Become a Better Student With These English Study Tips

Learning a new language like English can be a challenge, but with regular study, it can be done. Classes are important, but so is disciplined practice. It can even be fun. Here are some guidelines to help you improve your reading and comprehension skills and become a better English student. Study Every Day Learning any new language is a time-consuming process, more than 300 hours by some estimates. Rather than try and cram a few hours of review once or twice a week, most experts say short, regular study sessions are more effective. As little as 30 minutes a day can help you improve your English skills over time. Keep Things Fresh Instead of focusing on one single task for the entire study session, try mixing things up. Study a little grammar, then do a short listening exercise, then perhaps read an article on the same topic. Dont do too much, 20 minutes on three different exercises is plenty. The variety will keep you engaged and make studying more fun. Read, Watch, and Listen Reading English-language newspapers and books, listening to music, or watching TV can also help you improve your written and verbal comprehension skills. By doing so repeatedly, youll begin to unconsciously absorb things like pronunciation, speech patterns, accents, and grammar. Keep pen and paper handy and write down words you read or hear that are unfamiliar. Then, do some research to learn what those new words mean. Use them the next time you are role-playing dialogue in class. Learn the Sounds Separately Non-native English speakers sometimes struggle with certain word pronunciations because they do not have similar sounds in their native tongue. Likewise, two words may be spelled very similarly, yet be pronounced quite different (for instance, tough and though), or you may encounter combinations of letters where one of them is silent (for example, the K in knife). Watch Out for Homophones Homophones are words that are pronounced the same way but are spelled differently and/or  have different meanings. There are a number of homophones in the English language, which is one of the reasons why it can so challenging to learn. Consider this sentence: Pack your clothes, then close the suitcase. Both clothes and close sound the same, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings. Practice Your Prepositions Even advanced students of English can struggle to learn prepositions, which are used to describe duration, position, direction, and relationships between objects. There are literally dozens of prepositions in the English language (some of the most common include of, on, and for) and few hard rules for when to use them. Instead, experts say, the best way to learn prepositions to memorize them and practice using them in sentences. Study lists such as this one are a good place to begin.   Play  Vocabulary and Grammar Games You can also improve your English skills by playing vocabulary games that are related to what youre studying in class. For example, if you are going to study English on topics that focus on vacations, take a moment to think about your last trip and what you did. Make a list of all the words you might use to describe your activities. You can play a similar game with grammar reviews. For example, if you are going to study conjugating verbs in the past tense, stop to think about what you did last weekend. Make a list of the verbs you use and review the various tenses. Dont be afraid to consult reference materials if you get stuck.  These two exercises will help you prepare for class by making you think critically about vocabulary and usage. Write It Down Repetition is key as youre learning English, and writing exercises are a great way to practice. Take 30 minutes at the end of class or study to write down what happened during your day. It doesnt matter whether you use a computer or pen and paper. By making a habit of writing, youll find your reading and comprehension skills improve over time. Once youre comfortable writing about your day, challenge yourself and have some fun with creative writing exercises. Choose a photo from a book or magazine and describe it in a short paragraph, or write a short story or poem about someone you know well. You can also practice your letter-writing skills. Youll have fun and become a better English student. You may even discover youve got a talent for writing.

Social Media And Other Technological Devices - 1312 Words

Social media and other technological devices differ with the ways of usage from one individual to the next. The focus group interviews held at the University of California, Irvine asked a multitude of questions pertaining to one’s use of technology during stressful and lonely times. They were also asked what their background was and if they were extroverts or introverts. These group interviews were aimed to discover what the differences are between college students’ social media usage and how it affects their connections to the campus community. While conducting these interviews a few themes emerged from these focus groups: differences in social media uses, real in-person connections, stepping back from social media during stressful times, and finally the different types of people and social media. The five focus group interviews showed trends of college students technology use and how they relate in stressful times. Differences in social media uses All social media sites have different communities and uses. Within technology, there are endless possibilities of the uses for each individual site or application. The majority of respondents said, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Tumblr are the most used social media sites in this group of college students. As one of the respondents in Transcript 5 states, â€Å"Okay, I use it (Facebook) during the year. I use it a lot for my on-campus activities because I’m involved on campus and all my profile pictures are fliers and promos. SoShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Digital Media Convergence1467 Words   |  6 Pagesquestion â€Å"what is digital media convergence†, not just a simple answer of what it is because the question may seem simple but in digital media convergence there are several underlying convergences which make up the whole idea, in this essay I am going to try and cover what these are and what effects technologically, socially and culturally they are having on us. First of what is Digital media convergence? It can be simplified as several processes, these are technological, social, industrial and culturalRead MoreSocial Media And Its Impact On Society Essay1560 Words   |  7 Pageshigh, society has become more and more dependent on social media. One must realize, while the use of social media in today’s society is a necessity due to the fast-paced environment that has been created, it can never fully replace the value received from personal interaction with others. The short film titled, The Library Book, perfectly illustrates this as the characters within the film learn to assimilate in a society dominated by social media. The actions of each character and their surroundingsRead MoreFacebook Is An Online Social Networking1079 Words   |  5 PagesFacebook is an online social networking website founded by Mark Zuckerberg along with his fellow Harvard College roommates Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, and Chris Hugh es. The website allows you to create your own wall on which you can share images, personal information, videos etc. Through the site’s messaging feature persons are able to connect with friends, families and many other people around the globe. The success and popularity of the website has attracted over a billionRead MoreFinal Project Milestone1746 Words   |  7 Pagesprogress of children today. This dependence has greatly influenced how children interact with their peers, how they learn and how they spend their free time. It is important as educators and parents to find a balance between learning and using technological devices for recreation. Children today have developed a total reliance on technology for communication and entertainment. Steve Carell, the actor/comedian, in his commencement speech at Princeton University in 2012 said, â€Å"When I was in college, IRead MoreA Virtual Generation: Social Media ´s Negative Impact on Our Generation820 Words   |  4 Pagesgrasp of social media as it has been incorporated into our everyday lives. We almost instinctively pull out our cell phones in the middle of a dull conversation and glance at our Instagram feed without a second thought. Many of us are guilty of spending unreasonably large amounts of time without even acknowledging it is a problem. What if these small actions are leading to a misconception of what society should be. In the end, are the risks severe enough for the problems to stop? What if social mediaRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Technology957 Words   |  4 Pagesof these devices: a computer, laptop, tablet, or a cell phone. So many people seem unable to function through their daily routine without having access to some form of technology device. I’m willing to bet that you have at least two of these devices in your home, too. Now, stop and think about how often we use technology devices throughout the day. As a result of the growing need for technological devices, we have become dependent on technology in the work place and school, for social media, and simpleRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Social Media1209 Words   |  5 PagesIs too much anxiety and depression being created on the youth? What about the negative ways they view themselves? Can we relate this to the way social media is the reasonings for the world’s problems and concerns? Social media can be classified as propaganda that is rapidly progressing. It is starting to impact so many lives that is affecting those negatively. From the way technology was brought to the world about 180 years ago, its’ use is becoming adapted through generation s. Many are losing outRead MoreRichard Louv s Last Child On The Woods ( 2008 )1539 Words   |  7 PagesThe twenty-first century comprises fast-improving technology that alters people’s lives. The world adapts to technological use as the standard way of life, and those who do not apply it are considered â€Å"out of touch.† Society has become too reliant on their smartphones, televisions, and video games that people are delusional about the world around them and tend to go outside less and stay inside more, hiding from humanity. Statistics say that technology keeps friends, family, and co-workers in touchRead MoreTechnology Is The Work Place Environment1447 Words   |  6 Pagesmobile devices and 33% of Americans use at least three devices for work (Miller-Merrell, â€Å"46% of Managers Believe Employees Misuse Social Media and Work Technology†). Using technology can make it easier to get ahold of someone faster and to draw more attention over the World Wide W eb. The web can be used for many workplace situations such as recruiting. 91% of recruiters use social media for recruiting young soldiers (Miller-Merrell, â€Å"46% of Managers Believe Employees Misuse Social Media and WorkRead MoreMass Media Influence On American Culture878 Words   |  4 Pagesevolution of Mass Media The new era of technology led to major developments in the evolution of mass media, worldwide. In our society, we originally communicated orally before the Internet and wireless devices existed. 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Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship Free Essays

string(125) " good for a person because at times we will find ourselves attracted to people that share the same culture basis that we do\." Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship To the newly wedded couple, It has occurred to me that our current generation seems to lack the ability to communicate effectively with in an interpersonal relationships and it is through cooperation, collaboration, and compromise that an effective flow of communication occurs. If we analyzing and studying the communication process of both sending and receiving information, we can improve our ability to communicate effectively between one another. To have a successful interpersonal relationship one must first interact with others, which is called interpersonal communication. We will write a custom essay sample on Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship or any similar topic only for you Order Now † (Hybels, 2007) We spend most of our lives interacting with each other, with a dozen different reasons to talk to different people. We will tend to say things differently depending on who we are speaking too. So there is a lot more to communication that just putting words together and saying them out loud for the other person to hear. The ability to communicate effectively takes real skill and learning this skill never ends, even in a marriage. Being able to communicate effectively is probably one of the most important skills a person can have in a marriage, as the main cause for divorce is the lack of communication between one another. You are the only person that can say what you want your spouse to hear, so if you don’t know how to express what you want to say or explain your intentions clearly, the other one could easily take what you say and turn your own words agains you. So the best way to avoid this situation is to be assertive in how you communicate. When I say you must be assertive, I mean you must express your feelings and ideas openly, honestly, and take responsibility for your actions. It is also being willing to listen to what the other one is saying and respect them no matter how different their opinions may be from yours. You also need to be able to recognizing the emotions in one another, as it is a very important first step to building a good relationship. If one cannot feel what the other one is feeling, then you simply cannot connect with them on a personal or emotional level and that can deeply hinder one’s relationship process. Interpersonal communication is important because of the functions it achieves. Whenever we engage in communication with another person, we seek to exchange information with them, we also communicate information through a wide variety of verbal and nonverbal cues. Spoken communication has huge effects on all aspects of our life, to including interpersonal relationships, just as speaking and telling our needs and wants verbally or non-verbally is a necessity for our daily lives. Within our daily lives of both work and home, when we exchange information with our spouse, our verbal communication is organized by our language, whereas nonverbal communication is not. We spend about 75 percent of our day communicating our knowledge, thoughts, experiences, and ideas to each other. (Allis, 2002) What we don’t realize is that a lot of our communication is not made up of the oral or written form but of the nonverbal form. In communications involving two or more people, our messages are sent on two levels simultaneously and if the verbal cues are not congruent with the nonverbal cues, then the flow of communication is hindered. Correct or not, if the receiver of the communication will base the intentions of the sender on the nonverbal cues that they recieved. Most couples believe that they will communicate better because of the fact that they are in a relationship with this person and the depth of their personal knowledge and connectivity. (Schoenberg, 2011) All of this is based on the assumption that your significant other understands your intent even though your verbal and nonverbal signals are not matching up. So you two have to be cognizant of the nonverbal signals that you send to each other. Nonverbal cues can be categorized into two sections: vocal and visual. The vocal side of nonverbal communication involves timbre (quality and tone), pitch (inflection), intensity (volume), tempo (speed), rhythm, and pauses (silence). Whereas the visual side of nonverbal communication involves your eyes, face, body posture, and hand gestures. â€Å"Before a person makes an attempt to form an interpersonal relationship, they must decide what attracts them to that person. There are many factors that make up attractions to other: physical attractions, perceived gain, similarities, differences, and proximity are a few of them. (Hybels, 2007) As you too were attracted to each other from the start, it is common with most people to be attracted to each other by the way they look, some people might have certain distinct characteristics that they find more attractable then others. Tall or short, blonde or brunette hair, blue or green eyes, muscular or slender, or even freckles are many things that attract us to one another but if there is no attractions, you are going to be less likely to walk up to someone and strike up a conversation them. For example, I am covered from wrists to neck to waist with tattoos and I have found that they inhibit my ability to have a good first impression on many of the professors that I have had over the last several years of college. I didn’t notice it at first but over time I saw that I received a warmer reception and instruction from my teachers when I had long sleeves on but if I gave the instructor time to get to know me. I could slowly start to show tattoos and it would not affect how the instructor acted towards me. On the opposite side though, I have met very interesting and smart people that had just as many tattoos as I did because of the shared similarities that we had. The similarities and differences can be a major factor in determining if a relationship will be good for a person because at times we will find ourselves attracted to people that share the same culture basis that we do. You read "Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship" in category "Papers" It is not a hard reach though to see why people are often attracted to people who enjoy the same things as we do but people can also be attracted to the differences in personalities. For example, people who don’t like making decisions might be attracted to a stronger decision maker. Because these characteristics complement each other, they might help strengthen the relationship. † (Hybels, 2007) So keep this in mind when you two are communicating with each other and it seems that what you are trying to send in not being received properly, as your nonverbal cues or bodily language might be sending something entirely different. As important as sending the right signals both verbally and nonverbally, effective listening is just as important in any relationship. When one listens to another, it shows that you respect them and care about what the other person is trying to communicate. There are three important types of listening and they are active, critical, and empathic. (Sole, 2011) Active listening is assertive communication that develops a sense of trust, were the person talking gets the feeling that you know what they are trying to communicate is getting to you. In doing this, you two will build a stronger bond and trust each other more in what you say and do. Critical listening is an analytical and rational process of listening, in where you analysis what is being said, process the information, and make a judgement on what was meant. After one has been in a relationship for a while the critical listening will not be needed, as empathic listening will tend to take over. Empathic listening is listening to your spouse when they have an issue or problem that they just need to talk about and know that you are there to listen. So when you empathetically listen, you set aside your own feelings and concentrate on comforting you spouse in their time of emotional need. Once you can use empathic listening in your relationship, you will be able to reflect on what is being said and respond back on the same emotional level of the person communicating but empathic listening is something that takes time in a relationship and you cannot force emotions but you can just be there for your spouse. It is obvious that you too have already made the initial approach to each other but there can be times in you relationship that you will have to make the approach again because a new or different situation has developed. So it is good to know that once we have approached someone, the next steps of forming an interpersonal relationship would be our motives for communicating. Your motives for getting married can easily be seen if someone spends just a couple minutes with you two and you guys fit the text book definition of what motivates us for forming a relationship. As â€Å"we are motivated to form relationships for many different reasons such as, pleasure, affection, inclusion, escape, relaxation, control, and health. † (Hybels, 2007) If one is motivated by pleasure, he or she might want someone to watch the same movies, listen to music, or discuss things that they have in common. If one is motivated by affection, then finding someone who will give you the â€Å"affective affirmation† that you need. Regardless of what motivates us, if we have started to develop a relationship we have to decide how much of our selves that we want to share and at what point in the relationship do we share it. Another factor that would have been considered as well would be the proximity of each other, as â€Å"proximity is the close contact that occurs when people share an experience such as at work, school, or play. † (Hybels, 2007) But seeing as you to met in college and studied the same major, your proximity was really close and you too were able to hare a lot of really neat experiences together and still continue to do so. Speaking of sharing with one another, I would like to explain self-disclosure to both of you. As â€Å"self-disclosure is a process in which one person tells another person something he or she would not reveal to just anyone. † (Hybels, 2007) Self-disclosure in not just providing someone with information about yourself. Self-disclosure is about revealing a piece of yourself that others would not normally know or learn about you over time. It involves trusting a person with your vulnerabilities when your risk sharing this information but it is also a way of gaining more information from the person you are sharing it with and you want to be able to trust each other and predict the thoughts and actions of your spouse. When one shares information like this, we are able to judge the reactions of our significant other. So once we share this information, we can learn how they think and feel on certain situations or topics that would not normally come up in normal day discussions. It is also implied that once he or she begins self-disclosure, the other will follow suit. Thus causing a mutual disclosure and deepening the trust between two people in a relationship, knowing that they except you for who you are. While self-disclosure can strengthen a relationship it can also damage it as well but it is not called the intensifying stage for nothing because a relationship can be damaged if he or she is pouring out their soul to you and you don’t like what they are hearing or if the self-disclosure comes to early in the relationship, it can be just as damaging. There are five stages that we go through when developing and strengthening a relationship, these are the â€Å"coming together† stages. The first stage is the initiating stage, which is characterized by nervousness, caution, hesitation, and a very high risk of rejection. The next stage is the experimental stage, where we seek out any common interests, experiences, and life goals. It is in this stage that you might of talked about both of your education and career goals, when you might want to start a family, and what part of the city you wanted to settle down in. The third stage is the intensity stage in which the couple begins self-disclosure in an attempt to strengthen their relationship but also make it more vulnerable to each other. If you didn’t notice, when you two first started dating, your conversations were usually on positive topics in both of your lives but as time when on and you began to trust each other and build bonds. So when both of you felt comfortable in expressing your needs, fears, and desires; your relationship was strengthened and the two of you grew closer together as a couple. I don’t really think you two had an issues with this though, as you guys seemed to attach yourselves to each other after only a month had passed bye and the beginning and continued use of your pet names for each other made all of us sick but we were extremely grateful (kidding) when both of you got that summer intern job together. You two did come back a stronger couple though, so that summer really did bring you two together more, which led you into the fourth stage. The fourth stage is the integrating stage, in which the couple begins to communicate and respond easily to each others feelings. This is the point where your personalities began merging into one and we always saw you two together. I don’t think there was a single party or gathering that both of you were there for but you two made a cute couple and it was just expected after a time. The final stage would be the bonding stage. At this point, the couple will make some sort of commitment that announces their relationship to those around them,† (Hybels, 2007) involving a lot of commitment and dedication to the relationship and to each other. Whereas you two decided to get married and finally move into that small house you both were drooling over but you do know that once you two decide to have a baby, you will have to find a bigger house. In all of the stages discussed we all have decision to make, we can either continue to move forward to the next stage, stay in the same sta ge we are in, or terminate the relationship all together. No matter what we as individuals choose to do with our lives, we need to know how to communicate effectively to that next stage and we need to know how to handle and resolve conflict in any relationship we place ourselves in. â€Å"We can do this by conflict resolution, which is negotiating to find a solution to the conflict. † (Hybels, 2007) Depending on how a conflict is resolved it can produce a positive or negative result but it also helps to take a positive approach to any conflict resolution, where discussion is considerate and on-confrontational, and the heart of the matter is on the issues and not on the individuals. If this can be completed, then, as long as people are willingly listening to each other and explore facts, issues, and possible solutions properly, conflict can often be resolved effectively. Making interpersonal communication just like any other work of life, meaning that it must be practiced and utilized regularly to be successful and we must continually analyze and study it in order to improve our ability to communicate effectively in relationships. So if you relationship is to last a long time and be a healthy and happy one, it is important to maintain a constant and consistent flow of communication with your partner (Sole, 2011). I wish the best of luck to both of you and hope your future endeavors bring you as much happiness as the last ones did. Sincerely, Aaron Stamper Reference Allis, R. (2002). Non-verbal Communication. Zeromillion. com. Retrieved from http://www. zeromillion. com/business/management/non-verbal-communication. html Hybels, S. Weaver, R. (2007). Communicating Effectively. New York: McGraw-Hill Company Inc. Preston, P. (2005). Nonverbal communication: Do you really say what you mean? Journal of Healthcare Management. Retrieved from http://proquest. umi. com. Schoenberg, N. (2011). Can we talk? researcher talks about the role of communication in marriages. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. Sole, K. (2011). Making Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. ed. How to cite Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship, Papers Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship Free Essays string(125) " good for a person because at times we will find ourselves attracted to people that share the same culture basis that we do\." Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship To the newly wedded couple, It has occurred to me that our current generation seems to lack the ability to communicate effectively with in an interpersonal relationships and it is through cooperation, collaboration, and compromise that an effective flow of communication occurs. If we analyzing and studying the communication process of both sending and receiving information, we can improve our ability to communicate effectively between one another. To have a successful interpersonal relationship one must first interact with others, which is called interpersonal communication. We will write a custom essay sample on Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship or any similar topic only for you Order Now † (Hybels, 2007) We spend most of our lives interacting with each other, with a dozen different reasons to talk to different people. We will tend to say things differently depending on who we are speaking too. So there is a lot more to communication that just putting words together and saying them out loud for the other person to hear. The ability to communicate effectively takes real skill and learning this skill never ends, even in a marriage. Being able to communicate effectively is probably one of the most important skills a person can have in a marriage, as the main cause for divorce is the lack of communication between one another. You are the only person that can say what you want your spouse to hear, so if you don’t know how to express what you want to say or explain your intentions clearly, the other one could easily take what you say and turn your own words agains you. So the best way to avoid this situation is to be assertive in how you communicate. When I say you must be assertive, I mean you must express your feelings and ideas openly, honestly, and take responsibility for your actions. It is also being willing to listen to what the other one is saying and respect them no matter how different their opinions may be from yours. You also need to be able to recognizing the emotions in one another, as it is a very important first step to building a good relationship. If one cannot feel what the other one is feeling, then you simply cannot connect with them on a personal or emotional level and that can deeply hinder one’s relationship process. Interpersonal communication is important because of the functions it achieves. Whenever we engage in communication with another person, we seek to exchange information with them, we also communicate information through a wide variety of verbal and nonverbal cues. Spoken communication has huge effects on all aspects of our life, to including interpersonal relationships, just as speaking and telling our needs and wants verbally or non-verbally is a necessity for our daily lives. Within our daily lives of both work and home, when we exchange information with our spouse, our verbal communication is organized by our language, whereas nonverbal communication is not. We spend about 75 percent of our day communicating our knowledge, thoughts, experiences, and ideas to each other. (Allis, 2002) What we don’t realize is that a lot of our communication is not made up of the oral or written form but of the nonverbal form. In communications involving two or more people, our messages are sent on two levels simultaneously and if the verbal cues are not congruent with the nonverbal cues, then the flow of communication is hindered. Correct or not, if the receiver of the communication will base the intentions of the sender on the nonverbal cues that they recieved. Most couples believe that they will communicate better because of the fact that they are in a relationship with this person and the depth of their personal knowledge and connectivity. (Schoenberg, 2011) All of this is based on the assumption that your significant other understands your intent even though your verbal and nonverbal signals are not matching up. So you two have to be cognizant of the nonverbal signals that you send to each other. Nonverbal cues can be categorized into two sections: vocal and visual. The vocal side of nonverbal communication involves timbre (quality and tone), pitch (inflection), intensity (volume), tempo (speed), rhythm, and pauses (silence). Whereas the visual side of nonverbal communication involves your eyes, face, body posture, and hand gestures. â€Å"Before a person makes an attempt to form an interpersonal relationship, they must decide what attracts them to that person. There are many factors that make up attractions to other: physical attractions, perceived gain, similarities, differences, and proximity are a few of them. (Hybels, 2007) As you too were attracted to each other from the start, it is common with most people to be attracted to each other by the way they look, some people might have certain distinct characteristics that they find more attractable then others. Tall or short, blonde or brunette hair, blue or green eyes, muscular or slender, or even freckles are many things that attract us to one another but if there is no attractions, you are going to be less likely to walk up to someone and strike up a conversation them. For example, I am covered from wrists to neck to waist with tattoos and I have found that they inhibit my ability to have a good first impression on many of the professors that I have had over the last several years of college. I didn’t notice it at first but over time I saw that I received a warmer reception and instruction from my teachers when I had long sleeves on but if I gave the instructor time to get to know me. I could slowly start to show tattoos and it would not affect how the instructor acted towards me. On the opposite side though, I have met very interesting and smart people that had just as many tattoos as I did because of the shared similarities that we had. The similarities and differences can be a major factor in determining if a relationship will be good for a person because at times we will find ourselves attracted to people that share the same culture basis that we do. You read "Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship" in category "Essay examples" It is not a hard reach though to see why people are often attracted to people who enjoy the same things as we do but people can also be attracted to the differences in personalities. For example, people who don’t like making decisions might be attracted to a stronger decision maker. Because these characteristics complement each other, they might help strengthen the relationship. † (Hybels, 2007) So keep this in mind when you two are communicating with each other and it seems that what you are trying to send in not being received properly, as your nonverbal cues or bodily language might be sending something entirely different. As important as sending the right signals both verbally and nonverbally, effective listening is just as important in any relationship. When one listens to another, it shows that you respect them and care about what the other person is trying to communicate. There are three important types of listening and they are active, critical, and empathic. (Sole, 2011) Active listening is assertive communication that develops a sense of trust, were the person talking gets the feeling that you know what they are trying to communicate is getting to you. In doing this, you two will build a stronger bond and trust each other more in what you say and do. Critical listening is an analytical and rational process of listening, in where you analysis what is being said, process the information, and make a judgement on what was meant. After one has been in a relationship for a while the critical listening will not be needed, as empathic listening will tend to take over. Empathic listening is listening to your spouse when they have an issue or problem that they just need to talk about and know that you are there to listen. So when you empathetically listen, you set aside your own feelings and concentrate on comforting you spouse in their time of emotional need. Once you can use empathic listening in your relationship, you will be able to reflect on what is being said and respond back on the same emotional level of the person communicating but empathic listening is something that takes time in a relationship and you cannot force emotions but you can just be there for your spouse. It is obvious that you too have already made the initial approach to each other but there can be times in you relationship that you will have to make the approach again because a new or different situation has developed. So it is good to know that once we have approached someone, the next steps of forming an interpersonal relationship would be our motives for communicating. Your motives for getting married can easily be seen if someone spends just a couple minutes with you two and you guys fit the text book definition of what motivates us for forming a relationship. As â€Å"we are motivated to form relationships for many different reasons such as, pleasure, affection, inclusion, escape, relaxation, control, and health. † (Hybels, 2007) If one is motivated by pleasure, he or she might want someone to watch the same movies, listen to music, or discuss things that they have in common. If one is motivated by affection, then finding someone who will give you the â€Å"affective affirmation† that you need. Regardless of what motivates us, if we have started to develop a relationship we have to decide how much of our selves that we want to share and at what point in the relationship do we share it. Another factor that would have been considered as well would be the proximity of each other, as â€Å"proximity is the close contact that occurs when people share an experience such as at work, school, or play. † (Hybels, 2007) But seeing as you to met in college and studied the same major, your proximity was really close and you too were able to hare a lot of really neat experiences together and still continue to do so. Speaking of sharing with one another, I would like to explain self-disclosure to both of you. As â€Å"self-disclosure is a process in which one person tells another person something he or she would not reveal to just anyone. † (Hybels, 2007) Self-disclosure in not just providing someone with information about yourself. Self-disclosure is about revealing a piece of yourself that others would not normally know or learn about you over time. It involves trusting a person with your vulnerabilities when your risk sharing this information but it is also a way of gaining more information from the person you are sharing it with and you want to be able to trust each other and predict the thoughts and actions of your spouse. When one shares information like this, we are able to judge the reactions of our significant other. So once we share this information, we can learn how they think and feel on certain situations or topics that would not normally come up in normal day discussions. It is also implied that once he or she begins self-disclosure, the other will follow suit. Thus causing a mutual disclosure and deepening the trust between two people in a relationship, knowing that they except you for who you are. While self-disclosure can strengthen a relationship it can also damage it as well but it is not called the intensifying stage for nothing because a relationship can be damaged if he or she is pouring out their soul to you and you don’t like what they are hearing or if the self-disclosure comes to early in the relationship, it can be just as damaging. There are five stages that we go through when developing and strengthening a relationship, these are the â€Å"coming together† stages. The first stage is the initiating stage, which is characterized by nervousness, caution, hesitation, and a very high risk of rejection. The next stage is the experimental stage, where we seek out any common interests, experiences, and life goals. It is in this stage that you might of talked about both of your education and career goals, when you might want to start a family, and what part of the city you wanted to settle down in. The third stage is the intensity stage in which the couple begins self-disclosure in an attempt to strengthen their relationship but also make it more vulnerable to each other. If you didn’t notice, when you two first started dating, your conversations were usually on positive topics in both of your lives but as time when on and you began to trust each other and build bonds. So when both of you felt comfortable in expressing your needs, fears, and desires; your relationship was strengthened and the two of you grew closer together as a couple. I don’t really think you two had an issues with this though, as you guys seemed to attach yourselves to each other after only a month had passed bye and the beginning and continued use of your pet names for each other made all of us sick but we were extremely grateful (kidding) when both of you got that summer intern job together. You two did come back a stronger couple though, so that summer really did bring you two together more, which led you into the fourth stage. The fourth stage is the integrating stage, in which the couple begins to communicate and respond easily to each others feelings. This is the point where your personalities began merging into one and we always saw you two together. I don’t think there was a single party or gathering that both of you were there for but you two made a cute couple and it was just expected after a time. The final stage would be the bonding stage. At this point, the couple will make some sort of commitment that announces their relationship to those around them,† (Hybels, 2007) involving a lot of commitment and dedication to the relationship and to each other. Whereas you two decided to get married and finally move into that small house you both were drooling over but you do know that once you two decide to have a baby, you will have to find a bigger house. In all of the stages discussed we all have decision to make, we can either continue to move forward to the next stage, stay in the same sta ge we are in, or terminate the relationship all together. No matter what we as individuals choose to do with our lives, we need to know how to communicate effectively to that next stage and we need to know how to handle and resolve conflict in any relationship we place ourselves in. â€Å"We can do this by conflict resolution, which is negotiating to find a solution to the conflict. † (Hybels, 2007) Depending on how a conflict is resolved it can produce a positive or negative result but it also helps to take a positive approach to any conflict resolution, where discussion is considerate and on-confrontational, and the heart of the matter is on the issues and not on the individuals. If this can be completed, then, as long as people are willingly listening to each other and explore facts, issues, and possible solutions properly, conflict can often be resolved effectively. Making interpersonal communication just like any other work of life, meaning that it must be practiced and utilized regularly to be successful and we must continually analyze and study it in order to improve our ability to communicate effectively in relationships. So if you relationship is to last a long time and be a healthy and happy one, it is important to maintain a constant and consistent flow of communication with your partner (Sole, 2011). I wish the best of luck to both of you and hope your future endeavors bring you as much happiness as the last ones did. Sincerely, Aaron Stamper Reference Allis, R. (2002). Non-verbal Communication. Zeromillion. com. Retrieved from http://www. zeromillion. com/business/management/non-verbal-communication. html Hybels, S. Weaver, R. (2007). Communicating Effectively. New York: McGraw-Hill Company Inc. Preston, P. (2005). Nonverbal communication: Do you really say what you mean? Journal of Healthcare Management. Retrieved from http://proquest. umi. com. Schoenberg, N. (2011). Can we talk? researcher talks about the role of communication in marriages. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. Sole, K. (2011). Making Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. ed. How to cite Effectively Communicating in an Interpersonal Relationship, Essay examples

Impact of the Financial Crisis on Finance Sector Workers

Questions: 1. Subprime mortgage crisis is an example of a financial crisis that affected global markets worldwide. Give another example of a financial crisis in your discussions below.à ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚  Discuss the possible causes of the financial crisis. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚  Discuss the impact of the financial crisis on financial institutions and businesses elsewhere including your own country.à ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚  Explain how the financial crisis affected the economies of different countries. 2. NAB Ltd current share price is $30 and it has just paid a $1.50 dividend. Dividends of NAB are expected to grow at the rate of 5% per year. 3. What is an estimated return that shareholders of NAB expect to earn?4. NAB Ltd also has preference share outstanding that pays fixed dividend of $2.30 per share. If preference stock is currently priced at $25, what is the return that preference share holders expect to earn?5. Five years ago NAB Ltd issued 15 year bond with face value of $1000 and coupon rate of 9%. The pr ice of these bonds is currently is $950. What is NABs pre-tax and after-tax cost of debt?6. NAB Ltd has 5000,000 ordinary shares outstanding and 1,500,000 preference shares outstanding, and its equity has a total book value of $50,000,000. Its liability has a book value of $25,000,000. If NABs ordinary and preference shares are priced as in parts (A) and (B) above, what is the market value of NABs assets?7. What is weighted average cost of capital (WACC) 8. If NABs liability increase by 100%. How the increase in liability will affect WACC of NAB. Explain. Answers: Financial Crisis: Financial Crisis is the major issue faced by all the countries throughout the world. All the countries have been affected by such financial crisis. Indian Economy also gets influenced by such financial crisis badly. Even Reserve bank of India was continuously raising the interest rate with the object of reducing the gross domestic product growth rate which have crossed the rate of potential output growth leading to the heavy rise in inflation. 1. The possible causes of financial crisis are as follows: Leverage: Leverage means borrowing to financial investments. Leverage lets to potential returns from investment but also creates a risk of bankruptcy. The average degree of leverage in the economy comes into picture prior to financial crisis. Asset-liability mismatch: Asset-liability mismatch is the factor which causes to financial crisis, a situation where a risk is linked with institution debts and assets are not appropriately arranged. Credit rating agencies also plays a very important role in creating artificial sense of security through grading ,but due to use of poor statistical models by these companies contributed a major part in creating financial mess. Derivatives: Derivatives are the financial instrument which is used to reduce the financial risk and they are also used for hedging the various risks .There are some positive features of derivatives but in case if they are not properly understood, it may create compl ication which may lead to financial crisis. Liquidity: Similar to leverage, liquidity mismatch is also an important cause of financial crisis. A proper balance should maintain between borrowing and lending. Regulatory failures: Excessive regulation is also another factor that causes financial crisis. Basel II Accord gives instructions to bank to increase their capital when risk increases, this might cause them to decrease lending, this scarcity in capital creates financial crisis. Basics of Banking: Bank borrow short and lend long, this create inherent fragility. No problem happen when people have confidence but when confidence disappears. Taxes and Subsidies: Tax policy has a significant role to play in the cost and flow of capital. We need such a tax policy which discourage short-term speculation and encourage real long-term investment. Governance: Non-democratic governance is also a big factor which causes financial crisis.The above causes lead to various financial crises such as : Recession Depression Bank run2. Global Financial Crisis is one of the greatest financial challenges to the world economy. This has first originated in United States of America.Same is being later on witnessed by all the major economies in the world. Many countries are facing drop in Gross domestic product rate, growing unemployment levels and overall decrease in the pace of investment activity.3. India is among one of the fasted growing developing economy in the world. In the beginning the effect of crisis on the Indian economy was not significant. The challenges faced by the Indian economy is further categorized in two parts-the challenges short-term in nature, of monetary and fiscal policy and the medium-term challenge of attaining and sustaining high rates of economic growth. The first one covers issues such as the trade-off between inflation and growth, the use of monetary policy includes use of fiscal policy, their relative effectiveness and coordination between the two. The next category includes the gap/difference between short and long-term fiscal policy, the immediate longer term need of monetary policy and institutional reforms necessary for restoring high growth.4. The global slowdown has also impacted the business climate within India and the growth rate of various industries. Due to global crisis, the Indian economy in terms of stock market prices, exchange rates and inflation levels has experienced extreme volatility during a short duration leading to reversal of policy to deal with the emergent situations.5. As result of economic downturn, the world is facing a credit crisis. Value of real estate is declining; defaulters rates on loans are responsible for credit crisis, which is leading to problem for businesses. Due to this, companies cannot urge for the loans and credit for growing and expanding their businesses. The global credit crunch has caused the management to make decisions that lead to costs cut off.a) Lack of cash flow: Many busines ses are facing a lack of cash flows from business operations. Majorly this is on account of two reasons -Firstly, Demands of the product are going down due to recession and secondly the small companies are not getting sufficient credit from the suppliers.b) Layoffs and unemployment: In order to manage the cost, some businesses houses had to cut back on their employees. This has lead to unemployment.6. For years, housing served as the back rest of economic growth and as an investment opportunity. But the financial crisis has impacted the real estate market and ruined the same.7. The financial crisis started in developed countries, but due to declining foreign direct investment and slowdown in the demand of imports of commodities, it started impacting economies of developing countries also. The extent of effect is depends on the capital inflows and importance of export in their economies. In South Asian countries, for example export of goods and services average 22% of GDP while in La tin America it is 26%.For the large developing countries, export as a proportion of GDP vary from 15% in Brazil to 23% in India. Countries that depend on export of primary commodities other than oil have also been greatly affected because of sharp decline in the prices of commodities.8. The level of the living conditions of the population is also affected due to the financial crisis because financial crisis gives a situation of unemployment. The low income countries are also adversely affected. For some people in the poorest economies this has been disastrous. Lower employment rate and a lack of social safety net means poverty are higher than it would otherwise have been around. References: 1. Stijn Claessens, M. Ayhan Kose, Luc Laeven, and Fabin Valencia, 2012, Understanding Financial Crisis: Causes, Consequences, and policy responses; Available at: https://www.imf.org/external/np/seminars/eng/2012/fincrises/pdf/ck.pdf2. Greg Ferro, 2008, The Financial Crisis Impact on Small Business; Available at: https://www.insightcommunity.com/case.php?iid=12593. Susan Woodward and Robert Hall, 2009, Financial Crisis and Recession; Available at: https://woodwardhall.wordpress.com/4. Muthukumar, T., M. Sirajudeen, S. Tamilenthi, 2012, Global Financial Crisis and Its Impact on Indian Economy-an analysis and Perception, International Journal of Current Research,, Volume 4, Issue 05, pp. 202-205; Available at: https://www.journalcra.com/sites/default/files/2168.pdf5. International Labour Office, Geneva, 2009, Impact of the Financial Crisis on Finance Sector Workers; Available at: https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=1ved=0CBwQFjAAurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ilo.org%2Fwcm sp5%2Fgroups%2Fpublic%2F%40dgreports%2F%40dcomm%2Fdocuments%2Fmeetingdocument%2Fwcms_103263.pdfei=f_O8VLzcCMK_mAXTzYLIAQusg=AFQjCNGcD75z4w6Apa8Yn0U6uX-s32dtawsig2=Tr33ceyvNjMrC4HWpg1c_Q