English Language Learner do not Need to Become Perfect Speakers Essay

English Language Learner do not Need to Become Perfect Speakers - Essay Example One of the popular perceptions is that English learners needs to be perfect in the learning and should acquire the capability to speak flawless English. This is not a true scenario and it is just a general perception which could be disproved. It is not that the world comprises only of those people who know to read, write and speak English (Carrasquillo, A 1994). This paper will deal with the popular perceptions that are generally associated with language and its uses. Through a thorough, analysis and discussion, the paper will open up through facts that a person who is learning English need not have a great command over it in order to attain success in all of his dealings. It will also bring a clear picture that not all are good at English and there is no necessity to be afraid of being singled out in the learning process. Learning the basics of English is necessary for an effective communication and if one can put across the information confidently in an understandable manner, then the purpose is served well. There are different versions of English language available in the global scenario and this stands evidence that the language does not have a particular form. It adapts and evolves according to the place where the language is spoken. Thus, the essential part here remains the ability to communicate to the other party so that they can understand what is being said. Many people across the world give preference in learning their native language and take up English only as their second language. Except few English speaking countries, a vast majority of countries have only second language English speakers. This stands evident to the fact that a person who is learning the language need not be too specific about speaking perfect, flawless English as the person may often get to interact with other second language speakers of English rather than perfect English speakers (Mukherjee, J & Hundt, M 2011). Business English is fast evolving as the perfect medium of commun ication when it comes to trade and commerce. Business English learning is taken by non-native people who want to learn English as a second language. The learning form helps the people to communicate effectively in the world business forum and they were able to turn out great results using the communication. In this particular form of English learning, the rules as to strict grammar and sentences are not used; rather, the language is used for communicating effectively so that the other party can get to understand the conveyed message immediately. All the aspects of business communications like presentations, meetings and negotiations can be delivered with greater efficiency (Goudswaard, G 2006) If we take the case of International English, it is not something that is too perfect if the rules of English are concerned but it is the widely used form of communication. The world is composed of people speaking different languages and thus, it is not a necessity that the perfect English spe aker tag need to be carried around. Ultimately, we need to deal with more number of second languages English speakers than the native English speakers. All that the second language English speaker needs to do is to master the art of putting across the information in an understandable manner and there is no necessity to make rigid. In fact, many people would prefer a casual business discussion where only the subject matter of discussion is given utmost importance rather

Department of Fisheries Decision Support System (DSS) Research Paper

Department of Fisheries Decision Support System (DSS) - Research Paper Example Monitoring the changes in the way the activities related to fishing is very essential for a country to fully explore the resource. In most countries the organizations that are given the responsibility to handle and overlook on the fisheries activities faces difficulties in managing the information concerning the subject. Information about different features of fishing is handled in different section in the department (Anand, & Singh, 2006). To ensure that the storage of this information is fully integrated. The department needs a system that will integrate the different systems that are used in different section to handle this information. As such the most appropriate system that can ensure that the detailed data concerning fisheries can be stored effectively and accurately is data warehousing system. The idea of data warehousing is derived from database management as a tool for knowledge management. Data warehouse is a database which stores the organization information that is gathe red from different sources. The storage of such information is centralized. The information concerning different sections of a department is merged and stored in a standard format on a database. Technology used To build an effective data warehousing system, there is need for a data mart. The best software that can be used to develop this is Microsoft SQL server 2008. ... The information that will be stored in this data warehouse will provide the department with evidence-based centralized data that can be retrieved and used to produce a report. The errors that accrue due to data not being consistence are eliminated. In addition, the long process of processing this data to come up with a reconciled report is also eliminated. More so, the report that is produced from analyzing this data is of high quality. The process of getting the data from the system is also simplified (Trevor, 2010). In a decision support process that uses data from data warehousing system, the people concern can come up with queries and report that originate from themselves. The capability of the system to display the information in a manner that the user can recognize and make use of it with a lot of simplicity is something that cannot be undermined. In general, the process of retrieving the data from the system is shortened and at the same time it is user friendly. Another advant age with data warehousing is the fact that the data that is found in the system is clean and can be trusted. This means that the confidentiality, accuracy and integrity of such data are guaranteed. In addition, the ability of Microsoft SQL servers to store a massive volume of data makes it possible for trend analysis. Scope of the problem The department has the responsibility of coming up with detailed report of the findings they get after completing a field trip. In addition, they are also supposed to give a report after three months and at the end of the year. This report entails all the tasks that are carried out I a particular period and also there is the policy information that goes to the stakeholders. The information system that the department uses

Exploring ethics in contemporary business Assignment

Exploring ethics in contemporary business - Assignment Example Further, decisions in an organisation are taken, for instance, to mitigate risks or brainstorm for the best alternatives to move an organisation to the next level (Guest & Woodrow, 2012) . In a hierarchical organisational structure, decisions are made in boardrooms by the top management without involving other employees. Consequently, the style of leadership in a hierarchical organisational structure tends to be authoritative, where the decision made by the top management is final (Ahmed, Bwisa, & Karanja, 2014). In such a case where decisions go wrong, the management should be held accountable for poor decision-making. On the contrary, while a flatter organisational structure allows other employees to take part in the decision-making process, the management still has the last word regarding the ideal decision to be implemented (Michaelson, 2010). In this sense, ethical issues arise whether it is appropriate to hold an employee accountable for poor decision-making in an organisation. In an organisation, decision-making entails a process of tackling a problem by looking for a solution that will bring about value for an organisation’s stakeholders. In essence, decisions in an organisation can be programmed or non-programmed. In the former, decisions are normally repetitive and routine while, in the latter process, decisions tend to be novel and unstructured (Ahmed, Bwisa, & Karanja, 2014). Some of the models in the literature that can be associated with organisational decision-making include the Rational, Carnegie, Incrementalist, Unstructured and the Garbage Can models (Glockner & Betsch, 2011). With regard to the rational model, the process of making decisions is straightforward and involves a three-step process. The three steps encompass identifying the problem, brainstorming for an ideal alternative and selecting the best among others to implement. In most organisational setups, the rational model is the most common

California Health and Human Services Agency Essay

California Health and Human Services Agency - Essay Example Another criterion is to examine the currency of information on the site by looking for updated details on documents and links. Lastly, the coverage of the site shows that the objective of the site is clearly to be used as information updates only, and in no way presents any biasness towards any agencies or boards. Since the inception of the internet, many human services agencies have developed official websites to promote and create awareness for their organizations. One such agency is the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS). This paper will examine and analyze the value and relevance of this website to its target audiences using the criteria set out by the Wolfgram Memorial Library (WML) from Widener University. According to WML, there are five crucial criterions that can be used to determine the efficacy of the information on the site, and they include authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage. (WML, 2009) The homepage for the CHHS website contains a welcome message by the Secretary, Kim Belshe, in addition to the vision of the agency, which informs "all Californians, especially those most at risk or in need (that they) have the opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life as measured by the sound physical, mental, and financial health of children, adolescents, and adults; strong and well-functioning families; safe and sustainable communities; and dignity for all." (CHHS, 2009) It is clear that CHHS is responsible for the contents of the page because the agency logo is visibly presented. To mark its affiliation with the State of California, there is a copyright mark and a link to the official website on every page. There is also a link to the website for the Governor of California. (CHHS, 2009) While the vision of the agency is stated, the agency goal is not quite as transparent. The closest form of explanation is perhaps under the link "About Us" which spells out the "responsibility f or administering major programs," (CHHS, 2009) and includes the contact information like the agency address and telephone number, which verifies the legitimacy of the agency. However, it is worth noting that an email contact is not provided for enquiries. This may be an indication that the site is meant more as a source of information rather than a site that promotes dialogue. The legitimacy of the website is well established with links to independent websites for all twelve departments and one board. However, at the time of writing this analysis, there was an error linking to the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (CHHS, 2009), which indicates a lack of quality control. Without an email contact available, the audience is then forced to either call the agency, or make the extra effort to look for this site online. If CHHS were meant to be only as a source of information, the agency's objective as an official site that "administers state and federal programs for health care, social services, public assistance, and rehabilitation," is clear. (CHHS, 2009) All links are directed to independent department sites that provide a more comprehensive presentation of each program's agenda. For example, the link to the Department of Community Services and Development details this department's programs and resources. (CSD, 2009) Any document or links in the website that highlight specific programs are also presented according to the most recently published so

Amity Centre for eLearning Essay Example for Free

Amity Centre for eLearning Essay Mr. Sreenivas (55) working as manager in Alfa Chemicals, a large scale industrial establishment engaged in the production of Phosphate and Sulphur. He has 30 years of experience in Alfa Chemicals. He has an excellent track record as Manager Human Resources within the organization. Many times he got best  employer award to performance excellence. His area of expertise in recruitment and selection process, and performance appraisal has been widely acknowledged. The Information Technology division of Alfa Chemicals industry once faced acute shortage of manpower. Mr. Raj, Manager IT division put forward an immediate requirement of 10 employees in the IT division, to HR department, starting from junior level to senior level. As and when Mr. Sreenivas got the letter from Mr. Raj, in his department, he started processing of it. To get it done, he approached many sources. He had gone through the data bank of company and considered 100 resumes for recruitment from it. He also informed the employees and employers of the organization, in their respective departmental notice board, showing the immediate requirement of 10 employees to facilitate the internal recruitment procedures. From the employees and employers of Alfa Chemicals he got around 150 applications with resumes. In addition to that in order to give an opportunity to candidates external to the organization he floated an advertisement in several daily news papers viz., Times of India, Sakal, and Indian Express. From external sources he got around 350 applications. Almost 600 candidates, including internal and external applicants, applied for 10 vacant posts. To ensure the reliability and dependability of the process, Sreenivas made his personal scrutiny at all levels, in the recruitment and selection process. Since the entire department function as a team in HR, all the members trust each other and extended their valuable contribution in the recruitment and selection. The department conducted a preliminary interview in order to made first  screening process and filter the number of applicants. After the first screening process the HR department reduced the number of applicant list from 600 to 500 applicants. He conducted a written test and group discussion and there by further reduces the number of applicants to 300. These 300 candidates then exposed to one hour psychometric test and out of which 50 candidates selected for the final interview. From the final interview, 10 candidates finally selected. The entire process of recruitment and selection took almost 3 months. The selected candidates list then forwarded to the top management for the final approval. HR department informed the candidates that the appointment letters will be sent to those who are selected for the post. Sreenivas approached several time to the top management about to get final approval of list of candidates for the IT department. Sreenivas informed the IT department also that the delay in the final list announcement as the top  management take some more time. He waited almost 4 weeks. But, no reply at all. Mr. Raj, the IT manager every day enquired about the latest information about the final list of the candidates and tentative date of induction. Sreenivas faced the difficulty to make any comment on the subject as there was no information from the top management. HR department had to answer many phone calls from out side and inside the organization, as recruitment involved candidates from inside and outside. The employers and employees of the industry, whose relatives got into the final selection process, became regular visitors of the HR department, asking for the finalist. Sreenivas called a meeting of HR team members and once again made a close verification of the entire process. But he couldnt find any fault in any of the recruitment and selection process. As the time went on he became more suspicious about the delay in the announcement of the result. When the problem becomes so crucial Sreenivas got direction from the top management to meet Mr. Kartik, General Manager, one of the top officials in the organization. Mr.Kartik asked the entire process of recruitment and selection that made on IT professionals. Sreenivas furnished the entire details of the process in a precise report. Mr. Kartik read the entire  report and soon after made a direct comment that the recruitment and selection process that for IT professionals need to be cancelled as he observed some discrepancies in the process made by his department. He further directed Sreenivas that the vacancies have to be filled through contract basis and no permanent vacancies to be made in these positions, for one year. Further he informed Sreenivas that another recruitment process to be done from external candidates applied and no internal application to be entertained. Sreenivas couldnt agree with the Mr. Kiran comment on his departments inefficiency in the recruitment and selection process. For a while he thought about quitting the organization, as he faced a baseless allegation from the top management. Till date there is no black mark in his functional dissemination. On many occasion he helped the industry to find out best possible solutions in order to tackle the many manpower crisis. Sreenivas became so depressed and felt quiet unhappy about the decision taken by the management. Mr. Sreenivas called an urgent meeting of his subordinates and communicated the management decision and directives. He shared with the team members that the management had greater dissatisfaction on the recruitment and selection process done by the department. He enquired that any one made any mistake in the  process. All members denied the probability of any mistake. As there were clear norms and regulations related to each step and there was no dual command, they found no possibility of creeping errors in the selection process. In the meeting he informed his subordinates that the management freezes the appointment process for IT professionals and asked for external recruitment on contract basis. It was shocking news to members. They asked several questions to get a proper clarification from Sreenivas. As Mr. Sreenivas himself unaware of the reasons behind management decision, he informed his subordinate his inability to give a proper reply in this regard. Sreenivas also informed this matter to Mr. Raj. During the evening hours, in the same day, Sreenivas got a call from Mr. George, one of his senior-level Managers, with whom he had friendly and informal relationship. Mr. George asked Srinivas to come to his cabin. As per the call Mr.  Sreenivas met George in his cabin. George enquired about his family and many unofficial matters in the informal interaction. Half an hour later, Mr. George enquired about the recruitment and selection process of IT professionals. He shared with George all those things happened with top management. Leaving aside the informal interaction, George initiated formal discussion with Sreenivas. He told Sreenivas that the selected list of IT professionals consisted two names, Mr. Avdesh and Mr. Praveen, they are the relatives of two trade union leaders of the organization. The management felt that being the relatives of two trade union leaders, in the long run, they could be a threat to organization. It may create an image that the trade unions still have a control over the decision making process in organization. Further, the hold of trade union may expand if this selection process materializes. Mr. Geroge informed Sreenivas that management didnt have any doubt about the dependability and exactness of the recruitment processes that HR departmentr did. George further informed Sreenivas that as per the intimation from top management he called Mr. Sreenivas and briefed about the undercurrents of this episode. The entire news was shocking to Mr. Sreenivas. He didnt know that the management decision had this much of undercurrents. After hearing entire story Sreenivas become so silent and returned to his cabin. While sitting inside his cabin, he made a silent comment that, what a useless effort. Questions 1. What are the undercurrents of selection process in Alfa Chemicals? 2. How management decision justifies management effort in the maintenance of harmonious industrial relation? 3. Do you believe that as HR Manager, Mr. Sreenivas failed to gather direct and indirect information about the candidates? 4. How cancellation of appointment decision that affect the moral of organizational members? 5. How you interpret the dilemma of HR managers have to face in such kind of situations. 6. What would be your decision if you have to face such situation? 7. Do you believe that trade unions have quota in appointments? 8. How the decision affect the reduction of wastages and improvement of resources. 9. Is the decision reflecting management fear towards trade union or inability to develop a congenial industrial relationship within the organization? 10. How you interpret the silence of Mr. Sreenivas?

Memories of Childhood Essay Example for Free

Memories of Childhood Essay Childhood is a golden period of mans life. It is the time when man is dependent but he enjoys all the comforts of the life. He has nothing to worry about. He has to do nothing to get his demand fulfill except weeping. It is a carefree time. In my childhood I was free from worries and sorrows. When every day and night brought joys for me. Parents tried to amuse me. They loved me so much that I began to think they were living only for me and it was not wrong as well. Near our house there was a pond. Father took me daily to the pond to enjoy the beautiful sight of the setting sun. Once my father fell ill and could not go to the pond. I was very fond of taking bath in the bright water of the pond but father did not allow me to fulfill my desire. Now it was a golden chance. I went alone to the pond and jumped into the water. Deep water took me into its lap. After this what happened I do no know. When I opened my eyes a doctor was bending over me. Mother and sisters were weeping. I had to remain for one month in the hospital. Now when I recall that horrible accident my heart begins to sink with fear. Then I decided not to do anything without the permission of parents. There is one more thing which I cannot help mentioning More over I can never forget the day when I was beaten by the gardener for stealing mangoes. My friend Maria and I went to the garden to eat mangoes. Maria was very active and clever. She remained out of the garden and asked me to climb up the mango tree. Consequently I was caught by the gardener and he bead me with his sharp stick. Maria ran away The gardener took me before my father and told the whole story. Father prohibited me from going to the garden. I was much ashamed but soon all it was over. If you have female companion you are fond of dolls as well. The same case was with me. I was very fond of dolls in my childhood. Maria and I played with the dolls for hours, marrying and decorating them. Mother did not like her daughter wasting time in playing. As a result she took me to the school. I was much frightened and puzzled among the strange girls. I began to weep bitterly. While I was weeping I felt a soft hand on my back it was my teacher. She consoled me and gave me a beautiful book of colorful pictures. I was taught by her to smile in the storm of tears and sufferings. Now she is far away from me but her memory is fresh in my mind and I will never forget her as well. Children usually keep on gamboling and playing . Sometimes they keep on running in childhood I was like a playful deer wandering through the meadows. Maria and wandered the whole day long in the green fields of our villages picking wild flowers and making garlands. How beautiful moonlit nights were in childhood! When the shining moon appeared we all played in the open fields catching one another. Now childhood is no more but it appears a beautiful dream.

The diversity of the leisure industry

The diversity of the leisure industry 1.0 Introduction For many people leisure to them might mean when one has free time or when one is unoccupied with duties or responsibilities. For some, leisure could be a luxury for their free time; this could be because of a number of reasons such as, they could be a workaholic where they work compulsively at the expense of their activities or they could be people who live in complex societies such as in robust towns and cities. For some, leisure could be a necessity because they believe in proper balance of social and family life. For some others, leisure to them might mean to just socialize and communicate with one another. For example going to the cinema with your friends is considered a leisure activity, but some people believe that leisure is all mainly active sports such indoor football or squash which means they all have their own definition on leisure. This would suggest that people define leisure on different terms depending on how their backgrounds are and other key factors such as culture, gender, age, economic status and social class. Leisure is defined as: ‘Time at ones command, free from engagement; convenient opportunity; hence, convenience; ease. (BrainyMedia, 2009) The Leisure industry has much diversity such as various activities and the many elements of it such as race/ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation and ability/disability. Some activities would be linked to a cultural and linguistically diverse background. There is a diverse range of activities available for your unoccupied time such as, your hobbies like gardening, shopping, spectators sport, holidays and gambling. There are three main types of leisure, active, passive and home based. All three include many diverse activities such as, hiking, home entertainment or even just reading could be considered as a leisure activity. Many school students can benefit from the diverse leisure pursuits because they get offered a range of after school clubs making leisure activities more participle and recreational. 1.1 Active leisure activities There are many active pursuits that we can take part in. Active pursuits can be high impact or low impact activities. Low impact activities like walking and yoga do not expend high levels of energy, usually have little contact or competition and does not require much equipment. In the other side there are high impact activities such as wrestling and rugby, which are competitive sports that require quite a fair amount of equipments. Active Pursuits: Indoor Badminton, basketball, squash, volleyball, athletics, gymnastics, hockey, bowling and boxing. Outdoor – Motocross, jogging, beach volleyball, golf, canoeing, cycling, skiing, snowboarding, rowing, sailing and handball Team- Rugby, water polo, netball, American football, cricket, baseball, soccer, rallying and korfball. Individuals Surfing, archery, triathlon, canoeing, barrel racing, snooker and pool. Countryside – Walking, mountain biking, sailing, hiking, cross country and climbing Urban Skateboarding, free running, wakeboarding, ultimate, parkour and BMX They are described as ‘active leisure because it requires some level of movement and skill for that particular sport. Some because of its competitiveness or some because of its high energy level input towards the sport. For it to be a high energy sport, the activity has to initiate a higher heart rate than normal, for example skiing because it involves a lot of focus, awareness and adrenaline rushes. Some sports such as sky diving, bungee jumping and base jumping are considered high impact active pursuits because it exerts high levels of adrenaline and elevates heart rates to exceedingly high levels. Those types of pursuits require a lot of motivation and some skills. Whether its for competition or for thrills and excitements they all share a common characteristic: theyre all dynamic; require high levels of motivation and some degree of skills; and are usually practiced outside our homes with other people. The benefits with all active pursuits are that it keeps us fit and healthy (physically and psychologically), it improves our general health, it helps us meet new people (psychologically and socially) and it can increase our poise and self-esteem (psychologically). Active Leisure activities however old we are and what motivation or skills we have, there is an active leisure pursuit to suit all our needs. The range of active pursuits is very diverse, from boxing to playing hockey and even to visit theme parks is considered as an active leisure pursuit, because they all involve some type active motion at high levels. Some activities dont even require much energy outputs such as chess and painting. The reason they are considered as active leisure activities is because they both require a substantial amount of mental effort and so cannot be considered as passive activities. Definition: â€Å"engaged in action; characterized by energetic work, participation, etc.; busy: an active life, being in a state of existence, progress, or motion: active hostilities†. (Dictionery, 2002) 1.2 Passive leisure activities Passive activities are as diverse as active pursuits; they both share similar amounts of motivation and skills. Passive activities mainly benefit a persons mental health; it is most commonly related to a source of relaxation or to unwind from daily stress. In terms of health, passive pursuits dont offer as many benefits as active pursuits but it is ideally reflected on the persons age, lifestyle and interests. Passive pursuits: Shopping ‘UK and Mintels research reveals that 84% of the UKs adult population enjoy shopping/browsing for goods in person, while 33%, or 60% of Internet users, enjoy shopping or browsing for goods online.(Mintel, 2009) The UK is arguably one of the most sophisticated retail environments in the whole of Europe. This data also states how popular shopping as a passive leisure activity really is among Great Britains population. Cinema Age has no relative effect on visiting cinemas as a passive activity but there have been many new releases of universal and PG movies for young people. There is a steady increase in the amount of young people attending cinemas but the large majority of visitors are still the adult group, as shown in figure 1. There are many reasons why there are a larger majority of adults over young people in cinemas. One because of age limits for certain films, where only the adults can benefit from this and not the young. Two because of the amount of free time the adults have against a stricter curfew for the young. Or thirdly because the adults have more spending ability than most young people. Eating out This relates to night time entertainments such as going to the pub and clubbing. The reason why people eat out more is because its a lot less stress to cook yourself, a lot cheaper and its more relaxing to order from a menu rather than have to get up and self serve again and again. This graph shows that people with a high income salary can buy more amounts of pizza than the other groups. The people with a low income salary prefer to have fish and chips over the rest, most probably because its cheaper to buy or it could be their pattern of food choice (interests). The people with an average salary buy more fish and chips than the other groups and have the occasional hamburgers and pizza. Passive leisure activities are mostly based on your free time and what you do with it. This means the person is away from any type of work or duties/responsibilities. Passive pursuits dont exert or expand your physical or mental energy. Most of our pursuits tend to reflect on our age, lifestyle, interests and spending power. An example would be figure 2 where it shows clearly how it affects peoples choices. Definition: ‘not participating readily or actively; inactive:being the object of action rather than causing action (opposed to ACTIVE);inert or quiescent.(Dictionery, Passive, 2002) 1.3 Home-based leisure pursuits Home-based leisure pursuits arent as diverse or dynamic as active or passive pursuits because youre confined to your home with fewer contacts to socialize with. The more money spent indoors the better the home entertainment but this would depend on the persons lifestyle, age, interests and income value. There has recently been a government initiative to get the UK ready for a digital revolution, so home-based leisure pursuits can increase in popularity because with the new additions people can expect changes in picture quality, variety, sound quality and the availability of channels. There are four main categories for home-based leisure and they are: Reading – There are many varieties of texts which anyone could read such as newspapers, magazines, novels, documents and short stories. There are many people who read these for their home-based pursuit. Reading has many benefits, for example it can develop a persons literacy skills and make the person more confident (psychologically). Reading is typically an individual activity, where if you prefer to read out loud than you relate to a form of intrapersonal communication. Reading can be done almost anywhere but its preferable to read at home than somewhere else, also people can read books and other texts online for free so there are more benefits by saving money If someone does read through the internet. House and garden – There are more and more people participating in improving their homes, mainly because of popular DIY related TV shows and magazines. This has lead to an increase in homes being developed for profitable use. The DIY market hasnt been recovering much with all servicing for the mortgage and securing employment it seems to be difficult for the DIY market to progress. Gardening is an activity which is popular amongst older age groups and is increasing in popularity. The increase in the demographic population could be one of the reasons why gardening has had its boost in participants. Home Entertainment There has been many new innovations in home technology such as with cable, digital, satellite TV, Blue ray players, DVDs and internet TV . The biggest increase in the market has to be with computers and computer games. Hobbies and past times There has been a recent trend to fuse traditional and modern concepts. Electronic toys are particularly popular, and keeping a pet as a hobby is ever popular despite increasing pet-care costs. They are described as home-based pursuits because they all involve the use of the persons home in one way or another. Whether its gardening, DIY or playing computer games it is directly stated as home-based leisure because its activities you participate in, while at home. 1.4 Regional variation Regional variations have impacts on certain types of sports or leisure activities. For example mountaineering would be more popular in Scotland rather than in rural parts of England and Wales. With variations come differences in sports, such as Gaelic football may be a local favourite in some parts of Ireland but in some other regions they may prefer flat green bowling. Some reasons for the difference could be because, various regions might have a high elderly age average and so prefer flat green bowling over other activities or it may be because Gaelic football might not be part of their history or culture, so it would not be passed down from generation to generation. Age and athleticism isnt the main factor in regional variations. There are many criterias which limit the popularity and importance of an activity in various regions. For example weather, skiing is far more popular in places like France and Sweden rather than in Great Britain mainly because the climate in Great Britain always changes, so snow can never be guaranteed. While places in France and Sweden can guarantee snow most of the year round. Equivalent with sailing, Great Britain would have a much higher participation rate in sailing compared to other countries such as Netherlands or Belgium because Great Britains coastline is around ‘12429 km'(Wikipedia, 2007) long and Netherlands is estimated to be about ‘451 km (Answer, 2008). Some regional variations could occur because of a lack of space. People who live in urban areas have to find other activities which best suit their lifestyles, such as indoor activities (where space is open and not limited) Parkour, free running and other urban activities. Participation rates are also affected by regional variations because people who live in built up areas are less likely to take up an active activity than other regions. ‘There are surprisingly wide variations in levels of participation. For example, sports participation rates in Moray are nearly twice those of Glasgow.(Sports Scotland, 2006) Landscape is also an important factor in regional variations. Hiking and mountain climbing would be much more popular in Scotland rather than in England because Scotland has many mountains and wilderness/countryside whilst England lack the mountains and wilderness. Demographic population levels also affect regional variations because countries with a high population level will take part in more well known sports such as rugby or football. Whilst countries with less populated people would prefer their home sports rather than most common ones such as bandy in Poland. 1.5 Summary The diversity of the leisure industry ranges from many criterias such as skydiving to spectator sports to working out to even just loving cars. It is one of the most commonly used aspects in our lives because it plays a key role in the economy, business, marketing and communities across the UK and Europe. This chart below shows the diversity and range of the leisure industry. 1.6 Scale of the industry The scale of the leisure industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the UK and Europe. A good example of this criterion is the new development of Camberly town centre. The following data shows the scale of the Atrium, its developments, its participation rates and its plans for housing and employment. Original Development: The development of Camberley as an original development only had one shopping centre (The Mall) which is built around the Main Square in the late 1980s. The Mall hosts a large variety of high street shops such as H.Samuel, Argos, Primark, House of Fraser and many more. These shops today really have anchored the development of Camberley towards higher grounds for a much more efficient and entertain able Camberley. Multiplier effect stage 1: There was much debate and delays (plans having been discussed for over half a decade) on the construction of ‘The Atrium which started in May 2006. The new development includes ‘residential, leisure and retail facilities, as well as a 900 space car park. There are 217 design-led apartments divided into three areas within the complex (named Centro, Aspect and Courtyard). (Wikipedia, 2008) Multiplier effect stage 2: Month (2009) Unique Individuals Jan 42,774 Feb 47,250 Mar 45,997 Apr 42,971 May 39,756 Jun 40,124 Jul 39,451 Aug 38,500 After the development of ‘The Atrium many associated leisure venues were built soon after. These include Nandos, Frank and Bennies, Bella Italia, Starbucks and a Vue cinema theatre. Transport to the new attraction sites was predominantly important in the planning stages so they decided to build a convenient bus stop right outside the site for easier access to ‘The Atrium, ‘The Mall and the residential area. For this to happen there needed to be a new road built which would allow easier access for all convenient transport. (Surrey Heath Borough Council Leading for tommorow, 2009) The graph above shows the number of unique individuals who enter ‘The Atrium each month. The average amount of people who do enter ‘The Atrium is 36,731. The graph also shows that there were more people visiting ‘The Atrium in the earlier months from January towards April. Multiplier Effect Stage 3: There are also many sports facilities (old and new) around ‘The Atrium such as Windlesham Golf Course, Vital club, Fitness First Camberley, Golds Gym and many more. ‘The Atrium has many leisure facilities which include pool tables, arcade, bowling, bars and a lounge with monitors. Housing and Employment plans: Below are the set plans for the development of housing and employment in the Camberley district. It explains the availability of affordable accommodation for residents and its future plans. The employment development will include new offices, shopping facilities and some key schemes. 2 bedroom flats will be sold for around  £216,950 with kitchen en suite and outside parking. ‘The provision of residential units as part of mixed use development will be encouraged throughout much of the town centre. This will enable the current very low levels of residential accommodation within the Centre to be increased thereby enhancing its vitality and making it a more sustainable location. Higher density accommodation with an affordable element will be the most appropriate form of residential. Around 500 dwellings could be built up to 2026 around the town centre. This includes the 217 dwelling currently being built as part of The Atrium. Source: (Surrey Heath Borough Council Leading for tommorow, 2009) ‘New employment development such as offices will be allowed. The Town Centre needs to keep most of its offices its a good location for employment floor space being close to transport and shopping facilities. There is a high vacancy rate in the stock of offices in the Town Centre. For this reason, the loss of some offices will be allowed where it helps achieve some key schemes in the Town Centre. Source: (Surrey Heath Borough Council Leading for tommorow, 2009) Recent Economy: The graph below shows the properties in Camberley sold per month. As seen on the graph the most properties that were sold were the new residential flats near The Atrium, from May to July 06 the properties sold were at their highest, peaking at more than 100 flats sold in a space of two months. That would average about 2 flats sold a day. So as soon when The Atrium opened with the apartments the pattern in property sales rose significantly to a much higher level. Source: (Globrix Corporation, 2009) So the economical value for Camberley Town is at a high rate with new jobs being created and more leisure activities available and new apartments being built, The Atrium should show a significant rise in profit in a few years time, even when the recession hits hardest. 1.7 Importance of the industry Participation rates for the teen and adult groups Participation: Gymnastics ‘There has been a significant increase (from 0.1% to 0.2%) of 30,000 gymnastics participants between 2005/6 and 2007/8. 89,000 adults (age 16 and over) have participated in gymnastics at least once a week. Male participation has also increased from 0.07% in Active People Survey 1 to 0.10%. Overall participation in gymnastics has increased in England; there has also been a statistically significant increase in the South East, South West and West Midlands regions. Participation: Badminton ‘Participation in badminton has increased among the non white population from 1.7% to 2.1%, an increase of 25,000 participants. There has been no statistically significant change in participation within gender or disability sub groups such as the age groups 16-19, 20-24 and 25-29. Participation – once in the last four weeks ‘940,000 adults have participated in badminton at least once in the last four weeks. This represents 2.3% of the adult population, and there has been no statistically significant change in participation between 2005/6 and 2007/8. (Sport England Government, 2008) There has been no significant statistical change in badminton participation in any of the English regions recently, reflected by the static participation rates at a national level. Active Lifestyle: Sport England plan to encourage an active lifestyle by using sport and recreation as one of the building blocks of planning and delivery for sustainable and healthier communities. They Identify opportunities for delivering and enhanced quality of life for communities, in the short, medium and longer term. ‘Sport England seeks to engage with planners at regional and local levels to help ensure that the interests of sport and active recreation are well represented actively promoted and appropriately developed in the interests of all. (Sport England Government, 2009) Themes for Spatial Planning Outcomes of Change for Sport and Active Recreation Environmental sustainability Community safety Local economic viability Improving quality of life and well-being Health improvement Raising standards in schools Increasing participation on sport and active recreation Improving levels of performance Widening access Improving health and well-being Stronger and safer communities Improving education Benefiting the economy (Sport England Government, 2008-2009) Other benefits: Other benefits which could lead to inspiration and encouragement is different strategies such as respect of community, crime/disorder reduction, neighbourhood renewal strategies and corporate plans. Environmental Sustainability – sport and recreation can contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources. Community Safety – sport can help to directly reduce social neglect and participation. Quality of Life and Well-Being – physical activity contributes to peoples experience of well-being and sense of partnership with their surroundings. Health Improvement – physical activity should be a natural part of everyday life. Raising Standards in Schools – the foundations of life-long health and sporting excellence lie in early opportunities for taking part in sport and active leisure.