Montessori Senstive Periods Essay Example for Free

Montessori Senstive Periods Essay Define the term sensitive periods, and explain how the teachers knowledge and understanding of these periods determines his / her preparation and custodianship of the prepared environment A thorough understanding and knowledge of the sensitive periods (Montessori, 1972) that a child passes through is crucial in aiding the teacher to provide a suitable environment to assist a childs optimum development as the environment that the child is in plays a crucial role to their formation according to Montessori. A sensitive period refers to a special sensibility which a creature acquires in its infantile state (Montessori, 1966, page 38). Such sensitive periods were first discovered in insects by the Dutch scientist Hugo de Vries. Montessori stated that sensitive periods can also be found in children and are very important for a teacher to consider to aid optimum development through providing the correct type of environment. Therefore to fully understand the sensitive periods, an understanding of Montessoris periods of growth (Montessori, 2007) that she devised from birth to maturity is needed. These outlined the progress of a childs mental development, which correspond with phases of physical growth. Montessoris periods of growth consist of phase one; birth to six years, phase two; six to twelve years, phase three; twelve to eighteen years and phase four; eighteen to twenty-four years. Within each stage the child has different characteristics and needs, therefore requiring an alternative suitable environment for optimum development to occur, as each stage lays the foundations for the child to continue to develop within the next stage, with the first stage being fundamental (www. casadimir. org). Stage one is split into two sub-phases, comprising of birth to age three and three to age six. During this first stage the child has an absorbent mind (Montessori, 2007). The unconscious absorbent mind from birth to three years old, which is described as a mind that is constantly absorbing impressions from the environment; and yet does this without knowing that it is doing so, and without willing it (Standing, 1998, page 109). The conscious absorbent mind from three to six years continues to build on the faculties that developed during the phase of the unconscious mind. However, instead of soaking in the environment unconsciously it is the childs own ego which guides and directs him (Standing, 1998, age 112). This stage is critical for the foundations of an all round well developed child both mentally and physically. Stage two, from six to twelve years, is a stable periodwith noticeable physical and mental changes. The absorbent mind is replaced with reasoning and logical thinking; the child continues to develop and build upon his development from stage one. Stage three, twelv e to eighteen years, is split into two sub-phases comprising of twelve to fifteen years, the stage of puberty and fifteen to eighteen years, the stage of adolescence. This period is a very unstable and an emotional time for the child. Stage four, eighteen to twenty four years, the beginnings of adulthood; this time is usually very stable. Montessori identified six main sensitive periods, consisting of a period of sensitivity to order, to language, for refinement of the senses, for walking and movement, for small objects and to the social aspects of life, all of which are present during the first stage of growth; the absorbent mind. Theses sensitive periods are not consecutive; some are continuous and some overlap, which will now be looked at in greater depth. The period of sensitivity to order is one of the first sensitive periods to been seen in the development of a child and usually appears within the childs first month. Throughout this sensitive period the child requires a precise, ordered environment, which can be observed by the joy which children show at seeing things in their correct places (Montessori, 1972). The presence of this sensitive period however, is even more evident when the order is somehow interfered with. For example, in the Secret of Childhood (1972), Montessori describes the agitation of a 6 month old child when a parasol was placed upon the table by a woman entering the room; the child immediately began to cry. The woman automatically presumed that the child wished to play with the parasol, this brought on further frustration causing the little girl to push the parasol away when it was given to her. Her mother suddenly realised and when the parasol was removed from the room it was only then that the child became calm again. In Montessoris words the object out of place had violently upset the little girls pattern of memory as to how objects should be arranged (Montessori, 1972, page 50), thus causing the child distress demonstrating the need for a precise environment. Another example illustrated by Montessori in the Secret of Childhood (1972), was when she was on a guided tour through the tunnel of the Grottoof Nero in Naples, when a mother carrying a little boy took her coat off and threw it over her arm while she continued to carry the child. The child once again became agitated and continuously cried. Various approaches were used to try and sooth the child, all of which were unsuccessful, until Montessorisuggested that the mother should put her coat on. Following this action the childs tears disappeared and he continuously said Coat shoulder (Montessori, 1972, page 51), the child once again smiled as he felt that his mother had eventually understood him. With these examples and the knowledge of the childs sensitivity to order it demonstrates the need for the teacher to ensure a well ordered environment that is predictable to the child, while allowing sufficient freedom and time for the child to explore ontheir own. The period of sensitivity for language occurs between birth and approximately five years old. During this time the child masters basic sentence patterns in their nativelanguage and goes on to develop more complex sentences during the next stage of growth. From the moment the child is born, without lessons and without conscious effort he learns to pronounce the language he hears around him with perfection (Standing, 1998, page 121), simply by listening to the language;words spoken slowly and clearly. The child listens voluntarily then goes on to utter sounds, experiencing vibrations and developing his vocal muscles. Montessori (1972) stated that the childs sensitive period for language tends to pass unnoticed, as the environment he is in, surrounded by adults speech provides the necessary requirements for his development. This sensitive period is only acknowledged when the child demonstrates their joy through smiles and bodily movements, when tuned into the sounds of language. The period of sensitivity for the refinement of the senses, begins approximately when a child begins to crawl and can truly manipulate and experience his environment, this continues generally until the age of eight. Through guided teaching using the correct material in an appropriate environment and practice, the childs senses can be refined so that the child can distinguish between minimaldifferences. Using the colour box to distinguish between gradients of colours or grading the sound cylinders is a good example of this. The period of sensitivity for walking and movement, occurs approximately at the age of one when the child first begins to walk. Although they walk slowly and with no real rhythmic step or goal, the child can walk for long periods of time covering great distances, showing thorough enjoyment during their travels (Lillard, 1972). This allows time for a child to explore the outside world with the freedom of a suitable large space, improving his physical coordination and fulfilling his desire to absorb his surroundings. The period of sensitivity for small objects becomes apparent when the child becomes mobile at around the age of one and has a larger, open environment to explore. The child is drawn towards small objects such as pebbles and tiny insects. This is demonstrated through an example from Montessori (1972) in the Secret of Childhood, when a fifteen month old child sitting on the paving outside suddenly burst into laughter. The adult saw nothing until a small insect was pointed out by the by the child; it is as though the child looks for items that are invisible to adults. The period of sensitivity for social aspects of life occurs at around three years of age when the child begins to realise that they are partof a group. The childs social interest is exhibited first as an observing activity, and later develops into a desire for more active contact with others (Lillard, 1972, page 36). Therefore, with providing an environment where a child is free to observe, experiment and explore amongst their peers without intervention, apart from when antisocial behaviour is presented, a child naturally forms correct social behaviour and a willingness to help others. The teacher needs a concrete understanding of the sensitive periods to be able to provide a suitable environment for a child to develop. A prepared suitable environment for example includes, clearly ordered, organised and readily available materials, child-sized furniture, low shelves and real life objects. Along with the freedom to explore and move around freely, these aspects all take the needs of the child into consideration, although observation of the childs abilities and interests by the teacher is equally as important for the teacher to make required adjustments to suit the childs needs at certain points in their development and particular sensitivities. It is important to support the requirements of the sensitive periods as once this period passes the child will no longer achieve his optimum development with this aspect of his inner self with ease. Also if a sensitive period is neglected it may hinder the development with other aspects of the childs development. In Montessoris words, If he passes through a period sensitive to order, the disorder he perceives can be an obstacle to his development and a cause of abnormalities (Montessori, 1972, page 49). Therefore a thorough understanding of a childs periods of growth and sensitive periods as well as exceptional observational skills is essential for a teacher to establish a desired environment to provide the opportunities for the sensitive periods to flourish. Bibliography Lillard, P (1972), Montessori A Modern Approach, Schocken books, New York Montessori, M (1972) The Secret of Childhood, Ballentine, New York Montessori, M (2007) The Absorbent Mind, Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company, Amsterdam Standing, E. M (1998) Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, First Plume Printing, America www. casadimir. org Casa di Mir Montessori School (undated). Montessori Philosophy http://www. casadimir. org/montessoriphilosophy. htm

The Impact Of Computers In Our Daily Lives Computer Science Essay

The Impact Of Computers In Our Daily Lives Computer Science Essay Computers are commonly used items in many fields in our present world as will be in the future. Since the ages of the fathers of computers like Blaise Pascal and Charles Babbage. These machines have proven to be very essential or important and significant especially for people who run large organizations and industries, but also to the individuals themselves. Computers have affected our lives in a great deal in that almost every thing now is either run by or made by computers. For instance, in large industries, cars and space exploration devices and machines are designed by the use of computers, in hospitals where medical billings, patient admittance and other medical equipments are run and made by computers; traffic lights that run the city traffic are run by computers. One of the major impacts of computer is communication. The level of communication has gone higher through computer as now you can be connected with friends and family around the world, many business deals and conference is now made through the help of computer. Nevertheless the entertainment world would not have been as successful as it is if it weren`t for computers, because movies these days require a lot of animations and use of graphics to create effects. So basically the whole universe is a computerized universe as it is right now. Even back in the late years of 1600 to 1800, the people saw that life was becoming complex and so they needed to create something that would help them solve the complex problems and mathematics so they wouldn`t have to solve them manually. And so they came up with calculators which could only add and subtract mathematical problems. And the more the technology grew the more computers became important in their daily lives to the present. Computers have changed man a lot. It has helped man to step in to the future. Though computers have been said to take away man power, still computers have managed to make the impossible possible. In the upcoming paragraphs I will be talking about how computers have impacted on different fields.C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIACAGCAT10j0315447.jpg C:UsersRahatAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5Q0IF2038MC900357275[1].wmfC:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIACAGCAT10j0233018.wmfC:UsersRahatAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5LVY57DLOMP900315661[1].jpgC:UsersRahatAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5E5WK0490MC900090300[1].wmf IN BUSINESS FIELD In today`s life computers have impacted many fields such as the business fields. Many business organizations need computer to keep track of accounts, money and other stuff that they need. It has been noticed that business people use computers a lot both at their homes and at their working places. One may see that these people make pie charts and graphs that they use for presentations during business meetings where most of these charts were made by the help of computers. The business field uses computers a lot in their activities. C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIACAGCAT10j0233018.wmf Nevertheless, business organization now a dayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s use online marketing to advertise and contact with their consumers from different parts of the world without direct contact. For instance in www.amazon.com, this is an efficient way of business since it does not limit the area of supplies and consumers. It is through the use of computers that they are able to perform these activities. IN ENTERTAINMENT FIELD Another area that computers have impacted is the entertainment area. It has been seen that most of the people love science fiction and action movies and those that have neat effects like Matrix or Harry Potter. Well the graphics and animations used in those movies were done by computers themselves. Most of the movies today use these graphics to make movie effects look realistic. For instance in Harry Potter where Harry has to fight dragons and big snakes, all those effects look real but they are not realistic and some movies where we see aliens, space ships, monsters or flying men. Some movies are even made by computers from top to bottom like toy story and wall E. Not only movies but also game consoles use computer animations like the Play Station, PC and Nintendo. And it has been seen that games made by 3D graphics have been big breakthrough in gaming. All thanks to the awesome computer graphics. Even the music industry has been impacted in its way. Since music editing and video making all require computers to create effects or edit videos. Thus computers have a great deal of effect in the entertainment industry today. IN EDUCATIONAL FIELD Educational field has been impacted by computers as well in its own way. Like in universities computers help students a lot with their assignments and presentations. For instance a student had to do a project on World Religions; he would use the encyclopedia to search for information. Even when presenting their works like for presentations one would use Microsoft power point and writing of essays would require Microsoft word. Even teachers themselves use computers as well. They use computers to keep track of grades or prepare notes and presentations for their students. Through servers/networks educational institutes can share and control resources, by connecting computer devices together which saves a lot of time and money. For lecturers it becomes easy when a lecturer is giving a lecture then students can just take note rather than printing out pages and pages of notes. Nevertheless e-learning is also a product of computer`s development. Thus computers have a great deal of importance in the educational field. IN THE MEDICAL FIELD This is one important field that computer have impacted. Computers help in hospitals and even in small pharmacies. Doctors and nurses use computers to make records on medication of patients and in what amount so they wouldn`t lose track. But in big hospitals computers are also used to keep records of every patient. They also keep records on medical bills and equipments. Nevertheless scientists need computers so they could find cures to different diseases that keep erupting every day. If it wasn`t for computers these cures wouldn`t have been found. Therefore computers are important since they help us maintain our health.C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeMEDIACAGCAT10j0315447.jpg IN SPACE EXPLORATION Computers have had a great deal of impact in this area. Computers help in designing the right kinds of equipments and ships that are used now a days for most exploration. For instance a large organization like NASA needs these kinds of machines for space exploration. In space, small errors or miscalculations can create serious problems that cannot be easily corrected. Computers provide faster and more accurate handling of data, both in planning a mission and in analyzing parameters during a mission. Without them, effective space exploration would be nearly impossible. This has proven to be successful since everyday huge deal of inventions and discoveries from these explorations, like life in mars. And now scientists are trying to find if there is another life form on other planets. Computers also help them to solve complex mathematics such as from which degree/angle should the rocket be launched, which would be quite difficult for humans to calculate.

Influenza Fever :: Journalism Media Studies Ireland Health Essays

Influenza Fever DUBLIN, Ireland--It seems as though this year is not a good year for people as we have the big war going on and at home, people are stuck with a disease that the doctors do not know how to make it stop spreading. The epidemic has reached a boiling point as everyone is affected by this disease and it does not matter whether the person lives in Dublin, Ireland or Frankfurt, Germany, the disease still spreads. People dreaded to hear that they have been infected by that disease, they do not want to hear "influenza" is the disease that they are suffering from. Although the government has put out public notices that the disease is not infectious and tells people of ways to prevent as well as detect the disease, people are still afraid of it. They are in a state of panic as they are trying any means to protect themselves from having the disease. They are even gullible [enough] to believe that a certain type of nutrition tablet could help them to maintain vitality in their system so that [they] could effectively resist the influenza organism. Although, no one really knows how to cure the disease and certainly no one knows what makes one have it and one not, people are still flocking to the store to buy one of these so-called "nutrition tablets". However, this is not the worst case that I have seen since arriving at the infected city of Dublin as this latest trend will boggle anyone who has a sensible mind. A water company has advertised that people should not drink normal water because normal water has micro-organisms that will lead to influenza and only their brand of water is clean and pure and guaranteed to be free from any bacterial impurities. People are lining up at the store that I just passed by to buy the water from this company. Although I think that most of these advertisements about ways to not get influenza are scams, I cannot blame them for thinking that way. The influenza epidemic not only affected the children but also the economy as workers are infected by the disease. In a boot factory where before at lunch time one could see a bunch of girls and women come out taking their lunch break, the factory is now almost empty.

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The development of the heart is a complicated process that implicates cell specification and differentiation, including tissue formation, shaping and alteration, to create a functional organ. The zebrafish has become a potential model system to disentangle the fundamental genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of cardiac development and function. The liver is one of the essential organ in mammals. It performs many functions such as help the body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons. The liver also completes many regulatory functions that are critical to fetal development and to life in general. However, failure to perform theses function can result in many mammal liver diseases. Hepatomegaly is a symptom that associate with several liver disorders. Surveys had shown that a large number of the death in the US is caused by chronic liver disease. Liver cancer is another type of liver diseases that is one of the main cause of cancer-related death worldwide. For the past decades, zebrafish has been used as an experimental model to study human liver diseases because of the ability of zebrafish to study vertebrate development. There are many advantages on using zebrafish to study human diseases and using the embryos to grow models of liver diseases. First, there are a lot of benefits such as genetic and embryological-based of zebrafish and the embryonic hematopoiesis does not locate in the liver as it is in mammals. Therefore mutants that has liver size or structure will not have the perplexing phenotype of hematopoietic dysfunction. Second, it takes the zebrafish embryo approximately 3-4 days of development and survives on yolk. After the developmental period, the digestive system of the embryonic fish is fully functional... ...ape formation, movement of cardiac progenitor cells, heart tube, and heart function. A novel development of more specific assays, advance genetic screen efforts will provide new knowledge on cardiac development in the following years. Additionally, because of the zebrafish distinct features and its similarities to vertebrae, the zebrafish might become many researchers preferred model organism to study many mammal organs. Recently, the zebrafish has been used to study mechanisms that cause human cardiac and liver diseases and to model human hereditary and developed cardiac diseases. Due to the increase in sequencing efforts, the developing interest to study human liver and cardiac diseases. Also, the increase of resource and the more availability of the zebrafish model used in clinical and basic researchers involved in studying the liver, as well as cardiac diseases

Redstorm Rising Book Report :: essays research papers

Red Storm Rising is a book about the Soviet Union and Russia's attempt to overtake the Atlantic so they can launch an offensive against the United States of America and maybe other NATO countries such as England and Germany.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins in 1980 at a very productive but old, Soviet oil refinery in Nizhnevartovsk. The refinery is blown up by Islamic terrorists that hope to be 'heard' by their God Allah by commiting this violent action. The devestation of the refinery leads Russia into chaos with a much smaller supply of oil. The story escalates as the Russian army makes a push on Iraq to gain control over the precious oil fields to setup refineries and also an attack on Iceland. Conquering Iceland is an important step because this allows the Russians to reach farther into the Atlantic and possibly into North America with their aircraft. The Russian's greed for land control is immense and they are desperate for more resources and materials to manage more war campaigns. The Soviet Union soon decides that to gain ultimate power, Russian military must first cripple NATO and start the worst non-nuclear war imaginable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book is unique because the story is told through many different character's points of view. Tom Clancy tells the story through eyes of NATO and Russian naval captains who command both surface and underwater boats. Most of the character's actions would seem reasonable at war time, making the story realistic. Almost every chapter in the book takes place in a different location during the war, on both the Russian and NATO fronts of battle.

Joyce’s a Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Essay

Abstract Writers of the first decades of the twentieth century became fascinated by the inner lives of teeming impressions , and by the mental activities of meaning – making which constitute our private inner lives. The works of Irish writer James Joyce are distinguished by their keen psychological insight and use of various literary techniques; most notably â€Å"stream of consciousness† which is an attempt to write in the manner in which thoughts and memory actually work in our minds. This study is an attempt to examine the ‘ steam of consciousness ‘ as a technique used in Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) which is one of the greatest of modern novels. Joyce arranged his novel in five chapters which trace the protagonist’s life, Stephen Dedalus, from boyhood to young manhood. In this study , a careful examination of this technique is carried out through moving from the innocence of childhood to frenzied episodes of adolescent lust and then to a calm contemplation of women, aesthetic theory independence and art . Introduction ‘ Stream of consciousness’ is a narrative technique in non dramatic fiction intended to render the flow of myriad impressions-visual, auditory, physical, associative, and subliminal-that impinge on the consciousness of an individual and form part of his awareness along with the trend of his rational thoughts.† This term was first used by the psychologist William James in The Principles of Psychology (1890). James was formulating a psychological theory where he had discovered that † memories, thoughts and feelings exist outside the primary consciousness appear to one, not as a chain, but as a stream , a flow .† In his introduction on the use of this narrative technique, Robert Hurley shows that It was first used, as a literary term, in the late 19th century. This term is † employed to evince subjective as well as objective reality. It reveals the character’s feelings, thoughts, and actions, often following an associative rather than a logical sequence, without commentary by the author. Widely used in narrative fiction, the technique was perhaps brought to its highest point of development in early twentieth century novels where stream of consciousness plays an important role† . Writers such as Dorothy Richardson , James Joyce , Virginia Woolf , and William Faulkner writing during the same period, each developed distinctive uses of this technique. . James Joyce, whose talents were so much greater, will be regarded as much more than this. In Chapter Two : Stephen’s Childhood the beginning of the book-describing Stephen’s experiences as a baby-represents the thoughts of an infant as well as other people’s so-called baby talk to an infant: â€Å"Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow†¦His father told him that story: his father looked at him through a glass: he had a hairy face. (A Portrait, ch. 1, p. 7 ) Through the artistic use of the stream of consciousness , Joyce exposes us directly to Stephen’s interior world. We are given no clues how to feel or react ; we have no privileged position outside of the narrative_ Stephen’s environment is just Stephen’s environment, Stephen’s thought’s are just Stephen’s thought’s : â€Å"A development of the single point of view in which reality appears only as it is mirrored in the observations , sensations , and memories of a single character . â€Å" his treatment of Stephen during this critical stage of his life. With Stephen , Joyce suggests rather than fully records the stream of consciousness; † as he walks through Dublin, stray thoughts flicker through his mind like fishes, thoughts suggested by whatever business he is about, by things that catch his eye in the streets , by smells that assail his nostrils; and all the time , coming sometimes to consciousness through association with these sense- impressions†. Chapter Four : Stephen’s Manhood Joyce used St. Francis Feast Day as an entrance to another stage in Stephen’s life . It is the stage of manhood ; or as it will be reflected a rebellion against the Catholic values. At first he enters a state of moral paralysis and confusion. Having broken one rule , he seems to lose the ability to maintain any kind of moral structure or self- discipline. His deep unrest manifests itself as a general souring of his whole personality. His situation is difficult. He is indulging in the pleasures of the flesh for the first time , but he soon learns that to abandon the moral order in which one was raised is no easy thing: He had sinned mortally not once but many times and he knew that , while he stood in danger of eternal damnation for the first sin alone, by every succeeding sin he multiplied his guilt and his punishment. His days and works and thoughts could make no atonement for him , the fountains of sanctifying grace having ceased to refresh his soul †¦ his sin, which had covered him from the sight of God, had led him nearer to the refuge of sinners. ( Ch.3 , p.98 ) Conclusion In A Portrait of an Artist as a young Man , Joyce followed Stephen’s life from childhood through adolescence to first flash of manhood using one of the most artistic and remarkable techniques ever used in English Novel . As Stephen matures through various family conflicts and periods of study at Jesuit schools, he begins to rebel against his family, his religion, and his nation. Finally, in order to establish himself as an individual and to find his identity as an artist, he seeks self-imposed exile in Paris What particularly sets Portrait apart form other † coming of age † books is Joyce’s manipulation of the narrative itself- the language and syntax used at each point in the book reflect the age and intellectual development of Stephen. To link the sections of his novel and the phases of Stephen’s life; Joyce used elaborate patterns of symbols which echo and re-echo through the text, the use of stream of consciousness .

Business about British Airline Essay

I choose British Airways plc. The SWOT of British Airways plc is easy to understand. With regard to strength of the British Airways plc, there are five points. First, the British Airways has a broad geographic presence. It has approximately 150 international destinations across 6 countries. Second, the British Airways is sole airline occupant of Heathrow Terminal 5 after March 2008, because it is significantly boosting the service it offers customers in the UK. Third, the British Airways has powerful alliances. In other words, it is means that the ‘British Airways is a founder member of the one world alliance, along with other major players such as AMR Corp and Cathay Pacific, boosting its competitive strength at the global level (MahaSagar, 2013).’Next, the British Airways established online presence. It is means that the company has developed the online ordering system and is working to shift completely from paper to e-tickets, as well as improve the development of website and make order tickets easy and efficient. Finally the British Airways has high levels of consumer recognition and trust. The weakness has four points. First, the UK airways are reliant on airlines. For example, ‘British Airways is heavily reliant on the airline industry, which accounted for 99.7% of its total operating profit in fiscal 2007 (MahaSagar, 2013).’ Actually the government need focus on rising fuel prices and increasing pricing competition. Second, the BA’s image is exposure by problem. ‘During 2007 the image of British Airways’ eponymous brand suffered from factors such as consumer concerns about carbon emissions and, more specifically, the scandal surrounding fuel surcharge price-fixing (MahaSagar, 2013).’Third, the British Airways is bias towards the UK. In other words, although the British Airways has a broad geographic presence, the company rely on UK market, such as in 2007 the airways accounted for  almost half of its total revenue. As a result, British Airways will get low-cost carries in the future. Finally, British Airways are laggards in terms of employee management. The opportunities of British Airways are the most important things. First, the Heathrow Airport is the most hubs across the world. Second, the British Airways has strong growth in emerging markets. For example, China and India is emerging markets. In these countries, the investment in the travel infrastructure, rising foreign tourism, the expansion of the middle class and increasing international business opportunities. Third, in modern countries, internet is the most popular ways to know something. So the British Airways should increases access to the internet. The internet is not only more efficient and safer, but also more convenient payment online. Finally, British Airways has powerful alliances. In other words, British Airways has developed partnerships with other airlines and makes sure competitive and international development. The threats with which British Airways is faced with are pricing competition. Some low-cost airline, such as Ryanair is ongoing expansion. Then the threat is raising fuel prices. ‘Fuel price increases would represent a significant threat to British Airways, particularly in the highly price-competitive conditions of its core markets. Indeed, fuel price rises were largely responsible for the company’s fall in operating profit in fiscal 2007 (MahaSagar, 2013).’ In addition also, the airline has some unpredictable external factors such as terrorist attacks which happened on 11/09/2001 and 07/07/2005. b) Write an essay analysing and evaluating the factors that have made this company a success. Word count between 1500-2200 words. (25 marks). In fact, the British Airways has two main points to make success. One of the major points is external. The external divided six parts, receptively political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. In parts of Political, the BA has complied with government regulation to continue its operations. ‘Due to war on terror the security has to beef up with advanced measures so as to keep the consumers safe and confident in relation to their continued travel with British Airways as a preferred  airline (Rodrigo, 2012).’ In parts of economic, the world going through a big trouble, so the BA has to reduce consumer spending to a large extent. For example, ‘due to global economic crisis, world growth is projected to just over 2 percent in 2009. The value of Pound has begun to slide especially against the Euro. Possible reduction in the amount of business travel as companies are cutting costs and using alternative means of communication such as teleconferencing. Hence British Airways is vulnerable as an UK operating airline to a poor exchange rate. Oil prices have been declining by 50 % since their peak retreating to 2007 levels. Decline in fuel price will obviously strengthening of the dollar changeability in oil prices and exchange rates will directly affect BA’s cost base. UK’s consumer spending had its sharpest decline for 13 years between July and September 2008. Hence there is an expectancy of more intense competition in the near future (UKESSAY, 2014).’ In parts of social, the UK has an aging population in the past decades, so the old people has more time to spend on their like activities such as international travel. In parts of technological, most young people would like to order or booking tickets, hotels, restaurants and so on. Therefor it is very convenient and easy to use it. ‘Additionally, other conveniences provided for ease of check in including telephone check-in that consists of many features allowing passengers to check flight schedules, check personal bookings, travel advice, information on British Airways destinations and even perform online flight bookings. In fact, they have even implemented an e-ticketing system which provides passengers with the flexibility of checking in without the need of a physical ticket. Only passenger details including proof of identification are required to be produced during check-ins, as all booking information has already been stored in their computer systems. In fact, through this system, flights can be changed even up to 30 minutes before departure time (Stephen, 2008).’ In addition also, in British Airways portal is not only offer ordering ticket, but also provide hotel booking, travel insurance purchase, car rentals, holiday purchases and so on. In parts of environmental, British Airways is aware of both Noise pollution controls, and energy consumption controls. In parts of legal, the British Airways will offer a good employee relation in anytime. Another major point is internal. The internal of British Airways is divided by two parts, called resources and core competences. The company runs 245 aircrafts covering over 550 destinations. In addition the Heathrow Terminal 5 is a huge boon to the company’s brand image. As a result, British Airways is renowned globally as a reputable brand. And then the BA’s competences are realizable. ‘The company has its own training of ground school, flight simulators, and cabin safety training which holds the favourable part in its core competences. The company holds the capability to fly and handle passengers safely on different routes (Open Skies). Their subsidiary’s aircraft never have more than 64 passengers per flight, with one flight attendant per twelve customers. They also hold the name as the first UK airline known as a training centre by the City & Guilds, educating all cabin crew with NVQ Level 2 (UKESSAY, 2014).’ Moreover, the success of British Airways could mostly be economy of scale, cost control and brand reputation. The economy of scale is a high-threshold work with large initial funds. The economy of scale can lower the overhead cost and improve the individual unit performance and efficiency. For example, British Airways should get a based on achieving and maintaining the wide customer recognition. Then the cost control is crucial to the financial performance and firm survival. For instance, ‘by constant expanding and purchasing, British Airways can enlarge its fleet scale and make effective of each by resource optimization. It also helps British Airways to lower average unit cost (UKESSAY, 2014).’ Finally the brand reputation is crucial to this industry as it indicates the quality, accessibility and safety. It helps British Airways to reach a better financial status and lower down the threat of new player in the long-run. To sum up, it is clear that the British Airways is very successful company. It is not only British Airways has good strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, but also British Airways has external environment and internal environment. In addition, it also has government’s ideas and supports. 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