Am I Fluent - Language Proficiency

In order to figure out whether you are fluent in a language, you need to analyze your own language abilities. According to the official definition, fluency refers to an ability to converse fluidly and easily. Do you feel comfortable  speaking  the language? Can you communicate easily with native speakers? Can you read  newspapers, listen to the  radio, and watch  tv? Are you able to understand the gist of the language as it is spoken and  written, even if you dont know every single word? Can you understand native speakers from  different regions? The more fluent you are, the more of these questions you can answer yes to. Context   A fluent speaker may have some gaps in  vocabulary but is capable of figuring out these terms in context. Likewise, s/he can reword sentences in order to describe an object, explain an idea, or get a point across, even if s/he doesnt know the actual terms. Thinking in the Language Pretty much everyone agrees that this is an important sign of fluency. Thinking in the language means that you understand the words without actually  translating  them into your native language. For example, non-fluent speakers would hear or read the sentence Jhabite à   Paris and would think to themselves (slowly if they are beginners, more quickly if they are more advanced) something like: J  is from  je  -  I...habite  is from  habiter  -  to live...à  Ã‚  can mean  in,  to, or  at...Paris...  I - live - in - Paris. A fluent speaker wouldnt need to go through all that; s/he would intuitively understand Jhabite à   Paris as easily as I live in Paris. The reverse is also true: when speaking or writing, a fluent speaker doesnt need to construct the sentence in his/her native language and then translate it into the target language - a fluent speaker thinks of what s/he wants to say in the language s/he wants to say it. Dreams   Many people say that dreaming in the language is an essential indicator of fluency. We personally dont subscribe to this belief, because: Weve only dreamed in French once (13 years after we began to study it) and weve never dreamed in Spanish.We know a number of people who have dreamed in a language after only a year or two of study.We once had an entire dream in Polish, which we studied for a total of about 12 non-intensive, non-immersion hours. We  certainly agree that dreaming in the language of study is a good sign - it shows that the language is being incorporated into your subconscious.

Roman Empire History The Battle of Teutoburg Forest

I. Introduction The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was a critical battle in the history of the Roman Empire and in the formation of the German state. This battle took place during the reign of Augustus in 9 AD during the time of the Roman Empire expansion. The fall of the Romans in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest was the consequence of several mistakes and strategic blunders by the Roman general Varus and his superiors in Rome. This paper will outline these mistakes as well as the strategic advantages that Arminius exploited on behalf of the Germanic tribes that successfully pushed back the Romans from the forest. The defeat at Teutoburg devastated the Roman emperor Augustus, who, as a result, lost his willpower to pursue the continued†¦show more content†¦However, the Roman infantry and cavalry were extraordinarily well-disciplined and were in excellent physical condition.viiiI6, Although their men were in great physical shape, their uniforms were typically made of metal and had breast plates w hich are very cumbersome. In addition to the unfortunate uniforms, each Roman soldier carried forty pounds of equipment, which included spears, gladiuses (short two-sided swords that were used for thrusting, slashing, blocking, and parrying), and shields.ixI7 The Roman shields (aka. scutum) were heavy and covered most of the soldiers body. The German fighters consisted of about twenty to thirty thousand able-bodied freemen and ten thousand auxiliaries.xA2 While they lacked the formal discipline of the Roman army, their minimal heavy weapons and intimate knowledge of the terrain made the Germans better suited to fight in the forest.xiA2xiiG1 They wore limited armor, typically made of leather for ease of moving.xiiiG3 Some of their weapons included large swords, axes, shields, and large broadswords.xivI9 The German shields were light, and were used primarily for deflecting their opponents’ weapons as opposed to covering their entireShow MoreRelatedHistory of Germany to Present Day665 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction Germany has a long and eventful history, which inevitably intersects with the past in neighboring countries. The history of Germany is complex and varies with the geographical and historical boundaries within which we consider the territory and the ethno genesis of the German people. As that nation-state, Germany has only existed since 1871. Before that date, however, there was a Germanic world with some variable consistency at different times, linguistically, culturally, and sometimesRead MoreThe Roman Empire And The Romans1815 Words   |  8 PagesIn Roman history, it is often true that history was written by the victors, and given the large expansion of the Roman Empire, the Romans likely wrote over the accounts of the civilizations they took over, adapting the new provinces into their way of life and assimilating Roman culture into new facets of outlying territories way of life. The Roman Empire and Augustus had the ambition to expand north, going east of the Rhine where they ha d never gone, to take over new territory and the tribes thatRead MoreFamous German People Essay3261 Words   |  14 Pagesdied in 21 AD in Germania. He was forty at his time of death. Arminius lived during the Roman Occupation. When Arminius was a boy he lived in Rome as a hostage, where he had received a military education, and obtained Roman citizenship as well as the status of petty noble before returning to Germania and driving the Romans out. When Arminius returned to northern Germania in about 7-8 AD, the Roman Empire had founded safe rule just east of the Rhine River, and along the Lippe and Main Rivers

Artwork and Performing Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Artwork and Performing. Answer: Introduction Semiotics is simply a term termed as the study of the use of symbols and communication with a defined meaning that includes the study of signs and processing of signs. Artwork is used to define the activities that human beings engage in, to bring auditory or performing artifacts or creating a visual image. In my paperwork below I have underlined various semiotics in which various Medias use semiosis in the communication of their various brands. I have concentrated my views on the Samsung Company Artwork In media advertisements of the Samsung mobile phone (S8). We are usually provided with an imagery of the kind of life you will experience with the device. In the picture above Samsung company has vividly described the product as one that when used you fill the comfort of walking on air. The man in the picture is illuminating the robot in the space, this art influences one to think that the man is actually in space. Apart from that the artifact of this art also goes ahead to give a short information about the brand, infinity display on the reading of the statement, a person will have a clear view of what the product can perform. For instance, one may think he can be able to see things that are at the infinite range. (Alden Batra., 2015) Furthermore, the developer goes ahead to give the user a picture of the S8, showing that its waterproof hence its suitable to use it under any environmental circumstances without worrying about water damaging your gadget. This was also employed in movies, for instance, a certain movie known as "POWER" whereby the characters are using a Samsung phone, and they are texting and receiving a call in the rain without having to worry. (Danesi, 2011) Developmental process of S8 Befortoe launching of S7 that flopped Samsung started the developments of S8 which is believed to have an infinite view that will give life a different view, the model is designed in a way it gives the consumer what he or she is unable to have or see with a naked eye. (Epure, 2015) Samsung electronics semiotic application Samsung, an electronic company, has employed various platforms into marketing its products. Through the branding, the products provided by them are worldly appreciated as one of the best electronics as they cover different ranges, that suit each and every consumer about their economic state. (Lotman, 2012) It looks into the people's life's and generates products that suit every generation; its wider range of products makes it easily affordable to anyone depending on one's taste and preference. Generations in the universe have a different way of life thus Samsung finds it necessary to provide products that can be afforded by this different types of generations. The use of art that enables one to understand the quality of a product through imagery makes it realistic to one's thoughts as its observed in the case where the art used showed one immersing the Samsung brand into the water without the water causing damage to it. (Chandler, 2007/2014) Samsung use of media advertisement (television) Over the years Samsung Electronics has widely used television to market its products. As many human beings stick their eyes to various TV channels, this acts as the best opportunity for the company to reach its consumers. For instance, as many people are football fanatics in the last decade Samsung has employed the use of various world best footballers to market its products, especially about their product TV. The provision of a wider range of TV sets they offer makes it effective to use this type of communication. (Alden Batra., 2015) The use of billboards Billboards are widely used in advertisement process, as they normally portray the real image of the product being advertised. Hence, in this case, Samsung acknowledges the use of billboards all around the world into marketing its products in the long run. Billboards are usually structures beside main roads where traffic is highly observed. This is done to communicate to the road user of the existence of a specific product in the market. They are usually well structured to convince any road user visually into trying the product. The visually available information with some short description leaves with no choice other than abiding by it. (Zlatev, 2013) Artwork international representation The artwork internationally represents the use of updated gadgets about the increasing world of diversity in enhancing lives. Due to the 1st changing generations worldwide Samsung as an electronic company is trying to provide an improved platform for the experience of the generation. Its ability to influence a wider market makes it further easier for the products to sell easier worldwide especially in the developed nations. As the artwork is meant to capture the attention of all nations, it can be said to be an example of art that looks into the opportunities that suit all the generations. (Emmeche Kull, 2011) Conclusion One may come to a conclusion that the use of signs to portray a certain type of information to generation can be very effective depending on how you simplify it for the viewer, for instance, Samsung uses simple practice in putting across their communication. The communication can suit anyone provided that one is visually able even if deaf he can interpret the given message without any complications. Through my presentation above its clearly that choosing of better forms of communication to reach your customers one needs to be cognitive to what better way, the message can be represented. Using this type of example other companies in the worldwide market need to copy from Samsung's way of customer services. They can offer the same product in a wider range of make and model that leaves the consumer with the choice to make what suits their needs. References Aktin, K., 2016. A Semiotic Analysis of the Utilization of Historical Thinking Skills in Pre-School Period. 1st ed. New York: Educational Research And Reviews. Alden, D. Batra., J.-B. S. . R., 2015. "Brand Positioning Through Advertising in Asia, North America, and Europe: The Role of Global Consumer Culture." 5th ed. Lund: Lund University Press. Chandler, D., 2007/2014. Pictorial concepts. Inquiries into the semiotic heritage and its relevance for the analysis of the visual world. 3rd ed. London: Routledge. Danesi, M., 2011. Understanding Media Semiotics. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP. Emmeche, C. Kull, K. (., 2011. Towards a Semiotic Biology: Life is the Action of Signs. 2nd ed. London: Imperial College Press. Epure, M. E. E., 2015. Semiotics And Persuasion In Marketing Communication. 3rd ed. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0. Lotman, Y. M., 2012. Universe of the Mind: A Semiotic Theory of Culture. 3rd ed. London: I.B. Tauris. Zlatev, J., 2013. "The Semiotic Hierarchy: Life, Consciousness, Signs and Language, Cognitive Semiotics." 3rd ed. Sweden: Scania.