Research Method in Social Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research Method in Social Science - Essay Example It is infact a habit of questioning what you do, and a systematic examination of the observed information to find answers, with a view to instituting appropriate changes for a more effective professional service. One's philosophical orientation might stem from one of the several paradigms and approaches in research - positivist, interpretive, phenomenolist, action or participatory, feminist, qualitative or quantitative. The concept of 'validity' can be applied to any aspect of the research process. It ensures that in a research study correct procedures have been applied to find answers to a question. 'Reliability' refers to the quality of a measurement procedure that provides repeatability and accuracy. 'Unbiased and objective' means that every step has been taken without introducing vested self-interest. Adherences to these three criteria enable the process to be called 'research'. However, the degree to which these criteria are expected to be fulfilled varies from discipline to discipline and so the meaning of 'research' differs from one academic discipline to another. For example, the expectations of the research process are markedly different between the physical and social sciences. In the physical sciences, a research endeavour is expected to be strictly controlled at each step, whereas in social sciences rigid control cannot be enforced and sometimes is not even demanded. There are two main para... However, there is distinction between qualitative data on the one hand and qualitative research on the other as the first is confined to the measurement of variables and the second to a use of methodology. Qualitative Vs Quantitative Research The term quality comes from the Latin word qualitas which means "of what kind'. There is an element of evaluation and judgement and taste connected to the term quality. Quantity is a different matter. The term quantity comes from the Latin word quantitas meaning "how great" or, for our purposes, "how much" or "how many". In the context of social science, quantitative researchers are sometimes accused of being too narrow, basing their research on what they count, measure and observe, and neglecting other matters. Qualitative researchers, however, are accused of "reading into" texts that are not there or of having opinions or making interpretations that seem odd or excessive. Therefore none of the modes of research are exclusively complete in themselves. A combination of the two approaches is a better way of solving a social science research problem. Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies differ in the philosophy that underpins their mode of inquiry as well as, to some extent, in methods, models and procedures used. Though the research process is broadly the same in both, qualitative and quantitative research are differentiated in terms of methods of data collection, the procedures adopted for data processing and analysis, and the style of communication of the findings. Qualitative and quantitative research can be compared on the basis of certain parameters. Let us delve into the parameters one by one. 1. Underpinning philosophy The underlying philosophy of the quantitative approach is

TeliaSon Era and Google (Competition Law) Dissertation

TeliaSon Era and Google (Competition Law) - Dissertation Example However, it can be agreed that attaining this desirable status, in which all stakeholders benefit optimally, is relatively challenging. Coupled with increased pressure from the market to make profits, most business persons have opted for satisfying their needs at the expense of the consumer. Furthermore, individual business entities have gone to great lengths to attain and maintain a competitive edge in the markets that they explore. In essence, they take measures that are geared towards enhancing their performance and outperforming their counterparts. They have adopted malpractices such as collusive price fixing, predatory pricing, tie-up sale, discriminatory pricing and creating barriers to market entry amongst others. These trends have had adverse effects on both the consumers and other business persons in the market. To address these, regulatory policies have been put in place. Perhaps one that has been more effective in addressing the preceding concern is competition policy. Com petition policy constitutes a set of measures adopted by the government which direct the behavior of the businesses as well as the structure of the entire business industry. Their main aim is to maximize the welfare of the affected stakeholders and promote effective and efficient performance. They provide useful insights regarding how business entities and individuals can explore the market and enhance healthy competition. Further, they offer guidelines regarding how to prevent anti competitive practices that hurt the industry and undermine sustainable growth and development. At this point, it cannot be disputed that unfair competitive practices promote aggression that has detrimental effects on the performance of businesses. In... As globalization trends continue to grow complex and intricate, firms are increasingly being compelled to adopt approaches and practices that can enable them to attain and maintain a competitive edge in the market. This has prompted them to in some instances adopt practices that have harmful effects on their competitors as well to the consumer base. Monopolistic firms have particularly been affected the most because of their influence in the market. Coupled with their ability to make critical decisions regarding the products and services that they provide, the inherent power has made them to make decisions that have negative effects on their respective industries. Legal provisions have been established on a national, regional and international scale to guide their behavior in this regard. This ensures that the decisions that they make do not affect the functioning of the market and the general wellbeing of the market. Competition law has particularly been imperative in ensuring that this behavior or that their practices are economically viable. One of the tendencies that have been noted in the market pertains to violation of the competition law through margin squeeze.

Industry competitions Essay Example for Free

Industry competitions Essay As per the case provided by Lencioni (2005), the industry was faced with a 30 % excess capacity and too many companies were chasing fewer customers. The global economy experienced a sharp downturn in 2001 and this lasted will into 2003. Equity prices had fallen and this combined with concerns of oil supplies had created an atmosphere of uncertainty. Sales of automobiles had declined in almost all the markets. BMW was listed 6th in the largest manufactures list and had a sold 1. 12 million vehicles in 2003 with sales of 41. 52 billion Euros while General Motors which stood first had sold 8. 5 million vehicles and had sales of 157. 19 billion Euros (p. 735). Please refer to the following illustration for details. Figure 2. BMW and the Five Major Companies in 2003 (p, 735) There was bitter rivalry among the manufactures and they indulged in price wars and the bid to lower the price, while costs were rising were hurting the finances. All the manufacturers made good quality cars that had less than 53 defects per 100 vehicles and clearly the cars lacked unique differentiators and customers had little way of knowing which was what. Clearly only cars that had very good designs and looks were favoured. All the companies wanted to reduce costs and a few companies had shifted the base to China and India. BMW with its reputation for excellent German engineering and good designs had a slight edge (p 735). Suppliers The suppliers of the industry included the hundreds of vendors, job workshops, parts suppliers and so on. They did not have much of an advantage or bargaining power since the car manufacturers were themselves in trouble and they could easily switch suppliers if a need arose (p. 736). Potential Entrants The treat of potential entrants was not very strong as new manufacturers could not scale to the global level quickly. But companies such as Toyota had created a strong brand awareness for quality, fuel economy and service and cars made by Toyota had become increasingly popular, at least in the mid class of cars. Potential entrants would have to devote enough resources for the engineering and then again spend on advertisements and companies were spending up to 50 billion USD on advertising and marketing and this worked to $ 2, 900 for each car sold. BMW had already created an image for excellent quality cars that were powerful, had good design and also very less problems (p. 737). Buyers It was a totally buyers market and there were hundreds of varieties of cars made by leading manufacturers and they could demand excellent quality. In addition, the buyers also demanded discounts, free insurance, zero percent interest loans and many other services. BMW cars were priced at the mid and the upper levels and in this category, buyers were extremely brand conscious. BMW has new versions such as the X5 and Z6 models along with other brands, but it was seeing declining sales. Research conducted in 2003 showed that consumers based their indirect and direct experience measured different brands performance against the criteria of brand excellence and cost of ownership (p. 736). Substitutes The problem with the automobile market was that the customers could not make out any difference between the cars since all the manufactures gave an emphasis on quality and had dedicated design engineers. In the low and mid class segments, the problem was much worse but BMW did not operate in this class (p. 737). Future Changes The future changes as described in the case and with reference to BMW is the distinctive identity that young and affluent European professionals had a desire for. Most drivers perceived high performance saloon automobiles as synonymous with BMW and it was a sign of affluence to own one of the vehicles. There was a pressing urgency to control costs and BMW had manufacturing bases in countries such as China were skilled labour was available at lower costs. It had plans to produce 1,50,000 cars by 2008 from its plants in China and was planning to invest 480 million USD by 2005 (p 738). Figure 3. BMW Growth and Performance Figure (p. 738) However, there was pressure to reduce the costs and orders to divest the expensive and ill Rover acquisition that was bleeding talent and money. There was pressure to sell the expensive models in China since Europe was saturated with high brand vehicles. Q 2. WHAT DIRECTIONS AND METHODS OF STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT DOES BMW APPEAR TO FOLLOW? Lencioni (p. 740) has pointed out that that BMW was in a tight financial position. In spite of the great sales talk, it still lacked the big money required to get the better of the big companies. The company was still a niche player and did not have the large volumes required and it had only a few models. Also the size of the company was modest and the future lay in the hands of the Quandt family that had propped up the company. They were vulnerable to acquisition if the Quandt family decided to dispose of the company or sell of their shares. The company was actually operating in the niche segment and in 2002, it decided to roll out a new model every 3 months and the models would range from the mini size to the Rolls Royce Class of vehicles. There were certain risks as increasing the output at the level planned by the company could threaten the very reason for BMWs great success, a strong but simple theme summarized by the line the ultimate driving machine. The company had been able to exploit this brand identity very profitably and globally wherever their niche could be found. The brand could be extended but there was a fear of diluting the brand. Also there was a fear that by introducing too many closely positioned brands there was the fear that one brand would cannibalise the other. Also by increasing the production of smaller cars could have the effect of reducing the historically high margins enjoyed by BMW as moving into the smaller cars meant earning lesser margins. Competitions in this lower segment were volume driven and operated with much lesser costs. Another issue was quality and with pressure on costs, the risk of quality lapses was bound to increase. The consequences of quality defects in the premium segments could be very heavy. Another route was outsourcing of components but again this meant a compromise on quality (p. 741). REFERENCES Lencioni Valeriano. 2005. BMW Automobiles. (eds) Exploring corporate strategy, by Johnson, Scholes and Whittington. pp: 734-741 Mc Donald Malcom, 1996. Strategic Marketing and Planning. Cranfield Management Series. ISNB 0749420960.

Perceptions of ESL Teachers in Taiwan

Perceptions of ESL Teachers in Taiwan SYNOPSIS This study investigates ESL program teachers experiences, perceptions, attitudes and use of classroom assessment in Taiwan. It is aimed to explore teachers understanding of classroom assessment and their assessment strategies; moreover, to examine whether there are any relationships between teachers experiences, perceptions and use of classroom assessment in private ESL schools in Taiwan. Thirty teachers across three private ESL schools were surveyed using a questionnaire. Among 30 teachers, 4 teachers volunteered to participate in the semi-structured interviews. Data collected from questionnaire and interview provides the researcher with an insight into teachers perceptions, attitudes and use of assessment methods in their classroom. The results show that ESL program teachers were positive about the effectiveness of classroom assessment and formative assessment strategies and had a tendency to use positive feedback to encourage learners to improve their language ability. Most teachers had more than 3 years of teaching experience in teaching English and placed focus on formative assessment in order to meet schools policy, learners needs, and parents demands. There is a need to do further research in such unique educational context, so-called ESL schools in Taiwan, to explore teachers difficulties and needs; moreover, to provide support, such as teachers in-service training, which may lead to benefiting learners. Aim This mixed methods research is designed to investigate ESL private school teachers perceptions, attitude and use of classroom assessment in Taiwan. Two instruments are used in this research, including a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, to explore teachers experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of classroom assessment and their own assessment strategies. Rationale and context This study has been motivated by two factors: first, in 2010, Dr. Rea-Dickins introduced the central characteristics of classroom assessment in Language Testing and Assessment (LTA) course, such as providing learning opportunities for learning or language awareness and nurturing language, which helped me to gain new knowledge about the concept of assessment for learning, in terms of formative assessment. After reading several research studies in relation to classroom-based assessment, I recognize the benefits of assessment, particular with formative assessment, and how teachers can monitor learner progress, inform teaching and support learning through using multiple assessment methods in the classroom. I have the desire to understand whether English teachers use various formative assessment methods, such as teacher and peer feedback, scaffolding and assessment to help learners enhance learning or they mainly focus on grading and recording learning progress. The second factor is related to the fact that we have relatively little knowledge at ESL private school teachers classroom assessment practice and their understanding and attitude toward assessment in Taiwan; moreover, this is an area in which it appears that may have an impact on young learners in learning English. Assessment plays a central and important role both in teaching and learning. Teachers use their own assessment practices, which may have the potential influence on their learners learning, to assess and improve learners language ability. In addition, assessment is synonymous to exams and tests for most teachers, pupils, and parents In Taiwan where traditional paper-and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"pencil assessment remained as the main source informing learners learning (Yip, 2005). Edelenbos and Kubanek-German (2004) also point out the assumption that formal testing is generally referred to the only assessment methods a teacher uses. McNamara (2000) noted that traditional paper-and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"pencil language assessment and performance assessment are two major forms of assessment. In other words, English teachers tend to use the latter to know how their learners use their existing language knowledge related in a given context and to measure learners language ability at the end of a certain period of teaching and learning through the former. As can be seen, the notion of assessment is generally associated with testing and it seems to be under-developed in fields of applied linguistics and general education. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate how English teachers perceive the concept of classroom assessment and what assessment methods they use in their classroom in Taiwan. 1.2.1 English learning environment in Taiwan In 1997, the Ministry of Education (MOE) implemented educational reform and introduced the Nine-Year Integrated Curriculum (NYIC) which has greatly influenced the syllabus and materials design of elementary and high schools in Taiwan. One of the major changes is that pupils, who used to begin learning English in junior high schools (age 11), start to learn English as a Foreign Language in grade 3 (age 9) in elementary schools. English instructions were officially incorporated into elementary school education which brought more business opportunities on English learning and teaching due to the increasing demand for English learning. Such changing situation has also impact the age of learning English in Taiwan, where children now start to learn English at an early age. In addition, according to The Guidelines of English Learning Area in Grade 1-9 Curriculum, the new English syllabus reflects a more communicative orientation and places focus on teacher-learners interactions. It also aims to create an enjoyable learning environment to motivate learners to speak English in English classroom. This appears to suggest that teachers should use more formative assessment methods, in terms of encouraging learners to improve learning and providing more language learning opportunities to them. Furthermore, learners are expected to achieve three goals in Grade 1-9 Curriculum: To equip with basic communicative competence and apply it into real-life situations. To develop learning strategies and be able to learn language effectively and autonomously. To gain knowledge about foreign cultures and be able to respect different cultures. The adjustment in English curriculum is consistent with the current trend in research studies of English as an Additional Language (EAL). Teachers are acting as supporters to scaffold and motivate learners to enhance learning during the whole learning process. In addition, Taiwanese government empowers local schools and teachers to choose teaching materials, such as textbooks, to meet learners needs; moreover, it begins to value pupils individual differences. By doing so, teachers may be able to choose appropriate tasks and activities for their learners and focus on individual learning. As can be seen, teachers are now generally increasing the use of formative assessment strategies to assist learners learning in the classroom in Taiwan 1.2.2 Formative Assessment in language classrooms in Taiwan Generally, English teachers in Taiwan are required to correct all the errors in all students work, including worksheets, textbooks and practice books, due to the pressure from the schools and parents. Such demand from schools and parents is one of major sources of pressure for teachers in Taiwan. As can be seen, teacher feedback, particularly with written feedback, appears to be seen as one major part of teachers routine work. Huang (2006) reports that in Taiwan most English teachers use teacher feedback, as a formative assessment method, on learners grammatical errors in writing. In addition, portfolio assessment is a common assessment tool used by English teachers in Taiwan. Tsai (2004) and Wang (2002) both indicate that teachers use portfolio assessment as an instrument to assess learners achievement rather than improving learning; moreover, Wu (2007) points out that instead of using portfolios assessment in a formative way most teachers use it for summative purposes, in terms of recording each learners achievement. Furthermore, Yip (2005) reports that traditional standardized tests remain the main source of informing and measuring learners learning for most English teachers in Taiwan. As can be seen, the potential of classroom assessment may not have been identified in the language assessment literature and assessment has not reached its full potential in English classrooms in Taiwan. Organization of this research In the next chapter, literature on relevant issues involves definition and functions of classroom assessment and assessment of young learners are reviewed. Methodology of data collection and analysis and a discussion of ethical, validity and reliability issues are introduced in Chapter 3, followed by the presentation of the findings and discussion derived from the results of both questionnaire and interview data. Chapter 5 summaries the research findings and provides limitations and future research. CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 5.1 Introduction This research has explored teachers attitudes, perceptions, and use of assessment in classrooms. In this chapter, limitations of the study will first be discussed, followed by Implications for pedagogy and this study. 5.2 Limitations of the study There are several limitations and problematic aspects in the methodology. First, one limitation in this research is the small size sample (N=30) which may influence the reliability of the result in relation to the correlationship between teachers years of teaching experience and their assessment methods. Size of the sample is vital  for an accurate estimate of the relationship between variables. In addition, without classroom observation, it is difficult to examine teachers day-to-day assessment practice and the whole process of assessment. Observation plays a significant role in confirming teachers interview responses with their actual assessment practice in the classroom. Follow-up interviews are also important in gaining some insight into the behavioural patterns and assessment practice of teachers during the assessment process by providing explanations of their instructional and diagnostic behavior and assessment strategies. The involvement of a larger questionnaire sample size, classroom observation and follow-up interviews may lead to increase reliability of the data and a better and completed understanding of teachers assessment practice in classrooms. 5.3 Implications for pedagogy and teacher training All 5 interviewed teachers indicate that they gain new information about assessment through meeting with teachers from the same grade, for instance, all grade 1 teachers have a meeting to discuss teaching ideas and lesson plans once a week. However, there seems to be an insufficiency level of in-service training activities for meeting the needs of ESL program teachers. Teachers recognize the importance of developing knowledge, competence, capacities and classroom assessment strategies in order to improve teaching and learners learning. This may suggest that there is a need to provide continuing professional development (CPD) and training courses to update new knowledge and information, in relation to planning for teaching, practical approaches and assessment, and more importantly to reflect on their own teaching. 5.3 Implications for further research There is a critical need for more studies to investigate ESL program teachers difficulty in implementing classroom assessment strategies in schools and their diagnostic competence, in terms of their observational and interpretative ability, during classroom teaching. Due to teachers decision-making, assessment cognition network (Yin 2005) and teacher diagnostic competence (Edelenbos and Kubanek-German 2004) are key elements in supporting and assessing learners in classrooms. Moreover, their capacities, knowledge and beliefs may have an impact on how they assess learner performance during the teaching and their diagnostic competence, including the skills they use to guess what learners want to say and the abilities to provide language samples of learners language growth, may influence the amount of language learning opportunities they provide for individual learner during the teaching and learning. Furthermore, further research is needed in exploring teachers representation and implementation of classroom assessment to reveal factors which influence teachers perceptions and interpretation of assessment. In addition, ESL program teachers use of the materials, which involve standardized and teacher made tests and a set of assessment instruments, should also be examined, in terms of the reliability and validity of teacher assessment. Finally, the scope of so-called ESL school teachers classroom assessment perceptions and strategies research should be expanded to include other Asia countries, such as Korea and China. 5.4 Conclusion The focus of this research is to investigate so-called ESL school teachers perceptions, attitudes and use of classroom assessment in Taiwan, an EFL context. A mixed methods approach is used to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data, including questionnaire and interview data. This study provides a window to reveal how teachers , who aim to enhance Taiwanese learners English ability through adopting ESL curriculum and teaching materials to teach learners in an EFL context, perceive the construct of classroom assessment, their attitudes toward assessment and use of assessment methods. The results show a strong emphasis on formative, as opposed to summative, assessment practice among 30 teachers across 3 private ESL schools; moreover, the data suggests a need for CPD courses to improve teaching and learning and to prevent teachers from suffering burnout and emotional exhaustion.

Sylvias Use of Senses in Ariel :: English Literature Essays

Sylvia's Use of Senses in Ariel "Ariel" possesses power and importance, a certain element of orgasmic stress to the degree to which the horseback ride Plath once took becomes something more—a ride into the abyss of the unknown, a stare back into the eye of the sun, an odyssey to death, a stripping of personality and selfhood, a sort of blatant exposition. To treat "Ariel" as a confessional poem is to suggest that its actual importance lies in the horse- ride taken by its author, in the author's psychological problems, or in its position within the biographical development of the author. None of these issues is as significant as the imagistic and thematic developments rendered by the poem itself. Probably the finest single construction of Plath, "Ariel" has articulate precision and depth of its images. In its account of the ritual journey toward the center of life and death, Plath perfects her method of leaping from image to image in order to represent mental process. The sensuousness and concreteness of the poem—the "Black sweet blood mouthfuls" of the berries; the "glitter of seas"—is unmatched in contemporary American poetry. We see, hear, touch, and taste the process of disintegration: the horse emerging from the darkness of the morning, the sun beginning to rise as Ariel rushes uncontrollably across the countryside, the rider trying to catch the brown neck but instead "tasting" the blackberries on the side of the road. Then all the rider's perceptions are thrown together: the horse's body and the rider's merge. She hears her own cry as if it were that of a child and flies toward the burning sun that has now risen. To a reader who is unaware of Plath’s biography â€Å"ARIEL† would probably most immediately call to mind the "airy spirit" who in Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a servant to Prospero and symbolizes Prospero’s control of the upper elements of the universe, fire and air. And seen from a more intimate level, â€Å"ARIEL† was the name of her favorite horse, on whom she weekly went riding. The two reflections about the name â€Å"ARIEL† have often been noticed and pointed out, with the emphasis, from a critical perspective, being placed on the biographical referent. But there is another possible referent in the title of the poem, which no one has yet noted, although the poet, apparently, went out of her way to make reference, even obvious reference, to it.

An experiment to investigate whether concentration of acid has an :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

An experiment to investigate whether concentration of acid has an effect on the reaction rate of the reaction between Calcium Carbonate and Hydrochloric Acid. 1. The key factor I plan to investigate and what I will do to make my experiment a fair test The factor that I plan to investigate is whether the concentration of acid (the acid being HCl) has any effect on the rate of reaction between Calcium carbonate and Hydrochloric acid. I will vary the concentration and calculate rate of reaction, and calculate the effect of the factor by measuring the amount of gas given of during the reaction, and finding out how much gas is given of every 15 seconds. I will collect the gas by bubbling it into a gas collection tube in a water bath. I will use five different concentrations 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, and 40% acid. I will mix acid with water to get the desired concentration, and for each experiment I will keep the volume of the acid and water combined at 50 ml. For example in order to 80% concentration I will mix 40 ml of acid, and 10 ml of water. For each different concentration I will conduct 3 identical experiments, and collect my results every 15 seconds. I will then average out the three different results for one particular time and produce one result. I will collect 8 results per an experiment. I will repeat any measurements that don't appear to follow the general trend. Also to make sure that results are accurate I will use a 100 ml measuring tube with marking for every 1 cm3. I will measure the liquid in a test tube with 1 cm3 marking. I will conduct my experiment in the laboratory. The equation for this experiment is: CaCo3 + 2HCL CaCL2 + H2O + CO2 The variables I plan to control 1. Surface area: The surface area of each marble chip should be kept relatively the same because due to collision theory if more surface area is available the number of particles of solid reactant available for collision will increase. Therefore more collisions can occur, and it is likely there will be more collisions with sufficient energy to successfully lead to a reaction. I might not be able to keep the surface area of my marble chips exactly the same but I will attempt to keep it as similar as possible. 2.Volume of liquid: I will keep the amount of liquid at 50 ml, because if I don't keep the amount of liquid constant I will change the amount of acid in contact with the marble chips, because if there is more HCL

‘Split Down the Middle’ by David Campton

This piece of work is based on a section of script from a play. The segment is part of a play called ‘Split Down the Middle' by David Campton. The segment is a duologue that is about two girls (Josie and Fran) who are on a works outing. The scene is set in a rowing boat in the middle of the ocean surrounded by fog. Problems cumulate, when a small whole is discovered, and the boat is realised to be sinking! We liked this idea as we thought it was a good script that was well written and suited to the abilities of myself and the other girls in the scene. We liked the humorous dialogue and the situation of the script. The ages and respective temperament of the characters we though suited us, and we enjoyed reading the script together. There are two characters in the script. These are both young women. One is called Fran, and the other Josie. Josie is a much more lively character than Fran. She is quick witted, with a fiery temper and a lashing tongue. She blames Fran for them being stuck in the middle of the ocean. Josie considers herself to be above Fran, and is a harder character than Fran. She is dramatic, and over the top. However in the last part of the script, she relents and shows her true affection for Fran. We reached some of Josie's character by discussion, as part of it was already written on the script as a pointer. Fran is a much more slow character. She is simple and displays a degree of thoughtlessness that causes Josie to react dramatically in some scenes. She is not quite sure of herself, and almost reveres Josie as the superior character. However, she is totally unfazed by the aspect of death, and in the end, ahs to turn the comforter, and consoler of Josie when she has a complete breakdown. We got Fran's character the same way we got Josie's. I played the part of Fran. To set the scene, we paced two chairs together in the centre of the stage. This was to represent the bench on the rowing boat. We chose to use minimal props because we thought that would be easier and more effective than having some props, but not very many. The idea of swaying as if the boat was on the open seas was discussed, but we abandoned it as we though it would be very difficult to sustain, and it would ruin the simplicity of the scene. In my opinion the best scene in the play is the last scene where Fran and Josie reconcile and sit in peace. I think this was very effective as it brought the emotions of the scene to light. It had a good use of tension and focus was required between the characters. It brings to light the bond between two close friends. It was also one of the scenes where we knew our words! In contrast, I thought the middle of the play was slightly weak. We were not very sure of the words, and this seeped slightly into the performance. The atmosphere was not built up enough, and the body language between the characters was slightly wrong. The focus was not very good, and we could have made a better use of contrast between the characters. I was slightly nervous about performing this piece as I was not 100% sure of the words. I tried not to let this seep into my work, but it may have a little. However, I calmed down once I was in the theatre. The piece had to be performed slightly different to the way we did in rehearsals as we were used to rehearsing in quite a small room, and now we had to do it in a theatre. We had to project our voice considerably more than we were used to, and also had to act to a much larger audience. The audience were very helpful, as they found the scene quite funny in all the correct places, and not in places that it wasn't meant to be funny. They also applauded at the right time, and gave encouragement. I think that this piece worked mostly, as we managed to create a good focus between us. We did not forget our words, and built a successful atmosphere. Though we felt nervous, we managed to perform the scene successfully. I think that we did the script justice, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it.