Essay: Misconceptions and Stereotypes

These misconceptions and stereotypes give us the wrong idea of the opposite race. They thus breed fear, intolerance and separation between races. Ultimately, this leads to segregation and discrimination of the ‘inferior’ race, as we do not understand that they are just different from us, and not necessarily inferior or lesser human beings.

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Essay: Insertion of interpreter discretion

Sample Essay

Another interesting example of the insertion of interpreter discretion drawn from this same documentary was the translation of the Palestinian word “shaheed,” which Baker reported is commonly translated to “martyr” in English.  She observed that martyr isn’t an ideal literal translation of shaheed; further, given America’s current geopolitical engagements the term martyr is fraught with great negative implications.  In the English translation of the film, shaheed is not translated as martyr, but becomes “victim” or “killed.”  These examples are useful to consider because the expectations held of translators, and the expectations translators themselves hold in regard to the applications and significance of their translations, inform the way translations are performed as well as the significance conferred on the translation (for literacy or accuracy and for integrity) by those who receive them.

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Essay: Implementation of programs in Afghan community

Sample Essay

The program providers first offered the adult literacy program to males. Once men enrolled in the program, they were informed that it was a “couples’ class” and that they could attend if they brought their wives with them. Andersen and Kooij (2007) speculated that it was “more acceptable” for the men to allow their wives to attend class in their presence, rather than for them to consider their wives attending a class without them. For the wives, the researchers observed, the fact that their husbands invited them to participate enabled them to consider the significance of the literacy to the improvement of the family — linking the effort to the family and honor values that characterize Afghan culture (Dupree, 2002). The researchers observed that implementation of programs in Afghan community requires the sensitivity of the custom and values to further reach target beneficiaries. Dupree (2002) noted that “in a respectful and inclusive way is perhaps more likely to be accepted in this traditional culture” (p. 328).

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Essay: Transformational learning experiences of a translator

Sample Essay

The proposed study aims to qualitatively investigate the lived experiences of one translator in order to help understand the cross-culture relations among the translator and members of the international community in the HQ-ISAF. The research will cover the participant’s perceptions of cultural and educational encounters and experiences from his employment at the Linguistic Services Branch at the Headquarters. The researcher also aims to qualitatively examine via the case study approach the experiential and transformational learning experiences of a translator and the educational system of Afghanistan that led him to the delivery of a quality translation of language and culture among foreigners.

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Essay: Tribal groups populating Afghanistan

Sample Essay

Among the range of ethnic and tribal groups populating Afghanistan, Wardak (2004) identified the “Hazara, Aimaq, Baluch, Brahui, Nuristani, Pashaie, Pamiri, Kirghiz, Qizilbash, Mongols, Arabs, Gujars, Kohistanis, Wakhis and Jats” (p.3) in addition to the Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmen and the ethnic majority Pashto (p.3). Wardak (2004) stated that the tribal groups are mostly distinguished by their language or dialect differences. The migratory nature seen in many of the Afghan people and frequent contact with strangers — both Afghan and foreign — have served to place members of different tribal groups in close proximity with one another. The differences that exist however have been effectively exploited at various times in the nation’s history since this served the agenda of invading forces (Geller & Moss, 2008; Wardak, 2003).

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Essay: Poverty in America

Sample Essay

Introducing the Damaging Situation  of  Higher Education in America

In the measure of learning, Alex Kingsbury reporting for the U.S. News & World Report on March 12, 2007, talks about the damaging situation prevalent in higher education institutions across America, the hurdles to effectively quantifying the quality of education, withholding of past performance data, and the unrealistic approach applied to assessing a students  capabilities. We have progressed from the days where a college education was an intense dose of primitive influences, yet our institutions of higher learning have failed to shift to the changing tide.

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