To maintain mastery of the language, you have to use it constantly

Top of the day to you out there!  I'm Donna J. Jodhan, president of www.sterlingcreations.ca.  I'm delighted to be back with you after a wonderful working vacation.  Today, I would like to focus on how you can become a master of a spoken language.

 

To maintain mastery of the language, you have to use it constantly

 

When it comes to being able to master a language, it is really imperative that we use it constantly.  It does not matter if we do it through speaking, reading, or writing; that's the way that it has to be.  Use it less than frequently or not constantly and we soon find ourselves slipping out of control of our grammar and vocabulary.
 
So many of us start off with a commitment to learn a second language and master it enough to become fluent but in so many cases this commitment often falls by the wayside and before we know it, our second language starts to become a faded memory.  In order to master any language, we need to keep in constant touch with it.  Through reading, writing, or speaking.  A good way may be for us to find someone to practice with.  On the phone, by email, or even face to face.  It is such a joy to be able to speak more than one language.
 
I always marvel that so many people living in the cities of Ottawa or Gatineau in Canada can speak both English and French so fluently.  To the point that it is often difficult to tell which is their mother tongue.  It probably comes from the fact that they speak both languages at home.
 
I am going to close by giving you a reference to check out.
        Philippine Daily Inquirer
        Inquirer.net - Philippines
        To maintain mastery of the language, you have to use it constantly. I met a Taiwanese who was a Chinese-English translator in Beijing during World War II. ...
Read more at:
http://business.inquirer.net/money/columns/view/20090121-184773/English
 
 
I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day.
Donna J. Jodhan is the president of Sterling Creations
Now you can view blogs and editorials written by Donna at:
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com (Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all)
 http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 (access and accessibility)
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php (accessibility issues in Canada)
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
http://www.onestopbookcafe.com (under the café talk link) 
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm (important answers to consumers concerns)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html (monthly editorial)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html (blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants)

Success is a planned event

Greetings!  I'm Jill Christiansen, manager of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.  I'm back after a nice long working vacation and today I'd like to start the week by presenting you with a very interesting article on the topic of success.  So many of us often take success for granted but in reality, success is often something that we need to think about; what we need to accomplish in order to get there, and how we plan to do it.  This article comes from a very reliable and learned source and I invite you to give it a read. 
I'm Jill Christiansen wishing you a great day.
 
    SUCCESS IS A PLANNED EVENT
The greatest economic boom since the industrial revolution is taking place in the east, with China at the forefront. The monopolistic oligopoly that China now represents will render the rest of the world second class citizens in less than twenty years. As to how severe this will affect the United States and the rest of the world, only time will tell.
China has slowly, silently and methodically devoured large sectors of the world's economy, to include but not limited to energy, farming, lumber, real estate, currencies, steel, stocks, bonds, pharmaceuticals, commodities to name a few. Its growth and ever increasing appetite for oil has led China to develop relations worldwide, from Africa and the Middle East, South America, the former Soviet Republics, Indonesia and Australia. In 2005 China tried to acquire California based Unocal, but was unsuccessful due to public outcry and vigorous opposition in Congress.  As Chinas need for oil increases, so will it amplify its economic power and influence worldwide, in order to fill this void. China will return to stake its claim in one form or another, in time.

 

The Beijing Olympics provided us with some visible insight into the immense growth China has made, on a scale westerners are unable to comprehend or accept and all indicators show that it will continue for a long time. This growth typifies the resources, vision and pragmatism China possesses, which will in a very short time extend itself around the globe.

 

The facts speak for themselves:

 

China represents one fifth of all humanity, one and a quarter billion people. A distinctly homogenous group all committed to one goal with long term implications. Granted there are political, social and human rights issues to be concerned about, however these issues appear to be more of concern outside China than to the Chinese themselves. The government of China is well aware of these issues and will deal with them as they see fit, in the best interest of China as a whole.

 

China's strength lies in its numbers and its close ties with Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and now Africa. Its strength is even further enhanced by the approximately sixty million Chinese nationals living outside China, whose earning power is said to exceed $50 Billion annually. Interestingly enough, many of these nationals are returning to China annually in increasing numbers.

 

The main contributor to this advancement is the fact that China heavily invests in its future, by its emphasis on the education of its citizens. China has not only recognized but is committed to excellence in education at every level. The evidence can be seen on a global scale where their students dominate at the world's finest learning institutions, in science, engineering and medicine. It is important to note that India is not far behind.

 

The United States trade deficit with China is well over $2 Billion dollars a day.

 

The United States government owes China and its lenders in excess of $500 Billion, which will increase significantly as the war with Iraq continues and as the bailout of the various financial institutions stemming from the subprime mortgage crisis materializes.

 

The Chinese economy's growth rate has averaged over nine (9%) per cent since the start of the 1980's. It is estimated over 50 million Chinese have been elevated into the middle class in less than twenty years.

 

China's individual savings rate is estimated above thirty five (35%) percent. The individual rate of savings in the US is below two (2%).

 

Approximately forty (40%-45%) to forty-five percent of China's productivity goes toward its exports, which directly correlates to very little or no foreign debt.

 

China's foreign investment exceeds $80 Billion per year. This combined with their huge trade surplus has created foreign currency reserves in the neighborhood of $2 Trillion.

 

China's investment in its own infrastructure doubles every three years. China is now using over half the world's cement, 40% of the world's steel, and 20% of the world's copper, large quantities of Tin, Nickel, Zinc, and Lead. Massive quantities of Uranium will be next, once their Nuclear energy program kicks in. Their investment in Environmental Protection will exceed $175 Billion by 2012.

 

China's military is said to exceed ten (10) million and growing.

 

 A report to the US Congress in 2007 stated that Chinese espionage, comprise the single greatest risk to the security of American technologies.

 

 Microsoft China now assumes first place in the field of computer technology, research and development worldwide, after only eight (8) years.

 

 All Chinese markets are completely regulated and participation, foreign investment and or competition is severely limited outsiders.

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

 

 

The knowledge divide

Good morning!  We  your team at www.sterlingcreations.ca are delighted to be back with you after a bit of a holiday.  We were off on a working vacation and now it's back to work. 
This weekend, we are pleased to bring you an editorial by our esteemed president Donna J. Jodhan and we hope that you take a few moments to read it.
We wish you an enjoyable weekend.
Here now is Donna's editorial. 

 

The knowledge divide
 
How ready are we to tackle the problem of the knowledge divide?  Up until the economy started to slide, this was a very big problem but now that things have changed somewhat, yes it is still a problem but we have been given somewhat of a reprieve.
 
With the present economic crisis playing havoc with the incomes of retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers, more and more persons have been forced to put off retiring choosing instead to stay longer in the workplace.  This was not the case about a year ago when so many aging baby boomers were so anxious to stampede out of the workplace and into retirement.  At that time many companies were facing a real problem of having to cope with an ever widening knowledge divide.  A divide that was threatening to swallow us up but now; things have changed drastically.
 
In years to come, many companies may look back on this economic crisis as having played a huge role in saving them from having to deal with the knowledge divide.  As things stand today, aging baby boomers are choosing to stay longer in the labour force and retirees and seniors are choosing to seek jobs to help them bolster their diminished savings.  These two factors will definitely help to stem the knowledge divide for now but make no mistake!  As soon as the economy turns around, aging baby boomers will be packing their bags in droves and retirees and seniors will be deserting their temporary positions in favor of days of not having to work. 
 
Of course, it may take years before the problem of the knowledge divide comes to the front again but in the meantime, I do believe that we should be taking this lull to prepare more thoroughly for this eventuality.  What can we do to prepare?  More incentives for aging baby boomers and experienced workers to pass on their knowledge and skills to younger workers.  More initiatives to ensure that knowledge and skills are passed on in a timely and appropriate manner. 

 

What exactly is the knowledge divide?  The knowledge and skills that baby boomers possess and will eventually take away with them versus the lack of knowledge and experience that those in their twenties and thirties possess.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and weekend.
To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to send you an electronic copy of our latest newsletter.
 
Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna's blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com 
a weekly feature on important answers to consumers concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
a monthly editorial on business issues and concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html 
weekly editorials on accessibility issues in Canada
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php
Editorials:  An International perspective on issues of accessibility and disability
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
A general perspective on issues of access and accessibility
http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7