E.H. Sutherland: White Collar Crime

E.H. Sutherland: White Collar Crime What are some of the principal elements of E.H. Sutherlands contribution to the study of white collar crime? What are some of the limitations? What factors seem to have contributed to Sutherlands interest in white collar crime and to the relative disinterest of most other criminologists? E.H. Sutherland is widely considered the most important contributor to American criminology in the nations history. Among his many contributions, Sutherland is credited with coining the term white collar crime, formulating the theory of differential association, and contributing extensively to the study and formulation of laws concerning sexual psychopaths (Friedrichs, 2007). Sutherland differentiated himself from other professionals of his time because rather than focusing his efforts on explaining lower-class criminality, he sought to offer guidance and understanding on the criminality of middle-and upper-class people. Among Sutherlands inspirations was the work of E.A. Ross (1907) Sin and Society: An Analysis of Latter Day Iniquity (Geis and Goff 1987). the criminaloid: the businessman who committed exploitative, if not necessarily illegal, acts out of an uninhibited desire to maximize profit, all the while hiding behind a faà §ade of respectability and piety. Ross regarded these criminaloids as guilty of moral insensibility and held them directly responsible for unnecessary deaths of consumers and workers. Building on the research of Ross and others in the criminology field, Sutherland formulated his theory of differential association. He came to believe that his theory of differential association, which attributed criminality to a learning process, was precisely the type of general theory that could usefully explain both lower-class and upper-class crime (Friedrichs, 2007). The first recorded use of the term white collar crime was in Sutherlands landmark book entitled, White Collar Crime (1939). The book brings to the forefront the prevalence of criminal activity in some of the largest companies in the country. White Collar Crime focuses on the 70 largest U.S. manufacturing, mining, and mercantile corporations with respect to the legal decisions against them and the pervasiveness of immoral and corrupt business practices in the corporations (Friedrichs, 2007). Sutherlands research showed that 97% of the corporations were recidivists. That is, when they were caught and punished, they committed more crime. That compares to 50% or so of the individuals who commit new crime after being released from prison (Friedrichs, 2007 p. 2). In his book, Sutherland noted that corporate officials felt contempt for the law, and didnt want laws to be passed to control their harmful behavior; they didnt want the laws enforced and they didnt want to be punished personally if caught (Friedrichs, 2007). Although Sutherlands book and theories were seen as an important step in the right direction in terms of recognizing white collar crime and emphasizing the need for its enforcement, his theories did have some limitations. Among the shortcomings was his general label of white collar crime to all crimes concerning a corporation. Sutherland failed to differentiate between the crime done by white-collar employees against the corporation, and the crime done by the corporation acting as an individual company (Young, 1989). Friedrichs (2007) listed several other shortcomings: Sutherland overemphasized an individualistic framework (and social-psychological factors) and largely ignored social structural factors (e.g., capitalism, profit rates, and business cycles). He failed to make clear-cut distinctions among white collar crimes, and he did not adequately appreciate the influence of corporations over the legislative and regulatory processes. Which social developments may have contributed to a social movement against white collar crime, and which factors continue to act as constraints against any such movement? There have been a number of factors in the last century which have contributed to a social movement against white collar crime. The stock market crash of 1929 marked the start of the Great Depression and a renewed assault on the illegal activities of corrupt businesses, corporations, and politicians around the country. During this time of great suffering and unemployment by millions, the horrid business practices of many corporations were seen as being unethical. Many of these corporations formed their business models that were centered on profit at the expense of the workers, customers, and the country. Awareness of WCC and the public movement against it really came to the forefront again during the nineteen-seventies. The seventies saw a decline in public confidence of elected officials and businesses alike because of events such as the Vietnam War, the Watergate crimes of the Nixon White House, and some high-profile cases of corporate misconduct (Friedrichs, 2007). The biggest factor in my view, which has contributed to awareness and action against WCC, is the news media, and the Internet. Im not necessarily speaking of the nightly news shows of the networks which were the norm in the seventies, eighties, even into the mid-nineties. Im talking about the explosion of cable news and the Internet which provides 24 hr sources of news and information to the public. The round the clock pursuit by people to gather information on important topics and beat another network to the story has led to the uncovering and release of more important stories and information to the public than ever before. TV personalities and investigative shows such as Bill OReilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Dateline, and 60 minutes, and others make it their mission to uncover blatant abuses of power and illegal activity that can affect citizens around the country. These private citizens with the backing of their networks often uncover information that leads to criminal action taken against individuals, corporations, and politicians. The bottom line is that when citizens are made aware of the corruption and other abuses by powerful people or businesses, they have the power to (and often does) speak out. When citizens speak out, their elected officials should take note as should law enforcement. This chain of events is often the primary factor leading to arrests and convictions for acts of white collar crime and other similar instances of fraud, waste, and abuse. The advent of the Internet, cellular phones, and twenty-four hour cable news allows for instant access to information. People can talk, text, email, and fax information around the globe in an instant. The information flow allows us to search for nearly anything at anytime. This accessibility to information has made more people aware of the manner and frequency in which businesses, politicians, and others have abused their positions of trust and authority in order to gain financially at the expense of others. In the last decade alone the United States has seen some of the biggest companies come crashing down because of deceitful business practices designed to mislead the general public and help the company profit. Companies such as Enron, Adelphia, AOL/Time Warner, and WorldCom (to name a few) are prime examples of companies who have cooked their books to deceive consumers, investors, and the government (Patsuris, 2002). Despite the many factors which work against white collar crime, there will always be those corrupt individuals and companies who will seek to profit illegally through lies, deceit, and trickery. These powerful individuals use their wealth and positions of power to influence public officials into looking the other way or passing laws to benefit their interests. This is the biggest hindrance to stamping out white collar crime. The ability of the rich and powerful to corrupt public officials has and will continue to be the driving force which allows this type of illegal behavior to continue. Identify the principal agents who expose white collar crime in contemporary society. What factors motivate people to expose such crime, and what factors inhibit them from doing so? What specific policy measures can be adopted to encourage exposure of white collar crime? In regards to high level or corporate white collar crime the most likely method of exposure will come from an informer or whistle-blower from within the business or institution itself. Outside sources can contribute to investigations by uncovering or suspecting wrong doing. Often, these sources will come from the media, consumers, or concerned citizens. The informer will likely be an insider in the company who is involved in the criminal activity in some way. In return for their cooperation with law enforcement, the informer will likely seek compensation of one form or another, they may be given promises of leniency, immunity from prosecution, or a financial reward (Friedrichs, 2007). Another company insider who is a vital source of information to investigators is Whistle Blowers. These individuals are crucial sources of information needed for the detection, and ultimately the prosecution of many white collar crimes, especially when they are of the governmental and corporate varieties. Another common perpetrator of white collar crime and also important players in exposing it is through politicians and other elected officials. These officials are generally closely affiliated with business and community leaders who commit the majority of white collar crime, and as a result may be subject to the allure of money and power. Other sources which can be of assistance in uncovering instances of white collar crime are from the media, particularly investigative journalists. Investigative journalism can be a pain staking, time consuming, and expensive process. Because of the expense and resources necessary to conduct an in-depth investigation, many smaller newspapers or local television stations are reluctant or unable to undertake them (Friedrichs, 2007). Bigger TV networks or newspapers with strong financial backing and high subscribership or viewers are now the most likely people to break these stories of white collar criminals, particularly when they involve elected officials. There are a number of factors which ultimately govern a persons decision to expose their employers activities, or in many cases deter them from doing so. Some come forward because of their need for self-preservation, or for other altruistic reasons. They may be afraid they will be harmed either financially or physically due to the illegal actions of the person or company, or they can feel a moral sense to do what is right. The same logic holds true for not coming forward, due to fear of reprisal and potential for lost income, job, or physical retaliation or intimidation (Friedrichs, 2007). There can be a number of changes and improvements made to federal and state statutes in order to encourage people to come forward and expose acts of white collar crime. One of the most important and logical measures would be to provide financial protection for a person, because they will likely suffer greatly if they become an informant against their own company. They will likely have to quit their job or be let go. They will lose pay and put themselves and their family through a great deal of stress if the case is long and drawn out in court. I realize there are regulations in place that provide a whistleblower with a reward of a percentage of the judgment against a company or corporation (Friedrichs, 2007). These laws should be applied to many more cases and when possible the person providing the information should be subsidized during the trial to help them with their bills in return for their assistance. These are just a couple of the general ways in which people can be encourage d to come forward and expose white collar crime. What are some of the specific challenges in studying white collar crime relative to the study of conventional crime? Can white collar crime be studied scientifically, or does it require a different approach? White collar crime is much more difficult to study and investigate than traditional or conventional crime. WCC is generally not openly blatant like most conventional criminal activity. An officer can walk into a crime scene, see a badly beaten body and know with near certainty that a crime occurred. The same does not hold true if that same officer walks into an office and sees a man in a suit sitting at a desk typing on a computer. The effort necessary (in most cases) to discover then investigate instances of WCC are far greater than most traditional crimes. Among the many difficulties in studying WCC, is the most basic question: What exactly is white collar crime? WCC can include such a wide spectrum of actions and activities, encompassing different people, businesses, and physical areas that it is very difficult to define and uncover. Scholars studying WCC may choose to focus on one single aspect much like they would in a conventional crime; i.e. homicide investigator, vice, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This approach can lead to confusion and difficulty when attempting to study WCC. Another challenge in studying WCC is the access to research subjects, statistics, and support. Companies will likely be hesitant to allow a research project to be carried out on their company, unless the researcher can show them that it specifically benefits them and their organization. Statistics on WCC are difficult to come by because as Friedrichs (2007) stated there is no real white collar crime equivalent to uniform crime report data, which exist for conventional crime (p. 33). Researchers must obtain data from a number of sources and agencies then group it so the data can be studied. Finally, it will likely be difficult for a researcher to obtain support from their organization to conduct the WCC research. Large corporate structures and bureaucracies will likely feel that the study will hit too close to home and have some uneasiness when their support is requested (Friedrichs, 2007). Many of these groups are hesitant to lend their support because they feel the researcher will b end the data gathered to support their own preconceived notion and bias. The experiment, a method of exemplifying a positivistic or scientific approach, has to date seldom been used in the study of white collar crime (Friedrichs, 2007 p. 36). The classical experiments of setting specific variables vs. a control group do not necessarily apply when studying white collar crime. Experiments of free will and the effects of pressure from superiors or authority figures on a person or group in controlling their actions may have some usefulness in studying WCC. Critically evaluate the traditional, common claim that the general public perceives white collar crime to be less serious than conventional crime. What specific methodological questions can be raised about research on this question? Which specific factors have contributed to a growth in the perception that white collar crime is relatively serious? I feel that historically the general public at large views white collar crime as less serious because it is not as in your face as conventional crime. People have a fear of being robbed, assaulted, raped, or their children being kidnapped because these crimes are something tangible, they can see, feel, and be scared of. Most people do not wake up in the morning or walk down the street thinking; God please dont let a bad man manipulate his companys finances so they appear to have made billions more than they actually did. Most people do not think about the hidden harmful effects that respectable and powerful people can have on them and their lives. I do feel that the current reality is that white collar crime is as serious and can inflict as much if not more damage to all of us than conventional criminal activity. Each of us in our everyday lives feels the harmful effects of WCC, although many of us do not even realize we are suffering the results of these crimes. The impact of these crime are everywhere and they affect each of us, this reality is being felt now, perhaps more so than any time in our recent history. WCC has resulted in higher insurance premiums, extra money spent on security in the financial sector, bank fees, lost jobs, companies going bankrupt, higher prices of goods and services, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Over the years people have come to better understand the direct effects that all aspects of white collar crime have on them and their loved ones. Peoples lives can be turned upside down simply by a man in a shirt and tie taking a bribe then putting a check in a box to say a product is safe, when in reality it is not. I am 28 years old, in my lifetime I have seen numerous stories about recalls of defective or potentially dangerous products ranging from toys, cars, supplements, clothes, to laundry detergent. Many of these recalls are the results of people ignoring simple safety inspections and reports. Bernie Madoff stole billions of dollars from investors who thought they were investing with a respectable business man. Enron overstated their companies worth by more than $1.5 billion. They ultimately went bankrupt with many of their executives in prison and thousands of employees and investors losing their life savings (Net Industries, 2010). Cases such as these are prime examples of w hy the American public now view white collar crime as serious if not more so than conventional crime.

Kizza, Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age Essay

CS 300 Week 2 Kizza Chapter 4 – Ethics and the Professions pages 65 to 96 Kizza, Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age, 3rd. Edition, ISBN 978-1-84628-658-2. |Chapter Number and Title: 3 Ethics and the Professions | |Your Name: Brent Robles | |Today’s date: 02NOV09 | |Briefly state the main idea of this chapter. | |A continued discussion of ethics in a professional atmosphere. | |2. List three important facts that the author uses to support the main idea: | |The four themes discussed are evolution of professions, the making of an ethical professional, and the professional decisions making process, | |and professionalism and ethical responsibilities. | |3. What information or ideas discussed in this chapter are also discussed in readings from DePalma? List the Unit and Title(s) of the reading:| |De Palma – Reading #10 – Dilberts of the World, Unite! | |This article discusses how fast the white collar sector is growing and some of the issues involved. Microsoft is discussed in great detail on | |the treatment of their contracted employees. When it came to wages they were considered to be high-level computer professionals, thus not | |entitled to overtime pay. When it came to benefits, they were treated as temps unworthy of healthcare  coverage and stock options. So some | |individuals got together and worked to organize the workers. The article also talks about Microsoft hiring immigrant workers in the same | |positions as Americans and paying them considerably less. The unions worked with congress to oppose Bill Gates request for immigrant visas to | |be extended. There will always be a fight with these companies when trying to keep them hiring Americans. They are just trying to ensure that | |they can maximize profits. I chose this article because it discusses morals in hiring and paying white collar workers. I believe that it had | |ethical issues when dealing with professional issues like equal pay and benefits for immigrants. | |4. List and briefly discuss one of the questions at the end of the chapter. | |Are whistle blowers saints or blackmailers? I think that society has turned a saint into a blackmailer. By this I mean because of the fear of | |reprisal a whistle blower has to keep his mouth shut. But when he doesn’t he is considered to be a disgruntled employee and is trying to | |blackmail his supervision. It is hard to get issue resolved when dealing with a uncooperative management team, that is why employees have | |rights and protections, however there are only a few companies that protect the whistle blower, that is why when the whistle is blown the | |individual is considered to be a problem worker. | |5. List any examples of bias or faulty reasoning that you found in the chapter: Section 4.4.3 discusses guilt and making ethical decisions. | |On page 87 he explains actions that people experiencing guilt will go through. I think that this is a biased or faulty reasoning because not | |everyone goes through this process. I know that this article is a generalization, but there are people in society that make their decisions | |and move on with no remorse or guilt. The statement that guilt causes decision makers to agonize over decisions I think is only true for a | |select few individuals. Those individuals that are affected have to have some integrity and solid values. | |6. List any new terms/concepts that were discussed in the article, and write a short definition: | |Utilitarian – where decisions are made solely on the basis of their intended outcomes or consequences. | |Rights – where decisions are made based on the set of liberties the society enforces such as the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. | |Justice – which decisions are made so that they are fair, impartial, and equitable to all. |

The Indisputable Reality About 3rd Nonfiction Essay Samples That No One Is Telling You

The Indisputable Reality About 3rd Nonfiction Essay Samples That No One Is Telling You Gossip, Deception and 3rd Nonfiction Essay Samples After you've completed this exercise, reread what you've written. Whether this essay doesn't cause you to find the world like a weasel, it will at least make you wish to observe the world with Dillard's inexhaustible awareness of wonder. Write a single, three-paragraph scene as soon as your sexual desire was thwarted on your own or another person. I would consider the spa from time to time with a specific type of yearning. In your introduction, you might have laid out what would be addressed in the essay. Read on to find out more about how to construct an informative essay, in addition to examples of informative essays to assist you in getting started. There are several methods about how to compose an expository essay. Narrative essays serve wide array of purposes. There are many kinds of nonfiction examples in the realm of literature. There are two kinds of nonfiction. This kind of nonfiction exists to supply the reader with factual details. Although many think of nonfiction as a kind of literature, it is not just the written word that falls below this category. Some people are very private and don't need any specifics of their lives published. Write a story from the standpoint of whoever brought it home. Describe the experience within a, vivid scene. Don't be concerned if the subject's small in contrast to world events. A memoir about a typical person's very first year of college isn't especially intriguing. Revisit an instant in your life which you feel you won't ever have the ability to forget. A biography is the actual account of a person's life. Now compose a string of scenes depicting those moments. Next, you will be prepared to make your very first draft. The first thing which you've got to do is think of a topic that you wish to right about. In school, it's an unavoidable truth that you are going to be requested to write something about a topic which sometimes you're so eager to finish. The sole thing that is different is White himself. Now earn a list of different things you're scared of doing. That's the reason why a lot of authors will set parameters and will specifically tell you they're not likely to be speaking about a certain subject. Any answers you're unwilling to share ought to go on the second bit of paper. Locate a means to invite other people to want to find out more. B. Pick a specific time of day and a specific window. Begin with the end, then backpedal to the middle, then tell the start, and after that fill in the remaining part of the gaps. Pick an acceptable topic. Take out two parts of paper. The 3rd Nonfiction Essay Samples Cover Up 12 stories, if you'd like exact numbers. Think of what your favourite holiday means to you. Write about a particular birthday. Feel free to select a less severe lesson and have just a little bit of fun with it. What You Should Do to Find Out About 3rd Nonfiction Essay Samples Before You're Left Behind You are likely to be drilling back on the validity o f the authors research in that particular case. Essay writing provides lots of benefits to students in the academe. A personal narrative essay is just one of the greatest tools to stop social issues that are frequently disregarded. The majority of the moment, expository essays are presented by offering a wide range of topics and methods to bring up the idea. The Do's and Don'ts of 3rd Nonfiction Essay Samples If at all possible, have somebody else read your essay and extend their suggestions for improvement. When you wish to be a writer, you must target your interests, and be sure that the books you pick up target them, too. A reader usually wishes to understand what's real and what's not in a given work, and rightfully so. Despite the fact that it might appear a massive job to read as much material, it's one of the greatest things you can do to help your writing. As a consequence, there is a continuous debate about how closely both forms ought to be classified, or provided distance from, the expression nonfiction. You might shred the entire paper and utilize it to demonstrate how due care wasn't utilized to the point of awful spelling, typos, grammar, etc.. You could also earn a statement and follow this up with a point that appears to be a contradiction. Use the following format to produce your own character.

Stephen Krashens - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 12 Words: 3657 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/09/13 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Summary of Stephen Krashens Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition By Reid Wilson First appeared: Language Learning #9 and 10 Bibliographic information: Krashen, Stephen D. 1981. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. English Language Teaching series. London: Prentice-Hall International (UK) Ltd. 202 pages. Quote that captures the essense of the book: What theory implies, quite simply, is that language acquisition, first or second, occurs when comprehension of real messages occurs, and when the acquirer is not on the defensive Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill. It does not occur overnight, however. Real language acquisition develops slowly, and speaking skills emerge significantly later than listening skills, even when conditions are perfect. The best methods are therefore those that supply comprehensible input in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Stephen Krashens" essay for you Create order These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are ready, recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production. (6-7) Summary of Part I. Introduction: The Relationship of Theory to Practice In deciding how to develop language teaching methods and materials, one can take three approaches: make use of second language acquisition theory, make use of applied linguistics research, and make use of ideas and intuition from experience. These approaches should in fact support each other and lead to common conclusions. This book incorporates all three approaches, with a hope of reintroducing theory to language teachers. While most current theory may still not be the final word on second language acquisition, it is hoped that teachers will use the ideas in this book as another source alongside of their classroom and language-learning experiences. Summary of Part II. Second Language Acquisition Theory There are five key hypotheses about second language acquisition: 1. THE ACQUISITION-LEARNING DISCTINCTION Adults have two different ways to develop compentence in a language: language acquisition and language learning. Language acquisition is a subconscious process not unlike the way a child learns language. Language acquirers are not consciously aware of the grammatical rules of the language, but rather develop a feel for correctness. In non-technical language, acquisition is picking-up a language. Language learning, on the other hand, refers to the concious knowledge of a second language, knowing the rules, being aware of them, and being able to talk about them. Thus language learning can be compared to learning about a language. The acquistion-learning disctinction hypothesis claims that adults do not lose the ability to acquire languages the way that children do. Just as research shows that error correction has little effect on children learning a first language, so too error correction has little affect on language acquisition. 2. THE NATURAL ORDER HYPOTHESIS The natural order hypothesis states that the acquisition of grammatical structures proceeds in a predictable order. For a given language, some grammatical structures tend to be acquired early, others late, regardless of the first language of a speaker. However, as will be discussed later on in the book, this does not mean that grammar should be taught in this natural order of acquisition. 3. THE MONITOR HYPOTHESIS The language that one has subconsciously acquired initiates our utterances in a second language and is responsible for our fluency, whereas the language that we have consciously learned acts as an editor in situations where the learner has enough time to edit, is focused on form, and knows the rule, such as on a grammar test in a language classroom or when carefully writing a composition. This conscious editor is called the Monitor. Different individuals use their monitors in different ways, with different degrees of success. Monitor Over-users try to always use their Monitor, and end up so concerned with correctness that they cannot speak with any real fluency. Monitor Under-users either have not consciously learned or choose to not use their conscious knowledge of the language. Although error correction by others has little influence on them, they can often correct themelves based on a feel for correctness. Teachers should aim to produce Optimal Monitor users, who use the Monitor when it is appropriate and when it does not interfere with communication. They do not use their conscious knowledge of grammar in normal conversation, but will use it in writing and planned speech. Optimal Monitor users can therefore use their learned competence as a supplement to their acquired competence. 4. THE INPUT HYPOTHESIS The input hypothesis answers the question of how a language acquirer develops comptency over time. It states that a language acquirer who is at level i must receive comprehensible input that is at level i+1. We acquire, in other words, only when we understand language that contains structure that is a little beyond where we are now. This understanding is possible due to using the context of the language we are hearing or reading and our knowledge of the world. However, instead of aiming to receive input that is exactly at our i+1 level, or instead of having a teacher aim to teach u s grammatical structure that is at our i+1 level, we should instead just focus on communication that is understandable. If we do this, and if we get enough of that kind of input, then we will in effect be receiving and thus acquiring out i+1. Prduction ability emerges. It is not taught directly. Evidences for the input hypothesis can be found in the effectiveness of caretaker speech from an adult to a child, of teacher-talk from a teacher to a language student, and of foreigner-talk from a sympathetic conversation partner to a language learner/acquirer. One result of this hypothesis is that language students should be given a initial silent period where they are building up acquired competence in a language before they begin to produce it. Whenever language acquirers try to produce language beyond what they have acquired, they tend to use the rules they have already acquired from their first language, thus allowing them to communicate but not really progress in the second language. 5. THE AFFECTIVE FILTER HYPOTHESIS Motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety all affect language acquisition, in effect raising or lowering the stickiness or penetration of any comprehensible input that is received. These five hypotheses of second language acquisition can be summarized: 1. Acquisition is more important than learning. 2. In order to acquire, two conditions are necessaary. The first is comprehensible (or even better, comprehended) input containing i+1, structures a bit beyond the acquiers current level, and second, a low or weak affective filter to allow the input in. In view of these findings, question is raised: does classroom language teaching help? Classroom teaching helps when it provides the necessary comprehensible input to those students who are not at a level yet which allows them to receive comprehensible input from the real world or who do not have access to real world language speakers. It can also help when it provides students communication tools to make better use of the outside world, and it can provide beneficial conscious learning for optimal Monitor users. Various research studies have been done comparing the amount of language competance and the amount of exposure to the language either in classroom-years or length of residence, the age of the language acquirer, and the acculturation of the language acquirer. The results of these studies are consistent with the above acquisition hypotheses: the more comprehensible input one receives in low-stress situations, the more language competance that one will have. Summary of Part III: Providing Input for Acquisition Once it is realized that receiving comprehensible input is central to acquiring a second language, questions are immediately raised concerning the nature and sources of this type of input and the role of the second language classroom. To what extent is the second language classroom beneficial? Classrooms help when they provide the comprehensible input that the acquirer is going to receive. If acquirers have access to real world input, and if their current ability allows them understand at least some of it, then the classroom is not nearly as significant. An informal, immersion environment has the opportunity to provide tons of input; however, that input is not always comprehensible to a beginner, and often for an adult beginner the classroom is better than the real world in providing comprehensible input. However, for the intermediate level student and above, living and interacting in an environment in which the language is spoken will likely prove to be better for the student, especially considering the fact that a language classroom will not be able to reflect the broad range of language use that the real world provides. The classrooms goal is to prepare students to be able to understand the language used outside the classroom. What role does speaking (output) play in second language acquisition? It has no direct role, since language is acquired by comprehensible input, and in fact someone who is not able to speak for physical reasons can still acquire the full ability to understand language. However, speaking does indirectly help in two ways: 1) speaking produces conversation, which produces comprehensible input, and 2) your speaking allows native speakers to judge what level you are at and then adjust their speak downward to you, providing you input that is more easily understood. What kind of input is optimal for acquisition? The best input is comprehensible, which sometimes means that it needs to be slower and more carefully articulated, using common vocabulary, less slang, and shorter sentences. Optimal input is interesting and/or relevant and allows the acquirer to focus on the meaning of the message and not on the form of the message. Optimal input is not grammatically sequenced, and a grammatical syllabus should not be used in the language classroom, in part because all students will not be at exactly the same level and because each structure is often only introduced once before moving on to something else. Finally, optimal input must focus on quantity, although most language teachers have to date seriously underestimated how much comprehensible input is actually needed for an acquirer to progress. In addition to receiving the right kind of input, students should have their affective filter kept low, meaning that classroom stress should be minimized and students should not be put on the defensive. One result of this is that students errors should not be corrected. Students should be taught how to gain more input from the outside world, including helping them acquire conversational competence, the means of managing conversation. Summary of Part IV: The Role of Grammar, or Putting Grammar in its Place As should be apparent by now, the position taken in this book is that second language teaching should focus on encouraging acquisition, on providing input that stimulates the subconscious language acquisition potential all normal human beings have. This does not mean to say, however, that there is no room at all for conscious learning. Conscious learning does have a role, but it is no longer the lead actor in the play. For starters, we must realize that learning does not turn into acquisition. While the idea that we first learn a grammar rule and then use it so much that it becomes internalized is common and may seem obvious to many, it is not supported by theory nor by the observation of second language acquirers, who often correctly use rules they have never been taught and dont even remember accurately the rules they have learned. However, there is a place for grammar, or the conscious learning of the rules of a language. Its major role is in the use of the Monitor, which allows Monitor users to produce more correct output when they are given the right conditions to actually use their Monitor, as in some planned speech and writing. However, for correct Monitor use the users must know the rules they are applying, and these would need to be rules that are easy to remember and applya very small subset of all of the grammatical rules of a language. It is not worthwhile for language acquisition to teach difficult rules which are hard to learn, harder to remember, and sometimes almost impossible to correctly apply. For many years there was controversy in language-teaching literature on whether grammar should be deductively or inductively taught. However, as both of these methods involve language learning and not language acquisition, this issue should not be central for language teaching practice. There has similarly been controversy as to whether or not errors should be corrected in language learners speech. Second language acquisition theory suggests that errors in ordinary conversation and Monitor-free situations should not be corrected, and that errors should only be corrected when they apply to easy to apply and understand grammatical rules in situations where known Monitor-users are able to use their Monitor. There is a second way in which the teaching of grammar in a classroom can be helpful, and that is when the students are interested in learning about the language they are acquiring. This language appreciation, or linguistics, however, will only result in language acquisition when grammar is taught in the language that is being acquired, and it is actually the comprehensible input that the students are receiving, not the content of the lecture itself, that is aiding acquisition. This is a subtle point. In effect, both teachers and students are deceiving themselves. They believe that it is the subject matter itself, the study of grammar, that is responsible for the students progress in second language acquisition, but in reality their progress is coming from the medium and not the message. And subject matter that held their interest would do just as well, so far as second language acquisition is concerned, as long as it required extensive use of the target language. And perhaps many students would be more interested in a different subject matter and would thus acquire more than they would in such a grammar-based classroom. Summary of Part V: Approaches to Language Teaching Popular language teaching methods today include grammar-translation, audio-lingualism, cognitive-code, the direct method, the natural approach, total physical response, and Suggestopedia. How do these methods fare when they are evaluated by Second Language Acquisition theory? Each method will be evaluated using the following criteria: Requirements for optimal input comprehensible interesting/relevant not grammatically sequenced quantity low filter level provides tools for conversational management Learning restricted to: Rules that are easily learned and applied, and not acquired yet Monitor users Situations when the learner has adequate time and a focus on form 1. GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION Grammar-translation usually consists of an explanation of a grammatical rule, with some example sentences, a bilingual vocabulary list, a reading section exemplifying the grammatical rule and incorporating the vocabulary, and exercises to practice using the grammar and vocabulary. Most of these classes are taught in the students first language. The grammar-translation method provides little opportunity for acquisition and relies too heavily on learning. 2. AUDIO-LINGUALISM An audio-lingual lesson usually begins with a dialogue which contains the grammar and vocabulary to be focused on in the lesson. The students mimic the dialogue and eventually memorize it. After the dialogue comes pattern drills, in which the grammatical structure introduced in the dialogue is reinforced, with these drills focusing on simple repetition, substitution, transformation, and translation. While the audio-lingual method provides opportunity for some acquisition to occur, it cannot measure up to newer methods which provide much more comprehensible input in a low-filter environment. 3. COGNITIVE-CODE Cognitive-code is similar to grammar-translation except that it focuses on developing all four skills of language: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Communicative competence is focused upon. Since the cognitive-code approach provides more comprehensible input than grammar-translation does, it should produce more acquisition, but other newer methods provide even more and have better results. Learning is overemphasized with this method. 4. THE DIRECT METHOD Several approaches have been called the direct method; the approach evaluated here involves all discussion in the target language. The teacher uses examples of language in order to inductively teach grammar; students are to try to guess the rules of the language by the examples provided. Teachers interact with the students a lot, asking them questions about relevant topics and trying to use the grammatical structure of the day in the conversation. Accuracy is sought and errors are corrected. This method provides more comprehensible input than the methods discussed so far, but it still focuses too much on grammar. 5. THE NATURAL APPROACH In the Natural Approach the teacher speaks only the target language and class time is committed to providing input for acquisition. Students may use either the language being taught or their first language. Errors in speech are not corrected, however homework may include grammar exercises that will be corrected. Goals for the class emphasize the students being able use the language to talk about ideas, perform tasks, and solve problems. This approach aims to fulfill the requirements for learning and acquisition, and does a great job in doing it. Its main weakness is that all classroom teaching is to some degree limited in its ability to be interesting and relevant to all students. 6. TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE Total Physical Response, or TPR, involves the students listening and responding to commands given by the teacher such as sit down and walk, with the complexity of the commands growing over time as the class acquires more language. Student speech is delayed, and once students indicate a willingness to talk they initially give commands to other students. Theory predicts that TPR should result in substantial language acquisition. Its content may not be always interesting and relevant for the students, but should produce better results than the audio-lingual and grammar-translation methods. . SUGGESTOPEDIA Suggestopedia classes are small and intensive, and focus on providing a very low-stress, attractive environment (partly involving active and passive seances complete with music and meditation) in which acquisition can occur. Some of the students first language is used at the beginning, but most in the target language. The role of the teacher is very important in creating the right atmo sphere and in acting out the dialogues that form the core of the content. Suggestopedia seems to provide close to optimal input while not giving too much emphasis to grammar. What does applied linguistics research have to say about these methods? Applied research has examined the older methods of grammar-translation, audio-lingual, and cognitive-code much more than it has looked at the newer methods. There seems to be only small differences in the results of the older methods. While much research remains to be done, Total Physical Response and the other newer approaches produce significantly better results than old approaches. So what is better, the classroom or the real world? Quite simply, the role of the second or foreign language classroom is to bring a student to a point where he can begin to use the outside would for further second language acquisition. This means we have to provide students with enough comprehensible input to bring their second language competence to the point where they can begin to understand language heard on the outside. In other words, all second language classes are transitional. In the real world, conversations with sympat hetic native speakers who are willing to help the acquirer understand are very helpful. These native speakers engage in what is called foreigner talk, not very different from the way that a parent would talk to a child. Voluntary pleasure reading is also beneficial for second language acquisition, especially as the reader is free to choose reading material that is of interest and the proper level in order to be understood. Taking content classes in the language that is being acquired can also be helpful to the more advanced learner, especially when the class is composed of students who are all acquiring the second language. How does all of the above affect our views on achievement testing? As students will gear their studying to the type of tests they expect to take, the kinds of language tests that are given is very important. Achievement tests should meet this requirement: preparation for the test, or studying for the test, should obviously encourage the student to do things that will provide more comprehensible input and the tools to gain even more input when the class is over. With this in mind, general reading comprehension tests are helpful, as would be a test that would encourage students to participate in conversations and employ the tools of communicative competence. Assuming that the conclusions in this book are correct, many new classroom language materials need to be developed. These materials should focus on providing much comprehensible input to beginning and intermediate students and should provide them with the means to gain even more input outside the classroom. Such materials should on ly focus on grammatical rules that are easy to learn and apply. Readers should have much more reading material in them and much fewer exercises and should have enough content that students can choose which topics to read about. A quote from the conclusion: Even if the theory presented here is totally correct, and my suggestions for application are in fact the appropriate ones, there are some serious problems that need to be mentioned before concluding. These have to do with the acceptance, by teachers and students, of language acquisition as primary, and comprehensible input as the means of encouraging language acquisition. These problems are caused by the fact that acquisition differs from learning in two major ways: acquisition is slow and subtle, while learning is fast and, for some people, obvious. I think that I have presented a conservative view of language acquisition theory and its applications, conservative in the sense that it attempts to be consistent with all empirical data that are known to me. It is consistent with the way thousands of people have acquired second languages throughout history, and in many cases acquired them very well. They acquired second languages while