Thursday, October 31, 2019
Ecotourism and community development Assignment
Ecotourism and community development - Assignment Example Ecotourism involves travelling to natural places with the aim of conserving the environment and improving the livelihood of the inhabitants of the region Forsyth (2010). Edgell (2006) argues that as a trend, ecotourism emerged in 1980 s and it involved small-scale visits, however in the recent years people have become more aware of it leading to its grown popularity. In Thailand, ecotourism has several benefits that point towards the conservation of the natural environment especially the Thaiââ¬â¢s mangrove forests. Sirinart Rajini mangrove-ecosystem learning centre is the first product of the governmentââ¬â¢s effort to promote ecotourism. Created from an abandoned shrimp farm the centre aims to provide the residents with practical knowledge on the importance of promoting ecotourism. Following the establishment of a shrimp farm in the Sirinart Rajini ecosystem, the natural mangrove forest and environment was greatly affected and therefore the government aims to restore it by pr omoting ecotourism (Thanomrak, 2011). The centre works with the local communities to promote environmental conservation through soil conservation and reforestation. The centre therefore aims at establishing a sustainable ecosystem that benefits people and other inhabitants of the environment. ... The definition also includes the desire to conserve the natural environment as the second objective of ecotourism. Ecotourism generally targets the creation of awareness in people on the need to conserve the deteriorating natural resources (Wood, 2002). Ecotourism also promote the development of the local communities through promotion of economic activities that are aimed at the conservation of the natural environment and resources. Through ecotourism programs, the government is also pushing its agenda of poverty eradication through the promotion of sustainable community development projects Neth (2008). Although ecotourism has massive and notable benefits, some scholars have pointed at some disadvantages on the activity that focus on the long-term developments. Promoting ecotourism has led into encroachment into the natural environment and this has caused ecological imbalance. The process has therefore led to the destruction of ecosystems that are of great biological importance for the future generations. The need to generate more revenue has accelerated the pace of destruction of the natural environment and therefore the country would do better without the activity. Ecotourism has also exposed native communities of the country to external influence and this has promoted cultural interference (Belanger, 2006). The activity has therefore weakened the culture of the Thai people that had been one of the strongest cultures of the world. Through promoting ecotourism, cultural and religious values that are of great importance to the people and the country are being eroded constantly. The government is therefore conscious of the long-term effect of the activity in the
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Analytical Report on Business Organization Essay Example for Free
Analytical Report on Business Organization Essay Diamondà Starsà Groupà ofà companiesà à From:à à CEOà Myanmarà Imperialà Clinicà (MIC)à à Date:à à Subject:à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à 04thà April,à 2013à Analyticalà Reportà onà Businessà Organization à Executiveà Summaryà Inà earlyà 2009,à Myanmarà Imperialà Clinicà wasà setà upà byà Myanmarà Medicsà Co. ,à Ltd. Becauseà ofà itsà extensiveà rangeà ofà medicalà servicesà andà accurateà diagnosticà testsà byà internationalà recognizedà specialistsà andà outstandingà clinicalà staff,à ità wasà famousà andà generatedà profitsà atà thatà time. Butà alongà withà theà competitionà ofà highà investingà clinic,à lackà ofà controlà ofà theà specialistsà andà insecureà environmentà ofà theà staff,à theà organiza tionââ¬â¢sà performanceà hasà declinedà inà 2012. Thereforeà theà reputationà ofà theà clinicà graduallyà goesà down. Soà thatà inà 2013,à Myanmarà Medicsà Co. ,Ltd. wasà beingà acquisitionà byà Diamondà Starsà Groupà ofà companiesà whichà isà operatingà inà variousà industriesà inà Myanmar. Theà organizationà willà beà reformedà byà theà encouragementà ofà ourà chairman. Profileà Nameà à à Locationà à à ââ¬âà Myanmarà Imperialà Clinicà (MIC)à à ââ¬âà Hledan,à Kamaryutà Townshipà ââ¬âà 8520à sqftà ââ¬âà 6à storiesà buildingà à ââ¬âà 40à beddedà generalà healthà careà centreà ? 166à employees Compoundà Sizeà à Buildingà à Typeà à Size Fifthà Floor Fourthà Floor Thirdà Floor Secondà Floor Firstà Floor Groundà Floor Buildingà Information Groundà Floorà ââ¬âà Reception,à Emergency,à Pharmacy,à Lab,à Cashier Firstà Floorà à ââ¬âà 15à Outpatientà Rooms,à Waitingà Area,à Store Secondà Floorà à ââ¬âà 1à Operationà Theatre,à 1à Labourà Room,à 10à Inpatientà Roomsà forà OG Thirdà Floorà à ââ¬âà 20à Inpatientà Roomsà forà Medicineà à Child Fourthà Floorà à ââ¬âà 1à Operationà Theatre,à 10à Surgicalà Inpatientà Rooms Fifthà Floorà ââ¬â Clinicalà Office à Proposalà forà theà Restructureà ofà theà Organizationà (1)à Longà Termà Plan/Strategyà à Vision:à à à Beingà aà providerà ofà healthà careà serviceà renownà forà compassion,à sympathyà andà respectà onà humanà beingà inà pursuità ofà ownà healthyà andà wellà beingà stateà byà applyingà highà qualityà toolsà andà skilfulà professionalà inà ensuringà longà termà effectiveness,à MICà standsà forà savingà yourà money,à timeà andà lives. Mission:à Withà knowledge,à skillà andà passion,à weà allà doà valueà andà respectà ourà patientsà andà clientsââ¬â¢Ã desires. Weà valueà ourà patientsà asà theà wayà weà valueà ourà professional. Weà careà ourà patientsà asà theà wayà weà doà toà ourà family. Weà practiceà ourà bestà knowledgeà inà ourà work. Objectives:à Toà increasesà overallà satisfactionà ratesà ofà patients,à employees,à doctorsà andà visitors. Toà ensureà patientsà receiveà theà ultimateà careà andà medicalà attentionà toà bringà aboutà aà speedyà recovery. Toà increaseà rangeà ofà servicesà forà customerà needsà andà demands. Toà maintainà safeà andà hygienicà environment. Toà achieveà 99%à ofà patientà à feedbackà Toà provideà earlyà diagnosisà andà affectiveà treatmentà toà allà clientsà withà differentà diseases. Toà beà recognizedà ourà clinicà asà aà trustedà obstetricalà clinicà withinà theà firstà threeà years. Toà expandà ourà serviceà inà diagnosticà andà treatmentà yearà byà year. Toà improveà andà maintainà ourà treatmentà proceduresà andà emergencyà services (1. 1) ? (1. 2) ? ? ? ? (1. 3) ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 4à (2)Fundamentalà Characteristicsà ofà Organizationà à (2. 1)à Oldà Organizationà Structureà versusà Newà Organizationà Structureà Ourà organizationà structureà allowsà forà itsà efficientà management. Hereà isà theà l evelà sà ofà managementà andà theà activitiesà ofà specificà departmentsà withinà eachà level. Oldà Organizationà Structure Newà Organizationà Structure 5à (2. 2)à Workà Specializationà Toà achieveà competencyà ofà eachà andà everyà staff,à aà properà andà distinctiveà jobà descriptionsà isà vital. (2. 2. 1)à Marketingà Departmentà à ? ? ? Surveyà theà marketà situationà andà changesà à Analyseà theà customersââ¬â¢Ã feedbackà Developà à marketingà strategiesà andà mix (2. 2. 2)à Financeà Departmentà ? ? ? Manageà andà overseeà budgetingà à Reportà incomeà statement,à statementà ofà financialà reportà andà statementà ofà cashà flowà toà executiveà levelà Manageà incomeà andà expenditure. (2. 2. 3)à Administrativeà Departmentà ? ? ? ? Supportà andà coordinateà theà operationà ofà theà individualà departmentà Establishà hospitalà policiesà andà proceduresà Performà à publicà relationsà Superviseà maintenanceà service,à informationà service,à housekeepingà andà transportationà services (2. 2. 4)à Humanà Resourcesà Departmentà ? ? ? ? ? Performà jobà analysis,à jobà description,à jobà specification,à jobà allocationà andà j obà rotationà Recruitmentà Trainingà andà developmentà à Createà safetyà andà pleasantà environmentà à Negotiateà withà theà visitingà specialistsà HRà Planning (2. 2. 5)à Medicalà Serviceà Departmentà ? ? ? ? à à à à Forà doctorsà ? toà diagnoseà problems,à prescribeà medicines,à beà readyà toà onà call,à toà makeà regularà roundingà andà monitoringà patientsà Forà nursesà ââ¬âà toà emphasizeà onà nursingà careà à Forà labà techniciansà ? toà supportà withà accurateà diagnosisà andà toà maintainà medicalà laboratoryà à equipment Forà Pharmacistà ? toà monitorà theà storageà andà qualityà ofà drug 6à (2. )à Chainà ofà Commandà ââ¬Å"Anà unbrokenà lineà ofà authorityà thatà linksà allà theà personsà inà anà organizationà andà showsà whoà reportsà toà whomâ⬠à (Myanmarà Imperialà Collegeà 2013,à Pre? Masterà Courseà ofà Businessà Administration,à p? 60)à Inà aà clinic,à aà properà andà clarifiedà chainà ofà commandà isà theà fundamentalà requirementà toà maintainà andà precedeà medicalà procedures. Withinà theà clinicalà departments,à allà theà juniorà medicalà doctorsà mustà reportà informationà concerningà withà patientà toà seniorà medicalà doctors. Theseà seniorà medicalà doctorsà haveà toà reportà onlyà theà necessaryà complaintsà andà patientââ¬â¢sà conditionsà toà theà principalà medicalà doctors. Masterà Courseà ofà Businessà Administration,à p. 62)à Onà theà clinicà side,à theà spanà ofà managementà ofà managerà rangesà fromà 10à toà 20à whileà theà administrativeà sideà theà spanà ofà managementà isà lessà thanà 10. Ourà organizationà requireà lessà supervisionà becauseà ofà ? ? ? Dailyà workà proceduresà ofà medicalà staffà areà quiteà stable,à routineà andà repetitiveà (eg. Historyà takingà andà clinicalà examinationà andà monitoring,à injection)à Staffsà areà concentratedà inà singleà locationà (e. g. Ifà theà staffà suitsà withà hisà currentà positionà andà ifà heà doesà notà wantà toà shift,à weà willà maintainà hisà place)
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Was Erwin Rommels Command Style Beneficial?
Was Erwin Rommels Command Style Beneficial?
Friday, October 25, 2019
Paradise Found And Lost - Critique :: essays research papers
ââ¬Å"Paradise Found and Lostâ⬠from Daniel J. Boorstinââ¬â¢s The Discoverers, embodies Columbusââ¬â¢ emotions, ideas, and hopes. Boorstin, a former Librarian of Congress, leads the reader through one manââ¬â¢s struggles as he tries to find a Western Passage to the wealth of the East. After reading ââ¬Å"Paradise Found and Lost,â⬠I was enlightened about Columbusââ¬â¢ tenacious spirit as he repeatedly fails to find the passage to Asia. Boorstin title of this essay is quite apropos because Columbus discovers a paradise but is unable to see what is before him for his vision is too jaded by his ambition. Although this essay is historically accurate it lacks important details, which might paint a different view of Columbus. Boorstin writes favorable of Columbus and depicts him as a heroic and determined figure who helped shape history, but he neglects to include Columbusââ¬â¢ unethical acts committed in the world that was not supposed to exist, the Americas. When Columbus first discovered the New World, he took care that the royal standard had been brought ashore and he claimed the land for Spain in front of all, including the indigenous population who had been sighted even before Columbus made landfall. According to the medieval concepts of natural law, only those territories that are uninhabited can become the property of the first person to discover them. Clearly this was an unethical act. Thus, the first contact between European and non-European worlds was carried out through a decidedly European prism, which ensured Spanish claim to the islands of the Americas. Faced with a co lony in an inhospitable area, the Spanish soon inaugurated the practice of sending regular military parties inland to subdue the increasingly hostile natives. Members of the indigenous population were captured and enslaved to support the fledgling colony. The object of Columbusââ¬â¢ desire changed from exploration and trade to conquest and subjugation. Boorstin eloquently writes of the depreciating mentality of Columbus and his hopes. As each voyage is unsuccessful in producing Oriental splendors or in establishing relations with the Great Kahn, it becomes harder for Columbus to persuade others to support his missions. His explanations become increasingly farfetched and they are lese and less received. The Spanish monarchs revoked his monopoly on the newly discovered region. He never waiver in his belief that he had found an alternate route to Asia. Columbus had found a paradise just not the one of his hopes and aspirations.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
About film Magnifico Essay
The film opens with the birth of Magnifico (also called Ikoy in the film). It is clearly discernible at the outset that the boy was born in to a rural poor family. His father, Gerry, is a carpenter but does not have regular employment. It was Gerry who christened him Magnifico because he enjoyed watching a magician by that same name. Magnificoââ¬â¢s mother, Edna, augments the family income by stitching embroideries. Their house is a dilapidated hollow-blocks-and-wood structure typical in rural Philippines. They were so impoverished that they could only prepare soup and noodles for the town fiesta. At one point Edna had to pawn her wedding ring so they could have food on their table. The story actually begins when Magnifico turned nine. His brother, Miong, has just lost his much-needed scholarship from a university in the capital city Manila. This was a heavy blow because Gerry pinned his hopes on Miong to save the family from poverty. His grandmother, Magda, who lives with Magnificoââ¬â¢s family, figured in a serious accident and had to be hospitalized. In the hospital it was discovered that Magda had pancreatic cancer. This was another backbreaking blow because part of Gerryââ¬â¢s meager income would now go to medical expenses. As if these problems were not exasperating enough, Magnificoââ¬â¢ sister Helen had cerebral palsy, which rendered her incapable of self-mobility and comprehensible speech. Burdened by such seemingly insurmountable difficulties, Edna lustily sighed, ââ¬Å"life is a never-ending miseryâ⬠. But whole throughout the film life proved to be a series of small marvels. When Magnifico heard whispers that his grandmother Magda would soon die and that his family was incapable of shouldering the sky-high burial expenses, he innocently devised a secret plan. Employing the help of his school buddy Carlo, he covertly began constructing a wooden coffin. For materials he asked scrap wood from a local woodcarving shop and borrowed carpentry tools from his neighbors. And together with Carlo, he sold iced water and juice at the town carnival, hoping to collect money enough for his grandmotherââ¬â¢s funeral dress, flowers, and tomb. When their two plastic jars emptied, they ended up with 306 pesos (about 4 euros) in their hands. However this was way too low, considering that he needed at least 30,000 pesos (roughly 400 euros). Yet Magnifico never lost hope. Nor felt bad. He was determined to fulfill his mission even if he had to sell iced water and juice until kingdom come. For aside from toiling for her grandmaââ¬â¢s wake, he was also saving for her sister Helen. Heà promised to bring her to the town carnival so she could have a colored balloon and enjoy the merry-go-round and other fun rides. Since Helen could not walk, Magnifico resolved to use his money to rent a wheelchair from Domeng. On the day Magnifico and Helen would go to the carnival, Magdaââ¬â¢s illness worsened. And since his parents had virtually nothing, Magnifico had to part with his 230 pesos to buy the requisite medicines. Armed with less than a hundred pesos in his pockets but with a lot of determination, Magnifico brought Helen to the carnival by carrying her on his back. The neighbors who saw Magnifico and Helen at the carnival showed them compassion. A guy who used to bully Helen for laughs drove them there. Two feuding neighbors each gave them 100 pesos for tickets to the rides. One ticket controller admitted them without charge, another gave them a huge discount and a vendor gave Helen a free balloon. Magnifico brought Helen around. He showed her the cotton candies, the ice cream, the works. Helen had the time of her life. When Domeng saw Magnifico hauling Helen on his back, he understood why Magnifico wanted to rent his wheelchair. Moved by what he witnessed, Domeng decided to give his wheelchair to Magnifico for free. So he arranged for Magnifico to get the wheelchair from his house. On his way to Domengââ¬â¢s house, Magnifico was hit by a car and died instantly. The colorful coffin he built for his grandmother became the chest in which he was buried. MAGNIFICO AS A CHRIST-FIGURE Peter Malone defines the Christ-figure in films as ââ¬Å"any purely fictional character who resembles Jesus, significantly and substantiallyâ⬠. This does mean that the character has to look like the conventional Jesus in church paintings or be named Jesus. The character does not even have to be Christian nor male nor sinless in order to be a Christ-figure. The Christ-figure is ââ¬Å"neither Jesus nor the Christ, but rather a shadow, a faint glimmer or reflection of himâ⬠. Thus, for the Christ-figure to be authentic, the film character must mirror Jesusââ¬â¢ life in some way. When the film characterââ¬â¢s life or at least some aspects of it make implicit, metaphorical representations of Jesusââ¬â¢ own life and values then he or she may be considered a Christ-figure. Hence, ââ¬Å"the Christ-figure is a way of being led back to the Jesus of the Gospelsâ⬠. Aside from being the son of a carpenter, the central dynamic of Magnificoââ¬â¢s story runs parallel to a variety ofà Christ-story elements and situations in the Gospels. The film presents these elements and situations in both symbolic forms and in the day to day life and behavior of Magnifico. The following are some of the scenes wherein we can see Jesus peek through in Magnifico. a.) Magnifico serves others with love Magnifico is a film brimming with Christian themes, the most obvious of which is that of selfless love. Magnificoââ¬â¢s love for his grandma Magda, for his parents, for his brother Miong, for his buddy Carlo, and especially for his sister Helen is radically Christian and thus radically different from any experience of love these people have ever experienced from other members of their family and from their neighbors. Magnificoââ¬â¢s attentiveness to the feelings and needs of his ailing grandmother contrasts against Ednaââ¬â¢s bitterness towards Magda. Edna regarded Magdaââ¬â¢s illness and impending death as an unnecessary encumbrance to the family. Magnifico, on the other had, wanted to make her grandmaââ¬â¢s apparent passing away as dignified and unburdensome as possible. He spent much of his free time making this mission into reality. Magnificoââ¬â¢s compassion towards Helen contrasts against Makoyââ¬â¢s bullying of the crippled girl. He never felt burdened by Helen even if he had to carry, entertain, protect and feed her often. He labored hard to secure a wheelchair for her and to give her the chance to have a ââ¬Å"normalâ⬠life and enjoy the carnival. While doing all these, Magnifico never complained nor had any selfish reasons. All he cared about was the joy he could give to those he loved and to those who needed him the most. Such compassion and selfless desire to be of service to others positively manifests Magnificoââ¬â¢s role as a Christ-figure who came to serve not to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many. b.) Magnifico makes ââ¬Å"miraclesâ⬠happen There is a minor character in the film named Ka Doring. She isolated herself from people and lived in the cemetery because she felt more at peace being away from the crowd. She was always begrudging and her face perpetually frowned. Children made fun of her hoarse voice. In turn she would scare them off with threats and curses. Magnifico brought her a bottle of herbal medicine for her soar throat. At first Ka Doring suspected that Magnifico was just one of the kids who wanted to make fun of her so she threw the bottle away. Upon learning this, Magnifico brought her another bottle and this time Ka Doring drank a few gulps. Later on Ka Doringââ¬â¢s sore throat would go away. During the town fiesta, Magnifico also brought Ka Doring noodles cooked by her mother. Magnifico brought about healing in Ka Doring, both in the physical and in the emotional sense. For when her soar throat healed she was not anymore antagonistic towards the children who made fun of her. Another small miracle made possible by Magnifico concerned Helenââ¬â¢s speech impediment. Edna tried all she could to teach her daughter Helen to say even such simple words as Nanay (mother) but to no avail. There came a point when Ednaââ¬â¢s patience was stretched too thin that she ended up hurting Helen physically. On the night when Helen would be brought by Magnifico to the carnival she miraculously began to talk. It was out of sheer joy that Helen began to utter words like ââ¬Å"motherâ⬠and ââ¬Å"carnivalâ⬠. The total healing experienced by Ka Doring and the unsurpassable joy experienced by Helen which gave her the impetus to speak implicitly establishes that dimension of Jesus as healer and miracle worker. These two narrative frames dramatically highlights Magnifico as a Christ-figure. c.) Magnifico inspires forgiveness and reconciliation Magnificoââ¬â¢s christological identity is exteriorized not only in the small miracles he effected in Ka Doring and Helen but also in bringing about reconciliation between Miong and his girlfriend, between Edna and Magda, and between Tessie and Cristy. Miong broke his rich girlfriendââ¬â¢s heart when she learned that Miong only wanted to marry her in order to bail out his family from poverty. Magnifico encouraged his elder brother Miong to ask forgiveness from his girlfriend. Miong humbled himself and went to his girlfriend to reconcile with her. As has been noted above, Edna was always bitter towards Magda. But in the end Ednaââ¬â¢s attitude towards her mother-in-law changed radically. It seemed that Ednaââ¬â¢s heart suddenly melted when she saw her son carrying Helen on his back without a hint of displeasure or exasperation. The camera focused on Ednaââ¬â¢s face and we see tears streaming down her cheek. Then she looked at Magda, and in their eye-to-eye contact it is communicated that now Edna understood the meaning of unconditional love. If her son Magnifico could carry the crippled Helenà with love, so must she bear Magda with patience and compassion. That night was the beginning for a new and better relationship between Edna and Magda. Tessie and Cristy were both jealous of each other. While Tessie was a perennial gambler, Cristy was a helpless rumormonger. They were neighbors but they didnââ¬â¢t talk to each other. In the carnival they each gave Magnifico one hundred pesos. Not conscious of the presence of the other, each waved and smiled at Magnifico and Helen. After which they discovered that the other was just nearby and they soon had eye-to-eye contact. For a brief moment it seemed that their mutual hatred for each other had gone away for the better. It seemed that at last they were initiating a new way of being neighbors. Except for his brother Miong, it was not a conscious effort on the part of Magnifico to bring warring people to reconcile. Yet it seemed that every contact with Magnifico was life-changing and inspiring. These people were moved to ask pardon, to forgive and reconcile not so much by what Magnifico did as by his manner, his way of being and loving, which formed a luminous evidence to his being a Christ-figure. d.) Magnifico carries his own cross, dies and brings about redemption To start building his grandmaââ¬â¢s coffin Magnifico and his devoted friend Carlo went to a woodcarving shop and asked its owner for scrap wood. On their way home they carried a long wooden plank on their shoulders which paralleled to that part in the passion story when Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry his cross. Whole throughout the movie Magnifico would be seen carrying something ââ¬â a bottle of herbal medicine and some noodles for Ka Doring, a basin of vegetable for his familyââ¬â¢s lunch, plastic jars for iced juice and water, a pouch of money to buy medicines for his grandma Magda, a brush to paint her coffin, and Helen on her back. These were his little crosses. These bespoke of his immense determination to be a person for others. And such involving scenes were essentially Christlike in their execution, content and effect. The life of Magnifico was cut short. He was on his way to meet Domeng to get the wheelchair for his paralyzed sister when a vehicle hit him. He died just like that. He must have been too excited to see Domeng on the other side of the road that he failed to notice the speedy cars. Up to his last breath Magnifico was always on the move to be of service to others. Symbolically his death poignantly conveys that, like Christ, he was willing to lay down his life for others. It was a kind of poetic justice ââ¬â his death empoweredà others to new life. This new life began for the family he left behind. Everyone who knew him attended his funeral. It was such a sad moment. The burial donations the family received totaled 31,105 pesos. When he was still alive Magnifico hoped to raise as much as 30,000 pesos. Ironically, this was to be accomplished in his death. Because of it Edna was able to redeem the wedding ring she pawned. And because of it they had something to restart on financially. Hence, the money became a metaphor of redemption for his family. One recurring symbol used throughout the film was the Rubikââ¬â¢s cube which Gerry tried to solve for at least a year. His failure to solve it symbolized his familyââ¬â¢s lack of accomplishment in delivering themselves out of poverty, despair and misery. After one problem piled after another Gerry could not bear it any longer and threw the Rubikââ¬â¢s cube out of his sight. After Magnificoââ¬â¢s death, Gerry discovered that Magnifico had solved the Rubikââ¬â¢s cube, putting everything in its proper place. This was so symbolic of what Magnifico did for the people around him ââ¬â he united his family, reconciled feuding neighbors, brought about healing to the sick, gave joy to the handicapped ââ¬â in short putting their lives and their relationships in their proper place. Thus, in effect Magnifico became the Good Shepherd who died so that others may have the fullness of life.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Showing Dialect in Dialogue
Showing Dialect in Dialogue Showing Dialect in Dialogue Showing Dialect in Dialogue By Maeve Maddox A reader asks how a writer wishing to create ââ¬Å"a redneck swaggerâ⬠would rewrite the ââ¬Å"regular Englishâ⬠sentence ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re surprising to me.â⬠He offers the following options: ââ¬Å"Yââ¬â¢a surprisinââ¬â¢ tââ¬â¢a me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yââ¬â¢ah surprisinââ¬â¢ tââ¬â¢ah me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Ya surprisin ta me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yah surprisin tah me.â⬠Note: You can find my thoughts on the use of the term redneck here: Better Use ââ¬Å"Redneckâ⬠With Care. My reaction to the model dialogue is that a ââ¬Å"redneckâ⬠is not likely to utter the original sentence, with or without apostrophes. A native English speaker of any dialect would be more likely to say, ââ¬Å"You surprise me.â⬠But the point of the question has to do with the use of apostrophes and contractionsand presumably funny spellingsto represent dialect in fictional dialogue. Fashions in writing change. Representing dropped letters with apostrophes was a common device with 19th century authors. Well, then, Master Marner, it come to me summat like this: I can make nothing o the drawing o lots and the answer coming wrong; it ud mayhap take the parson to tell that, and he could only tell us i big words. George Eliot, Silas Marner. ââ¬Å"I got hurt a little, en couldnââ¬â¢t swim fasââ¬â¢, so I wuz a considable ways behine you, towards de lasââ¬â¢; when you landed I reckââ¬â¢ned I could ketch up wid you on de lanââ¬â¢ ââ¬Ëdoubt havinââ¬â¢ to shout at you, but when I see dat house I begin to go slow.â⬠Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn. Modern readers have little patience with this kind of writing. For one thing, multiple apostrophes and odd spellings are visually distracting. For another, such detailed attention to pronunciation in a novel distracts from the thought that the character is expressing, thereby interfering with an understanding of the narrative. In addition, some readers who speak nonstandard dialects find attempts to represent their home dialectseven if they are successful renditionsdisrespectful. Sprinkling dialogue with odd spellings is especially pointless when the misspelling conveys the same pronunciation as the standard spelling. For example, sez for says, and shure for sure. The consensus among todayââ¬â¢s writing coaches is that dialect is best expressed with vocabulary, grammar, and easily understood regional expressions, rather than with apostrophes and made-up spellings. For example, the following bit of dialogue conveys rural speech without recourse to dropped letters or misspellings: That woman runs around with anything in pants. Canââ¬â¢t figure out how her and him got together in the first place. Good Lord knows heââ¬â¢s boring as a fence post.â⬠ââ¬âNancy Hartney, Washed in the Water. Words like drawl and whine, and expressions like ââ¬Å"a clipped Northern accentâ⬠can also be used to suggest a specific way of speaking. In writing dialogue, let the words do the work. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withDoes "Mr" Take a Period?9 Forms of the Past Tense
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