Pronouncing Spanish Vowels

English speakers generally find the pronunciation of Spanish vowels fairly easy. Close approximations of all their sounds exist in English, and, with the exception of the E and the sometimes silent U, each of the vowels has basically one sound. The main thing to keep in mind is that in Spanish the vowels sounds are generally more distinct than they are in English. In English, any vowel can be represented by whats known as the schwa, an unstressed vowel sound such as the a in about, the ai in mountain, and the u in pablum. But in Spanish, such an indistinct sound isnt used. Although, as in most languages, the sounds of the vowels can vary slightly with the letters before and after them, in general the sound remains the same regardless of the word its in. Pronouncing the 5 Vowels First, the more or less invariable sounds: A is pronounced similarly to the a in father or the o in loft. Examples: madre, ambos, mapa. There are some speakers who sometimes pronounce the a something halfway between the a in father and the a in mat, but in most areas the first sound given is standard. See also the lesson on pronouncing the . I is pronounced similarly to the ee in feet and the e in me, although usually a little briefer. Examples: finca, timbre, mi. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the i. O is pronounced like the oa in boat or the o in bone, although usually a little briefer. Example: telà ©fono, amo, foco. See the lesson on pronouncing the o for more information. Now, the two vowels whose sound can change: E is generally pronounced like the e in met when it is at the beginning or within a word. It is pronounced similarly to the Canadian eh, kind of a shortened version of the à © in the English cafà ©, when it is at the end of the word. Sometimes it can be somewhere between those two sounds. Its not quite the sound of the English letter A, which if pronounced slowly often has an ee sound at the end, but closer to the e of met. Keep in mind that even when its at the end of the word, in a sentence it may sound more like the e of met. For example, in a phrase such as de vez en cuando, each e has approximately the same sound. Examples: cafà ©, compadre, embarcar, enero. See also the lesson on pronouncing the e. U is generally pronounced like the oo in boot or the u in tune. Do not pronounced it like the u in uniform. Examples: universo, reunià ³n, unidos. In the combinations gui and gue, as well as after q, the u is silent. Examples: guà ­a, guerra, quizà ¡s. If the u should be prono unced between a g and i or e, an umlaut (also called a dieresis) is placed over it. Examples: vergà ¼enza, lingà ¼ista. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the u. Diphthongs and Triphthongs As in English, two or three vowels in Spanish can blend together to form a sound. The sound is basically the sound of the two or three vowels rapidly pronounced. For example, the u when followed by an a, e, i or o ends up sounding something like the w in water. Examples: cuaderno, cuerpo, cuota. The ai combination sounds something like the sound of eye. Examples: hay, airear. The i when followed by an a, e or u sounds kind of like the y in yellow.: hierba, bien, siete. And other combinations are possible as well: miau, Uruguay, caudillo. Pronouncing Y Generally, the y is pronounced the same as it would be if it were an i, as part of a diphthong. Examples: rey, soy, yacer. Some words that are derived from English and have a y at the end often retain the English pronunciation. For example, in popular songs you may hear words such as sexy and phrases such as oh baby. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the y.

Same-Sex Adoption Essay example - 930 Words

Change the World Imagine that you are with the person of your dreams. They are smart, sweet, intelligent, your parents even approve of them. You have gotten to the point in your relationship where you want to have a family, but like lots of families in the US, you are not able to conceive a child, so you do what any loving couple would do, you try to adopt a child. You get dressed up, get your papers together and go to the adoption agency only to find out that it is illegal for you to adopt a child. One of the most controversial issues surrounding American today is allowing same-sex couples to adopt a child. Over the last decade, America has seen a frequent number of people â€Å"come out† in their lives. Because of this, we have seen more†¦show more content†¦Which leaves 35 states where gay couples aren’t sure how likely an adoption petition will pass (Ruggeri). For over 30 years Florida has been very outspoken about their views on gay, especially ever since Anita Bryant was campaigning against gay and lesbian rights in 1977. Florida courts argue that â€Å"children are better off raised in a two parent heterosexual household† (Beige). There are no proven facts that children are raised better with straight parents. It should be the other way around, Beige proves with â€Å"scientific studies show children who’ve been raised with one or two parents who are gay or lesbian fare just as well emotionally and socially.† Beige also s tates that critics who are against gay adoption will argue children who are raised by gay or lesbian parents will be subjected to harassment and ridicule. Then again, aren’t the majority of children subject to being harassed in school? According to the Rainbows Families Council there research has found that gender role behavior is the same i.e. children playing the gender typical games, same games such as football, basketball, and also found no difference in the child in academically intelligence and physically. Also they found that the children’s emotional function was no different. Along with Rainbows Families Council, Paige Averett, an assistant professor of social work at East Carolina University, said in a statement, â€Å"We found that sexual orientation of the adoptive parentsShow MoreRelatedAdoption With Same Sex Couples1162 Words   |  5 PagesNovember 2017 Adoption with Same-sex Couples Adoption is when a child is removed from their home and are now under protection of another family. They can be related or unrelated to the child. It can be great for children, as they can live a better life than they would have had with their birth parents. The children may have endured abuse or neglect and need to get out of the situation, or the parents could have not thought that they were able to take care of the child. Either way, adoption is made toRead MoreSex Marriage And Same Sex Parental Adoption1482 Words   |  6 Pages2017 The topics of same-sex marriage and same-sex parental adoption have been controversial and ongoing topics in recent years, which is a drastic change in mainstream society. People of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LBGT) community have had a difficult time in gaining visibility and equal civil liberties, one of which is marriage equality. Same-sex couples have only recently been recognized under the law as legal candidates for marriage rights, and adoption is now an additionalRead More Same Sex Parenting and Adoption Essay1902 Words   |  8 PagesAdoption for same sex couples is a very controversial topic in Family Law, and often same sex couples face many unique issues if they wish to adopt. 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Same-Sex Adoption is controversial because many people throughout the world are against LGBT adoption; but when faced with the number of kids who pray everyday for someone out there wanting to be the parent of a foster child, it is difficult to understand why the topic of gay adoption is controversial. Yes, there can be a bad outcome butRead MoreGay Parent Adoption And Same Sex Adoption1851 Words   |  8 Pages Gay parent adoption or same-sex adoption refers to the adoption of children by individuals who prefer romantic partners of the same sex--gays and lesbians. Same-sex adoption is portrayed by the media as being a potentially good thing but with potentially detrimental side effects, most notably for the adopted children. This type of adoption is often made to look as if it might well be done but perhaps should not be for the sake of the children involved. With groups such as the religious right, fundamentalist

Monetary Policy and Its Impact on the Recession Free Essays

Running head: MONETARY POLICY/MACROECONOMIC IMPACT PAPER Monetary Policy/Macroeconomic Impact Paper Heather Robinson University of Phoenix MMPBL 501 04/25/2010 Introduction The Federal Reserve Board (FED) utilizes tools to control or manipulate the money supply, these tools affect macroeconomic factors such as inflation, unemployment and interest rates, which ultimately determine a country’s GDP. To recommend the best monetary policy combination I will discuss the tools used by the feds, explain how money is created and also illustrate the effect of the money supply on the economy. It is the money supply which determines the rate of inflation, unemployment and economic growth. We will write a custom essay sample on Monetary Policy and Its Impact on the Recession or any similar topic only for you Order Now Tools Used by The Federal Reserve To Control Money Supply. The Fed has three main tools for controlling the money supply these are their Open Market Operations, The Discount Rate, and The Reserve Ratio. These tools can be used to alter the reserve ratios of the commercial banks which in turn determine the money supply. â€Å"The money supply consists of currency (Federal Reserve Notes and coins) and checkable deposits. The U. S. Burea of Engraving creates Federal Reserve notes and the U. S. Mint creates the coins. †(McConnell Brue 2004) â€Å"By purchasing government bonds, (securities) the Fed increases the reserves of the banking system which then increase the lending ability of the commercial bank,†(McConnell Brue 2004) and the money supply available. Selling bonds will also achieve the opposite results namely reduce the money supply by reducing the reserves of the bank. The central bank desires to be a lender of last resort. When the commercial bank borrows it gives the Fed a promissory note drawn against itself and secured by acceptable collateral. The Fed charges interest on the loans which is called the discount rate. The new reserve obtained by borrowing from the Fed immediately becomes excess reserves as no required reserve needs to be kept for loans received from the Fed. Thus by reducing the discount rate, commercial banks can be encouraged to borrow from the Fed which directly increases their excess reserves and their ability to lend, so the money supply is increased. The opposite can also be done to reduce the money supply. The Fed can also manipulate the reserve ratio as a means of affecting the ability of commercial banks to lend. If the Fed increases the reserve ratio the commercial bank is forced to reduce its checkable deposits in order to increase its reserves to the new minimum requirement. It might also be forced to sell some bonds in order to increase its required reserves, and both scenarios would result in a reduction of the money supply. By lowering the reserve ratio the commercial banks reserve is transformed into excess reserve which increases the banks capability of lending, which increases the money supply. â€Å"Interest rates in general rise and fall with the federal funds rate. The prime interest rate is the benchmark rate that banks use as a reference point for a wide range of interest rates on loans to business and individuals. † (McConnell Brue 2004) Therefore when the Fed changes the discount rate it also changes the prime interest rate. A lower discount rate is passed on to consumers who then are able to obtain lower interest rates for mortgages and credit cards which increases their disposable income. This higher disposable income then results in more demand for goods and services which causes an increase in the supply of these goods to meet the increasing demand. Also an increase in the money supply and more money to lend by the banks result in more credit for businesses who are then able to purchase more materials to produce more or invest into the expansion of their businesses. The end result is that more goods and services are being produced as a result of the increase in money supply, which is beneficial to the country’s GDP. â€Å"In brief, the impact of changing interest rates is mainly on investment (and, through that, on aggregate demand, output, employment and the price level). Moreover investment spending varies inversely with the interest rate. †(McConnell Brue 2004) The Creation of Money Money creation occurs in two main ways, the creation of base money, mostly currency notes created by the Federal Reserve. The second process involves checking account or deposit money created by commercial banks, which makes up most of the money supply. Base money is created when the Fed performs open market operations. The Fed injects money when it purchases Government securities, by creating it. Almost all money we come by has its basis in money that the Fed invented Once this money has been created approximately ten times as much can be created by banks in checking accounts and deposits. They accomplish this by granting loans to the public, a corresponding amount of checking account money is created with each new loan. So money is created when the money supply is increased. Using expansionary monetary policy, decreasing the reserve ratio and discount rates, or buying bonds and securities result in money being created. State of the Economy With regards to the U. S. conomy, it has â€Å"contracted further since the beginning of the recession, and the labor market worsened over the first half of 2009†. according to the published monetary policy report to the congress. (MPRC July 2009) Economic activity decreased sharply and strains in financial markets and pressures on financial institutions overall intensified. (MRPC July 2009. ) However the negative activity appears t o be abating, unemployment has continued to increase but at a slower pace, while inflation has been minimal. To date the credit conditions continue to be restrictive and it is still difficult for businesses and households to receive credit. The U. S. real gross domestic product (GDP) was less than the first quarter of 2009, though it seems that the† contraction of overall output looks to have moderated somewhat of late. â€Å"(MPRC July 2009). Consumer spending was increased due to the tax cuts and increases in various benefit payments received as part of a stimulus package, which increased disposable incomes. The housing market has experienced some stabilization in the demand for new houses after three years of persistent declines. Businesses however have continued to decrease their capital spending and liquidating of inventories due to reduced demand and excessive stocks. More recently foreign demand has also dropped for U. S. products which produced a reduction in U. S. exports and the U. S. demand for imports also fell. Concerns of the Federal Reserve and Directions of Recent Monetary Policy The Federal Reserve policy action has focused on facilitating economic recovery and encouraging the flow of credit, which brought the federal funds rate down to a historic low rate of zero to one quarter percent, and also purchased additional agency (MBS) mortgage backed securities. MPRC 2009) â€Å"Overall consumer price inflation which slowed sharply late last year remained subdued in the first half of this year, as the margin of slack in labor and product markets widened considerably further as prices of oil and other commodities retraced only a part of their earlier steep declines. †(MPRC2009)There is no effort to control inflation which seems to be under control so all emphasis is been placed on assisting the economy in recovering from the recession using monetary policies. In addition to reducing the federal funds rate and purchasing securities, the Fed continued to provide funding to financial institutions and markets using a variety of credit and liquidity facilities. Recent monetary policy actions include the decision of the Federal Open market Committee (FOMC), to expand its purchases of agency MBS and agency debt and to commence the purchasing of longer-term treasury securities to assist in improving the conditions in private credit markets. The fed also announced it will expand the eligible collateral under the TALF program, which is the recently launched Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility. In June 2009, at the FOMC meeting, the members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and presidents of the Federal Reserve Banks provided projections for economic growth, unemployment and inflation, these projections included the expectation of â€Å"real GDP to bottom out in the second half of this year, and then move onto a path of gradual recovery, bolstered by an accommodative monetary policy, government efforts to stabilize financial markets, and fiscal stimulus. † (MPRC2009) It was also projected that conditions in the labor market would continue to eteriorate, and then improve slowly over the next two years, and inflation would remain subdued in 2010 and 2011. Recommended Monetary policy When trying to recover from a recession and stimulating economic growth it is possible to increase inflation due to the increase in money supply if the expansionary policies are prolonged. There has to be a balance which will reduce unemployment, deter inflation and ye t promote economic growth. Monetary policy has been the best choice to manipulate the money supply as it is flexible, prompt and isolated from political pressure. McConnell Brue 2004) The Fed can utilize open market operations, discount rate and the reserve ratio to achieve a balance between inflation, economic growth and unemployment. If the expansionary monetary policies result in too much spending and increased inflation, it can be curbed by selling securities, or increasing the discount rate and reserve ratios of the commercial banks. In the University of Phoenix simulation, the scenarios represented opportunities to utilize monetary policies to curb inflation, unemployment and increase GDP. The solution was the effective manipulation of the discount rate, reserve ratio, and open market operations. What was noticeable was that when the money supply increased so did inflation, and the unemployment rate is inversely related to the GDP. When the GDP increased unemployment fell. Conclusion The three tools of monetary policy which include, open market operations, the discount rate and the reserve ratio are quite effective in the application of expansionary or restrictive monetary policies to combat recessions or curb inflation. Whenever the Fed lowers the discount rate or the reserve ratio they increase commercial banks lending which stimulates aggregate demand and investment. The most effective tool seems to be the open market operation which is utilized more frequently, as the Government buys and sells securities often to manipulate the commercial bank’s reserves. Monetary policy is most effective due to speed and flexibility, it is free from political pressure and can be quickly utilized to respond to inflation and unemployment, and to create economic growth. References Bankers Research Institute, The Wizards of Money Part 1: How Money Is created. Retrieved April 26, 2010 from http://www. altruists. org/static/files McConnell, C. Brue, S. (2004). Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies, 6th ed. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Monetary Policy Report to the Congress, July 21, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2010 from http://www. federalreserve. gov/monetarypolicy/mpr_20090721_part1. htm University of Phoenix. (2010). Simulations Monetary Policy [Computer Software]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Simulation MMPBL 501 website. 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