Self-assesment of ESP learning

• WRITING SKILLS

Summaries we write often during our English classes but it is still quite difficult to write a summary for me, I need several ours to write a summary and I found it quite difficult but still I feel an advance in writting summaries. ESP vocabulary tests we also write often, they are not very difficult but sometimes there are not enough time to study for them. To write a dictation is not complicated for me and I think it is useful because we are writing not only a dictation but also doing exercises concerned with a dictation text. Contributions to weblogs are not difficult tasks to write, topics are usually very interesting to write and i feel some advance in writing contributions to weblogs.

• SPEAKING SKILLS

I assess my participation in class discussions not very well, I am not very active during my English classes. Presentation now is only the one I have made, during next week I will bring other presentation and I think this presentation will be better then the last one. Speaking in pairs I found not difficult and in my opinion it is very useful.For me it is better to talk in pairs then to talk in class discussions.

• LISTENING SKILLS

Listening activities in class I found not difficult but usually I need 2-3 times to listen to a tape that I could do listening exercises. Listening to podcasts is the same and I think it is very useful for improving English.

• READING SKILLS

Home reading always takes some time but I found it not difficult and I enjoy reading in English at home. Class reading also isn`t very difficult and I feel some advance in home and class reading. To do reading comprehension exercises is always more difficult than just to read a text.

Other recent shootings at schools. SUMMARY

From 1997 to 2001 in United States there were 14 cruel school shootings carried out by school students. The age of students commited school shootings is from 6 to 18 years old. After killing or wounding others some of the offenders committed suicide, some of them were sentenced or just got probation. Causes of the shootings are different. Some of the students who committed shootings were mentally unstable, others seek revenge. One more important cause is parent`s or guardian`s lack of responsibility and attention allowing adolescent to carry a gun. Crimes getting younger so there must be taken serious measures not allowing to carry guns and stop school shootings. The best way to stop school shootings in United States is to rid of the fireguns.

Prisons in UK and Lithuania

There are differences and similarities between prisons in United Kingdom and Lithuania. There are more than 85,000 prisoners in about 160 jails in the UK. In Lithuania there is only one jail and 12 correctional institutions where are held about 9,000 prisoners.
There are four categories for prisoners in the UK prisons:

• Category A prisoners are those whose escape would be highly dangerous to the public or national security;
• Category B prisoners are those who don’t require maximum security, but for whom escape needs to be made very difficult;
• Category C prisoners are those who can’t be trusted in open conditions but who are unlikely to try to escape;
• Category D prisoners are those who can be trusted not to try and escape, and are given the privilege of an open prison.

In Lithuania prisoners are separated into three groups: light group, ordinary gropu and forbidden group. In which group prisoner will be it depends on his behavior in prison.

In UK and Lithuania all prisoners when they arrive in the prison pass through reception which is responsible for checking identities and monitoring numbers. They are also seen by nurse to identify whether a prisoner is a drug addict, whether he uses medications or maybe feeling suicidal.

Accomodation in Lithuania and UK depends on prisons. There could be from single cells to dormitories. Also, there are included recreation areas, showers, offices and a food semery. In cells there are toilets and prisoners are allowed to have a tv.

Living conditions are also different and depends on the prison. As an example we can compare Lukiškės Prison in Lithuania and Chelmsford Prison in the UK. Chelmsford Prison works since 1987 and two new houseblocks were opened in 1996 to relieve overcrowding. While Lukiškės Prison was built in 1904 and since then there were no changes. Lukiškės Prison is overcrowded, much more prisoners held there than there should be. Accomodation at Chelmsford is a mix of old and new but obviously that much more better then in Lukiškės Prison.

Another important issue is education. At Chelmsford Prison, education facilities include a barber`s salon, IT classes and cookery lessons. Lukiškės Prison made a contract with Vilnius Pedagoginis University and prisoners can study. There are 3 death imprisonment convicts who are studying according to that contract. Lecturers visit them, they have computers in their cells.

In UK prisoner`s breakfast, dinner and supper cost an average of 3,81 per day. In Lithuania, for adult prisoner food is also served 3 times per day and for tax payers it costs 4,2 Lt per day. For juveniles food is served 4 times per day and feeding for one juvenile per day costs 7,88 Lt.

In conclusion, I would like to say that Lukiškės Prison do not accord to EU prison quality and living conditions are very poor. In England situation of prisons are better.

Lawyers at work. SUMMARY

There are two types of lawyers in England. Barrister is a lawyer who specializes in arguing cases in front of a judge and he has the right to be heard. Solicitor is a lawyer who hears and decides disputes before a court for decision. In different countries lawyers may be doing different kinds of work. Lawyer can choose to work in a small firm and restrict themselves to certain kinds of work while other lawyer working in a large firm works on a highly specific areas of law. In order to practice as a lawyer it is necessary to get a university degree in law. but sometimes it is not enough. In England, after passing the examination to become fully qualified solicitor, a lawyer has to spend two years as an articled clerk and a barrister must spend a similar year as a pupil. Every lawyer must take care not to break the many rules of procedure and ethics set by the body which regulates his profession.

Civil and Public law. SUMMARY

Civil law concerns disputes where both parties are usually private citizens or companies. Public law concerns disputes between citizens and the state or between one state and another. The party bringing a civil action is the plaintiff, while a criminal case is brought by the prosecution. In both kinds of action the other party is known as the defendant. Criminal and civil procedures are different. Criminal procedures are always started by the state while civil precedures are usually started by people.

NEVER AGAIN. Summary

The public opinion about capital punishment devides people in Britain nearly into two groups: those who 'for' and those who 'against'.

The first pro-hanging argument is the deterrence theory, which states that potential murderers would think twice before commiting a crime if they knew that they would be executed if they were caught.

Next is the idea of public security, which state that if there would be a death penalty, a convict would not be set free and not be able to go on to murder again.

What is more, if a murderer intentionally sets out to commit a crime, he should accept the consequences.

The fourth main pro-hanging argument is the most cold-blooded: it makes economic sense to hang convicted murderers rather, then have them in prison wasting taxpayers' money.

The arguments against the death penalty are largely humanitarian. The main argument against reintroducing capital punishment is that innocent people are sometimes wrongly convicted and, while people can be releast from prison, they cannot be brought back from the dead if they have been hanged.

The other reason to oppose the death penalty that the state has no more right to take a life than the individual, indeed, the state should set an example to the individual by not taking lives.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who compain for internationally recognized human rights. Amnesty International's vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

AI aims to protect human rights around the world and works towards the release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience through letter- writting compaigns and public events.

AI activities range from public demonstrations to letter-writing, from human rights education to fundraising concerts, from individual appeals on a particular case to global campaigns on a particular issue.

Amnesty International has a varied network of members and supporters around the world. At the latest count, there were more then 2,2 million members, supporters and subscribers in over 150 countries and territories in every region of the world. Although they come from many different backgrounds and have widely different political and religious beliefs, they are united by a determination to work for a world where everyone enjoys human rights.

What is more, AI is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. It does not support or oppose any government or political system, nor does it support or oppose the views of the victims whose rights it seeks to protect. It is concerned solely with the impartial protection of human rights.

In Lithuania Amnesty International concerns about violence against women, “anti-terrorism” measures, protection for asylum-seekers and the rights of conscientious objectors were among those raised by international monitoring bodies.

In conclusion, AI is very important compain all over the world, which take care about everyone from all over the world.