Given the relatively small size of our economy, Malaysia is a country heavily reliant on exports as a source of income. Manufacturing, our biggest foreign exchange earner, currently accounts for the bulk (70%) of total exports led by electronic parts and components, followed by commodities such as oil and gas as well as palm oil. As long as this over-dependency remains, Malaysia will always be exposed to the risks of the cyclical nature of global ICT product demand and the speculative prices of raw materials. Based on the growth experience of industrialized economies, manufacturing has also already reached its optimum share of 30% contribution to the Malaysian GDP. In other words, traditional means of exports will continue to decline and diversification of our export earnings is imperative for us to compensate for the resulting gaps. Dato Seri Najib Razak’s recent announcement of further liberalization to the services sector couldn’t have been more well-timed. Through this, we can expect to speed up our reduction of on imported services while boosting our exports (in various other categories) to register a healthier overall bank balance. We’ve only just started seeing trade surplus for services since 2007. This would not have been possible without tourism, which contributes to almost 50% of the services sector and Malaysia’s 2nd largest foreign exchange earner. Besides having an incredible multiplier effect in terms of income and employment distribution due to far-reaching linkages to other sectors (construction, finance, insurance, manufacturing etc. – tourism, unlike other goods or services, has no exact substitutes; meaning demand for holidays is more likely to grow rather than be traded with something else. Neither is it subjected to price fluctuations affected by speculative factors like commodities for example. If the index of average international tourist expenditure equals the price of the international product, prices received enjoy greater stability versus raw materials. In fact, prices have tended to increase in a stable manner due to among other things, demand for holidays and the rigidity of destination supply in the short and medium term. Tourism also has the capacity to recover foreign-currency investment in a shorter time – a strong motivation for FDI inflows to the country. The UNWTO estimates that a medium-class beach hotel in a developing country will earn back in 1 year the entire foreign exchange required to build and equip it. In this bleak climate however, decline in international arrivals is naturally expected. Unless enough measures are put in place to safeguard the industry – the impact would overwhelming on not just travel per se, but on a massive chunk of businesses that rely on tourism as a demand stimulus. There are several key things we need to do. Firstly, we need to be extremely targeted in terms of our source markets. This recession is quickly speeding up the shift of economic power to emerging economies – the result of the contrast between the excess of savings in Asia and the debt burden of Europe and North America. While it is a global downturn, China, India, and MENA region are still expected to post positive growth – which is a far cry from the -3% growth forecasted for developed countries. Besides ASEAN, contribution of international arrivals from these countries will make up a substantial share of our prospects. What this also means, is that our ASEAN counterparts would be vying for the same piece of the pie. Even more difficult is the fact ASEAN destinations share their own equivalent of what Malaysia offers as a travel destination – common key interests like cultural experiences, beaches and spas, historical monuments, shopping, local cuisine, sports etc. As witnessed from most communication efforts both regionally and globally, countries have more often than not packaged these attractions together in a beautifully crafted montage of pictures either on television or print advertising that spells out what a destination has to offer. During a time when such demonstrations become expected proof of value, how do we then break through the clutter and arrest the traveler’s attention? To do this, we need to create ideas that mean something to them, ideas they would want to spend their time with. Value need not necessarily mean tangible or functional attractions to a traveler alone. Rather than starting with the multitude of things a destination has to offer, we need to look at our arrival prospects as people first – and identify a fundamental need, that could be emotional or rational, before tailoring our destination to resolve them. An example of how this approach has worked lies within Tourism Malaysia’s own communications targeting the South and West Asian markets by JWT-Sen Media Malaysia in 2008. In India, 2 large and rapidly growing segments of travelers were identified – honeymooners and young, affluent working couples with kids. Surveys revealed an interesting discovery amongst newlyweds, the fact that a majority of marriages in India were still largely arranged, by choice. A honeymoon for them is akin to a couple on a first date, where an awkward tension exists between both parties. By tapping on this, we demonstrated the emotional value of a Malaysian holiday by telling a story of how a relatively unknown man called a husband becomes a close friend of a woman with each passing day, having gone through different experiences in Malaysia together. As for young families – the main motivation behind a holiday is to indulge in quality time with their family, as 55% feel they don’t spend enough time with their children back home. To capture this segment, a story of a busy, successful boss who rediscovers the dad in him was spun around a holiday experience in Malaysia. Similarly for West Asia, we tapped on a finding that the target looked forward to the refreshing feeling of “water†when they go on a holiday, as it’s a transient form of escapism from their natural surroundings. We sought to bring this feeling to life by weaving a tale about a little girl who comes to Malaysia with her parents, equipped with a tiny parasol, looking for cool hills and the excitement of rain…and finds it. Through selling value based on fundamental “people†motivations instead of purely selling the destination, Malaysia posted a growth of arrivals from India by 28% within the months of October to December 2008 (when the campaigns ran) versus the same period during a recession-free 2007. In the largest West Asian markets – Saudi Arabia and Iran posted an astonishing 47% and 64% growth in arrivals respectively. The question we need to ask ourselves now is – what are travelers looking for in these times, and how do they want to feel? Once this has been identified – it’s a matter of ensuring the most efficient way to reach them. While this sounds seemingly simple, the proliferation of channels to reach ever-changing consumers is continuing to evolve rapidly. It’s no longer enough to assume threshold weight on traditional mediums like print or TV advertising alone to talk to different segments of travelers with incredibly different needs. The availability of broadband connections has expanded speedily in our target markets – the number of Internet users in China has grown by over 40% YOY to 298 million in 2008, whereas in India, a growth of 33% was seen among urban users. Increasingly, travelers in the Asia Pacific region prefer to plan their travels online – 75% of them in fact, as evidenced by the latest PATA/Visa Travel Intentions Survey; strongly catalyzed by the growth in low-cost airlines over the years, where most transactions happen online. Planning usually kicks off broad based, before honing into destinations that arrest their attention for more focused planning. The Internet allows travelers to find what interests them more easily and connect with like-minded people in ways they never could before. Top sources for information are travel, hotel, airline websites, as well as word-of-mouth and recommendations. Where the latter stemmed mostly from family and friends in the past; it has found its way to be readily available in the form of travel blogs, networking sites and various other forums. The Internet as an alternative media channel is unrivalled in its targeting and accountability, providing the capability to track what people search for and where they surf – and allow communications and information to be tailored specifically to travelers’ presumed special interests. The on-going advancements of the infrastructure also give much fluidity to the medium; allowing the creation of the destination experience digitally to make travelers feel a certain way; which is far more powerful than asking people to think about the value. In the TV era, getting trial happened at the end of the marketing process – now it can be the start.
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12/30/2019 0 Comments Business asignment 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 wordsBusiness asignment 2 - Research Paper Example 4. b. They are selling a well-designed machine. 5. a. Argentina, Brazil, Mexico-these are the countries we hope to concentrate on. 6. b. Only two sites-maybe three-offer the things we need. 7. c. How many owner-operators are in the industry? 8. b. You ever faithful assistance deserves-without a doubt-a substantive raise. 9. b. The charts are well placed on each page-unlike the running heads and footers. 10. a. Your devil-may-care attitude affects everyone in the decision-making process. Chapter 5 1. On p. 148, under “Apply Your Knowledge,†do question 1, 2 and 5. With number 5, note that at the end you are asked to explain your answer. As you do so, tell how you can make such content clearer by applying the concepts in our chapter. 1. Manufacturers do not have the responsibility of ensuring that customers read the warnings on food products. However, it is their responsibility to use simple and understandable language in the warnings. 2. When communicating business messages, I would use a direct method of communicating that is precise to ensure an authentic voice and still project my company’s image. 5. Whether the logical sequence of my message is obvious, I have to use transitions. This is because it maintains the status of my position and ensures that I am understood perfectly. 2. On p. 148-151, under “Exercises,†do 1-3, 12-13 and 19b. ... we have portrayed a lot of patience j. we fail to understand 2. a. when an email order cannot be processed, the order form can be used instead b. it is important to bring my credit card to the store c. a 25 percent discount will be offered on all 15-inch LCD screens sales by the store d. the applicant interested in the position of a bookkeeper is bright enough and capable of handling a good job e. the request for $25 has been honored f. it wouldn’t have been necessary to learn how to use the machine properly if I had cared doing a good job g. the opportunity to run the company now was as a result of the strategy presentation this morning, which had brilliant ideas that could not fail. h. everybody’s pay has been delayed due to the massive upgrade of the accounts payable system i. the sickness and lack of energy to work through the numbers by the evaluator has delayed the report j. my computer could have given me the news from online sources that MyTravel and Thorn Cook were in a merger talk 3. a 10 day remit on payment using credit card avoids spoiling its rating b. refunds are offered on returned merchandise that is not soiled c. we will ship your order after 10 days in which we will have replenished Baby Cry dolls d. for the blouse you ordered, specify the color e. during winter, waterbeds freeze in all unheated houses. Therefore, you will pay $9.50 to cover for the valve replacement and postage. 9. a. during this spring, b. a good amount of savings c. a good number was in attendance d. more efficient e. increased size of the working area f. restructure the website to flatten it 3. On p. 151, do 1-10 on the "Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics and Usage" exercise (just write out which choice is the correct one). 1. their
Cross-Cultural Communications Essay Setting standards and guidelines, such as the Florida Department of Education’s Subject Area Competencies for ESOL K-12, makes for a goal-oriented curriculum or educational program. Competencies, in all aspects, are the unique sets of “knowledge, skills, or attitudes†(CePH, 2006) that people from different fields of learning or work should accomplish or possess in order for them to meet the standards or expectations of education or work. For this reason, setting competencies in all fields of learning or work is extremely important because it provides directions or guidelines to people for them to accomplish success. In the field of education alone, setting competencies not only motivates students to acquire adequate knowledge, skills, or attitudes to achieve learning goals and objectives, but also helps in improving the quality of education by qualifying learning content and how educators should plan and carry out the teaching process, which are all based on what the students need to learn. Thus, setting learning competencies, just as creating learning goals and objectives, serve as precursors to other aspects of learning, including the selection of teaching strategies or approaches, instructional design, lesson planning, execution, the creation of assessment or evaluation tests, and so on. (Spector, 2007; Richards Rodgers, 2001) Consequently, it paves way to the development or progress of learning and education because it primarily makes the educational process precise or scrupulous and pertinent, and directs learning to the right path. Due to the perceived significance of learning competencies, the remainder of this discussion will explore how setting competencies affects the process of education specifically. This objective will be achieved by analyzing one of the Florida Department of Education’s Subject Area Competencies for ESOL K-12 and how it directly relates to education and the teaching and learning process. The Florida Department of Education’s Subject Area Competencies for ESOL K-12 The Subject Area Competencies for ESOL K-12 set by the Florida Department of Education contains the knowledge, skills, or attitudes that students in K-12 should exhibit or possess, which are specific to different subject areas under the English to Speakers of Other Languages learning programs in various schools in Florida. Since the basic learning necessities of ESOL students are distinct as compared to the learning program for a regular classroom setting, the competencies are constrained to the learning of English across various disciplines. From the 11 skills or competencies identified by the Florida Department of Education for ESOL K-12, only one will be considered for exploration and analysis. For this discussion, the underlying concepts and issues of the third competency will be used to explore learning and education in ESOL K-12. The third competency requires the student to display “Knowledge of sociolinguistic, cultural, ethnic, and sociopolitical issues. †Under this competency, there are nine sub-competencies that specify issues concerning sociolinguistic diversity, government policies, political and social trends, culture, cultural adjustment and adaptation, student involvement, and multicultural sensitivity. (Florida Department of Education, 2006) By and large, this third competency is concerned with the knowledge, skills, and values or attitudes that English Language Learners (ELLs) should acquire or exhibit in terms of the relevance of learning English in the present social, cultural, and political landscape of society. Exploring the Subject Area Competencies ESOL entails many difficulties and challenges especially since the learning goals and objectives vary from the regular classroom setting. Challenges and difficulties arise from the complex aims of ESOL. The program is not merely focused on teaching the English language to non-English speakers but also on how the learning process is relevant or correlated with other disciplines such as Science, History, Mathematics, and so on, and how it matches current social and political situations and addresses various cultural as well. The complex structure of the ESOL program is best illustrated by the Fourth Touchstone that makes up the foundations of All Language Teaching or ALL curriculum. The Fourth Touchstone reflects how communication, which is the medium and goal of language learning are intertwined with four other principles. The four principles include socio-cultural aspect of language learning, learning how-to-learn, language and cultural awareness, and general knowledge. (Vale Scarino, 2000) (Vale Scarino, 2000, p. 33) The integration of the other four principles establish the idea that language learning programs, including ESOL, are not simply concerned with language acquisition. Since these kinds of programs are adapted into a standard classroom setup such as K-12, the forerunners of language teaching and learning thought it best for these kinds of programs to be relevant and practical. At this point, language teaching and learning have evolved into the use or purpose of learning the English language. Thus, the goals and competencies prescribed for language learning programs, such as ESOL, include the acquisition of adequate knowledge, skills, and attitudes of ELLs that will enable them to communicate through the English language properly with the awareness of how it fits well with social landscapes, cultures, and politics. (Vale Scarino, 2000) These concepts and ideas match with the third competency included in the Florida Department of Education Subject Area Competencies for ESOL K-12. Sociolinguistic diversity refers to the different ways by which language is used and interpreted, based on social factors including culture, race or ethnicity, beliefs or ideologies, norms and mores, sex or gender, religion, contextual and connotative meaning, and so on. (Corson, 2001) This means that the practical use and interpretation of language shift due to the influences of various societal factors. For instance, the phrase “grab a bite†is a colloquial speech known to mean, “to eat,†for native speakers of English. However, for non-native speakers of English who are learning the language, the phrase maybe most likely interpreted literally losing the actual meaning of the colloquial phrase. In religion, ELLs may also find it hard to understand the meaning of English terms. One example would be the use of the word “Anaphora. †In language and literature, the term “anaphora†refers to a figure of speech. However, in Catholicism, “anaphora†is a prayer read during mass that conveys celebration. In addition, there are many varieties of English, American and British being two of the most widely used, thus the use and interpretation of English differ between these varieties, making language learning complex. (Pope, 2002) This only means that culture is very much tied with language structure. In terms of culture, ELLs should be aware of how cultural diversity affects the use and interpretation of the English language because their knowledge will depend on how they will communicate or interact with other people from various cultures later on. It will become easier for ELLs to understand other people from other cultures, and relate to cultural television shows, films, music, customs, and so on, if they learn how culture diversifies language. The confusion that arises due to differences on how the English language is used and interpreted, especially between native and non-native speakers of the language, requires that ELLs understand the concept of sociolinguistic diversity and how it influences the learning process – how the language is used and interpreted in different settings. When ELLs become aware of sociolinguistic diversity, they will be able to use and distinguish the English language comprehensively such that their knowledge and understanding of the language expands from the literal context to the connotative, colloquial, and even metaphorical contexts or meanings. Consequently, ELLs gain the skills and self-confidence to use the English language properly in real life situations. For these reasons, learning content and instruction in terms of sociolinguistic diversity cover how the language is used in diverse settings. Apart from sociolinguistic diversity and aspects of culture, government policies and political trends on educational programs for ELL affect the learning process. Although English language learning was not recognized until the 1970s in the United States (The Education Alliance, 2006), the educational policies being implemented by the federal and state governments today support English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. This is in line with the growing population of U. S. residents with no or limited knowledge of the English language. Some of these people are also enrolled in several public schools in the country. By conducting surveys, the U. S. government learned that the students’ lack of ability in applying the English language was significantly affecting their academic performances. (EPE Research Center, 2004) Thus, educational policies in the country instigate the development of learning programs developed with the ultimate purpose of improving English proficiency and academic performance among students. Perhaps the most significant policy is the No Child Left Behind Act implemented in 2001 that includes guidelines on language learning. This policy mandates that all school evaluate the English language competencies of students, and students who will not meet set standards will undergo fast track educational programs that will help them learn adequately and cope with their peers. (EPE Research Center, 2004) By and large, the entire point of the issue is that government policies concerning language education affects the success and achievement of ELLs. A government that supports bilingual education helps ELLs to obtain access to quality education and emerge successful from their undertakings. Changes in political and social trends influence the learning content of ESOL programs simply because the practical use of the English language by ELLs in the real world requires that they are also aware of current social and political issues. Their awareness of social and political trends allow them to not only use the English language but to use the language to relate with other people, especially since societal and political issues are two of the most common topics of conversation. At present time, for instance, most people use the Internet for socialization through social networking sites such as Facebook. To familiarize ELLs with social networking, learning content should include English terms used in cyberspace or in Facebook for that matter, so that they would be able to participate in the online community. In terms of student factors, the cultural backgrounds of ELLs may significantly influence their ability to adjust, learn, and participate in the ESOL program. There are various stages in cultural adjustment wherein one initially experiences feelings of enthusiasm and elation. When an individual begins to realize the great differences between the old and new culture and has trouble of coping or adjusting to unfamiliar cultures, he experiences hostility and loneliness. Through time, an individual learns to adjust until he finally adapts to and accepts the new culture. At times, people undergo re-entry when they climb down to their old ways or culture. (Hernandez-Gantes Blank, 2008) For ELLs, it is extremely important to understand these four stages of cultural adjustment in the beginning of the ESOL program in order for them to become aware of what they will come to experience as time passes. In doing so, ELLs know the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead and thus, are prepared to handle and overcome them. Consequently, language learning becomes less stressful or complex. However, cultural adjustment, as well as student participation and learning involvement of ELLs, are influenced by their beliefs, ideologies, values, attitudes, etc. as dictated by their culture. For example, ELLs who belong to cultures that value family ties and tradition may experience difficulties in adjusting to a new culture and thus, affect how their participate in class and adapt to the learning process. This is especially the case for ELLs who go to other countries to learn the English language. The distance between them and their families may become a source of distraction due to loneliness and depression that ELLs might feel, disabling them to focus on their studies, learning, and adapting to a new culture. For ELLs, understanding the roles of culture in cultural adjustment, student participation, and learning, enables them to assess or evaluate what part of their culture interferes with their learning of English. In doing so, they will be able to realize the importance of setting aside cultural differences and prioritize their personal learning goals and objectives. The last sub-competency requires ELLs to determine strategies and methods to increase their multicultural sensitivity. Multicultural sensitivity refers to an individual’s responsiveness to cultural differences, allowing him to understand that change and diversity are unalterable. This also allows him to understand his own culture in relation to other cultures as a means to reconcile differences. (Dana, 2005) By and large, multicultural sensitivity influences the achievement of other competencies already mentioned. When an individual learns to understand, accept, and respect other cultures, it will allow him to appreciate his own culture, adapt to a new culture that speeds up cultural adjustment, and ultimately, embrace his learning tasks and responsibilities increasing his student participation, learning, and chances for success. Furthermore, it is also important that in discussing issues in multicultural sensitivity in an ESOL class, the topics of universal ethics and human rights should be discussed to enrich the learning process by means of making it globally relevant and practical. Conclusion Ultimately, the competency and sub-competencies previously discussed covers the social, cultural, and political aspects of ESOL due to their roles in making English language learning relevant, efficient, practical, and purposeful. These competency and sub-competencies do not dwell too much on the technical aspects of learning the English language but on its practical uses as a means to express and communicate with other people, and understand current global or local issues and situations that are affecting the state of the people. Although these competency and sub-competencies were intended for the accomplishment of ELLs, these are also important pieces of information that the teachers and educational institutions should be aware of. These competencies not only ensure that ELLs will be able to achieve learning goals and objectives of ESOL but also ascertain that the teaching process designed, including the learning content, instructional design, teaching strategies and approaches, and so on, are in line with the competencies in order to directly help students in accomplishing them. References Corson, D. (2001). Language Diversity and Education. Hoboken, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. CePH. (2006). Competencies and Learning Objectives. Retrieved from Council on Education for Public Health, 1 Aug 2009. http://www. ceph. org/files/public/Competencies. pdf Dana, R. H. (2005). Multicultural Assessment: Principles, Applications, and Examples. New York, NY: Routledge. The Education Alliance. (2006). Linking Language Policy to Practice for English Language Learners. Retrieved from The Educational Alliance, 02 Aug 2009. http://www. alliance. brown. edu/tdl/policy/index. shtml EPE Research Center. (2004). English-Language Learners. Retrieved from Editorial Projects in Education, 02 Aug 2009. http://www. edweek. org/rc/issues/english-language-learners/ Florida Department of Education. (2006). Test Preparation Guide for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) K-12. Retrieved from State Florida Department of State, 02 Aug 2009. http://www. collier. k12. fl. us/hr/certification/studyguides/ESOL%20K-12. pdf Hernandez-Gantes, V. M. and Blank, W. (2008). Teaching English Language Learners in Career and Technical Education Programs. New York, NY: Taylor Francis. Pope, R. (2002). The English Studies Book: An Introduction to Language, Literature and Culture, 2nd Ed. New York, NY: Routledge. Richards, J. C. and Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press. Spector, J. M. (2007). Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 3rd Ed. New York, NY: Taylor Francis. Vale, D. and Scarino, A. (2000). Pocket ALL: A User’s Guide to the Teaching of Languages and ESL. VIC, Australia: Curriculum Corporation.
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