Friday, March 20, 2020

Professions of a New Generation You Can Get Without an Academic Degree

Professions of a New Generation You Can Get Without an Academic Degree We are often told that the best way to get ahead is with a college education. The reality though is that an academic degree is not always the best choice. The good news is that rewarding job opportunities exist. Below are just a few examples of careers that one can be truly proud of that do not require years of advanced education and study. Health Industry 1.Dental Hygienist Dental Hygienists responsibilities are all related to keeping a patient’s teeth clean and healthy. They are the ones that educate patients on brushing, flossing, and assisting them in choosing the right products. Most dental hygienists need to be accredited so a 12-month course at a community college should be all the education that is required. Salary: $72,330 Education: a 12-month course at a community college. 2.Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Sonographers operate the sonogram machines used to determine an unborn baby’s gender and medical condition. These machines are also needed to identify tumors and other medical conditions a patient may have. There are no formal license requirements that must be met but applicants will have to pass a certification exam, which may require at least a fundamental knowledge of how to use the equipment and analyze the results. Salary: $68,970 Education: fundamental knowledge on the equipment usage. 3.Occupational Therapy Assistant OTAs are responsible for following through on the occupational therapist’s guidelines laid out to help patients get back to a normal routine and lifestyle after a debilitating medical condition, injury or an accident. This job does require an AA degree, which can be completed in one to two years at a local community college. Salary: $57,870 Education: an AA degree at a local community college. Internet Technology 1.Web Developer Web Developers design and create websites. While some jobs do require a BA degree to land the job there are plenty of other jobs that require only a specialized certification in their area of expertise. These can be acquired by attending a local trade school. For many companies, employers put more emphasis on an applicant’s portfolio rather than their degrees so creating a mock-up of your design ideas may be all that is needed to get your foot in the door. Salary: $64,970 Education: specialized certification in the area of expertise. 2.Computer Support Specialist Computer Support Specialists are responsible for troubleshooting computer and technical problems. They are required to have a solid foundation in both hardware and software issues and how to resolve them but these skills that can be learned on the job. Proof of competency is more important than the degree so as long as you can pass the exam you have a good shot at getting the job. Salary: $62,250 Education: solid foundation in both hardware and software issues. 3.Content Marketer While content marketing is more about the writing it is a job that blends those writing skills with modern technology. A good content marketer has knowledge of web design, basic computer technology, and marketing strategies. Salary: $58,302 Education: knowledge of web design, basic computer technology, and marketing strategies. Industry 1.Electric Power Line Installer With new construction happening every day the demand for power is at an all time high. Installers work under dangerous conditions so it is considered to be a high risk job however, the skills required can be mastered through an apprenticeship program or some form of on-the-job training, which you should be able to start with only a high-school diploma. Salary: $66,213 Education: an apprenticeship program or some form of on-the-job training. 2.Wind Turbine Technician Wind techs are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the massive wind turbines used to generate power. Most of the job requirements are technical and can be learned on the job. However, if you want to get a leg up in this field it may help to complete a 1-2 year AA degree at a local trade school or community college. Salary: $51,050 Education: a 1-2 year AA degree at a local trade school or community college. 3.Heavy and Tractor Truck Drivers It is estimated that every year there are at least 1.7 million jobs posted for commercial drivers. To get a CDL license you can take a short course of about seven to eight weeks many of them offered by the company you will work for. The cost for these courses can often be included in the hiring package so you don’t have to come out with cash up front to get the job. Salary: $40,000 Education: a course of about seven to eight weeks. Finance 1.Insurance Sales Agent Insurance agents work in many different fields. Their primary role is to sell home, health, auto, life, and business insurance to corporations. In corporate insurance they may also be expected to sell liability and property damage policies. The insurance industry is heavily regulated and an agent must be licensed by their state. However, with a little personal study one could get licensed with just a high-school diploma. Salary: $48,200 Education: a license that can be gotten with a little personal study. 2.Tax Preparers Tax Preparers are always in high demand, especially during tax season. They help Americans get their taxes filed, claim refunds, and declare business and personal deductions. Every year there is a huge gap in the number of preparers needed and the number of positions filled. Salary: $41,000 Education: high school diploma. 3.Bookkeeper Bookkeepers are responsible for maintaining financial records for businesses. They record all transactions, update statements, and are on hand to clarify any discrepancies in the records. No extensive education is required but they should have basic math and computer skills as well as an understanding of bookkeeping techniques. Salary: $40,991 Education: basic math and computer skills. So, while an advanced degree can be rewarding, it is still possible to have a financially satisfying career without one.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Caribbean English - Definition and Examples

Caribbean English s Caribbean English is a  general term for the many varieties of the English language used in the Caribbean archipelago and on the Caribbean coast of Central America (including Nicaragua, Panama, and Guyana). Also known as  Western Atlantic English. In the simplest terms, says Shondel Nero, Caribbean English is  a contact language emanating mainly from the encounter of British colonial masters with the enslaved and later indentured labor force brought to the Caribbean to work on the sugar plantations (Classroom Encounters With Creole English in  Englishes in Multilingual Contexts, 2014). Examples and Observations The term Caribbean English is problematic because in a narrow sense it can refer to a dialect of English alone, but in a broader sense it covers English and the many English-based creoles . . . spoken in this region. Traditionally, Caribbean creoles have been (incorrectly) classified as dialects of English, but more and more varieties are being recognized as unique languages. . . . And although English is the official language of the area that is sometimes called the Commonwealth Caribbean, only a small number of the people in each country speak what we might consider regionally accented standard English as a native language. In many Caribbean countries, however, some standard version of (mostly) British English is the official language and taught in schools. One syntactic feature shared by many West Atlantic Englishes is the use of would and could where British or American English uses will and can: I could swim for I can swim; I would do it tomorrow for I will do it tomorrow. Another is the formation of yes/no questions with no inversion of auxiliary and subject: You are coming? instead of Are you coming? (Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, Linguistics for Everyone: An Introduction. Wadsworth, 2009) Loanwords From Guyana and Belize Whereas Canadian English and Australian English, benefiting from the single land-mass of their respective homelands, can each claim general homogeneity, Caribbean English is a collection of sub-varieties of English distributed . . . over a large number of non-contiguous territories of which two, Guyana and Belize, are widely distant parts of the South and Central American mainland. . . . Through Guyana came hundreds of nouns, necessary labels of an active ecology, from the languages of its aboriginal indigenes of the nine identified ethnic groups . . .. This is a vocabulary that amounts to hundreds of everyday words known to Guyanese but not to other Caribbeans. In the same way through Belize come words from the three Mayan languagesKekchi, Mopan, Yucatecan; and from the Miskito Indian language; and from Garifuna, the Afro-Island-Carib language of Vincentian ancestry. (Richard Allsopp, Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. University of the West Indies Press, 2003) Caribbean English Creole Analysis has shown that the grammar and phonological rules of Caribbean English Creole can be described as systematically as those of any other language, including English. Furthermore, Caribbean English Creole is as distinct from English as French and Spanish are from Latin. Whether it is a language or a dialect, Caribbean English Creole coexists with standard English in the Caribbean and in the English-speaking countries where Caribbean immigrants and their children and grandchildren live. Often stigmatized because it is associated with slavery, poverty, lack of schooling, and lower socioeconomic status, Creole may be viewed, even by those who speak it, as inferior to standard English, which is the official language of power and education. Most speakers of Caribbean English Creole can switch between Creole and standard English, as well as intermediate forms between the two. At the same time, however, they may retain some distinctive features of Creole grammar. They may mark past-tense and plural forms inconsistently, for example, saying things like, She give me some book to read. (Elizabeth Coelho, Adding English: A Guide to Teaching in Multilingual Classrooms. Pippin, 2004)