Creative Writing and Target Language Acquisition : Student perceptions from Bangladesh

This is a portion of a multifaceted case study of an experimental creative writing seminar that was offered to English as a foreign language (EFL) students at a university in Bangladesh by a visiting researcher. The principal question addressed in this part of the study is, do the students in the class identify creative writing as useful in improving their English language ability in the following areas : writing, reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, public speaking, and listening? The answer to this question, though answered in relation to this individual case study, of students at a university in Dhaka, Bangladesh, will have universal applications to other English programs, in other settings, in other countries. The reason for this is simple, in that creative writing is usually considered the domain of the native speaker and not of the EFL or ESL (English as a Second Language) student. If students of English identify creative writing to be useful in their second language acquisition, then it behooves administrators of EFL or ESL programs to include creative writing courses, or at least elements of creative writing, in their curriculums

A Stylistic Analysis of Joseph Conrad\u27s Nostromo : Modernism, Polyphony, and a Mode of \u27Empathy\u27 in the Characterization of the Protagonist

Joseph Conrad\u27s Nostromo (1904) has been regarded by some critics as a modernist novel in which scepticism towards the truth is foregrounded at a plot level. However, such a modernist tenet is also evident in more subtle linguistic and stylistic devices related to focalization. In this paper I conduct a texutual stylistic analysis of Nostromo, by focusing upon the relationship between modernism and the mode of polyphony, originally defined by Mikhail Bakhtin and developed by him and his circle. Based upon the concept of focalization presented by Genette (1980) and Bal (1985), I illustrate who focalizes (i.e. sees, perceives, evaluates, etc.) in the selected passages where the significant characterization of a protagonist, Nostromo, is conducted. I also clarify the function of the so-called omniscient narrator in this novel. From the analysis of selected passages, how Conrad creates polyphony in the text is shown, and the place of Nostromo in the context of modernism is also clarified

アジア太平洋地域の大学院における人権研究・教育の動向 : 国際人権修士プログラムの意義

The prominent change in higher education in post war era is the growing number of post graduate programs worldwide that provide education and research opportunities in the area of human rights. Asia-Pacific region is not an exception. Reflecting the increasing demand for practical and theoretical knowledge and skills in human rights, international masters programs in human rights are offered both as LL.M programs and as interdisciplinary programs. Such programs attracts students with different national, ethnic, religious, and occupational backgrounds region-wide, and they contribute in enhancing multi-cultural and multi-sectoral discussions on human rights, which may later be contributing in the establishment of regional human rights standards and protection mechanism. In Japan, although human rights have been incorporated into curriculum in many universities in response to the rising anti-discrimination movement since 1960\u27s, they are usually offered as single courses and not systematically organized into programs. In this light, this article examines current status of the graduate studies in the Asia-Pacific region that leads to master\u27s degrees in human rights, which will contribute to the reform of teaching of human rights in Japanese universitie

国内人権機関のコミュニティ・レベルにおける人権擁護活動の課題 : フィリピン人権委員会「バランガイ人権行動センター」プログラムの検証を通じて

Establishment of national human rights institutions in Asian region was started in the middle of the 80\u27s, when the move towards the end of Cold War started. Human rights, once a concept symbolized diplomatic disputes were then started to be recognized by many governments by ratification of international human rights conventions and by establishment of national human rights institutions, which are independent from the government to take actions towards human rights violations. However, such institutions are often established as a token sign to appeal government\u27s acceptance of international standards, so that they are not always well implemented at the community level. Considering such conditions, the research was conducted to know how such institution was functioning at the community level, as well as to find out the problems in conducting community-based human rights protection activities. Focus was given on Barangay Human Rights Action Centers of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, which had been established in the smallest local government units (Barangays) in order to receive human rights violations in the communities. Through the focus group discussion of the officers in charge of the centers, the difficulty of maintaining "independence" from the local administration was found to be the most crucial problem for the activities of such centers

近畿における二酸化炭素排出量の算定

The emission of carbon dioxide from the Kinki area (Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama prefectures) was estimated for 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2001. The amounts of carbon dioxide emitted from the Kinki area were 151 million tons CO_2 in 1990, 155 million tons in 1995, 152 million tons in 2000, and 148 million tons in 2001, which corresponded to 12-14 % of the total emission amounts of Japan. In 2001, the Kinki area has attained a lower emission rate of carbon dioxide than that in 1990 for the first time. The industrial sector accounted for around 40% of the carbon dioxide emission from the area, which consistently decreased during the time. The emissions from the energy conversion sector and industrial processes were almost the same, too. However, the emission from transportation had been increasing

クリーン開発メカニズム(CDM)の環境保全効果に関する研究

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) allows an Annex I Party of the Kyoto Protocol to implement a project that reduces greenhouse gas emission in the territory of a non-Annex I Party, and the resulting certified emission reductions (CER) can then be used by the Annex I Party to help meet its emission reduction target. As of October 1st, 2005, 25 CDM projects have been registered, and 13 projects are under the registration process. Among them, 13 projects are related with hydogeneration, followed by 9 landfill gas projects and 5 biomass projects. Although, 79% of the emission reductions are derived from the chemical industry, then 14% being from landfill gas capture projects. An analysis on the present production capacities of HCFC and adipic acid in non-Annex I Parties suggests that the emission reductions due to the chemical industry can attain 45 million metric tonnes CO2 equivalent/year at the maximum, and almost the half being developed in CDM project plans, which means that the expected emission reductions due to the chemical industry have a cetain limitation. Then, it is forecasted that the number of registered CDM projects will reach 150 in 2008, and the total amount of CER attaining around 30 million metric tonnes CO2 equivalent/year, which corresponds to 2% of the greenhouse gases emission amount of Japan at the base year

米国NOx排出削減計画に関する研究

The OTC NONO_X Budget Program was established by 9 states and one District in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region of America, to reduce NONO_X emission from large combustion facilities during the ozone season (from May 1st through September 30th). The NONO_X Budget Program is a cap-and-trade program, which harnesses free market forces to reduce NONO_X concentrations in the air, being similar to the U.S.EPA\u27s SO_2 emission-trading program. However, the NONO_X allowance trading system, a economic instrument, seemed to have little effects on NONO_X emission reductions from the facilities, because the NONO_X Budget Program (1999-2002) was accompanied by Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA), and also NONO_X emission regulations under the Acid Rain Program of CAA, before and after. From the study of NONO_X allowance transactions in the 15 farms which emitted the largest amounts of NONO_X, it was shown that a large number of NONO_X allowance transactions were between parent-companies and their units, or among the related units. That might indicate that big farms tended to manage the allowances allocated to their units within each company, and not to take so much advantage of market trading system

食品中のアクリルアミドの分析

In April 2002, it was announced that a substance called acrylamide was produced by heating and manufacturing the foods containing many carbohydrates at high temperature. According to the International Cancer Research Organization (IARC), acrylamide is classified as "The substance which has the possibility of showing carcinogenesis in the person". In this study, we determined quantity of acrylamide contained in commercial food using LC/MS-MS. Moreover, we investigated about generation of the acrylamide in a potato using the machine for cooking. The result showed that acrylamide above 1,OOOμg/kg was detected from potato chips. Additionally, acrylamide above 100μg/kg was detected from fried potato and fried noodle. In the study about the generation of the acrylamide by heating potatos, acrylamide increased from a critical point rapidly. This showed that there was a temperature region in generation. Acrylamide of approximately 10,000μg/kg was detected by using the microwave oven under the highest heating conditions

新規就農の現状と就農者意識 : 兵庫県を事例として

The new entry farmer is expected as a supporter of the regional agriculture. In this research, the present condition and consciousness of new-entry farmer in Hyogo Prefecture were clarified. The data used for analysis was mainly obtained by the questionnaire to 88 cities, towns and villages of Hyogo Prefecture, and interview investigation to 16 new-entry farmers. In order to stabilize agricultural management, the good farming conditions and improving agricultural technology were necessary. It pointed out that cooperation with the organization in connection with agriculture and powerful support of the region were important