Flash Your Headlights and Die An Urban Legend

The story is that a new gang initiation ritual has become prevalent in your city. The hoodlums pile in a car, at night, and drive the highways and byways with their lights off. The first person who flashes them with their lights (in the time-honored gesture of hey, idiot, your lights are off!) becomes their prey. The gangbangers then pursue the samaritan and the initiate must gun him or her down without mercy. Sounds like a myth, right? But do you suppose there is a kernel of truth to the rumor; that perhaps somewhere at some time some thugs did, in fact, use this modus operandi? The Stuff of Legends Apart from one or two copycat incidents which may have been inspired by this urban legend (not the other way around), probably not. This story has run rampant in virtually every major U.S. city since the early 1990s, sparking public panics and police investigations, but no one has ever documented an actual gang initiation incident matching this description in all that time. It is believed that one of the earliest outbreaks of the rumor (in 1993) may have been inspired by a real-life incident that occurred one year before -- the shooting of Stockton, California school secretary Kelly Freed, who was a passenger in an automobile whose driver gestured at a car full of teenagers to inform them that their headlights were off. Mistaking the hand signal as an insult, one of the teens fired a gun at the car Freed was riding in, killing her. Police determined that none of the youths were gang members, nor was the incident connected with an initiation rite. On the Internet Email versions of what has come to be known as the Lights Out legend began appearing in October 1998, perhaps inspired by the release of the popular horror film ​Urban Legend, in which the apocryphal gang-initiation tale figured prominently. The online alerts resulted in a fresh flurry of panicked inquiries to police departments in cities and towns throughout the U.S., many of which were already aware of the rumor by then but lacked the information to either substantiate or disprove it. In November of that year, John Moore, senior research associate at the National Youth Gang Center based in Tallahassee, stated that to the best of his knowledge the Lights Out legend is completely false: I know of no incident in the country where this type of thing occurred, he told a reporter for the Washington Post. This is one of the wonders of the Internet, that you can take something that has no basis in fact and make people believe it. Nevertheless, probably because they fear the possibility of copycat outbreaks, some law enforcement agencies still recommend that motorists play it safe and refrain from flashing their headlights when driving in areas where gang activities are known to occur. Example #1 Email text contributed by Trevor M., Nov. 25, 1998: Subject: FW: WarningTHIS IS NOT A JOKEPLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD.The police officer that works with the DARE program at an elementary school passed this warning on.... If youre ever driving after dark and see an on-coming car with no headlights turned on, DO NOT flash your lights at them! This is a common gang member initiation game that goes like this: the new gang member under initiation drives along with no headlights and the first car to flash their headlights at him is now his target. He is now required to turn around and chase that car and shoot at or into the car in order to complete his initiation requirements. Make sure you share this info with all the drivers in your family!! Stay safe!! Example #2 Email text contributed by Ernest W., July 3, 2000: Subject: A Warning****** STATE POLICE WARNING TO NIGHT DRIVERSTHE FOLLOWING BULLETIN WAS PUBLISHED BY THE BETHLEHEM,PA. STATE POLICEPlease be advised if you are driving after dark and you see a car without headlights on DO NOT FLASH YOUR LIGHTS.... BLOW YOUR HORN... DO NOT SIGNAL THE CAR IN ANY WAY!!!This is a new GANG MEMBER initiation called GAME going on in the street and it works like this: The new member being initiated drives along with their headlights off until someone notices and flashes their at him. The car that signals to the gang member is now the TARGET of the game. The gang member is required to chase the car that signaled and SHOOT at, or into the car in order to complete initiation requirements.Police ask you to share this information with your family, friends and anyone else you come into contact with. This bulletin originally came from the 3rd district of Cleveland, Ohio Police Department. We understand it is beginning to happen in the Pittsburgh, PA area also and the warning is because this could escalate into any other geographic areas.THIS IS NOTA JOKE IT REALLY IS HAPPENING JUST CHECK WITH LOCAL STATE POLICE!!!!!PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS

Why did the United States Withdraw From the Vietnam War

Why did the United States Withdraw From the Vietnam War? The United States withdrew from the Vietnam War for several reasons. The Army had to fight in unfamiliar territory, was lacking in moral, were not prepared for the conditions, could not shut down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and were untrained to respond to guerilla warfare. This combination of disadvantages and the loss of public support led to the United States withdrawing from Vietnam. The United States Army was forced to fight in a new land that had different weather and geography than the U.S., and put the army at a disadvantage from the beginning of the war. Vietnam is a very hot, tropical country, as it is fairly close to the equator. It has jungles over most of the land, bit also†¦show more content†¦soldiers were fighting because they had been drafted. They just wanted to survive and go home. They would not have to face any direct consequences of losing the war. The Viet Minh, however, were fighting for a cause, and used much the same tactics as the United States in their war for independence. The American Revolution used guerilla warfare tactics to defeat the superior power of the British army. The U.S. could have taken from this experience, and perhaps fared better in Vietnam. The United States battle tactics did not fare well against an unseen enemy, who rarely presented himself in a full-scale battle, but rather picked at units one by one. A conversation between a colonel in the U.S. army and a colonel in the Vietnamese communist army summed up the guerilla warfare tactics used: You know you never defeated us on the battlefield, said the American Colonel. The North Vietnamese Colonel pondered this remark for a moment. That may be so, he replied, but that is also irrelevant. The revolutionaries in Vietnam used hit and run attacks. They would assault small groups of soldiers, by sneaking up on them. This worked well, because it allowed the Viet Minh to avoid bigger battles, which they were not trained for. They knew that the U.S. soldiers were unfamiliar with the battlegrounds and jungles, so they used this weakness to their advantage, by being able to move more quickly and stealthily than the U.S. troops. They also knew how toShow MoreRelatedU.s. Militar y And Political Relations With Vietnam1573 Words   |  7 Pagesrelations with Vietnam today help think about why the U.S supported South Vietnam and participated in the Vietnam War and how the relationship turned into the way it is today. The Vietnam War started on November 1, 1955 and lasted until April 30, 1975. This war involved many significant leaders such as Richard Nixon, Lyndon B Johnson, John F Kennedy, Ho Chi Minh and many others. North Vietnam leaders had a great impact on the war by organizing many guerrillas and offensives while the South Vietnam leadersRead More How Can They Succeed?1034 Words   |  5 Pagesis behind him.† In the Vietnam War, many official soldiers and civilians took part in the combat. It started from December 1956 to 1975, nearly 20 years, in Vietnam. The Vietnam War was a war between North Vietnam and government of South Vietnam that United States participated and supported. It was a highlight in Vietnamese history and United States histor y also which was recorded, commented, discussed, debated in many books, journals and articles. In the South of Vietnam, there was a political organizationRead MoreUnited States Withdrawal From Vietnam Essay1142 Words   |  5 PagesUnited States Withdrawal From Vietnam America went to war in Vietnam with an aim of destroying the Vietcong to protect South Vietnam from Communism. America was against communism and they wanted to stop the spread of it. They did not achieve what they set out to do as they had many boundaries in their way. Events both inside and outside of Vietnam led to the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. I am going to be looking at the reasons as to why American troopsRead MoreVietnam War : The Longest And Most Unpopular American War1059 Words   |  5 PagesVietnam War The Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular american war of the twentieth century (Mintz S. S. McNeil). Resulting in roughly 58,000 american deaths and 2 million vietnamese deaths, the twenty year war was a long and bloody battle that not only impacted the soldiers, but many civilians as well (â€Å"Vietnam War†). â€Å"It’s estimated that 70,000 to 300,000 Vietnam Veterans committed suicide and around 700,000 veterans suffered psychological trauma† (Rexy). Starting in (debateably) 1955Read MoreThe Vietnam War : We Can Not Understand War Without Understanding Culture1267 Words   |  6 PagesThe Vietnam War â€Å"We cannot understand war without understanding culture† â€Å"Involvement in two world wars and the Cold War transformed America into a â€Å"crusader state† convinced of the superiority of its institutions and way of life and intent on imposing them on the outside world. † Whether fought at home or abroad every war is to impact all parties involved. Such example of staggering influence on one country’s culture is no more evident then in America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Upon enteringRead MoreVietnam War Turning Point Essay1425 Words   |  6 PagesHome The Vietnam War was a long and bloody war between a communist government against South Vietnam along with its ally, the U.S. After long years of fighting and many deaths, the war ended on April 30, 1975 after President Nixon and the communist government negotiated secretly about a compromise. The paris peace accord solved a long-lasting issue, that was the vietnam war. The Paris Peace Accords was a major turning point in the Vietnam War because it ended the Vietnam War, brought peace to theRead MoreEssay about Why the U.S. Withdrew Its Forces from Vietnam in 1973924 Words   |  4 PagesWhy the U.S. Withdrew Its Forces from Vietnam in 1973 The USA’s involvement in Vietnam started in 1954, for a few reasons. Firstly, the Americans were, as always, concerned with the spread of communism. They wanted to stop communism spreading through south-east Asia. They were worried that if one country were to fall to a communist leader, so would neighbouring countries. This was known as the Domino Theory. These reasons for joining the war in Vietnam and the factRead More Explain why america left vietnam Essay1319 Words   |  6 PagesExplain why the United States left Vietnam A culmination of problems within Vietnam, domestically and internationally forced the United States to leave the nation. The key reasons for withdrawal were bulging economic costs, an increasingly impatient home front, an underestimation of North Vietnamese ideology, events which turned the war and ineffective strategies. The United States was left in an unpleasant situation. The French President, Charles de Gaulle, had warned the US against its Vietnam involvementRead MoreProtests That Were Heard Around The World Protests867 Words   |  4 Pagesmodern day United States was vastly completed, an intensifying sense of greed began to take over the minds of governing officials, as it did in other modernizing countries. Wars began to dismiss civil and humanitarian explanations, and instead were focused on factors such as territorial expansion and possible resource prosperity. These factors were often held close to officials while the general population relied on misconceptions that were created by media. The war that took place in Vietnam was certainlyRead MoreEssay on History of The U.S. Military1196 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;History of The U.S. Military nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The history of the United States military is a very prestige, brave, heroic, and memorable one at that. Starting on September 3, 1793 the United States was officially it’s own nation and it’s own military. At that time many other countries didn’t believe that we would succeed but, now we are one of the strongest, freest, and most prestige country to possible ever be developed. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The

Sustainable Marketing and Management

Question: Write an essay on "Sustainable Marketing and Management". Answer: Introduction Founded in the year 1915, Haighs chocolates are the oldest makers of chocolates in Australia owned by the Haigh family. The fourth generation of the Haigh legacy Simon and Alister, have been the joint managing directors since the year 1990 with John Haigh as the Chairman of the board of directors, manage the Company today. Haighs Chocolates is famous for their passion for the art of making chocolate. The companys vision is to ensure a splendid chocolate experience every time a customer consumes one. The company understands the importance of being caring and compassionate towards its employees, the suppliers, customers, shareholders and everybody in the community whose trust and faith in the company has made Haighs chocolate what it is today. The company strives to work in a positive and friendly working environment to achieve the best for the business and the community. Haighs chocolates have always paid a high regard to respecting everybody associated to the company. There is a reason why the company is a legacy today. The people at the top positions have demonstrated the art of leadership by example, holding themselves responsible for each of their actions and working their best to maintain sustainable practices relating to the environment. Background Headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, Haighs Chocolates is a confectionery company selling premium quality chocolates to its customers in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. The company has 14 stores across Australia with six stores in Adelaide, six in Melbourne and the rest two in Sydney(Devin 2016). The most recent one was opened in the Queen Victoria Building. Although the company has its stores only in Australia, it has strong international recognition. It recently received two stars out of three for the Haighs premium milk chocolate by the judges of the World Chocolate awards. This is a huge achievement for the company since only fifty-eight brands received these ratings worldwide and Haighs chocolates was the only one in Australia(Haighschocoloates.com.au 2016). Haighs chocolates are mainly a family business, which has been into existence since the year 1915.Haighs comes under the category of Australias great medium sized business owned by the family, which has a turn over of about forty million dollars, earned from making chocolates from the scratch in their factory based in Adelaide(Devin 2016). The chocolates, as mentioned before are sold through the stores in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide which are owned by the family. The company understands its responsibility towards in making positive contribution towards the community and indulging in actions and practices which are environmentally sustainable in nature. Haighs chocolates are certified by the UTZ which means that a certain amount is paid on the market price to the farmers of the country which enables them to learn better and environmental friendly farming methods(Mountgambier.sa.gov.au 2016). Haighs chocolates are a part of the international partnership with the non-government and government organizations to enhance the life of the African cocoa farmers. The company is also a member of the World Cocoa Foundation which aims at improving the cocoa farming communities worldwide. Greenpeace has given the company a green tick because they source their ingredients from origins which are not genetically modified. Its cardboard boxes and all the packaging materials are all 100 percent recyclable. Haighs chocolates offer a category of chocolates which include loose chocolates as well as boxed chocolates. The company also manufactures a premium range of chocolates called the Centenary collection. Chocolate bars are also made with perfection along with an array of chocolate novelties. These include well crafted chocolates in the shape of animals and teddies which are a huge favorite among its customers. The company also provides factory and store tours for the locals as well as the tourists so that they can experience a day in the life of the chocolate makers of Haighs premium chocolates(Mountgambier.sa.gov.au 2016). Australia doesnt have a strong cocoa industry hence it is supplied from regions like Africa and South America. The other required raw materials like milk, sugar and nuts are supplied by the local Australian producers. The customers of Haighs chocolates are spread all around Australia regarding the brand as a premium one. The company enjoys more loyalty from the older age group from the customers compared to the younger age bars(Statedevelopment.sa.gov.au 2016). Marketing Mix: Haighs Chocolates is the Australian confectionary business that sells high quality of chocolates to the people of South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. Chocolate helps the people to get relief from depression and thus help in making people happy. The marketing mix implies towards the high pricing strategy which also led the company to provide high quality towards the customers (Huang and Sarigll 2012). The pricing strategy effectively depends on the need of the customers towards the product and also the involvement of the customers towards purchasing behavior of the customers as well. The pricing strategy also depends on the economy of the country which influences the effective strategy within the organization as a whole. The pricing strategy that is effectively implemented within Haighs Chocolate includes three factors that help the business to attract more loyal customers towards the organizational products: Product Branding Strategy - The product brand strategy helps Haighs Chocolate to improve the quality of the product which helps to gain more satisfied customers and also help the company to gain the competitive advantage as well. The branding strategy also helps the business to gain positive reputation and increase the profitability rate in the market (Czinkota and Ronkainen 2012). Promotion The promotion of the product also helps in influencing the pricing strategy within the business. The promotional activities thus help the business to advertise the quality which further helps in satisfying the need of the customers more towards Haighs Chocolate as well. Product Line The product line of the food product also help Haigh's Chocolate to increase the sales rate (Wilson and Gilligan 2012). The product that ensures the well-being of the customers helps to gain loyal customers. This helps the corporate to influence the pricing strategy as well. Product and Target Market Strategies The product always aims towards the targeted customers who help the business to gain competitive advantage. The target customers help the business to increase the profit rate and also help in implementing effective pricing strategy within the workplace. Promotion Strategy: The effective promotional strategy by Haigh's Chocolate helps to attract more loyal customers within the workplace. The promotional strategy helps the business to promote the product and helps in gaining customer satisfaction as well. Segmentation The segmentation of the product help Haighs chocolate to divide the various products by the market need which helps the business as a whole to satisfy the need of the customers (Ferrell and Hartline 2012). The segmentation of the product also helps the corporate to attract more loyal customers through the quality of products. Targeting The business increases the sales rate through targeting the acute customers who help the business to increase the profit margin. The effective promotional strategy of Haigh's chocolate helps the business to attract more customers through advertisement and thus helps to get exposure in the market. Positioning The positioning of the products refers to the branding of the products towards the target customers. The positioning also helps Haigh's chocolate to increase the brand value which further help the business to get the positive response and help in gaining increased profitability in the market as well (Fifield 2012). The positioning also helps the business to create a corporate identity which helps to have the positive impact towards the customers and thus help in promotion as well. Advertisement The advertisement of the product also help Haighs chocolate to gain more customers and thus help in getting more exposure towards the market. The advertisement thus helps the business to analyze the need of the customers and thus implements the strategy accordingly. Thus, it helps to attract more customers and helps in profitability of the business in the market. Distribution Strategy: The Distribution Strategy helps Haighs Chocolate to provide the products around the country and thus attract customers in accordance to their need (Gilligan and Hird 2012). The distribution strategy thus includes the various ways towards the supply of goods or services towards the customers. The strategy thus includes: Business to business (B2B) distribution The B2B distribution helps Haighs chocolate to connect with the different suppliers and distributers which help the company towards development as well. Business to Customer (B2C) distribution The B2C distribution helps the business to develop a relation with the customers and thus manufactures the product according to the need of customers (Fifield 2012). This helps the business to gain more loyal customers and thus help in profitability of the business as a whole. The distribution channel thus helps the business directly as well as indirectly which helps the business to gain increased loyal employees as well. Thus, it also helps the company to increase the profit sales and helps in competitive scenario a well. Thus, it also helps the business to get positive impact towards the customers and help in retaining productivity as well. Competitor analysis SWOT Analysis Strength Haighs chocolate has a robust branding legacy and has been operating since 1915. The quality of the product is high, and the brand equity is also strong The product has a consistent presence in the many parts of Australia- Victoria, new South Wales and South Australia. The company offers a wide range of chocolates. They are reputed Chocolate manufacturers in Australia, and their packages add to their brand recognition and acceptance among the customers. The variety of chocolates provided by the company is dark chocolate, milk chocolate, liquor chocolate, etc. The pinnacle of success was the alternative provided by the company for Easter Bunny was Easter Bilby. To publicize the company, a tour is conducted year for the public of the factory to show them the making of the chocolate (Hollensen 2015). Weakness The company faces the issue of low market share due to the inability to expand the business. The company's failed to acquire the certification from the Fair Trade Foundation. The company has a weak brand portfolio. The future debts are disturbing issue faced by the company(Ayub 2013) Threat The increase in health consciousness might restrict the sales of the company. Another threat might be the maintenance of the good quality as inadequate storage condition, and discoloring of the chocolate would hamper the brand image. Strong competition by the other strong brands poses a threat to the company as the profitability of the company to restrict too. The change in tax regulations is critical to the growth of the company. The cash flow of the company is low. The cost of the raw materials is rising in the rising inflation. The labor cost in Australia was high and now rising exponentially. The increase in interest rates of the banks and the debts of the company are limiting the growth of the company. Opportunity Online sales and home delivery are new trends that would expand their periphery in the virtual world. Incorporation of the dissemination of gift vouchers to the corporate and reward programs are avenues in which the company should invest more. The expansion of the company in other regions of Australia and gradually escalate to the global platform. The company should bring in some new and varied types of new products and flavors in their chocolates. The demand for the chocolate products is rising and in particular, the brand acceptability is growing sturdily. Positioning The company is a family owned business that focuses on the quality of the product rather the expansion of the company. The pricing placed for the chocolate products are very high; almost equivalent to the pricing range of the global premium chocolate brands like Belgium chocolates (Birchall 2013). The company has positioned themselves as a premium brand that produces handmade fine quality chocolate that would change the experience of the customers about chocolate. Nestle falls into the low price and low quality products. Mayfield falls into the same category as Nestle. However, it falls into the lower range of the category. Cadbury produces varied kind of products from very high range of price and quality to very low range of price and quality. Thus, on an average, the company fall into the lower range of the high price and high quality product category. Haighs chocolate falls into the high quality and high price category (Figure 2). Thus, the positioning map of the four companies cl early defines the marketing segment they are targeting, and the comprehension of the positioning of the companies within the market is made definite by the positioning chart (Cheung and Jansen 2014). Competitors Haighs chocolate faces major competition from Cadbury, Nestle and Mayfield Chocolates in Australia. Cadbury and Nestle are global brands that have major shares in the Australian market. Mayfield Chocolates are comparatively new brand. However, the expansion model adopted by the company might pose serious problems for Haighs chocolate. Cadbury is the strongest competitor for the Haighs chocolate as Cadbury is a global brand and has the capability to offer a varied range of products and with a wide range pricing. Whereas, Haighs chocolate offers high quality products with high pricing. This factor is instrumental in restricting the market segment that Haighs chocolate is targeting. Consequently, this clearly explains the restricted growth of the company in comparison to the other companies (Wilson and Gilligan 2012). Recommendations Haighs Chocolates is a company which is perceived by the customers as one which makes premium chocolates and are the masters of the art of chocolate making. The company, however, seems hesitant to expand its business beyond the boundaries of Australia due to low market share. It enjoys more loyalty from its older customers compared to the young ones who often chose its competitors over the company. Therefore, Haighs chocolates must indulge in intelligent and effective marketing strategies to make a strong customer base. The company also has a weak brand portfolio. Hence, the company owners must give a try to introduce more types of products other than chocolates. The company must also make adequate strategies to make its business a global one, for a lot of opportunities wait for Haighs chocolates if they cross the boundaries of its origin country. Conclusions: Haighs is well known for its chocolate manufacturing across the country and thus gain satisfied customers around the country. The business thus effectively implements strategies that help the business to attract more customers and thus help in gaining competitive advantage as well. The business thus implements effective pricing and promotional strategies which further help the company to increase the profit sales of the company as well. The business also incorporates the distribution strategy which helps to satisfy the need of the customers and thus help in increasing the quality of products as well. The company faces various challenges in the expansion as Australian companies face high labor cost which also affects the economic structure of the company. The company also faces the threat from competitors regarding low cost flow and thus stands as a constraint on the expansion of the market as well. The effective strategies and positioning of the company help Haigh's Chocolate to gain sustainability and also helps in retaining loyal customers towards the business. References Australian food history timeline. (1910). Australian food history timeline-Haigh's Chocolates founded. Ayub, A., Razzaq, A., Aslam, M.S. and Iftekhar, H., 2013. A conceptual framework on evaluating SWOT analysis as the mediator in strategic marketing planning through marketing intelligence. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2(1), pp.91-98. Birchall, A., 2013. Niche working a treat. Management Today, (July 2013), p.30. Cheung, M. and Jansen, M.L., 2014. Positioning map views to show more optimal route information. U.S. Patent 8,676,489. Czinkota, M. and Ronkainen, I., 2012.International marketing. Cengage Learning, 22(1), pp.32-38. Devin Mancuso - Digital Product Designer. (2016). Haigh's Chocolates E-Commerce | Devin Mancuso. Ferrell, O.C. and Hartline, M., 2012.Marketing strategy, text and cases. Nelson Education, 12(1), pp. 124-132. Fifield, P., 2012.Marketing strategy. Routledge, 23(1), pp. 58-64. Gilligan, C. and Hird, M., 2012.International marketing: strategy and management(Vol. 17). Routledge, 36(1), pp. 55-64. Hartley, S., 2013. Darrell Lea's rocky road. Hitt, M., Ireland, R.D. and Hoskisson, R., 2012. Strategic management cases: competitiveness and globalization. Cengage Learning. Hollensen, S., 2015. Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Huang, R. and Sarigll, E., 2012. How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix.Journal of Business Research,65(1), pp.92-99. Uhlenbruck, K.N., 2014. BMGT 604.60: Competitive Strategy. Wilson, R.M. and Gilligan, C., 2012. Strategic marketing management. Routledge. Wilson, R.M. and Gilligan, C., 2012.Strategic marketing management. Routledge, 32(2), pp.48-54.

Language Acquisition Essays - Language Acquisition, Linguistics

Language Acquisition Language acquisition is the process of learning a native or a second language. Although how children learn to speak is not perfectly understood, most explanations involve both the observation that children copy what they hear and the inference that human beings have a natural aptitude for understanding grammar. Children usually learn the sounds and vocabulary of their native language through imitation, and grammar is seldom taught to them; that they rapidly acquire the ability to speak grammatically. This supports the theory of Noam Chomsky (1959). that children are able to learn the grammar of a particular language because all intelligible languages are founded on a deep structure of universal grammatical rules that corresponds to an innate capacity of the human brain. Adults learning a second language pass through some of the same stages, as do children learning their native language. In the first part of this paper I will describe the process of language acquisition. The second part will review how infants respond to speech. Language Acquisition Language is multifaceted. It contains both verbal and non-verbal aspects that children seem to acquire quickly. Before birth virtually all the neurons (nerve cells) are formed, and they migrate into their proper locations in the brain in the infant. When a baby is born, it can see and hear and smell and respond to touch, but only dimly. The brain stem, a primitive region that controls vital functions like heartbeat and breathing, has completed its wiring. Elsewhere the connections between neurons are wispy and weak. But over the first few months of life, the brain's higher centers explode with new synapses. This helps an infant to be biologically prepared to face the stages of language acquisition. According to the textbook Child Development: A Thematic Approach, 3rd Edition (D. Bukatko & M.W. Daehler, 1996, p. 252) there are four main components to language acquisition. These components are phonology, semantics, syntax and pragmatics. Phonology is the study of how speech sounds are organized and how they function. It is the main linguistic accomplishment during the first year of life. The phonology of language refers to fundamental sounds units and the rules for combining them. Each language has a certain number of sounds called phonemes. Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound that affects the meaning of a word. Infants are able to identify hundreds of variations of sounds. For example, an infant who is six months old can detect the difference between ma and pa. An infant`s first year is mainly receiving messages but also working on being able to produce messages. As they physically develop infants form the ability to make sounds. Some of these initial sounds are cooing, vowel like utterances occasionally accompanied by consonants and babbling which are consonant-vowel combinations. During the first 6 months of life, physiological changes, such as the shape of oral cavity, tongue development, motor control of lips, and tooth eruption, also take place that contribute to speech development. One of the infants task is to identify phonemes. According to the textbook (D.Bukatko & M.W. Daehler, 1996, p. 202) infants show an early sensitivity to prosody, which is patterns of intonation, stress, and rhythm that communicate meaning in speech; the fluctuations of the voice. For example, raising your voice to ask a question or lowering it to let the infant know you are serious. This helps infants to learn the phonology of their language and prepares them for the next stage of learning which is semantics. Semantics is the meaning of words or combination of words. Shortly before babies have their first birthday, they begin to understand words, and around that birthday, they start to produce them (Clark, 1993). Words are usually produced in isolation. This one-word stage can last from two months to a year. Children's first words are similar all over the planet. About half the words are for objects: food (juice, cookie), body parts (eye, nose), clothing (diaper, sock), vehicles (car, boat), toys (doll, block), and household items (bottle, light, animals (dog, kitty), and people (dada, baby). At this time children usually start to use gestures to call attention to an object or event defined as protodeclarative communication. Protoimperative communication is the use of a gesture to issue a command or request. For example a child throws his bottle down to show that they no longer want it or they point at specific objects they want the parent to see. Around 18 months, language changes in two ways. Vocabulary growth increases and the child begins to learn words at a rate of one every two