Literacy Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literacy Narrative - Essay Example It was only much later that we got our first rudimentary lessons in English language. It was a bit tedious at first, because our entire class of grade schoolers had to learn all the basics of English grammar. The English teacher we had was quite good although admittedly her own diction and intonations were far from being perfect but it was acceptable anyway to us pupils who did not know any better. I can honestly say that the wonderful world beyond my country started to open up with all those lessons in English literature fit for our kiddies’ class. I still can remember how we laughed and giggled on some of the strange words and sounds we had to master as we went along in our English classes up to graduating from the elementary. I realized the importance of English proficiency when our batch reached high school. This was the time when we had to learn science, mathematics and biology so we need to learn and be proficient at a certain level of the English language to pass our ex aminations. At that time, there was not much pressure to really master the intricacies of English because we had not yet seen the direct relationship of English mastery to our future careers. In this regard, it can be safely said that all my English learning happened while I was still in my country of birth and therefore, English was spoken only occasionally and only when really necessary. If memory serves me right, it was probably in my sophomore or junior year when the importance of learning the English language first came into sharp focus. We were asked to do a literature essay in English this time and I had a hard time finishing my assignment. It must be borne in mind that our writing assignment need to be finished in an hour’s time or less and previously, I had been overly dependent on using an English dictionary to put my thought into paper. My other classmates had already turned in their papers and I was not yet even halfway through. I was already panicked at that poin t and my thoughts were a total jumble; one thing I can say is that I always have a lot of creative ideas on my mind. A chief difficulty was putting these thoughts down to a written paper that is understandable and connects to a reader. My high school teacher was standing nearby, all ready to get my paper once I finished. This was because I was the only one still left inside the classroom since I must admit honestly that I always struggled with my English since coming into contact with this lingua franca. The time was up for me and I had wanted to still write some more since I knew my paper was not yet good enough. It was at that point in my life when I realized and resolved to vastly improve my English language skills so I can get ahead in my career and with my life. At that time, my English language skills in terms of reading and writing were terrible and I really struggled. When I entered college, there were plenty of opportunities to improve my English skill in terms of speaking, reading, writing and most importantly, comprehension. In particular, the facility with English was vastly improved with my constant viewing of television shows that were broadcast in English without any native language sub-titles at the bottom of the screen. I knew right then that my English will improve someday but I decided to read a lot of books, magazines and newspapers printed in English precisely for this purpose. Secondly, I had what can be called a

Role of the a3b4 nicotinic receptor in drug addiction and in the Essay

Role of the a3b4 nicotinic receptor in drug addiction and in the antiaddictive action of novel ibogaine analogs - Essay Example The abnormalities that produce addiction, however, are wide-ranging, complex, and long-lasting. They may involve an interaction of environmental effects, for example, stress, the social context of initial substance use, and psychological conditioning. Many factors, both individual and environmental, influence whether a particular person who experiments with drugs will continue taking them long enough to become dependent or addicted. For individuals who do continue, the drug's ability to provide intense feelings of pleasure is a critical reason (Kalivas and Volkow, 2007). Historical and social factors are keys to the understanding of addictive disorders. These factors affect the rates of addictive disorders in the community, the types of substances abused, the characteristics of abusive users, the course of these disorders, and the efficacy of treatment. Addictive substances aid expression of several human functions that can enhance both individual and social existence. On the individual level, desirable ends include the following: relief of adverse mental and emotional states, relief of physical symptoms, stimulation to function despite fatigue or boredom, and â€Å"time-out† from day-to-day existence through altered states of consciousness. Substance use and dependence cause a significant burden to individuals and societies throughout the world. The World Health Report 2002 indicated that 8.9% of the total burden of disease comes from the use of psychoactive substances (World Health Organization, 2004). The report showed that tobacco accounte d for 4.1%, alcohol 4%, and illicit drugs 0.8% of the burden of disease in 2000. Much of the burden attributable to substance use and dependence is the result of a wide variety of health and social problems, including HIV/AIDS, which is driven in many countries by injecting drug use. Over the past decade, use of addictive substances has infiltrated its way into the mainstream culture in certain countries. Younger people in particular seem to possess a skewed sense of safety about these substances, believing rather erroneously that they are safe and benign. Meanwhile, addictive substances are posing a serious threat to the health, social and economic fabric of families, communities, and countries. For many countries, the economic burden is relatively new, but