Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for University

Chapter 3: Mediated Communication

What is Mediated Communication?

Mediated communication is the process of communicating with others through technological devices. These devices act as intermediaries, separating the sender and receiver of the message.

Mass Media vs. Social Media

Mass media refers to one-way communication channels where content creators send messages to large, anonymous audiences. Examples include television, radio, and newspapers.

Social media, on the other hand, facilitates two-way communication, allowing users to send and receive messages in real-time or across time intervals. This enables individuals to manage personal and professional relationships.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Communication

Synchronous communication involves... Continue reading "Understanding Mediated Communication and Culture: A Comprehensive Guide" »

What Is a Company?

A company consists of individuals or organizations that strive to earn a profit by providing products that satisfy people's needs.

Different Kinds of Products

Products are the outcomes of a company's efforts. They possess both tangible and intangible characteristics that provide satisfaction and benefits. When purchasing a product, consumers acquire the perceived benefits and satisfaction it offers.

Factors for Earning a Profit

Profitability requires effective management skills in planning, organizing, and controlling business activities. It also involves finding and developing employees, creating desirable products, and implementing marketing strategies to manufacture, price, promote, and distribute those products.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders... Continue reading "Understanding Business Fundamentals" »

Topic 1: Key Drivers of Change

Industry vs. Market

Michael Porter's Five Forces

English Vocabulary Builder

Addiction and Recovery

Addicted to, dependent on, fed up with: harto de, open to, sick of, hooked on, proud of, keen on: lamentar en, obsessed with, helpful to: útil para.

Dopamine, To quit a substance or a behavior: para dejar una sustancia o un comportamiento, withdrawal symptoms: síntomas de abstinencia, a life-threatening condition: una infección potencialmente mortal, nicotine patches, to have counseling: asesoramiento, to have a relapse: recaída.

Time

Arrived with, behind (junto a/ atrasado en), stay here for the time: quedarse aquí por el momento, by the time: por el momento, on time, at the time: en ese momento. It’s about time: ya es hora.

Travel

Beaten: alejado, we set at: partimos a: hit: ir: de tiendas,... Continue reading "English Vocabulary Builder: From Addiction to Travel" »

LASER = Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

A laser is actually an oscillator rather than a simple amplifier. The difference is that an oscillator has positive feedback in addition to the amplifier.

Light is understood in a general sense: electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength around 1 μm. Thus, one can have infrared, visible, or ultraviolet lasers.

The atomic medium with population inversion used in the laser is called the active medium. The positive optical feedback is obtained by placing the active medium between two mirrors. One of them (M1) totally reflects back the light (R1 = 1) to the active medium, while the other one (M2, called the output coupler) has a reflectivity less than unity (R2 < 1) and allows some... Continue reading "Introduction to LASER Technology: Types, Operation, and Applications" »

Germanic invasions: 'Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum'

Official account of the Germanic invasions (449). Angles in Britain first drove the enemy, after they made a league with them and went against their allies. The Heptarchy: 7 Anglo-Saxon 'kingdoms' - Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex. England as a politically unified nation in the 10th century.

Dialects of Old English:

River Humber, River Thames, South, South/South-West.

The Germanic occupation of Britain was cruel, and most Britons died. The culture of Britons was not assimilated by Germanic tribes. Atheling (royal family), Earl (major nobility), Thegn (Minor nobility), Freemen, and Serf. Conversion of Germanic invaders to Christianity: Christianity was brought... Continue reading "Germanic Invasions and Cultural Assimilation in Britain" »

Why Use Songs in Language Learning?

According to Blasi and Foley, children are inherently musical, which is supported by their eagerness to engage in musical play.

Neuman suggests that songs can improve children's memory, vocabulary, and creative uses of language.

Benefits of Using Songs for Language Learning

Fonseca notes that songs for language learning have been considered beneficial for:

• Developing the four language skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking)
• Activating both brain hemispheres
• Enhancing memory
• Increasing motivation
• Fostering cultural sensitivity

Additional benefits include:

• Songs provide a natural context for language use.
• Songs allow children to pick up chunks of language.
• Songs encourage all children to participate and speak in

Eating out can be a very pleasurable experience. Having dinner with a friend, eating a romantic meal while on a date or celebrating some special event with a party at a restaurant are all things we enjoy doing.

Even so, there are few people who eat out all the time and eating at home has many points in its favor. It is cheaper to eat at home. It is healthier to eat at home and it is usually much more comfortable.

Cheaper and Healthier

Firstly, eating at home is much less expensive than eating in a restaurant. Obviously, when we eat at home we do the preparation, cooking and serving of the food ourselves and, therefore, do not need to pay the labor costs of cook, waiter and other restaurant staff.

Secondly, eating at home is much better for our... Continue reading "Benefits of Eating at Home vs. Restaurants" »

The Alliterative Revival

In Middle English poetry, alliterative verse experienced a resurgence known as the Alliterative Revival. While rhyme played a significant role in other forms, alliteration was the primary structural element in this movement.

William Langland and Piers Plowman

William Langland, believed to have been born in the West Midlands, was a prominent figure in the Alliterative Revival. His most famous work, Piers Plowman, offers potential autobiographical insights and suggests familiarity with London. Scholars speculate that he may have been a cleric of a lower class.

Piers Plowman: A Dream Vision

Piers Plowman is a verse allegory presented as a dream vision, a popular literary device in the Middle Ages used to convey truths or real... Continue reading "The Alliterative Revival and Estate Satire in Middle English Literature" »

Voice Onset Time (VOT)

The moment in which voicing starts, relative to the release of a closure. We can find three types of VOT: voice lead, short lag VOT, and long lag VOT. Phonetically voiced and voiceless sounds are determined by VOT.

Prefortis Clipping

A fortis (voiceless) sound following in the same syllable causes the following vowel to be shorter than it would be in another environment.

Connected Speech Assimilation

A type of adjustment in connected speech during which a given sound (the assimilating sound) takes on the characteristics of a neighboring sound (the conditioning sound). Types: partial or complete, adjacent or non-adjacent, progressive or regressive.

• Regressive: The assimilated sound precedes and is affected by the conditioning