A Linguistic Perspective of "Extremism" by Analyzing Discourse of Extreme Rhetoric in Forming Xenophobia and Xenophilia in the 21st Century Of all the variables of extremism, such as religion, economics, stratification or ethnicity; language is one of the most effective means of inculcation of extreme attitudes and behaviors in societies. Since centuries, men have studied how language creates and generates ideas, concepts and thoughts; however, little is done to understand the use of language in promotion of extremism. The manifestation of extreme behaviors is xenophobia and xenophilia which create conflict in a society and produce disharmony leading to extreme social environment. Consequently, strong divides can be seen and felt in a society due to these contrasting behaviors, which powerful social agents like clerics or politicians exploit to further their agendas. Thus, language is a potent tool in the hands of such agents with which they tap the emotions of susceptible audience as a stimulus to elicit an emotional reaction, resulting in an anti-social response. The effect of word – extreme rhetoric and discourse in societies is visible as “extremism” and has become a powerful psychological, social, international as well as linguistic phenomenon at the global level. The explored causes like poverty, religious beliefs and injustices have been explored at length. It is pertinent to delve into the study of cause and effect – emotional responses to extreme rhetoric and discourse. Anger, hatred, revenge are some of the emotions associated with phobias, while extreme rhetoric also feeds on positive ideas related to philias like self-fulfillment, ideology, glory and fame. This also leads to logical questioning of the role, media is playing in projecting and promoting extreme tendencies using rhetoric and discourse both in print and electronic mediums. Media is a powerful instrument which can be used and abused, by various social agents to project their ideas and sentiments, which may be one or the other form of extremism – xenophobia and xenophilia. It is crucial hence, to check the language and its usage in media to curtail the contagious ideas based on extreme behaviors. This mental contamination – extremism; is not territorial, but has gripped the whole world. It is thus, socially, economically and politically prudent to try and curtail the effects of extreme ideas spreading across the globe via language by reviewing the language in vogue.
آدمی موت سے ڈرتے ہیں جیسا کہ بچے اندھیرے میں جانے سے ڈرتے ہیں۔ اور جیسا کہ کہانیوں سے بچوں کا فطری ڈر بڑھ جاتا ہے۔ یہی حال موت کا ہے یقیناً موت کی سوچ ، کہ یہ گناہوں کی اجرت ہے۔ اور دوسری دنیا کا راستہ مقدس اور مذہبی ہے۔ لیکن یہ انسانی فطرت کے قانون کے مطابق واقع ہوگی یہ ڈر کمزور ہے۔ تاہم مذہبی غور وفکر میں یہ بعض اوقات تکبر اور تو ہم پرستی ہوتی ہے۔ آپ نے کچھ پادریوں کی نفس کشی کی کتابیں پڑھی ہوں گی کہ ایک آدمی اپنے آپ میں سوچتا ہے کہ انگلی کو دبانے اور ایک اذیت دینے سے ہم درد کیوں محسوس کرتے ہیں؟ اور اس سے ہم تصور کر سکتے ہیں کہ موت کے درد کیا ہوں گے ۔ جب سارا جسم تباہ اور تحلیل ہوتا ہے جب بہت مرتبہ موت ایک عضو کی اذیت سے کم درد کے ساتھ گزرتی ہے تو بہت زیادہ اہم حصوں میں تیز حِس نہیں ہوتی ۔ اور اس سے جو محض ایک فلاسفر اور فطری آدمی کے طور پر کہتا ہے ، یہ بڑا اچھا کہا گیا تھا ۔ موت کی مذہبی رسومات کی رفاقت موت سے زیادہ خوف ناک ہوتیں ہیں ۔ آہیں، پریشانیاں اور بے رنگ چہرہ اور دوستوں کا رونا اور سیاہ کپڑے اور رسومات موت کو خوفناک دکھاتے ہیں یہ مشاہدہ کرنے کے قابل کہ انسان کے ذہن میں کوئی جذبہ اتنا کمزور نہیں۔ لیکن یہ موت کے ڈر کو زیر اور مغلوب کرتا ہےاور اس لیے موت خوفناک دشمن نہیں ہے۔ جب ایک آدمی کے پاس موت کے لیے بہت سے جذبات ہوں جو کہ موت کی جنگ سے جیت سکتے ہیں۔ بدلہ موت سے جیت جاتا ہے محبت اس کی پرواہ نہیں کرتی۔ مرتبہ اس کی خواہش کرتا ہے غم اس کو...
The world today is now in the era of Information Technology. The development of ICT-based processes specifically in the area of assessment in school is now visible. Project LISTEN (Literacy Innovation that Speech Technology ENables) is an inter-disciplinary research project at Carnegie Mellon University to develop a novel tool to improve literacy – an automated Reading Tutor that displays stories on a computer screen, and listens to children read aloud. This study does not provide right or wrong answers for they let the user evaluate the answer. The main objective of this study is to develop an Alternative Math Assessment Tool for Preschoolers using Speech Recognition. These software aims to assist teachers in the review of Math lessons for preschooler using speech recognition. The development of the system utilizes the System Development Cycle approach that includes data gathering to identify system’s expected functionalities, designing the system using Use-Case Diagram, integration of JSAPI for Voice Recognition, using Synthesizer software for reading the questions out loud, a graphical display of teacher representation and a graphical display for every questions in the review. Along in the development of this assessment tool is the implementation of the system. The system was developed using Java Programming language. It also uses MySql database to store data for preschooler, review questions and text answers. In the conduct of the review digital microphone and a speaker is needed. The developed system is capable of creating questions for a particular review, activating a review for the preschooler to take, and record the preschooler’s scores at every end of the review. The system also includes graphical display of questions. In the conduct of the review, the system was able to read out loud the questions, and a 5-second time span for the pupil to answer the review questions. The system will listen and the feedback from the study will display the correctly uttered answer. User testing results indicates an 83% correct response of system against the correct uttered answer of the preschooler.
This study uses deconstructive theoretical underpinning to debate the presence of an optimistic discourse contrary to the pessimistic discourse as stressed by the critics and researchers of Tennessee Williams. It is qualitative in nature and inductive method is employed to carry it out. Pessimistic discourse in the plays of Williams is crafted in such a way that it has to be decoded and deconstructed to make optimistic sense of them. The study explores optimism in the chaotic world portrayed in these plays. It proves that Williams’ art focuses on ceaseless struggle to bring order to chaos. Focusing on binary pairs of opposites like conscious/unconscious, fertility/sterility, hope/hopelessness, soul/body, self/other sanity/insanity, regeneration/degeneration, saviors/killers, reality/illusion etc. this study tries to uncover certain contradictions and instabilities in the plays of Williams. By deconstructing the warring forces of signification in these plays it searches optimism in the bleak situation of human life. If the individual is at war with the society, he is also at war with himself. He becomes a hero when he refuses the role of victim and tries to change the course of events with an act of rebellion. In his desire to become his own liberator, he tries to transform his world. The external forces pounce upon him to crush him but they fail before his insatiable desire for existence. In his struggle for a better world Williams’ protagonists sometime fail but such a failure becomes a blessing in disguise as it makes them better human beings with great knowledge of things around them. This is what brims the dramatic world of Williams with hope and expectancy. This study highlights the importance of determination in making the best of life in the worst situation. The agony of entrapment in the plays of Williams and self realization through the act of defiance to it, in fact, help us recognize our own humanity and our desire for a better world. Williams unveils the complex and unruly human feelings without ignoring their strength. The study critically evaluates the plays of Williams and claims that he is not a pessimist playwright because the saviors in his plays are more powerful than the killers. It explores how Williams seeks hope in creativity and regeneration in degeneration.