How to Choose Your First Semester of College Courses

How to Choose Your First Semester of College Courses As soon as you begin college, you will discover a new sense of freedom. For the first time, you can chooseyour classes as well as when you take them. However, this freedom can also negatively impact your graduation schedule if you do not choose wisely. Here are several tips to keep in mind as your freshman year approaches and you choose your first semester of college courses. Understand course restrictions Items like prerequisites are often clearly described in your course guide or on your registration website. You may also have a minimum and/or maximum number of credit hours you can enroll in. Note these restrictions as you plan your first semester of college courses. Here are some great tips you may find useful on how to prepare for college classes. Select an academic strategy Certain students prefer to immediately register for classes in their major, while others prefer to finish their general requirements first. Regardless of major, you must complete courses in subjects like economics, English, foreign language, history, math, and science. However, you may have flexibility in when you choose to do so. Consider first taking classes in your major With this strategy, you can quickly determine if you truly enjoy the subject. You are also free to begin meeting professors and students in your major, as well as to become involved in clubs and professional organizations immediately. This may help you earn internships and real-world experience more quickly. This is some great information on picking a major early in college. Or consider first completing your general requirements Certain students prefer to finish their general requirement courses as soon as possible. If you opt for this route, you will be eligible for most higher-level classes sooner. This can allow you to think about your major without wasting time taking courses you will not need (if you change your major). If you are 100% certain about your major, it may be best to enroll in those classes right away. You can then start working toward your first internship and job. But if you are still deciding, start with your general requirements, and join as many clubs as you can. With clubs, you can learn about different career paths without taking full courses. Understand class schedules Most general requirements are offered each semester or quarter. However, some higher-level classes are only available during certain semestersand only if you pass specific requirements first. It is very important to flag the courses you will need for your major and to have a general idea of when you will complete them. Many students do not graduate on time simply because they thought they could take their final class during the spring semester, only to realize that it is exclusively offered in the fall. Keep your evenings free It may be tempting to sleep late every day by schedulingyour first semester of college courses for the afternoons. However, some students prefer to keep their evenings free to join clubs and professional organizations. Clubs can be one of the most critical aspects of your college education, as you can explore real-world work and network with professionals in your field. It is very easy to become involved with clubs, and you may even meet new friends. These are are few popular campus jobs that can help you explore college majors. Work with your academic advisor Your advisor will be able to answer your questions and help you determine your curriculum each year. He or she may also be able to recommend professors, extracurricular activities, or even tutorsif you need extra academic assistance with a particular course.

Guitar Lessons Near Me The Best Options to Learn Guitar in Birmingham

Guitar Lessons Near Me The Best Options to Learn Guitar in Birmingham Birmingham's Top Guitar Teachers ChaptersJoin a Guitar Class with Your Guitar AcademyLearn to Play Guitar with Zaid CroweTake a Course in Guitar with Progress AcademyFind the Perfect Guitar Tutor at SuperprofMove Your Guitar-Playing to the Next Level with Steve LaytonBecome a Guitar Hero with Rockstar Guitar TuitionGuitar Tuition for Adult Learners at the Birmingham Adult Education ServiceJoin a Guitar School with Shades MusicTake a Guitar Exam at the Birmingham Music SchoolKids, Play the Guitar! with The Strings ClubBecome a Serious Guitarist with the Academy of Contemporary Music, BirminghamNail your Flamenco Guitar at Flamenco BirminghamConclusionAs the UK’s second city, you would expect Birmingham to be rife with opportunities for learning. And you won’t be surprised to hear that such an expectation would not be wrong. Birmingham is a fabulously diverse city offering a huge range of options in terms of education, experience, and culture.You’ll find that this is also true for those looking to learn how to p lay the guitar in the city. Whether you want to learn to strum your favourite songs, nail the world’s most hardcore solos, or develop the technique to play classical guitar, Birmingham will give you some great options for learning â€" regardless of whether you’d prefer to be practicing in a guitar class or one-to-one with your guitar teacher.We have compiled the best options in Birmingham here, from the outskirts to the city centre, from blues and jazz rock to folk, metal, or pop. So, pick up your guitar, tune up, and get playing! PeterGuitar Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EdgarGuitar Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PaulGuitar Teacher 5.00 (12) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToddGuitar Teacher 4.75 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamueleGuitar Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KurtGuit ar Teacher 5.00 (3) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RyanGuitar Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsJoin a Guitar Class with Your Guitar AcademyYour Guitar Academy is a music education company working across the UK. They are a hugely professional outfit, offering guitar tuition â€" electric, acoustic, and classical â€" from professional and experienced tutors and musicians in their home studios.The company offers a number of different courses and teaching styles, from ensemble classes to personalised individual lessons. The ensemble groups work in four courses â€" from foundation, through beginner and intermediate, up to advanced â€" and change depending upon the genre or styles you want to play.Location-wise, YGA is quite convenient too, with tutors in Sparkhill and the Jewellery Quarter. So, no matter where you are, they are a great option!Learn to Play Guitar with Zaid CroweZaid Crowe is a guitar instructor offering lessons also in ukulele and bass guitar, and he is available either in his home studio or over Skype. Conveniently, he lets you borrow a spare instrument of his, so you don’t have to lug yours across town!His guitar classes cover everything you would need to know about the instrument, from the array of guitar techniques to improvisation, music theory, and guitar grades. With twenty-five years as a professional musician, Zaid really knows his stuff. You’ll notice from his blog, which is crammed full of useful tips, advice, and updates.The lessons are super affordable too â€" so, Zaid is well worth a look!Take a Course in Guitar with Progress AcademyThe Progress Music Academy is a dedicated music school in the heart of Birmingham offering singing lessons, piano lessons, and sessions in drums, bass, and music theory. This is all besides teaching guitar, of course. They also have a recording studio, so you can learn about recording techniques and have a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry too!Progress is t he only examination centre for the Trinity Rock and Pop music exams, so they are very comfortable with teaching towards academic qualifications â€" but they are not limited to this! If you just want to learn how to jam with your mates or develop your ear training or sight reading, Progress will be able to help you there too.Learn with one of the best guitar instructors in Birmingham.Find the Perfect Guitar Tutor at SuperprofAs an online platform hosting tutors in over a thousand subjects, Superprof might just be the best place to find private lessons in guitar. If there are over five million tutors across the world who use the site, Birmingham hosts twenty-one guitar tutors, each with a different strength, teaching style, and focus.The benefit of Superprof is precisely this: every guitarist â€" and guitar student â€" has a different way of doing things, and the best way to become a rockstar guitar player is to find the teacher that best suits you. There’s no better way to do that than with Superprof.Move Your Guitar-Playing to the Next Level with Steve LaytonSteve Layton Guitar is run by the man himself, an incredibly experienced musician, performer, and guitar tutor. He’s played everything from Latin music to bluegrass, so you can be pretty sure he knows what he is doing.His studio is based in the West Heath Community Centre to the south-west of the city, and it is fully equipped with amplifiers and the computer programmes you might need both to enhance your playing and to get the most fun out of it! The classes are a very reasonable £13 for half an hour, or £23.50 for an hour â€" with ample discounts for block-booking and for students.Become a Guitar Hero with Rockstar Guitar TuitionRockstar Guitar Tuition is based in Halesowen, a quick bus ride outside of Birmingham city centre. It is run by a guitar education specialist who has written books on playing the guitar for beginners and who updates a popular blog for guitarists.The peak time slots at Rocks tar are a little pricey â€" which you should take as a sign of a teacher in demand â€" but during the morning and the evening they are more reasonable. They also have an innovative teaching structure in which they pair up two guitarists of a similar level to teach them together â€" a strategy which helps students learn from each other and push each other to excel.Learn heavy metal and rock music with Birmingham's guitar tuition. PeterGuitar Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EdgarGuitar Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PaulGuitar Teacher 5.00 (12) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToddGuitar Teacher 4.75 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamueleGuitar Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KurtGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RyanGuitar Teacher £30/h1st lesson free! Discover all our tutorsGuitar Tuition for Adult Learners at the Birmingham Adult Education ServiceThe Birmingham Adult Education Service is a network of centres across the city that run classes in professional development, academic qualifications for mature learners, and recreational classes for adults. Their guitar classes might be a great opportunity for adults to learn in the company of like-minded people. They only offer classes in the acoustic guitar, however, at beginner and intermediate levels â€" and the courses last for up to twenty-four weeks, depending on how many people attend. You’ll record yourself playing, you’ll play in groups and in pairs, and you’ll even produce your own workbook to properly cement that knowledge â€" of chords, strumming, and reading music.Join a Guitar School with Shades MusicShades Music is a music school based in Moseley, which, alongside its instrument repairs shop, offers classes in every instrument from the clarinet to the violin. They also handily sell musical accessories, from picks to reeds.Whether it is grades you are after or just casual study, Shades offers a comprehensive service with lots of guitar teachers â€" who offer banjo, mandolin, and bass lessons too!Take a Guitar Exam at the Birmingham Music SchoolThe Birmingham Music School has been around for over a decade now, and they offer classes in guitar and bass, keyboard and piano, drums, and vocals. They are sponsored by Yamaha â€" the musical instrument brand â€" so their teaching studios are fully equipped with quality Yamaha amps, guitars, and accessories.Whilst the teachers encourage you to direct your learning towards musical grades, you will also be playing along to different songs, and practising how to read, write, and improvise music.Classes are in groups of five to eight people, and generally last an hour.Kids, Play the Guitar! with The Strings ClubThe Strings Club is an organisation running music lessons for children between the ages of four and eleven. Originally based in London, they came to Birmingham in 2013 to bring musical holiday camps â€" and guitar, ukulele, and violin lessons â€" to England’s second city.The holiday camps are based in Harborne Academy, at which, during school holidays, you can drop off your kids whilst you are at work. They will come out thrilled â€" having spent the day making noise with their mates under the supervision of experienced and qualified teachers. Become a Serious Guitarist with the Academy of Contemporary Music, BirminghamIf you want to take your guitar playing to the next level, you might want to consider taking a degree or further education qualification in the instrument. Birmingham’s Academy of Contemporary Music is just the place to do this, offering diplomas and BAs in musicianship, song-writing, and music technology.The Academy works in partnership with Middlesex University, London, and has collected â€" since 2017, when it opened â€" some brilliant tutors and industry professionals.For guitarists, you can either take a two- or a three-year course, and you will receive a degree in Music Industry Practice.With proper tuition, why not become a professional guitarist?Nail your Flamenco Guitar at Flamenco BirminghamWhilst Flamenco Birmingham primarily offers classes in flamenco dance, after many requests from students they have started to do flamenco guitar workshops and masterclasses too.The organisation provides classes with musicians and performers that tour across the UK, and they have a network of local teachers who are qualified to teach the flamenco repertoire. What’s fantastic about Flamenco Birmingham is that once you are at the right ability, you can go right ahead and perform with the dancers too!ConclusionCheck out our articles on guitar lessons in London, guitar tuition in Manchester, Glasgow's guitar teachers, and guitar classes in Leeds - and on the best guitar options across the UK!

How Much Are Singing Lessons for Kids Find Out Here

How Much Are Singing Lessons for Kids Find Out Here Megan L. Among all the activities your child has to choose from â€" from sports and dance to book clubs and scouting â€" is it worth signing him or her up for singing lessons? Absolutely! If the interest is there, private lessons can be a great way to introduce them to music and build their confidence. But in addition to the valuable musical talent your child can develop, consider all the additional benefits of singing lessons you may not have thought of: Higher self-esteem Better studying and focusing skills Increased brain function, math skills, and overall intelligence Heightened listening, speaking, and communication skills Improved leadership skills Greater artistic awareness and creativity Increased ability to express ideas and connect with others through music With this small glimpse at what singing lessons can do for your child, the next important question youll likely ask is, how much are singing lessons for kids? The price is certainly not set in stone. How Much Are Singing Lessons For Kids? The average price for vocal instructors who teach children and teens is around $25 per 30-minute singing lesson. More expensive voice teachers may charge $35 or more for a 30-minute lesson.  What makes the difference? Why do some voice teachers charge a higher rate than others? Consider the following factors: Experience Teaching Children The first major factor is the specific experience your teacher has. Youth voice teachers sometimes charge a higher rate because this age group requires a specialized teaching method.  Particularly in children younger than 10 years old, the teacher needs a level of patience and experience to keep the student’s interest and hone their musical abilities. Ultimately, finding a voice teacher who is good with kids is critical to your child’s success and is worth the extra fee they may charge for their specialty. The Teacher’s Formal Training You may be able to find a family friend who enjoys singing and is good with kids, but these two qualities alone don’t make a qualified voice teacher. Instead, youll want to choose an instructor who has formal training. Some teachers have a certificate they earned in a few months, while others may have completed a Bachelors or Master of Music degree that took four years or more to earn. These degrees vary and include titles such as Vocal Performance and Music Education. The more training and experience a voice teacher has, the more they are likely to charge. The Student’s Level of Proficiency Unless your child has taken singing lessons in the past, you are probably safe finding an instructor who teaches beginner- to intermediate-level material.  No matter what competency level voice instructors say they teach, however, look for one who uses a proven training technique with some proof behind why it works. The specific techniques you want your child to learn early on include proper breathing, staying on pitch, projecting the voice (safely), and vocal endurance. Singing Style You may assume that you need to work with a vocal teacher who is proficient in the style you want your child to learn whether thats opera, country, gospel, Broadway, classical, or jazz.  While it’s true that there’s a huge difference between a country singer and an opera singer, standard basic techniques serve as the building blocks for all types of singing styles. Keep this in mind as your child grows and their singing talent expands. Until then, choosing a teacher that can teach the basics is a perfectly adequate choice and can often save you money. Lesson Length Of course, the length of your lesson will also affect the price you pay. Children tend to have shorter attention spans than adults, so most youth voice teachers recommend starting with 30-minute or 45-minute sessions. Once your child progresses into more advanced techniques, its a good idea to increase the length to an hour, which allows for more time to warm up at the beginning of the lesson.  Of course, consult your teacher for his or her recommendation on this. Location If you live in an area of the country with a higher cost of living, you can expect your singing lessons to be more expensive. Teachers living in big cities tend to have higher going rates than those in smaller, rural locations.  However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re at the mercy of higher rates if you live in New York or Los Angeles. Another option is to sign your child up to take lessons with a teacher who conducts live, online singing lessons via video chat. This can be the perfect solution and eliminate the need to chauffeur your child to yet another weekly event. So, are you ready to get your child on the road to developing his or her natural singing talent? Now that you know the answer to How much are singing lessons for kids?, you can move on to the next step finding your teacher! With a great singing teacher guiding your child along, you can set him or her up for success and a lifetime of learning and fun! 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 Angie Garrett

Is a B-School Study Abroad Program Right for Me

Is a B-School Study Abroad Program Right for Me If youre looking for a unique addition to your b-school experience, incorporating a study abroad program may be right for you. A study abroad component within your business school program can give you the chance to foster skills and gain knowledge that you may not otherwise acquire. To identify if a b-school study abroad program is right for you, examine where you want to study, what available programs are offered in this area, and if this endeavor aligns with what you hope to get out of your business school experience. Here are four ways to know if a b-school study abroad program is right for you: Identify where you would like to study abroad during b-school Though there are dozens of countries that you might like to travel to, you only have enough time during business school to select one or perhaps two countries at most. Additionally, not every MBA program offers study abroad opportunities to every country that has a business school. Certain schools partner with other programs to provide specific study abroad programs. For example, in addition to international conferences and global career treks, The Wharton School (at the University of Pennsylvania) offers students a number of study abroad experiences. Graziadio Business School (at Pepperdine University) partners with schools on multiple continents for students who hope to spend full trimesters abroad. Investigate the study abroad programs your school offers and where they are each located. [RELATED: 3 Things to Know About MBA Minors] Note what you would like to learn when studying abroad in b-school The course catalog offered at one MBA program rarely matches that of another MBA program, even for business schools in the same city. Usually, you can count on the MBA basic coursesaccounting, finance, marketing, and operationsto be covered at most business schools across the globe. That being said, elective courses will vary widely from school to school. Therefore, check the courses offered by the study abroad programs youre interested in before applying. Note factors like: If your concentration is consulting, a program without strategy classes might not be an appropriate fit. If your concentration is marketing, a program focused mainly on finance might not be applicable. When searching b-school study abroad programs, look for an opportunity that offers a curriculum that matches your educational goals. Understand how studying abroad during b-school will affect your recruiting process Where do you want to work after you complete your MBA program? Will the companies youre interested in only recruit at your school during the time that youd like to study abroad? If youre concerned that studying abroad for an entire semester could limit your career search opportunities, then consider international experiences that provide global exposure but take less of your time. Some business schools, like Stern School of Business (at New York University), offer shorter study abroad opportunities that last one or two weeks during student breaks, to locations such as Australia, China, and Costa Rica. This would allow you to travel abroad, but still be able to participate in career events, as well as hold club leadership positions offered during the regular semesters at your school. Examine your business school timeline and identify how a study abroad experience would best fit it. [RELATED: 3 Ways Struggling B-School Students Can Re-Focus This Semester] Examine what you hope to get out of your b-school experiencewhether or not it relates to study abroad Each student has a personal agenda for business school. Some students wish to find greater opportunities in their industry, some plan to transition into another industry, and others hope to explore positions in different countries. Additionally, a few students want to stay in the same job, at the same company, in the same country, but earn a graduate degree in business to learn skills necessary to excel in their existing position. Determine what you want to achieve in your MBA program and whether studying abroad will help you reach your goals. If you want to work for a multinational corporation and take advantage of positions that become available in different countries, then international experience would be beneficial to have during your career search. If you hope to stay in one country at a company that works with clients throughout the world, then studying abroad would help you interact with those clients in a more informed fashion. Conversely, if you want to work for a company that only does business in the country that your MBA program is located in, then studying abroad may not provide a significant return on your investment of time, energy, and money. [RELATED: 5 Tips to Ease the Transition from Business School to the Business World] Before you make a decision about studying abroad during business school, consider all of your options. Many schools offer students a variety of international opportunities that range in length, cost, language, and location. Explore what your school has to offer. Then, select a b-school study abroad program that works best for your overall MBA goals. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

How to Use Tumblr

How to Use Tumblr The Practical Guide to Using Tumblr ChaptersSigning Up on TumblrBlog, Reblog, and RereblogBrowsing Tumblr AccountsLogging Out or Deleting Your TumblrIn 2018, the Tumblr platform had nearly 800 million users, putting it in 5th place in terms of social media after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram.This blogging platform is still popular thanks to its original and effective design: allowing bloggers to highlight their creations, be them pictures, photos, videos, or music. This blogging revolution paved the way with its simple but effective notion:Come for what you love. Stay for what you discover.In this article, Superprof is going to help you discover Tumblr by creating your account, using a Tumblr blog, finding other Tumblrs, and getting used to blogging. other Tumblr users can follow your blog and they’ll be up to date with everything you post. You’ll get a notification when they do. This is also true for reblogs and likes.If you don’t know what to follow on Tumblr, start by searching your favourite thin gs in the search bar. You’ll soon find posts from other interesting accounts. There are plenty of funny accounts on Tumblr which are worth a follow.There are plenty of popular funny accounts.Once you’re familiar with a few Tumblr users, you can get in contact with them. Just head to the messaging feature at the top. Messages are the easiest way to communicate on the platform and are like the chat functions on other platforms.Logging Out or Deleting Your TumblrLogging Out from TumblrSometimes you’ll find yourself looking at some of the oddest posts. Maybe you’re on a public or shared computer and security is really important.Either way, it might be time to log out of Tumblr.Tumblr was created in 2007 by a 20-year-old David Karp! (Source: Free-Photos)To log out, go to your dashboard, click on the icon of the person and click “Log Out”.However, if you regularly check your Tumblr, you might want to stay connected. Similarly, if you have a popular Tumblr, you’ll be keeping an ear out for the next notification.Quitting TumblrThere are plenty of reasons to delete your Tumblr account such as freeing up personal time or wanting to spend time on other things.To delete your Tumblr, you’ll have to:Click on settings (the gear icon).Click on “Delete”.Confirm by clicking “Yes”.Enter your email address.Enter your password.Enter the URL of your Tumblr.Your account will be deleted and so will your Tumblr.As you’ll have understood, Tumblr is all about simplicity. You can also learn to use Instagram  or Pinterest, for example. If you need more help with computers, you can always get in touch with a private tutor on Superprof.

Narrative versus Argument

Narrative versus Argument Imagine two tribes of humans living in the same part of prehistoric Africa. One tribe is called the Story People, and the other tribe is called the Practical People. Times are tough, and both tribes are competing for the same scarce resources. They are equal in every way, except after the Story People come home from hunting and gathering they make up stories to tell each other before going to sleep. The Practical People do not. They keep hunting and gathering until bed. Which tribe do you think will succeed and which tribe will die off? That is the question posed in The Storytelling Animal, a book by Jonathan Gottschall. We already know the answer, says Gottschall, because the Story People survived. We are the Story People. The Practical People, if they ever existed, do not exist now. Almost certainly, storytelling has evolved to ensure our survival. Stories are like flight-simulators, says Gottschall. They prepare us for the problems of real life. Instead of teaching us to land a jet on an aircraft carrier during a storm, stories give us practice thinking about the problems of being human. The more we engage in narrative (another word for storytelling) whether in conversation, books or film, the better able we are at understanding others and at modelling ways to respond to life’s problems. Psychologists have found that people who read a lot of fiction have better social skills and more empathy than people who read a lot of nonfiction. Stories are a kind of ancient virtual reality technology that simulates the big dilemmas of life. Stories, in short, are good for us. Now, imagine two low-intermediate English Second Language classes. One class, called the Narrative Class learns English by writing narratives while the other class, the Academic Class, writes academic essays. Which class learns more English? Evolution cannot help us here because language courses are designed by teachers, not evolution. However, there is research that points to an answer. Corpus Linguistics research (Biber et al., 1999) reveals that academic writing and conversation have stark differences in the frequency of the grammatical forms and vocabulary employed. Clauses in conversation are much shorter, so verbs are more frequent. Of the verbs used, modals, the Present Perfect tense and progressive (-ing) forms are much more common in conversation than in academic writing. Negatives, contractions and pronouns are also much more common in conversation. Since narratives contain a large amount of quoted speech, narrative writing tasks provide practice using many of the linguistic features needed for oral communication. Applied Linguistics research suggests that narrative writing could be more helpful to students learning English in another way. A study conducted by Dr. Norman Segalowitz at McGill University in 1976 found that an over-emphasis on formal registers in language learning had a negative effect on learners’ self-confidence. The study showed that non-fluent second language learners believed themselves to appear less intelligent, less self-confident, and less friendly during casual speech situations than formal situations because their Second Language courses had consistently prioritized academic forms of expression over conversational forms. Courses that combine the formal aspects of writing with the informal language of conversation through narrative writing should, therefore, have the opposite effect on self-confidence in speaking English. Increasing self-confidence in lower proficiency learners has been shown to have a direct positive effect on the frequency of communication (MacIntyr e Charos, 1996), and we all know that the more you practice speaking English the better you get in the long run. This is not to suggest that no one should ever learn academic English. Fluent bilinguals who already know enough English to feel confident making casual conversation could very well benefit from a course in academic English, especially if they intend to go to an English language university. According to Lamarre (2008), 8% of students at English language universities in Quebec are Francophones. These advanced students most certainly need some training in academic English to succeed. Nevertheless, of our two hypothetical classes, the science seems to suggest that the Story Class is likely to learn more English than the Academic Class. Narrative writing with its emphasis on informal English will help students feel better prepared for real-life encounters with Anglophones. More self-confidence will lead to more contact, which will lead to more meaningful practice. The range of conversational grammar and vocabulary contained in stories will also give those learners practice with forms that they rarely or never appear in academic writing tasks. In this way, narrative writing is a kind of linguistic virtual reality technology. It helps us safely prepare for the most challenging aspects of language learning in a meaningful and entertaining way. Please follow and like us:

4 Reasons to Broaden Your Vocabulary - TutorNerds

4 Reasons to Broaden Your Vocabulary - TutorNerds Tips from an Orange County Writing Tutor: 4 reasons to broaden your vocabulary Whether students are in elementary school or preparing for their SATs, they will benefit from a broad and varied vocabulary. Many students are marked down because they use the same two adjectives over and over again in a research paper or struggle with reading comprehension because there are too many words they dont recognize. By the time students get into the upper grades its important they understand how to recognize different types of words, can tell the difference between positive, negative and neutral connotations, and understand different types of jargon. These skills will be helpful as a K-12 student, but they will become essential when students go out into the world to focus on college and career. 1. One word at a time When students are assigned 20 or 30 new terms at a time, they tend to learn almost none of them. Learning new words is just like learning peoples names; its easy to remember one new person but meeting 20 people at once usually results in disaster. Its the same with vocabulary so students should focus on learning one word at a time and learning it well. They should be able to understand when its appropriate to use a particular word, be able to use it in their sentence, and know whether the word has a positive or negative connotation. 2. Words in context Its also important for students to be able to recognize words in context. A new word can have very different meanings depending on the other words around it. Is the term used sarcastically by a character in a novel? Is it meant as an insult or compliment when said out loud? Students need to know how to use words in their own spoken context as well as in their writing so that what they are trying to communicate makes sense (READ: Fullerton AP Tutoring Tips: 5 Ways to Ace AP World History). 3. Test prep vocabulary Nearly every college prep student dreads the thought of studying their SAT or ACT vocabulary. Thats because its pretty boring to memorize a list of new words. However, students can learn new words and understand how theyre meant to be used if they learn just a few words at a time and have a chance to be able to confidently use these words in their writing before they have a new set of words to focus on. This means they should start with their vocabulary study well in advance of their test date. 4. Effective communication Effective communication is required at every stage of learning and becomes essential when students get out into the workforce. They need to be able to recognize what people mean by what they say, essentially reading in between the lines. Students need to be able to understand what somebody is asking of them and also understand how to ask questions themselves effectively. Having a broad vocabulary is a big part of successful communication and can benefit students for the rest of their lives. Want to improve your writing skills? Our private Orange County writing tutors are here to help. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Oct. 5th is World Teachers Day

Oct. 5th is World Teachers Day Today, October 5th, 2019 is World Teachers day. For us educators, it is a special holiday.   Every morning us teacher run to work, only to worn out by the demands of our profession. But when you see shining eyes and hear sincere words of gratitude, realize the heart that you live and work needlessly.   So, happy holiday, dear colleagues!    I wish all and every love their work, inspire and inspire, and the main thing is never to regret that the year, five, ten, thirty years ago you chose exactly this profession Be healthy and Be sure to truly happy!   Happy Teachers Day 2019, my dear colleagues!