ทำไมศิลปะและดนตรีศึกษาเป็นสิ่งสำคัญ

ทำไมศิลปะและดนตรีศึกษาเป็นสิ่งสำคัญ

ผ่านมา 10 ปี public schools ได้มีปัญหาเดิมโปรแกรมโรงเรียนเช่นห้องศิลปะและดนตรีคลา ไม่มีน้อยบางประเภทของเพลงหรือศิลปะการศึกษาให้เด็กที่เสียเปรียบที่รุนแรงเมื่อป้อนวิทยาลัยและสถานที่ทำงาน ในศิลปะและดนตรีคลาสของ เด็กเรียนรู้การสร้างสรรค์ และใช้งานส่วนอื่น ๆ ของสมองของตนเองนอกเหนือจากส่วนตรรกะของสมองที่ใช้ในวิชาโรงเรียนส่วนใหญ่ ยัง ศึกษาได้แสดงว่า ดนตรีและศิลปะช่วยเด็กในวิชาอื่นเช่นวิทยาศาสตร์และคณิตศาสตร์ ศึกษาได้แสดง เกินไป ที่ศิลปะและดนตรีคลาสามารถช่วยเด็กที่เพิ่มความมั่นใจที่จำเป็นในการประสบความสำเร็จ ในโรงเรียน และ ในโลกอาชีพ สุดท้าย ในห้องศิลปะ นักเรียนเรียนรู้วิธีการใช้เครื่องมือเช่นร่างเก้าอี้ และร่างตารางที่ผู้เชี่ยวชาญจำนวนมากใช้ เช่นสถาปนิก และนักออกแบบกราฟิก ดังนั้น มันเป็นสิ่งที่สำคัญที่โรงเรียนสาธารณะให้แน่ใจว่า พวกเขาได้รับเงินทุนสนับสนุนพวกเขาต้องการทำให้โปรแกรมเหล่านี้มีชีวิตอยู่

เรียนดนตรีและศิลปะสอนเด็กเกี่ยวกับการสร้างสรรค์ เมื่อเด็กกำลังถูกสร้างสรรค์ เขากำลังใช้ส่วนต่าง ๆ ของสมองของพวกเขาที่พวกเขาไม่ได้ใช้ในชั้นเรียนปกติ คณิตศาสตร์และวิทยาศาสตร์ สิ่งสำคัญคือการพัฒนาส่วนนี้ความคิดสร้างสรรค์ของสมอง เพื่อให้เด็กมีโอกาสดีกว่าที่จะประสบความสำเร็จในเส้นทางการเลือกอาชีพของตน ตัวอย่างเช่น เด็กอยากไปลงโฆษณาเป็นอาชีพทางเลือกจะจำเป็นต้องมีการสร้างสรรค์มาขึ้นกับโฆษณาใหม่ และสร้างสรรค์สำหรับบริษัท ถ้าเด็กมีการศึกษาในวิทยาศาสตร์ คณิตศาสตร์ ภาษาอังกฤษ และสังคมศึกษาเท่านั้น แล้วพวกเขาจะไม่เตรียมสำหรับชีวิตหลังโรงเรียน

มีการศึกษาจำนวนมากที่มีพิสูจน์ที่ศิลปะและดนตรีศึกษาช่วยเด็กทำได้ดียิ่งขึ้นในชั้นเรียนปกติของพวกเขา มันเป็นความจริงที่มีการศึกษาดีเพลงดีวิชา ศิลปศึกษาช่วยสอนเด็กที่มีความคิดสร้างสรรค์ ซึ่งช่วยแล้วพวกเขาเรียนรู้ที่จะมากับสร้างสรรค์วิธีการแก้ไขปัญหาที่กำหนดให้การในชั้นเรียนอื่น ๆ ตัวอย่าง วิทยาศาสตร์ชั้นรับ creative จะช่วยนักเรียนที่มากับนวัตกรรม และการสร้างสมมติฐานในคลาส ซึ่งอาจส่งผลคะแนนดีกว่า ศิลปะและดนตรีคลามีความสำคัญในการช่วยสอนเด็กมือที่สามารถใช้กับชั้นเรียนอื่น ๆ

เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในห้องเรียนศิลปะและเครื่องมือที่ใช้ในเพลงคลา สอนวิธีการรับผิดชอบสำหรับอุปกรณ์ราคาแพงที่พวกเขาจะทำมากที่สุดงานด้วยสำหรับนายจ้างในอนาคต เด็ก ตัวอย่างมีเด็กย้ายชอบของการดนตรีช่วยสอนความรับผิดชอบของเด็ก และจะช่วยสอนให้พวกเขาเป็นที่เคารพของอุปกรณ์ที่ไม่ใช่อุปกรณ์เหล่านี้ไว้หรือไม่ นี้เป็นสิ่งสำคัญเนื่องจากนายจ้างจะต้องมี พนักงานในอนาคตต้องรับผิดชอบ และดำเนินการเฝ้าระวังสิ่งใด ๆ ที่ได้จะเป็นเงินกู้ให้กับพนักงาน เช่นคอมพิวเตอร์ ตัวอย่าง

บอร์ดโรงเรียนจำเป็นเพื่อให้แน่ใจว่าเพลง และศิลปะโปรแกรมในโรงเรียนของตนเองจะดีได้รับเงินทุน การศึกษาศิลปะและดนตรีช่วยสอนเด็กสร้างสรรค์ที่จำเป็นสำหรับงานมากมาย เรียนศิลปะและดนตรียังช่วยสอนเด็กมือที่สามารถใช้ได้ในชั้นเรียนอื่น ๆ ที่จะช่วยปรับปรุงคะแนนของตน ท้ายที่สุด การใช้เครื่องมือและศิลปะหน้า ๆ ในเหล่านี้เรียนช่วยสอนเด็กความรับผิดชอบและนับถือรายการที่ไม่ใช่อุปกรณ์เหล่านี้ไว้ เด็กไม่มีเพลงหรือศิลปะการศึกษาชนิดใดย่อมจะเป็นรองเมื่อป้อนวิทยาลัยหรือแรงงาน

ทีมฟุตบอล 10 อันดับแรกในกรุงลอนดอน

ทีมฟุตบอล 10 อันดับแรกในกรุงลอนดอน

มีมากเพื่อดูสำหรับผู้ที่สนใจในฟุตบอลในลอนดอน เพียงการแจกแจงสำหรับผู้อ่านใด ๆ ของบทความนี้จากภายนอกสหราชอาณาจักร ฟุตบอลหมายถึง 'สวยงามเกม' อะไรโดยทั่วไปเรียกว่าฟุตบอลทั่วโลก

ลอนดอนมีประเพณีเป็นความภาคภูมิใจของทีมฟุตบอลที่มีชื่อเสียงมีมากการแข่งขันระหว่างสโมสรด้านบนเพื่อ มีอยู่โดยทั่วไปสี่ หรือห้า London ทีมในพรีเมียร์ลีก และมี commentators หลายที่เชื่อว่า เป็นหนึ่งในอุปสรรคใหญ่ที่สุดหนึ่งใด ๆ ของพวกเขาชนะในลีก แบบ 'ท้องถิ่น derby' ระหว่างทีมฟุตบอลของลอนดอนสองอาจทำให้เกิดบรรยากาศการไฟฟ้า และเปิดแบบฟอร์มปัจจุบันบนศีรษะของเขาเหล่านั้นจะได้ดี contested

ตั๋วพรีเมียร์ลีกเป็นบางครั้งยากที่จะขอรับ แต่ความมักจะเก็บรักษารับผลลัพธ์ มีหมายเลขของหน่วยงานของตั๋วที่พวกเขาได้รับราคา

ในทศวรรษสุดท้าย ทั้งอาร์เซนอลและ Chelsea มีแต่ละชนะ illustrious พรีเมียร์ลีกชื่อสองครั้ง และถึงสุดท้ายของถ้วยยุโรป

ต่อไปนี้เป็นรายละเอียดเกี่ยวกับสโมสรฟุตบอล 10 อันดับแรกในกรุงลอนดอน และเมื่อต้องการหลีกเลี่ยงข้อกล่าวหาใด ๆ ของกำลัง partisan เหล่านี้ปรากฏอยู่ตามลำดับตัวอักษร: -

อาร์เซนอล

Gunners อาร์เซนอลได้เล่นในส่วนบนสุดของฟุตบอลอังกฤษในฤดูกาลต่อเนื่องตั้งแต่ฤดูกาล 1919-20 พวกเขาได้แชมเปี้ยนส์ในโอกาสที่ 13 และสำเร็จในระเบียนที่ไม่ซ้ำกันสำหรับช่วงเวลาสมัยใหม่ในฤดูกาล 2003-04 เมื่อพวกเขาไปฤดูกาลทั้งหมดโดยไม่มีการแพ้

อาร์เซนอลชนะมาก coveted 'ลูก' (ลีกและคัพวินเนอร์ในฤดูกาลเดียวกัน) 3 ครั้งใน 1971, 1998 และ 2002

ในปีล่าสุด พวกเขาได้ย้ายไปสถาน The เอมิเรตส์สเตเดียม มีกำลัง 60000 พิพิธภัณฑ์อาร์เซนอลเป็นดีแตั และเปิดอยู่ทุกวัน

Brentford

Bees, Brentford ฟุตบอลคลับกำลังเล่นอยู่ในลีกฟุตบอลฉัน พวกเขาได้ก่อตั้งขึ้นใน 1889 และเล่นเกมภายในบ้านของตนที่กริฟฟอนสวนสนามกีฬาภายในบ้านของตนตั้งแต่ 1904 การสะกดของ Brentford ประสบความสำเร็จมากที่สุดมาในระหว่างปี 1930 เมื่อพวกเขาสำเร็จเสร็จต่อเนื่องสูงสุดหกสิ้นในส่วนแรก

นับตั้งแต่สงคราม พวกเขาได้ใช้จ่ายส่วนใหญ่ของตนเวลาลดหลั่นสาม และสี่ของฟุตบอลอังกฤษ Brentford ได้รับเอฟเอคัพไตรมาส-finalists ในโอกาสที่สี่ และสองครั้งได้รองแชมป์ครั้งฟุตบอลลี Trophy

ชาร์ลกีฬา

Addicks ชาร์ลตันAthletic ได้เห็นวันดีกว่า 5.12 Full มี downloadfree วันได้ในปี 1930 และ 40s พวกเขาได้ต่อสู้หลังจากถูก relegated จากพรีเมียร์ลีกในปี 2005 แล้ว จากแชมป์ใน 2008 ในปีล่าสุด

พวกเขาเล่นในหุบเขาที่ใต้เพียงของแม่น้ำเทมส์ในกรีนิช คลับก่อตั้งขึ้นใน 1905

ในอดีต รอบระยะเวลาที่ประสบความสำเร็จมากที่สุดของชาร์ลตันเป็นปี 1930 เมื่อเสร็จสิ้นการลีสูงสุดของสโมสรนั้นบันทึก รวมทั้งรองแชมป์ครั้งในการแข่งขัน ในมลรัฐ และ หลัง สงครามโลก เมื่อสโมสรถึง FA Cup หลังสอง ชนะใน 1947

Chelsea

ที่คนกินเงินบำนาญ หรือ Blues สโมสรฟุตบอลเชลซีก่อตั้งขึ้นใน 1905 และเล่นในพรีเมียร์ลีก Chelsea ได้แชมเปี้ยนส์สามครั้ง (1955, 2005, 2006), และชนะเอฟเอคัพห้าเวลา ในลีกคัพครั้งที่สี่และในยูฟ่าคัพวินเนอร์คัพสองครั้ง พวกเขาถึงยูฟ่าแชมเปียนส์ลีกท้ายใน 2008

Chelsea เล่นที่ Stamford Bridge ในลอนดอนตะวันตกและกำลังการผลิตของดินเป็น 42,000.The เชลซีพิพิธภัณฑ์เปิดวันส่วนใหญ่ และเป็นดีแตัสำหรับผู้สนใจในพิพิธภัณฑ์และประวัติศาสตร์ฟุตบอล

Crystal Palace

The Eagles, Crystal Palace ฟุตบอลคลับถูกก่อตั้งขึ้นใน 1905 ของบ้านเล่นทีมตรงที่ Selhurst Park ที่มันได้ถูกใช้ตั้งแต่ 1924 สโมสรในปัจจุบันคือ competing ในระดับที่สอง The Championship

วังของรอบระยะเวลาล่าสุดที่ประสบความสำเร็จเริ่มใน 1988-89 เมื่อสโมสรเสร็จสิ้นสามในส่วนที่สอง และได้เลื่อนขึ้นเป็นส่วนแรก ถึง 1990 FA Cup หลังเท่านั้นการสูญเสียการ replay กับแมนเชสเตอร์ยูไนเต็ดและสิ้นสุดอันดับ 3 ในส่วนแรกใน 1990-91

บ๎น วังได้รับ relegated จาก และเลื่อนไป FA พรีเมียร์ลีกในหลายโอกาส ถูกตน relegation ล่าสุดจากการบินสูงสุดในฤดูกาล 2004-05 นี่คือทั้งหมดแม้สโมสรกำลังใกล้จะล้มละลายใน 2000 july

Fulham

Cottagers, Fulham ฟุตบอลคลับก่อตั้งขึ้นใน 1879 พวกเขาลือนามครบรอบ 125th ของตนในปี 2004 และอยู่ในระดับที่สูงสุดของฟุตบอลอังกฤษ พรีเมียร์ลีก Fulham มีทีมฟุตบอลอาชีพเก่าที่สุดในกรุงลอนดอน

ใน 2009, Fulham มีของพวกเขาที่สูงที่สุดเคยเสร็จสมบูรณ์ในการพรีเมียร์ลีก 7 ทวีปยุโรปจึงเข้ามา

สโมสรนั้นได้ผลิตหลายยอดเยี่ยมอังกฤษ footballers รวมถึง Johnny Haynes, George Cohen, Bobby Robson, Rodney Marsh และอลันMullery และ Jim Langley พวกเขาเล่นในประวัติศาสตร์ Craven Cottage บ้านของพวกเขาตั้งแต่ 1896 ดินแบบ riverside บนธนาคารของแม่น้ำเทมส์ใน Fulham

ควีนส์ปาร์ก Rangers

Hoops หรือเพียง QPR ควีนส์ Park Rangers ฟุตบอลคลับในของคนเลี้ยงแกะบุช West London ขณะนี้พวกเขาเล่นในฟุตบอลแชมป์ลีก และเกียรติของตนรวมชนะลีกคัพใน 1967 และการเป็นรองแชมป์ครั้งในส่วนแรกใน 1975-76 เก่าและเอฟเอคัพใน 1982

ควีนส์ Park Rangers ฟุตบอลคลับก่อตั้งขึ้นใน 1882 และสีของแบบดั้งเดิมคือสีน้ำเงิน และสีขาว เพราะการใกล้เคียงอื่น ๆ คลับ West London, QPR รักษา rivalries ยืนยาว มีหลายสโมสรอื่น ๆ ในพื้นที่ การสังเกตส่วนใหญ่เหล่านี้กำลัง Chelsea, Brentford และ Fulham กับบุคคลที่พวกเขาแข่งขันอะไรจะเรียกว่า derbies West London

ใน 2007 QPR ถ่าย โดยไทคูนอิตาลี Flavio Briatore และระดับระหว่างสูงสุด 10 สมบูรณ์แบบมากสปอร์ตคลับในโลก ผู้ถือหุ้นใหญ่อื่น ๆ รวมพระลักษมี Mittal & F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone ดังนั้น ดูพื้นที่นี้

Tottenham Hotspurs

ด้าน 'เดือย' มีชื่อเสียงของ 1961 จะยังคง reckoned โดยมากฟุตบอล enthusiasts หนึ่งของทีมฟุตบอลดีที่สุดในประวัติศาสตร์ฟุตบอลอังกฤษ พวกเขาได้ที่ 'คู่' ซึ่งมีไม่ถูกสำเร็จเวลานั้นเนื่องจากแอสตันวิลล่าชนะมันใน 1897

นี้ได้ให้มากอยู่ถึงทีมล่าเดือย แต่เดือยมีประเพณียาวนานของเล่นฟุตบอลดีเพื่อให้มีตรงกันที่น่าตื่นเต้นมากที่ White Hart Lane โดยเฉพาะกับ rivals ตน North London ปิด อาร์เซนอล

ใน 1963เดือยกลาย สโมสรแรกอังกฤษชนะได้สำคัญยุโรปถ้วย - ที่ยุโรปคัพวินเนอร์สคัพ ในทศวรรษ พวกเขาชนะในลีกคัพแชมป์ในโอกาสที่สอง และได้ผู้ชนะที่ลูกค้าของยูฟ่าคัพใน 8 เมษายนพ.ศ. 2515 ไฟต์ เดือยชนะถ้วยรางวัลหลาย: FA Cup สอง FA ชิลด์ และยูฟ่าคัพ 1983-84 ในช่วงต้น 1990 พวกเขาได้รับรางวัลเอฟเอคัพและลีถ้วยฟุตบอล และใน 2008 พวกเขาตี Chelsea ในสุดท้ายของการลีกคัพแชมป์ วิธีนี้ชัยชนะที่ Tottenham ชนะเป็นรางวัลในแต่ละทศวรรษหกสุดท้าย - สำเร็จที่เท่า กันกับแมนเชสเตอร์ยูไนเต็ด

เดือยได้วางแผนในสนามกีฬาใหม่เสร็จ 2012 และก็คาดว่าจะเป็นหนึ่ง stadiums ดีที่สุดในสหราชอาณาจักร

Chelsea

D.c, Chelsea ฟุตบอลคลับใน Chelsea,เฮิร์ทฟอร์ดเชอร์ พวกเขาเล่นในเลิศ สโมสรได้ก่อตั้งขึ้นใน 1881 และเล่นที่ลานหลายก่อนที่จะย้ายไปยังตำแหน่งที่ตั้งถาวรที่ถนน Vicarage ใน 1922 ที่ยังคงวันนี้ นับตั้งแต่ปี 1997 พวกเขาได้ใช้ร่วมกันสนามกีฬากับ Saracens Rugby Club Chelsea rivalry ยืนยาว ด้วยการบินลูตอนเมืองได้

สโมสรที่ดีที่สุดรู้จักสำหรับสอง spells ภายใต้การจัดการของอดีตอังกฤษจัดการ Graham Taylor ได้ แรก lasted จาก 1977 เพื่อ 1987 เมื่อสโมสรกุหลาบเพื่อส่วนแรกที่เก่าจากส่วนที่สี่ ครั้งเดียวในส่วนที่สูงที่สุดของฟุตบอลอังกฤษ, Chelsea สำเร็จรูปที่สองในลีกที่ใน 1983 ถึงสุดท้าย FA Cup ใน 1984 และ competed ในยูฟ่าคัพในฤดูกาล 1984-85

ขยายจากปี 1997 2001, Taylor เมื่อเอาสโมสรจากรอบระยะเวลาที่สองเปลี่ยนชื่อส่วนที่สองให้พรีเมียร์ลีกในฤดูกาลต่อ Taylor เป็นกรรมการบริหารไม่ใช่ของคลับ และประธานกิตติมศักดิ์ชีวิตควบคู่ไปกับ Sir Elton John ผู้เป็นเจ้าของสโมสรในระหว่างช่วงเหล่านี้ทั้งสอง และมีต่อยาวที่มีความสัมพันธ์กับสโมสร ในปัจจุบัน

West แฮมยูไนเต็ด

ค้อน West แฮมยูไนเต็ดฟุตบอลคลับได้เล่นที่ Upton Park (โบลีดิน), ในลอนดอนตะวันออกตั้งแต่มีการก่อตั้งขึ้นใน 1895 1904

พวกเขาแนะนำสุดในแรก FA Cup ท้ายการจัดที่ Wembley ใน 1923 กับโบลตันวันเดอเริร์ส สโมสรนั้นได้ชนะการเอฟเอคัพครั้งที่สาม: ใน 1964, 1975 และ 1980 พวกเขายังได้รองแชมป์ครั้งสองครั้ง 1923 และ 2006

ใน 1965 พวกเขาได้รับรางวัลถ้วยชนะเลิศถ้วยยุโรป และในปี 1999 ที่ชนะถ้วย InterToto

ถือว่าผู้เล่นของพวกเขาเป็นปัจจัยที่สำคัญที่อยู่เบื้องหลังของอังกฤษชัยในฟุตบอลโลก 1966 เป็นกัปตันของอังกฤษในเวลาถูก West แฮม Bobby Moore และ goalscorers ทั้งสอง Geoff Hurst และ Martin Peters ถูกเล่น West แฮม

West แฮมแข่งขันในปัจจุบันในพรีเมียร์ลีก แก้ไขเสร็จสิ้นของเขาสูงที่สุดในพรีเมียร์ลีก 5th 1998-99

Math Activities - One-to-One Correspondence

The concept of one-to-one correspondence requires two skills: (1) matching pairs and (2) comparing sets. Matching places two like items together as a pair while comparing determines which set has more or less. In these projects, the key is to focus on the language, emphasizing mathematical terms.

Books to Read
The following books teach one-to-one correspondence using stories. I love the impact a story has on understanding, and these books do a great job of packaging the mathematical ideas in a way that young children can comprehend.

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Two of Everything: A Chinese Folk Tale by Lily Toy Hong
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Seaweed Soup by Stuart J. Murphy
A Pair of Socks by Stuart J. Murphy
Missing Mittens by Stuart J. Murphy
Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy
Just Enough Carrots by Stuart J. Murphy
Some Things Go Together by Charlotte Zolotow

Math Activities - One-to-One Correspondence

Projects to Learn Matching

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is a matching set. Word emphasis: match, even, pair, each.

There are three cups and three straws. It is even. Three children and three cookies. It is a match! A pair of socks for your feet. One foot for each sock, and one sock for each foot.

Project #2
Provide the following items and allow the children to sort into pairs. Word emphasis: pair, match.

1 ice cube tray
2 screws
2 washers
2 electrical circuit binders
2 matching butterfly clips
2 matching hair pins
2 pennies
2 matching buttons

Project #3
Have a tea party with stuffed bears. Set one place setting for each bear. You could say, "One seat for each bear, and one bear for each seat." Word emphasis: each.

Project #4
Serve a lunch with matching shapes to make their own snacks. I used cookie cutters to cut the bread, cheese, and lunch meat into matching shapes. I provided at least two different shapes so that they would have to find the match in order to build their sandwiches. Word emphasis: match.

Project #5
Play the memory game. Word emphasis: pair, match.

Projects to Learn Comparing

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is not enough or there is too much to go around. Word emphasis: more, less, fewer, even.

Oops, I grabbed one straw too many. There are three cups and four straws. There are more straws than cups. We have six chairs at our table, but only four people in the family sitting at the table. That leaves two empty chairs because there are more chairs than people. Today we have company, so we have eight people and only six chairs. We have fewer chairs than people, so we will need two more chairs. Three children and four cookies. There are more cookies. If I eat one, it will be even.

Project #2
Invite the children to collect toys to put inside two hula hoops. Then count to see which hula hoop has more toys and which has fewer. Ask, "Which set of toys has more? Which set has fewer?" Word emphasis: set, more, fewer, even.

Project #3
Pour two cups of water and compare the volume. Which cup has more? Which has less? Word emphasis: more, less, even.

Project #4
Make sugar cookies and put chocolate chips on the frosting. Compare two cookies to see which has more chocolate chips. For an added lesson, determine how many chocolate chips need to be added to make them even. Word emphasis: more, fewer, even.

Math Activities - One-to-One Correspondence

Spanish Famous Soccer Players

Soccer is the most popular sport in Spain. The Spain soccer team is a superior team and has produced the famous Spanish soccer players for years. As a national team, Spain was not able to achieve any success in FIFA world cup except the 1998 world cup. The team reached the quarterfinal stage by winning eight matches. This was only the best impressive performance in FIFA games where they lost to France. Spain participated in eleven world cups and it was ranked number four in 1950.

Though superior, the world cup squad never gave good results. The famous Spanish soccer players are Luis Suarez, Raul Gonzalez Blanco, Kubala, Alfredo Di Stefano, and the goalkeeper Zamora. Also, Michel, Santillana, and Butragueno are the rising stars of Spanish national team. Most interestingly, the world famous Spanish clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona have provided Spanish soccer with best world famous players. The Spanish clubs are more popular around the world and let us have a look at few big names.

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Raul Gonzalez Blanco was born in Madrid, Spain on June 27, 1977. On the club level, Raul as a member of Real Madrid is the most impressive soccer player who was responsible for the victory in Champions League in 1998. Again, in 2002, he was the leading player who allowed Real Madrid to win the Champions league. He was a real hero in the whole tournament and scored the famous two goals that turned the whole situation of the game.

Spanish Famous Soccer Players

The famous Spanish soccer players include names of world famous goalkeepers. Ricardo Zamora was named as the best goalkeeper in 1958. The place of Zamora has remained unchallenged and not a single goalkeeper in Spain is able to reach his height. He is the greatest goalkeeper produced by Spain and played with the national team for more than 46 occasions. Also, he played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Spain has managed to provide steady goalkeepers like Luis Arconada and Andoni Zubizarreta. Edson Arantes Do Nascimento also nicked as Pele, is regarded as one of the famous Spanish soccer players of all time.

Most of the star players from around the world are involved in the famous Spanish soccer players list. The players signed by Real Madrid include big names such as Roberto Carlos, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Robinho, and so on. To add on the world famous Barcelona soccer club granted Spanish nationality to Brazilian world famous player Ronaldinho and Mexican player Giovani.

The world cup winning captain of Argentina, Diego Maradona is related to world famous Spanish club Barcelona. The other famous players related to Barcelona club are Marcelo Trobbiani, Alberto Acosta, Marcelo Saralegui, Nicolas Hernandez, etc. Barcelona club from Spain is considered to be one of the top 10 clubs in the world.

Though the Spain soccer national team is not successful on international level, the Spanish soccer has got great respect on world sports platform. The Spanish soccer has great future and the list of famous Spanish soccer players is definitely going to rise in coming years.

Spanish Famous Soccer Players

Top Five Ways To Improve Conversation Immediately

"Communication is a skill that you can learn. It's like riding
a bicycle or typing. If you're willing to work at it you can
rapidly improve the quality of this very part of your life."

- Brian Tracy, Author and Speaker

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This report is based upon two kinds of research: First, research in the social sciences such as psychology, sociology, and communication studies. Second, 25 years of observation by the author of people engaged in conversation in many settings: couples, families, business talk, meetings, mixers, informal small talk, professional consultations - a wide range.

Top Five Ways To Improve Conversation Immediately

These five items are distilled from what I have observed and what the research reveals. Adopting even one of these will make a positive difference in improving your conversational skills. Each will have an immediate positive effect. Adopting them all could transform your experience of conversation.

TOP FIVE WAYS

1. Show interest in and be curious about those you talk with.

In conversation, to be curious is a definite plus. Being curious about another person helps to engage us and to validate that person as interesting. On the other hand, if we seem bored by or indifferent to the person, they feel invalidated, as if we are saying "You hold no interest for me. You are not interesting."

Not to be curious can be troublesome in life. As human relations speaker and author Dale Carnegie wrote:

"It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is from among such individuals that all human failures spring."

Consider the spouse who shows no curiosity about what his
partner is thinking or feeling, or the parent who does not wonder
about the thoughts and inner lives of the children. Consider the
manager, thinking s/he knows everything about the business and
who expresses no interest in the employees' ideas. We know the
results: Distance and negative feelings between the people.

The good news is that we can choose to be interested or
curious. This is an act of intention. For example, who
has not taken a required course of study that "held" no
interest at the outset but then, when you saw that being
uninterested in the subject resulted in poor learning and
grades, you decided to be interested in order to learn better.

The same is true for our interest in other people. For
example, a husband whose marriage is troubled and who faces
separation and even divorce because he expresses so little
interest in his wife may choose to "become interested" about
his wife and what she has to say. When he changes his thinking
and his attitudes, his conversational behavior also changes.
He pays close attention. He asks questions. He listens carefully.

I notice that many people try to appear interesting themselves instead of being genuinely interested in others. When we show interest in others, they usually begin to show interest in us. However, when we try to be interesting, we often look self-conscious or even vain, whereas being genuinely interested in other people makes our conversations and life experience a rich adventure.

2. Balance the talking and listening. Take turns.

We Americans tend mainly to be out-going, extraverts, talkative. That's probably a plus, because we are an optimistic, "can-do" society. However, for relationships, lots of talking and too much talking can be harmful to personal and business relationships.

The scientific evidence suggests that balancing our conversation so that everyone gets a turn who wants a turn is supportive of social relations. In informal conversation, balance requires that speakers monitor themselves so that they do not dominate by talking too much. It is also important for more quiet people to speak up from time to time so that the talkative ones don't think you are giving up any interest in sharing your ideas.

Balancing the talk doesn't require a strict 50-50 distribution. The ratio can be 80-20 and still be balanced, as when one person is mainly interviewing the other who of course will do most of the talking. The key here is not so much the actual time each one talks. It is the taking turns that matters. One person may ask a brief question that requires a long, detailed answer.

Having balance in a conversation suggests safety and
fairness and creates a supportive climate for honest ideas
to be expressed and heard. In large groups, a chairperson
or a facilitator can monitor and direct the talk and make
certain everyone has a chance to speak fully. In casual
conversation, we must manage ourselves to make sure
we have balance.

3.Give genuine compliments and real praise when appropriate.

Some people have trouble giving compliments. Others have trouble receiving compliments graciously. Most of these troubles are caused by upbringing and culture. All of these old habits can be eliminated and replaced with kinder and more generous behavior that fosters better relations between people.

The fact is, such public and global praise is suspect, not helpful. And not only for children, but for adults as well. Writing in his landmark 1996 book, "Punished by Rewards," Alfie Kohn makes four solid points about giving compliments and praise:

a. "Don't praise people, only what people do. It's less likely that there will be a gap between what someone hears and what he thinks about himself if we don't make sweeping comments about what he is like as a person."

b. "Make praise as specific as possible. Even better than 'That's a really nice story' is 'That's neat at the end when you leave the main character a little confused about what happened to him.'"

c. "Avoid phony praise. . . . One symptom of phony praise is a
squeaky, saccharine voice that slides up and down the scale and bears little resemblance to the way we converse with our friends. A four-year-old can usually tell the difference between a genuine expression of pleasure and phony praise, between a sincere smile and one that is manufactured and timed for best effect."

d. "Avoid praise that sets up competition. Phrases like 'You're the best in the class (or for adults, in this department)," whose "most pernicious effects . . . encourage a view of others as rivals rather than as potential collaborators. What's more, they lead people to see their
own worth in terms of whether they have beaten everyone else -
a recipe for perpetual insecurity."

Kohn supports each of these points with solid research as he
suggests ways to encourage people and build their intrinsic motivation.

During my early life I had difficulty giving compliments, and now I enjoy doing so. The Scandinavian culture I grew up in was not comfortable with compliments because parents believed that kids would "get a big head" and be prideful. I also had trouble giving compliments because I DID see my fellow students and friends as competitors in classes and on the playing fields. I needed more maturity to be able to give genuine praise to my rivals.

For many years now I have enjoyed complimenting others in
specific ways because I can see the positive effects that result.
When I coach professionals on their performance, the specific
compliments I give them on their behavior and the work they
produce helps them grow and develop.

Some time ago, a student asked, "Whenever I compliment my
friend, she resists. How can I make my compliments stick?"

Try this method: Add a question after your compliment:

"I think your new hairstyle is stunning, Sally! Who did it for you?"

Adding such a tag-question at the end usually prevents the person from avoiding the compliment because they are responding to the follow-up. "The way you read the poem was deeply touching, Fred. Did you practice it many times?"

Finally, if you yourself tend to deflect compliments, try harder to accept them. A simple "Thank you" to the one offering the compliment will do. After you run the billiards table, or score perfectly on the test, it's simply not appropriate to refuse a compliment. Nor is it genuine for the football star who scores seven touchdowns to say "It wasn't me; it was the other guys on the team." When you receive a genuine compliment, acknowledge it and let it in!

4. Keep your positive energy up.

When we interact with others, we exchange not only words and bodily expressions. We also give off - exchange - our vital energy. If our energy is high and vibrant, we lift the conversation. If it's low and sluggish, we sap energy from the encounter.

A professional colleague, Dr. Robert Rausch, is a specialized consultant to many large companies. In his work with management, he has them look at those factors in the company that drain human energy and those factors that increase the energy. Energetic people thrive, and low-energy people
barely survive. His excellent book, "Energy Matters," gives you many ideas on how to enhance your personal energy and avoid being drained by difficult or toxic interactions.

Many ways are available to increase and maintain our personal energy. Among them are well known methods, such as being well nourished and well rested. Also, keeping our interactions positive rather than negative, focusing on what's good and what works instead of griping and complaining. A fine resource to enable positive talk is the book, Encyclopedia of Positive Questions by Diana Whitney and others (2002). This approach of "Appreciative Inquiry" is now being widely used in organizations to make the energy more positive and motivating.

When we are energized, we are able to be responsive, alive to the situation and the person we are talking to. Our voice and
body reflect our responses and add color and flavor to our talk.
When we don't have enough "gas in our tank," being responsive
is difficult at best.

In recent years new understandings have become available about how best to manage our bodily energy. Most are easy to learn and can be self-applied. Here are some excellent references if you wish to follow up on this topic:

Energy Medicine, by Donna Eden (1999)
Become an Energy Addict, by Jon Gordon (2003)
The Mars and Venus Diet and Exercise Book, by John Gray (2003)

5. Ask better questions

A routine question will evoke a routine response. Thus, "How's it going?" will generally get a "Fine, thanks," or perhaps a "I can't complain." If the purpose of the question is only to acknowledge an acquaintance briefly and move on, your purpose is served. This is the social function of language that the anthropologist Malinowski called "phatic communion," which is nothing more than a brief and superficial verbal connection, the smallest of small talk.

However, if you'd prefer a more substantial conversation, you'll need to use a different question to evoke a different response. A deeper and more detailed conversation will certainly be less predictable and probably more interesting, and it will likely have the effect of enriching your relationship.

Here are four suggestions for more productive questions:

1. Ask questions that elicit detail. These are often "What?" questions.

For example, "What did you finally decide about relocating?" or
"What did you do on your trip to Mexico?" will usually stimulate detailed responses. Questions that don't require detail, such as "How are your plans coming along?" and "How was your trip?" can be answered with a mere "Good, thanks."

2. Ask open questions that require more than a Yes or No. These are the "Wh" and "H" questions beginning with What, Why, Where, and How. These work better than "closed questions" that limit the response, such as "Did you like the movie?" Instead, "What did you like about the movie?" draws out a more interesting and detailed response.

3. Ask some questions that are a little bit surprising or "edgy." These are not meant to put the person on the hot seat, or to make them uncomfortable, but to stimulate and get a lively response instead of a routine response. "What's the most exciting/challenging thing that's happening with you at this time?" is such an edgy question. Predictable questions usually evoke predictable responses, such as "What did you learn in school today?" "Oh, not much."

4. Use some "If?" questions such as "If you had the means to
pursue your dream occupation, what would it be?" Or "If you could have dinner with a famous person, whom would you choose?" Such questions break out of the routine and add some fresh energy to the conversation. By the way, don't ask others any question you yourself would not want to be asked. Also, be prepared to answer the very "If?" questions you ask. The other converser may say, "Let me think about that for a minute. Meanwhile, you go first."

For some excellent examples of effective questions, check this book, Questions That Work, by Andrew Finlayson (2001)
Although it's mainly for business and professional life, this book has many good ideas about the structure of questions that apply to any conversation. As well, it contains plenty of question examples, such as "27 questions to inspire creativity in a group." and "66 questions to ask when you're investigating a problem."

===============================================

Loren Ekroth ©2004

Top Five Ways To Improve Conversation Immediately

Satellite TV On PC Pro - Scam?

Satellite TV for PC pro claims to be 100 % safe certified satellite software. This software promises to instantly turn the PC in to a super TV. This allows the viewers to watch more than 2000 channels in one time. It charges a small one time fee and promises for no more charges again for the entire future.

A variety of world wide channels can be viewed from any part of the globe. It offers channels in English, Spanish, Russian, German, Arabic, French, Italian, Dutch and a lot more of channels to the viewers amazement.

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The download is 1467/78 times per year/month. The software is last updated on 24-12-2006 and released on 13-12-2006. Primary language is English for satellite TV on PC pro. It runs on Platforms win95, win 98, win ME, Windows XP, WinNT3.x, WinNT 4.X, windows 2000, windows 2003. The basic requirement to run this soft ware is Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, 2000 or XP. The software can be installed or uninstalled easily.

Satellite TV On PC Pro - Scam?

Although the satellite TV on PC pro claims to turn your PC in to a superb TV instantly, many reviews show that the results are variable. Only 1 out of 10 reviews state that the software is very good. The rest review claims that the software is a fake. They say that it offers very poor channel quality both the audio and video I mean. Some reviews also say that it takes a long buffering or loading time. One particular high light in all the reviews is that, the software has no money back guarantee for the paid 9. May be it is very sure of the software!

Some also show expressions like ahhh! Terrible software. Although experiences vary from person to person on an average the overall rating to this Software is poor... This though can not be taken as the final verdict as the result of the poor quality service might depend on the PC set up also. Unless tried once by you or by any of your close friends, we can not disqualify this software to the public.

There are still some customers who approve of the satellite TV on PC pro software. Results have to be analyzed completely before coming to any kind of conclusions. I can say best luck to you if you purchase this software as the result is dependent on the PC as well and the internet speed as well.

In conclusion, Satellite TV on PC Pro software is scam. You should never consider to buy in spite of all hypes you read. If you do want a Satellite TV on PC that is real, visit Satellite TV on PC pro - Scam? And read about the most popular and most purchased satellite TV software that will give you the real pleasure.

Satellite TV On PC Pro - Scam?

How Many Times a Week Should You Exercise to Get Stronger and Leaner Body?

Many people seem to think, that you should workout everyday or at least five times a week to get leaner and stronger. This isn't true, exercising too much might even lead to over-training. Your need to give your body stimulus to get muscle growth and to lose fat off your body, in english you need to exercise. Your body should still have enough time to recover from previous exercises. Exercising too often doesn't give your body enough time to rebuild and ready itself to the next training session. Then again, training only once a week wont give enough stimulus.

So, what is good training frequency which will get you the best results? There is no straight forward answer for this, since everybody is a little different. Basically, exercising 3 - 4 times a week is generally an ideal amount of exercise. This will get enough stimulus to your body, but still prevents from getting overtrained. One exercise session doesn't need to last for 2 hours, infact exercising too long in one session will get you again over-training, which will do more harm than anything good. Keep your workouts intense and aim for 40 minutes - 60 minutes. If your workouts take less time than 40 minutes, that's ok too, you just need to make sure that your workouts are intense enough for your goals. The sorter the exercise the more you should emphasize on working out those big muscle areas, with basic exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench-press, etc. I also recommend you to leave your ab exercises to the very end.

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There are different people and different things suit for them. Basics and for beginning 3-4 times a week at the gym and 45 - 60 minutes of exercise is enough. After a while you can start to try different things with your gained experiences and to find out what frequency suits the best for you.

How Many Times a Week Should You Exercise to Get Stronger and Leaner Body?

How Many Times a Week Should You Exercise to Get Stronger and Leaner Body?

Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones - College Roommates at Harvard University

While political activist Al Gore and actor Tommy Lee Jones are both well-known American celebrities the two men who have made their names and careers in very different fields have the notable oddity of having been paired together as college roommates while the two were at Harvard University together.

After graduating from a Dallas prep school known as St. Mark's School of Texas Tommy Lee Jones went on to attend Harvard where he played on the football team as an offensive lineman. Many fans of the acting career of the movie star do not realize that in his youth he was a formidable football player that went on to attain the accolade of All-Ivy League offensive lineman before graduating cum laude (Latin for "with honor") with a degree in English from Harvard in 1969.

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Long before the Texas native would go on to star in such blockbuster movies as The Fugitive (as Marshal Samuel Gerard), Batman (as Two-Face), and Men in Black (as Agent K) Tommy Lee Jones was placed in a dorm known as Mower B-12 as a freshmen in college. As a matter of sheer coincidence future Vice President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore was housed right across the hall from Jones. The two young men from differing backgrounds struck up a friendship that would go on to last a lifetime. As upperclassmen at Harvard the two close friends chose to live together as roommates.

Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones - College Roommates at Harvard University

When Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones first met in the fall of 1965 no one could have predicted that 35 years later at the 2000 Democratic National Convention (held in Los Angeles) Tommy Lee Jones would give the speech that officially nominated and introduced his former college roommate, Al Gore, as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. As many people will remember that November election included all of the complications of a Florida recount along with Al Gore winning the popular vote but losing his bid to defeat George W. Bush in the closest presidential election in American history.

Al Gore, who more recently has become best known for his public fight against global warming, grew up in a much different situation than his friend Tommy Lee Jones. Whereas Jones came from a family of modest means with a father who was an oil field worker and a school teacher mother Al Gore was raised by an affluent family as his father was a United States Senator for the state of Tennessee. While Jones relied on need based financial aid for both his private high school and collegiate schooling he still had a lot in common with his more financially privileged friend Al Gore and despite gaps in socioeconomic standings the two became life-long friends and huge successes in their respective careers.

Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones - College Roommates at Harvard University

Interesting Facts About Italy's Sports

Did you know...

Fencer Giuseppe Delfino won the gold medal in the individual épée at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games. He was the 6th Italian épée fencer in a row to win the Olympic title.

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In the 20th century, three Italians won the Alpine World Cup. They were Gustavo Thoeni (1971, 1972, 1973, 1975), Piero Gros (1974) and Alberto Tomba (1995). Thoeni became the first skier to win four world titles.

Interesting Facts About Italy's Sports

Italy -the winner of the 2006 World Cup- has qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The Italian men's soccer team will be the second European team to participate in nine consecutive World Cups.

In 1925, Ottavio Bottecchia (cyclist ) won the Tour de France for the second consecutive year. Ottavio became the first Italian to win the French tournament.

Italy will send 80 (or 100) athletes to the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. The national team will probably compete in athletics, basketball, boxing, fencing, gymnastics, judo, sailing, shooting, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling.

Federica Pellegrini (swimming /200m freestyle & 400m freestyle ) has amassed several international trophies. At the 2008 Olympic Games in China, Federica -country's most famous sportswoman- helped Italy to its first women's swimming gold. She could win a second gold medal in London 2012.

Diver Klaus Dibiasi -1st in the World Championships, 1975- is the only diver to win 3 consecutive Olympic diving gold medals (Mexico'68, West Germany '72, Canada '76).

From 1924 to 2006, Italy has won 101 winter Olympic medals, including 36 gold. Italy has more winter Olympic medals than Japan, China, Hungary, Russia, France...

Rome will host the FINA World Championships in 2009. About 2,200 swimmers from over 180 countries and territories are expected to compete in 66 events.

Many American athletes have Italian origin: Joe DiMaggio (baseball), David Scalabrine (basketball), Anthony Fasano (American football), Chris DiMarco (golf ), Tony Granato (ice hockey), Mario Andretti (auto racing), Charlie Colombo (soccer), Matt Biondi (swimming), Jennifer Capriati (tennis), Young Corbett III (boxing), Mary Lou Retton (gymnastics), Mike Gallo (baseball), Thomas James Gugliotta (basketball), Julia Mancuso (skiing), Rocky Marciano (boxing).

Domenico Fioravanti (2000 Olympic 100 & 200-meter breaststroke gold medalist ) and Federica Pellegrini (Olympic 100m freestyle gold medalist in 2008) were trained by Alberto Castagnetti. Alberto is one of the best swimming coaches in the world.

The first Olympic gold medal for an Italian female athlete was won at the 1936 Olympics. During these Games, Trebisonda Valla, or simply known as Ondina Valla, won the gold medal in the 80m hurdles.

Italian athlete Andrew Howe won the silver medal in the long jump at the IAAF World Championships in 2007. He was born in Los Angeles, California (USA).

Turin -It is one of the oldest cities in the world- hosted the 80th edition of the World Fencing Championships. The World Championships were one of the best tournaments in 2006. "Turin fencers had been entertaining the thought of having the elite of world fencing back in our city for some time", Cesare Salvatore (president of the organizing committee) told one interviewer. "They asked me if I would be the president of the organizing committee, because I had won the team competition in the 1972 Olympic Games with Italy after winning the silver medal in 1964 and 1968, and I agreed..."

Primo Nebiolo was one of the best Olympic leaders in the 20th century. From 1981 to 1999, Nebiolo was the head of the International Athletic Federation (IAAF). He is also considered the father of the World University Games-the second largest multi-sport event in the world. Nebiolo was born on July 14, 1923, in Turin, Italy.

In 1952, Nino Farini became the first European to win the Formula 1 world title.

Giovanni Benvenuti -who is known as Nino Benvenuti to his fans- became the gold medalist in the welterweight (67kg / 147 lbs) division at the Summer Olympic Games in 1960. Seven years later, he won the world championship.

Three Italians have won the New York City Marathon: Orlando Pizzolato (1984 & 1985), Giacomo Leone (1996), and Franca Fiacconi (1998).

Italian Bruna Mautino Vargas -the daughter of two Peruvian athletes- is one of Europe's best young volleyball players. Under her leadership, Italy -European champion- qualified for the semi-finals at the FIVB Girls' Youth World Championship in 2007. She -captain of the youth team- hopes to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games in the United Kingdom. Bruna -1.80m tall- was born on November 30, 1990, in Lima (Peru), the daughter of Giuliana Vargas -who won a bronze medal at the 1983 Pan American Games- and Marco Mautino-who was a sprinter in the 1980s. When she is not playing, she enjoys listening to music and spending time with her family. Bruna also likes Peruvian food. This sportswoman speaks four foreign languages (Italian, Spanish, English, French). Her idol is Mauro Camoranesi (Italian football player).

The 1920 Olympic Fencing Tournament was dominated by Italy. This European country won five Olympic fencing golds -individual foil, team épée, team foil, individual saber, team saber- at the Olympiad in Antwerp (Belgium). Italy's Nedo Nadi was elected the best fencer.

The Italian team won 10 medals -2 golds, 6 silvers, 2 bronzes- at the Winter Olympic Games in 1998. Italy ranked 11th among 72 nations and territories.

Stefano Baldini became the second Italian to win the Olympic marathon gold medal. He won the marathon at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens (Greece). Results:

1.Baldini, Stefano ( Italy ) 2:10.55

2.Keflezighi, Meb ( United States) 2:11.29

3.Lima, Vanderlei ( Brazil ) 2:12.11

4.Brown, Jon ( United Kingdom ) 2:12.26

5.Aburaya, Shigeru ( Japan ) 2:13.11

6.Wainaina, Erick (Kenya ) 2:13.30

7.Chaica, Alberto ( Portugal )

The Italian men's waterpolo team -European champion, 1947- won the Olympic title in 1948. Italy won the Olympic tournament again in 1960.

Italy has hosted several sports events:

1898: Shooting World Championships

1902: Cycling World Cup

1902: Shooting World Championships

1911: Cycling World Championships

1911: Shooting World Championships

1930: Shooting World Championships

1932: FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

1934: FIFA World Cup

1939: Cycling World Cup

1941:FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

1951: Cycling World Championships

1953: FILA Wrestling World Championships

1954: Gymnastics World Championships

1955: Fencing World Cup

1956: Winter Olympic Games

1956:FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

1959: Summer Universiade

1960: Summer Olympics

1961: Fencing World Cup

1962: Cycling World Championships

1963: Mediterranean Games

1966: Winter Universiade

1970: World University Games

1970: FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

1973: Baseball Intercontinental Cup

1975: World University Games

1975: Winter Universiade

1976: Cycling World Championships

1978: FIVB World Championships

1978: Baseball World Cup

1981: IAAF World Cup

1982: Fencing World Cup

1985: Winter Universiade

1985: FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

1985: FiVB Under-21 World Championship

1987: IAAF World Championships

1987: FIBA Under-21 World Championship

1988: Baseball World Cup 1990: FIFA World Cup

1990: FILA Wrestling World Championships

1991: FIFA Under-17 World Cup

1993: Baseball Intercontinental Cup

1993: FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup

1994: FINA World Championships

1997: Mediterranean Games

1997: World University Games

1997: FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

1998: Baseball World Cup

1999: ICF Flatwater Racing World Championships

2001: IHF Women's Handball World Cup

2003: Winter Universiade

2004: IAAF World Junior Championships

2005: FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

2006: Winter Universiade

Pietro Mennea won the gold medal in the men's 200-meter at the 1980 Games in Russia. He was the third European to win the 200m. The gold medal by Italy's Pietro was not a surprise to the journalists, sports fans and sportswriters. Why? Pietro Mennea set a new world mark on September 12, 1979 at the World University Games in Mexico City, when he ran the 200-meters in 19,72 seconds.

Italy -It is about the size of the state of Arizona- has played an active role in the Modern Olympic Movement.This European nation has participated in 25 Summer Olympics:

Olympiad...............Gold...........Silver........Bronze...........Total.......Ranking

Athens 1896..............0..............0...............0.........................0...................

Paris 1900................2..............2...............0.........................4...............8

St.Louis 1904........Did not compete.......................................................

London 1908.............2..............2...............0.......................4...............9

Stockholm 1912.........3..............1..............2......................6.............11

Antwerp 1920...........13...............9..............9....................31...............7

Paris 1924.................8..............3..............5......................16................5

Amsterdam 1928.......7..............5..............7....................19................5

Los Angeles 1932.....12............12............12.................36................2

Berlin 1936................8.............9...............5.....................22...............4

London 1948..............8............11.............8....................27...............5

Helsinki 1952.............8.............9..............4....................21...............5

Melbourne 1956..........8.............8.............9....................25................5

Rome 1960.............13............10............13....................36................3

Tokyo 1964..............10............10.............7....................27................5

Mexico 1968..............3..............4............9......................16.............13

Munich 1972.............5..............3..........10......................18.............10

Montreal 1976...........2...............7............4.....................13..............14

Moscow 1980............8..............3.............4.....................15...............5

Los Angeles 1984.....14.............6...........12..................32..............5

Seoul 1988...............6..............4............4......................14.............10

Barcelona 1992.........6..............5............8....................19.............12

Atlanta 1996.............13............10............12.................35...............6

Sydney 2000............13..............8............13.................34...............7

Athens 2004.............10............11...........11.................32..............8

Beijing 2008..............8.............10...........10.................28..............9

Interesting Facts About Italy's Sports

Watch Live Premiership Football On Your PC For Free

If you have a basic pc or laptop you can watch premiership live football on your pc. There are several ways to do this. Most of the methods for watching satellite digital TV on your pc requires that you subscribe to a satellite TV provider such as Sky sports or other similar services. There is one method that only requires that you download software which you can use to access hundreds of satellite channels on your pc.

If you install this type of software on your pc, you'll be able to watch sports channels for soccer that are available locally and also soccer and football channels from other countries. Some of the types of football leagues and tournaments that you will be able to watch include:

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- Premier League Football

Watch Live Premiership Football On Your PC For Free

- Barclaycard Premiership games played in various football stadiums

- Conference Football

- EPL, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB,

- Football League Championship

- Scottish Premier League

- French Ligue 1

- Spanish La Liga

- German Bundesliga

- Italian Serie A

- Carling Cup

- Football Association (FA Cup)

- UEFA Champions League (UEFA Cup)

- More...

The good thing about using software to watch live premiership football is that you don't need a subscription and you don't need an aerial, satellite dish receiver or additional computer hardware such as TV tuner cards. The other advantage is that you can start watching TV on your pc instantly. After you've downloaded the software, just install it on your pc and you'll get access to hundreds of satellite and normal TV channels. You'll be able to see live scores, listen and watch football commentaries as the premiership games are being played across the UK.

The best thing I like about being able to watch live premiership football on your pc or laptop is that you don't have to miss a game. If you have a laptop, just take it with you and if you have one of these mobile internet sim cards, you can watch football anywhere. Just connect to the internet using dial up or whatever type of internet connection you have and you'll be able to watch live premiership football. Watch the latest football news, results, fixtures, transfers and statistics.

Watch Live Premiership Football On Your PC For Free

TOEFL or IELTS - Which is Better?

Because universities want to make sure you have the English language skills necessary to study at their school, almost all institutes of higher learning require you to take a test of English. And TOEFL and IELTS are the two biggest standardized tests of the English language. One of the most frequent questions I hear is which test is easier or which test is better. The answer depends on what kinds of tests you excel at, as well as where you plan to apply. This article breaks down the differences between the two tests so that you can make your own decision.

Admissions

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The IELTS test is administrated by the British Councils, the University of Cambridge, and IELTS Australia. That is to say, it is associated with the British government and traditionally was used by British universities, as well as New Zealand and Australian universities to determine the language capability of foreign students. TOEFL is administered by ETS, a US-based non-profit and is used widely by American and Canadian universities. However, these days, in order to make it easy on international students, universities all over the world take both TOEFL and IELTS. While you should check with the specific university you want to apply to, in general any school in the US, the UK, Australia or New Zealand will take either test score. So that's one worry off your mind. Pick the test you think will be easier for you to complete. To do that, you probably need to know the structure of each exam.

TOEFL or IELTS - Which is Better?

Structure of the TOEFL

As of last year, official TOEFL is almost universally given in the iBT (Internet Based Testing) format. It consists of four sections:

Reading

The TOEFL Reading section asks you to read 4-6 passages of university level and to answer multiple-choice questions about them (multiple-choice means you choose the answer from provided options). Questions test you on comprehension of the text, main ideas, important details, vocabulary, inferring, rhetorical devices and style.

Listening

The Listening Section presents long 2-3 conversations and 4-6 lectures. The situations are always related to university life i.e. a conversation between a student and a librarian about finding research materials or a lecture from a history class. The questions are multiple choice and ask you about important details, inferences, tone, and vocabulary. The conversations and lectures are very natural and include informal English, interruptions, filler noises like "uh" or "Uhm."

Speaking

The Speaking section is recorded. You will speak into a microphone and a grader will listen to your answers at a later date and grade you. Two questions will be on familiar topics and ask you to give your opinion and/or describe something familiar to you, like your town or your favorite teacher. Two questions will ask you to summarize information from a text and a conversation--and may ask your opinion as well. Two questions will ask you to summarize information from a short conversation. Again, the topics of the conversations are always university-related.

Writing

Finally, there are two short essays on the TOEFL. One will ask you to write your opinion on a broad topic, such as whether it is better to live in the country or the city. One will ask you to summarize information from a text and a lecture--often the two will disagree with each other and you will need to either compare and contrast, or synthesize conflicting information.

IELTS Structure

The IELTS contains the same 4 sections, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, but the format is very different.

Reading

The reading section of the IELTS gives you 3 texts, which may be from academic textbooks or from a newspaper or magazine--but all at the level of a university student. One will always be an opinion piece--i.e. a text arguing for one point of view. The variety of questions on the IELTS is quite broad, and not every text will have every question type. One question type asks you to match headings to paragraphs in the text. You may be asked to complete a summary of the passage using words from the text. Or you may have to fill in a table or chart or picture with words from the text. There may be multiple-choice questions that ask you about key details. One of the hardest question types presents statements and asks you whether these statements are true, false or not included in the text. You may also be asked to match words and ideas. Finally, some questions are short-answer but the answers will be taken directly from the text itself.

Some questions come before the text and may not require careful reading to answer. Others come after the text and may expect you to have read the text thoroughly.

Listening

The IELTS has four listening sections. The first is a "transactional conversation" in which someone may be applying for something (a driver's license, a library card) or asking for information (say calling for more details about an advertisement or a hotel). The second section is an informational lecture of some kind, possibly a dean explaining the rules of the university. Third is a conversation in an academic context and the final section will be an academic lecture. For all sections you may be asked to fill out a summary, fill in a table, answer multiple-choice questions, label a diagram or picture, or classify information into different categories. You will be expected to fill out answers as you listen.

Writing

There are two writing tasks on the academic IELTS. The first asks you to summarize a table or chart in about 300 words. You will have to identify important information, compare and contrast different figures or maybe describe a process. The second task asks you to present your opinion on a statement about a fairly open topic such as: "Women should look after children and not work" or "Too many people are moving to cities and rural areas are suffering."

Speaking

Finally, the speaking section will be held on a different day from the rest of the test and in the presence of a trained interviewer. The questions are the same for all examinees but some parts may be more in the form of a conversation than a monologue. The first part of the test will be a brief introductory conversation followed by some short questions about familiar topics. The interviewer may ask your name, your job, what kinds of sports you like, what your daily routine is, and so on. In the second part, you will be given a card with a topic and a few specific questions to address. You will have to speak for two minutes on this topic, which may be about your daily routine, the last time you went to the movies, your favorite part of the world or a similar familiar topic. In the last section, the interviewer will ask you to discuss a more abstract side of the topic in part 2--why do people prefer daily routines? Why do people like the movies? How does travel affect local life?

Which is Better for Me?

So now you have some understanding of what each test involves, but you might be wondering which is better for you. Maybe in reading about the structure, you thought, "Wow TOEFL sounds so easy," or, "Oh the IELTS sounds like it's kind of fun!" That might be a good sign that one test will be easier for you than the other. More concretely, there are a couple of key differences between the tests.

British versus American English

While both the UK and the US accept both tests, and while British English and American English are not as different as some think, the fact of the matter is the IELTS tends to use British English and the TOEFL uses exclusively American English. On the IELTS, this difference will have a larger effect because spelling counts, and that is one area where Britain and the US do not always see eye-to-eye. Obviously if you have problems with the British accent (and the test may include a wide variety of accents, including Australian, New Zealand, Irish and Scottish). On the other hand, American accents may throw you off. Certain terms are also different and you don't want to waste time in your speaking test asking what a flat or a lorry is. So whether you are used to British or American English is certainly a factor. If you are more comfortable with US English, the TOEFL is a good bet but if you are used to British English and accents, you'll do better on the IELTS.

Multiple choice versus Copying Down

For the reading and listening sections, TOEFL gives you multiple-choice questions, whereas IELTS generally expects you to copy down words from the text or the conversation word-for-word. Multiple-choice questions will tend to be require slightly better abstract thinking, but the IELTS favors people who have good memories and think more concretely. The good thing about multiple-choice is that it is easy to pick out wrong answers, whereas the good thing about copying down is that the answer is sitting there in the text. You just have to find it and repeat it. So, concrete thinkers will tend to do better on the IELTS and abstract thinkers will tend to excel on the TOEFL.

Predictable or Different Every Time

Of course, the TOEFL is also more predictable than the IELTS. The IELTS throws lots of different question types at you, and the instructions are often slightly different every time. That makes it harder to prepare for. The TOEFL, on the other hand, is pretty much the same test every time--pick A, B, C, D, or E. On the other hand, the IELTS certainly keeps you on your toes and that can keep you more alert.

Speaking to a Person or a Computer?

Another large difference is in how the speaking section is carried out. For some people, it's very relaxing to just record your answers into a computer because it feels like no one is listening. You just try your best and forget about it until you get your grades. Because the IELTS test is done in an interview format with a native speaker present, you might get nervous or feel you are being judged. And they take notes: Oh God, did he write down something good or something bad? On the other hand, you might feel more relaxed in a conversation, with a person there to explain if you don't understand a question, or simply having a face to look at, instead of a computer screen. Getting feedback from a native speaker can be helpful too, in order to correct mistakes and improve during the test. So it depends on what you are more comfortable with. If you like talking to people, the IELTS is a better bet. If you just want to be alone and not feel judged, the TOEFL will be more comfortable for you.

Holistic versus Criteria

Finally, the speaking and writing sections of the TOEFL are graded holistically. The grader gives you a score based on the overall quality of the essay, including vocabulary, logic, style, and grammar. The IELTS by contrast is marked by individual criteria and you are scored individually for grammar, word choice, fluency, logic, cohesion, and a dozen other criteria. In other words, if you write well but have a lot of small grammar mistakes, your TOEFL score might be quite good because graders will ignore small mistakes if the overall essay is logical and detailed. The IELTS will not overlook bad grammar. On the other hand, if your grammar and vocabulary are strong but you have trouble expressing your opinion or organizing an essay, you could end up with a low TOEFL score but the IELTS will give you good marks for language use. So while it may sound like the IELTS is much tougher since it grades you on everything, in fact you can get quite a good score if you are strong in a number of areas. The TOEFL emphasizes the ability to put together a logical and detailed argument (or summary) and looks at clarity, word choice, and style above all. If you don't feel comfortable writing essays but you think you have excellent grammar and vocabulary and overall are a decent writer, the IELTS will probably be easier for you.

I hope this essay was helpful in making your choice. In any case, I recommend you go to the websites of IELTS and TOEFL and get some more detail on each test, and also try out some practice problems on your own.

TOEFL or IELTS - Which is Better?

Basic Soccer Rules

Basic soccer rules are pretty simple to follow, the team that scores the most goals wins!

Each team will consist of 11 starting players of which there is one goalkeeper and 10 outfield players. The game will be played on a soccer pitch and the field dimension will normally be just over 100 yards long although it could be shorter if it is a youth soccer game.

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Soccer teams are normally split into formations consisting of defence, goalkeeper and forwards. Each team will also nominate a captain although this role is not as significant as other sports such as cricket and rugby. The captain will start the game by tossing a coin with the referee and the winning captain has the option of selecting which way their team will shoot. This can be an advantage if there is a strong wind which could change direction by the time the teams reach the second half.

Basic Soccer Rules

Soccer games consist of two halves lasting 45 minutes each although injury time is often added by the referee to cover any stoppages. If the game is a cup tie, a world cup final for example then extra time will be played consisting of an extra two 15 minute periods. If the teams are still level at this stage the game will develop into a penalty shoot with each team nominating 5 penalty kick takers who will try and beat the goalkeeper from the penalty spot (12 yards) until one team wins.

During the game the referee has the power to caution players and issue yellow and red cards. Yellow cards are issued for minor or a serious of fouls by the same player which results in a booking, however if two yellow cards are issued then this equals a red card and the offending player is sent off the field.

A straight red card can be also be issued for serious foul play or denying an opponent a goalscoring opportunity. Each team has to have a minimum of 7 players on the field so if one team have more than 5 players sent off then the game would be abandoned, this is very rare but has happened a few times in violent games!

One of the most important basic rules of soccer is the offside rule which basically prevents attacking players from gaining an unfair advantage as when a pass is made there has to be 2 opposition players closer to the goal than the attacking player. If the attacking player is level with a defender then he is still onside so play continues. The referee has two assistants (previously known as linesman) on either side of the field to help judge the offside rule.

Basic Soccer Rules

Archery Competition: Introduction, Rules, & Scores

In these modern times, archery is no longer considered a weapon of war and destruction but an organized sport and a true test of precision and accuracy. The most popular of all the archery competitions is Target Archery. Here, the archer is given a target which he will have to hit with arrows from certain distances.

From 1900 to 1920, Archery was included in the Olympic Games four times. It was reintroduced in 1972 as an individual event and a team event was added in 1988. In the Olympics, only the recurve bow is allowed because the level of skill it requires. At the recent Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, Korea has dominated the playing field in this event, especially in the women's division. The Korean women won the gold, silver and bronze medals in the individual events and the gold medal in the team event.

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The International Archery Association, which is an English abbreviation of FITA (Fédération Internationale de Tir à l'Arc), regulates and standardizes the rules, policies and techniques of the Archery events of the Olympic Games.

Archery Competition: Introduction, Rules, & Scores

Rules and Regulations

Competitions in Archery can either be held indoors or outdoors. The distances from the shooting line to the target are 18 meters and 25 meters for indoor players. Outdoor players shoot from distances of 30 meters to 90 meters for senior archers because outside competitions consist of several distances; junior archers can shoot from closer distances. The distance used in the Olympic Games is 70 meters.

Each competition is separated into 'ends'. In one 'end,' an archer is allowed to shoot three or six arrows depending on the type of round played. After each end, the players walk towards their targets to determine their scores and retrieve their arrows. In a round of indoor competition, there are twenty ends with three arrows each end. Outdoor competitions usually allow more shots per end although this may vary. All competitors shoot from a set shooting line and only release and retrieve their arrows on command.

In formal competitions, there is a standard time limit set for archers to shoot their arrows. This requires a quick and sure aim from the archers. The FITA gives two minutes to shoot three arrows in indoor competitions. However, sound generating devices like whistles are never used to signal that the time is up. Other silent signaling devices such as lights and flags are used so as not to unnerve or distract the archer that may result in a stray arrow. A lot of attention is given to ensure order and safety of the archers, officials and the spectators since archery is a sport that utilizes a weapon that could be lethal.

Scoring

In Archery, the targets are marked with ten evenly spaced concentric rings. In each concentric ring, a value from one to ten is assigned. The innermost ring is called the 'X' ring and becomes the tenth ring in indoor competitions. The 'X' ring is considered a tiebreaker in outdoor competitions and whoever scores the most number of 'X's wins. FITA colors the rings of the target as follows: the 1st and 2nd rings are white, the 3rd and 4th rings are black, the 5th and 6th rings are blue, the 7th and 8th rings are red and the 9th and 10th rings are gold.

The score of each archer is the sum of the values of the rings hit by his arrows. In the event where the arrow hits the boundary line of the rings, the higher score is given to the archer. All the values scored by each player are recorded on a score sheet and they must be in a descending order regardless of the real order of the scoring. Before and during the scoring, absolutely no one is allowed to touch the arrows. When conflicts arise in the scoring, a judge is called upon and he will rule on where the arrow lies. Only after the scoring and when each hole is marked will the arrows be removed. Points may be awarded to an unmarked hole which happens in events like a 'pass through' or a 'bouncer.' A 'pass through' is when the arrow passes through the target while a 'bouncer' is when the arrow hits the target but bounces off.

The size of the target faces depend largely on the type of round played and the distances from the shooting line. Common sizes however are regulated by FITA which are: 40 cm for indoors with 18 m distances, 60 cm for indoor with 25 m distances, 80 cm for outdoor with 30 and 50 m distances and 122 cm for outdoor with 70 and 90 m distances. In the Olympic Games, 122 cm target faces are used.

Archery Competition: Introduction, Rules, & Scores

Barriers to Intercultural Communication

Today's competitive global economy results in frequent cross-border movements of staff that results in a growing diversity at the workplace. As the inevitable happens between cultures, breakdowns in communication are a common occurrence. That is certainly costly to the multinational enterprise in terms of workplace relations, returns and revenues, and customer relationship. Not to mention, the firm's competitive advantage.

As such, three main obstacles to intercultural communication are identified and accordingly expounded further below. It is noteworthy to the International Assignee the consequences if due care is not exercised when interacting with non-native English speakers.

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1. Language

Barriers to Intercultural Communication

* Slang, Jargon

* Dialects, Pidgin

* Accents

The transfer of International Assignees across geographical borders perpetuates the use of the English language. That has never been as pervasive or as widely, although variations of the language and degree of fluency differ from country to country, individual to individual.

As it is, usage of slang and jargon - examples: sport, technical - is to be avoided unless the Assignee is very sure the local audience understands them well. Also, the presence of globally known brands, products and services does not mean that the locals possess the same level of mindset.

It is therefore imperative that the Assignee be sensitive of both connotations and implications that may arise as a result of local usage; further influenced by the local languages where English is a second or third, or foreign language.

2. Modern Technology

* E-mail

* SMS Text Messaging

* Video Conferencing / Teleconferencing

The advent of modern technology, especially the Internet, has made access easier and cheaper to people worldwide such that it helped speed up globalisation. Similarly, the pervasive use of technological tools like Short Message Service [SMS] and e-mail amongst locals does not mean that cultural mishaps will not occur.

The difficulty that comes with the aforesaid tools is gauging the recipients' expressions. Their responses could be not what the Assignee expects or least anticipates. On the other hand, the ease of communicating electronically removes formality and business etiquette that can not only be misconstrued but also leads to a breakdown in communication.

Hence, it is pertinent on the Assignee's part to convey himself as clearly and plainly as possible to avoid any misunderstandings that may arise.

3. Behaviourial and Mindset

* Anxiety

* Discomfort

* Fear of the "Unknown"

* Prejudice and Stereotyping

* Perceived Cultural Superiority or Ethnocentrism

* Discrimination = Racial, Sexual, Educational

Coming from a culture that upholds individualism, privacy and independence; the Assignee will certainly experience shock, resistance, and to a lesser degree, disgust towards the host culture that is perceived as inferior. Which as a result, he may withdraw himself seeking similar individuals; or refusal to adapt accordingly to his environment.

The Assignee may also display anxiety and discomfort if he has not come across - or having little or rare opportunities to socialise with - people of other cultures before. He will lose sight on effectively communicating his ideas as his fear[s] of not being understood - amongst others - overwhelms him.

Thus, it is to both the organisation's long-term interest and the Assignee's well-being that he has the ability to manage the conflicts well enough. Otherwise it is detrimental to his work performance which can affect the entire department's morale as a whole.

One Last Word...

It is convenient to dismiss Cultural Differences as the major or sole reason for a breakdown in communication - which does not serve the International Assignee well in the long run. Instead, he could be more proactive by confronting the issues that prevented him from working closely with his team.

By addressing the problem and then taking practical steps to remedy any unintentional misunderstanding caused; such actions will not only make him more motivated at work but his stay more pleasant too.

Just remember: Treat anyone regardless of ethnic, racial or cultural background the same way you would want to be treated.

Barriers to Intercultural Communication

Which World Football League Is The Best Of The Best

Serie A, La Liga and the Premiership all voice strong claims to be the finest football league in the world today. However, which of these has the most genuine claim. The recognition of being the best is an honor that dictates not just bragging rights, but also the ability to draw the finest players and sponsorship contracts to secure the mantle yet further. There are countless factors to consider; the players the leagues have now, the trophies won by their clubs, the quality of football played and the stature of their various sides. Does that tactical catenaccio of the Italians outweigh the physical pressure of the Premiership? Would the top-heavy flair of La Liga continually overcome the strength of an English midfield? How do the Mediterranean cousins compare?

In comparing these various brands of 'the beautiful game' we must consider the many factors that make them great individually. The history, the present and the future are all crucial in contrasting these various brands of and eventually building a perception of whether one does stand above the others.

English Football Results

Players

Which World Football League Is The Best Of The Best

The first and often the most favored way of fans comparing championships, who has the best players? The natural assumption following this is that Spain hold the upper hand in this argument; especially given that both World (Ronaldinho) and European (Fabio Cannavaro) Players of Year play in La Liga. Also Spain can boast many other great talents; Madrid have van Nistelrooy, Raul, Robinho and Beckham, Barca can boast Ronaldinho, Deco, Messi, Eto'o and Zambrotta. Other clubs have similarly immense performers, David Villa and Joaquin Sanchez at Valencia, Riquelme at Villarreal to name but a few.

Italy can boast a similarly impressive list of galacticos, however, possibly due to the more pedestrian nature of Serie A the players have a tendency to be of a slightly more advanced age. Internazionale (or Inter) boast the most impressive roster; Crespo, Ibrahimovic, Veron, Stankovic, Figo and Samuel all ply there trade for the Nerazzurri. Their city rivals Milan also have a cornucopia of stars; despite losing their talisman Andriy Shevchenko to Chelsea in the summer, they have one world beater in Riccy Kaka'. Also players as renowned as Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta and Alberto Gilardino front a cast that contains talent enough to challenge for any trophy. Also worth mentioning is that the Milan rear-guard still contains the legendary Paulo Maldini as captain. With the shadow of Calciopoli hanging over the Italian top flight, what should be mentioned is the exodus from Serie A that occurred over the summer saw many of their finest individuals leave the division.

Zambrotta and Thuram left Juventus for Barcelona, likewise Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson joined their Bianconieri coach Fabio Capello in Madrid, and former Serie A favourites like Alessandro del Piero, Gigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet have all decided to stay loyal to the old lady and ply their trade in Serie B for a season. As mentioned, Shevchenko also left the Rossoneri for Chelsea.

Whilst discussing Chelsea we must clearly outline that they are the major player in European football today. The premise that currently exists in football is that, when it comes to the transfer market, the Premiership champions are the team that all others must follow. Due to the seemingly unlimited funds stumped up by their Russian oligarch owner, Roman Abramovich, Chelsea have amassed a team of stars to match any other club in the world. With Terry and Lampard already present prior to the Russian benefactor's input, players like Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba, Joe Cole and, as discussed, Shevchenko. The Premiership can also boast some of the world's finest players in Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal; Rooney, Rio and Ronaldo at Manchester United and Liverpool's talismanic skipper Steven Gerrard.

The important thing to outline when comparing the undoubtedly huge talents on show in these various leagues is that although we are examining them from the perspective of now, the future is also a vital factor. As we discussed Serie A does tend to boast more seasoned galacticos whereas the Premiership can argue that, in Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas, they have some of the most promising talent. Spanish football could also argue that their spread is encompasses youth, with youngsters such as Sergio Aguero and Fernando 'el Nino' Torres at Atletico, Lionel Messi at Barca and one name to watch in Matias Fernandez, a Chilean playmaker due to join Villarreal in January.

Marketing

Football in the Twenty First Century is far more than the game it was in previous decades. It is now a business, and one of the world's biggest at that. Transfer prices are now such that it appears any 'Tom, Dick or Harry' is worth £15 million. Player's wages have also experienced astronomical rises. This is to the extent that £3 million per year is not considered to be a completely outrageous wage for a top international player. With the costs to clubs continually rising, somebody is required to fulfill these extravagant fiscal demands.

Sponsorship, television rights and marketing revenue are now utilized by top clubs that are now selling a 'brand' rather than a sport. From product association to shirts emblazoned with trade names, the marketing aspect of major clubs and leagues is paramount to the strength therein.

Annually an accountancy firm called Deloitte release details of top European club's financial incomes over the previous season. Essentially a 'rich-list' of sides, comparing their viability and market strength in today's football world. The most recent edition of this list is from the 2005 season and the zenith of the list is almost totally dominated by our 'big three leagues'.

The 2005 rankings dictate that the world's market leader in football terms is now Real Madrid. The previous years had been dominated by the Manchester United marketing machine; however the Castilian club took the mantle from their English rivals. Much of this change in fortunes has been put down to the 'David Beckham factor'.

Former England skipper David Beckham is as famous for his private life as he is for his football. Married to a 'Spice-Girl', the midfielder looks more like a pop star than a footballer, sporting numerous tattoos, continually outrageous hair styles and a multiplicity of product endorsement contracts. Described as being the 'most photographed sportsman ever', Beckham is worth his weight in Euros to his club side. The fact that Manchester United, who previously topped the rich-list, were dethroned by Beckham's new club Real Madrid is regarded as proof of the man's value from a marketing perspective. However, it is worth mentioning that Madrid's on-field performances have declined while their finances improved, and a more recent list may also hint at Beckham's own on-pitch decline as a force in world football.

The top ten teams in the list are, with the exception of Bavarian giants Bayern Munich, all from Spain, Italy or England. The majority is dominated by the Premiership as we see Manchester United (2nd), Chelsea (5th), Liverpool (8th) and Arsenal (10th), this is followed by three Serie A clubs in Milan (3rd), Juventus (4th) and Inter (9th) and Spain's La Liga only has two top ten entries, despite Real topping the list being followed by rivals Barcelona in 6th. In viewing these figures, we must firstly emphasise that they are not as up to date as we would like, also should a more recent list be compiled we would surely see the effect of Calciopoli on the Italian sides.

Style

The extent to which a league entertains depends vastly upon how you like your football. The three brands all vary in their traits greatly and taste is a vital factor within this, after all, one man's pineapple is another man's poison. Main differences in these leagues are inherent of the style of football played in each respective country. Although on the surface this may seem obvious, but when we consider the extent to which domestic football has become incredibly multicultural, it is positive that these leagues maintain their own identity despite this.

The brand of football played in the leagues differs greatly. As mentioned earlier, the Italian game is one based around technique, control of possession and patience. The cattenaccio of today's Italian game is not as negative as that of sides during the mid-twentieth century, wherein five defenders would be used to enforce a stringent man marking system with a 'libero' slotting in behind as a ball-playing sweeper. Unfortunately the system in its original state is now outdated, given that both the zonal marking system has almost uniformly become the status quo of the modern game and that sweepers are now very scarcely employed. However, the football played in Serie A today is one that echoes this system.

Calcio is often regarded by those in Northern Europe as being dull, but those closer to the Mediterranean as being a purists game that encapsulates a higher standard of football than any other. Football in Italy has been likened to a game of chess, with a more systematic approach than that of other countries. Defenders are often as gifted in possession as any other position, a trait not found elsewhere in football. The style football played uses lots of short passes designed to open pockets of space, rather than longer balls targeting taller forwards. The game requires a very high level of technical ability, with the art of controlling and passing paramount.

Detractors of the Italian game often point its lack of pace and time-consuming attacking play as its flaws. Goals are notoriously hard to come by, a fact further embellished by examining Luca Toni's impressive thirty-one goal season last year, the first player to score over thirty goals in Serie A for forty eight years. As such many prefer the hustle and bustle of leagues like the Premiership.

The Premiership is a very fast and furious division; emphasis on strength, pace and drive. This is not withstanding the fact that a very high standard of football can be seen in England's top flight, however by and large the game is dictated in a very physically demanding manner. English football was much maligned in the eighties and nineties for a predominance of 'long ball' football. The theory being that long, direct passes into forward areas would create chances for purposefully employed big, physical strikers. This style was often considered to not be graceful and was lambasted by critics. Despite the fact that the English league has developed since, similarly to the catenaccio roots of Serie A, this style still exists to some extent today; even league champions Chelsea have been criticised for employing such a style. Despite not being as higher level of technical level, the Premiership is often billed as being 'the most exciting league in the world' due to its non-stop action-packed intensity.

In contrast La Liga has a style of its own entirely. Borrowing much from a South American ethic of flair football, the Spanish league is famed for its fast, flowing attacking brand of play. Spain's Primera Division has won many admirers over recent years, firstly thanks to the Zidane inspired galacticos of Madrid and more recently the exploits of Ronaldinho Gaucho for Barcelona. The emphasis in Spain, more than any other in Europe, is on attacking play. Formations are based around ball playing midfielders and skilful wingers. This does produce a very open brand of football; however this does often expose defensive frailties. With the occasional exception (Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol) Spanish defenders are not generally as strong as their counterparts in farther reaches of the game. This combined with the ability of attackers does make La Liga very enticing from a spectator point of view.

Not withstanding the stereotypes that we have examined, there are clear exceptions to every rule, and this instance no different. Despite being usually solid and defence-orientated, Carlo Ancelotti's Milan have been praised for their attacking football in Serie A. Also, and potentially the finest example of this, there is Arsenal. Arsene Wenger's men continually produce some of the most free flowing football in world football today. However, for obvious reasons, the North London outfit could be reasoned to be the exception to the rule as they have a side almost totally dominated by foreign players. To the extent that, since the departures of Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole, it is unlikely that an Englishman will, should the Gunners be at full strength, feature at all.

Competitiveness

What makes a league exciting is often based around not only the vastness of the occasion or the protagonists involved, but the closeness of the competitors. In all leagues, as with walks of life, there are historically bigger sides with larger financial acumen, but where there is no competition, there is no spectacle.

The Premiership has been dominated by the wealth of Chelsea over the past two seasons, not withstanding the fact that it takes more than just money to dominate a league (although it helps) and it is a credit to both players and coaching staff that they have taken the past two successive titles with consummate ease. This season, however is painting a different picture. The wily old Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is now producing the results that his talented array of stars are capable of, and at this point in time stand a commendable eight points clear of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea.

Beyond the top two, we see something that has been apparent for some time in the Premiership. The gap between the top teams and the chasing pack could be justifiably described as chasm-like. Previously there was a top four that added Liverpool and Arsenal to the current table-topping rivals, but unfortunately for the neutral this gap has extended to these clubs as well. However, this does create what can be seen as almost a 'second league' in which clubs behind Manchester United and Chelsea vie for the remaining to places in Europe's prestigious Champions League.

This chasing pack includes both Liverpool and Arsenal, followed in strength of squad by Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur but effectively any other side that can put together a good run of results can infiltrate the group, as was the case with last season's surprise package of Wigan Athletic, who almost secured a UEFA Cup berth despite being touted as relegation favorites before the season began.

Spain can also look to the domination of one club over the past two seasons as being the main debating topic. Barcelona's back-to-back titles have not, however, received anything like the treatment that Chelsea's similar achievements have. Whilst the 'boo-boys' have been out in force 'pooh-poohing' the wealth, attitude and style (or lack thereof) the Premiership's title holders, Barcelona's success has been lauded as a 'victory for style over adversity'. From many purists' perspectives, the brand of flowing football that Barca exhibit is very pleasing on the eye and the fact that Los Cules are considered footballing royalty, rather than the nouveau riche of Mourinho's men, could be a factor.

The Primera Liga at present still see's the Catalonian giants on top, a mini-renaissance from their bitter rivals Real Madrid has been temporarily halted as the surprise package of Sevilla look to 'upset the apple cart'. Traditional bridesmaids Valencia appear to have moved back to a position more akin to an usher as Atletico Madrid and Zaragoza enjoy good form. Unlike the Premiership, La Liga does not usually purvey the gulf between the top sides and their competitors. Such is the nature of Spanish football, that although unexpected, the top teams are more often beaten by their less illustrious competitors.

In the Italian top flight, again the competitiveness is affected by the match fixing scandal. From the season's opening, it seemed that it would be a two horse race. In previous seasons this has been the case, with Juventus battling Milan for lo scudetto. However, with Milan docked points and Juventus having to cope with life in Serie B, it has left Roma and Inter to battle for the title. Inter, the perennial underachievers of calico, have amassed one of the world's strongest squads and as such currently stand a clear distance ahead of their rivals. Nine consecutive wins for the nerazzurri (an Italian record) sees Mancini's men looking down the barrel of their first actual title (they were handed the 2006 title by default of being the highest placed side guilty of no wrongdoing in the Calciopoli scandal) in over ten years.

In Conclusion

Upon first attempting to tackle this question, I can honestly state that I did not conceive quite what I was undertaking. All three leagues are packed with all things that make football the worlds biggest, and in my opinion best, sport. Rather than scrutinized with a cynical eye, we should really be embracing these bastions of passion, flair and ability, rejoicing in the pleasure that millions of fans get from these three small collections of twenty teams. However, I set out on a journey, a journey that took longer than anticipated, but a journey all the same to root out which I believed to be the best.

If that assessment leaves all of the leagues attributes equal then the next separates. Money and marketing are bigger in the Premier League than in any other non-American sport and the financial credence there eclipses anything that Spain or Italy can boast. However, the argument in this instance must remain, how important (bragging rights aside) is the money? Which leads us to question, is money not potentially the ultimate undoing of these leagues? Using Italy as a prime example, the great football broadcaster James Richardson cites this as the reason for Serie A's downturn in fortunes; he believes that money that was spent around the turn of the century was effectively 'promised' funds for projected future television rights that sadly never materialized. However, in the Premiership, the money just keeps rolling in.

Finally we draw to the final issue of competitiveness and with Calciopoli forcing Serie A to dismount its jockey leaving a two horse race. In this issue I am setting my stall out early and backing the Premiership. With no disrespect to Real Madrid, but I cannot see Barcelona being usurped this season. From watching football for many years now, you learn to know when a resurgence is threatening, and Madrid's is not that. Manchester United however is the English top flight, for the first time in a while, looks as though it will draw to a truly nail-biting conclusion.

Overall, as I have mentioned throughout, it is with regret that I concede that Italy, given all of their difficulties, cannot compete. This upsets me, as it was Serie A where I gained much of my development as a football supporter, spending years enjoying the delights of the Mediterranean game, watching exotically monikered players with equally glamorous abilities. It is true that the average Italian top flight footballer is of higher fundamental ability than his English counterpart, but the stigma of scandal is too apparent in the current Serie A climate for them to be considered. It is my hope that we see a renaissance in Italian football and that over the coming decade we see a nation rejuvenated and again rivaling their Spanish and English counterparts.

So it comes to the final two, and in truth it could not be tighter. However, it is the Premiership which I believe to be the best. It is by the width of a flee's reproductive organs, but the Premiership has the lot. It has, in my opinion, the most exciting crop of young players, the most competitive title chase and the best supporters. It has the biggest worldwide audiences and is (marginally) the strongest nation in the worldwide transfer market. This is not to detract from La Liga, a league of endless attacking improvisation, flair and adventure, a league that has history, has impossibly gifted players, has Ronaldinho, but its flaws are too clear. The hapless defending is one such example of this and too bigger issue to be ignored.

For me, the Premiership has only recently secured the mantle it has sought since its creation. For the Baggios, van Bastens, Papins, Maldinis, Batistutas and friends in Nineties Serie A to the Zizous, Figos, Rivaldos, Ronaldos, Rauls et al of Noughties La Liga, there has always been something to separate English Football from the top of the tree, however now it is clear that the FA Premier League is THE major force in world football today and given the money and following dedicated to retaining that mantle, I foresee that this will be the case for years to come.

Which World Football League Is The Best Of The Best