PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Welcome to a world of knowledge!

08/21/09

Many years ago, I read a sentence that said, " Knowledge is power". I liked it very much, and painted it on a wall hanging. Several years and countless experiences later, as I was learning to survive in the 'big, bad, world', I realized I was wiser. I knew better than to take a quotation purely on its face value. So I decided to make a slight change to my wall hanging. Today, it reads like this:

"Knowledge is power; Knowing when and how to use it is absolute power"

This sums up my philosophy of the learning process. It has always been my passion as a teacher to instill the essence of this statement in my classes. Most of us leave college with a degree or diploma, but not many graduate with a repository of knowledge. It is my hope and prayer that you take back more than just a piece of paper out of Purdue.

Language is more than just a means of communication.   It influences our culture and even our thought processes. Command over any language enhances our communication skills, leading to successful careers, successful relationships, and successful lives.

  Did you know that there are over 200 languages spoken across the world? The most common language is  MANDARIN CHINESE, spoken by 874,000,000 people as their native language in 16 countries!

  This is followed by HINDI, spoken by 366,000,000 people as their native language in 17 countries.

  ENGLISH holds third position, with 341,000,000 people using it as their native language in 104 countries. What do these statistics indicate?

  They indicate that English is far more world wide in its distribution than all other spoken languages.  It is an official language in 52 countries as well as many small colonies and territories.  In addition, 1/4 to 1/3 of the people in the world understand and speak English to some degree. 

 It has become the most useful language to learn for international travel and is now the de facto language of diplomacy.  In 2001, the 189 member countries in the United Nations were asked what language they wish to use for communication with embassies from other countries.  More than 120 chose English!

  English is also the dominant language in electronic communication.  About 75% of the world's mail, telexes, and cables are in English.  Approximately 60% of the world's radio programs are in English.  About 90% of all Internet traffic is as well. (glreach.com)

  The importance of the English language is undeniable. Let us make an effort to learn more about it.

  This page grants you access to various English writing courses developed by me. These courses will help you to gain knowledge of, and develop skills in, the principles, processes, and applications of writing.

  Please remember: English was invented by people, not computers; and it reflects the creativity of the human race.

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