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Cheap Loans at Insanely High Rates? Give Us More

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:05:00 -0700

What is the best student loan and how to get it?

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:57:00 -0700

What's a perkin's loan? What's a direct loan? Private loan? I don't understand the whole process! What loan would have the lowest interest rate and is best overall? I will be attending University of California Santa Cruz. I don't know where to begin with the whole loan process. I currently have no credit history, etc. Help?

Public Comments
All types of loans are available for students,employees and retired persons.Worldwide banks are ready to provide the loans for all.See the website below and apply your required throe on line.
Well the best loan is the kind you do not have to pay back. there are plenty of scholarships out there FASTWEB.COM is just one web site that could lead to some more money. Also ask your school about grants that you may be available to you some schools have scholarships that they give out as well. And if you are a resident of California and have been I believe there is a very good grant that would help substantially. Just don't be afraid to talk to financial aid people and defiantly be pushy with them cause if you never call back they won't either. School Counselors can also help. Oh and FILL OUT YOUR FAFSA. The school should take care of the rest.
To get started, you fill out the FAFSA. This is no joke, fill it out NOW then look at your options. Financial aid offices will not even talk to you unless you have your FAFSA completed. You can fill it out online so there's no excuse!
It will differ from country to country , the best way is the comparison
Congratulations on deciding to attend college at UCSC, my relatives live in the area of the University and I've heard it is really quite a school! When it comes to Student Loans there are two options that you could pursue, Federal Student Loans and Private Student Loans. Federal Student Loans come in two different forms, the Federal Stafford Loan and the Federal Perkins Loan. The Federal Stafford Loan is split into a Subsidized and an Unsubsidized Loan issued at a 6.8% interest rate. The Federal Perkins Loan is issued at a 5% interest rate and the school you are attending is the Lender. All of these types of loans are need based not credit based; you must fill out the FAFSA form in order to see how much you qualify for. Private Student Loans are credit based loans; these are usually serviced by the Lender, meaning you are responsible for paying the company you applied for the loan with back. For more information on Federal Student Loans and the difference between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans please visit the source below. I hope this helped shed a little light on the subject for you. Good luck!
You might not like this answer, but I feel compelled to share with you what a leading personal finance expert says about this in his FAQ: http://www.financialfreedomtrail.com/college-money.html
try a stafford loan -- rates are good right now. also make sure to apply for every scholarship out there.
Getting a government grant would be the best route to take, because you never have to pay it back as you follow through with your plans!

What loan companies will give you a loan for a motorcycle if your credit is really bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:52:00 -0700

I helped an ex get a motorcycle and now need him to repay me. He needs to take out a loan and repay me or buy the bike from me. His credit is horrible but there has to be places that will still give you a loan. Please help me with advice!

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Public Comments
How about Gary Coleman with check in cash?
Work with the dealer who is selling the bike. They usually can hook you up with a way of securing a loan for a bike. Sometimes even with bad credit.
Who on earth is going to lend money for that? Why don't you suggest he sell it? Motorcycles are not only a loud nuisance, they are usually just a fashion statement rather than a means of transportation. An impractical and expensive luxury item.
All I can say is, if you own the motorcycle, take it back. If he does, tell him to get a title loan. He can make payments but depends on what he still owes you.
Most loan companies and bank's won't loan money for an item that is considered a luxury item. A car you can usually get with bad credit because it gets you to work. Motorcycles, Atv's, etc are basically considered man toy's. And yes you can drive a motorcycle to work, but most people don't consider this their primary transportation.

Personal Loans: Bid Farewell To Your Monetary Headaches

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:52:00 -0700

It will be wrong to think that financial problems can be eliminated forever. You can control them and get rid of them for a limited time period but throwing them away forever is impossible. Then, why should you let your headache increase by thinking about these? In stead, you should go for the personal loans which can provide you good solution to handle situations.This single loan can give solution to all your problems because these are designed to be capable of catering everybody’s needs. Secured and unsecured, two forms of loans are here which are open for all. Though these are easily available but the secured loans are not for all. These can be adopted only by those who have the capacity to offer anything like a house, car or stocks and bonds as security. Such borrowers will get to enjoy certain advantages too. For them the rate of interest will be lower and the amount offered will be higher along with a longer repayment term. So, here you can borrow an amount ranging from £5,000 to £75,000 for duration of 5 to 25 years.

Unsecured loans are not like the secured loans. Nothing is required as collateral and the rate of interest too, therefore, is higher. Consequently, the amount offered is small and the repayment term is shorter. However, you will find these good as no property will be required to be risked. Also for small financial needs these are just very ideal. Bad credit holders too can avail these and enjoy the associated benefits. Based on your requirement you can go for any of these and get relief from monetary issues. All kind of credit records are being allowed in these loans that include late payment, arrears, defaults, skipping of installments, bankruptcy and CCJs. All are eligible for the personal loans and bid farewell to their problems. Buying a car, improving home, repaying debts, child’s education, holiday planning or wedding arrangement, anything is just very easy now.

Is student loan still tax deductable when refinancing a student loan with a personal loan?

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:51:00 -0700

My daughter has two very high interest student loans. Her credit won't let her do anything, but I can "refinance" it with me getting the loan using my credit. But is it still a "student" loan that she can deduct. She is making the payments and her name will be also on the loan (ironically, she will co-sign for me). This seems to be some gray area once the loan gets moved around. Just want to make sure the "chain of custody" still makes the new loan interest tax deductable. Hope this made sense and thanks for your help.Public Comments
1. Nope, sorry, but personal loan won't qualify, as you will have nothing in writing to say that it is student loan interest. 2. It wasn't that very clear, but from what I understood your co-signing on the loan. She'll pay for the loan's premium and interest. and that's about it ... Remember: Who ever pays the student interest, that person will have the right to deduct those interest payments on their tax return (up 2,500). The only thing that I can figure that will absolutely confirm that you are paying a student loan is that if at the beginning of the tax season, you receive a 1098-E "Student Loan Interest Statement" from your Lender. 3. You post your profile on this webiste and then lenders come to you. I recommend trying http://www.creditloansonline.com/
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If You Like The “collateral” Part, Avail Unsecured Loans

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:51:00 -0700

Are you facing difficulty finding a good deal because you cannot provide collateral? That has always been one major hurdle. But ever since the introduction of unsecured loans, the loan world has become much more navigable. This is a loan for which you do not have to pledge any asset as collateral. Whether you are a non-homeowner or a homeowner, who simply does not want to risk his home, unsecured loans is the correct loan choice for you.Unsecured loans are sought by many people for funding a variety of purposes. While some take it to finance their weddings, holidays, home-improvement, even cosmetic surgery, others use it to consolidate their debts, to pay off outstanding bills and for auto-financing.

As unsecured loans are advanced without any guarantee, your eligibility will depend on your own credentials. First of all, a sound financial position counts. Your income and debt-to-income ratio will be assessed to calculate your repayment capability. The other thing is you credit record. It will be checked so get it updated with a good credit reporting agency before you approach a lender.Unsecured loans may be borrowed for an amount in the range of £1000-£25000. The exact amount that you can avail depends upon your repayment capability, your credit status and your requirements. Repayment amount for these loans vary according to the loan principal. On an average, it lies in the range of 6 months to 10 years.Unsecured loans are charged higher interest rates than conventional loans for which you provide collateral. However, they are processed faster. As for the interest rate, it is always possible to avail affordable ones through a comparison of loan quotes. This can be done online where quotes are provided for free and a large number of choices are available on your fingertips. Applications are also non-obligatory so you can compare freely and secure viable rates in a mater of minutes.

Student Loans Uk: Paves The Way For New Opportunities And Aspirations

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:46:00 -0700

United Kingdom or UK is one place where you will find some of the most prominent and leading universities. It is here that you will find educational institutions with world class facilities. Although you have a wide range of choices, the price of undertaking the education of your choice does not come cheap. This is one chief reason why most of the students opt out, as they are not capable financially. Considering the inconveniences faced by the students, lenders in UK are now offering student loans.There are scores of lenders present in the UK financial market, who are now offering these loans. These loans are easy to avail and can be used to cover all the expenses that might come up. For instance, you can use these loans to pay the admission fees, library charges, hostel dues, purchasing computer, books, and equipments along with your personal expenses.
Generally, you can source these loans either in secured and unsecured form. Secured form of the loans are collateral based and can be availed only by pledging collateral. This option of the loan is preferable if you are looking for a bigger amount. Even if you do not own any, your parents or guardians can pledge collateral on your behalf. On the contrary, no such collateral is required for the unsecured option. The terms and conditions of the loans too are quite reasonable. In fact, the interest rate levied is considerable low. Its repayment term too is convenient. In fact, you have to start repaying the borrowed amount six month after completing the course and that you have got a suitable job. There is no discrimination followed while approving the loans to students with bad credit. The terms and conditions are very much flexible. However, the lenders may ask for a cosigner having a good credit history. This will act like an assurance for the lender. Always try to gather information about these loans before availing any. In this regard, you can use the services of online mechanism. By applying online, you get to save a lot of time and energy. Besides, the increasing competition among the lenders helps you to get the best low rate deal. Students loans UK provide you £ platform from where you can realize your dream of pursuing higher education, without facing too many obstacles.

Bad Credit Payday Loans: Now People With Bad Credits Can Also Apply For Payday Loans

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:44:00 -0700

People can face a sudden financial crisis between two following paydays any time and that can be a big trouble for any salaried person. A short term loan will be the most reasonable solution to get rid of such a financial disorder but if one has a bad credit history then getting such a loan is also very difficult. However, nowadays mostly all financial institutions and banks are offering bad credit payday loans which is the solution to the problem of a bad credit person faced with financial crisis.As the name suggests, this loan is meant for a salaried individual. It is an unsecured short term loan which means that the borrower will not have to pledge any collateral against the loan amount. This unique feature makes it possible for a salaried tenant to avail this loan as well. The loan amount ranges from £50 to £1000 and the repayment tenure from 15 – 25 days. However, the rate of interest is high as it is an unsecured loan meant for the bad credit borrowers. Usually the lender takes a post dated cheque at the time of disbursal of the loan amount which is presented for payment as soon as the borrower’s next salary is credited to his bank account. For this reason it is mandatory for the borrower to have a valid bank account to be eligible for this loan. It is also mandatory for the borrower to be at least 18 years of age with a permanent source of income. In addition to this, other documents which are required are income proof, age proof and employment proof.

There is no restriction imposed on the way the loan amount will be used by the borrower. Hence, a borrower can use the loan amount to meet expenses like pending bills, medical expenses, child education or paying off existing debts. One can easily apply for this loan online as well as offline.
By: Karen Wardman

Effective Instruction for Language Minority Children with Mild Disabilities

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:43:00 -0700

This digest describes the Optimal Learning Environment (OLE) Curriculum--a Resource for Teachers of Spanish Speaking Children developed to suggest ways of teaching language arts to such students and to suggest specific classroom activities that are compatible with the research on effective instruction. This bilingual special education class model looks for the upper range of the bilingual child's academic, linguistic, and social skills (Ruiz, 1988). The following principles govern the OLE curriculum:
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE STUDENT'S SOCIOCULTURAL BACKGROUND AND ITS EFFECT ON ORAL LANGUAGE, READING AND WRITING, AND SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING.
The following four areas have been identified as important to children from language minority groups: oral language uses, knowledge about print, background knowledge, and sense of story (Anderson & Gipe, 1983; Barnitz, 1986; Hudelson, 1984, 1987; Steffensen & Calken, 1982).
Oral Language Uses. Some children arrive at school already familiar with the use of language in a decontextualized manner, that is, dissociated from shared experience and dependent on precise linguistic formulations (Cummins, 1981; Olson & Nickerson, 1978; Wells, 1981). For example, they may come from homes where books were introduced and discussed at an early age; their parents may have modeled, scaffolded, and elicited their narratives about real and fictional events. Children from families with few outside links, however, may not have sufficient experience with specific, precise, topic-centered language to function effectively in a typical language arts curriculum (Au & Jordon, 1981). Educators should not categorize these children as having language disabilities; rather, they should recognize that a sociocultural factor has influenced the children's verbal performance and has pinpointed the area that must be addressed by oral language instruction in the classroom.
Knowledge About Print. Another area of sociocultural influence is the knowledge about print that children bring to school literacy tasks. Children begin learning to read and write before they start school and begin to learn letter-sound correspondences. Very early on, they may learn why Dad writes a list before he does the grocery shopping (functions of print); where Mama looks to start to read the storybook (book conventions); and how to read "McDonald's" or "K mart" from commercial signs (environmental print). Research has shown that knowledge in these and similar areas related to print is a precursor to conventional reading.
Background Knowledge. A third aspect of literacy instruction that is directly influenced by sociocultural differences is background knowledge. Studies with second language learners show that when they read texts congruent with their background knowledge (for example, when Indian students read about a wedding in India rather than a wedding in the United States), they read it faster, recall both the gist and the details better, and summarize or retell it better (Barnitz, 1986; Steffensen, Joag-dev, & Anderson, 1979). Another study shows that second language learners with limited English proficiency can do as well as more proficient students on reading comprehension tasks when they do prereading activities that activate and extend the background knowledge pertinent to the tasks.
Sense of Story. The final sociocultural influence on reading and writing involves the development of a sense of story or narrative schema, that is, an internal sense of the usual components of a story: setting, main character(s), problem, attempts to resolve the problem, character reactions to the attempts, and resolution (Stein & Nezworski, 1978). An optimal learning environment would have children reading (and listening to) a variety of well-formed stories.
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE STUDENT'S LEARNING HANDICAPS AND HOW THEY MAY AFFECT ORAL LANGUAGE, READING, WRITING, AND SECOND LANGUAGE, LEARNING.
In an OLE classroom, the teacher would not stop with involving the children in prereading activities to access and develop their background knowledge. The teacher would explain the importance of knowing as much as possible about a text before reading it; demonstrate a strategy such as the survey text method (Aukerman, 1972), which students can use to prepare themselves before they read a text; and provide opportunities for the students to practice the strategy.
FOLLOW DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESSES IN LITERACY ACQUISITION.
The OLE Curriculum Guide calls for language arts instruction that acknowledges the importance of developmental phases of literacy acquisition in a number of ways. First, teachers should give students the time they need to develop their knowledge about reading and writing in highly interactive literacy events. Second, student errors in their reading and writing attempts should not automatically be viewed as "bad habits" (Flores, Rueda, & Porter, 1986). Instead, teachers should examine the errors for evidence of what children can do, as evidence of their progress through developmental phases. Finally, teachers should realize that a curriculum that does not provide the rich language and literacy environment described here is an impoverished curriculum that will promote impoverished learners.
LOCATE CURRICULUM IN A MEANINGFUL CONTEXT WHERE THE COMMUNICATIVE PURPOSE IS CLEAR AND AUTHENTIC.
One important way to encourage "meaning making" among children is to engage them in reading and writing whole texts instead of text fragments removed from context (Altwerger, Edelsky, & Flores, 1987). The OLE Curriculum Guide recommends that, in reading lessons, students be encouraged to interact with whole books, poems, and other forms of written language as a way to facilitate meaning making. For writing, teachers should use the Writing Workshop approach described by Atwell (1987). Here, students have control over intentions, topic, and audience as they write and publish their own books. Classmates should meet frequently for peer conferences on their pieces, simultaneously stimulating their need to be clear and interesting writers and providing alternative oral language opportunities.
CONNECT CURRICULUM WITH THE STUDENTS' PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
Many students show greater progress or increased investment when reading and writing tasks give them the opportunity to interject their personal experiences (Au & Jordan, 1981; Flores et al., 1986; Willig & Swedo, 1987). The OLE Curriculum Guide gives specific suggestions on how to connect students' personal topics to the language arts curriculum by using the Writing Workshop and the ETR method, for example.
INCORPORATE CHILDREN'S LITERATURE INTO READING, WRITING, AND ESL LESSONS.
Using actual examples of literature can extend students' knowledge about print (including the more sophisticated aspects of this knowledge, such as text structure or style), increase areas of their background knowledge, and facilitate the construction of meaning through whole texts. Literature, even more than expository writing, is decontextualized; that is, its clues to meaning are more implicit than explicit. Second language learners working through literary works must negotiate the meaning, not only between themselves and the text, but also with others. These negotiating moves (e.g., checks for understanding, requests for clarification) have been linked to better English-language gains.
INVOLVE PARENTS AS ACTIVE PARTNERS IN THE INSTRUCTION OF THEIR CHILDREN.
The OLE Curriculum Guide details various ways to promote equitable parent-school partnerships. One is Project TOT (Training of Trainers), in which parents from language minority groups who are knowledgeable about the inner workings of schools join with families who do not use the available special education services. The families participate in small-group seminars to acquire information and skills related to obtaining those services, as well as forming ongoing support groups.

Communicative Grammar For Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:42:00 -0700

IntroductionWhen I ask teachers what language items they teach their students, grammar is usually the last item to be mentioned. It comes in last place to items such as vocabulary building, dialogues, phonics, songs and games. There seems to be an aversion to the word 'grammar'. I think our perspective on grammar is very important. Teaching grammar doesn't mean we have to have a grammar-based syllabus. It doesn't mean we do grammar drills for the entire class. I think that grammar is one part of a balanced curriculum. We can do games and songs and also have fun teaching grammar.
Grammar GoalsPerhaps the goal of teaching grammar is to help our students speak with organized sentence structures in order to make themselves understood. If our students learn proper speaking habits while they are young, this should help them become good communicators in the future. I like to teach grammar with a two-step approach. The statement form is introduced first, followed by the related question form. For example, "He's my brother" is taught first followed by "Who's he?" This helps students learn grammar more easily and gives EQUAL attention to both the statement form AND the question form.
In my experience as a teacher, it seems to me that students are good at answering questions but struggle when it comes to asking questions. Have you ever had a conversation using only statements? As teachers, I believe it is important for us to help our students become good QUESTIONERS. If we can help our students learn to ask questions, this opens the door of discovery and also makes communication a two-way street. To have fun with grammar and to help students practice the language in context, use communicative pair-work activities, games and grammar songs. Can you sing songs now that you learned when you were a child? Grammar songs help students remember the grammar points in a fun way.
Some Grammar Games: 'Picasso' and 'Bye Bye'I would like to share a couple of activities that are popular with my students. The first activity is called the Picasso Game.For example, I want to practice the structure ‘That's a ______’. I would divide the class into two teams. I would have one student from each team come to the front of the room. I would show them a picture of a target word and the two students then draw the item on the board. The first team to guess the word using the structure ‘That's a ____’ gets one point. I then have two different students come to the board and draw a different item. The team with the most points is the winner. This activity involves the whole class and students always enjoy drawing on the board.
Another activity my students like is the Bye-Bye Game. The purpose of this activity is to help students answer the question ‘What did you learn today?’ It is done at the end of class. When we teach children, we do lots of activities in class and the Bye-Bye Game helps students to focus on the key point(s) of the lesson. Let's take the structure. I go to/play (activity) on (day of the week). I would have the students line up by the door. I would use flash cards of the target language or point to the target items in the textbook. For example, I would show one student an activity card such as 'go to piano class' and another student a day of the week card.When it comes to teaching grammar, if we keep the perspective and the goal in mind, as teachers we can feel successful teaching grammar and our students can enjoy learning grammar. In the future may we see students who are confident in both asking and answering questions!

A Child's First Steps in Language Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:42:00 -0700

Children learn new languages very easily, almost too easily. Most adults find foreign languages quite difficult. They must toil and struggle and put in long hours of hard work to make even small gains in their ability in a new language. But a child seems to just pick it up out of thin air. To a child, it is all play and no work. And, to make it even more frustrating for the adult learner, the results of a child's language play are superior to the results of an adult's language struggle. It does not seem fair.
One commonly held theory to explain this phenomenon is this: God has given young children a magical ability to learn new languages. This ability slowly disappears, and is completely gone by the time an adult begins the task of learning a new language.
This theory is attractive for two reasons. First, it explains the phenomenon. Children learn a new language easily and adults do not because, according to the theory, the magic is limited to childhood. And second, this theory helps adult learners to accept their fate. With the magic gone, they find it a little easier to buckle down to their difficult studies, knowing that now there is no other way for them to learn a new language.
But before we accept this theory in its totality, that is, before we accept the proposition that this magic of childhood completely disappears in a an adult, we should observe in detail how a child learns a new language. If the theory is true and all the magic has fled from an adult, we will at least have observed the magic as it functioned in the mind of a child. This, in and of itself, should make a very interesting study. But if some of the magic of childhood remains in the mind of an adult, we might learn some secrets for waking that magic up and using it to make our task of language learning more enjoyable and more productive.
As the father of three children, I have the opportunity to observe in detail the language development of these children. But because the burden of parenthood rests not in observing the intricacies of language development, but rather in changing diapers, getting the food into the mouth before it gets onto the floor, wiping the food off the mouth and off the floor, and on and on, the details of language development often happen without being observed by the parents. So my wife and I, in an attempt to more closely observe the development of the spoken vocabulary of our second son, Colin, put a sheet of paper on our refrigerator door. When we would hear him use a new word, we would try to write it down on that sheet of paper, along with its meaning and the date it was first used. We did not attempt to keep track of his listening vocabulary, nor did we put a word on the list unless we heard him say it without any prompting. What follows is that record of his early speaking vocabulary.
From his Birth in September 1985 through April 1987
No words with understandable meaning were detected in his spoken vocabulary during this period. He did his share of babbling, and he was able to understand a number of our simple commands, but we could not understand anything he said.
May 1987
bah (ball)
no: He would say this in response to a question.
no way: The same as no, but he uses it with more feeling. It was picked up from his older brother.
bay ball (baseball): A baseball game. He learned it while watching baseball on TV. Later, it also came to mean the baseball itself.
eye: His first body part.
uh (yes): He would use this in a reply to a question, and always put with it a slight nod of his head.
June 1987
dodeedah (thank you): The origin of this word is a mystery to us. He seemed to feel a need to say something when he received something, so he said this word. Later, he also used it when he gave something to someone else.
mimo (milk): His favorite drink. This probably came from the transposition of the sounds that he heard when we would ask him, "Do you want some MOre MIlk?"
Neal: Neal is his baby brother, who arrived in this world at the end of May.
baby: Another name he learned for his new brother.
kahku (cracker)
nana (banana)
kookoo (coo coo clock)
July 1987
dabuiya (apple juice): This seemed to be his honest attempt at saying apple juice.
dayday (good night, bye bye): When he would go down for his afternoon nap, we would say to him dayday instead of night night as it was not night. So he learned it as something to say when someone goes to bed. He soon began to use it as bye bye when he was parting from someone.
kah (clock): We let him play with a clock that was normally up on a high shelf, and he soon began to request it using this word.
August 1987
ohwai (water): As it was summer, he loved to play in the water outside. So this word first meant water to play with, but later it also meant water to drink. Origin unknown.
babu (bubble)
bapu (diaper)
tea
September 1987
Mommy: His first love.
hi! (hello)
hahu (water): This meant drinking water. Though he used this word for a month or two, it soon dropped out of his vocabulary, as he used his word ohwai instead. Origin unknown.
eehu (furikake: a Japanese seasoning that is put on rice): One of his favorite foods is rice, with this special seasoning on it. This was first a request for that seasoning, and later he also used this word to mean rice.
Nanny (grandmother): His grandmother had visited in August, and we had called her Granny. This was his way of saying Granny.
appo (apple): He used this word when referring to an apple, but he still used dabuiya when he wanted apple juice.
hi (yes): This is the Japanese word for yes. He learned it from one of his older brother's Japanese friends, and it replaced his previous word, uh.
taytoh (potato chips): Another favorite food, often requested.
Daddy
ka ka ka (trains and train tracks, both toy and real): While playing with his toy train set, his brother's Japanese friend would make the sound ka ka ka to represent the bells that ring at a train crossing when a train is approaching. Later he shortened and changed it to gaga and applied it to anything related to trains.
nai nai (night night, good night)
mimi (hammer): Origin unknown.
wow (lion or bear): This came from his attempt at a roar. It is always said with spirit, though he uses it as a name.
Mah (Tom, his older brother): Possibly a reversal of the sounds of the last two letters in Tom.
key
la la la (bicycle): His attempt at imitating the most loved part of his brother's bicycle, the bell. The sound is not exactly la la la. Rather, it is made by moving the tongue from side to side as rapidly as possible. But the word was applied to all bicycles.
October 1987
bih (bib)
dai dah dahp (Please come to the table. It's time to eat.): Though the origin of this word is unknown, it is always said with an intonation that mimics his mother's call to bring the family to the table, "Supper's ready!"
bahpy (potty, children's toilet)
puppy (puppy or dog)
Eeyore: From the character in the Winnie the Pooh books.
boy
doo doo (garbage truck): The garbage truck that picks up the garbage in our neighborhood plays the Japanese melody "Akatombo". This word comes from the first two notes of that melody, and they are always sung, not just spoken.
kahki (clock): This replaced the word kah which he used in July. It is related to the words tick tock, which he seems to get reversed.
moon
Here! (As he offers something to someone): We tried to teach this to him in place of dodeedah. He learned it, but quickly forgot it.
knee
teeth
eeuu (dirty diaper, as it is being changed): His imitation of the sounds his father would make while changing his dirty diaper. This was not so much a name for a dirty diaper, but just something to say while it was being changed.
tar (star)
duwee (tree)
nay nay (bed): Because we would say night night when he went to bed, he would use this version to mean bed. But he would still use nai nai to mean good night as we put him to bed at night.
ear
bye bye: This began to replace dayday as the word he used when he parted from someone or something.
dirty
moo (cow): Both the sound of a cow and his name for cow.
arrow
Duwee (Julie): This is one of his little friends.
guwai (quiet): When he says this word, he always puts his finger up to his lips, then says it in a loud voice. (I wonder who he learned that from?)
dayday (airplane): This word previously meant bye bye, but it changed in meaning after he learned to say bye bye. When he would see an airplane in the sky, he would always bid it farewell as it flew away using his word dayday. About this time, this word was shorn of its previous meanings, and became his name for an airplane.
wow (vitamin): The children's vitamins that he and his brother take come in circus shapes. As his brother's favorite shape is the lion shape, all vitamins were given the name related to the sound of the lion.
Bye bye Daddy. (or Bye bye Mommy/Mah/Neal/Baby/Duwee): This was his first two word sentence.
Pooh: From Winnie the Pooh.
Owl: From the character in Winnie the Pooh books.
November 1987
bow wow: The sound for the bark of a dog, as he plays like he is one. But when he refers to a dog, he does not use this word. He uses the word puppy.
choo choo (choo choo train): Gaga means trains in general, but the steam locomotive received this special name.
doll
neigh (horse): This refers to both the sound of a horse and the horse itself.
boo ee (birdie, bird)
kinkee (a dirty diaper): This came from his attempt to say the word stinky, the name we use in our home for a dirty diaper.
eye bow (eye brow)
nose
read (Please read this book to me NOW!): Always used as a command.
bee
houf (house)
key ho (keyhole)
ah hoo (flower)
by (bicycle): This replaced his previous word for bicycle, la la la.
zjizji (scissors)
my my my (Please let ME have it or let ME do it): Always said with a feeling of great urgency.
door
duce (juice)
hello
December 1987
oop (soup)
moo moo (cassette tape): From one of his favorite tapes which contains the sound of a cow. In requesting that tape, he used that sound. That sound then came to refer to any cassette tape.
hand
wall
nail
turtle
haku (Huckle): A character in one of his books.
hay (haystack)
ma (moth)
nail (snail)
toast
rice: A replacement for his word eehu when referring to rice. But eehu has continued as a part of his vocabulary, now with only its original meaning of Japanese seasoning.
ear
honey
pakae (pancake)
hot: His first adjective
mimo my (my milk): His first possessive construction.
ro (a dinner roll)
pill
ah choo (a sneeze)
gee oh (cereal)
bahkee (coffee)
amen: What he always adds after we say grace at mealtime.
paper
wah doo (water): A replacement for his word ohwai that slowly gained acceptance.
hah kah (helicopter)
mouf (mouth)
bus
pickle
walk: The command, Take me for a walk outside.
angel
okay
zisch (fish)
zuzes (shoes)
pray: The command, Let's pray so that we can begin eating.
We chose the end of December as the date to end the recording of his vocabulary for three reasons. First, it seemed to be a convenient time. Second, Colin was beginning to play with words and word sounds, repeating and changing what he heard around him in such a way as to make it difficult to know what he was using as a meaningful word, and what he was just using as an interesting sound. And third, the new words were beginning to appear at a rate that was hard to keep track of.
One comment needs to be made about the words in his vocabulary that have no linguistic relationship to their English counterpart. Colin has the proper English word in his listening vocabulary. We have tried to use the correct English words when speaking to him, and he hears them and understands them. But when he speaks, he translates them into his own language.
Roughly speaking, the process of language learning can be divided into two parts. The first part of this process deals with how the new language comes to the learner. In other words, it is concerned with the language environment that surrounds the student. The second part deals with how the learner comes to the new language. It is concerned with the different strategies that the student uses in his attempt to increase his language skills. With this division in mind, let us first look at a child's language learning environment, then take a look at the different strategies that he uses to help him learn the new language. Please note that in the following sections, I have presented my observations about Colin's language environment and learning strategies as if they were true of all children. I am assuming that Colin is a normal child, and that normal children are sufficiently alike in their language learning to be able to safely make this generalization. But the reader is warned that this is an assumption, and he is welcome to replace "a child" and "the child" with "this child" where he thinks it is more appropriate.
The Child's Language Environment
Below are ten features of a child's language environment. They have been selected because they are important elements in the language environment of the child, and because they are often missing from the language environment of the adult learner. They deal primarily with the language that the child hears, not the language that he produces.
First, no pressure is brought to bear upon the child as he learns the new language. There are no tests. There are no grades. And there is no standard that the child must meet in order to be approved by his parents. Though the parents might feel pressure to help their child develop his language skills more rapidly, they cannot transfer this pressure to the child as a motivating factor in his language learning. Children just do not respond to this kind of pressure.
Second, there is all the time that the child needs to learn the language. There is no given period of time in which the child must learn or fail. Rather, there is enough time even for the child who takes a rather leisurely pace in his learning.
Third, there is no possibility of escaping into a language that the child already knows. It just cannot happen. Though he has no external pressure to study, there is no bell to let him out of class and no vacation when he can get away from the new language.
These first three points relate a child's motivation to continue learning. Tests, grades and the pressure of time help to keep an adult at his language learning task, and when these motivating factors are removed, progress often comes to a halt. But a child who does not have these pressures also has no way of escaping from the new language. He must continue to learn if he is going to ever understand anything.
Fourth, the language a child hears is not sequenced by grammar or vocabulary. No one decides when he is ready to hear a new word or a new construction. Parents do not use a textbook or a word frequency study to help them decide how to speak to their children.
Fifth, there is lots of repetition in the language around him. He does not go from one chapter to the next, always having to deal with lots of new material. Rather because daily life contains lots of repetition, the language a child hears reflects that repetition.
Sixth, both the words and the world around the child are new. Thus, his learning of the new language coincides with his discovery of the world, and the curiosity that he has toward the world becomes a powerful force in his language learning.
These last three points deal with the order or sequence of learning. In a normal foreign language class, the textbook or the teacher decides the sequence of the material. Fortunately for a child, he does not have a textbook to provide this sequence. Instead, his environment provides two ways that his language learning can be naturally ordered. The first comes from the natural repetition in his life, and the second comes from the natural order of his interest in the world. In other words, though a child's language environment might seem too rich, too unstructured and too confusing, the environment does contain within itself the ability to tell the child where to begin and how to proceed.
Seventh, all the language is spoken in the context of the world around him. The new language is not a translation of something he already understands in another language. And the new language is not a secret code that must be translated into another language to reveal its hidden meaning. Rather, the language that he is learning is related directly to the world around him. It is always presented as a living language.
Eighth, the child has lots of opportunities to listen to the new language as it is spoken by native speakers. Here there is considerable variation. Some children have more language around them than others. But even those children who spend relatively less time listening to the new language still get lots more listening opportunities than an adult studying a foreign language from a textbook while living in a culture that does not speak the language that he is studying.
Ninth, the language environment of a child gives him many opportunities to speak the new language and be understood. His parents and older brothers and sisters are native speakers of the language, so that when he speaks, he can immediately get the reinforcement that his words deserve.
And tenth, much of the language he hears is simplified especially for him. When a person is speaking to a young child, he does his best to get across his meaning in language that the child can understand. Because the child can communicate by his actions how much he understands, the speaker can tailor his language to the child's level. This is quite different from listening to a radio or tape, and to a lesser degree, it is different from listening to a person speaking to a group. It is very personal, and the many small problems of communication can be quickly detected and solved before they become real hindrances to learning.
This finishes the list of the main elements of a child's language environment. In this list, one can immediately see how rich a child's language environment really is. He has no pressure, and all the time in the world! He has the language all around him, and his teachers are native speakers who live with him (and love him)! He does not have to study from a textbook in a classroom! Rather his private tutors use the world around him as his textbook! It is a situation that any adult learner of a foreign language should truly envy. But there is more to the magic of a child's language learning ability than his language environment. Let us now look at ten important language learning strategies that a child uses to help him so easily master his native language.
The Child's Learning Strategies
First, a child is not in the least interested in language for its own sake. In fact, a young child never focuses his attention upon language at all. He is too interested in his toys, in his playmates, and in the things that he can find that are not to be played with. Language is always of secondary importance, and all of his early language learning is peripheral learning. To a child, the value of language is measured by its ability to help him better enjoy his primary interests. If he breaks all the imaginable rules of grammar and pronunciation, and yet gets the response he wants, he feels as if he has been completely successful. In Colin's case, this explains why he is perfectly happy to use words and constructions that he does not hear from anyone else's lips. He has continued to use the words wow, eehu and gaga precisely because we understand what he means. They function for him, and that is all he cares about.
Second, a child does not let language that he does not understand confuse him. When he hears something he does not understand, it disturbs him about as much as water disturbs a duck's back. This is related to the fact that language is never the center of his attention. So he just does not care about what he cannot understand.
Third, a child enjoys the repetitive events of his life, and uses this enjoyment to help him learn the new language. These repetitive events give the child a sense of security and order, and as he begins to understand the order in the events of his life, he also begins to understand the order in the language that is associated with those events. Conversely, rare events rarely leave much of a mark on a child's language ability. For an illustration of this, one only needs to look at the words that appear on Colin's vocabulary list, and compare it to the words that did not make it.
Fourth, a child uses his primary interests to help him learn the language related to those interests. Whatever captures his attention captures it all. He focuses his attention on that one thing, excluding the rest of the world for that moment in time. And thus, the language associated with his object of interest is brought to the front and center, and all the rest of the language around him is temporarily pushed back into the shadows. This can be illustrated from Colin's speaking vocabulary by looking at one of his earliest words, eye. When I would lie down on the couch, Colin would lie on my chest and use his hands to play with my face. His first point of interest was my eyes. When I would try to redirect his interest in my eyes, interest that he expressed by putting his fingers in my eyes, to some other part of my body, he would have none of it. He wanted to touch my eyes, not my ears or my hands. And because his interest was so strongly focused on my eyes, he learned that word first.
These last three points are closely related. They deal with how a child focuses his attention. He does not simply let the language pour over him and slowly ooze into his mind. Rather, he is very selective about the language he pays attention to. An adult learner tends to become first confused then discouraged when he receives too much new information at one time. He tries to take in all that is presented to him, often with the result that he does not learn any of it well. Because of this, special care must be taken not to present too much at one time to an adult learner of a foreign language. The excess causes the adult learner real problems. But a child never tries to take in all that is around him. He is the one who is in control, and he selects what he likes best, ignoring the rest. A child is very picky about the language he listens to, just as he is often very picky about the food he eats. But precisely because he is so effective in shutting out what does not interest him, his mind is not cluttered or divided, and he can bring to bear the full resources of his mental facilities for the purpose of learning what he has selected. This ability to focus on the material at hand while effectively excluding the rest is a very important ingredient in learning.
Fifth, a child directs his attention to things that are easy to understand. He does not think about the world economy or foreign cultures. He thinks about the people around him, and the things around him. And these things can easily be given a name. One of the interesting features of Colin's vocabulary is the lack of verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. The words are mostly nouns. Late in the list, some verbs appear (read, walk), and one adjective (hot), but the great majority of his first words were simple nouns that were easy to learn from context.
Sixth, a child possesses a natural desire to call an object by its name, and he uses that natural desire to help him learn the language. He receives real joy from just pointing out something and calling it by name. He never thinks it is stupid or silly to say something that others might consider obvious. For him, it is delightful. When Colin learned the words for star and moon, he would point them out to us at every opportunity. He could not play with them or eat them, but he loved to call them by name.
Seventh, a child uses his natural desire to participate in the life around him to help him learn new language. He wants to do what he sees others doing, and when that includes language, he want to speak it too. Here a child often says things he does not understand at all. He is simply imitating others. He has learned that in a given situation, a word or phrase is always used, so he tries to use it too. In Colin's case, his word dodeedah illustrates this point. We did not try to teach him the word thank you. He was too young to learn it then. But we had taught his older brother how and when to say thank you, and were (and still are) trying to get him to use it more consistently. So Colin, in his attempt to imitate those around him, felt that he should say a word when he received something. At this point in his language development, most of his sounds were still babble, so he merely selected one set of sounds from his babble and elevated it to the position of a word to say after receiving something. His words hi and bye bye were also first learned in this way.
Eighth, a child adds words to his speaking vocabulary more easily if he already knows how to pronounce them. In other words, he can attach a new meaning to a sound sequence that he already knows more easily than he can learn both a new meaning and new sound sequence. For example, Colin's words for nail and snail, which are both pronounced as nail, became a part of his speaking vocabulary at about the same time. They had both been in his listening vocabulary for quite a while, but it was not until he had learned to say the word nail for nail that he was able to point to the picture of a snail in one of his books and give it a name. He used related sounds to help him learn. Another example of this comes from the Colin's word for tree and the name of one of his friends, Julie. Julie and Colin have not spent a lot of time playing together. He has other friends that he has spent more time with. But he learned Julie's name first because the sound of it is related to a word that he already could say, tree. Duwee has become his word for both tree and Julie.
Ninth, a child immediately puts to use the language he is learning, and uses his success in communication to build up his confidence. He does not try to store up his knowledge for use at a later date. He applies it in context as soon as he can. And every time he uses a piece of language successfully, it is reinforced in his mind and his confidence grows. And this confidence encourages him to use the new language even more, thus bringing him more success, more reinforcement, and more confidence. This confidence cycle built upon successful usage of the language is difficult to establish and keep going in an adult learner. But a young child is able to get it going and keep it going in the face of a lot of obstacles. All of the learning strategies mentioned are important, but this one, it seems to me, must be one of the most important. A learner without confidence is in trouble from the very beginning, but one who possesses the confidence that comes from success, even when the success is limited, can overcome a host of other learning problems.
And tenth, a child brings tremendous ingenuity to the task of learning a new language. He has no fear of failure. He is not inhibited by what others might think. He just plunges in head first, attacking the problems with all the resources that he has. Just one of the many places where a child's ingenuity is evident is in the associations he makes between objects and words. Many of these associations are obviously wrong (to us), but he does not know they are wrong and he does not care. He sees the world through different eyes, and orders it in different ways. Who can say that our ordering of the world is any more logical than a child's? For a child, why should the word train be any better than the word gaga? After all, gaga more closely represents the sound that you hear when a train is approaching the railroad crossing where you happen to be waiting. And why should the word airplane be any better than the word dayday? When we see an airplane in the sky, it is soon leaving us, so why not call it a dayday (which came to mean good bye by a similar application of ingenuity)? Colin's ability to use language in this way is not at all exceptional, as any parent can testify. But because this ingenuity is common among children, it is no less wonderful, and no less important in helping them to learn their first language.
This concludes the list of learning strategies. It also concludes my observations on how a child begins to learn his first language. To end this report, I will make one comment and ask one question. First the comment: God has certainly endowed the young child with the magic of a rich environment in which to learn his first language and the magic of a wonderful ability to acquire that language from his surroundings. Now the question: Is this magic limited to childhood, or does some of it remain long after childhood has ended, waiting to be used again, this time to help tame a foreign language?
Summary of the Child's Language Environment and Learning Strategies
The Child's Language Environment
There is NO DIRECT PRESSURE to learn (no tests, no grades, etc.).
There is NO TIME LIMIT for learning (no end of the semester).
There is NO WAY OF ESCAPING into a different language (no vacations).
The language is NOT SEQUENCED BY GRAMMAR OR VOCABULARY (no textbook).
There is LOTS OF REPETITION. His life contains repetitions and the language around him reflects it.
Both the LANGUAGE AND THE WORLD ARE NEW (and therefore interesting).
All the language is spoken IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SURROUNDING WORLD.
THE LANGUAGE IS ALL AROUND. The child has native speakers of the language speaking to him often.
The child has MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR USING the language to communicate to those around him.
Much of THE LANGUAGE IS SIMPLIFIED to the level of understanding of the child. It is tailor-made for the child.
The Child's Learning Strategies
The child in NOT INTERESTED IN LANGUAGE for its own sake.
The child is NOT DISTURBED by the language he does not understand.
The child ENJOYS THE REPETITIVE events of his life, and uses this enjoyment to help him learn.
The child USES HIS PRIMARY INTERESTS to help him learn.
The child directs his attention to things that are EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
The child possesses a natural desire TO CALL AN OBJECT BY ITS NAME.
The child uses his natural desire TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LIFE AROUND HIM to help him learn new language.
The child adds words to his speaking vocabulary more easily IF HE ALREADY KNOWS HOW TO PRONOUNCE THEM.
The child IMMEDIATELY USES the language, and his SUCCESS IN COMMUNICATION BUILDS CONFIDENCE.
The child brings TREMENDOUS INGENUITY to the task of learning.

An Account of a Pilot Key Pal Project for Korean Children

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:42:00 -0700

IntroductionThe main reason for teaching English at primary level is to enable our children to use language in real situations. Children see little purpose in studying sentences that do not make sense in their world, yet they do understand the purpose of language to communicate, identify, persuade and find solutions (Holderness 1991).
Traditional language-based teaching tends to place emphasis on language structures rather than meaning, and therefore denies children a real purpose for learning English. Brewster(1991), however, describes current approaches to English language teaching which make use of projects to provide opportunities for children to use English in a meaningful way. Holderness (1984) points out that if children are given interesting project topics they will be motivated to search for meaning and explore in greater depth. Projects can therefore be far more stimulating and challenging than those language exercises which concentrate solely on form. Moreover, task-based learning can make teacher-centred classrooms more learner-centred, as students are invited to help each other and become actively involved in their own learning process (Nunan 1989).
The Internet has enormous potential as a resource for projects and as a medium for communication between learners. It enables teachers and students to collaborate and share ideas relevant to their interests and concerns, and primary educators have not been slow to take advantage of its capabilities. In particular, classes at the K12 level are beginning to implement e- mail "keypal" projects which require children to read and write in English to communicate, and which also provide them with opportunities to learn about different cultures. Today thousands of children around the world are involved in virtual classroom learning through the medium of the Internet. They communicate in English with virtual classmates, in classrooms without boundaries (Deemer 1994, Sela 1995, Warschauer, 1994).
Educationalists in Korea have done much to encourage information technology skills. All elementary schools are now linked via the EDUNET network, which offers teachers and students access to the World Wide Web and an e-mail service. Many schools have a computer laboratory where each pupil is allocated one on-line computer. Some schools also have a "computer corner" in their classrooms, and some schools have arranged computer classes for their students, as an extra subject taught by outside tutors. There is also strong support for young people outside the classroom. A number of organizations promote computer literacy and help students to learn how to use applications such as e-mail and the WWW, and in the Korean press there are frequent reports of individuals or organizations donating hardware, software and free e-mail addresses in order to promote Information Technology to the younger generation. For example the Daily Chosun (a newspaper company) and KITEL (a computer company) have agreed to provide free Internet access for teachers and pupils in all the elementary and secondary schools across the country, and Kyungsung University in Pusan also distributes free Internet access locally.
However, despite widespread access to the Internet in schools, keypalling was largely unknown in Korea prior to the project described in this paper. Teachers were aware that the Internet might help English language learning, and children were enthusiastic about the technology, but it was clear that outside guidance and support would be needed to get a first pilot project up and running.
Planning and Implementing the Key Pal ProjectThe first step in this pilot Key pal project for Korean children was taken by contacting subscribers to TESLCA-L and TESLK-12 (both branches of TESL-L). The following invitation was posted to the two mailing lists, addressed to all subscribers interested in Computer Assisted Language Learning and/or working in K-12 level schools:
Dear colleagues,
It is well known that keypalling can be very helpful in developing/improving the language proficiency, motivation and inter-cultural understanding of students, if it can be properly arranged with a careful plan.
At the moment, however, Korean elementary schools do not seem to enjoy these useful opportunities, even though they are equipped with all the IT facilities.
As a research project for my MA dissertation, I'd like to arrange keypalling for Korean children and try to find out how it can help them learn English.
At the same time, I'd like to give chances for partner classes/schools to understand Korean children's school lives and culture.
The Korean children who will be invited to this project are:
elementary school students from 3rd to 6th grade
beginners in terms of English language competence
very keen to learn English
I would like to invite any classes/schools who feel interested in Korea and Korean culture, and who are beginners or who want to correspond with beginners.
The proposed timespan for the project is 1&1/2 or 2 months (from around May to June) Please feel free to contact me for more information.
Jaehee Choi
Three teachers with suitable classes expressed an interest in taking part in the project, but as we corresponded to discuss further details we soon realized that there were problems with timing. Term dates are different from country to country, and the school year in most other parts of the world ends much earlier than the Korean school year. Finally we reached agreement with the teacher of a 5th grade class in Slovakia, on the understanding that the project would be timed to fit the Slovakian term.
The Slovakian teacher had six years' experience of teaching English, and she had previously been involved in a keypalling project between some older children and a partner class in Germany. There were 26 pupils in her class, aged 11 to 12.
It also took some time to find a Korean project partner. Some prospective participants who were very suitable in terms of experience and language proficiency rejected the project because they were unfamiliar with the notion of keypalling. Support and free e-mail accounts were offered to those teachers who did not know how to access an e-mail service, but despite these incentives they ultimately decided against active involvement. Some of the other teachers who were contacted were reluctant to join the project because they felt that they did not know enough English. A low level of language proficiency compounded with poor IT skills prevented them from communicating via e-mail.
Eventually a 3rd grade class in Ansan City was identified as a suitable project partner. There were 42 children in this class, aged 9-10. However, although the teacher had five years' teaching experience her knowledge of English was fairly limited. She had only worked for one year as an English teacher, and her post-secondary education had not incliuded any English language training. The children were in their first year of language learning, and could barely write in English at all; their 3rd grade syllabus focused on reading and speaking rather than on writing. None of the Korean participants had ever used keypalling before.
The project was planned and implemented from Warwick University in England. As there was no opportunity for the moderator (Jaehee Choi) to meet either of the project partners face to face, it was necessary to send them plenty of detailed written information regarding keypalling in general and the organization of this project in particular. The moderator's role was that of an intermediary to whom the teachers communicated all comments and suggestions. It was necessary for the moderator to liaise with both parties repeatedly before they decided to commit themselves to the project.
Once she had decided to take part, it was also necessary to help the Korean teacher prepare her pupils for the project by providing examples of keypalling messages. Authentic examples were not hard to find, but most proved unsuitable because they had been written by children with a much higher level of English (native speakers or advanced learners). The moderator managed to make an appropriate selection, however, and the Korean teacher used these in class before the project began. The moderator's support for the Korean teacher continued throughout the project and was essential to its success.
In both Slovakia and Korea the children sent their messages through the teachers' personal e-mail accounts. The Korean teacher made no use of EDUNET in her school; she had not experienced technical difficulties with the EDUNET system, but, she said, "it took a long time to access and it was inconvenient". Instead she accessed her own account on a commercial network from home.
The Schedule and ProceduresThe two teachers and the moderator agreed to the following schedule and list of topics:
Week 1 Self-introduction
Week 2 School life
Week 3 Weather
Week 4 Family life
Week 5 One or two famous places in our city
Week 6 Our famous food
Week 7 Special days
It was planned that correspondence would be on a class-to-class basis, with a recommended message length of 10-15 sentences. After initial problems with incompatible wordprocessing programs the moderator arranged for all correspondence to be sent in plain text files (*.txt).
The project began on a weekly basis in the third week of May 1998. Initially 15 Slovakian students sent self-introduction messages to the Korean students. Once the Korean teacher had received these she prepared a response message containing her students' self-introduction.
All correspondence was copied and forwarded to the moderator, and it soon became clear that the Korean teacher had changed the mode of correspondence, so that her pupils were responding individually, rather than class-to-class. Each letter started with "Dear ...(name of individual pupil)..." rather than "Dear Slovakian friends", and it seemed that the teacher had selected 17 pupils from her class to reply to the letters from the partner class. Although the project had originally been planned as a class-to-class project and the Korean students had a lot of difficulty corresponding as individuals, the moderator did not ask the teacher to return to the original mode for two reasons: the Korean pupils seemed to prefer the individual exchange mode, and the Slovakian students had already received and read the messages sent to them. We did not want to disappoint the Slovakian students, who were very excited with this e-mail correspondence.
One of the consequences of this decision was that the Korean teacher needed to provide a great deal of language support for her students. Individual messages were harder to write than a class- to-class message, and in any case the Korean children were challenged by the fact that the Slovakian partners were older and more linguistically advanced.
The two classes continued to exchange e-mail messages on a weekly basis from 17 May to 26 June 1998.
An Evaluation of the ProjectAt the end of the project two sources of data were available for analysis. The first of these was the teachers' and pupils' responses to post-project questionnaires. The second of these was the messages themselves, all of which had been forwarded to the moderator.
The teacher's questionnaire was composed of five sections, and gave the teachers the opportunity to comment on general, pedagogical, personal, professional and technical aspects of the project, and to discuss the role of the moderator and the behaviour of their pupils. A simple questionnaire was also prepared for the Korean children, although unfortunately the Slovakian children could not be contacted as their school holidays had begun. The questionnaires and responses are reproduced in full in Appendix A.
Both teachers gave positive reports of the project, which not only met their requirements but also provided additional unexpected benefits. The Slovakian teacher had begun the project in the hope that her "pupils will improve their English and realize how important [it] is learning a foreign language". She reported that the children had learnt a lot of English, and that they had found the project very motivating. The Korean teacher seems to have begun the project with different expectations; her main aim was to provide special opportunities for her pupils: "As many of my children lack parental interest and need more care than others, I wanted to give them a special experience that they can boast of.." She reported great enthusiasm on the part of her class: "Every Monday, I was busy with my children asking for their messages from their friends. They followed me to the washroom. They seemed very happy during the project".
Both teachers reported that the children's reading skills had greatly improved during the project, and they also thought that the children had improved (to a lesser extent) in other language skills. The two teachers helped their pupils read messages in different ways. The Slovakian teacher provided dictionaries and grammar instruction, while the Korean teacher normally used a translation technique. She read the letters aloud to her students in English, and then in Korean, a process which also encouraged the development of listening skills. Each Korean student was also told to attach the messages from his or her keypal to a notebook, so that they could be read again and again. Because of this extra reading practice the Korean students in the later phases of the project were be able to recognize letters and remember words and phrases such as Dear, hear from you, and address without any help from the teacher. The Korean teacher commented: "Some didn't know the English alphabet and the form of English letters. But they could read the alphabet, although I didn't teach it. My pupils can read in English classes."
The two teachers also used different methods to help their pupils to write their own messages. The Korean teacher tended to rely on translation because her pupils did not know enough English to write by themselves. Her method involved letting the children choose words from a prepared word chart. The Slovakian teacher used a variety of techniques to help her pupils to write messages; these included multiple choice, gapped sentences and incomplete sentences, as well as translation.
The teachers reported that the project enabled their pupils to consolidate their earlier learning by using words, phrases and sentences they had been taught during the regular English classes. The Korean teacher also found that during their regular English classes her pupils recognized language items that had been used in the messages they received.
Both sets of students drew on their knowledge of other subjects such as geography and history to interpret the cultural information they received, and they also developed their Information Technology skills by using e-mail. This was incidental learning; the teachers had not planned to focus on subject areas other than English. As well as supporting work in specific subject areas, it has been claimed that keypalling helps to develop general study skills and critical thinking (Roberts, Rice and Thorsheim 1994). Fisher (1990) emphasizes the importance of such skills, arguing that the teaching of thinking skills is potentially one of the most valuable areas of educational development today. The project seems to have encouraged the Slovakian students to develop a spirit of enquiry. According to their teacher "they asked interesting questions and expected answers about life in [a] country they didn't know before". The project also encouraged all the participants to work collaboratively, and to set and accomplish their own goals. The teachers' questionnaire responses suggest that this had a positive effect the pupils' school work generally.
Unexpectedly, the project also proved to be a positive influence on those students who did not participate. The teachers noted that these students were interested in the project too, and like the participants became more motivated to learn English.
Both teachers reported personal and professional benefit from the project. They exchanged messages on a friendly basis, improving their own IT confidence and skills. In the process the more experienced Slovakian teacher was able to suggest new teaching methods to the less experienced Korean teacher. Both became more aware of professional practice beyond their own institutions. As the Korean teacher explained: "I opened my eyes toward the global English education".
The teachers expressed the wish to move on the other keypalling projects, and agreed that they would recommend the project to other teachers because of its personal, professional and pedagogical benefits.
The questionnaire responses from the Korean children display enormous enthusiasm for the project. They all claimed to have enjoyed it "very much", and their comments reflect this enjoyment and their desire to communicate meaningfully with other children (for example: "This program is very fun", "We can make friends through this program, "We can help our friends with learning English"). The children wrote about topics familiar to them in their daily lives, such as food, the weather, and festivals. Despite the many grammatical errors the messages make good reading because the students were very sincere and eager to talk about themselves and their countries and cultures. Samples of the messages are reproduced in full in Appendix B.
The project created opportunities for the children to learn new words and remember ones that had previously been taught. Both teachers reported that writing about the topics was a more effective way of learning vocabulary than memorizing individual words in a list. For example this Slovakian message about school life contains a number of words relating to sports. Some of these had been pre-taught, but others had not:
To : Kyoung-eun Joe,
How are you? I am fine. My hobbies are Karate, gardening and dog. I know where is Korea situated but I want to know more. I write you how our pupils can spent free time at school. We can choose these sports: football, tennis, table-tennis, volleyball, shooting and chess. I want to be good at sport, especialy at Karate. What do you know about Slovakia?
Best wishes,
Miro Djobek
ConclusionA successful project requires careful and detailed planning. The teachers and the project moderator need to reach agreements about timing, topics and message management that are feasible and suit them all. It is essential that harmonious relationships exist, not only between the participating teachers, but also between the teachers and the moderator, who is the linchpin of the whole project. The importance of the moderator in keypalling projects cannot be over- emphasized. He or she can oversee the progress of the project whilst participating teachers often only have a one-sided view of events. The moderator may also be called upon to create or locate materials to support the project, and may be able to iron out technical problems by liaising between teachers who are unfamiliar with e-mail systems.
Robb (1996) gives some excellent advice to prospective project organizers:
"Key pals can be an extremely rewarding experience for your students, but don't expect everything to go well the first time. Just like any other aspect of your teaching, it will take some experience to discover the best implementation for your own curriculum. Even with first-time glitches, however, you can be sure that it will be an experience that your students will not forget. Don't be surprised to find some students exchanging snail-mail addresses with their Key pals, turning a virtual friendship into an actual one. It happens!"
The pilot project described here was on a very small scale. Although we encountered some initial problems, as Robb anticipated, the teachers agreed it had been a positive experience and the children evidently enjoyed it a lot. We feel that any enthusiastic group of teachers with access to e-mail should be able to achieve similar results. At the end of this project the teachers were planning to set up keypalling activities of their own, and the Korean and Slovakian children were planning to continue writing to each other. We look forward to finding out more about the development of keypalling in Korea.

A Child's First Steps in Language Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:42:00 -0700

12 Tips for Teachers of Children

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:39:00 -0700

Teaching Children Through an International ApproachI am a firm believer that from a teacher's point of view, elementary school children are the most gratifying age level to work with. Why? Because students at this age possess three very important conditions before they even enter the classroom: They are naturally cooperative, curious and the least self-conscious of all levels. In addition, they learn very quickly.
Today I would like to share with you my "12 Tips" on how to teach children with the hope that these tips will be a catalyst in creating many positive and meaningful English lessons under your guidance. They have always worked for me! Good luck!
12 Tips for Teaching Children
1. Make the rules, which should be fair and consistent, clear from the first day of class.
2. Remember the students' names the first time you meet them. Encourage all students to remember their classmates' names. Use their names often when teaching (ie., talking to them, constructing blackboard sentences, making requests, TPR exercises, students passing back notebooks or workbooks, playing games, etc.)
3. Show your students what to do. Don't explain. Just do. Just be. They will follow your lead. English needs to be experienced, not explained.
4. Nourish trust between you and the students with each class. Through your actions let them know that you will never embarrass them for making a mistake in English. (Although you will discipline them for speaking in Japanese.)
5. Use eye contact to communicate your praise and disappointment.
6. Create well-planned, consistent lessons with a predictable format which gives the students a sense of security and balance. Students feel more confident if they know what to expect.
7. Always be pleasantly surprised when students interact with each other or you in English.
8. Reassure your students that you understand their English and you approve of their attempts.
9. Show respect to the children (since they are worthy of it) and let them sometimes be the teacher.
10. Use English as a tool to build their self-esteem.
11. Be their "sensei," not their parent.
12. Remember childhood through your students.

Marketing For Cosmetic Dentists

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:38:00 -0700

Cosmetic dentists are usually part of some cosmetic dentistry organizations. One such popular organization is the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Members of all such organizations can attend seminars, and lectures and even those who are not part of the organization can visit as guests. Many companies encourage these cosmetic dentists to register with them for marketing. All the popular media, including the Internet, would be used for marketing their services. As mentioned, even those who are still in the post graduate programs or those dentists who are not part of any of the popular organizations reserved for cosmetic dentistry can register with these companies on basis of their qualifications and work.One of the cheapest and most effective ways of marketing presently is through the Internet. Available online on the World Wide Web are many websites that provide referrals to the best cosmetic dentists available around. As with the marketing companies, the dentists would need to register into these websites. They would be chosen on basis of any organization they belong to or their work and qualifications by the websites as their clients. All these websites provide some good marketing on the Internet.Marketing is an expensive job. However, marketing through the Internet has relatively lesser prices compared to others. This is due to the heavy competition among all the referral sites. Many of these sites provide referral support to cosmetic dentists spread all over the country for a nominal fee compared to the other expensive referral or marketing sites. The customer can browse for a good referral site and contact them either through their website or by email for a cosmetic dentist presently available in a specific area. The website would be able to guide them to an accredited cosmetic dentist within no time.Fees charged by these referral sites are liable to vary depending on the services offered by them. It would also depend on the work that needs to be done on the patient. However, the initial registration fee for the first consultation would be nominal compared to what the regular cosmetic dentist would charge.

Natural Cosmetics

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:37:00 -0700

What is natural and organic should be better, right? For the most part it should, but as many skin care users are discovering, the use of terms like `natural' and `organic' is more than skin deep. Experts believe that while awareness about the adverse effects of synthetic skin products is growing, the cosmetics industry is cashing in on the trend to advertise their products as natural, when in fact they may not be. Should we be worried? Yes, because makeup, though applied on the outside soaks into the skin and is absorbed by the body in varying degrees. In fact, research has demonstrated that close to 60 % of what is applied on the skin could be absorbed into the circulatory system. So what comes out of that foundation jar may actually be toxic. Some natural ingredients have been reported to cause skin rashes that develop when in contact with these products. These include jojoba oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil, coconut oil and in some cases even vitamin E. Experts advice to users is simple - read the label carefully, cut through the promotional hype of the department store, check for short and long-term effects and make an informed choice. Manufacturers are legally bound to mention ingredients on the label in descending order of the quantity used in the product. With the US Department of Agriculture having decreed that products that are labeled organic should contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients, a vigilant user need only check the label. All said and done, natural cosmetics that are relatively free of synthetic extracts and are derived naturally from plant oils, wax, essential oils, flower extracts, spices and n are a safer and healthier choice. There's also a wide range of products available in natural options like scrubs, moisturizers, exfoliating agents, massage oils and mouthwashes. While natural astringents made from white vinegar and rose water or creams with olive oil, chamomile and beeswax, lotions with cocoa butter and aloe vera will help you glow if made naturally, consumers will do well to read the fine print. Dermatologists advise that skincare be seen as health care, thus not only aesthetically pleasing but necessary to health.

Fashion Tips for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:37:00 -0700

A noted philosopher and politician Aristotle once said, women are the best creatures of god.And for â€˜youâ€™ creatures that are bold, beautiful, gracious and smart, wrapping and carrying yourself is of utmost importance. According to the varying shape and size or body shape and colors, etc, here are few wrapping and carrying tips i.e. Fashion Tips For Women.But before jumping into those tips to make you smarter, beautiful and bold definitely you would like to know What is Fashion for Women, especially if you are a bit extra cautious about your looks and appearance.Fashion For Women Women are directly linked with fashion. It would be right to say that the word fashion is synonyms to woman. It is something more than wearing clothing. If you are an urban beauty, the fashion trend and style should go well and that too in advance with you. Few of the factors that define your fashion statement are body frame, skin tone, level of comfort and personal attitude. So beautiful ladies, come on, lets have a feel according to your body frame, skin tone and after all your level of comfort.Body Frame- Are you a plump women, if yes, try avoiding sleeveless cuts. Choose dark color clothing rather than lighter shades. Or prefer over a range of dull colors like dull blue or dirty blue. If you wear small prints and vertical line prints, you will look slimmer. If you have extra pounds in you, avoid kota sarees and cotton sarees and stick to Chiffon and Georgette Sarees. Choose beige and fawn colors, if you have a medium structure. In case of blouses, try on nets as these are of great help in disguising physical flaws. Thin women, cheer up, you will look gorgeous in all the color ranges. All the colors and shades will suits on you. You also can try on sleeveless, deep cuts and strapped blouses. Skin Tone- If you have fair complexion, gold with a blend of copper will make you cool. If you are a medium / wheatish colored, prefer mix shades of white, beige and bronzy golden. If you have dark skin, prefer to wrap yourself in golden copper shades.Personal Attitude and Level of comfort- Your attitude and level of comfort is very important along with your appearance and clothing sense. If you want to maintain a cosmopolitan outlook but do not feel very much comfortable with western wear, try Indo Western style. A blend of Indo Western style should add an extra charm to your personality. A boat necked saree with a squared necked blouse is definitely for a shy and introvert women. Bold â€˜nâ€™ beautiful should choose from sleeveless, deep-necked blouses and may be straps.So no matter what is your body frame and skin tone or how bold is your personality, fashion is for you, LADIES.

Effective Make-up and Beauty Tips: Do's and Dont's, Avoid These Most Common Mistakes!

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:36:00 -0700

With the amount of importance given to make-up these days, many women just tend to do a bit too much. Getting the right make-up for the particular occasion is the call of the entire womanhood. But beauty shouldn't be misinterpreted as just by carrying a beautiful face. A overall healthy body reflects eternal beauty which one should be longing for. The idea is to look younger and FEEL YOUNGER. Here are some precious makeup Do's and Dont's which one should know very well before applying make-up* Always apply make-up where there is adequate light on your face. Improper light can lead to horrible look. Yellow light compliments your skin the most.* Don't go for a colour eye-shadow as a base. Also, apply eyeliner close to the base of eyelashes so as to make them look thicker.* Always test the colour of foundation or concealer on the inside of your wrist. That's the place which will give you a good idea of how it is going to look on your face. * Do apply concealer before applying eye-liner on dark circles under your eyes. Generally, women directly apply eye-liner which instead make their eyes look too dark. Read more eye care tips at http://www.weightloss-health.com/Eye_Care_Tips.htm* First apply moisturizer and after about 20 minutes, start putting on your make-up.* Find the formula that meets your skin's needs and your lifestyle. Though, it isn't that hard also to get it right. Generally, we apply make-up in a hurry and we tend to ignore this vital part. * Women generally don't wash their brushes as they are always busy applying their makeup.(Hey, Nothing against women :-), relax!). Brushes should be washed properly and allowed to be dried naturally. * Special care should be taken, while applying and even after applying lipstick. Don't stain your teeth with lipstick. It really looks gross!* Never use your mascara more than twice. It will definitely look clogged.* Last but not the least, don't forget to take off all the make-up from your face once you go to bed specially from and near your eyes.Fight Aging with dignity: Get various Anti-Aging Tips and products at http://www.weightloss-health.com/anti_ageing_products.htm

Cosmetics

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:35:00 -0700

Women's fascination with makeup goes all the way back to ancient Egypt dating back t to around 4000 BC. Traces of cosmetics used by the ancient Greeks and Romans have also been found. While the Victorian era saw some strictures on the use of makeup, the 20th century has seen the cosmetics industry becoming a multi million-dollar business with multinationals like L'Oreal, Max Factor, Estee Lauder and Revlon dominating the industry. Feminists may contest the claim, but it is generally believed that the use of makeup makes the wearer look young, beautiful and adds to sex appeal. Makeup can transform one's appearance dramatically and is used extensively by actors, stage personalities and those in the limelight, as well as doctors who may use it clinically to disguise scars. However, its most common use today is among women around the world who use a number of cosmetic tools. Foundation or powder is used to make the face look smoother and conceal blemishes. A touch of lipstick adds color, shape and fullness to the lips, while eye shadow and mascara is meant to better define the eyes and make them look bigger. Today, surgical procedures and permanent makeup is also possible thanks to the advances in science.This loveliness though, could be only skin deep for there's an ugly side to the beauty business. Lipsticks could contain chemicals like iron oxide, while eye shadows have chances of containing the dye carmine, an animal extract. On the one hand, the line between drugs and cosmetics is blurring, so that one man's cosmetic deodorant could be another man's antiperspirant drug. What complicates matters is, while the United States Food and Drug Administration sees drugs, as subject to a review and approval process, cosmetics don't fall under its strict purview. On the other hand, cosmetic testing on animals has become shrouded in controversy with animal rights' activists vehemently opposed to it. Animal testing includes for finished products like lipsticks or for individual ingredients. Due to the pressure exerted by animal rights' groups, the accepted rule among governments and corporations is to exercise the three Rs of reduction -using fewer animals to get similar information, replacement through non-animal use and refinement by minimizing pain to animals. Another relatively new cosmetic method gaining currency is permanent makeup that employs tattooing techniques. While this can work wonders for those with permanent scars caused by conditions such as vitiligo or for busy women, unless it is handled by an experienced professional, permanent makeup carries risks of infection and disfigurement.

Benefits of Benzaclin on Acne Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:35:00 -0700

Are you suffering from Acne skin problem? Benzaclin is a drug being used to treat Acne vulgaris or irritation and redness caused by changes in the skin structure. As such, it uses clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide gel for the treatment of acne.Skin care can be an easy task with use of Benzaclin. Here some important notes on usage of Benzaclin. When to use Benzaclin? Benzaclin is use when one needs to come out of acne vulgaris. It is use externally only in affected area as directed by the doctor. How to use Benzaclin? Benzaclin is applied twice in a day morning and evening according to your doctor prescription at affected area. Make use of Benzaclin after the skin is washed and rinsed with warm water and drying the applying area.Precaution for using BenzaclinTake precaution while using Benzaclin. It should be used only affected area, avoid the contact of nose, eyes, mouth, or any other face portion. If you have any history of skin problem then do not use. Do not conjunction with any other skin treatment or else it will give you irritation. Benzaclin always keep away from heat, fire, or flame. In a day if you forgot to apply, you can apply immediately when you remember but, if it is time for next dose then skip the missed and apply only the scheduled dose.Benzaclin side effectsThere are most frequented side effects associated with use of Benzaclin are: 1. Allergic reaction.2. Skin drying and peeling off. 3. Skin rashes or burning sensation in skin areas. 4. Increase sensitivity of the skin to sun exposure. 5. Mild or moderate form of skin stinging.Another side affect is diarrhoea and if persists one must stop the application of it and consult a doctor. For good result, make use of Benzaclin in direction of doctor. For more information, log on to http://www.benzer11.com/benzaclin.htmlOlivia Andrews, writing http://www.benzer11.com/benzaclin.html is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels, and mobile phones.
Olivia Andrews, writing http://www.benzer11.com/benzaclin.html is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels, and mobile phones.

Cosmetic Tattoo Procedure for Permanent Eyebrows

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:34:00 -0700

Although sometimes cosmetic eyebrow tattooing is a necessary step in the reconstruction of a face following a traumatic accident, it can also be used for patients who have sparse eyebrows and do not want to apply brow liner daily. Most of the time, these patients are women who are concerned about the way that their eyebrows frame their face. Some patients are allergic to cosmetics or have poor eyesight and cannot apply their makeup correctly. In these and other cases, cosmetic eyebrow tattooing is a viable option. Sometimes the tattoo is a permanent tattoo done purely for cosmetic purposes. Eyebrow Tattoo Surgery - Finding a SurgeonFinding a licensed and qualified technician to perform the cosmetic eyebrow tattooing may be difficult for a patient. Many people may claim to be qualified to do the procedure, when in fact their experience lies mostly in body tattoos. It is a subtle art that makes a technician able to do cosmetic eyebrow tattooing well and it also takes a fair amount of experience to make permanent eyebrows look natural. A patient can speak with friends and colleagues to see if anyone knows of someone who is reputable. If the patient wishes to be more discreet, then they can contact a plastic surgeonâ€™s office or the local academy of plastic surgeons to see who they recommend. Ideal Candidates for Eyebrow Tattoo SurgeryThe ideal candidate for cosmetic eyebrow tattooing is one that is in good health and has realistic expectations of the procedure. The cosmetic eyebrow procedure will not return the area to a completely normal look, but will make the overall appearance of the patient more refined and balanced. Patients who are allergic or sensitive to makeup, have skin or hair loss disorders, illnesses, or just lack the time to put on makeup are all considered good candidates for the cosmetic eyebrow tattooing.Eyebrow Tattoo Surgery - ConsultationIn the initial consultation, the physician and patient will discuss the probable outcomes of the cosmetic eyebrow tattooing. Many physicians will have former patient pictures available for the new patient to examine. This will give the patient a good idea as to what can be achieved by the cosmetic eyebrow tattoo technician. The doctor will examine the eyebrow area and determine what can be done with the cosmetic eyebrow tattooing. Risks and anesthesia options will also be discussed in the initial consultation. A complete medical history will be taken in order to inform the doctor of any medical conditions or prescriptions that might interfere with the results. Eyebrow Tattoo Surgery - ProcedureThe permanent makeup tattoo that is applied is made up of vegetable products that are injected into the skin. After an anesthetic ointment is applied, tiny needles are used to inject the coloring and are sometimes seen on a rotary coil instrument. The tip is dipped into the dye and then the needle is placed into the skin in cosmetic eyebrow tattooing. Some bleeding may occur as the skin is punctured, but it will be minimal. Most cosmetic eyebrow tattooing procedures last an hour, but it depends on the extent of the work that needs to be done. At the end of the session, the area will be cleaned and an antiseptic cream will be applied. Eyebrow tattooing requires fine work to look good. To achieve this, the tattoos are often applied by hand rather than with electric needles. The technician can achieve much finer and pleasing results by hand, but this also makes the procedure longer.Eyebrow Tattoo Surgery - RisksAlthough the risks associated with cosmetic eyebrow tattooing are rare, they do occur. In very few cases, the patient can have an allergic reaction to the dye that is used. Infection is another main concern following the cosmetic eyebrow tattooing. Not following the physicianâ€™s orders after the cosmetic eyebrow tattooing procedure can lead to a delay in healing and cause unwanted results. If a patient is unhappy with the results of the cosmetic eyebrow tattooing, laser skin resurfacing may help to remove the coloring, but may not be able to remove it entirely.

Cosmically Healthy Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:34:00 -0700

Cosminology was created by Dr. Dima Ali, M.D. and inspired by her personal sensitivity to harsh, over the counter and prescription strength topical treatments. As a long-time acne sufferer with a propensity for hyperpigmentation, Dr. Dima began to combine varying strengths of potent, rejuvenating ingredients with natural, anti-inflammatory botanical extracts and essential oils to treat her own skin conditions and those of her patients. Another one of her inspirations has been the successful treatment of difficult scars that are often referred to her by other dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons in the Washington, D.C. area and internationally. The treatment of recalcitrant scars (from trauma, acne or just persistent scratching from hypersensitivity) can often take many months if not years to make a noticeable improvement. Dr. Dima�s successful treatment of stubborn scars through the synergistic combination of topical dermatological preparations and the latest in laser technology is one of her most rewarding endeavors.One of Dr. Dima�s �life defining moments� was during the treatment of her own recent facial scar. During the research and testing phase of new laser technology, Dr. Dima endured a �very stubborn scar.� Her scar was healing slowly but surely with Cosminology�s Dermacles Clinical Skincare products. However, it was when she sought an effective yet natural and hypoallergenic camouflage that Dr. Dima discovered the accelerated healing of her scar. As she states: �it was like an overnight miracle.� Dr. Dima began applying the �miracle� mineral powder to her patients even immediately after laser or other cosmetic dermatological procedures to cover the redness and other side effects. Even people with acne noticed a significant improvement in their skin�s condition. Dr. Dima admits that it was ultimately a combination of both art and science that was the definitive cure. Nonetheless, as Dr. Dima eloquently states:We talk about the connection between art and science, between quantum physics and �universal forces,� between healing energy and the latest medical/surgical technology...But we must remember that the mind-body connection is the most powerful of all of these in healing "dis-ease.� I had to wonder how much of the accelerated healing of my scar was due to my ability to effectively yet naturally cover it up which in turn made me feel much better and less self-conscious.Regardless, Dr. Dima believes that healthy, beautiful skin empowers the individual to look better and feel better about themselves whether they have an adverse skin condition or not. Cosminology�s Dermacles Clinical Skincare and Minacles Clinical Mineral Coverage are clinically, physically and emotionally healing. It began as a decision to do what was best for her patients. It then became a very personal desire to heal her own scar. Finally, it evolved into a more "cosmic" desire to share this with anyone who can benefit. Dr. Dima describes Cosminology as a �true labor of love� and, as she reminds her patients who call her and her team �earth angels,� don't just believe in miracles...expect them!To find out more about Dr. Dima and Cosminology and to view her before and after scar pictures visit www.cosminology.com WARNING: regular use may cause excessive skin admiration resulting in skin envy tm
Dima Ali, M.D. is an internationally recognized aesthetic and anti-aging medicine expert. Her areas of expertise include aesthetic laser surgery, minimally invasive face lifts, lipofilling/fat transfer, botox, soft tissue fillers, chemical peels, sclerotherapy, injectable lipolysis and bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. Dr. Ali received her undergraduate degree at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. She received her Doctorate of Medicine and completed her residency training at The George Washington University School of Medicine, with special emphasis in Dermatology, Cosmetic Surgery, Women's Health and Preventive Medicine. After completing additional post graduate work in Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery, she founded one of the East Coasts first medical spas, WellMedica Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine in Reston, VA. Dr. Ali and her staff are deeply committed to the well being of each patient. Combining artistry with state-of-the art technology, they pride themselves on providing each patient with customized care. WellMedica Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine has been featured in Cosmetic Surgery Times, Vogue, DaySpa Magazine, In Style Magazine, Health and Beauty, The Washingtonian and The Washington Post as one of the "Top Medical Spas in the USA." Dr. Ali has been featured on CBS News and frequently lectures and teaches hands-on courses at various national and international medical conferences. Dr. Ali is a Fellow of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and a faculty member and scientific advisor for The American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. Dr. Ali is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery; The American Medical Association; The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and has served as President of the Professional Medical Spa Alliance. Dr. Ali has trained under world renowned experts including Dr. Zein Obagi and Dr. Pierre Fournier. She also teaches cosmetic procedures with Dr. Fournier to other physicians, including dermatologists, plastic surgeons, general surgeons and primary care doctors. She is committed to the advancement of aesthetic medicine and surgery and is recognized as an important leader in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia areas as well as throughout the aesthetic and medical spa industries. Quotes that Dr. Ali loves and lives by: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Mahatma Ghandi "People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, People may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, They may be jealous; Be happy anyway."

Breast Enlargement Pills

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:33:00 -0700

The concept of breast enlargement by ingesting pills is appealing to many women who are hesitant to undergo breast implant surgery. Many women view breast enlargement pills as an easy and inexpensive way of increasing their breast size. Breast enlargement pills contain phytoestrogens, a naturally occurring non-hormonal plant estrogen that promotes the growth of new breast tissue. These pills, as the manufacturers claim, activate the inactive estrogen sites in the breasts and increase breast size. The ingredients used in the pills are a combination of ancient herbs that naturally adjust the hormone levels and stimulate breast growth. Most of the pills contain seven ingredients, including fenugreek, don quai, saw palmetto, wild yam, blessed thistle, and damiana. The manufacturers assert that the consumers can see the result often in a couple of weeks and the consumption of pills for 3 ï¿½ 6 months can lead to an increase in the breast by 1or 2 cup sizes. Do these pills really work? No, says some of the studies. On the contrary, they could be dangerous. Though manufacturers claim to have conducted research on their products, none of the medical journals have reportedly published their studies. It is understood that the studies, they claim, may have been derived from historical anecdotes or some isolated studies. The ingredients of breast enlargement pills, as per some studies, supposedly interfere with certain medicines. It is claimed that while fenugreek may interfere with medicines taken for blood clotting, chaste-berry tree may interfere with birth control pills. Don quai, one of the ingredients used in the pills is a known carcinogen. All breast enlargement pills are not the same, and therefore the results may differ for every individual. These pills are sold as herbal supplements and so the US Food and Drug Administration does not evaluate the product for their safety and effectiveness. Educating oneself about the ingredients found in the pills is of utmost importance. Individuals should also thoroughly go through the independent reviews of the products. Besides, individuals who take medication should equip themselves with the thorough knowledge about the potential negative effects of consuming the pills.

Breast Enlargement Pumps

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:32:00 -0700

Manufacturers claim the pumps are a miracle treatment for women who dream of fuller and supple breasts without the pains and health problems associated with surgery. Breast enlargement pumps consist of a pump attached to a specially designed cups or cylinders. Each cup or the cylinder is attached to the breasts and manually pumped up to a good pressure. This procedure is repeated for 15 minutes twice a day to produce the best results. According to the manufacturer, the external pressure creates a suction by which the breasts are pulled outward. This process increases vacuums of fat and fluids and makes them flow into the breast tissue cells causing them to enlarge. Pumps also helps to build and expand the mammary gland tissue by stimulating a balanced natural hormone level and encourages increased production of collagen to provide firmer breasts. Some manufacturers claim that regular stimulation of the breast tissue by pumps induces the pituitary gland to increase the production and release of the female hormones responsible for breast growth. Besides, regular stimulation and the gentle stretching of the breast repeatedly induces new cellular growth and enlarges the breast. The process works in the same manner as regular exercising does for muscle growth. Whether the breast enlargement pump is effective in the enhancement of the breasts is still a matter of speculation. Many doctors deny any role of pumps in the process of breast enlargement. The supposed increase in the size, doctors say, is purely a placebo effect. Secondly, the elastic nature of the skin responds to the prolonged pumping by stretching itself to an extent as to give the effect of an enlargement. Some women claim that prolonged use of pumps has increased their breast by 2 cups. Some have reported an increase by a cup size within three weeks. The use of breast enlargement pumps may harm or damage the breast tissue, so before deciding on the use of pumps it would be worth the effort to investigate all information thoroughly.

Breast Enhancement Creams

noreply@blogger.com (Most Wanted Article) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:32:00 -0700

Breast enhancement creams are often used with breast enhancement pills. They can enhance the effects of the pills or can be used independently to increase the size and firmness of the breasts. The makers of breast enhancement creams claim that these products tighten the apparent tones and contour of the breasts. They also improve the visible tone and texture of the skin. Cream makers also say that the creams improve the firm feel of the supporting skin of the breast and the skin from the breast to the chin, which is important for a proper shape. Breast enhancement creams are made of a number of ingredients. It is necessary to thoroughly research each and every ingredient before using such creams. Common ingredients are various acids like stearic acid and ascorbic acid, extracts of algae, chamomile, lavender, and sage. Oils like avocado and jojoba are used. Other ingredients are glycerin, octyl methoxycinnamate, metylparaben, propylparaben, and phenoxyethanol. Some other ingredients are sabal, damiana, blessed thistle, kava kava, dandelion root, and motherwort. Most breast enhancement creams have the same ingredients as the breast enhancement pills. The creams, however, donï¿½t have as great a concentration of the active ingredients as the pills. Many breast enhancement creams are designed to maintain the changes achieved through pills. Some users of breast enhancement creams achieve fuller breasts with firmer tissue, thereby helping them avoid surgical procedures for a breast enhancement. One of the most common side effects of these creams is soreness in the breasts that subsides after some time. Breast enhancement creams should be used for a period of 45 to 90 days for proper results.
Natural Breast Enhancement provides detailed information on Breast Enhancement, Natural Breast Enhancement, Herbal Breast Enhancement, Breast Enhancement Pills and more. Natural Breast Enhancement is affiliated with Breast Augmentation Before And After.