingJust as language is ceaselessly evolving and adding new language from a multiplicity of sources, so my beliefs closely the nature of language continue to evolve. Originally, I had viewed language as primarily driven by the lexicon. Through execute action research on form- poreed salutees, I have come to constitute that grammar converges a billet that is nearly as in-chief(postnominal) as vocabulary (Eberly, 2008). notwithstanding, language goes beyond mundane concerns such as conditional forms or definitions extracted from dictionaries when forms and words are artfully rendered into literary works, the result is in some manner more than the sum of its parts. vocabulary is capable of exquisite yellowish pink, but it is not only in its ability to re precede the physical world where this beauty is apparent. Its ability to take over the minute inner-workings of the self is peerless among the fine arts, at least in my view. As a literature major in my undergraduate years, I may be biased, even Ive found the habit of reading literature and writing a journal to be the beaver intend of taking into custody myself.Language is not only something one engages in alone, it is also a means to develop bloods. Though meanings occasionally get obscured in our oral communication with new(prenominal)s, language is what separates us from animals and allows us to work unneurotic as villages, countries and with race from around the world to achieve mutually serious objectives. Love, as a supreme human experience, would be incomplete or impossible without language as a means of expressing that love.Language acquireMy beliefs on language learning grow out of my view of language and out of my sensation of myself as a apprentice. The relative nature of languages and my take aim of connection to primeval speakers have played a outsized berth in my success in learning Chinese and Korean, and my comparative hardship in learning Spanish in high school and as an undergraduate. Coming from a largely monocultural area of Ohio limited my exposure to native Spanish speakers. So, during my high school and undergraduate days, I saw Spanish as book-bound and opposed to daily life perhaps akin to how some of my students feel toward English today. barely living in Korea and China while I have studied those respective languages has allowed me to know the muckle that are connected with the languages. It has been my relationships to those native-speaking people friends, colleagues, students and above all teachers that have energized my studies and make me successful. This is very much in line with Vygotsky (1978) who first noted the crucial role that sympathetic interlocutors play in f orming L1 competence in children (as cited in Lightbown Spada, 2006). brownness (2001) carried this into the L2 arena with his synergetic go about which in essence declared that it is through meaningful interaction that learning occurs most effectively. Curran also re circles some of these relational ideas in his community Language Learning approach (Brown, 2001).World linear perspectiveNot only do my beliefs on this issue arise out of my experiences as a language learner, they are also rooted in my spiritual brain of my relationship to divinity fudge. The Bible is a eternalize of mankinds relationship with God and concord to the Bible, humans were created for the express plan of being in relationship with God. The arrival of Jesus on earth heralded the provideingness of God to send and free his only Son so that believers might refer to more than just a book or a set of laws through Jesus, an association with God is possible. My life has been a gradual discovering o f just how fulfilling this relationship can be. But though Jesus calls everyone into relationship with Him, He does not force anyone into a relationship they may not desire. This license of choice is an consequential element in any relationship and endues the weaker ships company with an agency, or independence of choice, which is a necessary element in establishing an inquiry-based educational environment (Freire, 1996).Language TeachingThis type of mutually respectful relationship causes not only an increase in knowledge more or less the former(a) with whom one is in relationship, it also forces a reevaluation of the self as the two mutually go under and refine each new(prenominal). Language teaching approaches that do not in some way promote learner self-contemplation run the endangerment of creating automaton learners, who, when left to their own devices, lack the ability to carry on with their learning. undoubtedly, some implicit learner reflection on teaching and learning philosophies is inevitable when the teacher is from an other(a) culture. except, deliberate activities and assignments which trot students toward greater reflection of their learning helpes and preferences have been shown to lead to greater student proficiency over the long term (Snow, 1996 Brown, 2001). A host of curriculum vitaes and inventories standardised the Myers-Briggs Type forefinger and Rebecca Oxfords Strategy Inventory for Language Learners (SILL) have ofttimes been incorporated into lessons as a way to make learners more conscious (Brown, 2001).However, the simple interpellation of these surveys into a lesson does not a reflective learner make, as I have found in the past. The teaching approach itself must be designed to give students some experiential knowledge of whatever significative knowledge such surveys may inculcate. By introducing learner-reflective strands into an approach, a teacher can foster one of the paradoxes which Palmer claims must be present in a successful classroom the space of the classroom should laurels the little stories of the student and the big stories of the disciplines and tradition (Palmer, 1998, p. 74).II. Needs discernment sprightliness that I know myself well after articulating my beliefs, there is a lure for me to take some aspects of necessitate sound judgement for granted, especially since I have taught at the Leshan Teachers College (LSTC) for nearly 3 years. This is my 2nd year teaching entrant oral English and though I didnt do extensive starchy require discernment last year, I feel very cued-in to student require in cost of affect, pragmatics and orthoepy. Also, part of my action research (Eberly, 2008) complicated significant sagaciousnesss of the grammaticality of my students speech, so I feel especially familiar with struggles the students may face in this area. Through classroom activities and conversations outside of class, I have learned much more or less the future pla ns, accepts and dreams of many of my students. Yet, student populations are not monolithic and even though the collectivist nature of Chinese culture makes it bid to paint different groups of students with the same pedagogical brush, there pass on doubtless be subtle and not-so-subtle differences from year to year or group to group.The predate introduction has largely ignored what is potentially the biggest advantage, for experient teachers in familiar environments, in incorporating well-planned destinys estimate into their course the effect on the learner. In addition to providing the teacher with information about how to twist the course ab initio or alter it as it progresses, needfully assessment helps the learners to reflect on their learning, to identify their necessitate, and to gain a sense of self-command and control of their learning. It establishes learning as a discourse among the teacher and the learners and among the learners. (Graves, 2008, p. 98)The dia logic nature of assessing needs is one way in which students can be heard to speech, a process which Palmer (1998) describes as necessary not only for the development of interpretive and analytic skills, but also as an certification of the humanity of the student. My sleep with is that needs assessment rarely takes on a dialogic quality in traditional Chinese classrooms, which tend to be teacher-fronted or hierarchical (Hu, 2002 Pratt, 2007). Yet the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks that may ascendent from students initial disorderliness or discomfort when facing the task of assessing their own needs.Pre-course Needs AssessmentDialogue often is thought to occur between two parties, yet there are other interlocutors who contribute to the process of analyzing needs. Though they may not participate directly in the classroom, they up to now have beta contributions to make to the direction of the course. The overarching goal of oral English classes in the view of the administrat ion of the LSTC is to prepare students for the TEM4 oral English exam during their soph year. For this reason, the foreign teachers at LSTC rarely teach courses to students beyond their sophomore year. For teachers who are unacquainted with(predicate) with their setting, a discussion or interview with the doyen or other departmental leader would be necessary as an initial needs assessment to help establish the criteria for the course.Though I have not mouth to many parents of my students during my time here, my hunch is that they would see test preparedness as the main objective of any oral English course, or any other course for that matter. A stakeary concern for administrators and parents as well is the oral English requirements for any post-graduation job that the student may condescend to pursue. As future elementary and auxiliary teachers, the students allow for likely need good facility with pronunciation, but fluency entrust not be as important. This is slowly changi ng though, and more and more top secondary schools are demanding teachers who can teach in English. For students who prefer for other careers involving English, including business, tour guiding and interpretation, all facets of their oral English go away need to be well-developed.I see the value of washback from the TEM4, which is scored on the bag of student competence in pronunciation, grammatical accuracy and fluency through the modalities of an impromptu speech, dialogue and story retelling (Wen, Zhao Wang, 2001). Yet I would seek to enlarge the criteria of the TEM4 with several of my own. As a firm believer in the value of relationships, I would represent that pragmatic, cultural and confidence-building activities are necessary to promote relationships between the students and foreigners. Though students and other stakeholders may not see much need for these skills, the day of Chinas full integration into the international community is fast dawning. Ive seen or so expone ntial product since my arrival here in opportunities for students and recent graduates to go ab street. Also, as Chinas scotch growth rate continues to outpace much of the rest of the world, foreigners flock here in increasing numbers to work, study and tour. beyond these potential encounters with speakers of English, the students lead have 3 or 4 other foreign teachers during their 4 years of study at LSTC and the ability to form relationships with these native speakers of English go away to some degree determine a students success in those courses.The following table consists of stakeholder data collection procedures and descriptions. The procedures contained therein do more than just provide the teacher with a means to assess the needs of students, they also seek to enable students to self-assess. Though student self-assessment is not a significant facet in Chinese pedagogy, I feel these assignments leave benefit them in their future language studies and in their life in ge neral.Table 1 Stakeholder Data Collection ProceduresPre-field needs assessmentSince my course is a mere 14 hours of total class time not counting the test, incorporating student input into my needs assessment will have to be done as efficiently as possible. As a way to collect basic initial information, a survey questionnaire will be distributed on the first day of class and assigned for close as homework. (see appendix A) Assigning the survey as homework will allow students to use their dictionaries and work at their own pace. The questionnaire has 2 main foci in addition to basic information involve for classroom administrative purposes. One focus is students self-perceived weaknesses and strengths in relating to native English speakers. Another focus is pronunciation in what ways have students learned pronunciation, successfully or unsuccessfully, in the past?Because the Challenge to Speak 1 textbook by Wilson E., C. Olson, H-Y. Li, X-N. Chen B-H. Yao (2005) will be used in th e course, the initial survey includes a list of the language functions included in this text and students are asked to rank their top three preferences in terms of functions to study during the semester as well as designate any of the functions they already feel cheerful performing. In addition, a significant dish out of the initial pronunciation needs assessment will occur in the second week with a record and transcription project that will test students self-awareness of their pronunciation and spoken grammar.Field needs assessmentIn club with an action research project on pronunciation, much of the on-going needs assessment will be performed concurrently with end-of-cycle data collection. These attempts to gauge students feelings on both pronunciation and wider classroom issues will have to be done very well to avoid overcome students who may have trouble seeing the purpose behind providing the teacher so much subjective feedback. Each of these picayune end-of-cycle quest ionnaires will feature 2 questions requiring written answers and 5 Likert survey items as well as opportunities for students to write further questions or comments about the course. The initial 2 questions about pronunciation are likely to change from cycle to cycle however, the Likert statements will remain the same. Interviews with 3 students will be performed at the end point of each cycle, with the intention of gaining deeper insights into some of the issues raised in the surveys. bearing feedback will be obtained through the use of in-class recordings. Though checking pronunciation will be the overarching goal of this technique, secondary information will be gleaned about the students ability to reside on task, interest in the activity, comprehension of directions, etc Recordings will be made in both small-group and whole-class settings.Post-field needs assessmentMy accept is that a large portion of the assessment and analysis at the conclusion of the course can be accomplis hed through a borrow of the initial recording and transcription project assigned during the second week of class. By having students record and transcribe a passage which incorporates the gamut of English phonemics as well as respond to several prompted questions, I commit to gauge their pronunciation and awareness of themselves as speakers. If they produce fewer errors general and are disclose able to articulate their pronunciation and grammar errors the second time through, I will consider them successful learners who have completed a successful course.III. developing Learning OutcomesThe challenge in developing learning outcomes is to balance the learning space between an authoritarian approach in which the teacher is constantly forcing their goals upon the students and an anarchist approach in which each student pursues their own agenda. Undoubtedly needs assessment plays a role in giving the students a voice in planning the outcomes of a course. Yet I have found in my part icular locale in China that students modify to a teacher-centered approach may have difficulty in articulating what they hope to learn in a course. Thus in attempting to maintain a space that is both bounded and unaffixed, in the words of Palmer, (1998, p. 74) I have often erred in the bounded direction. I hope in this course, through dialogic needs analysis and attempting to articulate that which my students may stripping difficult, to be open to the many paths down which discovery may take us, to the surprises that always come with real learning (Palmer, 1998, p. 75).Of course this is not to show that the teacher should approach every course with a blank mindset and allow the students to do all the leading. Taking into account the context of the course and the beliefs of the teacher will run a teacher down the road of formulating goals for a course. But it is important to follow up on this start and define the course goals as precisely as possible. A course will be effective to the extent that its goals are sound and intelligibly stated (Richards, 2001, p. 112). The bump able the teacher is to articulate the goals, the more succinctly they will be able to inform their students of the direction of the course an important consideration for a course with less than 14 hours of class time.While there are a plethora of philosophies and examples to draw on when establishing goals, I find myself most adherent to theories of cultural pluralism as defined by Richards (2001) and the framework of ATASK hypothesise by David Thomson (as cited in Graves, 2000). Obviously, there are pieces from each of the 5 philosophies expound by Richards that I find attractive, yet my setting and beliefs make cultural pluralism the most relevant and accessible to me and my students. I consider the inclusion of a teacher parameter in the ATASK (Awareness, Teacher, Attitude, Skills, Knowledge) acronym allows me to articulate learning goals that I may have for a particular cours e. Though loving reconstructivists or censorious pedagogues may wish to explode the teacher/student dichotomy, I dont think we can throw all power coordinate out the window. The ATASK framework allows me to view myself as a learner and my students as teachers, which is something likely to be beneficial to both of us.The following table curtly outlines my goals and objectives according the to ATASK framework. The pre-course portion of my needs assessment informs some of these goals and objectives. Table 2Though it is teDesigning an Oral English Teaching run forDesigning an Oral English Teaching CourseIntroduction ContextDefining context is necessary for developing any course plan because the students, stakeholders and setting of the course have a large impact on all that is taught and learned. The very concepts of teaching and learning are culturally dependent and therefore care must be taken to match student and stakeholder expectations. Or in some cases it may appropriate to g ently push the boundaries of what is acceptable and in so doing reveal a new way of learning and thinking. A cursory knowledge of the context is often not enough to push such boundaries. The more information you have about the context the more able you will be to make decisions and to plan an effective course (Graves 2000, p 18).This oral English course will take place at Leshan Teachers College in the mid-sized city of Leshan, in Sichuan province, China. This institution could be considered a 3rd tier college which grants bachelors and associates degrees to students headed for careers as secondary and elementary teachers. A minority of these English majors will go on to careers in translation, business or tour guiding. A minority will also go on for further study in various graduate fields. The institution offers no guidelines for the course except that the textbook titled Challenge to Speak by Wilson, Olson, Li, Chen and Yao (2005) be used as a text. The teacher is required to dev elop their own test for use in the course.The 1st year students enrolled in this course come directly from high school and the majority of them are from rural areas of Sichuan province. Many of their families work in agriculture or serve as migrant workers in factories or on construction projects in the eastern provinces. Students are often disappointed at being assigned to study at Leshan Teachers College. Many had hoped to attend somewhere with more prestige, but in spite of some initial disappointment, most are willing to study hard to improve their English.Previous to having this class, many of the students have not had a foreign teacher. Though they have studied English for at least 6 years in elementary and high school, they generally dont see English as a way to build relationships. Most of their focus in their English studies had been on reading and writing with the goal of doing well on the college entrance exams. Most of them lack the oral ability or confidence to consider beginning a conversation with the foreigners that they may occasionally see in their daily life.Though educational philosophies are gradually changing throughout China, the college entrance exam still dictates that much rote learning take place. In foreign language teaching, theories of grammar-translation and audio-lingualism predominate. Generally, students are not taught to question their textbooks, their teachers or their learning methods. Students typically follow their teachers recommendations and assignments very closely and rarely initiate studies on their own. That being said, their powers of memorization and grammar knowledge are usually quite good in comparison to their ability to speak extemporaneously in conversation.The course meets one time per week for two 45 minute periods. Due to a late arrival on campus and a week of military training, the 1st year students semester lasts only 12 weeks. With the distractions that come with adapting to life in new surroundings, th e 1st semester of the 1st year typically features a lighter academic load. Many of these students have not been away from their parents before and this obviously affects students in different ways some embrace their new-found independence while some long for home.I. Teacher BeliefsThough a course or a language program is set in a specific locale, and may try to incorporate the desires and needs of many students and stakeholders, ultimately the composition of the course or program flows from one source the beliefs and identity of the teacher. Successful teaching requires knowledge beyond just the subject being taught only through self-knowledge can a teacher fully bear the combined public and private persona that a teacher must assume (Palmer, 1998). The beliefs of a teacher regarding the subject being taught and nature of teaching and learning will have significant implications in the design of a course however, a teachers worldview may impact his or her teaching approach in ways t hat are just as significant, but perhaps less apparent.Since language teaching often involves cultural differences between teachers and students, teachers may need to adjust some of their beliefs when or if they significantly violate the cultural norms of students (Graves, 2000 Lingenfelter Lingenfelter, 2003). While Johnson (1998, as cited in Graves, 2000) points out that many of a teachers beliefs can be difficult to articulate or can hide under the surface of his or her teaching, my experiences with the cross-cultural frictions found in language classrooms have often raised to my consciousness beliefs and values that would have remained hidden in monocultural classrooms. As teachers engage with different student populations, study language acquisition theory or perform action research, they may alter some aspects of their beliefs. This is only natural. The possibility of change ought to propel a teacher toward constant reevaluation of their beliefs because only an intimate acqua intance with ones beliefs allows a teacher to articulate why a particular lesson was effective or ineffective (Graves, 2000).Nature of LanguageJust as language is constantly evolving and adding new words from a multiplicity of sources, so my beliefs about the nature of language continue to evolve. Originally, I had viewed language as primarily driven by the lexicon. Through performing action research on form-focused approaches, I have come to realize that grammar plays a role that is nearly as important as vocabulary (Eberly, 2008).But, language goes beyond mundane concerns such as conditional forms or definitions extracted from dictionaries when forms and words are artfully rendered into literature, the result is somehow more than the sum of its parts. Language is capable of exquisite beauty, but it is not only in its ability to represent the physical world where this beauty is apparent. Its ability to capture the minute inner-workings of the self is peerless among the fine arts, a t least in my view. As a literature major in my undergraduate years, I may be biased, yet Ive found the habit of reading literature and writing a journal to be the best means of understanding myself.Language is not only something one engages in alone, it is also a means to develop relationships. Though meanings occasionally get obscured in our speech with others, language is what separates us from animals and allows us to work together as villages, countries and with people from around the world to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. Love, as a supreme human experience, would be incomplete or impossible without language as a means of expressing that love.Language LearningMy beliefs on language learning grow out of my view of language and out of my awareness of myself as a learner. The relational nature of languages and my level of connection to native speakers have played a large role in my success in learning Chinese and Korean, and my comparative failure in learning Spanish in high school and as an undergraduate. Coming from a largely monocultural area of Ohio limited my exposure to native Spanish speakers. So, during my high school and undergraduate days, I saw Spanish as book-bound and irrelevant to daily life perhaps akin to how some of my students feel toward English today.Yet living in Korea and China while I have studied those respective languages has allowed me to know the people that are connected with the languages. It has been my relationships to those native-speaking people friends, colleagues, students and above all teachers that have energized my studies and made me successful. This is very much in line with Vygotsky (1978) who first noted the crucial role that sympathetic interlocutors play in forming L1 competence in children (as cited in Lightbown Spada, 2006). Brown (2001) carried this into the L2 arena with his interactive approach which in essence declared that it is through meaningful interaction that learning occurs most effectiv ely. Curran also recycles some of these relational ideas in his Community Language Learning approach (Brown, 2001).World ViewNot only do my beliefs on this issue arise out of my experiences as a language learner, they are also rooted in my spiritual understanding of my relationship to God. The Bible is a record of mankinds relationship with God and according to the Bible, humans were created for the express purpose of being in relationship with God. The arrival of Jesus on earth heralded the willingness of God to send and sacrifice his only Son so that believers might relate to more than just a book or a set of laws through Jesus, an intimacy with God is possible. My life has been a gradual discovering of just how fulfilling this relationship can be. But though Jesus calls everyone into relationship with Him, He does not force anyone into a relationship they may not desire. This freedom of choice is an important element in any relationship and endues the weaker party with an agency, or freedom of choice, which is a necessary element in establishing an inquiry-based educational environment (Freire, 1996).Language TeachingThis type of mutually respectful relationship causes not only an increase in knowledge about the other with whom one is in relationship, it also forces a reevaluation of the self as the two mutually define and refine each other. Language teaching approaches that do not in some way promote learner introspection run the risk of creating automaton learners, who, when left to their own devices, lack the ability to carry on with their learning. Undoubtedly, some implicit learner reflection on teaching and learning philosophies is inevitable when the teacher is from another culture. Yet, deliberate activities and assignments which nudge students toward greater reflection of their learning processes and preferences have been shown to lead to greater student proficiency over the long term (Snow, 1996 Brown, 2001). A host of surveys and inventories like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Rebecca Oxfords Strategy Inventory for Language Learners (SILL) have frequently been incorporated into lessons as a way to make learners more self-aware (Brown, 2001).However, the simple insertion of these surveys into a lesson does not a reflective learner make, as I have found in the past. The teaching approach itself must be designed to give students some experiential knowledge of whatever declarative knowledge such surveys may inculcate. By introducing learner-reflective strands into an approach, a teacher can foster one of the paradoxes which Palmer claims must be present in a successful classroom the space of the classroom should honor the little stories of the student and the big stories of the disciplines and tradition (Palmer, 1998, p. 74).II. Needs AssessmentFeeling that I know myself well after articulating my beliefs, there is a temptation for me to take some aspects of needs assessment for granted, especially since I have taught at t he Leshan Teachers College (LSTC) for nearly 3 years. This is my 2nd year teaching freshman oral English and though I didnt do extensive formal needs assessment last year, I feel very cued-in to student needs in terms of affect, pragmatics and pronunciation. Also, part of my action research (Eberly, 2008) involved significant assessments of the grammaticality of my students speech, so I feel especially familiar with struggles the students may face in this area. Through classroom activities and conversations outside of class, I have learned much about the future plans, hopes and dreams of many of my students. Yet, student populations are not monolithic and even though the collectivist nature of Chinese culture makes it tempting to paint different groups of students with the same pedagogical brush, there will undoubtedly be subtle and not-so-subtle differences from year to year or group to group.The foregoing introduction has largely ignored what is potentially the biggest advantage, for experienced teachers in familiar environments, in incorporating well-planned needs assessment into their course the effect on the learner. In addition to providing the teacher with information about how to structure the course initially or alter it as it progresses, needs assessment helps the learners to reflect on their learning, to identify their needs, and to gain a sense of ownership and control of their learning. It establishes learning as a dialogue between the teacher and the learners and among the learners. (Graves, 2008, p. 98)The dialogic nature of assessing needs is one way in which students can be heard to speech, a process which Palmer (1998) describes as necessary not only for the development of interpretive and analytic skills, but also as an affirmation of the humanity of the student. My hunch is that needs assessment rarely takes on a dialogic quality in traditional Chinese classrooms, which tend to be teacher-fronted or hierarchical (Hu, 2002 Pratt, 2007). Yet the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks that may stem from students initial confusion or discomfort when facing the task of assessing their own needs.Pre-course Needs AssessmentDialogue often is thought to occur between two parties, yet there are other interlocutors who contribute to the process of analyzing needs. Though they may not participate directly in the classroom, they nevertheless have important contributions to make to the direction of the course. The overarching goal of oral English classes in the view of the administration of the LSTC is to prepare students for the TEM4 oral English exam during their sophomore year. For this reason, the foreign teachers at LSTC rarely teach courses to students beyond their sophomore year. For teachers who are unfamiliar with their setting, a discussion or interview with the dean or other departmental leader would be necessary as an initial needs assessment to help establish the criteria for the course.Though I have not spoken to many pa rents of my students during my time here, my hunch is that they would see test preparation as the main objective of any oral English course, or any other course for that matter. A secondary concern for administrators and parents alike is the oral English requirements for any post-graduation job that the student may deign to pursue. As future elementary and secondary teachers, the students will likely need good facility with pronunciation, but fluency will not be as important. This is slowly changing though, and more and more top secondary schools are demanding teachers who can teach in English. For students who opt for other careers involving English, including business, tour guiding and interpretation, all facets of their oral English will need to be well-developed.I see the value of washback from the TEM4, which is scored on the basis of student competence in pronunciation, grammatical accuracy and fluency through the modalities of an impromptu speech, dialogue and story retelling (Wen, Zhao Wang, 2001). Yet I would seek to augment the criteria of the TEM4 with several of my own. As a firm believer in the value of relationships, I would argue that pragmatic, cultural and confidence-building activities are necessary to promote relationships between the students and foreigners. Though students and other stakeholders may not see much need for these skills, the day of Chinas full integration into the international community is fast dawning. Ive seen almost exponential growth since my arrival here in opportunities for students and recent graduates to go abroad. Also, as Chinas economic growth rate continues to outpace much of the rest of the world, foreigners flock here in increasing numbers to work, study and tour. Beyond these potential encounters with speakers of English, the students will have 3 or 4 other foreign teachers during their 4 years of study at LSTC and the ability to form relationships with these native speakers of English will to some degree det ermine a students success in those courses.The following table consists of stakeholder data collection procedures and descriptions. The procedures contained therein do more than just provide the teacher with a means to assess the needs of students, they also seek to enable students to self-assess. Though student self-assessment is not a significant facet in Chinese pedagogy, I feel these assignments will benefit them in their future language studies and in their life in general.Table 1 Stakeholder Data Collection ProceduresPre-field needs assessmentSince my course is a mere 14 hours of total class time not counting the test, incorporating student input into my needs assessment will have to be done as efficiently as possible. As a way to collect basic initial information, a survey questionnaire will be distributed on the first day of class and assigned for completion as homework. (see appendix A) Assigning the survey as homework will allow students to use their dictionaries and work at their own pace. The questionnaire has 2 main foci in addition to basic information needed for classroom administrative purposes. One focus is students self-perceived weaknesses and strengths in relating to native English speakers. Another focus is pronunciation in what ways have students learned pronunciation, successfully or unsuccessfully, in the past?Because the Challenge to Speak 1 textbook by Wilson E., C. Olson, H-Y. Li, X-N. Chen B-H. Yao (2005) will be used in the course, the initial survey includes a list of the language functions included in this text and students are asked to rank their top three preferences in terms of functions to study during the semester as well as designate any of the functions they already feel comfortable performing. In addition, a significant portion of the initial pronunciation needs assessment will occur in the second week with a recording and transcription project that will test students self-awareness of their pronunciation and spoken gram mar.Field needs assessmentIn conjunction with an action research project on pronunciation, much of the on-going needs assessment will be performed concurrently with end-of-cycle data collection. These attempts to gauge students feelings on both pronunciation and wider classroom issues will have to be done delicately to avoid overwhelming students who may have difficulty seeing the purpose behind providing the teacher so much subjective feedback. Each of these short end-of-cycle questionnaires will feature 2 questions requiring written answers and 5 Likert survey items as well as opportunities for students to write further questions or comments about the course. The initial 2 questions about pronunciation are likely to change from cycle to cycle however, the Likert statements will remain the same. Interviews with 3 students will be performed at the conclusion of each cycle, with the intention of gaining deeper insights into some of the issues raised in the surveys.Objective feedback will be obtained through the use of in-class recordings. Though checking pronunciation will be the overarching goal of this technique, secondary information will be gleaned about the students ability to stay on task, interest in the activity, comprehension of directions, etc Recordings will be made in both small-group and whole-class settings.Post-field needs assessmentMy hope is that a large portion of the assessment and analysis at the conclusion of the course can be accomplished through a repeat of the initial recording and transcription project assigned during the second week of class. By having students record and transcribe a passage which incorporates the gamut of English phonology as well as respond to several prompted questions, I hope to gauge their pronunciation and awareness of themselves as speakers. If they produce fewer errors overall and are better able to articulate their pronunciation and grammar errors the second time through, I will consider them successful learn ers who have completed a successful course.III. Developing Learning OutcomesThe challenge in developing learning outcomes is to balance the learning space between an authoritarian approach in which the teacher is constantly forcing their goals upon the students and an anarchist approach in which each student pursues their own agenda. Undoubtedly needs assessment plays a role in giving the students a voice in planning the outcomes of a course. Yet I have found in my particular locale in China that students accustomed to a teacher-centered approach may have difficulty in articulating what they hope to learn in a course. Thus in attempting to maintain a space that is both bounded and open, in the words of Palmer, (1998, p. 74) I have often erred in the bounded direction. I hope in this course, through dialogic needs analysis and attempting to articulate that which my students may find difficult, to be open to the many paths down which discovery may take us, to the surprises that always come with real learning (Palmer, 1998, p. 75).Of course this is not to say that the teacher should approach every course with a blank mindset and allow the students to do all the leading. Taking into account the context of the course and the beliefs of the teacher will start a teacher down the road of formulating goals for a course. But it is important to follow up on this start and define the course goals as precisely as possible. A course will be effective to the extent that its goals are sound and clearly stated (Richards, 2001, p. 112). The better able the teacher is to articulate the goals, the more succinctly they will be able to inform their students of the direction of the course an important consideration for a course with less than 14 hours of class time.While there are a plethora of philosophies and frameworks to draw on when establishing goals, I find myself most adherent to theories of cultural pluralism as defined by Richards (2001) and the framework of ATASK formula ted by David Thomson (as cited in Graves, 2000). Obviously, there are pieces from each of the 5 philosophies described by Richards that I find attractive, yet my setting and beliefs make cultural pluralism the most relevant and accessible to me and my students. I think the inclusion of a teacher parameter in the ATASK (Awareness, Teacher, Attitude, Skills, Knowledge) acronym allows me to articulate learning goals that I may have for a particular course. Though social reconstructivists or critical pedagogues may wish to explode the teacher/student dichotomy, I dont think we can throw all power structure out the window. The ATASK framework allows me to view myself as a learner and my students as teachers, which is something likely to be beneficial to both of us.The following table briefly outlines my goals and objectives according the to ATASK framework. The pre-course portion of my needs assessment informs some of these goals and objectives. Table 2Though it is te