9 benefits of learning a second language

There was a time when it was compulsory to take a GCSE in a modern foreign language (MFL), but unfortunately in the early 2000s MFLs were made an optional choice. As a result of this, the number of pupils taking GCSEs in French, Spanish, and German has been dropping year on year. This then means that fewer people are going on to study MFLs at university level, and we're starting to see a shortage in MFL teachers, thus perpetuating the lack of interest in learning other languages. Everyone else learns English, so why should we bother? Many native English speakers don't see the point in putting the effort into learning a second language because everyone else wants to speak our language. This is a really lazy attitude. Sure, a lot of people around the world are very keen to learn English, but that doesn't mean that we should stop making the effort to learn a second language. There are a number of great benefits to learning another language, and it's never too late to learn... 1. Employers love it The job market is incredibly competitive, so your best chance of getting hired is if you have an edge over the other candidates. In today's global market, being able to speak a second language makes you an incredibly valuable asset to an employer as you can help to bridge the gap between countries, helping your employer to tap into new markets. Speaking a second language also demonstrates to an employer that you are open, diverse, flexible, intelligent, and empathetic to other cultures, which are all desirable skills that employers seek in their staff. 2. It makes you smarter Learning a second language improves the functionality of your brain, improves your memory, and increases your attention span. Acquiring a new language challenges your brain to recognise new words, negotiate meaning, and communicate using different grammatical rules. This skill helps to boost your ability to solve problems and absorb new information, thus helping to make you smarter. 3. It makes you better at multitasking   Multitasking is stressful for many people, and both tasks tend to suffer as a result. Bilingual people are skilled at switching between two different systems of communication; so ‘juggling' languages in this way typically leads to a better ability to multitask in other areas of life too. A study carried out by Pennsylvania State University asked participants to use a driving simulator whilst doing separate tasks at the same time, and it was found that those who spoke more than one language typically made fewer mistakes than their monolingual counterparts. 4. It improves your English skills When was the last time you stopped to think about the grammar of the English language? Unless you're studying English at university it's probably been quite some time since you considered the structure of the language that you speak every day. Learning a second language focuses your attention on the grammatical rules and constructions, which in turn gives you a new insight into English and can help you to improve the way you communicate in your mother tongue too. 5. It improves your overall academic performance Learning an additional language sharpens your cognitive skills, not just in terms of taking on a new system of communication, but also in other subjects. Studies have shown that children who learn a second language at school tend to perform better across the board than children who are not taught a second language. It's never too late to benefit from this enhanced academic function, so why not use your elective modules to study a modern foreign language and potentially enhance your overall degree performance?6. It staves off dementia and Alzheimer's Your brain has muscle-like qualities in that it grows and flourishes with regular use. Learning a second language is certainly a great workout for your brain! The acquisition of a second language helps to strengthen your brain's function, and several studies have found that multilingual adults are more likely to experience the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease at a later age than their monolingual counterparts; 75 and 71 years of age respectively. 7. It gives you a better understanding of the world Learning a new language not only gives you a new way to communicate with people, it also gives you a better understanding of different cultures across the world. Each different culture has its own music, literature, media, history etc and having an understanding of a particular language opens up these new things to you, giving you insight and understanding of different cultures. For example, if you were to learn to speak Portuguese you would be able to learn more about the culture and way of life in both Portugal and Brazil, among several other countries who also speak the language.8. It helps you to travel If you're planning on backpacking around Europe, South America, or Asia, it can help to understand the language of some of the places you'll be visiting. The ability to say even a few key phrases in the native language of the country you are visiting will enrich the experience for you. It's true that most people in larger cities speak English fairly well, but if you want to get off the beaten track in Cuba or Mexico, knowing some Spanish will help you to communicate with the locals, make friends, and find your way around. 9. It increases your confidence Mastering any new skill is sure to boost your confidence; whether it's learning to code, learning how to crochet, honing your baking skills, or passing your driving test. Learning a new language is no different. In fact, it's probably one of the most important skills you can master. Having the knowledge and ability to communicate with a whole new set of people will fill you with pride, and the more you use this skill to speak to fluent speakers of that language, the more confident you will be in using your new skill. This confidence then transfers to other areas of your life; if you can master a second language, you can pretty much take on the world!

Should You Send the 4 Free SAT Score Reports

Should You Send the 4 Free SAT Score Reports SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Few things in life are free – especially when it comes to college admissions. You have to shell out for prep books, test fees, application fees, and more. It adds up quickly! So doesn’t it make sense to save money where you can, like on those four free score reports that come with your SAT registration? Maybe – or maybe not. We will examine the issue in depth and help you learn how to save your money and also maximize your college admission chances. Why Students Often Send the 4SAT Reports When you register for the SAT, you have the option of choosing four colleges for your score report to be sent to, free of charge. You even have until 9 days after the test to add or change the colleges. Scores normally cost $11.25 per school to send, so you’re saving yourself $45 dollars. Many students go ahead and send the four free score reports. It’s free, so it seems like there isn't much to lose. Plus, you have to send your scores eventually, so why not do it when it’s free? Furthermore, some students think it demonstrates interest in a college to choose them as a score recipient. It might also motivate a student to study hard if they know their scores are being sent straight to their top-choice schools. All in all, it seems like a pretty good option, right? Well, that all depends on which schools you pick. Reasons Sending the Reports Could Be a Bad Idea While you certainly can save money by sending the four free score reports, there are several risks that come with using them. First of all, it’s worth clarifying you’re not getting any kind of a leg up in the college application process by sending scores early – colleges don’t keep track of or favor students who began their applications earlier or communicate with the admissions office in any way. The overall strength of your application matters most, not when you begin it. â€Å"Your completed application is all the demonstrated interest we need. We don’t track visits, communications, college fairs, or web events to enhance or detract from anyone’s application," says Dartmouth College on their admissions website. Stanford University says the same thing:"We know by the very fact of your applying that you are seriously interested in Stanford. We do not keep records of prospective student contacts with our office." Bottom line, the strength of your overall application is what matters to colleges. And a huge chunk of your application will be the test scores you send. Which is why the score reports can be a risk. The free score reports are sent automatically after your test is scored – you can’t take them back if you look at your scores and they’re lower than you wanted. This means a college you might really want to go to now has your less-than-stellar score. Unless you feel like chasing down a mail truck and stealing back your scores... This will negate using Score Choice (choosing your top SAT scores from multiple sittings) at any school you send the free score reports to. This is a risky move, especially if you send your scores to competitive schools. Plus, there are many reasons why the four free score reports might not be as helpful as you think. You might not end up applying to all four schools you list, especially if you’re taking the test as a sophomore or in junior fall. Most students’ college lists fluctuate a lot over the course of high school. While you're not wasting money if you don't end up applying to the four schools you send your scores to, it goes to show how those four reports are not necessarily helpful. Furthermore, if you retake the SAT, unless you choose the exact same four schools, you’ll have to re-send any new reports if you get a higher score the second time. So unless there are four schools you’re positive you’re going to apply to and you’re not worried sending lower scores will hurt your admission chances, the four free score reports can be a risk. While you can potentially save money by taking advantage of the free reports, you should be careful about which schools you choose. We will discuss two potential ways to get around this below. Our Strategy For the Free Score Reports While we wouldn’t tell you to never send the score reports, as it can be a cost-saving option, there is a way to be smart about it. Read about the two best options below – not sending the score reports at all or sending them only to your safety schools or â€Å"all scores† schools. Option 1: Don't Sent Any Reports This is the only way to be sure you won't accidentally send poor SAT scores to a college you're interested in. Not sending any score reports allows you to relax and focus on the test. You’re the only one who will see your scores for now. If you need to retake it, you’ll retake it. You don’t have to stress about a college seeing your scores immediately. Furthermore, not sending scores can be smart because you’re likely not going to finalize your application list until senior fall. It’s hard to predict where exactly you’re applying as a sophomore or junior when you take the SAT. In fact, the only schools you might be sure about are your dream or â€Å"reach† schools, precisely the schools you don’t want to be sending scores to blind. While you may end up paying more for score reports down the road, you will only be sending the scores you want to send to the colleges you want to apply to. By keeping your college application list manageable, you can save money on score reports and application fees. Option 2: Send the Reports to Safety and "All Scores" Schools If you really want to take advantage of those score reports, send them to your safety schools – ones you are fairly sure you will apply to and you know you won’t have trouble getting into. Or send them to any schools you’re interested in that require all scores anyway. Yale is one of many schools that require your complete testing record to be sent. By sending scores to safety schools, even if your score is lower than expected, you’re likely not hurting your chances of admission. And even if your scores are lower than expected and they go to all scores schools, that would happen anyway, even if you didn't send the reports for free. This way, you can save some money down the line when you’re applying to college without jeopardizing your chances of admission at competitive schools that accept Score Choice. How to Request Free Waivers for More Score Reports Many students today apply to more than four colleges, which means sending more than four score reports. If sending additional SAT scores presents a financial hardship for your family, you can get four more as part of a fee waiver from College Board. (The fee waiver also allows you to take the SAT twice for free, as well as two SAT Subject Tests.) Your high school counselor has to request the fee waver, so make an appointment with them as soon as possible to begin the process. This will take the pressure to send the four score reports just because they’re free. Other Tips for Keeping Costs Down Make sure you finalize your college application list early in senior fall and give yourself plenty of time to send scores so you don’t have to pay the extra rush delivery fee. This is a way to keep application costs down, not to mention your stress levels! Also, you shouldn’t be applying to a super long list of schools. All of those application fees and score-sending fees will add up quickly. Try to keep your list to 10 or fewer, and with a mix of safety schools, likely schools, and reach schools. Finally, carefully research score choice versus all scores schools. If you are mostly applying to schools that accept Score Choice, you will have the option to only send your best SAT scores. Don’t throw that chance away by sending SAT scores before you’ve seen them yourself. What’s Next? So what kind of SAT score should you be aiming for? Use our guide to create a target score based on your top-choice schools. Not sure if you should retake the SAT? We have a guide to help you decide. Need some help getting ready for the SAT? Learn how to stop running out of time on the Math section, how to read the passages in Critical Reading, and the grammar rules you must know for the writing section. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Anti-Cemitism in Nazi Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Anti-Cemitism in Nazi Cinema - Essay Example The order from the government was carried out by the filmmakers and two anti-Semitic movies were released in the year 1939 which portrayed them as sub humans. The two most popular movies made during the era are The Eternal Jew and Jew Suss. These two films were released in the period of 1940. The basic ideas of the films were aimed to spread the felling of hatred towards the Jews in the society. In the study below, the analysis of the two movies are done with respect to the portrayal of the anti Semitism. The issues studied in the paper deals with the role play of the movie in the spread of hatred against Jews. The popularity of the movies is considered in dealing with the subject. A critical analysis of the movie is done and elements focusing the Anti Semitism are studied in detail. The characters and their portrayals are given much concern in the subject. The depiction of events and the weaving of the story are analyzed to find out the methods adopted to document the hatred against the Jews. Thesis statement: The Nazis adopted to portray Anti Semitism with the help of movies and movies like the Eternal Jew and the Jew Suss played a crucial role in dealing with the subject. The Eternal Jew: The movie was released in the 1940 as a documentary with its sole aim being the propaganda of the German Nazis against the Jews. The movie was released in the 1940 as a documentary with its sole aim being the propaganda of the German Nazis against the Jews. The film was produced due to the insistence of the German government to spread hatred regarding the Jews and to spread the propaganda that they are evil part of the society. The film was directed by Hippler. The movie was titled as Der ewige Jude in German language which signified the character of Wandering Jew in Medieval folklore. The screenplay of the movie was done by Eberhard Taubert2. The film was released at a time when Poland was occupied by Nazis. The Jews were portrayed as wandering cultural parasite in the mov ie. The film justified the acts of the Nazis against the Jews in their typical fashion by portraying the propaganda that the Jews lead a hedonistic lifestyle. The proclaimed that Jews are like leeches and are filthy and there is no place for them in the society.3 Every possible ways was constructed to prove the unworthiness of the Jews and to virtually eradicate them from the society. Various footages were used in the documentary to support the false views of the Nazis against the Jews. It was literally evident that the German notion of transporting the Jews out of German was carried out and movie was a good idea to spread their ideas as the audience was of considerable number. If considered from this context the movie was apt and perfectly suited for the cause. The message which was tried to be inculcated among the viewers was hateful and simply awful in nature. Considering the creative angle of the movie it was poorly made and the editing was not done in a proper fashion. The Jewi sh people were insulted in every minute of the movie and the documentary focused on the poor and the low income group of Jews who were peasants. The movie composed of series of narration over still pictures, in some part of the movie there unexpectedly long gaps with no speech or dialogues which makes it boring. But considering the audience and the purpose aimed at this acts could be justified. The film can be claimed to be ridiculously a phobia against the Jews. Considering the time frame in which the movie released its significance cannot be overlooked. The

Conflicts ad Ethcs Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflicts ad Ethcs - Coursework Example A personal situation where conflict existed was between me and the fire brigade on the steps to take to put off the fire at my shop. In the end, it seemed the conflict only wasted time because we had diverse objectives. Mine was to try and save my property though it was impossible while the fire brigade’s was to try and put out the fire before it spread. The best conflict management style that we decided to adopt was collaboration. We decided to partner in order to achieve a common goal. Each of us was allowed to table their ideas, and in the end it leads to a win-win situation. Collaboration works in complex situations and trust is key. This method seemed to be the most appropriate for this situation. The ten basics for ethical communication are; seek to elicit the best in communication and interaction with other group members, speak non-judgmentally, listen when others speak, only speak from experience and perspectives expressing your thoughts, needs and feelings, speak to understand others, respect other’s boundaries, avoid speaking for others, manage personal boundaries, avoid interrupting and side conversations and finally everyone must have equal time to speak (Corvette, 2006). In accommodation, all the ethical guidelines were

E-commerce site launch bicyclesforyou.Com

E-commerce site launch bicyclesforyou.Com Task 1 You need to do some research to familiarise yourself with the subject area and to gain some ideas about how you can carry out the rest of the project. There are a number of websites that specialise in the sale of bicycles. Use a maximum of 1 hour to review these resources. Bookmark the relevant sites and make notes of information that you can use in your assignment. http://www.avoncycles.com/ http://www.herocycles.com/about.php http://www.gtbicycles.com/are/bikes http://www.atlascyclesonepat.com/ http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/ Bicycle companies having e-commerce sites provide information service related to different product range of bicycles they sell with images and descriptions, which suites all age group and gender. It also updates on latest technology, upcoming new quality of product and manufacturing details related to the product. For building relationship and trust, customer feedbacks are requested for improving the product quality and services. Customers can get information on availability of product from respective showrooms or distributor / dealer located in the region. Promotion offers details are available on the site. The e-commerce works in combination to traditional commerce strategy of selling the product to end users. Task 2 Produce a project plan for the way you intend to complete the rest of this assignment. For planning, use the timescale you have been allocated for this assignment i.e. from the date you start to the date you submit your assignment. Submit a copy of your plan to your tutor BEFORE you proceed further with the assignment. Task 3 Using PowerPoint or a similar tool, prepare a maximum of twelve slides that could be used to form the basis of a presentation to the owner of Bicycles For You. The first part of the presentation should explain how a SWOT analysis can be used to identify potential e-commerce opportunities within a company. The second part of the presentation should address the potential benefits that e-commerce could bring to Bicycles For You. For this you should list and briefly describe SIX benefits that you believe e-commerce could bring to the company, taking full account of their existing methods of operation. The power point presentation copy is enclosed with this assignment. Task 4 Write a short briefing document of no more than 1200 words that describes each of the following marketing activities and explains the role that they can play in helping to ensure the effective promotion of the new e-commerce site: Branding, E-mail marketing, Banner adverts, CRM, Search engine optimization. Branding: A brand represents a distinguish pattern of qualities and behaviour that gives the consumer a strong sense of security. There should be consistency in e-commerce branding. It is how consumer perceives your companys image and differentiates the product from all others in the market. It will help in promoting the newly e-commerce site by extending the existing product range on the web. With brand leveraging, the dominant positions can be extended to other products and services. Transferring existing brands to the web is much easier and less expensive. With clearly communication through right message, impressive visuals and delivering true market values will an important part of promoting the e-commerce site. The companys URL should always be included on product packaging. Integrating the URL with company logo on brochures can also be helpful in getting the work out about the web site. Ensuring that the site appears in search engine listings is also very important. E-mail marketing: E-mail marketing is about communicating to the consumers using electronic mail. It is very powerful element in any companys advertising strategy. For having an effective dialog with their customers on the launch of new e-commerce site, company can use automated e-mail communications. As the conversion rates on requested e-mail messages range from 10 percent to more than 30 percent, which are much higher than the click-through rates on banner ads. This will benefit the company in promoting the existing business through new e-commerce site. The marketing strategy of sending specific information only to people who have indicated an interest in receiving information about the product or service being promoted should be more successful. Email message with hyperlinks inserted will guide customers to the companys website and induce them to stay on the site and consider making purchases. Banner adverts: A banner add is a small rectangular object on a web page that displays stationery or moving graphic and includes a hyperlink to the advertisers web site. Banners ads are versatile advertising vehicles with graphical images which help increase awareness about company web site and its product. Companies use other web sites to display their banner ads through exchange network, place ads on web sites that appeal to one of the companys market segments and pays to those sites to carry the ads, using banner advertising network. CRM: Customer relationship management is about managing companys interaction with customers. Technology-enabled customer relationship management occurs when a firm obtains detailed information about a customers behaviour, preferences, needs, and buying patterns, and uses that information to set prices, add product features. With the existing customer database the marketing campaign for promoting of new e-commerce site can be done through direct email.ÂÂ   The e-commerce site will benefit company by creating and tracking specific web activities that help develop the client relationship. Search engine optimization: Search engine marketing is the medium about promoting the companys website by increasing its visibility on the search engine and improve the ranking of your website. Assigning specific keywords for the new e-commerce site, website pages can achieve higher ranking in search results with help of optimization. Task 5 Write a short report (of no more than 600 words) that defines what is meant by supply chain management and describes how this can be used to develop closer links with suppliers and provide enhanced services for customers. Supply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service package required by end customers. It is a cross-function approach including managing the movement of raw materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal processing of materials into finished goods, and the movement of finished goods out of the organization and delivering to the end-consumer. The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and the velocity of inventory movement. By engaging suppliers in cooperative, long-term relationships, companies have found that they can work together with suppliers to identify new ways to provide their own customers with faster cheaper and better services. By using internet, companies simply have better and more far-reaching ways to spend up the information flow process and make it more effective. Continual communication and information sharing are key elements in building trust. Customer service can be enhanced by effective supply chain:- Better product delivery With quality information available across all the major points in the companys supply chain, the performance of the company in delivering the correct product, to the correct place, at the correct time, in the correct condition and packaging, in the correct quantities, with the correct documentation, to the correct customer will increase significantly and customers will be served better. Better responsiveness When the supply chain is running effectively, it becomes easier for a company to provide accurate information to its customers regarding any product or activity because the information is readily available. Better reliability If the supply chain becomes more reliable, the individual member companies (called partners) also become more reliable, at least from a customer service point of view because they tend to give more reliable deliveries and responses to queries. Faster Responsiveness The speed at which a supply chain provides products to the customer and resolves their problems improves dramatically, primarily because obtaining the information that customers need requires less effort and fewer procedures. Without supply chain management, many departments requested information from the partners by placing telephone calls. After the call was made, an employee was assigned to handle the particular query. Responding to the queries frequently involved counting items and retaking stock and other time -wasting procedures. Real time information systems in a well designed supply chain eliminate all these procedures and giving speedier returns. Task 6 Write a briefing note (of no more than 500 words) that lists FIVE main security threats that could pose a risk to the operation of the new e-commerce site. Explain the risks that each of these threats could pose to the site and briefly describe FIVE specific countermeasures that could be put in place to protect against these threats. The five main security threats that will pose a risk to the operation of new e-commerce site are as explained below: Confidentiality threat Confidentiality is the prevention of unauthorized information disclosure. It allows only authorized parties to read protected information. Breaching confidentiality on the internet is not difficult. If any customer login to ‘Bicycle For You website that contains a form with text boxes for name, address and e-mail address. When the required information is entered and the information is sent to the web-server for processing, the captured data and the HTTP request to send the data to the server is then sent. If the customer changes his mind and goes to some other website, the other website may choose to collect web demographics and log the URL from the site which the customer just came. By this way the other website breaches the confidentiality by recording the secret information the user has entered. Integrity threat An integrity threat exists when an unauthorized party can alter a message stream of information. Unprotected banking transactions are subject to integrity violations. Some other website can represent your website as an original, creating havoc on website. Using security hole in a domain name server, perpetrators can substitute the address of their own website in place of your companys website to spoof website visitors. Integrity threat can alter vital financial information of the company and its customers. Availability threat The purpose of availability threat, also known as delay or denial threat, is to disrupt normal computer processing or to deny processing entirely. It involves getting the server to perform a large number of mundane tasks, exceeding the capacity of the server to cope with any other task. Slowing the internet service will drive customers to competitors website. Database threat E-commerce systems store user data and retrieve product information from database connected to the web server. Database connected to your companys e-commerce site contains valuable and private information that can damage the company if it were disclosed or altered. If someone hacks user authentication information, then private and costly information can be revealed. Communication channel threat The internet serves as the electronic chain linking a customer to an e-commerce resource. Weak access points in information infrastructure and security that can expose company information and trade secrets. The specific countermeasures to protect against security threats are:- Secure Socket Layer (SSL) As there is enormous amount of information exchange over the internet, secure socket layer is a protocol which encrypts data between the customers computer and the websites server. With the use of secure socket layer, when the clients sends the request to access the company site, the browser identifies the server as a trusted entity and passes encryption key information back and forth. Server firewall Firewall protects the server and network from virus attacks and hackers trying to access the personal and confidential information. Having a firewall on the newly e-commerce site will block hackers from accessing to any customer information. It ensures that requests can only enter the system from specified ports and in some cases ensures that all accesses are only from certain physical machines. Password Policies Ensure password policies are enforced for customers and internal users as well. Task 7 Put together an outline project plan for the development and launch of the Bicycles For You e-commerce site. This should be made up of TEN key project stages and associated objectives, together with a brief description of each. The project plan should also include the associated timescales for undertaking these project stages and achieving the specified objectives. The project plan for launch of new e-commerce site for Bicycles For You will be executed in different stages as explained below: Benefits With the growing demand for its product range, company is interested in business expansion and increase profits. There is a potential of increasing sales and decrease costs. E-commerce increases the speed and accuracy with which businesses can exchange information, which reduces costs on both side of transactions. Project Scope Define goals for undertaking this project. Specifications about business model which fit for e-commerce site. Estimated time, cost, schedule for launching new e-commerce site. The objective shall be to create and maintain a high revenue e-commerce site which will be one of a kind in the bicycle industries, by developing a new and successful e-commerce business using a combination of e-commerce business models. The site will use business to consumer and business to business models. Research Conduct a research on existing business model and for e-commerce business model. Research on products and services which customer demand. Designing the website and technical requirements Design the website which should be fresh and appealing, caters to the interests and preferences of your intended market audiences. It should develop a smooth user interface, which makes customer experience enjoyable and pleasant. Approach a service provider for website hosting. Regular site maintenance is necessary to update content, perform technical upgrades. Review of risks measure Identify and research possible risks regarding starting up a new e-commerce site, technology costs and marketing / advertising costs. Security control issues for protection and continued operations, if the site goes down due to technical glitches. Testing Several functional testing is required prior to the launch of the website. Checking browser compatibility for accessing the website, testing of java scripts flash and other plug-ins for running the visuals and search functionalities. Marketing Extensive marketing campaign for the launch of new e-commerce site will be carried out. Branding, social media, direct email and search engine visibility will be used means of marketing for the launch of new e-commerce site. Creating a domain name thats easy to recall and resonates your brand, product and services. Post-launch After the launch of e-commerce site, monitor and respond to feedback received from consumer. Updating the site content based on changes in the product development and business process management.

Costco Wholesale Corporation Essay

Costco Wholesale Corporation was created in 1983 when its first store opened in Seattle. Costco runs on a membership warehouse concept, which was first created by Price Club in 1976. Now, though Costco has only subsidiaries in eight countries, but Costco is the ninth largest retailers around the world, and is one of the most successful discount warehouse firms in North America. In 2008, Costco open the store in Australia. Through the leadership of Jim Sinegal, Costco has been able to create value for shareholders as well as consumers. Part of Costco’s strategy is to attract customers through a combination of low prices. Although it is a success strategy, they will not likely has the same level of success moving forward due to intense competition in the industry. Costco began its e-commerce business in November 1998. According to a Compete.com survey in 2008, the Costco’s website attracted at least 58 million visitors. In addition, Costco online shop provide the membership additional products which can not find in store, and also provide digital photo processing, pharmacy, travel, and membership services. However, Costco operates Costco Online, electronic commerce web sites only in Unite States, Canada and UK. Objective: This report will through analyze Costco internal and external environment, potential customers, and online market needs to make a strategy plan to expand Costco’s e-commerce into the international market, and bloom it’s online sales. Costco Wholesale Corporation was created in 1983 when its first store opened in Seattle. Costco runs on a membership warehouse concept, which was first created by Price Club in 1976. Now, though Costco has only subsidiaries in eight countries, but Costco is the ninth largest retailers around the world, and is one of the most successful discount warehouse firms in North America. In 2008, Costco open the store in Australia. Through the leadership of Jim Sinegal, Costco has been able to create value for shareholders as well as consumers. Part of Costco’s strategy is to attract customers through a combination of low prices. Although it is a success strategy, they will not likely has the same level of success moving forward due to intense competition in the industry. Costco began its e-commerce business in  November 1998. According to a Compete.com survey in 2008, the Costco’s website attracted at least 58 million visitors. In addition, Costco online shop provide the membe rship additional products which can not find in store, and also provide digital photo processing, pharmacy, travel, and membership services. However, Costco operates Costco Online, electronic commerce web sites only in Unite States, Canada and UK.

Niki Caro’s Whale Rider †An analysis in relation to journeys Essay

The inner journey is one which involves the hurdling of psychological barriers, as well as cultural and social obstacles, rather than just a physical trek. The novel Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe and the film Whale Rider (2002) by Niki Caro both address the overcoming of emotional boundaries, while following the progress of the main characters. Issues such as cultural differences and gender equality are presented by the composers through the clever use of devices appropriate to the medium, while using the post-colonial context to accentuate these issues. Similar to Things Fall Apart, the film Whale Rider by Niki Caro explores the breakdown of Maori culture in post-colonial New Zealand. It follows the journeys of Pai, a young girl, and Koro, her grandfather, who both seek to uphold and preserve the Maori tradition, which has been negatively influenced by the European culture. During the film, Pai transforms from an unwanted child to the new village leader, while challenging the Maori customs through her curiosity, for example when she learns the sacred art of the taiaha. Koro, who disapproves of her actions, smashes a cup in his anger. Koro’s wife, Flowers, reprimands him, saying, â€Å"You might be the boss out there, but I’m the boss in this kitchen†. Caro is addressing the gender barrier which exists in the Maori culture, an obstacle which Pai overcomes in her journey. Despite being reprimanded by Koro, Pai still retains great love for him, as seen in her speech on her ancestors, where she dedicates her words to Koro. The initial long shot places emphasis on Pai, while the camera is positioned at a low-angle, suggesting that she has gained authority and leadership. This scene symbolises one of the many emotional hurdles she has had to overcome in her inner journey. Moreover, her catharsis can be related to Okonkwo’s moments of compassion, thus highlighting the similarity between their journeys. Similar to Okonkwo, Koro progresses on a journey, beginning at the height of power, with Caro using several symbols to signify this, such as the whale tooth. The use of sombre music and close-up shots of Koro in the scene where he loses the tooth emphasises his sorrow. In the following scene, Caro  employs dark lighting to highlight Koro’s melancholy, while he strokes the staff, symbolising that it is his last shred of authority. Pai’s voiceover informs the audience on Koro’s plea for help and indicates a shift in power and authority as Pai begins to assume her role as leader, â€Å"But they weren’t listening, so I tried†. Koro’s discovery of the whales allows him to undergo an epiphany and continue on his journey. Caro has positioned the event during the night, with its dark connotations enhancing the negative atmosphere of the scene. Furthermore, Koro’s staff is washed away, symbolising that he has lost all of his power. Koro later realises the error of his ways and acknowledges Pai as their leader, â€Å"Wise leader, forgive me. I am just a fledgling new to flight†. Koro’s epiphany is thus one of the greatest differences between the two texts, as he is able to surpass the greatest obstacle in his journey and move forward, whereas Okonkwo is unable to change, leading to his death. Works Cited: â€Å"Whale Rider†. Directed by Niki Caro (2003). [Film]†The Whale Rider†. Ihimaera, Witi (2003)