Differences between b2b marketing and b2c marketing Essay

Differences between b2b marketing and b2c marketing - Essay Example You need to distinguish first whom your target client is, then evaluate why this specific client needs to heed your point. From that point, the promoting exercises take center stage. While enthusiastic variables have substantial influence in a shoppers choice to buy an item, B2B acquiring choices is less passionate and more errand-situated. Protracted and complex deals cycles help to develop solid B2B vender purchaser connections and brand unwaveringness contrasted with B2C marketing. Nonetheless, B2C and B2B marketing targets both reflect the essential standards of the marketing blend. An authoritative objective of B2C promoting is to change over clients into consistent purchasers as commandingly and dependably as could be permitted. Adjei and Clark (2010) highlighted that B2C organizations utilize additional marketing exercises such as coupons, showcases, storefronts (both physical and online), and presents to allure the target business sector to purchase products. B2C promoting battles are focused on the means of trade that have a short span, and the urge to catch the clients advantage quickly. These crusades regularly offer exceptional arrangements, rebates, or tickets, which could be utilized both on the internet and as a part of the store. Case in point, the objective of using an email address battle to advertise a B2C organization is to acquire shoppers to purchase the item promptly. The address will direct buyers to a greeting page on the location intended to offer the item and make buying simple by coordinating the shopping truck and evaluation page that l ands them into the stream of the exchange. Anything beyond a few clicks will make the clients be prone to relinquish the shopping truck. One fascinating part of B2C advertising, nonetheless, is that numerous organizations have understood the significance of faithfulness. In spite of the fact that the objective of B2B promoting is to change prospects into

The personalities of the contenders Essay Example for Free

The personalities of the contenders Essay How significant were the personalities of the contenders to succeed Lenin in accounting for Stalin’s defeat of his opponents in the years 1924-29? Lenins death on the 21st January 1924 caused huge sadness across the country. After Lenins death, everyone was eagerly waiting to know who would be the next leader of Russia. In the years after Lenins death, there was no clear successor to his leadership. However, when Lenin was leader, Trotsky was always there for him, and he played a huge role in the Civil War, therefore everyone thought he would become Lenins successor. However, as well as Trotsky there were other significant contenders, such as Stalin, Bukharin, Zinoviev and Kamenev which created a huge power struggle. I believe that the personalities of the contenders were significant in this struggle. However, other factors such as ideological battles, removal of opponents by Stalin and the consolidated powerbases also had an effect. The personalities of all were all extremely different by a great margin. The most likely to win, Trotsky was intellectually gifted which greatly benefitted him. He was also a great military leader and had good organisational skills. Trotsky has a few strong disadvantages to his personality though. His late arrival to the Bolshevik party could be interpret Trotsky as an unloyal character while his arrogance due to his intelligence made him quite a few different enemies in the Bolshevik party. Trotsky’s arrogance led to his defeat as he vastly underestimated Stalin and the threat he posed, while also decreasing his inner party support. At the time Trotsky would be clear favourite to win but his poor characteristics let him down. The next contender and winner of the battle for power was Joseph Stalin. An underdog and one of the least likely looking people to win, Stalin played his cards well and to his advantage. Being a Bolshevik from the beginning supported the fact that Stalin was a loyal Bolshevik which was a strength of his personality. Stalin being a cunning character was another strength of his and was a contributing factor to the defeat of his enemies as he was easily able to manipulate and outplay them. His ruthlessness and his ability to easily gain support due to his position and authority to promote them also benefitted greatly to the defeat of his enemies. He had a major weakness and thorn in his side though and that was Lenin’s opinion of him. The ability to easily manipulate Stalin was also a major disadvantage for him. While Stalin didn’t look it, he had just as big  of a chance as Trotsky due to his nature. Another contender in the race for leadership was the â€Å"Golden boy† known as Bukharin. Bukharin was possessed one of the best personalities of the party and his traits and strengths such as his incorruptibility and honest and well natured manner were good aspects about him. His â€Å"Golden boy† title was also helpful as it represented how liked he was by Lenin before his death. His intellectuality also benefitted him greatly and he was often referred to as the brains of the Bolsheviks. Bukharin’s main weakness though was that he ha d no ambition and he was too young. These factors led to a small support for Bukharin while his right-wing views also cut out some votes for him. Another contender, Zinoviev possessed good strengths such as being a good speaker and being good friends with Lenin. These would essentially give Zinoviev a right to the leadership of the party. He was involved little in the civil war though and his dislikeable and vain nature did little to help him gain the support he needed which was why he teamed up with the last contender Kamenev. Kamenev was also a friend of Lenin but compared to Zinoviev was from a working class background which would have benefitted him greatly due to the say and respect he would have. Kamenev had little influence though and was too uninspirational greatly denting his chances Therefore, what we can infer from the personalities and strengths of each other contenders was that Stalin cleverly manipulated and took advantage of each contenders weaknesses which led to him becoming leader. Stalin would also use the past to his advantage e.g. Zinoviev’s poor revolutionary record or Trotsky’s past allegia nces. Stalin would also use the personalities of other contenders to his advantage e.g. Trotsky’s arrogance or the fact that Bukharin has no ambition. There were also many other factors that led to Stalin’s victory though. Another way in which Stalin won was the removal of opponents by Stalin. Stalin slowly but surely took out each of his opponents carefully and concisely. Stalin removed Trotsky by creating the Triumvirate with Kamenev and Zinoviev. Stalin carefully destroyed Trotsky’s reputation with Zinoviev and Kamenev with things such as questioning his loyalty to Lenin, destroying his influence by questioning his ‘Bonapartism’ ideology and question his activities leading up to the revolution. Stalin also made Trotsky miss the funeral of Lenin, shocking the party and destroying Trotsky’s influence by a huge chunk. When Stalin had taken care of Trotsky,  he then took care of Zinoviev and Kamenev by splitting the Triumvirate and creating the Duumvirate with Bukharin. With Zinoviev and Kamenev in decline due to the influence they had in the defeat of Trotsky, Stalin easily defeated them. When that had happened Stalin quickly turned against Bukharin and with his growing inf luence Stalin removed him from the race for leadership. At the end of everything, Stalin had removed all opponents and this was a big factor in determining Stalin’s victory due to the fact that it had removed all of the people in the way of Stalin becoming leader of the Bolsheviks. Another way Stalin took power was by increasing his influence by never actually taking a side. While everyone was on either a left-wing or right-wing stance, Stalin remained neutral as to not damage his influence with members of either side. This way Stalin would face less opposition due to him not going against a large opposition of the party. His stance on things such as the NEP also came to his advantage and he both agreed and disagreed with it at different times. Stalin also took a neutral view on how fast Russia should industrialise, he personally however took a left wing view towards this.

How Bitcoin Works

How Bitcoin Works ABSTRACT Bitcoin is the simplest way to exchange money. Bitcoin is a software-based online payment system  described by  Satoshi Nakamoto  in 2008 and introduced as  open-source software  in 2009. Payments are recorded in a public  ledger  using its own  unit of account, which is also calledbitcoin.Payments work  peer-to-peer  without a central repository or single administrator, which has led the  US Treasury  to call bitcoin a decentralized currency. Although its status as a currency is disputed, media reports often refer to bitcoin as a  cryptocurrency  or  digital currency. INTRODUCTION Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks; managing transactions and the issuing of bitcoins is carried out collectively by the network.Bitcoin is open-source; its design is public, nobody owns or controls Bitcoin and  everyone can take part. Through many of its unique properties, Bitcoin allows exciting uses that could not be covered by any previous payment system. How does Bitcoin work? As a new user, you can  get started  with Bitcoin without understanding the technical details. Once you have installed a Bitcoin wallet on your computer or mobile phone, it will generate your first Bitcoin address and you can create more whenever you need one. You can disclose your addresses to your friends so that they can pay you or vice versa. In fact, this is pretty similar to how email works, except that Bitcoin addresses should only be used once Balances- block chain The block chain is ashared public ledgeron which the entire Bitcoin network relies. All confirmed transactions are included in the block chain. This way, Bitcoin wallets can calculate their spendable balance and new transactions can be verified to be spending bitcoins that are actually owned by the spender. The integrity and the chronological order of the block chain are enforced with  cryptography Transactions- private keys A transaction isa transfer of value between Bitcoin walletsthat gets included in the block chain. Bitcoin wallets keep a secret piece of data called a  private key  or seed, which is used to sign transactions, providing a mathematical proof that they have come from the owner of the wallet. The  signature  also prevents the transaction from being altered by anybody once it has been issued. All transactions are broadcast between users and usually begin to be confirmed by the network in the following 10 minutes, through a process called  mining. Processing- mining Mining is adistributed consensus systemthat is used to  confirm  waiting transactions by including them in the block chain. It enforces a chronological order in the block chain, protects the neutrality of the network, and allows different computers to agree on the state of the system. To be confirmed, transactions must be packed in a  block  that fits very strict cryptographic rules that will be verified by the network. These rules prevent previous blocks from being modified because doing so would invalidate all following blocks. Mining also creates the equivalent of a competitive lottery that prevents any individual from easily adding new blocks consecutively in the block chain. This way, no individuals can control what is included in the block chain or replace parts of the block chain to roll back their own spends. Bitcoin for Individuals Mobile payments Bitcoin on mobiles allows you to pay with a simple two step scan-and-pay. No need to sign up, swipe your card, type a PIN, or sign anything. All you need to receive Bitcoin payments is to display the QR code in your Bitcoin wallet app and let your friend scan your mobile, or touch the two phones together (using NFC radio technology). Security and control over money Bitcoin transactions are secured by military grade cryptography. Nobody can charge you money or make a payment on your behalf. So long as you take the required steps toprotect your wallet, Bitcoin can give you control over your money and a strong level of protection against many types of fraud. Works everywhere, anytime Just like with email, you dont need to ask your family to use the same software or the same service providers. Just let them stick to their own favourites. No problem there; they are all compatible as they use the same open technology. Fast international payments Bitcoins can be transferred from Africa to Canada in 10 minutes. There is no bank to slow down the process, level outrageous fees, or freeze the transfer. You can pay your neighbours the same way as you can pay a member of your family in another country. Zero or low fees Bitcoin allows you to send and receive payments at very low cost. Except for special cases like very small payments, there is no enforced fee. It is however recommended to pay a higher voluntary fee for faster confirmation of your transaction and to remunerate the people who operate the Bitcoin network. Protect your identity With Bitcoin, there is no credit card number that some malicious actor can collect in order to impersonate you. In fact, it is even possible to send a payment without revealing your identity, almost just like with physical money. You should however take note that some effort can be required to  protect your privacy. The lowest fees out there Bitcoin’s high cryptographic security allows it to process transactions in a very efficient and inexpensive way. You can make and receive payments using the Bitcoin network with almost no fees. In most cases, fees are not strictly required but they are recommended for faster confirmation of your transaction. Protection against fraud Any business that accepts credit cards or PayPal knows the problem of payments that are later reversed. Chargeback frauds result in limited market reach and increased prices, which in turn penalizes customers. Bitcoin payments are irreversible and secure, meaning that the cost of fraud is no longer pushed onto the shoulders of the merchants. Fast international payments Bitcoins can be transferred from Africa to Canada in 10 minutes. In fact, bitcoins never have any real physical location, so it is possible to transfer as many of them anywhere with no limits, delays, or excessive fees. There are no intermediate banks to make you wait three business days. No PCI compliance required Accepting credit cards online typically requires extensive security checks in order to comply with the PCI standard. Bitcoin still requires you to  secure your wallet  and your payment requests. However, you do not carry the costs and responsibilities that come with processing sensitive information from your customers like credit card numbers. Get some free visibility Bitcoin is an emerging market of new customers who are searching for ways to spend their bitcoins. Accepting them is a good way to get new customers and give your business some new visibility. Accepting a new payment method has often shown to be a clever practice for online businesses. Conclusion We can Sendbitcoinfrom your computer, tablet, smart phone or other device, to anyone, anywhere in the world, day or night. Bitcoinis an innovative payment network and a new kind of money. Every informed person needs to know about Bitcoin because it might be one of the worlds most important developments. REFERENCES http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin https://bitcoin.org/en/ https://www.weusecoins.com/en/

Physics of Rollercoasters :: rollercoaster physics amusement theme park

There is a click, and the car you are sitting in is jerked. The chains that are cranking the car forward continue to make click click sounds and you find yourself counting them as seconds. Your heart begins to beat hard, and you hold your breath in anticipation as the car finally begins to transcend the first hill. Suddenly, you find yourself throwing your arms in the air to feel the air brush passed your face. Screams of terror and delight pierce through the air as you and your fellow passengers bank around the first curve and enter the first loop-de-loop. This is one possible experience a person can feel once they enter the realm of roller coasters. So, exactly how did this thrill-seeking amusement park ride develop? How does physics make it seem more dangerous than biking down the street? These questions as well as others can be answered in the pages contained on this site. Originally, roller coasters were developed in Russia during the 15th century. It consisted of people walking up an ice-covered hill, only to sit down on what was known as an ice-block sled and fly back down the hill. These contraptions, though rickety and quite dangerous at the time, began to appear all over in Russia. Their popularity increased, spreading to various countries in Europe before finally reaching the United States. The Mauch Chunk Railway was the first built in America. However, it was not originally intended to be a thrill ride. Instead it was used for easier transportation of coal downhill. Then, someone gained the bright idea to use it as a ride. So by day, the Mauch Chunk Railway was used for work, and by night for fun. For the next few years, roller coasters held the imagination. Most were built out of wood, and would have several hills, the force of gravity completing the ride. When the Great Depression began to ravage the land, roller coasters took a side seat though. Several were even taken down do to the bankruptcy of the parks. It was not until the late 1950s, when roller coasters came back with a completely new style. Walt Disney helped revolutionize the design by going from wooden to steel coasters. The first one, which appeared in Disneyland, was a simple bob-style Matterhorn, designed by Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon of the Arrow Development Company. With this new way of making roller coasters, more designs and ideas came to the surface.

Accounting Principals :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Memo   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In any business no matter how big or small financial statements are crucial if achieving success is the ultimate goal. There are three main types of financial statements, they are: Income statement, balance sheet and statement of owner’s equity. All three of these financial statements can be looked upon to see where changes can be made in a company to ensure better success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The income statement is important because it presents the revenues and expenses allowing a company to see the net income or net loss. It is prepared by simply subtracting the expenses from the revenues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The balance sheet however is critical in reporting the assets, liabilities and owner’s equity up until a specified date. When preparing this financial statement a company simply takes all of their assets (cash, accounts payable, supplies, equipment etc.) and adds them together to get a total dollar amount for all assets. A company also takes all liabilities and owner's equity and adds them together as well. This enables the company to get a total dollar amount for all liabilities and owner’s equity just as it can with assets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The statement of owner’s equity is a simple statement that summarizes the changes in owner’s equity for a specified period of time. It is calculated by the simple formula of: Beginning owner’s equity + additional investments + net income - drawings = ending owner’s equity This financial statement allows the company to see if they are increasing, maintaining, or losing owner’s equity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All three of these financial statements have an interrelationship with one another because each statement uses the numbers from the preceding statement. For instance the statement of owner’s equity could not be determined without the having the income statement. The reason for this is because one must know the net income/net loss for determining owner’s equity. Also the balance sheet could not be formulated without having the statement of owner’s equity because it to is needed when determining total liabilities and owner’s equity within the balance sheet.

Assault Written Assessment

Priyanka Thirumurti Mrs. Harris Language A HL 1 – Written Assessment 2/25/13 Question: How is the incident on page five a metaphor for Anton’s quest throughout the novel? In the prologue of the Assault, Harry Mulisch broadly foreshadows the entirety of the novel through an underlying, quintessential theme that provides great insight into human nature.The image of the solitary man depicted in the opening scene reveals the generalized theme of an unchanging continuity between the past, present, and future that in the protagonist’s case, can only be broken by the will and/or desire to endure pain by dealing with and forgetting the past; an ordeal that serves as a comparison to Anton’s quest of self discovery thoughout the novel. Tying this universal theme with the characterization of Anton, Mulisch portrays how the protagonist’s identity is significantly based on his[Anton] childhood experiences, which reveals his[Anton] curious and innocent nature.Ant on’s innocence is revealed through his thought process: â€Å"Anton used to think that Carefree meant a place where cares entered freely, not a place free from cares†(3). Only a child would note nuances in words to give them more meaning. Anton’s inclination to make literal, child-like observations about his surroundings factors his approaches to situations in his later life, including his outward display of defiance to accept his own mistakes when confronted with the truth. In addition, in the aftermath of World War II Anton speculates on retrieving a capsule replete with knowledge: â€Å"Inside the capsule. . be of interest long before then? †(11)Anton’s curiosity reflects his potential because of his thirst for knowledge. The protagonist’s thirst for knowledge and child-like naivety remain with him, setting the stage for hardships and adversity in his future. For example, after the heart wrenching incident in which Anton is separated from his parents, his child-like curiosity leads him to discover his own weakness; â€Å"It was much more painful. . . wrists crossed under his chin†(28).Unable to defend his family, Anton puts much blame on his inability to take care of his family without fully realizing his duty as a child. As Anton grows he encounters many more hardships that he is unable to handle without fully realizing his duty as a child and with the maturity his age implies. For instance, when Mrs. Beumer invites him his attention drifts to his surroundings and he avoids many of the questions through a tangential thought process that is his undoing. Making his life much more difficult than it should be, Anton shares a likeness with the man on the barge in the prologue of the novel.Similar to the way the man â€Å"planted the stick sideways in the bottom of the canal, grasped it firmly, and walked backwards†(5) Anton uses an equally difficult means of handling situations— deliberate evasion. By taking the path less traveled by, Anton finds himself living in stasis though recurring episodes of past memories that hinder his psychological development. The death of his brother, Peter Steenwijk, and that of his father and mother caused him great suffering as he made transitions from childhood to adolescence and finally to adulthood.When Anton returns to Harlem, his home and the general setting remind him of the painful past, which he leaves behind without any semblance of peace, but only of disturbance and uncertainty:â€Å"Care, care†¦It was wartime, one big disaster, my family was murdered, and I stayed alive†(117). His perceived ignorance reflects on his complex characterization. The actual events diminish in impact, but they still remain in his memory and affect him to such an extent that he decides to become an anesthesiologist, an irony in and of itself.This pattern of stasis can be directly related to the motion of the man on the barge because he stays in the same place as barge moves through the water as Anton’s development remains stagnant although he changes physically. Similar to the stage of denial portrayed by the Kubler Ross theory, Anton lives in denial, exemplifying the â€Å"action† of staying in one place and not moving forward, without directly showing or accepting, even to himself, any signs of stagnant behavior.To comfort himself, Anton blames his surroundings for his problems: â€Å"The cypresses were flames of black fre. . . Something was wrong with the world, not with him†(156). This type of erratic behavior suggests that Anton is stymied from moving forward because of physiological symptoms of events in his past that causes him suffering, which is also connected to his perception of the world around him. The use of strong diction such as â€Å"flames† and â€Å"black fire† evoke an ominous tone that can be related to Anton’s fear of his own health, which only worsens as time progresses.For instance, when Anton goes to the beach with his family, after having successfully attained his position as an assistant anesthesiologist he goes into a lengthy daze during which he loses his sense of time: â€Å"He himself was floating like a dot at its center, in an empty, rose-colored space that was rapidly receding from the world†(127). The â€Å"floating dot†(127) and the â€Å"solitary man on the barge†(5) are similar in that they emulate the sense of strangeness that the prologue indicates: â€Å"There was something very strange about it but it was his secret that he didn’t mention to anyone. The secret is revealed through Mulisch’s use of metaphor and diction, with words such as floating and receding, to indicate a lapse in Anton’s thought process that takes him back to his simple, carefree lifestyle, but simultaneously urges the reader to think about Anton’s position and how the past, present and future are al l tied together to make a cohesive whole that is Anton’s life up to the climax of his psychological development.As time progresses, Anton’s perception of time becomes skewed as his mental health gradually deteriorates and as his patience decreases. For example, when given the antidote for his troubles Anton angrily refuses: â€Å"The doctor also left a prescription. . . but Anton tore it at once†(156).In addition, â€Å"He felt tired and depressed, nightmares troubled his sleep, and the minute he woke up he was plagued with worries and anxieties† The repercussions of the traumatic events of his childhood continue to cause Anton pain, a motif that plays a big role in his characterization as someone who reminisces too much for his/her own good, and so the action of grasping a stick firmly, as stated in the incident in the prologue, can be related to Anton’s method of dealing with the past by holding on to memories steadfastly such as the memory of Tr uus Coster ingrained in his brain.Finally, as Anton reaches self-acceptance by letting people into his life he is able to see the light in the midst of the dark which Mulisch reveals through the use of characterization and theme. As Anton learns to listen to other people like Cor Takes and Karin he learns to appreciate the people, things and places that hold true meaning and value. For example, Anton and Cor Takes, two grown men, start crying after a funeral: â€Å"When Anton saw Take’s tears he begun to weep himself. . . They must have been surprised to see two grown men so much affected by the death of a friend†(120). The emotional climax between Cor Takes and Anton reveals the extent to which memories of people, specifically that of Truus Coster, can affect the stability of two grown men. It also reveals the universal theme that emotion speaks across differences, including age, experience, and maturity. Karin, by far had the greatest impact on Anton’s return to normal life because she revealed the most important truth behind Anton’s past: ‘Tonny, there’s something I have to tell you†¦My God the lizards! ’†(181).The contradiction between the complicated repercussions of such a simple accident portrays the shocking truth, which serves as a comparison to the incident in the prologue. Anton describes the solitary man’s primitive means of travel by saying, â€Å"Only in movies about Africa or Asia could one still see such things† which juxtaposes the complicated V shaped ripples caused by the more modern motorboats, representing the ease of travel. The metaphor indicates a very important aspect of the characterization of Anton – someone who took the hard path in life rather than the easier path, which ultimately depends on perspective.In essence, Anton and the solitary man on the barge share specific characteristics that give the novel meaning and substance, including Anton’s determination to evade his past without any destination and the solitary man’s invariable consistent approach to travel. Despite their differences, including Anton’s inability to see past his own perspective and the traveler’s primitive ways, both individuals portray the theme of continuity and self-centered nature that any reader could relate to, giving the novel itself much more depth and value. Word Count: 1463 Works Cited Mulisch, Harry. The Assault. New York: Pantheon, 1985. Print.

Learning English: A Lesson in Language and Culture

To those outside the educational system, the teaching of language may seem to be a simple communication of skills from one person to another.   For those involved in education, however, language instruction has long been linked to cultural bias and social engineering, leading to debates over the notion of a â€Å"neutral language.†Ã‚   Such a language would facilitate the exchange of objective concepts such as spelling, grammar, and pronunciation without imposing subjective cultural constructs such as beliefs abut class, gender, and religion. As languages originate and develop in response to needs and conditions all too human, and therefore highly emotional, it is unlikely that any truly neutral language exists, and this is particularly evident when we consider the English language. The teaching of English has sociocultural implications that extend far beyond the learning environment, and this is best demonstrated by examining the relationship of Standard English to other varieties of English as well as to other languages being taught. The distinction between standard and vernacular forms of a language is based on the perceived differences between the educated and the uneducated.   The term â€Å"standard,† when used to describe language, generally refers to that form of the language that is used for formal and written applications by those who occupy the highest ranks of society.   Rules governing its usage tend to be rather strict and resistant to change. In contrast, a vernacular is the colloquial language used informally by a group of people, much less rigid in its forms and much more liable to change.   An online version of the Oxford English Dictionary, the recognized authority on the English language, exemplifies this divisiveness in its definition of the noun â€Å"vernacular† as â€Å"the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people of a country or region.†Ã‚   Aligning the vernacular form with so-called â€Å"ordinary† folks naturally infers a similar association between the standard form and less ordinary people, the literate elite who use it. This lofty status is often justified by reference to the wealth of classical literature, historical documents, and scientific/technical writings that exist in both British and American Standar1d English.   An understanding of Standard English provides access to these canons and to the educational systems that utilize them.   These systems offer the knowledge and expertise necessary for the highest levels of professional and intellectual achievement.   Simply put, a better than average knowledge of Standard English offers a better than average chance at attaining prominence in highly skilled and specialized areas such as education, business, or technology (Brindley 208). Whether this effect is seen as favorable or unfavorable depends, as most things do, on the perspective through which it is viewed.   Any experience that affords people greater personal control over important life issues may seem universally appealing, yet insistence upon teaching only Standard English has evoked considerable controversy (Brindley 205).   Those who advocate the teaching of Standard English writing in a way that emphasizes its reliance on stringent rules and formats have been accused of perpetuating a desired status quo (Brindley 226-227). By learning Standard English, students are carrying on a long tradition of literary scholarship that has yielded many important intellectual gains and brought the western world to the forefront in industry and science.   Detractors see the teaching of Standard English as an imposition of social norms that depend on conformity and narrow-mindedness.   By forcing people to think in constrained ways about language, teachers are hindering both creativity and individuality for the sake of convention (Bourne 243). Such adherence to uniformity often puts the learner in an uncomfortable and confusing situation, as when the home background and the educational environment clash in terms of language.   Katharine Perera describes the difficulties encountered by children being taught Standard English while living in homes and neighborhoods where the vernacular is the mode of expression. For them, a change in their manner of speech represents an invalidation of their customary way of life and may create barriers between them and their peers.   The experience of speaking one way with friends or family who share their idiom, only to then be told by teachers that this language is wrong, forces most children to reluctantly choose one identity at the expense of the other (cited in Brindley 212). Concern over this loss of identity has fueled heated disputes in â€Å"mother-tongue† contexts, where English is taught as a first language and some form of it is used by much of the population as a native language (Brindley 206).   Davis and Watson report that in Australia, post-war migration increased the nation’s multiculturalism while weakening the influence of a common British legacy.   Responding to the resultant search for a national identity, the Australian curriculum acknowledges the relationship between this identity and language yet also recognizes the diversity that exists within â€Å"Australian Standard English† (cited in Brindley 206). The Australian Education Council’s statement on the English curriculum sets Australian English apart from American or British English chiefly by differences in vocabulary and pronunciation, and describes this national variety of English as a combination of the Standard Australian English used in schools and several vernacular forms, any one of which a student may use at home.  Ã‚   The curriculum statement also advises that Standard Australian English should be taught as an extension of local idioms and not as a replacement for them. Although the report further stresses importance of Australian Standard English because of its role in educational structures, professional fields, and spoken communication, it also recognizes the value of vernacular forms and the cultural backgrounds they represent.   Its national plan for teaching English also notes that language changes in respect to context and purposes, and it urges that students be made aware of this fact so they can apply their language skills accordingly.   The Council also officially confers equal status to standard and local forms of English, viewing neither one as inherently superior to the other (cited in Brindley 207) Sue Brindley relates that the issue of the relative worth of different language forms is intensely debated in Britain, where the world’s richest history of English has led to much linguistic diversity.   Standard English is an integral part of the official school curriculum, yet there is no consensus about exactly what constitutes standardized English and how it is connected to a student’s home variety (Brindley 208).   A Department for Education and Welsh Office statement cites strict observance to rules of vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and pronunciation as the distinguishing features of Standard English to be taught in England and Wales, yet this description is too vague to give a precise definition. Although the British policy encourages the use of standardized language for both written and spoken applications, it also recognizes that spoken English is more spontaneous and therefore less apt to conform to the same rigorous criteria used in more carefully planned written applications (cited in Brindley 210).   By associating Standard English with qualities like precision and clear diction, the British curriculum contradicts the viewpoint of many linguists and educators, as well as the sentiments expressed in the Australian English statement, by implying that school-sanctioned standardized forms are linguistically superior to other varieties (Brindley 211).   The obvious counterpart to this attitude is a belief that vernacular forms of English are inferior. Brindley speaks of educators who are concerned that such a prejudicial position will necessarily lead to a gradual erosion of the traditional cultural values that underlie the home life of those whose first language is the vernacular. Some teachers have taken it upon themselves to teach Standard English in a way that does not discriminate against home-based language varieties and, by extension, their associated ways of life. In this manner, they hope to allow students to derive the benefits inherent in a multicultural approach: a greater fund of knowledge about languages, a richer social experience, and a keener appreciation of different manners of thinking (212-213). In countries where the native language is not English, there is every bit as much controversy regarding the cultural aftereffects of learning English.   For people living in geographical areas marked by poverty and need, an education in English may be seen as a way to rise to the echelons of power and privilege.   Yet for those already enjoying that power and privilege, the promotion of English for the masses may be seen as either a welcome conversion or a dangerous threat.   Anthea Fraser Gupta’s account of the spread of English in colonial India traces the complicated history of the English empire’s influence over native Indians.   When Great Britain officially endorsed the teaching of English to Indians, the intent was to introduce not only the language of the United Kingdom but also its cultural and religious values. British officials were in effect attempting to create darker-skinned versions of themselves, seeing the inculcation of western ideals as a means of eradicating a way of life that they considered idolatrous, immoral, and unrefined ( 190-191).   At the same time, Indians in positions of power worried that giving the lower classes a glimpse of what was possible through an English education worked against their interests.   S.N. Mukherjee (cited in Gupta 192) reports that the Calcutta upper classes feared that those below their social rank would become dissatisfied with their inferior status. More than a hundred years after the events chronicled in Gupta’s account, teachers of English still encounter resistance from pupils who either feel that language is being forced upon them or resent social exclusion from English-speaking society (Bourne 243-244)..   Despite this, Jill Bourne informs us that the current trend in non-English speaking countries is to incorporate English language lessons into the primary school system.   Even in Malaysia, where this is not endorsed, private schools offer English instruction to students whose wealthy parents are willing to pay for what they perceive as an important step on the road to social success (244). Several countries, including Germany, the former Czech Republic, Hungary, Malay, and Hong Kong, have implemented some form of what America calls Language and Content Teaching, which blends language instruction with course content.   The focus is shifted from the English language to the curriculum material, which is presented through the medium of English.   However, in most parts of the world where English is taught, the emphasis remains on English as a subject itself (Bourne 244).   This suggests that for most nations, what is truly being sought is not an adoption of English values but the attainment of proficiency in a language that offers access to more profitable pursuits. It is easy to understand why countries such as Hong Kong, whose economy is deeply invested in international commerce, would feel pressured to acquire English fluency.   English is a major language of trade, and an inability to speak it proficiently is a definite disadvantage in the business arena.   This becomes clearer when we consider it on a smaller, more personal scale.   Anyone who has spent time among people who shared a common, foreign language knows the frustration and stigmatization that can result from an inability to communicate easily and appropriately with others. There is a natural human desire to feel connected to others in some way, and language provides an excellent means of achieving that sense of belonging.   When essential life factors such as economic, social, and professional standing are at stake, language becomes even more crucial. This relationship between modes of communication and key life issues is precisely why the concept of a neutral language is a hypothetical one.   The teaching of any language involves the transmission of much more than rules about grammar and pronunciation.   It inevitably requires some measure of cultural change on the part of the learner, and in the case of English instruction those changes can have profound effects upon many major aspects of life.   For this reason, educators and students alike must respect the various forms of language as reflections of valuable cultural and social traditions. Works Cited Bourne, Jill. â€Å"English for Speakers of Other Languages.† Learning English: Development and Diversity. Eds. Neil Mercer and Joan Swann. UK: The Open University, 2002, 243-270. Brindley, Sue, with contributions from Swann, Joan. â€Å"Issues in English Teaching.† Learning English: Development and Diversity. Eds. Neil Mercer and Joan Swann. UK: The Open University, 2002, 205-228. Gupta, Anthea Fraser. â€Å"English and Empire: Teaching English in Nineteenth Century India.† Learning English:   Development and Diversity. Eds. Neil Mercer and Joan Swann. UK: The Open University, 2002, 188-194. â€Å"vernacular.† Compact Oxford English Dictionary. 2005. http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/vernacular?view=uk (3 Dec. 2005).