Importance Of Accuracy And Fluency English Language Essay

Importance Of Accuracy And Fluency English Language Essay Accuracy and fluency are two key components of second language acquisition. In todays world, it seems that learning the usage of grammar and focusing on accuracy are emphasized by many language students over fluency. This topic of accuracy and fluency has been a controversial issue that has been discussed for many years. Although some formalists argue that learning a language means learning forms and rules, some activists take a different view and claim that learning a language means learning how to use a language (Eskey, 1983). Thus, this essay will argue that accuracy is not necessarily more important than fluency. It depends on learners needs and the purpose of instruction in second language acquisition. In order to demonstrate this, this essay will first focus on the importance of accuracy and fluency in English learning and show that they are both essential by looking at two different teaching methods. Second, it will turn to discuss both accuracy and fluency in term of learner goals, learner variables and instructional variables. Third, it will suggest what language teachers should do to deal with the issue and find the right balance between them. The importance of accuracy and fluency In this section, it will be argued that both accuracy and fluency are needed in second language acquisition. There has been much discussion about these two components, with arguments put forward in support of either one of the other. However, it will be shown that neither component is useful without the other. Early teaching methods promoted accuracy over fluency. For instance, the Grammar-Translation Method has been used by language teachers for many years. It is the traditional style of teaching method emphasizing grammar explanation and translation (Cook, 2001). In such a method, it is important for students to learn about the form of the target language. The role of the teacher is the authority. Students merely do what the teacher says and learn from the teacher, and many students consider that correct answers are essential. If they make errors or do not know an answer, it is the teachers duty to supply them with the correct answer. However, accuracy cannot be regarded as enough in language learning. According to Larsen-Freeman (2000), in the Grammar-Translation Method, the language that is used in class is mostly the students native language. In this case, there is much less attention to second language speaking and listening. When it comes to speaking and listening skills, fluency needs to be taken account in language learning. For this reason, other methods have emphasized fluency in language learning. It is clear that these approaches are built on learning the use of language not on learning the usage of it. For example, compared with the Grammar-Translation Method, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) emphasizes the process of communication rather than just focusing on language forms (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). Since the concept of CLT places an emphasis on fluency, errors of form can be seen as a natural outcome of the development of communication skills. Another argument in favour of fluency is the implementation of language in an authentic environment. In the real world, language is mostly used to express feeling and thought (Eskey, 1983). When there is a purpose to exchange meaning, fluency is the key element during communication. While communicating with each other, foreign language learners often encounter the difficulty, that is, what they know how to say does not achieve their communicative intention. In order to bridge the gap of such discrepancy, learners may use communicative strategies, such as prediction to make the communication successful. This is because if communicators are in the same context, one may predict what the other is going to say next. For example, before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, taxi drivers in Beijing were trained in order to obtain English speaking ability so that they could communicate with foreign tourists fluently. In this situation, although the taxi drivers were poor at grammar rules, they still can communicate with foreigners. This is because the driver can predict where the foreign passenger will go since their destination may be related to the Olympic Games. In this case, although some grammatical errors exist, communicators can still understand each other because they are in the same context. When listeners can not understand what speakers mean, they usually predict the following conversation and provide immediate response with speakers in the process of meaning negotiation. However, it must be remembered that the achievement of this level of communicative competence does not mean an equal one of grammatical competence (Eskey, 1983). As Eskey (1983: 319) claims, fluency in a language is no guarantee of formal accuracy. A realistic concern is that focusing on fluency may cause the significant effect on accuracy. According to Eskey (1983: 319), rewarding a learners fluency may, in some cases, actually impede his or her achievement of accuracy. For example, in order to get meaning across, language learners find the words, but they either pronounce them wrongly or put them together inappropriately. Such problem happens due to the fact that they can speak English continually but express themselves poorly. Thus, although accuracy is not enough by itself, it is still considered as necessary in language learning. Although learners can still communicate the message to make sense without correct form, it can not be denied that in order to use the language, learners still need to be able to convert linguistic forms into the ability to actually use then. Therefore, when using CLT approach, correcting for accuracy will still be offered by teachers. Although prediction in communicative context may benefit successful communication, fluency is not enough in this circumstance. Without accuracy, misunderstanding may occur because of misspelling, poor pronunciation and grammatical structures. It is therefore clear that as language teachers, both fluency and accuracy must be equally concerned in teaching students to use a language. The elements towards focusing on accuracy and fluency As the first section has mentioned, both accuracy and fluency are needed in the process of language learning. In this section, it will be argued that although these two components are equally necessary, there are three elements that may influence focus on them. The first element to consider is learner goals. It is suggested that many ESL teachers facilitate their students to develop communicative competence to really use the language for authentic purpose. Nonetheless, what students learn from the teacher may not be the outcome that the teacher supposes them to acquire. For example, if Thai children learn English in a rural Thai village, the outcome of language achievement may not all be positive. This is because these children do not need to use English as a tool in their daily life. In contrast, if Thai children learn English in order to sell products to foreigners, then there may be concern about a purpose for communicative competence. Moreover, if they want to pursue higher education in England, accuracy needs to be focused in language learning. Therefore, it seems that the need for accuracy and fluency relates to what goals learners want to achieve. It is considered that learner variables are also a key element which influences the focus on accuracy or fluency. According to Celce-Murcia (1985), a strategy guideline is provided to assist teachers in determining what degree they ought to focus on form in their own classes. In his study, learner variables include age, proficiency level and educational background. It is noted that every individual learns in different ways. Compared with adolescents and adults, young children seem to be more holistic in learning a concept instead of doing apparent analysis. This is because they are too young to analyse the structure of a language. Therefore, if young ESL learners are taught, it is most likely that little grammar instruction is needed. However, if the students are adolescents or adults, focusing on form may be more important. It is also suggested that education level is relevant to focus on accuracy or fluency. This is because teaching learners with preliterate level differs from teaching ones with literate level. If adults are at the level of beginners with little formal education, then focusing on form will be less important while fluency is the top priority. On the other hand, if the learners are at the intermediate or advanced level and are well educated, accuracy may be required and it may be necessary for the teacher to provide some feedback relating to form correction in order for them to make progress. Therefore, focusing on accuracy is not enough, fluency still needs to be concerned in terms of learners age, proficiency level and educational background. Moreover, instructional variables can be seen as the third element, which includes skill, register and need. It is suggested that the need of focus on accuracy and fluency also changes according to the purpose of the instruction. For instance, according to Celce-Murcia (1985), when the teacher is teaching receptive skills, such as listening or reading, the emphasis on form will be less important, since these skills require competence primarily in word recognition. Nevertheless, this does not mean accuracy can be neglected, because when knowing grammatical structure, learners can build up logical connection between sentences, which facilitates both listening and reading comprehension. On the other hand, if the teacher is focusing on productive skills, such as speaking and writing, then formal accuracy will become an essential concern. In addition, it has to be remembered that fluency is still needed for communication purpose. This is because if the teacher is offering a conversation class which purpose is for learners to really use the language to communicate with others, then fluency will be emphasized. Furthermore, if the learners immediate need is survival communication, formal accuracy is less focused. On the other hand, if the learner wants to use the language in a professional field, such as writing an academic essay or being a diplomat, then a high degree of formal accuracy is essential. The higher the stakes, the more likely that accuracy will be important (Eskey, 1983: 318). Therefore, it is clear that both accuracy and fluency are needed and whether focusing on accuracy or fluency depends on learner needs and course objectives. Approaches of finding balance between accuracy and fluency a) Course design and needs assessment Based on these three elements mentioned above, it is suggested that teachers should find the right balance between accuracy and fluency. Eskey (1983) argues that: Teachers must be prepared to deal with students who know grammar rules but can not speak the language fluently; likewise, they must also be prepared to deal with students who are fluent but not accurate (Eskey, 1983). In order to balance accuracy and fluency in language learning and teaching, it is suggested that both these components need to be taught in the process of learning situation. Thus, in this section, it will suggest methods of keeping a balance between accuracy and fluency in term of course design and needs assessment. It has been argued that many language learners have learned grammar rules, but when they want to express themselves, they do not have enough authentic experience of using languages (Celce-Murcia, 1985). Such result may be due to the fact that teaching materials does not provide learners with the context relevant to the communicative situation. In order to solve this problem, Celce-Murcia (1985) suggests an integrating grammar instruction into a communicative curriculum providing purposeful task-based discourse samples. For example, for the general purpose language learners, their beginning level course may start with teaching grammar-meaning correspondences, such as present tense versus past tense. By giving the time frame, students can easily distinguish the difference between these two tenses. After that, students are then taught grammar-function correspondences, such as the tone of must is stronger than need to. As soon as these two basic levels have been established, the teacher can offer discourse-level grammar, such as use of conjunctions. In this case, students not only acquire the grammar rules which focus on accuracy but also apply it for purposeful discourse which focuses on fluency. By this course designed to integrate form, meaning and content, it is possible for learners to balance accuracy and fluency in the communication (Celce-Murcia, 1985). However, there is a simple question about why learners need to balance accuracy and fluency. The answer to this question relates to English for specific purpose (ESP). According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), courses should be designed to meet learners needs. This may suggest that language teachers should note which learners need more attention on accuracy or fluency. To achieve this goal, for instance, teachers need to gather information about learners needs on accuracy and fluency and identify their target situation by using questionnaires, interviews, observation and informal consultations with learners before a course. Having done this, teachers analyse strategies required to cope in target situation, and then create syllabus which is a document saying which aspect needs more effort on accuracy or fluency. After that, select and design materials to focus on these strategies in syllabus. Finally, after teaching the materials, teachers establish evaluation procedures to test lear ners acquisition of accuracy and fluency (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). b) Evaluation and feedback In this section, it will be argued that course design and needs assessment are not enough. The evaluation and feedback afterwards from learners can also help teachers find the right balance between accuracy and fluency. Evaluation can be defined as a whole process of action which begins with decision of information gathering and ends with change in current courses or influence on future ones (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998). According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 145), an ESP course, after all, is supposed to be successful. This is because it is designed for particular learners to achieve particular objective with language level of accuracy and fluency. There are two levels of evaluation. The first one is learner assessment. Students performance is assessed at strategic points, such as at the beginning and at the end of the course. This is because ESP concerns with the necessary skills for particular learners to carry out communicative tasks. This kind of assessment enables teachers to determine how much focus on accuracy and fluency is needed (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). As ESP teachers, they need to consider if the objectives are too ambitious for learners. If so, the learners initial language competence may be overestimated. For example, a teacher designs a syllabus by analysing students needs. Students are expected to present written work and make an oral presentation in accurate English. After teaching, the teacher may find that serious weakness in grammar leads to unclearness of students oral presentation. Although the course contains the objectives of achieving certain level of accuracy and fluency, perhaps students achieve more on either one of them, and then students will require more specific help by teaching both accuracy and fluency used in the context relevant to their needs. The second one is course evaluation by learners. This helps teachers to demonstrate how well the course actually meets a particular educational aim. Therefore, evaluation not only reflects learners performance on accuracy and fluency during the process of learning but also shows how effective students feel the course was. In this case, if they feel the ESP course fails to meet their goal, then there must be something wrong with course design or methodology. It is therefore clear that both learner and course evaluation have a similar function in providing feedback on the ESP course (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). Moreover, the feedback of the learning outcome is essential not only for students but also for teachers. This is because feedback reflects students learning achievement on accuracy and fluency and the effectiveness of teaching. Therefore, how to evaluate learning and teaching to obtain feedback is important to teachers. In order to find the balance between accuracy and fluency, evaluation and feedback are essential not only at the beginning of the course but also after the instruction. Conclusion In conclusion, although accuracy has been emphasised by many language students, as the three sections mentioned above, it can clearly be seen that both accuracy and fluency are important at different needs for different people of different priorities. Despite the fact that some arguments show that accuracy is essential for learners to acquire linguistic form to produce the language, this is not enough. Fluency is still needed considering the language implementation in an authentic environment. This essay has suggested that both accuracy and fluency are needed in second language acquisition. Whether to focus more on accuracy or fluency depends on learners needs and course objectives. Therefore, language teachers can find the right balance of accuracy and fluency by using an ESP approach to design courses relevant to the needs and objectives. Thus, these courses can maximise the effects of teaching and learning through evaluation and feedback. Although ESP can solve this problem, teachers ability to design the course should be taken into consideration. Therefore, it is suggested that teacher training program is certainly necessary and the real development may be made in the future.

Childhood Constructions

Childhood is the period of time stretching from infancy to adolescence (teenage) stage of life. Issues, theories and concepts have been put forth attempting to put some meaning to childhood. For instance the modern society perceives children as passive and surviving at the mercies of the wider society. Adults do not seek to learn anything from the children and they assume that childhood is a period meant to transform kids into dependable adults. There is a need to view childhood differently to be able to respond positively to their needs and to understand the stage as crucial in helping us understand adulthood and humanity in general. As a matter of fact, childhood experiences, plays a vital role in shaping the later stages of life. Childhood is perceived as a social structure, which determines the ideal institutions where proper childhood development would be ensured. Generally, social structures offer both opportunities one is exposed to and limitations are determined by a child’s socio-economic background and its physical endowments (Stearns, 2003). A child in ideal situation is expected to have two parents who provide everything and ensure moral uprightness. The child is given enough time to relax and has siblings. The parents are expected to provide security and facilities for play. Parents commence preparations for the infant long way before the mother delivers the kid. However, in terms of childhood development, from a historical perspective, the early American society never celebrated infancy. Childhood was characterized by missing parental care, high rate of infant mortality. There was not time for taking the kid through all the stages of growth and development. Where parents were missing due to reasons like death, young children were charged with the task of taking care of the others. However, good morals were upheld all through. Child labour was prevalent as well as early marriages. In the late 1700s and early 1800 there was growing concern on childhood. Between 1840s and 1900s socio-economic changes taking place revolutionized the ideal of child upbringing. Parents became more concerned about children; they started emphasizing on child education. A scientific aspect was incorporated in child rearing whereby child development was closely monitored. Racial concerns arose. Industrial development led to improved standards of life and reduced childhood deaths. However, some children especially of immigrant families were still in slavery. These children were poorly treated subjected to much work and not allowed to go through formal education. Some children ended up in orphanages where proper care was ensured. Other children went missing and still others would end up dying. In the twentieth century children were regarded as of economic value. They offered cheap labour earning highly needed wages in the family. There was a rising need to occupy the kids with work to discourage laxity. In the contemporary society children are perceived as of less economic value. Infact childhood is regarded as an economic liability. Children, spend more of parents’ financial resources than they contribute to the same. Young children’s perception of things in the US and the world at large has been subjected to a number of influences. Their access to information materials and gadgets like TV, video and computer exposes them to a wide field of knowledge. These triggers and stimulate a mental process that generates a diversified perception of issues to do with life. For instance, programmes on TV and videos showing modern family life would touch issues like children rights. Children acquire knowledge on family issues like the role of parents in a family, career, and family conflicts among other issues at a very tender age. It is not amazing to realize that some programmes highlighting crucial family issues like divorce, separation, child abuse appear on screen long way before the kids succumb to sleep. As a matter of fact, the media has made the children to feel like they are their own caretakers. It is worth noting that in some programmes, adult voices and perceptions have been superimposed on very young children. Romantic movie clips and actual programmes are not rare on TVs in the early evening hours. This most assuredly influences children’s perception of issues to do with sexuality, love, hate and social conflicts. In some movies, a character commits suicide, murder or causes chaos in their attempt to either express themselves or to get out of trouble. All these happenings are bound to model the character and personality of children since they are also exposed to similar circumstances in this world. No wonder cases of young snipers have been reported in the recent past in our society. The greatest challenge and risk is that parents and guardians cannot exercise full control over what their children go through and their exposure to information materials. Children can virtually access any information anywhere even if they are denied access at home. Due to social-economic problems some parents have ended up in serious conflicts. A man and his wife settle scores physically when reason fails to avail solutions for their pressing issues. This has exposed many children to utter violence and most of them perceive this world as a harsh and chaotic place and some develop aggression in their bid to conquer life’s challenges. Other end up violent when their tactics fail to work. Children face challenging and conflicting situations both at home and away from home. With increasing social-economic challenges, children of the world are exposed to situations that influence their character and personality very early. Many parents who are especially keen on child development are very anxious and rather troubled due to the deteriorating morals and social values. Evil is inculcated in children’s lie s at very early stages of child’s development and some caretakers are simply watching desperately as their children vanish in the mire of moral rottenness. Parents and guardians are increasingly concerned about the eventualities given the direction the current (modern) society has taken. For instance, drug use and abuse at childhood stages. Drug use is a commonplace thing in schools. It is a matter of great concern since a drug addicted young generation spells doom to the future of the society. Lack of sobriety among the youths would result to stagnating social-economic systems. The other nagging issue is about the dwindling interest in schooling. Children seem to pursue entertainment and quick money earners at the expense of a formal system of learning, which incorporates all aspects of human growth development. This produces a dull; dump and unrealistic clique that would lack the remotest idea of how to progressively run the socio-economic aspects of our society. Fun centers are always congested. Youngsters are pursuing fame and money (wealth) at all costs in some instances with dire consequences. The young generation seems to be dragging the entire society into Hades. Learning institutions seem to design their programmes to suit the whims of the learners this basically being a result of constant expression of fear and anxiety by parents whose children’s performance grow dismal. The fear by the parents is that the children are bound to develop disinterest in education if their performance worsens. There is an increasing desire to score high grades and join better and highly ranked higher learning institutions. Those who fail to measure up resort to entertainment parlors. A mention of physical growth, fitness or posture would cause some emotional tremor. This is an issue of great concern among Americans. High economic development rate has made many young people afford high calorific foods. Eating habits have changed and cases of obesity have been increasing day after day. However, the increasing concerns about the issue of body size, weight, posture and fitness is the reason behind the fast rate of growth of the fashion beauty and modeling industry. This raises a myriad of questions about the extent to which the children should be allowed to make decisions about their physical and emotional development. Most parents are extremely anxious about the developments that may arise during the course of growth and development of their children. Streets trodden by youngsters struggling to bear massive weight are commonplace in America. The issue of physical development among other social challenges affects a child’s self esteem. For instance, an obesed child is likely to develop low self-esteem. Poor academic performance would also have similar effects on the self-esteem of a child. Parents are especially concerned about eating habits of their children but it still remains an evasive issue since many eateries are being put up offering high calorie and very attractive foods. What leads the youngsters to such eating habits and poor dietary programmes remains a very tricky puzzle. As the parents battle with the issue of food, one would point an accusing finger at them since some abandon their duty as mothers at very early stages of child development. For instance, some due to careers quit breastfeeding a couple of days after delivery. The responsibility of feeding the child rests squarely on baby sitters, some of who might either lack crucial knowledge on proper diet or others out of defiance dump unhealthy foods into the child’s tummy. A child graduates to teenage with the same problem. Boredom is a feeling that would quite well describe the emotional orientation of most youths in our society. Every formal system seems to be a bore to the young generation. Schoolwork is boring and many are reluctant to pursue higher education. Parents are very much concerned about the amount of homework assigned to the children. On one hand the children feeling bored by the too much task given by the teachers to be tackled at home by the children; on the other hand, the parents feel that too much homework denies them control over the activities performed by their children during their time with them at home. Teachers still feel that they have an obligation to steer learning among the children to greater heights. How a compromise would be struck given the above situations remains a hard nut to crack. This concern revolves around not only the issue of homework assigned by teachers to children but also around other chores both at home and away from home. The government is on very high alert concerning issues to do with child labour. The problem is how to determine what amounts to child labour. Determining how much work a child should be given at home and elsewhere is an issue to be debated upon. With the growing enlightenment on children rights is bound to be a bone of contention. However, hiring of children to work in the manufacturing and processing industries remains out of question and punitive measures should be meted on whoever commits such a disorderly thing. A great deal of anxiety rests in the hearts of parents and guardians when an issue of special needs arises. How such children are handled matter a lot. There is a need for more schools that can handle such cases. But parents are more concerned about their welfare. Children with both physical and mental disadvantages are not easy to cater for and the number and capacity of the institutions handling such might not be adequate and this has been the essence of parental concerns. Another issue arises when a consideration is made on whether to surrender the disabled children or other children with special needs full time to such special institutions or part timely. With the busy parent schedules this becomes a big issue. Children are also exposed to traffic risks. How roads and streets are manned determines how safe or unsafe children can be on the roads. Children use roads frequently on foot either from schools or other events and occasions. Road safety for children is an issue of concern among parents. Issues range from delays in traffic snirl-ups to accidents both in public service vehicles or private cars. Though rare, parents are also afraid in case a child sneaks a car out of the homestead. Concerns about children safety do not only arise on the roads but also at home and elsewhere. Safety in the house, on the compound and away from home arouses great concern among parents. Parents strictly and keenly monitor the activities of the children whenever they are around them. At times they are concerned about the punitive measures taken by teachers against the children. Another issue about safety arises when a babysitter comes into the scene. Fear engulfs parents concerning the level of safety a babysitter would ensure on children. Babysitters might not have a deep emotional attachment to the child. Negligence by a babysitter would pose a safety risk and also physical and psychological anomalies. There is also a risk of child abductions. Parents are afraid of situations whereby after allowing their children to move around freely, they end up under the custody of strangers who later turn up demanding hefty amounts of cash before they release them. This is not uncommon with the escalating crime levels. Other concerns include infant sexual exploitation. There have been a number of cases of infant sexual exploitation in the American society. The worst is when a close relative is implicated in the vice. Children are constantly exposed to such dangers, especially with the weakening social ties and parents busy schedules which rob them of the opportunity to constantly and consistently monitor their children’s activities. Many self-confessed victims of sexual harassment have brought to our attention the looming danger. The society has almost reached a state of moral decantation. Some people seem to have lost their sense of reason. Children below five years of age have fallen victims. Other concerns that leave parents torn between issues touch the areas of toilet training. How it is conducted at that tender age determines the psychological development of the child. Some parents lose their patience when the child turns out to be a slow learner. This according to psychoanalysts tends to behavioral maladjustments later in a child’s life. This again raises the issue of whether or not the mother is the one charged with the responsibility of conducting the exercise. Babysitters are known to be harsh especially when the children are unco-operative. However some mothers subject their children to harsh toile training. Many parents are usually anxious about how fast their children learn to control their bowel movements. Another issue of paramount concern is breast-feeding. The stage of growth and development at which an infant is weaned (or stops breastfeeding) contributed a great deal to the physical and psychological development of the infant. A child who stops breastfeeding early than expected is likely to develop poorly physically and psychologically. This also tampers with the emotional attachment between the child and the mother and the child is likely to develop defiant behaviour later in life. Parents are afraid and anxious about future development of their children given their early administration of bottled foods. The changing social structures coupled with the negative publicity carried out by the media have also caused too much anxiety among parents. Family ties are weakening and many parents are opting for divorce or separation. Children are majorly the sufferers. Media never ceases to feature movies that uphold violent behaviour and crime. Infact movie stars are perceived even by youngsters, as heroes who murder many and commit the vilest things. Children have their role models in movies. Romantic movies are filled with scenes portraying hatred, jealousy, obscenity, murder, suicide and revenge. The young children are adopting the same negative traits and some are living out the characters they see in the movies. Family feuds are not rare occurrences in our society. To sum up, childhood development and child upbringing are issues that parents are very much concerned in America. Parents face numerous anxious moments in their efforts to bring up their children in the most ideal conditions and ways. Readership of publications highlighting issues concerning childhood is growing tremendously as parents battle with the challenges they encounter in control over their lives of their children. The wider society on the other hand has a major role to play in shaping the character of the young. There is a tag of war as the two scrambles for control. Parent’s concerns and anxiety is genuine and valid. Every adult in the US should feel responsible for the upbringing of the upcoming young generations. The media should be instrumental in promoting proper childhood development by designing programs that uphold acceptable childhood behaviour as well as educating all childhood social institutions on the most ideal ways of bringing up children. And the government should provide structures that promote proper childhood development. A central issue that has been raised over time is about childhood innocence. In the earlier times infants were perceived as innocent. However with the emerging issues in the society and exposure of sexual materials by the media, children are exposed to sexual issues and abuse at tender stages of growth and development. One would wonder whether children are innocent as earlier perceived or not. The society, including media should feel responsible for shaping childhood. The fashion industry should be more responsible to admit the right ages. A fairer comparison should be drawn between children and adults. Children should be enlightened on their right, and the dangers and risks they are exposed to. Much light should be she on the existing opportunities available for the children to fully exploit their talents.

Z B SOLUTIONS LTD - Business Plan - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1949 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Z B SOLUTIONS LTD Business Plan Contents Executive Summary The Business Objectives Vision Mission Keys to Success Values Goals Services Marketing Strategy Pricing Strategy Competitive Edge Market research The Origins of Islamic Finance Islamic Finance Today The Future of Islamic Finance Competitor Research Conclusion Contact Us Executive Summary Z B SOLUTIONS LTD was created by its Director MR MUHAMMAD ZIA ASHRAF BUTT on 19/06/2014 to assist businesses to best manage their finances so as to increase productivity and make responsible decisions. As more and more businesses are interested in the idea of ethical investments; drawing them towards the idea of halal financing and Islamic banking; Z B Solutions Ltd will be available at hand to provide relevant solutions to the smaller businesses that are not actively targeted for these halal solutions. The aim of the business is to give small businesses the choice of finance solutions and provide these solutions at an economical rate so as to promote the importance and value that finances have within a business. Z B Solutions Ltd is ideally located in Manchester which is the entrepreneurial hub of the North. This means that the business can target the majority of SME businesses located in the vicinity. Director, MR MUHAMMAD ZIA ASHRAF BUTT aims to recruit professionals that will understand what means most to businesses locally in order to provide a service that is more than just a job. The Company will tailor its services to the needs of its customers and provide a personal service. Z B SOLUTIONS LTD will focus on providing accurate financial information, promoting innovation, reducing business risks, enhancing transparency and identifying business opportunities. The Company will aspire to satiate its customers with its knowledge and expertise. The Director aims to create close, long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with his customers. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Z B SOLUTIONS LTD Business Plan" essay for you Create order The Business Z B SOLUTIONS LTD was incorporated on the 19th of June 2014 and has been set up as a company limited in its shares, to provide financial risk analysis services to businesses in the locality. It is currently based at 13 HANNAH STREET, MANCHESTER, M12 5SN and another more suitable location will be considered in the near future so as to accommodate other employees. MR MUHAMMAD ZIA ASHRAF BUTT owns all the 100 shares of the Company at the present time. He founded the business after achieving the degree of Master of Arts with Merit, in Islamic Banking, Finance and Management, from the University of Gloucestershire, and gaining experience of working with other businesses. He has high expectations of the Company and expects to deliver quality services to its customers. Z B SOLUTIONS LTD currently employs only its director, but aims to have acquired a minimum of 5 other employees by third year operations. The business also currently enjoys a start-up capital of  £50,000 that h as been made available by Mr. Butt. Objectives Our Objectives are: To provide a specialist service for business that want to conduct their finances according to their religion. To create an innovative, friendly and determined working environment for employees. To build a solid client base through honest marketing and good reviews. To generate revenue per in line with inflation. To expand and change our services based on industry trends and customer needs. To provide employment opportunities within the local community. Vision At Z B SOLUTIONS LTD, we view to exceed our customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ expectations. Our consultancy will lift our customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ innovative ideas and will help them stand as improved businessmen. The plan is to develop a sustainable financial management companythat generates valuefor our customers.We want to double our customer base every year until year 3 at least. Z B SOLUTIONS LTD will offer comprehensive financial planning services to our customers, and we aim to employ more educated and certified staff, to be able to widen the range of services we provide. Mission The mission of Z B SOLUTIONS LTD is; To have a range of consultants with expertise in each business area. To start providing our services in the local area and expand to other areas after gaining a name and experience. To build a brand name for our company, promoting our à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"honesty and excellenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ To continue to research into business trends and stay up to date with technological and legislation changes. Keys to Success The Keys to the Success of Z B SOLUTIONS LTD lie in the following: Maintaining customer satisfaction. Being accurate and honest. Providing online services for customers. Developing business visibility via different marketing methods. Concentrating on Quality of Service before Quantity. Values Z B SOLUTIONS LTD values its: Accountability Professional Service Excellence Leadership Integrity Respect Goals At Z B SOLUTIONS LTD, we want to grow and be successful. To do this, we have set ourselves some small goals. These are; To initially outsource administrative, and other work for which we do not have staff. (This will help us keep costs down, while we do not need the services of full time staff) To provide employment opportunities in the local area. This will ensure that we have the necessary expertise and resources to effectively provide a wider range of professional services. To change our marketing campaign with time and need. Services Z B SOLUTIONS LTD will provide the following services: Analysis and evaluation of the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ current business operations and requirements. Examining any problems, relating to management of finances, within the customer business alongside the customer. Recommending solutions to better manage the organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s finances with an aim to increase productivity. Producing a report for management, to show recommendations, their costs and benefits. Assisting the implementation of solutions and recommendations that have been agreed upon. Liaising with other financial service providers in order to ensure smooth completion of project and seamless hand off. Halal / Islamic Management and Financial Advice will be provided to those businesses wishing to follow the guidelines of the Islamic Shariah. The Company aims to increase its service provision to include other financial services so as to provide a more complete service to its customers and increase its competitive edge. This will be achieved through the recruitment of other skilled professionals. Marketing Strategy Our target market will be young and experienced SME businesses in Lancashire Z B SOLUTIONS LTD will market our services by: Advertising on The Yellow Pages, 192.com, Scoot.com and other such classified websites. Listing our business with all local business directories and associations Developing a brochure to be distributed to local businesses, key business leaders, at workshops, seminars and to potential customers. Becoming an active member of business and consulting associations. Networking with the local business community. Using personal social circle to help à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"spread the wordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. And, Developing a website highlighting key services and level of expertise. Pricing Strategy Z B SOLUTIONS LTD will adopt a penetrative pricing strategy initially so as to attract customers and to overcome the barrier that might be faced due to being a new business. Competitive Edge Although the recent financial crisis caused a lot of large consulting firms to downsize and many other businesses to shut down, the UK is now recovering from this crisis and a lot of new businesses have appeared which is causing an increase in competition and resulting in the increase to the threat posed to the business. In order to gain a good market share, Z B SOLUTIONS LTD will not only give its customers an expert service, tailored to their needs; but will also attract customers through a penetrative pricing strategy and an innovative niche approach to finances tailored to those who wish to manage their corporate finances in compliance with their religious legislation. Market Research Since Z B SOLUTIONS LTD specializes in the provision of services relating to Islamic Finance otherwise known as Sharia Compliant Finance (SCF), the director has researched the Islamic Finance sector, its history and future projection below. The Origins of Islamic Finance The idea of Islamic Finance first saw its origins developed between the eighth century and the twelfth century. It picked up the form of modern financing in the 1950s and 60à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, when the subject of interest free banking was researched by authors such as Muhammad Uzair in 1955, Nejatullah Siddiqi in 1960à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and Baqir Al-Sadr in the 70à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. In 1963, Ahmad Elnagger undertook a pioneering effort to set up sharia compliant banking in a small town known as Mit Ghamr in Egypt, and this effort was closed down by the government in 1968. Although this effort was shut down, it had given birth to a new way of thinking and nine other banks had set up with the same idea in the country. The 1973 oil crisis and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"October Warà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ assisted the development of this sector which led to the set-up of the Islamic Development Bank in 1975. This was set up to provide funding to projects within member countries. The Dubai Is lamic Bank in 1975 was the first bank to become a modern commercial bank, although it offered very basic products that were highly influenced by conventional financial products. In 1995, there were approximately 33 such banks worldwide that were government run, 40 Islamic private banks and 71 Islamic investment companies. 2008 saw the growth of the Islamic Banking system at a rate of 1pproximately 15% per annum, and according to the Global Islamic Financial Review, over the last 30 years, the Sharia-compliant finance sector has grown to $1.6trillion in assets. This banking sector has now be-come difficult to ignore even by the Non-Muslims with over 300 institutions in over 51 countries across the globe. According to Ernst Young, the 20 leading Islamic banks in the world have been growing at an astonishing rate of approximately 16% per annum in the last 3 years. This has attracted the attention of Muslim and nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Muslim investors worldwide. Islamic Finance Today According to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Economistà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, today an estimated 822 billion US dollarsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ worth of Shari-ah compliant assets are managed worldwide and this banking sector is increasingly attracting Muslims and non-Muslims alike. As an example, Muslims make up a 5% of the UK population, yet the UK has more Sharia-compliant banks than any other Western country. This is because the social and political views in the UK and the West are becoming increasingly pro-Islamic Banking. Muslims may be interested in the idea of Islamic Banking and Finance so that they can be more compliant with their religious practices. However, non-Muslims have shown a great interest in Islamic Banking, not only because it has an aspect of social-responsibility which appeals to customers much in the same way as a green products would appeal to an environmentally conscious customer, but because the industry has grown rapidly and has the potential to tap into huge, previously untap ped, investor funds from Malaysia and the Gulf as well as Africa. Recently, at the 2013 World Islamic Economist Forum, David Cameron disclosed that he would like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“London to stand alongside Dubai and Kuala Lampur, as one of the great capitals of Islamic finance anywhere in the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . This shows a promise for Islamic Banking related business to profit and succeed within the industry if the company is managed well. The Future of Islamic Finance As two of the largest Islamic finance markets; the countries of the Gulf and Malaysia, recover, a growing investor market is being realized with enough investment capital to make a huge difference. This will mean a further growth in the Islamic Banking and Finance market which will be quickly capitalized on by Z B SOLUTIONS LTD. Conclusion From the research above, it is evident that Z B SOLUTIONS LTD has a decent plan for business, in a growing sector that has further potential. Z B SOLUTIONS LTD also has a good strategy to be able to harness this potential and use it to grow the business for the financial betterment of its owners, and employees as well as the betterment of the economy and locality.

Why Texting and Driving is so Dangerous - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1091 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Texting and Driving Essay Did you like this example? In this day in age many millennials dont consider the risks of texting and driving, in fact not a ton of people consider the risks of texting and driving in this day in age. Statistics have been compiled in recent years display that every day in the U.S., 9 people die because they use their phone while driving and over 1,153 are injured in distracted driver crashes that is daily meaning texting and driving is one of the most dangerous things in this era. An innumerable amount of people use their phones while driving, and dont think its a big deal, and who knows what the future looks like in the near future when many children are getting iphones and smartphones at younger ages who knows how often theyll be using their phones while driving if they are starting to get phones at a younger age and develop addictions for them. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Why Texting and Driving is so Dangerous" essay for you Create order According to an article on psychology today, 40% of the United States population are addicted to their smartphones. In the future phones are only going to continuously get more and more advanced causing more people to get them and use them while driving. One cannot emphasize enough how important it is for other humans to not use any cellular device while driving. Texting and driving can have similar impairments to drinking and driving, according to the National Highway and Transportation Administration both can have results that can result in following too closely, weaving into oncoming traffic, or not being able to brake on time. Many young teenagers who first get their license tend to make a big mistake and thats picking up the phone to text while driving. Picking up the phone to text can be ones first major mistake that can also be fatal. How important is a text to a lot of people if they are willing to risk their lives and the lives of others around them by texting and driving. Is one text really worth putting multiple people at risk just because one cant wait to see what a text they received said, simply due to the fact someone feels like they must respond to a text immediately is why many of the accidents occur and a quantity amount of the time this leads to a vehicular accidents that can result in deaths. The biggest age group affected by this problem would have to be teens aging from 16 up to adults aging around 30. In the end, no one benefits from this problem other than the law enforcement team who has worked so hard to stress the importance of no texting while driving and funeral homes that are being paid for burial expenses. Many teens who die from texting and driving are in High School, Imagine if while in High School hearing on the announcements one of your classmates died. Many High School students nowadays have to hear that on the announcements because their fellow classmates werent able to resist the temptation of being on their phone while driving they ended up dying. According to Goldsborough the human brain is not capable of being able to use a mobile device while driving, it is too much for it to process. (Goldsborough). Similarly Cox confirms driving is a one mind chore (Cox). The human mind is not capable of being able to text and drive at the same time since its such a fast paced thing to do while driving. The reason it will be so hard to make texting and driving illegal in every state is because officers will have to check the logs on the persons phone they pulled over to see if they were actually texting and driving, or maybe they were just getting off a phone call with a close relative. As soon as an officer has the right to check the log of someones phone they pulled over the law will start to see some issues with privacy. This issue is very important because this issue is constantly on the rise. The age group that is most responsible for being in distracted driving accidents are teens-adults. The reason for this is that our generation is the technologically advanced generation. Everyone seems to have an iPhone or a laptop or an iPod these days, even young children. These advances have become so deeply rooted in our society one cannot seem to go a single day without their phone or laptop or other electronic devices. People are constantly using the Internet and checking their phones whether it is to text someone or to update their status on social media. This issue affects the current generation as a whole because younger people continuously keep getting more and more advanced phones. The color red in the image above represents death or danger. The reason that is believed is because in the picture one can see a text on the phone that says Lol then the text in red reads texting and driving is not funny. No matter how important a text might seem it isnt worth risking the lives o f those around us. Remember that a text can always wait, but can those who have a phone always take that into consideration? Distracted driving has gotten way out of hand. As stated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,474 people were killed in accidents that happened because of distracted driving and 448,000 were injured (Texting While Driving). Even just glancing down to a mobile device while driving or sending a simple love you text can be very dangerous. Justin McNaul, the director of state relations for the American Automobile Association stated, Even taking your eyes off the road for two seconds doubles your chances of being in a crash ( In Cell Phones). Why would you risk your life, the people you love, and strangers lives? Waiting to text your friend about the super cool dress you got can wait until you are safely out of your car. Remember, a crash that happens because of texting can driving can happen to anyone no one is immune from it. Distracted driving is something that should not be taken lightly when many young teens are losing their lives due to the fact that many of them dont have the self control to avoid looking at their phone while driving, but it isnt just teens who do this many adults in this day of age use their phones while driving as well. The dangers of texting and driving cant be emphasized enough when many people continuously lose their lives due to one poor decision.