The politics of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) : Implications for citizenship and social justice

A number of countries in Europe, including the UK, have adopted language and citizenship tests or courses as a requirement for granting citizenship to immigrants. To acquire citizenship, immigrants to the UK must pass a test on British society and culture, or demonstrate progress in the English language. For those with an insufficient command of the language, there is the option in the UK of taking an English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) with citizenship course. These language and citizenship tests and courses are seen by governments as a way of encouraging immigrants to develop the competences believed necessary for social integration. Equally, these are seen as a means for immigrants to demonstrate their willingness to integrate. However, two types of criticisms have been made against compulsory tests and language programmes. The first questions the need for these. The second focuses on whether they are a genuine contribution to preparation for citizenship or whether these, in effect, constitute a gatekeeping mechanism, or otherwise lead to social injustice; related to this is the question of whether the emphasis on language as defining of nationhood and citizenship is a move away from multiculturalism towards a policy of assimilation. In addition, there are issues relating to funding. This paper presents the results of a study of a 'skills for life' ESOL course at a community college in London that is specifically intended to help immigrants seeking to qualify for British citizenship. An interview was carried out with staff involved in ESOL at the college, and a focus group discussion was conducted with a student group. The aim of the paper is to provide an account of the experiences of the students in the light of the criticisms that have made against compulsory tests and language programmes. We also examine the impact of policy changes, including funding cuts, on the college and students. Although we found the language and citizenship class to be a positive experience, we note inconsistencies and contradictions in policies and discourses around language. © 2010 Taylor & Francis

Shifting sands

The article presents the proposed changes to the New Zealand Draft Curriculum on the Nature of Science. In July 2006, the draft was released to school and the wider educational community for consultation on the national curriculum policy. It asserts to help science teachers to develop their understanding on nature of scientific knowledge and on how the community can effectively teach such aspects of the curriculum in the classroom setting

Participation in an Educational Module for Medical Students in Regards to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Therapies

Background and Review of the Literature: In the United States, the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased. The term CAM refers to a variety of alternative therapies and techniques usually not part of standard medical care. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), more than thirty percent of adults and twelve percent of children use methods not typically considered conventional, or mainstream practice. Complementary medicine can be utilized with standard medical treatments for a more patient-centered collaborative approach, referred to as integrative medicine (IM). Although gaining popularity and driven by patients, many conventional healthcare providers lack the awareness and familiarity to discuss, recommend, or refer CAM therapies. Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project is to investigate medical students\u27 knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and future collaboration practices related to complementary therapies through the use of an online educational portal Method: This project implemented an educational intervention in order to improve the knowledge of students enrolled in a Doctor or Osteopathic Medicine Program in regards to Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Implementation Procedure: An internet based resource tool was developed as a resource guide, providing information about complimentary licensed practitioners, therapies, best practices, and protocols

Capacity investigation of brine-bearing sands of the Frio Formation for geologic sequestration of CO2

The capacity of fluvial brine-bearing formations to sequester CO2 is investigated using numerical simulations of CO2 injection and storage. Capacity is defined as the volume fraction of the subsurface available for CO2 storage and is conceptualized as a product of factors that account for two-phase flow and transport processes, formation geometry, formation heterogeneity, and formation porosity. The space and time domains used to define capacity must be chosen with care to obtain meaningful results, especially when comparing different authors’ work. Physical factors that impact capacity include permeability anisotropy and relative permeability to CO2, brine/CO2 density and viscosity ratios, the shape of the trapping structure, formation porosity and the presence of low permeability layering.National Energy Technology LaboratoryBureau of Economic Geolog

Examining the Factors Influencing Organizational Creativity in Professional Sport Organizations

Excerpt: Success in marketing requires creativity, and sport marketing is no different (Schwarz & Hunter, 2008)

Watching me, watching you: The use of CCTV to support safer work places for public transport transit officers

Over recent years there has been a proliferation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in public and private settings in a bid to increase security and combat crime. Whilst concern abounds from citizens that the use of these cameras are an invasion of personal privacy, governments and organisations have continued to view them as a panacea in the fight against crime and public disorder. Drawing on a research project currently being undertaken in a metropolitan railway environment, this paper aims to address a gap in the CCTV literature and examines the use of CCTV cameras as a ‘safety protection’ for railway transit officers. These transit officers, who have similar powers to police on railway property, provide the frontline of deterrence against anti-social behaviour and violence on the rail system. Like police, these transit officers are also subject to similar investigative procedures following any complaint received from a member of the public regarding their handling of an incident. However, radioing the monitoring room and calling for a camera to be focused on them as they deal with members of the public has a number of advantages. The camera footage provides a ‘security blanket’ for the transit officers should any complaint be received by the organisation that they handled a situation inappropriately; secondly, it provides evidence against an offender for any subsequent court action arising out of an incident; and thirdly it provides the ability for the situation to be monitored and additional support deployed to the area should the situation warrant it. Based on the researchers observations both working with railway transit officers and in the central monitoring room of the railway organisation, this paper explores the present use of the CCTV cameras in this environment, and explores how this technology could evolve in the future

Impacts and strategic outcomes from non-mega sport events for local communities

The staging of sport events directly impacts the quality of life of people living in the host communities. Sport events are temporal and can trigger a variety of short- or long-term, positive or negative impacts, which lead to positive or negative outcomes, and if sustained, these outcomes have been called ‘legacies.’ Impacts may result from strategic planning, but more often than not there is scant strategic planning for event outcomes, so impacts are typically haphazard and unplanned (albeit hoped for). Strategic planning for event outcomes (aka: leveraging) differs from mere legacy planning because it focuses attention on the means to obtain desired economic, social, and/or environmental objectives through integration of each event into the host community\u27s overall product and service mix (Chalip, 2014). Whereas legacy planning focuses on the event and the outcomes it might render for the community, event leverage focuses on the community and the ways that it can integrate each event into its marketing and management strategies. These are different in ways that are subtle but important in practice