Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Crucible of War by Fred Anderson :: Civil War Slavery American History Essays

The Crucible of War by Fred Anderson An account of ex-slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass opens this chapter. When news arrived of the Confederacy firing on Fort Sumter, Douglass cheered the outbreak of the fighting and Lincoln's vow to maintain the Union. Douglass recognized that the Union was fighting solely to uphold the Constitution and preserve the nation, not to end slavery; but he also understood, much earlier than most, that a war to save the Union would inevitably become a war to end slavery. "And the War Came" President Lincoln was determined to stop the spread of secession and to take no action that would push the still undecided Upper South into seceding. He sought to reassure the Deep South of the safety of slavery, giving Unionists there the possibility of reasserting themselves and overturning the secession decision, but at the same time he made it clear that he was determined to uphold the Union. His Confederate counterpart, Jefferson Davis, was equally resolved to see an independent Confederate States of America. While neither man sought war, both knew one side would provoke it sooner or later, and the war would come. The Surrender of Fort Sumter Fort Sumter, a federally manned fort inside Charleston harbor, was a hateful symbol to the Confederacy of the nation it had abandoned. Union forces at the fort were running short of supplies and, unless they were reprovisioned, would have to evacuate. Lincoln knew that to surrender Sumter would be to abandon his commitment to preserving the Union, so he sent a relief expedition, telling Confederates that there would be no attempt to send troops or munitions unless the supply ships were attacked. The Confederates faced a dilemma: If they allowed the ships through, they would be submitting to federal authority, but taking the fort would make them the aggressors. The decision was made on April 12. When Fort Sumter's Union commander refused the southern order to surrender, Confederate shore batteries began shelling the fort, which surrendered on April 14, 1861. The Civil War had begun. The Upper South Chooses Sides Lincoln's proclamation calling for the loyal states to muster 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion forced the other slave states to choose sides. Over the next five weeks, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina seceded. The Confederacy now contained eleven of the fifteen slave states. In the border slave states of Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, and Missouri, secession was thwarted by a combination of local Unionism and federal intervention, including the use of martial law to suppress Confederate sympathizers.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Ageism in the Workplace – Essay

FYS 1101-41 Intro to Social Justice and Diversity Ageism in the Workplace When it comes to age, the first thoughts that come to mind are the young, old, and in between. Through differentiating among the three, society has formed ageism. Ageism is a type of discrimination based on the stereotypes associated with age groups. Relating to judgments of lifestyles, personalities, and abilities based on age, ageism functions to strip individuals of their rights. It has been, and continues to be, a rising issue in the corporate world.Ageism can impact any individual, especially in the workplace, where individuals can be at a disadvantage for a variety of reasons. Considering the fact that this type of discrimination affects people of all ages, ageism is most easily discussed when divided into three groups: * Young age (16-24 years) * Middle age (25-49 years) * Older age (50- over State Pension Age) The ideas and beliefs of young adults are often discriminated against because societal norms h ave put forth the notion that their ideas are less important because they have less experience.Governments also manifest ageism by putting age requirements on job eligibility. For example, in Massachusetts, all teens under the age of 18 must complete a work permit application and obtain a work permit before starting a new job. The state has also put a limit on the number of hours permitted to work each week. With this restriction, society segregates old people from young people. Also, the idea that eighteen is the quintessential age to begin working is simply a fabricated standard based on the general behavior and maturity of 18 years olds.Even though it is not clearly visible, ageism is still present and is continuing to affect the working class. On the other hand, many jobs want to set a specific image, aiming to hire young and attractive employees to better appeal to customers. For example, the retail store, Abercrombie and Fitch specifically looks to hire young, attractive emplo yees who will represent the style found in the stores. Meanwhile younger age groups are sometimes paid less even though they are performing similar jobs to older age groups. Some employers take advantage of the fact that younger ge groups are inexperienced by paying them minimum wage and sometimes even less. As young adults are new to the workplace, they accept this type of treatment because of their need for money. In society today, younger aged people are becoming more and more independent and no longer want to rely on their parents for support. Sometimes the case is that parents do not want to support them. Because of this, they need all the money they can to survive. When applying for certain jobs, young adults can have all the necessary requirements that fit the job aside from the required age.Young adults may be as responsible and may value the desire for further advancement in their job as much as middle and older aged groups, yet they are automatically denied positions based on the simple number that is age. Young adults are just as, if not more, capable than their elders in that they are more energetic and physically strong, enabling them to work more hours and complete the task just as any of the other age groups. The bulk of the workforce falls under the middle-aged category.One’s professional peak is said to occur through their 30s and 40s. This being said, we can conclude that the middle age group is least affected by age discrimination. The stereotype is that they are more qualified for the job because they are more experienced, focused and ambitious towards their desired career while still being physically capable of benefiting the job. Within the age limits of this group, it can be said that gender also leads to ageism when women are perceived as becoming older workers at an earlier age than men.Society has created a norm that perceives the older age group as the weak and incompetent. In Older Employees: New Roles for Valued Resources, à ¢â‚¬Å"age stereotypes depict older people as frail and fragile, as having lost the vitality and energy necessary to make a full fledge commitment to their careers† (Rosen, B. , & Jerdee, T. , 1985). In the work field, managers assume that older employees are less motivated to improve their job skills compared to younger employees; therefore managers are less likely to hire them.On the contrary, many employers look to hire older people because they feel that older people are more experienced in the work place, which means that no additional training is necessary. Furthermore, employers rarely increase older people’s pay because they are less likely to switch careers. The younger groups have more opportunity to further their careers and hence, need motivation to stay loyal to their employer. Although there have been vast improvements in medicine and increases in life span, the elderly are considered to be frail and more apt to get injured or fall victim to illness.This id ea affects the working culture because this view towards older people has not changed, â€Å"This way of thinking-and acting- has been expressed in discriminatory practices such as (a) limiting or excluding older workers from substantive job responsibilities and activities, (b) removing older employees from the workforce through negative performance evaluations or through encouraging their retirement; (c) implementing insensitive, poorly conceived policies; (d) limiting older workers’ access to job-related education, career development opportunities, or employee benefits; and (e) refusing to hire or promote older workers† (Hedge J. Borman W. & Lammlein S, 2006). Generally, the idea is that â€Å"older people [are treated] less favorably than others, perhaps because of an idea that such people have outlived the useful part of their lives and that society should somehow allocate its resources to those that have something left to contribute. Older people may be segregate d and regarded as a burden or a drain on the resources of the community†, generating ageism to come into effect (Malcolm, 2007). Older workers face ageist attitudes and age discrimination. Ageism plays a harmful role in the workplace.Discrimination of age is illegal under both the Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. However, these laws are geared towards the elderly and offer no protection for young workers. The law of â€Å"The Age of Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967† protects individuals who are forty years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. Not only is ageism evident in the workforce, but also it is also present in the government. There is no law whatsoever protecting young age groups. Some might say that these instances of unfairness occurring in the workplace seem acceptable.However, discriminating against someone based on how old and young they are is never justifiable. It is not ones age that determines their capability and qualifications but their competence. â€Å"Competence, not age, should determine whether a person should keep a job. To do otherwise, is to squander one of our nations most precious resources and to hasten the day of the end of those who are denied the experience that would keep them vitally and for a long time alive. †(Rosen, B. , & Jerdee, T. H. (1985). pg. 49) Age should not be a factor in the work force for many reasons.The young, the middle-aged, and the elderly all need their place in the job market. It is unfair to discriminate against those who are fully capable of completing the task efficiently entirely based on age. If employers continue to follow these trends, we will run into many problems. As the baby boom generation gets older, there will be an increase in the older working group. There is no way to prevent this and because baby boomers make up a large percentage of the population, it could create economi c issues if we don’t find ways to accommodate the needs of the elderly.Otherwise, we will have fewer workers and less wisdom to guide future generations. â€Å"The use of older workers can help organizations meet their growing and changing company objectives in a global economy while providing meaningful work rolls for middle-aged and older Americans. † (Hedge J. , Borman W. & Lammlein S, 2006). On the other side of the spectrum, young people are very valuable to the corporate world. We need the fresh ideas of young adults who are excited about starting new careers and motivated to advance their knowledge.It is also important that we encourage the independence of young people by trusting them to be responsible instead of doubting their abilities. Hedge, J. W. , Borman, W. C. , & Lammlein, S. E. (2006). The Aging workforce: realities, myths, and implications for organizations. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Rosen, B. , & Jerdee, T. H. (1985). Older employees: new roles for valued resources. USA: Dow Jones-Erwin. Sargeant, M. (2007). Age discrimination in employment. Retrieved from http://site. ebrary. com/lib/emmanuel/docDetail. action? docID=10209153

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Contract Law Questions Essay

Max, an improvised law student placed the following advertisement in the Law Student Gazette: â€Å"For sale – Treital – Law of Contact, ? 5† Brian telephoned Max but he was not at home and Celia, Max’s girlfriend, answered the telephone. Brian asked her whether it was the latest edition. She replied that it was not. Brian then said he would give ? for the book and Celia replied that she was sure that was acceptable but for Brian to ring back later that evening. That night Brian telephoned Max. Max told Brian that the book was in excellent condition and that he would not accept anything less than ? 5 for the book. Brian, however, did not hear this because of a fault on the line. The next day Brian called at Max’s house with the ? 4 but Max refused to let him have the book Advise Brian 2. D placed a notice in a local newspaper offering a reward of ? ,000 to the first person to climb to the top of the monkey puzzle tree in his garden and take a photog raph of D’s garden. On Monday E was in the process of climbing the tree when he fell off. He was in hospital for four days. On Tuesday, F climbed to within three feet of the top of the tree but considered it too dangerous to proceed further as he was too heavy for the upper branches. On Wednesday, G was at the top. He was about to take the photograph with the special camera which G had purchased for. Especially for the purpose. D shouted, â€Å"Forget it! There is no money at all. The deal is off. † Later that day, D broadcast an advertisement on the local radio station informing everyone that the reward was no longer an offer. On Thursday, H, the son of D’s neighbor, climbed the tree, took the photograph and claimed the reward. He had not heard the broadcasts on the local radio station. On Friday, E returned to the garden and climbed the tree and took the photograph. Advise the parties.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Psychological Disorder Analysis Essay

The world of abnormal psychology is filled with many different types of disorders, symptoms, and treatment options. Today, I will be working with Roger, a middle-aged accountant living in San Francisco, California who experienced a car wreck a few months ago. He has been experiencing shakiness, breathlessness, heat flashes, and nightmares. He has been trying to cope with the symptoms that he is experiencing through alcohol consumption and going jogging. Using the skills I have learned about abnormal psychology, I will be able to diagnose Roger and provide an explanation as to why he is suffering from the type of disorder that he is experiencing, as well as determine the most effective treatment options available. Based on the information provided to me, I am diagnosing Roger with post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that is experienced by people who have been subjected to a traumatic, life-changing event. Although I am quite certain that this is the disorder that Roger is suffering from, I scheduled an appointment with him to get more details about the symptoms that he is experiencing. Me: Good morning, Roger, I wanted to call you in today to talk about the things that you are experiencing on a day-to-day basis so that I will learn more about yourself and the things that you are experiencing so that we can work together to come up with solutions that benefit you overcoming your experience. Roger: That sounds like a good plan, what would you like to know? Me: Well can you please begin with telling me what happened 2 months ago, so that I may hear it in your own words? Roger: Sure, about two months ago I was in a car accident where the other driver hit me head on. I wasn’t hurt, except for a few minor bruises, but my car was completely totaled. Since then, I try to avoid the area where I got into my accident. Me: Thank you for that information, Roger. Car accidents can be quite traumatizing and I’m sorry that you had to experience that misfortune. Roger: It’s okay, I’m just glad I got out of it alive. But the accident seems to stick with me no matter what I do, though. Me: Do you mind elaborating on that for me please, Roger? Roger: Well, ever since the accident I notice that whenever I am around the streets or in an automobile of any kind, I begin to feel shaky and out of breath. Then everything begins to get really hot and sometimes it feels like I am having a heart attack, so I begin to panic. Me: That’s very interesting Roger, have you been to your primary care doctor to see if there is a physical issue that is causing those symptoms? Roger: Yes, ma’am. My doctor told me that I am healthy as a horse and recommended me to you. So here I am. *laughs nervously* Me: I am glad that you are here to give me the opportunity to help you, Roger. Are there any other symptoms that you have been experiencing since your accident? Roger: Um, I’ve been obsessed with safer vehicles and I’ve spent a lot of time looking for an extremely safe car and have taken a defensive driving class. Some days I am so afraid to drive that I have to call my friends to come get me, and I can’t seem to find a car that meets my safety standards. Me: I can completely understand why you feel that way, Roger. Safety should always be the number one priority when out on the road. So you feel this anxiety only affects you when you are out on the roads? Roger: No, not at all. I’ve been having these horrible nightmares. Sometimes they are so bad that I can’t even make it to work, and my boss has started telling me that my performance is slipping, too. I’ve been drinking a lot since my accident because I can’t seem to get the thought of it out of my mind and it is the only thing that seems to help when I feel shaky. I’ve started to drink just to get the memory of the accident out of my mind. At home, I’m so worried about my family’s well-being that I try to keep everything clean and sterile. I don’t want myself or anyone in my family getting sick or going through what I went through. Roger: I know that this isn’t me and I don’t want to be please like this anymore, so can you please help me get past this? Because I don’t know what to do anymore and I’m having trouble just making it through each day. When I have my†¦panic attacks?†¦I usually head straight for the bar. Roger: After I have my nightmares, I usually can’t go back to sleep I go jogging. Being able to run helps me clear my mind of everything and just focus on the task at hand. Unfortunately, I’m not in very good shape so I can’t run for very long before I have to return home. Me: Thank you so much for explaining all of that to me in such detail, Roger, I could see that it was difficult for you. I want to let you know that it is excellent that you are going out jogging whenever you have a nightmare, and I want you to continue you doing that whenever possible in place of drinking. Me: Together you and I will find a way to get you through this, all I asking is for you to be willing to work with me. Can you do that, Roger? Roger: Yes, definitely. I’m ready to move on with my life. After the interview with Roger, I was able to gain more insight about his situation and am able to confirm that he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. As mentioned before, Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that is experienced by people who have been subjected to a traumatic, life-changing event such as being raped, in a car accident, combat, or witnessing someone else’s traumatic experience, such as a loved one or a friend, and even witnessing a violent death can cause acute and posttraumatic stress disorders. Individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder becoming sensitized to the event that caused the disorder, causing them to experience feelings of anxiety when exposed to certain things related to the traumatic event. One of the key symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder is involuntary flashbacks of the traumatic event which can lead to the development of more severe symptoms. Those symptoms include: * Nightmares- the event relives itself in the subconscious, usually leading to insomnia * Depression – not enjoying the things you once enjoyed, disassociation * Anxiety, panic attacks – negative reactions to situations or sights/events that trigger a reconnection to the trauma. * Avoidance – For a traumatic event such as a car accident, avoiding the area where the accident occurred. * Substance Abuse: The abuse of drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism to desensitize emotional response to flashback or other symptoms. The Cognitive model of abnormality realizes that everyone creates their own view of the world that comprises their reality (Comer, 2011). Unhealthy thoughts stemming from a traumatic event create the abnormal behavior individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder experience. Therefore, post-traumatic stress disorder is a behavior that is determined by how individuals perceive the life-changing traumatic event that they experience. Looking into the history of post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD was first discovered during the Civil War, with the development of battle PTSD, also known as ‘soldier’s heart,’ ‘shell shock,’ and ‘battle fatigue,’ becoming known officially as post-traumatic stress disorder after the Vietnam War. A study conducted by Brian P. Marx in 2010 discovered that soldiers developed PTSD regardless of how recently or how long they were deployed. The study also showed that the longer PTSD is left untreated, the worse it will get, showing that untreated cases will become more anxious, have a shorter attention span, and in general have much poorer mental health. The study also found that â€Å"the stress these soldiers were experiencing had a significant impact on their physical health such as immune functioning and cardiovascular disease (â€Å"The effect of PTSD and combat level on Vietnam veterans’ perceptions of child behavior and marital adjustment,† 2006, para. ). Today, about 50% of Americans experience a trauma during their life time and only 8% of those individuals suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. So what factors cause certain people to develop post- traumatic stress disorder, while other individuals remained unaffected? One of the most important factors to consider when determining what type of individual is more likely to suffer from PTSD is the nature of trauma the individual faced and whether the individual had preexisting anxiety issues before their traumatic event. Studies have shown that individuals who were exposed to severe, prolonged trauma or trauma affecting one’s family were more likely to develop PTSD than individuals who did not. Using the Cognitive model of abnormality as a guide, there are several options for treating posttraumatic stress disorder. The most effective treatment is cognitive therapy, in which â€Å"therapists help clients recognize the negative thoughts, biased interpretations, and errors in logic that dominate their thinking† (Comer, 2011). Cognitive therapy is most effective for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder because it teaches the individual positive ways confront the negative thoughts and emotions surrounding their experience with their traumatic event by showing them how to understand the trauma that they went through and the feelings that they are experiencing afterwards. Helping the individual suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder understand why they are feeling the way they do about their traumatic experience is also important, as well as identify the thoughts and actions that make symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder worse. There are also further treatment options for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and most anxiety disorders, including: * Relaxation: an individual is taught how to relax certain muscles by themselves instead of relaxing as a whole. Relaxation treatments have been the most successful in the treatment of anxiety symptoms such as high blood pressure and headaches as well as insomnia and panic attacks. * Biofeedback: an individual is connection to a machine that reads involuntary body movements enabling the individual to learn how to control those movements. This treatment has been most helpful in those recovering from post-traumatic stress disorders. * Meditation: is achieved my turning one’s concentration inward and blocking everything surrounding out allowing the individual to obtain a sort of peace from blocking out stressors. Meditation has been successful in helping symptoms of anxiety such as high blood pressure, pain, and in some cases, viral infecti ons (due to having a weaker immune system as a side effect of constant stress and anxiety). * Hypnosis: individuals a guided by a hypnotist, who lulls the individual into a sleep like trance, similar to meditation. In this trance the subconscious takes over and individuals can sometimes be directed to act in unusual ways, experience unusual sensations, remember seemingly forgotten events, or forget remembered events. This method is helpful with post-traumatic stress disorder victims who are suffering from amnesia and are unable to recall the traumatic event in order to come to terms with what happened and learn how to recover from it. In conclusion, post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder that is caused by a traumatic, life changing event such as being raped, in a car accident, combat, or witnessing someone else’s traumatic experience, such as a loved one or a friend, and even witnes sing a violent death. The most effective treatment option for post-traumatic stress disorder as per the Cognitive model of abnormality is cognitive therapy in which â€Å"â€Å"therapists help clients recognize the negative thoughts, biased interpretations, and errors in logic that dominate their thinking† (Comer, 2011). I hope that with my thorough evaluation of the origin, causes, symptoms, and treatments of post-traumatic stress disorder, I am able to help Roger overcome the symptoms that he is experiencing from his post-traumatic stress disorder and assist him with his therapy so that he can return back to a normal life. References Comer, R. J. (2011). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth. Faces of Abnormal Psychology Interactive. (2007). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder McGraw-Hill Higher Education Web Site, retrieved on February 2, 2013, from http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/psychology/faces/# The effect of PTSD and combat level on Vietnam veterans’ perceptions of child behavior and marital adjustment. (2006, Febraury). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51(1), 4-12.

Human resource management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Human resource management - Assignment Example The employees are rewarded and reinforced against their performances. The labour market of hospitality industry comes with greater supply than the demand while there is high rate of turnover. Hilton Hotel needs HR plan that is strategically fit with the needs of organisation so it may overcome the potential issues and enhance its services. HR management needs to forecast the internal and external supply and demand of the labour to design the recruitment process accordingly. It needs to increase employee engagement in all the processes and provide them career path to self actualise and grow. Comparing recruitment process of Marriot Hotel, Hilton Hotel and Holiday Inn, it is found that there is no significant difference in the process while the key focus is to hire people with right skill and for the long term; hence line managers are also indulged in the process. The hospitality industry comprises of hotels and restaurants mostly that serve public and keep staff to efficiently perform diverse tasks. Human resource is the most valuable asset of an organisation which is managed by a distinct entity called human resource management. HRM of a hotel or restaurant endeavours to free the organisation from conflicts and administers the tasks to optimally run organisation so it may expand and compete in the market (Boella et al. 2013). However it is found that there is lack of research in the service sector especially in hospitality industry which is the fourth largest industry of UK. This study attempts to provide detailed analysis of role of human resource management for entire industry in the UK in context with the laws and recommendations are provided to strategically manage the human resource in improved way. This study focuses on HR practices, roles and processes of Hilton Hotel as an example of hospitality industry of the country. As a human resource manager of a hospitality

Monday, October 7, 2019

Radio Shack Strategic Management Research Paper

Radio Shack Strategic Management - Research Paper Example RadioShack is primarily focused on the US market where as at the end of 2011 it employed 34,000 people, and owned and operated 4,476 stores under its brand and an additional 1,496 stores under the Target Mobile centers brand. RadioShack’s products and services are categorized into four platforms: mobility, signature, consumer electronics and other sales. The mobility platform consists of prepaid and postpaid wireless handsets, commissions and residual income, tablets and e-readers. The signature platform includes home entertainment, wireless, computer, and music accessories; general purpose and special purpose power products; headphones; technical products; and services (RadioShack 3). The consumer electronics platform includes personal computing products, laptop computers, digital music players, residential telephones, GPS devices, cameras, digital televisions, and other consumer electronics products (RadioShack 3). Other sales include sales generated by the Target Mobile centers, sales to independent dealers, sales generated by RadioShack’s Mexican subsidiary, sales from www.radioshack.com website and sales to other third parties through the company’s global sourcing operations (Rad ioShack 22). The contribution of each of these product platforms in 2011 is displayed in Figure 1 below. In 2011, RadioShack net sales increased by 2.6%, to $4,378 million over its 2010 revenues. However, the company’s gross margin went down by 3.5% to 41.4% within the same period. This was largely attributed to change in the company’s sales mix within its largest product platform, the mobility platform, towards lower margin smartphones and tablets (RadioShack 20). The company has sound financial strength depicted by its quick ratio of 1.61 and current ratio of 2.73. Figure 1: RadioShack Product Platforms (RadioShack Corp 1) 2.0. Strategic issues There are two major strategic management problems facing RadioShack Corporation: merchandise mix and growth strategy. To begin with, RadioShack established its mobility platform as the more attractive unit and has continued to steer corporate resources towards it. Figure 1 above, shows mobility devices accounted for 51.4% of the company’s net sales in 2011, up from 46.1% in 2010 and 35.3% in 2009 (RadioShack 22). Howev er, the high competitive rivalry in the retail consumer mobility industry, short product cycles, and its much lower margins has made the company vulnerable to weak consumer spending. For this reason, on March 2, 2012, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on RadioShack to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-’, with outlook also moved from stable to negative (FitzGerald Para 2). This downgrade lowers investor and creditor confidence on the organization. Ultimately, the lowered rating may affect RadioShack’s ability to raise financial capital for any major investments that it may seek in future. RadioShack’s senior management

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Lingustics, Education, Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Lingustics, Education, Psychology - Essay Example In fact, it can be said that child starts learning right from the womb where they have been acutely active listeners where they learned to recognize the speech patterns, tunes and tones of the languages especially of the mother and other people in the home (The National Literacy Trust, 2007). Though most children begin to vocalize and gradually verbalize at different ages and at different rates, the first language acquisition generally happens without much conscious instruction from parents or caretakers. The complexity and difficulty increases with increase in age (Wikipedia, 2007). In education and psychology, learning theories aid in understanding the process of learning which is also applicable to language development. There are basically three main perspectives in learning theories, constructivism, cognitivism and behaviorism. Constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts based upon current and past knowledge. In other words, "learning involves constructing one's own knowledge from one's own experiences". Constructivist learning, is, therefore, a very personal effort, whereby internalized concepts, rules, and general principles may reasonably be applied in a practical real-world context. Behaviourism is another educational theory based on the works of B. F. Skinner and Ivan Pavlov. According to the behaviorists believe, organisms need reinforcements to keep them interested and that the use of stimuli can be very effective in controlling behavior.