Web Design for Selling Self

Introduction This is a report about a Web site design for selling self-published books. The site provides various books in various aspects of healthy living. Users can download the e-book at a fee.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Web Design for Selling Self-Published Books specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many writers have resorted to self-publishing and there is a growing demand for an online business to sell such books. Selling digital books on the Web site has become profitable because of the large market throughout the world and a lack of physical inventory. The owner also has an option of conducting the business from any part of the world with the Internet connection. The e-books shall be useful to users and affect their living habits. Goal Definition The aim of this project is to create a Web site for selling self-published books that will attract younger generations who have interests in various topic s about. The Web site should have more than 500 visitors in a month. Requirements The need to sale self-published books has increased with the development and accessibility of the Internet technologies. The Web site shall use effective payment options that are available in various parts of the world than what other businesses offer. The Web site shall have the following requirements in order to ensure professional services to visitors and users (Eccher 30).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The visitor can start by browsing the available e-books on the subject of interest. The site may also suggest other books of interest for the visitor. Visitors who are members of the Web site can log in their accounts by using their user name and password. New users can register new accounts at the Web site at no cost. However, users who wish not to register may explore the available e -books, but they cannot purchase any item from the site. Users who have logged into their accounts can place their orders by specifying the required e-books, the number of copies needed and other important details, and then adding them to the cart. The system shall verify order details and provide the customer with the amount to pay for the items. In case of any challenge, the system instructs the user to change some of the details. The customer may repeat the process until no more challenges can be noticed. The system shall also verify that the customer has placed the right order, check the quality of the e-book. The customer will also specify the format of the e-book and the type of file (such as PDF, html, rtf,.doc etc). The customer may then execute the payment of the items by entering the appropriate payment details. The system shall support different options lack credit cards, VISA, PayPal, and other e-pay solutions. Prices of all items shall be in the US dollar equivalent. Th e system must verify all payment details and establish the user’s identity in order to protect customers. Once the customer has executed the payment, he or she will receive a confirmation message through notification border in the account, personal e-mail, and phone number. In addition, the system sends the message to the department to effect the transaction.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Web Design for Selling Self-Published Books specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More After this process, the system then sends the e-book to the customer provided e-mail for download or the customer can get the e-book in the account he or she opened with the company. Before the transaction is complete, users also have a chance to terminate the transaction. Visitor The system shall also provide opportunities for customers to provide their feedback and suggestions on how to improve services, the Web site, and any other area of interest to them. Fig. 1: Use case diagram The use case diagram represents the stages of making the online e-book transactions. It shows the scope of the Web site, functional areas, and possible interactions between the visitors and the Web site (Ambler 1). The major players in these processes are: Customer: the customer or the visitor is the major player in this process. The company provides opportunities for a customer in another location to purchase the book via the online method. Administrator: the administrator can control the entire process of the customer’s interaction with the system. He also takes the role of the system operator and supports the entire process involved in e-book purchase. The administrator verifies all the details and interacts with the customer during the purchase process.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Database server: the database server stores the members’ identities and other details. It is also important during the registration of a new member. Web server: the Web server contains details of e-books, costs, shopping cart, address, comment areas, rating, e-mail addresses, and other important aspects of the Web site. Users initiate the process by logging on to the system. On the other hand, new visitors can register and become a member. The customer can browse the available books, review their contents, and choose the suitable book. In addition, the customer can review the book, rate, and add his or her comments. The customer selects the e-book of interest and adds it to the cart. In case of any challenge, the customer can make changes to the order. He can see costs of the item, which the system sends to the administrator. The customer can then initiate payment by using any of the supported methods. After verification procedures and payment, the administrator can confirm t he payment and send the e-book to the customer. The customer may get the book in his account with the company or in his personal e-mail account. Fig. 2: Online e-book purchasing processes Site Plan Logical Structure The logical structure has assumed a simple form structure (Booch, Rumbaugh and Jacobson 82). However, this structure may change as the design may acquire new features. The site hierarchy has the entire common navigational links. In addition, topical links are also a part of the structure. However, the site avoids complex design to enhance usability and navigation. Visitors can navigate the site freely and move from one content to another. For instance, users can skip ‘About Us’ and transcend to ‘Product’ without passing through other areas. The site plan is clear, simple, and concrete. Thus, it is simple for visitors to navigate from one menu to another without experiences challenges of being lost. Design Prototype The design is interactive to allow the Web site to communicate the entire structure, contents, and functionality with other part is a manner provides ease of modification, usage, and merging without technical challenges. This model shows clickable elements of HTML sections, which users can navigate while in the site. The design shall also have the necessary feel, images, and typography that match an e-book Web site. The page has footer and header. At the Home page, there are also options for Register for new visitors or Member Log for existing users. At the Footer, there are buttons with links about Contact Us, Social media connection, Pricing, Help, and FAQ. The Contact Us link leads the customer to the company’s e-mail address and phone number and physical location. Users have the option of using any of the methods. Under the Pricing tab, customer can view each item with its price tag. In case a customer has challenges, there is a link for help of FAQs. Whenever the user clicks on the Register button, the registration page shall pop up with all the fields for personal detail requirements and other related information. The process is linear to allow users to follow a simple process of registration. Users must enter their last names, first names, e-mail address, zip (if applicable), phone number, physical address, and country. The user must then enter the password and confirm it by retyping the same password. In case of any error, the system will highlight the section with the problem, and the users can make the required changes. After this process, users can then click the button ‘finish registration’. It will show that the registration is successful, and the system automatically directs the new user to member’s page. However, users can also cancel their registration by clicking the registration button. The Login page leads the user to where they can enter their user e-mail addresses and password in order to gain access to their account and member’s pag e. Users have the option of ‘remember my log in details’, which they can confirm or reject. The system also has a Log out button for users who have completed their transactions. Once in the member’s area or in the account section, users can browse the available list of e-books, reviews, and ratings. User can also add comments and rate a book. They can choose a book of their interests and review its content before making a decision to purchase. Users can click on the remove button to remove an item from a list, or they can click on the cancel button to abandon the entire process. The customer can make the order and specify the quantity. All items have their price tags. The system has automatic total price calculation, which the customer can see at the bottom of the list. The payment button allows the customer to enter his or her payment information based on the preferred method. They can also cancel the transaction at this stage. The price list and total price are visible to the customer. The payment process requires the necessary customer’s information. A customer can choose to pay by card or use online payment solutions. In the case of online payment, the customer will just enter the e-mail address and link to the payment account. He will then confirm the required fields and verify information entered. The card option shall require the name, card number, and date of expiry. The process must undergo all security verification procedures before the customer can execute payment. The customer can then click the ‘confirmation’ and ‘submit button’ in order to execute the transaction. They can also cancel the order at this stage. The system automatically generates transaction details and sends to the customer activity section, personal e-mail, and specified mobile number. In addition, the notification and confirmation message also appears on the screen. Site Implementation After the prototype stage, the designer mu st now implement the site. In this phase, the designer only dealt with three phases. The first phase involves the implementation of the site structure design. The aim is to ensure that the designer distributed all contents of the prototype in a way that is user-friendly and logical. The designer had various users’ behaviors in mind and used WSDM (Web search and data mining) as the guiding principle in the process. However, the designer also recognized that he could not foresee future behaviors of the users. Therefore, the decision was on a speculative approach. Whereas the designer could measure other technical aspects like financial, time, and technical challenges, he could not measure users’ behaviors when using the site. The second phase involved the presentation of the design of the Web site. The aim was to create a favorable feel and look of the site. In this process, the designer used a layout that accounted for users’ characteristics and mission of the co mpany. The designer used templates in order to reduce several cases of testing, create a consistent design, and enhance the speed of the process. The approach allowed the designer to use automated codes and other graphic parts. The use of the templates also ensured that the Web site had a good layout for controlling different pages and functions. In fact, the designer realized that it was simple and cost-effective to use templates that only require insertion of information in the fields. The third phase was the logical data design, which aimed to provide appropriate data for users. The designer presented information in various chunks and parts. This process only strived to ensure that customers got the necessary information they sought. Thus, the designer concentrated on developing a perfect ontology for data. The designer used XML tool in this process. During the site implementation process, the designer ensured that the database was maintainable, allow for modification, could not interfere with other functions, and fast enough for users. Overall, the logical data design remained useful to the programmer. The designer relied on a Query Builder in order to develop such a database with a logical design. The designer used Web Builder tool like WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) to develop different Web pages. WYSIWYG allowed the designer to customize the site due to its several features, scripts, and templates. The Adobe Dreamweaver supported several processes, improved the workflow, and reduced time during the coding process. It had library code snippets server debug, and other coding tools. The designer could view the CSS as a whole unit. This made the process simple by allowing the user designer to see the style, identify areas for changes, and edit the style without changing the code. The designer generated important features like object chunks, structure of the site, navigation systems, logical data system, design templates, page model, images, text are as, logo areas, and typo styles. Testing Functionality Testing The designer tested for links of Web pages, connections, cookies, links for information submission and receiving. It also involved testing for â€Å"internal links, e-mail links, orphan pages, broken links, and links going to the same page† (Ash 23). Testing also covers all pages. Forms validate all lists in every field and default values. The designer also tested for cookies and HTML/CSS. Users could scroll the site without difficulties. Database testing This tested for consistency of information in the site, query results, retrieval, and updates. Usability Testing This involved testing for the ease of navigation, usage, clear instructions, and availability of the Main menu. There were no spelling errors. Color and font were visible. All contents were within the frame. All images had appropriate size. Interface Testing The designer tested for interface elements like â€Å"Web server and database server† (A sh 23). The designer ensured that all interface features interacted properly. There was a logical model for handling errors from application servers. The designer also tested for effects of interruption during transactions. The system always requested the user to cancel and confirm the process. Compatibility Testing This involved testing with different browsers, the mobile version, and printing options due different configuration. The Web site must match these standards. The designer used cross browser to ensure compatibility with the major browsers. AJAX required testing for user interface functionality, security testing, and other validation processes. The designer tested the Web site on various browsers like Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Opera browser among others. OS compatibility The designer tested for the Web site â€Å"functionality and compatibility with the various Operating Systems† (Nguyen, Johnson and Hackett 34). Not all graphic designs and interfaces may be compatible with the current Operating Systems. The designer tested OS like Windows, Solaris, and Linux among others. Mobile browsing The new age of technology has shifted to mobile devices, and mobile devices have increased Internet accessibility. Therefore, the designer tested for the Web site on a mobile browser for compatibility (Nguyen, Johnson and Hackett 34). Printing options Customers who wish to print their transaction details should not experience challenges. The designer tested for suitability of fonts, graphics, and page alignment for proper printing. Performance testing The Web site should bear the greatest load and stress. The designer tested for loading and connection speed. The system could handle several requests, large data, and connection to database and upload to certain pages. Stress testing The designer tested if the system could â€Å"handle large loads beyond its specified limits† (Nguyen, Johnson and Hackett 34). The areas of focus included log in, registration pages, and other input fields. The crash report was significant for future improvements. The designer also tested for stress functionality on various browsers, Oss, hardware, and, memory capacities, and software. Security Testing Finally, the designer tested for the Web site security features. The system had the ability to record all transactions, error messages, and unauthorized attempts of logins. Releasing The Web site was ready for a release after testing. The designer observed whether the Web site met users’ expectations. Users had the option of proving feedback about the overall site experience. The process also involved measures of goals and any possible correction required for the Web site functionality and usability. The Web site shall require constant maintenance in terms of improving current features, technology improvement, and changes in the visual features. In addition, the site shall require regular update of available books. Works Cited Ambler , Scott. User Interface Design Tips, Techniques, and Principles. 2012. Web. Ash, Lydia. The Web Testing Companion: The Insider’s Guide to Efficient and Effective Tests. New York: Wiley, 2003. Print. Booch, Grady, James Rumbaugh and Ivar Jacobson. The Unified Modeling Language User Guide, 2nd ed. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2005. Print. Eccher, Clint. Professional Web Design: Techniques and Templates, 4th ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Nguyen, Hung, Robert Johnson and Michael Hackett. Testing Applications on the Web: Test Planning for Mobile and Internet-Based Systems, 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 2003. Print. This assessment on Web Design for Selling Self-Published Books was written and submitted by user Kiara Prince to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Gay Rights Essays - Same-sex Sexuality, Sexual Orientation

Gay Rights Essays - Same-sex Sexuality, Sexual Orientation Gay Rights Homosexuals: Fight for Rights Gay rights is a touchy subject especially in the united states. It is the fight for homosexuals to be treated as everyone else, the fight to be given what they desearve, the fight to live without torment, the fight for peace. This nation has the state of mind that how the ideal person lives, is normal, and anyone not living that way is wrong. The people of this country pick on and torment people because they are different or not like them. Why do thay do thiswho knows. John Catlin M. D. states that Many indeviduals that bully other people due to sexual origin, usually are battling sexual insecurities themselves (1) In New York there was a poll taken from the people, on the thoughts of gay rights. Many of them were displeased at the fact that homosexuals were discriminated against, and didnt have the same rights as heterosexuals. In November of 1989, Time magazine took a poll on what the people thought about legal benefits that homosexuals should receive. 62% came back saying that hom osexuals should be permitted to receive medical, and life insurance benefits from their life long partner. (101) And yet nothing has come of that yet. Homosexuals deserve equal treatment legally and socially. Throughout the world homosexual people have been discriminated against for all types of different reasons and basically all of them are unjust. Homosexualality is not caused by abuse at a young age, it is not curable, it is not a disease or disorder and it is defiantly NOT learnt. For decades the incidence of homosexuality in the general population has been estimated to be approximately ten percent. Organisations opposed to gay rights have consistently claimed the number to be much lower. Despite the controversy, ten percent still remains the most widely accepted estimate (Issacson, 101) so why do people think of homosexuals as being strange or weird. There are many people around the world who are discriminating against homosexuals without even knowing it. One of these is when someone calls someone else a bad name such as a Pofter or Fagot, not really meaning it but saying it just as a hurtful name just because everyone else says it. This saying is not meant but it degrades every hom osexual in the world every time some uses those words. There is another myth about homosexuals and is that a lot of people think that they are obsessed with sex. Contrary to popular belief, gay men and lesbians are no more inclined to be consumed with sexual thoughts or feelings than heterosexual counterparts, nor are they attracted to everyone of the same sex they meet. (Weinberg, 109) The lives of homosexuals, like the lives of heterosexuals are about much more than sex, but it's easy to see why people believe these common myths that have been expressed by a lot of people. Many people do not even realise that they know someone who is gay because of the amount of gays that are in the community. Unfortunately, these misguided heterosexuals only knowledge of homosexuality comes from the media or anti-gay organisations that are trying to destroy the gay community, neither of which is likely to show the average gay person or couple in real life. The media is in the business of selling news, and radical behaviour of any kind sells, big time. Anti-gay organisations are in the business of making gay people appear as evil as possible. They will obviously focus their attention on the most radical behaviour that can be found within the gay community. Why do gay people flaunt their sexuality? Why don't they just keep it private? Well the majority of gay people don't flaunt their sexuality. As a matter of fact, many go to great lengths to hide their sexual preference. There is a double standard in our society. What some people consider to be flaunting by homosexuals is usually regarded as everyday behaviour for heterosexuals. This is a perfect example : A heterosexual couple walking hand in hand is perceived as normal. Very few would consider their behaviour to be inappropriate or rude, if they even noticed it at all. On the other hand, a lesbian

CELL BIOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

CELL BIOLOGY - Essay Example Cholera toxin alters the ÃŽ ± subunit such that the G protein becomes constitutively activated. The result is an increase in cAMP and associated kinases that would amplify the cascade effect and therefore enhance the effect of norepinephrine. If the weaker interaction is still sufficient to activate the receptor but also allows for a faster exchange rate for norepinephrine molecules, then the result would be to enhance the effect of norepinephrine. If, instead, the interaction was not sufficient to activate the receptor, then the effects of norepinephrine would be inhibited because the inactive receptor would not respond to the norepinephrine signal. This will likely inhibit the effects of norepinephrine, because although binding of norepinephrine will still activate the receptor at the same rate, the receptor would no longer be stably associated with the G protein, and the signal will not be transduced from activated receptor to inactive G protein as efficiently. If the ÃŽ ± subunit is responsible for activating adenylate cyclase and signaling an increase in cAMP and activation of resulting cAMP-dependent kinases, then altering the interaction between the ï  ¢Ã¯  § and the protein kinase will have no effect. If instead, the ï  ¢Ã¯  § - protein kinase interaction is necessary for amplification of the norepinephrine signal, then weakening the interaction will have the effect described above (i.e. it will depend on whether or not the weaker interaction is still sufficient to activate the kinase.) ⇒By inhibiting protein phosphatases in general, protein kinases—activated by phosphorylation— and their downstream targets will have longer half lives because phosphatases won’t be available to hydrolyze their phosphate groups. If these kinases and downstream targets are required to potentiate the norepinephrine signal, then the effects of norepinephrine would be enhanced. 2. Receipt of extracellular signals can cause changes in cellular physiology. Some changes

Company Culture and Making the Investment Decisions Assignment

Company Culture and Making the Investment Decisions - Assignment Example It may also affect the performance of the organization. However cultural considerations are taken into account more in case of productive physical resources rather than financial investments. Product/Service Quality This is an essential factor to be taken into consideration while making any investment decision. The quality of the invested capital resources has a direct effect on the quality of the products or services of the organization. The least extensive investment resources would be yielding the lowest quality of products or services for the organization. The manager requires balancing between the quality and the cost for maximizing the cost-effectiveness of the investment. In a similar manner let us consider another example- purchase of the lowest quality of vehicle for the on-site workers would result in the interruptions in fluent or efficient services due to vehicle breakdowns or other related problems. If Laurentian Bakeries Inc. purchases lower quality equipment, it would result in the preparation of low quality food products. Thus the company requires finding a balance between the cost and the quality in order to increase the efficiency of the investment. ... It is very important for the manager of Laurentian Bakeries Inc. to consider the impact that the capital investment decision possess in the environment (Albrecht, 2011). Implementation of strategic plans The strategic plans for the first year of the project are identified to be the operating plan for the same. The operating plan is supported by a detailed list of capital projects which are proposed earlier and thus, becomes the basis for the capital allocation of the project. Initiatives are taken to improve the strategic plans and the benefits associated with the company (Jennings, 2006). The managers are also trained in such a way that they can give out proper instructions to their employees and thus, balance the operation efficiently (Porter, 2011). The corporate strategies are also evaluated in order to acquire the successful projects. The companies are evaluated with regard to the challenges that are being faced by them. The tangible actions have to be linked with the corporate vision so that the projects are successful and yield suitable results. The risk-minimizing factors are also evaluated in order to take the right decision for any project. The quantitative factors that are required for the evaluation of the projects of the company are as follows: 1) Net Present Value: Net present value is the difference in between the present value of the total cash inflow and the present value of the total cash outflow. It helps in determining the value of an investment project thereby facilitating the investment decisions.

Space Time Compression Essay Example for Free

Space Time Compression Essay Space time compression refers to the speed of transportation making places closer together in terms of social distance. In this free response answer it will highlight examples how technological advancements have connected people and places around the globe and also show the relation to distance decay and friction of distance. The internet has connected us to over millions of different sites and has allowed us to communicate almost instantly to anyone in the world. With the increase in social media sites and applications, using an application like Facebook, a person from the United States can instant message (IM) to their family member in Australia and â€Å"catch up† versus having to write a letter and take 6-7 business days to arrive. With Friction of Distance it would difficult for a person in the â€Å"old times† to write to someone in a different far away country, especially overseas. It would take much energy and effort to get a letter from the United States to Australia; first you would have to use the Pony Express then send it overseas and take it one month to arrive. Today the evolvement of transportation has surpassed any sort of transportation back in the ages. With cars, trains, jets, cruise liners, the ability to transport or travel is faster than ever before. The first earth tracks were created by humans carrying goods and often followed game trails. Now they have major highways and motored vehicles. Distance decay is decreased because of the amount of tourism in the world. It allows other people from different places in the world to interact with one another. With technological advancements in transportation and communication it has allowed many people and places to have greater interaction because of space-time compression.

The Morally Good and Bad in Othello Essays -- Othello essays

The Morally Good and Bad in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s drama Othello is one concentrated contest between the forces of the morally good and the morally bad. Let us analyze this contest in detail in this essay.    Standing out like a dark silhouette on a white background is the sinister character and master of deception in the drama – the general’s ancient. Morton W. Bloomfield and Robert C. Elliott   in Great Plays: Sophocles to Brecht highlight the dominant evil force in the play, Iago:    For critics, the chief problem in the play is the character of Iago. The debate usually centers around whether he had sufficient motives for his cruel actions or whether, on the other hand, he is an example of â€Å"motiveless malignity.† The question cannot be resolved here, nor is it necessary to try to resolve it. Iago, whether because of his disappointment at not having been given Cassio’s position, or because of his belief that Othello had cuckolded him, or because of his love of evil for its own sake, is nevertheless a man who has rejected all ties of morality and idealism. (39)    Totaling the lies which the ancient tells to everyone about him would require considerable effort and time. In Shakespeare’s Four Giants Blanche Coles comments on the lack of veracity in Iago’s speech:    The story that Iago tells Roderigo about the promotion of Cassio over him is not true, although it has been accepted by many discriminating scholars. Careless reading alone can account for this misapprehension, careless reading which for the moment dulls their alertness to one of the most essential requirements of Shakespearean character analysis. That requirement is that the reader must never accept, or must always be re... ...is final passion. From the stern general who had, as his first line, the cold â€Å"’Tis better as it is† (1.2.6), he has traversed a pilgrimage of known and feeling sorrow. And, it must be repeated, it will depend upon the beholder whether one judges or rejoices in the transfiguration of loving not wisely but too well. (66)       WORKS CITED    Bloomfield, Morton W. and Robert C. Elliott, ed. Great Plays: Sophocles to Brecht. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1965.    Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.    Jorgensen, Paul A. William Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.   

Linguistics and Language Essay

Language Comprehension †¢Language Production †¢Language Acquisition Psycholinguistics is a branch of cognitive science What will be covered in this class? †¢ How do we produce and recognize speech? †¢ How do we perceive words, letters, and sentences? †¢ How do we learn and recall information from texts? †¢ How can we improve texts to make them easier to understand? †¢ How does the brain function to process language? †¢ What are the causes and effects of reading disabilities? Is there language in other species? Central themes in psycholinguistics 1)  What knowledge of language is needed for us to use language? Tacit (implicit) knowledge vs. Explicit knowledge †¢ tacit: knowledge of how to perform something, but not aware of full rules †¢ explicit: knowledge of the processes of mechanisms in performing that thing 2)  What cognitive processes are involved in the ordinary use of language? How do we understand a lecture, read a book, hold a conversation? Cognitive processes: perception, memory, thinking, learning Some definitions of basic components of language: Semantics: The meaning of words and sentences Syntax: The grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence or phrase Phonology: The sound pattern of language Pragmatics: How language is used in a social context Examples from psycholinguistics Parsing garden path sentences The novice accepted the deal before he had a chance to check his finances, which put him in a state of conflict when he realized he had a straight flush. 1) The defendant examined by the lawyer turned out to be unreliable 2) The evidence examined by the lawyer turned out to be unreliable The process of parsing is the process of making decisions The effect of prior knowledge on comprehension The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange things into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step; otherwise you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one never can tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more, and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life. Bransford & Johnson, 1973 Recall: No context: 2. 8 idea units out of a maximum of 18 Context afterwards: 2. 7 idea units Context before: 5. 8 idea units Child language development How many words do you know? Hint: Dictionary has about: 450,000 entries Test high school graduates: How many words do they know? About 45,000 english words About 60,000 including names and foreign words The average six year old knows about 13,000 words. Learning about 10 words per day since age 1. (One every 90 minutes) How much do we have to teach children to learn language? Do you have to teach a child to walk? Is it the same way of learning a language? My teacher holded the baby rabbits and we patted them I eated my dinner A brief history of psycholinguistics Wilhem Wundt (early 1900s) Interest in mental processes of language production Sentence as the primary unit of language †¢ Speech production is the transformation of complete thought processes into sequentially organized speech segments. Behaviorism (1920s-1950s) †¢ Rejected the focus on mental processes †¢ Measurement based on objective behavior (primarily in lab animals) †¢ How does experience (reward and punishment) shape behavior? B. F. Skinner: Children learn language through shaping (correction of speech errors) Associative chain theory: A sentence consists of a chain of associations between individual words in the sentence What’s wrong with the behaviorist approach? Noam Chomsky (1950s – present) 1) Colorless green ideas sleep furiously 2) Furiously sleep ideas green colorless. 3)  George picked up the baby 4)  George picked the baby up. Almost every sentence uttered is a new combination of words The Poverty of stimulus argument: There is not enough information in the language samples given to children to account for the richnes and complexity of children’s language The pattern of development is not based on parental speech but on  innate  language knowledge Linguistic Diversity vs. Linguistic Universals Linguistic diversity There appears to be a lot of diversity among languages Even within languages there is diversity When are two languages different? We speak the same language if we can understand each other Exceptions: Norwegian and Swedish Cantonese and Mandarin Dialects within languages: The myth of pure language How/why do languages change? Why does there seem to be a â€Å"correct† English? Members of the dominant (most powerful) sub-culture tend to speak one dialect and may punish those who do not Linguistic Chauvinism Belief that one’s own language/dialect is the best of all possible languages Black English Vernacular (BEV) Study by William Labov Interviewed African-American street youth You know, like some people say if you’re good an’ sh*t, your spirit goin’ t’heaven . . . ‘n if you bad, your spirit goin’ to hell. Well, bullsh*t! Your spirit goin’ to hell anyway, good or bad. [Why? ] Why? I’ll tell you why. ‘Cause, you see, doesn’ nobody really know that it’s a God, y’know, ‘cause I mean I have seen black gods, white gods, all color gods, and don’t nobody know it’s really a God. An’ when they be sayin’ if you good, you goin’ t’heaven, tha’s bullsh*t, ‘cause you ain’t goin’ to no heaven, ‘cause it ain’t no heaven for you to go to. †¢ Place holders: â€Å"There† vs. â€Å"It† in the copula Copula: â€Å"Is†, â€Å"Was† optional †¢ Negatives: â€Å"You ain’t goin’ to no heaven† BEV just as linguistically complex as Standard American English We don’t see/understand the complexity in other languages Moral: All languages seem to permit as wide range of expressions as others Linguistic Universals What is in common with all languages? Sentences are built from words based on the same physiological processes †¢ All languages have words †¢ All humans have ways of making sounds. †¢ Languages tend to use a small set of phonemic sounds †¢ Phoneme: The minimal unit of sound that contributes to meaning How many phonemes in a language? English: 40 phonemes †¢ Range: Polynesian 11 to Khoisan 141 Discreteness Messages in human language (e. g. speech sounds) are made up of units of which there is a discrete (limited) number Arbitrariness The relationship between meaningful elements in language and their denotation is independent of any physical resemblance between the two. Words do not have to look or sound like what they describe Openness †¢ New linguistic messages are created freely and easily †¢ Languages are not constrained in a way so that there are a limited number of messages that can be created.