Tag: Second

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L2 Selves and Motivations in Asian Contexts (Second Language Acquisition)

This book fills an existing gap in language learning motivation research by examining the applications of current motivational theories and models from WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, developed) contexts to educational systems in Asian contexts. All chapters are focused on second language (L2) motivation as it applies to the EFL situation in Asian countries where English is a mandatory subject in school. Themes in the volume cover the use of possible L2 selves as a theoretical model of motivation, the role of teacher motivation and demotivation in non-European educational systems, study abroad, motivation among adolescents, cross-cultural differences in learner motivation among Asian cultures and the influence of native speakerism on language motivation and cultural identity. This book will appeal to ESL/EFL educators, postgraduate students, researchers and teacher-trainers both inside and outside Asian countries, who are interested in research on L2 motivation in general and within Asian contexts in particular.

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Quotes for Misanthropes: Second Edition

Humans have always been interested in identifying and exposing hypocrisy. Many collections of quotations have been written, and many of the entries are clever treatments of human hypocrisy. The term “human hypocrisy” is redundant, for only humans are hypocritical. Indeed, one theory for the evolution of language suggests that the capacity for speech was driven by the payoffs for misleading others. Since hypocrisy is unique to humans, and since it appears to be a “human universal” (found in all cultures), I have coined the term “Homo Hypocritus” as a mocking reference to our species. Misanthropes are people who are profoundly disappointed in the shortcomings of human nature. We are unwilling to surrender hope for the day when humans will remake themselves to be worthy of the lofty opinion they have always had for themselves. Since misanthropes wish for human improvement, it is natural for them to be keen on identifying things needing improvement. Many of the quotations within these pages are material for some future project at converting Homo hypocritus to Homo sapiens. This book consists of two parts. The first 80% is a collection of quotes from the literature that capture the essential hypocritical core of human nature, and the remainder of the book consists of the author’s attempts at pithy one-liners. Most of the quotations in this book are “politically correct” – which is to say that some are not. The author does not wish to offend, and is confident that almost anyone will enjoy this collection of quotes.

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Complexity in Classroom Foreign Language Learning Motivation: A Practitioner Perspective from Japan (Second Language Acquisition)

This book explores how complex systems theory can contribute to the understanding of classroom language learner motivation through an extended examination of one particular, situated research project. Working from the lived experience of the participants, the study describes how action research methods were used to explore the dynamic conditions operating in a foreign language classroom in Japan. The book draws attention to the highly personalised and individual, yet equally co-formed nature of classroom foreign language learning motivation and to the importance of agency and emotions in language learning. It presents an extended illustration of the applicability of complex systems theory for research design and process in SLA and its narrative approach shines light upon the evolving nature of research and role of the researcher. The study will be a valuable resource for practitioners, researchers and postgraduate students interested in classroom language teaching and learning, especially those with a focus on motivation among learners.

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One Second: Seven, Book 7

Lexi has faced personal struggles, but nothing has prepared her for the most perilous battle of her life.

Shifters are on the brink of war as Northerners target Colorado in an attempt to infiltrate the borders. Texas winds up on the hit list, and the Weston pack prepares to fight for their land…and for their lives.

Austin’s courage is put to the test when rogues want to seize his land and slaughter his pack. But that’s not all he’s facing as two shocking revelations turn their lives upside down. His love for Lexi is unwavering, but their future is uncertain.

Will the local packs set aside their differences to fight together, or will this be the end of peace among Shifters? Stand witness to the epic conclusion of the Seven series.

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Summer with a Star: Second Chances, Book 1

All Tasha Pike has wanted for the past 20 years is to rent Sand Dollar Point for a summer. The grand Victorian on the beach of Summerbury, Maine was the object of her childhood fantasy and her standard of romance – and it was finally happening. Her dream summer is ruined, however, when she arrives in Summerbury to find that Hollywood superstar Spencer Ellis has muscled his way into the house instead. His offer that they share Sand Dollar Point is not only infuriating – it’s insulting.

He’s a celebrity, and one she’s determined to hate.

Spencer’s summer in Maine was supposed to help him get his head screwed on straight. One look at Tasha, however, made that impossible. She’s beautiful. She’s angry. She doesn’t care who he is. She doesn’t care about his fame. In fact, she doesn’t even like him.

She’s irresistible.

He’s only got the summer. She’s only got her heart. They’ve only got each other.

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Paradise Found: That Second Chance, Book 4

It’s all about that second chance…

Paradise Found is Book Four of That Second Chance Series. These are standalone books tied together by a common theme – belief in the beauty of that second chance.

How does one see truly – with the heart or with the eyes? Matt Brandon has it all – wealth, power, looks, and talent. Women want him, men want to be like him. When a freak ski accident strips him of one of life’s most basic needs – his sight – he struggles to accept the possibility that his blindness may be permanent.

Enter psychologist Sara Hamilton, a woman who has known her own share of grief and loss and may just be the one person who can help Matt redefine his new world. Sara is every woman’s woman – she’s not a toothpick or a Cosmo girl, has never been prom queen, or dated the blond-haired god with the big white teeth. She’s honest and decent and real…and lives on the perimeter, applauding her patients’ successes, nursing them through their failures, but never acknowledging or accepting her own lackings. She’s loved and lost once and has been so emotionally scarred, she’s not willing to risk those feelings again.

Of course, she’s never met a man like Matt Brandon. As Matt and Sara explore the delicate balance between ‘blind’ trust and hope, they will discover that sometimes you have to lose everything to find what you are truly looking for…

That Second Chance Series:

Book One: Pulling Home
Book Two: The Way They Were

Book Three: Simple Riches
Book Four: Paradise Found

Book Five: Not Your Everyday Housewife

Book Six: The Butterfly Garden (coming 2014)

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Creative Coloring A Second Cup of Inspirations : More Art Activity Pages to Help You Relax

Life is a wonderful adventure, and all of our dreams can come true! Hold on to your dreams with Creative Coloring Inspirations 2, the coloring book that offers hope and encouragement on every page. Inside you will find 30 relaxing new activities designed to motivate your creativity and stimulate your spirit. Team up with talented artist Valentina Harper as you personalize her exquisite line drawings. Valentina combines exhilarating words with flowing, intricate, and highly detailed patterns. Best-selling craft author Marie Browning joins in with beautifully colored examples of finished work. Printed on high quality extra-thick paper that wont bleed through, all pages are pre-perforated for easy removal and display. They are perfect for decorating with markers, gel pens, watercolors, or colored pencils.

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The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789

From Pulitzer Prize–winning American historian Joseph J. Ellis, the unexpected story of why the thirteen colonies, having just fought off the imposition of a distant centralized governing power, would decide to subordinate themselves anew.

We all know the famous opening phrase of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this Continent a new Nation.” The truth is different. In 1776, thirteen American colonies declared themselves independent states that only temporarily joined forces in order to defeat the British. Once victorious, they planned to go their separate ways. The triumph of the American Revolution was neither an ideological nor a political guarantee that the colonies would relinquish their independence and accept the creation of a federal government with power over their autonomy as states.

The Quartet is the story of this second American founding and of the men most responsible—George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. These men, with the help of Robert Morris and Gouverneur Morris, shaped the contours of American history by diagnosing the systemic dysfunctions created by the Articles of Confederation, manipulating the political process to force the calling of the Constitutional Convention, conspiring to set the agenda in Philadelphia, orchestrating the debate in the state ratifying conventions, and, finally, drafting the Bill of Rights to assure state compliance with the constitutional settlement.

Ellis has given us a gripping and dramatic portrait of one of the most crucial and misconstrued periods in American history: the years between the end of the Revolution and the formation of the federal government. The Quartet unmasks a myth, and in its place presents an even more compelling truth—one that lies at the heart of understanding the creation of the United States of America.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition

An INFLUENCER leads change.
An INFLUENCER replaces bad behaviors with powerful new skills.
An INFLUENCER makes things happen.
This is what it takes to be an INFLUENCER.

Whether you’re a CEO, a parent, or merely a person who wants to make a difference, you probably wish you had more influence with the people in your life. But most of us stop trying to make change happen because we believe it is too difficult, if not impossible. We learn to cope rather than learning to influence.

From the bestselling authors who taught the world how to have Crucial Conversations comes the new edition of Influencer, a thought-provoking book that combines the remarkable insights of behavioral scientists and business leaders with the astonishing stories of high-powered influencers from all walks of life. You’ll be taught each and every step of the influence process–including robust strategies for making change inevitable in your personal life, your business, and your world. You’ll learn how to:
Identify high-leverage behaviors that lead to rapid and profound change Apply strategies for changing both thoughts and actions Marshal six sources of influence to make change inevitable
Influencer takes you on a fascinating journey from San Francisco to Thailand to South Africa, where you’ll see how seemingly “insignificant” people are making incredibly significant improvements in solving problems others would think impossible. You’ll learn how savvy folks make change not only achievable and sustainable, but inevitable. You’ll discover breakthrough ways of changing the key behaviors that lead to greater safety, productivity, quality, and customer service.

No matter who you are or what you do, you’ll never learn a more valuable or important set of principles and skills. Once you tap into the power of influence, you can reach out and help others work smarter, grow faster, live, look, and feel better–and even save lives. The sky is the limit . . . for an Influencer.