6 Ways Office Gossip Can Be Good for Your Career - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 6 Ways Office Gossip Can Be Good for Your Career - Introvert Whisperer 6 Ways Office Gossip Can Be Good for Your Career Ashley Gainer March 13, 2015 Communication, Office Politics No responses 6 Ways Office Gossip Can Be Good for Your Career Gossip has  a bad reputation, but being included in office gossip actually has some benefits. What can office gossip tell you, and how can you use that information to advance your own career without playing games or lowering your personal standards? The answers may surprise you. What are your thoughts about office gossip? How have you handled gossip in the past? Share your thoughts in the comments! Go to top Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!  Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Online tutoring offers a private-haven for students to study in

Online tutoring offers a private-haven for students to study in 0SHARESShare We all know that online tutoring is catching up and it’s doing so because of reasons like economically-wise, easy reach and wide approach of the medium. But do you also know that it’s becoming a new form of alternative education and is challenging the age-old practice of being taught in classrooms because it offers a private haven for the students to study in. Privacy is one of the major concerns for all students alike and online tutoring  manages to give just that. In a closed room where you can interact freely with your online tutor, you get all kinds of online tutoring help. The concept of free online tutoring has in fact removed a considerable amount of load off the parents and students shoulders. Students can study about any subject and choose to solve any problem at their own convenience. They don’t have to go anywhere outside the ambit of their rooms. Students have to simply log onto their computers and reach out to an online tutor. Peer pressure and fear of being sidelined in the class because of poor grades are no more a cause of worry because in your house there is no one to pin-point your fault other than your online tutor. It helps to create a safe boundary wall around the students for their protection. [starbox id=admin]

Daily Activities That Can Improve Your GMAT Skills

Daily Activities That Can Improve Your GMAT Skills Preparing for the GMAT can be time-consuming, but it need not be a chore. After all, there are numerous ways to incorporate various review methods into your weekly schedule. Here are four daily activities that can improve your GMAT skills: 1. Reading Reading is required on every section of the GMAT, and there is a great deal of content to work through. The more vocabulary you are familiar with, the easier it will be to complete the exam. In addition to online news websites, books, essays, magazines, pamphlets, and other sources can help you improve your comprehension. Consuming the variety of phrases, sentence structures, and topics within different genres will increase your comfort level with the mixture of passages in sections like Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. These are also some great tips on how to reach your target GMAT score. 2. Resting You need energy to do well on a test. Participating in frequent all-nighters to cram for an exam may have worked in college, but it is not the best strategy for success on the GMAT. Rest is an essential part of any learning program. Adhere to a consistent sleep schedule for the month or two before your test. If you can, exercise. Regular physical exertion will assist with your mental activity. Take a break from sitting at your desk to walk, jog in place, etc. Your mind and your body will thank you. 3. Communicating with friends and family Speak with the people in your life about what you are doing and why. Discussing the GMAT with others will help you feel like an expert on the material. Explain to your friends and family what the GMAT is, how the exam is structured, and where it fits within your MBA application package. They may have more questions, orfingers crossedthey may wish to help! If your friends or family members have attended business school, consider asking them for advice on study methods. How did they prepare for the GMAT? What worked and what did not? What GMAT skills were critical? How would they suggest you improve? Here are 5 steps to revitalize a struggling GMAT prep routine. For those acquaintances less familiar with the MBA world, let them know that preparing for the GMAT takes time. Socialization opportunities, for instance, may be impacted. A creative alternative could be asking them to take part in your review. Instead of Friday Movie Night, host Friday Quiz Night. 4. Studying Whatever your profession, you must study for the GMATevery day, if possible. Knowing the content is one thing, but knowing how to answer the questions is another. Practice each problem type, including the Analytical Writing Assessment. Remember that 10 question types may require 10 different strategies. Developing a daily prep plan will provide a route to mastering central GMAT skills. You can identify your strengths and weaknesses and schedule sessions to address themwhether by yourself or with a GMAT tutor. If you are stronger in the Verbal section but still struggle with Quantitative questions, budget more time for reviewing Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving but maintain your wordsmithing abilities as well. Additionally, ensure you allot sufficient portions of your schedule to completing full-length GMAT practice tests to build your stamina. Incorporating these daily activities into your life will lead you in the right direction for achieving success on the GMAT. Not only are reading, resting, communicating, and studying excellent methods for high exam performance, they are also skills that you will utilize in your MBA program. With a positive mindset toward preparing for the test, and these daily activities, you will be well on your way to realizing your MBA dreams.

How to Ace Your AP Courses

How to Ace Your AP Courses AP courses are extremely challenging. They are structured differently than regular classes because they are roughly modeled after university-level seminars. If a student can successfully adjust to the intensity of his or her AP classes, this will ensure the transition to college is much smoother. Here are five tips to help you ace your AP courses: Acknowledge and adjust to the workload In order to succeed in AP classes, the first and most important step is to adjust ones attitude toward a heavy workload. Advanced Placement courses are significantly more demanding and time-consuming than regular high school classes. If it is your first time enrolling in an AP course, the increase in the quantity and difficulty of assignments may seem overwhelming to you. Thus, you must train yourself to manage your time well, remain organized, seek out resources like tutors, and treat stress in a healthy manner. Since AP classes simulate the style and rigor of college courses, becoming accustomed to this caliber of class now will benefit you in your higher education. If you choose to challenge yourself with AP courses in high school, you will be more prepared for university than you may at first realize. Here is a great test prep timeline for AP exams. Always complete assigned readings Given the intensity of the workload, avoiding reading assignments can seem a tempting option. Regardless of how arduous your AP coursesmay feel, it is absolutely essential that you not neglect any readings your instructor assigns you. This is perhaps one of the most common mistakes that AP students make. Instructors rarely cover all the important material in class, so individuals will encounter much of the courses critical subject matter in their readings. In order to ace your AP classes, you must be independent and motivated, as they demand more self-learning than other courses. Therefore, if you do not complete your readings, you are likely missing material you must know to do well on the AP exam. Read passages with a careful eye There is a vast difference between reading and reading critically. AP courses insist that students do the latter when approaching their readings. Your goal should not be to finish the assignment, but to dissect it from different perspectives. A wise reader looks for patterns, links, similarities, and contrasts within a text. Take notes in the margins, use Post-its, and highlight material that seems important. For example, if the course is AP U.S. History, pay extra attention to the causes and effects of wars, historical turning points, and major technological advancements. In theory, AP students should be able to recognize the central ideas in their readings. Hone your skills with sample tests Taking practice AP exams is an excellent way to prepare for the real test. This strategy will familiarize you with the instructions and format of the exam, the types of questions it utilizes, and the time allotted for each section. It should come as no surprise that individuals with more exposure to AP exam questions typically score higher on their true AP tests. Completing AP practice tests can only equip you for test day. You may also want to look over this information on how to prep for AP exams. Strengthen your vocabulary For many students, one of the most daunting aspects of an AP class is the vocabulary it employs. Enrolling in an AP course reveals a whole new world of terminology related to a particular field. At times, individuals may find themselves losing points on the AP exam because they do not understand a word, not because they do not understand the topic a question presents. The inclusion of unfamiliar terms can make subject matter seem more difficult than it truly is, so AP students should possess a basic understanding of the jargon associated with their classes. Developing a wide, sophisticated vocabulary is invaluable when working to ace your AP courses.

How Walk Off The Earth Got A Record Deal On YouTube

How Walk Off The Earth Got A Record Deal On YouTube Megan L. From going viral on YouTube to touring the world, Walk Off The Earth has made an impressive mark on the music scene, and from the looks of it they are just getting started. Their album  Sing It All Away will be released this month, and the band has been touring heavily in anticipation of this release. Singer and guitarist Ryan Marshall gave us a call this week to talk about his inspirations, life on the road, and his complicated relationship with country music.   How did you get started playing music? Was there anyone like a parent or teacher who really helped you along the way? I come from a family where everyone has always played some sort of instrument. But for me in grade six, I started playing baritone, which is like a small tuba; some people call it a euphonium. I had an amazing music teacher. I lived in a small town near Toronto and I had this teacher Sue Smith, who had been the trumpet in Canadian Brass. She actually came to my school and I started with her in grade six and then she came to my high school and continued teaching our class all the way through high school. When you get a teacher like her it really changes the way you look at things and it makes you want to continue playing. I was the captain of the football team and the basketball team, and sometimes, when I was going to school anyway, the sports guys arent too keen on people playing in the jazz band or the concert band. But when you get the right teacher who explains things and helps you deal with peer pressure and all that junk, you can learn a lot. Coming from that education, how did you form Walk Off The Earth? I didnt even start playing guitar until I was 20. Im a really big Bob Dylan fan, so right away I did a lot of harmonica and guitar playing, and singing at the same time. I hooked up with a couple of guys and we started a little reggae band that lasted a few years. When that band ended, I continued playing with my drummer, and we wanted to start recording a little two piece project. He knew this guy Gianni who had his own studio, so we went there to record. Gianni started adding some bass and things into the stuff we were recording. We hadnt even played a show yet and we didnt have a bass player, so it just kind of turned into a three piece. We needed a name and Walk Off The Earth just kind of happened, and that was the beginning. One thing that really stands out about Walk Off The Earth is your instrumentation and the really cool, kind of unusual choices that you make. Where do you get those ideas and what inspires you? I think a lot of the inspiration comes from the different characters and influences that we have in the band. Having five people adding ideas and influences really allows us to use a lot of different instruments. For Sarah and Gianni and I, its kinda like this: none of us are amazing guitar players and none of us are amazing ukulele players, or whatever it might be, but once you kind of understand the idea of the instrument, if you can shape a chord or something, as long as you have good rhythm you can get away with playing a couple songs on it here and there. All of us are really interested in learning different instruments and finding things to add to the set. Sometimes it ends up being little kids instruments, and its fun to take something like that and say how can we sample it, or how can we record it. Then once you put it into a recording, youre kinda stuck, and you have to figure out a way to do it live, so you end up bringing all these weird instruments live on stage. Another thing that Walk Off The Earth is really famous for is that you got a record deal on YouTube. Was that something that you set out to do? What would your advice be to other artists who want to follow that same path? We did the indie band thing, trying to get signed by a label in conventional ways, and its really tough. It finally got to a point where we all realized, were not going to get signed to a label, were going to have to do this on our own. We had to find a way to reach a lot of people, and YouTube had just started up. Gianni said hey, why dont we give this a shot? We put up some videos and all of a sudden we had 15,000 views on a video (editors note: that video now has over 160 million views). Wed never played to 15,000 people in our lives! You also have to be lucky in the viral world. If people could figure out how to make a viral video, then everyone would. I dont know what happens, something happens, and we got lucky with that one video. We also had another 30 or 40 videos already on that channel, so when people saw the viral video, it wasnt like a dog that was talking and all of a sudden theres nothing else to watch. There was a whole catalog of songs, originals and covers, that people could watch next, and we noticed those all started blowing up at the same time. That also was the thing that attracted the label. Labels want to see a body of work and a fanbase before they put money into a band these days. You have to develop your career yourself. Youre currently on the road, and youve been out on tour for some weeks now. What are the best and worst things about being on the road? I love playing for crowds. Honestly, the best feeling in the world for me is getting on stage and having people sing back songs to you that you wrote. To me, its the most rewarding feeling in the world. So thats definitely the best. I have a family at home, and I have a little five-year-old, and I miss home when Im away. A couple of you in the band have families, and its got to be work sometimes to balance that with your careers as musicians. Recently, your bandmate Sarah even had an experience where she was asked to leave a flight because her toddler was fussy. How does that situation fit in with your overall experiences of balancing parenthood with being rockstars? The Sarah situation was just insanity. I have no idea what the airline was thinking. I think thats gonna get taken care of, and that aside, as far as balancing fatherhood and family when were on the road, its got its pros and cons. For example, when we recorded our album it took us about three months, and we were at home in Burlington that whole time. So I was home for three months straight, every day. I could see my family every day. A lot of busy fathers are home every day but they work from 6 AM to 8 PM and their kids are in school and then theyre asleep. For me, I get to spend three months straight with my family and they see me whenever I want to see them, which is amazing. But when youre gone, youre gone. When youre on the road, youre gone for months. Things like Facetime and Skype have really changed how were able to communicate with home. And you know, Sarah and Gianni, theyre both in the band, and they can travel with their son, and the second one coming along soon. Ive brought my five-year-old Kingsley with me on a couple tours, not a bus tour, but a couple fly-ins, and it was really fun. When you do get the chance to play music purely for fun, what do you like to practice and what do you like listening to? Im a big folk guy, I love listening to Tallest Man on Earth, a lot of Bon Iver. I listen to every type of music but I havent really gotten into any country yet. Everything else pretty much ends up on my phone. I have a pretty wide variety. When Im playing, I usually just pick up my acoustic and I write a lot. I enjoy writing all different types of music. I will write a lot of country songs but I dont really listen to country [laughs]. But I just love picking up my acoustic guitar and singing and doing singer-songwriter type stuff. Is there anything musically that you hope to explore more in the future? As a band, we really like trying to touch all aspects of the music world. On this album, we have a collaboration with Steve Aoki, which allowed us to kind of get into the EDM part of the music scene. We got to go and play with him at Ultra Music Fest in Miami. It was close to 200,000 people, and its a different scene for us, so it was great. Our fans are such a large, eclectic group. We have three-year-olds at our shows, and last night we had an 89-year-old lady at our show. It really ranges and its really cool, and were able to collaborate with other artists that allow us to explore other types of music. Dont miss your chance to see Walk Off The Earth when they come to your town! Keep up with tour dates on their website, Facebook, or Twitter. Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Erin Blackwood

How to Teach English to Kids

How to Teach English to Kids Teaching English to Children: A Guide Chapters1. Daily English Lessons2. English Songs for Kids3. English Games for Kids4. English Stories for Kids5. Watch Cartoons in English6. Hire an English-Speaking Babysitter7. Travel to an English-Speaking country.8. Sign Up to a Bilingual School9. English lessons for Kids with a Tutor10. Learn to Be PatientWe start worrying about our child’s future before they’ve even entered the world...These worries are often caused by parental instinct.  However, recessions and employment crises probably don’t help matters.How are they going to succeed in the world with all this going on?How can you teach children English as a second language?Do you find yourself asking these questions?  As parents, we want to do what’s best for our children.Globalisation has made learning English as a second language essential when it comes to getting ahead in the world of business.It seems that students from Northern European are almost fluent when it comes to learning English. Whereas some countries in Europe seem to be lagging behind. France, for example.The French education system seems to be failing when it comes to teaching foreign languages.  However, you can’t go around blaming education systems for your child’s ability in a language. Part of it’s down to you!Would you like them to learn from a very young age?Children are sponges when it comes to learning. You can start teaching English to them from 3 or 4 years old.There are plenty of ways for children to learn English.  How they learn vocabulary will really surprise you! JulianESOL (English) Teacher 4.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EugeneESOL (English) Teacher 4.90 (58) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HelenESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (20) £32/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SuzanneESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (2) £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (8) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamuelESOL (English) Te acher 4.83 (41) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoanneESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (43) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors1. Daily English LessonsAs a parent you have to set the example your child will follow.This is easier when they’re younger. Once they become teenagers they’re unlikely to say “I want to by like mum/dad!”.Use English for everyday situations. Regular practice can also help you improve your English.Introduce English lessons around the house. Cook with them in English or speak to them when it’s bath time, for example.Start off easily.Paediatricians agree that teaching children at a very young age can set them on the path to speaking English fluently.Speak English to your children every day.Learning English as a foreign language will give them a great advantage nowadays.  Are they really advantages?Regular language learning can bring the following be nefits:They’ll be intellectually stimulated: It’s scientifically proven that bilingual children are better when it comes to conceptualisation, symbolism, and analysis.They’ll learn quicker: Children in multilingual environments are equipped to learn other foreign languages at school quicker. They’ll also quickly gain communication skills.They’ll quickly open themselves up to the world: When they learn to speak English, it will spark their curiosity when it comes to learning about the world around them.Speaking a second (or foreign) language throughout school can help your child not just academically but also professionally further down the road.It’s important to alternate between English and their mother tongue at different points of the time. Set the example.In the beginning, they’ll start by mixing up expressions before quickly using them appropriately.2. English Songs for KidsThere are plenty of songs you’ll know by heart.Can you remember the nursery rhymes you sa ng as a child?Your child could be the same!Teach them English nursery rhymes from a young age.How can you help your child with nursery rhymes? (Source: Web-Plectres)You can also teach them what it means.  They’ll quickly overtake you!You could even listen to songs in English online!They’ll improve their English listening skills.Introduce Them to English with Nursery RhymesMusic is a great way to teach non native children how to speak English.  They can learn to speak as early as 3 years old.There are plenty of nursery rhymes that can help them to learn English through repetition and singing.  They’ll end up working on their English pronunciation without even realising it.The rhythms are catchy, the words are simple, the pronunciation is clear. They’ll be so enthusiastic about learning them.  They’ll learn vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation, and the basics of syntax while enjoying themselves.Here are a few English-language songs we recommend.For the alphabet: The Alphabe t SongFor numbers: The Ants Go MarchingFor colours and clothes:  The Colours of Our Clothes3. English Games for KidsLearning English while playing is a great way to teach your child.  There are plenty of educational English games on-line.The British Council,ESL Games Plus,Game Zone.There are also free apps you can download to practice English.Does your child often take your smartphone off you to play on?  Download a few games from the App Store or Google Play and they can learn English online at the same time.Help your child improve their English with games. (Source: Pogu)There are also fun games you can play without going on-line.  Why not play a role-playing game?  You could even have a game of English hide and seek!Make them count in English!  English learning needs to be enjoyable. Most sites focus on children learning English.However, you can learn English while having fun regardless of your age. It’s a great way to learn!  It does work better for children, though.Pique their curiosity with a game and teach them a foreign language without them realising!  In the digital age, it’s useful to focus them on the educational resources on-line.It’s very easy to find educational games for your children.There are tonnes of games to learn about English culture, nouns, and writing. Here are a few that we really like:The British Council: For learning to read and write in English.TheLiteracyCenter.net: A lively on-line resource to get children used to English numbers, colours, times, and the alphabet.Startfall.com: Perfect for working on their pronunciation.Learn English by Playing on Your TabletJust like a the apps for older people to learn English, there are also tonnes of apps for children to learn English and start ESOL courses.There’s a lot of learning going on behind these games and riddles.You should check out:PiliPop,Papumba,FunEnglish.From a young age, kids can learn English with Pili Pop! (Source: Pili Pop)4. English Stories for KidsYour child probab ly loves their bedtime stories.  Alternate which language they’re in!Once you’ve finished one book, consider an English book for children.They’ll also get used to the spoken language as well as learning English vocabulary and expressions as they see them alongside the pictures.Learning English while bonding with your children is a great idea, isn’t it?Your child will also be learning how to read in English so make sure to teach them the alphabet!Teaching Kids to ReadBedtime stories are the perfect time to start teaching them English words and phrases.Children learn their first words between the ages of 1 and 3.To make sure they stay interested, alternate between languages.  If you want to make sure learning English remains interesting and enriching, you should:Choose short stories: smaller children have smaller attention spans. Focus on stories that last less than 10 minutes.Choose a particular theme: to ensure that the language and vocabulary is useful, make sure to pick a story on a particular subject or theme. A story about farm animals, for example.Be expressive when you read: Bring the story alive with a stellar performance. Impersonate animal noises, etc.Make sure that learning English is both educational and fun. JulianESOL (English) Teacher 4.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EugeneESOL (English) Teacher 4.90 (58) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HelenESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (20) £32/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SuzanneESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (2) £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (8) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamuelESOL (English) Teacher 4.83 (41) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoanneESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (43) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors5. Watch Cartoons in EnglishSome parents think that television is harmful to their children.  However, children can spend hours in front of the TV without bothering anyone.Make the most of the time they spend glued to the TV by making them watch English cartoons.  Educational shows like Dora the Explorer can be used to teach them vocabulary in two languages.You can also put the shows on in English.  Your child may struggle to understand everything in the beginning but they’ll quickly get the hang of it and improve.Master the English language with the help of cartoons.We’ve already mentioned the benefits of watching films in English in our other articles on learning English as an adult. It’s a great way to work on your listening and comprehension.How does this work with children?  By replacing films with cartoons!Perhaps you’re worried that they won’t understand the story. Children will be just as glued to an English cartoon as they would be any other.It's a great idea to find English cartoons they already know. (Source: SB Mania)These cartoons are the first steps your child will take towards taking an interest in subjects like history, science, and the environment.6. Hire an English-Speaking BabysitterWho better than an English speaker to teach your children English?If you’re looking for someone to look after your children, you should consider looking towards bilingual English speakers.  There are plenty of English speakers looking for work while they study.It's important to find fun ways for your children to learn. (Source: Ashi Tano)Find somebody and ensure that they speak English to your children.  You could also look for an English-speaking au-pair.If you can afford it, an English speaker living with you and looking after your children could quickly teach them English.  However, this can be a quickly option.Your children can start learning English with native English speakers.Is it easy to find an English-speaking babysitter to teach your children English? Nowadays, there are plenty of services that can pu t you in contact with babysitters.For example, in France there’s Baby Speaking.  This is a foreign language babysitting service.  It’s available in a number of France’s largest cities and is a great way to children to learn a new language.English-speaking babysitters are trained by the agency to teach English to young children!7. Travel to an English-Speaking country.Are you currently planning your family holidays but not sure where to go?  Travel to an English-speaking country.Immersion is the perfect way to learn a foreign language.  Get them to order their food in English or speak to the locals.Go to parks where they can play with English-speaking children their own age.  This is a great opportunity for them to practice their English.They’ll also begin to understand the importance of using a language to integrate into a country.If you can’t go with them, why not consider an exchange programme?There are plenty of organisations that offer language trips for children.  Gen erally, children will study English in the morning (grammar, syntax, vocabulary, etc.) and in the afternoon they’ll focus on activities and games.Language stays in England for children.Learn English as young as you can!There’s nothing better than immersion in an English-speaking country when it comes to learning the language.Instead of sending your child to a summer camp, why not send them on a language trip to London?  There are plenty of organisations offering language trips all over the globe for children as young as 6.These are a perfect way to get to know English-speaking culture and start learning English pronunciation and vocabulary.Whether it’s in a school, with a host family, or even with an private tutor, your children will have a great time.Have a look for:Language stays,English language summer camps,Host families, etc.8. Sign Up to a Bilingual SchoolThere are plenty of schools all over the world offering bilingual education.Given the cost, there aren’t many famil ies that can afford to do this.  However, if you can afford to, you can’t afford not to!Certain methods at specialised schools can be very effective. (Source: La Region)There are other options, too. There are bilingual schools and academies for school holidays and weekends, etc.These adopt a more entertaining approach. Having fun is a great way to learn English.In some countries, there are also bilingual classes in state schools.  Nevertheless, the quality of these can vary massively depending on where you are.Bilingual Education from 3 YearsWhat is a bilingual school?  A bilingual school is an educational establishment where the curriculum is taught using two working languages.You can find them almost all over the world.  They often teach children as young as 3.According to linguists, children are most receptive to languages when they’re aged between 3 and 4 years old.Young children learn very quickly by listening and drilling.By having classes in these types of establishments, they won’t have to wait very long before they pick up enough vocabulary and grammar to start forming their own sentences.By the time students attending these school reach the end of their academic career, they’ll already have all the necessary language skills they need to pursue a number of international career options.9. English lessons for Kids with a TutorOnce a child finishes nursery, you should consider getting a private tutor to help them with their English.A tutor can tailor their teaching to your child.  Their classes can be a lot more fun than they would be for an adult receiving academic support.Furthermore, the tutor can regularly evaluate your child’s progress.  They’ll also be able to give you specific advice geared towards helping them practice English.Group English Tutorials for ChildrenAnother option would be to have group tutorials for a number of children.Group tutorials are different to normal private tutorials but they are still a great way for children to learn English.What are the advantages?The children aren’t alone with their private tutor. This means they can speak English with other children their own age, too.They are a great way for your child to develop social skills.10. Learn to Be PatientHelping your child to learn English or another foreign language is important because it’ll give them more options in the future.They’ll have everything they need when it comes to choosing what they want to do.However, don’t make them hate English class!  Learning a language needs to be an enjoyable experience.You won’t see short-term results. It’s a long-term process.  Every child goes at their own speed, too. You should keep this in mind.Even though children learn languages quickly, they need to learn regularly over a long period of time in order to reap the benefits.Learning English requires patience and many years of study. (Source: Pxhere)The methods and approaches will need to change as they do.One last tip:Don’t forge t to lead by example. While they’re learning English, make sure that you also speak to them in English on a regular basis.  Patience is the key to happiness.Don’t put unnecessary pressure on your child.   Let them learn at their own pace while having fun.If you’d like to learn about teaching dyslexic children English, read our article on the subject!

Ask Out - Phrasal Verb of the Day

Ask Out - Phrasal Verb of the Day Todays phrasal verb of the day is: Ask OutInfinitive form: Ask OutPresent Tense: Ask Out/ Asks Outing form: Asking OutPast tense: Asked OutPast Participle: Asked OutAsk Out is a separable English phrasal verb. It can be used in the following way:When you ask someone to go with you to a certain place or an occasion, to spend time together and have fun. In a romantic setting where one or both parties involved is (romantically) interested, then it becomes a date1.  The prince had already asked Cinderella out to go to the movies with him.2. Just because a guy asks a girl out on a date doesnt mean he has to pay for everything, right?iframe width=420 height=315 src=//www.youtube.com/embed/T1uqtnGENzo?rel=0 frameborder=0 allowfullscreen/iframeExercises: Write your answers in comments and we will correct them.Fill in the gaps from the video above:Hes not _____ you ___ because hes intimidated by your professional success.For guys: Did you ever have to ask someone out on a date? How did you g o about it and how did it turn out?For girls: Did you ever get asked out by someone youre not interested in dating? What did you do?Complete the sentences below with the correct form of Ask Out.1. I cant decide whether I should go to the prom or not. I mean, I got _____ ____ by two men. Well, Tom ____ me ___ first, but I really wanna go with Jerry. How can I do that without disappointing Tom, though?2. Maybe I should ___ Sylvester ___ to go with me to the prom instead.3. The Jenkins called and ____ their neighbors ____ for a barbecue.4. If Jim hadnt been too shy, he could have  ___ Sherry___.5. Stuart ____ Sherry ____ on a date while Jim watches.Change the example sentences above to negative sentences (or positive, if the sentence is already negative). Then change them to questions.

Better Pedagogy and Time-Savings through Automated Feedback

Better Pedagogy and Time-Savings through Automated Feedback Automated Feedback Solutions Chichikovs teacher looks miserable about all the corrections he has to do If you teach ESL, you may have encountered any number of disparaging remarks from students and teachers alike about language instruction. For example, when I challenged my students a couple of weeks ago to spend a little more time on their English homework, one of my college students said to me, No  offense, but it is ONLY English. I countered, Isnt English the most important language in the world for business, travel, and research? Yes, came the reply, but I live in St-Jerome.  There was some nodding and general agreement that followed.  Apparently, in St-Jerome, Quebec, English does not seem to be a pressing need for some eighteen-year-old Francophones. Years earlier, in South Korea, during a department meeting about adding a writing component to our Freshman English Program, a colleague declared with a grin, Whats the point? They dont learn anything away. There was some nodding. General agreement that followed that remark, also. Apparently, adding writing correction to the list of ESL teachers duties does not always seem like a particularly effective use of time in all contexts. Obviously, motivation can ebb and flow on both sides of the teachers desk. Learning, for example, when to use the  Present Perfect Progressive can seem like more trouble than it is worth. Also, correcting the same error in a students writing multiple times can be disheartening to even the most patient of teachers. Such problems! Are ESL teachers doomed forevermore to be the workhorses of the academic world? Automated Feedback Solutions Computers can provide solutions to some of the problems one encounters in ESL. If you think English is irrelevant to your day-to-day life, YouTube and Facebook might persuade you otherwise. If you are starting to feel that correcting quizzes and writing assignments is getting tedious,  Moodle and Virtual Writing Tutor can help. Lately, I have been using Bokomaru Publications  Moodle-Assisted English Language Learning site called Labo danglais. I do almost all of my testing online with automatically graded quizzes and peer-reviewed writing assignments. As a result, students get scores quicker than they did when I did all correction by hand, and I notice a significant reduction in the amount of tedium in my job. To provide my students with faster corrective feedback on writing errors, I use  Virtual Writing Tutor. When my colleagues complain that they spent the weekend giving corrective feedback on student essays, I sympathize, a little. I think back to the years when my weekends were gobbled up by stacks of writing corrections, and then I smile at how the most repetitive and tedious aspects of providing corrective feedback are now handled by a machine. Correction without Tears Step 1 To illustrate one way that my job has gotten easier without sacrificing good pedagogy in the process, I would like to share a little about my approach to teaching Francophone College students the Present Perfect Progressive. In week one of a fifteen-week semester, I ask my students to find and correct the errors in a short introduction forum post written by a former student. This is the text: my name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in sciences humans since 2 years. Me, i like to do party with my friends. My best friend make me smile. This text contains some pretty common errors made by Francophones writing in English.    In French, you are born somewhere. In English, you were born somewhere.  In French, you live at a city. In English, you live in a city.    In French, you have so many years. In English, you are so many years old.    In French, you study in a program since so many years. In English, you have been studying a subject area for so many years, and so on. Back to my method Step 2 Then, I ask students to introduce themselves to the class using an online forum.  Of course, despite having done the correction exercise, they still make many of the same kinds of errors, so I  ask them to check their own introduction for errors using the  Virtual Writing Tutor. They get the same amount of corrective feedback (or more) on errors as they would get from me if I were to collect the paragraphs on paper, bring them home and return them the next week covered in red ink, but they get the feedback in in less than a second from the machine. Here is what you get when you submit the above text into the  Virtual Writing Tutor: You wrote:  my  name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in lavFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  my name is  sophie  Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live at MFeedback:  Proper names, days of the week, months, cities, provinces, countries, languages, and nationalities all begin with a capital letter. For this reason, the word sophie should probably be uppercase: Sophie.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon.  i  am born in laval. i live at Montreal. iFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon.  i  am born in laval. i live at Montreal. iFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.     Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in  laval.  i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. iFeedback:  Proper names, days of the week, months, cities, provinces, countries, languages, and nationalities all begin with a capital letter. For this reason, the word laval should probably be uppercase: Laval.       Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  e is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval.  i  live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i stFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  e is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval.  i  live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i stFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  phie Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live  at Montreal.  i have 17 years. i study in sciences hFeedback:  The usual preposition used before town, city and region names is in. Did you mean in Montreal ?      Link:  Preposition error-correction practice activity You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Reword the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym. You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i have 17 years.  i study in sciences humans since 2 yearFeedback:  Did you mean I am 17 years old? You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Reword the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym. You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:   i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i  study  in sciences humans since 2 years. Me, iFeedback:  Use the Present Perfect to express durations of time that include the present. Did you mean i have been studying Social Sciences for 2 years? You wrote:  t Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in  sciences humans  since 2 years. Me, i like to do party wFeedback:  In English, plural nouns do not require plural adjectives. Adjectives and noun modifiers must remain singular. Did you mean ? You wrote:  t Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in  sciences humans  since 2 years. Me, i like to do party wFeedback:  You have used the French name of college program. You wrote sciences humans, but in English it is Social Sciences.Link:  Program name translation activity You wrote:  ve 17 years. i study in sciences humans  since 2 years.  Me, i like to do party with my friendsFeedback:  Use for not since for a duration of time. Did you mean for 2 years?Link:  Preposition error-correction practice activity You wrote:  study in sciences humans since 2 years.  Me, i  like to do party with my friends. My beFeedback:  Please choose either me or I not both. Its awkward.Link:  Pronoun error-correction practice activity You wrote: y in sciences humans since 2 years. Me,  i  like to do party with my friends. My beFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity Step 3 Later in the course, I ask my students to create an unusual character and write an introduction for that character using the first person. Again, I ask them to share it online and then check it for errors using the  Virtual Writing Tutor. Step 4 On the final exam, one of the six sections of the exam asks them to write a paragraph where they introduce themselves. This time, it is me who uses the  Virtual Writing Tutor  to check for errors. By the end of a semester with me, most of my students will write a paragraph containing a correct instance of the Present Perfect Progressive in response to the following writing prompt: Introduce yourself. Say where you are from, where you live, how long you have been living there, the name of your program, how long you have been in the program. Also, describe your usual weekly routine, your job, and how long you have been doing it. The Virtual Writing Tutor Makes Good Pedagogy Possible All in all, the students get much more corrective feedback on errors than I would be willing to give without the help of a machine. The goal is to throw so much negative evidence at an error that the interlanguage rule in students heads that produces the error will begin to destabilize. Once that happens, they might then be able to resist the urge to map English words on the French structures, and finally introduce themselves in Standard Written English. To provide that much feedback by hand might negatively affect my motivation as a teacher. The Virtual Writing Tutor Saves Time Just consider how long it would take you to provide the same amount of corrective feedback as the  Virtual Writing Tutor  can provide  on 125 students paragraphs. Assuming you are a well-rested teacher with a two day weekend ahead of you and assuming you could correct one error every 15 seconds, and assuming each text has 21 errors like the one above, it would take you only about 5 minutes per student. Not so bad. Assuming you had five groups of 25 students (my groups have between 27 and 29 students this semester) and spent five minutes on each text without any interruptions, meals, or breaks, it would take you 625 minutes, or 10 and a half hours to correct them all. Your weekend is gone, and your kids are now complaining to their mother/your wife that you never make time to play with them. Your motivation to provide corrective feedback might start to wain by week two of the semester. Now, times that 10 and a half hours by three. I have learned, as I hope you will too, that the  Virtual Writing Tutor  saves ESL teachers time. How much time do you spend on providing corrective feedback on ESL students writing? Leave a comment. Please follow and like us: