Experience Archaeology Firsthand in a Field School

Experience Archaeology Firsthand in a Field School Would you like to go on an archaeological dig? Do Indiana Jones movies give you wanderlust? Does the thought of conducting scientific research in exotic locations sound like the perfect way to spend your hard-earned vacation? Are you tired of reading about ancient cultures from the pages of books and websites and do you long to learn about those dead societies first hand? An archaeological field school might be just what youre looking for.   An archaeological field school means that even if youre not a professional archaeologist, you, too, can spend part of your summer digging in the dirt. After all, it doesnt seem terribly fair that we should have all the fun, does it? Well, fortunately, there are lots of university-based excavations going on all year long, called field schools, and some of them take unaffiliated volunteers. Whats a Field School? An archaeology field school is an archaeological dig that is organized partly to train the next generation of archaeologists. Of course, field schools are always arranged to conduct real, scientifically-based archaeological research for the professors and their graduate student assistants. The only reason to go into the field and excavate sites must always be to gather new information about ancient behaviors and culturesarchaeology is a destructive process and if youre not gathering data, you shouldnt be digging. But field schools are specifically tailored to teach new students the methods and philosophy of archaeology. And the good news? Even if youre not planning on becoming an archaeologist, you can still attend a field school. In fact, I always recommend that anybody even considering a career in archaeology should go to one early in their education, if possible even before they start taking university classes, to find out if they like hanging around other sunburned and filthy people pursuing scientific research enough to warrant the cost of a college education. Attending a Field School A field school works this way: a small band of studentsgenerally ten to fifteen, although the size varies considerably from school to schoolis collected by a university anthropology department. The students go to an archaeological site where they get instructions on how to survey and dig, and then they dig. Many field schools feature lectures and tours to nearby archaeological sites; sometimes students are assigned a special project of their own. The students get college credit and training that way,   starting them off in a career in archaeology. Most field schools last between two and eight weeks in the warm or dry season, depending on what part of the world the excavations are located. Many field schools also welcome members of the local historical society or archaeology club, or provide opportunities for the public to experience archaeology for themselves. Almost every archaeology department or anthropology department with a concentration in archaeology in the world conducts archaeological field research in schools every summer or every other summer. What Youll Need To attend such a field school, youll need physical stamina, clothes you dont mind destroying, a hat with a brim, and SPF 30 or better sunblock. You may get college credit. You may have to provide your own travel and housing expenses, or they may be provided as part of the experience. Youll need a strong sense of adventure; a stronger sense of humor; and the ability to work hard without complaining (too much!). But you might have the time of your life. So, if you have a few days or weeks off next summer, and you want to experience a little real-live archaeology, this is the time to start looking! Finding a Field School There are several ways to find a field school. There are several dozens being held all over the world every year. Here are a few sites that can be trusted to contain up-to-date listings from around the globe.   Archaeology Anthropology Field Schools ShovelBums site, R. Joe Brandon Archaeological Fieldwork.com, Jennifer Palmer Field School Opportunities from the American Anthropological Society Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin from the Archaeological Institute of America You could also contact the archaeologists associated with the anthropology, archaeology, or ancient history department at your local university. You might consider joining your local archaeology society or club. Good luck and good digging!

Wright Brothers First Fatal Airplane Crash

Wright Brothers First Fatal Airplane Crash It had only been five years since Orville and Wilbur Wright made their famous flight at Kitty Hawk. By 1908, the Wright brothers were traveling across the United States and Europe in order to demonstrate their flying machine. Everything went well until that fateful day, September 17, 1908, which began with a cheering crowd of 2,000 and ended with pilot Orville Wright severely injured and passenger Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge dead. A Flight Exhibition Orville Wright had done this before. He had taken his first official passenger, Lt. Frank P. Lahm, into the air on September 10, 1908, at Fort Myer, Virginia. Two days later, Orville took another passenger, Major George O. Squier, up in the Flyer for nine minutes. These flights were part of an exhibition for the United States Army. The U.S. Army was considering purchasing the Wrights aircraft for a new military airplane. To get this contract, Orville had to prove that the airplane could successfully carry passengers. Though the first two trials had been successful, the third was to prove a catastrophe. Lift Off! Twenty-six-year-old Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge volunteered to be a passenger. A member of the Aerial Experiment Association (an organization headed by Alexander Graham Bell and in direct competition with the Wrights), Lt. Selfridge was also on the Army board that was assessing the Wrights Flyer at Fort Myers, Virginia. It was just after 5 p.m. on September 17, 1908, when Orville and Lt. Selfridge got into the airplane. Lt. Selfridge was the Wrights heaviest passenger thus far, weighing 175 pounds. Once the propellers were turned, Lt. Selfridge waved to the crowd. For this demonstration, approximately 2,000 people were present. The weights were dropped and the airplane was off. Out of Control The Flyer was up in the air. Orville was keeping it very simple and had successfully flown three laps over the parade ground at an altitude of approximately 150 feet. Then Orville heard light tapping. He turned and quickly looked behind him, but he didnt see anything wrong. Just to be safe, Orville thought he should turn off the engine and glide to the ground. But before Orville could shut off the engine, he heard two big thumps, which gave the machine a terrible shaking. The machine would not respond to the steering and lateral balancing levers, which produced a most peculiar feeling of helplessness. Something flew off the airplane. (It was later discovered to be a propeller.) Then the airplane suddenly veered right. Orville couldnt get the machine to respond. He shut off the engine. He kept trying to regain control of the airplane. . . . I continued to push the levers, when the machine suddenly turned to the left. I reversed the levers to stop the turning and to bring the wings on a level. Quick as a flash, the machine turned down in front and started straight for the ground. Throughout the flight, Lt. Selfridge had remained silent. A few times Lt. Selfridge had glanced at Orville to see Orvilles reaction to the situation. The airplane was about 75 feet in the air when it started a nose-dive to the ground. Lt. Selfridge let out a nearly inaudible Oh! Oh! The Crash Heading straight for the ground, Orville was not able to regain control. The Flyer hit the ground hard. The crowd was at first in silent shock. Then everyone ran over to the wreckage. The crash created a cloud of dust. Orville and Lt. Selfridge were both pinned in the wreckage. They were able to disentangle Orville first. He was bloody but conscious. It was harder to get Selfridge out. He too was bloody and had an injury to his head. Lt. Selfridge was unconscious. The two men were taken by stretcher to the nearby post hospital. Doctors operated on Lt. Selfridge, but at 8:10 p.m., Lt. Selfridge died from a fractured skull, without ever regaining consciousness. Orville suffered a broken left leg, several broken ribs, cuts on his head, and many bruises. Lt. Thomas Selfridge was buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. He was the first man to die in an airplane. Orville Wright was released from the Army hospital on October 31. Though he would walk and fly again, Orville continued to suffer from fractures in his hip that had gone unnoticed at the time. Orville later determined that the crash was caused by a stress crack in the propeller. The Wrights soon redesigned the Flyer to eliminate the flaws that led to this accident. Sources Howard, Fred. Wilbur and Orville: A Biography of the Wright Brothers.  Alfred A. Knopf, 1987, New York.Prendergast, Curtis. The First Aviators. Time-Life Books, 1980, Alexandria, VA.Whitehouse, Arch. The Early Birds: The Wonders and Heroics of the First Decades of Flight. Doubleday Company, 1965, Garden City, NY.

An overcome approach to the Melting Pot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An overcome approach to the Melting Pot - Essay Example Enlistment was next used after the United States entered World War I in 1917. The first peacetime call up came with the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. Active conscription ("the draft") ended in 1973. Currently, male U.S. citizens, if aged eighteen through twenty five, are required to register with the Selective Service System, whose mission is "to provide manpower to the armed forces in an emergency" including a "Health Care Personnel Delivery System"2 and "to run an Alternative Service Program for men classified as conscientious objectors during a draft." No one has been prosecuted for violating the conscription law in the USA since 1986.3 Conscription should be considered as a hypothetical panacea to cut down, for example, crime, teenage pregnancy and substance abuse rates decline; or to foster a more hard-working, respectful, disciplined, honorable and prepared for life youth4. Enlistment could surely help all of those immigrants in the States to get more, deeper and better integrated within the American society by helping their adoptive country to reinstate peace and freedom where needed by the time they give to the society something in reward for all they have already received. Mandatory military service is one of the oldest forms of national service and is common to both democratic and non-democratic countries. Such democratic countries as Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey require male and occasionally female citizens to participate in military service when they become 18 years old. These countries prove that conscription, when handled properly, can be an asset to the military, the society and the conscript. Furthermore,... An overcome approach to the â€Å"Melting Pot† After the introduction of a bill to reinstate the military draft by Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) on January 7, 2003, rumours went out on the real reach of this measure. A little over a year after, another bill, this time by Representative Tim Johnson, announced on October 5, 2004, that the House defeated a bill that would have reinstated the military draft. H.R. 163 was introduced by and would have required every U.S. citizen, and every other person residing in the United States, between the ages of 18 and 26 to perform a two-year period of national service, unless exempted, either as a member of an active or reserve component of the armed forces or in a civilian capacity that promotes national defence . Detractors of H.R. 163 argued that too many have already lost their lives at the battle field and the Vietnam issue became a recurrent double edged argument. However, it has to be understood and taken into account that the USA are involved in several campaigns all over the world to guarantee freedom and Human Rights where otherwise would be rotten to the core. In addition to this, the military draft should be assumed not as a punishment or backward movement, more proper of a reactionary society than of a leading and modern one, but as a different solution for daily concerns. Besides, military draft is another way to interpret the path to the achievement of the American Dream, overcoming the well worn â€Å"Melting Pot† topic: recruits and conscripts can enter the military branch of their liking, request to be trained in a specific field, and serve in the state of their choice.

Nursing reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing reflection - Essay Example And, if I will be going home later today?† â€Å"Are they aware of complications that may occur in these limited hours? And, they may have to admit me to the hospital if complications arise?† â€Å"I am in tears?† I bet they think it is my depression. I cannot talk because I am still on the ventilation machine. â€Å"Can’t they have me write my needs down on a piece of paper?† Okay, perhaps me writing will not work with the IVs in my arms.† But, have not they heard of asking ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions with one blink of the eye lids for ‘yes’ and two blinks of the eye lids for ‘no’. â€Å"What am I going to do?† They zing in and out of my room faster than a honeybird. While most agree that there is a nursing shortage and nurses are at their wits end for delivering patient care, it is imperative that nurses use the basic rules in providing quality nursing care especially in the critical post operative nursing care. According to Surgery Encyclopedia: Postoperative Care (11/16/2008), postoperative care is management of a patient after surgery. Our nursing patient has many issues and she should. Presuming there is a Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), how long did she stay there and did she have any complications? She knows the goal of the postoperative nursing staff is to prevent complications within the first twenty-four hours. How can they do this? When she arrives to the area the nursing staff should do an assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention and outcome evaluation, this sounds similar to SOAPIE with a couple of modifications. However, when you do your assessment, it would be advantageous to quote her on how she feels postoperatively including why she is crying. Did she feel pain during surgery? Remember that when you chart. On a scale from 1-10, one she is in awful pain and ten feeling no pain. How does she rate? Is she too sedated? Is she on a patient-controlled analgesia pump? Perhaps, you will have to put time in your schedule

A lie is a lie, until it becomes reality Essay Example for Free

A lie is a lie, until it becomes reality Essay Have you ever created a lie and told it to so many people in so many times and on so many occasions that you started to believe it also. Truth is spoken in words before believing, lie is equally uttered in same form, but the difference is in the period of mental processing required for the approval of the mind. Irrespective of the number of times a lie is uttered, it still remains a lie until it matures into evident truth. This I believe – ‘a lie is a lie, until it becomes reality.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Whatever comes in words is powerful than even the two edged swords.† Repeated episodes of events ingrain a mental picture of such into a reality sooner or later. This is faster believed when it has earlier existed before within the same atmosphere, locality and season. It is a function of reminiscence into the past, analyzing the image of the scenario and subsequently ignoring the path to doubt. This most unlikely will lock up the believing faculty of the mind to unquestionably assimilate it like every other truth. Come to think of it, a man who lives to tell the truth, live to be hated continually by enemy on his way with no tint of resolving. Show me a man who has never lied before and I will show you a man who is perceived to live a hostile existence in the world, a man who lives strictly not to bend the rule even if it costs a life. This is paradoxically to the detriment of his integrity for failure to contribute sweetness into beings. More so, men live to believe witnessed speech faster than what they hear alone. Imaging a lie supported by unfounded crowd of witnesses far away (still in the lie context), a sense of been odd will drag the listener(s) into the fold of the virtual seas of witness. This reminds me of a friend, who fabricates a big lie from our early childhood. Many lies he told spread faster with his popularity. Popularity here is the basis for the repetition. He cooks up so many lies to meet the expected demand of a higher social class. He is talked about everywhere in school, especially among the ladies who cunningly rush to gain his attention. Of course, he is such an awesome baby boy, who was born and bread in the good city of the other world to come. In my discoveries, I had long ago resolved that repeated pressure metamorphose a pulseless attempt to give in and satisfy intrinsic desire to shed wait of pressure. Lie is one of such pressure – it is so easy to utter because it does not cost a dime, it only entails perfect matching of the imaginary expectation of your listener with the picture of what it should be even when it is yet to be.   This very friend of mine goes here and there to here the same words of his own, far away from the third party to a distant accomplice. Such accomplice will ask â€Å"I really commend your new father’s acquisition of on of the hottest companies in town, I heard he got it in your names † reply, â€Å"I really do not border much because I see him aiming higher for me even beyond Microsoft Company† Here is just one of the numerous lies told my friends. He wakes everyday in school to hear this. He is repeatedly triggered to lobby for such an achievement from his parent until it turns a reality. His father became worried one day; attempt to relieve the young man’s anxiety and work out the expectation of one of the big shot companies. The repeated lobby turns the acquisition a reality. Let us extrapolation the last story into the field of psychology, a land where perfect  Ã‚  Ã‚   prediction of future from the past is not a crime. The aspect of the mind responsible for telling lie, is not only unique to the author, it is rather developed over time when put into function. The time interval may vary but the lie is destined to become a reality one day, if and only if it is constantly reminded. Reference `This I Believe` speech, http://www.thisibelieve.org/index.php .

Financial Analysis: PepsiCo Beats Coca-Cola Essay -- Pepsi, Coke, busi

Pepsi vs. Coke the epic battle that every American and from the looks of their financial statements possibly everyone in the world must deal with does it have a winner. For the fiscal year 2005 it certainly does through analyzing financial statements with vertical, horizontal, and ratio analysis investors are able to clearly decide who the better choice for their investment is. By careful scruitiny and attention to detail any investor can safely put their money in a buiseness as an investment so long as they are adhering to rules and regulations of the GAAP. Using the tools for financial analysis and the information given I will determine the winner of that battle for 2005 at least from the investors point of view. In our literature it states that a â€Å"vertical analysis evaluates financial statement data by expressing each item in a financial statement as a percent of a base amount.† I chose to look vertically at current assets and liabilities, of both companies so I can compare these figures between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to find out who is in better current standing. Current assets Vs. Total Assets for PepsiCo: ( 2005) 10454/ 31727 = approx. 33% of total assets are current (2004) 8639/ 27987 = approx. 31% of total assets are current Now we will look at the current liabilities vs. total liabilities for PepsiCo (2005) 9406/ 17476 = approx. 54% of the total liabilities are current (2004) 6752/ 14464 = approx. 47% of the total liabilities are current Current assets Vs. Total Assets for Coca-Cola: 2005) 10250/ 29427 =Approx. 35% Current 2004) 12281/ 31441 = Approx 39% Current And we will look at the current liabilities vs. total liabilities for Coca-Cola: 2005) 9836/ 29427 = Approx. 33% Current 2004... ...id volume growth for 2005†¦The company said it earned $864 million, or 36 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, a 28 percent drop from the year before. However, excluding one-time charges, the company earned 46 cents per share, a penny ahead of analysts' expectations. One-time items included taxes on repatriated foreign earnings and a charge related to a bottling investment.(Wilbert, 06)† It is a sad day when you have a 28% drop year over year and exceed â€Å"Wall Street expectations.† If I were in their shoes I would do whatever I had to do to entice consumers to put their hard earned cash back in my company even at the cost lower profitability sell for less but sell more†¦hey it works for Wal-Mart why not you to Coca-Cola. Until they change their investment and marketing strategies I would steer clear of investing in any new Coca-Cola stock for more than a few years.

English Language Essay

English has emerged as the global language of trade and commerce in the past few decades, affecting many key aspects of business in the modern world. The English language has become the standard for all important official communications in an increasingly large number of countries with a wide variety of native languages. In the modern world, English continues to spread as the major medium through which both small businesses and large corporations do business. There are about 5,000 languages in the world today. Some have gained international status; some are developing; others are used in isolation in their region, community, or village; a few have gone extinct or have died (like Latin and Sanskrit). The number of users of the English language has grown by leaps and bounds. Second language and foreign language users are seen to exceed the number of native speakers.  · Worldwide more or less two billion people live in countries where English has official status.  · One out of five of the world’s population, speaks English with some degree of fluency.  · Over one billion had been seen in the year 2000 to continue their studies in English.  · As language of science and technology, English, the universal language, claims more or less 90% of all information in the world’s electronic retrieval systems being stored in English. English is used regularly by more than 350 million people scattered over the globe. It is the native or official language of one-fifth of the world. Of the languages of colonization it has been the one most important in Africa, Asia and the islands of the central and southern Pacific. The use of English is widespread in international trade, international scholarship, and scientific research. More than half of the world’s scientific and technical journals, as well as newspapers, are printed in English. Three-fourths of the world’s mail is in English. The Soviet Union and China use English in their propaganda broadcasts to the developing countries of Africa and Asia. English is the most widely-studied language in areas where it is not native. In Japan English is widely used in the upper grade level. In India, English is the alternate official language to Hindi. In the Philippines it is the common language or medium of communication of people speaking different languages. More or less 80% of Filipinos speak/understand English. Doing Business Worldwide English is a global language for doing business. In some industries, English is the official standard language. Therefore, an excellent command of English is required for key jobs. In addition, English has emerged as a major language for finance and the stock markets around the world. People wishing to do businesses globally need to have a good command of spoken English. The ability to clearly write in English is also of key importance, as many forms of business communication, from emails to presentations and marketing to important business contracts, are written in English. A CNN Report (CNN) Hiroshi Mikitani sees nothing wrong with the word, incorporating it easily into our discussion about Japan’s future. The internet entrepreneur and CEO of Rakuten Inc, Japan’s largest e-commerce site, intends to change his country from the inside out. â€Å"And Englishization is a part of it,† he says bluntly. With 6,000 employees and sales topping $3 billion a year, Mikitani intends Rakuten to keep growing into a global player. The goal: be as common a household name as Google in 10 years. The path to that goal, believes Mikitani, is to speak the global language of business, English. â€Å"English is the only global language. We’re doing a global business. I think this is the only way a Japanese service organization can become a global organization.† By 2012, Mikitani’s pledge is to make Rakuten an English-only corporation. All communication, verbal and email, would be sent not in Japanese, but in English. It’s a daunting task for a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo. Last year’s Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) rankings showed Japanese test takers scored second worst in the East Asia region, below North Korea and Myanmar. Only Laos ranked lower than Japan. Honda’s CEO, Takanobu Ito, said publicly, â€Å"It’s stupid for a Japanese company to only use English in Japan when the workforce is mainly Japanese.† Mikitani doesn’t flinch at the criticism. In fact, he seems to relish it. â€Å"The nature of our business is totally different,† he says, pointing out Honda manufactures a hardware item and Rakuten deals with users on the internet. â€Å"If you want to become successful in other countries, you need to internationalize the headquarters.† Rakuten is expanding despite Japan’s macro-economic struggles. They are starting a Chinese version of Rakuten and purchasing ecommerce sites in the U.S. and France. â€Å"One thing I know, the definition of ‘country’ is going to change. Definition of ‘currency’ is going to change,† says Mikitani. â€Å"There is going to be less importance which country you’re operating from. And there’s going to be global competition, not local to local.† Mikitani is everything â€Å"Corporate Japan† is not: young, a risk-taker, outspoken and fluent in English. He started his company with a friend in 1997, using their own money. The two friends grew the business into the public corporation and powerhouse it is today. The 45 year old, energetic CEO says he is, at the core, utterly Japanese. But he disagrees with how corporate Japan and the policy makers have run the economy and country. Look at the aging demographics and the economy of Japan, says Mikitani, and the writing is on the wall for corporate Japan. Growth, he says, can only happen if Japanese companies go outside of the country for expansion and look for opportunities outside of Japan’s famously produced cars and electronics. â€Å"I felt (sic) those kind of ages is over. Now we need to really dramatically change the structure of economy of Japan and IT is going to be an extremely important part of it,† says Mikitani. â€Å"But none of the Japanese†¦ for example, politicians, truly understands from the bottom of the heart, how important that is.† Mikitani feels the two decades-long economic stagnation for Japan has fundamentally affected the country’s young, which spells trouble for the country’s future. â€Å"Japanese society, especially younger people, are so inward looking. They don’t even want to go to other countries. They want to stay here. They want to have a good life; they don’t want to be rich. They want to have a good day to day life. That’s it. And I think we need to be more sort of dynamic, outward looking,† he says. The solution, hopes Mikitani, will be found in concrete economic policy from Tokyo’s lawmakers and strong leadership from Japan’s companies. Japan can produce innovative, high quality ideas and products, says Mikitani, but the talent needs a direction. He remains positive about his country’s future, despite its problems. Rakuten means optimistic, he points out. â€Å"I think that in absolute terms, we [Japanese] are lagging. We are slowing down. I don’t think we need to be pessimistic, but our window is not so long.† An Indian Perspective English even after 36 years of independence occupies an important place in the social educational, administrative, scientific industrial and commercial life of the country. Ever since India became independent, the fortunes of English have seen many ups and downs. In accordance with the prevalent mood of hostility against everything foreign, English, considered only a foreign language, could not also escape the wrath of many people. It was decided to do away with it as early as possible. It was given a lease of fifteen years, and after that it was to be replaced by Hindi as the national and official language of the country. English was spoken and used by a micro-scopic minority of the people and they could not dominate the majority which spoke Hindi. Educationally also it was desirable to impart instruction in Hindi. Educationally also it was desirable to impart instruction in Hindi and other regional languages. Moreover, the continuance of English as the official language of the country was regarded as some sort of an affront to national honor. Did not every country have its own national and official, language, it was asked. There was much weight in all these arguments. But when the deadline, 1965, for the switch-over to Hindi came, there were unseemly controversies and riots in the country. The main opposition to Hindi came from the South. After long and tedious deliberations it was decided to continue English as an associate official language. The States were free to adopt their own languages and were to correspond with one another and the centre either in Hindi or English. Later the the three language formula was also devised. The general feeling is that Hindi as it develops and as people while learning it show, and are shown patience, will continue to gain in importance and will increasingly take over as many functions of English as possible. But along with the spread of Hindi, English will continue to be used in one way or another and it will play its due role in the nation. India is a land of many languages, cultures and religions. It is rich in variety and diversity, but there is a real danger that in the absence of a link language, its unity may just fall to bits. Considering the situation as it is today, English is the only language to discharge this important obligation. At the official level, the importance of English is obvious. It is the associate language of the Centre and most of its employees use it in official work. Since the States have adopted their regional languages for official business and many of them are averse to the use of Hindi, a virtual linguistic chaos would result if English were not used for inter-State communication. So in this sphere also, the importance of English is obvious. Interestingly, the state of Nagaland has English as its official language. In education too, the use of English cannot be dispensed with. Hindi and the regional languages, though they are developing and enjoy official patronage, are still inadequately equipped for imparting education, particularly at the university level. There is a general lack of standard text books and it may well take several decades before there is sufficient development of these languages. Again, English still enjoys a commanding position in science, technology, engineering, law, medicine, commerce, industry and the diplomatic services. It is virtually impossible to replace English in these disciplines by Hindi or any other Indian language. Considering then for a moment the absence of English from India, exchange of professors, doctors administrators, and students will cease. Research will slacken and there will be a steep decline in the quality of education. The efforts of the country to industrialize itself rapidly and to raise the standard of the masses will be seriously undermined. There will widespread disunity and this will jeopardize our freedom. So the role of English today for us is twofold. It knits the country and maintains equality and standard at all levels. Considering this important place of English, we Indians are today learning it in larger numbers than they ever did before. It is a world language and even in Russia, China etc., it is being learnt eagerly. In India those who oppose it seem to be a little prejudiced either for political reasons or because of some absurd sentimentality. Don’t they accept foreign goods, clothes and technical know-how? They do, because it is good and useful. Why then oppose English, simply because it is a foreign language? They should not forget that it was the knowledge of English that helped India gain freedom. The overall situation then appears to be this. English even after 36 years of independence occupies an important place in the social educational, administrative, scientific industrial and commercial life of the country. Those who know and support it need not despair. English will continue though it may occupy a secondary place to Hindi.