Baking and Pastry – A Profession Steeped in Tradition Progresses with Modern Training

Becoming a baking and pastry professional can lead you down a number of different avenues. You can work at a small shop or a large hotel or commercial production facility. You can also specialize or be a generalist, knowing a wide range of baking and pastry skills. Eventually you will probably tend to narrow your skills and expertise.

This profession is one of the oldest and has a rich history and tradition. Of course much of it comes from France, but other regions of Europe and the rest of the world produced baked goods for ages.

If you are looking to become a part of this fine profession there are many paths you can take, from having your own small bakery to do research and development for large multi-national food corporations.

For even the lowliest positions, experience and education are important. Most all employers look to hire someone with a culinary education and degree. They assume someone with the proper training will save them hours of on the job training. Besides book work, all baking and pastry schools provide many hours of hands on training.

Besides a good training you will need to work and gain experience in the field. It is very important to pick the places you work with care. Sometimes pay is not the most important consideration. You need to think of your career as taking steps up a ladder, so be sure to think carefully that the next job you take will move you up the ladder to improve your career.

While starting your training, or moving up in your career, keep in mind that the baking and pastry profession is a vast field with an amazingly wide variety of niche markets to work in. Take the time to learn where your skills can take you and should have an excellent career.

by: Dexter Ray Knox

Government Grants Allocated For Mothers Returning To School

Lack of education inhibits the growth of any individual. Mothers are no exception and a trend has been observed among the mothers wherein they have shown a tremendous rate of underemployment and unemployment. It is hard to sustain in any careers or jobs without the right kind of qualification to move ahead in the career path. Government grants for college for mothers will pave the new way for mothers to achieve the best.

The government grants are available in plenty to the mothers. Mothers need to search them properly to get a hang of the government grants which would work for them. The government has divided its grants as federal grants and state grants. State grants are directly provided from certain states of the U.S to the mothers residing in these areas. Federal grants are also widely popular and can be applied as a free application by any of the U.S citizens.

There are various federal grants to be familiarized with like the most common Pell grants available to the first year undergraduates who require financial aid. A student is entitled to $5500 as Pell grant awards and the eligibility criteria surely involves that the applicant should necessarily be an American citizen. Most of the federal grants require the applicants to be Pell grant eligible to qualify for the other federal grants.

The federal grants will award the qualified mothers up to $5500 towards their college education. ACG, FSEOG and TEACH grants are a few of the other federal grants available to the mothers. The government has decided to allot $30 billion as federal grants which will allow 250 thousand mothers to avail this wonderful opportunity to start their college education. The application for all the federal grants is totally free and has to be applied through the FAFSA online. The federal grant is awarded based on the dependency of the applicant for financial care and it is also compulsory that the applicants must submit their previous year's tax settlement records along with the application.

The importance of Obama's 'Moms return to school' program cannot be ruled out and is spreading the unique message through its name that the mothers require financial support to start their college education. Most of the grants support those degrees and programs which can be studied at home using the online method and is an extremely useful method of education as the mothers can conveniently learn their lessons at home without much stress.

Scholarships are extremely supporting the needs of the mothers in the best way possible. Government grants for college for mothers are a positive step in the direction of education and the pavement of a new walkway to great success and future for the mothers.
by: Walter Sigmore

Be a Certified Coach, Lecturer or Trainer

Aventis School of Business is one of the most reputed Business School Singapore and they have quite a name in the field of MBA in Singapore. They offer Aventis Certified Professional Trainer program that gives the students strategies, tools and techniques that are required to enhance the skill sets. The course is designed for developing and training individuals teach or train others. The course offers a Professional Trainer Toolkit that is made to deliver competency on the time tested methods of judgment. The course will be useful for the individuals who want to learn how to teach and train others or those that are already doing so but just want to sharpen the skills further.

Aventis Graduate Diploma in Training and Development

Aventis is one of the only 5 business schools in Singapore that is registered with European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). Aventis also collaborates with Professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), American Academy of Financial Management (USA) and the Centre for Behavioral Science (CBS) to offer professional certifications. Each year, Aventis trained over 2,500 participants through its Executive Training and short courses.

This program is an excellent platform for professionals seeking a second career option or to take your professional training skills ahead of your peers. Aventis School of Business also offers placement opportunities immediately after successful completion of the program.

The 4 modules in the programs are as follow (completed over 6 months part-time)

AVENTIS CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL TRAINER (ACPT) PROGRAM

The Aventis Certified Professional Trainer program is designed to equip participants with the tools, strategies, and techniques required for professionals seeking to enhance their skills set. This certification program serves as an ideal framework for participants preparing and developing their teaching or training role or individuals who are already in training and wish to enhance and upgrade their skills set and knowledge. Besides emphasizing on key training skills set, the program aims to equip participants with the know-how to design and incorporates the Professional Trainer Toolkit to deliver competency based training using time tested methodology.

BENEFITS

Upon completion of this program, graduates will

Spearhead a organizational assessment of the entire training cycle from the analysis of training needs (TNA) through to the effectiveness of the training programs

Identify training needs at an individual, departmental and organizational level and aligning it with the overall corporate strategy

Design and execute organizational competency mapping and training programs

Professionally design, analyze and measure the effectiveness of the training program

Design and deliver training as a Professional Trainer

PARTICIPANTS

This program is intended for professionals employed in business and industry or the public sector who have a professional interest in training and development. This program offers an excellent platform to enhance the technical competences and professional credentials of the participants.

PARTICIPANT'S TESTIMONIAL

"There is a plethora of training programmes in the market but Aventis’s ACPT provides participants with a comprehensive programme covering not only training skills and tools but the knowledge to apply them effectively in any topic-linked training.

Activities are stimulating and thought-provoking where one of the benefits includes acquiring realistic, hands-on learning tools that improve not only presentation skills but also increase participants’ confidence in using them for future training. The master trainer is a dynamic presenter who knows his material very well and engaged us all with an innovative approach that made learning fewer complexes and improved the skills of the entire group in a single programme."

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

This program is also ideal for professionals and executives seeking to pursue a rewarding career in training, HR development, career management and other related fields. Practitioners who are responsible for organization development projects will also benefit from this program.

So if you want to add that extra feather in your cap then the certified coach, lecturer or trainer, the Aventis Certified Professional Trainer program is certainly one of the programs you should consider.
by: Samuel Teo

Texas Education Jobs

Looking for Texas education jobs? Then know the job prospects of the state of Texas located in South Central United States, with the famous city of Houston being the largest city in Texas and San Antonio being the second largest. With such population and metropolitan constituencies the city of Texas requires an education job profile based on various sectors, and experience.

The University of Texas being one of the most popular universities in America, gives vent to quality and standard education which obviously offers a good educational job establishment according to subjects taught. So be it Austin or Dallas or San Antonio, there are a few technical know-how for pursuing education jobs in Texas.

Texas study

For educational jobs in universities or schools in Texas, you need to have basic knowledge of system of education in Texas. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) offers job opportunities and looks after the administration of public schools that counts to over 1000 school districts.

There is the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) system which students have to take in both primary and secondary schools on reading, writing, science, mathematics and social studies which as an educator you must know how to prepare students for it.

As for universities, there is a six state university system and four independent public universities. These include University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas, Dallas, University of Houston, University of North Texas, Texas State and Texas Tech that all undergo similar Texas education standards.

Work and you

The topmost educational job availability is in Lewisville, Odessa, Dallas, Irving, Houston, McKinney, Baytown, Georgetown in Texas and you can look up their employment requites in their web portals or Texas local education job search engines.

As a teacher, you will have to develop new methods, figure a curriculum, go through assessment systems, and keep a record of performance and also increase your teaching skills through vocational training. Texas education work includes consultancies, teaching, library working and instructing for professional courses.

TEA provides employment opportunities which includes research employment, higher education coordination, library jobs, school administration boards in Texas who employ school teachers to work in Texas education. There are other official service providers who offer educational jobs here in Texas and all you have to do is look them up on the TEA web portal and also all other links that would provide beneficial information.

Texas employment in education also includes job options in Texas department education jobs, special education jobs, physical training education jobs etc. You choose your field of work and Texas education jobs give you a very good pay package as well.

To choose your education career in Texas make sure that you have to be spontaneous and well trained with teaching aids and also the curriculum. Texas education jobs are available at universities and elementary schools where you have enough scope to master your teaching skill and also be experienced in the noble profession of teaching and be an educator that establishes your education career.
 by: Silas Reed

Tourism Training - The Gateway to a World of Opportunity

Tourism training allows individuals to be professionally educated and prepared to gain employment within one of the world’s fastest and most exciting industries. Tourism is the largest global economic sector, responsible for employing a vast number of individuals across the globe in a number of different positions, ranging from hands-on interaction with customers to middle and top-line marketing and management positions.

Tourism training empowers candidates to develop and harness the vital skills and knowledge base necessary to uptake employment immediately within the industry. The student will learn to appreciate and embrace cultural differences that arise with the interaction of tourists who possess differing ethics and cultural norms. Tourism training ensures candidates foster and develop the essential skills to be able to thrive in the tourism industry and build a lifelong career.

There are numerous roles to be filled within the tourism industry, all offering unique opportunities and challenges. The far reaching popularity of the tourism sector allows individuals employed within the industry the opportunity to travel throughout the world. Individuals employed within the tourism industry have the opportunity to work in the wider hospitality sector, as the skills and knowledge learnt in tourism training is transferable to other industries. This could involve anything from assisting clients in creating unique travel arrangements to meet their specific needs, guiding travellers in specialist tours, managing a trendy bar in a tourist hotspot or working your way up the corporate ladder.

As technology is making the process of international and local travel faster and more accessible, the tourism industry will continue to grow. Part of this growth can be attributed to airline companies implementing innovative cost cutting initiatives that reduce the individual expenditure and cost of travel.

Candidates who graduate tourism training courses are in high demand. Accredited tourism training programmes which incorporate hands on experience, empower students with a competitive advantage in the employment marketplace, as employees actively search for potential employees with the knowledge and skills to make an immediate and positive impact of the business. Students are also offered the opportunity to network and meet professionals that possess speciality experience within the tourism sector. Tourism training gives individuals the knowledge and experience to take immediate employment in an industry that is quickly evolving.

Tourism training programmes offer relevant experience to individuals that are widely recognised at local, regional and international levels, so that candidates have the possibility available to them to apply for a diverse and wide range of employment positions.
 by: Sue Gunn

Project Management Courses - Managing Your Own Career Path

Project management courses educate individuals on the key skills necessary to successfully take employment within the industry as a project manager, which requires exceptional organisational skills, the ability to multi-task and to possess the learned skills required to deal with the demanding nature of the job. Future project managers will learn and develop all the necessary skills to secure rewarding positions through enrolling in project management courses with trusted, reputable and accredited training institutions.

Entrusted with the role of project manager, an individual must ensure that the outlined objectives are completed in the most cost and time efficient manner. Many aspects must be taken into consideration while carrying out the project, including the management of resources, time and money, while adhering to the scope of the assignment. These are all critical aspects for a project manager to keep in mind at all times, both in preparing and actioning the project.

Professional project management courses thoroughly educate individuals on how to most effectively work through each of these aspects of project management. By working through the theoretical and practical learning applications, regarding the best practice principals of project management, individuals are well prepared to fulfill the expected roles and the duties they are charged with to complete. Such courses take into consideration the specific size of a project and how to best meet the goals and outlined requirements of the client, in a time efficient manner that is realistic in regards to the available resources. Resources include the number of skilled workers, material, equipment, support, time and monetary limitations.

Project managers are at all times an extension of their client, and therefore must endeavour to ensure that the progression of a project and its development appeases their client. As project management courses instruct individuals to think along these lines, they will be encouraged to take into consideration the time in which the client desires the project to be completed in, and the overall financial and monetary component that the client is willing to invest.

Every year, the number of suitably qualified and skilled project managers demanded increases to oversee the ever increasing developments that modern society is driving. Those who have successfully completed a course in project management are able to take advantage of these increasing opportunities and carve out their own future. Individuals, who take the time to carefully weigh the numerous project management courses available to them, should strongly consider those institutions with a long standing history of job attainment for its students, upon course completion.
by: Sue Gunn

How to Hold Out for the Right Career

If your present job sucks big time and you are facing difficulty in holding out over there, often your work ethics, energy, time, commitment gets hampered which does not allow you for a productive output.

Such career is of no use where there is no mental satisfaction. It depends though, but if you are wondering how to hold out for the right career then you should be aware of the knowledge of your job and what other careers aspects have to offer you.

This does not happen when you start thinking about it one fine day, but if this thought of seeking the right career has dawned upon you then you must learn the ways to accomplish it big time.

What should I know?

Technically speaking the question of how to hold out for the right career incurs the possibility of you to stick around and look for better prospects or either work your way up. There are certain ways if you follow might help you get what you want. Firstly, know yourself, your skills, knowledge, ability, strength, weaknesses, expertise, and preferred area of work.

Once you are through with it, you will be able to judge whether your present field is the one that should take up or think of something new. Holding out for your dream career may often relate to job situations and your current status of work and educational qualification.

These are variable features though and can change with job requirements, such as you may partake professional or diploma courses to enhance your degree and get closer to your dream job.

Your research

To know about job openings and choosing a career in detail it is essential for you to make a market research before you choose a career. The job market is highly competitive and fluctuating and what you want is a good paycheck so it has to be done accordingly.

Finding the best career opportunities will not only add to your knowledge but also may show you the path of success. You can find the answer of how to hold out for the right career which may unfold when you get to see the greener grass on the other side.

You should also be able to note down what job offers can last after a certain time period and would reap similar benefits pertaining to similar benefits that you are getting now.

In conclusion

These are some info which can lead you how to choose a right career which often seems confusing. What you can do is, get yourself signed up online or enroll yourself in a professional or educational consultancy who can guide you by keeping your assessment in mind.

It’s of course best to make a decision based on what you can handle than build castles in the air. Initially you will think of the benefits and perks of your dream job, but it is also for you to know that you are only to reap such benefits if you work the right way.
by: Silas Reed

How Do I Choose a Viable Career?

Wondering about the options you may consider when you choose a viable career? The first step is to make your career options viable, which means assessing yourself and searching for the right options for that. If you already in a job then you should make such assessments to know whether the job you are doing is the right one for you or not.

Obviously with a better job comes a bigger pay, but not necessarily the amount of job satisfaction. In order to make a career viable for you, your prerequisite should be noting whether the job or career you are vouching for will guarantee you security, job satisfaction and of course in this booming competitive market a lumsum salary. There are several ways to help you how to choose a career, but you should not get confused.

Options you have

In order to justify your career needs you can talk to professional and educational consultants who could guide you to take your career decision. The question does not always remain limited to what you want to do, but also the market and its ever growing demands have to be kept in mind.

Through such consultancies or guidelines what you can do is enhance your level of qualification by enrolling yourself in some master’s or business or diploma course where you stand an option to be chosen for something better.

Career choices adhere to larger prospects always and you should be open to all opportunities and have the attitude to work your way up. Success does not come easy but certain steps can certainly take you close to what you think satisfies you and gives you better scope.

Things to know

Choosing a viable career subjects to what is called a self assessment and also some research on that may help you make progress. You need to find job situations and make such network where you remain updated for job openings and make a proper resume for it. Judge your expertise, strength and weaknesses before planning a career.

This incurs a lot of responsibility and if you are good in networking and your approach is good job opportunities shall come your way. Career choices are important because this is something where living in compromise would jeopardize all probable aspects of satisfaction and confidence.

Know yourself

If you are still pondering on how to choose a career then keeping in mind the aforesaid points would prove beneficial. You are the one who knows your own capabilities and can carry out given responsibilities so when choosing a viable career you should be aware of your present professional and educational status which may not fetch you exactly what you want.

So you can either enhance your professional degree or you can seek certain job opportunities. It all lies in your knowledge, skills and ability which can give you the right career. You have to keep in mind, the present market, job situations, career aspects, your good pay with job satisfaction in order to accomplish a dream career.
by: Silas Reed

Coaching Institute in Delhi

The movement of joining some private coaching institutes to enhance knowledge has gained the reputation among individuals within the final few years. To live in the race of scoring high within the academics, the practice of moving in the direction of personal tuition to brush up their information and skills starts from as early because the higher school itself. College students feel that only education that has been provided at school isn't enough to rating great marks and therefore they prefer to invest couple of extra hours to discover more about their syllabi content.

Earlier, it was easy for a pupil to prepare himself on his personal to rating typical to good marks in his school, but in today's style every youngster is moving towards either personal tuition courses or close by coaching centers to get correct guidance in order to score exceptionally great marks. Coaching institutes are in fantastic demand these days, particularly by those aspirants who need to sit in some entrance exams for their higher schooling such as Engineering, MBBS, MBA or IAS.

What makes a personal teaching various from self-study will be the strength and weaknesses, organized study pattern, regular revision with the curriculum, and apt preparation that these coaching classes provide to their students. If you're staying in Delhi then you will find truly extremely great and praise worthy coaching facilities like Vidhyarjan Institute that are mostly reliable, sincere, and very much arduous that results in successfully putting their college students in top positions. A great profession teaching will help you in preparing dedicatedly so that you are able to steer clear of any risk of missing a year in preparations and may continue earning quality schooling.

Year after year, coaching classes scrutinize the question paper in minute detail and extrapolate it into hundreds of mock checks. One with the renowned teaching facilities namely Vidhyarjan Institute concentrate in providing normal coaching classes and relevant examine materials. Considering the whopping portion and syllabus, apart from indicating probably the most essential subjects and probable questions, also make an effort to direct the students on what to not read. Hence we are assisting students in getting optimum benefit of their limited time in Coaching Institute Delhi.

The institutes have extensive libraries where the students can get important books to broaden their knowledge about a particular subject. The teachers and academic coaches on the coaching facilities discuss numerous ideas and themes related to the particular subjects with the students and supply simple techniques and techniques of answering and finding solutions. To get a confident and much better preparation with the competitive exam, many coaching facilities have been established more than time to offer thorough and effective coaching for the exams too.

Pursuing professional coaching helps you assign targets and caver a vast curriculum that is certainly a hard career if performed at house. But the student should always beware with the fact that getting admission into a Coaching Institute can't compensate the need of self-study; however it'll help you in generating your efforts more fruitful.

It's essential to realize that more essential than paying the cost is always to guarantee that the pupil will get the best.
by: Bella Mclaine

How to Speed Read and Comprehend More

The most often question asked is, "How can I read over 1500 words per minute and still understand, or comprehend the material?" Stated in another form, "Does speed reading really work?" Without writing an entire course, this article will try to answer these questions.

When people question about reading fast and not comprehending, there is a basic misunderstanding of terms. Reading is the mind's response to print. If your mind is not responding when you are applying any speed reading technique, then you are in fact not reading.

The word reading, then, always assumes some level of comprehension. If you have been exposed to some program that teaches you how to move through materials at very high rates in the thousands of words per minute range and you do not comprehend, then the program has failed you.

How can you Speed Reading and Increase Your Comprehension Rate:

There are two primary aspects of "speed reading." The first is improving the mechanical aspect of reading. That happens with some sort of eye movement techniques. In fact, it is possible to physically move the eyes and see all the words in the material at rates of 10,000 - 100,000 words per minute. Naturally a speed reading program will contain this aspect. But unfortunately, this is about all that is trained, leaving the user frustrated. The second aspect of speed reading is comprehension. Comprehension is the mind's response to the symbols on the page. In effect, then, reading is thinking. You can read as fast as your mind can respond to the print. So, to truly speed read, you need to learn how to move your mind faster as well.

To answer the question, "Does speed reading really work," I say no! You work it! That means there are ways to train your brain to respond differently as you accelerate your speeds. What I have found to work best is to teach learners the mechanics first with some level of comprehension, but letting them relax and not worry about getting (memorizing) as they go through this initial skill building stage.

After the learner is more comfortable with the physical/mechanical skills, then we build comprehension in a purposeful manner. When the learner has broken out of the old habits they have accumulated in the past, then they are taught how to monitor what the mind is doing as they don't have to think so much about the eye mechanics. One of the keys to comprehension is preparing the mind for reading. There is a wide assortment of tools to help this phase of training. The comprehension approach breaks the learner out from the traditional left brain approach they learned in early life and engage the whole brain, or in other words they learn how to activate the right hemisphere as well. One way of helping to do this is looking through the material in a manner that gives you the "30,000 foot view" instead of the word-by-word view you were taught when first learning to read.

From that "high" view, you then learn to navigate at various levels depending on your needs and purposes. Nevertheless, do remember, comprehension is you. It is your mind's response to print. As your eyes are moving through the material, ask yourself, "What am I thinking about?" If it has nothing to do with the print, then you are not reading. You are doing something else, possibly daydreaming, or criticizing yourself. Bring it back to the print. Again, speed reading does not work. You work it! Learn how to build better comprehension and monitor what your mind is thinking about.

By following these steps, a person's capacity to speed read becomes more powerful and hence the individual will learn to comprehend more as well. Furthermore, an individual can also benefit by increasing their vocabulary and by learning new words. By doing this, the individual will be able to understand the language better and this will translate into faster reading time, hence increasing their speed reading and helping them to comprehend more of the material.

by: Jones Taylor

Jobs in Education

Jobs education is nowadays much sought after as there is more accent on providing quality and comprehensive education from the ground up. The need for getting more Americans into schools has become more acute to provide them with a secure future later on and gainful employment anywhere coast to coast. More federal funding and opportunities are underway to kick start programs that can benefit a large section of the population and also provide ample jobs in education.

Groundswell in job opportunities

In places like Durham, NC, the Congress was urged to stop tax cuts on education which shows there is a groundswell in making education a priority. With more money coming into education, the employment in education options is also on the rise these days. You are more likely to find gainful employment in the department of education or at schools and colleges that are federal as well as privately funded coast to coast.

There are automated hiring and recruitment systems that are in place these days and most of them are online. The department of education in the US has automated the recruitment process and you can file resumes online straight away. By checking out opportunities that fit your specifications, you can send in your application over the internet. From teaching jobs to administrative employment, education jobs are varied in nature.

The application process is fast and you also get an email notification of the status of your application and the online registration process for jobs is very simple. You just need to answer a series of questions regarding your job profile as well as the different types of education jobs that you may be interested as jobs education are many these days.

You can also search as well as review vacancy announcements that are open and simply apply online.

Fine tune your profile for the job

The profile of yours will remain in the system and you can even get email notifications when a particular position matches your profile. Depending on your aptitude and qualification as well as experience, you can fine tune your profile to make it more tailored to the work in education opportunities that are available coast to coast. In recent years, there has been an upsurge in employment in education and your best bet would be to check them out as soon as possible.

The greatest advantage in jobs education is that there is something for everybody and you will never be short of options anytime. There are several departments and features in education that stretches from a teaching post to that of a provost higher up.

Teacher and education work job listings can vary in requirement and pay depending on the state you would be working in, but there is ample scope for jobs education anywhere these days.
 by: Silas Reed

How to Make the Right Career Move

If you are wondering to increase your paycheck and standout in this competitive market and economic crisis jolting to and fro then you must know how and when to make the right career move for yourself. Ultimately it’s proving your worth but in better and larger stances and to get them you just have to think and act smart.

Even if you are a college graduate or thinking of taking up a career that pays well, guarantees job satisfaction, and assures you a security then it wouldn’t be bad, would it? There are easiest and efficient ways to earn those extra bucks and also increase what you are earning right now!

To Make It Happen

What can you possibly do when you are stuck in your 9-5 job, cramped office and waiting for a promotion for ages? Making the right move will fetch you greener pastures to look on. If you already have a good educational degree, do not fail to recognize the need to education even when you are working.

Enroll for a masters or a diploma course which would add an impetus to your existing position. Keep yourself up for opportunities and post your resumes to other sufficing companies.

Network socially in order to know about the latest offerings of the market and if you have good PR skills then you may come across valuable info which will help you in making the right move.

How to Choose

Choices in careers are plenty but making career choices are often confusing, risky and difficult. You must know that you should have the ability to take risks, in order to go for the bigger, the better.

There are a few things which you should keep in mind while making career choices, is what your present status is, both educational and professional. If you are not willing to go for any extra study course at the moment, then make a list of what job offerings will suit your profile which you can partake.

Next, check the situations where your application may get accepted, and there are vacancies. Be realistic in assessing your goals. If required, pen them down, and look for such opportunities. You can make a resume after that and post it to various sites to increase response and who knows, you may find your dream job then?

Summing Up

Tell you what; make an analysis of your strength, weaknesses, and your area of expertise. Plan your career accordingly. Do not jump into conclusions if your friend takes up another career option means yours is bad and you join the craze as well.

The career front is very dynamic and changes its course in due time. You have to be susceptible to changes while making your right move. If the job clicks then you are lucky but by chance it doesn’t you should keep on trying. Your career does not depend on clichés, but you can move away from your traditional practice and try something new. Just find the right scope.
 by: Silas Reed

Get the Best Deal on Your Student Loans

Providing money for college is a big business. Every year, lending institutions issue over $47 billion in college student loans. If you're scrambling for money for college, take heart — you can find loans for college, provided you're willing to do a little digging.

Getting college student loans isn't that difficult. The real trick with college financing is finding the combination of public and private college loans that leaves you in the best financial position after you graduate.

College financing and your credit score

If you have a truly spectacular credit score, you might consider private college student loans. This type of college loan is sourced strictly from a private lender, with no guarantees or funding from the federal government. With an excellent credit history, you may be able to negotiate loan rates that compare favorably with government-funded student loans.

How does your credit score measure up? Be sure to check your credit report and score. If your credit score is 800 or above, you may be able to get money for college strictly through private sources.

Caution: Private college student loans are like any other type of consumer debt. The lender examines your credit history and offers you a loan package based on your credit score. For students with blank credit reports, a private college student loan may be out of reach.

College financing with no credit history

Fortunately, many non-credit-based sources of college financing are out there. Stafford college loans are available for students who need money for college but don't have an established credit history.

Stafford college loans are offered in two varieties: subsidized and unsubsidized.

Subsidized Stafford loans should be your preferred college loan. The federal government pays the interest on the loan while you're in school. Stafford loans will save you the most money in the repayment period. However, subsidized Stafford college loans are awarded based on financial need.

Unsubsidized Stafford loans are available to any college student. The federal government doesn't pay the interest on these college student loans. Instead, you have two options: pay the interest as it accrues, or add the interest to the principle. If you can pay the interest while you're in school, the unsubsidized Stafford loan can take care of much of your college financing need. If you can't pay the interest, the unsubsidized loans will cost you more during the repayment period.

Perkins college loans are available directly from the schools and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Like subsidized Stafford loans, Perkins loans are awarded based on financial need.

Depending on where you go to college, you may be able to take advantage of state-based college student loans. These loans are issued by private lenders but are backed up with federal and state funds, so you can qualify for them with a limited or adverse credit history.
by: Nataliya Yakushev

Why Study Spanish in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico?

You had just arrived at the airport of Tuxla Guttierez, Chiapas, Mexico half an hour ago. Now you are on a highway snaking its way upwards 2500 meters, on your way to San Cristobal de las Casas, the home of the Zapatistas and the central meeting ground for the local indigenous groups like the Chamulas. On your right you can see the world falling away as you get closer to the clouds. It is your first time here. You have read the travel guides, and searched the internet for things to do. Everywhere you looked you ran across the same things, Palenque, Chamula, Lagos de Montebello. But you want something different. You want to see the real Chiapas, and visit places that are not overflowing with tour groups. As you look out at the sky you see two green streaks. As you focus in on them you realize that it is actually a pair of parakeets flying towards some unknown location. "Where did they come from?" you wonder....

Cima de Cottoras

Located 1.5 hours outside of Tuxla Guttierez (take the bus service that leaves from the Plaza de Marimbau), the Cima de Cotorras (Parakeets), is a 180 meter deep sink hole. While the area surrounding area tends to be dry during the summers, at the bottom of this sink hole is a tropical jungle that remains humid all year round. But the main attraction of this location is the thousands of parakeets that call this sinkhole home. For the adventurous, a daily tour is offered at 5:00 a.m. to descend halfway down the sinkhole, and watch as the thousands parakeets wake up and ascend in unison out of there jungle home. Facilities include a hotel, camp grounds and one restaurant overlooking the sinkhole. Proceeds from the site go to maintain the natural habitat of the cotorras.

.. The clouds part, and you find yourself looking at a valley surrounded by green mountain tops. In the middle of this valley you see signs of life. San Cristóbal de las Casas. You can already make out the the Churches of San Cristóbal and Guadalupe on there respective hills, looking over the town. It must have rained recently, because you see puddle of water all over the road. You think to yourself "they almost look like lakes"...

Lagos de Colon

The Lagos de Colon are located 4 hours south of San Cristóbal de las Casas. Take a shuttle from San Cristóbal to Comítan and then transfer to a bus that goes to Lagos de Colon. This string of lakes are known for there smooth mirror-like surfaces. A popular weekend site for local Mexicans, these beautiful lakes are perfect for swimming and relaxing the day away. Follow the path away from the main lake area and you will find beautiful waterfall, and keep going down this path and you will find a small set of newly discovered Mayan ruins. Facilities include a guest house, free camping area, 3 small family restaurants, and during the day there are a few small vendors selling food like fried plantains and fresh fruits.

.. The taxi driver turns from the main road onto Ave. Insurgents. You have just entered the historic downtown of San Crístóbal. Colonial style building surround you. As you are driving you pass an incredible potpourri of humanity. Europeans, American, Asians, Mexican and numerous indigenous groups. As you try to take it all in, your thoughts are interrupted by a grumbling sound. It's your stomach. You realize you haven't eaten since breakfast 10 hours ago. "Where could I get a bite to eat?" you wonder...

Comítan

Just 1 hour south of San Cristóbal is the town of Comítan. Most tourist only pass through the outskirts of this town on their way to the Lagos de Montebellos or Chiflon. They are missing out. From the bus station take a short taxi ride (or walk for 15 minutes) to the beautiful historic center. The central zocalo is pristine, and is littered with art and sculptures from around the world. The plants and flowers are always in bloom and the weather is always perfect. The main attraction of Comítan is that most local Chapanecos (people from Chiapas), acknowledge that it has the best food in the state. Restaurants on the plaza are tasty, but tend to be little more expensive. If you want the best deal simply walk 1-2 blocks away from the Zocalo in any direction and find a local restaurant.

.. You fight down the growing feeling of hunger. First things first. You need to find a hotel. Luckily there seems to be dozens on every block in San Cristóbal. You ask the taxi driver to drop you off in front of one that looks nice and seems to fit your budget. You pay your fare and get your bags out of the trunk, but as you turn around to enter the hotel, you find you have can't pass. You are surrounded by dozens of indigenous women and children saying "comprame". You don't speak Spanish, but it is not hard to figure out that they want you to buy one of there multicolored bracelets, belts or Sub-commandante Marcos dolls. "Where did they all come from?" you ask...

San Juan del Rio

The small village of San Juan del Rio is not on any map. You have to take a collectivo (local public transport) to Cancuc, and then take a local taxi (probably the back of a pickup) to the entrance to this village. From this entrance you have to walk 1.5 hours to get to the village. The village has no roads, or electricity. The town of 500 people survives by growing coffee. It is a perfect place to see how life is for most Chapanecos. Have traditional food, cooked over an open fire. Spend some time relaxing in a Mayan steam room, and then go down to the local river and have a swim. Foreigners are so rare here, that the kids at the river will probably stare and point in wonder at any outsiders who show up. You have to arrange a tour with one of the local villagers to get here. Money from these tours go to the village fund to build a road.

.. You fought your way through the crowd that surrounded you outside. You are now the proud owner of 5 colorful bracelets and a clay figure that looks to you like a turtle. You ask if there are any rooms available. In broken English the girl at the reception says "Yes", and gives you a list of the prices. The prices were fair. As the receptionist prepares the paperwork you scan the tour pamphlets lain out on the front desks. There are hundreds, each selling tours to the same places. Then one catches your eye. This one is not glossy or professional like the others, it is black and white with nothing more than a pyramid on the cover. "Where is Toniná?" you ask the receptionist...

Toniná

Toniná is located 3 hours from San Cristobal. Take a bus to Ocosingo, and then get a taxi, or collective to Toniná. Toniná is located in the middle of an open plain. Standing atop its highest level you can see for miles and miles in all directions. Getting a tour guide is highly recommended. The guide will lead you through the pitch black maze of the Shaman of death, and show you how the ancient Mayans had designed rooms to have natural air conditioning. A little known fact is that Toniná is actually responsible for the fall of Palenque (its famous cousin to the west). The museum outside the ruins is small, but worth a visit. Bring a large bottle of water, since there is very little shade during your tour and you will get thirsty.

You are finally here. Settled into your hotel room. Exhausted but excited. All that is left to decide is "What am I going to see tomorrow?"



by: Ray Blakney

Why Waldorf Kindergarten

Waldorf kindergarten is an extension of the family experience, an intermediate step for the child between the home and formal schooling. The goal is to provide a warm, calm, secure, aesthetic environment in which the imagination and creativity of the child will flourish.

The quality of the environment of a Waldorf kindergarten is integral to its goals for the children. The feeling of warmth and security is created by using only natural materials: woods, cotton, wool in the construction of the decor and toys. The curtains transmit a warm glow into the room. In this warm environment are placed toys which the children can use to imitate and transform the activities that belong to everyday adult life. In one corner stands a wooden scale and baskets for children to pretend they are grocery shopping; a pile of timber stands ready to be constructed into a playhouse, a boat or a train; a rocking horse invites a child to become a rider; homemade dolls lie in wooden cradles surrounded by wooden frames and cloths the children can use to create a pretend family and play house.

Pinecones and flowers are artistically dispersed; lovely watercolors adorn the walls. The effect of this beautiful arrangement of decorations and toys is a feeling of entering a “children’s garden”, where one can breathe easily, relax and play according to the impulses of one’s heart.

The 3 R’s are reverence, repetition, and rhythm. Structured group activities consist of finger plays, singing, reciting poems, and doing body movements known as eurythmy. Fairy tales are told to the children on successive days for up to two weeks, culminating in the tale as a puppet show offered to the children by the teacher or as a play with costumes acted out by the children with the teacher narrating. Art and crafts consist of water coloring with the three primary colors to impart a true appreciation of the nature of color, modeling with beeswax, drawing with beeswax crayons, finger knitting, and baking.

It has been noted that the fantasy play of children who attend the Waldorf kindergarten changes. Their fantasies are often about being the characters from the fairy tales told to them each week. The children become more respectful of one another, move with greater self-assurance and grace, and are much more open in their creative self-expression. This kind of growth, this kind of unfolding of the imagination and creativity through free play, art, drama, music, oral recitation, and dance are essential to our time.

The importance of child’s play

One of the major changes in public school education in the past fifteen years has been the transformation of the kindergarten room from a “children’s garden” full of toys and play-like activity into a pre-first grade, full of work sheets and learning stations. There has been an assumption that all of this is appropriate for the five year old and will help the child in its academic work and in its growth and development in general. More and more, that assumption is now being challenged.

In his book, The Hurried Child, David Elkind, child psychologist and professor at Tufts University, discusses the problem of stress that he finds in children who come to him for treatment. He points out that, in the great rush to bring children into academic work, we have ceased to ask if children are inwardly ready for such concentrated, intellectually-oriented work.

There is a growing body of research that supports the position of Waldorf schools that children should remain in play-oriented preschool until the age of six. The clearest example of such research which has come to our attention is a major study undertaken in Germany comparing 100 public school classes for five year olds. Fifty of them had only play in their program and the other 50 had academics and play together. The children entered first grade when they were six, and the study surveyed their progress until they were ten. The first year there was little difference to be seen. By the time the children were ten, however, those who had been allowed to play when they were five surpassed their schoolmates in every area measured.

One can imagine how startling these results were to the state educators. They considered the results so conclusive that within months they had converted all of the academic programs back into play programs. They also recognized the advantages of mixed-age kindergartens in which, through play, the children help one another to grow and learn.

What is living in the five year olds that makes play such an important aspect of their growth and development? To answer this question, one needs to look at the progression of play throughout early childhood up to the age of six. For the two year old, play consists of doing what the adult does. Fantasy has not yet entered, and if one offers a two year old a cake made of sand, he is very likely to eat it. By the time the children turn three, this is no longer the case, for they are generally full of fantasy and imagination.

This is a time of great fluidity in their play. They are inspired by whatever comes into their hand, and a single object will change its meaning for them several times during a single play session. For the parent this can be a frustrating stage, for the child generally leaves a stream of toys behind him as he moves about. It’s quite hopeless to tell him to put away a thing when he is finished. His play is always in the process of changing and becoming.

In the four year olds, one sees more constancy entering. They will build a house and stay in it for much longer periods of time than will the three year olds. Yet the inspiration for the house comes very much out of what catches their eye in the moment. This is no longer the case with five year olds.

They will often enter the classroom and tell you exactly what they are going to build. They carry an image within themselves, but they still need the physical materials for carrying the image into play. This image may now last for weeks at a time, and thus one will have five year olds in a kindergarten building boats or “hide outs” day after day for a month or more.

Around the age of six, yet another change enters. It is one of the changes which we look for as a sign of readiness for first grade. Now the child’s image is so strong that toys or props are almost unnecessary. One Waldorf teacher described her own transition into this stage as follows. As a young child she loved to play with little toys and would set up scenes on a large window seat and play by the hour.

One day, as she was turning six, she set a scene as usual, but then closed her eyes and played it all in her mind. I have seen six year olds in my kindergarten classes go through this same transition when they build their houses but cease to take any toys into them. They are now able to create everything they need in their mind’s eye, so to speak. It is quite a contrast to four and five year olds, who take as much as they can into their houses, leaving scarcely enough room in which to move.

When such a stage has been reached, one feels the child is ready for studying the academic subjects which demand a capacity to hold an image of a letter or a number and call it up at will. Such a feat of memory is simply not possible for the younger child. He may compensate by developing little aids to jog his memory, but this is not the same as having a true readiness for the activity.

When we interfere with this process of development by starting the children on their academic subjects too soon, the imagination does not seem to develop fully. A certain dryness can enter into the intellectual process, and academic learning becomes less interesting as time goes on. What may first seem to be a gain soon disappears and as the German study indicated, can turn into a liability.

At first, we separated the kindergarteners from the younger children, but after two years we mixed the ages, primarily fours and fives, with a few three year olds, and were happy with the results.

The younger children brought their fluidity into the play situations; the older ones brought their inner direction, and the two complemented one another very well. We also found that each age group came to the stories and activities in quite different ways, and each group took from the experience just what they needed for their development.

In addition, we have worked hard to develop a curriculum consistent with the preschool child’s dreamy, playful approach to life. For example, all the children paint with watercolor paints once a week. They work only with the three primary colors, and the youngest children are content to experience the pure colors in their most flowing form. The four and five year olds become intrigued with the discovery that additional colors can be created by mixing two colors, and the five and six year olds discover that the fluidity of the color on the wet paper can be controlled and forms and pictures begin to emerge. Fingers also learn to translate fantasy into form as the children model with beeswax, create tissue paper transparencies, sew with a needle and thread, or participate in other activities appropriate to their ages.

Baking, whether it involves kneading the dough, rolling and cutting cookies, or cutting fruit for pies, also provides opportunities for the awakening intelligence of the child to penetrate into the fingers. The manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination which result from all these activities are essential for later academic work, yet to the young child this is all play.

It is also very important that language arts skills be developed during the preschool years and our curriculum is very rich in this area. During story time, the children develop listening skills, and as they grow older one sees how actively they listen, for as five and six year olds, they will often go home and repeat the whole fairy tale they have heard to their families. During circle time, they gladly learn songs and verses coupled with appropriate gestures and movements. Recently, I had the opportunity of sharing a fall harvest circle with a group of non-Waldorf preschool educators. They were amazed that a group of three and four year olds could participate in such a lengthy series of songs and verses, yet my class delighted in doing this little circle play over and over during the fall.

Through all such activities, we prepare the children for the academic work they will encounter in the first grade whether they [continue in our school], go to public school or to other private or religious schools. We have stayed in touch with our “graduates,” and we have been gratified to learn how well they have done. They generally experience a transition period of a month or two when they enter first grade, but by Christmas time, the children have mastered the same academic material as their peers and are functioning at their own level.

It is interesting to note that all the published studies which look into the question of early academics show disadvantages for children who begin academic work under the age of six. We have yet to find a study which reveals a long-term advantage to those starting early. More and more books are being published about the problems children encounter when rushed into academic work before true readiness has taken place. This can be a very confusing time for parents who see that their five year olds would like to learn their letters and numbers, and assume that their child is ready for academic work before a true form of academic readiness has actually taken place. In addition, one must contend with a great deal of social pressure from neighbors, friends, and family as to why one does not want to rush one’s child.

Parents should feel free to discuss this question of school readiness with their child’s teacher. It is one of the most crucial questions affecting the lives of young children today.

What are the Needs of Five Year Olds?

by Joan Almon, president of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America



by: Joan Almon / Michelle Mitchell

Do We Share the Same Taboos? Cultural Influence on Language Choice

Taboos are established in a society to avoid harmful consequences to their people either because the non-verbal or verbal behavior violates a code based on supernatural beliefs or it violates the moral code of the society. According to Adler (1989), taboos are subject to the environment and they are language-specific. This research was held in the United States to examine whether the Chinese and Korean immigrants in a western society share any taboos in (1) non-verbal phonologically-linked taboos, related to death or separation and (2) verbal animal-linked taboos to describe people. The results show that these Chinese and Koreans share only one phonologically-linked taboo – the number “4”, which associates with “death,” and one animal-linked taboo – the “tiger” for a woman, which is used negatively to hot-tempered females.

Introduction

In an intercultural setting, good communication requires not only the linguistic and sociolinguistic knowledge of the host language for interaction but also knowledge of the culture and cultural rules which contribute greatly to the content and the process of meaningful communicative interaction (Saville-Troike, 1989). Most people are motivated to adjust their conversation in expressing attitudes and intentions toward others. Though individual variation may exist, people will basically choose appropriate language as a means of reducing the cultural differences between them. Knowledge of prominent language features of a culture like non-verbal and verbal taboos, seldom discussed in language textbooks or in classrooms as part of cultural instruction, is probably essential to successful communicative interaction (Shen, 1993).

Taboos are subject to the environment. They are language-specific; therefore, they are not universal or timeless (Adler, 1978). In many cases, foreign people realize the existence of the rules associated with taboos only after they have violated them. Those who do not observe these social “rules” might face serious results, such as total embarrassment or, as Saville-Troike (1989) has stated, they may be accused of immorality and face social ostracism or even death.

In this paper, two types of Chinese “possible taboos” are examined in the context of Korean culture and language: (1) Non-verbal phonologically-linked taboos from traditional Chinese society that are associated with the “separation” and “death”. Do Chinese and Koreans share these taboos because similar sounds occur so often in their languages? (2) Verbal zodiac-animal-linked taboos in modern Chinese society. Do Chinese and Koreans share more zodiac-animal-linked taboos than either shares with Americans because of the same customs? Data were collected in two ways: questionnaires and interviews.

What is a Taboo?

The word ‘taboo’ in early contexts was primarily used to evoke a breach of good manners. Today the word evokes either attitudes that are outdated and irrational or topics that were deemed unmentionable in the past but are now being openly discussed (Thody, 1997).

“Taboo” is a borrowed word from Tongan, a Polynesian language. To most people, it refers to “forbidden” or “to be avoided” behaviors, both verbal and non-verbal. A taboo is also an expression of disapproved behaviors in a society. Taboos are established because people believe that such inappropriateness will bring harmful consequences to them either because this non-verbal or verbal behavior violates a code based on supernatural beliefs or it violates the moral code of the society (Wardhaugh, 1992). Once taboos are formed in a country, references to them become taboo, too (Shen, 1993).

We may find that taboos occur in all kinds of environments, from ancient to modern society, and at all levels of civilization. Members of each community are psychologically and physically trained and shaped by the community to observe the “rules” closely. For example, Westerners wear black for a funeral and white for a wedding. But in the ancient Chinese weddings, a white dress was not allowed to be worn because white was for a funeral. Therefore, all individuals involved had to wear black formal costumes. Later, the color changed to red. Now under Western influence, white is the customary formal color for brides and sometimes for bridegrooms, too (Shen, 1993).

Non-Verbal and Verbal Taboos

Non-Verbal Taboos

Some non-verbal taboos may seem funny, but severe punishment might have come to those who failed to observe the rules in an earlier time and today as well. Accidents may also result from taboo non-verbal cues (e.g., an inappropriate gesture). For example, In 1988, in Los Angeles, an entertainer from Thailand was reported to have been convicted of the murder of a young Laotian. The entertainer was singing in an after-hours Thai cabaret when the Laotian, a patron, put his foot on a chair with the sole directed at the entertainer. When the cabaret closed, the entertainer followed the man and shot him. The reason was that among Southeast Asians, showing or directing the sole of the shoe to another person is considered a grievous insult (Axtell, 1991).

An incident also took place in Hong Kong a few years ago because of a hand signal miscommunication. A television station there took an annual picture of all the contracted entertainers before the Chinese New Year. As a joke, famous Kung-fu actor Jackie Chan, who recently played the main actor in the movie “Rush Hour,” held his fist with his middle finger stuck out on top of the head of an actress who stood in front of him. When his photo appeared in the newspapers, the station received dozens of calls from Westerners living in Hong Kong complaining about the indecent gesture. To them, when the middle finger is used, there is only one interpretation – indecency. When Chan applied this gesture, he meant to suggest that his friend had grown horns on her head for fun. Chan refused to apologize because his gesture was not intended to be an insult as the gesture is not considered indecent in Chinese Society

Several times, when my Korean informant talked about classic words or terms used in Korean, I could figure out the exact Chinese counterparts merely from her pronunciation. This is not surprising because the cultural influences of China upon Korea over the centuries have left an indelible mark upon both the written and spoken Korean language. It is possible to trace many aspects of Korean language and culture back to ancient China. But not long ago, when my Korean informant gave me a fan as a gift, I was a little shocked.

To many Chinese people, a fan is a forbidden present because it has the identical sound as “separation.” If a person gives a fan to his or her friend, their friendship will stop or diminish from that time. Therefore, it has become a phonologically linked taboo to give friends a fan in Chinese society. One question is if Korean people also have similar phonologically-linked taboos as the Chinese do. The first part of the questionnaire elicits data to see if there are any similarities between Chinese and Korean people on this point because of the similar sounds.

Verbal taboos

In every language there seem to be certain “unmentionables” – words of such strong affective connotation that they cannot be used in polite discourse. Two verbal taboos are probably universal. The first of these are words that deal with excretion and sex. For example, when a woman needs to go to the toilet because “nature calls,” she will ask people where the “rest room” or “powder room” is, although she has no intention of resting or putting powder on her face. Second, in both Western and Asian cultures the fear of death carries over into fear of the words having to do with death. Many people, therefore, substitute words, such as “died” or “death” with expressions such as “passed away,” “went to his reward” or “departed” (Hayakawa, 1982).

People generally like to hear words that bless one’s good health and long life or metaphors that generate positive descriptions of one’s personality and appearance. However, because of different cultural backgrounds, an expression in one country can cause a quite different effect in another. For example, Chinese people would feel horrified or upset if they were told before a performance to “break a leg,” an English expression used to wish one good luck.

In the study in this paper, Chinese animal-linked taboos are compared with those of Korea because both countries have the same twelve animals (i.e., the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the chicken, the dog, and the pig) as part of the zodiac cycle representing a unit of time. At the same time, these verbal animal-linked taboos are also compared with animal expressions in America to see if there are any significant differences.

Hypotheses

To this day many Chinese people are superstitious to the extent that they will avoid doing anything that they believe can bring bad luck. Chinese non-verbal phonologically linked taboos are products of ancient days. They were generated from an identical sound or group of sounds which represents evil objects, disasters, and other negative occurrences. (Shen, 1993). Since a large portion of Korean vocabulary comes from Chinese culture, especially Confucian classics, my first hypothesis is that Korean people will have most of the phonologically linked taboos that China does.

A special zodiac cycle, consisting of the twelve animals mentioned above, has been shared by Chinese and Korean people for hundreds of years. One animal represents one year, and twelve years is a complete cycle. In ancient Chinese culture, most of these animals were good symbols. They were quite welcomed and respected. Nevertheless, in modern society in China negative connotations are given to some of the animals, which means some of the animals have become verbal taboos in describing a person’s character or appearance.

Koreans, being so historically and geographically related to the Chinese, probably at some time in the past associated the same meanings to the twelve animals as Chinese people did. Furthermore, it seems likely that meanings would have evolved over the years as they have for the Chinese, but not necessarily in the same direction. The second part of the questionnaire is designed to examine if Chinese and Korean people still come to a consensus on which animal-linked vocabulary words are forbidden and which are acceptable to use in reference to a friend. Regarding verbal taboos, my second hypothesis is that Chinese and Koreans will share more animal-linked taboos than either shares with Americans.

Methods

The sample for this study consists of thirty respondents from three countries. Ethnicity was determined through questionnaires in which respondents provided their own label for their background. In all, there were ten Chinese people (seven from Taiwan, one from Mainland China, one from Hong Kong and one from the US), ten Koreans (from South Korea) and ten Americans (three German-Americans, one Italian-American, one African-American, and five Anglo-Americans). Among the ten Chinese people, aged from 25 – 38, are two males and eight females. Among the ten Koreans, aged from 28 - 40, are six males and four females. Among the ten Americans, aged from 27 – 50’s, are four males and six females.

Data collection

Data were collected in two ways: informal interviews and the questionnaire. The questionnaire was culturally determined. To focus on the characteristics of Chinese taboos, questions fell into two categories: (1) non-verbal phonologically linked examples of inappropriate usage, such as homonyms or expressions forbidden to certain groups within Chinese culture; (2) verbal animal-linked metaphors and inappropriate language choices from the Chinese and Korean zodiac.

In the questionnaire, Questions one through six are non-verbal phonologically linked taboos that Chinese people have been aware of for hundreds of years. In Questions 7 through 19 are designed to elicit what animal-linked vocabulary words would be verbal taboos among the Chinese, Korean, and American peoples.

Results and Discussion

Non-verbal phonologically-linked taboos

Because Chinese people yearn to reach or be close to a state of “being blessed” and to stay away from “evil” or “bad luck” as much as possible, they create taboo situations. The phonological parts of taboos mentioned in the first six questions in the Questionnaire are examples of evil-related things: death and separation; thus, they became representative of the Chinese taboo system. Some examples follows:

(1) Chinese: The fan (? shan) and the umbrella (? san) have very similar sounds to the word “? san”, which means “separation”. Korean: The fan (? son) and the umbrella (? san) do not sound similar to the word “? zhok”, which means “separation”. Therefore, the Chinese and Koreans did not share this taboo.

Question 1: It is appropriate to give a female friend a fan as a gift.

Question 2: It is appropriate to give a friend an umbrella as a gift.

The Chinese word ? (shan) is a term meaning “to break up, to dismiss, to dissolve.” It is a “forbidden” word among Chinese performers because their professional survival depends on a continuous succession of contracts; therefore, for them, the very notion of “breaking up” infers the destruction of their career. This tradition is carried to the extent of preventing a performer not only from voicing this particular word, but even from mentioning any term that includes the same sounds, such as “? shan” which means fan, or “? san” which means umbrella. Therefore, 50 or less had no objection to such a gift. The reason was that a beautifully painted fan can decorate the wall and an umbrella is very useful in our daily life. It is also interesting to note that, in ancient China, a fan could be given as a parting present in the hope that the traveler could use it to keep himself cool.

But 90 of the Chinese respondents disagreed or disagreed strongly with giving a friend a clock as a gift. The ones who agreed said they would only give it to a person their age.

One hundred percent of Koreans and Americans all agreed or agreed strongly with giving a clock to a friend. To Korean people, a clock is a traditional and popular gift for a friend when he or she starts a business. The Korean sound for “giving a clock” is “song zhong,” and the sound for “biding farewell to a dying person on his or her deathbed” is “song young.” They sound quite different. To Americans, clocks or watches make lovely gifts and they are long lasting. Certain brands and styles would be more acceptable. One American responded that the fancier, the more appropriate.

(3) Chinese: “Turning over (? fan) a fish ” can be a forbidden action on a boat to avoid the disastrous outcome of a ship being overturned in the ocean. Korean: “Turning over (? zhokban) a fish” is not a forbidden action on a boat to avoid bad luck. Therefore, the Chinese and Koreans did not share this taboo.

Question 4: If eating fish on a boat, it is appropriate to turn the fish over after one finishes eating the meat on the top side.

Fifty percent of the Chinese respondents disagreed or disagreed strongly with doing it. In Southern China, seamen’s families generally avoid voicing “? fan” (a Chinese sound for “turn over”). They associate the disastrous outcome of a ship being overturned in the ocean with the action word for the concept. If fearing what one says might bring the unwanted consequence into reality, the taboo situation is established. To these families, it is also a taboo behavior to turn a fish topside down after one finishes the meat on that side. They envision the fish as the ship that carries their loved ones, so turning the fish over on the dish would symbolize that the ship has capsized in the ocean.

Ninety percent of the Koreans agreed with the action because they thought it would be a way to finish a fish neatly or to see if there is more to eat. They do not associate the sound for “turn over” with the disastrous outcome of a ship being overturned in the ocean through the action word for that concept. Eighty percent of the Americans agreed because they thought it makes sense and would probably be easier that way, especially if the fish has a lot of bones in the middle. The rest who disagreed (20 of the Chinese and 90 of the respondents agreed. Only the number “13” is considered bad luck in American culture. Therefore, a Chinese or Korean patient would react far more strongly to being assigned to a room or a floor in a hospital with the number four than would an American patient assigned to a “Room 13” or “floor 13.” This is the only phonologically-linked taboo that I found shared by these two countries.

(5) Chinese: “Cutting a pear in two halves” (?? feng li) can be another forbidden action among Chinese because it sounds exactly like ?? (feng li), which means “separation”. Korean: “Cutting a pear in two halves” (?? bun yi) does not sound like ?? (bul li), which means “separation”. Therefore, the Chinese and Koreans did not share this taboo.

Question 6: It is appropriate to cut a pear in two halves and share it with a friend.

In one Chinese opera, a fruit merchant claims that his pears will make a marriage happy. But lovers should never cut up or divide pears since the word for “pear” (li) is phonologically identical with the word for “separation” (? li). For the same reasons, relatives or friends will avoid dividing pears among themselves. Therefore, at the end of twentieth century, 50 of the Koreans agreed or agreed strongly. They and the American respondents thought there was no problem with this action and that it would be seen as a gesture of friendship and generosity. Sharing is considered a good thing as it shows that one cares for another. Cutting a pear is the same as cutting any other fruit.

Verbal animal-linked taboos

As mentioned above, Chinese and Koreans have the same twelve animals (i.e., the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the chicken, the dog, and the pig) in the zodiac cycle to represent a unit of time. They are used to convey positive values in both cultures.

Since Asian people have become more and more westernized in the last twenty years, some animal-linked vocabulary words in modern Chinese society have different connotations from what they did in old Chinese culture. These animals were compared among the Chinese, Koreans and American respondents to find if there are significant differences between the East and the West. Which are verbal taboos and which are not? Data were collected in two ways: the questionnaire and interviews.

(1) The rat

The rat is the first creature in the old Chinese zodiac. It was associated with money; when you hear a rat scrabbling around for food at night, it is said to be “counting money”. The term “money-rat” is a disparaging way of referring to a miser. In some old legends, rats can turn into demons, male usually, in contrast with the fox that turns into a female demon.

Question 7: It is appropriate to say to a person’s face that he/she is like a rat.

Fifty percent of the Chinese respondents agreed that it is fine to say to a person’s face that he or she is like a rat, but they claim that it must depend on the tone of voice, the hearer’s age, and the context. The other 50 of them disagreed or disagreed strongly. To them, bulls are stubborn and might mean the person is aggressive. Likewise, cows are fat and sloppy.

(3) The tiger

The tiger is the third sign in the Chinese zodiac. The tiger is a symbol of courage and bravery. Nevertheless, the tiger was so much feared that its very name was taboo, and people referred to it as ?? da chong, meaning “big insect” or “king of the mountains”.

Question 9: It is appropriate to say to a man’s face that he acts like a tiger.

Question 10: It is appropriate to say to a woman’s face that she acts like a tiger.

On Question 9, 80 of the Chinese disagreed with describing a woman as a tiger because it is over exaggerating. Forty percent of them agreed with using it negatively for a woman if she is really hot-tempered.

On Question 9, 50 of them disagreed with using “tiger” to describe a woman even if she were disgraceful or very hot-tempered.

Ninety percent of the Americans agreed or agreed strongly with using it for a man as it implies strong, clever, fast, assertive, initiative, successful, or sexually powerful. It can also be an encouragement to kids as in “Go get’em, tiger.” At the same time, about 80 of the Chinese agreed because the rabbit is a cute animal. They are smart and fast. Twenty percent disagreed because the rabbit is too timid and too dependent.

Fifty percent of the Koreans who agreed also think the rabbit is cute, so it is appropriate to describe a person as a rabbit. The other 50 disagreed as it indicates small, weak, and timid, not very intelligent, or it could be an insult to mean the person has had too many children.

(5) The dragon

The dragon is the fifth creature in the Chinese zodiac. It is one of China’s most complex and multi-tiered symbols. It is said that, like a magic animal, it could fill the space between heaven and earth.

Question 12: It is appropriate to say to a person’s face that he/she is like a dragon.

Sixty percent of the Chinese respondents agreed but they did not know why and 40 who agreed strongly think the snake implies a person’s being double-faced/tongued.

(7) The horse

The horse is the seventh creature in the Chinese zodiac. In Old Chinese, there were many words denoting the different sizes and colors of the horse. The fact that these words have all died out is an indicator of the declining role of the horse in recent history. In old texts, horses stood for success, speed, and loyalty.

Question 14: It is appropriate to say to a person’s face that he/she is like a horse.

Sixty percent of the Chinese agreed if it implies hard work without a rest. Forty percent disagreed because the horse has a very long face. When the Chinese say to a person “the horse does not know its long face,” it means that the person does not know his or her own shortcomings.

One hundred percent of the Korean disagreed or disagreed strongly with describing a person as a horse. They all think it implies that a person’s face is exceedingly long, so it is an insult.

Fifty percent of the Americans agreed if it is a compliment to say that the person works hard as in a “workhorse” or he is “strong as a horse”. It can also mean someone who runs fast. In addition, terms like “stallion” and “stud” used for men are usually considered complimentary. The horse is often used in “You eat like a horse” to imply a healthy or big appetite, or “Stop horsing around” to imply “stop wasting time.” Fifty percent disagreed because a horse might be used to mean a big and ugly woman.

(8) The sheep/lamb

The sheep is the eighth creature in the Chinese zodiac. It is the emblem of filial piety as it kneels when suckling its mother. Sheep were, on the whole, less important than the ox and horse in China.

Question 15: It is appropriate to say to a person’s face that he/she is like a lamb.

Ninety percent of the Chinese agreed because the lamb is a friendly, nice-tempered, soft animal. But it is also used to describe someone being shy and timid because they lack confidence and follow orders completely.

Forty percent of the Koreans who agreed think the lamb is pretty, pure, naïve, and innocent, so it is appropriate to describe a person as a lamb. The other 60 who disagreed think it is not appropriate to use it to an adult. It means he/she is too active.

Only 10 of them agreed with using it in certain contexts. For the other eleven zodiac animals, more than 50 of them disagreed with using the rat, the bull/cow, the snake, the monkey, the chicken, the dog, and the pig to anyone. And other terms like the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the horse, and the lamb can also have bad connotations in certain situations. In order to interact with people of a different culture appropriately, one needs to adjust his/her language to others’ cultural rules for meaningful communication. Most people believe that human beings are above every other living creature in the world because human beings can be educated, cultivated, and have the ability to tell right from wrong and good from evil. To avoid cultural misunderstandings, not to choose any of the animal-linked metaphors for people is highly recommended.

by: Man-Ping Chu