Tips on Mandarin Chinese Pronunciation

Tips on Mandarin Chinese Pronunciation One of the first steps in learning Mandarin Chinese is becoming accustomed to the languages pronunciation. Learning how to pronounce Mandarin Chinese helps with speaking and listening skills as it is a tonal language.   What Makes a Syllable? The Mandarin language has 21 consonants and 16 vowels. They can be combined together to create more than 400 mono-syllabic sounds. There are also four tones that change the meaning of the syllable, so in theory, there are about 1600 possible syllables. Only around 1000 of these are commonly used, however, which means that Mandarin words actually are more similar than words in English. Similar to English, you should learn to hear the tone differences and work on learning how to pronounce Chinese sounds. Sound Chart Here is a chart of the 37 sounds of Mandarin with a sound clip of each. Practice these as much as you can- they will provide the foundation learning how to pronounce Mandarin. The sounds are given in Pinyin, but please be aware that each letter does not represent just one sound.  Just like how in English, the vowel a is pronounced differently in different cases. For example, compare the more nasally-sounding ant to the elongated a in at. There are also  many tricky cases you need to learn  in Chinese! Pinyin Explanation Sound Clip b similar to 'b' in the English 'boat' - softened to approach a 'p' sound audio p similar to 'p' in the English 'top' - with more aspiration audio m same as 'm' in the English 'mat' audio f same as 'f' in the English 'fat' audio d similar to 'd' in the English 'down' - softened to approach a 't' sound audio t similar to 't' in the English 'top' - with more aspiration audio n similar to 'n' in the English 'name' audio l similar to 'l' in the English 'look' audio g similar to 'g' in the English 'go' - softened to approach a 'k' sound audio k similar to 'k' in the English 'kiss' - with more aspiration audio h similar to 'h' in the English 'hope' - with a slight rasp as in 'loch' audio j similar to 'j' in the English 'jeep' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth audio q similar to 'ch' in the English 'cheap' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth audio x similar to 'sh' in the English 'sheep' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth audio zh similar to 'j' in the English 'jam' audio ch similar to 'ch' in the English 'cheap' audio sh similar to 'sh' in the English 'ship' audio r similar to 'z' in the English 'azure' audio z same as 'ds' in the English 'woods' audio c similar to 'ts' in the English 'bits' audio s similar to 's' in the English 'see' audio (y)i similar to 'ee' in the English 'bee' audio (w)u similar to 'oo' in the English 'room' audio yu purse your lips and position the tongue high and forwards audio a similar to 'ah' in the English 'Ah-hah!' audio (w)o similar to 'or' in the English 'bore' audio e similar to 'er' in the English 'hers' audio (y)e similar to the English 'Yay!' audio ai similar to the English 'eye' audio ei similar to 'ei' in the English 'weigh' audio ao similar to 'au' in the English 'sauerkraut' audio ou similar to 'ou' in the English 'dough' audio an similar to 'an' in the English 'fan' audio en similar to 'un' in the English 'under' audio ang a Mandarin 'a' followed by the 'ng' sound like in the English 'sing' audio eng a Mandarin 'e' followed by the 'ng' sound like in the English 'sing' audio er a Mandarin 'e' with the tongue curled back audio

Word Choice Qualitative vs. Quantitative

Word Choice Qualitative vs. Quantitative Word Choice: Qualitative vs. Quantitative If you’re studying at college, you’ll hear the terms â€Å"qualitative† and â€Å"quantitative† used at some point. These describe two approaches to research, each of which is associated with different techniques and methods. Mixing up â€Å"qualitative† and â€Å"quantitative† can, therefore, detract from the clarity of your written work. As such, knowing how to use these words correctly is essential. Qualitative (Related to Quality) One sense of the term â€Å"quality† is â€Å"a distinctive characteristic of something.† As such, â€Å"qualitative† means â€Å"related to the quality of something.† In research, this means focusing on the subjective meaning or character of something. In the social sciences, for instance, researchers are often interested in peoples opinions or motivations. A paper in this field might therefore say: This research used a qualitative approach to assess intention to quit among teaching staff. Methods associated with qualitative research include interviews, direct observation, and case studies. Spying on your neighbors doesnt count as qualitative observation, by the way. Quantitative (Related to Quantity) At this point, you won’t be surprised to find out that â€Å"quantitative† means â€Å"related to quantity.† In academic research, this involves working with numerical data (i.e., things that can be counted or analyzed statistically). Quantitative approaches are often associated with the sciences, but they’re also used in everything from marketing research to anthropology (the key factor is using numbers): Population change was estimated using quantitative techniques. The methods used to gather quantitative data vary, though they range from using hi-tech measuring instruments to statistical analysis of survey data. Numbers! Numbers everywhere! Qualitative or Quantitative? â€Å"Qualitative† and â€Å"quantitative† look similar on paper, so it’s easy to mix them up. However, since they cover very different types of research, you must use the correct term when writing up a study, even if using a mixed-methods approach. The important thing is that qualitative research is concerned with subjective meanings (i.e., the quality of something), while quantitative research deals with numbers (i.e., the quantity of something). Remember: Qualitative = Related to subjective human understanding Quantitative = Related to numerical data and statistical analysis

Critical Review of Strategic Thinking Paradigms Assignment

Critical Review of Strategic Thinking Paradigms - Assignment Example Basically SM is a profound concept that involves organizational planning and competitive integration of a system. It is a peculiar concept that requires detailed and comprehensive understanding. This paper is bringing insight on two of the most important texts in strategic management. It may include the review of the Kaufman, Greiner and Cummings works regarding strategic management themes and perspectives. The paper presents the contrasting and differentiating views of the literature, in order to find novel practices of strategic management. In the 21st century world, a precise change has been experienced by organizations. This change involves vulnerability, risk and competitiveness due to the large number of market players present. Technology has a crucial role in settling this impulsive change, which has made the environment of business competitive and risk-oriented. In this vulnerable environment, a new type of strategic planning is needed as proposed by Greiner and Cummings in their text. The authors deliberately propose novel strategic planning, which is different from the so-called conventional strategic frameworks. This new strategic framework is a proactive one, definitely not the idle one as the old ones used to be but highly receptive and responsive to the changing business environment. It is a dynamic strategic planning system, which authors propose as an alternative to the conventional strategic system. As organizations are dynamic today so the need is to incorporate this dynamic strategic system (Greiner & Cummings, 2009). Kaufman in contrast to Cummings and Greiner proposes a pragmatic strategic model. This model collaborates the new and the old conventional frameworks of strategic planning. The author thinks that old models are useful, as they set the baseline to form the new models of strategic planning. The need is to join the old techniques

Below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Below - Essay Example Therefore, a reflective analysis of the language, imagery, and tone of â€Å"Father and Son† and â€Å"The Portrait† suggests that Kunitz expresses his feelings for his father and he confront his personal traumas more deeply in these poems than in his earlier verse. In the poem â€Å"Father and Son†, there are several instances and evidences which suggest the poet’s feelings for his father and the language, imagery, and tone of the poem substantiate this view. The language of the poem is so powerful that it reveals the poet’s great feelings for his father. The poet calls his father ‘the secret master of my blood’ and expresses his desire to follow the paths of his father. The language and the tone of the poem also suggest the poet’s great bond to his father who kept him in chains through his indomitable love. â€Å"Mile after mile I followed, with skimming feet, / After the secret master of my blood, / Him, steeped in the odor of ponds, whose indomitable love / Kept me in chains.† (Father and Son, lines 6-9) The stunning imagery used in the poem also helps the poet convey his great bond to his father and images such as ‘load of ripeness’, ‘secret master of my blood’, â₠¬Ëœodor of ponds’, ‘indomitable love’ etc are some examples. Similarly, Kunitz also draws an essential portrait of his father in his poem â€Å"The Portrait† with the sheer merit of his words, language, imagery and tone. The poet specifies how his mother was contemptible about the way and time his father killed himself. Through the convincing portrayal of the mother’s feelings for his father, the poet hints how poignant his personal story has been. The poet is at his best when he expresses how â€Å"She locked his name / in her deepest cabinet / and would not let him out, / though I could hear him thumping.† (The Portrait, lines 7-10) The tone of the poem also points to the poet’s deep sense of loss at the death of his

Gender difference Essay Example for Free

Gender difference Essay The article I read is â€Å"‘Health is not a man’s domain’: lay accounts of gender difference in life-expectancy in Russia†. The authors, Ilkka Pietila and Marja Rytkonen, examined the meaning of health to Russian lay people, conducting interview with 29 people aged 15-81. They concluded that the role of the individual in healthy responsibility is very weak, with a stronger emphasis on societal and governmental influence. They also found that in relation to gender, gender roles and relations are static with few alternatives despite social changes. This study was prompted by the large gender gap in life-expectancy in Russia. In 2006, the average life expectancy was 59 years for Russian men but 72 years for Russian women. Pietila and Rytkonen wanted to see if this gap was caused by gender perceptions of health and/or each other or by something else. The theoretical basis for this research is a process Frankel and Davison call ‘lay epidemiology’, which states that â€Å"individuals interpret health risks through the routine observation and discussion of cases of illness and death in personal networks and the public arena, as well as from formal and informal evidence arising from other sources, such as television and magazines (p. 071). The researchers discerned â€Å"four types of explanations: essential/naturalist explanations (biological and psychological differences), explanations related to social roles, explanations related to social change and explanations related to health behavior† (p. 1075). They also found that these explanations often centered around one health behavior: heavy drinking. This article is a great because of its discussion the masculinity behind drinking, as well as the cultural aspects yet how the women tended to see drinking as more of a health hazard then the men who participate in it. The phenomenon of the gender gap and the cultural aspects of drinking add unique curveballs to solving the health crisis in Russia today. An article like this one is very important because it illustrates factors that need to be considered when coming up with a public health policy for Russia. For example, this findings of this research would support the argument that prohibition would not work in reducing alcoholism in Russia; alcohol’s cultural significance is too strong for such a policy to have any ‘lay’ support. The article also noted its limitations. The authors only interviewed subjects in St. Petersburg, which is one of the more Westernized cities in Russia and is more likely to have an higher educated and socioeconomic population compared with the majority of Russia. The authors conceded that this population dynamic may have skewed the results. They also admit that their research sample was small (only 29 people interviewed), although they did their best to have a variety of ages and occupations within these people. One excellent point in the researcher’s methodology is the use of native-Russian speakers to conduct the interviews, and having men interview men and women interview women. The use of native speakers would allow for the nuances of language and communication to be picked up. The gender separation also nullifies the possibility that gender biases would have taken place during the interviews.

Insanity and Madness in A Rose For Emily and Yellow Wallpaper

Insanity in A Rose For Emily And The Yellow Wallpaper    The women in Faulkner's and Gilman's stories are victims of male over-protectiveness.   The men that rule their lives trap Emily in "A Rose For Emily" and the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper". Each character must retreat into their own world as an escape from reality. Emily is destroyed by her father's over-protectiveness. He prevents her from courting anyone as "none of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such" (82). When her father dies, Emily refuses to acknowledge his death; "[W]ith nothing left, she . . . [had] to cling to that which had robbed her" (83). When she finally begins a relationship after his death, she unfortunately falls for Homer Baron who "liked men" and was "not a marrying man" (84)... ...the trap that society has placed them in. Works Cited Faulkner, William. "A Rose For Emily." The Norton Introduction To Literature. Eds. Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. 7th Ed. New York, Norton, 1998. 1: 502-509. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." The Norton Introduction To Literature. Eds. Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. 7th Ed. New York, Norton, 1998. 2: 630-642.

Reasons Why I Want to be an RN Essay

There are many reasons why I would like to be an RN, and there are many reasons of why I should become an RN, ever since I was a child I have had the idea of being a nurse implanted in my head. Then as time went by other ideas came into play, like being a teacher or being a police officer, but being a nurse always stayed in my mind as a great career for me. I got this idea of being a nurse from my mother when I was a little kid, see my mom is a nurse, actually she is now the director of nursing at Bakersfield Heart. But when I was a kid, she went from floor nurse, to charge nurse, to director of her floor, to house supervisor, to assistant director, and now director. I can easily see her retiring as the CEO of this hospital. Now I do not know if I would want to do all of that, but I definitely see myself going from floor nurse to charge nurse, and maybe the director of the floor. The upper management just does not sound as fun to me. So originally I did not pursue the idea of nursing, I actually went into college thinking I was going to be a local high school teacher and wrestling coach, so I went and got my degree in Art Education, but while I was in college, I started working as a transport orderly at San Jose Medical Center before it closed, then went to Regional Medical Center of San Jose, where I started working as an Emergency Room clerk, and moved up to an Emergency Room Technician and loved the hands on with the patients. This is where I decided that teaching may wait till I retire from nursing, and nursing will become my career. Soon as I started working side by side with our nurses in the ER I saw that this is what I should be doing, and this is what I want to be doing, so I started working on the prerequisites right then and there. I loved the compassion the nurses had for their patients, and to see the smiles that would come from these patients when they felt better. There was something about being bedside that just pushed me to want to be more. Being a tech was and is amazing, but I want more, I want to be running the code, not just  a part of the code, when a trauma victim comes in, or a coded patient comes in. I love the feeling of bring back a patient in a code, even though I know right now by doing just CPR I am the one that is moving the medication through the body, I want to be the one that is pushing epinephrine, to bring that patient back. In this world today, I feel like there are less and less people that are actually trying to improve today’s society, and are looking out only for themselves, or their family. And I do not want to be one of those people. I want to be helping the community whether it is to clean up a homeless man, or save the life of a kid that was shot, you never know what that person can do for the rest of their lives to improve someone else’s life. I know that not all nursing is emergency nursing, but it all has its parts to the community and helping others. And I am ok with that, but I truly see myself in emergency nursing. If you notice that all of my jobs I was looking at while I was growing up, nursing, teaching, police officer, they are all helping professions, they are all improving the world around us, and ultimately that is what I really want to do, is improve the community, and improve the well being of the people around me. And I believe nursing is the right form of profession for me to do that.