Personality and Personal Growth Essay -- Psychology Research Papers

Personality and Personal Growth â€Å"An integral being knows without going, sees without looking and accomplishes without doing† – Lao Tzu The text book definition of Personality is an individual’s unique pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that persist over time and across situations. I agree with this idea that a personality is what makes all of us who we are. I believe that a personality is a combination of innate characteristics that everyone is born with and the sum of total life experiences. I believe that a personality is a portrayal of an individual’s reality. The way that an individual walks, talks, speaks and even the career path that they choose to go on is all a reflection of their personality. I believe that each individual is put on this earth to influence every person that they come in contact with; it is the responsibility of every individual to learn as well as teach each other. I strongly believe that you are born with a unique, distinct personality. I remember when both my nieces and my nephew were born each one of them had a specific personality that has transformed and made them each as they are today. My oldest niece, since the young age has always had this older wisdom about her like she was a reincarnated older spirit. This wisdom always comes out in her personality; she is continuously teaching us (older folk) and making us look at life in a different manner than what we would originally look at something. She has made us look out o...

Lord of the Flies :: essays papers

Lord of the Flies Lord of the flies is an extremely psychologically involved novel that forces the reader to constantly think. It plays mind games and displays some frankly blunt ideas. It provokes thought by constantly alluding to the thematic side of the novel. Golding uses the island to show the evil in man, that society holds everyone together, and that man learns nothing from his mistakes. We are made to think about man himself. The boys that enter the island are perfectly normal, they are not evil or bad in any way. On the island all rules of society are removed and in many of the boys something starts to grow. Golding tries to portray the growth of evil within the boys and uses them to suggest that possibly this evil lies in all men. Perfectly normal boys become complete savages within weeks "Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!" There is no evil influence upon the island except for a "beastie" which is used by the boys as an excuse for everything, but is shown to the reader to be little more than the evil inside all of them ..."You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?". Society holds everyone together and without these conditions, ideals, and values, the basics of right and wrong are lost. Golding creates a society by using the boys to display the different characters within it. Each of the boys adopt certain characteristics and each begin to fill different roles. The society however is weak and as soon as cracks begin to appear it falls apart. He shows that if the thin 'veneer' of law and order in society is removed then the forces of evil become all too dominant. Ralph represents a sensible leader and when his influence diminishes, along with that of Piggy who represents the intelligent aspect of society, life on the island goes downhill. Without this influence of society the boys become mere savages. The boys represent the simple fact that man learns nothing from his mistakes. The boys enter an island of complete paradise "Fruit and flower grew together on the same tree and everywhere was the scent of ripeness and the booming of a million bees at pasture." They came to be here by accident whilst fleeing a world destroyed by nuclear warfare, a world that man had destroyed.

Edgar Allen Poe :: Biography

Many people label Edgar Allen Poe a horror writer, plain and simple others refer to Poe as the father of the detective story, but over all he ´s one Americas greatest writers. His ability of expressing the world in gothic ways, really captures the reader ´s attention. Even though he lead a tough life and was known as a sadistic drug addict and alcoholic, he still managed to produce great pieces of literature. Three of his greatest works were The Tell Tale heart, The Fall of the House Usher, and The Raven. All of these are very known troughout the world and are considered three of Poe ´s greatest pieces. He was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, his parents, regular members of Federal street theater, named him Edgar Poe. Shortly before his mother's death in Richmond, Virginia on December 8, 1811, his father abandoned the family. John Allen, a wealthy tobacco merchant in Richmond, brought Poe into the family (at his wife's request), and gave him the middle name Allen as a baptismal name, though he never formally adopted him. Even though Allen ´s treatment toward Poe is not exactly known, we know that Allen never treated Poe with sensitivity. In 1815, the Allen family moved to England on business. There, Poe entered the Manor-House School in Stoke-Newington, a London suburb. This school taught him the gothic architecture and historical landscape of the region made a deep imprint on his youthful imagination, which would effect his adult writings (Levin, 14). The Allens left England in June 1820, and arrived in Richmond on August 2. Here, Poe entered the English and Classical School o f Joseph H. Clarke, a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin. On February 14, 1826, Poe entered the University of Virginia. Though he spent more time gambling and drinking than studying, he won top honors in French and Latin. On May 26, 1827, Poe enlisted in the US Army under the name Edgar A. Perry. He joined Battery H of the 1st Artillery, then stationed at Fort Independence. While Poe served there, Calvin F.S. Thomas printed Poe's first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, a slim volume, which failed to earn any fame or money. Poe then visited Baltimore, and arranged for the printing of another slim volume, entitled Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems. Then, Allen obtained an appointment for him as a cadet, so on July 1, 1830 he entered West Point Military Academy, making his residence at No.

Land And Water Pollution Essay

Major types of water pollution Organic wastes that is largely untreated human waste, sewage, and industrial waste from processing various food roducts, from the pulp and paper industry, and from animal feedlots. Inorganic pollutans that is salt brines, acids, phospates, heavy metals, asbestos, PCBs, radioactive chemicals. Land Pollution Toxic substances Hazardous or toxic substances are those that can cause an increase in mortality rates or irreversible or incapacitating illness or those that have other seriously adverse health or environmental effects. Toxic substances that have been released on land include acidic chemicals, inorganic metals (such as mercury or arsenic) flammable solvents, pesticides, herbicides, phenols, explosives, and so on. For example benzene is a common industrial chemical that is also used in plastics, as well as dyes, nylon, food additives, detergents, drugs, fungicides, and gasoline. Benzene is a toxic and can cause of a anemia, bone marrow damage, and leukimia. Studies have shown that benzene workers are several times more likely than the general population to get leukimia. Solid wastes come from residential garbage, industrial wastes, agricultural wastes, mining wastes. The most common one we usually meet is residential garbage. Only about a third residential wastes are recovered through recycling. A low proportion that is due to the lack of financial backing for recycling operations, the small size of markets for recycled products, and toxic chemicals present in recyclable garbage. City garbage dumps are significant sources of pollution, containing toxic substances such as cadmium (from rechargeable battery), mercury, lead (from car battery, and TV pictures tube), vanadium, copper, zinc, and PCBs. Nuclear wastes Light water nuclear reactors contain radioactive materials, includeing known carcinogens such as strontiums 90, cesium 137, barium 140, and iodine 131. Extremely high levels of radiaton from these elements can kill a person, lower dosages (especially if radioactives dust particles are inhaled or ingested) can cause thyroid, lung, or bone cancer as well as genetic damage that will be transmitted to future generations. Depletion of Species and Habitats Human activity has rendered dozens of plants and animal species extinct. Since 1600 at least 96 known pecies of mammals and 88 major identifiable species of birds are known to have become extinct. Several hundred more species such as whales and salmon today find themselves threatened by commercial fishing. Forest habitats on which the bulk of species depend are also being decimated by the timber industry. Depletion of Fossil Fuels Until the early 1980s, fossil fuels were being depleted at an exponentially rising rate. That is, the rate at which they were being used had doubled with the passage of a regular fixed time period. Some early predictions of resources depletion assumed that fossil fuels would contiinue to be depleted at these exponentially rising rates. If continued, an exponentially rising rate of depletion would end with the complete and catastrophic depletion of the resource in a relatively short time. Estimated world resources of coal would be depleted in about 100years, estimated world reserves of oil would be exhausted in about 40years and estimated reserves of natural gas would last only about 25years. Depletion of Minerals If earlier exponentially rsing rates of depletion continued then alumunium would have been scheduled for exhaustion in the year 2003, iron in 2025, manganese in 2018, molybdenum in 2006, nickel in 2025, tungsten in 2000, zine in 1990, and copper and lead in 1993. World resources are also limited, and the depletion rates of the world’s supplies of minerals will also eventually peak and then gradually decline as remaining supplies become harder and more expensive to mine. The precise impact the limitation of worlds supplies will have on us exceedingly difficult to predict. Miningtechnologies may continue to develop , which will reduce the difficulty and cost of mineral extraction and extend the period of decline. This has in fact been the case for most mineras up to the present. Increased recycling may reduce the need for intensive mining of remaining minerals reserves. Substitutes may be found for many of the minerals whose supply is limited, and technological development may make many current uses of these  minerals obsolete.

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing Essay

Throughout history there have been many individuals whose statements have made an impact on the lives of those around them and on the world. A person may say something out of impulse that sounds bizarre, but when others realize what was said they begin to feel moved. Alexander Pope once said, â€Å"A little learning is a dangerous thing.† (Phrase Finder) This essentially means a small amount of knowledge can cause people to think they are more expert than they are and consequently make unwise choices. An individual’s confidence of being an expert on a subject when in reality he is not can be a hazardous state of mind and has never been more apparent than in the twentieth century. The nuclear reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island in New Jersey illustrates the validity of Pope’s statement. â€Å"On Sunday afternoon, while Carter was still there, Victor Stello found the proof he needed. They discovered that Mattson and his team of consultants had been using the wrong formula to determine the risk posed by the hydrogen bubble.†(Roger Mattson) This clearly shows that the wrong information used in the calculations for the reactor caused the whole project to fail. The scientists were hooked on the fact that they were using the correct formula that they did not make sure that it was correct in its entirety. The carelessness of the scientists resulted in millions of dollars spent for clean up and contamination of land and water. This contamination could be lethal to individuals and is all because of a very simple mistake. If the ego of the scientists had been smaller the entire disaster may have been avoided. Pope knew that little knowledge can cause people to act based on rumors which is exemplified by the destruction of Merrill Hall. Merrill Hall was destroyed by ELF (Earth Liberation Front) arsonists who said that Toby Bradshaw’s study of tree genetics was causing harm to the environment. (McCormick p.1) However, what the arsonists said and what actually happened are two different stories. â€Å"I have never genetically engineered a tree, much less released one into the environment.† he [Bradshaw] stated. â€Å"These â€Å"transgenetic† samples are purely experimental and never leave the lab.†(McCormick) The forestry professor estimates that, since 1995, he has worked with 80 transgenetic tissue samples compared to about 15,000 poplar  seedlings bred traditionally. The work that Bradshaw is doing does not have an effect on the environment in any way. His studies are strictly for research and cause no harm to anyone. The ELF may have had good intentions, but they destroyed a very expensive building based on untrue facts about what was going on inside of the building. Incidents like this are capable of being avoided if people take more time to examine the situation and act with certainty. A more subtle example of when little knowledge proved be a dangerous thing was the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers on agricultural produce. â€Å"More and more people are making decisions that affect agriculture without having the necessary educational references to benefit society in the long run. Many people no longer know where or how their food originates and really don’t care, assuming it will always be available when needed. Many also assume that farmers recklessly apply pesticides and they react with alarm to media reports filed by equally uninformed reporters.†(Causley) This excerpt explains that people do not know anything when it comes to the origin of their food. It also gives an explanation why mistakes that could be avoided are not. People do not care what is done to their food assuming that everything that is put into it is safe. DDT, a toxic pesticide used to kill grasshoppers feeding on crops, was one of the biggest killers of bald eagles in the United States. It also was shown to cause birth defects and premature death. Nobody wants to have poison in the food he or she consumes, but it cannot be taken out or spoken against if people do not realize that it is present. â€Å"The time is right, it seems, to provide children with special opportunities: that of witnessing the germination of a seed, tasting a newly picked strawberry, or marveling as baby chicks emerge from eggs. There will be a myriad of other experiences necessary on a day-to-day basis to carry their learning into adulthood. Children tend to reach the goals set before them–so if there is to be a strong agriculture in tomorrow’s world, the foundations must be laid now.†(Causley) Children’s attitudes are easier to change than adults. If a sense of care is engrained into a child’s mind at a young age there may be a chance to change the careless actions of the world into carefulness. Perhaps the most apparent truth regarding Pope’s statement is the genocide that took place during World War II. Almost the entire Jewish community living in Germany was massacred. This is because the Germans believed that the Jewish people were to blame for their problems. The German people believed that killing the Jews was the right thing to do. They based their beliefs on speeches by influential leaders and on propaganda. The people doing the actual killing of the Jews were told lies and cover stories to make them believe that they were helping their country. The executioners acted based on little knowledge they were told by biased sources. They were, in a way, brainwashed into believing that murder is acceptable. None of the major religions in the world teach that murder is good, yet the Nazis who killed millions of Jews believed that maybe in some circumstances it was accepted. Over 6 million Jews were killed under the command of Adolph Hitler. (Gurdus) The charisma of Hi tler is most likely higher than that of any leader in history. The German people believed every word that came out of Hitler’s mouth, and it is because of this that the Jews were persecuted. Hitler told the people that the Jews were the cause of the economy failure and that they were responsible for Germany’s poor condition. He promised to make Germany strong again. Many people who were still confused after World War I bought into Hitler’s claims and followed him. He became very powerful and used his power to get Germans to slaughter the Jews. The Jews were blamed for the downfall of Germany, but in reality it was the unwise decisions of the leaders. The Jewish people could not have been the cause for the defeat in World War I, but Germans believed that the Jews were at fault because of lies preached to them. The Jews were not just killed, they were tortured. Many of the Jews were burned alive, which is very painful. Others were forced to inhale toxic gasses causing internal bleeding and organ failures which led to death. (Herzstein) Also, every Jew had to wear the Star of David on their clothing so everyone would be able to tell if they were Jewish or not. The cruelty of the German people is almost unbelievable and is due to the ignorance that they did nothing about. The fact that many of the Germans could have simply said, â€Å"no† is what makes this tragedy even worse. The Germans believed everything they were told and took millions of innocent lives because they felt that what they knew about the Jews was truthful and that they were doing what was best for mankind. A person attesting Pope’s statement might exploit the people who knew little medical information but because of training they were able to help out another. A little bit of knowledge on how to care for someone who has been cut badly or has a broken bone may help save that person’s life. Simple knowledge on how to properly clean and dress a wound can prevent infection, amputation, or even death. (McClarty) When a person knows techniques that can help save lives, their life and the lives of those around them are at less of a risk. This argument is valid except that it does not cover the main issue at hand. If a person knows how to dress a wound then their little knowledge can be good, but if that same person thinks they can perform a heart transplant because of their wound healing abilities then they may cause someone else to die. Believing that one is an expert in a field they have little knowledge about can deeply affect the world. Having a high self-esteem is a good thing, but when it becomes too high and a person believes he is capable of things he is not then the high self-esteem turns into chaos. People specialize in one particular field of study so they can help others. It is impossible for everyone got a PhD in every subject, so becoming an expert in one field is the best way to organize society. Doubting the truth also is acceptable sometimes, but doubting the truth and acting when you are not sure of the truth is when trouble begins. A little learning can spawn an appetite for a greater knowledge, but acting before obtaining the amount of knowledge necessary for proper engagement is a dangerous thing.

Developing a Software Program

After  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required.  When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture of  software program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  that  software  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required. When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture of  software program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technologyimplementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  that  software  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required.  When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture of  software program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  that  software  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required.  When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture of  software program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  that  software  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required.  When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture of  software program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibilit y and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  thatsoftware  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required.  When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture ofsoftware program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  that  software  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required.  When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture of  software program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  that  software  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a bet ter result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required.  When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture of  software program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  that  software  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gathe r a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required. When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture of  software program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  thatsoftware  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better  resultsafter  implementation  of these  steps  architecture  to develop a software program is required.  When  these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an  architecture ofsoftware program is  designed  in  such  a  way that  it is  safe  for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then  an  information  system  can work well. If there are  leaks in the design and  programming  tactics and technology  implementation then there would be a  lot  of  leak in  the  system  as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say  that  software  programs  that developed to resolve a problem needs  attention in  all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is  reliable  and  portable efficient and  of strong functionality then  fulfill  the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better results.

Mother Tongue and Foreign Language Learning Essay

These five basic theories are, furthermore, very much complementary to each other, serving different types of learners or representing various cases of language learning. They must not automatically make us presume that first and second language learning are identical or alike processes, though second language learning is strongly tied up with first language acquisition. Obviously, native language growth must pave the way for foreign language growth. Then these five basic language learning theories are fundamental pillars of language learning whose relevance to education is undeniable. The Principle of the Behaviorist Theory The behaviorist theory believes that â€Å"infants learn oral language from other human role models through a process involving imitation, rewards, and practice. Human role models in an infant’s environment provide the stimuli and rewards,† (Cooter & Reutzel, 2004). When a child attempts oral language or imitates the sounds or speech patterns they are usually praised and given affection for their efforts. Thus, praise and affection becomes the rewards. However, the behaviorist theory is scrutinized for a variety of reasons. If rewards play such a vital component in language development, what about the parent who is inattentive or not present when the child attempts speech? If a baby’s language learning is motivated strictly by rewards would the speech attempts stop merely for lack of rewards (Cooter & Reutzel, 2004)? Other cases against this theory include â€Å"learning the use and meaning of abstract words, evidence of novel forms of language not modeled by others, and uniformity of language acquisition in humans† (Cooter & Reutzel, 2004). The Background of the Behaviorist Theory I) Behaviorist theory dwells on spoken language. That is, primary medium of language is oral: speech is language because there are many languages without written forms, because we learn to speak before we learn to read and write. Then, language is primarily what is spoken and secondarily what is written. That’s why spoken language must have a pri ¬ority in language teaching. 2)Behaviorist theory is the habit formation theory of language teaching and learning, reminding us the learning of structural grammar. Language learning concerns us by â€Å"not problem-solving but the in ¬formation and performance of habits† (Nelson Brooks, 1960; 46-47). In other words, language learning is a mechanical process leading the learners to habit formation whose underlying scheme is the conditioned reflex. Thus it is definitely true that language is controlled by the con ¬sequences of behavior. 3)The stimulus-response chain, Response, is a pure ease of conditioning. Behaviorist learning theory â€Å"emphasizes conditioning and building from the simplest conditioned responses to more and more complex behaviors† (David S. Palermo, 1978; 19-20). This comes to mean that clauses and sentences are learned linearly as longer and lon ¬ger stimulus-response chains, produced in a left-to right series of sequence like as probabilistic incidents, which are basically Markov’s processes. Each stimulus is thus thc caser of a response, and each response becomes the initiator of a stimulus, and this process goes on and on in this way. 4) All learning is the establishment of habits as the result of rein ¬forcement and reward. Positive reinforcement is reward while negative reinforcement is punishment. In a stimulus situation, a response is exer ¬ted, and if the response is positively augmented by a reward, then the association between the stimulus and response is itself reinforced and thus the response will very likely be manipulated by every appearance of stimulus. The result will yield conditioning. When responses to stimuli are coherently reinforced, then habit formation is established. It is be ¬cause of this fact that this theory is termed habit-formation-by-reinfor ¬cement theory. 5) The learning, due to its socially-conditioned nature, can be the same for each individual. In other words, each person can learn equally if the conditions in which the learning takes place are the same for each person. The behaviorist theory believes that â€Å"infants learn oral language from other human role models through a process involving imitation, rewards, and practice. Human role models in an infant’s environment provide the stimuli and rewards,† (Cooter & Reutzel, 2004). When a child attempts oral language or imitates the sounds or speech patterns they are usually praised and given affection for their efforts. Thus, praise and affection becomes the rewards. However, the behaviorist theory is scrutinized for a variety of reasons. If rewards play such a vital component in language development, what about the parent who is inattentive or not present when the child attempts speech? If a baby’s language learning is motivated strictly by rewards would the speech attempts stop merely for lack of rewards (Cooter & Reutzel, 2004)? Other cases against this theory include â€Å"learning the use and meaning of abstract words, evidence of novel forms of language not modeled by others, and uniformity of language acquisition in humans† (Cooter & Reutzel, 2004). Behaviorist theory, which is basically a psychological theory in its essence, founded by J. B. Watson, is actually a theory of native language learning, advanced in part as a reaction to traditional grammar. The supporters of this theory are Leonard Bloomfield, O. N. Mowrer, B. F. Skinner, and A. W. Staats. Behaviorism was advanced in America as a new approach to psychology in the early decades of the 20th-century by making a particular emphasis on the importance of verbal behavior, and received a considerable trust from the educational world of 1950s. The major principle of the behaviorist theory rests on the analyses of human behavior in observable stimulus-response interaction and the association between them. E. L. T. Thorndike was the first behaviorist to explore the area that learning is the establishment of associations on particular process of behavior and consequences of that behavior. Basically, â€Å"the behaviorist theory of stimulus-response learning, particularly as developed in the operant conditioning model of Skinner, considers all learning to be the establishment of habits as a result of reinforcement and reward† (Wilga Rivers, 1968, 73). This is very reminiscent of Pavlov’s experiment which indicates that stimulus and response work together. According to this category, the babies obtain native language habits via varied babblings which resemble the appropriate words repeated by a person or object near him. Since for his babblings and mutterings he is rewarded, this very reward reinforces further articulations of the same sort into grouping of syllables and words in a similar situation. In this way, he goes on emitting sounds, groups of sounds, and as he grows up he combines the sentences via generalizations and analogy (as in *goed for went, *doed, for did, so on), which in some complicated cases, condition him to commit errors by articulating in permissible structures in speech. By the age of five or six, or babblings and mutterings grow into socialized speech but little by little they are internalized as implicit speech, and thus many of their utterances become indistinguishable from the adults. This, then, obviously, means that behaviorist theory is a theory of stimulus-response psychology. â€Å"Through a trial-and-error process, in which acceptable utterances are reinforced by comprehension and approval, and un acceptable utterances are inhibited by the lack of reward, he gradually learns to make finer and finer discriminations until his utterances approximate more and more closely the speech of the community in which he is growing up (Wilga M. Rivers, 1968; 73). To put it in other words, children develop a natural affinity to learn the language of their social surroundings whose importance both over language learning and teaching must never be underestimated. In this respect behaviorist theory stresses the fact that â€Å"human and animal learning is a process of habit formation. A highly complex learning task, according to this theory may be learned by being broken’ down into smaIl habits. These are formed correct or incorrect responses, are rewarded or, punished, respectively ‘. (Hubbard Jones and Thornton Wheeler, 1983; 326). Thus it is clear that the acquisition of learning in infancy is governed the acquisition of other habits. Basic Tenents of Behaviorist Theory The following principles illustrate the operating principles of behaviorism: Counterarguments on Behaviorist Theory of Language Learning Needless to say, language teaching anticipates certain theories on language learning because language learning as a fruitful area that embodies the working of human behavior and mental processes of the learners. Each theory may not be complete model for the investigation of language learning. The following counter-arguments can be made upon the working principles of behaviorist theory: 1) Basic strategies of language learning within the scope of behaviorist theory are imitation, reinforcement, and rewarding. However, researches made on the acquisition of learning have demonstrated that children’s imitation of structures show evidence of almost no innovation; moreover children â€Å"vary considerably in the amount that they imitate† (L. M. Bloom, L. Hood, and P. L. Lightbown, 1974; 380-420). Since children do not imitate such structures like words, phrases, clauses and sentences at the same rate they will naturally learn at different rates even though it must be admitted that imitation is very useful in the acquisition of new vocabulary items. As for reinforcement, â€Å"Unfortunately this view of learning receives little support from the available evidence† (Herbert H. Clark and Eve V. Clark, 1977; 336), for the parents only correct the sample structures, and complex structures are occasionally corrected. 2) In behaviorist theory, the process of learning relies more on generalization, rewarding, conditioning, three of which support the development of analogical learning in children. But it can be argued that a process of learning or teaching that encourages the learner to construct phrases, clauses and sentences modeled on previously settled set of rules and drills is thought to obstruct the instinctive production of language. Then, habit formation exercises may not naturally promote intrinsically oriented language learning. 3) Obstructions made on instinctively-based learning will doubtedlessly harm the creative way of learning. It takes a long time to be capable enough to master a language at least a bit intrinsically. There is a threshold level in language learning. This means that learners must learn consciously supported by repetition and drilling to build up an effective linguistic intuition, acquisition of which marks the establishment of threshold level. Before obtaining the threshold level, the language learner is not creative, cannot use the language properly in new situations in a real sense. it is, then, obvious that the intrinsic learning will be delayed, owing to the Iate acquisition of threshold level because of previously settled set of rules and drills. 4) The rate of social influence on learning is not satisfactorily explained. To what extent and rate, does the social surrounding promote language learning? This question remains unexplained. 5) It is highly unlikely for learning to be the same for each individual; that is, each person cannot learn equally well in the same conditions in which learning takes place, for the background and the experience of the learners make everybody learn differently. In addition, according to Chomsky, there must be some innate capacities which human beings possess that predispose them to look for basic patters in language. 6) The main strategies of the behaviorist theory can only be true for the early stages of learning which takes place when the kids are in infancy and in early childhood periods. Moreover, this theory is fruitful for the most part on animal experimentation and learning. 7) Many of the learning processes are mostly too complex, and for this reason there are intervening variable s, which cannot be observed between stimulus and response. â€Å"That’s why, language acquisition cannot take place through habit formation, since language learners are thrown between stimulus and response chain, for language is too far complicated to be learned in such a matter, especially given the brief time available. CONCLUSION It is clear that language learning and its development, for the behaviorists, is a matter of conditioning by means of imitation, practice, reinforcement, and habituation, which constitute the paces of language acquisition. It must be born in mind that all behavioristic theories of learning are associationistic, including Thorndike’s, Guthrie’s, Hull’s, Skinner’s, and the theory of the school of functionalism. Apparently, behaviorism has its shortcomings, but it cannot be denied that learning process is for the most part a behavioristic processing, a verbal behavior. In language teaching area, behaviorism establishes the basic background of exercises, either oral or written in viewing language as stimulus and response. In addition, it gives a great deal of insight into the recognition of the use of controlled observation to discover the laws of behavior. It has exerted a great impact by influencing many teaching methods on the area of language teaching, for example, Audiolingual Method, Total Physical Response, and Silent Way embody the behaviorist view of language; also, British Structuralism has created the theory of language called Situational Language Teaching. In a word behaviorist theory aims at discovering behavioral justifications for designing language teaching in certain ways, being a hub a of many language teaching and learning theories. It must not be forgotten that it has given a push for the creation of empiricist language learning which became very fashionable in U . S. A. and in Europe. BIBLlOGRAPHY Bloom, L. M. (1974). â€Å"Imitations in Language Development: If, When, and Why†, â€Å"Cognitive Psychology†, pp. 380-420. Brooks, Nelson (1960). â€Å"Language and Language Learning†. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World. Clark, Herbert and Eve Clark (1977). â€Å"Language and Psychology: An Introduction to Psycholinguistics†. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich. Jones, Hubbard and Thornton Wheeler (1983). † A Training Course for TEFL†. Oxford University Press. Palermo, David S. (1978). â€Å"Psychology of Language†. Dallas: Scott, Foresman and Co. Rivers, M. Wilga (1968). â€Å"Teaching Foreign Language Skills†. Chicago: Chicago University Press.