Friday, March 6, 2020
Meanings of French Homophones
Meanings of French Homophones Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings and, sometimes, spellings. Therefore, French homophones can cause difficulties in oral comprehension and spelling. These pages should help you to understand the difference between the most common French homophones. French Homophones: A a - first letter of the French alphabeta - third person singular conjugation of avoir (to have)   Il a une question - He has a question (preposition) - to, at, in   Je vais la banque - Im going to the bankabaisse(s) - singular conjugations of abaisser (to lower)   Abaisse le drapeau - Lower the flagune abaisse - rolled-out pastry   Jai fait une abaisse de 5 mm - I rolled out the pastry to 5 mmune abbesse - abbess   Labbesse habite au couvent - The abbess lives in the conventaccro - (inf adj) hooked, addictedun accro - addict, lover   Je suis accro de franà §ais - Im a French lover/addictun accroc - tear, blotai - first person singular present indicative conjugation of avoir (to have)   Jai une idà ©e - I have an ideaaie - first person singular subjunctive of avoiraient - third person plural subjunctive of avoiraies - second person singular subjunctive of avoirait - third person singular subjunctive of avoires - second person singular present indicative of à ªtre (to be)est - third person singular present indicative of à ªtreet - (conjunction) and   Il est grand et beau - He is tall and handsomeun aide - male assistant   Je vais embaucher un aide - Im going to hire an assistantune aide - help, assistance, female assistant   Jai besoin de votre aide - I need your helpair, aire - see rune amande - almond   Jaime bien la pà ¢te aux amandes - I really like almond pasteune amende - fine   Tu dois payer une amende de 50 euros - You have to pay a 50-euro finean - year   Jhabite ici depuis un an - Ive lived here for a yearen (adverbial pronoun) - of it/them   Jen veux trois - I want three of themen (preposition) - to, in   Je vais en France - Im going to Franceaoà »t - August   Il ny a pas de cours en aoà »t - There are no classes in AugustHou ! - Boo! une houe - hoele houx - hollyou (coordinating conjunction) - or   Cest toi ou moi ? - Is it your turn or mine?oà ¹ (relative pronoun) - where   Oà ¹ vas-tu ? - Where are you going?au (contraction of le) - to the   Je vais au marchà © - Im going to the marketaux - to the (contraction of les)eau - watero - the letter ooh (interjection) - ohaussità ´t (adverb) - immediately   Aussità ´t dit, aussità ´t fait - No sooner said than doneaussi tà ´t - as/so early   Jarriverai aussi tà ´t que possible - I will arrive as early as possibleun autel - altar   Il y a toujours des fleurs sur lautel - There are always flowers on the altarun hà ´tel - hotel   Je cherche un hà ´tel Paris - Im looking for a hotel in Parisun auteur - author   Cest un auteur connu - Hes a well-known authorune hauteur - height   Quelle est la hauteur de la porte ? - How tall is the door?un avocat - avocadoun avocat - lawyer B b - the second letter of the alphabetbà ©e - open-mouthed   Il reste bouche bà ©e - He is standing open-mouthed (in wonder)bai (horse) - bayune baie - bay   Jhabite prà ¨s de la baie - I live near the bayune baie - berryun bar - bar/pub   Il y a un bar amà ©ricain prà ¨s dici - Theres an American bar nearbyun bar - bass   Je ne sais pas prà ©parer le bar - I dont know how to prepare bassune barre - bar (rod), barre, helm   Pourquoi y a-t-il une barre ici ? - Why is there a bar here?(un) Beur - (informal) second-generation North African (verlan of Arabe)le beurre - butterbois - first and second person singular of boire (to drink)   Je ne bois pas dalcool - I dont drink alcoholle bois - wood   Nous avons un four bois - We have a wood stoveboit - third person singular of boirela boue - mudle bout - tipun boum - bang, explosion   Et puis boum ! tout est tombà © - And then boom! everything fell downun boum - ( familiar) success   Je nai jamais vu un tel boum - Ive never seen such (incredible) successle boum - (familiar) activity   La fà ªte est en plein boum - The partys in full swingune boum - (informal) party   La boum commence 22h - The party starts at 10pmun brin - blade (of grass)   Le chien a mangà © un brin dherbe - The dog ate a blade of grassun brin - (informal) a bit   Un brin plus haut, sil te plaà ®t - A bit higher, pleasebrun - dark-haired   Le brun est plus beau que le blond - The dark-haired man is more handsome than the blondNote: These two words arent homophones for everyone; some French speakers make a distinction between in and un. bu - past participle of of boirele but - goal (note that some people pronounce the final t) C c - letter of the French alphabetces (demonstrative adjective) - these   Jaime ces fleurs - I like these flowerscest - it/this is   Cest difficile de trouver un bon emploi - Its hard to find a good jobsais - first and second person singular present indicative of savoir (to know)   Je ne sais pas - I dont knowsait - third person singular present indicative of savoirses (possessive adjective) - his, her, its   Voici ses livres - Here are his/her bookssest - reflexive pronoun se third person singular of à ªtre (to be)   Il sest dà ©j habillà ©Ã‚ - He already got dressedà §a indefinite demonstrative pronoun - it, that   Je naime pas à §a - I dont like thatsa (possessive adjective) - his, her, its   Cest sa sÅ“ur - Thats his/her sistercar (conjunction) - since, for   La rà ©union fut annulà ©e car le prà ©sident est malade - The meeting was canceled since the president is sickun quart - quarter   un kilo et quart - one and a quarter kilosce (indefinite demonstrative pronoun) - this, it   Ce doit à ªtre un bon restaurant - This must be a good restaurantse - reflexive pronoun   Il se là ¨ve huit heures - He gets up at 8 oclockcelle - see selcen - contraction of ce  en (adverbial pronoun)   Cen est trop - This is too muchcent - one hundred   Jai cent dollars - I have a hundred dollarsle sang - blood   Il y a du sang sur ta chemise - Theres blood on your shirtsans (preposition) - without   Je suis sorti sans manger - I went out without eatingsen - se  en   Il sen venait tranquillement - He was approaching unhurriedlysens - first and second person singular of sentir (to feel, smell)sent - third person singular of sentir   Ã⠀¡a sent bon !  - That smells good!censà ©Ã‚ - supposed to   Je suis censà © partir midi - Im supposed to leave at noonsensà ©Ã‚ - sensible   Cest un homme sensà ©Ã‚ - Hes a sensible mancest vowel or mute h (due to liaison)   Cest une bonne idà ©e - Thats a good ideacet - masculine demonstrative adjective in front of a vowel/mute h   Cet homme est beau - That man is handsomecette - feminine demonstrative adjective   Cette femme est belle - That woman is beautifulsept - seven   Jai sept chats - I have seven catssest vowel or mute h   Il sest habillà © tout seul - He got dressed all by himselfSà ¨te - a village in southern Francecà ©tait - it was   Cà ©tait formidable - It was greatsà ©tait - se third person singular imperfect of à ªtre   Il sà ©tait dà ©j levà ©Ã‚ - He had already gotten upsà ©taient - se third pe rson plural imperfect of à ªtre   Elles sà ©taient habillà ©es - They had gotten dressedla chair - fleshla chaire - pulpit, post, (university) chair   Ils vont crà ©er une chaire darabe - Theyre going to create a chair of Arabiccher - dear, expensive   un cher ami - a dear friendchÅ“ur - choir, chorus   Jaimerais bien à ©couter le chÅ“ur - Id really like to listen to the choircÅ“ur - heart   Il a le cÅ“ur malade - He has a weak heartchouette - great, nice   Je laime bien, elle est chouette - I really like her, shes greatchouette - owl   As-tu vu la chouette hier soir ?  - Did you see the owl last night?-ci - this (suffix)   Cet arbre-ci est plus joli que celui-l - This tree is prettier than that onescie - saw   Il doit acheter une nouvelle scie - He needs to buy a new sawsi - if   Si tu es prà ªt... - If youre ready...si - yes (in response to a negative question)   Tu ne viens pas ? Si ! - Arent you coming? Yes!six - sixsy - se  y (adverbial pronoun)   Il est temps de sy mettre - Its time to get on with itun compte - account, count, calculationun comte - count   Le Comte de Monte Cristo - The Count of Monte Cristoun conte - storycool - cool   Ça cest cool - Thats coolcoule(s) - singular indicative conjugations of couler (to run, flow)   Le Rhà ´ne coule du nord au sud - The Rhone flows from north to southle cou - neck   Pourquoi les girafes ont-ils de longs cous ? - Why do giraffes have long necks?le coup - blow   Il a pris un coup sur la tà ªte - He took a blow to the headle coà »t - cost   le coà »t de la vie - the cost of livingla cour - yard, courtyard   Je vais planter des fleurs dans la cour - Im going to plant some flowers in the yardle cours - course   Jai bien aimà © ce cours - I really liked this coursecourt - short   Ce chemin est plus court - This way is shorterle court - tennis courtle cul - assq - letter of the French alphabetle cygne - swan   Jai vu un cygne sur là ©tang - I saw a swan on the pondle signe - sign, gesture   Je ne comprends pas le signe que tu as fait - I dont understand the sign you made D d - letter of the French alphabetun dà ©Ã‚ - thimble, die   Jai besoin de deux dà ©s - I need two dicedes (indefinite article) - somedes (partitive article) - somedes (contraction of de  les) - of/about thedans (preposition) - in   Cest dans le tiroir - Its in the drawerden - preposition de  en (adverbial pronoun)   Nous navons pas fini den parler - We havent finished talking about itune dent - tooth   Je me brosse les dents - Im brushing my teethdavantage - more   En voulez-vous davantage ? - Would you like some more?davantage - de avantage (advantage)   Ce poste manque davantages - This job doesnt have (many) advantagesde (preposition) - of, from, about   Je suis de Californie - Im from Californiadeux - two   Jai deux frà ¨res - I have two brothersNote: These are not true homophones because they have differen t phonetic symbols, but their pronunciation is nearly identical.dà ©goà »ter - to disgust   Ça me dà ©goà »te - That disgusts medà ©goutter - to drip   De leau dà ©goutte de la table - Water is dripping off the tableun dessein (formal) - design, plan, intention   Il a le dessein de le refaire - He plans/intends to redo itun dessin - drawing   Cest un joli dessin - Its a nice drawingle diesel - diesel fuel   Cette station na pas de diesel - This station doesnt have any diesella diesel - diesel automobile   Cest une diesel - Its a diesel car / It takes dieselun don - gift, talent, donation   Il a un don pour le tennis - He has a gift for tennisdont - relative pronoun   Cest le livre dont je tai parlà ©Ã‚ - Its the book I told you aboutdu (partitive article) - some   Veux-tu du pain ?  - Do you want some bread?du - of/about the (contraction of de  le)dà »Ã‚ - past participle of devoir (to have to) E e - letter of the French alphabeteuh (interjection) - uh, um, er   Il y a, euh, trois choses faire - There are, um, three things to doeux (stressed pronoun) - them   Cest pour eux - Its for themNote: The letter e is not a true homophone because it has a different phonetic symbol than the other two, but their pronunciation is nearly identical.-à ©Ã‚ - past participle ending for -er verbs   parlà ©, chantà ©, dansà ©Ã‚ - spoke, sang, danced-er - infinitive ending for -er verbs   parler, chanter, danser - to speak, to sing, to dance-ez - ending for second person plural indicative and imperative of most verbs   (vous) parlez, chantez, dansez - (you) speak, sing, danceeau - see auelle (stressed pronoun) - her   Va avec elle. - Go with her.elle (subject pronoun) - she   Elle le fera demain - Shell do it tomorrow.elles (stressed pronoun) - them   I did it for them. - Je lai fait pour elles.elles (subject pronoun) - they   Elles viennent avec nous ? - Are they coming with us?l - letter of the French alphabeten - see anentre - between, among   entre toi et moi - between you and meentre(s) - singular conjugations of entrer (to enter)à ¨re - see res - see aià ¨s - see sun espace - space, room   Y a-t-il de lespace ?  - Is there any room?une espace - printing space   Il faut mettre une espace entre ces mots - We need to put a space between these wordsune Espace - car model from Renault   Je vais acheter une Espace - Im going to buy an Espaceest, et - see aià ©tà ©Ã‚ - past participle of à ªtre (to be)   Qui a à ©tà © blessà ©Ã‚ ? - Who was hurt?un à ©tà ©Ã‚ - summer   Jaime voyager en à ©tà ©Ã‚ - I like to travel in the summerà ªtre - to beun à ªtre - being   un à ªtre humain - human beingun hà ªtre - beech tree/woodeu - past participle of avoir (to have)   Je nai pas eu loccasion de le faire - I didnt have a chance to do itu - letter of the French alphabet F la faim - hunger   La faim dans le monde - World hungerla fin - end   Cest la fin - Thats the endun fait - fact   Ce nest pas mon opinion, cest un fait - Its not my opinion, its a factun faà ®te - summit, rooftop(vous) faites - second person plural indicative and imperative of faire (to do, make)   Que faites-vous ? - What are you doing?une fà ªte - party   quelle heure commence la fà ªte ? - What time does the party begin?le fard - make-upla phare - lighthouseun fil - thread, yarn, string   Jai tirà © un fil mon pull - I pulled a thread in my sweaterune file - line, queue   Il a dà ©j pris la file - He already got in lineun filtre - filter   Je nai plus de filtres cafà ©Ã‚ - I dont have any more coffee filtersun philtre - potion   Crois-tu que les philtres damour peuvent marcher ? - Do you thi nk love potions work?final - (adj) final, last   Cest la scà ¨ne finale - Its the last scenele finale - finale (music)   Ont-ils fait un finale ? - Did they play a finale?la finale - final (sports)   Vas-tu jouer la finale ?  - Are you going to play in the final (round)?le flan - custard tart   Jaime bien les flans - I really like custard tartsle flanc - side, flank   Il est couchà © sur le flanc - Hes lying on his sidela foi - faith   Il faut avoir la foi - You have to have faithle foie - liver   Je naime pas le foie de volaille - I dont like chicken liverune fois - once, one time   Je lai fait une fois - I did it oncele fond - bottom, back, far end   Il faut aller jusquau fond - You have to go all the way to the backfond - third person singular indicative of fondre (to melt)   La neige fond dà ©j - The snow is already meltingfonds - first and second person singular indicative of fondrefont - third person plural indicative of faire (to do, make)   Quest-ce quils font ? - What are they doing?les fonts - baptismal fountle foudre - (iro nic) leader, large cask   Cest un foudre de guerre - (sarcastic) Hes a great war leaderla foudre - lightning   La foudre est tombà ©e sur la maison - Lightning struck the house   Ça a à ©tà © le coup de foudre - It was love at first sight G g - letter of the alphabetjai (contraction of je first person singular conjugation of avoir [to have]) - I havele gà ¨ne - gene   Cest un gà ¨ne dominant - Its a dominant genela gà ªne - trouble, bother, embarrassment   Il à ©prouve une certaine gà ªne avaler - Hes having trouble swallowinggà ªne(s) - singular conjugations of gà ªner (to bother, embarrass)   Ça ne me gà ªne pas - It doesnt bother mele gà ®te - shelter, cottage, ~ bed and breakfast   Nous avons logà © dans un gà ®te - We stayed in a bed and breakfastla gà ®te - list, inclination of ship   Le bateau donne de la gà ®te - The boat is listingle greffe - court clerks office   Oà ¹ se trouve le greffe ? - Where is the court clerks office?la greffe - transplant, graft   Il a besoin dune greffe du cÅ“ur - He needs a heart transplantguà ¨re - hardlyà ‚   Il nen reste plus guà ¨re - Theres hardly any leftla guerre - war   Cest une guerre civile - Its a civil warun guide - guide (book or person)   Jai achetà © un guide gastronomique - I bought a restaurant guideune guide ~ girl scout/guide   Ma fille veut à ªtre guide - My daughter wants to be a girl scout/guideles guides (f) - reins   Il faut tirer sur les guides - You have to pull on the reins H la haine - hatredn - letter of the alphabethauteur - see auteurhà ªtre - see à ªtrele hockey - hockey   Il joue au hockey. - He plays hockey.le hoquet - hiccup   Jai le hoquet. - I have hiccups.hà ´tel - see autelhou, houe, houx - see aoà »t French Homophones: I i - letter of the alphabety - adverbial pronoun   Il y est allà © hier - He went there yesterdayil (subject pronoun) - he, it   Il est mà ©decin - Hes a doctorils (subject pronoun) - they   Ils ne sont pas prà ªts - They arent readyNote: In informal French, il and ils are commonly pronounced like i. J j - letter of the alphabetjy - contraction of je and y (adverbial pronoun)   Jy vais ! - Im going!jai - see gle jars - gander   Nous avons une oie et un jars - We have one goose and one ganderla jarre - earthenware jar   Jai trouvà © une jarre antique - I found an antique jarjeune - young   Il est trà ¨s jeune - He is very youngun/e jeune - young personle jeà »ne - fast, fasting   Cest un jour de jeà »ne - Its a fast day L l - see ellela (feminine definite article) - the   la pomme - the applela (feminine direct object pronoun) - her, it   Je la vois - I see herl - here, there   Il nest est pas l - Hes not therela - contraction of le or la third person singular of avoir (to have)   Il la achetà ©Ã‚ - He bought itlas - contraction of le or la second person singular of avoir   Tu las vu ? - You saw him?le lac - lakela laque - lacquer, shellac, hairsprayleur (indirect object pronoun) - them   Je leur donne les clà ©s - Im giving them the keysleur(s) (possessive adjective) - their   Cest leur maison - Its their housele(s)/la leur(s) (possessive pronoun) - theirs   Cest le leur - Its theirsun leurre - delusion, illusion, deception, trap, lure, decoylheur - good fortune (ironic)   Je nai pas eu lheur de le co nnaà ®tre - I didnt have the good fortune of knowing himlheure - hour, time   lheure actuelle - At the present timele livre - book   Comment sappelle ce livre ? - What is this book called? la livre - pound   Ça pà ¨se deux livres et coà »te cinq livres - That weighs two pounds and costs five poundslon - euphonic contraction of le  on   Ce que lon a fait - What we didlont - contraction of le or la third person plural of avoir   Ils lont dà ©j achetà ©Ã‚ - They already bought itlong - long   Ne sois pas trop long - Dont take too long M ma (possessive adjective) - my   ma mà ¨re - my motherma - contraction of me (object pronoun) third person singular avoir (to have)   Il ma vu - He saw memas - contraction of me second person singular avoir   Tu mas regardà ©Ã‚ - You looked at mele maire - mayorla mer - seala mà ¨re - mothermai - May   On est le premier mai - Its the first of Mayla maie - bread boxmais - but   Mais je ne suis pas prà ªt ! - But Im not ready!mes (possessive adjective) - my   Oà ¹ sont mes clà ©s ? - Where are my keys?mes - contraction of me second person singular à ªtre (to be)   Tu mes trà ¨s cher - You are very dear to memest - contraction of me third person singular à ªtremet - third person singular conjugation of mettre (to put)   Il met le pain sur la table - Hes putting the bread on the tablemets - first and second person singular mettreun mets - dish   Tout le monde doit amener un mets partager - Everyone needs to bring a dish to sharemaà ®tre (adjective) - main, major, chiefle maà ®tre - master, teachermettre - to putmal - bad, badly, wrong   Jai mal dormi - I slept badlyle mal - evil, pain   Jai mal la tà ªte - I have a headachemà ¢le* - male, manly   Cest une voix mà ¢le - Its a manly voicela malle - trunk (suitcase or car)   Jai dà ©j fait ma malle - Ive already packed my trunk*This isnt a homophone for everyone; some French speakers make a distinction between a and à ¢Ã‚ marocain - Moroccan   Il est marocain - He is Moroccanle maroquin - morocco leatherune mine - expression, look   Il a la bonne mine - He looks goodune mine - mine   Cest une mine dor - Its a gold minemon (possessive a djective) - my   Voici mon pà ¨re - This is my fatherle mont - mountain   Jai grimpà © le mont Blanc - I climbed Mont Blancmont - contraction me third person plural conjugation of avoir   Ils mont vu - They saw memou - softla moue - poutun mur - wallmà »r - ripeune mà »re - blackberry N n - see haineneuf - new (nouveau vs neuf)neuf - nineni - neither   Ni lun ni lautre nest prà ªt - Neither one is readyle nid - nestnie(s) - singular conjugations of nier (to deny)   Il nie là ©vidence - He is denying the obviousnient - third person plural of nierny - contraction of ne  y (adverbial pronoun)   Il ny a pas de pain - There isnt any breadle nom - last name, nounnon - nonont - contraction of ne third person plural conjugation of avoir   Ils nont pas denfants - They dont have any kids
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1
Logistics - Essay Example In order to analyze advantages and shortcomings of the existing Patrick Tasmania e-consignment system, we need to identify the processes and model the structure of the system, considering interdependence, interaction, and integration of its elements. For the simplicity of presentation and understanding of the system’s functioning, the use of diagrams for process and system modeling is essential. Modeling techniques are extremely useful in tackling the complexity, which is found when attempting to analyze and understand a system. Models are also extremely useful communication tools; i.e.: complex ideas and concepts can be captured on paper and can be shown to users and clients for clarification and feedback; or for distribution to other professionals, team members, contractors etc.Data Flow Diagrams, as the name suggests, illustrates the flow of information in a system. They demonstrate the information and how it flows between specific processes in a system.The Data Flow Diagra m modeling is a top-down decomposition technique, which results in process descriptions. To create the Data Flow Diagram we will undertake the following steps: define the target system, identify the main processes and activities (sub-systems) within the system, decompose each of the subsystems into constituent sub-systems or processes until the set of diagrams for the system which cannot be decomposed further is obtained. This set of non-decomposable diagrams will be the ultimate model of the system.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Diversity Audit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Diversity Audit - Research Paper Example This unit examines a newly created organization and the effects of application of diversity audit on its operations. Creating an Organization A thriving organization ought to be effectual and well-organized in its operations. An effectual organization should be unique and should take into deliberation its staff and clients needs. A good example of a business organization is the bread baking industry. The organization takes into deliberation of its client’s satisfaction, as a result, serves both its interests and the community’s interests (Collins, Denis, 153). Company’s Background and History on One Page The bread baking organization has been in operation for the last two years. The company has organization chart, which governs the daily running of behavior inside the organization. The chart is prearranged according to the flow of authority within the company. The person at the top of the company is the boss followed by the assistant boss. Third in the position a re the departmental managers, and lastly are the employees. The company was started because of the high demand that was prevalent in society (Collins, 231). The manager He or she is the individual who supervise the day by day running of the organization. He makes all the judgments pertaining to the daily running of the organization. ... Their roles include coordinating the activities within the company to yield the maximum profits. Workers They are individuals the company employs to aid in the production process. They possess unique skills because of working in a range of departments with dissimilar task to perform. The company has engaged a total of two hundred employees. Conducting a Diversity Audit on the Organization The company’s objective is to satisfy the clients need while maximizing the company’s profits. The organization’s objectives are achievable only when the company’s aspects are reviewed to examine the effective ones from the non-effective ones, as a consequence there is a need to carry a diversity audit on the company. Evaluation and Recommendations for the Organization In Terms Of the Diversity Audit The diversity facilitates evaluation of the company’s merits and demerits. It assesses the company’s procedures, strategies and administration to determine area s where to review to lead to a positive change in the company. The evaluation of the company’s workers is that they are not properly aggravated; as a result, they do not give the company their bests. Secondly the policies of the business do not cater for the employees entire requirements. The promotion criterion in the strategies does not consider the firms employees, since there are no set criteria in the firm for promoting the employees. Lastly, the diversity audits conducted on the management showed the management was not contended with their basic wages, as a result, there did not effectively supervise the firm’s daily operations. After the diversity audit, there are a variety of proposals implemented to make
Monday, January 27, 2020
Design of Business Research Project
Design of Business Research Project The title of the event: Research workshop Questionnaire Design and Construction The date of the event: 10 /02 /2016. Description. Developing a good survey questionnaire is a helpful tool in business. Survey questionnaires are a simple method of obtaining market research data which you need in order to acquire relevant and accurate insight on your target market or responses to a particular product you introduce. Apart from knowing abstract concepts in class, I browse different sets of questionnaires and I can tell a good questionnaire from a bad one. I have had experience administering survey questionnaires for academic and professional purposes but I never had the opportunity to design or develop a questionnaire suited to my specific needs. From my point of view, the research workshop I attended provided me with the information I needed in order develop a questionnaire which will be helpful in obtaining perceptions data on what potential consumers need from a startup computer business. In a business, market research data involves a strategic process which will ensure that you know your audience and your data reflects objective reality (Webb, 2000). For this purpose, it is necessary to have the skill in developing an instrument which can inform me at the onset what the target market wants and what customers expect from an efficient computer company. In addition, it is also necessary to develop a questionnaire which can also gauge customer satisfaction so that I may be informed what makes customers happy and unhappy with the services my company intends to offer. In a way, designing a questionnaire can be used to jumpstart the communication process between the customers and the management and provide baseline data for a business relationship. Self-analysis. At first, I thought questionnaires were pro-forma documents that researchers distribute to people and that answering them was boring and tedious. I realized that the questionnaires which I have had the opportunity to answer may not have been constructed well. In my experience, some questionnaires have redundant items written and some items seem errant and off topic. Some questionnaires are really unnecessarily lengthy so that some items are left unanswered or unmarked. Some questionnaires become spoiled because the respondents ticked two answers for an item that required only one answer. Market research data is everything when you are trying to start a business. It provides you with legs to stand on by gathering data that can help you make sound business decisions (Miller Dickson, 2001). Hence, if the questionnaire does not collect the data you need to make those decisions, then the purpose is defeated (Canada Business Network, 2016). I began to appreciate that the design and constr uction of a good and reliable questionnaire must be a systematic process that requires skill and diligence in making. Analysis of learning. As a result of the research workshop and the subsequent further reading I made on design and construction of questionnaires, I gathered the important concepts on designing a good questionnaire. The design depends on what information you need. A questionnaires design depends on the research needs and specifications. If the researcher wishes to collect numerical data in order to determine the perceptions of a target market, then it will need to take the form of a standardized questionnaire (Webb, 2000). However, if the aim is also to explore in a more in-depth manner the perceptions and views of a target audience regarding a product, then a qualitative interview questionnaire will be suitable. Exploratory questionnaires will require only a brief guide with perhaps ten open-ended questions with prompts and probing questions per interview questions (Trochim, 2008). For the formal standardized questionnaire however, which is what I need, the task is lengthier and more tedious because it needs (FAO, 2012): Prescribed wording and ordering of questions in order to assure receipt of similar stimuli Variables need to be operationalized or defined clearly in order for respondents to answer consistently A prescribed response format in order to ensure fast completion of the questionnaire A good questionnaire meets research objectives. Designing a good questionnaire requires that it accomplishes the research objectives (Schonlau et al., 2001). This entails substantial preparatory work on my part. By preparatory work, this means that before I set out to design a questionnaire I need to do research on relevant literature on the topic or issue I want to solicit perceptions about. The workshop teacher reiterated that questionnaires fail due to poor understanding and research work on the issue or topic. Complete and accurate information makes a good questionnaire. If respondents do not understand the questions outlined in the questionnaire, then the more likely it will be that they do not answer or refuse to answer (Canada Business Network, 2016). The questionnaire should be simply and adequately worded so as to elicit the proper and accurate answer from the respondents. A well-arranged questionnaire is important. Questionnaires must not only be easily understood on the part of the respondents but it should be well-arranged and structured so that it will be easier to analyze and interpret (Trochim, 2008). It is also important to ensure that the questionnaire is short and it flows in a manner as to keep the respondent interested in answering. Unnecessary or irrelevant questions should be dealt away with. Response scale An important feature of a well-designed questionnaire is the selection of an appropriate response scale where respondents may rate their experience or perception on a scale of, for instance, one to five, one being lowest and five being the highest (Trochim, 2008). Ensure pre-testing of the questionnaire It is very important to pilot test your questionnaire in order to point out what changes need to be made and how the instrument can be improved. Finalization After pre-testing the questionnaire, a final version will be produced based on the feedback and evaluation. Application in context. Learning about questionnaire design and construction allowed me to make a strong connection on the importance of surveys in market research. Based on my actual circumstances, I am interested on starting up a digital marketing business and my target audience are individuals who are inclined to use the Internet and social media in their commercial transactions. When I visit social media websites, several short online questionnaires pop up and asks the user certain questions on website usage. These questions are meant to map the frequency of user engagement with a particular social media platform, in what I could hypothesize is an attempt by the company to pull out of a profile of their user base. User data will be extremely important in making market decisions and offering suitable product choices for users. I was also able to evaluate the online survey forms that some websites offer in order to get to know their customers better. Most just deal with demographic data which are actually boring and length. I was able to link the lessons I obtained from the research workshop to come up with an initial design for a questionnaire to determine user preferences in online shopping. Evaluation. Learning more about questionnaire design and construction has allowed me to appreciate the science of survey-making especially its relevance in market research (Brown, 2008). I was able to tie the connection between a good and well-design survey questionnaire to more sound decision-making process in marketing and management (Webb, 2000; Schonlau et al., 2001). Understanding the impact of surveys in ascertaining user perceptions and employee satisfaction provided better insight for me of its importance. Due to the additional insight I learned from the research workshop, I was able to evaluate with certainty and guidelines some of the previous questionnaires I had constructed in relation to my work and I was able to assess its strong and weak spots. Based on the learning outcomes of the research workshop, I can say with confidence that I now have a clear appreciation of the importance of a good questionnaire design. I now also have a newfound appreciation on how important preparatory work is in designing the questionnaire and identifying clear what your research objectives are. I am now more challenged to design future market survey questionnaires in the future for my own personal use as well as those related to the demands of my profession. Self-concept. There was a great deal of unlearning which occurred as a process of engaging in the research workshop. The difference between being a respondent in a survey questionnaire is immense compared to when you have to design the questionnaire yourself. You need to appreciate the relevance of the content in the questionnaire as well as the suitability of the design. In short, I now consider questionnaire design both a science and an art. It is a science because it needs to be systematic; on the other hand, it becomes an art because you need to be creative and innovative so that the questionnaire keeps the respondent engaged and interested. Action In light of the learning outcomes of the research workshop, I have undertaken the construction of a preliminary survey questionnaire to produce a demographic profile of the users of a website that I manage as well as to determine user satisfaction on the design, layout, and ease of use of the website. I have scheduled it to be pre-tested among a circle of my friends in order to determine what parts of the survey needs to be improved. References Brown, L. (2008). Market research and analysis. Chicago: Wildside Press. Canada Business Network. (2016). Conducting market research. Retrieved from http://canadabusiness.ca/business-planning/market-research-and-statistics/conducting-market-research/designing-a-questionnaire/ Food and Agriculture Organisation. (2012). Chapter 4: Questionnaire Design. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/w3241e/w3241e05.htm Miller, T. W. P. R. Dickson (2001). Online Market Research. International Journal of Electronic Commerce 5(3), 139-167. Schonlau, M., R. D. J. Fricher, et al. (2001). Conducting Research Surveys via E-mail and the Web. New York: RAND Publications. Trochim, W. M. K. (2008). Social research methods. Retrieved from: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/survwrit.php Webb, J. (2000). Questionnaires and their Design. The Marketing Review 1, 197-218.
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Blood Donation Essay
Abstract Blood donation is dependent on the goodwill of people, to voluntarily donate blood, without financial reward. There is a continuous need for new blood donors, because the demand for donor blood is increasing, whereas the supply of blood is declining. Only 3% of the eligible population members actually donate blood. This leaves an enormous potential blood donor base, which if tapped into and maintained could lead to an adequate reserve of donations to meet the transfusion needs of this country. The focus of this paper will be on how social marketing can be effective in increasing blood supply. Understanding and facilitating the recruitment and retention of blood donors is the major contribution that the social and behavioral sciences can make to transfusion medicine. For the medical profession, the amount of blood a hospital has in stock for immediate or emergent use is a critical issue. Blood is needed for emergencies. It is also needed for people who have cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell anemia and other illnesses. Annually, donating blood saves many lives, both young and old. Communication is the key to success, and we need to communicate the importance of blood donation to the general public. Most people respond to issues that relate to their own lives. (Duffy. 2001) As advertising professionals, we must develop a plan to show the public that one day blood donation could mean life or death. One day blood could be needed to save their life or the life of a loved one. When donation of blood becomes a priority to our society, then able bodied donors will have a greater will to participate. Blood drives should be advertised with depth and weight on an emotional level, emphasizing why it should be important to the individual who takes the time to donate. People will undoubtedly ask, â€Å"How is this going to benefit me†? We need to be able to produce such evidence, and if we can, then people will have a greater will and motivation to give. Some experts estimate that if everyone that is qualified to donate would participate in donation at a blood drive two to three times a year, blood shortages would be eliminated. Encouraging more Americans to become regular blood donor will ensure that most area hospitals will have a safe and plentiful supply of blood that is available wherever and whenever it’s needed. Blood is without a doubt something special, it cannot be manufactured nor can it be replaced by animal blood. Some reports have shown that each year 4.5 million American lives are saved by blood transfusions. Aside from traumatic events such as a severe automobile accident with serious bodily injuries, there are many different reasons why someone would need to have a blood transfusion. Some people need transfusions on a routine basis as part of their medical treatment for an illness or disease. One of the major groups of people in need of blood transfusions frequently, or for treatment purposes, is those infected with sickle cell anemia. According to the Mayo Clinic, 80,000 people around the country have this disease and these patients â€Å"require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives†(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007). Our society has not placed a high priority on blood donation but it is a social responsibility. The donor should be donating it with confidence that it will be used in saving lives of his fellow beings. This should be an important point of conveyance when advertising information about blood donation. People have a desire to do what is morally right. Educating the public is another key element that is needed to increase the public’s general understanding of the need to have a constant and abundant blood supply. Some points that need to be addressed during education is that the average amount of blood present in an adult is 4-5 liters or about 8% of the body weight. And life cycles of the different components are short. The red blood cell lives about 120 days while white cells last about 3-9 days. New blood cells are constantly generated in the body. A person can donate blood 168 times during his 18 to 60 years. Unfortunately, most Americans only donate blood a few times throughout their lifetime, and some people never donate blood at all. (Mayo Clinic, 2007). Unavailability of blood may cost lives. Hence, importance of blood donation is tremendous. This is the greatest gift one can give to the fellow humans. Voluntary Blood Donors are saviors of mankind. If someone really loves oneself and other fellow beings, the only way to express it is to donate blood voluntarily. The message we send to the public should be clear and urgent. We must change the current mindset from occasional donation, to frequent. Many studies have shown that there needs to be a personal incentive to become a frequent donor (Transfusion 2003). A study done in 1995 and reported by Transfusion concluded with a suggestion that free cholesterol testing or health related discounts at blood drive locations has increased the number of donors over the last 10 years by 65%. The use social networking programs such as facebook and twitter have been successfully used to increase awareness among the young adult generation. (Transfusion. 2010). Some other countries have tried to offer items of limited value or blood credit bonus programs that could be safe and effective strategies for retaining donors. (Asian Journal of Transfusion Science. 2010) Conclusions have shown that discounted or free medical tests had the votes for popular appeal. In America, we have to focus on these incentives for our future supply and demand needs. References Mayo Clinic Staff. (March 28, 2007). Sickle Cell Anemia. Retrieved July 8, 2007. from the world wide web May 14, 2012 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sickle-cell-anemia/DS00324 Baluch, Bahman, Gurch Randhawa, Sherryl L. Holmes and Linda J. Duffy (2001). Signing the Organ Donor Card: The Relationship between Expressed Attitude, the Actual Behavior, and Personality Traits. Journal of Social Psychology 141(1): 124-126. Titmuss, Richard Morris (1972). The Gift Relationship: From Human Blood to Social Policy. New York: Vintage Books. Blood donor incentives: A step forward or backward. Asian Journal of Transfusion Science. 2010 Jan; 4(1)9-13 Glynn SA, Williams AE, Nass CC, Bethel J, Kessler D, Scott EP, Fridey J, Kleinman SH, Schreiber GB; Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study (2010). Incentives for blood donation in the United States: implications for donor recruitment. Transfusion Jan; 2010 (1):26-40. Attitudes toward blood donation incentives in the United States: implications for donor recruitment. Transfusion. 2003 Jan ;43(1):7-16. Additional Websites: American Association of Blood Banks. 2004 http://www.aabb.org/index.htm American Red Cross Organization. 2003 http://www.redcross.org/home/ Plasma Care. 2003 http://www.plasmacare.com/
Friday, January 10, 2020
On Dumpster Diving Essay
In the essay on Dumpster Diving we read about Lars Eighner Who is a scavenger in the sense that he searches dumpsters for leftover items that can be of aid to him to enable him to eat or to have clothing to wear. In this essay we see numerous rhetorical approaches to grab the reader’s attention in as he conveys a story and a lifestyle that sheds light to an unknown profession. We immediately read about how knowledgeable and passionate the author is about this subject as he comes out almost challenging the Marriam-Webster dictionary on if the word Dumpster should be capitalized or not.When I read Mr. Eighner, someone who scavenged for food on a daily basis, and yet at the same time was able to challenge the most reputable dictionary I was confident in my choice for my paper His expertise was un-paralleled in that he could dictate exactly how to correctly and safely dumpster dive, and yet at the same time make you feel as if you were not reading an essay from someone who woul d have these types of personal experiences. In his writing he writes long enough on how to correctly evaluate the food found in dumpsters I felt as though if I were to be put on the streets tomorrow I would know what to do.He says that there are three principles to eating out of a Dumpster. He dictates that the first one is to use the senses and common sense to assess the condition of the found materials the second is to know the Dumpsters of a given area and lastly to answer the question of â€Å"why was it discarded? †(par. 7). Here I see his intelligence quite vast as he is able to make up three tentative rules on Dumpster diving from personal experience. Later on we see him discuss how to tell if canned food was good to eat. Most people assume that if it is still in a can it is good to eat, but this is not the case.We writes that canned foods should have some sort of a vacuum and that they should not be bulging, punctured, dented or rusty (par. 10). This display of knowl edge and intelligence is unrivaled and further proves his expertise. Later on he continues to talk about food safety in which he says that dried food is usually the safest, if there is no visible contamination on it (par. 12). His intelligence is once again shown when in the next paragraph he discusses what can be pared away in a vegetable and at what point it becomes too rotten to eat. He articulates that leafy vegetables are usually contaminated by liquids and hard to wash.In these sentences about food safety we are shown a clear and well-articulated rudimentary â€Å"textbook†on how to evaluate foods that may be available to eat and whether or not it is safe to eat. But Lars Eighner does not stop here. After moving on from food safety we see his expertise in his cunning ability to locate good and credible dumpsters, such as one behind a pizza parlor. We then read into why so many pizzas go to waste and are given enough factual evidence that we nearly forget we are reading this essay from someone who hasn’t even worked in the particular restaurant, yet knew very much about it (par. 18).In the next paragraph I read something that would not register to the average reader, or one who might have not studied the text. He said that he had never placed a bogus order to the pizza parlor to receive a free pizza (par. 13). After reading over this a couple of times it leaned me two different thoughts, one was that he was an honest person and the other that he trusted in his expertise and intelligence so much that he did not have to do something like that to get his next meal.This put a lot of confidence in me that if I was thrown out on the streets with only this piece of writing I would be able to make him like Mr. Eighner. This essay or homemade textbook did not stop at food safety though. We are then informed about the different times of the year when people are more wasteful and likely to throw perfectly good food out. Lars Eighner shares that rig ht after college breaks students are more likely to just throw everything out of the fridge in an attempt to become more clean and organized, which lends him some very good resources. (par. 20)He continues on saying that when the parents or dads come to visit their kids they tend to throw everything out, including spirits, porn and drugs. Students are many times more likely to be wasteful as they have a parent or adult pays for nearly every expense, so why would they care? With every paragraph in this essay we are further convinced of Mr. Eighners intellectual superiority when it comes to eating out of a dumpster. He knows where to find the best dumpsters, what times are most successful to scavenge and finally what safety precautions should be taken before eating.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
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