D.N. Aloysius: September 2010

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

American and British English pronunciation differences

American and British English differences

Vocabulary
 List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom
 List of British words not widely used in the United States
 List of words having different meanings in British and American English: A–L
 List of words having different meanings in British and American English: M–Z

Pronunciation
 Accent
 Vocabulary
Orthography
 American and British English spelling differences

Computing
 British and American keyboards

Fiction
 List of works with different titles in the UK and US

edit box

Differences in pronunciation between American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) can be divided into:
 differences in accent (i.e. phoneme inventory and realisation). See differences between General American and Received Pronunciation for the standard accents in the United States and Britain; for information about other accents see regional accents of English speakers.
 differences in the pronunciation of individual words in the lexicon (i.e. phoneme distribution). In this article, transcriptions use Received Pronunciation (RP) to represent BrE and General American (GAm) and to represent AmE.
In the following discussion
 superscript A2 after a word indicates the BrE pronunciation of the word is a common variant in AmE
 superscript B2 after a word indicates the AmE pronunciation of the word is a common variant in BrE
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Stress
o 1.1 French stress
o 1.2 -ate and -atory
o 1.3 Miscellaneous stress
• 2 Affixes
o 2.1 -ary -ery -ory -bury, -berry, -mony
o 2.2 -ile
o 2.3 -ine
• 3 Weak forms
• 4 Miscellaneous pronunciation differences
o 4.1 Single differences
o 4.2 Multiple differences
• 5 References

Stress
French stress
For many loanwords from French where AmE has final-syllable stress, BrE stresses an earlier syllable. Such words include:
 BrE first-syllable stress: adultA2,B2, balletA2, baton, beret, bidet, blasé, brevetA2, brochureB2, buffet, caféA2, canardB2, chagrin,chaletA2, chauffeurA2,B2, chiffon, clichéB2, coupé, croissant, debrisB2, debut, décor, detailA2, détenteB2, flambé, frappé, garageB2,gateau, gourmetA2, lamé, montageA2, parquet, pastel, pastille, pâté, précis, sachet, salon, soupçon, vaccine; matinée, négligée,nonchalant, nondescript; also some French names, including BernardB2, Calais, Degas, Dijon, Dumas, Francoise, ManetA2, Maurice,MonetA2, Pauline, Renault, RenéB2, Renoir, Rimbaud, DelacroixB2.
 BrE second-syllable stress: attaché, consommé, décolleté, déclassé, De Beauvoir, Debussy, démodé, denouement, distingué, Dubonnet,escargot, exposé, fiancé(e), retroussé
A few French words have other stress differences:
 AmE first-syllable, BrE last-syllable: addressA2 (postal), moustacheA2; cigaretteA2, limousineB2, magazineB2,
 AmE first-syllable, BrE second-syllable: liaisonA2, macramé, Renaissance (AmE also final-syllable stress)
 AmE second-syllable, BrE last-syllable: New Orleans
ate and -atory
Most 2-syllable verbs ending -ate have first-syllable stress in AmE and second-syllable stress in BrE. This includes castrate, dictateA2,donateA2, locateA2, mandateB2, migrate, placate, prostrate, pulsate, rotate, serrateB2, spectate, striated, translateA2, vacate, vibrate; in the case of cremate, narrate, placate, the first vowel is in addition reduced to /ə/ in BrE. Examples where AmE and BrE match include create,debate, equate, elate, negate, orate, relate with second-syllable stress; and mandate and probate with first-syllable stress. Derived nouns in -ator may retain the distinction, but those in -ation do not. Also, migratoryA2 and vibratory retain the distinction.
Most longer -ate verbs are pronounced the same in AmE and BrE, but a few have first-syllable stress in BrE and second-syllable stress in AmE: elongate, infiltrateA2, remonstrate, tergiversate. However, some derived adjectives ending -atory have a difference, as stress shifting to -at- can occur in BrE with the final vowel sound being omitted, in this case, the 'o'. Among these cases are regulatoryB2, celebratoryA2,participatoryB2, where AmE stresses the same syllable as the corresponding -ate verb; and compensatory, where AmE stresses the second syllable.
A further -atory difference is laboratory: AmE /ˈlæbrɪtɔriː/ and BrE /ləˈbɒrət(ə)riː/.
Miscellaneous stress
There are a number of cases where same-spelled noun, verb and/or adjective have uniform stress in one dialect but distinct stress in the other (e.g. alternate, prospect): see initial-stress-derived noun.
The following table lists words where the only difference between AmE and BrE is in stress (possibly with a consequent reduction of the unstressed vowel). Words with other points of difference are listed in a later table.
BrE AmE words with relevant syllable stressed in each dialect
1st 2nd caffeine, cannotA2, casein, Kathleen, SuezA2, communal, escalopeB2, harass, omega, paprikaB2, patina, subaltern, stalactite, stalagmite, ThanksgivingB2, transference, aristocratA2,B2, kilometre/kilometerB2
2nd 1st defense (sport), guffawA2, ice creamA2,B2, guru, mama, papa, pretense, princessA2,B2, weekendB2, Canton, anginaA2,Augustine, Bushido, Ghanaian, LofotenB2, marshmallow, patronal, spread-eagle, controversy, formidableB2, hospitableB2, miscellany, predicative, saxophonistB2, submariner, ancillary, capillary, catenary, corollary, fritillary, medullary
1st 3rd ParmesanB2, partisan, premature, opportune, carburet(t)or

3rd 1st margarine, PyreneesB2, cockatoo

2nd 3rd advertisement
3rd 2nd arytenoidA2, oregano, obscurantist

Affixes
-ary -ery -ory -bury, -berry, -mony
Where the syllable preceding -ary,-ery or -ory is stressed, AmE pronounce all these endings /əriː/, while BrE pronounce these endings without the vowel sound, similar to that of atory, where the 'o' isn't pronounced. Where the preceding syllable is unstressed, however, AmE has a full vowel rather than schwa: /ɛri/ for -ary and -ery and /ɔri/ for -ory. BrE retains the reduced vowel /əriː/, or even elides it completely to /riː/. (The elision is avoided in carefully enunciated speech, especially with endings -rary,-rery,-rory.) So military is AmE /ˈmɪlɪtɛriː/ and BrE /ˈmɪlɪtəriː/ or/ˈmɪlɪtriː/.
Note that stress differences occur with ending -atory (explained above) and a few others like capillary (included above). A few words have the full vowel in AmE in the ending even though the preceding syllable is stressed: library, primaryA2, rosemary. Pronouncing library as /ˈlaɪbɛriː/rather than /ˈlaɪbrɛriː/ is highly stigmatized in AmE, whereas in BrE, /ˈlaɪbriː/ is common in rapid or casual speech.
Formerly the BrE-AmE distinction for adjectives carried over to corresponding adverbs ending -arily, -erily or -orily. However, nowadays most BrE speakers adopt the AmE practice of shifting the stress to the antepenultimate syllable: militarily is thus /ˌmɪlɪˈtɛrɪliː/ rather than /ˈmɪlɪtrɪliː/.
The placename component -bury (e.g. Canterbury) has a similar difference after a stressed syllable: AmE /bɛri/ and BrE /brɪː/ or /bərɪː/. The ending -mony after a stressed syllable is AmE /moʊni/ but BrE /mənɪː/. The word -berry in compounds has a slightly different distinction: in BrE, it is reduced (/bəriː/ or /briː/) after a stressed syllable, and may be full /bɛriː/ after an unstressed syllable; in AmE it is usually full in all cases. Thus, strawberry is BrE /ˈstrɔːbəriː/ but AmE /ˈstrɔbɛriː/, while whortleberry is BrE /ˈwɔːtlbɛriː/ and similarly AmE /ˈwɔrtlbɛriː/.
-ile
Words ending in unstressed -ile derived from Latin adjectives ending -ilis are mostly pronounced with a full vowel (/aɪl/) in BrE but a reduced vowel /ɪl/ or syllabic /l/ in AmE (e.g. fertile rhymes with fur tile in BrE but with turtle in AmE). This difference applies:
 generally to agile, docile, facile, fertile, fissile, fragile, futile, infertile, missile, nubile, octile, puerile, rutile, servile, stabile, sterile, tactile,tensile, virile, volatile;
 usually to ductile, hostile, (im)mobile (adjective), projectile, textile, utile, versatile;
 not usually to decile, domicile, infantile, juvenile, labile, mercantile, pensile, reptile, senile;
 not to crocodile, exile, gentile, percentile, reconcile; nor to compounds of monosyllables (e.g. turnstile from stile).
Related endings -ility, -ilize, -iliary are pronounced the same in AmE as BrE. The name Savile is pronounced with (/ɪl/) in both BrE and AmE.Mobile (sculpture), camomile and febrile are sometimes pronounced with /il/ in AmE and /aɪl/ in BrE. Imbecile has /aɪl/ or /iːl/ in BrE and often /ɪl/ in AmE.
ine
The suffix -ine, when unstressed, is pronounced sometimes /aɪn/ (e.g. feline), sometimes /iːn/ (e.g. morphine) and sometimes /ɪn/ (e.g.medicine). Some words have variable pronunciation within BrE, or within AmE, or between BrE and AmE. Generally, AmE is more likely to favour /iːn/ or /ɪn/, and BrE to favour /aɪn/: e.g. adamantineA2, carbine, crystallineA2, labyrinthine, philistine, serpentineA2, turbineA2. However, sometimes AmE has /aɪn/ where BrE has /iːn/; e.g. iodineB2, strychnineA2.
Weak forms
Some function words can has a weak form in AmE, with a reduced vocal used when the word is unstressed, but always use the full vowel in RP. These include: or [ɚ]; you [jə]; your [jɚ].
On the other hand, the titles Saint and Sir before a person's name have "weak forms" in BrE but not AmE: before vowels, [snt] and [sər]; before consonants, [sn] and [sə].
Miscellaneous pronunciation differences
These tables list words pronounced differently but spelled the same. See also the table of words with different pronunciation reflected in the spelling.
Single differences
Words with multiple points of difference of pronunciation are in the table after this one. Accent-based differences are ignored. For example,Moscow is RP /ˈmɒskəʊ/ and GAm /ˈmɑskaʊ/, but only the /əʊ/-/aʊ/ difference is highlighted here, since the /ɒ/-/ɑ/ difference is predictable from the accent. Also, tiara is listed with AmE /æ/; the marry-merry-Mary merger changes this vowel for many Americans. Some AmE types are listed as /ɒ/ where GAm merges to /ɑ/ .
BrE
AmE
Words
/æ/ /ɑ/ annato, BangladeshA2, Caracas, chiantiA2, Galapagos, GdańskA2, grappaA2, gulagA2, HanoiA2, JanA2 (male name, e.g. Jan Palach), KantA2, kebab, Las (placenames, e.g. Las Vegas), Mafia, mishmashA2, MombasaA2, Natasha, Nissan, Pablo, pasta, PicassoA2, ralentando, SanA2 (names outside USA; e.g. San Juan), SlovakA2, Sri LankaA2, Vivaldi, wigwamA2, YasserA2 (and A in many other foreign names and loanwords)
/iː/ /ɛ/ aesthete, anaesthetize, breveA2, catenaryA2, Daedalus, devolutionA2,B2, ecumenicalB2, epochA2, evolutionA2,B2, febrileA2, Hephaestus, KenyaB2, leverA2, methane, OedipusA2, (o)estrus, penalizeA2, predecessorA2, pyrethrinA2, senileA2, hygienic

/ɒ/ /oʊ/ Aeroflot, compost, homosexualB2, Interpol, Lod, pogrom, polkaB2, produce (noun), Rosh Hashanah, sconeA2,B2, shone, sojourn, trollB2, yoghurt

/ɑː/ /æ/ (Excluding trap-bath split words) banana, javaA2, khakiA2, morale, NevadaA2, scenarioA2, sopranoA2, tiaraA2, Pakistani
/ɛ/ /i/ CecilA2,B2, crematoriumA2, cretin, depot, inherentA2,B2, leisureA2, medievalA2, reconnoitreA2, zebraB2, zenithA2,B2
/æ/ /eɪ/ compatriot, patriotB2, patronise, phalanx, plait, repatriate, Sabine, satrapA2, satyrA2, basilA2 (plant)

/ɪ/ /aɪ/ dynasty, housewifery, idyll, livelongA2, long-livedA2, privacyB2, simultaneous, vicariousA2, vitamin. Also the suffix -ization. See also -ine.

/z/ /s/ AussieA2, blouse, complaisantA2, crescent, diagnoseA2, erase, GlasgowA2, parse, valise, trans-A2,B2 (in some words)
/ɑː/ /eɪ/ amenA2, charadeB2, cicada, galaA2, promenadeA2, pro rata, tomato, stratum
/əʊ/ /ɒ/ codify, goffer, ogleA2, phonetician, processor, progress (noun), slothA2,B2, wont A2, wroth
/ʌ/ /ɒ/ accomplice, accomplish, colanderB2, constableB2, Lombardy, monetaryA2, -mongerA2
/ɒ/ /ʌ/ hovelA2,B2, hover. Also the strong forms of these function words: anybodyA2 (likewise every-, some-, and no-),becauseA2,B2 (and clipping 'cos/'cause), ofA2, fromA2, wasA2, whatA2

(sounded) (silent)
Beethoven, chthonic, herbA2 (plant), KnossosB2, phthisicB2, salve, solder

/ɑː(r)/ /ɚ/ Berkeley, Berkshire, clerk, Derby, Hertford. (The only AmE word with = [ɑr] is sergeant).
/aɪ/ /i/ eitherA2,B2, neitherA2,B2, Pleiades. See also -ine.

/iː/ /aɪ/ albino, migraineB2. Also the prefixes anti-A2, multi-A2, semi-A2 in loose compounds (e.g. in anti-establishment, but not in antibody). See also -ine.

/ə/ /ɒ/ Amazon, hexagon, octagon, paragon, pentagon, phenomenon, python
/iː/ /eɪ/ eta, beta, quayA2, theta, zeta
/aɪ/ /ɪ/ butylB2, diverge, minorityA2,B2, primer (schoolbook). See also -ine.

/ɛ/ /eɪ/ ateB2 ("et" is nonstandard in America), mêlée, chaise longue

/ɜːz/ /us/ Betelgeuse, chanteuse, chartreuseA2, masseuse

/eɪ/ /æ/ apricotA2, dahlia, digitalis, patentA2,B2, comrade
(silent)
(sounded) medicineB2. See also -ary -ery -ory -bury, -berry

/ɒ/ /ə/ Amos, condom, Enoch

/ʃ/ /ʒ/ AsiaB2, PersiaB2, versionB2

/ə/ /oʊ/ borough, thorough, also place names such as Edinburgh (see also -ory and -mony)

/ɪr/ /ɚ/ chirrupA2, stirrupA2, sirupA2, squirrel
/siː/ /ʃ/ cassia, CassiusA2, hessian
/tiː/ /ʃ/ consortium
/uː/ /ju/ couponA2, fuchsine, HoustonB2

/uː/ /ʊ/ boulevard, snooker, woofA2 (weaving)

/ɜː(r)/ /ʊr/ connoisseurA2, entrepreneurA2
/ɜː/ /oʊ/ föhnB2, MöbiusB2

/ə/ /eɪ/ DraconianA2, hurricaneB2

/eɪ/ /i/ deityA2,B2, Helene, IsraelB2
/juː/ /w/ iguana, jaguar, Nicaragua

/ɔː(r)/ /ɚ/ record (noun), stridorA2,B2
/ziː/ /ʒ/ Frasier, Parisian, Malaysia

/æ/ /ɒ/ twatB2
/ɒ/ /æ/ wrath
/ɑː/ /ət/ nougat
/ɑː/ /ɔ/ UtahA2,B2

/ɑː/ /ɔr/ quarkA2,B2
/æ/ /ɛ/ femme fataleA2

/aɪ/ /eɪ/ Isaiah

/aʊ/ /u/ nousA2
/ð/ /θ/ boothB2
/diː/ /dʒi/ cordiality
/dʒ/ /ɡdʒ/ suggestA2
/eɪ/ /ə/ template
/eɪ/ /ət/ tourniquet
/ə(r)/ /ɑr/ MadagascarA2

/ə(r)/ /jɚ/ figureA2 for the verb
/ə/ /ɛ/ nonsense
/ɛ/ /ɑ/ envelopeA2,B2
/ɛ/ /ə/ Kentucky

/ə/ /æ/ trapeze
/ɜː(r)/ /ɛr/ errA2
/əʊ/ /ɒt/ Huguenot

/əʊ/ /aʊ/ MoscowA2

/əʊ/ /u/ broochA2
/ɪ/ /i/ pi(t)taB2
/iː/ /ɪ/ beenB2
/iːʃ/ /ɪtʃ/ nicheA2,B2
/jɜː/ /ju/ milieu
/juː/ /u/ (Excluding words with predictable yod-dropping) barracuda, puma

/ɔː/ /æ/ falconA2
/s/ /z/ asthma
/ʃ/ /sk/ scheduleB2
/t/ /θ/ AnthonyA2,B2
/ts/ /z/ piazzaA2
/ʊ/ /ɪ/ kümmel

/ʊ/ /u/ BuddhaA2
/ʊ/ /ʌ/ brusque, hummus

/uː/ /aʊ/ routeA2
/uː/ /oʊ/ cantaloup(e)
/ʌ/ /oʊ/ covertA2,B2
/z/ /ʃ/ Dionysius

/ziː/ /ʃ/ transientA2, nausea
Multiple differences
The slashes normally used to enclose IPA phonemic transcriptions have been omitted from the following table to improve legibility.
Spelling BrE IPA AmE IPA Notes
barrage
ˈbær.ɑːʒ (1) bəˈrɑʒ
(2) ˈbær.ɪdʒ The AmE pronunciations are for distinct senses (1) "sustained weapon-fire" vs (2) "dam, barrier" (Compare garage below.)
boehmite
(1) ˈbɜːmaɪt
(2) ˈbəʊmaɪt (1) ˈbeɪmaɪt
(2) ˈboʊmaɪt The first pronunciations approximate German [ø] (spelled <ö> or ) ; the second ones are anglicized.
bouquet ˈbuːkeɪ (1) boʊˈkeɪ
(2) buˈkeɪ
boyar
(1) ˈbɔɪ.ɑː
(2) bəʊˈjɑː (1) boʊˈjɑr
(2) ˈbɔɪ.jɚ
buoy
ˈbɔɪ ˈbu.i The U.S. pronunciation would be unrecognised in the UK. The British pronunciation occurs in America, more commonly for the verb than the noun, still more in derivatives buoyant, buoyancy.
cadre (1) ˈkæd.ə(r)
(2) ˈkæd.rə (1) ˈkæd.ri
(2) ˈkɑd.ri
(3) ˈkæd.reɪ
(4) ˈkɑd.reɪ
canton kænˈtuːn (1) kænˈtɑn
(2) kænˈtoʊn difference is only in military sense "to quarter soldiers"
dilettante dɪləˈtænti (1) ˈdɪlətɑnt
(2) ˌdɪləˈtɑnt BrE reflects the word's Italian origin; AmE approximates more to French.
enquiry/inquiry ɪŋˈkwaɪ.(ə)ri (1) ˈɪŋ.kwə.ri
(2) ɪŋˈkwaɪ.(ə)ri BrE uses two spellings and one pronunciation. In AmE the word is usually spelled inquiry.
febrile ˈfiːb.raɪl (1) ˈfɛb.ril
(2) ˈfɛb.rəl The BrE pronunciation occurs in AmE
fracas ˈfrækɑː (1) ˈfreɪkəs
(2) ˈfrækəs The BrE plural is French fracas /ˈfrækɑːz/; the AmE plural is anglicized fracases
garage
(1) ˈɡærɪdʒ
(2) ˈɡærɑːʒ ɡəˈrɑ(d)ʒ The AmE reflects French stress difference. The two BrE pronunciations may represent distinct meanings for some speakers; for example, "a subterranean garage for a car" (1) vs "a petrol garage" (2). (Compare barrage above.)
glacier
(1) ˈɡlæsiə
(2) ˈɡleɪsiə ˈɡleɪʃər
jalousie
(1) ʒælʊˈziː
(2) ˈʒælʊziː ˈdʒæləsi
lapsang souchong
ˈlæpsæŋ suːʃɒŋ ˌlɑpsɑŋ ˈsuʃɑŋ
lasso
ləˈsuː ˈlæsoʊ The BrE pronunciation is common in AmE
lieutenant
(1) lɛfˈtɛnənt
(2) ləˈtɛnənt luˈtɛnənt The 2nd British pronunciation is restricted to the Royal Navy. Standard Canadian pronunciation is the same as the British.
lychee
laɪˈtʃiː ˈliːtʃiː Spelling litchi has pronunciation /ˈlɪtʃiː/
Molière
ˈmɒl.i.ɛə moʊlˈjɛr
oblique əbˈliːk əbˈlaɪk AmE is as BrE except in military sense "advance at an angle"
penchant pãˈʃã ˈpɛntʃənt The AmE pronunciation is anglicized; the BrE is French.
penult pɛˈnʌlt (1) ˈpinʌlt
(2) pɪˈnʌlt
premier (1) ˈprɛmjə
(2) ˈprɛmɪə (1) ˈprimɪr
(2) prɪmˈɪr
première ˈprɛmɪɛə (1) prɪmˈɪr
(2) prɪmˈjɛr
provost
ˈprɒvəst (1) ˈproʊvoʊst
(2) ˈproʊvəst The BrE pronunciation also occurs in AmE
quinine
ˈkwɪniːn (1) ˈkwaɪnaɪn
(2) ˈkwɪnaɪn
resource (1) rɪˈzɔːs
(2) rɪˈsɔːs ˈrisɔrs
respite ˈrɛspaɪt (1) ˈrɛspət
(2) rɪˈspaɪt
reveille
rɪˈvæliː ˈrɛvəli
slough slaʊ slu sense "bog"; in metaphorical sense "gloom", the BrE pronunciation is common in AmE.Homograph "cast off skin" is /slʌf/ everywhere.
Tunisia
tjuːˈnɪziə (1) tuˈniʒə
(2) tuˈniʃə
untoward ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd[1]
(1) ʌnˈtɔrd
(2) ˌʌn.təˈwɔrd
vase
vɑːz (1) veɪs
(2) veɪz The BrE pronunciation also occurs in AmE
z (the letter)
zɛd ziː The spelling of this letter as a word corresponds to the pronunciation: thus Commonwealth (including, usually, Canada) zed and U.S. (and, occasionally, Canada) zee.
References
1. ^ "untoward". Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Cambridge University Press.
2. Wells, John C. (2000). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 2nd ed. Longman. ISBN 0-582-36468-X.

Sources
en.wikipedia.org/.../American_and_British_English_pronunciation_differences

American and British English pronunciation differences

Friday, September 24, 2010

Mending Wall by Robert Frost

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it
And spills the upper boulders in the sun,
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing: 5
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made, 10
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go. 15
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
“Stay where you are until our backs are turned!”
We wear our fingers rough with handling them. 20
Oh, just another kind of outdoor game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across 25
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, “Good fences make good neighbors.”
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
“Why do they make good neighbors? Isn’t it 30
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, 35
That wants it down.” I could say “Elves” to him,
But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather
He said it for himself. I see him there,
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed. 40
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, “Good fences make good neighbors.” 45

An Analysis of Robert Frost's Mending Wall
Mending Wall, by Robert Frost portrays the routines of two neighbors who are constantly mending the fence, or wall, that separates their properties. If a stone is missing from the fence, you can bet that the two men are out there putting it back together piece by piece.

Frost's description of every detail in this poem is quite interesting, very pleasant to read, and extremely imaginable. He leaves the reader to decide for himself what deductions he is to make from the reading. On one hand, Frost makes literal implications about what the two men are doing. For instance, they are physically putting the stones back, one by one. Their dedication, commitment, and constant drive shines through when reading how persistence these men seem about keeping the wall intact. Quite the contrary however, is the inferences that something even deeper is going on. There is a sharing experience taking place here. Indeed, by laboring so hard, each man is experiencing physical repercussions, but they are also using this time as a "meet and greet" period.

We can gather from the beginning of the poem that the wall has many forces that keep's it in shambles. For instance, Frost writes;
"...that sends the frozen ground swell under it and spills the upper boulders in the sun...", and "I have come after them (hunters) and made repair where they have left not one stone on a stone..."

The man and his neighbor don't seem to have time for anything else, for it sounds as if they are constantly making repairs. Is there a reason for this?
It is important to note that not only are these men completing a manly task, but they are also "building" some type of relationship. If this were not an issue, the neighbor would not repeat;
"Good fences make good neighbors."

As the man tells his story, we find that even though the two men may be conversing and interacting, there is some distance between them at all times. The man says;
"...on a day we meet to walk the line and set the wall between us once again."
It seems to show that even though there is a need for friendship in each of us; it is equally as necessary for us to have our own space.
As the poem continues we see that what is taking place is almost like a game. In fact, he says;
"Oh, just another kind of outdoor game." And the narrator continues by saying, "We keep the wall between us as we go". This is almost like there is this game of leapfrog taking place!
"He is all pine and I am apple orchard,"
This seems to indicate that each of us is different. Having different likes, dislikes, etc. One of the men farms "apples", while the other just has "pines". Nonetheless, each is special and both of them contain separate, yet endearing qualities.
Now let's reflect on Frost's use of the "stone" itself. What could he have meant by this poem?
"Stay where you are until our backs are turned".
He is speaking to the stones. In other words he is telling them that if they are going to fall, please wait until he is not looking. This seems to be an odd touch to this poem. It almost appears that the man is so bored at times that he would talk about or to anything. Maybe the neighbor is not as much of a talker as one might have imagined. Maybe the man only has himself and these inanimate objects to converse with. After all, the only quote by the neighbor in this poem is;
"Good fences make good neighbors."
In another light however, there is the idea of separation, or segregation. I have briefly touched on the idea that the two men are consistently kept apart by this wall. In addition though, the author contrasts his "wall" of separation with the idea of segregation in our world. We are left with the impression that if two people have differences, no matter the extent, they are not considered equals by society.
Finally, there is the recurring idea that the wall should not be there in the first place.
"Something there is that doesn't love a wall."
This sentence infers that the wall separating us as a people needs to come down. It is virtually impossible for us to build lasting relationships while we are still possessed with hatred and discrimination.
Sources
www.123helpme.com-24.09.2010
Summary
A stone wall separates the speaker’s property from his neighbor’s. In spring, the two meet to walk the wall and jointly make repairs. The speaker sees no reason for the wall to be kept—there are no cows to be contained, just apple and pine trees. He does not believe in walls for the sake of walls. The neighbor resorts to an old adage: “Good fences make good neighbors.” The speaker remains unconvinced and mischievously presses the neighbor to look beyond the old-fashioned folly of such reasoning. His neighbor will not be swayed. The speaker envisions his neighbor as a holdover from a justifiably outmoded era, a living example of a dark-age mentality. But the neighbor simply repeats the adage.
Form
Blank verse is the baseline meter of this poem, but few of the lines march along in blank verse’s characteristic lock-step iambs, five abreast. Frost maintains five stressed syllables per line, but he varies the feet extensively to sustain the natural speech-like quality of the verse. There are no stanza breaks, obvious end-rhymes, or rhyming patterns, but many of the end-words share an assonance (e.g., wall, hill, balls, wall, and well sun, thing,stone, mean, line, and again or game, them, and him twice). Internal rhymes, too, are subtle, slanted, and conceivably coincidental. The vocabulary is all of a piece—no fancy words, all short (only one word, another, is of three syllables), all conversational—and this is perhaps why the words resonate so consummately with each other in sound and feel.
Commentary
I have a friend who, as a young girl, had to memorize this poem as punishment for some now-forgotten misbehavior. Forced memorization is never pleasant; still, this is a fine poem for recital. “Mending Wall” is sonorous, homey, wry—arch, even—yet serene; it is steeped in levels of meaning implied by its well-wrought metaphoric suggestions. These implications inspire numerous interpretations and make definitive readings suspect. Here are but a few things to think about as you reread the poem.
The image at the heart of “Mending Wall” is arresting: two men meeting on terms of civility and neighborliness to build a barrier between them. They do so out of tradition, out of habit. Yet the very earth conspires against them and makes their task Sisyphean. Sisyphus, you may recall, is the figure in Greek mythology condemned perpetually to push a boulder up a hill, only to have the boulder roll down again. These men push boulders back on top of the wall; yet just as inevitably, whether at the hand of hunters or sprites, or the frost and thaw of nature’s invisible hand, the boulders tumble down again. Still, the neighbors persist. The poem, thus, seems to meditate conventionally on three grand themes: barrier-building (segregation, in the broadest sense of the word), the doomed nature of this enterprise, and our persistence in this activity regardless.
But, as we so often see when we look closely at Frost’s best poems, what begins in folksy straightforwardness ends in complex ambiguity. The speaker would have us believe that there are two types of people: those who stubbornly insist on building superfluous walls (with clichés as their justification) and those who would dispense with this practice—wall-builders and wall-breakers. But are these impulses so easily separable? And what does the poem really say about the necessity of boundaries?
The speaker may scorn his neighbor’s obstinate wall-building, may observe the activity with humorous detachment, but he himself goes to the wall at all times of the year to mend the damage done by hunters; it is the speaker who contacts the neighbor at wall-mending time to set the annual appointment. Which person, then, is the real wall-builder? The speaker says he sees no need for a wall here, but this implies that there may be a need for a wall elsewhere— “where there are cows,” for example. Yet the speaker must derive something, some use, some satisfaction, out of the exercise of wall-building, or why would he initiate it here? There is something in him that does love a wall, or at least the act of making a wall.
This wall-building act seems ancient, for it is described in ritual terms. It involves “spells” to counteract the “elves,” and the neighbor appears a Stone-Age savage while he hoists and transports a boulder. Well, wall-building is ancient and enduring—the building of the first walls, both literal and figurative, marked the very foundation of society. Unless you are an absolute anarchist and do not mind livestock munching your lettuce, you probably recognize the need for literal boundaries. Figuratively, rules and laws are walls; justice is the process of wall-mending. The ritual of wall maintenance highlights the dual and complementary nature of human society: The rights of the individual (property boundaries, proper boundaries) are affirmed through the affirmation of other individuals’ rights. And it demonstrates another benefit of community; for this communal act, this civic “game,” offers a good excuse for the speaker to interact with his neighbor. Wall-building is social, both in the sense of “societal” and “sociable.” What seems an act of anti-social self-confinement can, thus, ironically, be interpreted as a great social gesture? Perhaps the speaker does believe that good fences make good neighbors— for again, it is hewho initiate the wall-mending.
Of course, a little bit of mutual trust, communication, and goodwill would seem to achieve the same purpose between well-disposed neighbors—at least where there are no cows. And the poem says it twice: “something there is that does not love a wall.” There is some intent and value in wall-breaking, and there is some powerful tendency toward this destruction. Can it be simply that wall-breaking creates the conditions that facilitate wall-building? Are the groundswells a call to community- building—nature’s nudge toward concerted action? Or are they benevolent forces urging the demolition of traditional, small-minded boundaries? The poem does not resolve this question, and the narrator, who speaks for the groundswells but acts as a fence-builder, remains a contradiction.
Many of Frost’s poems can be reasonably interpreted as commenting on the creative process; “Mending Wall” is no exception. On the basic level, we can find here a discussion of the construction-disruption duality of creativity. Creation is a positive act—a mending or a building. Even the most destructive-seeming creativity results in a change, the building of some new state of being: If you tear down an edifice, you create a new view for the folks living in the house across the way. Yet creation is also disruptive: If nothing else, it disrupts the status quo. Stated another way, disruption is creative: It is the impetus that leads directly, mysteriously (as with the groundswells), to creation. Does the stone wall embody this duality? In any case, there is something about “walking the line”—and building it, mending it, balancing each stone with equal parts skill and spell—that evokes the mysterious and laborious act of making poetry.
On a level more specific to the author, the question of boundaries and their worth is directly applicable to Frost’s poetry. Barriers confine, but for some people they also encourage freedom and productivity by offering challenging frameworks within which to work. On principle, Frost did not write free verse. His creative process involved engaging poetic form (the rules, tradition, and boundaries—the walls—of the poetic world) and making it distinctly his own. By maintaining the tradition of formal poetry in unique ways, he was simultaneously a mender and breaker of walls.

Sources
www.sparknotes.com-24.09.2010

Analysis of Mending Wall

In his poem, 'Mending Wall', Robert Frost presents to us the ideas of barriers between people, communication, friendship and the sense of security people gain from barriers. His messages are conveyed using poetic techniques such as imagery, structure and humour, revealing a complex side of the poem as well as achieving an overall light-hearted effect. Robert Frost has cleverly intertwined both a literal and metaphoric meaning into the poem, using the mending of a tangible wall as a symbolic representation of the barriers that separate the neighbours in their friendship.

The theme of the poem is about two neighbours who disagree over the need of a wall to separate their properties. Not only does the wall act as a divider in separating estates, it also acts as a barrier in the neighbours' friendship, separating them. For the neighbour with the pine trees, the wall is of great significance, as it provides a sense of security and privacy. He believes that although two people can still be friendly neighbours, some form of barrier is needed to separate them and 'wall in' the personal space and privacy of the individual. This is shown through his repeated saying, 'good fences make good neighbours' (line 27). The neighbour's property is a representation of his privacy and the wall acts as a barrier against intrusion.

The poem itself is a technique Robert Frost uses to convey his ideas. Behind the literal representation of building walls, there is a deeper metaphoric meaning, which reflects people's attitudes towards others. It reflects the social barriers people build, to provide a sense of personal security and comfort, in the belief that barriers are a source of protection which will make people less vulnerable to their fears. Robert Frost's ideas are communicated strongly through the perspective of the narrator in the poem, the 'I' voice, who questions the need for barriers. The use of conversation and the thoughts of the narrator reflect the poet's own thoughts. In line thirty to line thirty-five, the narrator questions the purpose of a wall. He has an open disposition and does not understand the need to 'wall in' or 'wall out' anything or anyone.

One of the poetic techniques ,that Robert Frost uses in 'Mending Wall' to convey his ideas is imagery. In the first eleven lines of the poem, it is used to describe the degradation of the wall, creating a visual image for the reader. The sentence structure of the first line of the poem places emphasis on 'something'. This, compound with the use of personification, makes 'something' appear alive and even human-like. Animate qualities have been given to 'something' through the use of the words 'love', 'sends', 'spills' and 'makes gaps' (lines 1-4), illustrating a vivid impression of the degradation of the wall. Nature, in the form of cold weather, frost and the activities of small creatures, gradually destroys the wall. The narrator seems to believe that walls are unnatural and suggests that nature dislikes walls. This is portrayed through the phrase 'sends the frozen ground swell under it' (line 2). The poem describes nature making holes in the wall large enough that 'even two can pass abreast'. Literally, this refers to the size of the holes. However, it can also be interpreted that nature wishes the men to 'walk together', side by side, living in harmony where there is no barrier in their friendship that separates them.

Figurative expressions are used in 'Mending Wall' to describe the relationship between the neighbours. Many phrases contain both a literal and metaphoric meaning. For example, the phrases 'to walk the line' and 'set the wall between us' (lines 13,14) refers to the building of a tangible wall that marks the boundary of the neighbours' properties. These phrases are also figurative and represent the setting of a barrier in the neighbours' friendship. When they meet to repair the wall, it could be metaphorically interpreted as repairing their friendship and resolving disputes. 'To each the boulders have fallen to each' (line 16) shows that fault lie on the behalf of both neighbours. The metaphor in line seventeen compares their disputes to loaves and balls - some are small and some are large. Figurative language has been used to convey the meaning and significance of building the wall.

An overall light-hearted tone has been achieved throughout the poem. One of the main techniques used to achieve this is the inclusion of conversation. 'Stay where you are until our backs are turned!' (line 19) and the metaphor 'spring is mischief in me' (line 28) for example, shows the neighbours having fun in mending the wall together, creating a cheerful, light-hearted atmosphere. The comparison of the repairing of the fence to an outdoor game also contributes to this light-heartedness. Although the narrator does not want the wall, ironically, the mending of the wall brings the neighbours together and literally builds their friendship. In repairing the fence, the neighbours are spending time together, building their friendship and improving the communication between them. Humour has also been used as a technique to achieve a light-hearted atmosphere. Because the fence is important to the neighbour, he treats the matter of repairing it seriously. Imagery is used to describe the neighbour's attitude, illustrating a rather grim, yet comical representation of him shifting the stones and repairing the fence. The narrator sees the stubbornness in his neighbour, and uses the simile 'like an old-stone savage' to compare him to a stone-age man who 'moves in darkness' (lines 40, 41), that is, set in his ways, and who is unlikely to change his views.

The structure of the 'Mending Wall' is a long one-stanza poem. It is written in blank verse and contains a narrative-like style. Repetition is used as a technique to emphasize the main ideas. The line 'something there is that doesn't love a wall' has been repeated in line thirty-five with a new meaning. It refers to the attitudes of the narrator towards the wall - the narrator does not 'love the wall' and wants it down - whereas the 'something' mentioned in the first line of the poem refers to nature. Another example of repetition is the statement 'good fences make good neighbours'. This reflects back to and emphasizes the idea and opinion society adopts: Although people can be good friends, there will always be a barrier standing between them, acting as a boundary that separates their social relations from their personal privacy, 'walling in' what they do not wish to share with others.

In 'Mending Wall', Robert Frost communicates his opinion regarding the ideas of barriers between people, communication, friendship and the sense of security people gain from barriers, through the perspective of the narrator of the poem. Poetic techniques such as imagery, figurative language, irony, and the use of the building of a wall as a symbolic representation of barriers have been utilized to convey these messages through a light-hearted tone, and simultaneously to portray a serious side of the poem.
Sources
www.helium.com/items/1454903-mending-wall-analysis-24.09.2010

D.N. Aloysius

Mending Wall by Robert Frost

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Business Communication

Preparing your CV
It is important to give your CV some thought and spend some time on getting it right. A well presented CV which clearly details your skills and experience can make all the difference in getting the job you really want.
Structure
Your CV should include the following sections.
• Personal Details
• Employment History
• Education and Qualifications
• Key Skills/Strengths
• Referees
Format
• Make sure your CV is well laid out so that it is immediately easy to read and understand.
• Use a standard font size, which is easy to read.
• Keep it simple.
Content
• Focus on information which is relevant to your own career goals.
• Use concise, unambiguous sentences; avoid exaggerations and a flowery writing style.
• Do not make false claims; honesty is always the best policy.
• Bullet points are useful to highlight relevant skills and experience and help break up continuous text.
• Stress your past accomplishments and the skills you used to get the results you achieved.
• Put your highest level of education first.
• Put your most recent job first and work backward chronologically in time.
• Ensure all dates are accurate and include months as well as years.
• If you are making a career change, stress what skills are transferable to support your new career objectives.
• Explain any long career gaps (i.e. travelling, maternity leave etc.) these will only need to be explained to our clients.
• Keep to the same tense.
• Customize your CV for specific vacancies by focusing on previous experience or skills that are relevant to the role.
Most importantly, always thoroughly proof-read your CV or ask someone to do it for you.
General hints and guidelines
It is important before a job interview to think about all the reasons why you are attending it and what you have to offer the organization. Be ready to discuss both short and long term career goals in general terms.

Reasons for leaving
Prepare to discuss the reasons you left your previous jobs. If it was for a better opportunity, explain why it was better. If you left involuntarily, present the reason in the most positive light you can. Make sure your responses are honest and be positive.
Research the job
Before attending any job interview, it is a good idea to research the organization and familiarize yourself with the following:
• Size of organization, number of employees.
• History, how long have they been operating – do they have any affiliated organizations or belong to an umbrella group?
• General information about their services/products/aims etc.
• Major competitors or other organizations operating in the same field.
• Job description – understand the skills required for the position.
• Relationship between the open position and other members of staff - have a sense for the department.
• Have some well thought-out questions that would help further your understanding of the organization e.g. How will the organization be affected by the new legislation on xyz... or How do you see the organisation developing over the next year/three years?
• Feedback to your consultant how you thought the interview went and tell us whether you would be interested in the job if it were to be offered to you.
What is the employer looking for?
Employers use interviews to confirm that an applicant has the required knowledge, skills and willingness to contribute and fit into the organization’s culture. They also want to see if your career goals are in line with opportunities available with their organization. They are looking for the potential in prospective employees to become valued, trusted, productive team members of their organisation.
You must try to consider how you can display your skills and experience in a good and honest light and provide employers with the evidence that you are the right person for the job. Here are some brief points to consider:
• Are you a self-starter, able to work without constant supervision?
• Can you be depended upon in critical situations and follow work through to completion?
• Are you enthusiastic and easy to work with?
• Can you work under pressure?
• Recruiters need to know what drives you to want the job and why you want to work for the organisation in particular.
• Can you manage your time effectively?
• How do you structure your day's work?
• How did you handle sudden unplanned work or crisis?
• Can you handle constructive criticism in a productive manner?
• Are you objective in evaluating yourself and others?
• Can you work well with a variety of people?
• What would you do to help a team of people work together better?
Recruiters look for an objective analysis of your abilities. For strengths, recruiters want to know why you think it is strength and where it has been demonstrated. For weaknesses they want to know what steps you could take to improve.
Points to consider throughout the interview
• Be prepared with answers to the traditional job interview questions. Rehearse your answers with a friend who will give you honest feedback about the content of your answer and body language.
• Aim for clarity, brevity and above all, honesty. Give honest answers with a positive tone.
• Concentrate on the employer's needs, not yours.
• Emphasize how you can help the organisation achieve its goals.
• Describe your past responsibilities and accomplishments.
• Explain why you approached projects in a certain ways.
• Explain how the skills you bring will benefit the organisation.
• Don't downplay your accomplishments or attribute them to luck.
• Be specific in your answers. Avoid rambling or getting off on a tangent.
• Ask for clarification if you are unsure of the question.
• Take responsibility for communicating your strengths. Don't rely on the interviewer to pull it out of you.
• Explain your past successes, the more you can clearly describe the experience, the people involved, the challenge and the solutions, the more you'll stand out in the interviewer's mind.
Hints
You will need to be sure to connect with each person. Make eye contact with the person asking the questions and glance at the other team members while answering to be sure that you are connecting with each individual.
Be sensitive to the dynamics in the team. If they seem to want to control the interview, relax and flow with it, on the other hand be sure to offer information and ask questions.
Take responsibility for ensuring that the group understands what you have to offer. Don't be overly aggressive and take over, yet do interact and show your enthusiasm.
Each person's opinion can be weighted equally; in some cases, just one team member's opposition can disqualify a candidate. Sometimes it is unclear what role or position each person holds so be respectful of everyone you meet.
and what they would hope you achieve in the first six months.
Other things to remember:
• Find out what happens next in the interview process and express your interest. (If it is genuine!)
• Let you consultant know your feedback. It is important to know what you thought of the organisation, role and people you met and how you felt you performed. Please also let us know if you are interested in taking the job if it were offered.
Sources
recruitment@tfpl.com

Business Communication

Curriculum Vitae
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a summary of your personal, academic and professional background. Its purpose is to outline your qualifications, skills and experience for a specific career, promotion, fellowship or grant. Its length depends on your qualifications and various activities relevant to your career and field. You should keep in mind that each field has a different standard. For example, in applying for an academic position, an applicant is asked to submit a CV along with a Dissertation Abstract, a Statement of Research Interests, and a Statement of Teaching Interests. It is important to present a clear and well-organized application. Your goal is to motivate your employer to interview you. Hence, you should prepare your CV so that you will be called for the interview. A CV should consist of primary and supplementary materials.

Primary materials
• Personal information
• Academic qualifications
• Professional qualifications
• Work experience
• Awards
• Grants/Fellowships/Scholarships
• Research experience
• Publications and presentations
• Languages
• Computer literacy
• Memberships, Associations, Conferences, Committees etc
• Study tours
• Schools attended
• Workshops/seminars participated
• References

Supplementary materials
• Covering letter
• Certificates (Academic/service/ testimonials etc)
• Dissertation Abstract
• Statement of Research and Scholarly Interests
• Statement of Teaching Interests
• Course lists

Sources
www.dartmouth.edu › Home › Careers › Services-20.08.2010
D.N. Aloysius
dnaloysius.blogspot.com

Business Communication

Presentation skills
To really succeed at presenting and build up effective presentation skills, there are several key areas that you need to become skilled in. And once you have mastered these skills; you will be able to create a presentation with a clear message and deliver it with confidence.
Key skills areas
• Planning and writing the presentation
• Using visual aids effectively
• Overcoming presentation nerves
• Delivering the presentation confidently
• Answering questions competently
Skills for planning and writing the presentation
Planning the presentation involves much of the work that you are going to do before you actually deliver the presentation. This is a very important area and it’s also one that many people should consider improving their skills in.
A key part of this planning is to research your presentation audience, since the more you know your audience, the more you can understand them and what their preconceptions might be.
You also need to get to grips with the purpose of the presentation – so that you are very clear about what you are trying to achieve from it.
Then, it is down brainstorming what you are actually going to say and then structuring this into “digestible” chunks within the beginning, middle and end.

Using visual aids effectively
Once you have done your planning, you need to consider what visual aids you’re going to use. Think about what you want to do here – why you actually need the visual aids in your presentation and what are they going to be used for.
Often they are fairly redundant – people put them in for the sake of it. So some key presentation skills we will be looking at are associated with reducing your slides to the minimum you need to support your message.
So we are going to look at how to make visual aids effective and what types of visual aids are going to help you with your presentation.
Skills for overcoming presentation nerves
We are then going to look at you yourself to start considering your personal presentation skills.
When most people hear the word presentation – previously built “presentation skills” are often forgotten and nerves kick in. So we are going to help you overcome your nerves and become more confident in your personal presentation skills.
There are lots of techniques and things you can do to help you control your nerves and build your confidence even before you actually start your presentation as well as while you are speaking and delivering it.
Skills for delivering the presentation confidently
It is important to think about how you are actually going to deliver your presentation.
We will look at some of the key techniques and skills you can call on to help you speak confidently, keep the audience’s interest, really engage with them and create the presence that wants to have in front of your audience.
So your personal resources are very important when you come to deliver your presentation.
Answering questions competently
Finally, it is important that you have the confidence to interact with your audience and deal with any questions that your audience might throw at you.
So we will give you techniques to help you deal with the difficult questions – the different scenarios that you might face when you actually have to interact with the audience.
Summary
These are the five key elements (or presentation skills areas) for building and delivering a successful presentation.
Get to grips with each of them, build your skills and then apply them to you next presentation – and you will be surprised just how much you have progressed.
Sources
www.presentation-skills.biz/ - United Kingdom

Other aspects making presentation more effective

1. Audibility
2. Clarity
3. Relevance
4. Accuracy
5. Eye contact
6. Competence in using computer and multimedia projector
7. Handouts should be given after presentation
8. Handouts should be comprehensive
9. Treat audience equally
10. Show audience that you are competent in subject
11. Be ethical
12. Rapport
13. Do not leave weak points which audience may laugh at
14. Steadiness
15. Physical appearance
16. Punctuality
17. Confidence
18. Well prepared
19. Physical environment of classroom or lecture hall
20. Get attention of all participants
21. Tolerance
22. Listen to audience patiently
23. Give them opportunities to discuss
24. Control time limit
25. Do not embarrass audience
26. Be humble
27. Feedback
28. Inform audience that they will get handouts
29. Maintain silence
30. Cleanliness
31. Ventilation
32. Create congenial environment for presentation
33. Make audience comfortable
34. Seating arrangements
35. Audience can easily see presenter
36. Look at monitor/not at screen
37. Avoid reading /explain
38. Make presentation lively and interesting
39. Fun and humour
40. Avoid tension

D.N. Aloysius
dnaloysius.blogspot.com

Newsletter
January -2010
English Association
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
Editor- in- Chief- Ayesha Ratnayake

Vice Chancellor’s Message
It is with great pleasure that I write this short note for the launch of the volume 1of the newsletter published by the English association, faculty of social sciences and humanities of this university. This kind of publications could not only pass the information and activities carried out by the English association to the society, but would pave the way to create quality scholars with the up-liftmen of the English language.
I wish the newsletter an uninterrupted continuation and thank the editorial committee, without whose effort this would not have been a success.
Prof .K .A Nandasena

Dean’s Message
It gives me pleasure of publishing a newsletter of English Association for the first time. Actually, this attempt is highly appreciated. I hope the students of the English Association will be able to face their future properly being involved in such kinds of extra activities beyond their studies. The key of the world is English. I wish them all success for the progress of their Newsletter.
Prof. A. Lagamuwa

Activities organized under the IRQUE Project

British Council
Students visited the British Council recently and got involved in the following activities.
• Visiting all sections of the British Council Library.
• Participating in a workshop conducted by the British Council.
• Observing the distinction between British English and Sri Lankan English.
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation

Students visited the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation recently.

Activities observed
• Editing news
• Presenting news
• Educational programs
• Listening to the history of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
• Visiting studios and record rooms
Teaching Practice

Students, who want to be English teachers, participated in a workshop conducted by Mrs. P.D. Samanmal at the Teacher centre at Anuradhapura.They leant the following facts regarding teaching practice.
• Effective Classroom Management
• Good qualities of a language teacher
• Lesson planning
• Teaching methodology
They also underwent teaching practice in classrooms and senior teachers observed their teaching. After the teaching session, they made comments on their teaching and lesson plans so that they will be able to improve their teaching methodology.

English Association Magazine-Pearl Volume-01
We hope to publish this magazine every year. Pearl-Volume -01 has already been released along with the articles written by the members of English Association. We have already planned to publish the volume -02 of Pearl. Hence, we cordially invite the members to submit their articles to the Editor in Chief on or before 31st August, 2010.
Following members have contributed to the volume-01 of Pearl.
1. Indira Gunasekara
2. Edward Fernando
3. Nadeesha Sewwandi
4. Indunil Kumari Rathnayake
5. Ishani Premasiri
6. W. Nandasena
7. Thilini Dilhara Gunathilaka
8. Hiroshini Senarathne
9. I.Dharmasena
10. Shane A. Bernard

Office Bearers of English Association
Patron Mr. D.N. Aloysius
President Ayesha Rathnayaka
Secretary Indunil Rathnayaka
Treasurer Indira Gunasekara
Vice President Edward Fernando
Asst. Secretary Shriyani Thilakarathne
Editor-in- Chief Nadeesha Sewwandi

Presentation by Students
Power presentation is compulsory for all students, who study English as a main subject for their General Degree. This comes under Continuous Assessment Test (CAT).

Practical Activities
Students are also required to do more practical activities in the classroom using internet, recorders, TV and radio regarding their lessons, which are based on dramas, poetry, short stories and novels. They also deal with more language lessons. For this purpose, they use the Audio Visual Unit of the Main Library. In addition to this, students are involved in more reference activities in the library.

Business Communication

Communication
“Any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that person’s needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, it may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes.”
Communication is the exchange of ideas, opinions and information through written or spoken words, symbols or actions.
Communication is a dialogue, not a monologue.
In fact, communication is more concerned with a dual listening process. For communication to be effective, the message must mean the same thing to both the sender and the receiver.
Business Communication
Business Communication is any communication used to promote a product, service, or organization – with the objective of making sale.
In business communication, message is conveyed through various channels of communication including internet, print (publications), radio, television, outdoor, and word of mouth.
In business, communication is considered core among business, interpersonal skills and etiquette.
Historical Background
Thousands years ago, people used to communicate orally. Greeks used a phonetic alphabet written from left to right. After that, many books appeared on written communication principles. As a result of this, Greek started her very first library.
When communism was ruling China, communication had become the biggest challenge within the vast government as well as between government and people. First in China and then in Rome postal service was launched. After that, paper and printing press was invented in china that made communication easier.
Hence, today’s principles of communications are founded on a mixture of ancient oral and written traditions.
Lifeblood of an Organization
Communication is the lifeblood of an organization. If we could somehow remove communication flows from an organization, we would not have an organization.

It is needed for:
• Exchanging information
• Exchanging options
• Making plans and proposals
• Reaching agreement
• Executing decisions
• Sending and fulfilling orders
• Conducting sales
When communication stops, organized activity ceases to exist. Individual uncoordinated activity returns in an organization. Hence, communication in an organization is as vital as blood for life.
Types of Business Communication
There are two types of business communication in an organization:
1. Internal Communication
2. External Communication
1. Internal Communication
Communication within an organization is called “Internal Communication”.
It includes all communication within an organization. It may be a formal or informal function or department providing communication in various forms to employees.
Effective internal communication is a vital mean of addressing organizational concerns. Good communication may help to increase job satisfaction, safety, productivity, and profits and decrease grievances and turnover.
Under Internal Business Communication types there come;
a) Upward Communication
b) Downward Communication
c) Horizontal/Literal communication
a) Upward Communication
Upward communication is the flow of information from subordinates to superiors, or from employees to management. Without upward communication, management works in a vacuum, not knowing if messages have been received properly, or if other problems exist in the organization.
By definition, communication is a two-way affair. Yet, for effective two-way organizational communication to occur, it must begin from the bottom.
Upward Communication is a mean for staff to:
o Exchange information
o Offer ideas
o Express enthusiasm
o Achieve job satisfaction
o Provide feedback

b) Downward Communication
Information flowing from the top of the organizational management hierarchy and telling people in the organization what is important (mission) and what is valued (policies).
Downward communication generally provides enabling information – which allows a subordinate to do something.
e.g.: Instructions on how to do a task.
Downward communication comes after upward communications have been successfully established. This type of communication is needed in an organization to:
o Transmit vital information
o Give instructions
o Encourage 2-way discussion
o Announce decisions
o Seek cooperation
o Provide motivation
o Boost morale
o Increase efficiency
o Obtain feedback

Both Downward & Upward Communications are collectively called “Vertical Communication”

c) Horizontal/Literal communication
Horizontal communication normally involves coordinating information, and allows people with the same or similar rank in an organization to cooperate or collaborate. Communication among employees at the same level is crucial for the accomplishment of work. Horizontal Communication is essential for:
o Solving problems
o Accomplishing tasks
o Improving teamwork
o Building goodwill
o Boosting efficiency

2. External Communication
Communication with people outside the company is called “external communication”. Supervisors communicate with sources outside the organization, such as vendors and customers.
It leads to better;
o Sales volume
o Public credibility
o Operational efficiency
o Company profits
It should improve
o Overall performance
o Public goodwill
o Corporate image
Ultimately, it helps to achieve:
o Organizational goals
o Customer satisfaction

Sources
www.business communication.edu › Home › Careers › Services-20.08.2010
D.N. Aloysius
dnaloysius.blogspot.com