Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Language - Essay Example The question of life and choice of the way we want to exist is challenged by the option of language oppression. Ethnic minorities are often prevented from a proper existence and their usual way of life in case their languages are suppressed and assimilated in accordance with â€Å"white standards† of European languages. On the basis of essays on languages and challenges of its functioning on the borderlands, we will focus on the important social and epistemological role languages play in our lives. Authors’ views on language Navarro Scott Momaday in his essay â€Å"Personal reflections† (1987) intends to show Native Americans and their attitude for language and the role it plays in their lives. Europeans and Native Americans show different attitudes in their story telling and these reflections are seen in the way they use language. He tries to show different world perceptions between Europeans and Indians. For example, he shows the way Native Americans use the ve rb â€Å"to live†. Very often it is used in a metaphoric way. This writer grew up in the Indian reservation near Oklahoma State and he realizes the Indians perceive the world. Thus, when they say that the sun â€Å"comes back to the Earth† they underline that the Earth is their homeland. The concept of time is endless and illusive for Native Americans. There is an essential linguistic diversity between Native Americans and white people. There is a well-developed oral tradition among the American Indians. There is a great respect shown towards the speaker. Consequently, the listener should be very attentive and comprehend every word, which is uttered when the story is told to him. The words are means for carrying liberty and the language reflects the nature of deep respect in the life of Native Americans. Gloria Anzaldua in her essay â€Å"How to Tame a Wild Tongue† (1987) discusses cultural differences, which are reflected in language as well. She talks about bo rderlands, where two or more cultures exist. There are essential linguistic differences not only between Spanish English or Standard English, but also between different dialects. If the native speakers are prevented from an opportunity to speak their native languages, this can be considered as violence. The author describes numerous controversies, when she was made to speak American language otherwise she had to go back to Mexico, where she belonged. At Pan American University the student had to get rid of their accents and speak American English language. Mother tongue becomes dry and people forget their speech. Chicano Spanish, she claims, is considered by the purist and the most Latinos a mutilation of Spanish. It is impossible to remove Chicago Spanish language, because it occurred in a natural way. People are heterogeneous creatures and it is natural of them to speak different languages. Pachuco is positioned as the language of rebellion. These varieties of Spanish languages ar e full of anglicisms. Therefore, we can see a clear tendency of language interference. A poor Spanish is positioned as illegitimate and a bastard language. The author also talks about books and films, which are created by Spaniards or Mexicans. For example, she mentions the novel â€Å"City of Night† written by John Rechy. There is a clear mixture of Spanish and English words. Moreover, in the films of Mexicans or about Mexicans, she claims, there is a clear sense of alienation and at the same time she feels like coming home. There is a great ambiguous feeling about pop art of the Mexicans. At least, the glimpses of native language are pleasant for the Native Speakers. Les Chiconos are people, who have Indian roots and they have their own tongue. Toni

Marketing Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing - Research Proposal Example The credit crunch currently being experienced provides an opportunity for an understanding of its influence on buyer behaviour. This learning will allow marketing to work out strategies to operate efficiently in markets, where there is a paucity of credit. Such strategies could include giving tangible value to brands and pricing and promotion strategies in a market where there is a paucity of credit. Lenard, 2008 suggests that during paucity of credit, consumers tend to equate price and brand. In other words in the credit crunch have made consumers hypersensitive to price and this provides an opportunity to develop a pricing strategy that capitalizes on this hypersensitivity of consumers to price. Less of brand promotion and more of competitive pricing may be the requirement in such a marketing strategy (Lenard, 2008). Why has price become such a dominant factor in consumer behaviour? Even prior to the credit crunch wages as a share of national income has been showing a downward trend over the last three decades raising the level of the influence of price on purchase decisions. The credit crunch has heightened this influence of price on purchase decision (Harman, 2008). High value capital goods are among the first places to feel the impact of credit crunch. This can be seen in the changed behaviour in car purchases in the United Kingdom, fuelled by the higher prices of petrol and the credit crunch. In the United Kingdom new car registrations fell by 21.8% in September 2008 (Committee on Climate Change, 2008). Consumer behaviour reaction has not just impacted high value capital goods, but almost every product and service. For almost fifty years consumers were given a surplus of credit that enabled them to purchase with the minimal influence of price. The credit crunch changed all that in that it sparked recession in the UK in the final quarter of 2008, which led to an increase in